Darkness Unveiled

by Emerson Knight

  “Go ahead. I’ll let you know if anything changes here.”

  The drive to Sky’s felt long. Now that the adrenaline from the evening had worn off, exhaustion was catching up to me. I turned on the stereo, relying on acid jazz to keep me awake. Several tracks later, I arrived at Sky’s to find her Honda Civic in the driveway and lights on in the house. The front curtains were half closed. I parked across the street, giving myself a good view. I’d knock on the door if necessary, but it would be less problematic if I saw her from a distance. It wasn’t long before I saw her, seemingly calm and safe, walk by the front window. I relaxed into my seat, relieved. I reached up to the dash to start the car, when I saw Quell follow her past the window. I blinked, shocked. He was inside the house! I reached for my door, intending to break the ward and barge into the house, when Sky’s front door opened and she emerged with Quell behind her as they walked to her car. Is he compelling her? She didn’t have that blank look. She was actually smiling, excited.

  My hands balled into fists and I felt blood rush to my face as I watched them climb into her car. Where could she possibly be going with him? The engine of the Civic came to life and I had to make a decision to confront them and further alienate Sky, or to let her leave with that vampire. I slammed the dash with my fist, then ducked beneath the window as she backed the Civic out of the driveway. As if the threat to the pack wasn’t enough, I had to worry about Sky making friends with a killer who wouldn’t hesitate to make a meal of her, or torture her. Even after a year, much of the supernatural world remained new to her, but she should have known enough to not trust a vampire. She saw them as individuals, rather than acknowledging their inherent lust for murder and mayhem.

  I heard the Civic drive off and sat up, shaking my head at the taillights. Her desire to find the good in anyone was going to get her killed. I started the engine, but was already second-guessing myself. I should’ve stopped them. She isn’t safe. But Sky would never accept my interference. The moment I was gone, she would go to Quell, and their bond—whatever it was—would grow stronger. Unless I killed him. But then I would lose her forever. There was the existing pact between the pack and the Seethe to consider as well. I cursed as I put the SUV in motion and followed Sky and her vampire from a comfortable distance. He would reveal his true nature to her, and I would be there to save her. Again.

  Wherever she was headed to, it led her into increasingly rural areas, where traffic quickly became rare and I was more and more exposed following them. Eventually, I had no choice but to turn off or be noticed. Cursing my luck, I drew out my phone and found the app Stacy had installed for me when she’d hacked Sky’s phone at my direction. But I hesitated. I’d told myself I wouldn’t use it without an emergency. At that moment, she was getting farther and farther from any hope of help, and she was with a vampire. I opened the app, which revealed a section of map with a blinking blue dot at the center. Slowly, the map shifted to accommodate the dot’s movements. I consciously unclenched my jaw as I looked up to watch the headlights of the Civic fade into the distance, drowning between cornfields, and then disappear completely over a rise. I removed a phone cradle from the glove box, attached it to the dash, and adjusted the angle of the screen in the cradle. Satisfied, I pulled back onto the road, leaving my headlights off, and followed.

  Why is she in a car with a vampire? What was she thinking?

  My mind raced with the possibilities as I followed them farther and farther from civilization, the rural landscape giving way to vast fields. Whatever Quell’s intentions, I doubted Demetrius was involved as the Seethe’s home was some thirty miles behind us. No, Quell was on his own. He wanted Sky somewhere quiet and forgotten, where his plan could unfold over time. I wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel and squeezed, but I resisted the urge to accelerate. Be patient, I cautioned myself. Whatever his plan for her, I knew it wouldn’t be quick. Had Quell intended to simply drain her blood and kill her, he could’ve done so in the quiet solitude of her home. I didn’t want any harm to come to her, but she needed to see him for the threat he was.

  I slowed as I saw the blue dot on my screen turn off the main road just ahead, then stop. A minute later I followed a curve in the road, alternating my gaze between the blue dot and the driver’s side window of the SUV until I spotted a long, narrow driveway that led to an old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields. From what I’d seen, there wasn’t another dwelling for at least a mile. While I stared, the SUV idling in the middle of the road, a light flicked on within the farmhouse.

  I drove thirty feet farther—out of sight from the farmhouse—and parked on the side of the road. Careful to deactivate the interior light first, I got out of the SUV, gently closed the door, then walked up the driveway. Though I was confident I hadn’t been spotted, I still maintained a watchful eye for an ambush; there was no telling who else was there. Approaching the house, I saw two cars in the driveway: Sky’s Civic and another car, presumably Quell’s. The house itself was rustic-looking and well maintained, but there was a lifelessness to it, as there was to all vampire homes. Around the back of the house I found a small greenhouse—reeking of lavender and a collage of flowers—a few feet from the back door. A glass vestibule connected the two.

  Michaela said he feeds from plants. I shook my head as I realized why Sky had come here. She thinks he is redeemable because he feeds from plants instead of humans, I scoffed. Why does she believe him? Even if the story were true, Quell was a vampire; he could no more hide from his true nature than I could hide from my wolf. The lust to kill, the thirst for blood, was within him, driving its way free from whatever constraints he might put upon himself. Eventually, he would give in to his bloodlust. When he did, no one would be safe. Not even Sky.

  I heard the back door open and ducked behind the side of the house. Using a windowsill for purchase, I leveraged myself to the roof and stealthily climbed up to the peak. When I peered over it, I found them standing below in the vestibule.

  “You only feed in the evening?” she asked.

  In answer, Quell reached to something on the wall that I couldn’t see. Suddenly metal shudders extended from the top edges of the vestibule and greenhouse, enclosing the entire structure in metal plating. I instinctively ran down the roof, but stopped myself from jumping onto the vestibule, tearing off the shudders, and rescuing Sky. Would he attack her now? I could still hear their voices, but faintly. The noise of my run had apparently been disguised by the shudders closing. I could just make out the beat of her heart, if I pushed out all else. The metal was thin, I realized. Rather than enclose a security bunker, the purpose of the shield was to protect Quell from the light when he chose to feed. Should I need to intervene, it would take nothing for me to break inside.

  “How did you find such a thing?” she asked.

  “Many of us have known of its existence, few use it,” he answered. “Blood, for many of us, is the preferred choice. Try it.”

  I scowled at the thought of her feeding from his plant. She wouldn’t. I was certain, but a moment later I heard a low rumble from inside, like an inhuman moan, that made me nauseous.

  “Do you find my diet so strange now?” he asked, amusement in his voice.

  My nose wrinkled in disgust. She has a terait. There is a part of her that is vampire, I reminded myself. Sky experienced a mild form of bloodlust, but I had never known her to demonstrate any desire for living blood. My eyes narrowed as I considered that Quell’s influence on her was an even greater threat than I’d thought.

  Rather than answer, Sky changed the subject. “How long have you been a vampire?”

  “Longer than you’ve been alive,” he answered softly. “You are an inquisitive one, aren’t you?”

  “I find you interesting,” she agreed.

  “Are you flirting with me?”

  “No … no … um, no,” she stammered, taken aback. “I’m just curious.” Her voice grew closer, as if she were backing away into the vestibule. I tensed, looking for the seams o
f the metal plates where I could get the best grip. She raised her voice to him. “You don’t feed from humans because their immorality disgusts you, but you allow them to live—unharmed, never forcing them to do penance for their crimes against humanity. By all logic, you should be society’s greatest murderer, making them atone for their evil ways. Based on your beliefs, wouldn’t it be just?”

  What are you doing, Sky? Do you want him to kill you?

  “You won’t feed from humans because you find them deplorable and choose to have nothing to do with them,” she continued, taunting him. “But you are a vampire. The people in your Seethe have done things just as, if not more, heinous.”

  In contrast to hers, Quell’s voice grew softer. I had trouble making out his reply.

  “Well, the whole pot and kettle thing does come to mind,” she answered him. Once more, I couldn’t make out his reply. “A human found a dying woman and tried to save her,” she explained. “When she realized she couldn’t help the woman, she saved the child and raised her as her own. And when she found out the child she had raised turned into a wolf once a month, she didn’t abandon her. I’ve seen the best of humanity and that is what I choose to color my view. Despite all the bad that exists, there is still a lot that is really good.

  “How long have you been like this?” she asked. “Your parents didn’t give you the name Quella Perduta. What was it before?”

  I shook my head. She wasn’t going to give up. Sky never gave up on what she believed was right. It was her greatest trait and her deepest flaw. She was convinced that she could bring out his humanity, and nothing would deter her—not even Quell. When he eventually tried to kill her—and he would—she wouldn’t see it coming. He had already admitted his loathing for humanity. What more did she need to know? Listen to him, Sky. Not every being is redeemable.

  And he was equally as fascinated with her. Could I warn him off? Even if I could influence him, I couldn’t stop her. More than likely I would have to eventually expose him for what he was, or kill him.

  “Thank you for coming,” Quell said stiffly. “I have enjoyed your company.”

  I made my way over the roof and onto the ground, running at a crouch to get to my SUV and drive, lights extinguished, down the road until I felt it was safe to turn back around. I followed her from a distance until the blue dot indicated that she was home. Knowing that she was safe did little to relieve the tension in my neck and jaw as I considered my options. None of them were good.

  CHAPTER 7

  The drive back to the retreat was long enough to let my frustration get the best of me. I’d spent enough time worrying about Sky. She can’t naïvely stumble around in our world forever. At some point I was going to have to let her face the consequences of her decisions, but trusting Quell was going to get her killed. I growled at the thought.

  My phone vibrated. A text from Dennis. “She’s in for the night. Alone. I’m going home.”

  He meant Chris. I answered, using voice-to-text. “She’s an early riser.”

  “Your retainer doesn’t buy overtime. Just how long am I following her?”

  “Stay on her and send me a bill.”

  I turned off my alerts and returned the phone to my pocket. If Dennis replied, I didn’t bother to notice.

  The retreat was quiet. Much of the pack had gone to bed, which was where I wanted to be. Instead, I found Kelly in the clinic, quietly making her rounds. A book sat open and facedown on an unused table she was using as a desk. I assumed she would be there through the night. As I walked in, she greeted me with a tired, comforting smile. Marko, Winter, and Joan remained in their medically induced comas, connected to oxygen and several IV lines. Their skin was still pallid, but it appeared their fevers had broken, and their scars—once garish—had been reduced to long, rough lines. The antidote was working, albeit slowly. Joan appeared to be healing faster than the others, which was expected. She was a were-jaguar, felidae, one of the rarest and most powerful were-animals.

  “It’ll be a few more days,” Kelly offered, “but the worst is over.”

  I nodded, relieved. We’ll need them soon. Despite the lull, another attack was inevitable. I wondered if our enemy would show itself soon, or continue trying to cut us down one by one. We had an advantage, now, albeit a small one—we had the antidote, and we knew the enemy was coming.

  “Dr. Yoshi?” I asked.

  Her smile faded. “Josh took him to the library a few hours ago. I think they’re still there.”

  The library was my brother’s de facto office. When at the retreat, he spent most of his time there, among the well-stocked bookshelves that contained the pack’s collected knowledge of the supernatural world—every experience, every bit of intelligence gathered over the years, no matter how trivial-seeming. Knowledge was power.

  Dr. Yoshi and Josh sat across from each other at a table in the center of the library. Between them sat a clay bowl, a candle, and a few other objects I’d seen him use before, but I didn’t know their exact purpose. Josh leaned over the table toward the doctor, with one arm fully extended, fingers splayed. His brow furrowed in concentration as he muttered an incantation. Dr. Yoshi slumped in the opposite chair, head tilted slightly, whimpering as his body spasmed under the power of my brother’s magic. The air in the room was stifling. A witch’s magic was unique, different from that of any other witch. Josh’s magic often felt like a gentle breeze, but not now. The magic he was using felt heavy and oppressive, as if it sucked the air from the room—dark magic.

  As I approached, I could see that the doctor had probably lost consciousness. “Josh.” He didn’t seem to hear, so I raised my voice, insisting.

  He released the spell, collapsing back into his chair with his legs splayed, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at the doctor.

  “I’ve never encountered anything like this,” he insisted.

  “Explain.”

  He gestured in frustration as the doctor’s head drooped until his chin met his chest. “It’s a simple spell. It should be simple,” he corrected himself, “but there are layers to it. The more I start to peel those layers back, the more they seem to twist together.” He didn’t like the idea of there being someone out there more powerful than him. Neither did I.

  I gently lifted the doctor’s head to examine him. His eyes were closed and his face was slick with sweat. Patting his cheeks elicited a soft murmur, but nothing more. With a thumb, I raised one eyelid to find the doctor’s pupil rolled up and quivering. I wasn’t even sure he knew I was there. I gently lowered his head, then turned to Josh, frowning at his obvious indifference. Was he so caught up in his magic that he couldn’t see the damage he was doing?

  “How likely is it that Dr. Yoshi was forced to create the poison?” I asked.

  “It’s possible,” Josh admitted reluctantly. “I’ve got one more idea to try.”

  “Get some sleep.” I gently lifted the doctor from the chair, cradling him in my arms, and started out of the library.

  “I’m not finished!” Josh snapped.

  I turned, showing my brother the doctor’s limp form. “He is. What did you do to him?”

  Josh rose. “Have you forgotten what he’s responsible for?”

  “Dark magic, Josh?”

  He sighed overtly, dismissively shaking his head, but he also looked away. “I’m doing what’s necessary for the pack. You of all people should appreciate that.”

  “Are you? You’re sure you’re not using this man as a test subject for your magical experiments?”

  Josh rose and kicked a chair across the room, then ran a hand through his ruffled hair. I didn’t bother to stick around for the rest of his theatrics.

  On rare occasions, we found ourselves the temporary hosts of reluctant guests, typically were-animals who became impermanently lost in their animal nature. For their protection, three of the rooms were simple cells, with a cot and toilet and steel-reinforced walls. The fourth room was more comfortable; a bedroom like any other in the re
treat, except for the closed-circuit camera and the steel-reinforced door that bolted from the outside. As prisons went, it was comfortable. I doubted the doctor would sleep well tonight, but we couldn’t risk a sedative in case one of the patients took an unexpected turn.

  I laid the doctor on the queen-sized bed, confiscated his wallet and cell phone from his pockets, then covered him. After verifying the refrigerator was well stocked with water, I locked him inside and pocketed the key—the only key. There were plenty of were-animals in this house who would be tempted to take their revenge for wounded and lost friends, but the doctor would be safe—for now, at least. In the morning I would have him check his voice mail and change the outgoing message to indicate that he was out of town to deal with an unexpected emergency. Even in the best-case scenario, he was going to be with us for several days; we didn’t need a missing person report complicating the matter.

  Once the doctor was safely locked in, I started typing a text to Tim, then stopped myself. I must be tired. As a police officer, he was well-positioned to alert us should Dr. Yoshi’s disappearance become a public matter, but I’d be a fool to inform him directly by a text to his personal phone. I yawned. In the morning I would send him a coded message, telling him to call me using a burner phone. We had contingencies for everything. For now, the best thing I could do would be to go to bed.

  Once I got there, my mind refused to rest. Preferring to distract myself from thoughts of Sky and her vampire, I turned to analyzing the purpose of the attacks on the pack, a winding path I’d followed a dozen times already. We should’ve received a demand by now. Were the attacks about power? Was there some new force attempting to establish its superiority in the region? The Midwest Pack was the most powerful pack in the country, which put a target on our back, but our enemy wasn’t just taking us on, it was taking on the Seethe as well, driving traditional enemies to work together. The smart play would be to pit pack against Seethe. It wouldn’t take much manipulation to trick us into destroying one another, clearing the path for a new force to move in. Driving us together was either hubris or deliberate. Has to be deliberate. This enemy is too well organized and too powerful to be otherwise. But to what end? Who was our enemy? The question never stopped rattling in my head. Who?