The Nightling: Darkness Within

by Danae Ayusso

  Security lost it and laughed hysterically, so did those with me.

  Cross wasn’t amused and continued to pout. “The last person that called me a turd lost their life,” he warned.

  “I have no doubt, but it’s beneath a creature of such distinction to lower themselves to the actions of a child,” I said with a smile. “I’m sorry for coming uninvited and without a gift you can unwrap. Next time I’ll bring you something, as limited as my means are.”

  For some reason Cross snorted. “Limited means?” he scoffed. “Girl, you are wearing a dress that costs tens of thousands of dollars, your shoes are another five-grand, and that church you live in you don’t even want to get me started on. It should have been ours, but I neglected to take into consideration a goddamn vampire showing up to bid. Ugh! I should kill you for that.”

  Maybe.

  “But you won’t,” I said.

  He huffed. “No, I suppose I won’t. My baby brother has taken a liking to you, for some reason. If you hurt him, I will kill you and worry about your Maker later,” he warned.

  I nodded my acceptance of his death threat.

  “Cross,” Tybalt warned, cocking an eyebrow. “Be nice.”

  “I’m always nice,” Cross retorted, making a face that caused his brother to snort.

  “I mean it,” Tybalt reiterated before chuckling.

  “How is it, if I may ask, that a powerful warlock calls werewolves father and brother?” I asked what was biting at me and Giovanni’s tongues.

  Cross rolled his eyes. “You can ask but it doesn’t mean I’ll tell you, especially after you called me a turd. You see, Child, sometimes covens go to war, and other times covens are attacked in the cloak of night by those considered friends and family. In that day and age, plays for power were done on the field of battle, not in a court or a chessboard as they are today. Sadly, my powerful coven and family didn’t survive. Don’t get me wrong, they took a score with them in their fall, and they decimated four bloodlines in the process,” he smugly informed me, “and wiped out three packs that had no business putting their noses in warlock business, but it is what it is. Father, my werewolf father, and his pack came to clean up the mess because we should have never been attacked by wolves to begin with. Personally, I think we were targeted because we had an alliance with the most feared and respected pack in the territory. No one messed with Maximus Lykourgos and survived, that was, after all, how Daddy, a Greek, had claimed key territories in Italy. No one crossed him and survived, and they didn’t. Daddy took me in, the sole survivor of the raid that killed everyone in my family, and I was deemed untouchable by any coven or pack due to my bloodline. Isn’t that special?” he mused.

  Giovanni shook his head. “For someone that said he wasn’t going to tell you, he sure did tell you everything.”

  I nodded my agreement. “I think he likes to hear himself talk.”

  “I could have told you that,” he retorted with a snort. “How Alder ever suffered through decades with this self-centered turd I’ll never know.”

  Alder laughed, shaking his head. “Trust me, Vanni, that was Cross being humble.”

  “You could do better,” Giovanni and I said in unison.

  Cross glared at us. “Where’s your date, Al? I see you talking… Oh gross. Are you dating a ghost?!” he shrieked, pulling some sunglasses out of his jacket pocket then put them on. His purple nail polish appeared molten as his index fingers tapped the sides of his rose gold, pink tinted, glasses and sparks once again flared in his light green eyes. He looked at us, his attention staying on Giovanni. “Huh,” he huffed, his eyes moving over Giovanni many times. “Cute, no denying you have a thing for Italians, but he’s a baby! You should be simply ashamed of yourself, Al, for robbing a nursery graveyard like that.”

  Giovanni started talking smack to him in Italian so fast that I could barely keep up, but what I did hear was blush inducing to say the least, and made me uncomfortable.

  I got to my feet and hurried away from them and Tybalt went after me.

  “Are you okay, Shawn?” he asked when I sat with the guards in the next seating area, and they all pocketed their cell phones in unison.

  I shook my head. “When Vanni gets like that, I run,” I said, trying to ignore the arguing couple and the laughing Necromancer sitting between them. “I got my temperament from Papà. Vanni got our nonne, from both sides of the family tree, attitudes. He’s always been the one that speaks his mind, even when he shouldn’t, talked smack and would knock someone down a peg or two when it came to defending those he felt needed protecting. When we were in elementary school he even kicked a girl in her missing wiener because she pushed me down in the mud.”

  The guards laughed, so did Tybalt.

  “When he gets worked up I can hardly understand him, which is saying a lot since Italian is my first language, but what I can understand I wished I didn’t,” I said with a sigh. “This is seriously the most awkward first date, ever, and that’s solely because of me. I’m so sorry about this,” I apologized to Tybalt.

  Tybalt chuckled, holding my hand. “It’s memorable, not awkward. Awkward was the date I went on where the lovely lady I took to the theater met one of my sisters there, and they left together.”

  My eyes widened. “Shut up.”

  He laughed. “Sadly, it’s the truth. They’ve been happily married for nearly seventy years.”

  That, was surprising.

  “At least they found someone, right?” I offered, causing him to smile.

  “I really love that about you,” Tybalt said. “You find the silver lining in everything and are so strangely accepting of it. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I can only hope none of my sisters try to sweep you off your feet as I’ve yet to do,” he teased.

  Of course his offhanded compliment made me blush.

  “I’m very straight, but I can appreciate beauty in all forms, regardless of there being a sexual or arousal element lacking. Bianca is absolutely stunning, and I’m completely speechless to meet her and her handsome brother. I thought, for a while, that demons were nothing more than something white people invented in order to scare their simpleminded sheep to church.”

  Again, they all roared with laughter.

  Even Cross and Giovanni stopped fighting long enough to shout their agreement, which started their bickering all over again since they were agreeing on something now.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere in this world, Child of Shadows,” Bianca mused before smooching her lips in a single-sided kiss.

  That was the in I was looking for!

  “What’s a Child of Shadows?” I asked.

  ‘Mind your tongue,’ Andrei warned.

  Of course he’d have to interject now when I was trying to learn what he was keeping from me.

  “No, I will not mind my tongue,” I shot back, looking around since it was more polite then looking at someone while arguing with Andrei when he wasn’t even in the room. “You have things that you are seeing to and I am enjoying my date. If my new friends want to educate me since you refuse to, that is something you will have to either accept or resolve yourself since you are adamant that I remain your prisoner purely through ignorance. You know I am not nearly as dumb as you wish I was when it comes to this world, the world you have forced me to and yet keep me from. It makes me suspicious why that is… Stop growling in irritation, it is very annoying,” I parentally scolded, causing the demons watching, amused, to chuckle. “Either educate me when we are in the same room, or keep your unmoving lips shut while I enjoy my date, the fantastic company we’ve found, and the handsome wolf that wasn’t too scared to ask me out.” I looked to Tybalt and smiled.

  “It is an honor that you said yes,” he reminded me before kissing the inside of my wrist.

  The smile that filled my face quickly fell when a hot branding iron was stabbed into my head and a hot poker pierced my heart.

  I couldn’t breathe.

  Couldn’t think.

&nbs
p; Couldn’t see through the tears flooding my eyes.

  ‘You will obey me and not speak of me in the company of others. Do you understand?’

  I started to tell him no, that he didn’t own me, but the words never left my lips.

  Instead, the unimaginably painful stabbing and searing intensified tenfold and caused me to cry out, falling out of my chair.

  “Sis?!” Giovanni shouted, hurrying over. “Is it that suck head again?”

  Tybalt caught me and pulled me into his arms. “Release her,” he pleaded.

  It felt as if a burning dagger was twisting in my heart and all of the blood in my veins was freezing in mid-circulation as they turned into burning acid.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Samael asked.

  “Her Maker is hurting her,” Tybalt said, caressing my back in a soothing manner, but it barely registered with me. “Shawn can disregard his command at will, and the only way he can attempt to control her is by hurting her. He did the same when we first met.”

  Samael nodded his understanding. “It is rare that a Scion can disregard their Maker, especially a new born. That type of bond is difficult for even centuries old vampires to have. She is truly unique.”

  “Yes, she is,” Tybalt agreed, kissing the side of my head. “Breathe, Shawn. He can’t hurt you… Please stop hurting her.”

  The pain wasn’t lessening, even with the distraction, and it felt as if I was going to puke before passing out.

  Bianca took my face by the chin and forced me to look at her. “If you do not release this child from your hold, I will come for you next,” she warned, her red eyes seemingly glowing. “Do not be so foolish to think the Hellhounds that protect you in the day will continue to do so when it is my leash they are on. Do you understand me, Vampire?”

  The pain intensified and I cried out again, unable to keep it in.

  “Or perhaps I will tell her what it is you do not want her to know,” she mused, trying a different approach. “I know what she is, there is no denying her lineage, and I know what you did, but does she know why you did it?”

  Instantly the searing stopped and I gasped and choked, struggling to catch my breath. The food and coffee that wanted to come back up I was able to force down so I didn’t throw up all over my date, and eventually I felt as if I was in one piece again.

  “I’m so sorry for… How did you do that?” I stammered.

  Bianca smiled. “Good, he knows his role and who not to fuck with,” she said, tenderly patting my cheek. “I will show you how to fight back, Child of Shadows, so no man or creature can control you.”

  Samael groaned. “This will not end well for anyone, especially your Maker.”

  “Sis, you okay?” Giovanni asked, trying to hug me and Tybalt but his arms passed through us. “Shawny?” he stammered, even more upset that he couldn’t hug me.

  And I so desperately needed a hug from my brother right now.

  “I’m okay, Polpetto,” I promised, trying to clear the remaining flashes of light from my vision. “That annoying creature and I are going to have words, and soon.”

  “If he does that again, I will figure out a way to kill him,” Giovanni promised.

  It was sweet of him to offer.

  “We already talk about that, Polpetto,” I reminded him. “Go play with your date and the jealous warlock that can’t compete with your strong Italian genetics, smoldering hazel-amethyst eyes, dark curly hair, and impressively defined, smooth, hairless abs. I’m okay now. I wish I could hug you, but it’s something I’ll have to do when dreaming tonight.”

  He eyed me.

  “I promise I’m okay,” I whispered.

  Giovanni nodded. “If he does it again, I will figure out how to kill him,” he promised before heading back over to Alder and Cross.

  “Not if I get to him first, Spirit Shadow,” Bianca called out with a wink, and Giovanni smiled wide. “Now, what is it you were wanting to know that your Maker doesn’t want you to know?” she rhetorically asked, as if I should have realized that Andrei specifically didn’t want me asking about the term ‘Child of Shadows’.

  I looked between the guards and Tybalt.

  I really didn’t want to get hurt again.

  But I really liked the feeling of Tybalt’s arms around my waist and the feel of his strong muscular thighs under my butt.

  And if Andrei pulled his routine again, I knew Bianca would put him in his place.

  “It’s okay,” Tybalt promised before pulling me into him more and rested his head against mine. “Demons, Angels, Fallen, they are the first creations so they know more than most dragons do. The way they word things might need translating since they can reference terminology that’s older than recorded history, races and species that are no more, and accounts that could be fiction or actual events never recorded. They are fascinating people, but very rarely do they offer an audience with someone hungry for knowledge.”

  Bianca snorted. “Boss, you flatter me, but flirting with a demon while you have a very beautiful date in your arms is just poor showing,” she teased.

  I blushed; she called me beautiful.

  Tybalt nodded. “Yes, my date is truly beyond words, but I fear I’ll be in debt for many, many lifetimes in order to make up for this disaster of date, regardless of her stating she’s enjoying herself or not. The next date, and each thereafter, will be better than the last. That I vow to you.”

  My eyes widened.

  “If you would do me the honor of another date or fifty,” he sheepishly asked, blushing.

  There’s no way he just offered that!

  “Yes!” I beamed, hugging him tight.

  Giovanni groaned. “Sis, that is technically him sliding into 2nd base!” he called out. “If you had Mamma’s rack, he’d be suffocating right now.”

  My eyes widened and I quickly let go of Tybalt and wrapped my arms behind me. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

  Tybalt chuckled. “Think nothing of it, and I wasn’t getting or sliding into 2nd base, as your amusing brother pointed out. It was merely a hug and yes to a second date.”

  “Or fifty,” I whispered, wagging my brows like Giovanni does, and he laughed.

  Bianca sighed. “Young love,” she mused. “It’s so beautiful to behold in its infancy,” she cooed.

  Samael nodded. “Until the asshole squatting in her head takes it out on her again when you aren’t around to threaten him with revealing the darkness he’s effectively hidden in his heart from the child thus far.”

  That stole my attention.

  If I asked, I’m sure they’d tell me what it was Andrei was keeping from me and why he was bothering with this hot mess, beacon for trouble, at all. But at the same time, if they told me what they thought his reasoning was, and it wasn’t exactly correct, that’d mean I’d never know the truth because Andrei would never tell me or correct them if they were wrong. In fact, I knew him well enough to know he was going to blame me for the demon that threatened to take away his guard dogs already. Trying to find out what his major malfunction was, as Giovanni puts it, would be just another thing to fight about with him.

  I’m tired of fighting with him.

  I had to tread lightly and keep it basic, not pry into what they think they know about him or why he did this to me.

  “I know what a Child of Light is, and I know what a Child of Dark is,” I started. “But I’ve never heard the term Child of Shadows until now. Is that what I am?”

  Samael looked between me and his sister. “It is not a term that many hear or use. Demons are old, considered first creations as Boss pointed out, and like our kin of light and those that fell, we have terms that others don’t use because they don’t know of them. Historically, when a Child of Light is reborn into the Dark, the Light is extinguished. That we can all agree on. When a Child of Dark, a human, not an evolved follower, finds the Light it consumes the darkness within them.”

  The way he was wording things was irritating me.

>   “This I know,” I interrupted. “Why are you scared to tell me what a Child of Shadows is?” I asked pointblank. “Don’t get me wrong, and I mean no disrespect, but if I’m going to be put in unimaginable pain by the warden in my head because of the information you can tell me, I would rather you not prolong the evitable.”

  Bianca chuckled. “I love your spunk, Child. My brother is reluctant to tell you because we have never met one,” she said as if it were obvious. “When a Child of Light is forced to the Dark, and yet that Light within them isn’t extinguished, in fact, it grows even brighter? That is what a Child of Shadows is. It isn’t that you have one foot in the Light and another in the Dark. No. Your soul straddles that line, and yet it is tied to limbo, it is tied to death, it is tied to life, and it is tied and firmly rooted in both the Light and Dark. You exist in the shadows of all worlds. Those with feet, or fingers, in both the Light and Dark, that reside in the Shadows, they are something entirely different and can be so much more, can destroy if weaponized, or be a vessel.”

  Samael shook his head in warning.

  “You, Child of Shadows, should not be possible and yet here you sit,” Bianca purred with a mischievous smile.

  It was a struggle, but I eventually swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

  “Does that scare you?” she mused.

  I nodded. “It scares me because it will most likely hurt or kill everyone I care about,” I admitted.

  Samael gave me a look. “Why would you say that?” he asked.

  “I don’t possess luck, even in its most obscure and questionable form, I don’t possess it,” I said as if it were obvious. “Case in point, I’m on my first actual, he asked me out, date, but I couldn’t go alone. My brother accompanied me on said date… Why is he fighting with Cross again?” I groaned when loud arguing in Italian stole everyone’s attention.

  Tybalt chuckled, looking over to the fighting Italians. “I don’t know, but Alder is finding way too much amusement in this entire situation.”