1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020

by Fiona Archer

  https://www.laurambairdauthor.com

  * * * *

  Also from Laura:

  The Soldier’s Final Mission

  Billion Dollar Love

  Cover Model Series:

  In A Flash

  Shade’s of Sepia

  Shifter Clans Series:

  In His Sights

  Sights on Her

  Feral Kind of Love

  Forever Feral

  Other links:

  Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/y98u9mva

  Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/laura-m-baird

  Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/laurambaird

  Shadow Lover

  No reason to fear this boogeyman.

  by

  Louisa Bacio

  Chapter One

  She shuffled the worn playing cards, flashing red, red, red, black, red, black, black, black, red. Candlelight flickered through the cutouts on the canvas, casting foreign shadows on the table and floor. Outside her little trailer, echoes of the Carnevale enticed visitors.

  Antoinette placed the deck in front of her customer. “Cut.” At that moment, she met his gaze, looking deep within his soul. While she laid out the reading of the cards, Toni pulled from her natural seeing talents. Although some people, especially her parents, saw it as more of a curse.

  One by one, she flipped the cards, laying them out in a simple three-card spread. The first represented the past, the second the present, and the third the future.

  Eight of Clubs – Jealousy and trouble in relationships.

  Ace of Spades – A dark foreboding.

  Nine of hearts – His heart’s fulfillment.

  Hands shaking, Toni studied the cards once again. Through darkness would come his happiness. But it would be a tortuous path, fraught with danger and potential death. It all seemed to stem from a relationship, if the eight of clubs was true.

  “So quiet. Is it that bad?” he asked, his voice raising in a bit of false humor.

  “Hmmm.” She attempted to keep her face blank. She never filtered the readings, but something about this one made her hesitate. “Let’s try something else.”

  After rubbing her hands on her lap, Toni held them face up on the small table, and wiggled her fingers to grab his attention.

  A lock from his dark hair hung over his forehead, and his eyes smoldered with secrets she didn’t really want to know. Her body clenched with a need she didn’t understand. What was it about this man that attracted her so?

  “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea,” he said, curling his fingers into fists on the table and drawing the fabric of the tablecloth with him.

  “Come on, what could possibly happen?” Something told her she shouldn’t push. Her grandmother had warned her against getting too personal with clients. And yet she did.

  The moment their hands touched, a shock spiked through her body as she connected with his psyche. It didn’t always happen this strongly, but in this case it felt like she was looking deep within him. A bright light flashed behind her closed eyes, and then all faded to pitch dark.

  A wave of dizziness passed over Toni, and the room swayed. She looked at the man across from her. The features of his face wavered. Blinking her eyes, she clung to her consciousness.

  “What did you do to me?” The words came out of her mouth a mumbled mess. She hoped for a miracle.

  As she fell backward, his hands braced her back, catching her fall and laying her out on the couch.

  “Nothing. I’m so sorry.” His voice brushed over her senses, and she clutched at the reality he offered.

  Her eyes fluttered, ultra-aware of her surroundings, yet not in tune with reality. Darkness flooded her vision, along with a flash of her ex, Zoro, pure evil. A shiver passed over her soul. She’d joined the Carnevale to escape the watchful eyes of her parents and him, but she feared eventually he’d find her. The next scene focused on a body lying on Venice’s cobblestone pathway, blood spilling over the walk. She willed her form closer to catch a glimpse of the body’s face. For her to get a true reading, it was important to see the vision through to the end. Legs twisted to one side, a familiar long red floral skirt was hiked up, displaying pale ankles. She caught a glimpse of pale blonde hair, marred by splashes of bright life force. Mentally, she touched her own similar curls.

  It couldn’t be. She recognized her home, and the flooring. In the background stood a familiar shadow. She studied the form. It was the man from the reading. In the vision, she stepped closer to the body, stomach clenching at the reveal. At the last moment, she thought better than to see the woman’s face, but then it was too late.

  She knew. Somehow, she knew from the very first moment he’d walked into the reading room. He’d be the death of her. It was her lying on the floor while he watched.

  She inhaled a breath and let it out in a scream. The man fumbled backward, landing on his ass.

  “What happened? Are you all right?” He stumbled back upright.

  “Get out.” She knelt, grabbing hold of the chair and pulling herself up. “You are not welcome in here.”

  With all the energy she possessed, she pointed toward the exit. “Go now, before security makes you sorry.”

  Her heart panged. Something about casting him out seemed so wrong. She didn’t actually see him harming her, but he’d had something to do with it. To protect herself, she needed to be far away from him. What Zoro had to do with this situation, she had no idea. She hadn’t seen him in the year since she’d fled.

  “My name is Marco.” The customer reached the door. “I’ll be watching. And protecting.”

  A flash of light hit his form, and he flickered, fading out of existence. She blinked, and he returned. A forlorn look crossed his face, his eyes darkened, and once again she questioned sending him away. By the feeling he drew out of her body, she should be bringing him into her bed rather than casting him out.

  She knew better than to get involved. Giving of herself meant danger—for her and for anyone else around.

  Marco left the fortuneteller’s trailer. His feet dragged like he was walking through the water-filled canals of Venice rather than on the paved street. A shriek startled him as a passerby tossed a ball into a display of cans. The cacophony added to the chaos of his mind. He’d been following the Carnevale through the townships in London, France, and Rome until this point.

  Venice.

  If there was one thing Marco knew best, it was the shadows. His world evolved within the space inhabited by the intermingling of light and dark. Antoinette had looked at him as if she saw his true nature, but she’d never be able to guess. While he was drawn by the light of her world and her being, his world was completely encompassed with the deep, dark abyss that sucked his soul.

  In the middle of the pathway, he stopped. A beacon of light illuminated her room. It had nothing to do with the electric lighting. Nope. The light emanated from her body. For someone living in the darkness, the light became even more attractive.

  Over the years, Marco had learned not to fear the dark. It was the light that drained all his energy. The closer he got to Antoinette, though, the more he felt alive.

  “Keep moving,” a tattooed man said. “Did you hear the lady? She’d like you to leave.”

  Marco held up his hands. “I’m not causing any trouble.”

  The man pushed off the wall and came toward Marco. “Not tonight, you’re not.”

  They made eye contact, and Marco experienced an exchange of wills. He hated leaving, but at the same time something in him said tonight wouldn’t be the night she died.

  “You’ll watch over her?” he asked.

  “I always do.”

  With a nod, Marco moved on, stepping between the spotlights, living within the shadows and dreaming about the day he’d feel the rays of the sun on his body. In all the years of his existence, it hadn’t happened yet.

  “Hear ye. Hear ye. Step right up,” a barker spun his magic. “Feast your eyes on
sights you’ve never seen. Escape to the Carnevale.”

  There was no escaping his life.

  Chapter Two

  In the bright sunshine, Toni questioned her apprehensions of the night before. Never had she let a customer’s reading unnerve her. The poor guy had paid for a fortune, and she’d passed out and chased him away.

  A headache lay in wait, pounding her temples. She fought the temptation to stay in bed. She was stronger than the physical limitations placed upon her body. The mere thought of—what was his name? Marco?—made a heat flush her cheeks. He possessed all those southern Italian traits with his olive skin, dark hair, and soulful eyes. Her? She was more stereotypical northern—blonde, fair skin tone, and blue eyes. What was it about opposites that attracted so very much?

  She guessed, though, it was more than a taste of the unknown. When she’d clasped hands with him, she’d seen a past filled with darkness and a future filled with love and light. Somehow, she fit into the fortune. How? Despite her fear, hopefully, he’d return to her trailer. Otherwise, she might never learn the answer.

  She grabbed hold of the curtains and yanked them aside. After keeping late hours at work, she tended to sleep later in the day. Full afternoon sunlight streamed in, warming her small space. She pushed open the window, allowing in the ambient sounds of the Venetian city.

  There was something dark and dangerous about Marco. But despite the vision, she didn’t think he’d hurt her. She lived by her feelings, and so far they had kept her out of harm’s way. She needed to make sure she continued to be safe from her arranged marriage with Zoro. He posed the threat. When she’d met him, she’d immediately read his evil nature and the murders he’d committed. He’d previously been engaged to other women, and after finding them unsuitable, for one reason or another, they disappeared.

  While Zoro might be able to discard women like a bad meal choice, Toni knew better. He had no excuse. He’d killed those women for pleasure. No way she’d be the next victim. She’d abandoned her family and joined the Carnevale. About a year had passed uneventfully.

  As if thinking of him made him materialize, Marco knocked on the outside of her trailer.

  “How about you forget everything else and go out with me?”

  Soon enough, the Carnevale run in Venice would finish. They’d move on, and she’d never see him again. She barely knew him, but the idea made her sad.

  “You know what? I haven’t gone out in a long time.” She took his hand, and one touch made her feel at home. Better still, she didn’t receive any horrid visions of death.

  “Tonight we happen to have off. What did you have in mind?”

  “How about getting a taste for the Carnevale de Venezia?”

  “Doesn’t that only happen during a certain time of year?”

  “Yes, but during the rest of the time, you can sample the goods by visiting shops and glass factories.”

  Her heart whispered yes. “I’ll need a few moments to freshen up.”

  “Che bella! You look beautiful naturally.”

  In her private quarters, she switched her pants for a long, flowing dress, rubbed a bit of rouge onto her cheeks, and finger-combed the curls of her hair. Not much she’d be able to do to tame them. Finally, she slipped into a simple pair of walking shoes and grabbed her handbag.

  Marco sat in the far corner of the lounger, blending into the shadows. When he leaned forward, the edges of his form blurred. She blinked, and he came into focus.

  “Let’s go.”

  Their shoes on the cobblestones created a comfortable echo. Marco stole a glance at Toni out of the corner of his eye. She possessed a light all her own—her beauty? Her soul? From the moment he’d seen her, something drew her to him. It was like she was the complete polar opposite after living in a world of darkness.

  The farther they moved into the city proper, the more people crowded the walkway. They passed over a footbridge, and Toni paused, leaning over to watch the gondolas. She turned toward him, eyes bright. “It’s magnificent, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is.” His mind substituted “you” for “it,” but he didn’t say the words aloud.

  Each store held many treasures, delicate hand-blown glass and magnificent paintings of the City of Love, and they stopped and browsed an amazement of sparkling and unique wares, as the time spent together quickly passed.

  A cacophony of color exploded from a shop ahead. Feathers and sparkles and all sorts of accoutrements. She ooed and aahed over all the masks.

  “What do you think?” She tried on one featuring a half white and half black face and a long pointed nose. Silver feathers adorned the top in an elaborate headset. Her eyes sparkled behind the mask. “Would you recognize me?”

  “My heart would always know your heart,” he said.

  She caught her breath, removing the mask and evaluating him—or so it felt. “That was quite lovely. Grazie.”

  Heat flushed his cheeks, and a lump formed at the base of his throat. He couldn’t respond verbally, so he nodded.

  It didn’t faze her, though, because within moments, she’d replaced the mask and moved on to another one, trying it on.

  “Don’t you wish we had a masquerade ball to attend?” she sighed. “Oooh, look at this one!” Her attention was drawn to a gold half-mask with a fine design of black paint and red gems. A few long, wispy feathers came out from the sides and blended into her curls. Her lips fit perfectly with the curves, and he pictured twirling her along the dance floor, her body against his.

  “That one was made for you.”

  With a sigh, she removed it. “It’s beautiful, but I have no reason to buy it.” Wetness glistened in her eyes, and she glanced toward the floor. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’m going to step outside.”

  Marco fought the urge to chase after her. Better to give her a few moments to collect herself. He slipped the salesclerk an appropriate amount of money and the address of his hotel. Then he sought out his date.

  Antoinette leaned against the railing, gazing into the dark waters. The rising moon reflected off the canal and enveloped her within its light.

  “Care to share what all that was about?” he asked.

  She shrugged against him. “I miss my family, my parents, and my younger brother,” she said. “At one point in time, all that”—she wavered her arm toward the store—“wasn’t beyond me. It was part of my life that I took for granted.”

  Despite her pause, Marco held his tongue, giving her time to share.

  “We weren’t rich by any means, but we were comfortable. Momma was very respectable and my father ran a good trading company. And then he came along.”

  “He?”

  “Zoro. He had money and power – a distant relative to the high class in Firenze—and he threatened to ruin Dad’s business if I didn’t marry him.”

  Marco clenched his hands. Obviously, she hadn’t married him. But the daughter of a businessman, no matter how good the business, didn’t turn down an offer from an aristocrat. It was social suicide.

  “I see no ring on your finger or husband in tow. Can I guess that didn’t happen?”

  “I left home, and everything I’ve ever known.” Her voice dropped to almost a whisper.

  He placed his fingers on her chin and guided her gaze toward his. “Don’t blame yourself. You did what you had to do.”

  He should mention the suspicious man he’d seen following the stops of the carnival, the one who didn’t seem part of the crew. Something stopped him. He didn’t know for sure it was her ex-fiancé, and then he’d also have to admit that he’d also been following her.

  Sounds of a string instrument and singing roared from down the street, and the mood lightened.

  “I’m sorry. I promise I’m not prone to hysterics.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for. Now do you like music?”

  “I love it.”

  He tucked her tightly to his side, and they passed through an archway into a piazza full of life. Ivy cra
wled the sides of the bricks, encompassing them in a green wonderland. A trio of performers was set up in one corner: two men on instruments, and a woman dressed in a long red dress. She sang, “Se tu m’ami.” If you love me.

  A host escorted them to a table with a black and gold tablecloth and a glowing candle. They ordered wine, and the waiter brought warm bread. The outside crunched as Marco broke apart the loaf. He handed one half to Toni and bit into his own.

  Toni dipped a piece into her wine glass and placed it on her tongue. He almost tasted it on her mouth.

  Antoinette lost herself in the magic of the music and the decadent fettuccine Alfredo. The cream and garlic tantalized her taste buds, and she sipped the wine. She’d been eating carny food for too long on the road.

  She told Marco so much. Almost everything. Everything except the killings she’d suspected from Zoro. It’s not like she had any proof, only her visions. She trusted Marco. She felt safe with him.

  “Thank you for coming out with me,” he said.

  “It’s what I needed. Despite being with so many people all the time, I feel alone.”

  Closing her eyes, she took in all the senses of the moment to capture the memories of the night. The scent of tomatoes, the mixture of chocolate and coffee from dessert, and the seductive voice of the singer. For tonight, maybe she’d put the past behind her and grab hold of happiness.

  She gathered all the courage she possessed to ask the next question. “Will you come home with me?”

  “Now?”

  “I’d like to spend more time with you.”

  He left money on the table. Within a few minutes, they were on their way back to the Carnevale grounds. Before she did this, before she was alone with him, she needed to know if she was making the right choice.

  Hand on his chest, she pressed him into the darkened alleyway, marveling at his crisp features. He placed one hand on her waist, drawing her tightly against him. The other hand wound through her curls, cradling the back of her neck. He cast his eyes down, staring at her lips, and the moment stretched in time. Her breath hitched. Whatever was to come, her future would be forever altered.