Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  When Aidan’s eyes began to glow, Dana rested a hand on his arm and gave it a reassuring caress.

  Aidan tried to keep his fury in check. But damn it, knowing that Gershom was posing as him while he kidnapped women and—for all they knew—harmed or killed them was beyond fucked up. His pulling that shite here had been bad enough. Knowing he was doing it all around the country…

  “Is he doing it overseas as well?” he ground out.

  “No,” Chris reassured him. “Only here in the States.”

  Small comfort.

  As Dana stroked his arm, Aidan forced his hands to relax their crushing grip on the edges of the file folder and leaned back in his seat.

  Seth spoke into the leaden silence. “When Scott and Alena both informed me that an immortal might be implicated in the abductions, I assured them of your innocence, Aidan.”

  Alena’s lips turned up in a faint smile. “By showing us that he himself can appear as you.”

  Sheldon snorted. “So he’s a magician now.”

  “Who?” Tracy asked beside him. “Seth or Gershom?”

  “Gershom,” Sheldon said. “What do all magicians do?” He reached a hand out to his right in front of Jenna and waved it in a circle. “They do bullshit that’s guaranteed to hold your attention here…” He thrust his other hand out to his left in front of Tracy. “While they do the real shit over here.”

  Ethan nodded. “He implicated Aidan here in a way we were guaranteed to notice and raised a vampire army so we’d be so busy fighting amongst ourselves, trying to clear Aidan’s name, and addressing the new vampire threat that we wouldn’t notice that he was quietly acquiring his own little collection of gifted ones.”

  Sheldon lowered his hands. “Exactly. The question is—why is he taking the gifted ones?”

  “He isn’t just taking them,” Chris inserted. “As of this morning, six of them have been found dead.”

  Aidan’s stomach sank.

  “What?” Ami whispered, horror stamped across her pretty features.

  “And Scott’s team found three more an hour ago. All dead.”

  Curses filled the air.

  Marcus glanced down at his daughter in reflex, but she appeared to be concentrating wholly on the picture she was coloring.

  Nine dead.

  “Why?” Aidan asked, frustration beating him. “What’s his goal? What’s his endgame?”

  “To strike at Seth,” Lisette proposed.

  Zach draped an arm across the back of her chair. “What do little asshole schoolyard bullies do? They take away the other children’s toys. They break the other children’s toys and get off on the misery such spawns.” He cast Seth a look of regret. “Gershom has already managed to break two of your toys.”

  Lisette swallowed hard, grief entering her eyes. “Yuri and Stanislav.”

  Seth’s gaze dropped to the table, but not before Aidan caught the golden glow that entered them.

  “Everyone knows,” Zach continued, “how important immortals and gifted ones are to Seth. And we’ve all come to the conclusion that—for whatever reason—Gershom hates Seth’s ass. Yuri and Stanislav were a heavy blow. But both of those immortals at least had a fighting chance. How much harsher will the blow be if gifted ones who can’t fight back are slain this time?”

  Aidan ground his teeth. “Gifted ones are so much weaker than Gershom that it would be like slaying children. What the hell is the appeal in that?”

  Zach waved a hand in dismissal. “Bullies are all pussies deep down. They only pick fights with those who can’t fight back or those who can’t win if they do fight back. So instead of manning up and fighting Seth one on one—we all know Seth would defeat the fucker if he did—Gershom is choosing easier targets that will cut Seth deeply when slain.”

  When grumbled protests rose in volume, Seth held up a hand.

  All quieted.

  “The problem is,” Seth announced, his gaze circling the table, “we don’t know where Gershom is taking the gifted ones. Where he’s keeping them.”

  Roland scowled. “How do you know he’s keeping them at all? Are you sure they aren’t all dead?”

  Seth looked to Chris.

  Chris shook his head. “He’s definitely keeping them somewhere. All the bodies we’ve recovered were dressed the same way and looked as though they had been killed while trying to escape. And we believe humans killed them—not Gershom or vampires—because they were shot. All except one, whose neck was broken.”

  Silence.

  “So what do we do?” Aidan asked when he couldn’t take it anymore. “How do we find them? How do we stop him?”

  Seth glanced around the table. “Any ideas?”

  No one spoke as they exchanged troubled glances.

  Dana cleared her throat. “Use me as bait.”

  Aidan’s neck popped his head snapped around so quickly. “What?” he demanded incredulously.

  She swallowed hard, dread clouding her features. “Use me as bait.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Hell no!” Aidan blurted. “Are you mad, woman?”

  “No,” Dana said and looked around the table. “What other option is there?”

  “That’s not an option,” he retorted. “That’s not even close to the table, let alone on it. We are not using you as bait. Absolutely not.” What was she thinking?

  “Look,” she said, her face and voice sober as she addressed them all, “I’m not real keen on the idea either. But we already know that in North Carolina, Gershom has been targeting female gifted ones who have been in direct contact with Aidan. We know he has ordered vampires to attack me in the past. I assume he knows Aidan and I are lovers. And since he’s been sticking his nose into everybody’s business, he probably also knows that you’ve all taken me under your wing and are trying to protect me. What better target could he have?”

  “Ami,” Marcus offered. “Or Adira.”

  Adira looked up at the sound of her name and tilted her head back to smile up at her father. Marcus kissed the top of her head.

  “All the more reason to use me as bait,” Dana said, “and direct his attention away from them.”

  “No,” Aidan said again, still having difficulty believing she would even contemplate such a thing. Hadn’t she heard Chris tell them that several of the gifted ones had been found dead?

  Roland caught Dana’s gaze. “The immortals present can all hear your heart racing with fear at just the idea of baiting a trap for Gershom. Why would you do this for us?”

  She looked around the table. “Because I love Aidan. And you all stood up for him when Gershom made him look guilty as hell. You all broke the rules to stand by his side and try to help him. To help us both. To keep us safe.” She shook her head. “I don’t have a family of my own. I haven’t in a long time. And three days ago, having never laid eyes on me before, you all welcomed me into yours and showed me what it would be like to be one of you. To be part of this family.”

  Aidan’s heart began to pound. “Dana…”

  She held up a hand. “I know. I have choice. And that’s what makes all of this mean so much more to me. None of you have placed any conditions on my being here. None of you have pressured me to transform for Aidan and become immortal. I honestly think that all of you would welcome me and let me be part of your family whether I transformed or remained as I am.”

  “We would,” David interjected.

  “We would,” Seth agreed.

  “Of course we would,” Aidan told her.

  Reaching up, she pressed a hand to his cheek. “You’ve been trying so hard to protect me, Aidan. Well, I want to protect you, too. I love you. I really do. And watching Gershom do his damnedest to kill you yesterday before Seth and Zach showed up…” Tears welled in her eyes.

  Aidan covered her hand with his and held it to him.

  “You’re worth fighting for.” She looked around the table. “You’re all worth fighting for. And if the only way you can get a leg up on Gershom is by
shoving me out there as bait, then I say do it.” She forced a smile. “And do it quickly, before I change my mind.”

  A few chuckles lightened the heavy atmosphere.

  Dana lowered her hand, taking Aidan’s with it and linking their fingers as she rested them on her thigh.

  Seth visually consulted David.

  Aidan frowned at them. “You aren’t actually considering it, are you?”

  David never took his gaze from Seth. “He would read it in her memories.”

  “Such was my thought.”

  Aidan shook his head. “Even if he couldn’t, it’s out of the question.”

  Dana looked back and forth between the two elders. “Would it work better if I were immortal?”

  Aidan’s breath caught. “What?”

  Dana winced. “Ow—ow—ouch! Honey, you’re squeezing the crap out of my hand.”

  He swiftly relaxed his grip. “I’m sorry.” Glancing down, he examined her hand and noted the pale marks he’d left that slowly regained their color. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’d never hurt you on purpose. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. It was just a little tight. No worries.”

  Roland caught her attention. “Are you saying you would transform and become immortal?”

  “Yes. Would that help? Would that make it harder for Gershom to read my thoughts and know I’m bait?”

  Aidan stared at her, both elated and terrified. He wanted so badly for her to transform and spend the rest of eternity with him. But he didn’t want her to feel forced into it. “Dana…”

  “Don’t say it again,” she said, irritation creeping into her features. “You keep telling me I have choice as if you’re trying to talk me out of it.”

  “I keep telling you you have choice because I can’t bring myself to believe you’ll make the one I’m hoping for.” He shook his head. “And I don’t want Gershom to force your hand. I don’t want you to make a hasty decision you may come to regret. This isn’t reversible.”

  She smiled, a soft curling up of her lips that warmed his insides and coaxed his racing heart into calming the hell down. “I’m not doing it because Gershom is forcing my hand. And I’m not doing it because I felt so helpless standing on your back porch, doing nothing while I watched you fight Gershom. Ethan and Heather both leapt to your side to help you. Cliff did, too. And all I could do was just stand there,” she told him, her smile gone.

  Aidan hadn’t thought much about that aspect of things but felt her frustration.

  “That was terrifying and horrible and I never want to feel that helpless again,” she continued. “But that still isn’t what’s compelling me to transform.”

  “Then what is?” he asked.

  Her smile returned. “You. I love you, Aidan. And the opportunity to have hundreds, if not thousands, of years together instead of a few decades is just too tempting to pass up.”

  There went his treacherous heart again, slamming against his rib cage. “You’re sure? We’ve been seeing each other for less than a month.”

  “I’m sure.” She shrugged. “And we aren’t the first couple to fall in love so quickly.”

  Roland grunted. “Hell, it only took me twenty-four hours to fall for Sarah.”

  Sarah looked up at him in surprise. “Really?”

  “You know you’re irresistible,” he countered.

  Grinning, she leaned up and brushed a quick kiss across his lips.

  Ethan glanced at Heather. “We fell for each other after only a couple of dates.” He frowned. “Wait. Does fighting vampires together count as a date?”

  Heather laughed.

  Farther down the table, Krysta laughed, too. “It did for us. That’s how Étienne and I met and fell in love.”

  Étienne smiled. “If memory serves, you tried to decapitate me the first time we met. The second, too. What kind of date is that?”

  Krysta winked. “A fun-filled, flirtatious one?”

  Laughter all around.

  Aidan paid little attention. His eyes continued to cling to Dana’s. “You’re sure?” he murmured beneath the chuckles.

  “I’m sure,” she said.

  “No doubts?” he pressed, elation beginning to overcome fear.

  “None at all.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tight. “Thank you.”

  She nodded against his chest. “I didn’t mean to tell you in front of everyone.”

  Aware of the quiet that had settled around them, Aidan released her but kept an arm around her shoulders.

  A faint blush climbed her cheeks when she noticed everyone watching them. “But if now would be a better time for me to transform…”

  Seth sent her a kind smile. “Becoming immortal wouldn’t keep Gershom from reading your thoughts.”

  “Oh.” Her brow furrowed as she looked from Seth to David and back again. “Then you can’t use me as bait?”

  “No,” Seth said.

  “We appreciate the offer though and admire the courage you showed in making it,” David added.

  Thank you, Aidan told both elders telepathically.

  “Then what are you going to do?” Dana pressed.

  Chris spoke. “My contacts are going to see if they can dig anything up.”

  Heather leaned forward. “Do you mean your contacts in government agencies?”

  Chris nodded. “FBI, CIA, NSA, NRO and a few others. I want to ensure the military is not in any way involved.”

  Heather frowned. “Why would you think the military might be involved?”

  “Because my forensics team said the weapons used to kill the gifted ones we found are commonly employed by the military. The grouping of the gunshot wounds also pointed toward someone with military training.”

  Heather looked at Seth and David, then returned her gaze to Chris. “One of your contacts wouldn’t happen to be my father, would it?”

  Chris hesitated. “Yes.”

  Heather swore.

  Dana caught Heather’s gaze. “Who’s your father?”

  “General Nathan Lane.”

  Dana’s eyes widened. “The one I see on the news sometimes?”

  “Yes,” Heather ground out, her eyes on Chris. “I thought we had agreed to keep him out of this.”

  “I agreed to try to keep him out of it last time. I made no such agreement this time. And he’s in a position to access even more classified information than my other contacts, so I gave him a call.”

  Heather turned to Seth. “You knew about this?”

  “Actually,” Seth said, “this is my first time hearing about it.”

  “Then kick his ass,” Heather demanded furiously. Clearly she didn’t like the idea of her father taking dangerous risks to acquire information for them.

  Seth’s face reflected regret. “In this instance, I’m afraid the decision was your father’s to make.” He eyed Chris. “I assume you didn’t pressure him?”

  “I did not,” Chris confirmed. “I merely informed him of the situation and asked if he thought he could be of some assistance. He said yes.”

  Heather’s eyes flashed bright amber. “Of course, he did! He—”

  Seth held up a hand, silencing Heather and catching Chris’s eye. “Does General Lane have my number?”

  “Yes,” Chris said, then looked at Heather. “And I told him to call it if he feels even the tiniest hint that he may be in danger.”

  Heather sighed.

  They all did as tempers calmed.

  “So, what do we do now?” Krysta asked.

  “Wait to see what Chris can find out,” Seth said. “See what we can find out ourselves.”

  David nodded. “You should all hunt in groups now. Not pairs, but groups. If possible, it would be best to include a telepath in each group.”

  “I agree,” Seth said. “Telepaths, read the mind of every vampire you encounter. We don’t know if the vampires are congregating in the same place the gifted ones are being held, so look for any clues in their
memories that may lead us to where they are staying.”

  “And carry the sedative with you,” David added. “Seth, Zach, and I can examine the minds of any vampires you tranq to see if there’s something buried that you couldn’t see yourselves.”

  Alena closed her file folder. “Scott and I will continue to work on things from our end and see what we can ferret out since we don’t even know in what state the gifted ones are being held.”

  Seth inclined his head. “Thank you.”

  Zach leaned back in his chair. “There’s one problem we’ve yet to address.”

  All waited for him to continue.

  “The fact that Gershom can pass himself off as Seth.”

  Uneasy glances slid Seth’s way.

  Seth sighed. “I don’t know how to combat that.”

  David eyed those present. “You should all spend your days and downtime here until we sort this out. Ami has no difficulty telling Seth from Gershom. She doesn’t even have to be in the same room with Gershom to know he’s present. So she can set your minds at ease while you’re here.”

  “And when we’re not here?” Aidan asked, wanting to avoid a repeat of his battle with Gershom and the confusion that had thrown him.

  Seth shook his head. “I don’t know how to assure you I’m me when I see you. Or how to ensure Gershom won’t fool you into believing he is me.”

  A thoughtful hush descended.

  “What about a password?” Melanie suggested. “Something we would know ahead of time that you’ll say to prove you’re you. Like a PIN.”

  Seth shook his head. “Gershom could pluck it from your thoughts.”

  She frowned. “I keep forgetting that.”

  Chris straightened. “Wait a minute. A password may not work, but you may be on to something with the PIN.”

  Aidan glanced around. What the hell was a PIN?

  “Let me consult my tech guys. They may be able to come up with something electronic Seth can carry on him that can identify him as the real deal. Something you can scan from a distance.”

  Seth tilted his head to one side. “Couldn’t Gershom steal a duplicate from the network or compel one of your tech guys to make a duplicate?”