Darkness Embraced Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Kudos for Trish Arcangelo

  Darkness Embraced

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Ivy traced an X on her face so he would know what she was asking. “Do you not like to talk about it?” Ivy dared, still half afraid he might come unglued and cleave her to death with one of his ghastly tools.

  After several moments he replied, “They are...shame.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Scars...show warrior’s shame.”

  Ivy’s heart lurched for him. “But what did you do to cause them to mark you?”

  Dredd shook his head. “No more.”

  His eyes grew shuttered, and Ivy could tell he was very self-conscious and uncomfortable about his scars and the reasons behind them. She let it drop, but reached out and traced one of his scars with her finger before she could help herself. Dredd grasped her wrist, pinning her with his gaze. The air between them grew heavy, and Ivy thought for a moment that he would kiss her.

  She whispered, “If the goal was to mar your visage, they failed. The scars become you.”

  “Nom,” He responded through clenched teeth.

  Ivy’s throat felt raw with emotion. He didn’t believe her, and he didn’t want to open up to her. She scooted away from him, lying down on the fur blanket that had become her bed.

  “I-vy?” He used her name for the first time since the night they met, and again it sent a thrill through her. The way he said it, clearly enunciating each syllable, stirred something within her.

  She turned to look at him. “Yes, Dredd?”

  “Do not touch me ’less you wish beneath me.”

  Kudos for Trish Arcangelo

  DARKNESS EMBRACED was a finalist

  in the 2013 Show Me The Spark writing contest

  sponsored by

  the Heartland Romance Writers chapter of RWA,

  receiving 4th place overall

  in the paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi category.

  Darkness Embraced

  by

  Trish Arcangelo

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

  Darkness Embraced

  COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Trish Arcangelo

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Angela Anderson

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2015

  Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-789-4

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my husband, Matt,

  who nurtures my dreams and slays my fears.

  I couldn’t have done this without you.

  ~*~

  And to my mother,

  who gifted me not only with an affinity

  for reading romance fiction,

  but also with unconditional love.

  Deep beyond the trees

  Where the day is dark

  Lies the creature’s lair

  For it bears the mark

  Few dare to seek him

  None live to tell

  Of the beast called Ajax

  Risen from hell

  ~Shadowborn Folklore

  Chapter 1

  Dominion (The Dark Isle)

  Located in Abyssos, The Hidden Realm

  “My Lord, I think it comes!”

  The whispered words, laced with fear, came from one of the half-dozen ShadowBorn soldiers flanking the tree Ivy Black was tied to, bound by thick heavy rope.

  A soldier who is scared senseless, Ivy thought with contempt. These men couldn’t handle the world beyond their precious walls. And what was about to happen to her tonight only provided further proof of her point. The Maiden Sacrifice was the pathetic ShadowBorn answer to handling conflict.

  “Silence, Alec!” Lord Bader, First Noble of the ShadowBorn, responded to the soldier’s whispered outburst from his position in front of Ivy.

  She studied him, his alabaster skin stretched taut over a tall and lanky frame, soft hands and stick-like arms proclaiming a life of a spoiled man who had never done an honest day’s work.

  So many slaves, including her late father, toiled on the excavation crews below ground, risking life and limb so the ShadowBorn nobles could build lavish underground palaces where they would be safe from the perceived dangers above. Meanwhile this so-called Lord had never had so much as a speck of dirt beneath his manicured fingernails.

  “We always wait until sunset before we leave the Sacrifice alone at the altar,” Bader addressed the soldiers, his tone implying that he spoke to small children, “so I won’t hear another word from any of you or you will be tied to the tree next to our fair maiden here.”

  The fidgeting amongst the soldiers came to an abrupt halt.

  “Hand, you may see to the Maiden for a final time,” Bader directed the order to Seraphine, the freckled servant chosen to prepare Ivy for the sacrifice.

  The girl had come to Ivy’s small shared underground chamber a few hours earlier, to bathe and dress her. They were sending Ivy to almost certain death, not a ball, but the ShadowBorn loved nothing more than pomp and circumstance.

  So here Ivy stood, in a white off-the-shoulder gown more beautiful than she could ever have imagined, a wreath of white roses upon her head. Her blonde hair was brushed and styled until it lay in a cascade of curls and waves down her back. The dress was of the softest material, and felt luxurious against her skin compared to the scratchy dresses a kitchen slave like herself was forced to wear. She let herself enjoy the caress of it for a brief moment, until the rough tree bark against her back brought her back to reality.

  Seraphine approached meekly and fussed, smoothing hair and pinching color into Ivy’s cheeks. She then tightened the strings on the corset-like bodice of the dress, and plumped the flowing skirt.

  Dressing up a corpse.

  Ivy couldn’t stop the words from running through her mind. She tried to keep a brave face throughout her ordeal, refusing to let the ShadowBorn see her fear, but she was beginning to sweat despite the chilly fall air. And her trembling was getting harder and harder to hide because tonight she would be sacrificed to the Ajax.

  The Ajax were a thing of ShadowBorn legend, waiting around every dark corner and under the bed of every child. The stories told around the fires at night were those of ravenous beasts who raped and killed without mercy, preying upon any unfortunate creature stupid enough to find themselves alone at night in the Dark Woods.

  The ShadowBorn were so fearful of the Ajax, that whenever the Sage Council foresaw impending doom during the ritual reading-of-the-leaves, they sacrificed a virgin slave to them, claiming to buy peace with the bodies of innocents. Ivy had been so young, and new to the Stronghold
, the last time a Maiden Sacrifice occurred. She had nightmares for weeks after finding out what it entailed. This time, it was her name pulled from the basket during the harvest feast, the basket which held the names of all the female slaves between sixteen and twenty-two.

  The one positive of this entire heinous tradition was that the female ShadowBorn slaves were to be kept maidens until they reached twenty-three. Under the “Untouchable Rule,” any male who even so much as groped such a slave was sentenced to immediate death. This provided a brief reprieve from the unwanted advances of the Nobles, or really any freemen, who treated the older female slaves like sexual chattel. The Ajax might be barbarians, but they weren’t the only ones.

  “You are so beautiful, Ivy,” Seraphine croaked, continuing to fluff and tweak her dress.

  Ivy was determined to keep her voice steady and calm. “Thank you, Sera. You were a wonderful Maiden’s Hand. Take care of yourself.”

  “I will,” the girl choked. “May the Gods be with you.”

  Ivy simply nodded, unable to speak. The Gods had nothing to do with this.

  “The sun is in its descent,” Bader announced as Seraphine quickly scrambled back to her place for the ceremony.

  Ivy watched as Bader walked toward her, stopping but a few steps in front of her. She raised her eyes to the sky and began gazing at the stars. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the smells of the forest around her, all of it exhilarating. Maybe this was all worth it, just to get a glimpse of the world outside those hated Stronghold walls again and feel the crisp breeze. The sky went on forever, so much more than she glimpsed from her occasional limited views in the exterior courtyards.

  All Ivy ever wanted was to be free. She did not expect a life of leisure; in fact she found satisfaction in hard work. She simply wanted the work to be on her own terms. Ivy despised working sixteen hour, back breaking days in the underground kitchens, the stifling heat and dim lighting making her feel suffocated. The idea of having a little cottage of her own, maybe in one of the villages along the River Byrne, with a small garden and a big window, sounded like heaven to Ivy. She would have a simple life, marry a man of her own choosing, and raise a family…

  “We, the ShadowBorn of Dominion,” Bader began with dramatic flair, cutting off Ivy’s thoughts. Immediately angered, she spat in his face.

  “You little bitch!” Bader raised his arm to strike her, but stopped short. After all, it wouldn’t do for the Maiden to look anything less than perfect; The Ajax might find the sacrifice unworthy.

  Ivy sneered at him. “You are no man. The thing between your legs shrivels at the thought of the Ajax. I gladly hand my fate over to them, ravening beasts that they are, rather than spend one more day in that Godsforsaken cave with the ShadowBorn. Surely even the Ajax have more honor.”

  Bader glared at her for several moments, the awkward silence stretching until a few of the soldiers coughed in discomfort. “You have never seen the corpse of an Ajax victim.”

  Ivy met his gaze but refused to respond to his words.

  “Believe me when I say that before this night is over you will be begging for the safety of the Stronghold walls. And you shall not find it.”

  There was no sound as Bader’s ominous words rang through the woods, as if even the animals needed a moment to soak in the horror. Ivy swallowed the lump in her throat.

  Then Bader raised his arms and began again.

  “We the ShadowBorn of Dominion, giveth of this fair Maiden, in tribute and sacrifice to the creatures known as Ajax, both in the Dark Woods and beyond. We ask that in return for this vessel, of virgin flesh and blood, that you grant us peace. We will not encroach upon your grounds, and ask that you not encroach upon ours. May this Maiden be bestowed unto you as the highest of offerings.”

  Ivy thought for a moment that she would vomit, his words disgusted her so. She could only hope the Ajax were a figment of the ShadowBorn fear-induced imagination, and she could slowly work free of her bonds. Worst case scenario, she would be murdered by unimaginable creatures. Either way, she was no longer a ShadowBorn slave, and that brought a shred of comfort.

  She gulped in the fresh air, fragrant and soothing, and did not spare the ShadowBorn another glance. Not when they extinguished the torch beside her, not even when she heard the party turn and scurry away, back toward the security of the Stronghold, leaving her entirely alone and at the mercy of the things that go bump in the night.

  ****

  Dredd scented the female just after dusk. He knew that Talis and Merck, a two-member Ajax hunting party he spotted some distance behind him, also scented her. Non-Ajax peoples of any sort were extremely rare this deep in the Dark Woods, particularly a female, and such a notion would immediately send any Ajax warrior on high alert. Especially on the night of the full moons, when an Ajax’s senses were at their strongest. It’s what made this night such a good one for hunting.

  This female’s scent was unique and strong, with a hint of roses, and Dredd found it strangely intoxicating. His sex throbbed to life, for the first time in years.

  What in the three hells was wrong with him? He had long thought himself past such urges. To react so swiftly, like an untrained boy, from nothing more than a scent, was disturbing. Dredd cursed his arousal and reminded himself he was here to hunt game, willing his traitorous erection to cooperate and his curiosity to pass. No one knew better than he the treachery that females could bring.

  Dredd turned his attention back to the stag he had been hunting. The stag was large, the largest he had seen this season, and would be a good source of meat. The fall would quickly give way to winter, and the more meat he could stock up on the better. But even as Dredd stalked the animal, his mind wandered back to the female, her scent refusing to leave him be. He could smell her fear. Was she injured? And how could a single female possibly venture so far into the woods by herself? It would take days to reach this area from the western villages beyond the river, and—

  It hit him like a blow.

  Could it be?

  Dredd shook his head, the stag forgotten. Even as he told himself it couldn’t be, and he wanted nothing to do with the faceless female, he began prowling through the woods in the direction of the scent, preternaturally quiet despite his size. He was determined to reach her before Talis or Merck, refusing to question his own motives.

  Luckily, there were no other Ajax in the area to deal with. Not only did he not scent any, but it was unlikely any of the hordes would be hunting this far south. Talis and Merck were outcasts, like himself, and they were the only Ajax he typically saw in this area. Dredd remained doubly alert, however, knowing better than to be caught unawares. An Ajax on this kind of hunt would fight to the death. Dredd did not doubt his skill in such a battle, but it was a hassle he would rather not contend with this night. As he moved, his mind raced. The possibility of what this female could be sending all his senses into overload.

  The Vessel.

  Ajax legend foretold that the Vessel, found in the Dark Woods during the red moons of the harvest season, would be won by only the fiercest Ajax warrior. To claim her was the highest honor, a gift from the God of the Mountain. It had been more than twenty annums since last his horde was blessed with a Vessel, and a new one would bring great celebration, as well as great admiration to the warrior who won her.

  Despite his awareness of the complications a female would bring, Dredd could not help but realize the benefits of claiming the Vessel. Not only would Dredd have secured a mate of his very own, but he could finally escape the shame upon his head. A mate of such honor would surely assuage the sting of past betrayals, and he would finally be recognized as a fitting warrior among his horde.

  After all, the Ajax prized might above all else. They were the strongest of all the Dark Isle races, a people who believed warring was a way of life. Due to their superior brawn, acute senses, and feral ways they were deeply feared by most on Dominion, at least those who knew of their existence, which was why the Dark Woods remained
Ajax territory since time began. Ajax were predators, all other Dark Isle beings were prey.

  And of the Ajax, Dredd knew there were few as brutal, and as ruthless, as he. It had been a necessity for him. He was shamed and cast out by his horde when he had barely reached the cusp of manhood, and spent the years since becoming a warrior unrivaled. It was that or die.

  Always the shadow of his shame haunted him, marking him as surely as the scars the horde elders had carved on his face. Dredd proved a hundred times over that no other warrior could best him, yet Ajax females refused to look upon him. Even if one could tolerate his scars, they would never tolerate what his scars represented.

  But this female...would she see him for who he was? Would she see beyond the scars?

  For years Dredd thought himself above such trivial needs, training himself long ago to be beyond physical or emotional weaknesses. His isolation from the rest of the horde was so familiar to him, like a favored pair of well-worn hide boots, that any interaction with others chafed and left him longing for solitude. Of course, it also left him lonely, but there were worse things, Dredd reminded himself constantly. Yet now suddenly, after merely a scent, he was willing to risk everything for an unknown female?

  Yes.

  Dredd navigated the trees with ease, gaining ground, and his mind fully grasped the pressing matter in front of him…The Vessel. He let go of any pretense that he did not mean to claim her. He was drawn to the female in an inexplicable way.

  Because she is yours...

  The female’s sweet scent was growing stronger, overwhelming him and filling his nostrils. It meant she was close. His erection swelled further, his savage side stirring. The image of his willing and delicate female, underneath him as he took her swiftly and completely, filled his mind. She would surrender to him as no woman had.

  Mine, the beast within him called.

  Dredd suddenly noticed a distinct shift in the air. There was another scent, mingling near the Vessel, close to her. Too close. And it was a scent he was all too familiar with.

  Talis.

  Almost instantly his rage bubbled over. How had he let Talis get ahead of him? Dredd cursed as he raced through the trees, his body moving faster than any lesser race could track. His eyes, normally dark gray, became silver slits. Woodland creatures of all shapes and sizes scattered at the sight of the immense male charging through the forest. His canines, which were elongated to fangs in his mouth thanks to the red moons, itched to rip into the throat of any male who dared to touch her. There was a reason he was in this part of the woods tonight. She was his, The God of the Mountain decreed it so.