Heart of Darkness bbm-1

by Lauren Dane

  They approached from the side and soon they’d split up to flank the warehouse. He shielded her from his body for as long as they could. Wishing, again, that she was home and very far away from this mess.

  Meriel would go in as bait. They’d all agreed though Dominic had argued he was just as good. He’d been overruled and wanted to punch someone, but she’d talked him down.

  He turned to her when they reached the spot where she’d split off from the rest of the group and approach the warehouse directly, in plain view.

  “You will be careful. I mean it, Meriel. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Watch your ass. I’m going to need rescuing soon.” She kissed him quickly and waited for the time they’d need to get into place before she came out into full view and began to approach the warehouse.

  MERIEL knew she should have been afraid. But she wasn’t. It would be over soon and she’d walk away the winner.

  “Hold it there,” someone called out from the shadows. She could see the sickness in him from where she stood, though she wasn’t sure if it was so visible because he was so stuck, or because she was so much stronger now that she held the seat.

  “I am Clan Owen, come to send you from our land.” Somewhere out there in the dark, she knew Nell was grinning at that one. She’d made up the line and dared Meriel to use it. It sounded good so she did. “You are outlaw and in violation of Owen rules. You have five minutes to vacate or your lives are forfeit. That means I get to kill you if you don’t leave, just in case I wasn’t clear.”

  “Bring her in and let’s get this over with.”

  Not Gloria. This had to be the other turned witch. He was stronger, not as far gone as his partner.

  She walked forward and through the doors but they remained opened, though two humans at her back tried in vain to close them.

  “Just close them for her!” Gloria’s shrill voice sounded as she stomped into view.

  Meriel took a long look and was not impressed. She turned to the male who’d had her brought in to start with. “Let me guess, that shot-out bitch over there with the big bags under her eyes and three inches of roots must be Gloria. I feel as if I should say something witty. But I’m too pissed off.”

  Someone tried to drain her; she felt the tendrils of that dark sludge getting closer, but she reflected it back. “You have really bad manners. Now, time’s a-tickin’. You all need to be scurrying away.”

  “Says who? The woman who actually showed up alone to a meeting with someone like Gloria?” One of the mages sneered.

  She raised her hand and the human who’d been running at her was blown backward against the wall. “And just so you know, I get to defend myself against humans who try to harm me.” He got up, limping a little. “Now we don’t have to worry about any misunderstandings.”

  “She said you were strong. I can see that. I hope the knowledge that you’re going to be feeding me, and her, for some time will be of a comfort.”

  She’d been so focused on the magickal attacks she hadn’t been ready for the physical one. The crack sounded and then she listed sideways a little and fell to her knees.

  Meriel just looked at him for long moments. “Ouch! You shot me!”

  And then a roar behind her as Dominic stormed in and the human who’d shot her crumpled to the ground.

  “You all right?” Dominic called to her as he avoided a magical attack. Mages, any non-witch in general, could build up and use magic. Magic did not come from the person wielding it. It was often stolen or dark rites were used to gain more. It was easily used and spent just as quickly.

  Witches had magick, an energy that was part of their compostion. It was power that came to the holder naturally through years of practice and time as well as natural gifts and talent level.

  Blood, sticky and warm, flowed with each beat of her heart against the spot on her side where she pressed her hand. She realized he didn’t know she’d been shot, hadn’t heard what she’d said to the jackwagon who’d shot her. “I’ll be fine.” She felt her side and found the exit wound. Straight through.

  A nearby mage went on the offensive and she grabbed hold of his spell and yanked. He fell to his knees as she bent it and turned it back on him using the spell Edwina had shown Dominic and that he’d further enhanced to create the feedback loop. Already unstable because it wasn’t his magic to use to start with, it broke easily, conforming to Meriel’s intent.

  Nell stalked in and dragged him away by the back of his collar. She didn’t ask where. Didn’t want to know.

  Fighting broke out in earnest. Dominic had told her to stay back and safe and she did it. Her vision was a little spotty as she continued to work her magick from where she’d leaned against a far wall, sheltered by an old metal desk.

  ALSO, Nell told her that if she got into the middle of things she’d kick Meriel’s ass. She was the leader now, she had responsibilities to stay safe and let the others do their job.

  That and she was bleeding. A lot. She remembered her first-aid training and focused inward. She found the wound, a bright, red spot of pain in her othersight. Best as she could, she knit what she could back together and built a sphere of protection around it. It wouldn’t cure her, but it would hopefully slow the bleeding.

  What normally would have taken a great deal of her time and a lot of magick was done easily and quickly. The magick from the font had amped her power up considerably. She had no compunction about siphoning all the excess energy from those in the room who meant to cause harm. And weakening them was just another benefit.

  Meriel kept the mages from draining anyone as Nell’s team cleaned up.

  Dominic walked back into view, the power arcing off him. Meriel widened her eyes. Her man was fierce and beautiful and he’d had enough of this nonsense.

  He turned to where she’d crouched and narrowed his gaze. The magick still flowed strong between them. But she was hurt and sooner or later he’d figure out just how hurt.

  One of the mages took a run at him and Dominic turned. As if in slow motion, he cocked his fist and rammed it into the other man’s face so hard he stiffened like a board and keeled straight over. Another jumped on Dominic’s back, knocking him down. Meriel couldn’t risk the spell hitting Dominic and not his attacker so she made ready to run over there and cast the spell up close.

  Only like some sort of scene from a movie, Dominic stood and actually threw the guy off his back and against a nearby wall.

  Dominic straightened and turned again, this time to face Meriel. Something wasn’t right. When he used his othersight on her, he saw the bloom of red on her side and nearly lost his mind.

  “Meriel Owen!” he boomed, stalking over. Something or someone made to stop him and automatically, he shot out a spell, knocking whoever it was away.

  “You said you were all right.” He crouched, shielding her with his body.

  Sweaty and pale, but fully conscious.

  “Hey, I am all right. I’ll heal. Now go! Your back is to the room.”

  Alarm raced through his system. “You’ve been shot. I’m getting you out of here.”

  “No, you aren’t. They need us. The other turned witch is powerful. I’m not leaving and you’re not either. I’m going to be fine. The bleeding stopped. The bullet passed through. Just hurry up and stomp this shit down so I can take a nap.”

  His hands shook as he touched her face. He fought with himself. She was right of course, things were hot just then and they were needed. But she was hurt.

  “Look at me with your othersight. My magick is flowing, our bond is strong. I’m going to be fine and you can wait on me hand and foot when this is over. I promise. Go! We’re here. Let’s win. Go, team, go.”

  He groaned and kissed her hard, felt the sting of magic against his shields.

  “I’m going to take care of this. You don’t move.”

  He got up and scanned the room, not moving far from Meriel. He’d get this done and get her out of there.

  Ah, there she
was, her signature a slight echo of his. Enough to make his stomach turn to think on it.

  “Gloria Ochoa, show yourself. You are in the presence of The Owen. You are in violation of our laws.”

  She stumbled forward and he saw how bad off she truly was. “Son! How I’ve worried about you.” She turned big cow eyes and a trembling bottom lip in his direction as if they’d work. “They took you from me.”

  She moved closer and he put a hand out to stay her, not wanting her anywhere near Meriel.

  At his left Gage hustled a mage out and Nell dragged a human that didn’t look so good.

  Dominic curled his lip.

  “So worried you let a dark energy into my magick? I’ve had more than enough of your version of care, thanks, but no.”

  “Don’t let her fool you! It was her.” She pointed and … damn it, Meriel moved to his side and took his hand. He gave her a narrow-eyed glare that she chose to ignore, stubborn woman.

  “I had to get you away from the clan witches. The possession spell was for your own good. Don’t you see that?”

  Dark, sticky magic pulsed from Gloria. Dominic blocked it.

  “Give yourself over to my people and we can end it quietly.” Nell stood nearby. “You’ll be ours one way or another.”

  “So you’ll just kill me? No way. I can tell you things. Things that will help you find other mages. There’s a whole movement. They want to expose you.”

  “Where’s the other one? The male?” Meriel asked Gage quietly.

  “We’ve got a few in custody. One is dead.”

  “There was another turned witch, like her. Only stronger. He’d been turned a shorter time. Make sure.”

  “I’ll double-check.”

  There was a loud crack and a creaking sound that brought the hair on his arms to stand. Something very bad filled the warehouse. Dominic watched in horror as Gloria began to call a gate. He brought his fist down onto his palm as he shouted, “Seal the doorway!” and shoved the full force of his magick at her. The gate slammed shut and Meriel stumbled a little, following up with her magick to seal the circle and contain the spirit Gloria had called. Trapping Gloria inside with whatever energies had already transferred through the gate.

  The energy pulsing through him was so massive he was sure that if he’d felt this way even a month before he wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Edwina had told him just a few hours before that the font, the clan, was a sword and a shield. As the magickal energies swirled through him, giving him more strength and stamina, making his intent more concrete, he believed it because he felt it. Connected to so much with this woman at his side.

  He did, however, plan to kick her sweet little ass when she recovered.

  She leaned into him and he shifted to put an arm around her and brace her.

  “I’m all right,” she whispered. But she didn’t really look it. Pale and sweaty, he needed to get her medical help very soon.

  Gloria choked back a shocked cry. She fell to her knees and the darkness she’d called swirled around her. She’d called something and it demanded life force for its payment. It couldn’t get to anyone outside the circle so it began to consume her.

  There was no telling the level of destruction it would cause if it got free of the bonds Gloria had given it when she pulled it from the lower realms. “If I pull the circle open, the spirit can get free. We can’t take the risk. I’m sorry.”

  Dominic had to fight his instinct to turn Meriel away from the horror. Her features were set as she concentrated to hold the circle closed. Around them Nell’s team engaged and then took out all the remaining mages and humans.

  And yet, injured and dealing with a mess his mother had created, she worried for him.

  “Don’t be. You haven’t done anything to be sorry for.”

  “What the hell? Meriel!” Nell approached, her gaze on Meriel. She met Dominic’s eyes for a moment. “I can end this for her.”

  She meant his mother.

  Meriel didn’t say anything, letting him make the choice.

  He nodded. There’d been enough suffering. It was time to end it.

  Nell turned and spoke. There was a flash and then the stink of ozone and an empty circle.

  “She’s been shot.”

  Gage hurried over and Nell turned to address him. “Get your mother to my house right now. Meriel’s been shot. Have someone bring a car up here.”

  “On it.” He left again.

  “Your house? Hell no! I’m taking her to the ER.” Dominic picked Meriel up and she didn’t argue, resting her head on his chest. A quiet Meriel who didn’t argue was one that worried him.

  She patted his arm. “Can’t go to hospital with a gunshot wound. Gage’s mom’s a doctor. It’s fine.”

  “Fine? This is far from fucking fine. Someone shot you. That’s not fine. It’s not.”

  Nell carefully interjected. “She’s pulled bullets out of me before. She’s good at her job and I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I didn’t think Meriel would be taken care of this way. But she’s right, we can’t take her to the ER or the police will be called and then what?”

  “We can’t expose the clan unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s not.”

  With a growl of annoyance, he got her outside. If they were going on this fool’s errand, he wanted it done as fast as possible.

  “Loyalty to the clan doesn’t mean being stupid,” he muttered, putting her down gently as the car approached. Nell bent and rustled through a first aid kit.

  “It’s our clan now. You know it’s not stupid.” Meriel gasped when Nell wrapped her wound tight.

  The sound tore at him. “Let’s move this along then. You did your part. The longer we stand here, the longer you have a bullet hole in you.”

  Arel jogged up and jolted when he saw Meriel. “The other turned witch is gone. We’re searching. Can I assist?” He looked from Meriel to Dominic.

  Meriel stood a little taller. “Take care of the search. Nell, give me your keys and call William to let him know we’re coming so a bunch of bloody witches don’t surprise him. And then clean this up. My blood, I’m sorry but there’s a lot of blood where I was standing.”

  Nell exhaled hard, clearly torn between one duty and another.

  She handed the keys over to Dominic. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. The survivors have been taken into our custody. Everyone but the male is accounted for.”

  “I expect you know how to conduct some questioning. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I want you at these interrogations.” Meriel winced and swallowed hard and then swayed.

  Gage came roaring up in the car and threw his door open, scrambling out to get the other so Dominic could help her.

  “I’m going to get blood on your seat.”

  “I’ll bill you.”

  He ran around to the other side. “This better work, Nell. If it doesn’t, I’m taking her to a hospital; I don’t care about the rest. Get this place cleaned up before the early shift shows up for the other businesses and we get the cops called.”

  Chapter 30

  HE sped out of the warehouse trying to keep it steady. He knew every pothole must have hurt.

  “Keep with me, Meriel. Stay awake.”

  “You were totally badass,” she said. “I’m not going to die you know. It hurts. I can’t lie. But if the bullet had gone a little to the left, it’d have hit my stomach and we’d have a whole different conversation.”

  He groaned. “These are words I wish you would never, ever say in conversation again. Your job is to run the clan, not to get shot by fucking thugs. Piece of shit, I wish I could kill him twice. These people, Meriel, what could make them hate so much that they’d willingly go out to hurt others?”

  He’d seen a lot of violence, but these humans doing the bidding of criminals like Gloria made no sense. Their hatred at what they didn’t understand was staggering. Their willingness to hunt, kidnap and aid the mages in killing astounded him.

  “People fear what
they don’t understand.”

  “Sounds like Simon when he’s talking about how witches should come out to the humans.”

  “He’s probably right. But when they find out about us they shoot us. It’s an update on the burnings and drownings.”

  He sighed. Not like he could argue. But he knew she understood the world was shrinking every day. It still wasn’t a conversation for that moment.

  There was a balance to driving fast very late at night. Too fast and he’d get pulled over and then they’d really be fucked. But it was empty enough so there was no need to crawl along either. He pushed away his impatience to get her there.

  She reached out and took his hand. He looked down for a brief moment, her fingers still bloody, tangled with his. He’d made the clan safer but she’d been shot. He hadn’t made her safer.

  “I can feel you trying to blame yourself in that head of yours. Stop it. You didn’t shoot me. In fact, if I remember correctly, you took care of the guy who did. And then you went all superhero and punched a bunch of people and you used your magick. It’s pretty impressive and sexy. So stop blaming yourself.

  “I should have protected you.”

  “You did. Don’t you see? Gloria and those mages were a threat to me. They aren’t now. I’m here because of you in so many ways.” She snorted and then whimpered.

  “I don’t know what I’d do—”

  “Don’t.” She squeezed his hand. “Not gonna happen. You’re stuck with me.”

  He tried not to turn too hard onto Nell’s street. The house was at the end of a good-sized drive and at the top several cars already waited.

  “Shit, that’s my mother’s car.”

  “Of course. You know she and Abe would be here. Sit still, I’ll be around to get you.”

  William rushed out, followed by Abe. They stood back while Dominic pulled her from the car and carried her into the house.