What Lay in the Dark

By Casey L. Nash

“I’ve seen things you would never believe. I know things that most people would never consider. I’ve experienced things that your worst nightmares don’t even come close to. And that is something that you never want to get involved in.”

Ailia has been missing out on a lot of things in life. She’s never experienced those little things – happiness,
friendship, love.

In the need of a new beginning, she moves to Scotland. The plan was to find those things. Get a good job, make some friends and hopefully meet a man who would love her. She never expected to meet someone like Egan.

Egan’s different. He’s mysterious, secretive and doesn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t want Ailia anywhere near him. It’s too dangerous.

But when a dark creature becomes obsessed with Ailia, she is forced to walk the line between life and death, and Egan may be the only person who can save her.

In a world where danger is real, love and friendship are the most valuable things a person can have. The question is: who can you trust?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Casey L. Nash
• Release date: Feb 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987421913

Casey L. Nash

Casey L. Nash published her first novel, What Lay in the Dark in 2012 at the age of seventeen. Since then she has released the sequel and completed a university degree in Popular Music. Now working as a music teacher, Nash divides her time between planning and writing novels, teaching students to sing and play music and binge-watching Netflix with her dog. Casey is currently working on several novels, the first of which she intends to release sometime in 2018.

Book preview

What Lay in the Dark

Casey L. Nash

Copyright © 2012 Casey L. Nash

Smashwords Edition

www.caseylnash.com

ISBN: 978-0-9874219-1-3 

Cover design by Kit Foster Design

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

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Prologue

When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. A lot of children are. Most parents tell their children that there is nothing to fear. Sometimes children are comforted by a light left on. Others need their parents to stay for a while, to read them a happy story. I can still remember my brother singing me to sleep.

As we grow, our parents teach us that these fears are unreasonable. They tell us that the man we saw by our bed was a trick of the light. The strange noises were the pipes creaking or the house settling and the whispers we heard as we fell asleep were only our imagination. By the time we are adults, we believe that there is no reason to hide, because we know that there isn’t anything out there.

When you were young, your parents told you that there was nothing to fear in the dark.

They lied.

Chapter One: The Castle

I walked slowly up to the ruined castle. It was still beautiful, even if the stones from the walls had fallen and there was barely any part of the tower remaining. Placing my palm on the outer wall sent a shiver down my spine. The thin ice layering the stone melted from the heat of my hand. I took a step back and drew my jacket close around me.

I’d always loved castles. There was an element of mystery about them that just couldn’t be found anywhere else. I slowly wandered between the walls of the ancient ruin, wondering what happened to this place and who lived here long ago.

What are you doing here? the voice I heard was masculine and demanding.

I turned to look into the most gorgeous green eyes I had ever seen. They were hostile. I choked slightly, searching for the words to say to the man. He suddenly put a finger to his lips. He looked up, his eyes flicking in every direction, as if he was searching for something.

They’re here, he whispered; the slightest hint of shock in his voice.

Who’s here? I asked in confusion.

Run! he cried, before quickly sprinting down the hill.

Bewildered, I followed him with no idea of what I was doing or where I was going. It was the sort of thing I usually avoided. I would usually just shake my head, think the man crazy and walk home, but there was something about him that I was drawn to.

We reached the outskirts of a forest which the man obviously deemed a good place to stop. You should go home, he told me.

Why?

Because there are dangerous things out there that you don’t know about and don’t want to know about. Get out of here.

What are you talking about?

He turned to look at me. You’re Irish.

Yes, I replied.

You a tourist?

No.

He levelled his eyes with mine and I realised that I was rooted to the spot. There was no way I could move right now, not that I really wanted to. I doubted anyone in my position would be able to do a thing. The man’s eyes had a fierce glint to them, a fire that would scare off the bravest of souls. His height added to the intimidation. He spoke softly, yet seemed deadly serious.

I’ve seen things you would never believe. I know things that most people would never consider. I’ve experienced things that your worst nightmares don’t even come close to. And that is something you never want to get involved in. Go home, before it’s too late.

With that he turned and trudged his way into the forest. I stood still for a moment, pondering what he’d just said. The look in his eyes I couldn’t get out of my head; the image just stayed put. Yet with everything he’d said and everything he’d done, only one question really needed answering.

Who was he?

Chapter Two: In the Shadows

I never really liked romance movies. They were so unrealistic. The perfect guy doesn’t just show up in your time of need. The hot guy from the supermarket doesn’t keep bumping into you all the time until you finally decide to start dating. The crazy guy from the castle doesn’t just casually walk in to the newspaper office where you happen to work.

Yet there he was. I looked up on impulse, leaving the article I was writing behind for just a moment. At the very same moment that the strange man from the castle opened the door and walked into the office. My eyes widened a little and I quickly returned to writing the article, hoping the man wouldn’t notice me.

Egan, I heard the editor of the paper call out. I watched him out of the corner of my eye walk up to the man.

Kieran, the man replied.

What do you want this time? Kieran – the editor – asked, smiling.

Do you still have the paper from this time last month? the man asked.

It was an odd request, but Kieran seemed used to it, heading out back without a word.

I furtively noticed the man look towards me; I turned to my work, pretending I didn’t notice.

There you go, Kieran tossed the man a paper. Aren’t you meant to be working? He checked his watch.

Too busy being a genius for that, the man replied.

You’re full of it, Kieran laughed.

You know it’s true, the man smiled before walking out.

Kieran shook his head and walked back to his office.

I tried to focus on my work, but was faced with a slight hint of confusion and even more curiosity than the man had left me with at the castle. Questions about him formed in my head, but I knew they would never be answered. I highly doubted I’d ever see the man again. I have never been more wrong.

I finished up my article and handed it to Kieran for editing before leaving the building. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow across the town in which I now lived. It was a small Scottish town which I’d moved to as an escape from my life in Ireland. There were a few shops and a school, but the main part of the town was made up of houses. The newspaper agency was at the end of a line of small shops and a cafe with a park on the other side.

I decided on a walk before I went home. The air was unusually warm for Scotland and I intended to take advantage of it. Instead of my general route through the park to my house, I turned the other direction and walked down the road.

A scream pierced my ears as I approached the graveyard. I shook it off deciding it was teenage boys trying to scare the girls they liked. But as I drew nearer to the entrance, a strange feeling of dread settled over me and I was pulled toward the gate.

The cry, Egan, sent my brain spinning. Wasn’t that what Kieran called the strange man earlier?

Barely thinking I ran into the graveyard, following the animal instinct that overruled my mind. I twisted and turned through trees and graves, ducking under an archway leading to a small clearing.

A dark haired man with a scar running above his left eye turned to stare at me with wide eyes. He ignored me. He was clinging to a screaming woman and murmuring. All I heard was, You’re making it angry…

The last rays of sunlight shone on the face of a stone angel rising above the graves. At the base of the statue, the man from the castle – Egan – pushed himself up off the ground.

The lady calmed down, but anxiously watched every corner of the graveyard, her eyes darting to and fro. I gasped as Egan was thrown into a stone wall at the other side of the clearing.

Once again acting on instinct, I ran to him, placing a hand behind his head and lifting it up. I felt darkness around me, even though there was still a little sunlight left. A sticky liquid oozed onto my fingers; I realised Egan was bleeding.

You shouldn’t be here, the man spluttered. Get out of here before it comes back.

What? confusion filled my mind again. Did this man ever say anything that made sense?

Just go. He groaned.

I’m not going anywhere. You need help.

I’m fine, he claimed, though the look in his eyes said otherwise.

Egan, a voice spoke from behind me. You know who she is, don’t you? The scarred man looked at me.

I don’t care, Samuel.

Samuel snickered. Yes you do.

What are you talking about? I asked, looking between the two of them.

The darkness around me got stronger and the man with the scar, Samuel, announced, It’s back.

Get out! Egan yelled at me.

Darkness swirled around me slowly at first. Unsure of what was happening, I looked to the sky. The sun still shone. I looked back towards Egan for an explanation when I was lifted off the ground. Panicking, I tried to combat the darkness with light.

I focused hard. Imaginary white light filled the air around me and I found myself, much to my relief, back on the ground. The three strangers stared at me.

What? I panted, trying to understand what just happened.

You can shield, Egan whispered.

What?

Witch, Samuel spoke softly.

And she doesn’t even know it, the woman muttered.

A large bang caused me to jump. The woman looked for a source for the noise but couldn’t seem to find one.

We have to get out of here, Samuel said quickly. It’s too strong.

How could it be this strong? the woman asked.

Summoning, Egan breathed. They’re stronger when they’re summoned.

What? It seemed to be the only word I was saying. Egan reached up and put a finger to my lips, stopping me from speaking.

How do we take it down, then? the woman asked.

The easiest way? Get rid of the connection with whoever summoned it. Then it won’t have the extra strength, Egan replied.

Done this before? the woman asked.

Egan shook his head.

Move! the man with the scar cried suddenly, before pulling the woman a few steps back and returning to help Egan move. Just as we cleared the space, a large boulder landed where we would’ve been.

I stared at the rock. Where did that come from?

Not important, Egan replied. Let’s go.

Egan turned to leave.

The woman turned to me. I’m Mikayla.

Ailia, I replied.

The woman smiled. Come with us. We quickly made our way toward the graveyard exit, taking a path rather than the course I took by running through graves and trees. I could feel the tension from the three of them.

I opened my mouth to ask them what happened, but Egan put his hand to my mouth. I took this as a message to be quiet and stayed silent for the rest of the trip.

Once we passed through the graveyard gate and stood on the footpath just outside, Egan told me I was now allowed to talk.

Okay, what was that? I asked, searching desperately for an answer in their faces.

That was something you can forget about, Egan answered. Go home. Steer clear of graveyards and castles. Have a nice life.

Egan, Mikayla stared at him. You can’t leave her like that.

I have no choice, he stated shortly.

Only because that’s what you choose, she said.

Egan, it will happen. I don’t care if you don’t like it, you can’t stop it, Samuel added.

I can try. Egan turned and began to walk off.

Samuel turned to the woman and me. I’ll see you two in a few minutes, he said before following Egan.

Sorry about him. Mikayla had a gentle voice. He’s a little bit touchy about this whole thing.

Who is he? I breathed, struggling to understand what he was talking about and why I felt so drawn to him.

Egan? the woman looked in the direction the men were walking. He’s just a guy. He’s super smart, slightly cocky and couldn’t cook if his life depended on it. He’s eccentric, but to most people he’s just an ordinary man.

I turned toward Egan, watching him walk away. I find it hard to believe he is just a guy.

And no, Mikayla walked after the other two. Egan doesn’t have a girlfriend.

I hurried to catch up with her, slightly embarrassed, I didn’t ask if he had a girlfriend.

You didn’t, but you just saw him go flying across a graveyard and the first thing you asked was ‘who is he?’

He says some really weird things, that’s all, I defended.

You’ve met him before, I take it?

Yeah. He gave me some made up speech about strange things and nightmares and told me that I didn’t want to get involved.

Oh, that.

I looked at her.

Egan has a tendency to scare people away to keep them safe.

Why would he do that?

Because what he does is dangerous and he doesn’t want other people to get involved. You’re right, you know. Egan has his secrets.

What does he do?

Ailia, in the graveyard, were you scared? she asked, completely avoiding my question.

Not really. Why would I be scared?

Mikayla smiled. You ask as many questions as I do.

Is that a bad thing?

Not in this industry, Mikayla replied with a grin. But yes, you should’ve been scared.

I shrugged. Who’s the other guy, then?

Samuel? He’s my partner.

Did he get that scar from rocks throwing themselves around a graveyard?

Mikayla laughed, Close. It was a letter opener throwing itself around an office.

I frowned. That was strange, but I decided not to pursue the matter. You never answered my question.

What was that?

What does Egan do that’s so dangerous?

Mikayla sighed, turning a corner and walking down a pathway towards a house. I recognised the area that we were in. It was within walking distance of both my house and the newspaper agency. The house sat on the outskirts of the village near the edge of a forest. "That’s not for me to tell you. That’s something you’ll have to discuss with