by J. N. Baker
Night Falls
Until Dawn, Book 2
J.N. Baker
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by J. N. Baker
Cover Design by Covers by Combs
Edited by Tina Winograd and Shannon Page
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For my little bear, Chloe.
The sleepless nights, angry roars, and interrupted writing was all worth it.
You were worth it.
I love you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Coming Soon
Acknowledgments
About the Author
“I killed him…”
I sat huddled in the corner of the rickety old cabin, knees tucked into my chest and blood up to my elbows. An endless stream of tears streaked my flushed cheeks as I looked down at my trembling hands, soaked in someone else’s blood. It felt like it was burning through my skin.
“And?” William hovered over me, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
“And?” I echoed, my eyes snapping to his. Where there was once sadness, now there was only anger. “And how could I do something so terrible?” I shouted, trying desperately to wipe the blood from my flesh.
He shrugged and I found myself wanting to kill him next.
“It was only natural,” William finally said, sitting down on the edge of the narrow cot as calm and collected as ever. It only made me that much angrier.
“I killed a man!”
“No, you killed a vampire,” William corrected. “One of the general’s men. He was the enemy.”
“I don’t care who or what he was, I still killed him.” I covered my face with my hands and quickly pulled them away, the intense smell of blood making me want to vomit again.
“If you had not killed him, he would have surely killed you and without a second thought. You should be proud of yourself. This was your first kill, and it was a vampire at that. That shows great strength on your part. You have a lot of potential, Zoe. You have made me very proud today.”
“Proud?” I looked at him in disbelief. “You’re proud of me for taking a life? Do you realized how fucked up that is? Most people are proud of others for trying their best or for winning a race, for getting a promotion or for not giving up at something. Not for murder!”
God, that’s what I was, wasn’t it? I was a murderer now. A pang shot through my heart and the tears quickly returned. Did I even have a heart anymore?
“Do not cry for him, Zoe. Not for one of them.”
“I’m a monster…” I whispered.
“No.” William’s voice was firm. “You are a warrior, and this is war. You did exactly what you were created to do.”
“What you created me to do,” I hissed, letting the anger take over once more. It was a welcomed emotion over the intense and suffocating guilt that consumed me. “You made me like this. You ruined my life! This is all your fault! You made me into this…this monster!”
“You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” I scoffed. “You took everything from me—my friends, my family, my home, my future. And now you’ve taken my very soul and turned me into some sort of cold-blooded killer. And you want me to thank you?”
William’s deep blue eyes grew cold—colder than usual. He pushed up from the cot and took two long steps in my direction until he was hovering over me once more. I tried not to cower from him. “Yes,” he bit out and I flinched. “You should thank me. Because of me, you are better than you once were. Because of me, you will be one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen. And because of me, you stand a chance to survive what is to come.”
He took a small step back and I felt like I could breathe again. “You are right,” William continued, “I took everything from you, and in exchange, I gave you greatness. One day, when the darkness takes over this world, you will thank me for what I have done to you—for what I have done for you. You will see the gift that I have given you and you will be grateful.”
With that, William left me alone in the small cabin to clean up the blood on my own.
The inside of the plane was dark, quiet, just like the rest of the world.
William had been right all along. The darkness had fallen and the world would never be the same. Though, I didn’t find myself rushing to thank him for what he’d done to me. Not yet, at least. After six years, I still wasn’t proud of the heartless monster I’d become—that he’d made me into. I didn’t expect I ever would.
Outside the plane, everything was black and lifeless. I was glad when we rose high enough that I could no longer see the earth below us as it crumbled and fell apart, shifting into a new and unrecognizable world. Baldric’s world.
Baldric, one of the original Chosen turned traitorous vampire, had succeeded in tearing the continental plates apart, putting them together to shape the world to his liking, killing billions in the process. The power-hungry monster was determined to rule the world, no matter what the cost. He’d spent a millennium building his army in order to take over. Now it was up to us to stop his reign of terror.
“Are you doing all right?” Alec asked beside me, his hand falling to mine.
“Sure. It’s only the end of the world.”
He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss in my palm as he’d always done, sending warmth radiating throughout my body. “Everything will be okay,” he assured me and I almost believed him. “We’re together again, and together we can face anything.”
“Alec,” William said, silently appearing in the aisle beside us. “I need your help for a moment down below.” It wasn’t a question. In typical William, I’m-the-boss fashion, he headed toward the stairs, not bothering to wait for Alec’s response.
“Anything but William,” I added and Alec sighed.
“When all of this is over and this world is ours again, we’ll go away together, just you and me,” he promised, his golden eyes locked onto mine. With that, Alec disappeared, teleporting directly to William.
The word “mate” flashed across my mind. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“Just you and me,” I breathed, eyes lingering on his empty seat. “Right.”
I shifted in the uncomfortable chair and something crackled in my back pocket. I leaned forward, pulling the folded paper out. Panic started to swell within me as I scrambled to unfold the photograph I’d forgotten I had. I exhaled as three smiling faces stared back at me. There was definitely water damage from the tsunami and it was torn on the edges, but it was still intact. I pressed the photo to my chest as if it were the most prized possession on Earth. For me, it was. It was a tangible memory of a life I once had—of the girl I use
d to be.
“I remember that day,” Cody said from behind me. I looked up to see my shift friend’s face hovering over my chair. When he looked down at me like that, he looked a hell of a lot like Mr. Whiskers, my cat he’d spent the last five years secretly moonlighting as. Cody slipped around me and dropped into the chair next to mine, holding out his hand for the photo. I gave it to him, albeit reluctantly.
“We’d gone up to Puget Sound to see the orcas,” he continued, smiling down at the photograph. “To celebrate the start of our senior year, right?”
I smiled. “Yeah, we played hooky and went during the middle of the school week so that it wouldn’t be crowded. Your idea, if I recall.”
Cody chuckled. “Anything to get out of class. Dude, my parents were so damn pissed off at me.”
“They were pissed at all three of us.” I laughed and then hesitated, biting my bottom lip. “You said your parents were also shifts, right?”
Cody’s face fell as if he knew where I was going with this. “Yeah.”
“So, where are they? I mean, I’d love to see them again. Your mom was more of a mom to me than mine ever was,” I added.
“Um, they didn’t come.”
“What do you mean they didn’t come?” If I found out William didn’t allow them to go, I’d find a way to kill him myself.
“Not all paranormals want to be part of this war, Zo,” he explained, a sad smile on his face. “My parents being two of them. They’re like the Switzerland of the paranormal world. William wouldn’t even let me tell them I was called on to work with one of the Chosen because they decided long ago not to fight for him. Not that they wouldn’t be stoked out of their minds for me. Especially when they found out that you were the Chosen I was assigned to. My mom loved you.”
“Cody, I’m so sorry,” I breathed. I’d meant what I’d told him, his parents had treated me like one of their own.
“Nah, it’s okay, dude,” he said, smiling in earnest now. “They said they were going to head for the Midwest to hunker down before shit hit the fan. You know, start a new life in the new world. I’d like to think that they survived and are out there somewhere in their tie-dye van living life to the fullest and that I’ll see them again.”
“I really hope so,” I told him, squeezing his forearm. I looked down at the photograph in his hand, desperate for a change in subject. “Do you remember how cold the water was?”
“Dude,” he snorted, “I don’t think I saw my dick for a week. Whose bright idea was it to go in anyway?”
“Yours!”
“No way,” he exclaimed. “I would never suggest something so stupid. It had to be Josh.”
“What had to be me?” Josh asked from across the aisle. His hand was wrapped around the shoulder of Tiffany’s injured arm as she slept. A nurse had come to the upper level of the plane an hour earlier to check on her. She said that without an X-ray it would be hard to tell but, based on how Tiffany was able to move it, it looked like it was a simple hairline fracture. All that fuss over something so minor. The nurse gave her something for the pain. It must have been working—it knocked her out.
Josh carefully eased his arm out from under Tiffany’s head and rose from his chair to join us. The bruises on his face and arms had deepened more than Cody’s and a thin layer of hair was growing along his jaw. He’d always been so well shaven—the stubble suited him. Why did I have the sudden urge to run my fingers over it?
“What did I do?” he asked again when he was standing beside us.
“You made our dicks shrink,” Cody accused and I rolled my eyes, stifling a laugh.
“Excuse me?”
“You were the dumbass who made us go swimming in the Sound,” Cody said, handing Josh the photograph.
Josh laughed, shaking his head. “No way,” he said, “that was all Zoe’s doing.”
“Me?” I asked, hand splayed dramatically on my chest. “I would never.”
Cody and Josh exchanged a look. “Yep,” they said together. “Definitely her.”
“I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
“Sure,” Josh drawled. “Whatever you say, Zo.” His ice-blue eyes fell to the photo once more and a lazy smile spread across his face. “Damn,” he said, “that was a really good day, wasn’t it?”
“Josh?” Tiffany stirred in her chair, reaching out for him. Josh handed the photo back to Cody so he could return to his precious girlfriend. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, reminding myself that if he was happy, I was happy for him. Reminding, lying—whatever.
I took the photo from Cody, looking at our young, smiling faces. “God, we were so naïve back then,” I mused. “Never thinking things would change. Never worrying we’d lose each other. Not a damn care in the world. Do you think we’d still be laughing and smiling like that if we knew back then what the future held for us?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, dude, but I’d like to think so. I mean, no matter how shitty the shit show gets, you still got to find things to make you laugh, right?”
“Count your blessings, however few there may be,” I whispered, remembering Alec’s words from so long ago. They were words I tried—and often failed—to live by.
“Exactly,” Cody said. “I mean, we still got each other.”
For now, I wanted to say.
“And I’d like to think there’s more good times like that to come,” Cody continued, patting my knee. “You know, when all this shit is over,” he added.
My eyes landed on Josh as he wrapped his arm back around Tiffany’s shoulders. “Things will never be like this again,” I sighed, folding the photo and tucking it back into my pocket for safe keeping.
It must have been getting late, that or people were just exhausted. I had a feeling it was the latter. Yawns and snores filled the cabin as people fell asleep one by one, using fellow travelers, duffel bags, and anything else they could find for pillows. There was no light outside the fog-covered windows. I’d come to accept that there wouldn’t be light for a long, long time. If ever again.
Dim overhead lights flickered on and off occasionally, sending shadows dancing across the walls. I stood, adjusting the sword on my side before stretching out my cooped-up body. Tiptoeing through the upper deck, I made my way to the back, looking for the bathroom. No one seemed to notice me and that was perfectly fine with me. I wasn’t really in the mood to be noticed. I tapped lightly on the lavatory door when I found it. No one answered and I slipped inside, sliding the latch to lock it behind me.
I cranked the sink on. The hot water felt amazing. It was probably as close to heaven as I’d ever get. I splashed water over my face, washing away dirt and blood. If I could have climbed into the sink, I would have. After a few minutes, I shut off the water and grabbed a paper towel from the counter, holding it over my face. I pulled the cloth back and stared into the foggy mirror.
“Warrior,” the beast hissed.
The beast’s reflection disappeared beneath a burst of steam. I spun around, reaching for my sword. But it was too late. The creature—the same one that had cornered me in my apartment shower and stalked me in the hotel parking lot—shoved me into the laminate counter, my head snapping back, shattering the mirror behind me. Saliva oozed from its massive jaws as it inched closer to my face and I shuddered. A long tongue slithered down my neck and over my collarbone, the acidic saliva burning through my skin.
“You taste so good, warrior. I will truly enjoy this,” the beast rasped. A scaly tail coiled up my legs and around my waist, restricting my blood flow and pinning the sword to my body. I gasped for air, trying to pry myself free. It tightened its grip, bringing its dragon-like face so close to mine that one of its jagged, protruding teeth pierced my cheek.
“Though, maybe I should save you for last. That friend of yours looks pretty tasty as well. Oh, yes…I can see him now.”
An image of Josh flashed unbidden through my mind, accompanied by a searing pain that made me cry out. “No!”
&nbs
p; “I bet he tastes even better than you. So big…so strong,” it purred. “Worry not, warrior. I will let you watch. I do know how fond you are of watching him. I cannot blame you. Just look at him. He is so mouthwatering.”
I clawed at my skull. “No! Get out of my head! Get out!” I screamed, thrashing against the beast’s hard body. I reached over my shoulder and yanked a jagged piece of glass from the broken mirror and slashed at the creature over and over again. Black blood splattered across my face and chest.
A thud came to the door, and then another. With a loud crack, it swung open and Alec, Ryuu, and William barreled into the small bathroom, swords drawn. The beast reared back its head and laughed.
I waited for the men to attack, but they didn’t.
“What are you doing?” I exclaimed. “Kill it!”
Alec looked sick. I followed his wide eyes down to my stomach, where blood oozed from the gaping wound. My hand shook as I dropped the sharp piece of glass to the ground. It skidded across the linoleum floor, drops of my blood trailing after it.
“It was here,” I breathed. “I saw it.”
“Zoe,” Alec started.
“No! It was here! It was in my head. I could feel it crawling through my mind. It was here,” I repeated, slumping to the ground into a puddle of my own blood. I gripped my hair with bloodstained fingers. “I can still feel it inside me. Get it out! Get it out of me!”
That was when Tiffany showed up, making the biggest mistake of her life. “Freak.”
I was on her before the others could react. I hurled her backward, sending her body careening into the adjacent wall with a loud smack. The sharp edge of my blade grazed the surface of her throat. She squirmed under my grip, my nails drawing blood from her perfect skin.
