Darkness Embraced

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: info@thewildrosepress.com

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