by Dannika Dark
“Pawn of the Dead. I received this letter.” He pushed the folded-up paper across the table toward Blue, who sat on Christian’s left.
Blue reached out and opened it. “It’s written on Pawn of the Dead letterhead. It says: I want what is mine.” She turned it over and looked at it again. “That’s all.”
Claude took it from her. “Who’s Houdini?”
I furrowed my brow. “Why does that name ring a bell?”
“Do you know him?” Viktor asked.
“I’ve met a lot of people and heard a lot of names. Maybe I’m just thinking of the escape artist.”
Claude ran the letter beneath his nose and then tossed it back on the table.
Shepherd touched the paper without reading it and then sat back. “Is this something we should worry about?”
Viktor shook his head. “Nyet. But for now, let’s file that one. I confiscated many items from that store. Everything there holds value to someone—mostly the dead—but old lovers or business associates might feel a sense of entitlement to some of those personal artifacts. Perhaps they were unaware until it was too late that the items were collected for resale. This is not my problem. Normally I would not give this a second glance, but it might be linked to the murder. Someone knows where I live. Someone followed me.”
I took the letter and looked at it. “But it’s not addressed to anyone. How do you know it was meant for you?”
Christian rose from his chair. “I’ll be more than happy to go down and see if that shitebag who works there is the one responsible.”
“Field trip,” Shepherd said, standing up. “Let’s head out.”
Wyatt smiled across the table at me and reached for the casserole spoon. “Welcome to Keystone. Just another day in the life.”
Chapter 31
It was almost sundown, and billowy clouds had overtaken the skies. Christian and Shepherd were still gone, and after playing a few games of pool with Wyatt, I went to my room and read through Penny’s diary again. When I finished, I tucked it in my desk drawer and took a walk to stretch my legs.
I found a nice private nook on the third floor—an alcove with an oversized window. There weren’t any chairs, but I didn’t need one since the window was pushed away from the wall, creating a stone archway and window seat. I sat down, window to my right, and watched the light dimming.
Niko appeared, his fingertips running along the wall. “You’re hiding.”
“It’s only hiding if someone’s looking.”
His silky hair fell handsomely past his shoulders, almost vanishing against his long-sleeved black shirt. After he took a seat across from me, he bent his knees until he was sitting like me, the tips of our toes touching.
“I smell snow,” he said, drawing in a deep breath.
“It’s just cloudy.” I glanced outside and noticed a few flakes falling.
“Gem will be pleased when it comes early this year.”
“Are you mad at her?”
He frowned, his thick brows smothering his pale eyes. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I don’t know. You’ve been avoiding her all day. And you were a little snippy in the medical room.”
His gaze fixed on me, but he didn’t look me in the eye. “Gem could do little to provoke me.”
I grimaced. “Maybe I should tell you about the shirt in your wardrobe.”
He reclined his head against the wall. A smile touched his lips, and he folded his arms. “I’m aware of her pranks. I have an order for everything, and when it first appeared in my wardrobe, it smelled of her perfume. It wasn’t Gem’s week to do laundry either. I cut the corner of the inside tag to know which one it was, and the first time I wore it, everyone’s color rippled with humor.”
“There are two. Want to know what color they are?”
He chuckled. “It hardly matters to a blind man.”
“But it’s silly. People are laughing at you.”
Niko looked up. His eyes were so pale they resembled shards of ice. “Don’t dwell on things that don’t matter. I enjoy the way her color changes when I put it on. It makes her happy. Something tells me that Gem deserves to laugh more than the rest of us. I sense she didn’t have enough of that in her childhood, which is unfortunate among Breed.”
“So you know she was a Relic?”
“Yes, that much is apparent by her innate knowledge of language. But Gem is guarded when it comes to her past. I do not wish to discuss things that make people’s energy go dark, which is why I came to speak to you.”
“About what?”
“Your light has been dark all day. It grows dimmer each time I see you pass in the hall. What’s troubling you?”
I turned my gaze out the window, feeling the cool draft against the side of my face. “I can’t stop thinking about Penny and Lachlan.”
“The victim?”
“Yes. She left a diary and wrote about her life. She fell in love with a man who changed her.”
“Ah. You mean he was the Creator who gave her immortality.”
“Yes, but that’s not what I meant. She loved him in a way I’ll never understand. It’s tragic. After he was killed, she lived all those years afterward alone, only to die when she tried to find love again. Maybe Christian’s right.”
Niko closed his eyes. “The fates will always reunite two souls that are destined for each other. You shouldn’t weep for her death, but rejoice.”
“You believe in reincarnation?”
“What we believe matters little in the grand scheme of things.”
I frowned. “It still doesn’t make sense. If they were meant to be together, then why can’t they stay together forever?”
“We all must die. And you’re not seeing the bigger picture. They are together forever. In every life. Don’t believe everything Christian feeds you. He has too many demons to have an open mind about love. It’s not meant for everyone.”
“Maybe it is and the rest of us are just doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes. Like dating serial killers.”
He barked out a laugh. “Apologies. I didn’t mean to laugh at you.”
“Go ahead. It’s almost comical. I was attracted to a serial killer. What exactly does that say about me?”
“Maybe the fates are trying to teach you something.”
“That I have bad taste in men?”
He straightened one leg. “Someone once said that insanity is doing something over and over and expecting different results. Maybe who you think is wrong for you is really the one who’s right.”
“Well, clearly the ones who I think are right for me are mentally unstable. I think I’m done with dating for a while. I need to just focus on my job.”
“Don’t follow in my footsteps because you think it’s the right path to take. Follow your heart, Raven. If you want love, then pursue it. If you don’t, then find out what you were put here to do. It’s taken me centuries to learn what my place is in this world, so don’t think the answers will reveal themselves so quickly.”
A gust of wind whistled against the window and I shivered, hugging my bare arms. “I overheard Patrick and Viktor talking at the party. Did you know that everyone invited was a major contributor to big charities, like the Breed orphanages? That means Glass was donating his hard-earned money to help people. What kind of man can be so charitable on one hand and a coldhearted killer on the other?”
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe it kind of does,” I said quietly.
That knowledge made me question everything I knew about good and evil. Could an evil man also be good? Or did he just do good things to throw people off? I wanted to go to the Breed jail and ask Glass myself, but I had a feeling he’d never reveal the truth about his character.
Niko tilted his head to the side. “A man can save more lives than he takes, but it doesn’t put balance in the universe.”
“Does that mean that no matter how many lives I save with Keystone, I’m still nothing but the killer I once was?”
“I don’t have all the answers, Raven. Maybe this is our purgatory. If you’re only here to atone for the sins of your past, then it won’t work. Good deeds won’t clear your conscience of past sins.”
I held the heart-shaped pendant up so I could study the red facets. “What if I don’t have a conscience? If I did, I’d feel guilty about the men I’ve killed. But I don’t. Nothing’s changed. Maybe that’s why I’ll never have anything remotely close to what Penny and Lachlan had. My heart’s too cold.”
“What is it you want, a reason for your existence? What if it’s all a test, and in every life we are given the same obstacles and forced to choose?”
“If that’s true, I hope in the next life Wyatt chooses a healthier diet.”
We both laughed, and I noticed the snowflakes were getting bigger. Gem was standing just outside in a puffy pink coat, arms outstretched and mouth open as she tried to catch snowflakes with her tongue.
Niko stood up. “We have much work to do. Crime never takes a holiday.” He abruptly reached for my neck. “Do you mind? I heard someone mention a new necklace.”
“It’s just a heart.”
“Nothing is ever just anything.” His fingers discovered every facet as he rolled the stone between them. Then he felt the crown on top. “What’s this?”
“Queen of Hearts.”
He stood up. “You mean ravenheart. Keepsakes are good for the soul. I have nothing personal from my early years, so hold on to the important things. It’s a fine piece.”
“Thanks for touching my heart, Niko,” I quipped.
Niko bowed. “Just be sure to give that privilege to someone who matters.”
I watched Niko walk away, his pace confident and precise as he turned the corner. He must have memorized every corner of this mansion. When I looked back out the window, Gem was gone… as was the daylight.
Niko had helped me get out of my head and lifted my spirits. I’d spent years disconnected from my feelings, reacting to survive but never taking the time to stop and reflect on what I’d done.
Now I had all the time in the world.
I jumped when someone stealthily appeared at my side. “Don’t do that,” I said, relaxing my shoulders.
Christian handed me a small paper cup with a plastic lid. “I made coffee. Would you like me to get you a spoon?”
I chuckled. “That’s okay.”
He approached the window with his own cup in hand and gazed through the glass at the dark world with his Vampire eyes. I wasn’t sure, but I thought he might have been looking at me through the reflection.
“Did you come up here to tell me something?”
He blew the steam from his cup and took a sip. “No. I just came up here to watch it snow.”
“Do you want to keep me company?”
He kept looking outside. “Do we have to talk?”
My hands warmed against the cup, and I watched a few flakes of snow with my own Vampire eyes. “We don’t have to do anything but just sit here.”
Christian seated himself on the ledge, one knee bent and the other foot touching the floor. He stared at my necklace before centering his eyes on mine. “Aye, Precious. I’ll stay for as long as you want.”
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my Mageri series fans, and you know why.
Love never dies.
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The Mageri books are a complete series. Read more about Christian’s past and other surprising secrets. Bingeable!
Sterling
Twist
Impulse
Gravity
Shine
The Gift
A personal note from Dannika:
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THE MAGERI SERIES is an exciting urban fantasy romance about a young woman's claim to immortality. Passionate, humorous, dark, and full of unpredictable twists, the Mageri series will take you on an unforgettable journey of love, friendship, and the hidden power within us all. Cliffhanger-free.
THE SEVEN SERIES is a paranormal romance that portrays Shifters living in secret in the modern world. A blend of humor, heartwarming romance, drama, and real-life issues. This series is for those who believe in family, second chances, and finding that person who completes you. Cliffhanger-free.
THE CROSSBREED SERIES is a new Urban Fantasy Romance following a rogue who is half-Vampire, half-Mage. Caught between two worlds, she joins forces with a secret organization that takes down criminals. Will desire become her biggest distraction when she is paired up with a Vampire?
Note: All my fantasy stories are written in the same universe. Same Breeds, same rules, and may contain character crossovers/appearances.
Sometimes ordinary people are destined for extraordinary lives.
Dannika Dark Newsletter
Books by Dannika Dark:
THE MAGERI SERIES
Sterling
Twist
Impulse
Gravity
Shine
The Gift
MAGERI WORLD
Risk
NOVELLAS
Closer
THE SEVEN SERIES
Seven Years
Six Months
Five Weeks
Four Days
Three Hours
Two Minutes
One Second
Winter Moon
SEVEN WORLD
Charming
THE CROSSBREED SERIES
Keystone
Ravenheart
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