Embracing Darkness: Key Series, Short Story 1.5

by Tina Moss

  “Hmm...Sí,” Luna muttered, more to herself than her audience. Her eyes snapped open. “Yes. You have a strong aura, purple ringed. A color of wisdom and strength.”

  “I do?” The corner of Cassie’s mouth quirked up.

  “Oh, yes,” Luna said. “You’re a brave soul. But you haven’t had an easy life.”

  Her smile died. No, watching your parents die wouldn’t be defined as easy. She sucked in her cheeks. The memory of the awful day threatened to break through the surface, but she pushed it down hard. Choking back the bitterness, she erected a mental wall to block her emotions. She shook her head at the psychic and tried to keep the scowl off her face.

  “You have health issues.” The psychic tilted her head forward as if challenging Cassie to fill in the blanks.

  “I guess you can say that.” Cassie slanted her eyes toward Zoey, who flashed a triumphant told-you-so grin. She sunk into the chair, resolved the psychic was nothing more than a charlatan, but not wanting to disappoint her friend. “I have these bad headaches...”

  “How long you had them?”

  “Long as I can remember. They’ve been getting worse and more frequent though. The doctors could never find anything wrong.” She tapped her fingers on the table again and huffed.

  Luna nodded as if in understanding. “Well, let’s see your cards.” Picking the deck of Tarot cards from the table, she flipped them into her hands with ease. After a quick shuffle, she laid them face up, explaining each card.

  “See, here, the High Priestess. There’s a secret knowledge about to be revealed. You’ve some of the supernatural around you. Soon you’ll find out. Soon you’ll know. You must trust yourself.” She patted the next card twice. “And here’s the Lovers card. Someone is coming. The stranger will become part of you. You’ll be unable to resist.” Glancing in Cassie’s direction, she wriggled her nose before shaking a long pointer finger. “The stranger brings challenges. Many changes are coming. Be careful, niña.”

  Cassie stared, unable to resist inching closer despite her doubts. She looked at each card. A nagging thought tugged at her rationale. Should I tell her about the vision? It had happened just once, but the dream had been so vivid, so real. A man shaking as he kneeled naked by the lake in Central Park. Two massive scars ran down the length of his back. His beautiful face twisted in anguish under the moonlight. Then, the scream erupted, forcing her to rise while echoing through her waking hours.

  The words remained on the tip of her tongue, never moving past her teeth. For as the psychic continued laying out cards, Cassie glanced down at her hands. They rested on top of the table innocently except for the light purplish glow beginning to encircle them. Oh God, now?

  The purple energy kept growing in strength. Cassie tried to relax and will it away but the force shone brighter. She shoved her hands under the table in an effort to hide them, but the light slipped out the sides and ignited the rounded table edges in color.

  Luna slapped the deck on the table. Her face ran pale, illuminated by the unnatural purple glow lighting up the room.

  “Qué esto?” Luna’s strangled whisper echoed in the small space. “What...what’s that?”

  “It’s the energy I was telling you about.” Cassie grimaced.

  “I never see anything like this.” The psychic’s accent grew thicker as thin beads of perspiration formed on her brow. “I mean I see auras...sometime, but not like this!”

  “So you can’t help me? You can’t explain it?” Cassie said, though she already knew the answer.

  “I...I don’t know...I...maybe the cards.” The psychic fumbled and grabbed the cards from the table. She tried to shuffle, but lost her place and the cards fell from her grip, spilling onto the floor.

  Cassie sagged in the chair, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Just as she was about to storm out in frustration, the pain assailed her. Flashing across her brain like a lightning strike, it set her entire nervous system aflame. Her heart thudded, then skipped a beat. She knew what was coming next but could do nothing about it. The agonizing headache rocked her to the core and pushed the air from her lungs. Her body tumbled to the floor, as if something had pushed her out of the chair. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Paralysis took over. The waves of panic became stronger, deeper. A few more minutes of this and her head would either split open or she’d suffocate.

  She scarcely registered Zoey kneeling by her side. Her friend’s arms tightened around her shoulders, trying to hold her up. From the corner of her vision, she could see the psychic standing close by, terror clear in her eyes.

  Feeling close to passing out and hyperventilating, Cassie tried to get her breath under control. The encroaching oblivion threatened to swallow her up as a shadow appeared before her. Fear became more palpable. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to throw her arms up without success, trying to protect herself from...what? A shadow? Insanity? She wanted to get up and fight despite the pain. Her body had other plans as she curled into a fetal position. A weight pressed upon her and she found herself fading away. She let go. Blessed darkness descended and for a time she found calm inside the void.

  A hair-curling scream, forced her to awaken while it boomed through her consciousness. She jolted upright, eyes snapping to life, head still spinning. As her mind focused on the present, Zoey’s face came into view. Worry lines shaped her mouth and eyes. A woman shouted from behind in a Spanish frenzy.

  “El Diablo!” The psychic’s voice rang in a high-pitched tin, grating Cassie’s ears. “The devil has touched her. Get out! Get out! You don’t bring this here.”

  Zoey yelled a few nasty expletives back and helped Cassie to her feet.

  “Are you okay?” Gentle hands guided her to the door. “Come on, let’s get you out of here, sweetie.”

  “What happened?” Cassie whispered, finding her voice hoarse.

  “I’m not sure. When you were down, there was a weird fog around you and then...” Zoey sucked on her bottom lip. “I don’t know, Cas. Something came out. I don’t know what it was. It looked like a shadow. And it went under the door.”

  “She’s full of demons!” Luna kept screaming from the far side of the room.

  Zoey spun around and gave the psychic a sharp glare. Luna wisely shut up, but continued to point at the exit.

  As they strode through the main door, Cassie took Zoey’s arm for support. They crossed into the waiting area, to find an elderly woman sitting calm on a red velvet couch. Her long gray hair touched a black shawl draped over her shoulders. Her head was downcast, eyes focused on the plush carpet. As they passed, the woman’s head shot up and two bottomless black eyes beamed from large sockets.

  “Thank you,” the woman said. Then, she started to laugh, a hideous cackle.

  Pain spiraled through Cassie’s head. She leaned on Zoey, struggling to stay on her feet. “Get me out of here, Zo.” They rushed from the psychic’s den and into the cool night. The woman’s laugh trailed behind as if chasing them.

  “I’m sorry,” Zoey said when they got into her car. “I didn’t know this psychic would freak out.”

  They sat in the car in silence, not turning on the ignition despite the chilliness. The cold and quiet helped ease Cassie’s mind, until the headache disappeared. They’d been friends for five years, long enough for Zoey to have witnessed the purple energy and the paralyzing headaches. But, it had never been so extreme before, and never both at the same time.

  “What was it?” Zoey asked finally, flicking a hand to the window. “That was the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen.”

  Cassie shook her head, not knowing what to say. After some deep breaths, she said, “I don’t know, Zo, I really don’t.” She drew an X on the fogged up windshield, then banged her fist on the dashboard. “Aura my ass, this has to be something else. It’s getting worse and I need to find help. Real help.” When the silence lingered too long, she scrunched her brows and added in a lighter tone, “Did the psychic call me the Devil?”<
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  Zoey snickered. “Technically, it was ‘El Diablo’.”

  “Wow, how’s that for a stereotype?” Cassie scratched her head.

  “Seriously, walking cliché.” The tension broke as Zoey started the car, then turned on the heat. Leaning back against the headrest, she added, “We need a drink or two...or ten.”

  “Yeah, for sure. But, I’ve got work tomorrow and I need sleep before dealing with Mr. Turpis.” Cassie laughed, forcing the burden on her heart to lift a bit. “Besides, I’m a lightweight.”

  “The best kind, a cheap date, right?” Zoey raised her finger in the air. “No. Don’t answer.”

  “Wasn’t gonna.” Cassie smiled, but the happiness disintegrated. Am I ever going to be okay? She didn’t have the heart to voice the concern to her friend, so she kept the smile plastered on her face. The wind blew cold through the open side window. What the hell else could happen?

  A KISS OF SHADDOWS

  The thrilling journey continues with Cassie and Gabe searching for answers in a world torn apart by darkness in the sequel novel: A KISS OF SHADOWS. Pre-order now and read an excerpt below.

  Blurb

  One moment can forever change your life.

  One choice can alter the course of the future.

  As the stakes grow higher, Cassie Durrett ​must live with her decisions, and protect her loved ones, by making a deal with the devil – again.

  Cassie's birthday should have been a day of celebration, instead it marked the end of her life as she knew it and plunged her deeper into a world of danger. She's no longer the same woman she used to be. Now, her life is plagued by paranormal peril, and falling in love with fallen angel, Gabe, was only the beginning.

  With the repercussions of saving her best friend's life still lingering, and the havoc streaked across worlds she never knew existed, Cassie and Gabe must find the missing Zoey before it's too late. But the lines of darkness and light are blurring. As shadows threaten to consume all, they must fight not to lose themselves or each other.

  Excerpt: Chapter One

  Darkness flooded the apartment, a looming black mass in the quiet space. Cassie flipped the light in the hall as she stepped through the doorway. Gabe laid a hand on her hip, offering an assuring presence behind her. The sound of children laughing somewhere on the floor of the building rang out. Yet, there was no movement or sound within the apartment.

  Cassie turned right at the door. She stalled. Her heartbeat kicked hard against her ribs. She took a single step deeper inside. A hard hand encircled her wrist, holding her in place.

  “Let me go in first,” Gabe said low into her ear.

  She wanted to argue, but stopped. His body stiffened. Damn, he’s on edge too. Her pulse sped up as she fought away her worst imaginings. Nodding for Gabe to go ahead, she fell in step after him.

  Gabe craned his neck and turned one direction at a time as if searching amongst the darkness. Crouching, he stalked through the apartment, the wall at his back. Cassie followed with light footfalls.

  In the living room, she flipped another switch and the room brightened with a warm yellow glow from the desk lamp. The space looked stoic and bare like a museum exhibit behind paned glass. The TV rested like a silent sentinel in the corner. The bedroom door stood ajar at the opposite end of the apartment. Cassie watched in horror as two bottomless eyes appeared within the doorframe. Gabe faced her, unseeing of the creature just behind him.

  “Look out!” she cried, but too late. The beast sprung.

  Gabe had only enough time to half turn as a huge jaw latched onto the delicate flesh between his neck and shoulder. He shouted and grabbed hold of the monster by its massive torso. A quick twist had the thing letting go and sailing into the far wall. Gabe fell to his knees, a hand uselessly covering his injury.

  Cassie bolted to his side. “Are you alright?”

  “Get out of here! Now!”

  Ignoring his warning, she glanced over at the creature. Against the dim light, she could make out two enormous fists, a head the size of a watermelon, and a frame that would put a bodybuilder to shame.

  She took a hesitant step forward. Gabe clasped her calf. “Cassie, no. Get out!”

  “I’ll be fine.” Bending down, she shrugged free of her jacket. Forcing the material into a ball, she pressed it to his wound and clasped his hand atop it. “Just don’t die on me.” The knife slid from her boot. She fisted it in her palm, the grip warm against her skin. Her power, a plum purple energy, flowed down her arm through her fingers, and into the blade’s handle.

  With a smirk on her face, she stalked the demon posing as a man. “Come on you bastard. Let’s play.” Mere months ago, she never would have dreamed of taunting a demon. Hell, she never would have imagined demons existed outside of movies or books, but now...well, everything had changed.

  The demon growled, its mouth spewing saliva like acid onto the floor. Its eyes tracked her with unyielding hatred in their depths. The only semblance of cognitive thought showed in its wicked grin. Yet it said nothing. Something in its stare didn’t fit right.

  Elevator doesn’t go to the top floor, huh? She gripped the knife tighter, making it an extension of her body.

  The creature’s lips dropped into a scowl. A gaping maw opened as it roared and charged her.

  Cassie threw all of her weight to one side and rolled out of the demon’s path. As it turned to charge her again, she launched toward its knees. The knife found its mark just below the hipbone, sinking into the right thigh. A devastating howl echoed through the apartment. A pair of huge hands with unnatural claws aimed for Cassie’s head. She dodged the attack, but sacrificed a clump of hair. Massaging the sore spot with one hand, she ripped the knife free with the other. A trail of fresh red blood stained the rug.

  “Tired of playing yet?” she said. The demon snarled its response. “Have it your way then.”

  Nursing its injured side, the monster skulked toward her without the speed and dexterity it possessed earlier. The slower pace gave Cassie a chance to concentrate on forming a portal. Her mind focused on the demon that stayed hidden inside the man. A swirling vortex formed around her body. She pushed it forward. A jolt of her purple energy forced the demon’s essence out of the innocent human and into the void. The sucking sound as the demon returned to the Darkness filled the room. A breath later, the demon and the portal disappeared.

  Cassie leaned on the back of the couch for support. Her powers as a Key gave her the ability to force demons back to their own plane of existence, but it still took a lot out of her. Have to train harder. She rubbed her temples at the threatening headache.

  A cry only a few feet away caught her attention. The freed human looked at her with a tired expression in his hazel eyes. He didn’t speak. The air hissed in and out of his mouth. His lids drooped to a close and gravity won against his waning strength. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. His dying breath reverberated as a haunting whisper in Cassie’s ears. She stood motionless, staring at the man she couldn’t save.

  “Cassie,” Gabe whispered as he rose to his feet. “It’s okay, now.”

  “Okay? I just killed a person.”

  He grabbed her by the shoulders. His wound healed over. “No. You set him free. That demon would’ve kept that man captive inside his body. A prisoner in his own skin.”

  “So that’s it, then.” She pushed his hands away. “I’m like an angel of death.”

  “Death is natural. It’s a part of life. Slavery, demonic possession...” His eyes narrowed dimming some of the light that shown from them. “There’s nothing natural about that.”

  “I don’t understand,” Cassie muttered. “I thought a human has to consent to a demon’s possession. They can’t be forced.”

  “Yes.” Gabe nodded. “In most cases, anyway. Sometimes lower demons possess humans without consent, usually directed by the more powerful demons, and are used for purposes of slave labor or dumb muscle. When a human is possessed without consent, what’s created
is a monster like the one you just saw.” He motioned in the direction of the body. “They’re all instinct and strength, but there’s not much,” he tapped his forehead, “up top.”

  “Convenient,” Cassie said. “Funny how Daddy dearest forgot to mention that to me.” Demonic possession was bad enough, but learning that it could happen without consent and the consequences of it...

  Her skin crawled.

  Breathing once, twice, in and out, she ran her fingers across the bridge of her nose. Think about it later. She shook her head and looked over Gabe. The blood had poured across his jacket leaving a dark residue over the collar. “How’s your neck?”

  “Fine. Already healing.”

  “Good.” She touched the raw skin. “That’s good.”

  “Cassie. It’s okay not to be okay.” His touch trailed down her arm in a soothing caress. The temptation to lean into his strong chest and fall apart in his arms overwhelmed her. She brushed a quick kiss on his cheek instead and pulled away.

  “I can’t afford that right now. Let’s just do what we came here to do.” She spun away without another word.

  They approached the bedroom and found a different picture altogether from the untouched living room. The bed, under the large four-pane window, stood unmade. Tank tops, sweaters, socks, jeans, bras, and panties lay haphazardly atop the bed’s messy blanket.

  “This isn’t like Zoey,” Cassie said. “She never leaves her bed unmade, and she’d sooner tear out her hair than throw her clothes around.”

  Gabe surveyed the room, every nook and cranny coming under his inspection. He walked over to the vanity mirror sitting atop a dark wooden makeup table and swept his finger over the surface. Dust swirled in the air. “She must have left in a hurry and it looks like no one but that demon’s been here for a while,” Gabe said, looking down at his finger covered in gray specks.