Dark Curse

by Kim Richardson

“No.” I saw the entire council raise their brows in doubt as a collective so I quickly added. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I swear. Why would I do this? What’s my motive? There isn’t one because I didn’t murder anyone.”

  The council member stared at me, nothing on his face. “Then why were you at The Office of Chief Medical Examiner that night? Were there any demons or other supernatural entities that needed your attention? Did the Church send you to make sure the cadavers stayed cadavers and not spawn into the walking dead?”

  I exhaled a slow breath. “No, there weren’t any demons and the Church didn’t send me.”

  The senior member frowned. “So, why were you there if not to kill Steven Price?”

  My gaze flicked to Lisbeth and the winning, superior smile she gave me made my eyes crinkle in renewed anger, stirring a hatred in my core. Like hell was I going to let the old hag get away with this. If she thought I wouldn’t open my mouth, she was an idiot. You’re on, bitch.

  “Because,” I exclaimed, keeping my cool. “Lisbeth told me to kill him.” The chamber exploded in chaos.

  5

  “She said she’d kill my grandmother if I didn’t kill Steven Price!” I yelled over the shouting, Lisbeth’s eyes widening as the only sign of her distress. “I didn’t want to do it. And I stopped. I changed my mind. But then he came at me... and I had no choice but to kill him or he would have killed me.”

  The senior council member’s eyes narrowed. “That is a very serious accusation, Rowyn Sinclair. Is this your attempt at a mistrial? You are sadly mistaken if you think this subterfuge will work in your favor.”

  “It’s the truth,” I said, trying to find my composure. “Ask her.”

  The male witch frowned at me for a moment, but then he turned to Lisbeth. “Lisbeth?”

  “Benjamin, please.” The old woman gave a shrug, never losing her smile. “Lies. All of it. What purpose would I have to want one of the pillar members of our community killed?” She had the nerve to look innocent. “I would never harm anyone, let alone an alpha. Ridiculous. Especially not Steven Price, whom we all know as a gentle and generous leader,” she added, glancing at the other Gray Council members who were nodding. Seemingly pleased that they were in agreement, her smile grew wider, making her look manic. “Clearly this young woman is deranged. An attention-seeking miscreant.”

  “You’re the sick bitch,” I heard Tyrius cry out. “And you’re about to suffer the attention of my foot up your ass.”

  Lisbeth’s smile faltered as her eyes moved over my shoulder to Tyrius, making me stiffen. “What utter nonsense,” she said and then added a mock laugh. “We’ve all been aware of the rumors surrounding the Unmarked children. They’re defected. This here is a very disturbed individual. It’s in the brain. Something wrong with the way they’re wired.”

  “Seriously?” I laughed but regretted it as the council didn’t join in my misplayed humor.

  Lisbeth waved a hand in dismissal, her expression irate. “It’s only a matter of time before someone like this Hunter tries to push for more power in New York. Obviously, she was trying to remove the alpha for that very reason. Sooner or later she would have killed more, and we all know it. As a Hunter, she has a strong motivation to kill—and the means to do so.”

  “That’s bull and you know it,” I argued, my face hot with anger. “I might not always follow your rules, but I don’t go around killing innocent half-breeds.” You old cow.

  Lisbeth folded her hands on her lap. “But you did. Didn’t you? You just admitted to killing Steven Price.”

  “I had to,” I said, my voice rising to match my anger. “I would never have been there if it weren’t for you.”

  Lisbeth chuckled and leaned back into her chair, sharing some conversation again with another member of the council, her eyes never leaving mine.

  Shit. I was losing. I had to come up with something fast.

  I ground my teeth and looked to the senior member, Benjamin. “You can’t believe any of that. Tell me you don’t. Please. I’m not crazy. Lisbeth made me do it. If I didn’t, she was going to have my grandmother killed.”

  A small noise came from Benjamin’s throat, and a grimace colored his expression. “Do you have proof?”

  My lips parted as I heard Tyrius curse behind me.

  “Not on me, no,” I answered, trying to remember if I’d actually kept those pieces of paper. “But if you let me go home, I could find you some.” Yeah, okay that was lame, but it was all I had. The male witch glowered, and I could tell he thought I was lying again.

  “What about your grandmother?” asked the senior member as he gave me a skeptical glance. “Can she vouch for you regarding this threat made on her life.” He made a quick gesture with his hand. “We can have a team pick her up.”

  My heart thumped painfully in my chest. Lisbeth leered at me, waiting for me to tell them where she was. That was never going to happen. It was all I could do to stay where I was and not jump up on the dais and strangle her. I almost salivated as I thought of the sound of her neck snapping against my hands. God, that would feel so, so good.

  “She’s away on a trip,” I answered. My voice didn’t exactly bubble with enthusiasm.

  “How convenient,” said Lisbeth. Her tongue played over her teeth and she leaned back and shared a conversation with another female member with pointed ears like Gareth’s.

  “She’s away?” repeated Benjamin, his dark skin a stark contrast against his gray robe. “Where is she? Surely if she knows of this alleged threat on her life, she will agree to speak for you. Where is your grandmother?”

  My eyes flashed to Lisbeth. The hag was leaning forward in her chair, and the anticipation on her face made me sick. My grandmother had no idea one of her “friends” had threatened her life. Gareth had simply told her that the werewolves were looking for me, and they might hurt her in order to find me.

  I straightened and looked the senior member in the eye. “I don’t know where she is. And I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

  From their united cynical glances, I could see they all thought I was lying. Worse, they thought I was crazy. Swell.

  “Well,” Lisbeth droned, her voice carrying over the whole of the chamber. “I suppose we shouldn’t have expected anything less from this Unmarked. Wasn’t her mother unstable? Or was it her father?” Her lips spread into a smile. “Guess it runs in the family.”

  Before I knew what I was doing I shot forward, only to be jerked back by Danto’s strong grasp, and fell back against his hard chest.

  “Don’t,” he hissed, his grip tightening. “It’s what she wants.”

  Fuming, I yanked out of Danto’s grasp. Benjamin had caught my sudden outburst, and he frowned, and not in a good way.

  “Rowyn Sinclair,” declared Benjamin, his gaze back on mine. “You were seen at The Office of Chief Medical Examiner with this hunting knife pointed at Steven Price with the intention of killing him. You have testified to the council that you were allegedly blackmailed by one of our devoted and respected members to kill him. And now we learn that you have no proof to substantiate any of this.”

  Damn, when he said it like that it definitely sounded like I was crazy.

  Benjamin turned and shared a long look with the other council members. This wasn’t going so well. They weren’t listening to me.

  “It’s the truth,” I exclaimed.

  “This is serious,” said the senior member. A dark anger was in his eyes as he looked askance at me. “Do you not know how serious this is?”

  “Do you see me laughing?” I barked, peeved.

  The air shifted and Danto was next to me. “Careful,” he whispered. “Don’t piss them off.”

  “I think it’s too late for that,” I mumbled.

  “If you cannot produce your grandmother or proof, we have no other choice than to rule,” stated Benjamin after a moment. “The Gray Council will mete out justice.”

  It was over? Was it truly over that quickly?

&
nbsp; Benjamin leaned back in his throne-like chair. The other council members put their heads together, and I waited, watching them.

  “Rowyn,” whined Tyrius behind me. “Rowyn, what do we do?” But I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I’d lose it.

  My blood pressure rose even more, the tension making me dizzy. My body shook, and I felt as though I might pass out at any minute. Or maybe puke.

  It was only a few minutes, but it felt like hours as the Gray Council deliberated, their hushed voices unclear but echoing. The werewolves kept cutting glances at me, but I refused to look at them.

  From the raised dais, the Gray Council members stopped talking and pulled back into their chairs. Lisbeth turned her cold eyes to me, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

  Oh shit.

  “Steady, Rowyn,” I heard Danto say. “Whatever happens, keep your cool. We’ll figure something out.”

  Right. My gut knotted like my intestines were playing a game of twister with the rest of my organs. I looked at him, unable to bring myself to say anything. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “After much deliberation,” said Benjamin, “the Gray Council has reached a decision. Rowyn Sinclair, we have ruled and found you guilty of murder.”

  Great. Now I have done it.

  My heart stopped. And then it kicked into life, thrashing madly in my chest. I’d been accused of some pretty horrible things in life, but murder was a first. And I didn’t like it. I met Lisbeth’s gaze as she arched her brows, making an expression of pure, delighted malice.

  “As such,” continued Benjamin, “you are sentenced to life in the Silent Gallows for which you will carry out your sentence until your death.”

  I was numb. The Silent Gallows, the prison for all half-breeds and angel-borns—all thrown together in the shared space. I’d never really given it much thought apart that it was just a prison. Though I’d heard the rumors. Once you were sentenced to the Silent Gallows, you never made it out alive. Ever. No one ever came back.

  At least I’d avoided the noose, or maybe they were going to do it there. I swallowed hard as Tyrius and Kora hissed and spat like two kitties with rabies.

  “Cuff her quickly,” Lisbeth said loudly over the clamor of a band of voices. “She has dark magic. Hurry before she does anything unpleasant.” She grinned at me, looking evil.

  And then I lost it.

  “You’re dead! Dead!” I shouted, willing my darkness to come. I sprang forward, only to crash into the hard body of one of the GHOSTS.

  He punched me across the jaw, stars exploding in my vision. Damn. That hurt. I could hear Tyrius and Danto screaming, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  Blinking away the tears, I felt someone grab my arms from behind me. I hissed as they yanked hard, and I grunted when something heavy and cold slipped around my wrists as I was manhandled none too gently.

  Struggling, I pulled on my wrists as a wild panic welled in me. Thick iron cuffs hung around my wrists, similar to the ones I’d used on Ugul and Jeeves to interrupt the flow and dispel their magic. I was surprised to find at least twenty of those gray GHOSTS surrounding me. Hell I was even flattered.

  But they still had it wrong. I wasn’t gifted with magic. I was gifted with dark, archdemon power, a darkness that wouldn’t be contained by these itty-bitty cuffs.

  Keeping my face blank, I tapped into my darkness, feeling my skin start to tingle as the dark power filled me. It felt my anger, my desperation, and it answered my call. It was there, just on the edges of my core, waiting to be released. I could kill them all, fry them. But what would that prove? That I was indeed the murderer they said I was.

  I wasn’t evil. At least, not yet.

  “You bitch!” Layla jumped on her feet, fists ready to pound anyone who came near her. But most of the Gray Council had turned their backs on us, barely taking notice of Layla as they stood from their chairs, chatting pleasantly amongst themselves like they hadn’t just sentence me to life in prison.

  “She’s lying!” cried Layla, to anyone who would listen. “What Rowyn said is the truth. Lisbeth’s the evil one. She’s the murderer, not Rowyn!”

  Lisbeth shifted into motion. “Take her,” she directed the GHOSTS, pointing at Layla, now snarling like a beast. “She’s threatening the council. Do it!”

  Immediately, ten GHOSTS circled around Layla and she yanked out her hidden daggers. Crap. She was going to get herself killed.

  “Layla, stop!” I cried, looking over one of the GHOSTS who stood next to me. I felt sick. “This is what she wants,” I repeated exactly what Danto had said because it was true. “She wants you out of the way too. She wants you to screw up and end up like me. Don’t. You need to take care of Tyrius and Kora. They need you.”

  At that, Layla met my gaze. She backed away, her big brown eyes bright and welling up with tears.

  A brilliant white light caught my attention in the row of seats behind me and I turned. Tyrius stood on the ground, his back arched and his demonic energy bouncing around him. Ah hell. He was going to Hulk-out. Even Kora’s fur bristled with barely contained demon energy.

  “Tyrius,” I cried, and the cat met my eyes. “No.”

  Tyrius shook with anger, looking like a baal high on caffeine. “Didn’t you hear them? They’re going to take you to the Silent Gallows! It’s a death trap. No one ever gets out. I can’t let that happen.” He hissed savagely, showing off his tiny needle-like teeth soon to be dagger-sized canines.

  “You have to,” I shouted back. “This isn’t over. Just take it easy, okay?” The pain in his eyes made my heart ache. “And don’t do anything stupid.”

  “No, Rowyn!” cried Tyrius, and my eyes burned. “I can’t let them take you!”

  “You must.” My heart thudded. “Tyrius, please,” I begged, and my voice cracked.

  Tyrius stopped moving, and very slowly his eyes met mine with a violent gleam. Despite his anger, he gave me a small nod of his head.

  I let out a breath and felt myself pale. I knew Tyrius would have fought all these GHOSTS on his own to save me, even though they probably would have killed him in the process. I loved that stupid cat, but I wanted him to live.

  He’d be fine. He’d go live at my gran’s with Kora and Layla. They’d all be fine without me, I thought, my throat closing as I fumbled to keep myself together. This was not the time to freak out. I needed to be calm. I needed to think. They’d be okay. At least for a little while until I figured things out.

  My thoughts moved to Gareth and my chest felt like it was caving in. We were supposed to have dinner tomorrow night, and lots of other things...

  Damn it. This was so unfair. Just when I finally met someone I could have a serious relationship with, it was taken away. And now I might never see Gareth again.

  Tyrius’s eyes were on me as I took a breath and said, “Tyrius. Tell Gareth what’s happened. He’ll know what to do.” The elf was secretive and powerful with his elf dust. If anyone could break me out of prison, Gareth was the guy.

  That seemed to calm Tyrius, and I could see his eyes calculating. He was already working on a plan to break me out. Good kitty.

  I looked past Tyrius to the crowd, all eyes on me and talking, their faces twisted in the shared contempt of a jury who’d just passed a sentence. Hell, I even caught a few of them smiling, like they were glad I was going to the one place no one ever got out of. It was like going to the Netherworld, without the dying part.

  I found Danto watching me, his face twisted in pain, looking aghast and unable to reach me because of the GHOSTS between us. His porcelain-like skin was red and blotchy. His eyes were so wide with panic that my heart tightened. His brow was pinched, his unsaid words swallowed in frustration. I was still pissed at him, and I knew he’d never forgive himself.

  I opened my mouth to say something but was met with a hard fist in my gut.

  Agony exploded in my stomach. Gasping in pain, I crumpled over, my insides burning. I looked up to find one of
the bearded GHOSTS staring down at me, his smile terrifying.

  My breath escaped me in a whoosh as I nearly fell over. I hadn’t been expecting it. It always hurts more when you don’t expect to be punched in the gut.

  “That’s just in case you give me any trouble,” he laughed, close enough that I could smell the stale beer on his breath and the wet-dog stench. He was a werewolf. He shared a look with one of the closer GHOSTS on my left and they started to laugh.

  Now that was just rude. Bent over, I smiled at him, raised my head and spat in his face.

  The guy grimaced and backed away, a stringy, bubbly froth of my spit hanging on his beard and partly on his mouth. Yes, it was disgusting, but what else was I going to do?

  He wiped his face and scowled at me. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that, bitch.”

  “Why?” I said, anger slamming into me like a wall. “What you gonna do about it?”

  A slow smile began to spread across his face, and my heart pounded. He curled his fingers into fists, making an obvious gesture.

  Damn. This was going to hurt.

  Beard-guy raised his fist, and in a surge of motion Danto was there. He had the guy’s fist in his hand and the man’s eyes widened in surprise. Hell, even I hadn’t seen him coming. Gotta love that vampire stealth.

  “You touch her again, and you’ll be missing a hand,” threatened Danto, his voice dripping with scorn and his eyes black. He’d vamped out. “Your choice.” His voice was cold and composed, hard and unforgiving. I stared at him, seeing the vampire leader, a creature of darkness, beautiful and deadly.

  Danto didn’t seem to care that he was seriously outnumbered thirty to one. A tug pulled at my chest. I was going to miss that vampire.

  “Whatever.” Beard-guy yanked his fist from Danto’s grip and dropped back, his face two shades darker than before.

  Danto moved next to me and I smiled. “I think he just wet himself,” I said. “Thanks for the parting gift.”

  The vampire didn’t smile back. “Rowyn,” he said, his voice tight with worry, “just keep your head down. I’m going to get you out of this. I promise.” His voice was low, for me alone, and his black eyes were turbulent.