Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  Aidan read as many minds as he could in the time allowed.

  The vampires took in the two men in long black coats sporting swords and concluded they faced Immortal Guardians. They also recognized Aidan, whom they believed had ordered them to attack him in earnest the next time they encountered him so his woman would transform for him.

  Damn Gershom for that.

  Two vampires yelped as darts struck them in the chest, fired from the library’s roof. Eyes rolling back, they sank to the ground.

  Aidan grinned. Looked like Dana was trying to protect him again.

  The other vampires drew blades and raced forward, eyes glowing, fangs bared.

  Another dart hit its mark, dropping a third vampire in his tracks before Aidan and Ethan dove forward and began cutting a swath through the throng.

  Aidan didn’t think a dozen vampires would be much of a problem but nevertheless kept an eye on Ethan to ensure the younger immortal didn’t end up surrounded. One lucky strike from behind was all it would take to end it for an immortal.

  Opening the carotid arteries of the vamp in front of him, Aidan spun and blocked the swing of the vampire behind him. The vampire howled in fury when Aidan rid him of his weapon. Drawing two more daggers, the vamp leapt forward.

  Aidan swung.

  The vampire’s head left his shoulders and fell to the ground, his body toppling after it.

  Two down.

  His swords flashed as two vampires attacked him, one from the left and one from the right.

  Two more down.

  Bodies began to clutter the ground around them as Ethan slew another vampire, then another.

  Aidan took out a vampire that tried to attack Ethan from behind, then stood with his back to the younger immortal’s, guarding him and slaying vampires at the same time.

  As Aidan’s last opponent fell, he turned to help Ethan. Ethan spun at the same time.

  They met each other’s gaze, then looked around.

  No vampires remained standing.

  “Are you okay?” Aidan asked, unable to tell if any of the blood that stained Ethan’s shirt was his own.

  Ethan nodded, breathing heavily. “Just a few flesh wounds. You?”

  “I’m good.” He had only incurred a few nicks, and those had already begun to heal. He glanced at the sedated vampires sprawled on the sidewalk a few yards away. “Let’s—”

  Pain struck, so intense it felt as though someone had pressed a power drill to his right temple and was doing his damnedest to bore a hole clear through to the other side.

  Crying out, Aidan dropped his weapons and clutched his head.

  Dana released a sigh of relief as the last vampire fell to the ground. The battle was over, and Aidan and Ethan had emerged the victors. They also appeared unscathed. Good.

  She backed away from the edge.

  Heather smiled at her. “See, I told you they’d be fine.”

  “I know. I just—”

  Aidan cried out.

  Dana’s head whipped around. Easing back to the edge, she peered below.

  Aidan bent forward, gripping his head. Ethan did the same.

  Aidan staggered.

  Ethan sank to his knees. Blood began to trail from his eyes and ears.

  “Oh shit,” Heather breathed and reached inside her coat.

  A loud crack split the night, like the sound of a large rock hitting a tree.

  Heather’s head jerked.

  Dana jumped as warm wet liquid slapped the side of her face.

  Then Heather slumped forward.

  Lunging toward her with a cry, Dana grabbed the back of her coat as Heather tumbled off the roof.

  Heather’s weight yanked Dana down to her knees, then onto her stomach. Dana shoved her free hand against the curb at the roof’s edge to keep from going over herself. So close.

  Heart pounding, she drew a knee up and braced it against the edge, too. “Heather!” she screamed. Muscles straining, she tried to lift Heather, but just holding on to her was a struggle.

  The fabric in Dana’s grasp was wet with blood that had sprayed from whatever wound Heather had suffered and began to slip from Dana’s grasp. More blood gushed from the back of Heather’s head.

  “No,” Dana gritted, breathing hard as the immortal’s weight pulled at her, luring her farther over the edge. One shoulder and part of Dana’s chest dangled over open air. “Heather!” Her muscles trembled. The fabric slipped a little more. “Please,” she sobbed.

  Then Heather slid from her grasp.

  Dana’s horrified gaze clung to the other woman as Heather fell eight stories to land with a sickening thud on the ground.

  Tears blurring her vision, Dana scrambled to her knees and looked at Aidan.

  He writhed on the ground now, blood painting the skin below his nose, eyes, and ears.

  Beside him, Ethan convulsed.

  Her breath coming in panicked gasps, Dana stood and—with shaking hands—dragged her cell phone out of her pocket.

  Before she could call Seth, the phone leapt from her grasp and disappeared behind her.

  She spun around.

  Her heart stopped.

  A man as tall as Seth stood behind her, his chest bare. Long black hair moved with the breeze and blended with the huge dark wings spread behind him.

  Clutching her cell phone in one hand, he smiled. “Hello, bait.”

  Aidan jerked awake. Bright light blinded him. Panic rose, kicking his heartbeat into a gallop. “Dana!” He lunged upward.

  Hands clutched his shoulders and tried to restrain him.

  “Hold him down! Hold him down!” a male with a British accent shouted.

  Aidan fought them with all his might until faces swam into view.

  Familiar faces.

  He slowed, breathing hard, and surveyed his surroundings. Or tried to.

  A sea of black encircled him, the clothing of his concerned brethren.

  Bastien and Melanie. Roland and Sarah. Marcus. David. And Brodie.

  Again he tried to rise. “Where’s Dana? And Ethan and Heather?”

  “Easy,” David said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

  Aidan’s rapid heartbeat slowed. His choppy breaths lengthened and became less ragged. But his panic did not recede. He couldn’t see Dana. Where was she? Where was he?

  He glanced down. He sat on what appeared to be a gurney. Blood seeped from the bend of his arm where he had inadvertently yanked out an IV tube. But the ceiling above him, the lights and the walls he caught glimpses of when his friends shifted, did not look like the network’s medical facilities. Nor did they resemble those in the infirmary at David’s home.

  “Lie back and let me finish,” David coaxed.

  Finish what? Aidan shook his head. “Where’s Dana?”

  “Do as I say and let me finish healing you,” David commanded. Though he spoke softly, his tone advised Aidan not to refuse.

  Worry pounding him even more than the pain in his head, Aidan lay back.

  David cupped Aidan’s head and closed his eyes. Warmth blossomed in those large hands, transferring itself to Aidan and diminishing the throbbing in his temples.

  Minutes passed, feeling more like hours.

  Aidan fidgeted anxiously, his mind racing. What exactly had happened? Everything seemed fuzzy. He had been… fighting vampires with Ethan. And they had defeated them all, hadn’t they?

  It took a frustratingly long time to recall that yes, they had defeated the vampires. Then… he remembered nothing but pain.

  Had they not defeated the vampires after all? Had one snuck up behind him and gotten in a lucky strike?

  What about Dana? Was she all right? Was she safe?

  David opened his eyes. His hands cooled. He sighed as he stepped back. “All right. The damage was extensive, but I believe I’ve healed it all. How do you feel?”

  Aidan sat up. “Where’s Dana?”

  The immortals encircling him shared a grim look.

  Brodie cleared his throa
t. “We believe Gershom took her.”

  Icy fear clawed at him. “And Heather? Ethan? Are they okay?”

  Bodies shifted, parting like double doors swinging open. And Aidan discovered with a great deal of surprise that he was in Chris Reordon’s boardroom at network headquarters.

  Several Seconds sat at the long table, the laptop computers in front of them casting a bluish tint to their features. On the other side of the table, two more gurneys similar to Aidan’s bore Ethan and Heather.

  Seth leaned over Ethan, his eyes closed, his hands bearing a golden glow as they cupped Ethan’s head. Lisette stood beside them, nose red, nibbling her thumbnail as tears streamed down her cheeks. An IV hanging beside her fed blood into Ethan’s veins.

  Zach leaned over Heather much like Seth, his eyes closed, brow furrowed in concentration. His hands also bore an unearthly golden glow where they clasped Heather’s head.

  Both unconscious immortals looked pale as death.

  Aidan checked every face in the room. With the exception of Alena Moreno and Scott Henderson, everyone who had been present at the last meeting in David’s home was there. Everyone but Dana.

  Even little Adira slept in Ami’s arms over on the sofa Cliff and Emma had occupied earlier.

  Aidan swung his legs over the side of the gurney and rose. Dizziness struck, an indication that he needed more blood.

  He staggered.

  Brodie grabbed him by the arm to steady him.

  Aidan nodded to Ethan and Heather. “What happened?”

  David spoke. “When Chris’s cleanup crew arrived on the scene, they found you and Ethan unconscious on the ground, bleeding from your eyes, nose, and ears. Three sedated vampires lay several yards away. What was left of the dozen or so you had slain littered the ground around you.” He motioned to Heather. “They found Heather at the base of Davis Library. Something had struck her from behind with such force that it laid open her head and caused a great deal of damage to her skull and brain.”

  Aidan’s concern increased. Brain injuries were extremely difficult to heal. Even Seth could not heal all brain injuries, which was why he had been unable to prevent Cliff from slowly losing his sanity.

  “Zach is still struggling to repair the damage,” David informed him.

  Aidan swallowed hard as he stared at the young woman. Heather had been on that roof at his behest. He had asked her to stay and protect Dana. What would that cost her if Zach could only partially heal her?

  “You and Ethan suffered severe brain damage as well,” David continued. “With you, it was as though someone took a sledgehammer to your mental barriers, then—once those barriers toppled—just kept swinging the hammer willy-nilly, wrecking anything in its path. Fortunately, you’re an elder and a powerful healer with stronger regenerative abilities that aided me in repairing the damage. Ethan, however, is not faring so well.”

  “What do you mean?” Aidan asked.

  “Ethan’s brain is wired differently. Even something as simple as navigating it to read his thoughts is tricky. So Seth is having difficulty healing him and repairing the damage.”

  Aidan caught David’s eye. Can Seth save him? he asked telepathically, not wanting Lisette or Ed to hear.

  We aren’t certain, David responded in kind. Seth has kept him alive thus far, but Ethan may be… changed… if Seth is unable to make all necessary repairs.

  Changed. “And Dana?” Aidan asked aloud.

  David hesitated. “The cleanup crew didn’t find her, so we believe Gershom took her.”

  Gershom had Dana. And nine of the gifted ones Gershom had taken had been found dead.

  “Was there anything on the roof to indicate she had been injured?” Aidan forced himself to ask.

  Bastien moved closer. “No. When we heard what happened, Melanie and I asked Richart to teleport us to the scene. We found no trace of her blood on the roof. Nor did we smell it anywhere on campus. I examined the marks on the roof myself. And it looked as though Dana damned near threw herself off it trying to save Heather, then was teleported away by someone she struggled with briefly.”

  The images that filled Aidan’s mind then sent fury flinging its way through him.

  While he had been unconscious on the ground, Dana had been fighting for her life. She had needed him and he hadn’t been there for her. Now Gershom had her. What the hell were they going to do?

  “How long have I been out?” he gritted.

  “Hours,” Bastien told him.

  Across the room, Heather’s eyes flew open. “Oh shit,” she whispered, then lunged upright. “Seth!” She started to fumble in her pockets, then stopped as she seemed to forget what she’d intended to do.

  Ed hurried to her side as others flowed toward her.

  Heather looked around with wild eyes. “What happened? Where’s Ethan? Is he okay? I was going to call Seth, but I can’t remember why, just that Ethan needed him…” She trailed off as Ed took her hands. Her eyes met his, took in his grave expression and filled with tears. “No. No, no, no. Don’t say it. Please, don’t say it, Ed.”

  “He’s alive,” her Second told her.

  Her throat worked in swallow. Her eyes acquired a bright amber glow. “But?”

  “He’s in bad shape,” Ed said, his hoarse voice telling her without further words that the wounds Ethan had suffered could not be healed with a simple blood infusion.

  “Where is he?” she asked.

  Ed helped her off the gurney and guided her to Ethan’s side.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  When she reached out to take Ethan’s hand, Ed stopped her. “You can’t. Not while Seth is trying to heal him.”

  The word trying seemed to hit Heather like a kick in the gut. She gripped Ed’s hand. “We were at UNC. I remember his eyes and nose bleeding. Did Gershom fuck with his brain?”

  “Yes,” Ed confirmed. “Seth is doing what he can to heal him.”

  More tears dampened her cheeks as she glanced around. “Aidan and Dana were there, weren’t they? Are they okay?”

  Aidan leaned to one side so she could see him. “I’m okay, Heather.”

  The crease in her brow relaxed just a bit when she saw he was all right. She searched the crowd around them, then met his gaze. “Where’s Dana?”

  He drew in a deep breath. “Gershom took her.”

  “Oh no.” Hurrying across the room, she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she cried, her tears dampening his shirt. “I can’t remember all of it, but I think it was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough and didn’t—”

  Aidan patted her back. “It wasn’t your fault, Heather. If with anyone, the fault lies with me. I expected Gershom to attack us as he did before, by posing as Seth and striking with words and swords. But he didn’t. He again played the magician Sheldon named him. He distracted us with a standard vampire attack, then blindsided us while our guard was down.”

  “But he has Dana,” she sobbed. “And Ethan is…”

  Aidan hugged her tight, murmuring soothing sounds he thought woefully inadequate. “Ethan is a fighter. And Seth is the most powerful healer on the planet. Let’s wait and see what the two of them can do before we jump ahead to grieving. Okay?”

  She nodded. But he could hear all the terrifying what-ifs swirling around in her mind.

  The boardroom door opened.

  Chris Reordon strode in, a laptop tucked under one arm. Closing the door behind him, he wound his way over to the head of the table. “Everyone take a seat.”

  Aidan guided Heather over to the closest chairs. “Why are we here?” he asked Chris. “Why aren’t we at David’s?”

  Chris set his laptop down and seated himself. “Because the walls, ceiling, and floor of this room are packed with so much soundproofing that even Seth can’t hear what’s spoken in here if he’s outside that door. This is the only place I feel confident that Gershom can’t eavesdrop if he tries.”

  The chairs around the table rapidly filled. Ma
rcus seated himself on the sofa beside Ami and Adira.

  “Seth,” Chris said, “are you okay with my proceeding, or would you like me to wait?”

  “Go ahead,” he answered, his eyes closed.

  Chris looked to Aidan. “How are you feeling?”

  “Scared out of my mind,” Aidan admitted. “That fucker Gershom has Dana.”

  A dark figure abruptly appeared at the far end of the room beside the sofa.

  Aidan glanced over at him and found a mirror image of Seth.

  An alarm began to blare, wonk wonk wonking as Aidan and the other immortals all leapt to their feet.

  Adira jerked awake and began to wail.

  Aidan reached for his weapons, only to realize he no longer had any. His brethren did, however, and swiftly drew them.

  The man threw up his hands as his form shifted into that of Jared. “Easy,” he said. “I’m friend, not foe. Seth can confirm it.”

  “He’s a friend,” Seth said, opening his eyes.

  Ami nodded as she patted Adira’s back. “He’s not Gershom.”

  Adira’s cries quieted to whimpers.

  Chris murmured something into a walkie-talkie.

  The alarm ceased. But Aidan’s ears continued to ring.

  “Were you able to track him?” Seth asked Jared.

  “No,” he answered, the picture of regret. “Too much time had passed before you summoned me. The trail was too faint. I tried to follow it anyway but couldn’t locate him.”

  Roland scowled at him. “Why did you look like Seth just now?”

  Jared lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. “The Others don’t know I’ve joined your fight. They think I’m still treading their path. I assumed Seth’s appearance while I tried to follow Gershom so they wouldn’t learn the truth.”

  The immortals present all looked to Seth, then slowly retook their seats.

  Skillet’s “Monster” disrupted the quiet.

  Seth didn’t open his eyes. “Zach.”

  A cell phone leapt from Seth’s pocket and flew into Zach’s hand. “Seth’s phone,” he answered. “Zach speaking.”

  “It’s General Lane,” a man announced in an urgent whisper. “I’m in a bind and could use your help.”

  Heather gasped.