Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Not too shabby,” Kale smiled and then winced as the healing cuts split again on his lip.

  “What has she done to you?” Cross looked appalled.

  “You can’t come here to me anymore, Cross.” Kale tried to sit up but his broken body decided that probably wasn’t a good idea. He clutched his side and made do with turning so he could see his brother better.

  “She did this to you because of me, didn’t she? She did this because I got out and now she wants you to help her get me back.”

  Kale saw the anger flash across his brother’s face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Cross. I tried, but she killed her. She killed that poor girl right there.”

  Cross looked where Kale pointed. He knew Cross could see the blood that still stained the floor, Kale could see it too. He could feel Cross inside his head. Getting answers to questions was quicker this way. Kale didn’t object, it was something they used to do all the time as kids.

  “Sybil? Sybil King? She killed her? Why?” Kale could feel the anger radiating from Cross. He needed to make this better, but he didn’t know how.

  “It was my fault. This is all my fault. I lied to her – told her you were dead. I hoped she would just leave you alone if she thought you were dead. She told me what would happen if I lied, but I did it anyway. I thought I could lie to her. That girl died because of me.”

  Cross shook his head. “You listen to me. Tanya killed Sybil, she is the only one who is responsible for that. Do you understand me?”

  Kale didn’t understand. “I tried Cross. I always seem to try and I always fail. I’m sorry. She’s going to make me look for you again. If I don’t do what she tells me, she’ll kill someone else.” Kale looked away. He was ashamed of what he had become. “I wish I could have been more like you. I wish I could have been stronger, braver. You were always the strong one Cross. You were always braver than me. I’m glad you got out.”

  “Stop that. Stop saying good bye to me. We aren’t done here. All our lives you were the one who tried to protect me, Kale. Now it’s my turn.”

  Kale shook his head. He didn’t like the look on Cross’s face. He knew that look. That was look he put on when all hell was about to break lose. Kale was pretty sure he didn’t have it in him to confront hell at the moment. “Let it alone, Cross. You have no idea what she is capable of. Stay safe, stay hidden.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so. Tanya Santiago is responsible for our mother’s death, she kept us isolated and imprisoned, used us, beat us and experimented on us. She took my memories and gave me a lie as a life. You, she manipulated on every imaginable level. She kept us from a family we never knew we had, Kale.” Cross’s face grew serious. “I’m not afraid of Tanya. Not even a little.”

  Kale wasn’t impressed. Cross didn’t know the Tanya he knew. “You should be.”

  Cross turned Kale’s face toward him, his eyes gentle but his voice determined. “You listen to me. I got your back. I’m coming to get you out of here and when I do we are finishing what we started ten years ago. We are both getting out of here. I promise you that.”

  Kale wanted to believe him.

  “Do you understand me? I’m coming for you, don’t you ever doubt that. Don’t you for one second forget that. Stay strong Kale. You aren’t alone.”

  Then Cross was gone.

  You aren’t alone.

  Kale turned to face the wall. His body screamed in protest.

  He sure felt alone.

  Chapter 20

  GABRIEL SAT ON sat on his sofa in his quarters. Niko, Cross’s dog curled up next to him sleeping. He pet her silky ears and opened his eyes. The dog soothed him. Gabriel knew what Tanya had done to Kale. He didn’t approve, but then no one ever asked for or cared about his approval when it came to Cross or Kale. Gabriel told them they could not be controlled. Tanya told him Kale was not a problem, and Cross would be in hand soon enough.

  Gabriel had told Coben and Tanya if they wanted to still study Kale, they needed to kill Cross. That’s what he told them when Cross was in a coma after the boy tried to escape, after he had tried to kill his own son. That’s what he told them when Cross was brought in a few days ago. Cross was dangerous, but no one wanted to listen to him.

  Now Cross was gone and Kale was groundless. A child who worshiped at the shrine of Tanya’s lies. Beating him half to death wasn’t going to garner Kale’s cooperation, all that was going to do was elicit Cross’s wrath. The loyalty his sons had for each other was boundless. The only thing Tanya did right concerning Kale and Cross was keeping them apart. Now that Cross knew Kale was alive nothing would keep him from his brother. Nothing.

  Gabriel knew that boy. He had been in his head many times when he was younger. Cross hated the intrusion and learned how to block him, but Gabriel knew how to enter undetected. He knew, when Cross was young, he had been holding back from Tanya. The raw power Gabriel sensed seething just beneath the surface was terrifying.

  He had tried to tell Tanya. “Cross is gasoline just waiting for a match. You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

  Tanya waved off his concern. “I’ll break him darling. Just wait.”

  Gabriel was still waiting.

  He knew either Cross or Kale would try to get in touch with the other. Without Tanya’s permission or knowledge, Gabriel had set up a series of energy markers inside Kale’s room. Psychic trip wires. If anyone manipulated energy inside Kale’s room, Gabriel would know about it. Tanya might be confident in her ability to control his sons, but Gabriel always was a believer that forewarned was forearmed. Cross’s mental barriers were completely removed, it was only a matter of time until he understood the enormity of what had been done to him. Cross was not known for his forgiving nature.

  A little over an hour ago. Gabriel’s tripwires alerted him. With Niko still resting her head on his lap, Gabriel found Kale and opened the smallest of psychic cracks into his son’s subconscious. If he stayed there without interfering or probing, whoever was manipulating that energy shouldn’t know he was there. Just like a fly on the wall.

  Gabriel could never see anything when he entered someone’s mind, it was all a mental impression. But he was amazed at what he picked up. Kale was dreaming when Gabriel first entered his mind. Besides the nearly overwhelming pain he could almost physically feel from Kale’s injuries, Gabriel could sense the mental cracks as well.

  Kale’s sanity balanced on a table of air. If Tanya’s plan was to break Kale, then he would have to say she succeeded. A part of Gabriel hated Tanya for that. That was the part that wanted to save Kale. The caring surprised him. Gabriel had prided himself on being merely part of an experiment as far as Kale and Cross were concerned. He never claimed to want to be a father to them. Maybe because he knew it would never be allowed. Convincing himself he didn’t care hurt less than admitting his feelings. But having Tanya break one son to get to the other found Gabriel at odds with how he thought he felt about everything.

  Kale’s dream was interrupted by the energy that brought Gabriel here. It didn’t surprise him in the least when he recognized Cross’s familiar signature. What he felt, however, was much stronger than any energy vibe he ever got off of Cross in the past. Gabriel wasn’t sure what, but something had changed. The anger that had prompted a fourteen-year-old to go on an unprecedented killing spree was present combined with a new found knowledge that Gabriel found terrifying.

  This Cross wasn’t confused. This Cross wasn’t undecided. This Cross had an agenda and was very motivated.

  Gabriel stayed in the furthest recesses of Kale’s mind. Cross was distracted by his brother’s pain and his own anger. When he was certain that Cross had left and Kale was sleeping, he backed out.

  He opened his eyes and found Niko staring at him. “Well, now what am I supposed to do with that?” he asked the dog. “Tanya would love to know Cross is out for a little post traumatic revenge.” Niko perked her ears at Cross’s name. “What do you think, Niko? I still think your master is dangerous. Bu
t do I let Tanya try to bring him in or do I keep this little gem all to myself.” Gabriel considered his own question. He knew the answer. He’d wanted Cross dead for ten years. Now he might have the chance to do what should have been done all those years ago. Or he could try something altogether different.

  He could help his sons.

  “Tanya and Coben are not going to like this. But they refuse to see Cross for the danger he is. They think he can be tamed, they think he can be controlled. They tried, I’ll give them credit, they did try, but this sleeping dragon has just opened his eyes. Cross is awake and he is hungry for blood.”

  Niko cocked her head as if she were considering an answer when a light rap on the door had her jumping from Gabriel’s lap. She growled softly in her throat as if she knew who waited on the other side of the door. Maybe she did. Gabriel sensed Tanya’s presence and tried to figure out what she was doing at his quarters.

  “Come in, Tanya. The door’s not locked.”

  Niko’s growl grew as she hid behind Gabriel.

  Tanya wrinkled her face in disgust as she looked at the dog. “You still have that thing here.”

  Gabriel soothed Niko with a touch. “I like her company. What do you want?”

  Tanya looked from the dog to Gabriel. Her dark eyes, while always hard, and suspicious seemed to consider Gabriel as if he were a new species she was sure was poisonous. “I need to ask you a question.”

  “Then ask.” He didn’t like this. Tanya wasn’t here for a social visit. Tanya didn’t do social. He could have looked in her head, but it was difficult to read someone and talk to them at the same time. She would know what he was trying to do.

  She stepped further into his quarters, her finger trailing along the surfaces of the furniture as if looking for dust. “You know what I’ve had done to Kale.” It wasn’t a question. He didn’t treat it as one.

  “Of course.” She didn’t ask how he felt about what she had done, so he kept that to himself.

  She stared at him for a moment before continuing as if she was trying to read him. “I need to know, whose side you’re on.”

  Now he was totally confused. “I get a choice?” He tried to make light of the subject until he understood what she was after.

  “At the end of the day Gabriel, when you have to choose a side, I need to know are you going to stand with us, or are you going to side with the freaks?”

  “Maybe if you told me exactly what you’re talking about I could answer that.”

  Tanya observed him. “I think this department has been quite lenient with you, wouldn’t you say? We have allowed you a great deal of latitude, you can come and go as you please. You’ve helped us on any number of cases and we appreciate all of that.”

  “But?” Gabriel knew where she was going now.

  “But,” Tanya continued. “You’re not the only psychic I have at my disposal. You might be the most talented psychic I’ve ever known, but I do have backups.”

  “And your back up detected my presence when Cross contacted Kale.” There was no sense in denying the truth. But he had to wonder why Tanya had someone watching Kale. He also wondered how he could have missed that.

  “Why didn’t you tell me what you were going to do? That worries me Gabriel.”

  “How do you know I wasn’t going to report what I found out to you? It only just happened, Tanya.”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence. You would have told me.”

  “Or not. Maybe the real question is why you thought it was necessary to find another psychic. I’ve helped in all manner of things over the years. Why would this be any different?”

  “Because this time it involves your sons.”

  “You had Kale beaten to bait Cross in.” He thought about that and chastised himself for not thinking about it sooner.

  Tanya dipped her head in acknowledgement. “And when he comes, I need to know, whose side will you be on?”

  “You’ve made a mistake Tanya.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “That arrogance is going to be your undoing. This all started with such altruistic notions, do you remember? We wanted to save lives, maybe even eliminate war. We wanted to improve the human condition.”

  Tanya laughed, the sound like bells in the winds, delicate and beautiful. Gabriel knew better. He understood the monster behind the beauty. “Hitler claimed much the same thing when he employed psychics. Please Gabriel, don’t tell me you actually believe the hype we’ve spun for funding. The people we keep here are not interested in saving humanity. They most certainly don’t care about improving the human condition. Most of them are trying their level best to take humanity down an evolutionary trail we could never come back from. This is Darwinian mentality at its purist. We cut off the serpent’s head before the serpent can do the same to us.”

  “Sounds a lot like a sister organization from a few years ago. Its leader claimed much the same thing. To better humanity at the expense of innocent lives.”

  “You mean The Program?” Tanya scoffed. “The General and his experiments were never sanctioned by our government.”

  “Neither is this Department. Technically.”

  “John McKinley was insane. There is a difference between what that man did and what we do.”

  Gabriel didn’t think so, but he also didn’t feel like arguing. “So you want to know which side of the evolutionary scale I sit on, is that it?”

  “Something like that. What you can do? I can use that, I can respect that. But the things Cross and Kale can do? The things that the other people we have contained here can do? They need to be handled carefully. They need to understand their place. They cannot be allowed out in the general populace.”

  Gabriel gave Tanya nothing. “Do you understand what you’ve done? Because I’m not sure you do.”

  “If you’re talking about Cross, I know exactly what I’m doing. He isn’t a threat. The energy levels he displayed when he contacted Kale were not much more than his norm. We can control that. We can control him.”

  “Then you’re an idiot. You’ve nearly pushed Kale over the edge, beat him almost to death and for what? To bring Cross to your door? You have a selective memory Tanya. Cross isn’t fourteen anymore.”

  Tanya stepped back. “And I think I have my answer. It’s a shame, really. You were such a helpful freak. Stay out of my way Gabriel and perhaps you can still be of use.” Tanya turned and walked out the door. The locked clicked loudly into place a moment later.

  Chapter 21

  CROSS PULLED OUT of Kale’s mind. His breath came in fast gulps and sweat dripped from his face, rolled down his chest, his back. He had never manifested energy like that before. It took more out of him than he realized. Or maybe it was simply the emotional toll seeing Kale had taken on him. In all the times Kale had appeared to him over the years his brother had appeared to him as a fourteen-year-old boy – the last memory Cross had of him. This was different. For the first time in nearly ten years, Cross looked upon his adult brother.

  The things Tanya had done to him made him want to hurt someone – badly. The man Cross saw was thin, it was obvious Kale had not been treated kindly over the years and recent abuse had been more than evident. Kale had been beaten terribly. His face bloody, bruised and swollen. By the way he tried not to move, his ribs were hurting. Bloody bandages encircled his wrists and fresh blood dripped from split lips. This changed everything. His plans went from figuring out how to get Kale out, to saving his life.

  “Cross?”

  Finn’s voice brought him back to the present.

  Finn’s loft.

  Maizey and Vic sat near him. Cross squeezed his eyes tight trying to purge the image of Kale broken and bleeding, out of his head, but then decided that he wanted the image to stay. That image would motivate him and right now Cross was very motivated.

  When he thought he could speak, he turned in Finn’s direction. “Kale tried to help me. He warned me about Tanya, that she would stop at nothing to bring m
e back. He told me to run.” Cross lowered his head. He kept his voice low and even because if he didn’t he would scream. “Tanya somehow found out that that he helped me.”

  Finn seemed to understand. “What did they do to him?”

  Cross raised his head again and glanced in Finn’s direction. “They beat him, Finn. They beat him so hard he could barely move. That’s what my brother did to keep me safe. That is all he’s done since he was fourteen. They took my memories and scripted my life, but at least I had a life.” The anger could not be contained any longer. Neither could the guilt at what had become of Kale. Tears leaked from beneath the dark glasses. “I wasn’t linked with him very long, he was so weak. He couldn’t hide anything from me this time. Did you know, Finn? Did you know she keeps him in a small room? Like a pet.” Cross’s voice waivered. He took a moment. When he spoke again his voice was calmer, but the emotions were still as raw. “Since he was fourteen, that’s all he’s known. While I went to school, dated girls, had friends, all Kale has ever known is that one room and Tanya. Did you know Finn?”

  “No, I swear. Tanya told everyone he was unstable and unpredictable. She said she was the only one who could control him. I had no idea what that meant.” Finn sounded sincere.

  “And you never thought to find out for yourself? You never once thought to tell me he was still alive?” Cross leaned forward with his head in hands. “My God, what the hell did you people do to us?” Cross didn’t know which emotion to embrace, disgust, nearly overwhelming guilt or the anger that he now knew had always fueled him. All he could see in his mind was Kale, broken and bleeding because of him. And his brother was still trying to protect him

  Run!

  No way.

  Not a chance.

  “Listen to me.” Finn’s voice was quiet but intense. “You came here because you wanted my help. I don’t know what I can do to get Kale out of there, but I’m in.”

  “I won’t let him die there,” Cross said. “Don’t tell you’re in unless you understand what that means. You saw the tapes of our escape attempt when we were fourteen? You saw what we did?”