Darkness Taunts

by Susan Illene

  He knitted his brows. “But you’ve been claimed by someone very powerful. Surely he would want to keep you close.”

  Emily froze beside me. “What’s he talking about, Mel?”

  I’d really hoped to avoid this conversation with her for awhile.

  “Lucas sort of marked me. It’s a long story—I’ll explain it to you later.” Much later.

  “How’d he mark you?” she asked, studying me closely.

  “He, uh, bit me. Let’s just not talk about this right now.”

  “Where’d he bite you?” She clearly wasn’t going to let this go.

  My hands clenched. “In the neck, and no, you can’t see it. The bite mark already healed.”

  “So that means you’re like, mated to him now?”

  “That’s exactly what it means,” Yarrow spoke up. “By his biting her, and her accepting it, he claimed her as his own. Anyone other than humans will know if they come near her. It’s considered very romantic in our world on the rare occasions it happens.”

  I wanted to scowl at the man. Did he have to go say all that?

  Emily grinned. “See? I told you Lucas liked you.”

  I snorted. “It’s not as simple as it sounds.”

  “Yeah, but Yarrow said you accepted it. That means you gotta like Lucas too.”

  “If he wasn’t so difficult to deal with, maybe,” I said.

  “I think you guys just like to fight with each other.”

  “Emily, why don’t you tell Mel about your plans for tomorrow night,” Felisha suggested.

  I gave her a grateful smile. If the topic had continued I might have been tempted to pull my hair out.

  “Oh, um.” Emily started picking at her nails. “We’re sort of having a Valentine’s Day party here tomorrow night.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “After what we discussed?”

  She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Well, you were gone and Felisha said she’d take care of everything.”

  It shouldn’t have surprised me she’d go behind my back. I hadn’t been around to stop her and she had seemed determined to have the party. No doubt she’d already invited all her friends. First the Visa card, now this. I was going to have to put my foot down after this was all over.

  “I’ve handled the arrangements, Mel,” Felisha said in a placating tone. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Emily can stay here for a couple of more days until after the party is over. It’ll give you time to settle back in.”

  It would be lonely at the house without her, but maybe Felisha was right. I could use the time alone to work some things out in my head—primarily what to do about Lucas and the demon problem. Without the responsibility that came with hosting a party, it wouldn’t be so bad, though I had every intention of being there to keep an eye on things.

  “Okay, fine. You can have your party but we’re going to have a lot to talk about once you’re back home,” I said.

  A bright smile lit up her face. “Thanks, Mel.”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  I tossed and turned all night and ended up sleeping in until noon again. When I eventually did get up, I did it with determination. Maybe I couldn’t fix the demon problem in Juneau right now, but I could do something else. The growing chasm between Lisette and I had to stop. Aniya had told me she wasn’t returning to California yet. There wouldn’t be a better chance to confront my former best friend than now.

  Aniya lived in a house on the outskirts of Fairbanks. It had white siding on the outside and large windows on either side of the red front door. Nikolas insisted she couldn’t work yet until she’d had more time to adapt to being a vampire, so for now he covered her bills. The sire bond he had with her made it easier for her to handle giving him that control. It would have driven me crazy.

  I knocked on the door and stepped back. Only Lisette and Aniya were inside. Mrs. Singh must have gone out since the car wasn’t in the driveway. When Lisette opened the door I saw she’d dyed her hair canary yellow this time. It changed about every month, depending on her mood.

  Her lips tightened when she saw me. “Aniya is asleep. What do you want?”

  “I came to talk to you,” I said.

  She huffed. “Then you’ve wasted your time. I have nothing to say to you.”

  I put a hand up to stop her from closing the door. “We’ve been best friends for over ten years. The least you can do is give me a chance to explain.”

  Lisette stared at me. The same hurt and accusation reflected in her eyes as the last time I’d seen her. She’d always been able to hold a grudge longer than most people. With a loud sigh, she stepped back and opened the door wider. “Fine, I’ll give you ten minutes.”

  “Thank you,” I said, stepping inside.

  We stood across from each other in the living room in an awkward silence. I’d been so determined to talk to her that I hadn’t considered what to say. Ten minutes didn’t give me much time.

  “Look, I’m sorry for having Nik compel you,” I said.

  She scoffed. “You think saying sorry is going to fix it?”

  “No.” I shifted my feet. “I just felt I didn’t have a choice. You have no idea what was going on or what you were walking into.”

  She crossed her arms. “Aniya told me enough. It’s still not an excuse.”

  “That’s what you think?” I paced back and forth. “Those people I was trying to protect you from chained me in a basement, starved me for days, and beat me within an inch of my life. The only reason they didn’t kill me was because they needed my abilities. That was my only bargaining chip to get Aniya free. I couldn’t risk you getting mixed up in that.”

  Her normally fair skin turned red. “I could have helped. Why didn’t you consider that?”

  “How? How could you have helped when I had a full-time guard on me who reported all my activities to Variola? It was hard enough convincing him to let you go when you came by the first time.”

  “You could have given me a sign that you were in trouble,” she said.

  I shook my head. “What could you have done?”

  “I don’t know, but I could have done something. Called one of my uncles…something.”

  She came from a large family of pixies, but I couldn’t see them all racing up to Fairbanks—well out of their territory—for two people they thought were human. Lisette had to be a fool to think they’d take that kind of risk.

  “The best thing for you was to stay out of it. I had it handled,” I said.

  “Oh, really?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Is that why Aniya almost died and had to be turned into a vampire? Good going, Mel. That sure showed me how well you had it handled.”

  I flinched. She’d cut deep with that barb. I still felt guilty for having my best friend turned. “I did the best I could.”

  “No,” she said. “You fucked it all up.”

  My hands shook. I almost jumped when the front door opened and Mrs. Singh, Aniya’s mother, came through with a bag of groceries in her hands. Her dark hair was lined with streaks of gray and pulled back in a bun. She had a plump figure, but it looked like she might have lost weight since I’d last seen her. I made a mental note to come by and visit more often.

  She smiled at me. “It’s good to see you, Melena.” She dropped the groceries off in the kitchen before coming back in the living room. “I am making Tandoori Chicken—your favorite. You should stay.”

  It wasn’t actually my favorite. She’d caught me one time back in high school after track practice when I was starving. It could have been rat stew and I’d have probably gobbled it down. I did like it well enough, but she’d taken my enthusiasm to mean I wanted it all the time.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Singh. I’ve got plans tonight, but thanks for the offer.”

  “Maybe next time,” she said, patting me on the shoulder. “I should check on Aniya. She should be out here visiting with you.”

  She started heading toward the hallway.

  Lisette moved into action
. “No, Mrs. Singh. Remember? We talked about this. Aniya’s not feeling well and needs some rest.”

  The older woman shook her head. “She is always sleeping during the day. That’s why she doesn’t feel well. I’m going to go in there and get her out of bed. She needs to start living like a normal person.”

  Lisette let out a frustrated sound.

  I moved to grab Mrs. Singh before she opened the bedroom door. “You really should leave her alone. I gave her an herbal drink I learned how to make at work. It made her tired. If you wake her up, it won’t do her any good.”

  She knitted her brows. “Why would you give her that?”

  “To help her feel better,” I said. “It will take time to work, but she needs rest for it to happen.”

  She wrung her hands. “Okay, Melena. I’ll leave her alone, but it had better work.”

  After another glance at the bedroom door, she headed back to the kitchen. My shoulders slumped. I hadn’t realized Aniya was having these kinds of problems. She hadn’t said anything.

  I went and slumped on the couch next to Lisette. She had her feet propped up on the coffee table and stared at the ceiling as if it had the answers she sought.

  “Aniya won’t tell her mother what she is,” Lisette said in a low voice without looking at me. “Last week her mom opened the curtains in her bedroom during the middle of the day and she almost burned to death. That’s why I came up here—to help her.”

  I should have known all that worrying she was doing back in Juneau was more than she let on. She’d told me before she didn’t want to let anyone else compel her mom because then she’d be no better than the vampires who did it to her when she was human. Now that her compulsion wasn’t working on Mrs. Singh anymore, she’d have to do something. She couldn’t keep hiding her vampirism without help.

  “I think she needs to tell her mom.”

  Lisette nodded. “I agree, but she won’t listen.”

  My cell phone rang. I saw Felisha was calling and answered.

  “Mel, I need you to do me a favor. I forgot to pick up the soda for the party. Can you grab a bunch of different kinds from the store on your way over here?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sure. I should be there soon.”

  “Thanks.” She hung up.

  I gave Lisette an apologetic look. “I gotta go. My kid’s having a Valentine’s Day party tonight and I need to go help her set up.”

  A small smile played at Lisette’s lips. “I heard you have a teenager now. If she’s half as bad as we were you must have your hands full.”

  “Uh, yeah. Karma’s a bitch.”

  She laughed. It was as if all the tension had fled the room. “Aniya’s sire, Nik, invited us over for drinks tonight. I’m not sure about seeing him again.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I slapped him the last time I saw him,” I said.

  Her mouth dropped. “You slapped a master vampire?”

  I shrugged. “He pissed me off.”

  “I’ve really missed you, Mel.”

  Just like that, she forgave me. I still wouldn’t have her trust for awhile, but I’d known if she had to face me she’d give in eventually.

  “I’ve missed you too, Lisette. Are you going to be sticking around Fairbanks for much longer?”

  Her face turned solemn again. “Yeah, I’ll be here until Aniya figures out what to do about her mom. My herb shop in Monterey didn’t work out. If I have to stay much longer, I might have to see about getting a job with you.”

  “I’m sure we can work something out. Just let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will.” She hugged me.

  The weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter after leaving. Maybe there was hope for me yet.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  I stopped by the ATM before picking up the soft drinks. The number of zeros on my remaining funds had me dropping my jaw. The extra hundred thousand dollars in my account gave away who’d put it there. I couldn’t say a small thrill didn’t run through me at seeing that much money, but it also made me feel guilty. They were still dealing with the demons while I was safely in Fairbanks. It didn’t seem fair.

  Felisha and Emily helped me carry in the two dozen bottles of soda I bought. Charlie showed up and grabbed a bag to carry inside, too.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

  He grinned. “I offered to chaperone. You can never have too many eyes on teenagers.”

  I had to agree after I saw how many of them showed up an hour later. Felisha’s house was bigger than mine—probably 2000 square feet, but it felt small with so many teens packed into every available space.

  Everyone seemed to be having a good time until the teen werewolves came. My senses picked up the four of them when they arrived hyped up and ready to cause trouble. They were all about sixteen or seventeen years old. Their parents couldn’t have turned them that long ago, which meant they still hadn’t learned to control themselves. The full moon coming the next day wouldn’t improve their attitudes either.

  Charlie moved for the front door the same time I did. The shaman had a knack for always knowing what was going on in his territory. We stepped outside and watched the teens swagger up the driveway.

  “Do you know them?” I asked Charlie.

  “I know their parents, but haven’t had the pleasure of making their acquaintance yet.”

  A few girls came out of the house and squealed when they saw the boys. One of them ran up and jumped on a guy, wrapping her legs around his waist. I stiffened. She was human and had no idea what she was dealing with.

  “We’re going to have to ask you guys to leave,” I said when the group got within twenty feet of the porch.

  One of the bigger guys looked me up and down with contempt. “Why?” he asked. His hot breaths puffed out like steam in the cold air. “We just got here.”

  I crossed my arms. “Because I told you to.”

  Another guy stepped up, crunching his feet on the snow covering the yard. He had dark hair and light brown skin. His white teeth flashed in the dark as he spoke. “I don’t give a shit what she wants. I came here to have a good time.”

  He turned his head and grinned at his buddies. Oh, yeah, defying the adult makes you really cool.

  “Hunter, I told you guys you’re not invited,” Emily said. She came up and stood next to me.

  I should have known she wouldn’t stay inside for this.

  “Does it look like I care what you want?” Hunter eyed her up and down. “You ain’t got nothing to bargain with yet, little girl.”

  I knew it was wrong, but I suddenly wished I’d brought my gun to the party.

  Emily moved to the steps and sniffed the air. “Is that wet dog I smell? No.” She shook her head. “That would be an insult to dogs.”

  Everyone in the sup community knew she was tied to me and Nik, but she was pushing it with that comment. We’d have to have a discussion about that later—along with a lot of other things. She didn’t talk about school much and I wondered if there were problems I didn’t know about.

  Hunter fisted his hands. “On second thought, maybe you should come out with us tomorrow night and we’ll let you be our bitch.”

  That did it. The bastard was going down. I took a step forward, planning to give the guy a lesson, but Charlie grabbed my arm.

  “Let the girl handle it, Melena,” he whispered. “You don’t like it when people interfere with your life. This is hers.”

  My body shook with anger, but he had a point. I’d just yelled at Nik two nights ago for something similar. So long as the werewolf didn’t try to physically hurt her, I’d wait it out.

  Emily swaggered up to the werewolf in her low rise jeans and tight leather jacket. The jacket was new—probably paid for with Lucas’ money. The were gave her a cocky smile. His face froze in that expression when she tossed fairy dust into his eyes. I hadn’t realized she’d had any in her hand.

  Emily cocked her elbow back and swung her fist at the
guy’s face. Her knuckles hit his nose with an audible crack. Blood poured down to his lips and chin while he stood there unable to wipe it away. I grinned. I’d taught her that move. The other weres glanced around at each other, but didn’t move to help their friend. They were probably trying to figure out if she had more fairy dust.

  “In what world,” Emily said, circling the were, “did you ever think I’d let you touch me?”

  She came back in front of him and kneed him in the groin. A look of pain reflected in his eyes. He’d unfreeze in a few more seconds. Emily eyed him up and down. “Go home, Hunter. You don’t have anything I want.”

  Then she pushed him away. A round of applause broke out. Most of the partiers had stepped outside to watch. They probably thought she’d thrown regular dust at the guy’s eyes, which was the only reason I wouldn’t berate her for it.

  The weres grabbed their buddy and started walking back to their car. The human girl who’d joined them left as well, after giving Emily a dirty look.. Hunter held his nose in his hands. It’d heal within an hour. He looked back at Emily once and I thought I saw a look of admiration in his eyes. Werewolves respected a good display of force. Maybe she’d be alright with them after this—maybe.

  I turned around. “Alright, everyone. Back inside. It’s too cold to be hanging around out here.”

  It was actually a mild February night with it only being about negative ten degrees, but even when you were used to the cold weather in Fairbanks it was better not to stay out in it too long. The kids didn’t argue. They headed back inside chatting away about the fight—what there was of one. A couple of girls surrounded Emily and she ate up the attention.

  Charlie still had a hold on my arm. “We should discuss your trip to Juneau,” he said.

  I shivered. “It didn’t go so well.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  I gave him the abridged version.

  Charlie stared at me with his all-knowing eyes. “Lucas will be back for you tonight. Take the sage Felisha gave you when you go. You’ll find it’s going to be useful soon.”