The Dark King Read online

  The Dark King

  Fae - Book 2

  C. J. Abedi

  Copyright

  Diversion Books

  A Division of Diversion Publishing Corp.

  443 Park Avenue South, Suite 1008

  New York, NY 10016

  www.DiversionBooks.com

  Copyright © 2013 by Jasmine and Colet Abedi

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For more information, email [email protected]

  First Diversion Books edition May 2014

  Second Diversion Books Edition October 2016

  ISBN: 978-1-62681-227-7

  Also in the Fae series

  Fae

  The Queen (December 2016)

  To all the fans of FAE, we feel so blessed by your enthusiasm, support, and love of the world we created. We wouldn’t be here without you.

  A special acknowledgement to Rowan, “The Warrior of Light.” You will forever be in our thoughts and prayers … rest in peace, dear boy.

  Blessed Be

  The Dark King is dedicated to our

  Mom,

  Dad,

  &

  Grandparents, Mammanjoon, & Babbajoon.

  Thank you for holding our hands and never letting go.

  The Lost Colony

  They say that great legends begin in tragedy.

  Heroes fall.

  Villains triumph.

  The thirst for vengeance lives like wildfire in the hearts of those who survive. And as time passes, the legend becomes a mysterious puzzle that can only be solved through divine revelation.

  In 1587, 114 men and women vanished from Roanoke, North Carolina. They came to the New World with many dreams, but fate had devised a different plan. Over four hundred years later and with only one clue remaining from the disappearance of what is known as The Lost Colony, this mystery still remains unsolved.

  All that was left behind was a cryptic message carved in an ancient tree.

  Just three simple letters.

  C

  R

  O

  Chapter One

  “Hark ye O old man and list to my warning:

  be ye free from the bondage of night.

  Surrender not your soul to the BROTHERS OF DARKNESS.

  Keep thy face ever turned towards the Light.”

  —The Emerald Tablet of Thoth

  Kingdom of the Dark Fae

  Devilyn

  I have lived a thousand lives. Walked a thousand miles. I have traveled every inch of the great earth, passed through realms of magik, dark and light. My soul has always felt the battle. Always known what was to come. But never did I imagine the darkness that would consume me so completely without shame or fear, engulfing me in its cold embrace, its talons entrenched into my being, filling me with an innate satisfaction and fear of what monster I would become.

  And yet.

  Here I sit on the Dark Throne just as Brighid had prophesized. She knew all along what I would come to be. The crown heavy from the weight of the black crystals rests effortlessly on my head. Once I chose the dark it consumed my light swiftly, the energy surging through my veins as if it knew no other way. Like I had never been anything different.

  To celebrate my transformation, I had myself branded with an ancient symbol of the Dark, the black lines drawn carefully on my upper left arm, a permanent reminder of who and what I was.

  My subjects kneeled before me, some pleased with my triumph and others fearful of my power. They each knew what I had done to my father. They saw me crush him into nothing. Banish him into a prison that he himself had banished thousands of others before. And I did it all without remorse, without consequence, without thought.

  And more than anything, I had enjoyed it.

  I thought back to the day when Alderon had taken Caroline. The fury had engulfed me, moving through my being like rolling thunder. All I could think of was how afraid she must be. And her safety. The girl that had been cruelly brought into the danger of my world. I wouldn’t allow it. Not for her. Never for her.

  Caroline.

  Every day.

  Every minute.

  Every second.

  She was in my blood. Just as the dark coursed through my veins, my desire for Caroline moved through me. When I turned my back on her and left, the feeling of loss that overcame me was nearly my undoing. The longing I had for her. To hold her. Touch her. Feel her light. It was beyond any desire that I had ever known. But that desire was a constant reminder of my struggle. There was no hope for us. No promise of tomorrow. Not when I knew the risks far outweighed the reward.

  I needed to contain my feelings with the same strength and fortitude I had utilized in the months past. I hoped that it would be much easier now, especially since I had finally embraced the dark. Since taking the throne I had done everything I could to avoid Caroline, but I knew deep down that the time would come again when I wouldn’t be able to anymore. I knew I couldn’t be with her, but I also knew that at some point I would be drawn to her like an addict.

  But not today.

  Today I would focus on the battles I had won and the war that was erupting within me.

  As I walked the halls in the palace of the Dark Fae, I looked around my new home with apathy. The cold stones were pitch black but emitted an energy that any human would find enticing and strangely calming. I had erased any trace of Alderon, even though my very being was confirmation enough that he controlled me.

  I kept my audience small, only allowing a few of the Dark Fae Court to be before me at any time, preferring my solitude and memories of the brief moment I had with Caroline as company. I did not need to be revered or loved, just obeyed and respected. Any hope for love had vanished the moment I used my magik.

  When I brought Caroline’s beloved dog, Famous, back to life, I knew I was doomed. Did I regret it? Never. It was worth a thousand lifetimes in darkness to bring her that joy. But I was finished. Even in small doses, the power of magik was like heroin, but its allure was even more intense when used to reverse the Fates. It was my point of no return. My entire life had been spent on a precipice of darkness, teetering slowly at the edge.

  The fall was an easy one.

  And just as quickly, I turned that magik on my own father. When I had known Caroline was hidden safely away, I faced Alderon in the forest. It was a chilling memory as I thought back to that day.

  We had opposed each other like two great warriors in the halls of Odin’s Valhalla. Thousands of Dark Fae watched us, never interfering because of the power they knew we possessed.

  “You dare challenge me, boy?!” Alderon had screamed at me as he rose in the air, more powerful than I had ever known or imagined.

  My choice had been simple.

  His fury was boundless as he lifted his hand and released the black light. I was thrown back to the ground and lifted into the air from the power, the jolt of such an attack rocking me to my core.

  “I will kill her. Know this, Devilyn. Caroline is an abomination! And she will be destroyed!”

  And that was all it took.

  My hatred, my loathing for him washed over me like a tidal wave and fed my soul more than any dark crystal ever could. It was all I needed. I lifted my hands and began to chant an ancient verse that I never even remembered knowing or learning. It came from something deep within my core, something that had been hibernating for centuries, waiting patiently for the time to be unleashed. The dark light exploded around my bo
dy like a shimmering star.

  Alderon fell to the ground from the shock wave and watched me in horror as I rose high into the air holding a black crystal sword and pounced down on him.

  I thrust the sword through his body, and in an instant he vanished as I had known he would. As the dark moved through my body, I held the sword high and dared any of the Dark Fae to attack me. But as soon as Alderon was gone, they all kneeled down to the ground. They knew the tides had changed.

  “I am your King!” I had roared. And there had been no dispute.

  Alderon’s new home would not be as comfortable as his last. No one would ever find him. I was the only one who knew where he was imprisoned. Banished forever within a sacred Yew tree, a sentence he had given to so many others before. His darkness now closely guarded in the crystal sword I had used to slay him.

  He would be forever hidden.

  And as each day passed, Caroline would be closer to leading a relatively normal life. However, I didn’t face the same fate. My life had taken a different turn. And there was no turning back.

  The only thing left to do was confront the man who had raised me and loved me like a true son.

  Odin.

  The Great.

  The All-Father.

  The All-Knowing, he no doubt knew what course I was now on.

  He had called for me, having sensed the change, so I met him at the Gate of Destiny, which separates the dark forest from the light. It sparkled brightly against a sky that was half black and half white. Many had always said there was a fine line between love and hate, darkness and light. I knew that once I crossed over and picked my side, there was no room for return.

  “You wear your crown well,” Odin said solemnly as he turned to face me. He was dressed in a magnificent royal blue cape that fell to his feet with his warrior’s shield and winged helmet, stark symbols of the magnanimous God that he was. “Leadership suits you.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “But certainly the color of the stones that cover it cannot be agreeable to you.”

  “I would prefer to see you in a different shade, but as they say, it’s not the clothes that make the man, but rather how they are worn.”

  The weight of the crown had never felt heavier.

  “You think you are protected. You think that you have hidden him well. But deep down you know that no one is ever safe. No one will ever be free until you return home.”

  “I have chosen my true home. It is where I belong.”

  “You cannot believe that, Devilyn.”

  I could sense the desperation in his voice. He wanted me to be different, but I needed him to understand that as much as he wished it, as I wished it myself, it would never be.

  “The child you knew, the one you raised, no longer exists. I will never be the man you want me to be. I have made my choice.”

  “You reek of battle.” Odin began slowly, ignoring what I’d said. “There is the stench of sadness and death that you carry on your soul that will be shed with time. Do not forsake your light. You are better than this. You are not and will never be Alderon.”

  I wished I could believe him, but the lure of the black magik was one that consumed me even now. How could I ever seek the light when nightfall covered me so well?

  “We played a dangerous game with the Fates,” I began slowly. “You thought your power would change me—”

  “Not my power, my son. My love.”

  I closed my eyes.

  “Your love has lost this game.”

  “I never lose, Devilyn,” he said, conjuring up a ball of light between his hands. Its radiance took my breath away. His voice was strong as he continued, “I am the master of destiny. I control the moon, the stars, and the oceans with waves that will sweep over this vast land. The universe is at my command. The Fates listen to the path I choose because I walk it with unquestionable certainty. Know this, Devilyn—you will never be like him. Not even if you wear the black crystal crown and hide in a Dark Kingdom. Not ever.”

  His belief in me was staggering. His love, undeniable. But it was not enough.

  I looked up at him, at the man who had raised me and guided me for so long, and I knew it was time to say goodbye.

  “There is one truth you do not want to see. One simple fact that even you cannot change. He is and will always be my real father.”

  I left Odin staring at me with much sadness as I walked through the dark Gate, promising myself to never look back. It would be a moment that would replay in my mind over and over. I had disappointed the only man who ever had any faith in me.

  “My King?” I turned away from the great window that I found myself gazing out of to face the voice that interrupted my peace. Katya. Beautiful, enticing, and dark Katya. Her lust for me was clear as day. Bold, fierce, and powerful. I don’t know many who would be able to resist her.

  But she held no special allure for me. Not now. Not ever. My heart remained in the hands of Caroline even if I, the King of the Dark Fae, ordained that she would never know it.

  “Katya.”

  “You are pensive this evening, my lord,” she said with a tentative smile as she took a step forward and placed her hand on my arm. “What can I do to help?”

  I quickly looked away from her so she would not see the truth.

  “Look at me.” She whispered softly, her voice now changed into one I knew well. I turned around slowly. It had been so long. Caroline.

  I knew Katya had conjured up the image to entice me. But for that brief moment, it felt wonderful to look at Caroline again. I closed my eyes, praying that when I opened them, the vision before me would remain, though I knew Katya was toying with me.

  I stepped close to her and gripped her arms, pulling her into an embrace. She was smiling up at me, inviting me to hold her intimately. I closed my mind and allowed it to wander away into the depths of the hole that once held my heart.

  “Caroline,” I whispered, leaning down to press my lips to hers. Katya looked up and smiled, anxious to kiss me back. The moment our lips touched I knew it was nothing. Nothing like the soft, tender, innocent lips I had felt in a moment that seemed like years ago.

  There was nothing there.

  And nothing left of me.

  If Katya was to stay as Caroline, a single touch would always reveal that this was not the woman who would own me forever. The woman who stood before me was an imposter. And to be with her was an even worse fate to bear than to be without Caroline in any way.

  Caroline

  I dreamt of him.

  Every night.

  Every single night.

  Within moments of closing my eyes, he was there.

  I would have the most vivid dreams that when I’d wake, I could actually remember every detail. I’d remember the way his hand brushed slowly across my cheek, wiping away my tears. I’d remember the way he held my face right before he leaned in for the most unforgettable kiss. I’d remember his dark eyes looking deep within me, looking at me with such intensity. He’d run his thumb across my chin and come closer and it was like he was there, right in front of me.

  Or was he?

  My dreams were so intense and clear that they felt completely real. So much so that when I’d wake up it would take me a minute to remember where I was and that what I had seen was not reality. The constant, nightly visions made it impossible to forget him. His presence, whether real or imaginary, was paralyzing.

  Devilyn.

  It’s almost like I knew him on some otherworldly level. I felt like I’d shared personal details about my life with him, like I bared my soul to him, and, what was even more strange, I felt like we had shared a kiss. One that was so passionate and intense that my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest when I thought of it.

  But that kiss didn’t happen. It couldn’t have.

  I knew my imagination was obviously running on overdrive. I would have remembered everything about my first kiss. It would have been something that would be permanently etched in my mind f
orever.

  They were just dreams.

  They had to be.

  I could add them to the never-ending list of constant Devilyn Reilly fantasies. I needed to get a life. Fairy tale endings were not realistic. Some dreams were just never meant to be.

  As I walked down the long corridor in search of my new locker, I was thankful that school had started, so I could get back in my daily routines. I needed to go back to being the person I was pre-Devilyn Reilly. The person who didn’t obsess over some guy, the person who didn’t spend hours wishing she would see him. The person who was not worried about how her hair looked or what she was wearing. That just wasn’t who I wanted to be.

  Summer was over and I needed to focus on what mattered. The here and now. Even though the last few months had gone by so slowly for me.

  If it weren’t for Teddy I think I would have gone insane. My parents were still plagued with financial issues, so I had to spend all my spare time working at the diner. Money had been tight for Teddy, too, because he had recently bought a new car. His old one had reached its breaking point, and Teddy had finally realized that no amount of masking tape or superglue would be able to save it. So now that his debts had increased substantially, he needed to work as well. Lucky for me, we were able to spend the entire summer together, side by side. Thankfully, he was expert at keeping my mind occupied.

  We talked about our next steps, college, what would come after that, and the next year in school as juniors and what it all would bring for us. We had SATs to prepare for, as this was the year that really counted with colleges. If we wanted to go anywhere worthy, we’d have to give it all we got.

  To be honest, I wasn’t really sure where I would end up. I always thought that I would stay close to my family, not leaving North Carolina. But now, the family I had always known was no longer the same, and my world wasn’t what I always thought it was. The lesson I learned from my sophomore year was that everything had changed. Those around me, the people who I thought were closest to me, ultimately weren’t who they said they were. I was the product of an adoption.