Eternal Darkness: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Series (The Urban Fae Series Book 4)

by R. L. Wilson

  I know it’s Megan’s voice. Her voice is unique. She’s the head elf, and her voice sounds like a cartoon character. And when she is angry, it sounds as if she speaks an unfamiliar language. One I can’t decipher. I gather that someone attacked them from the conversation.

  Morgan’s car halts in front of the warehouse, our headquarters. We all meet here when we need to discuss something related to the supernatural community. It’s supposed to be our secret location, but the cat’s out of the bag.

  The door clanks open, and I notice the despair looming. Everyone is standing outside. Big Sam, Tiffany, some dragons, Megan, and a few other elves. I’m expecting the stench of the Detroit’s river, but I get a whiff of fireworks.

  The warehouse looks fine from the outside. But there is a black aura surrounding the building. Big Sam snaps his gaze toward me, his eyes flaming in anger.

  “What happened?” I question.

  Pointing toward the side of the warehouse, he says, “Someone threw an explosive device through the back window.”

  Stepping to the side, I view the big hole in the building. I tremble in fear. The building is brick, so the explosive was massive. This entire building could collapse. Prentiss is playing dirty, and I’m ready for the showdown.

  “It wraps around to the back,” Megan states, her pale face stained with dried tears. Her lime-green coat is covered with debris from the explosion. She escaped by the skin of her ass. Her voice is so shaky she can hardly speak.

  “We had no warning. You know who did this,” Big Sam says. A vein pops out on the side of his neck. He pounds his right fist into his left palm.

  “Who was in the back?” Kato asks.

  “Mack was sitting in the back,” Sam replies. “It could have killed us all.”

  Mack is a trusted dragon. He steps forward with dust covering his face and his copper hair in disarray. “I didn’t see anyone. There was a loud bang that nearly blew my eardrums out.” His nostrils flare as he lets out a sigh.

  Slowly, the darkness gives way to a luminous glow surrounding the awkward-shaped door of the warehouse, demanding my attention. I ignore the light and continue with my conversation. But out of the corner of my eye, I notice the glow growing brighter until it’s blinding.

  The glow begins to call my name. My gaze jumps from Kato to Big Sam. I’m curious if anyone else hears this. They must not, because they keep talking. This force continues to call until I snap.

  “What do you want?” I yell. The constant call of my name is annoying.

  Everyone shifts their gazes to me, and I squirm with embarrassment. My curiosity and constant visions are making a fool out of me. It’s clear no one hears the voice. But the voice doesn’t stop. Now familiar, it’s the voice I heard in my vision. The man who swore he’s my father.

  “The darkness is here, don’t be afraid you are the only one who can use it,” he claims.

  Balls of light float in the air, pausing in front of me. My back is toward the warehouse. I’m afraid to take a glance, since I don’t know what’s there. But heat nips at my heels. Quivering on the inside, I extend my hand to touch the light. Not expecting a texture, I’m surprised by the sponginess of the light.

  The voice calls my name again. I twist around with one hand on the light. The world stops. Then everything unravels. I glance back at the supernaturals. They’re all frozen in time. This can’t be real.

  A lady walks backward, before a bang from the explosion sounds. The fumes of gunpowder disappear. The world rewinds before my eyes.

  Shit. I bite my lip, cringing in confusion. What should I do? I have to get the rest of the supernaturals back to normal, or moving, at least.

  The gray clouds fade, exposing a blue sky above my head. This has to be a vision, I think as I remove my hand from the spongy lights. How the hell do I wake up?

  A tall, somber man walks backwards toward me. I’m paralyzed with fear, unable to escape. My heartbeat is loud and racing like a sports car. His face is an oval shape and gloomy, but not dark. His spirit is black.

  He puts his hand over the light. I observe the twinkling magic in his hand. He continues moving his hand around in the light, then he drops his hand to his side, exposing a glowing sigil. A sheepish smirk forms upon the dark man’s face. He watches as the sign moves forward, twirls around, and then rests back upon the light.

  I gasp. It holds my attention. Sigils are the signs my mother used. The sign blinks repeatedly then freezes, exposing Prentiss’s face. Then the rest of his body appears.

  This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. But several other men appear. Either they are Prentiss’s foot soldiers or stolen shadows. They came for battle. My heart jumps to my throat. They froze all the supernaturals.

  Furiously, I dart my gaze around as one boy with long hair moves closer to me. He’d better get back, or I will unleash all the burning magic inside my aching palms. Prentiss holds his hand up, and the young boy stops. With a snap of his fingers, all the leaders start moving again.

  I have help now. I can kick Prentiss’s ass. I prepare for war, eyeing my prey. That’s when I see my alleged father standing on the sidewalk watching. He says nothing, but I remember what he said before: embrace the darkness.

  I prepare to attack, when one of the foot soldiers unleashes a fireball, hitting one dragon in the shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

  Chapter Eleven

  Within the first minute I see Prentiss, I want to wipe that smirk right off his face. Racing toward Prentiss, my tunnel vision kicking in, the only thing in view is his head. I get an odd sensation pulsing through my chest. Before I can gather my thoughts, I strike Prentiss in the face. We both stumble, landing on the ground, as the rest of the supernaturals attack his soldiers.

  The warmth of his breath breathing down my face makes me angrier. He has breath my mother no longer does. I flip to my feet as one of Prentiss’s soldiers rushes toward me. I’m so angry lightning is buzzing within me. Grabbing the foot soldier by the arm, I jolt a fiery ball of magic into his foul being. He goes flying across the street. Damn, my magic is blazing. I pause in my mental tracking; the foot soldier was a distraction. This rage isn’t for him.

  There’s a constant, nagging burn in my chest. I’ll ignore it for now. I’m ready for this asshole. Maybe I’m not the best at magic. But I’m better than most witches my age. Some of the kick-ass training I had in New Orleans is paying off. I know Prentiss is a vicious vampire, but he doesn’t scare me. His magic is powerful enough to render any supernatural unconscious, but I don’t give a damn.

  He rises to his feet with a shocked look on his face. I shoot him a fierce glare. Lifting my right eyebrow with a nod, I let him know, “Yeah, I’m ready.” He extends his hand as his nails grow longer and darker. I hesitate slightly and I’m nervous on the inside. He will never know. I have a brave face, and I want his mortal soul.

  And to think I was urged to give up my quest for revenge multiple times.

  My hand vibrates with a rush of magic bubbling. I’m within feet of Prentiss. I extend my hand, expecting a blast of fire to shoot through the air. Nothing but a little smoke seeps out. What the fuck? I’ll never kill him if my magic keeps pausing. And if I don’t kill him now, I’ll be crucified amongst the supernatural community.

  I glare at Prentiss, still not letting him know that fear dances within me. He reaches into his long coat, retrieving a machete from a sheath he had hidden. The sunlight glints off the shiny blade.

  With ease he darts the machete my way. I duck as the wind from the machete passes my ear, nicking the side of my face. Luckily, the knife didn’t take half my face with it. I rub my hand across my face then stare at the blood that covers it. The sight infuriates me. I wipe the blood on my pants and march right toward him. He laughs, almost taunting me, as if he is unfazed by my approach. He’s toying with me. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse game for me. He has magic—he doesn’t need a blade.

  His nails grow even longer, turning jet black. He exposes
his canines, which have a neon glow so bright that it would render a human’s eyes blind. It doesn’t affect me. I get closer to him. An electric shock tingles down my body, causing me to pause. The burning underneath my skin is more intense. I rub my fingers across my tattoo, which is scorching hot and growing.

  I’m overcome with hatred. Maybe that’s the reason my magic failed me. Mentally I de-escalate. Concentrating, I fire electric bolts aimed at Prentiss. Ripping through the air, the thunderous electricity hits Prentiss in the torso. He stumbles, but slices my arm with his razor-sharp nails. My magic’s back.

  He comes toward me with full force blasting me back. It rocks the very core of me with flaming, furious energy. But I stay on my feet. I’m not stopping until one of us is dead. He swings a punch at my face. My body tenses as I brace myself, ready for the onslaught of pain.

  At the same time, I slap him across the face, stinging him. Smoke sizzles from the impact and he glares at me. Anger flashes across his face, turning his cheeks a candy red.

  I have drowned out the constant noise from the others. But this is a brawl. A battle of good versus evil. I have healing power, but not killing powers. With a quick blaze I don’t see coming. I fall to the ground. Discombobulated, I lie there for a minute. My vision is shaky, but I’m not giving up. I pound my fist into the concrete out of anger. Damn, he’s getting the best of me.

  I stumble to my feet with a plan in mind. I can’t beat him physically. But he has a shadow. Blinking, the world appears hazy and in a slow spin. I collect myself. I place my hand on my forehead, and within seconds the world becomes gloomy with the passing darkness. But the dizziness has decreased. Prentiss is within view, and so is his shadow.

  I head toward my target, magic seeping through my hands. Prentiss shows a glimmer in his own as I come toward him. I’m sure he’s ready, and so am I.

  He’s prepared for me to aim at his face. Instead, I race around him, aiming for his shadow. Heart beating fast, I swat at it but I can’t get a grip on his slimy shadow. He turns toward me, and I continue to chase the shadow. Finally, I get my hands around the shadow’s neck. With a pang of exhaustion, I sigh. This war isn’t over. But If I can kill this shadow, I’ll win the battle.

  BOOM! The hottest bolt of a shock comes from his shadow. I jump back shaking, my hand nearly on fire.

  “Stop trying to get his shadow.” I dart my gaze around to the corner. There stands my alleged father.

  “Why?” I question. Sweat races down my back. Sharp pain tugs at my calf.

  “The ward on his shadow is very strong, and you’ll never be able to penetrate it.”

  I can’t take much more. This war is killing me. I’m breathing so fast my lungs can barely keep up.

  “What should I do?” I yell.

  He stands there cool as a cucumber. Why isn’t he helping us? He doesn’t appear to be in any trouble. Prentiss or no one else can hear him.

  “Try this,” he says before tossing a colorful stone to me. I catch it and there’s a tingling sensation floating through the stone. It blinks on and off. It’s like an enormous diamond. The wind blows my hair back. The feeling is euphoric and an out-of-body experience. I smile, thinking I’ve got this asshole. I glare at him, and his facial expression is priceless.

  His eyes turn red as his nails retract. He drops his hands to his side, starting a minor earthquake. The ground rattles beneath my feet. But I hold on tight to the stone. The winds grow stronger, swirling in a circle like a twister. Dust floats through the air.

  I close my eyes, but I hear a thundering roar like a lion exploding. I blink and there’s a wind storm throwing dust everywhere. I can’t view my hand. However, I grip the stone tighter. I’m not letting go. This may be the tool I need to kill Prentiss.

  Chapter Twelve

  Smoke invades my nostrils, causing me to cough. The cracking of the earth beneath me has stopped. Slowly I open my eyes, terrified of what I might see. The dust settles, and it covers everything in thick, white ash.

  Prentiss and his foot soldiers have all disappeared. But my alleged father still lurks on the corner. He hasn’t moved an inch. All the gang leaders are alive and racing out of the dust-riddled area. Afraid for their lives, I suppose.

  Kato grabs me by my hand. “Come on, let’s go,” he urges. But I continue staring at the mysterious man. I can’t take my eyes off him. He saved me. Prentiss was kicking my ass. Once I got a hold of this stone, Prentiss vanished.

  He walks closer to me.

  “Hi, I’m Paul.”

  My tongue seals itself to the roof of my mouth. My words have flatlined. He has to be my father. I look so much like him. But this might be one of Prentiss’s schemes. And by Kato’s tug of my hand and his urgency to leave, he’s not buying this is my father.

  Leaning my back against the thickness of Kato’s chest, I swallow. My hands are cold and clammy. Every muscle is taut as I fight to not turn and run away.

  I already have a multitude of problems. I can’t imagine what would have happened had he not saved me. Well, I guess pain, or worse, death. The least I can do is talk with him.

  But Kato is pulling my arm now, not taking no for an answer.

  I snatch my eyes away from the guy and let Kato lead me away.

  The drive home is long and awkward. I’m not sure I did the right thing by not talking with Paul. I mean, what harm could it do? Perhaps I should have worked harder, found out more information.

  “Why did you insist we leave?” I question.

  “It was time to go,” he croaks with a grimace. “I don’t trust Prentiss, so Paul is guilty by association.”

  “But he wasn’t with Prentiss. He helped me.” I open my hands, exposing the stone he gave me.

  “I didn’t see him throw any punches,” he responds as we swivel into a park.

  I glance out the window so I can get my thoughts together. I notice the gang has assembled in front of my apartment.

  Quickly, I get out of the car, stepping over a rotten log. The look of concern on Sam’s face made me stumble.

  “What are we going to do now?” Big Sam questions.

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “That pig slipped away again.” I grind my teeth.

  “We have to find his shadow,” Tiffany says as she checks her mirror for scars.

  “It was there, but I couldn’t get a good grip,” I explain.

  “No, I checked for it. Prentiss’s shadow wasn’t there. I’m sure he put it up a long time ago,” Big Sam says.

  Confused, sure I grabbed the shadow, I dart my gaze to Kato. He’s shaking his head no.

  “You didn’t see it either?” I question, leaning back against the gate.

  Noticing a figure coming toward us, I snap my head to the left. I don’t recognize the face from a distance, which is weird because I know everyone in Silver Park. But this person is unfamiliar. As he gets closer to us, a shadow covers his face. I glance up, confused. Where did the shadow come from? The sky is dull but not dark.

  The rest of the gang is consumed with their conversation. They don’t notice the person approaching.

  My heart rattles with fear when I recognize the person. It’s Paul. What does he want to know? I left abruptly and I’m sure we have unfinished business. I’m not sure I want to deal with it now.

  “Yes, that’s the plan. Find his shadow,” Mack says.

  “I can help with that,” Paul offers as he stands behind the crowd.

  Big Sam pivots around with his gaze landing on Paul. Penetrating the silence, he barks, “Who the hell are you?”

  “I’m a friend, and I know where Prentiss’s shadow is,” Paul says with confidence.

  Paul had better be who he says he is. Or all this will be detrimental.

  The redness of Sam’s face lets me know I have to step in. Ignoring the goosebumps that prickle at my skin, I race over to Paul’s side. “Hold on.”

  “Do you know this dude?” Sam demands.

  “Kind of,” I reply, exhaling. Something a
bout him called me. Even if he isn’t my father, he seems to support my goal.

  “I’m her father,” Paul says before shooting a sharp glare at everyone.

  “Prove it,” I demand, staring into the eyes identical to mine

  “Ok.” He points to my tattoo. “Once it’s fully grown, you will have immense powers.”

  I gasp. Shit, I thought he might be my father, but he doesn’t know about the tattoo. He’s a fraud.

  “Wrong!” Kato yells.

  Amid having a mini panic attack, I reach down in my pocket and grab the stone he gave me. I hand it over. “Here. There’s no way you are my father.”

  “What’s the problem?” He holds his hand up, refusing the stone.

  “You answered the question wrong,” I yell. “Once this tattoo covers my body, I’m near death, not full power.”

  “That’s not true.” He squints. “I put a healing on your life long ago. You will have immense powers strong enough to kill any immortal.” With sincerity gracing his face, he says, “Only you can do it.”

  A sharp dagger penetrates my heart. Can I trust him? I wonder. “How can I trust you? I just met you.”

  “Harmony, you need balance. Embrace the darkness. It will give you strength. I hoped you would have learned that on your own.”

  A boulder lands on my back. The pressure is so heavy I can barely stand. I’m okay with killing Prentiss for my gratification. But knowing I’m the only witch who can do it terrifies me. What if I miss? What if I’m killed in the process?

  Suddenly the conversation I had with Momma before she died replays in my mind. When we were in the cemetery, she said Paul was my father and a master healer.

  “My mother said my father was a master healer.” But I had an eminent man that raised me. He lied my entire life, pretending to be my father. I run away from Paul and walk away from the group. I don’t want anyone to see my tears. No matter what, I loved Carl Adams and he will always be my father.

  I sniffle and wipe the tears from my eyes when there is a tap on my shoulder. Without turning to view the person I reply, “Yes?”