Seizing Darkness (Fur, Fangs, and Fairies)

by Mariana Thorn

  “They injected me with something,” I told him, trying to remember, but at the same time not wanting to.

  “I figured it was something like that. There are a few more hours before they should be awake. You should rest up. I have a bad feeling about what they have planned for you next.”

  “Like they ever had anything good planned for me,” I said. I was getting sleepy and I did need to conserve my strength. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  I woke to the feeling of being watched. I opened my eyes to see a vampire in front of me, staring down with a sneer on her face. I hadn’t met this vampire before.

  “Good, you’re awake. Master wants to play with you tonight.” She pulled me up by my arm. I didn’t say anything or resist. I glanced at Val and could tell he was just barely containing his growl.

  I squared my shoulders and walked from the cage. She stopped me from exiting the barn and took me into another area. I didn’t like where this was going. Isaac and Andrei were waiting at one end with another vampire. It looked like Andrei had made himself a throne. Really, a throne? I thought. Could he get any more archaic? I couldn’t refrain from rolling my eyes. As we neared them, I was unable to harness my tongue either.

  “Seriously, Andrei? A throne?” I asked, disbelief heavy in my tone. I was really trying to hold back my laughter. I knew I shouldn’t be laughing when they probably were going to kill me – or worse – but I really couldn’t help it. Not only was it a throne, but it was a gilded throne.

  The vampire bitch pushed me hard, and in my weakened state, I fell to the ground. I had a good idea that I was going to kill her for that, and soon. If they were going to execute me, I planned to take as many of them with me as possible. I wasn’t down and out yet.

  While I was off in my own head, Andrei had been speaking. I hadn’t heard a thing. Oops. I tuned in just in time to hear him call for someone to bring Val in. “You said that you weren’t going to touch him if I came willingly,” I narrowed my eyes at him. I felt a prick in my arm and the surge of whatever drug they had just given me rushing through my veins.

  “I’m not going to touch him little Kitten. You are.” Andrei giggled again.

  My vision started getting fuzzy and a rage started building. Whatever they had injected into me wasn’t good. I could feel the shift coming as well. I heard growling and realized it was me. I heard Val being led in. Someone was talking, but I couldn’t make out the words. It was taking everything I had not to shift. This wasn’t normal. Then my vision turned red and I lost the battle.

  The shift hit me hard. It didn’t usually hurt. I was panting hard when it was over. The growling noise had increased. I glanced around; all I saw was enemies. I knew something was wrong but my instincts had kicked in. I needed to kill, I needed to fight. The rage was strong. The closest thing to me was another tiger. My brain said ‘enemy’ and ‘must kill,’ but something was wrong. I heard a voice say kill him.

  I don’t know why, but I listened to it. I lunged at the other tiger. He avoided me. We circled each other. All the while there was something nagging me. I saw an opening and lunged for him again. He wasn’t fast enough this time. I caught his back leg with my teeth and crunched the bone between my jaws. As I tasted the blood, a thought registered in my brain. He wasn’t who I wanted to slay.

  I turned toward the voice that had commanded me to kill. I didn’t follow anyone’s commands. He must die first. By now, I was close to the shiny thing with the dead rotting meat. The stench of him enraged me further. The other dead-but-not-dead creature took off running. For a second I considered going after him, but I wanted this one.

  I stalked him and he laughed. Finally, I leaped for him. I easily caught his small neck between my jaws and snapped them shut. The head popped off. I felt elation but didn’t know why. I needed to rip him to pieces, something inside of me said, so I did just that, forgetting anyone or anything else was around. It felt so good. I needed to taste his flesh.

  I was just getting into it when suddenly there were people everywhere and loud noises. I looked up from my kill, intending to protect what was mine. I heard what was being said, but barely comprehended the language.

  “Holy shit!” a dark haired man creature said. “Natalya?”

  For some reason I didn’t kill him. What was that word? Why did I want to go to him? I crouched down, ready to pounce, a growl emanating from my throat. It was a warning to stay away. Then another man creature stepped forward. His smell hit me. He smelled of fire and fur. I didn’t know what he was. He wasn’t like the one I’d ripped apart. He was more like the one that I’d attacked, but not the same. On some level I knew him. I could not hurt him.

  He was using a low, soothing voice, but it was the flame that flickered in the center of his crystal blue eyes that drew me in. “Natalya, it’s done,” he said. “Come here, my sister.”

  What was the word he’d used? It was foreign, yet I knew it. I wanted to go to him. His scent and voice reminded me of safety. An image flashed before my eyes. He looked bigger in the image, and his face had been close, but he would protect me. I took a tentative step toward him, mesmerized by the flame in his eyes. All the other sights, sounds and smells in the room vanished as he became my sole focus. I slowly went to him and sat on my haunches, looking up into those eyes. He smiled down at me. It was almost sad.

  “You are safe. No harm will come to you. Lay down.” His voice was gentle and I wanted to listen. I lay down in front of him and he crouched down. He stared into my eyes. My eyes closed of their own accord as I lay in the dirt. Words and conversations flowed around me.

  “What did you do to her?” I knew the voice, but couldn’t remember who it was. I wanted to cringe away. He would be angry with me. He would hurt me. I tried to get up, but something held me down.

  The one that was near me answered, “Nothing that you need to worry about, Dek. Don’t come over here though. She’s afraid of you. I don’t know the cause, but we can’t push her right now. I barely have control over her as it is. How is Valdimir?”

  “He will live. His leg will take a while to heal, but he will live. Why isn’t she healing better than that? I can smell her blood.” That was someone else. I should know that voice too. He smelled like the one I’d killed. Maybe I needed to kill him too. I lunged again, but something held me back.

  “Natalya, he is not your enemy.” It was the soft voice that held flames. I had to listen. I laid there trying to figure out what had happened. I didn’t think I could move even if I wanted to at this point. I wanted to shift again. I was afraid. There was something stopping me.

  “Shhh, Natalya. It’s okay. We are here to help you.” It was the soothing one with the fire-blue eyes. I calmed.

  He continued, “I smell something wrong with her blood. I am guessing that they drugged her. Is Valdimir conscious? Maybe he can tell us.” I wanted to know who and what this creature was. I wanted him to keep me safe. “Shhh. Rest, little sister,” he said to me.

  “She was drugged and beaten pretty badly. I don’t know what they gave her, but it made her go berserk.” That was a different voice and it sounded strained. I wanted to get away from that voice. My heart started racing and I started fighting whatever was keeping me there.

  I felt a hand go through my fur and stroke my cheek. “Easy there, Natalya. There is no need to worry. You are safe. No harm will come to you.”

  I knew it was true. He would protect me. I calmed under his touch.

  “Val, did she do that to you?”

  “Yes Fane, she did, but I don’t even think she knew who I was when she went under. The pieces of corpse are what’s left of Andrei. She was too busy tearing him to pieces to bother with me.” I thought I heard relief in that voice.

  “It looks like his little game turned on him then. Dek, could you go and find some kind of blanket or something for her? Dante, she’s losing too much blood. Would you be willing to part with some of yours? That should s
ustain her. Kali is still back at Madon’s. We need to get Natalya out of here.”

  “Of course, Fane.” The voice was closer now. I tried to get away. I didn’t like the sound of what they had planned.

  “Easy, Natalya.” Fane tried to soothe me.

  I was beginning to get flashes of memories. I knew most of the voices. I smelled Radek when he came near. The smells and voices and names were falling into place in my mind. I had hurt Val. The thought horrified me. I needed to get away. But the one named Fane didn’t let me go. I didn’t know him. I could tell he wasn’t a vampire. He was some sort of werecreature. I couldn’t place it.

  “Here, this should work. What do you mean when you said get her out of here? You aren’t taking her anywhere,” Radek growled out. I flinched away from the sound.

  “You need to calm down; you’re making her worse. I’m using everything I have to keep her under. My sister has a strong mind. If she shifts right now, she might bleed out. I won’t be taking her far, just a place where Kali can work on her properly is all.” I flinched at the sound of his sharp voice. It struck like fire. Then I felt his hands on me. He was wrapping me in something. I was cradled in his arms now. I let my body hang.

  “Dante, we need you now. I don’t think she is going to hold out much longer.” There was more urgency in his voice this time. The next thing I knew there was something warm dripping on my lips. I turned my head, trying to get away from it. A finger was put in my mouth to open it and I tried to bite down on it to stop it. Someone laughed. It was blood that was dripping into my mouth. I tried to get away, but his arms were like steel rods and I was weak.

  “That should be enough,” Dante said.

  “I’m going to get her out of here. You two take care of Val,” the one holding me said.

  “There were two more vampires here, but they escaped. Fane is right, she needs attention.” Val’s voice sounded stronger.

  I really needed to get away from him. I’d hurt him.

  “I don’t like it.” Radek’s voice made me cringe.

  He would kill me for hurting Val. I knew it.

  “Fane will take good care of her. She needs his help right now. They can take her by chopper and we can meet up with them later. Leave it be, Radek.” Val’s voice held a command.

  I smelled Radek as he closed in, and an image of his face flashed in my mind. I was tired and wanted to rest. Then I felt his lips on my head. I heard his whispered words, “I will come for you, my love.”

  I nestled deeper into the arms that held me. I was safe and whatever bad had happened was over. I could think about it later.

  “Yes, little sister, it’s over. You can rest now. Nothing can happen to you while I’m near. You will survive this. For now, just sleep and heal.” Those were the last words I heard as I let sleep take me away.

  Rest now, I thought. The fight is over.