by K. G. Reuss
“I do, but don’t worry.” He winked, leaning forward. “You’ll know it when I do, so anything you thought so far is your secret unless I decide I want to know it.”
“Good to know,” I squeaked, my face hot from embarrassment still.
“Damien is a shifter,” Eric continued, still smiling at me.
“Like a werewolf?” I asked, edging away from him. “A-and you can read minds too?”
“I’m not a were.” Damien sniffed indignantly. “I can shift into anything. Anytime. Anywhere. And I suppose I can read minds in a sense. Members of Conexus can communicate with others in the group that way. Makes it easier when we’re fighting.”
“Wow,” I murmured, giving myself an invisible pat on the back. I knew they could talk to each other mentally. I’d been right! I wasn’t imagining it. “What else is at Dementon?”
“Casters, locks, weres, psychics—which I presume will be your faction—vamps—”
“Wait. There are vampires at Dementon?” I asked shrilly, the one word pulling my attention away from my excitement at having been right and narrowing in on the thing that frightened me the most, aside from ghosts.
“Hundreds.” Damien chuckled softly. “But don’t worry. They don’t bite. Hard.”
I pushed my plate away, suddenly not hungry anymore.
“He’s messing with you,” Eric’s soothing voice cut through my thoughts. “The vamps at Dementon aren’t like the Cipher vamps. Same with the weres. Same with the casters and locks—and just so you understand, casters and locks are basically witches and warlocks. The only Specials who will hurt you are members of the Cipher. But they don’t come into Dementon because of the Conexus.”
“What the hell is a Cipher vamp?” I looked between the guys, feeling overwhelmed.
“Cipher vamps are rogue vamps who like to chew their way through villages. Pretty little things such as yourself seem to be their favorite snacks.” Damien gave me an even look, no sign of playfulness on his face. “They’re big business. We’re fighting a war against them. They’re trying to overthrow the Order, our governing body.”
“So there’s like some sort of civil unrest happening in your world?” I frowned.
“Our world,” Eric corrected me gently. “And yes, unfortunately, we’re in the middle of something rather large. The important thing to remember is that wars are fought all the time over power, love, and a million other things. This is just another one of them. We’ll prevail. We always do.”
“It really is safe at Dementon,” Damien added, my stricken face surely giving away my fears. “And if you’re still scared, my dorm is housed within the Conexus confines on Water Street just on the edge of campus. My bed is large, and I don’t mind keeping you warm.”
“You’re asking for it,” I huffed, pulling myself together, making sure to sit as far from him as I could. He reached over and snatched a handful of my fries off my plate and stuffed them into his mouth, his dark eyes sparkling at me.
“Are you going to give it to me?” he teased, bumping his shoulder playfully into mine.
“Raiden is going to kick your ass,” Eric cut in, looking annoyed. Damien gave me a wink before taking a sip of his drink.
“Who’s Raiden?” I asked, remembering they’d never told me who he was earlier.
“Raiden is our leader in the Conexus. He’s the general. Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll get your chance to meet him,” Damien was quick to answer as he shot a look to Eric who wore a thin line on his lips.
I clamped my mouth closed and stared back out the window. A dense fog hung in the air near the trees. And a feeling of foreboding washed over me, making me shiver.
“So… you never asked me what happened at the diner with your dad,” Eric finally broke the silence.
“I’d have heard from him if you’d killed him.” I shrugged, my throat constricted as I regarded him. I was almost positive that daddy dearest would haunt me if he were dead. Curiosity had been eating me up to know what happened though. The waitress came and refilled our drinks, and I took a nervous sip, waiting for Eric to elaborate.
Eric smirked at me, his eyes twinkling, like he knew what I was thinking. And he probably did even though he said he wasn’t peeking in my head.
“I like you. I think we’re going to get along just fine, at least for the small time we’ll be together,” Damien broke in.
“Why? Won’t you see me around?”
“Because the Conexus doesn’t spend time with other students. We’re too busy keeping our world safe. We study. We train. We protect. We don’t have the time to engage in any other activities,” Eric explained, his smile gone.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that.” Damien winked at me. “I find time for other things, and I’m pretty sure Eric here will be having some free time to teach you a thing or two. In fact, I can guarantee Eric will find the time.”
“Aside from this womanizing jerk, the rest of us are too busy actually doing our jobs,” Eric rolled his blue eyes, plowing over Damien’s last words quickly. “But I think you and I will probably end up seeing a lot of each other,” his voice had grown soft. His mouth turned down into a frown.
“I’d like that,” I answered just as softly, my heart doing a weird somersault in my chest. He was nice to me. He’d saved me. And he might be Shadow. It made sense that he was him. Why else would he just randomly save me in a diner? That wasn’t coincidence.
The possibility made me want to spend as much time with him as I could. Tentatively, I reached across the table and placed my hand over his. He peered at me through his thick, dark lashes, a sad smile turning his lips up before he took my hand gently in his. He gave it a squeeze, his eyes focused on me.
“Uh, do you two need a room? Should I leave?” Damien butted in.
I moved to answer him with a kick to his shin because he’d ruined the moment, making Eric drop my hand, but movement on the edge of the woods caught my attention.
I stared out the window at a man glaring at us. His face was pale and gaunt, and his eyes were dark and sightless. He stood on the edge of the dark tree line in his raggedy clothes. Something didn’t feel right. The air was thick. Sticky. Almost like spiderwebs were clinging to my skin. I tensed as the man took a jerky, unnatural step forward, followed by another. From the edge of the trees, six more men who looked as scary as he did emerged.
Damien grabbed me roughly by the arm and yanked me out of the booth.
“We need to leave. Now,” he grunted, the playfulness gone.
I didn’t fight him as he steered me from the booth to the front door, Eric ahead of us. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Eric shimmered for a moment before pulling a long sword from the depths of his black trench coat. Damien did the same thing, a grim look on his face.
“Get in the car,” Eric instructed with a growl, stopping in the center of parking lot, his face fierce.
“What’s happening?” I demanded, taking a step back as five more sallow-eyed creatures appeared from the woods—their clothing dirty and tattered, their bodies continuing to lurch forward in short erratic movements like something out of a horror film.
“Carrion,” Damien answered, his eyes narrowed as he watched them scurry toward us. Harsh gasping hisses came from their lolling mouths. “Magic leeches. Controlled by the Cipher. They don’t suck blood. They suck your life, your magic, from you. Think vampire, only worse. At least with a vamp you have the chance of coming back with the hopes of being normal. With a carrion, you’re screwed.”
“Get in the damn car, Ever!” Eric shouted, glancing back at me, worry painting his handsome face.
“No.” I shook my head, terrified as the creatures raced toward us. “There’s no way I’ll make it to the car before they get here!”
“Then take this.” Eric tossed me a small dagger which he’d unearthed from his trench. I caught it with trembling hands.
“What the hell do I do with it?” I shrieked, my mouth dry and my eyes wide wi
th horror as the creatures came forward with calculated steps. They weren’t mindless. No. They very much knew what they were doing. They were hunters. Predators. And we just happened to look like tasty snacks.
“Put the pointy end through their hearts.” Damien tossed me a grin over his shoulder. “And if you can’t do that, then try to stay back!”
“I-I have to kill them?” I squeaked, my hand shaking.
“Kill lest ye be killed,” Eric shouted, rushing forward, his sword going through the first creature, completely slicing it in two. It let out a high-pitched squeal before falling to the ground with a sickening thud, bits of its innards making a squelching splat as they tumbled around its torn body.
Damien slashed into another creature, sending its head rolling across the parking lot. A gasp escaped my lips as the body continued to lurch forward, wildly attacking. I kept my eyes on the guys as they moved, taking down their enemies. They were good. Really good. Their movements were smooth and professional. But there were more carrion coming in droves from the forest.
“Alter her!” Eric shouted at Damien. “So, she can fight if she has to without being seen by the Natties!”
I had absolutely no clue what he was talking about, but Damien plunged his sword through the chest of a creature who was reaching for him and punched another in the face before rushing at me.
“Wha—” I choked out as he grabbed my hand and held tight for a moment. There was a surge of warmth through me before I started to shimmer like them. I felt light, almost like I could float if I wanted to.
“Don’t let them touch you! Pointy thing. Heart,” Damien breathed out, his dark hair a sweaty mess on his head. He released me and rushed forward again. I let out a shriek as one of the things lurched at me, its arms out and a wicked glint in its pitch-black eyes.
“A tasty treat,” it growled, swinging at me. “So much magic!” Its mangled black claws narrowly missed me as I dodged. I darted around as it lunged at me, knowing damn well I didn’t start my day out thinking I’d become a killer by the end of it.
A terrified cry left my lungs as the creature grabbed my arm, exposing his nasty row of razor-sharp teeth as he opened his mouth. I swayed on my feet as I struggled to get away from him. I felt woozy and weak. The creature let out a howling wail, a sucking motion happening with its mouth.
I swung out as I tried to keep my senses about me and connected with its face. It let out a yip as I broke free and fell backward. Lurching forward, it extended its gnarled hands for me again. I covered my head, my heart in my throat. I wasn’t cut out for whatever this was, even if I did have a martial arts background. I’d never really thought I’d ever have to use it on anyone.
Just when I thought my end was near, a warm hand clutched mine. Another terrified yelp escaped me as I frantically tried to tug my hand away.
“Ever. It’s me. It’s Eric.”
Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. He’d saved me twice since I’d met him, at least in his normal form. His blue eyes met mine in a look of comfort and reassurance, instantly putting me at ease. He’d keep me safe. I knew he would.
“Eric! Behind you!” I managed to get the words out before another creature was able to get to him. Eric whipped around and ran his sword through the monster’s chest, sending its dead body to a heap on the ground.
“Come on.” He tugged me to my feet, his sword still out. “I need to get you to Dementon where you’ll be safe. But we have to get rid of these things first. Carrion block our melding abilities. Listen. You can only kill a carrion by stabbing it through the heart. I can’t let Damien fight alone. Try to stay back here, OK?”
I nodded, my body trembling, my eyes burning with tears.
“We’ll keep you safe. Be brave.” His hand left mine, leaving me feeling empty, the terror back in full force.
I did not sign up for this! This was just as bad as being haunted, maybe even worse.
Eric and Damien continued to fight through the throng of creatures. Based on how slowly they were starting to move, they were getting tired. They had to have killed fifty of the beasts. I wanted to help them but didn’t know how. Staying back seemed to be the best idea, but even that went out the window as a creature zeroed in on me. It looked human, but I knew it wasn’t. Its legs and arms were too long, and it used them to scamper like a spider would. Its skin was a putrid shade of brown with ugly, red veins weaving just beneath the surface. It had no eyes. Just hollow sockets were eyes should’ve been and a mouth that looked like it had been carved there by the devil himself. Three rows of jagged teeth lined its blackened gums. Its tongue flicked, tasting the air like a snake. The bones of its body were visible in sharp angles. And it was hungry.
I let out a squeal as it scuttled forward, spittle dripping from its lolling mouth. It came at me, teeth gnashing, and I reacted on instinct, trying to slash my way to freedom. My blade grazed its leathery skin, causing it to let out a shriek that made my ears ring. With incredible strength, it slammed into me, knocking me to the ground, my head slamming hard on the pavement. Terror flooded my body as I realized I was in a life or death struggle. My vision dotted with sparkles as I blinked my eyes rapidly, hoping to maintain consciousness. I was weak. Warmth trickled down my neck let me know I’d been injured. I fought with the creature, but I was losing.
“Shadow!” I cried out for him right before the creature’s teeth cut through the tender flesh of my neck. I writhed and screamed bloody murder beneath it, fire coursing through my body. The bite intensified, harder, deeper into my skin, before a terrible squelching noise flooded my ears, causing it to release its hold on me. It fell forward onto my body, and I screamed beneath its dead weight.
“Ever!” Eric called out frantically, shoving the body off me, his face sweaty and flushed. “Talk to me. Are you OK?”
His fingers were in my hair, pushing it away from my face.
I was shaking so badly I had a hard time getting my words out. “B-bit me,” I finally managed to choke out. “My h-head.” A wave of nausea swept through my body, and I shuddered violently.
“Damien!” Fear filled Eric’s eyes as he pressed a hand to the wound on my neck. His other hand fumbled, trying to stop the bleeding on the back of my head. “Shit. Hold on, Ever. Stay with me, OK?”
I nodded weakly, my vision swimming.
“We aren’t going to last, man,” Damien shouted out as he cut through more of the carrion. “Stitch, Eric!”
Eric looked down at me as I writhed on the ground, a pained expression on his face. My entire insides were on fire. I could barely breathe through it.
“It won’t help. We don’t know where the portal is they’re coming from! I can’t hold a stitch long enough to find out!” His eyes didn’t leave mine as he shouted back to Damien.
“Damnit!” Damien snarled, kicking a carrion away and slicing through another. “I’m going to shift. Screw this.”
“She can’t! She’s too weak! A rotwraith bit her—” Eric argued hopelessly before Damien backed up to us during a lull in the attacks.
“We have to,” Damien wheezed tiredly, looking down at me as I sobbed. I could barely make out anything. “We have to get her to Brandon and Raiden. She won’t last long with the poison in her.”
Eric cradled my hand in his. “Hold on for as long as you can, Ever.” I was barely able to register his words before Damien’s body began to violently shake. Clutching my hand, Eric reached out to Damien and grasped his, linking the three of us like a chain. Warmth flooded my body initially. Then a heavy tug in my core left me breathless, my energy helplessly sucked from my body for Damien’s purpose. I drew in a gasp of air as Damien transformed into a dragon, with shiny, black scales and eyes as red as the fire that he breathed from his mouth. Eric dropped down to me quickly. His body covered mine, shielding me from whatever Damien was planning.
Loud sobs erupted from my chest. I was terrified out of my mind and in tremendous pain, as Eric pressed his forehead to the side of my head.
> “It’s going to be OK. I’ve got you, Ever,” his voice was low and rough in my ear. His large body easily covered mine and, his warmth flowed through me as I shook beneath him. Peeking through my wet lashes as he gently tucked me closer to him, I let out a gasp as Damien breathed out a breath of fire that incinerated everything in his path, even the trees. The carrion squealed in pain, thrashing violently on the ground before fading away on the wind as bits of ash and soot.
A moment later, Damien was himself again, and there were no more carrion within sight. Eric gazed down at me, his brows furrowed.
“Talk to me,” he murmured, his eyes sweeping over my face quickly, both hands clutching either side of my head. I was still trembling beneath him and managed a gasping sob. He brushed the hair away from my face. “I know it hurts. We’ll fix it, Ever. I promise. Just stay with me. Don’t close your eyes.”
“H-hurry,” I choked out, my body shuddering. “I-I can’t see. E-everything is blurry.”
“Shit,” Eric growled, nudging my hair aside to examine the painful wound more closely. He pressed his warm hand against it again to stop the bleeding. “Rotwraith have poisonous teeth. They inject venom into the bodies of their victims. It’s meant to paralyze so they can feed. You’re doing really good. Just keep fighting it. They’ll be here soon.”
I was just about to ask who they were when there was a flurry of activity behind us. My body was like a limp noodle. I guessed that was the paralysis he was talking about. It felt like an anchor was on my chest, pushing my lungs down so they couldn’t expand. I tried to wiggle my fingers and toes but there was no way. I couldn’t. The panic and reality of the situation really set in as I attempted to draw in a breath.
“Eric,” a deep voice with an accent similar to Eric and Damien’s boomed out, a voice that sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to cling to Eric as he started to move off me, but I was limp, a terrible ache circulating through my body.
“D-d-don’t go,” I stuttered out, the words getting stuck in my throat.
“It’s going to be OK now. I promise.”