Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic

by SM Reine

  He pulls me across an endless sea of green grass. He won’t let me slow. I want only to enjoy the feel of animals and plants, watch clouds whisper around the faint auras of trees...

  ...when suddenly, the image righted itself. The night sky flattened, turning back to the one I’d known since childhood, covered in pinprick stars.

  Auras evaporated like smoke from around living trees, grass, water, even rocks.

  I held up a hand as I stumbled after the tall shadow of a tall stranger who held onto my other arm. I watched the light fade until my fingers grew back into the same opaque skin and bone I’d always known.

  Once it had, I shivered, suddenly freezing cold.

  I found myself walking in my waitressing uniform, a white blouse and a short, black miniskirt, without a jacket. We were making our way along the edge of a long line of trees overlooking a sloped pasture, one that I vaguely recognized.

  Then I saw them—hulking dark forms with shaggy humps, black horns and low, twitching tails. We were all the way to the buffalo paddock in Golden Gate Park.

  Fighting fear, I wracked my brain for how I’d gotten there.

  I glanced up at the trees, then towards the road.

  I stumbled when I stared too long, fought to regain my footing when the man holding onto me didn’t slow his pace. I was still being pulled along, despite my faltering steps, and I realized he gripped my hand like iron, and that he was taking me somewhere forcibly.

  In the same set of seconds, I remembered that I didn’t know him.

  “Hey,” I managed. I tried to pull on my arm, to retrieve it, but he only yanked me after him harder, exuding impatience. “Hey...wait. Wait up! Stop!”

  He didn’t slow his steps.

  I found myself trying to get close to him the other way, reaching towards him almost unconsciously...and a rush of nausea hit me, hard enough to make me stumble again. The man glanced back at me in the same instant, his pale eyes briefly reflecting the light of the moon.

  The nausea worsened even as my mind sifted backwards, explaining the facts to me belatedly.

  He was a seer, and he wasn’t wearing one of those collars.

  I panicked as the feeling of him in me strengthened. I tried to push him out of my head, to get free of him, but I had no idea how.

  Allie...calm down, he sent.

  “Let me go! I’ll call SCARB!”

  His reaction shocked me.

  He laughed.

  It had been a childish threat, spoken in desperation. When he only laughed at me again, I followed after him in spite of myself, still struggling to see his face in the dark, to remember what he looked like. There was too much light; I couldn’t see past it.

  When he looked back the next time, I saw my eyes reflected in his, glowing a pale green. He frowned, staring at me a few seconds longer, then only looked away.

  “You’ll need to learn to control that,” was all he said.

  I barely heard him as I held up my hand. A sickly, green light illuminated the lines of my palm, like from a phone or a dying flashlight. I realized that light had to be coming from me, from my eyes, but the information wouldn’t compute.

  Fear leaked into my voice, raising it an octave.

  “Holy crap...”

  “You’ll need to learn to control that,” he said again.

  His physical voice shocked me that time, maybe because I finally really heard it. It was deep. It also carried an accent, but not one I would’ve expected. It was Germanic-sounding, European. He gestured briefly towards my face, still walking fast.

  “Can you...stop it, Esteemed Bridge?” He continued pulling me along with him deeper into the trees, even as he continued to speak. “At some point, you must have learned to control it. See if you can now,” he suggested. “While we walk.”

  “Who are you?” My voice shook. “What have you done to me?”

  That time, he barely spared me a glance.

  Still, I could have sworn I felt something like impatience coming off him, maybe wafting off him like a scent. On the surface, he only inclined his head, still walking fast as he gestured towards me with his free hand. The way he did it struck me as formal, perhaps even conveying respect, but he did it hurriedly.

  Dehgoies. The word landed directly in my mind. Revik.

  I could only struggle after him, fighting to think as I strove to keep up with his long legs.

  Deh-go-ies, he repeated, slower. Re-vik.

  “What is that?” I said. “A name?”

  “I will answer whatever you ask...”

  His physical voice shocked me again, making me flinch. Glancing back at me as if he felt it, he hesitated, then tugged harder on my arm, leading me deeper into the trees.

  “...But not now, Esteemed Bridge,” he finished belatedly.

  “Where are we going?” I tried to piece together how I’d even gotten there from the diner. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Please be quiet.” He held a finger to his lips. “Please.”

  “No,” I snapped. “I need you to stop! I need you to stop right now!”

  He halted at once, so quickly I nearly ran into him.

  He didn’t release my arm, but turned, meeting my gaze. The look on his face made me think he’d resigned himself to reassure me, at least the bare minimum.

  But he didn’t like it.

  I need to get us a car, he said. We have to leave this place, Allie...now. Before they set up blockades, and close off the city.

  “Blockades?”

  He made an irritated-sounding clicking noise with his tongue, one that sounded oddly familiar to me, although I couldn’t immediately place why.

  You don’t remember any of it? he sent then. What you did, in that diner? He gestured towards my face with his free hand. Every intelligence group and law enforcement branch housed in this city will be after you, once they see that surveillance feed. It has likely made it to federal channels already. How can you be surprised by this? Now?

  I stared up at him.

  In desperation, I flipped over the arm connected to the wrist he held, showing him the barcode on my inner arm. I pointed out the “H” designation from among my collection of tats.

  “I’m human, man. Hu-man. Get it?”

  He held up his own arm, showing me his racial-cat tattoo. I lowered mine, staring at the “H” on his pale skin in disbelief.

  “I’m not,” he said, his voice cold.

  Looking away at my silence, his eyes scanned the pitch black trees.

  Can we go now?

  “Where are you taking me?”

  We must leave the city, he repeated, as if talking to a rather stupid child. The Rooks are here... His mouth firmed to a frown. ...Terian. He worries me more than your human police. Or even SCARB, although I’m sure he will come in that guise, as well...

  Seeing my bewildered look, he interpreted it on his own.

  Rooks, he repeated. Other seers. I will explain later. His thoughts grew as impatient as his voice when they bombarded me next. Can we go? Are you done asking me questions I could answer better en route, Esteemed Bridge?

  “Why do you keep calling me—”

  I don’t have time for you to have an emotional reaction right now! he sent, his thoughts cutting into mine. Are you going to pretend you didn’t cause a fucking scene at that restaurant? That your eyes aren’t glowing...

  He motioned to my face.

  ...Even now? As we speak?

  When I didn’t answer, he clicked at me again. Pulling on my arm, not roughly but purely out of a desire to move me forward, he switched back to his physical voice as he started walking.

  “You are at risk, Esteemed Bridge. You understand that this is serious?”

  “Wait!” I felt the first real flickering of fear. “I’m not going anywhere with you! Besides, I can’t. I’ve got this GPS thing, and...”

  Stopping dead once more, he reversed direction before I could regain my balance. He stepped towards me and I stumbled backwards, t
rying to get out of his way. Standing less than a foot away, he stared down at me.

  Listen to me, sister, he sent. Hear this, for it is the last time I will say it.

  His thoughts turned harsh in my head.

  You cannot go home, Esteemed Bridge. Even without the Rooks. You cannot.

  He gestured sharply, a downward slash. His eyes held mine, hard as glass.

  ...Over. It is over for you, this human life. Do you hear me, Esteemed One? Do not make the mistake of thinking you can go back. You cannot go back. Never, Allie.

  I stared up at him, fighting for words.

  His eyes flickered pointedly to the GPS on my arm.

  You are already a criminal...a violent one. If you are a seer, they will show you no mercy. Your life living among them is finished. It is absolutely imperative that you understand this. You cannot trust humans anymore. Any humans, Allie.

  His expression grew grim, but I saw sympathy there, too.

  Feel whatever grief you need to feel about this, and then let it go. Do it soon. It will save you much heartache later. Or worse, a life of slavery and torture like nothing you can imagine.

  My jaw fell open. I continued to stare up at him.

  “The boy,” he said, exasperated. ...You threw him. I had to get you out of there when I saw...I could not believe it...

  He made that odd clicking sound with his tongue, shaking his head.

  ...They did not warn me you would be telekinetic!

  He sounded almost angry.

  Staring up at him, I clenched my fists, forcing my brain to work.

  Jon. He meant Jon.

  There’d been witnesses at the diner. They’d seen me throw Jon across the room without touching him. They’d have my psych records from when I was a kid, know I was some kind of freak. There was the incident at Backdoor Bar with Jaden and the groupie. My parole. My unknown parentage. Maybe they would know a lot more than that, once they interrogated Jon and my mom. Hell, they might use drugs on them...even other seers. A seer impersonating a human constituted terrorism, so their human rights would be out the window if the World Court felt they had probable cause.

  Telekinetic, christ. That had to be a scam. I’d never heard of a telekinetic seer before.

  Well, other than...

  I stared up at him, eyes wide.

  “Yes.” He nodded grimly. You will be little Syrimne. Little female Syrimne and all the babies she could make. If SCARB finds you, your citizenship, even your sentience categorization will be revoked. That H mark you value so much...

  He motioned towards my racial-cat tattoo and the barcode above it.

  ...It will be burned right off of your arm.

  His mouth formed a grim line as he waited for me to catch up.

  I couldn’t, though.

  I couldn’t get past the Syrimne thing.

  Syrimne was the bogey-man to most humans, even my own parents. In school, I’d seen all the old footage of him blowing up oil tankers and downing planes, setting hospitals on fire. He did all of it with his mind, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. It took an army to get him down, and more than half of them had been seers, too.

  The black-haired man’s clicking sound grew softer, and contained more sympathy.

  We must leave here, Esteemed Bridge. Even your human brother understood this. He did not like it...but he understood.

  I bit my tongue, hard enough to taste blood. The man in front of me looked to be about 6’5”, barefoot. I didn’t stand a chance against him, if it came to that.

  If he was telling the truth, I had nowhere to go anyway.

  I watched his eyes flicker over mine. A hint of emotion grew discernible in the dark...then pain came off him, sharp, taking my breath. Before I could think, he was beside me. His fingers circled my upper arms.

  I am here to help you. He hesitated, pulling me closer to where he stood. Trust me. Please...I can get you out. Once I do, things won’t be as bad for you. I promise you this.

  I felt my throat close. “And that’s my only option?” I said. “To get out?”

  His fingers loosened.

  “Yes,” he said, stepping back. His eyes still watched mine with that unnerving scrutiny. “Your human family,” he began aloud, then switched to his mind. There might still be time to move them. If I can get in contact with some of my people, they might be able to—

  A flash lit the clearing.

  With it came a thwup-thwup sound, like staccato inhales of breath. The man beside me moved like liquid shadow.

  He shoved me, hard.

  Before I could put the different pieces together inside my mind, my feet had already separated from the ground.

  I flew through the air...

  ...and slammed, hard, into the trunk of a nearby redwood tree.

  My face smacked into rough bark. Pain sucked the air from my lungs, blinding me even as it blanked out my mind. I couldn’t hear, couldn’t breathe as I crumpled in mud and pine needles. The pure shock and intensity of that pain both woke me up and stunned me in the same breath.

  Then I heard another series of shots.

  Thwup, thwup, thwup...

  I fought to rise, but my back lit up like a Christmas tree in an electrical fire. Spots flashed before my eyes as an odor like sulfur hit my mouth and nose. Gunfire. Not like I was an expert, but I’d heard it before. My fingers fought for purchase on wet bark. I was full-fledged panicking now, but also in shock, a deer in headlights. I couldn’t figure out from which direction the shots had come. I had no idea where I was in relation to where I had been before.

  The man with the black hair was on the ground. I felt a sharp pain where he held his shoulder. I smelled blood.

  I tried to stand, but another volley of shots peppered the clearing, bringing me to my knees. Scrabbling with feet and hands, I slid halfway around the base of the tree, at least understanding from which direction they came from that time.

  That time, when I looked back at the clearing, the black-haired man was gone.

  He’d left me here, while I was being shot at.

  Great.

  A crackle of branches being shoved aside caused me to turn back toward the other side of that same clearing. I found myself face to face with the shooter, and recognized him at once. He still wore the same dark blue suit and red tie. Flipping aside a longer greatcoat, he extracted a fresh ammunition magazine from an inside pocket, and deftly replaced the one he let fall to the ground, seemingly without concern for where it fell.

  He stared directly at me.

  “Interesting.” He snapped in the fresh magazine, chambered a round, and raised the gun so it pointed at my face. “Was he flirting with you just now? Please tell me, dearest, for that is simply too delicious for words...”

  I pushed my body off the trunk with my palms and slipped, landing hard on my tailbone on a protruding root. I winced, gasping, bracing myself to be shot.

  I was in shock. My mind acknowledged this, as if from far away.

  In front of me, the man with the amber eyes fell to a crouch, so that our gazes were level.

  He looked exactly how I remembered him looking, including his oddly, light-brown eyes, which were riveting, difficult to look away from, even now...maybe especially now. His long, reddish-brown hair framed high cheekbones and a sensual mouth. Some of this I pulled together from memory, of course, since it was dark, but his eyes caught some unseen light, reflecting a glow that made them look distinctly inhuman to me.

  “Are you hurt, sister?” he said.

  “Yeah...no.” I fought to control my voice. “...I’m okay.”

  He smiled. “My apologies for scaring you.” Unlike the other, this man had no discernible accent, but the construction of his sentences remained foreign-sounding to my ears.

  Seer, I found myself thinking. He has to be another one.

  If he heard me think it, his expression showed no indication.

  “This man.” He gestured towards the trees with the gun. “He is a criminal, you
see. He has been harassing you, yes? Following you?”

  When I remained silent, his mind prodded mine.

  “Yes,” I managed.

  “I am Terian.” He waited, as if expecting me to introduce myself next, as if we were at a dinner party. Even as I thought it, he prompted, “...And you are? What? Another Sark, surely. Living among the worms, trying to pass. Succeeding too, or so it would seem. And Dehgoies felt obliged to out you, did he?”

  Terian chuckled, resting the gun on his thigh.

  “I’m sure you’ll be jumping into his bed at any moment for that favor,” he grinned.

  His gaze sharpened above the smile then, flickering down my body.

  “So tell me. How old are you, sister?”

  I stared at his yellow eyes...

  …and dark clouds intervene.

  Briefly, his face shines with flickering, metallic lines. His eyes are yellow lamps in that other place, emitting cold, fast-moving, highly-structured silver light above the densely drawn lines that make up his body.

  Above his head in miniature rotates the Pyramid.

  Then, it is gone.

  ...and I lay crumpled on water-drenched ground in the pitch dark of Golden Gate Park, and my head throbbed with a dull pain. Rain dripped down from the trees, making me blink, sparkling on the black coat the man wore, contrasting the yellow of his eyes.

  “I am sorry for the gun,” he said.

  The warmth of his heart felt almost real. He tugged me deeper into him, trying to modify how he appeared to me.

  I fought him, but it was like fighting smoke.

  “I don’t believe you,” I said.

  It started raining for real. Larger droplets hit my face, disorienting me.

  “He warned me about you,” I told him.

  Terian rose to his feet. His smile grew a touch cold.

  “Ah, he warned you, did he?” That time, I almost heard an accent. Clicking softly like the other one had, Terian made an odd snorting sound. “Gaos di’lanlente. Dehgoies would eat dirt if he thought it would sustain him, if only to save time. Since he has begun his pathetic attempt at indoctrination, let us cut to the chase. You are the Bridge, are you not?”

  In response to what must have been a blank look from me, Terian’s smile widened.

  “He woke you and didn’t tell you? Classic Dehgoies.”