Courting the Darkness Saga:
Dangerous
By
Karen Fuller
World Castle Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
World Castle Publishing
Pensacola, Florida
Copyright © Karen Fuller 2012
ISBN: 9781938961410
First Edition World Castle Publishing November 1, 2012
http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com
Licensing Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
Cover: Karen Fuller
Photos: Shutterstock
Editor: Maxine Bringenberg
Acknowledgements
I’d like to give a special thanks to authors Kathi S. Barton and Joann H. Buchanan for assisting me with the advanced copies and giving me their valuable opinions.
Chapter One
The rays of the early morning sun slowly made their appearance in the dark alleyway, and the darkness fled to the shadows. Drake Bouvier stood in the doorway of the warehouse, rubbing an amulet between his fingers. A witch, Desiree Dupuis, had blessed many such amulets for Drake. The amulets gave vampires the ability to withstand the sunlight without harm. Drake was torn as to whether to risk walking into the sunshine, or to let someone else be the guinea pig. After all, he was king; what if her spell didn’t work? “Desiree swore to me that this would work,” he remarked under his breath.
His bodyguard, Sean Devereux, rushed to the open door. “Did you call me, sire?” Glancing at the open door nervously, Sean was careful to keep away from the light.
Drake continued to stare at the brightening alleyway and sighed heavily. “No, Sean. I was talking to myself.” He tore his eyes away from the alleyway to look at Sean. “Mica and Desiree haven’t left yet, have they?”
“They left about fifteen minutes ago, sire; when you told them that they could leave, Mica wasted no time in getting her out of here.”
Some of the tension eased out of Drake’s mood and he laughed. “He was afraid I would change my mind and command his mate to stay here. He really does hate it here.”
“I’m glad,” Sean grumbled under his breath.
Drake laughed harder. “He only goads you because you won’t stand up to him, you know. It’s the same with Desiree. She intimidated you earlier because you let her.”
Sean’s mouth dropped open. “Did you see what she did to that witch hunter, Hargrove?” Drake nodded. “She turned that poor bastard into a rat.”
Drake stopped laughing and frowned at the mention of Jason Hargrove. That witch hunter had been a thorn in his side for the last week. “I would have killed him!”
“I know you would have.” Sean shook his head and then leaned against a far wall. “But that witch Desiree creeps me out.”
Drake lifted an eyebrow at Sean’s comment. “Get a spine, Sean.” Drake was irritated at his bodyguard’s fear of a mere woman. In his opinion bodyguards were supposed to be fearless. He himself was the king of all the vampires in Louisiana and was reputed to be ruthless and unforgiving. The vampires with good sense feared him; those that didn’t died. If Sean hadn’t been so loyal and followed orders so well, he would have disposed of him years ago. He glared at Sean and continued, “Underneath it all, she’s still just a woman.”
“Humph…a woman with a mean temper and a taste for vengeance.”
“Desiree and Mica are well matched. Our kind only finds one mate in a lifetime. With Mica preferring the life of a rogue, it’s amazing he found a mate at all.”
“What are the odds of finding a woman with the same temperament?”
Drake shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe one in a million.” He smiled. “They make a formidable team. I’m glad they’re on our side.”
Sean laughed. “And it doesn’t hurt to have both of them under your royal thumb of command, either.”
Drake chuckled and nodded in agreement. “True—true.” He turned his head to stare out into the now bright alleyway. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned into the doorframe. He wanted to step out into the sunshine. It had been over three hundred years since he last felt the rays upon his face. His kind had been cursed to stay in the shadows or die a fiery death in the light. That was the reason that he had captured Desiree in the first place. She possessed great powers as a witch, and he had commanded her to come up with a spell to free him from the darkness. The amulet he now wore around his neck was the fruit of her efforts. He knew that it should work. Desiree had given Mica and Denise amulets and they worked for them, but still….
“Sire, why are you standing in the open doorway? Are you trying to kill yourself?”
“Hardly,” he remarked dryly and pushed himself away from the doorframe. “I’m trying to decide if I trust Desiree’s witchcraft enough to step out the door.”
Sean’s eyes rounded. “Did you let her cast a spell on you?”
He nodded as he continued to stare wistfully out into the bright street. “I would give my right arm to be able to go outside now. Can you imagine the possibilities for us? To no longer be creatures of the night? From the day I became a vampire, some three hundred years ago, I have missed the sun.”
Sean crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow skeptically. “If you would give your right arm, then do it. That would be one sure-fire way to see if her spell worked or not.” Drake hesitated and Sean rolled his eyes and goaded, “Now who needs to get a spine?”
Drake growled, grabbing Sean by the throat, and slammed him hard against the wall. “You do not speak to me, your king, in that manner!”
Sean swallowed hard. “Uh, I’m sorry sire. I, uh, spoke out of turn. It won’t happen again.”
Drake released his throat. “Speak to me in that manner again, and I will throw you out in the sunlight without an amulet,” he grumbled sourly, then paced back and forth in front of the door for a few strides in agitation.
Sean rubbed his throat gingerly. “I meant no disrespect.”
He glared at Sean, then shook his head. Looking back at the open doorway once more, he took one tentative step. Finally, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, spread his arms wide, and stepped out into the sunlight. He stopped hesitantly; surely he didn’t step far enough. He took one more step, and when nothing happened he opened his eyes. Drake was standing in the full sunshine. Laughter rumbled from his chest. “Desiree, I could kiss you!” he shouted into the empty alleyway.
“I told you, sire, Desiree left with Mica.”
Drake rolled his eyes and frowned at his bodyguard. “I’m beginning to understand Mica’s opinion of you.” He shook his head and proceeded to walk out of the alleyway toward the street.
“Sire, where are you going?” Sean shouted, somewhat panicked.
“I don’t know,” he shouted back. “I’ll be back when I get back.”
Chapter Two
Sherry Lambert opened her eyes to the phone ringing shrilly in her ear. She picked up the alarm clock and looked at the time…7:30 a.m. Closing her eyes, she blew her hair away from her face in exasperation. “Who could be calling me at this ungodly hour in the morning?” Opening a bleary eye, she glared at the LCD but didn’t recognize the number. Patience at this time of the morning was a stretch for Sherry. “Hello?”
“Hello, Sher
ry?”
Sherry yawned into the receiver. “Yes, this is Sherry. Who is this?”
“Sherry, it’s me, Desiree.”
She sat up quickly in alarm. “Desiree, is there anything wrong?”
She heard Desiree laugh softly into the phone’s receiver. “No Sherry, nothing’s wrong. You told me I owed you the whole story when I got back. Well, I’m back.”
“Boy, you’re up early.”
“I haven’t been to bed yet.”
She blinked hard a few times trying to wake up, and stifled another yawn before she spoke. “Okay, so tell me what happened?”
“Not over the phone. I want you to come to me, so that I can show you where I’m living now.”
“You’ve moved?”
“Yeah, I lost that dumpy apartment.”
“Oh—okay. Do you need me to come over now?”
“Yeah, we need to talk about coven stuff, too.”
“That’s good. Everyone’s been asking about you. Where are you?”
“It’s the beige two story stucco mansion just off of Bourbon Street, in the Vieux Carre area.”
Sherry’s mouth gaped. “That two story mansion with the manicured lawns? Did you say mansion?”
Desiree laughed. “Yes, that would be the one.”
Sherry threw back the covers in excitement, draping her long slender legs over the side of the bed. She had been dying to hear this story since Desiree had woke her up at two o’clock in the morning a couple of nights ago. “I’ll be right over. I’ve got to hear all about this.”
“Good, you can eat breakfast with me. Bye Sherry, I’ll see you shortly.”
“Bye, Desiree.”
She clamped the cell phone shut, then ran her fingers through her silky brown, shoulder length hair and eased out of bed. Once on her feet, she stretched her slender five foot nine inch frame. As her mind raced over the telephone conversation, she put a pout on her beautiful heart shaped face, dolefully shaking her head as she glanced over her shabby furnishings. “Huh—she said mansion. If I was to be so lucky,” she mumbled under her breath. Making her way into the kitchen, she put on a two-cup pot of coffee to brew, then glanced wistfully at the loaf of bread next to the toaster. She was hungry, but Desiree had promised her breakfast.
Shadow, her black cat and familiar, jumped up on the counter to greet her. Sherry smiled and scratched the cat behind the ears. “How’s Mommy’s baby this morning? Hum?” Shadow immediately began to purr and rubbed up against her affectionately. Sherry laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ll feed you. Come on now, get down from the counter. You know better.” She picked the cat up off the counter, kissed the top of his head, and placed him on the floor. She opened the cabinet and took out a can of cat food, emptied the contents into the cat’s dish, then placed the dish on the floor. “Here you go sweetie, enjoy.”
Sherry poured herself a cup of coffee and took it with her into the bedroom. Taking a gingerly sip, she let the hot liquid warm her, then smiled in appreciation. Placing the coffee cup on the dresser, she ran her hands briskly over her chilled arms. February in New Orleans was cold and the hot coffee did its job.
Sherry stepped into the closet to thumb through her clothes. Shadow had followed her to the doorway, then jumped on Sherry’s bed, staring expectantly. Sherry glanced at Shadow, shrugging at the cat’s expression. “What does one wear to visit a mansion?” she asked the cat. Shadow tilted his head and stared at her with his large, green, intelligent eyes. “It’s just Desiree, silly. It’s not like I have a hot date or anything.” She stopped and sighed. “I wish I had a hot date. I could use some fun and excitement for a change.” She reached into the closet and took out her white miniskirt and black formfitting sweater. Turning to her cat with a big smile, she said, “What do you think, Shadow? Is it nice enough to wear to some fancy mansion uptown?”
Shadow lowered his head, narrowing his eyes in disapproval.
Sherry lifted her eyebrow at her pet’s response, pointing her finger at the finicky feline. “You, sir, need to stop looking at me like you don’t approve. I think I’m going to be meeting her rich new boyfriend. I don’t need to show up in blue jeans and a ratty sweatshirt.” She bit her bottom lip and smiled at Shadow excitedly. “Maybe he’s got a handsome, rich friend. A girl can dream.”
The cat sneezed, jumped down from the bed, and left the room with his tail raised haughtily in the air. Sherry narrowed her eyes at Shadow’s abrupt exit. “Traitor,” she grumbled under her breath.
Tossing the outfit on the bed, she reached for the coffee cup. Wrapping her fingers around the cup she noted that it felt cold. She hesitantly took a sip and scrunched up her face. “Yuck!” She took the cup back into the kitchen and dumped it into the sink, and clucked her tongue as she watched the dark liquid flow down the drain. “I didn’t need it anyway,” she shrugged to herself, and reached over and flipped the switch off on the coffee maker. “Desiree said we would be having breakfast. I’ll just have coffee with her.”
As she pushed away from the counter, her stomach growled. She looked up at the clock; it was 8:15. I better hurry; Desiree doesn’t like to be kept waiting, she thought.
Rushing back to the bedroom, she peeled her sleeping shirt off as she went, then tossed it into the laundry basket as she hurried by. A quick shower and fifteen minutes later she was out the door.
***
Parking her old beat up Ford in front of the mansion, she gaped at the house through her cracked windshield. The house was huge—a two story beige stucco, just as Desiree had said. This place must have fifteen bedrooms, and probably just as many bathrooms, she thought. Drawing her lips together in a thin line, she said, “I bet a butler answers the door, too. This better be the place, or these people are going to think I’m nuts.”
About the time she opened her car door, the front door opened and Desiree stepped outside. Her friend had thick auburn hair that framed her heart shaped face and fell past her shoulders. She had large brown eyes, high cheekbones, and soft plump lips. She was wearing tight hip-hugger jeans, a tight red form fitting sweater, and a black leather jacket.
Desiree smiled hugely as she approached Sherry. “It’s about time you got here.” Her voice was full of excitement.
Sherry stepped out of the car and smiled back. “What do you mean? I took the fastest shower in history.”
“I’m just teasing you—and—well—I guess I’m excited too.”
Sherry walked up to Desiree and gave her a hug, then her friend ushered her into the house. She looked around the lush massive room with wide eyes. “So, is this guy the same guy you were with in Tennessee?”
“Yeah, it’s the same guy.” They walked over to the couch and sat down.
“If I remember correctly, his name is Mica, right?”
Desiree nodded, her eyes sparkling with a happiness that Sherry didn’t miss. “There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with your memory,” Desiree said. “Oh, by the way, thanks for calling Agatha. I don’t think she would have let me in her shop if you hadn’t called first. She took one look at Mica and almost didn’t open the door.”
That’s an odd thing for her to say about her boyfriend, she thought, so she raised her eyebrow skeptically, and said, “Okay—now you really have me curious. Why wouldn’t she let you in because of your boyfriend?”
Desiree flushed, then looked away. “I guess I need to introduce you to Mica before I tell you my story.” She patted Sherry’s knee. “Sit tight, I’ll be right back.”
She was only gone a minute, but nothing Desiree could have said would have prepared Sherry for the sight of them walking back into the room together. Her mouth dropped open when she looked up and saw the six foot seven god before her. He was all muscle. His wavy black hair framed his ruggedly handsome face, and his eyes, a startling blue, were framed by lush black lashes. Sherry caught her breath when he smiled, had to consciously close her mouth before they considered her rude, then did a double take when she suddenly realized he had fangs.
>
Desiree looked up at Mica and grinned. “Sherry, this is Mica.”
Sherry swallowed hard. “Desiree—uh—I think your boyfriend here is a—a—a vampire.”
Desiree laughed at her reaction. “Yes, he is.”
The color drained from Sherry’s face.
“Sherry, I think I need to tell you the story from the beginning. I think you’ll understand.”
Sherry cleared her throat and couldn’t quite meet Desiree’s eyes…she suddenly feared for her best friend. Witches didn’t associate with vampires, unless—her heart sunk at the only conclusion she could come to. “Desiree, you aren’t a vampire now, are you?”
Desiree laughed harder. “No, not hardly.”
She let out her breath in a rush. “Good. That’s a relief.” She looked into her eyes. “I want the whole story.”
Desiree looked up at the ceiling as she thought back. “Wow, it’s only been a week.” She then tilted her head and began. “Some of this story will be a little unbelievable, but listen with an open mind.”
Sherry gestured to Mica. “I doubt it will be that unbelievable. You have proof sitting here in front of me, so just spit it out.”
“You know my situation, Sherry.” She nodded. “Word of my true age leaked out. My former landlady snooped through my things and discovered that I was a hundred and twenty-five year old witch and started running her trap.” Sherry’s mouth dropped open as Desiree continued. “About a week ago I received a summons for a command appearance from Drake Bouvier, the local vampire king.” Desiree laughed. “You know me. I tried to get out of it.” Sherry smiled. “Drake sent one of his guards to hunt me down.”
“So this vampire king, Drake, sent Mica after you?”
She chuckled. “Yes and no.” Sherry inclined her head for her to continue. “Mica is not one of Drake’s guards. Drake sent his guard Sean after me. Believe me, at the time, Sean was intimidating as hell.”
Dangerous (Courting the Darkness Saga) Page 1