by Dannika Dark
KEYSTONE
CROSSBREED SERIES BOOK 1
Dannika Dark
Contents
Summary
Also By Dannika Dark:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Back Cover
Acknowledgments
WHAT’S NEXT
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Books by Dannika Dark:
KEYSTONE
Crossbreed Series Book 1
USA Today Bestselling Author
DANNIKA DARK
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2017 Dannika Dark
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author. You must not circulate this book in any format. Thank you for respecting the rights of the author. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Edited by Victory Editing and Red Adept. Cover design by Dannika Dark. All stock purchased.
www.dannikadark.net
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Summary
With over 1 million books sold, USA Today Bestseller Dannika Dark introduces her next addictive series…
Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, dignity and a respectable career are finally within her grasp. The catch? Her new partner is Christian Poe - a smug, handsome Vampire whom she’d rather stake than go on a stakeout with.
They're hot on the trail of a human killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. One misstep during her probationary period could jeopardize Raven’s chance at redemption, and her partner would love nothing more than to see her fail. Will Raven find the courage to succeed, or will she give in to her dark nature?
Book 1
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Also By Dannika Dark:
THE MAGERI SERIES
Sterling
Twist
Impulse
Gravity
Shine
The Gift
MAGERI WORLD
Risk
NOVELLAS
Closer
THE SEVEN SERIES
Seven Years
Six Months
Five Weeks
Four Days
Three Hours
Two Minutes
One Second
Winter Moon
SEVEN WORLD
Charming
THE CROSSBREED SERIES
Keystone
Once upon a midnight dreary…
- Edgar Allan Poe
Chapter 1
“Mmm, just like my mom used to make,” I said, choking on my disgust as I unlatched my mouth from the whiskery neck of a Mage. I hated relying on my Vampire nature, but sometimes it was a necessary evil to subdue my victims.
Not one to leave evidence, I wiped a drop of blood off the brown tile.
The paunchy man curled his lips where he lay on the floor, his face ashen.
I launched to my feet when someone outside the door jiggled the handle to get inside the private bathroom. The club had public ones farther down the hall, but there was always one joker who wanted a room to himself. The knocking finally ceased, and I listened as the footsteps grew distant. Taking down evildoers in human clubs was easier since there was less chance of someone calling the Breed authorities, especially since humans didn’t have a clue about our existence.
I caught my reflection in the mirror as I turned—my black hair askew, burgundy lipstick smeared across my chin. Then I glared down at the man lying at my feet. “You shouldn’t take advantage of humans. Stealing energy from a weaker species is just vile.”
He didn’t have any strength left to move. “Who are you?” he groaned weakly, his eyelids fluttering.
I knelt down and offered to shake his hand. “I’m Raven Black. Pleased to make your acquaintance, human killer.” When he stared at my hand nonplussed, I flattened my palms against his and hovered over his face. “Maybe you’re a high-five kind of guy.” Before he could struggle, I proceeded to drain his energy.
This repugnant juicer was about to find out that I wasn’t just a Vampire, I was a crossbreed—a one-of-a-kind combination of Vampire and Mage. Vampires have black eyes, and since mine were mismatched, it had confused him when I had to drain his blood to weaken him further. Now he was even more puzzled as to how it was possible I could pull his Mage light. It didn’t matter to me. Only the dead knew my secret.
Breeds who can have children frown upon interbreeding. The magic between two different Breeds cancels each other out, creating a watered-down version of a species. Once in a blue moon, the powers weave together in a dangerous way.
After all, I was proof.
The difference being that I had once been an ordinary human who—like everyone else—didn’t have a clue that the Breed world existed. Vampires can offer the gift of immortality to humans just as a Mage can, but a human body can’t accept the power of both at once. You’re either one or the other. Except in my case.
Magic will always find a way to bend the rules.
I glared into his beady little eyes, his dark light beginning to contaminate my own. “What did humans ever do to you? They’re not disposable goods. You can’t go around juicing their light and then throwing them away like an empty cup. I’ve been following you around for the past week, and I know all about your light addiction. You’re littering the streets with their bodies like they’re Popsicle sticks. I bet you didn’t think anyone was watching, did you? I see everything,” I hissed.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, choking on his own fear.
I squeezed his palms tightly. “You’ve had your opportunity for redemption. Sorry, human killer. Lights out.”
“You can’t kill me; it’s against the law.”
A smile touched my lips. “You’re a declared outlaw. I asked around. That means you’re wanted dead or alive.”
“Then turn me in.”
A little reward money would be nice, except for one tiny problem: I didn’t exist in the Breed world. I’d been living as a rogue since the day I was illegally made.
Why couldn’t this guy have been a Shifter? Or even a Relic? The only ways to kill a Mage involved decapitation, burning alive, and other gruesome methods I wasn’t eager to entertain. We weren’t magicians or sorcerers as humans believed, but immortals who manipulate energy as a weapon or source of power. Every Mage has core light, and even if you drain all their energy, that core will always replenish. That’s what makes them immortal.
Unless someone has the ability to remove it.
The first time I discovered my rare gift to remove core light, I let my victim go. I thought it would be sw
eet revenge for him to live out a miserable human existence. Later I discovered that he’d located a Creator—a Mage with the rare gift to make another—and paid him good money to become immortal again.
Then I had to kill him for real.
“Hold still,” I said, dreading what was to come. “This will only take a second.”
His eyes hooded as he struggled to remain conscious. “Jesus, I’ll pay you.”
“Oh?”
Usually it was empty threats and cursing my immortal soul; this was the first time someone had actually offered me money. “How much?”
“I’ve heard about you,” he grunted. “I’ve got money… Lots.”
I rubbed my palms against his, considering the offer. Was I an easy sellout? I hadn’t held a job in the years since I was human. Having a place to live would be nice. The Vampire part of me didn’t need sleep, but the Mage side did, so I spent a lot of time napping in movie theaters or Laundromats. It saved on rent, but I missed having a bed of my own.
“How much is lots and lots? Or did you just say lots?”
His chin pressed against his chest. “In my pocket there’s a bank card. I’ll tell you the PIN—you can take it all.”
“How many lives have you destroyed, can you count that? All because you wanted to get high from their light. Does that card belong to one of your victims?” When he didn’t answer, I sighed. Letting him go would mean issuing a death sentence to countless humans. “Sorry, Mage. The pity parade just left town.”
With my hands still gripping his, I pulled every last drop of energy until his core light snuffed out. There was an audible snap that cracked like a whip, followed by a bright flash of light. His energy tasted bitter and cold, mixing with my own like poison. I’d retain it for another day before it naturally leaked out.
I’d once overheard a Mage talking about his gift as an Infuser. Supposedly, if someone like me pulled core light out of a Mage, an Infuser could permanently seal it to my own, meaning I’d get to keep their gifts. But if that meant their dark energy would stay with me forever, then no thanks.
The darker the light, the sicker I felt. My stomach turned, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through the night.
The Mage gasped in disbelief, finally comprehending my full power when he felt his own mortality. Before he could protest, I lifted my blade, centered it over his heart, and drove it in to the hilt.
The best part about being a woman? I rarely paid for my own drinks in a Breed bar. Food, however, was another matter.
Vampires don’t require food to survive. But I was only half Vampire, and my Mage half was starving. Especially after the showdown earlier in the human club down the street. I still had the vile taste of bad blood in my mouth.
I took a seat next to a burly man in a red shirt. “Hey, are those any good?”
He put away a large tortilla chip loaded with meat and gave me a skeptical appraisal.
Out on the streets, most people assumed I was a human since my energy was undetectable and I didn’t look like a Vampire. In a Breed bar, it wasn’t as easy to read people with so much energy pulsing in the room. Most assumed I was either a Mage concealing my light or a Relic, since they’re genetically identical to humans. The only thing that separated them was a Relic’s ability to retain information and genetically pass it down to their children.
I gazed longingly at his nachos, wishing I had the charming abilities of a Vampire, but once again, destiny screwed me over.
“They’re not bad. I’ve had better,” he grumbled, as if implying something else.
“Mind if I try one?”
When he licked his thumb and narrowed his eyes, I gave him my best come-hither look, making sure he could only see my brown eye, which was my left one.
He nudged his plate toward me, and I chose a cluster of chips tied together with cheese, guaranteeing me the biggest bite. Some of it fell onto my lap.
“Oh, sorry about that,” I said, shoving them into my mouth. “I didn’t mean to take so many at once.” I wiped at the cheese stain, irritated since it was my only dress. “I love a real man who knows how to share. What’s your name?”
“Murphy. What Breed are you?”
Talk about a guy who got right to the point.
I could sense he was a Mage, so I chose the best possible answer he’d want to hear since there weren’t as many Mage women in the dating pool. “I’m a Mage. I’m just concealing my light for a little privacy.”
When he pulled back his plate and resumed eating, I realized he wasn’t interested. Most would have jumped at the chance to be with a female Mage, but I should have taken the time to feel him out. Every so often, I’d run into a guy who preferred Shifters, blondes, or sometimes men.
Strike one.
I searched the bar for someone else who had a plate of food in front of him. Chitahs didn’t usually share with a non-Chitah female since they had a dim view on interbreeding, so I skipped over any tall man with golden eyes. A Mage was always a safe bet, which was why I scouted them out by seeking their energy flares.
“Take it easy on those nachos, Murphy. Thanks for the bite.”
When I stood up, I spotted a man with a plate of mini burgers. I salivated, my stomach growling like a grizzly bear coming out of hibernation. I leisurely strolled toward his table, formulating a game plan. Only one man had ever offered to buy me dinner; the rest behaved like lions protecting their kill, but every so often, I found one who would share.
Muscle shirt, gold necklace, cologne wafting from a mile away… Yeah, this guy was here for a good time.
I hadn’t eaten a proper meal in over three days, and stealing wasn’t a standard I lowered myself to. Hustling, on the other hand, was a challenge and helped me brush up on my social skills. But tonight my body ached from exhaustion and dark light, so the sooner I could end this hunt the better.
“That’s the way I like to see a man eat,” I said, sidling up to his chair.
He lowered his eyes to my legs. They were long, elegant, and could lock around a man’s neck and rob him of consciousness in ten seconds flat.
I hooked my finger on the corner of his plate and dragged it in my direction. “How about if I feed you, would you like that?”
His hand grazed my bare thigh and I playfully slapped it.
Before he lost interest, I spun a chair around and straddled it. He all but choked when my black dress left an opening in the front.
I gave him a coy smile, eyeing his juicy cheeseburger. “Why don’t you feed me, big boy? I need something big and juicy in my mouth.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked me up and down, his expression switching from interest to disgust. “Get the fuck out of here, leech.”
Leech. One of the colorful words Breeds used for scavengers like me who had no family, no job, and no dignity. I called it survival.
Strike two.
Discouraged, I kicked the chair in and relocated to the far side of the room where I spotted a Vampire at the end of the bar with the largest plate of golden onion rings I’d ever seen.
Now that’s a sight to behold, I mused.
I assessed his black coat and lace-up boots, which were as worn as mine and told me he wasn’t a man who flaunted his money—if he even had any. His dark brown hair was a little long on top, and despite the short beard that had recently graduated from a five-o’clock shadow, I could see his chiseled cheekbones. He was so unassuming that I almost hadn’t noticed him sitting there.
Vampires often hung out in bars, eavesdropping on conversations with their heightened hearing ability. Some of them worked as secret-sellers and blackmailed people for money, which was probably what this guy was doing. I didn’t trust them, but hunger makes you do desperate things.
“Hi, handsome. Would you like some company?”
He flicked his wrist, waving me away. “Shoo. I’m busy.”
My words became tight, and I flashed him a baleful look. “Maybe you should order a clove of garlic on t
he side, Vamp.”
As I turned away, he wrapped his fingers around my throat and yanked me against him, my back to his chest. The Vampire’s grip was iron, and I couldn’t escape if I tried.
His breath heated my neck just behind my ear, and he spoke with a dark Irish accent. “Careful who you rub up against, lass. I’m not into parasites, but I’m willing to let it slide for a little action.”
“Keep dreaming.”
He chuckled darkly. “Why don’t you check out where my hand is?” Beneath my dress, he squeezed his fingers, which were resting on my bare hip. One of them slid beneath the thin strap of my panties. “Mmm, lace. I bet they’re as black as your hair, aren’t they?”
I tipped my head back, a smile in my voice. “Why don’t you check out where my hand is?”
He released his hold, and I slowly turned, one of my push daggers pricking his family jewels. They were my favorite weapon to carry. Easy to conceal, they varied in size, I could wear one almost anywhere on my body, and the T-shaped handle provided a solid grip.
I tapped the three-inch blade against his crotch, careful not to look him in the eye so he couldn’t charm me. “You’re lucky you caught me on a good night.”
His wolfish brows drew together. “Unusual set of winkers you’ve got there. Why don’t you raise them up an inch and give me a better look?”
I’d learned early on that Vampires wouldn’t hesitate to use their gifts of persuasion—all they had to do was hypnotize you with those black eyes. I hadn’t inherited that gift, so I got out of dangerous situations by relying on clever tactics.
Like staring at his Adam’s apple.
“You might be stronger than I am, but you’re not as fast as a Mage.”
He casually rested his elbow on the mahogany bar and leaned on it. “I’ll give you a ring if you go away.”
“I don’t want your onion rings, nor do I want your hand up my dress. I’m going to back away, and you’re going to keep your hands where they are. You know the rules about fighting in a Breed bar.”