Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  “A second to you,” Seth growled, “is half an hour to one with my power. Gershom could silence you before you even had time to recognize his presence. And he could take you and Adira beyond my reach without your ever having made a sound.” The Immortal Guardians’ leader sounded tormented by the thought. “Do you know how hard it would be for me to find you? How long it might take?” he rasped.

  Too long, his tone implied.

  Remorse filled Ami’s green gaze. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  Lowering his hand, Seth stepped back and turned his eyes, still bright with anger, on Marcus. “What the hell is wrong with you, letting them come here?”

  Marcus scowled. “Let? You know how hard her head is,” he said in his own defense. “I can only bang mine against it for so long before I end up caving. Besides, I knew you’d follow as soon as you realized where we’d gone.”

  Zach laughed.

  But Dana remained on edge. The danger had not yet passed. Seth looked the way he had in her vision. And she feared it might be coming to pass, that Seth would turn that wrath upon Aidan and attack.

  Seth swung on Lisette. “Why are you here?”

  Lisette gave him a penitent shrug and looked to Dana like a child being chastised by a parent. “Aidan has been good to me. I wanted to make sure they were okay.”

  Grumbling something under his breath, Seth shifted his gaze to Zach. “Et tu, Brute?” he said, sarcasm creeping into his deep voice.

  But his glowing eyes, Dana noted, didn’t dim.

  Zach smiled and nodded toward Lisette. “I go where she goes.”

  Seth grunted and turned those eyes, still blazing with fury, on Aidan.

  Dana didn’t think, she just reacted, her vision strong in her mind.

  Raising the tranq gun, she fired.

  A dart lodged itself in Seth’s chest.

  All around the room, mouths fell open as eyes widened. More than one person gasped.

  Seth frowned down at the dart, then looked at Dana.

  He didn’t pass out.

  “Oh crap.” Dana fired again.

  The second dart impaled him an inch or so from the first.

  Aidan swung on her. “Are you mad, woman?” He eyed her with what could only be described as appalled astonishment.

  She looked around.

  All of them eyed her with appalled astonishment.

  Except for Zach, who burst out laughing, and little Adira, who just looked puzzled.

  Dana frowned up at Aidan. “I thought he was going to attack you.” Her visions always came true. She had foreseen Roland attacking Aidan, and Roland had attacked Aidan. She had foreseen vampires attacking them at her home, and vampires had attacked them at her home. And she had foreseen Seth hacking away at Aidan with a sword, his eyes glowing and fury painting his face as it did now. So a preemptive strike had seemed like the way to go.

  No one responded. They all just continued to gape at her.

  “Well,” she complained as the silence stretched and frustration rose, “if you didn’t want me to tranq anyone, you shouldn’t have given me the damned gun.”

  Zach, who had managed to corral his mirth, burst into laughter again.

  Seth’s lips twitched. He looked at Aidan, the bright golden light in his eyes fading. “I like her.”

  Aidan chuckled. “Aye. She’s a fighter.”

  Around the room, tight expressions lightened with amusement. Shoulders and stances relaxed. And, most important, Seth didn’t attack.

  Dana lowered the tranq gun and leaned into Aidan’s side as he wrapped an arm around her.

  Seth looked toward the front windows and scowled, his anger resurfacing. “Oh, for fuck’s sake! Are you kidding me?”

  A moment later, Dana heard a vehicle approach. A thud sounded as someone exited the vehicle.

  Seth crossed to the front door and yanked it open.

  The man on the porch raised his eyebrows and eyed Seth’s furious expression with surprise but no real concern, it seemed to Dana. He was about six feet tall with black hair that fell almost to his waist, brown eyes, broad shoulders, and plenty of muscle.

  Seth looked at those gathered in the living room and pointed to the newcomer. “Okay, I admit it. This surprised me.”

  Nods all around.

  Ami offered the newcomer a hesitant smile. “Hi, Bastien.”

  Bastien nodded to her, then studied Seth. Backing up a couple of steps, he looked up at the stormy sky, then over his shoulder at the trees that swayed in a rough wind, before arching a brow at Seth. “Did I come at a bad time?”

  Seth sighed. “Just get your ass in here.”

  Dana looked up at Aidan as Bastien entered and Seth closed the door behind him.

  Why did everyone seem so shocked to see this particular immortal?

  Aidan glanced down at her. Bastien is the black sheep of the Immortal Guardians family. He once raised an army of vampires in an attempt to defeat us all and is not well liked by some as a result. Roland, in particular, bears him a great deal of animosity because Bastien once kidnapped Sarah.

  Dana slid Roland and Sarah a look.

  Both seemed more concerned about Seth’s anger than Bastien’s appearance.

  She returned her gaze to Aidan’s. So no one likes him? she thought. That’s why they all look so shocked?

  Zach likes him, he clarified. Those two are birds of a feather. And the others present have gradually come to accept him. But the shocker is that Bastien rarely concerns himself with the lives of other immortals. So his coming here is… He frowned. Actually, I’m not sure why he’s here.

  Seth scowled at Bastien. “If the others defied me, I don’t know why it surprises me so much that you did, too. Why are you here?”

  Bastien motioned to Aidan. “Aidan has been good to me.”

  Surprise lit Aidan’s features. “I have?”

  Bastien nodded. “You’ve gone out of your way to help Cliff. And Cliff is like a brother to me. So I’m here to have your back.”

  Love and pride filled Dana as she looked up at Aidan. These men and women, his brethren, all loved him so much for the things he had done for them in the past that they had risked Seth’s wrath to be here for him, which apparently was pretty ballsy.

  How could she not love him, too?

  He glanced down at her.

  Her eyes widened. “Don’t read my thoughts,” she blurted.

  His forehead crinkled. “I’m not. I only read the others because you sent them to me.”

  “Oh.” Good. Now did not seem like the most appropriate time for declarations of love.

  Bastien motioned to Seth’s chest. “What’s with the darts?”

  Glancing down, Seth plucked them from his chest and tucked them in a pocket. “Dana tried to tranq me.”

  Bastien’s eyes widened as a startled laugh escaped him. Clamping his lips together, he turned to look at her. “You’re the psychic?”

  Dana nodded.

  Smiling, he strode forward and offered her his hand. “Sebastien Newcombe. Pleasure to meet you.”

  Shifting the tranq gun to her left hand, Dana shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  Bastien covered their clasped hands. “If you or Aidan ever need anything, large or small, don’t hesitate to call me. Aidan has my number.”

  She returned his smile. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

  Someone—Ed, she thought—whispered, “Did Dana tranq Bastien and I just didn’t see it? Because he is not acting like himself.”

  Muffled laughter.

  The amusement that rose within Dana died a swift death as the comfy living room faded away, replaced by a stark white room littered with splintered furniture. In the vision, a young man gripped the front of her shirt as he stared up at her with eyes that glowed orange and sparkled with tears.

  She clasped his shoulders with Bastien’s large hands and gave them a squeeze.

  The young man mouthed something she didn’t hear and released h
er shirt. Naked joy blossomed on his face.

  Then, in the blink of an eye, she drew a sword and severed his head.

  A scream sounded beside her as anguish filled her.

  Her eyes welled with tears.

  Bastien released her hand.

  Dana returned to the present, to the living room full of immortals. But that lump of grief remained lodged in her chest.

  Bastien stared down at her uneasily, then looked to Aidan. “Did I say something wrong?”

  Dana hastily blinked back tears.

  Aidan smiled. “No. She’s just touched by your show of support. As am I.” Don’t mention what you saw, he murmured in her mind. It was a moment from his past that still causes him great pain and sorrow.

  Dana forced a smile. “And the past forty-eight hours have been pretty exhausting.”

  Bastien’s smile returned. “I imagine they have.” He glanced around. “So,” he said to no one in particular as he tucked his hands in his pockets, “should we order pizza?”

  “No,” Seth declared with exasperation. “The whole point of lodging Aidan and Dana here was to keep her from bumping into all of you every time she turned around.”

  Bastien pursed his lips. “Well, that plan sort of backfired, didn’t it?”

  Seth loosed a growl of frustration that Dana found more amusing now than scary. “Just get your ass back to the network, Bastien. Roland, Sarah,” he ordered, turning to the couple, “begin the night’s hunt. Marcus, you do the same.” He turned to the tallest man in the room. “Zach, you take Ami and Adira to David’s place. Then you and Lisette can begin your hunt.”

  Zach offered him a cocky salute.

  Since every immortal who had come to visit had apparently defied Seth’s wishes to do so, Dana was a little surprised by how quickly they jumped to do his bidding now.

  Bastien offered Dana a goodbye, then left with Roland and Sarah right behind him.

  Marcus kissed his wife and daughter, then headed outside after the others.

  Cars rumbled to life and drove away.

  Ami carried Adira over to Zach, who touched her shoulder, then curled an arm around Lisette. A second later, the small group vanished, leaving only Dana, Aidan, Ethan, Heather, Ed, Brodie, and Seth.

  Seth gave Ed and Brodie a pointed look.

  Without a word, the human males turned and headed down the hallway into another room. A door quietly closed behind them.

  Seth turned his gaze upon Ethan and Heather. “Go get some rest. And by rest I mean sleep,” he stressed. “I’ll wake you when I leave.”

  Nodding, Ethan took Heather’s hand.

  Seth sank down in a big cushioned chair while the couple strolled down the hallway and disappeared through another doorway.

  Aidan touched the small of Dana’s back and motioned to the closer of two sofas. Once she seated herself, he sank down beside her. Offering her a smile, he extended his hand in front of her, palm up, silently asking her to relinquish her weapon.

  He still couldn’t believe she had tried to tranq Seth.

  Narrowing her eyes in displeasure, she handed him the tranquilizer gun.

  Damn, he loved her. There really didn’t seem to be anything she wouldn’t do or anyone she wouldn’t take on to protect him. That was actually a little terrifying.

  Setting the tranquilizer gun on the somewhat battered coffee table, he leaned back into the soft cushions. Her hip pressed against his. When he stretched an arm across the back of the sofa, she leaned into him and settled a hand on his thigh.

  His whole being warmed at the casual contact.

  “I take it the darts don’t work on you?” Dana asked Seth, breaking the silence.

  Seth shook his head. “I’m an ancient. Zach is, too. No drugs affect us.” Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the chair.

  When Dana sent Aidan a questioning glance, he touched a fingertip to his lips.

  Nodding, she waited.

  After a moment, the rustle of leaves outside ceased as the harsh breeze stirred up by Seth’s fury diminished. Lightning stopped flashing. No thunder rumbled.

  The night creatures that had quieted resumed their chorus.

  Raising his head, Seth opened his eyes. The glow was gone, leaving them so dark a brown they almost appeared black. “I really did try to give the two of you some privacy,” he said, his voice carrying apology now rather than anger.

  “I know you did,” Aidan told him. “And I appreciate it.” Especially since Seth was really giving him the benefit of the doubt after seeing Reordon’s incriminating video.

  Seth’s lips tilted up in a faint smile. “Did Roland really apologize?”

  “Very nicely,” Aidan replied.

  Seth shook his head. “Will wonders never cease?”

  He laughed.

  “So,” Seth asked, “how does it feel to be so beloved by your brethren that they will defy me and risk my wrath to come to your defense?”

  Aidan thought about it for a moment. “I find it both humbling and frightening. I don’t want to put any of them in danger.”

  “Gershom is proving to be annoyingly adept at sowing dissent and dividing loyalties,” Seth grumbled.

  Dana’s eyes widened. “Divided loyalties,” she repeated.

  Seth’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

  Aidan covered Dana’s hand with his as realization dawned. “When Dana scried my future with her tarot cards, she foresaw danger, conflict, and divided loyalties. I thought the divided loyalty referred to me because I was hiding my relationship with her.” Amongst other things.

  “Divided loyalties,” Seth murmured. “An abundance of that was demonstrated tonight.”

  Unease and guilt suffused Aidan as he thought of Dana’s visions. “We can’t let Gershom come between us, Seth. We can’t let him pit us all against each other.”

  Though Gershom already had. More than once. First Roland had attacked Aidan. Then Ethan and Heather had been prepared to fight Roland on Aidan’s behalf. And he and Ethan were both keeping secrets from Seth.

  “No, we can’t,” Seth agreed.

  “So what’s the solution?”

  Seth drummed his fingers on the chair’s arms. “Take tonight off. No hunting. For you or for Ethan and Heather. As Dana mentioned, the past forty-eight hours have been tough ones. So I want the two of you to have tonight off to rest and regroup and…” He shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. Have a date night or something. Anything that will restore a little normalcy.” He looked to Dana. “Again, I must apologize for your turbulent entrance into our world.”

  Much to Aidan’s surprise, Dana offered Seth a hesitant smile. “Actually all of this”—she waved to the room around them that had previously been filled with immortals—“kind of helped. You guys really do seem like a family, willing to risk all to have each other’s backs, bickering among yourselves and”—she motioned to Seth—“standing up to the patriarch.”

  Seth laughed. “The last, I hope, will remain a rarity.”

  Again, Aidan felt guilty for withholding information from Seth.

  The silence that descended then was a comfortable one.

  “Dana,” Seth said, seeming to choose his words carefully, “I know that, despite your words, you are still wary of us. We have certainly given you reason to be, what with Roland’s attack on Aidan and then my show of temper tonight. But I stayed behind because I think it’s time you knew about our enemy. And I believe it would be best if you heard it from me rather than Aidan.”

  Ah, hell. Seth was going to tell her all of it.

  Dana looked up at him, a question in her gaze. “You look worried.”

  “I am,” he admitted.

  She squeezed his thigh. “After everything you’ve already told me, do you really think there’s anything that could turn me away from you?”

  A couple of things actually.

  Returning her gaze to Seth, she said, “Okay. Who is your enemy?”

  “We believe Gershom is the one causing ou
r current troubles. He’s most likely the one who sent the vampires to attack you and Aidan.”

  Aidan watched Dana carefully, noting the faint furrow that formed in her brow.

  “And who is Gershom exactly?” she asked. “Is he a vampire leader or something?”

  Seth shook his head. “Until recently, vampires have always been very solitary creatures. For thousands of years, they lived or traveled alone or only in pairs. Even seeing three together was a rarity.”

  “Why?”

  “Because their insanity drives them to attack each other. The madness that afflicts them is often accompanied by paranoia and inevitably compels them to commit and relish committing violence. But in recent years, vampires have banded together in unprecedented numbers, first under Bastien before he joined our ranks, then under a vampire who declared himself their king, then with mercenaries. And it has escalated over the years until today, when we suspect Gershom is now leading them. Gershom is not a vampire. He also is not an Immortal Guardian. He is what we call an Other.”

  Dana frowned. “Another what?”

  “Not another. But an Other,” Seth clarified, enunciating the difference. “He is an ancient. Many of the immortals you saw here today are quite young by our standards. Ethan is a mere century old.” He glanced at Aidan. Have you told her your age?

  No.

  Seth returned his attention to Dana. “Heather and Sarah have only recently transformed and are considered youngsters. Aidan is considered an elder because he is somewhat older than most of those you’ve met.”

  Dana slid him a look. And Aidan didn’t have to read her mind to know she was trying to guess how much older.

  “I,” Seth continued, “and Zach are Others. Or we were once. We are ancients, too, though the rest of the immortals kindly call us elders. We were amongst the very first immortals in the world. We have in fact, been around since shortly after the Great Flood.”

  Dana stared at him. “You’re not talking about the one in the Old Testament, are you? The one in the book of Genesis?”

  “I am.”

  “The same one mentioned in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian, Hindu, and Mayan mythology?”

  “Yes.”