Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  Aidan had followed Seth’s instructions and teleported them all to the network. While Dana had struggled to get her hands to stop shaking, the immortals and Cliff had availed themselves of bagged blood to replenish what they had lost in the battle with Seth.

  Or rather Gershom.

  Dana’s stomach continued to tie itself up in a knot.

  How could they defeat an enemy who was so good at camouflaging himself as someone else that he could stand right next to them and they wouldn’t even know it?

  Even after siphoning new blood into his veins, Aidan had admitted he wasn’t at full strength and had borrowed a network car with dark-tinted windows to drive them all to David’s home instead of teleporting them.

  Aidan curled his fingers around hers.

  Dana clutched his hand in a death grip. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  He nodded. “I’m fine. I just need a deep, healing sleep. I’ll be able to get one here without worrying over our safety.”

  She looked again at the sprawling house. Apparently this was the hub of the Immortal Guardians’ world here in North Carolina, their favorite place to relax and unwind after a night of hunting and slaying vampires. So who knew how many of them were in there.

  “It’ll be all right,” Aidan murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. “There’s no reason to be nervous. They’re all just like me.”

  Right. She was just rattled from the close call with Gershom.

  “Ethan and Heather are already in there, though it sounds like they’re retiring,” Aidan murmured. “Since Seth and Zach are chasing down Gershom, we shouldn’t have to worry about the bastard popping in and pretending to be me or anything like that. And even if he did, Ami would know it in an instant.”

  “Ami is in there, too?”

  “Yes, as are her husband and daughter.”

  Aidan must have sensed her anxiety, because he seemed in no hurry to move despite his need of sleep.

  But he did need sleep. His energy hadn’t just been taxed by the wounds he’d incurred. It had been taxed by teleporting them to and from the network and by healing Ethan and Cliff in real time to keep the sunlight from harming them.

  “Okay.” She straightened her shoulders with determination. “I’m ready.”

  Aidan squeezed her hand, a warm smile lighting his handsome features. “I really do love you, you know.”

  She smiled. “I love you, too.” The feeling was undeniable. And the two of them could very well be living on borrowed time, so she saw little reason to waste a minute of it playing the Is-it-too-soon? game.

  The barn was located behind and to one side of the house. She and Aidan strolled down the shaded drive, then turned onto a sidewalk that led to a large front door.

  Aidan didn’t knock when they reached it. He just opened the door and escorted her inside.

  Unable to completely quash her nerves, Dana glanced over her shoulder and watched him enter behind her. The half dozen or so immortals who had made that impromptu appearance at Ethan and Heather’s house hadn’t unnerved her as much as she would’ve thought. But for all she knew, there could be dozens more here in David’s home.

  Smiling down at her, Aidan winked. “They’re just like me,” he mentioned again.

  Was he reading her thoughts, or was her face really as expressive as he’d claimed?

  Aidan looked over her shoulder. His eyes widened.

  Dana swung around, followed his gaze, and gaped at the man who exited the kitchen.

  “Okay,” Aidan murmured. “Maybe they aren’t all like me.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sheldon looked up at the sound of Aidan’s voice. “Hey, man. How’s it goin’?”

  Aidan dipped his chin in a nod and slowly approached the young Second. “Sheldon.”

  Balancing two substantial sandwiches on a plate, Sheldon shifted his gaze to Dana. “Hi, Dana. Great to see you again.”

  “Nice to see you, too.” She tried not to stare. She really did. But failed miserably as her lips stretched into a broad grin.

  The handsome redhead wore a tight black T-shirt that revealed muscled arms and a chest as broad as Aidan’s. He also wore badly scuffed combat boots that were in dire need of replacement, worn black cargo shorts that ended just above his knees, and—atop the shorts—a fluffy pink tutu that began at his waist and fell almost to the hem of his shorts in delicate, filmy layers. A pretty yellow sunflower decorated the center of the waistband.

  “I heard about the attack at your place,” Sheldon said, his eyes on Dana. “That sucks. But from what I understand, you really kicked ass and took names.”

  That attack seemed so long ago now. “Those names being numbnuts and dumbass?” she asked, trying not to laugh.

  He grinned. “Those would be the ones. I also heard you tranqed Roland. Well done. I wish I could’ve seen that.”

  “Sheldon?” Aidan said.

  “Yeah?”

  “What the hell are you wearing?”

  Sheldon sighed. “Dude, don’t dis my boots. I know I had to glue the soles back onto both shoes with superglue, but these are the most comfortable boots I’ve ever owned, so I don’t want to replace them.”

  Dana glanced up at Aidan, whose expression remained deadpan.

  “The tutu, Sheldon,” Aidan said.

  Sheldon glanced down. “Oh, that.” He shrugged. “I thought Ami and Marcus could use some alone time and offered to take Adira to the playground. Adira didn’t want to go without her mommy, so I promised her if she would let me take her she could go to my closet and choose what I would wear.”

  Aidan arched a brow. “And she chose a tutu?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do I even want to know why you happened to have an adult-sized pink tutu in your closet?”

  Sheldon grinned. “Tracy ordered it online for Adira a couple of months ago, thinking it was child-sized, and didn’t feel like returning it once she realized it wasn’t.”

  “And you just… wore it to the park?” Aidan asked.

  “Sure. A promise is a promise.”

  Dana smiled. “That was very sweet of you.”

  He shrugged. “Adira has me wrapped around her little finger.”

  Aidan grunted. “You and everyone else who frequents David’s home. Didn’t the other adults at the park find your attire odd?”

  Sheldon laughed. “Are you kidding? The women loved it. Two moms and three nannies gave me their phone numbers.”

  “Hey!” a woman called from down the hallway. “I heard that!”

  Grinning, Sheldon called back, “I only took their numbers in case Ami wanted to arrange a playdate or something.”

  The woman—Tracy?—grumbled something Dana couldn’t hear clearly.

  Sheldon held up his plate. “Are you two hungry? I saw Ethan and Heather pass by a minute ago and it looked like you guys might have had a long day.” Word must not have gotten around yet about the battle with Gershom.

  Aidan nodded. “I could use a bite.” He looked down at Dana.

  “I could eat,” she said, only then realizing she hadn’t had a meal in a while.

  Sheldon handed her the plate. “I’m glad recent events haven’t scared you away.”

  “Not yet,” she said with a wry smile.

  Sheldon waved a hand. “I wasn’t worried about the violence. You kinda give off a Xena, Warrior Princess vibe, so I knew you could hold your own.”

  Dana looked up at Aidan. “Really?”

  Aidan smiled. “I don’t know who Xena is, but the term Warrior Princess suits you well.”

  “Oh.” She couldn’t help but feel pleased.

  “Nah,” Sheldon continued. “I figured if anything would send you fleeing to the hills, it would be Aidan’s age.”

  She looked up at Aidan in time to catch him glaring at Sheldon.

  That was the second time Aidan’s age had come up, and he seemed no more interested in imparting it now than he had before.

  She turned bac
k to Sheldon. “Why? How old is he?”

  Sheldon’s features slipped into a comical oops expression. “Oh. He, uh… he hasn’t told you yet?”

  “No.”

  Recovering from his gaffe, Sheldon waved a hand. “You know what? It’s not a big thing. It really isn’t. Some people are just weirdly sensitive about their age. Hell, Tracy is only eight years older than me and she still freaks out about it.”

  “Nine,” Tracy called from down the hallway. “I’m nine years older than you, loose lips.”

  Sheldon laughed. “See what I mean? She’s only nine years older than me and still can’t believe I’m not going to ditch her for a younger woman. But I keep telling her that I don’t care how old she is. She could be a hundred years older than me, or a thousand years older, or even a million years older and I would still want to be with her.”

  Tracy entered with a smile. “Yeah, but what makes you think I’d still want you if I were a million years older than you?”

  He grinned down at her. “All the wisdom you would’ve acquired over the ages would make you recognize my value.”

  She smirked. “And if it didn’t?”

  “Then vanity would make you want me for your boy toy.”

  Laughing, she curled a hand around the back of his neck and drew him down for a quick kiss. “I’m sure it would.” She turned to Dana. “Hi, Dana.” She jerked a thumb toward Sheldon. “Ignore this one. He’s still high from all the female attention he got at the park.”

  Aidan shook his head. “Who would’ve thought a man wearing a tutu would evoke such adoration.”

  Tracy rolled her eyes. “I know, right?”

  “Unca Aidan!” a small voice cried with glee.

  Aidan’s face lit with a wide grin. “In here,” he called.

  The redheaded toddler Dana had seen briefly the previous night ran into the room on chubby legs. A fluffy pink tutu like Sheldon’s covered pink shorts while matching pink fairy wings bounced on her back and a flower garland sporting a pink veil jounced on her curls.

  “There’s my lovely fairy princess,” Aidan crooned, bending to scoop her into his arms.

  Giggling, she wrapped adorably plump arms around his neck and gave him a hug.

  She was beautiful. And Aidan looked damned appealing, hugging her and bussing her rosy cheek. This must be the little one for whom he had cleaned up his language.

  “You did, did you?” he asked, his brown eyes alight with pleasure as he grinned at the little girl.

  Nodding, she waved a glittery wand with a pink butterfly on the end.

  “So he told me. And you had fun?” Aidan asked. A minute passed, then he laughed.

  Dana looked to Tracy.

  Tracy smiled. “Adira doesn’t talk much yet, but she has strong telepathic abilities.”

  Dana looked at the child in surprise. Really? She couldn’t be more than two years old.

  The little girl turned her attention to Dana.

  “Hi there,” Dana said with a smile.

  Giving her a grin that exposed little white teeth, the toddler lunged toward her.

  Sheldon grabbed the plate of sandwiches while Dana scrambled to catch Adira and wrapped her arms securely around the little beauty.

  Adira raised bright green eyes to meet hers and touched her cheek. “Annie Dana,” she said with a grin.

  Tracy’s eyebrows flew up. “I think she just called you Auntie Dana.”

  Adira rested her head on Dana’s shoulder and snuggled against her with a happy sigh.

  “Dude,” Sheldon said, his eyes going from the toddler to Dana to Aidan. “Adira can see the future. I’m pretty sure that means you’re in.”

  Dana glanced up at Aidan, who looked as surprised as she was.

  After a moment, he smiled and touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry. You still have choice.”

  She smiled back and rocked from side to side, enjoying the feel of the baby against her chest, all anxiety fleeing amidst the comfort the child brought and the light, family atmosphere that welcomed her. “I know.” But she didn’t really. At least not where Aidan was concerned. She was in love with him. And that made choosing anything other than a future with him impossible.

  The hallway behind them darkened as a figure filled it, then moved forward to join them.

  Dana’s eyes widened as she tilted her head back and stared up at him.

  Wow.

  Tracy laughed. “I bet I had that same expression on my face the first time I saw him. He’s a handsome devil, isn’t he?”

  Chuckling, the man met Dana’s gaze with dark brown eyes that infused her with as much warmth and comfort as the child did. “I’m David,” he said, offering her a slight bow. “Welcome to my home, Dana.”

  “Thank you,” she managed to say.

  She estimated his height to be about six feet seven inches. His smooth, flawless skin was as dark as midnight. Pencil-thin dreadlocks—pulled back from his face with a leather tie—fell all the way down to his hips. Like the other immortals, he wore all black and wore it well. His shoulders were as broad and his body as muscular as Aidan’s.

  David nodded to the toddler she held. “I see you’ve already made a new friend.”

  “Yes. She’s beautiful.” As with Seth, there was just something about this man that screamed power. Dana actually found herself a little tongue-tied around him.

  “And as happy to have you here as the rest of us are. Seth has informed me of this afternoon’s events.”

  Aidan’s expression sobered. “Have they caught Gershom?”

  “Not yet. They’re pursuing him now.”

  Tracy and Sheldon exchanged a look.

  “Seth got a lead on Gershom?” Sheldon asked, all business now.

  David nodded. “Gershom posed as Seth and attacked Aidan this afternoon.”

  Sheldon’s eyes widened. “Shit!”

  Tracy popped him on the back of the head.

  He glanced at Adira. “I mean shoot!”

  David held up a hand to halt the questions that otherwise would’ve poured forth. “We’ll discuss it later. Right now Aidan needs a healing sleep.”

  Sheldon nodded. “Of course.” He handed Aidan the plate of sandwiches. “Let us know if you two need anything.” Taking Tracy’s hand, he headed down the hallway.

  “With all that’s happening,” Aidan said, lowering his voice, “I’m surprised you let Sheldon take Adira to the park.”

  David’s lips turned up in a wry smile. “I followed and watched over them in the form of a crow.”

  He could shape-shift? “That is so cool,” Dana murmured.

  David’s smile broadened. “Fun, too.” He turned his gaze to Adira. “Come here, sweetheart. Uncle Aidan and Auntie Dana need to get some rest.”

  “You heard that, did you?” Aidan asked.

  “The Auntie Dana? Yes, I did.”

  Adira smiled and let Dana transfer her to David’s arms. Reaching over his shoulder, Adira pulled one of his dreadlocks forward and began to play with it.

  “I hope you will enjoy your stay in my home, Dana. I’ve had a room prepared for you both. Would you like to see it?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  Aidan nodded. “Thank you, David. I appreciate it.”

  David motioned for them to accompany him down the hallway. “This way.”

  Dana glanced curiously into the rooms they passed. A bathroom. A huge study/library. What appeared to be a medical facility of some sort. Perhaps an infirmary?

  When David passed through a doorway and led them down a flight of stairs, disappointment threatened. They would be sleeping in the basement?

  Her eyebrows rose though when they reached the foot of the stairs.

  On their left, a pair of open double doors revealed a gym or training room roughly the size of a high school gymnasium with a padded floor, a wall of mirrors and a lot of exercise equipment.

  That must be for the Seconds, since immortals were already superstrong.

&nb
sp; On the right, a long, elegant hallway with at least a dozen doors stretched before them. Lovely dark wood floors. Earth-toned walls adorned with modern paintings. A high white ceiling with recessed lighting. Wingback chairs stationed in twos. Plant stands supporting plants that somehow thrived without any sun exposure.

  Very nice.

  Aidan nudged her shoulder, amusement dancing in his eyes. You were expecting something cold and damp and crypt-like?

  She grinned. Maybe.

  David led them down the hallway, stopping in front of the next-to-last door on the right. Opening it, he motioned for them to enter.

  Dana stepped inside a large, sumptuous bedroom with an adjoining bathroom.

  Aidan followed. “Thank you again, David.”

  Smiling, he turned to Dana. “My home is your home, Dana. You are welcome to explore it as you will. Grab a snack from the kitchen. A book from my study. Whatever will make you comfortable. I only ask that you knock first before entering any of the rooms down here, save the training room, because they are bedrooms and most are occupied.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

  He clapped Aidan on the shoulder. “Get some rest.”

  David turned and headed back down the hallway, Adira waving at them over his shoulder. Aidan waved to the little cutie, then closed the door.

  “He’s so nice,” Dana said.

  Nodding, Aidan shrugged off his coat and tossed it over the wooden back of a nearby chair. “Go ahead and ask me.”

  She tilted her head to one side. “Ask you what?”

  “The question you’ve been wanting to ask ever since Sheldon opened his yap upstairs. He’s bound to blurt it out eventually, so I’d just as soon get it out of the way.”

  “Are you sure?” Dana saw the way his shoulders slumped with weariness. And David had said he needed a healing sleep. “It can wait.”

  “I’m sure.” Sinking down in the chair, he began to tug on the laces of one boot.

  She drew in a deep breath. “How old are you?”

  Pulling the boot off, he set it aside. “I’ve lived just shy of three thousand years.”

  She stared at him. She had heard thousand, but he must have said hundred, right? “I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard that correctly.”