Magic After Dark Boxed Set (Six Book Bundle)

by Deanna Chase

  “No, but you will be free of him, and that is a fucking start.”

  I lowered my head; there would be no talking him out of this. Adam lifted my chin and ran his thumb over my lip. “What did I tell you about looking down? There’s something else.”

  My body tensed and I swallowed hard.

  “I knew what you were when I saw your mark.”

  “What the hell do you mean by that?” I said, shoving him. I felt like my universe was unraveling—Adam was not the man I thought he was. He was a man of secrets and lies.

  There was a pregnant pause.

  “I’ve seen a mark like that before. Exactly like yours. The man who killed my sister—the men who jumped us were Mage, Silver. They were juicers. I’ve spent my whole life looking for him. I joined the military just so I could kill someone if I couldn’t kill him. The Mage have been my enemy, even before I knew what they were. Until I met you, Silver—you changed that. You can’t imagine how much I wanted to hate you.”

  I pushed at his chest, but he wasn’t backing down, Adam leaned in even closer. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” My voice softened.

  “I didn’t want you to know what you were.”

  “Because you wanted me to be normal, is that it? You wanted to hide what I was, go on pretending I was like you. How do you think that makes me feel? I’m sorry for what happened to your sister, but this is who I am.” My eyebrows crushed together as something else came to mind. “If that makes me your enemy then there’s nothing I can do about it, I can’t deny what I am. Why did you help me?”

  His head tilted. “Curiosity? You needed help and I couldn’t turn away. I didn’t know for sure what you were in the beginning. Not until the kiss, and by then I was gone, and you already had me in your pocket.” He dropped his head so it was nearer to mine. “And you are not my enemy.”

  My fingers brushed over his cheek and his eyes softened. “I’ll never be human. If one of Samil’s progeny killed your sister, that light is in me. I know your intentions are good, but be honest with yourself. No matter how long we stay friends, that’s always going to be racing in the back of your mind.”

  A sound in the hall turned my attention away. Simon had his arms folded and a tightened expression, clocking Adam. I didn’t think he appreciated Adam’s domineering posture over me although I was quite used to it—Adam was a leaner.

  “And you are a wanker!” I yelled at Simon.

  “Why am I the wanker?” He laughed. “Do you even know what a wanker is?”

  “I don’t like secrets,” I said, staring between both of them. The truth of it was, Simon and Justus knew the dangers and I felt like they were using Adam as a pawn.

  “If we’re going to do this I want to know everything that’s been going on—do not treat me like a child with my own life. I want you to keep training,” I said, pressing my finger in Adam’s chest, “and you can start by kicking Simon’s ass.”

  “With pleasure,” he smirked.

  We both looked at Simon, who spun around on his heel and strode off, taunting Adam with, “Break a leg, my friend. Break. A. Leg.”

  Chapter 26

  According to Justus, the Red Door was a private, members-only club. He arranged to meet with his friend, Remi—someone he consulted with when he needed sound advice. I rode with Justus while Adam and Simon tailed behind; they had to wrap up their training, which had been going on all day.

  I did find out where Justus had acquired the photo of me that was on his desk in the hidden room. Not because anyone admitted it, I just put two and two together. When Adam first arrived, he had a satchel with his newest photographs that he wanted to give me copies of. Adam was frustrated to find that particular photograph copy missing.

  Simon admired the original photo (which I insisted Adam keep) and showed Justus, who seemed curiously disinterested as he raised his brandy glass and cleaned the bottom.

  Justus had gone through Adam’s things without his knowing and stolen that picture for himself. I don’t know the reasoning, or why he couldn’t just take a picture of me himself, but I didn’t ask.

  My hair was tied back with a few stray pieces hanging in my face. I chose a long black skirt with a modest slit, an amethyst-colored blouse, and a simple pair of flats. Justus purchased these expensive items, and he was extremely proud to see me in them, even though he didn’t admit it.

  There were customs I had to get used to, one of which included being escorted by my Ghuardian at all times when I went out in public. While it wasn’t a concern I had now, I was fully aware that I would begin to feel the pinch at my privacy in the future.

  We approached the side entrance of a large brick building lined with people hoping to get in.

  Justus pulled a pair of mirrored sunglasses from his coat and slid them up the bridge of his nose. He leaned over and whispered, “Humans aren’t usually allowed, but we have a pass for Adam.”

  “A pass for what?” I looked over the crowd again. “Is this a Mage club?”

  His laugh was more of a growl. “No, Learner. This club welcomes all Breed. It’s neutral ground. It’s social, indeed, but many come here to do business or favor trade. You’ll find that you fit right in here. These clubs are all over, but they are very exclusive—Breed only. This is what you’ve been missing out on, Silver.”

  Justus gave the bouncer a nod. The big meaty guy with the shiny bald head turned his mouth up in a crooked smile as he pulled open a large red door.

  “Haven’t seen you around, Mr. De Gradi—the ladies have missed you.”

  I snorted as we stepped through the door; my senses were getting hazy and I began to feel jittery all over. I stopped and grabbed Justus’s hand. “I don’t feel right.”

  He leaned down and whispered, “Give it a few minutes to adjust. You’re feeling the energy of the Breed. It feels confusing the first time but you’ll get used to it. Come on, we’re down this way.”

  Justus secured his arm around my back and escorted me through the club. Women were turning their heads with extreme precision to follow Justus as he tunneled through the crowd. I didn’t particularly think it was his winning smile that was pleasing the ladies—it was the charm he was throwing out like beads on Mardi Gras.

  Some even called him by name, and I realized his talents must have been legendary.

  I began to soak in my first glimpses of other Breed. One gentleman nodded and winked at me, flashing a brilliant gold glimmer behind his lashes. His features were so gentle and yet I had to look away as those golden eyes locked onto me, unblinking, as if I were prey. Two men lingered by an open doorway; their skin was phenomenally smooth and beautiful. The one with the long straight hair tipped his head in my direction and grinned, and I caught the gleam of a sharp tooth lowering.

  “Are those…”

  “Vampires. Yes, and don’t stare. If he lowers a fang at you again, it’s coming out of his mouth.” His eyes glared back at the Vampire as if he had been giving him a warning, but they were too far apart for him to have heard.

  “I feel like I fell down the rabbit hole.”

  “Just remember not to make human assumptions when you meet anyone, because it only shows ignorance.”

  “Like Mages being wizards?”

  “Mage,” he corrected. “Not Mages, not Magi, not Magaree. Different rules, different world, different word. And you don’t see me carrying a wand, do you?”

  “Well…”

  “You’ve always got a counter for everything, don’t you?”

  I giggled and caught his eyes smiling at the corners behind the shades because of the way they crinkled at the side. It felt good to laugh again.

  We stepped up to a private booth area. The oval tables were surrounded by lovely red seats, all of which had tall glass frames for privacy behind them. Each table was adorned with crackled glass votives, glimmering on the polished wood from the candlelight.

  A very marvelous man in appearance stood up and bowed. “Justus, we must meet more ofte
n.”

  I noticed a few eyes near us fall on him fearfully. Nothing about him struck me as menacing. He had a tall, slender build and could have easily been my age, but his regal stature made him seem more mature. Soft brown hair fell to the square shoulders of his black coat. When his eyes lifted to greet us, I thought they were a pretty shade of hazel until he looked at me and the color shifted to a deep orange. But what really caught my attention was the frightening tattoo of a dragon, prominent on his neck. I could only make out part of the claws and head from his raised collar, but it was enough to see its sinister smile around the gnashing teeth.

  I timidly clasped my hands together, which he noticed.

  Justus bowed back. “Remi, it is good to see you again. Still keeping the mane, I see.”

  Remi lightly touched the ends of his hair and arched a brow.

  “I would like to introduce you to Silver, my Learner.”

  Remi gave a slow nod without breaking eye contact and I returned the gesture.

  “I wondered when I would receive an introduction, as I have heard much about you,” Remi said. “It is with great pleasure.” He stepped aside and made a sweeping gesture for us to join him. “Do sit.” There was something odd about him I couldn’t put my finger on. There was something very off, very detached behind his expression. It was as if he were going through the motions without feeling.

  I took a spot at the edge of the booth as Justus and Remi moved to the curved bench on my left at the end.

  “Room for more?” Simon and Adam finally graced us with their presence. Simon was also wearing sunglasses, but he looked more like a rock star incognito.

  “Remi, you know Simon. This is Adam Razor.” Justus made a small hand gesture to the new additions.

  “Ah, so you are the one.”

  Adam nodded, taking the seat across from me and I eased over, giving Simon some room. I caught a faint whiff of his cologne but kept my focus on Remi, who hadn’t looked away from me. I didn’t like the intensity of his stare, so I squirmed in my chair and waited for Justus to speak.

  Remi was a Gemini. It was very interesting to hear of other non-humans outside of the ones I’d read or seen movies about. There was a whole world that existed that I’d never even imagined. Some were immortal, while others led shorter life spans. Some were born into their Breed while others had to be made.

  Gemini are a very old Breed of immortals who are only loyal to the very few that they trust. All Justus reiterated was that I should never provoke a Gemini. Ever.

  Gemini learned to shut off emotions of anger, jealousy, and revenge, as they considered them a weakness. Particularly since they had a raging beast inside of them that, once provoked, would not rest until they killed their intended victim or otherwise. He did mention that most carried the gift of intuition, not the same as premonitions, but just an ability to assess a situation and understand the outcome. They were often employed as advisors.

  Remi had also had a brief relationship a long time ago with Hannah, which made Justus think he might have some specific insight as to the decision the Council might come to.

  Adam suddenly reached across the table and took my hand. “You’re not well,” he insisted.

  “I’m fine, I can’t get sick, remember?” I smiled weakly. “It’s just the energy here.”

  I became more acclimated to the energy with each passing minute. I guess it takes a while to get your sea legs.

  “May we begin?” Remi looked to Justus and I pulled away from Adam.

  “Remi, I’ve asked you here to gain your intuition. You know Hannah, our intention, and Adam being the challenger. What I didn’t explain—”

  “Yes, that it is to the death of course. That intent is quite clear.” Remi waved a hand as if he had already seen the elephant in the room before we even came in.

  “You must know then the outcome is not certain, Adam is well-trained but Samil has centuries of technique. If Adam wins, we do not know what they’ll do with Samil’s power.”

  A waitress came to our table and set down four small glasses filled with a milky-green liquid. As the men began to slowly sip their drink, I dipped my nose in the glass, smelling something sickly sweet. I took a small taste and turned my nose as I set it on the table.

  “Not to your liking?” Remi asked, watching my reaction with mild interest and a blank expression.

  “No it’s fine. Just reminds me of kryptonite.” I caught a smile hovering at the corner of Adam’s lips as he lifted his glass in a toast to our inside joke.

  Remi tilted his head and his straight brown hair fell away from his face, allowing me to see his eyes more clearly. They were pronounced with a wonderfully rich orange hue and a well-defined black rim around the outer edge of the iris. I looked down at my drink; he was very charming in every gesture but something about him intimidated the hell out of me behind the façade of being calm and collected. It was not unlike having a conversation with a grenade.

  “Justus, friend, what I can tell you of the outcome is this: there will be a decision made on Adam’s fate. The Council will deny a proposal.”

  “Will Adam be the victor?”

  “That I cannot tell you.”

  “So you do know.”

  “I may. We both know that fate is not without its sense of humor and its cruelty. To intervene with fate can bring consequences, if not change the path entirely. I must be selective in what I reveal. This is one situation where I cannot offer much.”

  “Fuck, mate… what can you tell us?” Simon blurted.

  Justus cleared his throat and Simon protested. “I’m sorry, but what the hell was the purpose of coming here if we can’t get a little edge on this? If I knew it would be a total waste of time I would have knocked boots with that sweet little blonde standing over by the—”

  I hit Simon on the arm with the back of my hand and he slouched in his seat, glancing away.

  Remi leaned back and his lashes softly kissed as he looked between all of us.

  “All of your efforts for this Mage are not in vain. She will save many lives in the course of her life.” His eyes washed over me with strange familiarity. “Silver, the Breed do not live an easy life. You must be strong for it, but never harden on the inside or you will lose your humanity. It would be a great loss.”

  The table quieted, it seemed as if everyone was afraid to interrupt that thoughtful piece of advice. But I needed a real drink.

  “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

  Elbowing Simon to move his ass, I hopped up out of my seat and noticed Remi was standing up as a gentleman might. I smiled, and Simon suddenly flew up out of his chair, followed by Adam.

  “Too late now,” I said, rolling my eyes as I walked off.

  The wall behind the bar was shelved with liquor bottles illuminated by blue lighting inside the paneling. The bar top was a rich mahogany, and underneath there were soft lights that lit up the stools and floor. I tried to capture the bartender’s attention with my eyes as he mixed a cocktail for an older lady in a black hat. I heard a woman laughing so loud it reverberated off the walls.

  “Over here!” someone shouted.

  “That one is itching to mark me. See how he looks at me?”

  “You are a new one.”

  Ignoring the conversations around me, my fingers tapped on the wood as I admired the display of alcohol bottles.

  “Learner, I’m talking to you. It is impolite to not look someone in the eye who is speaking to you.”

  Who the hell?

  I turned to my right and my eyes raked over a man with a cool and steady gaze. His inky black eyes appreciated every inch of me, and he was taking the scenic route.

  “Bartender, vodka and tonic?” I asked. He nodded and gestured he would be with me in a moment.

  I realized the man next to me was a Vampire as I spied another glimpse of him in the mirror. Unlike the stories, he did cast a reflection. I recognized him from when we came in; he was the one with noticeably long, straight hair w
ho showed me his fang.

  The very edge of his pinky brushed against my hand as he cupped his glass, and I felt no sensation of energy as I would with anyone else, including humans. I was unnerved and looked down at his drink to see the contents were not thick and red in color, but amber.

  “Shy?”

  “No, I’m just not interested in conversation.”

  “Well, then… that makes two of us,” he implied suggestively as his tongue traced the corner of his lush mouth.

  He inched closer and I stepped to the left, bumping into a pudgy woman sitting on the stool. The bartender was busy stirring a tall glass and I leaned over impatiently.

  “I can guarantee that you would not forget a night with me.”

  This guy wasn’t flirting, he was propositioning.

  “That’s a little direct. I’m not sure what kind of women you usually pick up, but I’m not one of them, so you’re just wasting your time.”

  “I am a direct man, and let me assure you that no time would be wasted with me. What we can do together goes beyond any binding you have felt. I can make you curl from your hair to your toes.”

  My fingernails impatiently tapped on the bar. My first impression of a Vampire and I wasn’t impressed; if they were all egomaniacs I wasn’t going to have any problem staying away from them. Good thing they cast a reflection because if I didn’t know better, I’d guess the mirrored ceiling above his bed was providing him with daily affirmations.

  I turned my back to him and watched a blonde fuss with her hair as a very handsome man stepped closer as if his intent was to cage her in the corner.

  “I’ve never seen eyes quite your color, would you mind if I had another peek?”

  The woman next to me was listening with bated breath and her painted brows rose as she was anxious to hear my answer.

  “Tell me, what brings you to the Red Door, if not for coupling?”

  There was something disturbing about his eyes—I wasn’t sure if they were naturally black in color or if his pupils were fully dilated, but it gave me the creeps. I caught a whiff of perfume when the woman next to me leaned in.