Courting the Darkness

by Fuller, Karen

  She stood up in plain view, raising her arms to the heavens, beginning to chant so the vampires could hear her. “By the gods I beckon thee, to bring the sun so they might see. With its rays they doth feel, the kiss of fire to feel so real. And to the shadows they must run, to hide until my task is done. By the power of three times three, let them see, let them see. I do so wish it, so mote it be!”

  Vampires scattered everywhere. Some cried out in agony. Their skin sizzled and smoked. Most ran into the cave. A few others ran into the dense foliage. She felt a twinge of guilt at the obvious pain they were in, but she would do anything to save Mica.

  Stepping from behind the bushes, she made her way into the now empty clearing, running up to the silver cage. She gripped the door, shaking it violently against the lock. Mica glared at her. “Desiree, I told you not to come alone!”

  She cocked an eyebrow at the absurdity of his statement. “That’s kind of a moot point now, isn’t it?”

  “You need to hide before they see you.”

  She threw her head back, laughing. “Mica, they’re not concerned with me at the moment. I gave them something more important to think about.” Looking all around the cage, she stopped, and then looked up at Mica. “Did you see where they put the key?”

  He sighed impatiently. “They didn’t show me the key. You need to hide before they catch you.”

  “They’re only concerned with saving their own burning butts.” She stopped looking for the key and smiled at him. She shrugged. “I cast a little spell so that they’ll see the sun and feel its rays. The only way to get away from the pain is to hide in the shadows.”

  He rolled his eyes, grinding his teeth. “You know they’ll hunt you down, don’t you?”

  She shook her head. “No they won’t.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “I would.”

  She paused, chewing on her bottom lip. “I guess I better hurry up and get you two out of there then.” She looked all around her, then back at the bars and chains. “Is silver the only metal that your bodies react to?”

  Denise lifted her head. “We don’t tolerate iron too well either.”

  Desiree nodded. “Silver and iron,” she grumbled under her breath. She started to examine the joints of the cage. “Okay, I think I can do this. I’ll just make up a spell to change the metal from one type to another. It should be a piece of cake. I hope.”

  “You don’t sound too sure,” Mica grumbled. “If you can’t do this, then run. Run straight to Drake. Don’t stop until you get there. You will need all Drake’s vampires to protect you.”

  “Mica, if I can’t do this, then I might as well lie down and die right here. If you don’t make it, I’ll die too, remember? Stop being so negative; you’re making me nervous.”

  “What’s done is done, Mica. Just let her try. I, for one, want to live for a few more years.”

  He gritted his teeth, nodding. “Now that that’s settled…”

  She took a deep, cleansing breath, raising her arms and eyes to the heavens, bracing her feet wide. “I call the gods from days of old, to remember back to fables told. Turn this silver into gold. The gift to Midas is what I seek. I so wish it, so mote it be!” The wind whipped up and blew violently around them. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped loudly in its wake. She placed her finger on the silver bar and the entire cage turned to gold before their eyes. “I need to touch your chains, but don’t let me touch you. Could you both inch your way toward me?”

  “Denise, we need to stand. On the count of three. One…two…three.” He grunted and they both managed to stand, inching their way to Desiree.

  “Stay very still. I only want to touch the chain. Please don’t make any sudden movements.”

  Denise tried to cock her head around so that she could see what Desiree was about to do. “Why? What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to change the chain to gold.”

  “Okay, I got that part. Why do we have to be careful?”

  “Because I asked for the Midas touch, everything I touch will turn to gold. So I need you two to hurry and bust out of there so I can reverse this spell.” She reached her hand between the gold bars and touched the silver chain. It turned to gold. She backed up. “How do you feel?”

  “I can feel my strength starting to return.” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, flexing his muscles, and busted the gold chain. It fell harmlessly to the floor. He reached over, breaking Denise’s chain. “Stand back,” he commanded to Desiree. She backed up further. He kicked the cage door down and jumped out.

  She smiled. “I knew you could do it. Denise, get away from the cage.” She spread her arms, raising her face to the heavens. “I call the gods from days of old, to return the gift, the touch of gold. This cage of gold return to silver, leave no trace, let them bewilder. This is my wish you grant to me. I do so command it, so mote it be!” Lightning flashed and the cage turned back into silver. “Thank you, gods,” Desiree shouted.

  Mica reached for her and she backed away from him. “Not yet.” She looked all around her. “I need to find something to touch to make sure the spell has been reversed.” She walked over to a tree and touched a leaf. It remained green. “I’m safe.” She laughed in relief.

  Mica took her into his arms, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. “You are far from safe,” he remarked dryly. “What were you thinking? These vampires will track you down and kill you.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “I was doing the best I could, Mica. How else was I supposed to bust you out? I’m not a warrior. Magic is the only way I know how to fight.”

  Denise crossed her arms over her chest. “Cut her some slack, Mica. You know as well as I do we wouldn’t have lasted until Drake could manage to make it. As it is, that silver put such a drain on my system that I need to feed.” She glanced at Desiree and smiled. “Are you volunteering?”

  Mica rolled his eyes, tucking Desiree protectively behind him. “No, Denise, she’s not volunteering,” he remarked sarcastically.

  Denise grinned. “I’m just kidding, Mica. Lighten up.”

  Desiree locked eyes with Denise and smiled behind her hand. Mica turned to look at her and she sobered her expression. He crossed his arms over his chest, blowing out a breath. “How long is that spell supposed to last on the vampire clan?”

  Desiree chewed on her bottom lip, grimacing. “I chanted for it to last until my task is done.” She shrugged. “If we time it right, the sun will be coming up when my task is done. That should give us until nightfall to get as far away as we can.” She looked at the horizon. “The sun will rise shortly. The horizon is already starting to turn pink, and we still need to find Caleb.”

  “Caleb’s close.” Denise sniffed the air. “I can smell the mangy polecat.”

  “Don’t call me that!” They all heard in a muffled voice.

  Desiree looked all around her and shrugged. “Caleb?” she said loudly.

  “Yeah, Desiree, it’s me.”

  “Where are you? We can hear you, but we can’t see you.”

  “They’ve got me chained up in a crevice just below you.”

  She looked at Mica and Denise and shrugged. “Are you alone?”

  “I think so. I can’t see anyone else.”

  “You mangy polecat,” Denise grumbled in aggravation. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

  “I told you not to call me that.”

  She laughed. “Caleb, if you want us to set you free, you’re going to have to answer me.”

  “Denise,” Desiree chastised in a harsh whisper, “that’s mean.”

  “You’re defending him after all he’s done these last couple of days?” Desiree bit her lip, looking at Mica, and then back at Denise. She shrugged, looking away from Denise. “Answer me, Caleb.”

  “I—uh—was just listening to see if y’all were going to say anything bad about me.”

  Denise leaned over the crack in the ground. “And did ya hear anything interesting?”

&nbs
p; “No.”

  “You mean we missed a good chance to make fun of you?”

  “Denise.” Mica shook his head. “That’s enough.”

  “No, Mica,” Caleb replied. “I deserved that. I’ve not been acting like a very good friend lately. We’re in this mess because I ran my mouth to Hargrove. You’re right; the choice is Desiree’s, not mine. I should have never tried to force her to be with me, and I have to accept the fact that she has chosen you over me. I need to move on.” He sighed “I want to apologize to all three of you.”

  Desiree placed her hand on Mica’s arm, looking into his eyes for confirmation of Caleb’s sincerity. He nodded, and Desiree spoke. “We accept your apology, Caleb.”

  “Don’t include me in that acceptance,” Denise huffed. “It will be a cold day in hell…”

  “Denise,” Desiree chastised, “I forgave you for your part in all this. Don’t make me regret that.”

  Denise crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from Desiree. “Oh, all right,” she huffed in resignation. “I forgive you too, Caleb.”

  He huffed impatiently. “Uh—could y’all please get these chains off of me so I can get out of here?”

  Desiree looked up to the horizon. The sun’s rays were shining over the edge of the mountain and gradually illuminating the landscape. “The sun’s up. We need to hurry now.”

  Mica studied the crevice in the ground and the large boulder sitting on top of it. Placing his hands on the boulder, he pushed, and it gave a little. He knelt down, speaking into the crevice, “Caleb, move as close to the wall as you can get. I’m going to move this boulder.”

  “Okay, I’m as far away as I can get with these chains.”

  Mica nodded. Standing back up, he pushed on the boulder, rolling it out of the way. He knelt down to look inside.

  Caleb sat in the crevice below chained to the wall. He gave everyone a lopsided grin. “Thanks, I was beginning to wonder if y’all were going to leave me down here.”

  Desiree knelt down beside Mica. “You broke me out of jail. We wouldn’t leave you at the mercy of our enemy.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Denise huffed, and Desiree rolled her eyes.

  Caleb grinned. “Aw, you know you love me, Denise.”

  Denise’s mouth dropped open. “You—you take that back.”

  Caleb’s lopsided grin grew bigger. “Come on, you know it’s true.”

  Denise slammed her hands down on her hips. “Mica, you better tell this mangy polecat that if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his paws to himself. Tell him that I don’t date outside of my own species.”

  Caleb laughed. “Come on, Denise; don’t knock it until you try it.”

  Her eyes flashed indignantly. “I’m not trying anything with you, fur ball.”

  Desiree laughed, and Denise glared at her. “I’m sorry.” Desiree threw out her hand in gesture to Denise. “I can’t help but laugh. He’s relentless; you better get used to it. The more you protest, the harder he tries.”

  Mica laughed, stepping down into the crevice with Caleb. “You better watch yourself with Denise,” Mica remarked to Caleb in a half-hearted warning. “She’ll make you regret pissing her off. Hold up your wrists.” Caleb did so, Mica twisted the locks off the manacles, and they fell free.

  Caleb rubbed his chafed wrists. “Thanks, buddy, I owe ya one.”

  “Just leave Desiree alone and we’ll call it even.” Mica climbed out of the crevice, turned, and waited for Caleb.

  Caleb climbed up to the surface, dusting the dirt off his clothes. “It’s a deal.” He stood up, surveying their surroundings. “How are we getting out of here?”

  “The Express Van, of course,” Desiree remarked distractedly. All three of them looked at her, surprised. Her mouth dropped open. “How else did you think I got here?”

  Mica tilted his head. “Where did you get the keys?” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the keys, dangling them in front of her. “They have been in my pocket the entire time.”

  She smiled. “Magic.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Desiree threw her hands up over her eyes, cringing; she was trembling from head to toe. “Mica, please slow down. You’re going to kill us all.” She peeked between her fingers to see the scenery fly by in a blur. She bit her lip, glancing over at the speedometer he had the needle pegged as far as it would go.

  Mica took a sharp corner, squealing the tires. “We don’t have much time. That clan won’t just stand by and let us leave voluntarily. They want us all dead now.”

  Putting his hands on the back of the driver’s seat, Caleb leaned forward. “Mica, they won’t take us by surprise this time. We can fight just like we always do.”

  “I don’t run from a fight, but even I can’t protect Desiree from twenty vampires at one time. No, we’ve got to get her back to New Orleans. Drake owes her protection.” He took the corner on two wheels. Desiree held on for dear life. “We’re almost back to the cavern. We’ll get Drake’s amulets and head back to New Orleans.”

  Desiree’s eyes rounded. “Oh, no! Did anyone call Drake? They’re supposed to be on their way here.”

  Mica sighed heavily. “We’ll get the amulets first, then we’ll call Drake. He can’t travel in this sunlight without those amulets anyway.”

  Denise laughed. “Just wait until Drake hears this. He’s going to be pissed.”

  Desiree chewed on her thumbnail apprehensively. “He wasn’t very happy with me the last time I talked to him. That man intimidates the hell out of me.”

  Denise rolled her eyes. “What are you worried about? Mica will protect you.”

  “I’m not worried about myself, Denise.” She sighed heavily. “I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me.”

  Mica pulled up to the front of the cavern, slamming on the brakes. Turning toward Desiree, he looked at her expectantly. “Desiree, where are the amulets?”

  “It will be faster if I go.”

  “No, you’re staying in the van.”

  She opened the passenger door and got out of the car.

  “Desiree, get back in the car.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring defiantly. “I’m going.” She stomped off in the direction of the cavern entrance.

  Mica moved so fast he was in front of her before she reached the cave. He ground his teeth and grabbed her arm. “Go back to the van.”

  She yanked her arm away and slammed her hands on her hips defiantly. “No.”

  “You’re testing my patience.”

  “And you’re wasting time.” She stepped past him. “You’re not the only one who doesn’t like to be ordered around.”

  He followed her. “I’m not ordering you around.”

  “You could’ve fooled me.” She stomped through the dark cavern ahead of Mica.

  “What happened to your fear of the dark?”

  She stopped, turned around, and glared at him. “I guess if you piss me off enough, I forget about it.”

  “Why the hell are you pissed off at me?”

  “Oh, let me see,” she remarked dryly. “Maybe because you’ve been treating me like a pariah since I got you and Denise out of that cage. You’ve had one major attitude, and I don’t like it.” She turned, continuing through the dark cavern.

  “You’re going to have to learn to listen to me,” he demanded.

  “Oh, let me translate that for you. You’re going to have to learn to follow my orders. I told you, I don’t like being ordered around.”

  “Desiree,” he whispered, “stop.”

  She stopped. Closing here her eyes, tears trailed down her cheeks. “Don’t you understand anything?” She swallowed hard. “I couldn’t wait for Drake. I couldn’t take that chance that you would make it until sundown. I thought you would be happy to be out of that cage, but no, no, you get pissed off at me for disobeying your orders. I’m sorry, that is one set of orders I couldn’t follow. If you can’t accept that, then I don’t know where that leaves us.�
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  “I wasn’t upset because you didn’t follow orders.” Her shoulders slumped. “I was upset because you needlessly put your life at stake.”

  She turned her head, looking into his eyes. “I didn’t see it that way. I saw it as a necessary risk. Either we all made it out of there, or none of us did. It took me a hundred and twenty-five years to find you. I had to do everything in my power to make sure you survived. I just had to.”

  He wiped a stray tear away from her cheek with his finger. “As bad as I hate to admit it, I do understand. It’s just that I am fiercely protective of you, and for the first time in my life, I feel helpless.”

  “Don’t you see it, Mica? You just said the same thing I did. We’re more alike than I care to admit. We both fight for what we consider ours. The difference is you fight with brute strength, and I fight with magic. I’m sorry I pissed off that clan, but I’m not sorry you’re out of that cage. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even if it meant that you were angry with me for the rest of my life. I would rather see you angry than dead.”

  His eyes sparkled and he grinned. “I guess that leaves us at a stalemate.”

  She grinned back, biting her bottom lip. “I guess it does at that. What are we going to do about it?”