Shadows of Fate (Shadow Born)

by Angela Dennis

  She shrugged. “No one does.”

  Sam stomped into the kitchen, his usual refined self. Brenna gasped at his appearance. Blood coated his hands, a stripe running down his face.

  “I hate vampires.” He walked to the sink, rubbing his hands together under the pouring water. “And I’m beginning to hate Mira.”

  He didn’t appear injured. “Whose blood is that?”

  “Mira threw a vile at me and it shattered when I caught it.” He cringed. “She stole a case from Claudius.”

  “And why not?” Mira stepped into the kitchen, a black case in her hands. “It’s illegal to bottle real blood, so he can’t report it stolen.” She sat the case on the table in front of Brenna. “Besides, he owes me.”

  “You were supposed to be stealthy.” Brenna sighed.

  “We were. I just took a souvenir.” She grinned. “There’s an entire storeroom full. He won’t miss it.”

  “So aside from stealing from our suspect, did you find out anything?”

  Sam snorted. “I found out Mira is still lusting after Claudius.” Mira glared at him, but Sam didn’t seem to care. “Hey, it’s all right. I’m sure he’ll be willing to scratch your itch.”

  She growled, her body ready to spring.

  “I had to wipe the drool from her mouth.”

  Mira lunged, her body clearing the table. Sam held her back with one hand, laughing. He blew on her face, his magic filling the air. She stilled, shaking her head.

  “Okay, so I may have inflamed her emotions a little,” he said. “It’s my nature. Sue me.”

  Mira hissed at him before sitting at the table. “I would if I was still a lawyer.”

  “Claudius is planning a trip to the mountains. They believe the Brotherhood took several of his minions and are holding them at their sanctuary. One of the craters up I-70.”

  “Hostages?” Gray’s fingers tapped a cadence on the table.

  Sam shook his head. “No demands. They disappeared about a week ago. Claudius thinks they’re being experimented on.”

  Brenna stared at the wall, contemplating. It didn’t make sense. “Why would the Brotherhood experiment on vampires?”

  “I think he’s just guessing. Odds are it’s not even the Brotherhood.” Sam slid into the chair beside Brenna. “Rumors are racing around the Underground that demons are kidnapping deviants to possess them. They’ve been going on lock-down during the night while the Veil is thin. Almost every family down there has lost someone.”

  “Still, the Brotherhood could be helping them,” said Brenna. “Getting the victims and taking them to the mountains.”

  Gray pushed back his chair. “Do you know where this place is?”

  Mira shook her head. “I can find out, though. Claudius still owes me a favor. Should we join him or do this on our own?”

  “I say the more the merrier.” Sam stretched his arms in front of him. “Let them get killed. We go in after.”

  Mira grinned. “You’ve got a point.”

  Sam slammed his fist on the table. “Marissa would want us to nail the bastards. Whatever it takes.”

  “Agreed.” Brenna pushed herself to her feet. “Find out as much as you can. We’ll meet back here in a few hours.”

  She tossed back the remainder of her glass only to find the others hadn’t moved. “Well, go on,” she ordered. She laughed to herself as their chairs hit the ground and they took off.

  “It‘s frightening to see them so focused,” Gray murmured as the others disappeared from the room.

  Standing, Brenna looked at the empty doorway with concern. “They can handle Claudius, but the Brotherhood is a different animal. If things get too hot or, God forbid, Marissa is dead, I’ll have to yank them out.”

  “Even if you could, they may not forgive you.”

  She shrugged. “At least they’ll be alive.”

  Chapter Seven

  A cool hand stroked Brenna’s face. Skin flushed with sweat from a night filled with nightmares, she leaned into the touch, glad for the relief. A sense of peace filled her as she opened her eyes and saw Marissa. The woman sat on the side of her bed, one hand resting beside Brenna’s shoulder, the other on her lap. Her body was translucent.

  A tear slid down Brenna’s cheek as she looked upon Marissa’s face. Her features were softened, peaceful.

  Marissa was gone.

  “Who did this to you?” Brenna whispered, although she knew the apparition would not answer. This was a memory that had pushed its way to the surface as her subconscious struggled with Marissa’s disappearance, and told her what she had been unable to admit to herself.

  Brenna pushed herself off the bed and dressed. During the night, several new folders had been pushed underneath her door. They had the IRT stamp on them. Seraph had paid a visit.

  As she bent to retrieve them, she was hit with a yearning so strong it drove her to her knees. Unable to get up, she crawled until she leaned against the side of the bed. Spots danced across her vision. It felt like she had been poisoned. But her body wasn’t trying to cleanse itself. It wanted something.

  It wanted blood.

  She tried to stand only to fall as another spasm hit. Since she had tasted Gray, her body insisted on more. It didn’t make sense. They weren’t bonded. There was no reason for this level of overwhelming need. Another wave of pain bent her over. She had to find Gray. Now.

  She crawled across the room and pulled herself up with the door knob. On her feet, she breathed through the pain and got out.

  In front of Gray’s room, she paused, desperate to find another solution. She laid her forehead against the door and tried to focus. But before she could come to a decision, it opened.

  Gray stood in the doorway, hair tousled, sleep in his eyes. He wore only a pair of faded jeans that rode low on his hips. The sculpted muscles of his upper body gleamed in the dim light. Although his appearance was simply a glamour, it still affected her. Her heart beat erratically as he stepped forward, smelling of smoke and sage. A reminder of the world she had left behind.

  He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, kicking the door shut behind her.

  Gray brushed his hands up and down her arms, words she didn’t recognize spilling from his lips as he stepped closer. “Control yourself, Brenna. You’re shooting fire across the room,” he whispered against her ear. Was she? She couldn’t be sure, she saw only him. “Tell me what happened.”

  She wanted to pull away from him, but couldn’t. Instead, she slumped against him, fighting the urge to scream with a need so potent it burned her blood.

  When she had control over herself, she opened her eyes. Smoke had filled the dark room. The rug beneath the window was burning, tendrils of fire whipping through the cloth. She smothered the flames with a wave of her hand.

  “I need blood.”

  Gray’s eyes sparked. “So why are you upset?”

  “I need blood from you.” It physically hurt to form the words.

  He cocked one eyebrow. “You act like it’s my fault.”

  She leaned into him, hating the weakness she was showing. “You made me drink from you. It threw my body off.”

  “I never put your mouth on me,” he said. The man had the nerve to chuckle.

  Her head lolled back against his arms. “You might as well have.”

  “You know better than this,” Gray said. “Our emotions drive our power. Having strong emotions when you’re this weak can have catastrophic consequences.”

  “Like losing control and killing people?”

  Gray frowned. She could practically hear the wheels turn in his head. “Did you go without blood before the wedding? Was that why you lost control?”

  She did not want to talk about Dunham. Especially not while Gray held her in his arms as both her body and blood screamed with desire.

  “I had to keep my blood pure for the exchange. If I hadn’t, it would not have joined us completely.”

  “That only would have worked if you believe
d he was your true mate. You married the son of your enemy. You cannot fool your emotions.” He gently placed her on the bed. A mortified blush spread across her cheeks.

  “Damn. You did think he was your mate.” His eyes suddenly burned and she saw the muscles shifting in his shoulders.

  She reached out with her power to try and understand why he was so upset, but he shut her down, sending the power slamming back into her.

  “What do you want from me?” she whispered.

  Gray looked down at her. “I want you to control your power and your emotions, so you don’t hurt anyone else.”

  Whatever had possessed her to come to him for help had slipped away. Tears burning in her eyes, she got up to leave, but his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him.

  She could hear the hum of his blood. The strong cadence of his pulse echoed in her ear. His hands tangled in her hair tilting her head back. Fighting with her need, she tried to pull free. “Release me.”

  His breath was hot against her neck. “If I do, you will repress the feelings simmering in your blood. You need to deal with them now or you will kill someone.”

  “Is that what this is about?”

  Gray shook her. “Stop making excuses. Push past your anger and embrace your pain.”

  She focused her power on the center of his chest, trying to push. “Let me go, Gray.”

  “Never.”

  Her head fell back as he pressed his lips against her bare throat. She shivered, waiting for the prick of his teeth. Instead he pushed away, his hands lost in the mass of her copper hair as he searched her face with his violet gaze.

  Fire streaked through her body as he pushed into her, pinning her against the wall. Brenna’s eyes slipped closed. She should fight him. But she hurt so badly. She needed him. Now.

  She leaned forward, taking his mouth with hers. He tasted of power, salty and sweet. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer. She wanted to be with this man. Taste his blood, share in his essence.

  Her incisors lengthened. It would be so easy to taste him. Sensing her intent, Gray released her mouth, stretching back to allow her access to his jugular.

  Absorbed by the beat of his pulse, she slowly licked his neck, grinning at the shiver that traveled down his body. He was aroused. The hard length of him pressed against her thigh. His hands gripped her waist to press her more tightly against him.

  No longer able to hold back, her teeth punctured the smooth flesh of his neck. Warm thick blood poured into her mouth. He yanked her to him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Her body sang as his blood flowed into her. Strands of pleasure wrapped around her like a cocoon. Awash in violet and golden sparks she lost track of time and space. Her hair fell back, and she bared her throat to Gray’s searching eyes. He pulled his neck free, his breath tickling her before his teeth sank in.

  Her world went white.

  Her legs fell from his waist as numbness spread through her limbs. She crumbled against him, fingers gripping his hair as he drank. She reveled in the sensations, her common sense long since banished.

  His wet tongue was cool against her neck as he licked the wound closed. For a moment he stilled, his face pressed against her skin. A groan slipped from her lips as desire burned through her body.

  She sunk her fingers into his hair and pulled his head back. She had no doubt he wanted her just as badly. But those violet eyes were her undoing. Memories of Dunham crept into her mind, of an identical gaze staring back at her. She released Gray’s hair. “I can’t,” she whispered.

  Abruptly, he let her go. She lost her balance and fell to her knees.

  Where once there had been lust, anger now settled. The air in the room thickened, suffocating her with her own latent desires. She got up, breath shallow, chest pounding. Even now, her body ached for him. Anger swelled inside her, and crossed over into the magic surrounding her body.

  Gray leaned against the wall farthest from her, a wary look on his face. “I didn’t force you. I didn’t even tempt you. Don’t blame me because you feel guilty.” He lifted a finger to wipe away the blood on his lip.

  “I don’t feel guilty,” she snapped.

  His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you? You’re still bound to Dunham. If it were me, I’d sure as hell feel guilty. Those bonds are forever.”

  His words stung.

  “You said yourself, we have to share blood. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Gray shook his head. “If you say so.” He smiled.

  She wanted to rip the smirk off his swollen lips. “I’m leaving. Why don’t you slit your wrist and hold it over a bottle, if this is such a hardship for you?” If she didn’t leave quickly, she might add to her list of regrets. “Seraph dropped off the files last night. We should meet later and go over them. I’ll be out for a few hours.”

  “No.”

  She froze. “Excuse me? It’s not up for discussion. I’m going to headquarters.”

  He crossed the room and blocked her way out. “You’re in danger. I’m not letting you go anywhere by yourself.”

  Did he really think he had a say?

  She pushed him aside. “You’re my partner, not my boss. I’ll be with Seraph.”

  That seemed to satisfy him. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Gathering the rest of her dignity, she straightened her shirt and slipped out the door. Although their blood exchange had recharged her body, her mind was another story.

  It was impossible to ignore her attraction to Gray, and she hated herself for it. But it was far too late for regrets. He was here to stay, so she had to figure it out.

  Sliding a hand through her glamour, she gripped the amulet near her throat. Dunham wouldn’t want her to feel guilty. In his way, he had loved her. He would want her to move on. Besides, she had been without a man for a century. She wasn’t a nun.

  But Gray was an enigma. Why was he here, really? He tried to make her desire him, then feel shame for doing so. He acted as though he didn’t care what she did, then became possessive and protective. Either way, her body didn’t seem to care.

  It was a complication she didn’t have time for. If Gray was playing for their team, she had no choice but to be nice. They needed his help. His abilities far surpassed the others. Together they could find the bastard who had taken Marissa and, if her vision this morning had been true, make them pay.

  Brenna’s blood streamed through Gray’s veins. He kicked the door closed behind her and flipped the deadlock. The taste of her had done him in. He had lost control. How dare she push him to the edge and leave him there?

  Eyes closed, he took a few steadying breaths. They would exchange blood out of necessity, but anything else was off limits. His hands burned. He rubbed them against his jeans, even tried dipping them in cool water, but the sting would not go away. Brenna’s power had played havoc with his glamour. He could feel it slipping away. The skin of his hands began to change, spreading slowly up his arms. His scars stared back at him, crisscrossing their way up his flesh.

  How had this happened?

  Cursing, Gray spelled the lock on the door to ensure his privacy. He pulled his black satchel from underneath the bed and began to search through the vials of potion inside. Finding the one he needed, he slipped his head back and drank.

  Nothing.

  Searching through the others, he tried to find something that would restore him. Then he felt the potion finally take hold and the hole in his glamour begin to repair.

  Gray lay back in the bed and willed the elixir to work, relieved.

  Brenna was no fool. She knew he was more than he appeared. Perhaps it was past time he told her the truth. But he couldn’t risk it. Not yet.

  Marissa’s disappearance had upped the stakes. They needed to move quickly before they lost someone else.

  While Brenna had slept, he had contacted Adare to set up a meeting with the Brotherhood.

  It was a risk. Reeling in his contacts would poke holes in his cove
r, but he had little choice. There was no time to infiltrate the Brotherhood through other means, and it was past time Adare repaid him.

  His hands were unsteady as he pulled open the wardrobe on the far side of the room. Inside, on a strip of black silk, laid three Hibben throwing daggers. Their blades shone in the lamplight, sharp and lethal. They had been spelled by Gray’s mentor, a war mage who had left every battle covered in blood, none of it his own. He had been like a father to Gray until he had been murdered. Stabbed in the back while he ate with his family.

  Gray strapped the longest blade to his forearm. Another he strapped to his ankle, and the final one across the small of his back. Armed, he felt more in control. The past few days had rattled him more than he cared to admit.

  He slipped on a sweater and his black duster, then grabbed his katana, slipping the scabbard’s strap over one shoulder. He pulled open the bedroom window and slipped outside. Stepping far out of sight, he cast a transportation spell, hoping the surge of power would not be detected.

  The primary stronghold for the Brotherhood was deep inside what had once been the Rocky Mountain National Park. He had visited it several times, having needed his connection to Adare when he first settled on this plane. Few knew Adare had little use for the beliefs of his followers. He didn’t hero worship the demons, nor believe them to be gods, but he did like power, and as the leader of the Brotherhood he had an unlimited source to tap any time he wanted. It served his purposes, so he served the Brotherhood.

  Gray appeared in the canyon beyond the crater, knee deep in snow. Pulling one leg out, he pushed himself up onto the drift. Stepping into the field, he immediately felt strange energies surging through the air.

  He didn’t remember the compound being near a thinned portion of the Veil, but there was no mistaking it now. Of course, the Brotherhood had been trying for centuries to perfect a spell or ritual that would let them access the Veil at any place of their choosing.

  If they’d succeeded, they would need to be shut down, quickly. He would discuss it with Seraph at the first opportunity.

  The field of snow soon narrowed into a dug out dirt path lined by makeshift torches. The air was filled with the smell of kerosene.