Beneath the Broken

By James Cox

Heroes get killed saving others, that’s why Darrow prefers to be the bad guy.

As the evil queen’s devoted assassin, Darrow is determined to find the woman who captured his heart. The problem
is, Queen Aralynn has been dethroned and her memory erased. But when he finally finds her, he sees a spark of familiar defiance and attitude. Maybe his queen is still behind those stormy blue eyes. With everyone out to kill Aralynn, Darrow will need the help of a sexy, reluctant healer, who also happens to be incredibly smart. And tempting.

All is threatened when a fallen god returns to Otherworld to rain down suffering and death upon everyone, including
the two people Darrow holds most dear. Can he set aside his distrust long enough to save them all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Jun 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781773397153

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Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2018 James Cox

ISBN: 978-1-77339-715-3

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: CA Clauson

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

To you. Yeah, you. You're awesome!

BENEATH THE BROKEN

Otherworld, 3

James Cox

Copyright © 2018

Beneath the broken, lies a heart too damaged to beat.

Beneath the broken, lies a soul covered in stone.

Beneath the broken, lies a pebble of hope

To be unbroken.

—A poem by Lovart

Chapter One

War is a horrifying thing. Especially when on the losing side.

A wave rushed at my face and I sputtered, trying not to inhale the liquid. My injuries were too significant to win a fight, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t go down swinging. I bobbed in the ocean, water lapping as I tried to swim closer to the shore. The lights in the big village of Fairaine were like twinkling stars, teasing me with their reach. I was so close to land and yet I had a hard time actually getting there. The injuries dealt me a hard blow, but swimming for a few hours and diving to keep from being spotted had taken the greatest toll. I don’t know how long I floated with the current in the Ocean of Wonderous Things. The sun had set as the battle raged on. I could hear the explosions, screaming, swords clashing, see fire lighting up the night. The moons had crept into the sky and shone my path further away from the castle. The place where Queen Aralynn awaited.

She could be hurt or in trouble. She could be dying.

I grunted and turned over. Kicking my feet made my side bleed anew, but I fought through the pain. Aralynn’s fate spurred me on. She was the evil queen of Otherworld, as they said. Seducing a fallen god for a child, then using that offspring’s power to try to rule Otherworld with a harsh fist. It backfired when her daughter, Aneen, found out the truth. Thus, war. A battle that I gladly faced for her if not for the injury her daughter had dealt me. I was wounded when the battle began. The humans that came for me were no match for the beast inside my skin. I tried to get to Queen Aralynn, but our paths never crossed. Aos Si, hand-sized fairies, drove me out of the castle, and to avoid the banshee’s deadly arrow aim, I leapt into the Ocean of Wonderous Things. From there it was a fight with the Selkies. It was more of an effort to keep me from returning to the battle raging in Fairaine. The mermen were a bit harder to convince of my skills to tear them apart. They got in a few good bites, though, which was why I was bleeding profusely.

Shouting rang out. More torches made their way toward the castle.

I kicked harder, using my whole body and the very last ounce of my energy to make it to land. There. Beneath my palms was wet sand. I growled as I pulled myself onto a beach, emptied by the threat of battle. Blackness took me.

****

It was a jostling that made me gasp and open my eyes. A growl followed soon after. Someone was touching me, tearing open my shirt.

Calm down. His voice was hushed.

I swung my arm, knocking the man down and rolled to my side. Despite the agony crawling up my body I managed to lift to my knees.

You’re going to pass … out.

His words registered only a moment after my face hit the cold, wet sand.

****

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid idea!

I inhaled sharply, feeling pain and cold along my skin. I was being dragged away from the soothing sound of the waves.

Save this idiot and get myself killed in the process. Real fucking smart. He hauled me another few feet before he stopped. You better not wake up and attack me. I swear to Dullahan I’ll bind your shaft to your balls.

His threat made me want to snort, but even such a simple sound was too much. I reached out to get away from the crazy bastard talking to himself. My body flopped to the ground. Pain flared.

Fucking idiot…

Consciousness failed me.

****

The pain that had taken my sense was dulled when my eyelids opened again. A thatched roof greeted my eyes with patches covering the holes.

Really? Really!

It was the same voice that had spoken to me, hauling me away from the beach. The angry whispers made me wiggle my fingers and toes. I wouldn’t be ready for a fight if one came my way. I was as helpless as a babe.

Dullahan’s dick

I lolled my head to the side to see my savior or my captive, I wasn’t sure which yet. He was facing away from me, standing on an old rickety table as he shoved thin pieces of wood through a hole in the roof. After a few seconds he successfully blocked the hole.

The ugly bastard next door has three wives and I can’t even keep rain from getting in this piece of… He paused and titled his head to look at me. Hi.

The first thing that struck me was his age—he was young. And the second was the colors. His hair was bright red on the top and blond on the sides. His eyebrows were tinted blue, making his green eyes stand out. His lips were almost pouty and his jaw was sharp but clean shaven. Maybe I could win a fight. I struggled to sit up as he clamored down the table, nearly falling to the floor. Where am I?

If you move to fast you’re going to pull the…

I winced, my side flaring in pain. Warm blood trickled from a leaf pasted by some green mixture over the deep merman bite on my side. What is this?

This… He knelt beside the low bed I lay in. Is healing you. He reached his hand out as if to touch me.

I growled, the sound ripping from my chest in warning.

The man must have finally sensed danger. He paused and stared up at me. Are you going to growl like some mangy wolf or let me make sure you’ll live to tomorrow?

His words hit too close to truth. Neither. I swung my feet over the bed. My shirt was missing. More green pasty leaves were on my arms from the bites and a long line down the wound that I was already healing from on my face. The raw scar stretched from my earlobe to my elbow in a constant reminder of how I failed Queen Aralynn. Her daughter had bested me with abilities I’d never seen before. The fight with Aneen had been quick. The child of Aralynn and a fallen god had shot light out of her fingers and taken me out of the fight. And out of Aralynn’s world. I dragged my suddenly heavy body to the edge of the bed. I had to find her, Aralynn.

Are you crazy or just stupid?

I growled at him.

He threw up his hands. Fine. Go. With that he sat back on his ass and waited.

A trap? I didn’t think this thin, little man had it in him. I stood, ready to bolt for the door. My legs gave way only a step later. I braced myself just before I fell to the wooden floor that creaked beneath my weight.

Are you going to listen to me now?

No. I grunted, forcing my body to obey. Knees, hands, on one knee, stand. My legs actually shook as I managed to gain my feet.

I’m trying to help you. I’m a healer. You’re too injured to go out there. He got to his feet and shuffled around me faster than I could take a single step. This guy was actually blocking the door.

Dullahan’s dick, you’re a dumb human. Move! My voice was a deep timber and it made the single window rattle.

You’re bleeding again. Exhausted from however long of a swim you took. Your body temperature is down because of exposure to the cold while wet. You only have trousers on and you smell like a wet animal.

And you smell like dinner. I shifted forward, quickly lost my footing, and careened right into him. He cried out as we went down. I had little control over the fall, but managed to land atop him. Even at half my strength I could win this. I gathered his wrists in my hands and hauled them over his head. My knees were already straddling him, I just squeezed them tighter and laid my calves over his thighs. The smell of fear called to me like meat roasting over an open fire.

What are you? he whispered.

Stronger. Now, get the fuck out of my way.

Fine. I was just trying to save your life. His gaze fell on my lips.

Was this dumb human actually attracted to me? Piercings, tattoos, and scars normally conjured fear not lust. But it was desire that filled my nostrils as I inhaled. The man beneath me squirmed.

I know who you are, he whispered.

My gaze went right to his.

Darrow, Aralynn’s assassin. Some say you’re a beast. Others say part god. The queen searches for you even now.

She does? I smiled. Aralynn and I always had this unspoken connection. I knew she would be looking for me after we won the war. Take me to her?

You want to die?

I am her assassin. She would not kill me. I loosened my grip and rolled off the man.

Dullahan’s dick. He rubbed his hands over his face. Queen Aneen is looking for you.

What? Aralynn’s daughter should not hold that title unless, We lost. I jerked my head up. We lost the battle?

Miserably. He confirmed.

I slumped against the wall. Where is Aralynn? If they harmed her in any way…

I don’t know. They don’t tell poor healers where the former queen that everyone’s trying kill happens to be living.

How long have I been here?

Near a week.

A fucking week! I jerked my gaze to him. Why did you save me, knowing who I am?

Honestly, I didn’t know who you were when I dragged you in here. He shoved to his feet and stared down at me. Then the wanted posters started going up and I didn’t say anything because I won’t let anyone die if I can help it. Not even a bad guy like you.

I struggled to my feet and stumbled back to the bed. The war was lost. The queen was now Aneen and Aralynn was missing. I had to find her. No matter the cost to my life, I had to find her.

By the way, my name’s Joen. You’re welcome for saving your life.

Chapter Two

After years of being an assassin, I developed the ability to be a light sleeper. It’s why I felt the presence of someone standing over me. I kept my breathing steady, but tensed my body to leap away or strike. Someone touched my side and I shot my arm out. My fingers closed around the bony wrist.

It’s me! Joen shouted as he tried to pull away.

That still gives me reason to grab you. I opened my eyes, catching sight of the vial and fresh leaves in his free hand.

Joen