The Nightling: Darkness Within

by Danae Ayusso

  “That sense of power and conscienceless actions is what causes those in our world to quickly burn out and fade away,” he said with a smile in his voice. “That is why you are so very special. Why your kind are. They are the opposite of that darkness within, they are the light it tries to extinguish, but even the light can’t compare to you, Shawn of Forgotten Park Cemetery.”

  The unmistakable feel of lips against my forehead caused me to whimper.

  Tybalt chuckled, wrapping his arms around me and held me close, resting his cheek against the top of my head. “You are beyond words, never let anyone tell you otherwise. Randolfr, wrangle Alder and Giovanni so we may see the Queen then get out of here.”

  Randolfr nodded, looking at me curiously as he headed off, looking over his shoulder more than once as he went.

  It took Randolfr twenty-minutes to get Giovanni under control; he was running around, popping in and out of each colored cube, partying as if there was no tomorrow. It was amusing, and gave me time to just sit and enjoy watching him with Connor and Tybalt; his hand was wrapped around mine, his finger absently caressing the inside of my wrist where my glove didn’t cover.

  “Will the Queen be mad we’ve just been sitting down here, watching my brother party as if it’s his birthday?” I whispered.

  Tybalt chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m sure the Queen knows I got here, and they are pouting because I haven’t gone up there to entertain them yet. The Queen doesn’t know Alder is here though, that I’m certain. If they knew, they would have been down here in a heartbeat.”

  “They were together?” I asked, curious.

  Connor laughed, pouring herself another drink from the bottle on the table. “You could say that.”

  Tybalt shook his head. “For nearly three-decades,” he said with a sad smile. “I don’t know what happened, neither will say, but I know it broke both of their hearts. This is the most I’ve seen Alder smile and laugh in a long, long time. Even before the breakup that was heard around the mythical world he wasn’t as happy as your brother has made him in just two dates.”

  Connor nodded her agreement. “Targeting that wanker is one of the reasons I’m stuck being a Marshal.”

  My eyes widened. “You tried to take out a Queen?” I gasped.

  She chuckled. “Aye. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Alder. He’s the only family that’s ever treated me like family and never expected more from me. I always said he could do better than that bloody wanker, but the heart typically makes smart lads do daft things. Your amusing brother makes my cousin happy, I don’t know how, but he does and I’m grateful that our paths crossed.”

  As much as that warmed my heart to hear, it broke my heart at the same time because Giovanni would never know Alder’s touch because he was dead.

  “Sis, you wouldn’t believe what these are!” Giovanni beamed, hurrying over to us. “Hey Red,” he greeted when he saw Connor and she toasted him with her drink. “Did you go into any of the clubs?” he asked me.

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to ruin my dress,” I said, as if that was reason enough to not want to leave the safety of the exterior area.

  He shook his head. “You are such a wuss. Check it out!” he beamed, jumping through the wall of red light.

  The moment he was on the other side, his clothing changed into a leather outfit and the blood raining down fully saturated his hair and stained his skin. He jumped around and splashed through the pooling blood like a madman, head-banging as if he were rocking out to Pantera. When he jumped through the wall of light, joining us again, he was back to how he was before; suit he was buried in, no blood saturating his hair or staining his skin, and he looked normal.

  “What that…” my words trailed off.

  Tybalt chuckled. “I take it you didn’t ask about that?” he surmised.

  I shook my head.

  “They are themed rooms that… It’s easier to show you,” Tybalt said, taking my hand and motioned for Giovanni to stay with us this time. “You coming Connor?” he asked. “I’m sure the Queen would love to go rounds with you again.”

  Connor shook her head. “I’m holding down the fort here. Besides, the temptation is great to finish what I started.”

  “Fair enough. Come on, Alder. It’s now or never.”

  Alder huffed and sulked behind us with his hands in his pockets, attention on his feet.

  Through a wall we passed; what appeared to be solid stone wasn’t, and instead hid private access to the open cage elevator that would take you to a second story that you couldn’t see from the main floor. Posted guards stood next to the elevator, they were even scarier than Randolfr, which was saying a lot.

  “Dude, what are they?” Giovanni whispered.

  “Rude much?” I hissed. “And I haven’t a clue.”

  The guards’ skin was pure black, looking like polished obsidian, their eyes were solid red, and the white suits they wore were amusing since all the other guards that I had seen were wearing black on black. They looked like twins, only one had a smooth shaved head and the other had long, white hair that was pulled back in a ponytail.

  ‘I would strongly suggest reeling your brother in,’ Andrei warned. ‘Those are daemonic guards, and they do not take kindly to being spoken to in such a manner.’

  Can they see him?

  ‘Yes. Like the Fallen and Angels, the daemonic can see nearly all planes and spectrums.’

  Good to know.

  “Hi, I’m Shawn,” I greeted with a smile and wave. “This is my corporally challenged big brother, Giovanni; he’s a Spirit Shadow. We don’t mean to stare or be rude, but I’m new to this world and usually Vanni is stuck in the Shadow Realm of the unconscious mind so it’s his first time being out and seeing people like you. We don’t mean any disrespect,” I promised.

  ‘That was not what I meant.’

  Sorry.

  They looked between each other, confusion more than apparent.

  “Raj and Samael,” Randolfr introduced.

  Raj gave him a look. “Bitch, please. How many times do I have to tell you it’s Bianca now?” she asked as flamboyantly as possible with a thick Southern accent, bobbing her head, causing her long white ponytail to sway back and forth.

  That was it, Giovanni lost it and laughed hysterically.

  Samael sighed, shaking his head. “Please excuse my sibling. They are going through a phase,” he explained, embarrassed.

  Bianca snorted, giving her brother a look. “This isn’t a phase, Bitch. Finally, after countless millennia, feel like I’m in my own skin. Children that are new to our world, we’re demons. Cast from the bowels of Hell to the surface to bring terror to the masses of man, and in the process we got bored and decided to do our own thing,” she explained.

  “Respect,” I said.

  “Ooh, I like her,” Bianca said. “We’ll have to get drinks when the Queen is done entertaining… Holy shit, no way,” she gasp, just noticing Alder standing back in the shadows. “Oh we’re getting drinks now. I wouldn’t miss this show for all of Hell.” She waved someone over. “Take our post. We’re going up.”

  The two that she motioned over glared at her.

  “We aren’t your bitches,” one started to sneer when a blade appeared out of nowhere and pressed against his throat, forcing his head up.

  I jumped back, startled, and hid behind Tybalt.

  Samael’s head tilted to the side before tilting the other direction, as if weighing if it was worth it or not. The black blade in his hand hummed with a darkened aura that I knew wouldn’t end well for the guard it was longing to embed in.

  ‘Daemonic weapons are very dangerous. Stay back.’

  Of course when someone tells me to do something, I do the exact opposite.

  I ducked around Tybalt and headed over to them. “There’s no reason for bloodshed tonight,” I whispered, resting my hand on Samael’s shoulder. “Please? Not everyone can handle having orders barked at them by beautiful demons, especially ones th
at are as powerful as you and Bianca are. Let’s go have drinks with the Queen, and if you’re willing I’d love to hear more about you and where you came from. You’re the first I’ve ever met. Please?” I whispered the latter.

  Samael looked over at me. “You ask for much, Child of Shadows.”

  That was the first time that I had heard the term.

  “I only ask for what I know you are more than capable of,” I retorted with a smile.

  He looked back to the guard he was trying not to kill. “If you ever disrespect my sister again, I will kill you. Do you understand?” he rhetorically asked before the blade disappeared from his hand.

  The guard snarled and it was answered by a fist to the face from Randolfr that shattered the man’s nose and sent him staggering back before he hit the ground.

  Tybalt looked from me to the others. “That was different,” he said. “Join us,” he instructed.

  Bianca smiled wide, her black lips pulling back to reveal a white, fang-filled smile.

  Samael looked at his sister. “Shut up,” he grumbled. “And you better not-” he started to warn when Bianca wrapped her arms around him, “hug me. Demons don’t hug.”

  “Maybe they should; they’d be less assholy if they did,” she retorted.

  To my surprise, he nodded his agreement and kissed her forehead.

  ‘You are grounded.’

  Why?

  ‘You just could not reel it in, could you?’

  I didn’t absolve or whatever. I just asked him not to kill.

  ‘And that is why you are grounded.’

  Oh shut up.

  Andrei chuckled.

  “Shawn?” Tybalt asked.

  “Huh?”

  He smiled. “Are you okay? I know this is the strangest date ever-”

  “I’m enjoying myself,” I promised him, looking around, confused as to how or when I got on the elevator. “It’s just a lot to take in, and… Oh whoa,” I mumbled when the elevator platform reached the second floor, coming to a stop.

  The second floor housed a large, lavish reception area with a dining table that could accommodate twenty-two, multiple seating areas, two private bars, a wait staff dressed in short beaded dresses with plunging necklines, muscular bartenders wearing slacks and bowties and nothing else, and a stage where a band was playing soft ambient music so it was a hum in the background. The members of the band were the deejays from below; small dragon woman playing the piano with a smile, the wild haired White Stag was playing the drums with sunglasses on, his hair combed down so his horns were clearly visible now, the twins from the Blade room were playing the guitar and bass, and what appeared as ghosts from Gatsby were playing the rest of the instruments.

  ‘Magic is very impressive when used properly.’

  Absently I nodded.

  The area looked as if it fell out of the 1930’s at the height of the art deco era in the States with rich colored wallpaper, impressive tile work on the floor, beautiful furniture true to the era, chandeliers, and stemware stacked on the polished bars. A wood and glass railing ran the length of the room and allowed for you to see below, but when below you couldn’t see the second story. It was weird, most likely it was another magical thing I didn’t have a name for-

  ‘A glamour. It is witchcraft that allows for those to see one thing when in actuality it is something else.’

  In this case looking through a one way mirror?

  ‘Correct. The Queen that is celebrating their birthday, as you will discover, is very powerful and boasts a higher magical aptitude compared to most of their kind. Be cautious when dealing with them.’

  Okay.

  Below, the dance floor that was separated into colorful themed cubes on the main level, was no longer there. Instead it was merely a large sectioned off floor that had people dancing on it. There were no fancy dresses and tuxes like in the Gatsby section, no blood drenched people like in the Bloodbath section, the big hair of the John Hughes themed room was gone, and the rave in the Hackers room ceased. There was no music, no deejays that I could see, and those dancing had no idea they were in their regular clothes dancing like spazzes without music.

  Giovanni chuckled. “That’s so wrong. What kind of evil genius would do something like that?” he asked, noticing what I did.

  Alder sighed from the elevator where he seemingly was refusing to leave. “One guess.”

  “The Queen,” I surmised and he nodded.

  Tybalt escorted me over to the most lavish of the empty seating arrangements, and the only person not on the clock cocked a thick, black eyebrow that appeared like a checkmark on his beautiful dark olive tone face. His eerily light green eyes looked even lighter because of the thick, black lashes they were incased in. The corners of his full, pink pouty lips snarled slightly in irritation. His perfectly styled jet-black hair was overly glossy, appearing like an oil slick in the noonday sun but it was natural; Italian’s have great genetics and there was no mistaking this unbelievably beautiful man was Italian. His expertly tailored black velvet suit, pink satin shirt and black bowtie wasn’t surprising, in fact, I would have been extremely disappointed if the Queen, as they kept calling him, wasn’t dressed like a couture one man gay pride parade.

  “Finally,” he flamboyantly shrieked. “I was this close,” he warned, pinching his fingers together, “to calling Daddy to tattle on you.”

  Tybalt groaned, shaking his head.

  “Whoa,” Giovanni mumbled from the other side of me. “Sis, seriously, you have the hottest friends ever.”

  Absently I nodded.

  The man wasn’t what I was expecting when meeting the Queen.

  But now it was starting to make sense.

  Werewolves didn’t have kings and queens, they had alphas… At least I thought they did. Also, werewolves, to my limited knowledge, didn’t possess magical aptitude, especially to the likes of the one Andrei had warned me about. The voice I recognized, it was the same man that was at the church in order to cast a vote if I was worthy of living or not before the Queen Vampire told them to take a hike and that no one touches her granddaughter. But he wasn’t representing the werewolves, he was there for his Father, Tybalt’s father that he took with him when he left. He was there for the…

  “Oh,” I gasped, stealing the man’s attention.

  “And who in the hell are you?” the Queen demanded.

  Tybalt cleared his throat. “Reel it in, Brother,” he warned. “Just because you are a year shy of two-hundred doesn’t mean you get to be an even bigger diva then you already are.”

  The man gasped. “I will not… Did you just call me old?!” he shrieked, causing Giovanni to laugh.

  “I did,” Tybalt confirmed. “Conte Crocifisso de' Medici, may I present to you, Shawn of Forgotten Park Cemetery. Shawn, this is my brother, Cross.”

  Cross gave me a look. “That is what I voted to save?” he scoffed, dismissively waving me away.

  “Bitch,” Giovanni hissed.

  “Calm down,” I whispered.

  “What was that?” Cross asked.

  He couldn’t see Giovanni.

  “Buon compleanno!” I beamed with a smile. “Oggi hai un anno in più, ma sei come il buon vino: invecchiando migliori! Oh, I like your shoes,” I added.

  Cross rolled his eyes. “I don’t want it, take it back to where you found it… Wait, you brought the Belova–Revnik Scion to my birthday party?” he groaned, dramatically throwing himself back on the chaise. “This is the worst birthday ever!”

  Alder sighed and joined us; he was standing back trying to find the nerve to face the Queen. “Stop being an unprecedented ass.”

  Cross sat up with wide eyes. “Al?” he asked, a smile filling his face. “You remembered!”

  Alder shrugged. “How could I forget? You sent messengers daily, three stripper, eight singing telegrams, a billboard outside of my apartment, and over a hundred magical whatnots to remind me of your birthday.”

  Cross blushed with a smile.


  “I remember everything when it comes to you, and I haven’t forgiven you, and I won’t any time soon,” Alder said, causing Cross’ smile to fall. “That’s why I brought a date.”

  Giovanni smiled wide. “I’m his date!” he beamed, jumping up and down with excitement.

  Instantly Cross was glaring, and his eyes started to illuminate, little sparks of gold flaring in the light jade.

  The guards appeared and stood between the angry warlock and us, and Alder continued to smile at his discomfort.

  “Where is he?” Cross demanded.

  “So you can try to kill him?” Alder retorted.

  He shrugged. “The thought crossed my mind. Can you blame a guy?”

  Giovanni flipped him off, causing Alder to chuckle.

  “Now, now, Vanni, play nice,” Alder scolded. “He’s just a temperamental Queen that’s got his panties in a twist because he’s getting older.”

  Cross gasped, offended. “You take that back!”

  Alder smooched his lips together, causing Cross to whimper. “Stop being an ass to Tybalt’s date and mine, and let the guards relax since they’ve been on high alert all night to protect your diva ass. Okay? Otherwise I’m leaving.”

  Cross huffed and crossed his arms and pouted.

  Now that the temper tantrum was over, for now, Tybalt escorted me over to the seating area and sat between me and Cross. The guards sat at a neighboring seating section, trying to play the part of off duty protection, but their hypervigilance wasn’t missed. Giovanni was sitting next to me, and Alder on the other side of him, smiling at Cross’ discomfort.

  This is way too much drama for me.

  ‘That makes two of us.’

  Get out of my head.

  ‘Nyte.’

  “So,” Cross started, trying to ignore the amusement of his ex, “this is the little vampire that should have never been sired? Honestly, I was expecting more. All that trouble for that?” he scoffed.

  Giovanni flipped him off.

  “That has a name,” I reminded him. “And it’s Shawn Salvatori. You don’t have to be mean. I get enough of that from Luka and every man, other than Alder and Tybalt, that I’ve ever met. Wouldn’t you agree it takes more effort to be an insufferable turd then it does to merely smile on your birthday?”