Dark Gift

by Kim Richardson

  “I’m assuming you’ve changed your mind about my gift?” said Lucian, gesturing with his cigarette. Gray ashes fell from the tip and dissolved before they hit the floor.

  I swallowed. “I have.”

  Lucian’s wide smile was terrifying. “I’m very pleased, daughter.”

  I winced. “Rowyn. Please call me Rowyn.”

  The archdemon lost a little of his smile. “I knew with enough time, you’d come around.” Lucian flicked the butt of his cigarette on the ground and blew out a mouthful of smoke. I watched amazed as the cigarette butt dissolved before it hit the floor. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out his metal cigarette case. “This gift is your birthright, after all,” he said as he put another cigarette to his lips and lit it. “It belongs to you. You should have it.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. Birthright or not, I was still scared shitless. I didn’t want to become a monster, yet I was seduced by the thought of power—power to kick Ethan’s ass.

  “Rowyn,” said Tyrius. The worry in his tone made me look at him. “I know I’ve asked you before. But are you really sure you want to go through with this? We still don’t know what it’ll do to you.”

  “If it means it can make me stronger, more powerful than Ethan and the others, it’s worth it. I have to do something, Tyrius. I can’t let things go the way they are. You saw what they did to you.”

  “Made me a fried kitty,” he said angrily. “A kitty nugget.”

  “And they won’t stop.” If I was sure of anything in my life, that was it. “We don’t stand a chance. I’m doing this.”

  The cat nodded his head. I knew Tyrius understood seeing as how strong the Unmarked were compared to me, to us. I had no choice.

  I met Lucian’s red eyes, forcing myself not to look away. “I’m ready.”

  The archdemon came closer and I resisted the urge to take a step back. “Give me your hands,” he said, as he lifted his own palms up. His cigarette had mysteriously disappeared.

  Nervous, I tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and fidgeted. “Will it hurt?” I searched the archdemon’s face.

  “It will make you stronger.” Lucian let out a frustrated breath and dropped his hands. “This will only work if you are willing to accept the gift freely. It won’t work if you don’t. You must accept wholeheartedly, your soul too.” He hesitated. “Perhaps you’re not ready—”

  “I’m ready.” So help me God, I have to be.

  “Give me your hands,” instructed the archdemon, raising his again.

  I shot a last glance at Tyrius, who looked like he was about to spew some furballs, and slipped my hands over the archdemon’s. His hands were surprisingly warm and smooth like a businessman who spent his days typing on his laptop and talking on the phone.

  I flinched as he gripped them hard. My heart was racing, but I pushed my fear back down as I stared into his blood-red eyes. Yikes.

  “Do you accept this gift, Rowyn Sinclair?” demanded Lucian in a business-like tone, sounding like he was selling me life insurance. “This gift of power, of darkness, which will give you an arsenal of abilities and strength. Do you accept?”

  Here is it. I can never go back now.

  I closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I stifled down my nerves, and said, “I accept this gift.”

  In a rush, I felt Lucian’s consciousness swoop in and enter mine, making me dizzy. I gasped, almost flinging myself out of his grip, but our hands were cemented together. Even if I wanted to pull away, I couldn’t.

  Relax, I heard Lucian’s voice inside my head, and almost immediately I felt myself relax. The archdemon grabbed my consciousness again, only this time he seemed to twine his around mine, rubbing his energies across me.

  And then I felt it. The power. The darkness. The gift.

  My back arched as the power flooded in me, painful and delicious. It burned, clean and bright and dark, as fire from the gods. It felt like a surge of adrenaline, only a thousand times stronger. Holy shit. Heat soaked into me like an internal flood, first frightening, and then soothing. Power resonated in me, pulsing from me like a wave. It cascaded over my awareness, my body, my soul.

  And then it was over.

  Lucian let go of my hands, and when I opened my eyes, I saw him beaming like a proud father, a lit cigarette hanging on his lips. I saw relief in his features and his posture, like he’d half expected this transfer of power to go badly. Maybe he’d thought I would explode or something. I narrowed my eyes as he took a drag off his cigarette. Something else flickered behind his eyes that I couldn’t read.

  I stood for a moment, trying to catch my breath. I was a little dizzy, but it hadn’t been as bad as I’d anticipated.

  “Rowyn?” came Tyrius’s scared voice.

  I looked down at the cat, trying not to react to the fear that reflected in his blue eyes.

  “I’m okay,” I told him, panting, and I gave him a genuine smile. “I feel fine.” I creased my brow. I felt different, like an added weight on my soul. There, inside me, churning now, my body shook with the building force of it as it searched for a way out. Whether this was a dark gift or one of light, it didn’t matter. It was power. And I was going to use it.

  My lips curled and I whispered, “Your ass is mine, Ethan.”

  28

  I’d never been summoned by the Gray Council before, nor had I ever had the pleasure of meeting any of the members other than the old hag Lisbeth. After the attempt on Danto’s life, the head vampire had called an emergency meeting, and I was to be a key witness. As were Tyrius and Kora, who were both perched around my shoulders like large parrots, making me feel like a pirate on my way to a parley.

  Gareth was a no-show. The elf would have nothing to do with supernatural politics, even though he was called as a significant witness. I was still irritated he refused to come, but having Danto with me was both a relief and a boost in my confidence. Danto would have my back.

  I’d even prepared myself mentally for any insults the Gray Council might throw at me. Yeah, they were probably not my biggest fans, but they should be made aware of Lisbeth’s lethal and crazy-ass plans. I don’t think the vampires, werewolves or witches on the council would appreciate her efforts of organized genocide of all half-breeds.

  The thought of her shocked face at the sight of me, that I was still alive, brought a hop to my step.

  It took me an hour to pick out my clothes. I didn’t have anything dressy or fit for a courtroom, which was kind of what I felt the Gray Council was—court for us paranormals. I’d put on a black camisole and the only pair of black pants I owned that weren’t jeans, and I finished the look with a short leather motorcycle-style jacket and boots. You can never go wrong in black.

  I’d tied my hair in a lose bun to look a little more sophisticated, and not like I was going out to a club. Tyrius had advised me not to wear my weapons belt because one, it would clash with my outfit and two, weapons weren’t allowed in the council meeting. So, I’d opted for my smallest dagger and dropped it inside my jacket’s inner pocket. If they searched me, they searched me. One can never be too careful among the paranormals.

  It was getting close to eight o’clock at night as we trudged through the underground parking reserved for the building’s tenants and corporations and made it to the basement elevator.

  Of course the Gray Council held their meetings in a high rise in New York City. It was one of those really tall ones and really expensive looking, built of metal and glass.

  I checked the index board next to the elevator. G.C. Enterprises, Inc, resided on the eighteenth floor. Interesting.

  Danto pressed one of the buttons on a side panel. The elevator chimed and the doors opened immediately. We all stepped inside, Danto going in first and me next with the cats still riding on my shoulders. The vampire wore a fitted black shirt and a pair of elegant black pants, his toes peeking from the cuffs. Not even the Gray Council would make him wear a pair of shoes. I smiled. Good for him. I was the lame ass
trying to make an impression. The question was, why?

  Danto was right next to me, and we faced the doors as they closed. He then moved to the side panel and pressed the button with the number eighteen.

  With a soft pull at my stomach, the elevator started going up. I felt the change in air pressure. If there was elevator music, I was going to puke.

  Tyrius whistled. “Top floor, eh? Nice.”

  Danto gave the cat a forced smile. “They own the four top apartments.” I could tell he was still angry at what had happened. Someone was going to pay, and I smiled thinking it would be Lisbeth. I was tired of feeling trapped, tired of her having a hold on me. With my grandmother safely hidden for now, nothing was stopping me from blabbing her plans to the Gray Council. They might not believe a word I said, but just seeing her wrinkled, fuming face was worth it.

  The higher the elevator went, the higher my pulse throbbed. The tension in the elevator rose with every floor between us.

  “Breathe, Rowyn, you’re not on trial here,” said Tyrius, as he shifted his weight on my left shoulder. “I don’t know why you’re so nervous. It’s just the stupid Gray Council. Just a bunch of old farts with a God complex. Nothing we haven’t seen before.”

  “I’m not nervous,” I said, glad my voice was even, and hating how perceptive the baal demon was. “I’m curious, mostly. Maybe a little anxious. I never thought I’d get the chance to see the Gray Council with my own eyes.” The mental image of a group of old, gray-robed men and women sitting on a dais flashed in my mind’s eye. The problem was, they all had Lisbeth’s face.

  Tyrius made a noise in his throat. “They should be paying you for showing up. You know, expert advice from a Hunter and two sophisticated baal demons. That sort of thing doesn’t come cheap.”

  “Leave her alone, Tyrius,” scorned Kora, perched on my right shoulder. “Can’t you see she’s already stressed enough as it is? You’re not helping.”

  “I’m not stressed,” I said, feeling like I had an angel on my right shoulder and a devil on my left. I glanced over to Danto for support, but his hands were clasped into fists and his jaw was clenching, which only made my pulse quicken and my stomach drop.

  The elevator jerked, chimed and then the doors swung open.

  “Here we go,” said Tyrius, and I trooped out following Danto into a high-ceilinged, burgundy-and-gold opulence of a hallway. It was spacious, full of plush carpets, tapestries and drapes. The rich hardwoods were hand-carved in intricate designs. Wide windows looking out onto the city landscape spread out before us.

  “Into the lion’s den,” breathed Tyrius, making my shiver. But Lisbeth was going to have a fit at the sight of me and what I had to say.

  Cheered by the sudden thought, I followed Danto down the long hallway with lots of mahogany and large, ornate doors spaced generously along it. There was a fireplace the size of a truck, complete with a blazing fire. A giant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling making me feel like we’d just stepped into some English manor and not a sky rise.

  Danto appeared to be leading us to the door at the end of the hallway. It was just as opulent and big as the other doors. Stenciled golden letters above the door read G.C. Enterprises, Inc. My heart rate surged, and I cursed myself for being nervous. Why the hell was I nervous? I’d never even met these people before. My boots padded as I followed the vampire down the hallway, and I felt a flush of excitement as we neared the door.

  And then the lights went out.

  Tyrius cursed as my adrenaline spiked at the sudden thumping of running feet. I yanked out my tiny knife, feeling like an idiot.

  When the shadows came into focus, Tyrius grumbled, “What the hell is that? A needle? You should have brought a bigger knife.”

  I frowned. “Yeah, I can see that now,” I answered, frustrated as both cats leapt from my shoulders and landed silently on the ground.

  “I’ll give you one guess as to who this is,” growled Tyrius. “Starts with an E and ends with a dumbass.”

  I didn’t know how well vampires could see in dark, but if Ethan believed the absence of light would impede my ability to see and kick his ass, he was a way bigger idiot than I thought.

  From the shadows came a low laugh. My skin erupted in gooseflesh, and then the five Unmarked stepped from the shadows and surrounded us.

  29

  “I thought I’d smelled eau de dumbass,” snickered Tyrius, making me laugh.

  Excitement pounded through me at the possibility of using my new gift on Ethan, though I was mildly disappointed I’d wouldn’t meet with the Gray Council any time soon.

  They were all there: Ethan with a look of savage eagerness, Hannah looking pale and forgettable, Baldy the shortest of the males standing next to the other tall what’s-his-name, and Layla in another tight leather ensemble.

  A hollowness hit my gut at what I saw on her face. Layla’s eyes were on Danto, her face distraught and her eyes wild. Our gazes met and for a moment I thought I saw a nervous trepidation, but then she narrowed her eyes at me and showed me her teeth like a hissing cat.

  “I had a feeling they might show up.” Danto let out a low whistle, and from the shadows of the building, ten figures stepped forward. Vampires by the smell of them, their black eyes and talons a dead giveaway.

  Surprised, I looked at the head vampire and a devilish smile met my own. Clever, clever vampire.

  Tyrius let out an exaggerated laugh. “Who’s got you by the balls now, eh? Bitches.” He was springing on his feet, practically dancing a square dance. Next to him, Kora let out a surprisingly loud growl for such a small cat, her eyes on Ethan and blazing with cold, righteous rage. She hadn’t forgotten what he’d done to her Tyrius.

  I lowered myself and spoke quickly to the cats, my voice low. “You guys stay back, you hear.”

  “Are you insane!” exclaimed Tyrius.

  “I don’t want you to get hit by that dark magic. You understand me?”

  Tyrius’s mouth fell open, looking from Kora to me. “You want me to miss kicking Ethan’s ass? Are you mad? Did you forget what he did to me?”

  “No, which is why I want you to wait. Just wait.”

  “We’ll stay,” answered Kora, giving Tyrius a look.

  “Sucks demon balls,” growled Tyrius, anger rolling off his fur in waves.

  I straightened, meeting Ethan’s snarl, and I smiled at his surprise. “What’s the matter, little brother?” I said. “Now comes the part where you run away screaming like a little girl.”

  “If you think a few vampires scare us,” laughed Ethan as he flicked his fingers, anticipating a dark spell, “they don’t. They’re just cockroaches. The time of half-breeds is over. We can kill them now. It doesn’t matter. In the end, they’re all going to die.”

  “Right.” I planted myself facing Ethan. “I take it Lisbeth sent you. Guess she didn’t want us to spill the beans.”

  Ethan’s lips tightened, and he glanced back at me, irate. “Can’t have you spreading lies to the Gray Council, Rowyn. It doesn’t look good.”

  “Not as good as my foot up your ass will,” I said and gave him a wink. This is so much fun.

  Ethan screamed in frustrated rage. “Kill them all!”

  Chaos erupted. It was beautiful. The hallway was filled with screams, shouts, and grunts.

  I pushed off, shouting, “Don’t let them use their spells! Break their concentration!”

  The vampires moved like liquid night. If you blinked, you missed them. They were fast, the fastest of the half-breeds, but the Unmarked were just as fast. Their movements were so fast I could barely understand what was happening, much less anticipate what would come next.

  I lost sight of Danto in a blur of limbs and hair and blades as he pitched himself at the nearest Unmarked, which happened to be Baldy. The floor shook a little as the vampires met the Unmarked in a savage show of strength, teeth, talons, and hate.

  I froze for a second, flabbergasted as Danto flew sideways, evading a soul blade throw
n by Baldy, and crawled up the wall. Both arms were extended in front of him, his talons tearing up the wood paneling. His canines shone from the dim light coming through the windows. He flipped from the ceiling and came down hard on the bald Unmarked, knocking him down.

  Damn. That was new.

  I started forward and spun around a vamp in time to see Hannah backing away as two other vampires, a male and female, were spinning around her like tops, tearing up her flesh and clothes as they went. She stared at them in pure shock as she batted her soul blade in front of her like she was swatting away flies.

  The vampires were pushing hard, not giving the Unmarked a single moment to conjure up their magic. All except for Ethan.

  I found Ethan standing in the shadows, his lips moving.

  “Oh, no you don’t. You little shit.”

  I started forward again but stopped as another vampire flipped into a cartwheel and pitched forward, feet first into the tall lanky what’s-his-name’s chest. The Unmarked stumbled back, but straightened in time to slash one vampire’s neck straight across with his blade.

  The vamp fell, blood gushing out of his neck like a garden hose. I gritted my teeth as I saw what’s-his-name approaching Danto from the back.

  Shit. And then I was moving. I lurched forward and gave the Unmarked a solid kick in the gut. Grunting in pain, he stumbled back. But it didn’t last long. The bastards were resilient to pain, just like me.

  I swung my knife, but the Unmarked struck out faster, catching me on my arm and slicing my skin open.

  The bastard had the nerve to laugh. “You’re nothing special,” he said.

  “Maybe,” I seethed, my blood trickling down to my hand and making my grip on my knife slip. “But I’m about to bust open up a can of whoop-ass on you.”

  Raging, my leg came up and the Unmarked’s eyes bulged as my boot slammed into his chest. The kick sent him flying, and his body crunched as it hit the floor and slid to the wall.