Edge of Darkness

by J. A. Saare

  The man lowered the phone and narrowed his eyes. “All guests are announced.”

  I saw movement in my peripheral.

  "What do I do?"

  Thankfully, Disco could respond. "Take them out."

  The men standing at each side of the door moved closer.

  I'd worn my overlarge hoodie for a reason—removal.

  I shrugged my shoulders, the garment cascaded down my back, and I let it fall to the floor. I dove at the man to my left, going for the dagger at my back as I shifted my feet. The hilt hit my hand, and I embraced the power the weapon emitted. Electric tingles radiated against my palm, drifted through my fingers, and traveled up my arm. The guard saw me coming and tried to throw a fist at my head. I avoided the blow, going into a crouch. As soon as I saw an opening, I slammed the blade into the bastard’s chest.

  “She's armed!” the other man yelled.

  I skirted under the arm of the man I’d stabbed and took a position behind his back, using my free hand to reach for my Desert Eagle. I held the sagging man up with the blade buried in his chest, using him as a barrier. As soon as I had a visual, I fired at the man who’d retrieved his firearm. A bullet slammed into the center of his forehead and exited the back of his cranium. Gooey brain matter and flecks of skull oozed down the wall behind him, leaving a sizeable mess. With two threats removed, I pointed the gun at the man behind the counter. With a firm tug, I pulled the dagger from my human shield and released him. He landed at my feet with a loud thump and didn’t move.

  “Put down the phone,” I said, meeting the last man's gaze, “or you’re next.”

  For a split-second, I thought he wasn’t going to listen. He hesitated, his eyes becoming dark. He was going to reach out to Norad. I narrowed my eyes, giving him my meanest eat-shit-and-die stare. "I don't think you understand, and I'm only going to say this once. I don't need you alive. I can kill you and get inside just fine. I have a quota of people I prefer to kill in a day. I'm trying not to be a bloodthirsty bitch."

  He must have known I spoke the truth because he did as he'd been told.

  Smart man.

  My dagger—named Sucker by yours truly—didn’t need to be wiped clean. The cursed weapon fed on blood, hence its name. Despite that, I stroked the sides of the blade along my jeans before I slid the weapon into the sleeve resting at my lower back. I walked around the desk, taking my time, keeping my gun aimed at the man.

  “Turn around."

  He didn’t want to. That much was obvious. I could see fear and uncertainty in his frantic gaze. If he listened to me, didn't warn Norad, and I got myself killed, he’d wind up dead for the betrayal. The vampire he worked for would rip out his throat and bleed him dry. Of course, he was also facing death via my gun. He could choose a fast death or a slow one.

  He was good and fucked, no matter what decision he made.

  “You saw what I did to your friends,” I reminded him, nodding at the bodies on the floor. “And that was showing them a kindness. They never knew what hit them. I don’t have to make it quick or easy for you. You’d be surprised at what I can do in a couple of minutes.”

  “He’ll kill you,” he stated quietly. “Then he’ll kill me. If we go in, we won’t come out.”

  “Maybe." Because I could, I added, “Maybe not.”

  I edged closer, grasped him by his coat, and shoved him toward the door. “Open it.” When he didn’t move, I tightened my grip on the gun and put the barrel against the back of his head. “You heard me,” I whispered in a low growl. “Open. The. Fucking. Door.”

  He started trembling as he fumbled for his keys.

  The poor bastard was terrified.

  A part of me felt guilty. He worked for Norad, but he'd been an average person at some point. Somewhere down the line, his circumstances had changed. I could understand and empathize with that. He managed to unlock the door and open it in a couple of seconds. Music trickled from the hidden area. It took a moment to place a familiar voice. When I did, I rolled my eyes.

  Fucking figured.

  Norad—a remorseless killer—had a thing for Sarah Brightman.

  So right yet so wrong.

  “In you go.” I pressed my hand against the man’s neck, urging him forward.

  “He’ll kill me.” His voice shook, his horror apparent. “I have a wife and children. Don’t make me do this. Don’t go in there.”

  I pushed him, making him move along. His predicament tugged at my heart. I didn't want to make a wife a widow or leave children without their father, but I didn’t have the luxury of changing my mind.

  I did this, or I didn’t.

  I waited until we were inside and looked around.

  A narrow hallway existed between the door we'd entered and a room in the distance. I tried to peer into the area several yards away, but it was hard to see. I wanted to kick myself in the ass. Disco tried to give me his blood prior to coming inside the rink, but I’d declined his offer. I worried about drinking from him too often. I’d already noticed changes in my body. The fine lines around my eyes had vanished, my skin had taken on a youthful appearance, and my hair had a newfound vibrancy and sheen.

  “He can’t kill you if he’s dead,” I replied, quivering as adrenaline pulsed through my system. Hopefully, I could deliver Norad's death. Maybe the man in my grasp would get the fuck out of the skating center, collect his family, and get as far away as possible. “If you’re smart, you’ll take any opportunity you’re given. Don’t second guess, and don’t make a fool of yourself. Start over. Take your family, leave the state, and don't look back. Do what you have to in order to survive.” My grip tightened, fingers digging around the butt of the gun. “Time to go nighty-night.”

  Hitting a person to render them unconscious isn’t easy, especially if you don't want to kill them in the process. You have to aim just right and put enough power behind the blow. There was no guarantee the trauma wouldn't do serious damage. I hadn't been joking about my death quota. Not because I cared about the asshole working for the vampire or others like him, but the loss hurt their loved ones once they were gone.

  Since I didn't want to risk killing him, I clicked the safety on my weapon and trapped him in a choke hold. He gurgled as he tried to breathe but otherwise didn't make a lot of noise. I applied enough pressure to knock him out. When he went limp, I lowered him to the ground and made sure there was enough room for me to step around. I wasn’t sure if he’d heed my warning and get the hell out when he roused or if he would run to Norad as soon as he came to. Either way, I might need to make a speedy getaway.

  With that done, I put a new magazine in the gun and stowed it in the holster beneath my arm. I reached for the other tucked on the opposite side and made sure it was ready for use. Satisfied I was fully loaded and prepared for whatever might happen, I put the gun away. My hands drifted to my pants. I caressed the outline of the butterfly knives in my back pockets. The blades had been created with steel and blessed silver.

  That was another thing I’d learned from Bane.

  After Disco agreed that a deal needed to be struck, and we'd had our first meeting, Bane asked to see my weapons of choice. He'd taken his time as he looked each one over. When it came to my balisongs, he told me silver, while amazing, was a weak metal. I'd known that was true, as I'd already been through several of them. That's when he’d informed me it was possible to combine the element with another to create a formidable weapon that could kill vampires and maintain integrity. As a gesture of goodwill, he'd given me the toys I now carried.

  My eyes drifted shut, and I recalled what I’d been told.

  “You’ll know him when you see him. His hair is whiter than snow, and he’ll look younger than the rest. He was changed when he was eighteen. Maybe that's why he prefers young prey. He’s an evil son of a bitch.”

  I opened my eyes and looked around.

  The hall was dark and smelled like bleach. I quietly crept down the narrow area. Sarah continued her serenade in an angelic lil
t. I heard conversations trickling from the room. I steadied myself, staying out of sight.

  I wished I hadn’t had to come into this hellhole alone.

  Unfortunately, it was safer for all involved.

  If Disco hid my necromancy, making me appear mortal and frail, he could see exactly what we were facing. The hope was Norad wouldn’t know who or what he was dealing with if we came face-to-face. We'd had no idea about the spell that changed the game.

  I stopped near the end of the hallway and got my first look inside the room.

  Damn.

  An enormous space—more than triple the size of my old apartment—and fully open. There weren’t many safe areas if I had to duck and run, making options limited.

  “The bar,” Disco instructed in my head, startling me.

  Although I was used to his voice in my mind, I was on edge. I took in the small bar built on the left wall. Disco was right. If I had to run somewhere, it was the best place.

  My gaze darted over the room.

  A few booths were situated to the right. Light shone from glass ceiling lamps hanging over them. A few of the tables were occupied, but I focused on one in particular. A vampire reclined in the very last booth, his arms sprawled over the top of the cushion. A boy, no more than seven or eight years old, sat beside him. Others vampires filled the outer edges of the booth—standing just behind it or seated as close as possible—their eyes focused on the kid.

  Bane hadn’t been kidding. The vamp's hair shined like a beacon.

  Fucking pedophile must die.

  “He has guests.” I thought to Disco. “Over a dozen."

  “I see that." He paused and informed me, "The magic barring my power remains in place. We'll do this differently. Stay put and out of sight. We're coming.”

  Relief washed through me. My part in this was over. Disco and Bane would do the rest. I could hold my own in a fight, but vampires weren’t easy to kill. Since I no longer wore Marigold Vesta’s amulet, it’d be hard to take the vamps out on my own.

  I was a mere mortal, after all.

  Before I could enjoy my relief, a vampire appeared in front of me.

  Oh shit.

  “Who the hell are you?"

  There was no way to answer him or get out of the situation. When I attacked him, I’d alert the room to my presence. So much for my part in the fiasco being done. I slid my hand toward my back, reaching for Sucker. I could only hope Disco made it in time to save my wretched ass.

  Shit was about to get serious.

  Knowing it was the best and only real option, I brought my dagger out and went for his throat. The blade slid into his skin like butter. Sucker absorbed the blood, feeding on it. As the sharp edge dug all the way to the bone, only a few drops of vivid red escaped and dotted his shirt. The vampire gagged, reaching for his neck. I’d have to take him to the ground to finish the job, but I didn’t have that kind of time. I let him fall to his knees and studied the others in the room.

  Fuck a goddamned duck.

  Some had risen from their seats, their eyes shining in the dark.

  “You need to find a safe place.” Disco didn’t sound calm anymore. “We're coming inside. Take shelter."

  “Sorry, can’t talk right now.” I shoved Sucker into its sleeve. He'd know what was taking place since he could see everything through my eyes if he chose to. I pulled out my guns and prepared to fire. “Leave a message.”

  “We have an uninvited guest,” Norad hissed and glared at me. "I hate those." I wasn’t sure if he was trying to intimidate his crew or me. “Kill her.”

  The booths emptied, leaving Norad and the boy behind. The vampires slowly approached, paying no attention to my weapons. There were so many I wasn’t sure where to start. It was now or never.

  Eat silver, bitches.

  I aimed for the closest two, going for their heads, and squeezed the triggers. I got one in the eye and the other beside the mouth. My targets went down at the same time. The vampires behind them rushed forward. I didn't stop firing, using the same tactic. I took four more out of the equation, but there were more to deal with. I needed to get to cover. When I realized doing so would put me in the open, I decided to move back. When I entered the hallway, I knew I couldn't stay there forever. The vampires would keep coming and there was only so much room.

  Shit.

  I stepped back, popped the release on my weapons to drop the empty magazines, and hurried to replace the ammunition. As soon as I did, I fired more rounds at the incoming vampires. I attempted to aim when I made it to the door, but it wasn't easy with so many targets filling the hallway.

  A familiar flutter entered my head, stroking my skull like butterfly wings.

  But it wasn't Disco.

  Oh no. Not now.

  I hadn't had an attack in four months. I thought they were over.

  I managed to shoot three more vampires before I made it through the door into the office and slammed it closed. I felt my physical body slipping away. I couldn't lift my hands, and I dropped to the ground as my legs gave out.

  Darkness engulfed me before a dim light flickered like a newly lit wick, and I could see clearly. A man appeared—dark hair, emerald green eyes that had a red light within them, matching a frame that was tall, lean, and terrifying—and came toward me. My flight or flight instincts kicked in. I didn’t want to be close to him. He was toxic, and his presence spread over me like cancer. One touch took days to remove. I hated the smug grin on his face, the way he felt superior to me. Marigold refused to speak his name, but I knew who he was.

  Lucifer.

  “You and your silly games,” he said softly, a sadistic glint in his eyes.

  I tried to respond, but as I’d learned not so long ago, no sounds accompanied my voice. I'd entered a moment in time that had already transpired. I couldn’t hear what Marigold said in return. I never could. I only saw her wrists and ankles tethered to a bed. I had become stuck in a first-person reality I didn’t want to be in. He climbed onto the mattress like a cat—sly, effortless, and silent. He straddled her waist and leaned forward. His hands cupped her face, and the room spun on its axis.

  I worried I might throw up.

  “Gabriel, it's happening again.” I wasn’t sure if he would hear.

  When we were together, he would take control of my mind and stop everything. But we weren’t in a protected haven where he held that strength, ensuring the memories couldn't pull me into Marigold's past and keep me trapped for hours. He couldn't protect me in a place his power didn't work.

  I wanted to focus on the present but couldn’t.

  The memory slithered around me like a snake. As soon as Lucifer's lips touched hers—touched mine—time was up. That moment swallowed me whole, making me part of it. Darkness and filth rotted my core like a bad apple. I felt it in my heart and soul.

  I could only endure and watch, a voyeur of the mind even though I felt every single thing Lucifer did to Marigold. I also experienced her emotions and physical reactions to him. Both made me sick.

  During the attacks, I merged with her. We became one and the same.

  My physical form was unconscious in the office at the skating rink and would be discovered soon. I wondered if I'd be killed immediately and if death would be such a bad thing. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave Disco behind. He'd already lost so much. Truth be told, I was being selfish.

  Death would make things easier for me.

  Especially now.

  As the memory continued, a part of me ached for death.

  Heaven would always be preferable to Hell.

  Chapter Two

  "Rhiannon." Bane's voice had an odd echo.

  He sounded far away.

  I tried to move, but my body felt unbearably heavy. I didn't know how long I'd been stuck in Marigold's memories. The only certainty was I wouldn't be able to move very well. It would probably take hours to regain my strength.

  Something smacked my arm—hard—and I registered the pain.
>
  "Listen to me, girl." This time Bane's voice was closer and loud. Another solid whack burned the skin along my bicep as he demanded, "Snap out of it. Right now. Wake the fuck up."

  I found the strength to open my eyes. Everything was blurry, and I had to blink several times to focus. Bane's enormous frame hovered over me, his face only inches from mine. He was so close I could see how fucked up his nose truly was. He'd broken it more than once, the ridge bumpy and crooked.

  Our eyes met, and he inched back.

  His annoyed expression changed. He took a minute, studying me in a way I didn't like. Though I wanted to tell him to talk already, it was best to let him speak first. He was very much like me, connected to a short fuse.

  It felt like an eternity before he asked, "How long has this shit been going on?"

  I had kept my attacks from Marigold secret. Only Disco knew about them. Hopefully, he meant me passing out. I'd blame it on low blood sugar.

  I tried to downplay what had transpired. "What shit?"

  "This shit."

  He snatched a dagger from his back and placed it in front of me. The blade was clean and smooth, providing a clear reflection. He held the shining metal even with my brows.

  My left iris had changed color after the first attack. The dark brown had turned hazel. It hadn't been all that noticeable. After the second, the hazel had morphed to ebony blue. I hadn't suffered another until now and, since I could see the vivid shine of violet reflected back at me, I realized the color had changed yet again.

  My heart skipped a beat.

  The difference couldn't be masked anymore.

  I responded as I usually did, trying to change the subject. I wasn't comfortable talking about Marigold, and I really didn't want to tell him what I experienced at Lucifer's hands.

  "Did you get Norad?" He should have since I was alive and kicking. Apparently, they'd arrived in time to finish what I'd started. "Did he have the information you wanted?"

  "Don't do that. Not with me. We're going to have a conversation about you, and we're going to have it now."

  "What if I don't want to talk about me?" I snapped, aware I was pushing my luck. "We did what you asked us to, didn't we? We proved ourselves."