BLACKOUT: CROSSBREED SERIES BOOK 5

by Dannika Dark

  “I tried to protect him,” Niko said truthfully. “Raven came out, and his men put blades to her neck.”

  “I can see that.” Merry’s golden eyes examined the base of my throat. I was already covered in blood, but the fresh wound was probably glistening.

  Touching my neck, I cleared my throat. “How long will this take?”

  “Have a seat, Miss Black. Once I take your statements, you’re free to go. If we need you for additional questioning, we’ll be in touch. I heard what you did outside the church. Weather and I were guarding the doors to the basement. You should be commended for your bravery.”

  “Thanks.” I tugged on the collar of my bloodstained sweater. “Think this’ll come out in the wash?”

  He winked. “Red looks better on you anyhow.”

  Chapter 27

  Merry was thorough and questioned us separately to make sure Niko’s story was corroborated by my version. It was easy to go along with Niko’s twist in the facts. I was convincing enough that Merry didn’t ask me too many questions, especially since Niko had given him more than enough information. Patrick’s death had me rattled, and I couldn’t stop touching my neck and reliving those tense moments when I thought those men would take my head as well. It wasn’t easy to lie to a Chitah, so I used some of that emotion to dance around the facts.

  Niko had left out personal conversations between him and Cyrus. He explained that because of Merry’s sudden arrival, the men didn’t have time to take us both down. They just got the hell out as fast as they could.

  Now we were in a quandary. With Patrick dead, the boy had a one-way ticket to the Breed orphanage. Shepherd wasn’t going to like the news. Not one bit. Merry asked if we could take the boy home for the night. The cleaners would be arriving to collect the body, and it didn’t make sense to expose the kid to something that traumatic. Aside from that, he wasn’t safe with killers on the loose.

  Poor kid. I searched his bedroom for anything personal of his he might want, not certain if he’d ever have a chance to return and collect his life. But I found nothing aside from clothes, shoes, pencils, and paper. Not even a tiny plastic soldier. So I stuffed his clothes into a bag, and Niko carried him over his shoulder to the Jeep. He slept through everything, even when the Jeep lurched and died after I took my foot off the clutch too soon.

  Niko called Viktor on our way home to bring him up to speed. When I parked in the garage, he was waiting. We spoke candidly, telling him every detail and leaving nothing out. Well, except the part about Cyrus and Niko’s past.

  After we wrapped up the briefing, I stumbled to an empty room downstairs and shut the door. I lit a candle, poured myself a glass of vodka, took my hair down, and curled up in a fat leather chair. I figured Viktor might have more questions and come looking for me, but the longer I waited, the more difficult it was to stay awake. I was battered, bruised, and still feeling incredibly sick from feeding on that Mage. His dark blood had worked its way through me, and it was cold, like a snake slithering around my insides.

  It only seemed like minutes had elapsed since I’d nodded off, but when I opened my eyes, the glass was no longer in my hand. I leaned over to see if it had fallen on the floor, and that was when I noticed the dying embers of a fire in the hearth beside me.

  The door opened, and I heard footfalls.

  Niko set a tray of food on the table beside me. “I knocked, but no one answered. I was going to leave this here for when you were hungry.”

  “I just woke up,” I mumbled. “Did you light the fire?”

  “No. After we cleared the table, Viktor asked me to bring you a plate.”

  Still disoriented, I stared at the pot roast and French bread.

  “You’ve been asleep for fifteen hours.”

  I rubbed my eyes and then stretched my sore neck. “Thanks for not disturbing me. Sometimes I just have to sleep it off.”

  Niko dragged a smaller chair across from me. “You’re referring to the blood?”

  I stabbed a potato with a fork and bit into it. “Dark blood is hard to ingest. The more sinister the person is, the worse it feels. Those guys were bad, but they weren’t the most devious men I’ve encountered.”

  “So… some men, you can stomach, and others you can’t.”

  I smiled. “That’s one way to put it. A Mage also juiced my light, so I think that’s why I crashed for so long.” I set down my fork. “Why did you blame Patrick and give the Regulator all that info? Weren’t you afraid he would call a Vampire to charm you?”

  “Yes. But we’d already placed ourselves at the scene of the crime. You had the telltale marks from a sword on your neck, and if they called in a Sensor, they would have picked up our emotions all over the place. Sometimes you’re better off going with a truthful approach. Well, within reason.” He turned his left palm up and created a ball of green light the size of a marble between his fingertips. As it turned in a circle faster and faster at his command, it changed to bright orange. “There’s something else you want to ask me.”

  “Why did you implicate Patrick in the crimes? Why not just say we walked in on a robbery? We have no solid proof outside of his alleged verbal confession.”

  “Plausible motive.” The light changed to yellow and crackled. “People saw him as a luminary in his profession, so they deserved to know that he was a blight on humanity. Duplicitous men are rarely exposed for what they are. Besides, we have to follow a code of honor. If Patrick was a conspirator in a larger plot against all higher authorities, we have an obligation to shine a light on his deeds. Doing so will open up an internal investigation and expose others involved. Turning a blind eye wouldn’t stop the wheel that’s already in motion.”

  I reached up to scratch my head and noticed how matted my hair was with dried blood. The log on the grate split apart, revitalizing the dying fire. Lost in my thoughts, I absently picked at my tangled hair.

  When Niko flicked the ball of light toward the fire, it fizzled out. It wasn’t constructed the same as Gem’s energy balls. It didn’t hold the same kind of power but just seemed like an extension of his light.

  “Now that Patrick’s dead, I don’t know how they’re going to find out who was part of his circle,” I said. “I mean… assuming he wasn’t working alone.”

  An imperceptible smile touched Niko’s lips. “No need to cover your tracks, Raven. If there’s anything that would get you in trouble, keep it to yourself. Sometimes secrets keep us safe.”

  I definitely didn’t want to reveal what Christian had done to Patrick, but since Patrick had confessed, there was no harm filling Niko in on the rest. “One of the officials gave me a list of names based on a hunch I had. We don’t have much else to go on, but maybe the higher authority will share the conspiracy with the other groups around the nation. They might be keeping news of similar murders under wraps, and that list could help uncover who’s responsible.”

  “It’s not our concern how they smoke them out, but rest assured, they’ll have the most skilled investigators working on it. Our job is done—not that solving the murders was ever our job. We coordinated the evacuation and identified flaws in their system. Hopefully they’ll never have to use it again, but if they do, I believe they’ll be better prepared.”

  I sat up and looked at my plate, but I had zero appetite. “Is the kid still here?”

  Niko turned his head to the fire. “Yes. He was confused when he awoke, but he doesn’t know about Patrick. The child might not have had love for his guardian, but Patrick was the only life he knew. The stability and routine he once had is now gone, and that will create a lot of uncertainty for him. Children cling to the familiar.”

  “I know all about that.” I had grieved the loss of my mother, but I had also missed everything about my old life. My room, my bed, my toys, the way Mom used to cut my peanut butter sandwiches into the shape of a butterfly, and I even missed my neighbor’s dog that she’d sometimes let me pet. I loved Crush, and he took care of me, but that first year of transi
tion was rough.

  Immersed in memories, I drew in a deep breath and looked at Niko. “What are the orphanages like?”

  “Most of the children live their lives there. Adoption isn’t a common occurrence in the Breed world, especially when you don’t know anything about the child’s background. It’s a far more complicated issue than with human children. And because they’re Breed, it’s against the law to let humans adopt them. That’s why Viktor donates his money to the orphanages. Many of them sleep in open rooms with no privacy. They are truly the lost children, and society has forgotten them.”

  “Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe they should invite the kids to one of those fund-raiser parties, don’t you think?”

  The door opened, and I heard the familiar sound of rubber wheels gliding across the floor.

  “Messenger girl!” Gem sang. She sounded livelier than I’d heard her in the previous few days. She skated around my chair and skidded to a stop before raking me over with wide eyes. “Jiminy Christmas! Wyatt wasn’t exaggerating. You look like a horror movie.”

  I glanced down at my chipped nail polish. “I guess I am overdue for a manicure.”

  She giggled. “That’s the Raven I know.”

  I stood up and regarded her for a moment. “And that’s the Gem I know.”

  She leaned back. “Don’t hug me. I don’t know who you’ve been sucking on.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  “I meant whose neck…” Her cheeks flamed. “You’re all bloody.”

  “I’m just messing with you. I woke up a few minutes ago and still don’t know what day it is.”

  Gem skated toward the door. “Viktor wants us in the dining room pronto.”

  I followed Gem, watching her slim figure swing left and right as she weaved instead of skating in a straight line. She had on a cropped black sweater and purple ombré leggings that faded to silver at the bottom.

  “It’s so nice to have the power back on,” she said cheerfully. “I finally had a hot shower this morning.” She fell back and performed spins in the open space.

  “I hope Viktor’s revealing that our next job is finding a runaway wolf,” I said to Niko.

  He chuckled. “Trust me, Raven. That’s no picnic either.”

  “I’ll just have to take your word for it.” I glanced down at my red sneakers. At least I’d chosen the right color shoes.

  When we entered the dining room, there was a collective gasp from those who hadn’t seen me.

  Shepherd sighed. “Guess that means I’m gonna have to torch the seats in my Jeep.”

  “Don’t be such a germophobe,” Wyatt said, the humor in his voice thinly veiled.

  Shepherd gave him an icy stare.

  “Sorry, I didn’t have time to brush my hair,” I said flatly as I took a seat next to Viktor.

  Wyatt waggled his brows at me from the kitchen doorway but cringed when Gem rolled over his foot—probably intentionally—before taking her seat. He limped over to his chair across from me and sat down.

  Viktor swirled his glass of red wine, his eyes on the empty chair beside me. One of the last things Patrick had said was that he was taking care of Christian, and the impending announcement filled me with dread. So much so that I didn’t ask about Christian, afraid that talking about it might make it real.

  The smell of pot roast and fresh bread lingered in the air. A pan clanged from the kitchen, and Kira uttered a strange word that made Gem perk her ears.

  “I bet that was a swear word,” she said to herself, probably filing that word away in her mental drawer. Gem hadn’t lost interest in learning the language that Kira never spoke in our presence.

  Christian swaggered in, his dark hair wet and combed back. I tried not to sigh out loud at the sight of him, tried not to notice the way he smelled like soap. When he sat down, he pushed up the sleeves on his grey Henley, his dripping hair wetting the shoulders of his shirt.

  After a moment, he looked over at me. “What are you gaping at, lass?”

  “I thought Patrick sent someone after you.”

  His gaze darted around at my messy hair and bloodstained sweater, but it briefly stopped on the cut across my throat. “An incompetent little fecker showed up.”

  “Who?” It couldn’t have been Cyrus’s men.

  “Didn’t ask his name, but the fanghole now resides in a narrow sewer pipe. It was a tight fit,” he said, adjusting one of his sleeves.

  Viktor laced his fingers together. He looked more rested, the dark circles beneath his eyes much diminished and the color back in his cheeks. His whiskers were trimmed short and evenly along his face, longer around the chin and lip.

  His knuckles whitened. “First, I begin with news. A high-level investigation is underway to identify those conspiring against the balance of the higher authority. You are all aware that Patrick was murdered last night, but we have reason to believe that he was involved in the assassination of several officials in an attempt to control votes.”

  Shepherd pulled a final drag from his cigarette and pressed it into the ashtray. “What about the bomb at his own house? That was sloppy.”

  Gem scooted down in her chair, eyes downcast.

  Viktor’s eyes swung over to Christian and me. “The bomb was a diversion to create panic and erase evidence. The threat against the higher authority will be ongoing, but they have implemented plans to…” Viktor said something in Russian and looked at Gem.

  Her eyes swung up for a moment. “Smoke them out is a good way to say it.”

  “Spasibo. So while we lost one of the men we were charged to protect, things miraculously worked in our favor. Sometimes I think the fates are on our side.”

  Blue set down her wineglass after another swallow. “Do they still have Regulators assigned to the officials?”

  Viktor nodded. “Not only to protect, but they are observing patterns. They will monitor those who are outspoken against human rights. I have heard two men resigned already. They claim it was the events of the past week and attacks on the church, but there is no way to know. Guilty conspirators will probably follow their lead, and they are already bringing in immediate replacements who have been properly screened. There are many changes coming.”

  Shepherd circled his fingertips on the table. “That’s not what you want to talk to us about. I can feel your anxiety skimming across the surface.”

  Viktor sat back and put his hands in his lap. “Let’s not be dramatic.”

  “I see it too,” Niko added.

  Viktor cursed and stood up. “Will everyone stop reading me? It is rude.” He lifted a bottle of wine from the cabinet behind him and topped off his glass before sitting back down.

  “It’s our pay, isn’t it?” Wyatt folded his arms, covering the wording on his T-shirt, which said: HAVE A NICE AFTERLIFE. “They’re stiffing us because it didn’t go smoothly.”

  Viktor tipped his head from side to side. “That is not entirely false.”

  Everyone groaned and sat back.

  “Cheap bastards,” Shepherd muttered. “They busted up my face.”

  “Your face?” Blue exclaimed. “I almost died!”

  “Quiet down,” Viktor commanded, banging his fist on the table. “Much has happened this week. Many unexpected revolutions that have weighed on my mind.”

  “Revelations,” Gem said, staring at her fingernails.

  His eyes swung over to her. “Gem has suffered a personal loss, and though I have given her an important task, she came to me and said she wanted no part of the money. This was a group assignment, and you know I am generous with paying all a share, even those who do not participate. Her share was meager, but I had to recalculate that amount toward everyone else’s check.”

  My gut instinct told me that Viktor wanted to donate the money to charity. It would be the right thing to do, under the circumstances. We’d busted our asses and put our lives on the line, but we’d also lost so much, and with Patrick dead, it felt like a hollow victory.

  Viktor
sipped his wine and studied the glass as he set it down. “The boy will be leaving our care tonight. They will send out someone to collect him.”

  Shepherd rubbed the old scars on his hand.

  “I have spoken to the higher authority about the child’s welfare and what will become of him. They will transport him to the orphanage and try for adoption. But you see I am concerned. The boy is not a defect but has two gifts that will make him a target. Someone in the orphanage might leak that information for profit.”

  Shepherd’s chair creaked when he sat back hard, his hands clenched into fists. “What about Maggie’s family? Can someone track them down?”

  Viktor steepled his fingers. “We can look into it, but it would require much explanation. Not every family wants a child with mixed gifts.”

  Shepherd’s brown eyes squinted, and the lines etched in his forehead deepened as he glowered.

  “They will never legally adopt him out to a man with your record,” Viktor informed him. “If you snatch him from the orphanage in a vain attempt to protect him, they will hunt you down.”

  “I didn’t like Patrick having him,” he admitted. “But I could deal with it. Now what? He goes off to some fucking orphanage where kids are abandoned and neglected? You think a Sensor will want him when they find out he’s also a Relic? And do you think a Relic wants to raise a kid with Sensor abilities? They like to work closely with clients, and nobody will trust him because he’s a crossbreed. No family will want both halves. The wrong person is gonna find out what this kid knows about human genetics. I can’t let that happen.”

  Viktor’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You must leave Keystone. You will always be a liability.” He looked at the stem of his wineglass. “I have no choice but to scrub your memory. We cannot guarantee what the end result of the scrubbing will be. You know too much—have seen too much. You will pose a constant threat to those you have worked with.”

  “Aye,” Christian agreed. “There’s always a risk when you start Swiss cheesing someone’s mind. I can’t promise you’ll remember all of your past, including your son. Removing that much is time-consuming and complicated. I know what you’re thinking, Shepherd, but don’t run. It’ll be far worse if you run from this.”