The Nightling: Darkness Within

by Danae Ayusso

  “I thought I felt you,” I whispered.

  ‘How… Solnyshka, I need you to do exactly as I say,’ Andrei warned with urgency in his tone.

  “I take it I shouldn’t see him,” I surmised.

  ‘No one on this plane can or should be able to see him.’

  Of course they don’t, so why shouldn’t I?!

  ‘Sarcasm noted.’

  “Who or what do you see, Child?” Bianca asked, joining me at the railing.

  ‘Tell them.’

  That’s different.

  Usually Andrei is telling me to shut it and keep everything to myself, but he is now telling me to share what…

  “Huh, you used me as bait, didn’t you?” I demanded.

  ‘Nyte. I would never.’

  “You say nyte, but you were much too quick to let me leave, especially with… You didn’t use me as bait, you used Tybalt as bait!” I shrieked.

  ‘And if I did?’

  I didn’t expect him to agree so readily.

  ‘I did not agree, I merely asked why it would matter if I did.’

  “Ugh! I’m so going to let the next ghoul that crawls out of the woodwork eat you!” I warned.

  ‘No you will not. You think I am slightly charming in a way that only makes sense for us.’

  And that’s the biggest lie he’s ever told.

  “What do you see?” Bianca asked again, her cellphone vibrating in her hand.

  ‘Tell her and do not leave the protection of the guards.’

  I should have stayed home in bed.

  “What is it? What is wrong?” she pressed.

  “I’m on a date with a werewolf all while I have an annoyingly rude, murder happy, agenda filled vampire in my head that I can never be free of,” I said as if it were obvious. “My dead brother is chaperoning me on my first, actual date. Not to mention my lovely, horny brother strong-armed a date for himself to come with us, to his date’s ex-boyfriend’s birthday party, where they have been fighting since they got here, except for when I called my mom so she could meet Tybalt since meeting the parents is tradition even though I haven’t met his, and the two fighting Italians monopolized mia madre, allowing me to talk to her for all of thirty-seconds, and now my date is fighting with his brother over what transpired between his brother and his ex, someone my date views as brother because of their history.”

  Bianca chuckled. “That is a very amusing recap, and it makes your first date with Tybalt very memorable. Why the look of concern?”

  ‘Tell her.’

  “Stop bossing me around!” I snapped at him.

  ‘Please.’

  “Oh, I see how it is. You are only cordial when you want something,” I informed him and everyone else watching me as if I had lost my mind.

  ‘Yes, I know.’

  “Ugh! I really don’t like you.”

  Bianca cleared her throat, trying for my attention.

  “Sorry. Besides the already mentioned, I didn’t think this date could get any worse, but I just realized that Andrei used my date as bait in order to do something, most likely lure out the one targeting crowns, that targeted his crown, but all it did was invite Death to the party,” I said, motioning towards the guy looking up at me.

  Bianca’s eyes widened and she looked below. “What is it that you see, Child of Shadows?” she whispered.

  He was right there, looking up at us, so why did I need to tell her?

  ‘Because she cannot see it.’

  Wait, what? She saw my brother.

  ‘This is different… You are different, and complicated, and you should have told me of your feelings when Harbingers of Death are near!’

  Oh, like that would make a difference?! You never tell me anything!

  ‘A fight we will have later. Right now tell her what you see, and leave out not one detail.’

  “Demanding, overbearing, argumentative, rude, belittling vampire!” I hissed.

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  “Below, in the middle of the dance floor,” I said, not leaving out one detail per Andrei’s directive, “is a man that no one seems to notice. They are dancing around him, possibly unconsciously moving around him, but not through him. He looked human at first glance, but a second look revealed that he isn’t, at least to my eyes he isn’t human. I don’t know what he is, but he doesn’t appear like any of those below either and yet he looks completely normal. There’s something about him that’s off… That’s the only way I can describe it. There’s something about his eyes that,” I shook my head, struggling to articulate myself, “they tell of each of his past lives and all of the lives he’s claimed since donning the role he has been cursed with.”

  I wiped away the tear that stained my cheek when a tear rolled down his cheek, as if he could hear me, but he didn’t wipe it away.

  “There is no joy in his eyes, only questioning sadness and remorse,” I whispered; an unfamiliar wave of unfathomable sadness consumed me. “A blackened aura surrounds him, reaching out from him; snaking tendrils of darkness that even the Light can’t penetrate, but I know they are not something he controls, rather he is controlled by them.”

  ‘You are grounded forever and a day,’ Andrei warned, his tone thick with what could only be described as emotion.

  Samael joined his sister. “What does he look like?” he pressed.

  Normal, I wanted to say, but their concern was starting to worry me.

  “Tall, maybe five-ten, lean, one-fifty’ish, Asian descent, possibly Korean because of the eye-shape and shaggy on top haircut and light creamy yellow complexion. His suit isn’t like Andrei’s, like those that I saw when in his closet; not a European or fashionable style, more slender Asian cut with length. In one hand is a black hat… Not a pork pie style or cowboy hat, that would have been amusing; it’s more like a wider brimmed, floppy fedora.”

  The man’s head tilted the other direction and his full brows pulled together, and a puckered indention formed between them.

  “Yes, I see you,” I informed him. “I shouldn’t though, should I?”

  He shook his head, looking surprised and concerned at the same time.

  The man reached up and caressed his fingers down his cheek, following the path of the tear he apparently hadn’t realized stained his cheek. He pulled his fingers back and looked at the moisture coating his fingertip.

  “I assume it is Death,” I said.

  Randolfr got to his feet, his eyes solid white, and he hurried over to us. “What do you mean death?” he demanded. “You aren’t describing Death for She doesn’t have a corporal form.”

  I shrugged. “I always feel when Death is around, especially if she’s targeting those I care about. The guy below wasn’t here earlier, and by the looks of it he is as concerned by me seeing him as Andrei is.”

  The man’s eyes changed; his amber colored irises enlarge, consuming much of the white, and the pupils narrowed and sparkled like twinkling black diamonds before bursts of color flared to life.

  It made me smile; from here, it looked as if the galaxy was in his eyes.

  “They’re beautiful,” I whispered with a smile. “You aren’t Death. Are you?”

  The man shook his head then nodded.

  Samael blew out a breath. “It sounds like… What you’re describing is a Jeoseung Sacha, a grim reaper in essence,” he explained. “They are Harbingers of Death, in some cultures. They have a corporal form but only when they allow you to see it, which is rarely. Because they are Heralds of Death, Demons cannot see them unless they want us to see them. They appear when death is imminent. They separate the souls from the body, but only for those in our world… Something is going to happen,” he said in a panic then started talking into his communication unit in a language I couldn’t understand. He tapped the unit before pulling it from his ear. “Communications are down.”

  Never had I heard of such a thing, but if I were to be honest, I had never really looked for grim reapers or Jeoseung Sacha either. They were nothing more
than fairytales and villains in horror movies and K-Dramas. To see one in the flesh, in a matter of speaking, was kind of cool.

  But, at the same time, it meant that crap was going to hit the fan and soon.

  “They were in the parking lot when we went inside,” I said. “At least a dozen of them… This is bad,” I surmised when the others all turned to regard me.

  Giovanni joined us at the railing. “What did you do?” he asked. “Everyone is freaking out now and Connor joined the party and that’s never a good sign when she’s in Marshal mode, according to Alder.”

  I shrugged. “I see a Jeoseung Sacha.”

  “Salute,” he said.

  “Shut up,” I snorted. “I didn’t sneeze. It’s Korean for a Herald of Death, a grim reaper for those of the mythical and supernatural world apparently. Did you know Death is a chick?”

  He chuckled. “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a moody bitch… Where is it?”

  “Death or the reaper?” I clarified.

  “Both?” Giovanni offered with a shrug.

  “The reaper is below,” I said, motioning with my chin. “The only one not partying… The one that’s looking at you with a look on his face.”

  The Jeoseung Sacha had a small book in his free hand, and he was splitting his attention between it and Giovanni.

  ‘Giovanni is a lost soul. I am so sorry, I did not mean for this to happen.’

  We will have words when we get home!

  ‘Yes, Solnyshka.’

  “Hey!” I shouted, stealing the Jeoseung Sacha’s attention. “You are not taking my brother,” I said, trying to grab Giovanni’s arm to protectively pull him behind me, but my hand passed through him. “You aren’t taking him!” I yelled.

  Apparently everyone in the entire place heard me because in unison each patrons’ head snapped my direction, and they looked up at me with much more interest than warranted.

  Can they see me?

  ‘You most likely broke the effect of the glamour.’

  Oops.

  “Vanni, get over here!” Alder shouted, frantically waving him over to where he and Connor were standing. “Randolfr, you too!”

  Giovanni looked to me. “Sis, what in the hell is going on?”

  I shook my head. “Go to the Necromancers. They know more than we do and hopefully they can protect you from whatever is coming. I can’t lose you again, Polpetto. I won’t! Please,” I pleaded.

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he promised, trying to caress my cheek with the backs of his fingers but his airy hand passed through me.

  Moriko appeared next to me, causing us to jump, startled.

  “Whoa, what is she?” Giovanni whispered, leaning into me.

  I leaned into him. “Half-dragon,” I whispered in return.

  “Dude, seriously?” he beamed.

  I nodded then shrugged.

  Moriko’s eyes illuminated with what could only be described as power. She put her finger to her lips, her long fingernails appearing like blades, telling us to be quiet. “Do as your sister instructs, Spirit Shadow. The Necromancers will protect you from the Jeoseung Sacha. You are not a lost soul in the traditional sense, thus you are not on his list. That is what has him confused, but I will not allow for him to take your Spirit Shadow. Go!” she snarled in his face.

  Giovanni looked at her with wide eyes. “Can I ride you? Not in the sexual sense, though you are pretty hot and teasing my fifteen-percent straight side right now, but in the Neverending Story Falkor the Luckdragon sort of way?” he asked with a face-consuming smile.

  ‘I am honestly at a loss for words,’ Andrei said.

  You and me both.

  Moriko gave him a look. “I am not a giant dog you foolish boy, and if a man tried to ride me I would disembowel him before starting on his entire family tree regardless of how far the roots reached.”

  Giovanni shivered. “You aren’t helping my crush on you any,” he informed her. “Sis, stay with the sexy, genocidal dragon. I think she could protect you better than your hot Greek puppy or his annoying, smokin’ hot Italian brother.”

  I nodded and he hurried over to the waiting Necromancers and stood in the middle of the circle they were forming.

  “We need to go,” Moriko warned.

  “What about all of the people below?” I asked. “They don’t deserve to die, and if there are that many reapers here that means whatever is going to happen is catastrophic, won’t it?” I demanded. “Save my brother, save my date and his family and friends, but don’t think that I will not fight you on not even attempting to save those below!”

  Cross screamed in frustration. “I’m blaming you for this,” he warned Tybalt once he composed himself.

  Tybalt nodded. “Entirely my fault my date just saved our asses from endless atonement requests,” he dryly agreed. “Bring it down.”

  Softly Cross growled under his breath. “No. There are other ways to contain the situation. I will send the bill to her Maker,” he sneered, sparks flaring in his light jade green eyes, and his perfectly smoothed down hair started to flutter.

  From below loud screams filled the air and the ground violently vibrated, stealing my attention.

  We’re too late-

  ‘Patience.’

  The lights started flickering and the air turned bitterly cold. The wall of the club, where we entered from, exploded inward, frozen shards of metal that looked like ice before they caught on fire and melted away before they could embed in any of the patrons below.

  “What the…” I stammered when a herd of cows came rushing inside.

  The far wall where the elevator was exploded much the same as the other.

  The patrons ran for the opening; some moving in blurs, others disappearing in a wisp of smoke, some in flashes of light, others in the distortions in the visual spectrum, and beautiful shimmering curtains of luster that quickly fell to the floor.

  Moriko chuckled. “Amusing Warlock,” she purred.

  The herd trampled the tables and booths, destroyed the dancefloor, and forced those slow to leave from the building. Loud splashing accompanied the herd’s exit, the cows landing in the cold water of the harbor, seemingly taking all sound with them.

  The silence that followed was eerie and unsettling.

  “Are they okay?” I asked, trying to break the silence because it was creeping me out more than the gang of grim reapers that were standing below in the ruined club, looking up at me.

  Cross shrugged. “If there are no bodies strung about then it worked. You owe me two new walls, dozens of booths and tables, and a dancefloor.”

  “That isn’t what I meant,” I said. “The cows. You didn’t kill them, did you? I know they swim but not that well, and it would be really mean to kill them for your sadistic amusement since the patrons on the dancefloor weren’t doing it for you and you’re butt hurt my brother put you in your place a few times. If killing innocent animals is amusing to you, no wonder Alder has a strictly no-harm diet.”

  Cross gave me a look. “You’re an annoyingly sweet and innocent abomination, but you really need to figure some shit out and get it together when it comes to this world. New born or not, you should know by now that nothing is at is appears in this world. The cows weren’t real. I’ve always enjoyed the running of the bulls, and heifers work to break up a crowd better than simply telling them to get the hell out. Brother, this birthday party sucks balls in a non-sucking of my balls sort of way, and you owe me a redo,” he warned Tybalt, his suit turning into a pair of silk leopard print pajamas, his shoes being replaced by fuzzy slippers.

  Tybalt looked at him then around the VIP section before he started sniffing. “Are you serious right now?” he whined, giving his brother a look. “You aren’t, we aren’t, even at the club?!”

  Wait, what?

  “What in the…” I started to ask, my attention going to what remained of the dancefloor below and my eyes widened.

  Standing below, looking up at me, were the thirteen
Jeoseung Sacha. Each wore a black suit with a white shirt and black tie, but no two styles were the same. Not all were of Asian descent, and they were mix genders, races, and species.

  The one thing they had in common was they were looking at me, and they didn’t look happy.

  “Oh this is going to suck,” I grumbled. “Hey, I’m Shawn,” I greeted with a wave. “Sorry for ruining your night of reaping.”

  Moriko snorted, shaking her head. “You are a strange child,” she said before heading over to get a drink.

  I nodded my agreement.

  “If we aren’t at the club, where are we?” I asked, confused, looking back to the others.

  Cross made a face and waved his hand through the air.

  The VIP section rippled like a distortion in the desert heat before disappearing and it was replaced by an unfamiliar area that was much homier, in my opinion. The marble floor was replaced by thick, plush carpet, the seating area were now comfortable looking leather couches and recliners, the wait staff disappeared, the bars did as well, leaving a small wet bar against the far wall that Moriko was helping herself to a drink at. Overhead the chandeliers were gone and recessed lighting set in black leather panels replaced them.

  The White Stag and twin deejays joined the others.

  “We’re done and heading home,” the twins said in unison before disappearing in a shimmering of luster.

  Cross cocked an eyebrow.

  “I’m sticking around to watch the show,” the White Stag said with a thick German accent. “I’m Jannik,” he introduced with a sweeping bow.

  I waved. “Hi, I’m Shawn!”

  “I heard. Would you care for a drink?” he offered, joining Moriko at the wet bar.

  I shook my head. “No thank you. I’d love to talk more if we don’t all die tonight. I’ve never met a White Stag before, and Andrei was really surprised to see you as well.”

  Jannik made a face. “That is not a conversation I want to have with a Marshal anytime soon, but I’ll allow you to pick my brain since I’ll be your first. It’s always an honor to pop a mythical world cherry, in a sense,” he teased with a wink, causing me to blush.