Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  “Not without us knowing,” Chris said. “And not if I keep my tech guys on site. If I lock down the network, no immortals can teleport in or out and no humans can enter or leave without triggering the alarm.”

  Seth shared a look with David. “Sounds good. Have your tech crew work as swiftly as they can.”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as we have something.”

  “Thank you.”

  Krysta glanced around the table. “Are we hunting tonight?”

  “Yes, you may hunt tonight,” Seth said with obvious reluctance. “But do as David said and hunt in groups. I want a telepath in every group.”

  David eyed the gathering. “I shall remain here and hold down the fort, so to speak.”

  And protect Ami and Adira, Aidan thought. No doubt Marcus would remain behind as well, wanting to ensure Gershom didn’t get his hands on his wife and daughter.

  “Bastien and Melanie,” Seth directed, “I want you to stay at the network and keep an eye on things there. As usual, if trouble arises and you need reinforcements, let the vampires out to play until the cavalry can arrive.”

  The couple nodded.

  Seth studied those around the table. “If I show up unexpectedly while you’re away from David’s place, I want the telepaths to summon me immediately. And I want the rest of you to speed dial me on your cell phones. Just to be sure it’s me.” Though Seth spoke in even tones, he radiated anger that such action was necessary. “Anything else?”

  No one spoke.

  “Very well. Be safe.”

  Chairs scuffed the bamboo floor as those gathered around the table scooted them back and rose.

  Seth stood and wove his way through the others to reach Aidan and Dana as they rose. “I heard what you wanted to ask,” he told Dana.

  Aidan glanced down at Dana. “You wanted to ask something?”

  She nodded but seemed reluctant to speak.

  Seth took one of her hands and held it between his. “If Aidan transforms you tonight, you will be very ill and weakened for three days or more and he will be distracted. I’m very happy you’ve decided to join the immortals’ ranks, but I believe it would be best if you waited.”

  Dana had wanted Aidan to transform her tonight?

  Though she appeared disappointed, Dana again nodded. “Okay.”

  Giving her hand a pat, Seth headed over to David.

  Aidan saw the logic of it but would’ve felt a hell of a lot better going up against Gershom if Dana were immortal.

  Bastien stepped around Brodie and Ed. “Aidan. Any chance I could talk you into teleporting Melanie and me back to the network? I’d like to check on Cliff.”

  Guilt struck. Yet again, Aidan had failed to take Cliff into sunlight this afternoon. “How’s he doing? I wasn’t able to take him into the sun today.”

  “Not good. He’s been very agitated since the fight with Gershom. Melanie has been giving him watered-down doses of the sedative to try to keep things in check.”

  Aidan nodded. “We can go now then.” He looked around. “Ethan? Heather?”

  “Yeah?” Ethan said as the couple joined them.

  “I want to stop off at the network before we begin the night’s hunt.”

  “Okay,” they both agreed.

  Aidan slid an arm around Dana’s waist. “Everyone grab a shoulder.”

  Heather rested a hand on Dana’s shoulder. Ethan and Bastien both gripped Aidan’s. Melanie leaned into Bastien and wrapped an arm around his waist.

  “Aidan!” Chris called over the conversations rumbling through the room. Shouldering his way through the crowd, he stopped beside Bastien. “Can I hitch a ride back to the network?”

  Aidan nodded. “Grab a shoulder.”

  Clutching his briefcase with one hand, Chris drew out his cell phone and dialed. “John. Chris Reordon. Aidan is about to teleport me and five others into the network. Turn the alarm off.” He rested the hand holding the phone on Bastien’s shoulder, then nodded.

  David’s dining room darkened and disappeared, replaced by the lab Dana had visited once before at the network.

  Chris returned the phone to his ear. “Okay. We’re here. Turn it back on.”

  “Dana?”

  Dana glanced at the pretty brunette who stood beside Bastien. Unlike the other immortals present, Melanie wore faded blue jeans, a Tar Heels T-shirt, and sneakers.

  “Yes?”

  Melanie smiled. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet. I’m Melanie. I believe you’ve met my husband, Bastien?”

  Returning her smile, Dana shook the hand she offered. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Melanie drew her aside. “I know the past few days have been very trying. And I’m sorry you’ve had such a violent and terrifying entrance into our world, but I’d like to ask your help with something.”

  “Okay,” Dana said, not knowing how else to respond. “What can I do for you?”

  Looping her arm through Dana’s, Melanie began to slowly steer her toward an area that resembled an exam room in a doctor’s office. “My colleagues at the network who have been studying the virus with me have been puzzling over an anomaly we can’t explain, and I think you could help us solve the mystery.”

  Dana glanced over her shoulder.

  Aidan stood beside Bastien, his brow furrowed as though he wasn’t sure he liked what he was hearing.

  “To put it briefly,” Melanie continued, “older immortals are always stronger and faster than younger immortals. It’s been that way for thousands of years until the past decade. When Roland, who is nine hundred plus years old, transformed Sarah a few years ago, she ended up being as strong and powerful as he is. Roland then transformed me and Jenna, and the same thing happened. We ended up being far stronger and faster than we should be. We weren’t sure if it was because we were transformed by an immortal or, perhaps, if it might be something unique with Roland.”

  Dana frowned. “Weren’t there other immortals who were transformed by immortals?”

  “No. Until Sarah, every immortal in existence had been transformed by a vampire.” She paused. “Well, except for Richart and Étienne. Lisette accidentally transformed her brothers because none of them understood the nature of the virus at the time.”

  “Oh.” That was messed up.

  Dana didn’t realize until then that she didn’t know how Aidan had been transformed. So much had happened that she hadn’t had a chance to get the details yet, but it sounded as though he had been transformed against his will.

  “Then Étienne, a younger immortal,” Melanie continued, “transformed Krysta. And Aidan transformed Heather.”

  Dana’s stomach sank. She looked back at Aidan.

  Heather jumped up and down behind him, trying to see over his shoulder, then ducked around to stand beside him. “Ethan and I asked him to do it so I’d be stronger and better able to fight Gershom. But just FYI, there wasn’t anything romantic or sexual about it, and we aren’t bonded or anything like in the movies.”

  “Oh.” Relief dispelled the jealousy that had risen so swiftly. “Okay.”

  “Anyway,” Melanie said, reclaiming her attention, “we all thought Krysta was as strong and fast as Étienne until she graciously allowed me to run some tests and we discovered that she isn’t. While she’s stronger than a vampire, she isn’t as strong as the immortal who transformed her. So we’ve come to believe that something different happens when immortals like Roland and Aidan transform gifted ones because they’re healers. We believe their healing ability alters the transformation process in some way and—since you’re planning to have Aidan transform you—I was hoping you would be willing to help us solve the mystery.”

  “How?” Dana asked.

  Melanie bit her lip. “By letting me take some samples and do some blood work, both before and after your transformation. And maybe during?”

  Aidan stepped forward. “You only want blood samples?”

  She hesitated. “A
ctually, blood and tissue samples would be best. But I would only need the tiniest—”

  “Hell no,” Aidan blurted.

  Dana didn’t like that sound of that either.

  Melanie eyed Aidan warily but spoke to Dana. “It sounds worse than it is. The tissue samples are tiny. It would be no more painful or invasive than having a mole removed and tested by your dermatologist.”

  “Oh.” Reassured, Dana nodded. She had actually had a freckle-like mole removed and tested three years ago. “Okay. Sure. If that would help you, I’m fine with it.”

  “Well, I’m not,” Aidan protested.

  Bastien clapped Aidan on the back. “It won’t hurt. I’ve seen her do it to Cliff and the other vampires loads of times. It really isn’t as bad as it sounds.”

  Melanie offered Dana a hopeful smile. “Could we maybe do it now?”

  “Seriously?” Aidan protested.

  She nodded. “We don’t know what Gershom is going to do next or whether or not Dana will manage to come through it unscathed. If she’s seriously injured, you’ll go ahead and transform her ahead of schedule, so I’d really rather do it now, just to be safe.”

  Dana took Aidan’s hand. “She’s right. If she doesn’t do it now, I may be immortal the next time she sees me. I’m fine with it. Really. Why don’t you go check on Cliff while we take care of this?”

  “No, I want to stay with you.”

  She grinned, both touched and amused by his concern for her. “I’m not having major surgery, Aidan. She’s just going to take some blood and a couple of itty-bitty tissue samples. It’s no big deal. My doctors have done it before. More than once, actually. You just go check on Cliff. We’ll be done by the time you get back.”

  It took a little more coaxing, but Aidan finally agreed.

  After he left with Bastien and Chris, Ethan turned to Melanie. “Do you mind if we grab some bags of blood? I want to tank up before our hunt tonight.”

  “Not at all,” Melanie said and gestured to one of the small rooms that branched off the lab. “Employees just donated a fresh batch today. It’s right through there.”

  Taking Heather’s hand, Ethan led her into the other room.

  Melanie pulled a privacy curtain around them and motioned for Dana to sit on the exam table. “Thank you again for doing this. Shall we get started?”

  His ears attuned to the murmured conversation passing between Melanie and Dana, Aidan started down the hallway to Cliff’s apartment.

  “He isn’t there,” Chris said. “His behavior became too erratic after Melanie and Bastien left for the meeting, so I isolated him.”

  Bastien scowled. “Isolated him where? In a holding room?”

  Though Chris shook his head in slow, deliberate movements, he said, “Yes. We had to sedate him, too. Follow me. I’ll take you to him.” Then he motioned to the doors of the other vampires’ apartments and tapped his ear.

  Aidan shared a puzzled glance with Bastien.

  What didn’t Chris want the other vampires to hear?

  Following Chris to the elevator, he noticed one of the guards was missing. Todd.

  Aidan remained quiet as the elevator carried them to the ground floor. But he exchanged another confused look with Bastien as they followed Chris down the hallway that led to his office.

  A dozen guards manned the entrance of the reception room outside Chris’s office. Inside the reception room, Kate—Chris’s assistant—sat at a large desk situated in front of a row of file cabinets. Garbed in a formfitting business suit not unlike the one Alena Moreno had worn, she glanced up at their entrance.

  “Any calls?” Chris asked, striding toward the door to his office.

  “Nothing that can’t wait,” she replied. When she reached to one side to pick up a sheaf of papers, Aidan spotted a weapon housed in a shoulder holster under her jacket.

  Todd and a dozen more guards bracketed the entrance to Chris’s office.

  What the hell? Aidan had never seen such before.

  Chris nodded to the guards as he strode inside his office.

  Aidan and Bastien followed.

  Chris closed the door, crossed to his desk, and dropped his briefcase atop it.

  Aidan glanced around. Something was different.

  Chris’s sofa was missing.

  Facing them both, Chris pressed a finger to his lips, then guided them over to the boardroom. Opening the door, he motioned for them to enter.

  Aidan followed Bastien inside and stopped short.

  Chris nudged them forward enough for him to enter behind them, then closed the door. “I didn’t want the vampires to find out.”

  At the other end of the boardroom, Cliff was curled up on Chris’s sofa with Emma.

  Both slept soundly.

  Aidan gaped at Chris. “You knew?”

  Chris arched a brow. “Of course I knew.”

  Bastien grunted. “The bastard knows everything. He’s as bad as Seth.”

  Chris laughed. But his laughter died quickly as the three of them studied the couple.

  Emma’s face reflected the peace she had found in slumber.

  Cliff was another matter. His brow furrowed, his muscles tense, he clutched Emma tightly, as though he feared his violent dreams would tear her from his arms.

  But at least he slept.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t put a stop to it,” Aidan murmured.

  Chris shook his head. “I like Cliff. He’s smart as hell. He’s brave. He’s honorable. If he were human, he’d be one of my higher-ups here at the network. I knew you didn’t take him into the sun today and could see he was struggling. So I brought them both in here.”

  Bastien turned to the network leader. “Thank you.”

  Chris shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe whatever Melanie learns from Dana’s transformation might also help Cliff.”

  Aidan sure as hell hoped it would.

  Chapter Twenty

  A cool breeze ruffled Aidan’s hair as he eyed the small bandage at the bend of Dana’s arm. “Are you sure you don’t want me to heal it?”

  She laughed. “I’m sure. It was just a tiny needle prick, Aidan. Honestly, I would feel like a total wuss if you healed it for me.”

  Nevertheless, he wondered if he couldn’t find some way to heal it without her knowledge. Particularly since his sharp vision caught the beginnings of a bruise peeking out from under the bandage.

  Heather laughed and handed Dana a sandwich. “Ethan’s the same way. I’m a lot stronger and faster than he is, but he still freaks out over every little scratch I get.”

  Ethan grunted. “Because some of those scratches aren’t so little.”

  They sat atop Davis Library on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus. Minutes earlier, Aidan and Ethan had taken out eight vampires below. And the four of them now were pretty much just hanging around until the network’s cleanup crew finished working their magic below—making sure no security cameras had captured the battle, removing blood from the pavement, that sort of thing.

  Heather handed Aidan a sandwich.

  “Thank you.”

  Apparently Reordon’s kitchen crew at the network had packed them a very nice snack to take along on their hunt.

  The two humans below tossed the immortals sitting near the roof’s edge a wave.

  Aidan and the others waved back and watched the men head back to their van and drive away.

  “This is good,” Dana commented after taking a big bite of her sandwich.

  Aidan grinned. Yes, it was. And this was good. This moment of normalcy, or what passed for such in his world. Just sitting and chatting and sharing a meal, Dana’s shoulder brushing his arm.

  “It still feels weird,” Heather said, “staying up here and doing nothing while you guys do all the fighting down there.”

  Aidan shook his head. “You have the most important job here, Heather—protecting Dana.”

  Dana grimaced. “I wish I were already immortal. Then I could protect myself.”

  A scent rose on
the breeze.

  Aidan looked to the west. “Do you smell that?” he murmured.

  Heather set her sandwich down and followed his gaze. “Yes.”

  “How many?”

  She drew in a deep breath. “Fifteen.”

  “Excellent. You didn’t let the scents from our earlier kills distract you.” He handed his sandwich to Dana and rose.

  Ethan stuffed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth and stood, drawing two sais.

  The vampires that approached spoke little. Very odd. Insanity rarely bred silence.

  Perhaps they simply hadn’t fed yet tonight and had no recent kills about which they could brag.

  Aidan looked to Ethan. “Ready?”

  “Sure.”

  Dana and Heather stood, abandoning their meal.

  Aidan leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Dana’s lips. “This should only take a moment.”

  “Okay. Be careful.”

  He hated the worry he saw in her gaze and wished that becoming part of his world would not require her to accustom herself to nightly violence.

  Stepping off the edge of the roof, he enjoyed the quick uptake in the wind and the thrill of being able to fall eight stories and land easily on his feet. Perhaps little perks like that would make up for the darker side of becoming immortal for Dana.

  He drew his swords as Ethan landed beside him. “They’ll be here momentarily.”

  The sound of a phone number being dialed carried down from the roof.

  “Reordon.”

  “Hi, Chris. It’s Heather.”

  “Everything okay? My boys just called and said they were headed in.”

  “Everything’s fine, but you’d better go ahead and tell them to turn around. Looks like our night isn’t over. We’re about to create another mess for them to clean up.”

  Chris laughed. “Will do.”

  Aidan shared an amused look with Ethan.

  The vampires came around the corner a minute later. All looked to be newly turned, their clothing neat, their hair well groomed. Good hygiene tended to be the first thing to go when insanity blossomed.

  All the vampires stopped short upon seeing the two men waiting for them.