Shade of Darkness

by D. N. Leo

“Human emotions can’t be generalized. Especially not in a hybrid like me,” said Caedmon. “Do you want to inspect it? I can take the head out for you if you don’t want to touch it.”

  “No, I can do it myself.” Jamie approached the box and gingerly lifted the lid. He tilted his head to look deeper inside. As he did so, a beam of loose white powder pumped out of the box. In anticipation, Caedmon stepped over, catching Jamie before he crashed to the floor. He lowered him into a chair.

  “Sorry, Jamie.” He pricked Jamie’s fingertip and squeezed a few drops of his blood into a small tube. He inserted the tube into a rectangular palm-sized device Lorcan had given him. The machine shuddered to life, and shortly it sounded a happy ping.

  He opened the lid of the device and pulled out a pair of gloves. He put the gloves on and rushed behind the desk to turn on Jamie’s computer. It asked for verification, and Caedmon provided the required palm print.

  A female voice greeted Jamie and happily read some of his preferred news stories. As Caedmon opened the financial portal, he heard the sound of heels on concrete. He hurried over to where he had sat Jamie on the chair. He faced Jamie’s back toward the door and then knelt on the floor, his back arched in an embracing position.

  The secretary, carrying a tray with a glass and a pitcher of water on it, pushed the door open.

  “God damn it, don’t you knock?”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. LeBlanc.” She started toward the side table to put the tray down.

  “We’re in the middle of something. Can you take the goddamn water out? And don’t you say a word about this to anyone.”

  The secretary rushed out of the office. He leaned Jamie back against the chair. “Sorry, Jamie. This hurt your dignity as much as mine.”

  He locked the door and returned to the computer. He accessed the funds and transferred the money, watching as a green bar showed the status of the transfer.

  He stared at the screen. “I can’t believe you conveniently contacted me just when I needed to hack into your system. Let’s see what you have here.”

  He accessed the communication system, messages bank, and databank. And then he paused.

  In front of him was a portfolio of his own pictures and information about his activities that dated back to the time he was in Greenland. There was data on him meeting Sedna and their relationship, and there was a recent picture of him as he departed the multiversal portal to go to New Australia. Someone had been following him.

  This was an entry level of the EYE databank, the most wicked data portal in the multiverse to which no one had access. Jamie was the receiver of the data. But who was the supplier?

  Before he had a chance to dig deeper, the financial transaction was completed. He checked the information, transferred the funds to a secure location, erased all traces of the activity, and locked the funds to ensure the transaction couldn’t be reversed.

  He sensed some unusual staff movement outside. The secretary must have suspected something. Caedmon completed the transaction and left the office.

  As he was rushing through the dark tunnel of the subway, heading toward the main station to return to New Australia, Caedmon heard footsteps. He turned around but saw no one behind him. Then he heard the sound of flapping wings in front of him. He turned back, and in the dark, he saw the shadow of wings and a flash.

  Then his world turned black.

  Chapter 27

  Alyna didn’t know how long she had sat next to Ben’s dead body. What was she waiting for? The truck that picked up public waste? He had to be considered public property because he hadn’t died in his own home, and he had no family he was still in contact with. She had accused him of betraying her, of betraying Amaraq. The ordeal had sent him away to the South, where she thought there would be more opportunities for his talent.

  Yet he had come back for her. And he was killed because of that. Who was at fault? She didn’t know.

  She still could make no sense of the sensation she’d got when she touched the blade that killed Ben. And she didn’t understand why the angel claimed to know her. She couldn’t remember anything about what he had said, but the sensation was real. She certainly remembered that.

  She heard voices calling her name, and then her allies emerged from the fog—Lorcan, Orla, and Nathan approached her, walking side by side. They looked ready for war.

  But wait…there was no one else? Just the three of them, without an army?

  And where’s Caedmon? she wondered.

  The dark angel had been injured and had retreated. But even with his injuries, she wasn’t sure the trio could fight him without help. The look in his eyes, the deep tone of his voice, and the insidiousness in what he’d said reflected the worst kind of evil. The kind that had lived for thousands of years just to spread more evil.

  Orla rushed over. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “My friend.” She pointed at Ben. “I can’t leave him here.”

  “I’m sure he’d understand. I can’t help you here.”

  “Why not?”

  “My magic doesn’t work here. Let’s go.” Orla pulled at her elbow.

  Then it dawned on Alyna—that was why the angel had been injured when Ben stabbed him. “But if he can’t use his magic here, why lure me here?”

  “What?”

  “A dark angel used Ben to lure me here, knowing that he couldn’t use his own magic. Ben stabbed him with his own blade, and he was injured and ran away. But why do this in the first place?”

  “Slow down, young lady. Wouldn’t you rather discuss this when we get back home?”

  “No, we have to do it here. If magical creatures can’t attack us here, isn’t it to our advantage?”

  Orla shook her head. “He wanted something else…something very important to him. Something more important than killing you. What did he say?”

  Lorcan and Nathan approached.

  “I don’t feel comfortable here at all,” Nathan said. “Let’s leave.”

  “Where’s Caedmon?” Alyna asked.

  “He went to the LeBlanc headquarters in Mid-land London to get some funds to amass an army.”

  “You let him go by himself?” Alyna asked.

  “He’s not by himself. He’s gone with my fake head,” Nathan said.

  “What?”

  “Long story. But he has plans,” Lorcan said. “Our job is to get you out of here in one piece.”

  She shook her head. “We have to know why the angel wanted me here, why he’d risk it knowing he couldn’t use his magic to fight me.”

  Nathan shook his head. “If we’re talking about the same angel, then we have nothing to worry about. I ran into one who couldn’t even tell I’m a shapeshifter. He was a dark angel for sure, but his ability seemed to be suppressed by something.”

  “What do you mean, suppressed?” Orla asked.

  Nathan shrugged. “He was unsure about his invisibility. He seemed cautious of the bloodstone creatures, as if he wasn’t sure if he could—or should—kill them. When I saw him, he was on top of a fence. He’d been observing things, people, and creatures for hours without taking any action.”

  Lorcan approached Ben’s body. “Well, he’s started taking action now. And I think he’s more dangerous than he looks. He could be a magical creature that crosses many worlds, and in that case, he knows a lot more than just magic and a few visibility tricks. If he’s part of the multiversal circus, he might be getting financial support and intelligence support for whatever he’s doing here. Whatever he has against you, Alyna, it could be a personal vendetta. But what he’s here for might be something at the multiversal level.”

  Orla shook her head. “If he has that kind of support, magic is just a trick for him. He doesn’t rely on it to operate. Lorcan, we really need the army Caedmon is raising funds for. How will you know when it’s done?”

  Lorcan looked at his wrist unit. “Caedmon has just completed the transaction. Once it’s confirmed, I can use the funds to hire fighters. I need to be b
ack in the city to make the arrangements. Let’s get moving.”

  “Is Caedmon okay?” Alyna asked.

  “He transferred the funds successfully, so I assume he’s fine.”

  Nathan approached. “I’ll have to bury Ben here. Is that okay?” He touched Alyna’s shoulder.

  The sensation washed over her again, this time with strange noises and flashing images. Blood and gore on the snow. Dead bodies. Broken angel wings. White wings. Black wings. Burned remains. Skulls. And the face of the dark angel. His voice whispered his name again—Azriel.

  “Alyna! Alyna!”

  She opened her eyes and saw she was on the ground. She scrambled back to her feet. “I’m okay. I’m fine. It was just a flashback of sorts. It happened before when I touched those blades.” She pointed to the blades on the ground.

  “I pulled those out of his body,” Nathan said.

  “And then you touched her. Did the angel say anything about a spiritual connection?” Orla asked.

  Alyna nodded. “Yes, that’s it. He claimed he knew me and said I have a spiritual connection with the blades.”

  Lorcan crouched and looked at the blades. “Was he doing black magic with this black metal, Orla?”

  “That’s not steel,” Orla said. “It’s bone. It’s a ritual, but it’s not black magic. You must be connected with someone he killed. And he thinks you will kill him in this life.”

  Alyna snorted. “I’ll kill him the next time I meet him, that’s for sure. There’s no need for me to have a spiritual connection to do that.”

  Orla approached. “It might be a lot more difficult and complicated than you think, Alyna. Whatever the angel has become, he must be thousands of years old and have lots of experience. He was cautious and took a big risk to discover the connection between a human and his past, so you must possess something he cares about. That something could be an advantageous asset. But I’m sure it’s a double-edged sword.”

  Part 6: Natural Mage

  Chapter 28

  The beginning of time.

  Thunder had knelt in front of the cave of the witch at Winter Lake for a long time. She didn’t know how long. But she would stay here until she got an audience with the witch. She needed to learn the technique to kill the dark angel, and she would do whatever it took.

  It snowed. It rained. Then the winds came. And the sun. Then it rained and snowed again.

  She might have turned into stone. She didn’t have a tangible form, but she could still interact with the environment around her. Ordinary eyes couldn’t see her, but she was sure the witch’s could.

  Just before she felt she was going to pass out, the witch emerged from the depths of the cave. “Thunder, with such a relationship to the angels, why do you think this humble witch can offer you anything you can’t do yourself?”

  “How do you know my name, Winter Lake witch?”

  “I know Keymaster, and he spoke about you.” Then she smiled. “I just answered my own question, didn’t I? You weren’t brought up by the angels. That’s why you need me.”

  “A dark angel killed Keymaster. I wish to seek revenge for him.”

  The witch smiled sadly. “Sometimes my foresight is a pain.”

  “You knew he would be killed. If you were friends, why didn’t you help him?”

  “I knew him. But I didn’t say we were friends. We made deals that benefitted both of us. He traded a deal for you and has paid for it.”

  “Why did you make me wait so long?”

  The witch sighed. “This is a big loss for me. I didn’t think this deal would come to fruition when I made it with Keymaster. But I made the deal, and I will honor it. Wait here.”

  She went back into the cave for a while and came back out with a box, which she gave to Thunder.

  “Inside the box is a potion and the ritual objects for a curse.” The witch opened the box. “If you take this potion, you will disassociate yourself from any relationship you have with the angels. This cannot be undone. You will never be an angel again after taking this.”

  “And what will it do for me?”

  “It will give you the ability to live in tangible bodies.”

  “Possession?”

  “No. Possession is taking over and controlling the body and mind of the chosen individual. This is a transformation. When you choose a body in which to live, the body becomes a host. You must negotiate your space within the soul of the individual. Once inside, you become a part of that individual. If the individual has a strong essence, you will not be able to control or manipulate anything. You will live in the body as a part of the individual. But you can choose to leave the body at any time. And because you are immortal, you can live in as many bodies as you choose.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  “Don’t you want to think about it?”

  “No, I’ll take it now.”

  The witch nodded then took the jar of potion and poured its contents over her.

  She could feel the cool stream of energy penetrate every part of her invisible self. She was still formless and would be until she found a host. She understood that. “What’s else is in the box?” she asked.

  “Things needed for a curse that you can place on an artifact. Whatever you do to the object will happen to the individual you curse.”

  “Voodoo?”

  “That’s a nasty way to refer to it. This is much more powerful. You don’t need anything from the individual to perform the ritual. You need only name the person. Any harm you inflict on the artifact will be transferred to that individual—and to that individual’s closest relation. This part of the curse is not optional. If you want to kill one, you will kill two. The ritual can only be used once.”

  “Again, I’ll accept.”

  “Very good. What you will need now is a host. You need a body so that you can take the box with you and go do whatever it is that you want to do.”

  “What did it cost Keymaster to trade such a deal with you?”

  “Do you really want to know? There is nothing you can do about it.”

  “Yes, I want to know. Now.”

  “There was a prophecy of his death. He had an option to avoid it. But to trade for this deal, he committed to not taking that option. You owe him many lives, young lady.”

  Chapter 29

  Caedmon opened his eyes and found himself tied to a chair in a dark basement. The first thing he did was flex his wrist to see if his wrist unit was still there. Relief washed over him when he saw that the object containing the secret technology of Eudaiz and his make was still on his wrist.

  He glanced around, surveying his surroundings, and evaluated the situation.

  A door at the far end of the room slid open. A man he had seen once in Amaraq fight club walked in. He smiled. “Well, there have been a lot of changes and much development since we met the last time at the fight club. But my interest in you is still the same. You are special. I have chosen you as my successor.”

  Caedmon laughed. “I don’t mean to be rude, but my answer is no, thank you.”

  “Not everyone is allowed the privilege I have just offered you.”

  “Again, no, thank you. And for your information, not everyone has the benefit of the privilege I already have. I have no intention of letting go of my current privilege. Even if you kill me now, I will not agree to be your successor.”

  “My name is Azriel. And I am a dark angel.”

  Caedmon smiled. “You really want me to be rude? All right, I don’t care if you’re an angel. I don’t want to know you, so therefore there’s no need for you to share your name with me. You are holding me against my will, and the next time you set foot in any of my territories in the multiverse, you will be in trouble.”

  “You’re the one who’s tied up!”

  “Well, if you let me go, we can call this event a wash.”

  “I’ve lived for thousands of years. I have a lot to give, but I have never seen an individual with such incredible energy and abilities and—�
�

  “Azriel, you’re wasting my time and yours.”

  “No one has ever rejected me before.”

  “Well, you’re welcome. Learning something new is always a good thing.”

  Azriel approached, wearing a crooked grin. “The chick leader of Amaraq likes you. She’s more than what meets the eye, let me tell you. And I can tell you like her, too. So if you want to be of her caliber, you’d better take my offer. I’ll teach you things you’ve never heard of. As you said, learning is always a good thing.”

  “If Alyna is that good, why don’t you ask her to be your successor? Or have you asked already, and she rejected you?”

  Azriel chuckled. “She’s good. But she’s a girl. I don’t teach girls.”

  “So you’re saying if I agree, you will teach me and make me better so that she’ll like me?”

  “Exactly.”

  Caedmon nodded. “All right, I’ll consider it.”

  Azriel smiled. “Don’t think I’m going to untie you just because you’ve made a tentative promise. That trick won’t work with me.” He pulled a feather out of one of his black wings and cut his palm. As his blood seeped out, he approached, crouched, and reached for Caedmon’s hand.

  Caedmon swung a kick at him, tipping over his chair and sending Azriel falling backward. He scrambled awkwardly to his feet and smashed the chair against the wall, breaking it into pieces.

  Azriel stood up.

  Caedmon charged at the angel. Azriel may look formidable, but it was obvious he hadn’t had any one-on-one combat training. Caedmon pounded on the angel, and Azriel grunted like an old man. He picked the angel up by his wings and shoved him against the wall.

  “I don’t kill people or creatures for no reason. But if you go near Alyna and her people, I’ll make an exception to that rule.”

  “I’ll ask you one more time to be my successor. Don’t make me force you.”

  “Azriel, you’re not exactly in a position to ask me anything right now. I have a temper, and you don’t want to test it.”