Dark Angel

by Kim Richardson

  I felt sick. Lucian would do anything to get her to accept his gift. I was sure of it. Maybe that included sleeping with her in Danto’s meat suit. I stifled a shiver just thinking about it.

  “I don’t think Lucian’s been masquerading as Danto for very long,” I voiced, hoping I was right again. I drew myself up and felt Danto tense next to me. “For one, I don’t think he could pull it off for hours on end without Layla suspecting something was seriously off. She’s smarter than that. And second, as an archdemon, he had to wait for sundown before he could cross over to this world.”

  “Which wasn’t too long ago,” agreed Tyrius, his ears swiveling on the top of his head. He let out a sigh. “If you’re right, we might still have a chance to find him before he seduces Layla with the gift.”

  I felt a flicker of hope. Danto slowed the car to let a fae couple cross the street. He fidgeted, his eyes both worried and defiant.

  “If we’re lucky,” I said as the car sped up, “she’ll tell him to go screw himself when he reveals his true self.” I thought about it. “He’ll need to go somewhere quiet… where she feels safe. Somewhere he won’t be interrupted.” I looked at Danto, figuring that Lucian probably had been spying on him for a while and would know this. “If you were to guess… where do you think that would be?”

  A muscle feathered over the vampire’s jaw. He took a breath and let it out. “My place.” Tires screeching, he took the next left without slowing down, and I was thrown against the front passenger door, grabbing ahold of Tyrius before he flew out the window.

  Tyrius shrilled. “Are you mad! I’m small boned!”

  The cat was not impressed. But I wasn’t about to ask Danto to slow down again. Slowing down meant we could lose Layla. There was no way in hell I would let that happen. If I could sprout wings and get us there any faster, I would.

  The V-Lounge club was only a few minutes away by car from Mystic Quarter, being just on the outskirts of the paranormal district. The lights from oncoming traffic illuminated Danto’s face as we left Mystic Quarter behind and headed towards his club.

  “Hang on, Layla,” I whispered as the car lurched forward down the street.

  5

  You know that tickling precognition sensation you get when you come across that déjà vu moment? Scratch that. This, well, this belonged in the realms of the bizarre.

  We all stood in a large loft-like apartment above the V-Lounge club, seconds after Danto kicked the door open all with his vampire strength, causing it to go flying off its hinges with a bang. Where Gareth’s place was more rustic and traditional, this place was uber modern and sleek—a mix of metal and glass in floor-to-ceiling windows, polished gray concrete floors and black leather furniture.

  Sitting on one of the black sofas, clad in her red leather ensemble, was Layla.

  And sprawled next to her, with his hand over hers, was Danto—or rather, his doppelganger, the son-of-a-bitch archdemon, Lucian.

  I let out a breath. “Thank the souls. They still have their clothes on,” I whispered, not wanting Danto to hear. The thought of Lucian seducing Layla in that way had my beer and fries rising up at the back of my throat. That was just wrong.

  Danto moved with the graceful simplicity of a natural predator. Claws out, he stalked the room, his black eyes on Layla, and I could clearly see the relief there as well that she still had her clothes on. That red outfit didn’t come off or on that easily. I think some lubricant was involved.

  Layla was staring at us with a strange expression on her face, as though she was looking at something far away in the distance, not able to see it clearly.

  And Danto’s doppelganger, well, he just smiled with the warmth of a fish.

  Having two exact Dantos in the same room at the same time was mind-blowing.

  I’d seen twins before, even identical ones, and though identical, one was always taller, thinner, or had a rounder face while the other was more oval. There were small irregularities when you knew what to look for. You could always tell they were twins. Not doppelgangers.

  Doppelgangers were a misplaced knockoff of twins. They were more like clones, freakish, and all together wrong.

  “Why do I feel like I just stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone ?” commented Tyrius, still wrapped around my shoulders like a thick scarf.

  “Maybe we have.”

  Tyrius was right. I was still a little put off with the two Dantos sharing space. I needed a drink.

  Adrenaline pumping, I yanked out a soul blade, though I wasn’t sure why. It’s not like it would do the archdemon any harm. But having it in my hand, its weight familiar, gave me the courage I needed to deal with this freak show.

  Danto-Lucian’s eyes flashed with an impatient look, and his smile turned into a clenching of teeth. “Rowyn. Why, this is a nice surprise.”

  He was pissed. Good. Relief spilled through me. He hadn’t transferred the gift yet. “A surprise yes,” I replied, “but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it nice.” I gave him my Colgate smile. “Hello, Daddy. Miss me? How about you drop the disguise. We all know who you are, Lucian .”

  Lucian’s expression flickered with annoyance, and I couldn’t shake how eerie it was for him to be wearing Danto’s face and body. This was all kinds of wrong.

  He sat with his legs crossed at the knee, his polished shoes gleaming in the loft light as he bounced his foot lightly. It was like he was trying to irritate me on purpose, showing off that he had fooled me. The real kicker was when he reached inside his pant pocket, pulled out his metal cigarette case, and lit one up.

  My lips curled into a snarl. “I’m going to make you eat that cigarette, you chain-smoking bastard,” I growled, letting out a tense breath, and Tyrius gave me an approving growl.

  Lucian’s voice came out tight and impatient. “What are you expecting here?” he asked and took a long drag of his cigarette.

  “What does it look like? It’s a rescue mission, dumbass,” came Tyrius’s voice as he leapt from my shoulders and landed on the floor. “Stick that up your demon ass and smoke it.”

  The cat placed himself on the ground facing Lucian, his body low, ears back and legs apart, like he was about to Hulk-out.

  “No one here requires any rescuing,” commented the Danto lookalike, gray smoke billowing out of his mouth.

  A ribbon of panic pulled though me and I took a slow breath, trying to ignore the loud pounding of my heart in my ears. He looked way too relaxed. I didn’t like this.

  “Layla,” urged Danto as he took a careful step forward and stretched out his hand. “Get away from him. He’s not me. He’s only just pretending to be me. Layla?”

  Layla’s eyes moved to the real Danto, her expression calm and distant. “Danto?”

  A breath of relief escaped the vampire. “Yes. It’s me.” He took another step closer. “Come to me. Come. Get away from him.”

  “But why would I do that?” asked Layla as she focused her full attention on the vampire, her expression empty of any emotion or spark of life. She was the complete opposite of the energized and colorful young women I’d grown to know. Oh, hell, this was bad.

  “Rowyn?” came Tyrius’s worried whisper, and I shook my head to tell him to wait. I knew Lucian wouldn’t hurt Layla. He still needed her. If the vampire could get her to come to him freely, we were golden.

  The vampire’s black eyes flicked to Lucian and then back to Layla, the strain over his body palpable. “Layla, please,” he pleaded, a hint of panic in his voice. “It’s me, Danto. I don’t know what’s he done to you… but you need to come with me now. He’s not who you think he is. He’s the archdemon Lucian. He’s just wearing my face.”

  “I know,” she said finally. The vampire’s mouth parted, his face a mask of horror.

  My legs buckled as I sucked in a breath. I met Danto-Lucian’s eyes as his smile widened and a chill went through me.

  Crapshit. We were too late. Layla had already accepted the gift. She had the darkness in her.


  Tyrius turned his eyes on me and cocked his head. “Looks like she already took the stupid pill.”

  Damn it. “Why can’t we ever catch a break,” I hissed.

  Danto-Lucian snapped his fingers. A black haze enveloped his body, and when it cleared, the Lucian I remembered appeared, wearing his signature navy pin-striped three-piece suit. A tad dramatic in any other circumstance, but when you’ve got an archdemon as old as time in your apartment, nothing seems too over the top.

  “Much better,” he said as he took another drag of his cigarette, looking like a mobster from the 1920s. “The stink of half-breed vampire was giving me a headache.”

  A growl came from Danto. He was shaking. From the sweat that trickled down his forehead and temples, I knew he was about to do something stupid, like take on an archdemon on his own.

  Hell. I wasn’t about to lose him too. The last thing I needed was a dead vampire on my conscience.

  “Rowyn,” warned Tyrius. “You better do something before vamp-boy gets himself killed.”

  A pulse of adrenaline lit through me. She might have the gift, but she wasn’t under its control. Not yet. There was still time to reach out to her and pull her back to us.

  Danto’s stance shifted. He leaned forward, his weight on the balls of his feet, and he inched forward—

  I reached out and grabbed the vampire’s arm. “Don’t,” I warned as I yanked him back. “We can still draw her back.” The vampire looked crazed and it scared me. Was he even listening to reason? “Just… let me try something. Okay?”

  With my hand still on the vampire’s arm, I looked at Lucian. I didn’t like the fact that he was still sitting there, relaxed, like this was a house party and he was the billionaire, laidback host. Why wasn’t he trying to kill us? Why did he look like he was enjoying this far too much? I didn’t like it, but it gave me some time to try and coax Layla to come with us.

  “It doesn’t matter if I live or die,” rasped the vampire, his black eyes full of pain.

  I squeezed my grip harder on his arm until I was certain it was hurting him. “Like hell it doesn’t. It matters to me. You try anything stupid… and you’re dead. You hear me? You can’t help her if you’re dead.”

  “I have to save her.” Danto wasn’t listening. He was frantic, and I saw Layla scooting closer to Lucian with sly amusement. “I can’t lose her too… I can’t,” Danto rasped, his body clenching in pain. It was getting worse. He turned his head, his black eyes bright and fixed on mine. The hurt in him was obvious.

  “I know,” I soothed. “I’m not giving up on her either.” I pushed Danto behind me and moved towards the couch, hoping he’d stay put. I knew I had seconds before he charged and tried to grab her, getting himself killed in the process.

  “Layla,” I said. My pulse hammered, and my palms sweated, my soul blade slipping in my grip. I flicked my gaze over to Lucian and then back to her. “Did you accept the gift?” I had to ask to make sure.

  Layla’s expression changed to a frown of consideration and then to an unsettling smile that never reached her eyes. “Of course I did. How could I refuse such a gift?”

  My pulse hammered in my ears. “Because you have no idea what it is.” I looked at Lucian, but his expression was unreadable as he blew out shoots of smoke through his nose. God, I hated him.

  Layla hesitated, and then she graciously sank back into the sofa. “You accepted it as well, dear sister. Why should you have all the fun?”

  “It’s not fun,” I answered, glaring at Lucian whose face wrinkled in a wicked grin. “It’s anything but fun. It’s evil. It’ll suck you right in and change you. Turn you into a monster. Is that what you want?”

  “I know exactly what it is,” said Layla, her face empty of emotion, but her eyes were hard.

  When she said nothing further, I kept going. “You won’t remember who you are. And then it’ll be too late.”

  Layla only smiled, infuriating me further when I knew I should be scared.

  “Do something,” urged Tyrius, his blues eyes wide and his expression drawn with worry. “We’re losing her.”

  “I know that,” I hissed under my breath, catching the amused expression on Lucian’s face. The bastard was enjoying this.

  “He tricked you,” I shouted, thinking it would have to sink in, one way or another. “Aren’t you mad? He lied to you.”

  Layla shrugged. “Maybe he did. But it doesn’t matter now. Does it? I’m good with it.”

  This was going nowhere. “I’ve been there,” I tried again. If she didn’t want to come with me, I’d have to punch her out. “I know what you’re going through. I know the power is seductive. Hell, I was tempted. But it’s bad. It’s evil. You need to come with us.”

  “I think I’ll stay right here,” answered Layla.

  “You didn’t want this, remember?” I prompted, frustration and fear making my voice quiver. “We were going to fight this… fight him together. You and me. We were going to find a way—”

  “With the angels,” she answered. “Yes. I remember.” Her eyes glistened, and I saw the hint of fury in her.

  “They can still help you.”

  “Help me!” she shrilled and leaped to her feet with a vehement expression, her finger pointed at me.

  “O-o-o-kay,” drawled Tyrius. “That got her crazy-ass attention.”

  Heart pounding, I stood my ground. “Yes. The angels can help you and me. If you’ll only come with us. I can make that happen.” I don’t know why, but I looked at Lucian again. The archdemon was blowing rings of smoke out of his mouth like a seasoned champion.

  “I don’t want their help,” she whispered feverishly, freaking me out. “I don’t need their help.”

  “Okay. She’s officially nuts,” interjected Tyrius. “I can see the crazy leaking out of her pores.”

  I stole a look over my shoulder to Danto. He looked even more pale than usual, but he hadn’t moved. Thank the souls, one less thing to think about right now.

  “You know,” I started, taking a step closer, my pulse reaching a new high. “Angels aren’t my favorite either,” I said truthfully. “But maybe that’s because they tell it like it is. Even if you don’t want to hear it.” Again I looked at the archdemon who flicked his cigarette butt on Danto’s spotless floors. I would have stabbed him just for that.

  I licked my lips. “And yes, some of them are bad,” I said and I gave Lucian a smile. “But most of them are good. At least, I think they are. And they don’t try to make you into something you’re not. Like what he’s doing. So… yeah… maybe we do need their help.”

  A smile eased her pretty features. “You’re just jealous because he chose me and not you this time.”

  Ah. Hell. This was not how I wanted it to go.

  I let out a loud sigh. “Believe me. I’m not.”

  Layla didn’t seem to hear or care as she paced around the room, circling around us like a predator. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I especially didn’t like the way she was looking at Danto, like he was a juicy piece of steak she was about to sink her teeth into.

  “You’re afraid.” Layla’s voice turned cold again. “You were afraid of it. Afraid of this infinite power. That’s why it never embraced you. It couldn’t. You weren’t the right choice. You never were. You were too scared to begin with.”

  I gritted my teeth, my anger rising. “I wasn’t afraid of it.”

  Layla giggled, pissing me off even more. “Oh, yes you were. Still are.” She beamed, looking utterly delighted as she stalked around me. “It should have always been mine. Not yours.”

  “Fine, whatever you say,” I said. My gaze flicked to Lucian who lit up another cigarette. “Let’s just go and talk about it over coffee at my place. Me, Danto, Tyrius, and you. What do you say?” From the corner of my eye, I saw Danto creep up next to me.

  “Rowyn the Hunter afraid of a little gift of power. You should be scared,” Layla said calmly, putting herself in my face.

  My mouth we
nt dry. “Is that a threat?”

  Layla gave me a radiant smile. “Is it? That depends on you. You came here to stop Lucian from giving me what is mine.” She raised a finger in my face. “Not very sisterly. I don’t like that.”

  Tension had my muscles stiffening all over. “I came to save you from him,” I said, wanting to reach out and break her finger. I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t herself. This was the darkness talking.

  Layla’s expression soured. “You’re a liar. Just like the Gray Council. Just like the angels. Just like everyone.” She dropped her finger, suspicion written plainly on her face.

  “Listen to me,” I said. Realizing that I still held my soul blade, I sheathed it. “Whatever he’s promised,” my gaze went to the archdemon, glad I had his full attention, “all lies. All of them. He doesn’t care about you. He cares about himself. Think about what this means. He’s just using you. What will you be? A soldier? A brood mare?”

  Layla beamed, making me feel ill. “Motherhood is a noble profession.”

  Tyrius whistled. “Easy on the crazy-sauce, sweetheart.” He then lowered his voice so that only I could hear and added, “Knock her out before it’s too late.”

  But I couldn’t just whack her across the head. Lucian would kill me. Then he’d kill Danto and Tyrius. Not going to happen. His smug expression confirmed my suspicions. He knew I was stuck. Either Layla came with me voluntarily, or we were screwed.

  I swallowed hard and tried again. “You have a life with Danto. Don’t you want that life back? This is not what you wanted. Remember? After what Evanora and Lisbeth did to you… why would you want someone to change you into something you’re not?”

  “I’m exactly what I should be!” exclaimed Layla, her eyes wide and manic. “The power you had? It was stunted. Half of what you could have been. But not me. I’m all. I’m whole.”

  “You’re a freaking whack job. That what’s happening here,” I insisted.