Inevitable Darkness

by Cassandra Lawson

  Kyleigh walked toward him and hugged him. “You always amaze me, Mitchell.”

  He let out a humorless laugh and hugged her back. “I amaze you by spending months lying? That doesn’t seem too amazing to me.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short or judge yourself by mistakes,” she told him as she pulled away and headed out of the room. “Very few people have as much to deal with as you.”

  Mitchell nodded and made his way downstairs to find Ian just as his alarm went off. The most annoying thing about being a turned vampire was the need for blood. The original Moon virus caused two types of vampires, born and turned. Nearly all the humans who contracted the virus died and rose from the dead three days later as mindless creatures. They were a danger to everyone, and the only way to deal with them was to kill them. The term born vampire referred to those who became vampires without dying first. Those who survived the Moon virus had children who were vampires from birth. Pregnancy and a variety of human illnesses caused the Moon virus to mutate. Those with that mutated form of the virus didn’t die. Their hearts continued beating, and they developed the added strength, longevity, and fangs. They could even eat solid food, though they didn’t need it to survive. From what he’d heard, that last one had been more of a curse in the beginning. Early vampires who’d been denied solid food had often gone insane, believing they were starving. Solid food was one of the things he truly missed about his old life. Mitchell’s vampire state was the result of an intentionally mutated version of the virus. His heart continued beating, and he wasn’t a mindless killer; as long as he got enough blood, he’d stay that way. He couldn’t procreate, not that he considered that a bad thing with his mixed heritage, and he could no longer eat solid food.

  Ian was already in the kitchen having a bag of blood when Mitchell went in to grab his.

  “Are you okay?” Ian asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Mitchell nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He laughed at his own words. “Why do I keep doing that?”

  Ian didn’t ask what he meant. “Because it’s easier to lie than try explaining things you don’t understand.”

  “Is that what you did before you found Kyleigh?”

  Humans had murdered Ian's first wife and daughter, and it had changed him, as it would anyone.

  “Nah,” Ian replied. “I was an asshole to the world. I took it out on everyone. Kyleigh isn’t what started the change in me—it was you. From the moment I noticed your heart was still beating, I wanted to help you. I had friends before that, but I was fucked in the head. Most days, I wanted to die. I took some stupid risks hoping to die.”

  “You saved my life,” Mitchell told him.

  Ian shook his head. “No, you saved mine. It’s killing me that you don’t think you can talk to me about what’s going on.”

  Mitchell quickly drank down his blood before taking a seat at the table and running his hands through his hair. “Every time I talk about what’s going on with me, the whole thing seems more real. I practice with Vexx and Winter because I feel like I have to, not like an obligation but a driving need. There’s something inside of me that calls out to them.”

  “Do you have something going on with Vexx?” Ian asked.

  Mitchell laughed. “I’m not even sure where to begin with telling you how off you are with that question. Vexx belongs with Jase, even if she refuses to accept it. I’m also not into women.”

  Ian nodded. “Then who is it? I know this shouldn’t be my biggest question, but you’re interested in someone. I’d guess Nate if you hadn’t stopped hanging out with him.”

  “Nate’s a friend,” he told him. “I don’t always sneak out to see Vexx and Winter.”

  Ian’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you going out to see?”

  “In general, I tell myself I’m going out to be alone, but Abram usually finds me,” Mitchell admitted. “I keep saying that’s not why I go out there, but I’m lying to myself.”

  Ian said nothing as he processed what Mitchell had revealed. Mitchell knew him well enough to recognize that he was confused, not angry. Finally, Ian spoke. “Are you trying to tell me that Abram, the biggest psycho in the area, has been trying to seduce you?”

  “No, he hasn’t tried to seduce me,” Mitchell assured him. Before their last meeting, Abram hadn’t made any move to even touch him. “Usually, he just talks to me. I think it has to do with my connection with Kishara.” Though it hadn’t felt that way the last time he’d seen Abram. “That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s what I told Abram today.”

  “What did he say?” Ian asked, sounding tense as if he knew where the conversation was going.

  “Today, he said it started that way, but it hasn’t been about Kish for a long time,” Mitchell replied.

  “Christ,” Ian muttered. “Abram deserves that psycho, so he should be focusing on her, not you.”

  “You hate him, but he’s always nice to me,” Mitchell insisted. “I can’t tell you how many times he’s told me I shouldn’t be out alone or offered to drive me back.”

  “I don’t hate Abram—not anymore, at least,” Ian replied. “He’s helped us out of a lot of bad situations. I still don’t think he’s sane, and I know he’s dangerous.”

  “I’m a demon,” Mitchell reminded him. “And I’m also Fae and a vampire.”

  Ian chuckled at his response. “And yet you’re still one of the only genuinely good people I know. I’m not sure if that says more about the people I’ve known all my life, or about how incredible you are. How far have things gone with Abram? I’m not asking for a blow-by-blow of the physical stuff. I want to know how close you are to the psycho prick.”

  “He kissed me,” Mitchell admitted. “I accused him of only wanting to be close to me because of Kish, and I still think that’s the biggest reason. I don’t think he’s using me, but I think he’s confused.”

  “Fucking Abram,” Ian muttered. “He’s dangerous.”

  “Yeah, you said that already,” Mitchell told him. “You’ll be happy to know that the one time Abram kissed me, I accidentally opened a portal back to my bedroom. He probably ended up kissing a tree.”

  Ian chuckled at the image before sobering and meeting Mitchell’s gaze. “I wouldn’t bet that this has anything to do with Kish, even if it started that way. Your light draws people to you. Honestly, I think it’s why I wanted to help you in the beginning.”

  “Back then, I wasn’t exactly a bundle of cheer,” Mitchell reminded him. “I wanted to die before I became undead. There was no hope of a future, in my opinion, so I don’t think I had much light in me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” Ian insisted. “Yeah, you were ready to die, but I still feel like being around you healed me. I’m not the only one who’s benefited from being in your presence. I don’t know much about Abram’s past, other than the bad stuff. It’s possible your light drew him to you more than any connection to Kishara.”

  “Are you encouraging me to have a relationship with Abram?” he asked, sure he’d misunderstood Ian.

  “No,” Ian replied quickly. “Definitely not that. My advice is to stay as far from Abram as possible. He’s bad news, but I know you aren’t going to take my advice. I’m saying all of this because I don’t like the idea of you selling yourself short. Abram has plenty of reasons to like you, even if the sick fuck will never deserve you.”

  “Do you ever think how strange it is that people are always talking about me being good? I’m a demon,” Mitchell said with a humorless laugh. “The only other demons I know are Legion and Kishara. Neither of them is all that great. The Fae are also predominantly bad. So, I’m the product of two horrible species.”

  “Neither raised you,” Ian reminded him. “I don’t think evil is an inherited trait. You may have forgotten a lot from your childhood, but you remember having a loving family. Your human parents taught you to show compassion. It’s a good thing since you weren’t going to learn that from me.”

  “I’m sorry I’ve been lying
to you,” Mitchell whispered.

  “Don’t do it again,” Ian warned. “And stop sneaking out. If Connor finds out, he’ll put a collar around your neck to prevent you from doing it. Connor doesn’t like anyone breaking the rules.”

  “You’d let him collar me?” Mitchell asked with wide eyes. The collars they used prevented the wearer from going too far from the person wearing the matching armband. He wasn’t too worried about the collar since he could get out of it the same way he left the settlement undetected. By creating a portal, he stepped out of that dimension and no longer had a physical form for the collar. He’d still rather not have Connor so angry that he resorted to something so drastic.

  “I wouldn’t have much choice,” Ian replied with a shrug. “Would you be angry if I admitted that I’m almost tempted to tell him what you’ve been up to just to see his reaction when you disappear?”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Mitchell accused.

  “I might if you lie to me again,” Ian warned, and Mitchell couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

  “Do you mind if I head over to the training center?” Mitchell asked. “I need to work out. All this stress is making my skin tingle.”

  Ian nodded. “Go ahead. I saw Nate over there earlier. He was in one of Connor’s training classes today, and I don’t think he’s headed back to the island yet. I’m sure he’d love to spend some time with you.”

  Mitchell laughed. “Real subtle, Dad. I’m not interested in Nate that way. Besides, he’s seeing Mark.”

  “Since when?” Ian asked. “I saw Mark earlier today, and he didn’t mention anything about Nate.”

  “Since when do people tell you about their personal lives?” Mitchell asked.

  “Not too often,” Ian admitted. “Well, have fun, and don’t stay out too late. Bridget hates it when you don’t kiss her goodnight.”

  “Tell her I’ll be back in time to tell her a story,” Mitchell replied.

  Chapter 15

  “Wake up, halfling.”

  Mitchell’s eyes snapped open, and he sat upright in bed. It couldn’t be. He had to be dreaming. Shaking his head to clear the hazy cloud of sleep did no good. Standing at the foot of his bed was a demon he hadn’t seen in about a year. Legion was his cousin, but they didn’t know each other very well. In truth, he hadn’t expected to see him again because Legion was an asshole who didn’t feel any obligation to Mitchell.

  “Don’t you ever wear a shirt?” Mitchell grumbled as he regarded Legion. His long hair was pulled back, and his beard had been trimmed since the last time they’d seen each other, though it was still on the long side.

  “Why bother?” Legion asked with a shrug. “Not a lot of people can see me. It’s usually only Serenity, and she doesn’t mind me going without a shirt.”

  Legion was being punished, and only other demons and an unusual woman named Serenity could see him.

  “Where is Serenity?” Mitchell asked. “I thought you needed her to open the portal to get here? Didn’t you say you can’t open a complex portal without her?”

  “She’s in the hallway,” Legion replied. “We weren’t sure if you slept naked, and Serenity’s shy. She even suggested knocking on your door and risking waking up everyone in the house. I figured that since we’re family, I don’t need to knock.”

  “Right, family,” Mitchell grumbled. “What do you want?”

  “Seriously?” Legion asked with raised eyebrows. “This is the greeting I get from my cousin?”

  “We both know you didn’t stop by because you want to see me,” Mitchell pointed out. “You’re here because you want something, so why pretend this is a visit to check on me?”

  “I need you to help Kishara,” Legion replied.

  Kishara was Legion’s half-sister and the reason Mitchell had met Legion in the first place. While Kish had the same demon father as Legion, her mother was a jaguar shapeshifter. She’d been used as a weapon by the leader of the jaguars for years.

  “She’s your sister,” Mitchell stated. “Why don’t you help her?”

  “Are you pissed at me?” Legion asked as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. “You seem pissed.”

  “You woke me up in the middle of the night,” Mitchell reminded him. “I haven’t seen you since you needed my help with Kish last time. After all this time, you show up to ask me for a favor involving Kish yet again. We’re cousins, yet you left me to figure out what being a demon means on my own. I think I’ve got plenty of reasons to be pissed. It’s been a year, Legion. As I recall, you said you’d tell me more about being a demon later. I foolishly assumed that meant you were going to come back to talk to me, but you didn’t.”

  “Has it really been that long?” Legion asked thoughtfully.

  “Yeah, it’s been that long,” Mitchell snapped. “Listen, even if I wanted to help you with Kish, I can’t just go there. I’ve only opened portals that go a short distance on my own. One was longer, but it was an accident and nowhere near as extensive as I’d need to get to Kish.”

  “You opened a portal on your own?” Legion asked. “When? Where did it take you?”

  “The smaller ones I used to get out of the settlement unnoticed. I use those all the time. The bigger one happened the other day, and it took me about five miles. I was in the forest, and then I fell onto my bed,” Mitchell explained.

  “Your power is growing,” Legion told him. “You’ll be an incredible force when you reach your full maturity. From what I can tell, your witch and mage will be a great support to you. It was amazing to watch your magic combine. I figured you’d take the witch and mage with you when you go to help Kishara. You opened a portal together before, so this should be easy for you. Follow the same path you took before.”

  Mitchell snorted, not sure why Legion thought it would be easy for them to repeat magic none of them truly understood. Mitchell knew he’d one day be capable of performing that magic and more, but he had no clue how or when.

  “When I go?” Mitchell asked. “I haven’t agreed to go. Winter and Vexx haven’t agreed to go. You still haven’t explained to me why you need me to help Kish.”

  “I’m not supposed to have contact with any demons,” Legion explained.

  “Including me?” Mitchell asked.

  “Including you,” Legion agreed. “I shouldn’t be here.”

  “You aren’t very good at following rules,” Mitchell muttered.

  Legion chuckled. “I’ve never been good at following the rules, but I don’t want to have this punishment extended. It’s not quite so bad since I found Serenity, but they could always make it worse by taking her away. Come on. I need your help. My sister is in danger.”

  Mitchell was silent as he pondered Legion’s request. “What kind of danger is she in?”

  “When she used her power up here, it sent ripples through several dimensions,” Legion explained. “That kind of power attracts all sorts of bad demons.”

  “And someone is looking for her now,” Mitchell deduced. “Was she breaking some demon rule by using her magic that way?”

  “No one knows she exists other than us,” Legion explained. “Halflings, like you and Kish, aren’t something that generally concerns demons. Her mere existence could be considered a violation of demon law. Granted, demons don’t go after half-breeds. We ignore them unless they’re a problem. Not many are all that powerful.”

  “So, one side of my heritage thinks I’m not important enough to acknowledge, while the other side wants to kill me,” Mitchell muttered. The Fae often killed half-breed offspring.

  “Fucking Fae,” Legion muttered before continuing. “There’s a good chance some demons will want to kill you once they realize how powerful you are. Some will see you as a threat, while others will see you as a weapon. Powerful halflings sometimes have abilities other demons don’t possess.”

  “Do you have any other bad news to give me?” Mitchell asked.

  “I guess it depends on your perspective,” Legion replied with a shru
g. “Your father is the demon looking for Kishara.”

  “How do you know that?” Mitchell asked. “If you can’t talk to demons, how would you even find out something like that? It seems there’s a lot you aren’t telling me.”

  “I still hear from my mom from time to time,” Legion admitted. “She’s not supposed to talk to me, but she does.”

  “And she warned you about the danger to Kish,” Mitchell deduced.

  “Not intentionally,” Legion replied with a bitter laugh. “She’s still angry about all the women my father impregnated. She’s never understood my desire to track them down and protect my half-siblings.”

  Mitchell was surprised Legion was so determined to have a relationship with his mother. She didn’t sound like a particularly nice demon, but he decided to keep that to himself. “Why would he go after Kish?” Mitchell refused to refer to the demon as his father. He didn’t know him—didn’t want to know him.

  “She’s dangerous,” Legion replied simply. “A halfling who can drain the power of others is watched very closely growing up. That’s a rare half-breed power that full-demons don’t have. He wouldn’t be able to identify that skill from her power pulses, but I’m sure it’s one of the talents he’s hoping she possesses.”

  “So, he wants to destroy her?” Mitchell asked.

  “I think he wants to use her to destroy others,” Legion admitted. “Neither of our fathers has an ounce of compassion for anyone. It’s possible my father is also involved, but my mom said it’s yours that’s looking for Kishara. She didn’t mention her by name, but it was easy to figure out who he’s trying to find. None of my other half-siblings are powerful. Listen, I don’t want to see my sister abused again. It’s taken them a long time to track her, but they’ll find her, eventually. They may be close, and she has no idea she’s in danger. If you can move her, she’ll be safe—at least, until I can come up with a more permanent solution. Aside from not wanting to risk further punishment for helping her, I’m worried that if I open a portal near her, it will lead your father right to her.”