In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete Third Season

by Frater, Rhiannon

  Leto didn’t even look over her shoulder as she retreated through the doorway. “She comes soon. Be wise. I’m withdrawing to my haven. I will see you tomorrow.”

  With those departing words, the goddess was gone.

  “Do you believe what she’s saying?” Pólemos’s suspicion was evident, but he also appeared unsettled.

  “We’ll know if she’s lying if Vanora does not appear.”

  “And if she does?”

  Aeron clenched his hands at his sides and fought to contain his impatience. “Then Leto will be vindicated and the prophecy will be fulfilled.”

  Pólemos stood only after Aeron gestured for him to do so. In silence, he waited for Aeron to continue.

  “Call off the purge. All killing will cease. Any rogues are to be captured and brought here to be imprisoned. Vanora will see that I can be merciful.” Aeron returned to his throne. “I will spare those who defied me for now.”

  “For now?”

  “Once Vanora is reunited with me, she will come to understand and accept her role. Our love will bond us and she will take her place at my side. The prophecy will be fulfilled. It is then I will grant her the honor of ordering the rogues destroyed.” Aeron smirked. “Even her beloved Armando.”

  Episode 15

  The Darkness

  I love one man with all my heart, but it's the one I fear the most that makes me feel whole. Every time I see Aeron I know I am meant for him, and he is meant for me.

  So who shall win over my heart and mind?

  I am a person divided.

  Which aspect of me will be victorious?

  The young woman named Vanora Socoli who wants nothing more than to save those she loves?

  Or the manifestation of a prophecy whispered long ago in the ear of a man with white skin, white blond hair, and amethyst eyes?

  I wish I knew.

  The small warehouse was behind a chain-link fence at the end of a long drive flanked by a weed-infested yard. The weathered gray wood and rusty corrugated metal siding gave the building the impression of being derelict. When Greg drove his truck into a multi-car garage attached to the rear of the structure, Vanora caught a glimpse of the greenish haze of the ward protecting it. As soon as they were inside the magical barrier, the building morphed into a concrete and steel building.

  “Impressive illusion,” Vanora said to Greg.

  “Gotta keep my stuff safe,” Greg replied in a rather clipped tone. His complexion was pale, his skin looking rather doughy and sickly.

  Sliding out of the passenger seat, Vanora took note of the various cars covered with tarps stored in the cavernous garage. A mud-spattered yellow Volkswagen Bug was parked in a spot with a sign that read SERCURITY. It probably belonged to the guard Greg had called while driving to this remote location on the outskirts of Houston.

  Armando vaulted out of the truck bed to land at her side, his curls falling rakishly over his brow. He’d ridden in the back with Alexander, Alisha, and Dexios, and looked a bit windblown. It wasn’t a bad look for him. Vanora’s heart beat faster with both passion and fear as she gazed at him. She didn’t want to lose him to this war. Aeron now knew about their love affair, and he’d kill Armando given the chance. It was another reason why she was ready to sacrifice herself to end the turmoil. The loss of Sheila and Roman weighed on her conscious. The mere thought of losing her sister and the man she loved crushed her heart.

  Vanora glanced toward Alexander. It was cruel to think that to win, she may have to die and leave those she loved behind to suffer the sting of her loss. The tall, thin vampire stood with his head tilted down so his long, black hair shadowed his face. His pain was tangible, but so was his entreaty to be allowed solitude. The others appeared to sense his wish and stood apart from him. It hurt to think of Armando resembling Alexander in the aftermath of her death.

  But what if all the vampires died, too?

  The thought was paralyzing.

  Vanora took Armando’s cool hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. He gently stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.

  “Feeling better?” he queried.

  “Getting there.”

  After they’d escaped the destroyed rental house, Greg had forced her to eat another meal of a hamburger, fries, and a massive milkshake. The group was such a tattered mess, Greg had ventured alone into an IHOP to get food for her and Dexios. Though the incubus looked a bit sickly, he wasn’t covered in grime and blood like the rest of them. The meal had definitely helped restore her. She was feeling stronger after the glut of calories. Dexios also looked better after consuming six hamburgers, even if he was half naked and covered in dry blood.

  Rubbing his hands together, Greg looked longingly at a set of metal double doors. “Okay. Here’s the deal. I need to feed. So, the security office is off limits unless you want a really great sex show.”

  Vanora winced.

  “That’s what I thought, Vani-” Greg cleared his throat. “Anyway. The good news is that the bathroom is not in the office, so you can clean up while I’m busy. Make yourself at home. Find clothes. Yeah, there’s both dude and chick clothes stored here.”

  Alisha and Vanora exchanged looks. The sisters were curious, but remained silent.

  “Don’t ask,” Greg said sharply. His voice was more guttural than usual, and he was looking worse by the second.

  “We weren’t going to.” Alisha gave him a dismissive look and walked to the doors. “Trust me. We don’t want to know.”

  Greg glowered. “You couldn’t handle it, cupcake.”

  Alisha tugged on the handles and found the doors locked, so she tapped her knuckles on the hard surface, glaring at the incubus. “We don’t have much time until the sun rises. I need to feed.”

  As if this was his cue, Dexios stepped to her side.

  Greg muttered under his breath in either grunts or a demonic language. Vanora wasn’t sure which. He punched in his code on a small panel and unlocked the door.

  The lights were on inside. The interior was bigger than Vanora expected. It reminded her of a discount furniture warehouse with rows of furniture covered by canvases and high metal shelves filled with household wares and labeled storage boxes. A tall woman, who obviously spent a lot of time in the gym, stood nearby in a gray security uniform. Her dark hair was skimmed from her face and tucked into an immaculate top knot. Not a strand of hair was out of place. She had a deep tan that was from the sun, not a bottle, and a smattering of freckles under her dark eyes. Vanora guessed her to be in her late thirties or early forties.

  “Serious shit going down, huh?” the woman said, pensively regarding their appearance. “Related to those fires, huh?”

  “Yeah, Deb,” Greg confessed.

  “And you’re in the middle of it?”

  “Yup.”

  “Same old, same old.” Deb set one hand on her narrow hip before slowly rotating about and heading toward the office. “Let’s get you fed.”

  “Deb, you’re the best.” Greg hurried after her with a delighted look on his face.

  “After twenty years of putting up with your shit, nothing surprises me.”

  The two disappeared into the security office and the door banged shut.

  “That’s so much ew,” Vanora whispered to Armando.

  The male vampire appeared a little distracted, but gave her an amused smile. “Just don’t think about it.”

  Alisha took a moment to look around, then gave Dexios a thoughtful look. “Is this what you do when you live for so long? Collect a bunch of stuff?”

  “Depends on the person,” Dexios answered while peeking under a tarp.

  Vanora pointed at Armando over her shoulder with her thumb. “He has a penthouse full of artwork.”

  “To finance future lives. If I get one.”

  Armando strolled up an aisle toward a bank of what appeared to be wardrobes. Vanora followed in his wake, taking a few quick peeps under the covers. Beneath was furniture from different eras, most in ve
ry good condition. Alisha and Dexios fell into step behind them. Alexander had slipped away and was on the far side looking through racks of paintings. Vanora didn’t even attempt to communicate with him telepathically. She’d tried once on the ride and had only sensed him pushing her away. If he needed to be alone, she needed to respect that.

  “Do you do this?” Alisha asked Dexios, indicating the collection.

  Vanora snooped on the conversation behind her, curious about Dexios. Alisha seemed at ease with him, but Vanora was still uncertain about their newfound werewolf allies. There was something about Leto that just didn’t feel right, and Vanora had to admit she was a bit scared of her.

  “No. I stopped when I lost Kallos.”

  “We’ll get her back when Aeron dies.”

  “If the vampires don’t die with him,” Dexios replied sadly.

  The words slithered down Vanora’s spine like a cold-blooded snake.

  “Interesting,” Armando said in an offhanded way.

  “What?”

  Pointing at the labels on the plain wardrobes, he said, “Not only different eras, but sizes. He changes height and body frame.”

  “So the way he looks now is not his real appearance?” Alisha made a face. “That’s creepy.”

  ... he’s a demon. His true form is hidden in human flesh...

  Vanora glanced at Alexander, who was now craning his head to look up at an assortment of lamps on metal shelves.

  “So he wears a human suit he can change out of, just like all this stuff stored in the wardrobes,” Vanora said. It was more of a statement than question, but Alexander nodded nonetheless.

  Alisha tilted her head, arching an eyebrow. “Oh?” She obviously hadn’t realized Vanora was talking to Alexander

  Vanora directed her attention to her sister. “Yeah. That’s why he was looking a bit... uh...”

  “Worn,” Dexios suggested. Apparently finding a wardrobe labeled with his clothes size, he opened it and started looking through the carefully-stored garments.

  “Gross.” Alisha shuddered, walking on. “Really gross. I don’t want to know what he really looks like, that’s for sure.”

  Vanora trailed in her sister’s footsteps as Armando started his own search through the remains of Greg’s other lives. With Sheila gone, the world felt a lot emptier. Alisha had explained Tracy and Angel’s absence, but Vanora didn’t know them well. Sheila had been like an aunt for most of her life, and now she was gone. The mere thought of her death brought stinging tears to her eyes.

  “The women’s clothes are here. Does that mean he becomes a woman?” Alisha wondered.

  ... no. He’s an incubus. A male demon...

  Alexander shared a brief look with Vanora before finally walking to where the other men were looking for a change clothes.

  “These aren’t for him,” Vanora said.

  “Then who?”

  Vanora’s mind raced for an answer as Alisha opened one wardrobe. Everything was arranged with great care. Vanora unzipped a pretty party dress. “The tags are on it. Never worn.”

  “Same with this one. And this one.” Alisha squatted down to look at boxes of shoes. “All the same size. All designer brands.”

  Then it hit Vanora. “Siana. They’re for his wife.”

  “He has a wife?” Alisha blinked in disbelief, then her gaze strayed to the security office where Greg was feeding. “And he’s sexing up his security guard?”

  “Well, he is an incubus. It’s how he feeds.”

  “Is his wife dead?”

  “The Oracle, Siana, is his wife. Aeron stole her.”

  “Stole her?”

  “Aeron was killing off the oracles. He blinded and attacked Siana. Greg didn’t realize that Aeron had given her his blood so she’d rise again. Greg buried her and only found out later what Aeron had done.”

  “Something similar happened to Dexios’s mate, Kallos.” Alisha’s gaze shifted toward where the werewolf was holding up a dark sweater. “He’s helping us because of what Aeron did to her.”

  “Same with Greg. He wants revenge.” Vanora opened a different wardrobe. Each one held perfectly stored clothing, complete with tags. “He must be buying her gifts. Things that make him think of her.”

  “Now I feel bad looking for something to wear.” Alisha sighed, but continued her search.

  Staring at the extensive collection of attire acquired by a man still in love with a wife enslaved by his enemy, Vanora was reminded of Aeron’s destructive nature. Lives were destroyed, lovers separated, and families crushed. Alexander had lost Sheila. Dexios and Greg had lost their lovers to enslavement. Vanora and Alisha had lost their beloved brother and parents.

  Alisha, Armando, and Alexander were all that remained of her family and friends. She had to protect them, save them, and maybe, somehow, save herself. Shifting her gaze toward the three men, she saw Armando looking at her. They exchanged weary, sad smiles, then returned to what they were doing.

  Houston was burning. The numbers of the dead were increasing. It wasn’t just vampires and other supernaturals dying, but humans. Earlier, Greg had the news on the truck radio while they journeyed through the smoldering city. The fires were out of control. There was talk of martial law as humans acted violently out of fear. Four innocents had died when they’d been perceived as a threat for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  Aeron meant slaughter in Welsh. The name suited him.

  “I didn’t think demons could love,” Alisha said after a long beat.

  “I didn’t think they existed.”

  “True.”

  The sound of retreating footfalls indicated the men had found what they needed and were lining up to use the bathroom to clean up and change.

  “It’s always so easy for them,” Alisha sniffed.

  After a thirty-minute search, Alisha finally found a sweater, leather coat, and leggings that would fit her. The shoes were too small, but her boots just needed to be cleaned off. The men were already done changing and were seated on some sofas by the time the sisters were ready to freshen up.

  The bathroom was small, but nice. Vanora sat on the toilet and wiped at her face with paper towels moistened with water and flowery-smelling hand soap. Meanwhile, Alisha stripped down to wash her body and hair as best she could. Vanora had escaped the worst of the battle, so she decided just to clean up a bit. Besides, she would be leaving soon, and she didn’t feel like looking her best for Aeron anyway.

  “I wish you would wait for tonight,” Alisha said abruptly.

  “You know why I can’t. I want to see Siana before Aeron. To do that, I have to be in the haven before sunrise. And if I’m lucky, maybe she’ll be awake. She’s not a regular vampire, you know.”

  Opting to ditch her bloody undies, Alisha tossed the pair into the trash bin before starting to scrub at her legs. “I can’t help wanting to be there for you.”

  “Which I totally understand, but this is the part where I have to go it alone.”

  With a sorrowful smile, Alisha tugged on the black leggings she’d found. “My sister, the savior of the world.”

  “It sucks,” Vanora admitted, dabbing at her neck with yet another paper towel.

  “Can you tell me about the spell you cast? What you saw? Greg told us a little back at the house when you were talking to Armando, but there’s more, isn’t there? I get that you were made for Aeron by his bitch mother, but there’s more, right?”

  Studying her sister’s expression, Vanora saw fear and worry in her eyes. “I saw him. In the past. Who he was. And I love him. So much.”

  “Oh, shit,” Alisha breathed. “Why?”

  It was so much easier to confide in Alisha than in anyone else. “He wasn’t always a monster. He was kind and pure. Noble. I witnessed him being corrupted, Alisha.”

  “When he became a vampire?”

  “No. Before. Life itself corrupted him. Twisted his desire to bring order and peace to the world. To alleviate suffering. I honestly believe he
still regards himself as a savior.”

  After pulling on the sweater, Alisha crouched at Vanora’s side and covered her hands with her own. “Vanora, he killed our brother.”

  “And out parents. And our friends. And many, many other people. And he’d kill you and Armando and everyone else I still hold dear. I know that.” In misery, Vanora slumped against the cold porcelain at her back. “When I was in the vision, I fell so hard for him. Not only because of the spell that links us, but because I saw myself in him. I understood him. His isolation, his fears, his hopes.”

  “You’re not going to try to save him, are you?”

  “No. Of course not.” Vanora adamantly shook her head. “Thousands of years have corrupted him even more. I’m not foolish enough to believe that love will somehow change him into a good person. There’s too much blood on his hands. Too many lives lost. His chance for redemption was long, long ago, and he denied it.”

  “Can you tell me what you saw?” Tilting her head, Alisha gazed at Vanora not with anger, condemnation, or disappointment, but with pure love and a need to understand.

  It was difficult to tell the story, but also a great relief. To be able to share it with someone else made it easier for Vanora to cope with what she’d experienced. As she told her sister about her journey, she attempted to put things in perspective. Though she had definitive plans on how to deal with Aeron, she also feared she might fail. Would she be powerless in his presence? Would the magic overwhelm her?

  “So you took Arianrhod’s magic. That’s why you’re so... uh... ‘glowy’ sometimes.” Alisha rubbed Vanora’s hand gently.

  “Yes, but I’m still figuring out how to use it. It’s not like it came with a user manual.” The shimmering lights in her veins had vanished when she’d exhausted her magic earlier, but had now returned. Vanora wasn’t too sure how to hide the effect, but she supposed it didn’t really matter. She was among supernaturals, not humans. That other life seemed so far away. So much had changed in such a short time. So many people she loved were gone. Roman, Rhonda, Sheila… At times, the flashes of grief were almost too strong to endure.