Curse of Shadows and Light

by Penelope King

  I signal Ruby for another. She approaches slowly with a wry smile and sets down a second, smaller cup. “Don’t overdo it. A little goes a long way with this stuff.”

  I scowl but pick it up and start to drink. All I know is that this is the most blissful concoction to ever pass my lips, and a sense of euphoria and strength is surging through me that I’ve never experienced before. I feel so incredibly alive. It makes me realize even more just what a weak zombie I’ve been lately. Now I feel like I’m finally waking up— body and soul— and I’m on fire.

  I can’t take it anymore. I need to do something before I explode.

  I turn to Kieron and grab his arm.

  “Come with me.”

  Chapter 10. Lucky

  Kieron quickly slams the rest of his drink and sets his glass down on a passing table as I drag him through the bar. We exit through the curtains and return to the main club area. The smoky room is still packed with sweaty bodies, barely discernable under the funky glow of the strobe lights, and the music is deafening. There’s no way to talk and be heard in here, but that is exactly the point. All communication is purely physical.

  I push through the sea of bodies and find us a space. The beat is hard and fast, and it consumes me wholly as I press my body to Kieron’s and we start to move to the slower thump, thump of the bass. Strong… seductive. We twist like serpents dancing in the shadows, broken and disjointed under the pulsing rays of light. I close my eyes and let the music take me away as the beat pumps through my heart. Kieron’s arms are around my waist, and our hips connect and move in rhythmic synchronicity. I feel so sublimely free, like I’m literally floating in the air.

  Hot, sweaty and breathless, we grind to the music, lost in our own world, oblivious to others around us. I lose all sense of time and perspective. I just don’t care. Right now it’s just me and Kieron. There is no one else. His muscular body presses against mine, and he douses me with feverish kisses as our entangled bodies continue to gyrate. I haven’t felt like this with him in so long… the passion, the desire, the absolute need to ravage him and be consumed by him. It’s almost driving me mad.

  “Let’s get out of here!” I shout in his ear. He nods and leads me from the dance floor back to the VIP area.

  “I could definitely use another drink,” Kieron says as we pass through the long, velvet curtains.

  Me too.

  Jade is waiting at our table with a small smile. “Our house DJ is legendary for his beats. Nobody can resist getting their groove on when he spins.”

  I brush my hair from my face and nod. “I love dancing. Haven’t had the chance to do much lately. It’s nice to get some aggression out.” Especially since I have no outlet for any of my pent up energy these days. Right now I feel like I could run for miles and miles, and then kick a whole army of Light-angel ass by myself.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. In a minute, there are some very important people I’d like you to meet. They came here specifically to see you.”

  I frown. “Me? Why?”

  Jade glances back and forth from me to Kieron, who’s standing with his arm around my waist. I catch her eye following his fingers as they slowly stroke the side of my hip. “Actually they want to speak with both of you. About your experiences in Thiberoux, and with the Light-angels, I believe.”

  Ugh. Party foul.

  “Are they from the Legionare?” Kieron asks. Jade shakes her head.

  “No, they work on our behalf as attachés to Thiberoux.”

  I frown. “What’s an attaché?”

  “It’s sort of like an ambassador, in a way. They serve to pass information from there to here, and vice-versa.”

  I glance at Kieron. “So we’re not in trouble? I mean, we’re still safe?”

  Jade nods. “Absolutely. In fact, I believe they are special envoys, sent to ensure just that.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Special?”

  “These two particular attachés haven’t been around here in a while… decades. Guess they’re pretty important back in Thiberoux. So it’s kind of an honor to have them here. And…” A mischievous look flits across her face, and she leans closer to me. “I must say it is verrry nice to have them back in the mix, if you know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t know what you mean,” I mumble, and then turn to Kieron. “Will you grab me a drink while I go freshen up real quick? Tell Ruby to make it exactly how she did before.”

  He nods, and I glance at Jade. “Where’s the restroom?” She points to a neon sign in the far corner. I give Kieron a quick peck on the cheek. “Be right back.”

  I need to make sure I’m not as disheveled on the outside as I feel on the inside. I don’t know what came over me out on the dance floor, but it was like I’d been plugged into the most powerful charge of energy I’d ever encountered. Every part of me felt like I was on fire, in the best, sexiest way possible. I need to check and reassure myself that my hair isn’t singed and my face all red.

  Fortunately, the bathroom is clear. Demons don’t suffer the same mundane bodily functions as humans, so I’m lucky in that regard. And one look in the mirror tells me I needn’t have worried. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever looked better. Healthier. My long, ebony hair is extra thick and glossy, tumbling in waves past my shoulders. My cheeks are flushed and rosy, and my eyes glow light icy-blue. I’m still the same ol’ me, but for some reason I feel and look so much better. Maybe this place has really great lighting.

  When I return to the table, Jade and Kieron are sitting across from two men. I give them a quick glance as I move past Jade to sit on the other side of Kieron.

  “Lucky, this is Vincent and Demetri,” Jade says, pointing to each of them. “They are our attachés to the otherworlds, specifically Thiberoux.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you,” I mumble, and immediately glance away. Now I know why Jade is happy to have these boys ‘back in the mix’. For some reason I’d pictured an attaché as some ugly old stuffy guy. Not like these two.

  The one sitting directly across from me, Demetri, is fair with shiny golden hair. Vincent is darker, more intense. His eyes are a deep chocolate, and he has a light stubble on his strong jawline. Both are solidly built and achingly beautiful.

  “We heard about you… what happened in Thiberoux and your troubles with the Light-angels,” Demetri says. His skin is so smooth it almost looks like he’s been dipped in wax.

  I shrug. “Yeah, so?”

  “So we knew you were coming here, and we need to talk with you.” Vincent leans toward me, and my eyes linger on his face a moment. There is something about his voice I instantly like. I want to hear it again.

  “What do you want to talk about?” I ask, looking directly at him. But it’s Demetri who answers.

  “We want to talk about your experience with the Light-angels. What you know. What their plan is. What advantages they might have. Anything you can tell us would help.”

  I glance at Kieron, then back to Demetri. “How do you even know who I am, let alone my experience with Light-angels? In fact, how’d you know I’d be here at this Bar tonight?”

  Vincent smirks and takes a sip of his drink. “We have our ways.” He leans back, and I can’t help but admire the shape of his body under his snug t-shirt. Muscular, but not too big. Just right. He narrows his eyes and focuses on me, and I feel an unexpected tingle in my stomach.

  “That’s not a good enough answer,” I say evenly. “I don’t care if I seem paranoid. I have every right to be, especially knowing there are plenty of demons out there who would like to see me dead.”

  “Which is exactly why we are here,” Vincent replies. “We’d prefer to not have that happen.”

  I take a sip of my drink. “Why do you care? Wouldn’t I be a lot less trouble to you if I was out of the picture?”

  Vincent and Demetri exchange looks. “It’s our job to make sure you are safe,” Demetri answers. “You and your human personality can be of great use to us. You’ve had more intimate c
ontact with Light-angels than any demon we know of.”

  “Besides,” Vincent adds. “So far the only demons who really want you dead are those from tribes we consider to be our hostile enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He gives another little smirk.

  “What do you want from me?” I really hope I can trust these guys. As much as any demon can be trusted, that is. But it’s not like I have a ton of options right now.

  “We need to talk about what happened in Thiberoux,” Vincent says, “and what that means for you. And for us.” But despite his annoying sexiness, I’m not in the mood to talk about any of that right now. Too many bad memories.

  I shrug and focus on the tabletop. “We were kicked out of Thiberoux. Banned. Barred. Banished. 86’d. Personae non gratae. Return under penalty of a most painful death. That’s all you need to know.”

  Kieron frowns, and from his other side Jade gives a tinkling laugh. “Sweetheart, you think you’re the only two demons to have ever been expelled from there? Hell, more than half my VIP clientele is on the death upon re-entry list.”

  I glance up and see Vincent staring at me, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. At that exact moment Kieron puts his hand on my leg and I jump, spilling some of my drink on my lap.

  “Crap,” I mutter and quickly stand up. “I’ll be right back, just going to clean this off real quick.” I hurry away before anyone can say anything.

  At the bar I see Ruby is busy talking to a few vamps, so I take a napkin and start to dab at my pants. She gives me a nod and comes over.

  “Hey, I accidentally knocked over my drink.” I give her a sheepish smile and wonder why I feel guilty asking for more.

  She presses her red lips together and pours a small glass for me. “This is the last of it tonight. You need to be careful not to overdo it in your condition. I know you are responding favorably, and that you’ve been without proper nutrition for far too long. But you still must imbibe in moderation. Too much too soon can have negative effects.”

  “What is it that you’re giving me… why is it so good?” I ask, as I take a few more sips.

  “It is pure Source Energy, with some essential oils.” She smiles. “You’re in a unique position and condition. I’ve never made a batch like yours before, but I know it’s exactly what you guys need right now.”

  “You guys?”

  She eyes my stomach knowingly.

  Oh!

  I’m feeling so strong and healthy now, I almost forgot that I’ve been dizzy and nauseated for several nights… and I also forgot the reason why.

  “How am I taking the Energy pure? I’m a demion. I’ve always needed mine diluted with alcohol.”

  “Your needs have changed, and so has your body. Drinking your usual potion now would do more harm than good.”

  I shrug. I have to admit, this stuff tastes great and makes me feel far better than any adulterated Energy I’ve had. So I’m not exactly going to argue with her.

  “Thanks, Ruby.” I turn around and come face to face—or more like face to chest—with Vincent. I catch my breath and tilt my head back to look up at him.

  “Is everything okay with you?” he asks.

  I step backwards and nearly trip on a chair. His hand shoots out to steady me, and my pulse quickens at his touch.

  “I’m fine,” I say casually, pulling away from him. But his energy is so strong, it feels like a magnetic force field trying to suck me back in. “I was just on my way back to the table.”

  “I thought perhaps we’d scared you off, and you—”

  “I don’t scare that easy.”

  He cocks an eyebrow and grins. “That’s good.”

  I glance over at the table to see if Kieron is watching, but he seems to be having an intense conversation with Jade. I stare at them until Vincent puts his hand on my arm again, drawing my attention back to him.

  “What do you want from me?” I ask, almost in a whisper. His closeness is unnerving and feels inappropriate. If Kieron were to look up, this could get very uncomfortable.

  “I need to know what you know. What happened to you.”

  I pull myself free and take a few steps away from him.

  “What kind of demon are you?” I ask him suspiciously.

  “Why do you ask?”

  I shake my head. It’s stupid… insane. I’m just drunk on Energy and probably hormonal because of this mystical pregnancy. And it doesn’t help that I can smell, taste, and feel Bones like all the time. But something about this guy reminds me of him. A lot.

  “I—I just need to know.”

  Vincent leans against the bar and runs his gaze quickly up and down my body, almost as if he can’t stop himself from blatantly checking me out, and he doesn’t care that I see him do it. “Right now I’m technically a demion, sort of like you. But when I’m in Thiberoux, I serve as a Guardian.”

  “You’re a Hellhound.”

  He nods. “Yes. When not on duty there I occasionally work as liaison between the Guards in Thiberoux and our counterparts in the human realm.”

  That’s it. If this guy is a Hellhound like Bones was, I must be picking up some sort of Hound pheromones or something.

  I frown. “But you’re not a demon now?”

  He shakes his head and looks down at me through lowered lashes. “Just a mere mortal, like you. Albeit one with exceptionally devastating good-looks and a strangely long life span.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “What are your powers?”

  He tilts his head, almost as if amused by my questions. “Actually, we don’t have active demonic powers in this realm. Only passive, magical ones granted by a demon witch. Keeps us off the radar so we can move about unnoticed by any other Light or Dark Angels.”

  I nod. “I know how that works. It’s like Liora. As herself and in her world, she doesn’t register as anything but a normal human girl.”

  “Because it’s your dark powers that leave the trace.”

  “I guess.” I shrug. “So what can you do? What is this magically-gifted power you have?”

  “I’m a teleporter. Demetri is a concealer.”

  “And when you’re in Thiberoux you’re a Hellhound?”

  He nods.

  “Why don’t I know you then? Or do I? I mean, you seem sort of familiar to me.”

  His face lights up for a flash before becoming dark again. “I do? Well, perhaps our paths have crossed before. Thiberoux is a large realm and as far as I know, you mostly stayed within Dryndara, correct?”

  I nod. “Yeah, usually… stupid land treaties and all. Well, there was that thing with the Hlbafa when the Legionare came—” I break off and look away. I still can’t allow myself to think about what actually went down there. It hurts too much.

  Vincent steps closer again, but this time I don’t move away. His energy is comforting. “I know what happened... I understand your pain.”

  I look at him, my eyes filled with tears. No one can understand my pain, certainly not this guy. “Did you know Bones?”

  Vincent nods. “Yes. I knew him for a very, very long time. I was quite shocked and saddened by his death. He will be greatly missed.” He hands me a cocktail napkin, and I dab my eye as he discretely turns away. I see Kieron staring curiously in our direction, so I give him a small wave and turn back to Vincent.

  “The Legionare killed my very best friend in the whole world. No—he was more than that. He was my everything. As close to a true mate as my broken soul will ever know. And they killed him, for no reason. Just to hurt me. And I didn’t even do anything wrong, not on purpose anyway. I wasn’t even really there. They just killed him. And now, there are some creatures that want to kill the Legionare. Please explain to me why I shouldn’t let them. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

  Vincent sighs and tightens his jaw. “Because, Lucky, if that happens… if the Light-angels succeed in breaking into Thiberoux, there will be a great battle, one that will change everything forever. And if they win, if the Light-angels ma
nage to wipe out the Legionare and destroy the core powers of Dark-angels, it won’t only be demons who die. It will wipe out their bloodline entirely.”

  “You mean—”

  “If the Legionare and Core Powers are defeated, then you and almost everyone you know will die, too.”

  Chapter 11. Lucky

  We make our way back to the table where the others are waiting.

  “Okay, explain everything,” I tell Vincent.

  He glances at Demetri and Jade, then back to me and Kieron. “One of the reasons our job is so important is because there is a precious balance that must be maintained. Light and Dark Angels both have very important places with the humans. Each depends on the others to some degree, and if one goes, the other two suffer. Demons play just as fundamental a role in the success of humanity as the so called ‘angels’ do.”

  “Are we here for a theology lesson?” I ask.

  He raises an eyebrow. “However, not everyone sees it that way, and word is the Light-angels will stop at nothing to get into Thiberoux and wipe out the Legionare. The Legionare exists not only to keep peace amongst the demon clans, but to protect a greater power, the one that is at the core of our entire existence. Our Source.”

  “Wiping out the Legionare… that just isn’t possible,” Kieron says. “That would take armies upon armies—”

  “Which apparently they have,” Demetri answers. “The only thing stopping them is that they’ve never been able to get into the protected realm. Until now.” He glances at me, and then looks away.

  “A war of that magnitude… with that many forces battling… There’s no way humans wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire,” Jade says.

  Vincent gives a huff. “Most likely they’ll be wiped off the map, at least a great many of them. If it comes down to a matter of ultimate survival, it’s not like either side would fight fair. I have to say our side would not hesitate to use humans as leverage and consider them disposable.”