The Shadow Box: Paranormal Suspense and Dark Fantasy Thriller Novels

by Travis Luedke

  “You’d better let her over here or I’ll knock you all out,” I said to the doctor who’d threatened to place me back into a coma. The smart doctor did what I said. And people say they are only book smart. “God, I’ve missed you,” I said to her.

  “You’ve only been out a week.” She was smiling ear to ear with relief.

  “It’s seemed like so much longer.” I got funny looks from everyone in the room. “I’ll tell you later,” I said, as I tried, painfully, to sit up.

  The head doctor, or at least the only one that had spoke to me, cleared his throat. “Later seems like a good idea. Miss Piper, would you please excuse us for a little while? Now that he’s not punching out my staff, I’d like to run an examination and make sure everything is as it should be.”

  “Yeah, no problem,” she said, “I’ll go call everyone and let them know that you’re not dead.” I hated to see her go, but the doctors needed to do their doctoring thing.

  For the next thirty minutes or so I was poked and prodded in every way imaginable. “Everything seems to be working just fine; your injuries are healing fast. Now it’s time for you to get some rest.” Before he closed the door, he told me Amun had a lot to catch me up on. The thought that he knew about Amun took me back for a second. But, I just didn’t really care. I think it was the pain meds, but I’d never fallen asleep that fast before in my life.

  A few hours later, I was awoken by a room full of familiar faces. Amun, Seth, Michael, and Johnny were there with Carmen. I also learned that Tarja and Alexander were waiting just outside the door. Carmen was curled on the edge of the bed with me. I figured they didn’t want to leave Amun out of their sights again. I wasn’t so vain to think they were there for me, well maybe Tarja.

  Everyone that was alive when I died, which I had been dead for a few minutes, was in the same state. For better or worse, I’d saved everyone I could. I’d missed the funerals for Terry and William. That was just one more thing to add to my list of regrets.

  I was about to apologize, when Amun said something straight out of left field. “You should be dead.”

  “I know. But why point it out?”

  “You haven’t been told how bad your injuries were?” He inquired.

  “No?”

  “Your throat was ripped out. You healed like one of us, but you are not.”

  I looked at each of my friends, trying to read something from their faces. “What are you talking about? You’re making no sense to me, Amun. I’m a vampire, but I’m not?”

  “What it comes down to,” Seth said, “when you connected your energy with Khnum’s, you did something that has never been heard of. When he died, you took some of his power with you.”

  “I do have a question for you,” Amun spoke again; “you told Khnum that you were a necromancer.”

  “Yeah.”

  His face turned to an expression of intrigue. “Have you discovered something you would care to share with the rest of us?”

  “No, I just fucking lied.” Despite the pain I was feeling, I tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow the shitfaced grin I felt emerging.

  “You lied? To one of the Lords of the Council?” Eh. Why bother? I stopped even trying to hide my grin. You make a multi-millennia old vampire and his flock look surprised and not feel a little smug.

  My head was hurting. Too much thinking. I didn’t want to deal with any of this, but I didn’t have a ‘get out of jail free’ card. So, I got to lay there bedridden and listen to them try to explain something they didn’t even begin to have a clue about. “Let me guess. This has never happened before, and no one has any clue what it is going to mean, right?” As if I was in a room full of bobble heads, everyone acknowledged my statement. “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

  “I think it’s time we gave him some time to rest,” Michael said. I couldn’t get over how everyone wanted the guy that just woke up from a coma to go back to sleep. But I didn’t exactly like the idea of being alone either.

  “Mind if I stay?” Carmen asked, before leaning over to kiss me. Of course I didn’t mind. The room quickly emptied, save the two of us. She crawled into the bed with me, carefully so she didn’t pull out an I.V. tube or something like that. Curled up on her side, she snuggled up to me. Her head on my shoulder and her fingers twirling in my hair, she spoke softly, “I miss my Dad.”

  “I know,” I managed to say. It wasn’t the words that made me shallow around a lump in my throat. Something had changed, fear and love radiated off of her as we lay there together. I was too tired to question it. We went to sleep.

  That would be the last time I’d see her in the hospital. She was gone long before I woke the next morning. I spent another three days in that damn room. I did learn that all the doctors and nursing staff were lycans; the emergency staff for the furry folk of London. I did get the company of a few of my friends that weren’t dead. Unfortunately, none of my visitors knew why Carmen had disappeared.

  On the fourth night, Johnny was there to pick me up and take me back to The Guild, only to get my things. I’d decided to stay with Amun and his coven until I got everything set for my return to the States. I didn’t hear anything from Carmen, and she would not return my phone calls. I couldn’t blame her for being angry with me. I felt responsible for what happened to her father and our friend Terry.

  When we arrived to collect my things, the gate guard let us in without issue. I wanted in and out; I didn’t want any problems while I was there. Johnny waited in the car while I ran inside to collect my belongings. I went straight to my room and began packing my stuff. Then the knock came. Carmen poked her head into the room. “Do you have a moment?” she asked.

  “It’s your house. I’m just here to get my things and I’ll be gone. Out of your hair.” I didn’t want to be so cold toward her, but I felt it would be easier to go our separate ways if I played the asshole.

  “I don’t want you out of my hair,” she said, as she pushed the door all the way open and came into the room. I got the feeling that she wasn’t going to make it easy to be an asshole. “I didn’t mean to leave you and not come back to the hospital. I just… I don’t know.”

  “Hey, don’t worry about it. I understand.” I started to rush my packing. I really did understand.

  “Do you?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I blame myself too.”

  She took away the shirt I was folding and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Oh God, Vince, no, I don’t blame you. And, you shouldn’t blame yourself. They both knew the life they chose.”

  That was not what I was expecting. “Then what’s wrong?” I knew something was.

  “I love you.” Again, not what I was expecting.

  “And that’s a bad thing?” I asked her, still locked in an embrace.

  She kissed me before she answered me. The kiss was deep, full of passion. It was the way she’d kissed me a thousand times before, but something wasn’t right, there was something sad to it. “Yes,” was her response. “Yes, it’s a bad thing. I don’t want to. I don’t want to worry over you. I don’t want to love you. But, I do. Damn it, I love you.” Before I could react, she kissed me again. I could feel a single salty tear between our lips. And then she darted out of the room.

  And so she was gone. “You too,” I said to the empty room. I took my things and left. I really needed the cigarette I lit on the way out.

  I did get one last thing from Carmen before I left town. She gave me use of The Guild’s jet to get home. Of course, she didn’t tell me about the favor, Johnny passed along the message. It was another two days to arrange the flight plans and all the other odds and ends I needed to wrap up on my way out of England.

  I had to, on more than a few occasions; assure Amun and his people that I wouldn’t be gone forever. I had too much I needed to learn about this new set of powers I had. Strength, stamina, healing, all kinds of new vampire tricks were mine to learn.

  I got one more visit just before climbing on to the plane. “You might just survive; at le
ast for a while.” It was the Messiah, his voice in my head.

  There is the story of how my life got turned upside down. I am no hero, I’m not the good guy, I didn’t get the girl, but this has been the story of how I became a piece of the war between human and vampire. So much blood has been shed already in the time I’ve been part of this goddamn war. My blood, the blood of my friends, and the blood of my enemies, the blood is not done being shed. This is going to be a hell of ride.

  CHAPTER DOUBLEDOWN

  After my proverbial ass-kicking, and Johnny’s literal kicking-ass, I needed a break. It was still early, and I had more gentle company waiting on me….

  The bar was low key, smoke filled and, besides the blues band on stage, quiet. I absolutely loved the place. I was on my third rum and coke. The band was on their second set. While I watched the lead vocalist, I was lost in her melodic and haunting voice. Taking drags from cigarette after cigarette, I let her rasp take me away from myself. It was what I needed.

  When the singer held out a beautiful note to end a song, measures after the band had stopped, I was in awe. “She has talent.” Tarja’s voice brought me out of the music and back to the room. “She would have been very successful when this style music was at its prime.”

  “I suppose you’d know better than me.” Tarja and I had become close over those first few weeks. She and I hadn’t always gotten along so well. At the beginning, we’d started out trying to intimidate the hell out of one another. I think she had done a better job than I’d managed. “Were you a big blues fan back in the day?” I asked.

  Her eyes didn’t leave the stage but a grin curled at the corner of her mouth. “Back in the day?” She asked playfully. One of her amusements was the use of modern slang and mannerisms. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

  The conversation was light, playful. I didn’t mind. The few times we, Tarja and I, had gone out it was always nice. Some of the times we’d spend all night talking. Other nights, we simply enjoyed the quiet company of someone capable of understanding. Those evenings had become somewhat of a habit between us.

  “May I say something, Vincent?” Tarja asked, not taking her eyes from the stage.

  “I don’t think I could stop you if I wanted.”

  “No you couldn’t,” she said, smiling. “You seem distant tonight. A penny for your thoughts? I believe is the phrase.” She turned to look at me. Her smile still wickedly lovely.

  “Only if you’ve stepped out of an old black and white movie,” I teased her, and, yes the humor of referring to an ‘old’ black and white movie while speaking to a damn near immortal did cross my mind. “My mind is elsewhere tonight. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be poor company.”

  “Would you care to discuss it?” She asked. Vampires don’t often show emotion. Her jade eyes held concern, honest-to-god concern. “You are not alone. Despite your need to breathe, you are a member of this coven, you are family. We take care of our own.”

  “Thank you.” We’d become friends, probably one of the closest I’ve had in a long time, but she was a vampire. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just easy to forget they have feelings and such. “Honestly, I’m not sure why I’m so distracted. Something just has me off tonight. Like there is something I should be worrying about, or thinking about, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is.”

  Tarja didn’t respond right away. Her eyes danced, looking for some cue on my face. Her smile had faded, but she didn’t look unhappy, only worried. “Has our coming to your city offended you?”

  “Digging up dirt for Amun?” I asked, hoping she would know I was teasing.

  “No.” She didn’t get it. Damn it. Here she was trying to be nice and I come across as a dick, just wonderful. “It was my own concern. You have never seemed the type of person to enjoy company. Somewhat of a loner.”

  She had a point. I collected my thoughts as I flagged the bartender for another drink. “The job.” One corner of her mouth pulled into a sly grin. “In my line of work a person can’t afford to be known. It makes things complicated.”

  “Dear Vincent, your job is what you do, not who you are.” She laid her hand on top of mine. “I can’t see you being the social shining light, even if you did something else for a living.”

  I stared at our hands. We’d had physical contact before, but never intimately. There was something oddly secure in the feel of her cold skin.

  “Thank you… for the support. I’m fine really.” But I wasn’t sure I was being honest, with her or myself. Vampires can tell if a person is lying. If she caught my doubts, she didn’t say anything. Her human social graces were likely better than my own.

  “As long as you understand that you mean more to us than being a hired gun hand.” She interlaced my fingers in hers. “You don’t need to be alone if you don’t want to be.”

  She took my face gently in her free hand, leaned towards me and gently kissed me. It was quite a surprise, but I went with it. A gorgeous woman leaning in to kiss me, like I’m gonna say, ‘no’?!

  The kiss was soft. I could feel the moist touch of her lips on mine and my head spun. I doubted very much there was any type of vampire mind-play going on. She was just that damn good. Her tongue softly pushed its way into my mouth. The kiss quickly became rather intense. My own tongue found the tip of a very sharp fang. It wasn’t intentional on her part, but that didn’t stop a moan of pleasure from deep in her as a few drops of blood entered the kiss. My free hand found her perfect thigh and pulled her closer. Graciously she agreed.

  I was losing myself in that passionate embrace. Loving where I was and what I was doing. As life loves to do to me, it was about to blow up in my face.

  A voice, one I never thought I’d hear again, broke the spell. “Hello, Vinny.” Carmen said from behind me.

  Carmen Piper, the only woman I’d ever had feelings for, also William’s only daughter, had found me in… well you know. On top of that, my guard had been let down. Sadly, I don’t know which was more embarrassing.

  “Carmen?” I said, tripping over my own, still bleeding tongue, my never ending witty commentary at its very best. “Hi.” Elegant don’t you think?

  “Hi.” She was still beautiful. She had cut her hair short since last I saw her. She didn’t have one of her tailored suits on but was dressed rather simply. Tight black jeans, a tee-shirt, and a knee length leather jacket, no doubt to hide the guns I was sure she was carrying.

  “It’s nice to see you again.” I didn’t know what else to say. There were a lot of unresolved issues and feelings between us.

  “Umm… yeah, you too. Doing well I see.” Her eyes turned to the vampire still seated nearly on my lap. “Tarja, how have you been?” Her voice held no disdain when she spoke, but her eyes did.

  Before she answered, she placed two fingers to her mouth; a sign that she would not take unoffered blood. “Simply splendid, my darling Carmen.”

  After a moment’s awkward pause, Carmen let out a sigh and began to speak again. “I am sorry to break up the evening, but we have a situation. I don’t know where else to turn.” Her arms folded in front of her, from frustration or something else, I couldn’t tell.

  Tarja, bless her, understood that the time for play was over and returned to her own seat.

  “What’s wrong?” I didn’t even attempt to hide the concern in my tone.

  “I’d like you to meet someone.” Carmen side stepped. Behind her stood a girl who couldn’t have been more than nineteen or twenty years old. She was blond, attractive, athletic build but not overly so. “Vincent, Tarja, this is Elizabeth Goodspeed, Terry’s daughter.”

  If I had thought my head was whirling from the kiss, I was wrong. Within those five minutes, I’d had two heart stopping surprises. The second, Terry’s daughter, was far outside of the realm of wildest dreams. However, Tarja was much more composed than I was. “I’m sorry about your father, dear, I didn’t know him well. He seemed to be a good man.”

  The girls light blue eye
s jumped around the room. She was jittery and skittish. I remember thinking to myself, ‘this girl is scared.’ But, of what, now that was the question.

  “Elizabeth,” I heard once that using one’s first name can be comforting, and damn it I was trying, “should we go somewhere more private? You and Carmen can enlighten me on what’s going on.”

  The girl didn’t speak, but shook her head to the point of violently agreeing.

  “Thank you, Vincent,” Carmen said, gently gripped my upper arm as if checking if I were real. Her smile was almost sad. As I looked from her hand to meet her eyes, I felt my smile match hers. Both full of longing; both feeling a twinge of despair over what had been lost between us.

  Maybe in a different life things would have been different. I cleared my throat, and asked, “Do you still have my address?”

  “Which one?” Her sad expression turned to the joyful teasing I remember from when things had been better between us.

  “The real one.”

  “Of course.” Now her smile turned a little forced. “Bring your girlfriend. She might be able to help.”

  “Oh, we’re….” I began stumbling over my words.

  “That is, if you would be willing?” Her attention turned to Tarja.

  “You need only ever ask.” Tarja spoke with no ill tone. “My master has always held you in the highest of regards. I have no doubt Amun will be pleased that you are back.”

  “I don’t think I’m planning on sticking around too long.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was happy to hear that or not. “Even for a while then.” The vampire’s grace never faltered.

  While I was still trying to find were I put my tongue, I managed, “Let’s get out of here.”

  Carmen and Elizabeth left before Tarja and me. “Of all the gin joints in all the world….” I said under my breath.

  “Bogart you are not.” Tarja laughed.

  “Yeah, and you can be a pain in the ass… but I kinda like that about you,” I said, kissing her cheek, which earned me an affectionate giggle. I didn’t think I’d ever heard a vampire giggle before that moment.