Death of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  “I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I don’t want to believe it.”

  “I didn’t either,” another Brit said. That voice she recognized as Bastien’s. And when he stepped up beside Roland, she could put a face to the voice. “I’ve been where you are.” Bastien shook his head grimly. “For two hundred years I thought this one”—he jerked a thumb in Roland’s direction—“had killed my sister and her husband Blaise, who was my best friend. And for two hundred years I plotted Roland’s demise, determined to avenge their deaths. I vowed to slay every Immortal Guardian on the planet and even raised an army of vampires, much the way Gershom is now, to accomplish that feat.”

  Tessa glanced at Roland, then back at Bastien. “I take it you failed?”

  Bastien smiled. “Yes, and I’m thankful I did.” His expression darkened. “Come to find out, Catherine was slain by her husband.” He shook his head. “You don’t know how much it continues to torment me that I protected my sister’s killer after her death.”

  “I do,” Melanie said as she joined them and leaned into his side. “And I wish it wouldn’t. It wasn’t your fault, honey.” She looked at Tessa. “And it isn’t your fault that you trusted Gershom.”

  “I never once questioned him,” Tessa admitted, self-loathing consuming her.

  Seth recaptured her attention. “Because he was manipulating your emotions.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. “I mean he was literally manipulating your emotions.”

  Calm immediately suffused Tessa, erasing all her grief and sadness and loosening the muscles in her shoulders.

  “To keep you from questioning him,” Seth continued, “he fueled your anger, suppressed any doubt or guilt that attempted to rise, and filled you with hate and a lust for vengeance.”

  In the next instant, rage consumed her, quickened her breath, and drove her to dive for the sword again.

  Before she could touch it, the rage vanished, replaced by calm.

  Shaken, Tessa stared at Seth with wide eyes. “Oh shit.” Had he done that? Had Seth made her feel all that?

  “Yes,” he answered. “Like Gershom, I possess empathic abilities. A few of the other immortals present do as well.”

  Bastien nodded. “I do. But I can’t manipulate emotions. I can only read them with a touch.”

  Melanie pursed her lips. “Something I still wish you would’ve told me sooner.” She cast Tessa a self-deprecating smile. “He knew I was lusting after him way before I knew he was lusting after me.”

  They all seemed to take such miraculous abilities in stride.

  The only gifts Gershom had revealed to Tessa were his ability to teleport and his ability to heal with his hands. And Tessa and her brother had only been able to manipulate plants, making them flourish with a touch.

  She looked at Seth, a tiny part of her still trying to rationalize it and make the things Seth told her a lie instead of the months she had spent with Gershom.

  Seth looked over his shoulder. “Marcus, bring Adira here, please.”

  The men and women watching from the dining room parted. A handsome man strode forward with a toddler on his hip. The pretty little redhead studied Tessa somberly as her—father?—frowned up at Seth.

  Seth smiled at Adira and took one of her hands. Pressing a kiss to it, he said softly, “Adira, sweetheart, I want you to show Miss Tessa what Gershom did to Mommy.”

  “No,” Marcus instantly growled. Cupping a protective hand around the child’s head, he pressed her cheek to his chest. “Hell no. I don’t want her reliving that.”

  Seth released Adira’s hand and held up his own in a calming gesture. “I wouldn’t ask her to do it if I thought it might make the nightmares return.”

  “If she thinks about that evening, you know damned well the nightmares will return.”

  Dread filled Tessa’s stomach as she watched them. This did not feel like an act or a show put on for her benefit.

  “She thinks about it every time her mother leaves her sight, Marcus,” Seth said.

  Marcus looked pained by the revelation.

  “You know how much I adore Adira,” Seth went on. “I would never do anything that would cause her harm.”

  Marcus swallowed.

  “Everyone here can understand why Tessa might be reluctant to take our word. But I don’t think anyone—even Tessa—could believe Adira would show her anything but the truth. She’s too young and innocent to harbor a deceptive agenda.”

  A full minute ticked past as Marcus visibly battled his need to protect his daughter. “Fine.”

  Seth patted his shoulder. “Thank you. Let Tessa hold her, please.”

  “Hell no. Adira can show her while I hold her.”

  Seth shook his head. “I don’t want any of us touching Adira while she shows her. It would give Tessa an excuse to doubt the veracity of what she sees.”

  “Ami?” Marcus called.

  A short redheaded woman who closely resembled Adira joined him. “Go ahead.” Taking the toddler from Marcus, she transferred her to Tessa’s arms. “Please don’t hurt her.”

  Tessa met Ami’s green eyes. “I would never hurt a child.”

  Adira seemed perfectly content in Tessa’s hold. Leaning into her chest, she stared up at Tessa with somber emerald eyes identical to her mother’s.

  “Adira,” Seth repeated softly, “show Miss Tessa what Gershom did to Mommy.”

  Reaching up, the toddler touched a tiny hand to Tessa’s cheek.

  Tessa sucked in a breath when the living room vanished, replaced by a large front lawn as the child’s memories became her own. The scenery blurred. Wind whipped her. Tessa saw everything from the point of view of the toddler. Ami held her as Marcus carried them both in his arms, racing for the safety of the trees. She could feel Ami’s anxiety and fear. Panic built inside her when the bad man—Gershom—teleported in front of them and thwarted them time and time again as they tried to get away. Marcus finally stopped. Setting Ami down, he placed himself between them and Gershom. Ami cradled her close and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She heard Gershom warn human males bearing weapons that if they fired, he would send every bullet into Ami. When an immortal tried to help Marcus, Gershom flung out a hand and hurled him at least thirty feet into a tree. Bones cracked audibly.

  Tessa’s fear spiked, making it harder to breathe.

  “Easy,” she heard Seth say from somewhere out of sight, distracting her. “What you’re feeling is what Adira felt in that moment. It’s all part of the memory she’s sharing with you.”

  The memory blurred, letting the living room bleed in for a moment, then sharpened again.

  Fear returned and grew at an incredible rate as she watched Seth and his Immortal Guardians fight Gershom. She hugged Ami tight, clutching the front of her shirt as the battle raged. A roar of fury suddenly filled the air. She whimpered.

  Then Gershom vanished and reappeared behind Ami. Smiling savagely, he drew a blade across Ami’s throat. Warm red liquid poured forth, soaking her clothing as Ami tightened her hold and began to fall.

  “No!” Tessa cried.

  Adira withdrew her hand. The vision vanished, returning Tessa to the living room.

  Adira stared up at her, her pretty face solemn.

  Ami took the child from Tessa’s arms and cuddled her close.

  Tessa began to shake uncontrollably as she stared at them.

  Ami’s brow furrowed with concern. “Tessa? Are you all right?”

  Tessa couldn’t speak. She could barely breathe.

  Seth frowned. “She needs air. Clear the way.” Gently curling a hand around her upper arm, he guided her toward the front door.

  Another immortal opened it as they approached.

  As soon as she and Seth stepped outside into fresh air, Tessa shook off his hold. He voiced no protest when she kept walking, placing a good twenty yards between herself and the house. Bending over, she braced her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and drew in one deep breath a
fter another. Such chaos reigned in her head that she couldn’t seem to focus upon a single thought.

  Seth said nothing.

  After several minutes, her heart didn’t slam quite so painfully against her ribs. Her breathing began to slow. And she stopped trembling.

  Releasing a long sigh, Tessa straightened and opened her eyes.

  Moonlight filtered down from a cloudless sky, illuminating the large front lawn and the forest that bordered it.

  Her stomach sank. It was the yard from Adira’s memories.

  Turning, she faced Seth and was surprised that the door behind him had closed, leaving the two of them alone. “This is where it happened?”

  “Yes.” He strolled toward her.

  She stared up at him helplessly as he drew near. “I can’t think straight.”

  “I know. I did not wish to cause you such distress, but could find no way to help you see the truth without it.”

  She looked around, thinking the peaceful night a painful contrast to the turmoil deep inside her. “I don’t know what to do.”

  He nodded, nothing but concern reflected in his handsome features.

  “Don’t you hate me?” She had attacked Leah. And Leah had nearly died. She had helped Gershom. And Gershom had slit Ami’s throat.

  “No,” he responded simply. “I only want for you what I want for all gifted ones and immortals. I want you to be happy and safe and well.”

  She couldn’t seem to digest that.

  “None of this was your fault, Tessa.” He looked away, his brow furrowing. “It was my fault for failing to keep you safe in the first place.”

  She heard swears erupt inside the house, followed by muted conversation.

  “Gershom is my enemy,” Seth said. “And he knew he could use you to strike at me.”

  Before Tessa could respond, the front door flung open.

  Leah marched toward them. “That’s bullshit!” she yelled.

  Eyebrows rising, Seth swung around to face her. “What?”

  “I said that’s bullshit.” She frowned as she joined them. “None of this is your fault, Seth.”

  Now he frowned. “How did you even hear what I was saying?”

  “I didn’t.” She waved a hand at the house behind her. “They told me. And they think it’s bullshit, too.” The anger left her features as she turned to Tessa. “I know this has come as a shock to you. I’m actually still trying to process it myself. Are you all right?”

  Tessa slowly wagged her head back and forth. “Not by a long shot.”

  Smiling, Leah stunned her by pulling her into a hug. “That’s okay. We’re all here for you, Tessa, and will help you through it.”

  Tessa hugged her back. “I’m so sorry I attacked you.”

  Leah shrugged. “It’s okay. We both came through it unscathed.” Stepping back, she produced a smile. “Aside from having our minds blown, that is. But like I said, we’ll get through it together.” She turned to Seth. “And you…” Moving forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “You need to stop beating yourself up over things you can’t control.” When Seth slid his arms around her waist, she reached up and pressed a palm to his cheek. “You can’t be everywhere at once, Seth. I know how hard you’ve been searching for Tessa. I saw how torn up you were after she made that first appearance and you weren’t able to find her and bring her to safety.”

  Tessa stared at him. Really?

  “And I know you’ve been killing yourself trying to find the rest of the missing gifted ones.”

  “Immortals,” he corrected softly.

  She smiled. “That’s going to take me a while to get used to.”

  Ducking his head, Seth rested his forehead against hers.

  “You’ll find them,” she told him with complete confidence. “You’ll find the other immortals and you’ll stop Gershom.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry I brought you into all this.”

  “You didn’t. If memory serves,” she countered, her voice acquiring a teasing note, “I was the one who asked you to dance.”

  His eyes acquired a faint golden glow. “I should have refused.”

  She winked. “If you had, I would’ve missed out on an awesome carnival ride.”

  He grinned.

  Laughter erupted inside the house.

  Leah rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, then turned back to Tessa. “So?” She held out her hand. “I’m really hungry, and—by the looks of it—Sheldon and Tracy have prepared enough food for at least fifty people. Are you ready to join us?”

  Tessa stared at her, knowing Leah wasn’t just asking her to join them for dinner.

  Reaching out, she took the woman’s hand. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

  Scared as hell, but ready.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Seth left the chair at the head of the table vacant for David and claimed the one at the foot of it. He seated Leah on his right, then seated Tessa on his left before sitting down himself. His stomach growled.

  Several immortal males chuckled.

  Seth just smiled and shook his head. He really had worked up an appetite.

  Ami sat beside Leah and held Adira on her lap while Marcus attached a hook-on high chair seat to the table next to her. As soon as it was secure, he lifted his daughter, blew raspberries in her chubby neck rolls to spark giggles, then tucked her into the clever chair and claimed the seat on the other side. Roland sat beside Marcus after installing Michael in a similar hook-on chair between him and Sarah.

  Tessa gasped when she saw Michael.

  Roland looked over at her.

  “That’s Veronica’s son,” she said softly. “I recognize him from the pictures on Veronica’s social media pages.”

  Roland nodded. “My wife and I adopted him.”

  The rest of the immortals and their Seconds found seats around the long table. They had added yet another leaf when Stanislav had rejoined their ranks, bringing Susan with him. Susan seemed to be fitting in well.

  Seth slid the lovely woman at his side a glance. Leah was, too. She and Ami were already chatting as though they were longtime friends. And she had a unique talent for making the rest of the immortals and Seconds smile and laugh. She really was good with different.

  How he wished she were different, too, capable of transforming without descending into madness.

  He frowned. Speaking of madness…

  He looked down the table and caught Bastien’s eye. “Bastien, Cliff is struggling.”

  Bastien’s brow furrowed. “I know he was earlier, but he seemed okay when I left.” He glanced at his wife. “Are you still getting that feeling?”

  Melanie nodded, her face grim.

  Much to Seth’s surprise, Tessa spoke. “Stewart is worried about him and wanted to call you, but Cliff told him not to.”

  Bastien studied her. “You spoke to them?”

  The room quieted.

  Tessa nodded. “Cliff was trying to help me understand that Immortal Guardians are the good guys and Gershom is the villain. When I was reluctant to believe him…” She cast everyone at the table a quick, apologetic glance. “He kept erupting into rages. It sounded like he was tearing up his apartment or whatever room he was in.”

  Bastien sent Seth a panicked look. “Cliff’s apartment is always scrupulously neat. He said keeping it that way helps distract him.”

  Seth nodded, even more concerned now that he knew Melanie’s mild prophetic gift was warning her something bad was about to happen. “As soon as you’ve eaten, you and Aidan should take him hunting.”

  Aidan rose. “We’ll do it now.”

  Bastien agreed.

  Sheldon jumped up. “Hang on a sec, guys.” He jogged into the kitchen while Bastien and Aidan kissed their wives.

  Melanie frowned. “Do you want us to come, too?”

  Dana nodded. “We can come with you.”

  Aidan shook his head. “Stay and enjoy your dinner, get to know Tessa.”

 
; Bastien nodded. “We’ll be fine.”

  Seth knew neither warrior wanted the women to see the ferocity with which Cliff tore his vampire opponents apart now.

  Sheldon returned, carrying a large cloth grocery bag that zipped at the top. “Here.”

  Bastien took the bag. “What is it?”

  “Foot-long sandwiches, chips, and bottles of tea. Enough for all three of you.”

  Aidan smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He and Bastien were both close to Cliff and knew his days were numbered. “Thank you.”

  Seth called Reordon and alerted him to the incoming immortals.

  A moment later, Aidan grabbed Bastien’s shoulder and teleported him away.

  Somber silence took the room.

  Tessa looked around uneasily. “You guys seem to really like Cliff.”

  “We do,” Seth acknowledged. “He’s a brilliant, honorable man who has been a good friend and ally to us.”

  Sheldon, Richart, and Étienne began to carve the turkeys and dole out portions.

  “What will happen if you can’t cure him?” she asked hesitantly.

  Melanie answered, her eyes sparkling with tears. “He’ll die, either by his own hand or by ours. He doesn’t want to become a monster like the one who turned him. If we can’t halt or reverse the damage, at some point he’ll—” Her voice cracked, halting her words.

  Tessa took in the grim faces around the table. “Are there any vampires here?”

  Seth shook his head. “Only immortals, humans, and gifted ones. Immortals, raise your hands and introduce yourselves.”

  Several hands rose in the air.

  “Now the humans.”

  The human Seconds present did the same.

  “Now the gifted ones.”

  Darnell, Nicole, and Susan raised their hands and introduced themselves.

  Susan smiled at Tessa. “I’m new to all this, too. I had no idea vampires and immortals even existed until I found Stanislav buried in my basement.”

  Tessa’s eyebrows flew up. “He was buried in your basement?”

  Nodding, Susan gave Tessa a quick rundown on how she’d met Stanislav and tumbled into the Immortal Guardians’ world. Seth liked Susan. She was funny and told a good story, entertaining them all and bringing smiles to their faces. In a very short time, she had everyone laughing as they dined.