Darkness Clashes

by Susan Illene

  Theirn led us past the ballroom and through another series of doors before we reached his office. It had dark wood paneling and shelves filled with books across the back wall. A fireplace stood at one end and a heavy oak desk stacked with papers at the other. Near the middle was a sitting area with several chairs gathered around a small coffee table. He gestured for us to take a seat.

  I lowered myself onto one of the chairs slowly. Lucas and Sayer chose to remain standing, but Kariann and Kerbasi sat as well. We looked at the master vampire expectantly.

  Theirn clasped his hands together. “I received a call a few minutes ago from Nikolas in Fairbanks. I’m sorry to be the bearer of this unfortunate news, but he wanted you all to know Zoe has escaped and your shaman was killed in the process.”

  “What?” I rose painfully back to my feet. “How?”

  He couldn’t be dead. Charlie was a shaman with powerful abilities, including foresight. What could have possibly killed him? Caught him off-guard?

  “I didn’t get the full details.” Theirn gave me a sympathetic look. “Nikolas simply said it would be best if you all returned as soon as possible.”

  Lucas nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be on our way now.”

  “I assumed as much,” Theirn said, gesturing toward the door. “You’ll find your car out front waiting for you.”

  I swallowed the rising lump in my throat and forced a clear expression on my face. We couldn’t go back out there and let anyone see something was wrong. Lucas, Kariann, Sayer, Kerbasi—they all strode from the room with no sign of emotion on their faces. I still hobbled, but I did it with my head held up.

  Yerik was near the entrance when we reached it.

  He caught Lucas by the arm and smiled. “I’ll join you in New York in a few days. We can catch up with each other while searching for your brother.”

  I glared at the daimoun. The liar.

  “And you, Melena. You’ve proven yourself to be quite…tenacious.” There was a hidden meaning in his eyes. “I’m certain you’ll make a wonderful addition in our world.”

  It hit me then. The duels might have been staged, not just a random series of events. Theirn might have been testing me to see how I performed. He could have started with Kerbasi and segued to me. Had Lian been in on it as well or had she been manipulated into challenging me? I’d seen no evidence either way.

  “Thanks, Yerik.” I lifted my chin. “I’m not sure what I would have done without your stamp of approval, but I’m sure a pint of Häagen-Dazs would have been part of the solution.”

  I moved on, following the rest of the group down the steps toward the car. Sayer took over for the attendant and the rest of us climbed inside with me trying not to groan at the effort. No one said anything for the first couple of minutes, but as soon as we cleared the estate Lucas looked down at me.

  “Will you take my blood now?” he asked.

  Heavy tension ran between us.

  “Give me your arm.”

  I’d planned to drink from him after we left anyway, but with the news about Charlie I had even more important reasons to heal quickly. Whoever had freed Zoe would pay for it.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Yvonne opened the door for us at Nik’s house. She looked like a mess with her gray hair matted down and her eyes swollen. Seeing Lucas carrying Kariann in a black body bag in his arms, she stepped aside for us. It was early afternoon and the female vampire was out cold. At least Sayer hadn’t come back with us or we would have had to do the same for him.

  We entered the foyer and Kerbasi went around us to head for the kitchen. There hadn’t been time to eat in our rush to get back to Alaska. The guardian had appeared a little disturbed over the news about Charlie, but not enough to affect his appetite.

  “Can you tell us what happened?” I asked Yvonne.

  I’d paced for half the flight from New Orleans, hating having to wait for more details.

  The mystic’s eyes watered. “He’s dead. And the way they did it—” Her breath hitched. “It was awful.”

  “Who?” I wanted to know which heads I’d be lopping off in the near future. Anger was what had kept me going during the flight back. And having to wash up from my own battle.

  “Melena.” Lucas shifted the body in his arms. “Let’s get Kariann settled first, then we’ll discuss it.”

  I nodded. He was right. Yvonne was in bad enough shape without bombarding her right at the door—and Lucas did have his hands full.

  I led him down the hall toward the vampire’s room. Pulling the door open, I switched on the light and waved Lucas through. He set her on the bed and I helped him pull the body bag off of her. She looked peaceful and barely stirred throughout the whole process. It had to be tough, trusting others with your care during the day when you were the most vulnerable.

  We headed back to the living room and settled on the couch with Yvonne across from us in an oversized leather chair. She took a throw blanket from behind her and wrapped it snugly around her body. For a minute she didn’t look at us, but after a series of deep breaths she looked up and the haunted expression in her eyes was gone. I felt bad bothering her after seeing how hard she was taking things.

  “Tell us what happened,” Lucas said.

  “They came to his home at sunset,” she began, voice clearer than I expected. “We’re not quite sure how many of them, but most were sensors from what we gathered. Charlie’s grandson Kyle was there, getting some tools from the garage when it happened. He watched through the window and thought they looked like some of the people who held the city last spring.”

  Zoe had kept some of her people stationed at every road leading into the city. With Kyle being human they wouldn’t have stopped him from coming and going, but he would have noticed them. His grandfather had warned his family about their presence.

  “How can he be sure they were sensors?” I leaned forward.

  “They…they had weapons. Big ones. Charlie couldn’t deflect them with his magic because they had sensor blood on them. He was…oh, my.” She looked away for a moment and collected herself before speaking again. “They hit him with explosives too many times for him to survive.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut. The bastards had used the same tactics I’d used when invading Purgatory. The difference being I’d used it on immortals who couldn’t die from it.

  “And after he was down they broke Zoe out,” Lucas surmised.

  I opened my eyes again to find Yvonne had a tissue in her hand and was dabbing at her face. She and Charlie had enjoyed bickering with each other, but they’d also been good friends. The sorrow coming from her weighed heavily on my senses, amplifying my own grief.

  She inhaled a shaky breath. “That is what we assume happened. As soon Kyle saw them disappear into the cellar he jumped into his truck and headed straight here. By the time we made it over to Charlie’s place Zoe and the sensors were gone.”

  I almost shook with anger. “Did the werewolves try searching? At the very least they might have picked up a scent they could use to track them.”

  “They searched all night and Derrick still has men out looking, but they can’t find them. I’ll tell you, he’s not happy.” A worried look came over Yvonne’s face.

  “Because of the truce.” I stood up and paced the room. “Nik can’t hold up his end of the deal if he doesn’t have Zoe.”

  Dammit. The attack destroyed everything we’d worked for to keep Fairbanks safe.

  “Where is your family?” Lucas asked.

  I checked my radar and realized they weren’t in the house. With everything else on my mind I hadn’t noticed. I should have been the first one to ask.

  “They went to the wake,” Yvonne replied. “We didn’t want to leave the house unprotected so I went first and them after me. They called and said they’re on their way back. I’m sure they’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  There was no reason to wait for them. We had all we needed from Yvonne.

  “We should go to the
wake,” I told Lucas. “I need to see Charlie’s body for myself and pay my respects.”

  The shaman deserved that much.

  He stood. “Yes. I’d like to look the place over while we’re there as well. There could be something the others missed.”

  ***

  Over a dozen cars were parked around Charlie’s house when we arrived. The only place to put the Jeep was on the dirt road leading up to his home. I got out and shut the door to lean against it. Going in there wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, it was going to be one of the most difficult things I’d done recently and that was saying something.

  I bowed my head and took deep breaths, preparing myself for the worst. Not just at the thought of seeing his body, but at having to face generations of grieving relatives. Charlie had left a legacy of people who cared for him deeply and I was having a difficult enough time with my own grief. Going in there would be torture for my senses.

  Lucas pulled me into his arms and pressed my head against his chest. Strength poured into me through our bond. Not physical, but psychological. The constriction in my chest loosened and the weight of my worries didn’t seem quite as unbearable. He couldn’t perform magic on me, but somehow our bond allowed him to help me on an emotional level.

  I looked up. “How are you able to do that?”

  “It is difficult to explain. I simply knew I could and willed it to happen.” The expression on his face said he was as surprised by the revelation as me.

  “Will you promise me something?” I asked.

  He caressed my cheek. “Maybe.”

  I took hold of his hand and kissed it. “No matter what happens in the future, promise me you won’t let anything destroy what we have together.”

  I needed to hear it from him. To have some hope that even once he found out about Micah and the big plot he wouldn’t walk away from me. That he wouldn’t decide our relationship wasn’t worth it. With all the obstacles and pitfalls that kept cropping up, it seemed like it never got easier. We needed more time to grow in our relationship and I wanted the chance for that to happen.

  Lucas studied me closely. “Is there a reason you’re asking this of me?”

  “With the way things have gone lately, do you really wonder?” Hey, I could answer a question with a question, too.

  His lips quirked. “I promise you, Melena, if there is anything in this world you can count on, it is that I will not give you up. Not for anyone or anything. Until the end of your days I will always be near.”

  An exasperated sigh came from nearby. “I do believe the worst torture of being on earth is watching you two get mushy. There was a time when I would have staked my life on Lucas never speaking this way. It makes me long for my home and how things used to be.”

  Kerbasi. How could I have possibly forgotten about him? It was a miracle he’d stayed quiet for this long.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  The men followed me toward the house. As we got closer the bombardment of emotions hit me until I almost couldn’t breathe. Pain, regret, anger, and frustration—all pushing their way into the barriers of my mind. Charlie’s human relatives were in deep grief over his death. Though I’d liked and respected him, they’d loved him.

  We came through the door into a full house. People were gathered in the living room, speaking in low tones and crying. Others stood around in the dining room eating from a buffet of baked goods on the table. Death and food—Kerbasi would be pleased.

  A few people I vaguely recognized nodded as we passed them. I led Lucas and the guardian toward the den, knowing that’s where we needed to go. The pain and sorrow hitting my senses had the heaviest concentration there.

  The shroud covering his body was the first thing I saw. He’d been laid out on a table covered with a white sheet. Trinkets, flower cuttings, and other symbols of love circled him. A year ago I’d attended a wake with Charlie after a niece of his—at least that’s what he called her—passed away. They’d done the same thing with her.

  He’d said it was a family tradition started when he first became a shaman. Those who wished to do so could leave an item that held some kind of significance and it would get buried with the body. I’d forgotten about the practice until now and wished I had something to offer.

  A man and woman stood at the table, blocking my view of Charlie’s head. A few more people sat in chairs off to the side, saying nothing, but their eyes were red and swollen and one of them sniffled. I stood back and waited to pay my respects.

  Whatever I was about to see, it wouldn’t be easy. Someone had cast a spell over him to conceal the damage from the attack. They wouldn’t do that unless it was beyond what makeup could hide. As it was, I could tell from the shape of his legs under the shroud that they didn’t quite look right. Too thin and uneven.

  The couple finally moved away and I had to grip Lucas’ arm. A cry rose from deep within me. I fought to suppress it, swallowing hard. People were looking at me and they knew about my abilities. If I revealed the horror of what I was seeing it would only upset them.

  Charlie’s body was mostly covered, saving me from the worst, but not his face. It was beyond recognition. Blackened holes where his eyes should have been. Cheeks burned to a crisp and he had no nose. All his hair was gone, too. If there was any doubt before about how he’d been taken down, it was gone now. Only explosives could have done this kind of damage.

  I didn’t breathe. Lucas stayed by my side as I took slow steps toward the body. Everything in me screamed to look away. That Charlie wouldn’t want me to see him like this, but I had to do it. For the relatives who didn’t know how truly horrifying his death had been. I couldn’t imagine the psychological damage it had done to those who’d found and tended to him.

  How long had he fought before his body gave out?

  I stared down at his ruined form, knowing he would have kept pushing the attackers back until his dying breath. Charlie may have been a difficult man, but he’d never shirked his duties. He’d had honor and they’d dared to do this to him.

  Somehow I knew my father must have been involved—either in the planning or the operation itself. He was cold and indifferent enough to do it. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to give him a taste of his own medicine.

  A full minute passed, then two. That was enough and all I could take. I turned and headed out of the room at a normal pace, letting nothing show beyond a hint of sorrow. We’d almost reached the front door when a middle-aged woman with gray hair and deeply tanned skin stepped in front of us.

  Beth. A granddaughter—many generations removed—who I’d met a few times since moving to Fairbanks. She’d taken it upon herself to look after Charlie and make sure he ate properly. She had a motherly way about her.

  “Melena.” She gave me a sad smile. “I’m glad you made it in time.”

  My brows furrowed. “In time?”

  “Yes.” Beth nodded. “We could only do the wake for one day. It is tradition that the new shaman bury the old one by sunset.”

  “There’s a new one already?”

  Her eyes misted. “My son, actually. His abilities awakened when my grandfather passed. He’s out preparing the burial site now.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  It seemed like the proper thing to ask, though I had no idea what I could do. They’d built up their own private customs to support the shaman in their family.

  “Thank you, no. The burial will be private and the family will mourn together.” She lifted her hand, revealing a white envelope. “You can take this.”

  I stared at it for a moment before accepting it from her. “What is it?”

  “Charlie must have known his time was at an end. I found several letters on his nightstand, this one addressed to you.”

  Had he given clues indicating his death was imminent? Did I miss them? He’d been such a private man that maybe he hadn’t wanted anyone to know, to worry about him.

  I clutched at the envelope. “Thank you.�
��

  “You’re welcome.” Beth gave me a hug, crushing me to her soft form.

  Letting her go, Lucas and I stepped out of the house. I tapped at the envelope and considered reading it then, but didn’t think I was ready. Instead I folded, then stuffed it into my back pocket.

  “Did you want to check the cellar?” I asked Lucas.

  He nodded. “It could not hurt.”

  “Okay, let’s…”

  My senses sparked and dread crawled in my belly. Jerome was coming, and he wasn't alone. A half-dozen other sensors accompanied him. They were driving fast and would be at the house within a couple of minutes. While I wanted to confront him, this was the worst possible time for it.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  I shoved the front door open and ducked my head inside.

  “Everyone head to the back door now! Charlie’s attackers are returning.”

  They stared at me. Most of them were too caught up in their grief to comprehend what I was saying. A few men and women caught my urgency and started to move their families toward the back, but it wasn’t enough. They needed to get out faster.

  “From the road?” Lucas asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, and my father is with them. There’s no time to get everyone away, but we have to try.”

  If it was anyone except sensors Lucas could have used some kind of magic to protect Charlie’s family. If we hadn’t already seen their willingness to use heavy weaponry we might have tried keeping the people indoors and out of sight. These were unusual circumstances and there was no time to come up with a better plan.

  Kerbasi yawned. “I’ll be in the Jeep taking a nap. Wake me when the family drama is over.”

  He stalked off without a backward glance. It was probably just as well he stayed out of the way. The guardian had a tendency to make things worse more often than not. There was no telling how Jerome would react to the guardian’s snarky comments.