After Darkness Falls: After Darkness Falls Book One

by Sage, May

  They didn't have the strength, but they had the numbers. Chloe saw one fallen creature crawling on the floor, mouth wide open to bite Bash. She screamed, "Watch out!" and ran to her friend.

  Too afraid to give much thought to her actions, she plunged her knife deep inside the creature’s skull before its jaw closed on him.

  That was when she realized she could be helpful. The huntsmen were protecting her and the witches, and she could protect them by looking around and defending them from sneaky attacks.

  She concentrated on that job, awkwardly pushing her knife through legs, over shoulders, and under arms.

  She would have sworn that a lifetime had passed, but Mikar appeared only minutes later, Cat by his side.

  Something changed in the air. Chloe could almost taste fear. The moment the creatures saw them, they attempted a retreat. And she understood why.

  Mikar had never seemed threatening to her until then. He was certainly muscular, and there was an edge to his dark eyes. But she'd never stopped to think what he'd done to earn himself a place as one of Levi's guards.

  Now she knew she was facing a killer. The sort of man who took lives with ease, perhaps even pleasure. At his side, Cat was a tigress. A cat ready to pounce and play with her food.

  The creatures never had a chance.

  Chloe saw nothing more than shadows in the wind. Claws flashing and blood pouring out of ripped throats. She'd been impressed by Gwen's hail, but Cat's hands propelled thunder that destroyed everything in its path.

  An instant later, all but one of the creatures were in pieces on the ground, and the street was silent and motionless. Then, as if freaked by the atmosphere, a nearby car alarm rang out.

  Tris laughed. She laughed.

  And the next moment, Chloe was laughing too.

  Everything was hilarious.

  They were alive.

  A Conversation

  "Let's get out of here now,” Mikar said, walking quickly toward the huntsmen’s quarters. “This is bad news. Has anyone been bitten?"

  There were noes all around.

  "Good. Let's go in."

  "What were those things?" Chloe asked.

  "Ferals. Vampires affected by a blood sickness that makes them insane. They're insatiable and incapable of thinking very much. Seeing this many in one place can only mean one thing: they were ordered here. Spelled, or mind controlled. Faster," Mikar admonished, although they were already practically jogging.

  He was really freaked out, she could tell. Chloe quickened her pace, and in no time, they'd arrived in front of the huntsmen's house.

  Jack stopped in front of Mikar, sizing him up. His jaw tight, he said, "You helped tonight."

  Mikar gave no reply.

  "I know you were told to protect her, but you helped us too. You may stay with us if you'd like. Both of you."

  The vampires looked taken aback. Chloe guessed they weren't often invited inside huntsmen’s quarters.

  "Appreciated. But someone has to watch the house from the outside."

  "Chloe was attacked inside, too," Cat argued. "I'll stay with her. If that's all right with you," she added, to no one in particular.

  Mikar looked like it definitely wasn't all right with him. Before he could protest, Chloe said, "Sounds great. Thank you. After last night, I'll sleep better with you here."

  Reluctantly, the other vampire nodded. "All right. I'll call Levi with an update."

  That was either a warning or a reminder for Cat, Chloe guessed. She shot a glare at Mikar. She'd never judge someone because of their family—not after what had happened with her father.

  "Wait a minute," Jack called to Mikar as he retreated. "Bounty hunters, witches, and now feral vamps all going for Chloe? And you guys, the upper crust of vampire society, watching her back? If we hadn't been here, she would have been dead by the time you arrived. If we're her first line of defense, we need to know what's going on. So we can be prepared."

  Chloe already knew Mikar's answer before he said it. "I don't have the clearance to get into it. Let's just get through this trip. Then I will personally ask Levi to bring you up to speed." He swept all of them in one glance. "All of you."

  Her included, then.

  She held on to that.

  The night wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, partially because Blair was traveling with the entirety of the GV catalogue in her bag, which included a sleeping draught almost as efficient as Alexius's, and partially because Cat was sleeping in the next room. After seeing her in action, Chloe had never felt safer.

  She woke up to her phone vibrating on her bedside table. Chloe looked at the screen and frowned in confusion. Not only was the call coming from an unknown number, but it was also requesting a video feed.

  Yawning, she pressed the green button. If the caller turned out to be a creep, hanging up would be easy enough.

  On the screen, an all too familiar face wearing a smug grin appeared. She groaned.

  "Did I wake you up?"

  "It's…" She glanced at the time on her phone. "Six in the morning on a Sunday, so yes."

  "My apologies."

  Why did everything he say sound so sarcastic? To her surprise, she didn't feel the need to push, irritate, and question everything he said today.

  "I hear you've had quite the trip so far."

  He said it carefully, as if wondering whether mentioning her trials might make her break. But she wasn't breaking. She wasn't afraid—not anymore. Fear had given way to determination.

  Chloe didn't know what made her tell him, but she said, "I want to train. I want to be able to hold my own if something like that happens again. I don't want to freeze or feel hopeless."

  If he'd laughed, she might have truly hated him. But Levi's smile broadened.

  "Excellent," he said.

  "And I want you to tell me who's after me. And why. It makes no sense. It's not about my dad, is it?"

  The human attackers in NOLA had made sense. But the magic and the feral vampires really didn't.

  "And don't just threaten to kill me to shut me up. I know you won't."

  "You've never been more mistaken," Levi said, a hint of fangs flashing. "I'll tell you who's after you—if only so you know what you're up against. The reason why isn't something I will divulge quite yet."

  That was something—a huge leap compared to where they'd been just two days ago.

  "Well?"

  His grin disappeared. “You’ve been told about the seven, the families that rule our kind. While those behind the attacks on you have done their best to remain in the shadows, it is quite clear that they have resources. The power to control ferals, the money to hire bounty hunters. At first, they were human, and if that scheme had worked out, no one would have suspected the source of the attack. But Mikar and the rest of my guard have stopped over a dozen killers—some well-renowned and expensive.”

  The truth was even worse than her suspicions.

  “Not many have the power to go to those lengths. I fear you’re targeted by one of us. A royal. An old and powerful creature.”

  “But why?” she asked, almost pleading.

  Levi hesitated. “An interesting question. Some among our kind can see the future. Perhaps you may become a threat to our kind someday."

  Definitely not what she'd imagined.

  "That literally makes no sense. I'm just…me."

  Chloe Miller. Twenty-Five. Good with numbers and with ravens. Unless he was hiding money and she ended up figuring it out while working for the taxman, she didn't see how she could ever threaten an ancient vampire.

  "I'm just human."

  "So were the creatures that cornered you yesterday. Once, long ago, they were just human."

  Chloe winced. "You're saying I could become gross and crazy."

  "I'm saying some people evolve."

  She wasn't quite done with him yet.

  "So why are you helping me if I could be dangerous?" She couldn't say that with a straight face.

&
nbsp; Levi laughed. "You asked. I answered. I never promised explanations."

  She glared. "You're incredibly irritating, you know that?"

  Levi held his hands to his heart, pretending to be hurt. "It wounds me. Truly."

  She had to roll her eyes.

  "Are you coming back today?" he asked her.

  She nodded. "That's the plan."

  "Good. Training tonight. On the hill."

  Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it again. "No, I meant I'd train with…Jack. Or Mikar. Or maybe I could ask Professor Anika."

  Literally anyone but him.

  He grinned. "Oh no, fledgling. You'll train with the only one who can prepare you to face an ancient vampire. Me."

  Damn him.

  If he was right about the elder royals being after her, then it made sense that she should learn from the best. But…

  "No way. Besides, you tend to piss me off."

  "Which is exactly why you'll work twice as hard at punching me as you would with anyone else. If you're to have a chance—"

  "I have no chance against an ancient vamp. None."

  His hand moved toward the screen. "We'll see," he said, before ending the call.

  Damn him! Even on video, he had to make a dramatic exit.

  Scent

  She'd taken the time to bathe after returning from London, and then changed into her running clothes, as she didn't own any gear, unlike basically anyone else in Oldcrest. Now there was no sense in delaying the inevitable. She left the dorms and headed north.

  How many times had she watched this place from afar? Too many to count. But Chloe had never stepped anywhere near Night Hill until today.

  The entire base of the hill was surrounded by electric fences, and it only had one opening: a gate barring the sinuous road leading up to the summit.

  Once she reached the barrier, she frowned. There was no device, no camera, and the heavy black metal doors weren't moving. Maybe she should turn around. Go home now, while she still could.

  But then Levi would—rightly—think that she'd chickened out like a coward. That wasn't an option.

  She was chewing on her bottom lip when she caught movement in her peripheral vision; she lifted her gaze to see a familiar raven soaring in the sky, flying toward the hill. But instead of heading for her shoulder, the bird landed on a small building she hadn't even noticed.

  To her right, a few hundred paces away, stood a small wooden cabin, its lights on so she could see someone moving inside.

  Chloe cleared her throat as she reached it.

  "Hello?"

  Her voice sounded hoarse.

  "Excuse me, I'm supposed to go up the hill."

  Somehow.

  She sighed when no one answered. Chloe glanced down at her phone in her hand. Levi hadn't called from a hidden number; she could just ring him and ask him to pick her up.

  Like she was a helpless damsel in distress.

  She lifted her fist and knocked at the door just as it swung open in front of the tallest person she'd ever seen.

  He had a large head, flat at the top, and his face was contorted into a sullen expression. His eyes were moss-green, bright, and larger than her palm. The man was twice her size at least.

  "I don't know you."

  His voice was gruff.

  "We haven't met before," she said reasonably, glad to hear that her voice was almost even. "My name is Chloe. Chloe Miller. I'm supposed to go on the hill—to see Levi."

  The man narrowed his eyes. "I don't like lies."

  Well, okay then.

  "I'm not lying. We can call Levi and—"

  "Why did you go and marry a Miller? Boring name. Not a bit of nobility in it."

  Well, he was right about that.

  "I didn't marry a Miller. That's my father's name."

  His face wrinkled in an exaggerated frown, like the entire conversation confused him.

  Then he turned back inside the small house.

  "Chloe Miller, you say…Chloe Miller."

  He returned with a long roll of paper and was now wearing a pair of gigantic glasses, thicker than the bottom of a wine bottle.

  "Ah!" he exclaimed victoriously. "Chloe Miller. Currently blonde, brown eyes, five foot six." He looked up from his paper to take her in and nodded to himself. "Permitted on the hill since January. It appears all is in order, then. You may proceed."

  She grinned at him. "Thank you. But you know my name, and it appears we're on unequal footing."

  The man laughed good-humoredly. "Unequal footing is all you'll find on Night Hill. But you may have my name; I don't see why not. I'm Billevern. Bill. The last troll on Earth."

  He said it quite proudly.

  "Why the last?" Chloe couldn't help questioning.

  The troll shrugged. "’Cause I have no interest in ladies. One doesn't reproduce when they prefer balls to lady bits."

  Well, that made sense.

  "Besides, I don't like children. And there are plenty of us in other worlds."

  She had so many questions. Chloe had just opened her mouth, ready to spout them all out, when a familiar voice interrupted her.

  "Chloe."

  She turned and grimaced. Levi stood beside his flashy car and close to the now-open gate.

  "I thought you might want a lift up the hill."

  She sighed. "Until next time, then, Billevern."

  She waved, and the troll waved back.

  To her surprise, Levi circled the car to open the passenger door for her. He was old, but she wouldn't have thought of him as old-fashioned.

  "Thanks."

  She slid onto the leather seat; he'd shut the door and regained his place behind the wheel before she could tie her belt.

  "Bill likes you."

  She smiled. "He seemed nice enough."

  "To you," Levi insisted. "He growls and bares his teeth at the rest of us. I think only a handful of people get a smile."

  Chloe beamed. "That'd be because I'm polite. You're just annoying."

  Levi's laugh was a low rumble. "Annoying that troll would be suicidal. He was trained alongside the slayers of old. His kind decide their likes and dislikes in a primal way. You either smell the right way, have pheromones he likes, or you don't. The human bullshit is just details."

  She gave that statement a bit of thought. "So, wait, if I wear perfume, he might change his mind and dislike me?"

  Levi shook his head as the car flew farther up the hill. She was glad he was driving her after all; if she'd had to hike all the way up, she might have arrived to training exhausted.

  "Perfume just masks the surface. Most sups can still smell you underneath."

  Interesting.

  "What do I smell like?"

  Levi's lips curved in a wicked smile. "Dessert."

  She couldn’t help herself: she laughed.

  "Are we talking train macaroons or bread and butter pudding?"

  He glanced at her, chuckling. "You want to know if you're appetizing?"

  She shrugged. "If I'm food, I want to be out-of-this-world, orgasmic food, at least."

  Levi shook his head, remaining silent.

  "It's bread and butter pudding, isn't it?"

  "Drop it, Chloe."

  "I'm a common dessert. Woe is me!"

  Levi swerved onto a driveway leading to an opulent red brick mansion that looked strangely modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows that took up most of the walls on the ground floor. The grounds weren't vast, but they'd been curved, cut, and trimmed into submission to look just as he willed them to. In front of the drive was a ridiculously large pool with an island in the center.

  "That's a little…" She searched for a halfway polite word. "Much, don't you think?"

  There were towers on either wing of the house. Towers.

  "The estate has to be able to host gatherings of the gentry—thousands of vampires not easily impressed. And impressing them is a must."

  She rolled her eyes. "You'd think so."

  "Our kind have
a short memory overall. Without subtle reminders, they soon forget who's in charge, and why."

  "And the McMansion is a reminder?"

  She undid her seatbelt; the next instant, her door was open and Levi was extending a hand to help her out.

  "The armory, the paintings, the priceless sculptures by the most talented masters of this era certainly make a statement. And, well, we needed room to store all that shit."

  Chuckling, she noticed that she wasn't nearly as annoyed with Levi as usual. There was something different about him tonight, although she wasn’t sure what.

  "Shall we?"

  On Night Hill

  The inside of the mansion didn't feel nearly as intimidating as its courtyard. Chloe wondered if Levi stuck to garden parties. The mansion actually felt a little homey, although no home of hers ever had original Greek sculptures.

  She bent over the likeliness of a well-shaped naked man and smiled.

  "No leaves?"

  The Adonis's small prick was intact.

  "No, the church has never had a reach here. Our art survived the sixteenth century nonsense, as well as any act of self-righteous human destruction either before or after."

  Chloe had a feeling Levi didn't think much of her kind; he seldom mentioned humans without the word “nonsense” attached to it.

  She was about to point that out when a delicate white cat with the brightest eyes she’d ever seen meowed, demanding attention. Chloe watched Levi's face soften.

  "Don't believe her. I do, in fact, feed her."

  The animal tiptoed down the grand wooden staircase, widening her beautiful eyes and rubbing against the banister.

  Chloe couldn't resist. She headed right to the stairs and knelt before extending her hand to let the kitty sniff it.

  "I wouldn't do—"

  Too late. The warning had only been half-uttered when the animal's razor-sharp claws flashed, scratching the back of her palm deep enough to draw blood.

  The cat licked her claw with a self-satisfied expression and returned to her rubbing.

  Chloe laughed and got back to her feet. "My fault. I should have asked. Some cats are prickly. Animals usually like me, though."