Adley reached the vampire just as Eve moved. She grabbed her neck and lashed out with her feet, kicking Edric squarely on the jaw. That’s my girl, Adley thought, keep fighting Eve. Just… keep… fighting.
Edric hissed and reached for her shirt, jerking her upper body off the floor as though she’d been stuffed with cotton. Adley saw the clenched fist a second before Eve’s neck snapped back. The crunch of bones shattered something inside him. Her body—and his soul—went limp.
Adley’s vision darkened at the edges. He howled with rage, rearing onto his knees in one last, desperate attack and fell on top of the vampire using fists, teeth, anything he had left. His rage and hate wasn’t enough and he was tossed into the wall like he was nothing more than a piece of waded paper. The crack of his head impacting with the kitchen wall and sent shock waves throughout his body as the room darkened around him.
When Adley came to, he stared at the ceiling which now hovered at an odd angle. Pain flared like fire when he tried to focus.
Slowly, the room sharpened. The first thing he saw was blonde hair. His Eve was dead. He knew without touching her. No one could survive those injuries. Her throat was missing, only shredded flesh remained. Her shirt had been ripped open and her bra pulled down, exposing her breasts. He closed his eyes, pleading for death. He no longer pleaded with God to survive, as he’d had done many times before. He wanted to let go, to slip away and find her again, on the other side.
The whimpering cry of his son kept him here. The reedy wail anchored him to this moment, and to his pain. His bellows escalated, filling the room. He wanted to move, he wanted to try, but he had nothing left. He watched helplessly as Edric loomed over his son and gripped the baby by his arm, dangled him like a yo-yo.
I failed them… Movement from the doorway to his right caught Adley’s eye. The biggest man he’d ever seen charged in, and behind him, a tiny woman in black followed.
The tiny woman in black moved so fast he had trouble tracking her movements. She stopped before Edric. Adley opened his mouth to warn her, but before he could she whipped a blade from behind her back and slashed at the air. His son was dropped. His little arms reached out to find only air. The big man leapt and hit the ground with a thud, catching his son.
Adley caught the assassin in black glance toward his son and then to his Eve. She had the eyes of a killer, cold and calculating—like Edric Hasting. Her blade cut through the vampire like air. Blood flew into the air as the assassin moved like a Japanese ribbon dancer. Edric Hasting screamed and clutched at his body until she drove that white blade through his chest and out the other side. Adley wanted to smile, he wanted to laugh as Edric stilled. But all he could do was sigh, there was nothing left to fight for—the murderer Edric Hasting was finally dead. The assassin withdrew the blade from his body. Adley could only stare as the vampire broke apart and crumbled to the floor like ash. He closed his eyes for a moment—or forever—he didn’t know. Voices pulled Adley from his slumber. He caught a word here and there. “Is the human woman gone?” Adley opened his eyes to watch the man kneel beside Eve, and then turn toward him.
“This one is still alive,” the stranger growled, moving toward him. “Do we bring him with us?”
The man towered over the tiny woman and held out his son. “Here you take the… baby and I’ll take the human.”
She shook her head and backed away, staring at his son as though he was dangerous. Adley tried to lick his lips, tried to beg her… please take him….
“Kali, you can’t carry the human… what if you hurt him?”
The assassin glanced over her shoulder at Adley and then back to his son. Adley shivered. He could feel his soul grow restless inside of him, wanting to leave this world for another existence. The tiny woman reached out and took his son, holding him as though he were made of glass.
“Bring him.” Adley heard her say and his body was lifted into the air. His arm fell out of the man’s grasp, and he reached for his Eve as they passed. Her vacant eyes stared up to Heaven.
Tears slid down his face as the stranger carried him from the house. The glare from the sun was too harsh. He closed them, and a moment later, the sound of the rotor blades filled the air. The sun cut in and out, the light flickering against his lids. He opened his eyes and watched the blades turn. The motor grew in pitch and the blades moved faster, spinning until they were a blur, just like the attack had been. Adley tried not to think, not to feel, but there was nothing for him here in this world. He stared at the blades, the steel sharp, fast. His death would be quick.
The man cradled him tighter against his body and he felt so small. Adley tried to speak, but there were no words worth saying. The only word that waited was stuck inside him, like a stopper for his soul. Eve.
The man who held him looked down. Pain echoed through his sky-blue eyes. His mouth moved as the stranger spoke, words that were snatched away with the roar of the motor. But Adley caught enough by the movement of his lips. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry you lost your mate.”
Chapter 37
Grimm
GRIMM CLENCHED THE human to his chest. The smell of blood and charred flesh triggered his wolf, but his inner beast was tamed by the sorrow he felt. The human was in a bad way, drifting in and out of consciousness as they carried him from the building.
If not for the moment he’d cried out for his mate, Grimm would’ve thought he’d be past the point of saving.
Kali sat across from him, cradling the reason they were here, the angel Azrael. Death and destruction hid inside his tiny fingers, fingers wrapped around the destructress herself. It looked surreal watching them, knowing what they were, and for a second Grimm felt as though this had been written.
The message Rashda had left was haunting him and his wolf wanted to acknowledge in kind. Spoken by the star child, the message was delivered with soft, careful words. But the message itself was anything but. The beginning of the end has come. And it has come down to us, once again. A half-breed vampire is in danger of changing the prophecy. You must stop this. Find the angel Azrael and bring him back here, alive. Do what you can for the others, but sacrifice all for Azrael. Be safe, my Family. I shall not be far away.
Kali hadn’t spoken a word since they heard the message. It seemed, as always, the words were for her more than anyone else. Grimm looked out of the helicopter; the vibrant pink and orange sky was too perfect for the horror he’d witnessed. The sun burned red in mourning, much like the human he cradled.
For the first time in a long time, he planned to let his wolf run. He’d denied himself his animal form far too long. He was born into this world through sacrifice. The way of the wolf was through strength, determination, and above all, knowing who he truly was. He’d been running from his true nature, hoping somehow he could change who he was. He realized now, he couldn’t.
There was another lycan out there who felt the call of the moon. He was determined to find her. His Mistress called to him and he found her high in the sky, eager for the night to be hers once more. The mountain rose, and he growled in anticipation of the hunt, the scent of the wilderness thick and heady.
“Easy,” said Kali, bringing his attention back to the present. “Give the human to Jinx. He’ll take him to Harmony. You need to run, wolf.”
He tightened his arms around the human and dropped his head to look at the man. He’d passed out not long after taking off, and Grimm was glad. He somehow felt an attachment this human. He, too, fought the vampires. But Kali was right, Grimm needed to run. He needed to hunt… he needed his wolf.
The helicopter touched down with a jolt. Grimm held the man carefully as they exited. Jinx reached for the man in his arms.
The vampire looked awkward. “Be careful with him, vampire.” Grimm stepped back, his shirt sticking to his skin from the human’s blood. “Make sure she heals him, you understand me?”
Jinx nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
Harmony’s blood was so pure, a drop or two would heal this human�
�s body, just not his heart—that would have to heal on its own. Grimm peeled off the bloody shirt and threw it onto the ground. The sky was already darkening and he could feel his wolf’s impatience.
Kali cradled the tiny angel against her and strode past only grab his arm at the last minute. “Don't be going too far now wolf. You wouldn't want to find yourself all alone and in trouble.”
Her words were a reminder of all the times she’d saved him. He nodded. Tears filled his eyes. The bush called to him, the scent and the sounds. Grimm left the others back at the helicopter. His tears slid down his cheek as an insight, so profound, fought through to the surface. Why had this taken him so long to understand?
Family wasn’t forged by bloodlines, a name, or entitlement. Kin were those who shared the endless, dark nights and lonely days. They were the ones who stood by your side in battle. Who fought your demons with you, and sometimes, for you. Whether they were real, or not. Family were the ones who found you, even if you were the one who found them. His family might not be lycan. They might not share his same blood. But they were family just the same.
They were his family.
Chapter 38
God
VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD Gordon smiled at the First Lady. He patted her arm and leaned close, whispering, “Will you excuse me for a moment. I am feeling a little off color.”
Courteous as always, he waited for the concern to filter through. Her eyes lost her usual sparkle, and her brow narrowed as she turned her full attention to him. “Are you okay, Richard? Would you like me to get the doctor?”
He held his breath, holding back the scream trapped inside his throat. Control was the key. He exhaled slowly and smiled. “No, it’s fine. A little too much of the lobster, I’m afraid.”
The President, who stood surrounded by suits and glamorous women, laughed. The sound was rich, baritone, and infectious. The Vice President gave a quick wave, catching the President’s eyes and motioned he was leaving.
Echoing his wife’s concern, the President mouthed, Everything okay? Richard smiled and nodded, urging the President back to his conversation. It was almost four am, and the function had ended long ago. The hanger-on’s were the only ones left, eager to get one last drink and one last moment with The President of the United States. The Secret Service agent followed him as he headed toward the glass doors, until he held up his hand, stopping him.
“I just need a walk in the fresh air, Mike. Can you hang back on this one?”
His agent nodded and lifted his hand to his mouth. Richard left him and striding past the agent manning the door. “Would you like me to get the car, Mr. Vice President?”
“No.” He snapped, and then calmed himself. “Just, give me a moment, will you?”
The agent nodded and reached for the door. His curt response was pre-programmed from years of training, making the agent more detached, while Richard had spent his life trying to be more human. “We have the perimeter safely surrounded. We’ll be watching, sir.”
Richard was in no mood for their pointless guard. He bit back his response, puncturing the soft flesh inside his mouth as his fangs extended. He shivered as he hurtled down the stone steps. By the time he reached the manicured, hedged gardens, he was shaking as the fever took hold.
He didn’t falter as the connection to one of his line was severed. He didn’t utter a single word when all hope of his kind succeeding failed. He ran through every thought, every conversation he’d had with the child killer, like a check list inside his mind—searching for the moment this had all gone to hell.
Mercy had failed him. Her offspring was too weak, and too fucking self-obsessed to do what needed to be done. Richard’s fists shook before he relaxed them, willing his body to calm. If the bitch hadn’t already met her fate, he would’ve ended Mercy himself.
The angel had not only survived, he’d fallen into the hands of a group of rogue immortals called the Family. The survival of Richard’s line rested on his shoulders. It was not only his duty to lead his kind to the forefront of this word—it was his right. This dream, like his kind, was now dead. He only needed to watch it fall apart and turn into ash.
His phone vibrated. He snatched mobile from his pocket and looked at the display—it was blank. He answered.
“You disappoint me. I expected better from you.”
The muscles in Richard’s jaw bulged. He wasn’t used to being on the other end of a reprimand. “I understand. I played my ace and lost. The game is done.”
The silence on the other end felt like a slap. His body shuddered as rage coursed through his veins. There was nothing that could be done. The Family had won.
“The game isn’t done until I say it’s done.”
“Bullshit!” Richard spat and turned, making sure he was still alone. “The child lives, doesn’t he? We’ve failed. All that’s left is to pull back, and ready ourselves for war.”
“It will be a war you will not win, Richard. Your kind will be eradicated and forgotten just as fast. Everything you’ve done will all be for nothing.”
“Maybe I can request a meeting with the Master and the Mistress. I can plead our case.”
“They don’t care about your case,” the caller snarled. “They’re too caught up in the fantasy they lived in. They cannot see that not everything can be manipulated for their own enjoyment.”
Richard was backed into a corner and there was no way out. Being hemmed in was a feeling he didn’t like at all. “Tell me again, why do you care?”
“It is simple really, I don’t care. But, I do offer you a solution if you’re willing listen.”
Hope surged in his chest, but he wasn’t stupid. He thought the situation through carefully. The caller was right, they couldn’t win the war. There were far too many immortals unaccounted for. They’d be wiped out. Richard swallowed and answered. “I’m listening.”
“First, the Family must be destroyed. Find them and kill them all. You will then see the path you have to take and it will take you to your rightful place at the top. That is what you want isn’t it, Richard?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Find the Family, and this time don’t fuck it up. There are no more chances, Richard. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
He nodded, and then realized he hadn’t spoken. The caller continued, as though he had. “Very well, then.”
“Wait! How do I find the Family?”
The caller chuckled and answered. “Tell me something, Richard. Whatever happened to your first wife?”
He hadn’t spoken her name in a hundred years. The thought of her still triggered the beast within him. “Harmony?”
“Mmm, Harmony, what a delicious little morsel she is.”
He answered quickly, his voice raw and gravelling. “Was—Harmony is dead.”
“Is she now?” The seductive tone was filled with the promise of secrets not yet uncovered. “Well, what if I told you, you’re in store for a family reunion of sorts. Although, I don’t think it will be a particularly happy one—for her.”
“She. Is. Alive?” The caller had Richard’s full attention now. His fangs lengthened in response and his body came alive. Memories flooded back, memories of pain and torture. Memories fueled with the desire to control, to own—to possess.
“Can you guess where she’s been hiding? Can you guess who she fights for? Come on. Let me give you a little hint….”
Richard didn’t need a hint. The answer followed on the heels of rage that impaled him like a stake through his heart. “The Family.”
The caller laughed. “Yes, and that’s how you’ll find them. Pure, gentle Harmony. She wasn’t so pure in the end, now was she?”
The call was ended as the sound of footsteps echoed to Richard’s ears and long before the agent found him in the dark. “Excuse me, sir. Your car has arrived to take you home.”
Vice President Richard Gordon nodded, and followed the agent back to the house. His car was waiting, just as the agent instructed, alt
hough tonight he wouldn’t be returning home.
Tonight, he planned to bury the dead.
Epilogue
AN ANGEL SHIMMERED on the horizon. An angel with the most intense, violet eyes Eve had ever seen. And with each breath Eve took, this angel came closer. The guardian smiled. Pain ripped through Eve’s chest. She clutched at her body and screamed.
“It is okay now, Eve.” The angel whispered, stepping closer.
Eve needed to wake from this dream. She needed to get back to something… something she couldn’t quite grasp. The harder she tried to remember, the further the answer moved and this feeling seemed familiar.
“You have done all you can, child. It is time to go.” The spirit moved toward her and as she did, Eve’s thoughts blurred and streaked like a wet window pane.
“Stop. Get away from me.”
The angel stopped moving, hovering just above where she lay. Her violet eyes no longer sparkled.
“I cannot do that. I am sorry, but your time has come.” The angel moved quickly. She swept down and picked Eve up. At that moment everything came flooding back.
Adley. My son.
We were fighting a murderer.
Adley was trying to save me and he was hurt.
God, he was hurt bad.
I need to save him. I need to wake up…
Eve caught a flash of red and turned to look over her shoulder. But she was held steady, the grip around her unyielding.
“You don’t want to do that, Eve.” The angel spoke softly. Her hands—soft, yet firm—touched Eve’s cheek. The compulsion to look back was strong. She had to know what was happening. “You don’t want to see what is down there. Focus on me, Eve. That’s the way. Focus on me.”
The glance back had been no more than a second. But in that second, Eve felt her world crumble. She couldn’t grasp what the image meant, but there was blood everywhere… so much blood.
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 50