Darklight

by Forrest, Bella

  Bryce considered this for a moment, then nodded, seeming to find this acceptable. "Whatever you think best. Just let me know who offers to smell cow poop for the next few days." Bryce chortled at his own joke, and that was funnier to me than his actual “zinger.” Catching my smile, Bryce zeroed in on me next, and I hastily sobered up. "Lieutenant, I've decided on your partner. Seeing as you two are thick as thieves but also do your jobs properly and discreetly, I’m assigning your brother. I trust you not to lose your little heads should things get heated."

  "Yes, Captain,” I said, pleased with the praise. Zach and Dorian had been working together well lately, so the fact that I was excited to have him along was secondary. That just left the undetermined, fanged fourth wheel.

  "All right then. Off to the vampire quarters with you. I need a decision ASAP." Bryce casually flapped his hand at us, shooing us out of his office in his normal grumpy fashion.

  We walked down the empty hallway toward the vampire quarters, and once again, Dorian’s steps synced with mine. This time, I didn’t drop my gaze when his eyes locked with mine, letting the awareness spread through my limbs. If I could get a handle on the nerves and keep things professional while we were working—which was ninety percent of the time we spent together, anyway—I thought that maybe whatever feelings drew me to Dorian could be manageable, perhaps even enjoyable. I doubted those feelings would ever go anywhere, but if I could keep them contained, maybe they weren’t so bad.

  Seeing the warmth in his ice-blue eyes, I wondered what conclusion Dorian had drawn.

  We entered the quiet vampire quarters, and Dorian glanced into cells to see who was awake. He made some gestures, indicating to a few vampires that he wanted them to follow him back toward the front of the hallway, where I waited.

  While Dorian retrieved Kreya and Rhome from the family housing, the vampires he’d chosen emerged into the aisle, stretching their arms and faces in yawns. I nodded to the gathering, trying to meet each one’s eyes; several of the vampires I didn’t know very well had appeared as well. Thoth made a point to hold my eyes, and he slowly nodded to me in return, reminding me yet again of an ancient yogi with the way he always crossed his legs. Kreya's auburn hair was tousled, and her eyes were heavy but clear. Rhome rubbed her shoulder, and she accepted his affection. Kane came out and nodded to Rhome, a gesture of respect I’d never seen him perform in front of humans.

  "It's time for me to explain," Dorian said, coming to stand next to me at the center of the group.

  His voice was quiet, but all eyes focused on him. He lowered himself to the cement floor and crossed his legs, and we all followed his example. I wondered if everyone felt the magnetism that sometimes radiated from Dorian. He was a natural leader, and maybe they sensed that.

  The vampires looked worn, relieved to be able to sit. I wondered what their hunger felt like, if their muscles ached like humans’ did. Rayne rested her head on Harlowe’s shoulder, dark gray circles under her eyes.

  "As much as you all enjoyed my first makeover, it wasn't just for your amusement," Dorian said, raising his eyebrows as if to squash any giggles. "And it wasn’t just a test for the golf course mission. The real reason I needed to look human that evening was because Bryce, Lyra, and I met with a leader at the human federal police force in Las Vegas. This man, Jim, wanted to use me to test what they call our 'specified feeding' theory."

  Kane scoffed, and several other vampires rolled their eyes to the ceiling irritably. Dorian held up a hand. "Yes, it sounds ridiculous. But remember, they're not us, so they can't understand our physical experience. They’re trying to, which is progress in and of itself. It might be the most efficient way to make them consider our request for asylum."

  I nodded in confirmation, as the sole representative of my species. Dorian nodded slightly back to me, as though that proved it, and continued. "He believes we can build our case for asylum if we use our skills to fight and prevent human crime. Not only will we be able to do as we're naturally inclined, we'll help both of our species."

  "How did you prove to this guy that you can sense darkness?" Bravi asked evenly. She didn’t seem skeptical so much as cautiously curious.

  Dorian explained what had transpired between him and the criminals in the alley. Listening to his account, I felt my own heartbeat speed up at the memory. I expected the vampires to be impressed, but they seemed unphased. A little reminder that I was the only one there without their skills.

  “Jim has proposed a mission to showcase our skills,” Dorian said, with an added spark of excitement. I admired him for mustering up the energy to encourage his clan, even when he was just as weary as they were. “I need one of you to go with us to a settlement where people have been going missing. He wants us to sniff around and uncover who’s behind the disappearances."

  The group contemplated the idea quietly for a moment. Kreya rested her chin on a fist, her brow furrowed. Bravi glanced at Rayne and Harlowe; Rayne shrugged lazily in response. Thoth stared at the floor stoically.

  "It could be an extended stay. I don't know what the situation is going to look like once we get there," Dorian added, his tone unchanged by the less than enthusiastic response. “We’ll basically conduct the investigation independently.”

  Another quiet moment passed. Sike looked around the circle with uncertainty, and when he met Dorian’s eyes, he pursed his lips and gently shook his head. There wasn’t much incentive for them to join us—extra work, travel, and risk probably didn’t sound appealing on no sustenance. It would be particularly hard on Sike, with his injury, though he might have gone to support Dorian otherwise. Just as I started to worry about what we would tell Bryce if no one volunteered, someone finally spoke.

  "I'll go."

  I gawked at Kane before I could stop myself. Really?

  "You want to?" Dorian asked. The surprise edging his voice was carefully controlled, but still audible.

  "I'm bored out of my mind with these constant redbill heart-to-heart sessions," Kane grumbled, fixing Dorian with a stare that dared him to question that logic.

  That couldn’t be the real reason he was volunteering, could it? What if he wanted to sabotage things? I knew I should've been grateful for his offer, but wasn't there a single other person who wanted to go? Someone more… cooperative?

  "Thank you for volunteering," Dorian said. He must have been concerned about how this would play out too, but to his credit, he didn't display an ounce of ingratitude. "I'll let you know when I have more details. And this conversation must be kept to present company only."

  Kane shrugged indifferently. "We done?"

  "For now," Dorian replied, still in that controlled tone. “We’ll all be briefed before the mission.” Without another word, Kane stood and stalked back to his cell, and some of the others exchanged looks that clearly said, “What the hell was that all about?” The vampires seemed as confused by his behavior as I was, and that wasn’t particularly comforting.

  Once Kane was out of earshot, Dorian turned to Bravi. "You don't want to go?" he asked her softly, his eyes fixed on her face. I realized he’d had her in mind earlier, and I didn’t understand why she hadn’t offered. Bravi had always been a go-getter; she and Dorian enjoyed each other’s company to the point that the adventure should have been fun.

  “I thought about it, but they need the most skilled vampires here at the facility to take care of the top priority," Bravi proclaimed, tossing her head with exaggerated pride.

  Dorian chuckled and rolled his eyes at her joke. "Sure."

  When he turned away from her to speak to Thoth, the humor fell from her face like a curtain dropping to the floor. I couldn’t interpret what I saw before she caught me looking and glared until I dropped my gaze.

  As the vampires dispersed, Dorian and I stood, too. He walked me back out into the main hallway, his footfalls resonating in time with my own.

  “This should be interesting," I said, my voice tense. All I could think about was Kane’s scowl, his nasty
, undermining comments. I really didn’t want to be trapped with that.

  "Despite his sourness, it's not a bad idea to have him along,” Dorian said thoughtfully. “He’s discreet, and his skills are some of the best in the group."

  "Fair enough," I replied, but my voice didn’t carry the confidence I wanted it to. I couldn’t hide my hesitation, when the thought of traveling with Kane felt like a nightmare.

  “I understand your concern,” Dorian added, with a hint of amusement. “I’ll do my best to keep him in check.” He offered a strong smile that reflected the amusement in his voice.

  “We both will,” I said with a bit more confidence, wanting to show him that I was on his team. Of course, I couldn’t control Kane’s mood swings, but I wanted Dorian to know that I was game for whatever came our way.

  We split up to cement the plan’s next steps, and as his footfalls faded away, the space next to me took on an empty feeling. I tried not to worry about missing his presence, throwing myself into my next task.

  I knocked on the door to the men's quarters, mentally apologizing to my sleeping teammates. It took a few tries to rouse them.

  Finally, Colin opened the door, his eyes mostly closed. "Holy hell,” he groaned. “What do you want?"

  "I need Zach," I said quietly. If the men had a problem with being up so early, they could complain to the bugle.

  Colin disappeared, grumbling, and soon my brother filled the doorway, rubbing his eyes, his hair plastered against the left side of his head.

  "Good morning," I said sweetly.

  "What is it?" he asked, his voice sleepy but wary. “Is something wrong?”

  "No, nothing’s wrong. I need to discuss something private with you. Can we sit down somewhere?" I squeezed his shoulder in encouragement, keeping my voice calm. He nodded through a wide yawn.

  We walked to the empty cafeteria. Leftover coffee sat in a carafe on the counter. Zach filled a cup, then sat next to me on a bench.

  I took a deep breath, swallowed my jealousy about his cup of coffee, and dove in. "Bryce, Dorian, and I have been working on a side project under wraps. We've just received a new mission." I tried to be as succinct as possible, knowing how he could be in the morning. I watched the thought percolate in his tired brain.

  Zach blinked. “Somehow that wasn’t what I expected here,” he said, and his eyes narrowed as he focused. “Side project?"

  I explained Jim’s desire to fight crime rates and how we intended to use vampires in the task. As the details came out, my brother nodded, his eyes serious, becoming more alert.

  "Bryce assigned you to our next mission. We're going to Ohio, to an Amish community, to try and figure out why people have been going missing over the past year," I said.

  "Hmm," Zach replied. He swallowed another sip of coffee, then swirled his drink in his hand absently. "Bryce is letting vampires take a mini vacation? That doesn't line up with the rules. Is this really a good idea?" His tone deepened and went quiet as he questioned Bryce, concern creating a line in his forehead.

  "He made an executive decision for the sake of protecting human lives. And he's going to put tracking devices on them,” I said, projecting confidence. He was already assigned, but I wanted my brother to be as excited as I was about the project.

  "I see," Zach said. He blinked and scratched the side of his face. "Actually, sounds pretty interesting."

  “I trust the vampires involved,” I told him. “If this plan goes well, we could make history. And if something goes wrong, I’d rather have you there to help me sort it out.” I gave him my best pretty-please-do-it-for-your-little-sister look.

  “All right, all right,” my brother said, and managed to dredge up an exasperated smile. “Don’t lay it on so thick.”

  I threw my arms around his neck in excitement and gratitude. “Thanks for understanding.”

  "Get off," he said, laughter breaking through his façade of grumpiness. He removed my arm and stood. "Let me know when we're leaving. I'll be in bed."

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The four of us arrived at the Elmore County settlement in a police vehicle driven by a local officer. Jim had issued us standard police garb to make our presence there less obvious, and the police in our vicinity knew that we were specialized officers from another state, called in to aid in the investigation. We expected full cooperation.

  I grabbed my backpack out of the trunk and handed Zach his own. Green hills rolled around us under a bright, clear sky. Dorian and Kane stood beside the vehicle, nonchalant in their fresh coats of makeup. By now our vampire disguise skills had gotten more competent, and they hardly looked fake, even in full sun. We'd stopped at a store before heading into the farmland so I could stock up on ivory concealer and snacks for the next few days.

  As I took in the landscape, I mentally mulled over the agenda that Bryce and Jim had briefed us on. This was a big step for my career—leading a private side mission to support the extremely important trial period. I was anxious, no doubt about it, but any time nagging worry sprouted in the back of my head, I just reminded myself of our set strategies and goals. It helped to have a plan.

  "Thank you for the ride, Officer Shelton," I said to the cop who'd driven us.

  "Yes, ma'am," he said. "We're grateful for your help here." He nodded to us and soon drove off down the gravel road.

  We stood on that same road, which stretched through the village ahead. Brown wooden fences lined the roadside between hand-built cottages. Herd animals speckled the hills beside looming barns and silos. This was just one corner of the settlement. Five thousand people lived there, so it was important for us to quickly get the lay of the land.

  I patted my vest pocket to ensure that the instructions Jim had written still lay folded inside. I also had a map to our sleeping quarters. A pair of young girls wearing black bonnets walked along the gravel road, stealing glances at us as they passed. I smiled at them, and they hurried away. I guessed that strangers were uncommon out here, but it stung a little. Usually kids liked me. Maybe my uniform had scared them? It dawned on me that they had good reason to fear strangers, given the current events affecting their village, and that took the edge off.

  "Ready?" I asked, turning to my team.

  "Locked and loaded," Zach said, his eyes alert. The vampires nodded. They had been extremely quiet since the beginning of the journey, their eyes constantly scanning. My curiosity about their immediate thoughts already ate at me. I wanted to know what Dorian thought about our tactics—and I wanted to know whether Kane already regretted coming with us. His posture and indifferent expression didn’t look promising.

  "Let's do our initial walkthrough and get a feel for the community," I directed. Our bags were light, so trekking with them would be no burden. We started down the road, circumventing a flock of bleating sheep.

  The winding road took us past countless barns and fields. Most of the women wore long dresses and avoided looking at us, and the men hid under the wide brims of their hats. Young children stared before being shooed away by their siblings or parents. We hadn't seen police since being dropped off. An uneasiness floated in me, not threatening or scary, just… there.

  The place was quiet, but for some reason, it didn’t seem peaceful or idyllic. I got the sense that the people watching us didn’t trust us; there was a tension in the air. We were outsiders in a community that had lost a lot of members with no explanation, and nothing to show for the police investigations. My heart got heavier at the thought. I might be upset with people in uniform too, if this were my home.

  Finally, a teen boy walking a horse on a tether acknowledged us with a nod. We nodded back. At least not everyone here seemed hostile.

  "Anything?" I asked Dorian quietly, more determined than ever to do this job right. I sounded more intense than the question deserved, but there was no way I would let this murderer slip through my fingers. If I annoyed my travel companions, so be it.

  "Not yet," he replied earnestly.

  "
I haven’t sensed anything, either, thanks for asking," Kane said.

  This is a joy already.

  I hoped that the lack of dark energy at least helped suppress the two vampires’ appetites. The exhausted circles under their eyes grew darker by the day, in contrast to their moving shadows.

  After another mile of fields and swatting bugs, we ran into a police officer patrolling the same road.

  "Good afternoon," he said. "You must be the visiting special officers."

  "Hello, sir," I said evenly, and introduced myself and my teammates. Zach offered the man his hand, and they shook. Kane gave a curt nod. Dorian watched the way Zach shook the officer’s hand and emulated it closely.

  "Officer Wolf," he said. "Nice to meet you. I patrol here every few days." The officer’s posture was relaxed, his attitude nonchalant, but there was care in his eyes. He reminded me of an old friend of my father’s, who rarely visited but always brought my favorite candy bar when he did.

  I exchanged some information about the case that the officer hadn’t been briefed on; he’d been prepared for our arrival but had no new information for us. The vampires listened, and Dorian studied the officer without expression.

  “We’ve never seen hide or hair of these kidnappers. It’s a little depressing, after all this time.” The officer’s voice grew heavy and his gaze sad under his bushy brows. We moved on quickly; his admission made me impatient to get to the bottom of things.

  "Ten four," Zach said behind his hand as we went on our way, and I fought the urge to smack his arm. I knew it was his way of dealing with tension, but now wasn’t the time to be kidding around. Kane eyed him as though he’d spoken gibberish.

  We walked until the sun became a blazing amber ball nearing the treetops.

  I swiped a mosquito from the side of my face. "You guys haven't felt anything at all?" I pressed. My anxiety nagged in the back of my mind. I hated the idea of returning to the facility empty-handed, and I was projecting it onto the vampires. We'd walked the entire village, which comprised one road that looped in a giant circle, with no hints.