Darkness Haunts (The Sensor Series)

by Susan Illene

  Aniya’s mother would be coming back with her after some delicate compulsion was placed to gain her compliance. The woman would never leave any other way and Aniya understood that. She would also handle Lisette, since our mutual friend would no longer answer my phone calls. Her reticence hurt. I kept hoping she’d understand the position I’d been put in, but some offenses were easier to forgive than others.

  Aniya was using a private jet Nikolas managed to borrow. It came from one of his vampire friends and was sun-proofed in case there were any delays preventing the flight from reaching ground before dawn. I watched it take off into the night sky before moving through the dark parking lot to my waiting vehicle.

  Due to a recent rain, everything had a hazy quality to it now. The weather reflected my mood. Some pressure lurking deep inside hit me as I realized for the first time in a while, I was alone. No one could hear me or see me. The part of the terminal I was in didn’t have much traffic at the moment.

  For a few minutes, I let my head rest on the steering wheel while music played at a low volume from the stereo speakers. At the house, too many ears could hear the slightest sound, leaving no room for privacy. I’d been holding it all in, not wanting anyone to think me weak. Now that I was alone, every emotion I’d kept bottled inside came surging up.

  A lot had happened in the month since my arrival to Alaska. Everything had made so much more sense before, but now it no longer did, and I had no idea what to do except go through the motions and hope it all turned out for the best.

  Tears ran down my cheeks as recent memories flashed before me, Matt’s death the most vivid. He’d died because of me and there was no way to go back and fix it. His family would never know and I couldn’t tell them. A sob escaped me and I let myself cry for a few minutes in the quiet of the vehicle. My soul needed the release. It had been stained by the things I’d done. It would take some time to get over the guilt, assuming it passed at all.

  About the time I began to get myself together, I felt him. He hadn’t come back since the confrontation at Nik’s house, but he chose this moment to show up. A time when I least wanted him around.

  “What do you want, Lucas?” I mumbled through the steering wheel.

  “Is that any way to greet the one who saved your friend’s life?”

  Of course he would bring that up now. My purse was under the driver’s seat, so I reached down and grabbed a tissue to wipe my face with before bothering with a reply.

  “You know I owe you for that. It’s not like you did it for altruistic reasons.”

  “Perhaps not, but that’s not why I came here.”

  I risked a glance at him. Lucas was reclining in the passenger seat—one leg cocked up while the other stretched out in front of him. He leaned against the door so his body was angled toward mine. His usual mask wasn’t in place, but I couldn’t read the expression he wore. His black silk shirt brought out the sharp angles in his face, and it came to me for the hundredth time how incredibly good looking he was. No other man could come close to him.

  “What did you come here for?”

  He studied me for a moment. “I think you’re ready to know the truth about your Wanda.”

  My brow furrowed. “Wanda?”

  His expression softened a degree and he put a hand out to push the hair away from my face. “You should know she planned to trade you.”

  I pulled away from him. “What do you mean?”

  He sighed and dropped his hand.

  “She spent much of her life aiding a particular group of powerful supernaturals. If you’ll recall, she was growing old. What you didn’t know was that she needed a replacement and when she came across you, she found one. Your parents, the adopted ones, didn’t die by accident but by her design. She tampered with their brakes at a time when she knew you wouldn’t be traveling with them. Once she had you to herself, she put the fear of all things supernatural in your head so you wouldn’t befriend any of us before she sold you off. If I had not killed her, she would have handed you over two days later.”

  My chest tightened and I looked away. Everything he’d said rang of truth. How could that have been? She’d often been distant toward me, but could she really have been that cold?

  Lucas was playing with my iPod. Our gazes met and I could see a trace of sympathy glinting from his eyes. I didn’t want his pity. “If what you say is true, why didn’t these sups come after me once she died?”

  “Wanda wasn’t a complete dim-wit,” Lucas replied. “She’d planned to give you over as part of a trade for her freedom and a large cash payment. As a result, she couldn’t risk them knowing your whereabouts, or hers, until the exchange.”

  My hands gripped the steering wheel and I leaned back, watching a plane take off into the night. Its lights grew smaller as it flew away.

  “Lucas, why are you telling me this now?”

  He set the iPod down. A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope began to play.

  “Because, until this time, you weren’t ready to hear the truth.”

  COMING JUNE 2013

  DARKNESS TAUNTS

  Book two of

  The Sensor Series

  About Susan Illene

  Instead of making the traditional post high school move and attending college, Susan joined the U.S. Army. She spent her eighteenth birthday in the gas chamber — an experience she is sure is best left for criminals. For eleven years she served first as a human resources specialist and later as an Arabic linguist (mostly in Airborne units). Though all her duty assignments were stateside, she did make two deployments to Iraq where her language skills were put to regular use.

  After leaving the service in 2009, Susan returned to school to study history with a focus on the Middle East. She no longer finds many opportunities to test her fighting abilities in real life, unless her husband is demanding she cook him a real meal (macaroni and cheese apparently doesn’t count), but she’s found a new outlet in writing urban fantasy heroines who can.

  For more information visit:

  www.darknesshaunts.com

  You may also find her at:

  Twitter- @ susan_illene

  Facebook- www.facebook.com/SusanIllene1

  Acknowledgments

  I have so many people I want to thank for helping me get this novel ready to be published. First, to those who worked with me during the early draft stages including Angela, Mary, Tim, and Theo. Each of you had the willingness to push me to do my best and the honesty to be forthright with your critiques. All of you helped make me a better writer and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Thank you for your continual support.

  To my family, who has not been as receptive to reading my work (mostly due to its paranormal contents), but has done their best to help me in any other way they could. My husband, Salam, has been an ardent supporter in getting my novel published. Though he admits it is because he doesn’t want me hating him for the rest of his life, therefore punishing him even worse than hellfire and brimstone could manage, I still appreciate his (somewhat dubious) faith in me. I’ll consider keeping the whip out of sight for a week or two.

  My father and grandfather have also been wonderful. They’ve listened to me on the phone for countless hours while I talked about writing and publishing with them. My grandfather was always willing to discuss writing strategies, grammar, and spelling even if he despaired at my chosen genre. My father did take some time to read parts of my book and went so far as to surprise me with setting up my author website. He continues to help me maintain it. Thanks Dad!

  A big shout out must go to Claudia McKinney at Phat Puppy Art and Ashley at Bookish Brunette for the wonderful work they did on my book cover. I couldn’t have asked for a better design team. Thanks to the Author’s Red Room as well for proofreading my book in a timely manner. I appreciated your ability to pick out issues with my novel without trying to change the style of my writing. It was exactly what I asked for.

  Also to Angela (again) and Charity who answered all my publis
hing questions and have been willing to help promote the book in any way they can. You are both wonderful writing buddies and supporters. To Lynne, who hasn’t read much of my book because I like to keep her in suspense, but is always happy to read the portions I give her and provide feedback. Not to mention helping me in any other way she can. I hope now she can finally enjoy the finished product! Also a huge thanks to Mark. Your last minute suggestions and corrections made all the difference.

  There are so many other people who supported me in some way as I moved toward publication. I know it’s been a long road since that first draft was completed one year ago. Thanks to everyone who constantly asked when the novel would be published. You all were certainly a driving force in forcing me to get it done and get it out there.