Past Lives: Hotel California Book One: An Urban Fantasy Series
Page 18
“It’s your something special,” Daisy replied then started to twirl her golden locks around her finger. “So, there’s a show next week at the Roxy Theatre. I was thinking maybe you could take me to it?”
Gary beamed then started to reply but looked back toward the door as the sound of screeching tires wailed. A black truck swerved across the road and rode up onto the sidewalk, crashing into a street sign. With the engine revving, the truck backed up then straightened and sped off.
“Whoa!” Gary blurted as he jumped up and rushed outside.
Eric followed right behind him. They raced into the street and found Neiman, twisted and broken in the middle of the road. Black ichor poured from his ears, shards of fractured bone tore through his skin. The remaining flesh was rubbed raw from the asphalt, glistening under the sun as plasma oozed from the wounds.
“Ta…take, take it,” Neiman stammered in a quivering voice and tried to move his broken arm toward his bag.
Eric looked down at the tote laying a few feet from Neiman’s disfigured limb. The tan satchel had been ripped open and diamonds spilled from the top. He reached out to grab one, but Gary lunged at him and yanked him back.
“No!” he yelled.
“What? It’s just diamonds.”
“Those aren’t just diamonds,” he replied and grabbed Neiman by the collar. “Why do you have these? Answer me!”
Neiman coughed blood into the air and his beady pupils rolled into his head. Gary shook him, but it didn’t matter. With a rattled groan, his face went slack, and his eyes faded to an abysmal black. Gary lowered his head to the ground just as he burst into ash and fluttered away in the wind.
“What the hell was that?” Eric asked.
“Demons don’t die. They return to hell,” he replied then grabbed Neiman’s bag.
Whispering a spell, he swept his hand and the spilled diamonds floated back inside and he fastened the clasp. With a quick look around, he jumped to his feet and headed back toward the diner.
“Oh my God, Gary,” Daisy cried. “Your…your friend.”
“Daisy, forget you saw this okay?”
“What? I need to call someone, right? You know, the people that deal with this.”
“There’s nothing to deal with. He’s gone. Just forget about this. I’ll explain later.”
Daisy looked around nervously then shrugged. “I…I, I don’t know, Gary. We’re supposed to report this kind of stuff, right?”
“I need you to trust me right now. You trust me, don’t you?” Gary flashed a quick smile.
She stared back toward the diner then down at the empty spot where Neiman once lay. “Okay, Gary. I trust you.”
He grinned and rubbed her arm. “Go back inside. We’ll get this out of here.” Hesitantly, Daisy shuffled back into the diner, casting glances over her shoulder. Gary followed her with his eyes then clutched the bag and hurried to the parking lot.
“You gonna tell me about these diamonds or what?” Eric called after him.
“Yeah…when we get outta here,” Gary replied as he opened the car and sat down. “Hurry up and get in, we need to get a hold of Noll.”
CHAPTER 2
RISE OF THE BROTHERHOOD
“You understand the importance of this Fostu, what’s at stake?” a voice grumbled from the shadows.
Fostu, a man with paper-white skin and no hair looked into the mist and nodded. He was dressed in a thick, black robe with a small camping bag slung across his shoulder. His red eyes flickered, reflecting the light from a passing car. Cringing, he pulled the black hood tightly over his head then stared down the sidewalk as he inhaled the night.
The air smelled different from what he remembered. It wasn’t as pure as it used to be, too many different fragrances, too many foreign scents, polluted the breeze. He coughed out a deep breath and grumbled his displeasure.
“This is your target,” the dark slithered in a hushed tone, offering a small photo.
Fostu took the picture and looked it up and down. “Eric Strange,” he whispered then set flame to the black and white photo.
“He’s at the hotel now. You’ll only have one chance at this. Be mindful of the warlock and do not underestimate him.”
“I understand,” he replied.
“If you fail—”
“I won’t fail,” Fostu cut him off.
“If you fail,” the shadow spoke again. “It will not only mean your end, but the end for us all.”
Fostu nodded and withdrew a shimmering, arced dagger from his bag. The hilt was made of ivory and interlaced with gold. The blade thrummed like a tuning fork, reflecting even the smallest amount of light into a dazzling spectacle.
“Valesi will not fail me,” Fostu said and raised the blade into the air.
With even the slightest movement, the blade sang. The tune was death, a screeching ballad that whistled as he carved their mark through the air. When he was finished, he tucked the knife into its scabbard and hung it from a belt around his waist.
“For the brotherhood,” they both mumbled in unison then Fostu turned and walked off.
He marched down the sidewalk for a few until the lights and bustle from the city faded. The streets fell silent and he quickened his pace as the night called to him. He made his way deeper into the darkness then turned and walked into a cloud of fog that apparated him to the other side of the city.
With a whoosh, he reappeared outside of an archaic looking hotel. Most would’ve avoided the place, but he was exactly where he needed to be. With a stoic face, he pushed open the doors and stepped into the lobby.
It’d been decades, nearly a century but nothing had changed. The place was still as impressive and nefarious as ever. The lobby was awash with flames that danced and swayed from side to side. The succubus banged her song of horror and melancholy on the keys of a bereft piano. The darkkin were thriving and they would only grow stronger.
Fostu stood to the side, watching as the hall buzzed with life. The thinning shade had brought all form of underworlder to the hotel. The brotherhood warned him of the difficulty, but unlike any other gathering, this time was different. This time everything was in place and the darkkin were poised to bring about the revolution they’d been promising for centuries.
“It’s mine,” a lycan growled and shoved one of his brethren away.
He was a hefty black man with thick, stubby fingers and dark, greasy hair. His face was deformed and awkwardly angled as he started to turn.
The other lycan hit the wall and growled. He rubbed his bony fingers over his bald head and licked his lips.
“What’s yours, belongs to the pack!” he snapped.
A vampire in the corner cleared his throat and both men glanced his way. They stared at him for a moment then lowered their eyes and went in separate directions.
Slinking his head, Fostu removed his hood and stepped toward the front desk. A tall, lean man with charcoal skin and beaming red eyes glared at him and cracked a weak smile.
“Welcome to the Hotel California,” the man said in a deep, commanding voice. “My name is Safron. How long will you be staying with us?”
“As long as the job takes,” Fostu replied.
Safron nodded and handed him a black key card. “Room one-thirteen in our Irkalla wing, it’s perfect for someone in your profession.”
~~~**~~~
Gary pulled into the parking lot just as the sun said its final goodbyes. The bag of diamonds hummed in the backseat, awakened by the hotel’s aura. Eric turned and looked back as whispers of evil reached out for him. He’d been hearing them the entire ride, but now they were getting stronger.
“Ignore it,” Gary said with a stern face. “We all hear them. We all lust after that power, but it corrupts the soul.”
Eric laughed. “Not sure my soul can get much worse. So, you gonna tell me what all that was back there?”
“These diamonds…they don’t belong here.” Gary reached over the seat and grabbed the bag then opened his do
or. He stepped out of the car and rolled his shoulders. “Come on…I need to talk with Noll right now.”
Eric swallowed and paused before closing the door. “Something isn’t right about this,” he mumbled.
“What?”
“Something…something doesn’t feel right.”
“I told you, the diamonds aren’t normal. Just try to ignore it.”
“It’s not that…something isn’t right in there,” Eric replied and nodded toward the hotel.
Gary followed his eyes and grimaced. “There’s always something wrong in there. You’ll get used to it.”
He started toward the door and Eric lingered behind him. He knew it was more than just a feeling from the hotel. Something terrible awaited them inside and while he couldn’t make heads or tails of it, he trusted his instinct.
Closing his eyes, he let his darkness reach out, using its immense power to probe the inner workings of the mysterious building. He felt the darkkin amassing in staggering numbers. He felt their evil power growing as they came together like a pack of wolves. But he also felt something else.
It wasn’t dark or evil, but it was plenty powerful. He’d never felt it before, but he’d never forget it. And that was the force he was worried about.
“Gary,” Eric called out.
Gary had already pushed open the doors and was heading inside. Eric grumbled then hurried to catch up. They stepped into the lobby and he grabbed Gary’s arm and pulled him close.
“I’m serious,” he whispered. “Something isn’t right in here.”
Gary started to reply but froze as an icy chill rushed through his body. A pale man standing at the front desk turned to face them, his eyes lingered on Eric as his hand slipped beneath his dark, gray robe. Gary took a step backward and mumbled a hushed incantation.
“I’ll show you to the elevators,” Safron announced and ushered the pale man forward. “Ah, Mr. Abbot and Mr. Strange. I hope your day was enjoyable. Will you be joining us for tonight’s festivities?”
“Safron?” Eric said as he turned toward Fostu, his heart beating in his chest like a war drum.
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HOTEL CALIFORNIA THE SERIES
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About the Author
The mystery and lore surrounding RJ Wolf is the stuff of legend. Abandoned as an infant, raised by wolves, taught by the Shaolin monks in the ancient art of Wushu. These things couldn't be further from the truth, but then again...nobody really knows.
What is known is RJ's uncanny ability to spin a tale that will leave you questioning reality and yearning to be thrust back into his world. You've merely scratched the surface, dig deep and prepare to turn your mind inside out.
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