Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  He sat up, the sheet falling to his lap and leaving his muscled chest bare. “Ethan and Heather would accompany us, so we’d have safety in numbers.”

  She had assumed that as well. “What aren’t you saying?”

  He ran his fingers through his mussed hair. “Knowing I hunt vampires and seeing me hunt vampires are two very different things.”

  And he looked as though he thought the latter would drive her away from him. “I’ve seen you kill vampires before,” she reminded him. “You killed one right in front of me at my place.”

  “That was different,” he said with a shake of his head. “They attacked us. You haven’t seen me hunt and kill vampires who haven’t attacked us.”

  She studied him. “And you think I’ll leave you once I do.”

  “I hope like hell you won’t,” he admitted. “But you do have choice, Dana. And I love you enough to want you to know everything about my life before you make that choice.”

  Taking his hand, she raised it to her lips and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “Which just makes me love you even more.”

  An amber glow entered his eyes. “I don’t like the idea of exposing you to more violence after you’ve seen so much in the past couple of nights.”

  “But more humans may die if you don’t hunt tonight,” she finished for him.

  “Yes.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Are you up for it? Will you go hunting with me?”

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  He brought her palm to his lips for a kiss. “Is there anything you won’t do for me?” he whispered.

  Schooling her features into a somber mask, she nodded. “Yes.”

  His brow furrowed.

  Leaning in close, Dana held his worried gaze. “I will never,” she intoned, “wear thong underwear for you.”

  He laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’d rather you not wear any at all,” he said with a wink. Tossing back the sheet, he rose. “Let’s take a quick shower, then I’ll let Ethan and Heather know our plans and find you some hunting clothes.”

  Had Dana not been so deliciously sated, she would’ve wanted to spend more time in the shower with Aidan. She had learned yesterday that one of the perks of Aidan’s being immortal was that he didn’t need to recharge after having an orgasm. He could go again immediately and have as many orgasms as she did.

  Dana had also learned, much to Aidan’s amusement, that multiple orgasms left her too tired to move. So they rushed through their shower and donned hunting togs.

  Heather’s clothes ended up fitting Dana just fine, though the boots were a little snug. Judging by the faint glow in Aidan’s eyes, he liked seeing her in the black cargo pants, long-sleeved black shirt, and boots.

  Ethan, Heather, Brodie, and Ed all smiled when she and Aidan joined them in the living room.

  Brodie crossed to Dana. “I don’t know how much you know about Seconds, but our job is to arm and protect the immortals we serve. In this instance, that job extends to protecting you, so if you don’t mind?” He held up a shoulder holster and weapons.

  “Oh.” She had thought she would just be observing. “Okay.” While she held out her arms, Brodie fitted her for a shoulder holster he packed with 9mms.

  Aidan’s brows drew down as he watched them.

  “Is he not supposed to arm me?” she asked. “You look a little pissed.”

  Heather laughed. “He just doesn’t like Brodie touching you.”

  When Aidan didn’t dispute it, Dana smiled at him. “It’s not like he’s trying to feel me up or anything.”

  Aidan’s frown deepened. “He’d lose a hand if he did.”

  His Second laughed, unperturbed by the threat.

  When Brodie reached both arms around Dana to secure a belt with a thigh holster around her waist, Aidan strode forward and elbowed him aside. “Let me do that,” he grumbled, taking the belt.

  Brodie stepped back with a good-natured grin. “Yes, sir.”

  Dana watched Aidan as he buckled the belt around her waist, then knelt and went to work, tying the bottom of the holster around her thigh.

  He was jealous and didn’t like that he was jealous. Dana didn’t need be telepathic to glean that or to suspect that that was why he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  When at last he did, she grinned. “You are too adorable.”

  His soft lips turned up in a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that. Jealousy is new to me. I vow I’ll work on it.”

  Dana combed her fingers through his soft, thick, wavy hair. “I don’t mind. I think it’s cute.”

  Tucking a tranquilizer gun into the thigh holster, Aidan started to fill her pockets with extra ammo and darts.

  Dana toyed with his silky hair.

  The room around them changed, transforming from a living room into what looked like a huge walk-in closet. A his and hers closet with masculine black clothes on one side and feminine black clothes on the other. Long black coats hung beside each other on the wall behind him, one small, one large. Weapons and ammo adorned another wall.

  In the vision, Aidan knelt before her, tying a thigh holster. When he smiled up at her, Dana saw her reflection in his deep brown eyes and sucked in a breath.

  Her eyes glowed amber.

  “How is that?” Aidan asked, dispelling the vision and plunking her back down in Ethan and Heather’s living room. “Too heavy?”

  Her heart hammered against her rib cage as he rose.

  Concern entering his dark brown eyes, he stroked her arms. “Dana? What is it?”

  She shook her head. “Just nerves, I guess.”

  It wasn’t entirely a lie. She had just foreseen herself arming up as an Immortal Guardian. How could that not fray her nerves a bit? As Aidan had pointed out, knowing she might one day become immortal and seeing it were two very different things.

  “We can stay home if you’d prefer.”

  “No.” She produced a smile. “I’m fine. It was just a momentary aberration.” Rising onto her toes, she gave him a quick kiss, then stepped back and accepted the long coat Brodie offered her. It, too, fit her well, the hem falling to her knees.

  “Ready?” Aidan asked, his face still registering doubt.

  She nodded. “Let’s go hunt some vampires,” she proclaimed cheerfully, then grimaced and shook her head. “I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth.”

  Heather laughed. “I know. It’s weird, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  But hunt vampires they did.

  They didn’t take a car. Aidan just touched their shoulders and teleported them to their hunting destination.

  Dana examined their surroundings with some confusion. They were on the roof of a building. Beyond it lay what appeared to be a college campus. “Where are we?”

  “Duke,” Aidan replied, resting a hand on her lower back.

  Music pulsed somewhere in the distance.

  Dana wasn’t familiar with Duke University’s campus, but the buildings around her did kind of scream money. “And we’re here because…?”

  “College campuses are prime vampire hunting grounds,” he explained.

  Heather grinned. “It’s Friday night. Do you have any idea how many students are getting high or drunk off their asses tonight?”

  Ethan nodded. “Easy pickings for vampires.”

  Dana looked up at Aidan.

  He shrugged. “Vampires are lazy that way. And too, vampires who have fully lost their sanity tend to migrate toward places that were familiar to them in their mortal life.”

  “Like zombies in a horror movie?” That was a little freaky.

  Heather pointed at her. “Exactly. We can almost always find vampires hunting on campuses like this.”

  Dana supposed so, because not more than fifteen minutes passed before Aidan and Heather suddenly looked toward the west. Both inhaled deeply.

  “How many?” Aidan asked softly.

  Heather drew in another deep breath. “Twelve.”

  “Thirteen,
” Aidan corrected.

  Heather swore.

  He smiled. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re getting more accurate every day. This time you didn’t let the scents of their victims distract you.”

  Ethan nodded and touched Heather’s back. “I can’t even smell them yet.” He grimaced. “Wait. Yes, I can. I see they’ve already been hunting.”

  Dana saw nothing at all. Nor did she smell anything. How far away were the vampires?

  And how cool was it that the immortals could scent them on the breeze like wolves?

  “Heather,” Aidan murmured, “I’d like you to remain here on the roof with Dana while Ethan and I take care of the vampires.”

  Heather’s face darkened with a belligerent frown. “Are you ordering me to stay here because I’m a girl?”

  Aidan’s eyebrows flew up. “No,” he responded with obvious surprise. “I want you to stay here and guard Dana because you match me in strength and speed. She’ll be safer with you.”

  Ethan nodded. “And I need to keep Aidan in my sight during the battle so Chris can’t say Aidan teleported away while I was distracted.”

  “Oh.” Heather sent Aidan an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Force of habit. I have to deal with a lot of good ol’ boys in law enforcement agencies and that run along and play, little girl, while the men take care of business attitude has gotten old.”

  Ethan grinned. “I keep trying to tell you, honey, immortal males aren’t stupid. We love strong women.”

  Aidan smiled at Dana. “We really do.” And the affection that accompanied his words as he stared down at her made warmth unfurl inside her.

  “All right, all right,” Heather said, waving her hands at Aidan. “Don’t get all goo-goo eyed. You boys have work to do. Get moving.”

  Laughing, Aidan leaned down and brushed a quick kiss against Dana’s lips. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Turning away, he joined Ethan at the edge of the roof. Then the two just stepped off and dropped out of sight.

  Gasping, Dana hurried forward and cautiously peered over the edge.

  Down below, Ethan and Aidan strolled away as casually as if they had just jumped off a front porch instead of a three-story building.

  Heather joined Dana, a smile gracing her pretty features. “That’s nothing,” she whispered. “I jumped off a ten-story building once.”

  Dana stared at her in wonder.

  “I know, right? Being immortal is so cool. I can even lift and throw a car.”

  Seriously? Heather was Dana’s size. Had transforming given her that much strength?

  Dana returned her attention to the men. The powerful immortals’ smooth gait revealed nothing of their purpose. Anyone who saw them and didn’t know better would think they were just out for a stroll and shooting the breeze instead of preparing to slay over a dozen psychotic vampires. Their shoulders were relaxed, their hands nowhere near the weapons that lined the interior of their coats. Dana even caught the sound of them chuckling on the breeze.

  A couple of male students, young and staggeringly drunk, stumbled onto the sidewalk, their laughter loud and obnoxious.

  Aidan made a slight motion with his hand.

  Without missing a step, the college boys turned and stumbled back the way they had come.

  “Aidan guided them away,” Heather whispered.

  “Telepathically?”

  She nodded, drawing two short swords.

  Dana strained to make out the words of the men she couldn’t see but failed. Thirteen figures entered her view, no longer cloaked by the trees that lined the path. As she studied them, Dana couldn’t find anything remarkable about their appearance. Their eyes didn’t glow like those of the vampires who had attacked her home. Their lips weren’t peeled back to expose glinting fangs. Their features didn’t contort with malevolent smiles.

  And they were young. College aged. The lot of them could easily pass for students of the university if one failed to notice the blood that stained their clothing.

  “Fuckers,” Heather muttered, her hands tightening on the hilts of her weapons. Her jaw tightened. Her eyes flashed bright amber.

  Dana caught her attention and tapped a temple. Are you reading their thoughts? she asked, trying to think the thought loudly, whatever that meant.

  Yes, Heather replied. And they made those girls scream.

  The group of vampires halted.

  Words passed between the vampires and immortals.

  “Oh, shit,” Heather whispered.

  “What?” Dana asked.

  Heather looked stunned. Or maybe scared. Or worried?

  Dana didn’t have time to ask before Aidan and Ethan drew swords and leapt forward.

  The vampires’ eyes flashed as bright as Christmas lights—blue, green, silver, amber—as they drew weapons and blurred.

  Over the faint booming of a party raging elsewhere on campus, Dana heard the clash of weapons and the spewing of vile epithets.

  Once more, she didn’t think. She just reacted. As soon as a vampire slowed down enough for her to be sure she wouldn’t hit Aidan or Ethan, Dana drew her tranq gun and fired three darts.

  Three vampires sank, unconscious, to the ground.

  “Wait!” Heather stopped Dana before she could tranq another vamp.

  “Why?”

  Heather shook her head, her gaze on the tempest below as she prevented Dana from raising her weapon once more.

  The fighting took place at such speeds that Dana had difficulty following it. Aidan and Ethan seemed to remain in constant motion as bodies fell around them.

  Dana swallowed hard. It was different from the last time she had seen Aidan kill vampires. If Heather hadn’t told her the vampires had made their victims scream, Dana would’ve found it a lot harder to watch.

  When the last vampire fell, Aidan and Ethan stood back-to-back, bodies scattered at their feet. All but three of the vampires began to shrivel up.

  Though blood splattered their faces and dampened their clothing, the immortal males didn’t appear to be breathing hard. Both warriors, however, looked grim rather than triumphant.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Heather sheathed her weapons, then turned and lifted Dana into her arms as though Dana were as light as an infant. “Hold on tight.”

  Dana barely had time to wrap her arms around Heather before the woman stepped off the roof. Fear whipped Dana alongside the wind as she tightened her hold.

  Heather landed nimbly on her feet and lowered Dana to the ground.

  Dana swayed a little. Not from dizziness but from shock. She had not expected that.

  When Heather strode toward the men with urgency and concern, Dana hurried after her.

  “I’m sorry,” Heather blurted. “I didn’t know she was going to tranq them. After reading their thoughts, I would’ve stopped her sooner, but…”

  His brow furrowed, Aidan sheathed his weapons and moved forward to block Dana’s view of the carnage. “Dana—”

  She shook her head and stepped around him.

  Seeing blood and guts in a movie was a hell of a lot different from seeing and smelling it in person.

  Dana wanted to look away but refused to let herself. If she transformed and became immortal so she could be with Aidan, she would see this every night for the rest of her life. She needed to know if she would be able to handle it.

  “I’m sorry,” Heather said again, her voice tormented.

  “It’s okay,” Aidan murmured.

  “No, it isn’t,” Heather exclaimed, so agitated she couldn’t seem to stand still and constantly shifted her weight. “I read their thoughts. What are we going to do?”

  “What was in their thoughts?” Ethan asked while Dana continued to stare at the bodies.

  “I was,” Aidan told him. “The vampires believe I’m leading them.”

  “That’s bullshit!” Ethan sputtered.

  Heather bit her lip. “But Seth and Chris may not think so. Not after Seth reads the unconscious vamps’
thoughts.”

  Aidan nodded. “The vampires’ thoughts indicate that I’ve been coming to them during my afternoons with Cliff. And Chris and Seth have both already shot Cliff down as an alibi.”

  Understanding began to dawn as Dana listened. Dragging her gaze away from the bloody, deteriorating corpses, she looked at Aidan. “Seth will think you’re guilty when he reads the vampires’ minds? He’ll think you’ve turned against him? Against your immortal family?”

  No one answered her.

  Horror filled her. “What have I done?” She had been trying to help Aidan but instead had pretty much ensured her vision of Seth attacking him would come true and signed his death warrant.

  “Nothing,” Aidan said, wiping his hands on his coat before he moved forward to grip her arms. “You’ve done nothing, Dana. This isn’t your fault.”

  “Bullshit!” she said, echoing Ethan. “I tranqed the damned vampires, and now their thoughts will implicate you!”

  “I say we kill them,” Ethan said, his hands tightening on the hilts of his swords.

  Aidan stayed him. “It will do no good. Seth will still read the truth in Heather’s thoughts the next time he sees her.”

  Dismay and regret filled the other woman’s features as tears welled in her eyes. “Aidan, I’m so sorry. I wish now that I hadn’t read their thoughts.”

  Ethan sheathed his weapons. “Seth didn’t believe you were guilty before. We can—”

  “When Seth reads the vampires’ minds,” Aidan interrupted, “he will see me instructing them to turn more humans and to continue to increase their numbers. He’ll see me order them to travel in packs and attack Immortal Guardians in large groups, to attack us and Dana again and again until Dana believes that the only way she can survive is to transform for me. And in return, they believe I will reward them with more gifted ones.”

  Silence fell, disturbed only by that distant booming music.

  “Aidan,” Dana said but could find no other words.

  “That was not me, Dana,” he told her earnestly “I vow it. I am not the man leading the vampires or abducting the gifted ones.”

  “I know. But my vision. Seth is going to try to kill you when he hears this.”