Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  Lowering her hand, she glanced at Aidan and Cliff as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

  All of Aidan’s attention remained focused on the young vampire.

  Dana wasn’t sure if she should stay or go join his friends on the porch, but felt reluctant to leave him.

  Cliff’s tense shoulders slowly relaxed. The fingers he had curled into fists loosened and fell open. The tic in his jaw ceased. His eyes lost their amber glow and darkened to a warm brown as the crease between his brows smoothed.

  A long sigh escaped him as he looked at Aidan. His lips curled up in a faint smile. “Thank you.”

  Aidan smiled back, keeping his hand on Cliff’s arm. “Sorry I missed you yesterday.”

  Cliff shook his head, his manner almost easygoing now. “You have a lot on your plate.” When he shifted his gaze to Dana, his smile grew. “Are you Dana?”

  She nodded, her nerves settling now that he seemed less like someone who could attack at any moment.

  He offered his hand. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Returning his smile, she shook his hand… and had to fight not to recoil as images of violence filled her head. All took place at night, the shift from bright daylight to darkness and back to daylight making her dizzy. But she steadfastly kept her smile in place as she released his hand.

  Had she not gone hunting with Aidan and his friends the previous night, she likely would have stumbled backward and freaked out the way she had the first couple of times she’d had visions of Aidan engaged in battle.

  “Sorry about that,” Cliff said, his smile shifting into an expression of regret. “I hope I didn’t scare you.”

  “Not at all,” she lied.

  Aidan cut her a glance. Did he know her so well that he saw through the untruth?

  “Yes, I did,” Cliff responded, “but I appreciate your not wanting to hurt my feelings.”

  Cliff knew, too? How?

  Oh. Right. Her heartbeat was racing. And everyone else could hear it.

  “I forgot your visions are touch-sensitive,” Cliff continued. “Had I remembered, I wouldn’t have shaken your hand.”

  “I’m sorry,” she returned, not knowing what else to say. “It kind of sucks that even when I keep a straight face, you guys can hear my heart race and know I’m unnerved.”

  Aidan’s lips turned up. “Actually, your face is very expressive. We would’ve known even if we hadn’t heard your heartbeat pick up.”

  “Really?”

  Cliff nodded. “It was pretty obvious.”

  “Damn it,” she grumbled. “I thought I was better than that.”

  Cliff grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “You sound like Ami. Ami can’t lie worth a damn and actually considers it a flaw.”

  Aidan laughed. “She really can’t. It’s an endless source of amusement for Marcus.”

  At last Dana relaxed.

  “Gossip is flowing freely at the network,” Cliff mentioned, his eyes still on Dana. “Did you really tranq Roland Warbrook?”

  Dana smiled. “Yes.”

  “And Seth,” Aidan added with what sounded oddly like pride.

  Cliff’s jaw dropped. “You tranqed Seth?”

  “I tried to,” she admitted with some disgruntlement, “but apparently the tranquilizer doesn’t work on him.”

  Both men laughed.

  In the next instant, as though summoned by their speech, Seth appeared.

  Dana gasped.

  Perhaps twenty yards away, the powerful Immortal Guardians’ leader bent forward and braced his hands on his knees. Blood coated half his face and matted his hair on one side. His shirt and coat boasted dozens of holes torn by large caliber bullets. Blood saturated the shredded fabric, glistening beneath the sun’s rays.

  The porch swing squeaked as Ethan and Heather leapt to their feet.

  Aidan took a step forward. “Seth?”

  A low growl rumbled forth from Seth’s chest, raising the hairs on the back of Dana’s neck. Little lumps of metal fell from his clothing and hit the grass as the ground began to tremble.

  Oh shit.

  “Seth?” Aidan repeated, keeping his hand on Cliff’s arm. “What happened? Are you all right?”

  “What happened?” Seth snarled, then spat blood. “I teleported over to the missile silo to read the vampires’ minds only to discover them wreaking fucking havoc as they attempted to make what was very nearly a successful escape.” Reaching into his back pocket, he drew out a white handkerchief and wiped his blood-slick mouth.

  “You caught them?” Aidan asked.

  “Of course I caught them,” Seth snapped. “After they killed or seriously injured most of the guards. I caught them, incapacitated them, read their fucking minds, then destroyed them.”

  Clouds began to gather overhead, fluffy white swiftly thickening and darkening to gray.

  Thunder rumbled as a breeze picked up, tugging at Dana’s hair.

  “Oh shit,” Cliff whispered, his hands once more curling into fists.

  Dana’s treacherous heart began to race again.

  “Seth,” Aidan said, his voice full of reason, “you know that wasn’t me in their memories. Just like it wasn’t me in the security footage. Even Ethan confirmed it wasn’t me in the videos.”

  “I know that wasn’t you in the videos,” Seth said, tucking his handkerchief away. “It was Gershom.”

  Dana didn’t breathe a sigh of relief though. Seth’s words continued to resonate with fury.

  “But that was you,” he continued, “in the vampires’ memories, taking advantage of Gershom’s bullshit and telling the vampires to increase their numbers and attack your immortal brethren, to attack you and Dana so Dana would feel compelled to transform for you.”

  Reaching out with his free hand, Aidan settled it on Dana’s hip and eased her behind him. Heather, she heard him instruct mentally, get Dana to safety.

  “No,” Dana blurted.

  Heather zipped up beside her, picked her up, and zipped back to the porch. “Get inside,” she ordered as soon as Dana regained her feet.

  “No,” Dana refused. “I’m not leaving him.”

  Aidan swore.

  “Seth,” Ethan said behind them, “that wasn’t Aidan. It couldn’t have been. He’s been with us ever since the attack at Dana’s home.”

  Dana glanced back at him just as Heather grabbed her husband’s arm to keep him from stepping out of the shade of the porch. Was Ethan so photosensitive that even with clouds gathering and dampening the sun’s rays, he couldn’t go out without burning and blistering?

  “Aidan,” Seth growled, “is the one who orchestrated the attack at Dana’s home.”

  The trees began to thrash and sway as though beaten by his anger.

  Just teleport away, Dana thought desperately, hoping Aidan would hear her.

  Instead, he took another step toward Seth.

  Aidan stilled when Seth held up a hand, silently commanding him to halt.

  Backing up a step, then another, Seth turned and paced away.

  In an attempt to regain control over his temper?

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Aidan said, keeping his voice calm. “I love Dana. Telling the vampires to attack her would’ve put her in danger. I would never do that. No more than I would put my fellow immortals in danger. You know that, Seth. Because you know me.”

  “Yes,” Seth acknowledged. “I know you. Well enough to tell the difference between you and someone mimicking you.”

  Aidan frowned. “I thought… No. Even you couldn’t tell that wasn’t me in the videos. Not until Ethan confirmed it.”

  “I… lied!” he roared. “Of course I knew it wasn’t you. I also knew Reordon wouldn’t believe me, that he would assume I was just being cautious because I felt guilty for misjudging you once before. That’s why I brought Ethan in. I wanted Reordon to think that whoever was mimicking you was so good that even I could be fooled! I was trying to help you!”
>
  What? Aidan frowned. Seth had known that wasn’t him in the videos?

  “I didn’t expect you to betray me!”

  “I didn’t,” Aidan vowed.

  Halting, Seth swiveled just enough for Aidan to view his bloody profile.

  Beside Aidan, Cliff stiffened and began to strain against Aidan’s hold. Violent thoughts slithered into Aidan’s mind via his gift. Cliff’s thoughts. His sudden, desperate need to rip Seth apart for threatening his friend.

  Heather, Aidan warned telepathically, I may need you to keep Cliff in check if this escalates. Don’t let him attack Seth.

  Seth laughed, a chilling sound that held no mirth. Only anger and bitterness.

  Even from this distance, with Seth not fully facing him, Aidan could read the hurt in his leader’s—his friend’s—glowing golden eyes and felt his stomach sink.

  Seth shook his head. “Do you really think I don’t know you as well as you know me? Do you really think I don’t know all of you as well as you know me? I’ve watched over you all since your births. I watched over you when you were gifted ones and then I took you under my wing after you transformed and became immortals. I made you part of my family. Brought you into my world. Did every fucking thing I could think of to help you find happiness or at least some contentment in this existence. I know you, Aidan!”

  “Then you know that wasn’t me in any of the vampires’ memories,” Aidan repeated, frustration rising. How could Seth possibly believe otherwise?

  “You think I’m mistaken?”

  “I know you are.”

  Seth faced him. “Then let’s see who’s right, shall we?” His eyes flashed brighter.

  Pain struck, as sharp as a knife stabbing Aidan in the eye, cutting through his skull and tearing its way through his mind.

  Crying out, he released Cliff and gripped his head.

  Cliff leapt forward with a snarl.

  Someone swept past in a blur as Aidan staggered beneath the agony of Seth forcibly toppling his mental barriers and tearing though his memories.

  Heather bumped into him as she dragged a struggling Cliff backward to the porch.

  Something wet tickled Aidan’s upper lip as he sank to his knees. His hearing wavered as blood filled his ears, then spilled out. The world around him went red as blood stung his eyes.

  “Stop it!” Dana shouted. “You’re killing him!”

  Seth wasn’t killing him. But any hope Aidan had held on to that this wasn’t Seth—that it was Gershom instead—died a swift death as the pain peaked.

  Gershom wouldn’t have bothered to search Aidan’s memories for something that would prove his innocence. But Seth would. Seth would explore every option, gather every piece of evidence he could before condemning Aidan.

  The pain stopped abruptly.

  Shaken, Aidan braced his hands on the grass and fought to catch his breath.

  The sound of blades slipping from sheaths met his ears.

  Wiping blood from his eyes, Aidan climbed to his feet and straightened.

  Seth strode toward him, swords in hand, more menacing and terrifying than Aidan had ever seen him. “How could you betray me like this?” he roared in anguish.

  Fear sliced through Aidan. Seth had read his thoughts and still thought him guilty?

  He must have seen something. Must have found memories even Aidan couldn’t access. Which meant Gershom had mind-controlled him. And Aidan had done the things he’d found in the vampires’ memories. He had done them under Gershom’s compulsion and just couldn’t remember them. Aidan had sent those vampires to attack Dana in her home.

  And those vampires would’ve killed her had her vision not forewarned them.

  He staggered again, this time from shock.

  How had Gershom mind-controlled him without Aidan knowing?

  And how had he left so little trace of his influence that Seth believed Aidan the villain, not a victim? Was Gershom truly that powerful?

  Seth blurred.

  Aidan barely had time to drawn his own swords before Seth struck. Still thrown by the revelation that he had actually committed the crimes Seth thought him guilty of, Aidan incurred several wounds before he got his shit together and began to defend himself in earnest.

  He had been sparring with Seth for nearly three thousand years. Seth had even told him that Aidan was one of only a handful of immortals who could still afford him a challenge. So once Aidan shook off the shock, he actually began to inflict a wound or two of his own.

  The thoughts of everyone else present—excluding Ethan—clamored in his head. He couldn’t focus on keeping Seth from killing him and shut off his telepathy.

  Cliff wanted to kill Seth for hurting Aidan.

  Heather was torn, wanting to defend Aidan but not wanting to betray Seth.

  Dana was terrified, weeping as Ethan held her back.

  Then Cliff broke loose. In the next instant, the young vampire appeared at Aidan’s side. With astounding agility, he filched two blades from Aidan’s coat and struck at Seth.

  Shite!

  Distracted, Aidan failed to fend off Seth’s latest blow. Agony flashed through him as Seth’s blade drove through his side. Stumbling backward, Aidan watched in horror as a furious Seth turned on Cliff, carving a path across the vamp’s chest with his other blade. When Cliff didn’t go down, Seth backhanded him so hard Aidan heard bone shatter.

  Cliff flew through the air and crashed into a tree trunk, then fell thirty feet to land in a heap in the grass.

  “No!” Aidan leapt forward and struck Seth once more.

  “That’s not Seth!” Ethan shouted abruptly. “That’s not Seth! It’s Gershom!”

  Before Aidan could ask if he was sure, all hell broke loose.

  Heather and Ethan leapt into the fray, blades gleaming.

  Cliff lurched to his feet, reclaimed the weapons he’d dropped, then rejoined the battle.

  Aidan didn’t know where Dana was while the four of them fought Seth—or rather Gershom—but worried she, too, would enter to fight.

  Seth! he bellowed mentally, losing strength and speed as he racked up wounds.

  If he, Ethan, Heather, and Cliff could just hold Gershom until—

  Seth appeared a few feet away.

  Relief suffused Aidan, easing some of the pain. Despite Ethan’s claim, Aidan hadn’t been sure until then that the man they all fought really wasn’t Seth.

  Zach appeared beside Seth.

  Seth’s eyes flashed bright gold. Lightning streaked across the sky and struck a nearby tree.

  Still bearing Seth’s appearance, Gershom laughed, then vanished.

  Caught midswing, Aidan, Ethan, Heather, and Cliff nearly fell on their asses.

  “Zach!” Seth hissed, striding forward.

  Zach vanished.

  Breathing hard, Aidan shook his head as his leader approached. “You don’t know how fucking glad I am that wasn’t you.”

  Cliff bellowed in frustration when his prey disappeared. When he turned and noted Seth’s presence, his lips curled up in a chilling smile as he lunged forward.

  Seth held up a hand.

  Cliff stopped short, held in place by telekinesis.

  While the vampire struggled to free himself from the unseen force, Seth moved forward and touched his shoulder.

  Cliff’s struggles ceased. The anger and bloodlust fueling the fire in his eyes drained away as lucidity returned. His wounds and blistering skin healed.

  “It wasn’t me,” Seth said, forcing calm tones despite the fury Aidan could feel riding him. “That was Gershom.”

  Cliff nodded.

  A weight struck Aidan in the back, pushing him forward a startled step.

  Dana hugged him with all her might, unintentionally doubling the pain of his wounds.

  Dropping his weapons, Aidan reached behind him and shifted her around to his front. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m okay.”

  His words did little to soothe her as she sobbed against his chest.

&nbs
p; Seth gently touched her arm. “Step back a moment, please, and let me heal him.”

  Nodding, Dana allowed Seth to disentangle her from Aidan and stood staring up at them with tear-filled eyes.

  Seth placed a hand on Aidan’s chest. Healing energy swept through him, mending his wounds and erasing his pain.

  “You didn’t know he wasn’t me?” Seth asked quietly.

  “No. He was very convincing.”

  Seth turned to Heather and touched her shoulder, healing her wounds.

  Guilt wormed its way through Aidan when he noticed the red splotches on her clothing as well as Ethan’s. They had incurred those wounds trying to protect him.

  Seth moved on to Ethan, healing both his wounds and his blistering skin. “You didn’t know either?”

  Ethan shook his head. “His wounds and the blood that poured from them explained away all the little differences I noticed. I had my suspicions, but wasn’t sure until he hurt Cliff. I know you wouldn’t do that, even when enraged.”

  Withdrawing his touch, Seth backed away. “Take Cliff to the network, then go straight to David’s. I need to help Zach track Gershom.”

  “Wait,” Aidan blurted. “Gershom claimed he was wounded at the missile silo. He said the vampires had freed themselves and—”

  Seth shook his head. “I was there when you summoned me. All is well.”

  Before any of them could reply, Seth vanished.

  Aidan hastily grabbed Ethan and Cliff’s shoulders and used his healing gift to keep them from blistering again as the clouds above dissipated, letting the sun fight its way through to them. “Call Chris,” he told Ethan, “and tell him we’re on our way.”

  Dana wrapped her arms around him, resting her face on his chest. “Do you think they’ll catch him?”

  “I sure as hell hope so,” Aidan murmured.

  Dana’s stomach burned with nerves as she stood in the shade of a huge barn that served as a garage for Immortal Guardians’ vehicles.

  “We’re going to head inside now,” Ethan said.

  Aidan nodded.

  Ethan took Heather’s hand. The two blurred as they darted forward, their indistinct forms racing down the drive and around to the front of the house, disappearing from view.