Fatal Sight (Harbingers Of Death Book 2)

by LeAnn Mason

  Pulling myself up, dripping and smelly, I glared, hatred curling my fists. The ring dug into my skin. “You’ll pay for this,” I told the man, knowing now that he couldn’t hear me. “I’ll come for her, and you’ll regret it.”

  The woman’s head lifted as the vamp started to ascend the ladder. Her eyelids drooped. Her pallor was blueish, and dried blood was crusted on her face, which must have leaked afresh after the vamp licked her face in my other vision. “Aria. Bermuda.”

  Shocked by the rasped words, I gasped, and the scene sucked away from me, folding into itself.

  I surged upright, nearly clocking Gunhilde and Torgny, who’d been leaning over me again.

  “They have her!” I leapt from the bed, rushing around to gather the measly items the police hadn’t confiscated from me. “They have my mom!”

  I meant what I said. Those damn vamps would pay.

  “What happened? You saw her? Did you see where she is? Who has her?” Gunhilde sounded as wrathful as I felt.

  “Yes,” I said shortly. “Bermuda. The vamps are keeping her captive in Bermuda.” In the worst, shittiest accommodations.

  Hope you’re ready for some payback, you unnaturals.

  I paused there, head tilting. “Huh. Seke said the vampires must have gone underground to avoid being taken out by the vampire-slayer teams or whatever they were called, but I wouldn’t have expected the Caribbean.” I puzzled over the mental image of the dickwad manhandling my mom, who I imagined looked like Tony Druid-Killer, clinking fruity cocktails with little umbrellas while sitting on a lounge chair on a sunny beach.

  “Bermuda Triangle,” Torgny said, and it all clicked.

  Vampires fed on humans. What better place to go unnoticed? You could steal all of the humans you wanted for blood, and everyone would chalk it up to the mysterious legend. Tony had said the other faction kept banshees around to make sure they didn’t completely drain any of their blood sources and end up drawing in an HD unit.

  “Well, guess I’m going to Bermuda,” I vowed in a growl, heading for the door without waiting for Gunhilde or Torgny to keep up, “I’m going to make sure that at least one victim of the Bermuda Triangle doesn’t remain missing. I found her, and now, I’m going to get her.” I wrenched open the door and stepped out.

  I pivoted when I reached the parking lot, the parked vehicles before me knocking some logic into my brain. I smiled meekly at my companions. “Uhm. Can I have a ride? Please?”

  “Only if you ask nicely, Silver.”

  My head cranked around, and I gawked at the thin, raven-haired woman outside the door, standing haughtily, with arms crossed, between a beefy dreadlocked man and a petite redhead.

  22

  “I think it would be beneficial to re-admit Aria onto our HD team.” Seke tentatively broached the subject with his team as they gathered around for dinner at the bunker after a particularly long day.

  He hadn’t imagined how hard it would be to divulge to Aria the fact that he’d known Enid back when her mom had been an official Harbinger… before she’d vanished. He’d realized the information would be hard to digest, especially with their… with the intimate moments they’d shared. Seke was a little thrown-off himself.

  Now that he knew the vampires hadn’t all been taken care of, he knew there was a fifty-fifty chance Enid hadn’t simply been killed. The vampires both feared and revered the banshees. One group slaughtered. The other group... Anytime they could get their hands on one still living, well, it would probably have been better to die.

  That was not easy to accept, but he hadn’t anticipated how strongly Aria would react to his simply knowing her mom. He hadn’t even made it to that part of the discussion about Aria’s revelation that vampires still walked the Earth, nor explained the ring. He’d underestimated the connection between mother and daughter despite the fact that Enid had only been present for a short time in Aria’s early life. Aria had clearly never let go.

  He understood on some level. He had found it impossibly hard to walk out of that motel room and let Aria go… at least, for the time being.

  And that was just based on his instincts as a captain. His romantic feelings for her compounded the urge to help, to protect, but didn’t invent it.

  “Captain, we recognize you have a... soft spot for the banshee,” Cole said with a bit of a pained expression, evidently thinking along the same lines as his captain. “But I thought you were just going to check on her.” He’d always hated to go against what Seke wanted, but sometimes he allowed himself to dissent as he had when he’d come to speak to Seke a few days ago about the distraction Aria had become.

  “Sometimes, a newcomer just doesn’t quite fit into the fold,” Ember continued, “and you have to let them go, find their place in the world.”

  “Especially when the newcomer’s arrival coincides with the death of an actual teammate,” Brenna interjected with a roll of her dark eyes and a huff. The little shifter had always been reticent of change. Seke expected it was a product of her upbringing. The raven community was small, tight-knit, and very watchful.

  That, of course, made her a natural choice for the HDPU as prison was certainly a place where a keen lookout was needed. Reapings were not the only time to be vigilant when stuck among hardened criminals in close quarters.

  The raven shifter seemed to believe a banshee was not suited in the same way. Seke wasn’t sure he agreed; Aria had helped them identify Carter. Either way, he did know Aria needed a family, a support system, a team, particularly right now. She’d survived on her own for many years, but that was in hiding. The vampires knew about her now.

  “You all realize that Aria is not the reason for Jessica’s death, yes? I understand that you are… jaded, maybe now more than ever, but do you not see how good not only a banshee but Aria, in particular, could be for us?”

  “You’re just saying that because you want to fuck her.”

  Seke’s eyes flashed, and his shadows gathered to swell like a swirling cloud that clung to his taut body as he turned to address the insubordinate little fledgling. His eyes would have been as dark as her bird’s in his state of repressed fury. “Do not undermine the effectiveness of me or any other simply because you are bitter and cold. Your refusal to adapt will be the downfall of this team, and Jessica will not be the last casualty. Teamwork, cohesiveness, and adaptation have always been the backbone of this team. Do not let rigidity cause your demise.”

  Seke had held his tongue before. Jessica’s death had hit them hard, and they had needed to grieve. He understood that. But he assumed that in healing, they would realize they not only needed Aria, but they wanted her.

  “Look around you. We are diminished in number and in abilities. If you don’t learn to embrace the tools that will help us, your teammates could be forfeit. Like Jessica.”

  After a heavy beat where his team seemed to hold their breath at the reminder, Brenna raised a hand.

  “Yes?” Seke asked with apprehension.

  She pointed at Ember. “But, uh, she can come back.”

  The Egyptian god raised his brows. “Are you confident in that? And what about Cole? Or me?” There was a bit of a growl in the last question. “Aria needs our help with something. We can assist her with that challenge first, and then you can decide about letting her rejoin permanently,” he bartered. One mission together wasn’t too much to ask, and Seke suspected the test would work as he hoped.

  “Help her? Why would we help her? I don’t owe her anything.”

  Maybe his hopes were misplaced. Maybe he had too much confidence that they would grow. He hoped that wasn’t true, and as he made eye contact with each of the harbingers he’d come to think of as family, he knew he hadn’t been wrong to believe in them.

  Brenna was the first to crack, which brought a smile to Seke’s face, though he quickly quashed it so as not to discourage her. Throwing up her hands and bringing them down to slap her slim, jean-clad thighs with a flourish, she huffed. “Well, fine, then. We�
�ll help the inept little screamer, but don’t expect me to throw my career, my life away to do so.”

  “Raven,” Cole’s tone was an odd mix of soothing and admonishment, something few others could pull off without being called out for one or the other.

  The little ball of fury huffed, clamping her arms across her chest in a mark of surliness. An eye-roll preceded her next words, making the statement appear less than genuine. “We can give Silver another chance if that’s what you want, lover boy, and then we’ll see about after that.”

  Seke saw the lift of her sullen lips as her eyes dove to her feet. The little spitfire wasn’t nearly as adverse as she projected. The god, dare he say it if just to himself, thought Raven may even have missed Aria, though she’d never admit to it.

  “If it keeps things moving smoothly and you stay focused,” Ember added pointedly. “I think she could be an asset. We are down one.”

  Seke dipped his chin in acknowledgment of her pragmatism. He had definitely been… distracted since Aria’s departure, a fact he’d been reluctant to admit when Cole had called him out. It pained him to realize just how transparent he’d been to all of his team. “I am sorry for my… unprofessionalism where Aria is concerned. I have undoubtedly been affected by her. It is one reason that I allowed her to be sent away. I thought maybe—”

  “You thought maybe you’d get over your animal lust?” Raven quipped, to which both Cole and Ember snorted before schooling their features.

  The other two nodded with hearty agreement to Raven’s crude interjection.

  Seke had to admit it was a factor. “I thought maybe my infatuation would diminish with time and space…”

  “You were wrong,” Cole admitted.

  “A little sloppy, I daresay.” He didn’t want to encourage their dissent and dissection of his… personal choices. Though, given how their team worked, it was bound to happen.

  Every choice had an impact on the other members of their team.

  “At Cole’s wise suggestion, I went to visit Aria.”

  Cole’s eyebrows shot up, perhaps in surprise that the captain would reveal his secret indulgence. Honesty was imperative amongst teammates.

  “I hoped to see her thriving in another unit and settle my mind.”

  “You mean to say goodbye.”

  He nodded at Brenna. “But Aria has a problem and could use our help.” Though, she wouldn’t admit to it, certainly not considering how she felt about him right then — she’d sent him away. But he knew better than to stay away.

  “I’m glad we are all on board with a trial run to consider bringing Aria back to the HDPU. I’ve dispatched a friend to train her in using her banshee abilities, but they will be needing additional assistance soon.”

  Vampires were back. And soon, they would be on Aria’s tail. Seke had originally been tasked with handling the resorbed souls. It was time he and his new team revisited that original mission of the Harbingers of Death.

  “Are you ready for another mission? This one will be much harder than our normal duties and will most likely be a joint endeavor.”

  “Well, don’t just dangle the carrot,” Brenna groaned petulantly.

  The girl had always been a bit impatient. Making her wait to find out about the vampires might be good for her.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Seeing my team — well, my first team — staring back at me outside this shithole motel as if nothing had happened…

  “Might want to close that yapper, Silver. That thing is your money-maker. Wouldn’t do to waste it catching flies.”

  I was used to Raven’s sharp tongue but not the humorous twinkle in her dark eyes. It made her look a little less demonic, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it, which was my excuse for standing there like an idiot even after the admonishment.

  “Who are your friends?” The HDPU incredulously looked past me, checking out the vand-pony team at my back.

  Better to jump in with both feet, right?

  “Uh, this is Gunhilde and Torgny. They were friends of my mother’s. Seke sent them. And what are you doing here? Did Seke send you, too? Speaking of…” I looked around the nearly empty parking lot where our burgeoning herd congregated. Too much longer and we’d likely draw attention, and that was something we needed to avoid. “Where is Seke?” He sent his team but didn’t show up himself?

  Doesn’t matter. I admonished my wayward thoughts. Not like you wanted to see him again, anyway.

  A man walking through the parking lot squinted over at us as I searched again for the god.

  “Maybe we should have this reunion elsewhere?” I suggested. “We’re a pretty eclectic group of people milling around a crappy motel. I don’t need any more police attention, like, ever.”

  “Did you get arrested again?” Ember asked lightly as she ambled past me toward the wary couple at my back, head swiveling as she entered the room.

  I turned with a sweeping bow, indicating that Cole and Raven should follow suit and head back indoors for what I expected to be an awkward conversation. I mean, we hadn’t exactly parted on good terms.

  Add in a valkyrie and her… steed, and tensions were high.

  Cole must have sensed my anxiety because he squeezed my shoulder gently as he passed, following the rest of the group into the confines of the room.

  The space was nearly claustrophobic once I squeezed to join the rest of the harbingers. I closed the door. It was a facade, a dented and faded barrier that would not deter but the weakest assailants should one wish to enter the premises. Still, it would at least give the illusion of privacy.

  However, once it was shut, I felt like a sardine, cramped, without light, but with an abundance of pungent smells… At least we’d left a lamp on. I didn’t want to imagine fumbling around in the dark under the current situation. Who knew what you’d trip over — or grab — in the dark?

  “So…” I started uncertainly.

  “So. How’ve you been?” Ember asked, tilting her head, an open and interested expression adorning her cherubic face. Fiery red hair framed her rosy cheeks, highlighting the few freckles she had standing out, while her overlarge, russet eyes blinked owlishly at me as she waited for my response.

  I crossed my arms. “You mean after getting tossed around a bunch of other HD units? After you all kicked me out? Swell. I’ve been just swell. On my own.” Some part of me was happy to see them, but I couldn’t easily forget how we’d ended things.

  “You’re Aria’s team?” Gunhilde inquired from her spot against the cracked mirror. Her tone and crossed posture bordered on antagonistic, but she left it at that.

  “We realize that we may have been… harsh after Jessica, but I promise we do not wish you ill will,” Cole said in his deep, emphatic way. His amber eyes locked with mine, their unblinking intensity attempting to convey the truth of his words. “Grief and loss can cloud even the soundest mind, the toughest heart.”

  “Those are some awfully deep words, hellhound,” Torgny rumbled from his spot where he was propped against the bathroom’s open-door frame.

  I guess the valkyrie horse shifter could sense other supes’ breeds. Or maybe Cole carried a certain stench of brimstone and dog that I was too obtuse to pick up on. Animal shifters probably had better olfactory senses.

  “One should never turn on his or her partner, no matter one’s pain,” Torgny said with a laser focus on Gunhilde, whose bright eyes bore directly back with a fond smile lifting her lips slightly.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. Who are you two, and why are you here?” Cole returned smoothly with a hint of challenge. His eyes went from bright amber to a dull red as his hound instincts rose in response to Torgny’s derision.

  The two male egos collided as the pair puffed up their chests and strode toward one another.

  Cutting off the growing tension, I decided to set some ground rules for the sake of time. We needed all the help we could get. Who knew just what we’d be walking into? I mean, it was the Bermuda Triangle… filled
with blood-sucking vampires.

  “It doesn’t matter. The past is the past, right? Right now, we need to focus on the objective and its many obstacles.” I looked around to meet each pair of eyes, not moving on until I’d received some form of acquiescence from each person.

  Since I was the one who’d had the vision, my intel would be vital to this mission. Although it felt strange dictating to the team that had flicked me away like a flea, it was a little easier to take on the role of team lead without Seke in the room.

  “Good. Now, let’s get everyone caught up so we can get a solid plan set into motion. Otherwise, I’m going to go off half-cocked and get myself killed… or captured. I’m sure no one wants that.” Who was I kidding? I’d bet three people in the room would probably rejoice. Just because they were here and seemed to be sorry — most likely at Seke’s behest — didn’t mean they wouldn’t be happier if I disappeared or suffered some unimaginably horrendous fate.

  My attention was pulled when a hearty knock rang out at the door to the room. Once. Twice. Thrice.

  “It’s me. Please allow me to enter, Aria.” Seke. He had decided to make the journey after all.

  Taking the advice I’d offered a moment before, I decided not to dwell on his past mistakes and instead be grateful for his help.

  Not because you want to ogle him, I scolded my hormones. For her. To help her. To save my mom.

  He might be useful in corralling the HDPU anyway. There were a lot of clashing personalities coming together at the moment.

  Reaching the door, I peeked through the eyehole just to be safe.

  Even distorted by the fisheye lens, Seke looked like the god he was: formidable, unwavering, gorgeous.

  Yeah, it was hard to stay mad at him. I was sure the wise, old man had sensible reasons for his secrets anyway. Maybe I’d give him a chance to explain them to me. Maybe.

  I mentally slapped myself out of my thoughts and unlatched the security lock, opening the door wide. Moving aside, I motioned the three-piece-suit-clad god into the already overstuffed room where he nodded genially at his team and then Gunhilde and Torgny in turn.