Light and Shadows: A Kaitlyn Strong Story

by Art DeForest

  Fangs didn’t understand why I was so tormented, maybe, but he had been there to comfort me through many a night when I jerked awake, sweating and shaking from the latest nightmare. He did so again now.

  Trying to keep my eyes focused down the hall, I crouched down to wrap my free arm around the wide muscled neck of my mutant Savannah cat companion. He purred and butted his head gently into mine. Scratching his ears for a moment I sent a wave of gratitude over our link before standing up to resume my duty.

  My tenuous inner calm didn’t last very long, however. “Kaitlyn, Deacon, you guys need to see this!” Came the somewhat strangled voice of Marcus from somewhere in the back of the dungeon room.

  Deacon turned and went in first. Steeling myself, I entered behind him and tried to focus on his broad back as I followed him in. We found Marcus in an alcove at the back corner of the room. The walls were covered with pictures that seemed to be some sick bastards idea of a scrap book.

  They all showed people, both men and women in varying stages of bondage and torture. Some of them had obviously not made it. I shoved the old fears and memories down as deep as I could and tried to focus on Marcus.

  A look of pure rage was spread across his face. He seemed to be fighting valiantly against changing into battle form on the spot. At the sight of him, I moved up beside Deacon and put a hand gently on his shoulder. “Are you alright?” I asked softly.

  His head jerked around to glare in my direction. His eyes were the glittering gold color of his wolf. He continued to stare at me for a brief moment before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opened them, his eyes were back to their usual caramel brown, but his anger still simmered just beneath the surface. “Look at this.” He ground out, thrusting an 8X10 picture in my direction

  It was a picture of a female, shackled to a heavy steel X-frame contraption, bolted to the wall of the dungeon. It took me a minute to figure out why this particular picture had caused Marcus so much anger. Then I recognized the face. It was bloody and swollen, but her eyes glittered in hatred at whoever had taken the picture. It was Trish, Sara’s prime bodyguard and third in the Denver pack’s hierarchy. Apparently, she hadn’t died in the fight for Vampire Headquarters after all. No, it was much worse. She was alive, at least she was when the picture was taken, and she was in the hands of the Abandonados.

  2

  Our extraction from the club and subsequent return to Deacon’s beautiful Long Island estate

  went smoother than I could have reasonably hoped. We got an additional prisoner from the dungeon room and managed to get both of them into the van we’d left parked a block away. We also got the one living human we found into a cab and headed home, with no memory of the evening. There had been one other human in the dungeon. She didn’t make it. I don’t want to talk about it.

  It almost took physical restraint to keep Marcus and his team from ripping the stakes from our captives in order to start interrogating them right there in the van. After a short time, Deacon and I convinced them that we could do a better job at headquarters, where we had time and sound proofed walls.

  The prisoners were locked up in secure rooms in the basement of the mansion. You might think that would be an odd feature in your average mansion, but vampires aren’t exactly average and they tend to play by their own rules.

  Deacon, Marcus and I were currently in a conference room on the first floor of the mansion. With us were Viktor Caro, head of the Vampire Council and Sara Nightwind, the Lycan ambassador, blood shaman and also, my best friend and mentor. In a fight, she could probably take everyone else in the room by herself. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

  “Is there any indication as to where your compatriot is being held now, or if she’s even still alive?” Asked Viktor as we settled into our seats.

  “No,” replied Deacon. All of the rooms on the second floor were made for the use of vampires and their...conquests.” He said somberly. We are hoping to get something useful from one of our guests in the security rooms.

  “You were unable to search more extensively?” Asked Viktor, his features drawing into a slight frown.

  “Given that the club was still open at the time, I’m amazed they got what they did.” Said Sara, nodding in our direction.

  I nodded my agreement. “We didn’t dare check any of the offices closer to where the humans were.” If we need to we can go back after it’s closed, but like we discussed before, that would be more of an assault than a raid for intel.”

  We’d discussed the assault option before hand, but with limited manpower until we got a full contingent of Lycan backup, the intel raid seemed the better bet.

  “An assault is exactly what we need.” Growled Marcus. “We need to burn that place to the ground and kill every last vamp in the place.”

  “We need intel first.” Said Sara in a calming voice.

  “Fine, we’ll torture them and then kill them.” Said Marcus, his eyes glittering gold around the edges.

  “I don’t think torture will be necessary.” Sara said confidently. “I have...other means at my disposal. Especially when it comes to vampires.”

  My head jerked in surprise at that. I knew Sara was a blood shaman. Which meant she was basically a native american vampire created by a shamanistic ritual gone wrong. Well, wrong for the shaman whose lust for power had corrupted the ritual and inadvertently created Sara. He was the first to die at her newly undead hands.

  For Sara, it meant that she had all the strengths of a vampire with very few of the weaknesses. She still needed to consume blood, though not much, but she could move around in the daylight without feeling the searing pain of the sun, unlike regular vampires who managed the feat.

  She also had the magical abilities of a shaman. Something that I hadn’t considered being applicable to this situation until just now. “Cool! You can put the whammy on them?” I asked, enthusiastically.

  Sara turned and looked down her nose at me, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes. “Crudely put, but essentially true.” She said. “I can use a ritual and a small amount of my blood to compel the prisoners to answer our questions.”

  “What the hell are we just sitting here for!” Said Marcus angrily, shooting up out of his chair. “Who knows what those monsters are doing to Trish!”

  Sara remained seated and raised a hand. “Calmly child,” she said softly. “We’re all worried for her, but nothing will be gained by acting impulsively.”

  Marcus glared down at her and their gazes locked for a tense moment. Marcus’ hot angry gaze was more than matched by the cold steel behind Sara’s eyes. Finally Marcus let out a gust of air and slumped back into his seat. “Sorry, you’re right. I just can’t stand the thought of what they might be doing to her.”

  That brought something to my mind. “How did they manage to keep her shackled?” I asked. “Couldn’t she just change into her wolf form and slide right out of the manacles?”

  “Not if the manacles were made of silver.” Replied Sara. “The magic of the silver would inhibit transformation.”

  “Crap,” I said, my brain whirling. “What does it say about their activities that they have silver manacles in their dungeon?”

  “Silver will also hold vampires.” Returned Sara, looking at me quizzically. “I thought you would know that. I would have thought they’d been used on you.”

  I stared at her in incomprehension for a moment as my brain once again traveled back to Darius’ dungeon. As incoherent as I was with pain and hunger, I remembered somehow breaking the chains that bound me. “I...don’t think Darius used silver on me.” I said with a puzzled expression. “I can remember breaking my chains. That’s how I escaped.”

  Sara shook her head a bit in puzzlement of her own before continuing on. “Well, be that as it may, they obviously have the means to restrain lycans and vampires. Haven’t you ever needed to restrain one of your own?”

  “I just stick a stake in their heart to keep ‘em still. I replied with
a shrug.

  Sara gave me a wry look. “We really must teach you to be more subtle. We are not barbarians after all.”

  “We’ll have time for subtlety later.” I said, my voice going hard. “For now, let’s go find out where they’re keeping our girl.”

  “Quite,” Sara bit out, a tone of finality in her voice. “Have you been able to identify either of our guests?” She asked, looking over at Viktor.

  “Yes,” he said, glancing at the computer screen in front of him. The male that was taken in the dungeon is Edmund Verducci. The Verducci’s have been hanging on to the Abandonados’ coat tails for centuries. He’s one of their low level enforcers. I doubt he knows much.”

  “The female is a bit of a surprise.” He said, once more glancing at the screen. “She’s Lila Abandonado. She’s not very high in the family organization, but she was one of Gino’s favorites before Kaitlyn here removed him from the equation.” he said, nodding in my direction. “What information she might have obtained as a result is unknown.

  “Well, then I guess we should go have a chat and see just what light she may be able to shed on the situation.” Said Sara, standing up gracefully.

  The rest of us followed the movement and headed for the basement.

  After a short, but intense discussion with Marcus, it was decided that Sara and I would be the only ones in the room with the prisoners for interrogation. Sara was positive that she could get all the information they had without the need for more physical measures.

  We entered Lila’s room to find her shackled to a bare steel chair that was bolted to the floor. Sure enough, the shiny glint of silver shown from the bracelets around her wrists and ankles. Lila’s lips formed a cocky half smile as she glared at us. “Well, well, If it isn’t the Chew Toy and the Red Skin wannabe.”

  From the tone of her voice, she was trying to be as offensive as possible. Given how helpless she appeared to be at the moment, her attitude made me nervous.

  Sara smiled slightly at the words. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. Perhaps our reputations precede us?” She asked quizzically.

  “Antonella has made long speeches about what she intends to do with you the next time you’re in her presence.” Lila smirked. “To that end, she knew full well that you would eventually assault Sasha’s. Did you like the pictures?” She said with a sadistic grin?

  I tried to school my features as shock ran down my spine. Lila had never seen the pictures of Trish in our possession. I put a questioning expression on my face. “What pictures would those be?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

  “Please,” said Lila. “You aren’t nearly as good at controlling your features as you think your are. I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of the new pet cur we have in our possession. She will be so much fun to play with.” She finished with a wicked grin.

  Before Sara or I could say anything more, the cell door flew open with a crash and an enraged lycan in battle form lunged across the room and enfolded Lila’s neck in a massive clawed hand. “Where is she!” Growled out Marcus around a muzzle full of vicious fangs.

  Lila’s eye’s bulged as Marcus’ hand squeezed tighter on her larynx. “Marcus,” Sara said calmly. “She can’t tell us anything with you crushing her throat. Now calm down and release her.” The steel in her voice was unmistakeable.

  I could feel his anger and desperate worry for Trish over the tenuous link we had forged when I healed him after the helicopter crash. I did everything I could to send feelings of calm and reassurance back to him. Part of me wondered just what his relationship to Trish was, or had been. For the usually calm and collected Marcus to be operating on the ragged edge of rage as he had been, spoke of something much closer than pack mates.

  Marcus slowly got a modicum of control over himself and eased up the pressure he was putting on Lila’s throat. “You will learn nothing if you kill me, dog.” wheezed Lila through strained vocal cords.

  “She’s right, unfortunately.” I said as gently as possible as I put a hand on his black furred forearm. His fur was almost as soft as Fangs’. It was longer and thicker though. The kind of fur you could run your fingers through and snuggle into to feel all warm and protected. “Dammit! This is not the time!” I chastised myself. My hand stayed on his forearm though, stroking it gently to calm the beast inside him.

  After a few more moments, Marcus released his hold on Lila’s throat and took a step back. I let my hand drop to my side as he slowly transformed back into his human form. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m better than this. I don’t know what’s going on.” he said, staring at the floor.”

  “We’ll talk about it later.” Said Sara as gently as possible.

  Marcus nodded and headed back out the door as Sara and I focused once more on Lila. She’d regained her composure by that time and had the smirk firmly placed back on her lips.

  “Excitable isn’t he? It would be a shame if his pack mate was sent back to him...one piece at a time.” She said with a gloating smile.

  Her smile became a bit tentative however as Sara met her gaze and slowly drew her ceremonial obsidian knife from her belt. “It’s time we get down to the question and answer part of things, my dear.” She said ominously

  “No need for the knife.” Said Lila, trying to regain her confidence. “Promise to let me go and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

  “No dear, you’re going to tell me what I need to know, plus so much more than that, before this night is done.”

  “Torture me and I won’t give you anything, you old haradan! She spat, trying to sound confident. The repeated nervous glances to the blade in Sara’s hand gave the lie to her pose however.

  “There will be no need for torture. You will give all willingly.” Sara said as she drew the knife across her own wrist.

  Quicker than a viper’s strike, she raised her wrist to Lila’s mouth. Lila tried to back away but I grabbed the back of her head and forced her to remain still. Sara started chanting as her blood ran down Lila’s throat.

  Lila’s eyes became glassy and she stopped struggling as I sensed Sara’s power fill the room. The power coalesced after a minute and infused Lila. She relaxed completely, her eyes fluttered closed and her head drooped until her chin rested against her chest. Sara continued to chant for a few more moments. “You are mine now.” She said after the chant drew to a close. “You will answer every question that we ask and you will follow my instructions faithfully. Is that clear?”

  Lila’s head raised up and her eyes were glistening with emotion as she replied, “Yes Master.”

  “What language is that?” I asked curiously as Lila sat staring up at Sara, adoringly.

  “It is my native tongue. It’s mostly a dead language now.” She replied simply.

  “That’s going to make it hard to learn.” I said pensively.

  “Why would you need to learn it?” She asked, curiously.

  “To learn all this blood shaman stuff, of course!” I said in exasperation.

  Sara smiled at that. “It isn’t about the language you use, Kaitlyn. It’s about focusing your will and the magic to the task at hand.” She replied. “I use my native tongue because that is the language I tend to think in when I do magic. English would work just as well for you, I believe.”

  “That’s a relief.” I said with a sigh. “At least I don’t have to learn a new language on top of learning magic.”

  Sara smiled at me “Yes, you have much to learn even without the added language.”

  “That’s kinda creepy, you know?” I said, gesturing at the adoration on the young vampires face. “How long does the spell last?”

  “It will last until I break it, or until one of us dies.” Said Sara quietly as she looked up and met my gaze. This ability must remain secret.” She said looking from me to the one way glass that separated us from the guys. If it were widely known that I have the ability to control vampire kind, the target on my back would grow even larger.”

>   I nodded in ascent. “Like I said, creepy.” A little shudder went down my spine.

  “This is not something I have not done often. Only at the greatest need. As you have seen, it also takes time and control of the victim to accomplish.” She said seriously, glancing once more at the one way glass as if she could see the stunned looks that must have been on the faces of the vampires behind it. “This girl not only has information we need, but is placed highly enough that we can use her as an agent into the enemy camp, so to speak.”

  “Now my dear,” said Sara, turning once more to look at Lila. “Please tell us what the Abandonados planned to happen by leaving those pictures so conveniently for us to find?”