Free The Lightest Dark (The Dark series Book 1) by Avery Sweet

between them that I hadn’t a clue about. My mother always had told me to be grateful for the little things.
    I guess this was one of those times. Even if it’s not, I’m choosing to be all the same because I seriously did not want to be anywhere near a fight between these two.
    They both stood staring each other down to the point that I could literally feel the testosterone in the air. Like I said, I'm guessing there’s a history between the two that I’ve not had the privilege of being informed of.
    Regardless, I wasn’t about to deal with it now. Not with how confused I was. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. It didn’t matter who gave them to me… Well maybe for them, but it wasn't an issue for me. As far as I was concerned they could keep me out of whatever this was.
    "Either one of you can start explaining at any time. Do your stare down some other day, some other place. Preferably with me nowhere near either of you while it happens. I like my limbs where they are, thank you very much."
    "Apologies, Princess." The man in front of us bowed at the waist, his hand fisted over his heart. "My name is Cillian Kerrigan. Fae Warrior of the Court of Darkness. I am at your service." My eyes widened. Suddenly that whole name mocking thing made sense.
    Delano must be Dark’s given name, or something along those lines. I’m going to assume he didn’t like it. That, or he’d been told his given name was Dark and Delano was the name they were trying to push on him. The fact that Dark grew up in the compound like I had raised all sorts of questions.
    It also appears there’s some family rivalry going on. Family that I had no idea even existed up until a few seconds ago…That might explain the hostility some, if not all of it.
    Family does have a tendency to get under your skin. Especially when you’re close. They tend to learn every single button they need to push in order to rile you up and use them when you do the same.
    "So you two are related?"
    "Unfortunately. Dark here is my half-brother on our father’s side. Though if you ask him, there is no relation and his family ties don't exist. We have respected his wishes to a point. This latest endeavor however may be an exception to the rule. We don’t take kindly to kidnapping. He could possibly be accused of treason if you are who you appear to be.”
    I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. "I am who I've always been as far as I'm concerned. So tell me, exactly who do you think I am and why? Because I have no intention of being controlled and manipulated into something that I'm not. Ever."
    I've hid part of who I am from almost everyone I knew just to avoid that ridiculousness. Now it seems I might end up in the same trap. The fact that it’s for different reasons doesn’t matter in the slightest. I'd hate to see what would happen if they both knew exactly what I was hiding.
    Cillian gave me a strange look and I had to wonder at what exactly he was reading from me. "I believe you to be a member of the Grey Court. Your hair and eye coloring would suggest you to be a member of the higher courts, though I know not which level. Perhaps your given name might give me some clue."
    "No. You will not know her name. I'm sorry, but no." Dark stepped up blocking me from Cillian's view. "Names have power, Candy. Don't give him any."
    I stepped around Dark and shrugged my shoulders. “I guess it’s good that my mother gave me seven names then.”
    Cillian turned to me, confusion written all over his face, “Your mother gave you seven names?”
    I snickered, “Oh that’s nothing. She gave my little bro ten. Dark isn’t the first person to tell me that names have power.”
    His eye took on a gleam of interest. “Who was the first?”
    “My mother. She used to tell my brother and me things like that all the time. She’d tell me to never give all of my names to anyone. She even had cute little saying for things like that. First and last to be polite, but anymore causes