by Lynn Landes
Katie is wearing a purple sweater dress and black high heel boots. Even with heels, everyone in this club would tower over her. She stands at five foot six without heels and she feels tiny. Unconsciously, she fingers her cross necklace and pushes the empty glass away. Slipping out of the booth, she sways on her stiletto boots. “No more for me, I should not have drunk so much at the last bar,” she thinks.
“I love those boots!” the server says as she passes by.
“Thanks! They are not fun to dance in!” Katie replies with a laugh looking down at the silver three-inch heels on the black leather boots.
“How about another drink?” the server asks glancing around.
“Make it two.” A male voice says from behind them. Katie turns with a smile and looks up and stares. She is stunned. A gorgeous man, tall, blonde and hot is smiling at her with dark blue eyes. Katie loses all thought, for a moment as he orders for them.
She shakes her head confused as she hears a female voice tell her, “Kathleen, he’s not what he seems. Get your friend and get out of here.” Slowly surveying the room, Katie searches for the owner of the voice and senses something in the back of the club towards the bathroom.
“My name is Gallus. Would you dance with me Katie?” he asks with a smile that does not reach his eyes.
“Oh, I’m not sure…” she starts to say, but he takes her hand and draws her onto the dance floor. She smiles and gives in, just one dance she thinks. “NO! Kathleen O’Haley you must not dance with him!”
Katie’s smile falters and she stumbles bumping into a girl on the dance floor. She turns angry, but Katie does not hear her. She feels dizzy and touches her fingers to her head, looking for Anya.
Gallus is saying “Maybe some fresh air will clear your head,” and gently urges her towards the door.
“Katie?” Anya says appearing at her side. With barely a glance at Gallus, she says, “Excuse us,” and she pulls her towards the restrooms. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just dizzy. Anya, I am smashed!” Katie starts giggling “And I am hearing voices,” she whispers loudly over the music.
Anya drags her through the crowd into the restroom and the garish lights cause the girls to squint. “Were they telling you to leave with Mr. Gorgeous? It looked like you two were scooting?” Anya asks.
Katie rubs her head, “I got dizzy, Anya, and he suggested we go outside.” Leaning close to her friend, she goes quiet while she waits for the bathroom to clear out. “The voices knew my name, and said we should leave, now!”
“Shit, you are sloshed! We’re just getting started, Katie! You might even get lucky…” Anya stops talking when a beautiful girl walks into the restroom and locks the door. In her hand, she is holding something.
She quickly turns to them, “You’re in danger here! You must leave. This place is not what you think it is. Take this!” She holds up a four-leaf clover and pulls two leaves off giving each girl two petals. The urgency in her voice breaks through the alcohol and Katie finds herself nodding.
“I don’t know what is going on here…” Anya starts to say but someone pounds on the door. They glance away for a second then back and gasp in shock. The girl has disappeared!
Katie looks down at the petals in her hands remembering and old legend about clovers from her grandmother. They are used to ward off evil spirits and spells. She grabs Anya’s hand, “We need to get the hell out of here!”
Anya is pale and sweaty. “Maybe they put something in the drinks?” Anya suggests looking at her friend.
“Don’t drop your clover, Anya. Let’s go!” Katie says unlocking the door, they quickly push through the angry crowd of women and ignore the dirty looks as they pass by.
The music is loud, and the bar is crowded. Katie slowly weaves through the crowd and just before they make it to the door, Mr. Gorgeous steps in front of her holding two drinks. “Is everything okay?”
Katie looks up into his blue eyes and her stomach drops. Gone is the beautiful mask, in its place is a demonic looking creature, with black eyes and long black nails. Visibly trembling, Katie gathers her wits and replies, “Actually, my friend is sick. We were just leaving. I’ll have to take a rain check on that drink.” She smiles politely and sidesteps him, pulling a mute Anya behind her.
“Count on it,” Gallus snaps watching her leave.
“Katie…” Anya whispers as she looks back into the club once more. Katie looks around from the door and her eyes scan the bar. She is horrified. Humans are dancing, swaying to the music; oblivious to the evil that holds them.
“What are they, Katie?” Anya whispers.
Katie begins moving as fast as her heels will let her. She pulls Anya out into the fresh air and breathes deeply as they rush down the cobblestone streets. The parking lot is on the backside of the bar. Quickly she starts to turn down the alley way and hears, “No! Get to St. Michans church, Katie. You’ll be safe inside.” She skids to a stop and Anya bumps her.
“What’s wrong?” Anya whispers but before she gets an answer, she hears his voice.
“Pretty Katie, you owe me a dance.” Gallus steps into view under a street lamp.
He laughs as she turns and starts running, dragging Anya with her.
“What the hell is happening Katie?” Anya screams.
“We need to get to St. Michans. If we get separated Anya, you get to the church!” It’s four blocks to the church. All they have to do is get through the crowds and cross over a bridge. The streets are crowded with shoppers and partiers. Music is blasting, but Katie sees the image of Gallus in her mind. She wonders if any of this is real. Katie drops Anya’s trembling hand, and they push through the crowd.
Anya screams as she is grabbed from behind around her waist, “Anya! Where’s the fire love?” someone asks swaying with her.
“Not now, Christian!” she snaps and stomps on his foot.
“Damn, Anya, you didn’t say that last night, Did ye?” He growls sloshing his pint. Anya has an idea and leans in to whisper in his ear, and he smiles as big as the sun. “Anything for you, love!” and he hurries off.
Not bothering to look back they push on and hear the bells of the church begin to toll. It is ten o’clock.
“Hurry now, he’s behind you!” Katie hears as she is beginning to whimper, she can feel the cold brush of his spirit behind her. Anya grabs her hand and pulls hard, just as a loud siren sounds.
People rush into the street to escape the fire, and Anya smiles. “He is so going to get rewarded for that!”
They can see the bridge, and the moment they step foot on it, Katie begins to feel better. She dares to glance back at the creature hunting them. His black eyes meet hers and he grins baring rust stained teeth. They can hear the sounds of the fire engines coming and people are shouting, crowding the streets. The bell ringing out snaps Katie out of her daze and she turns to run and realizes her heel is stuck in the brick of the bridge. “Anya!” she screams.
Katie tries to pull free as Anya yells, “Oh my God, he’s coming Katie!”
Katie pulls her foot free of the boot and slips the other boot off and holds it tight. The girls run, making it to the other side of the bridge. Katie turns wielding her stiletto like a weapon and that is when she realizes he has stopped. She remembers her granny saying, the Fae could not cross running water! She smiles and grabs Anya’s hand running towards to glowing windows of the church.
“Aye, run Katie, run. I won’t be crossing water but who says I can’t fly?” Gallus yells out to her.
The church bell tolls for the fifth time, and Katie ignores his taunting laughter, running as fast as she can.
Gallus rockets to the earth in front of the doors to the church, just before a group comes around the side of the building. The guide has been giving a tour of the famous crypt, and he is holding a torch for effect. Anya snags the torch from him yells, “This way, Katie,” and they run in the direction the group came from, counting on the crowd to block his path for the moment.
; Anya skids to a stop then pulls open the grey wooden doors and descends down into the dark halls below. Anya’s torch lights the way, leading them through the damp, cool tunnels and under stone arches. Katie keeps pace, following her best friend, hoping they are not walking to their own death. Clutching her boot to her chest, Katie is trembling from shock and fear as they come to a dead end.
Behind them, they hear Gallus call out, “Time to play, pretty Katie,” and his laughter echoes out.
A hand snakes out from behind covering each girl’s mouth, and Anya faints in fear. A flash of light and Katie squeezes her eyes shut feeling a rush of cold air, suddenly she feels soft earth and grass beneath her feet. When she dares to open her eyes, they are in her backyard of the cottage that her granny had left her when she had passed away.
A group of four beautiful people stands in front of her. “You have been marked by a Dark Fae, Kathleen O’Haley. We can help, but we will need your assistance to catch him,” the tall blonde male says.
Katie tries to speak, but her voice comes out strangled. “A dark what?”
Chapter 4
The Shadow King is hunting one of his own. It really is not that hard to catch a Dark Fae. Today, Reese hunts in the streets of Dublin. Lucky for him, he does not hunt alone. They have tracked this one for months, following his bloody trail across Ireland. He hurts humans for sport. Sometimes he lets them live, but they are never the same after the attacks.
The Fae are elemental beings with supernatural abilities, some call them fairies, while others call them fallen angels. Humanity drove them to create a protective barrier, called the Vale. Once a Fae leaves the Vale for the human world, they lose their magic. They begin to age, and some develop a taste for human blood. Not all shadows are evil, some choose to stay outside the Vale and protect humanity, as Reese did.
Reese blocks out the noise from the crowded street. Tourists, street performers, panhandlers, and pickpockets roam the streets. He focuses on the scent of the elemental as he flows down the cobblestone streets searching for his victim. His team is in place. They are three well trained warriors, handpicked by the Shadow King to seek and destroy those who harm others. Now they wait for the bait.
As if on cue, Kathleen O’Haley stomps down the street, with murder in her eyes. Construction crews have blocked the street her café is on, and the noise from the jackhammer is deafening. The crew begins ripping up the damaged red cobblestone walkway. Some break up the bricks, while others toss the pieces into a wheel barrel.
Concrete barriers are set up with caution tape blocking the street. Two construction workers guard the barrier to make sure no one crosses the work zone.
Reese watches from the shadows, pulling the multi-layer shades around him like a cloak, making himself invisible to the naked eye.
“She is angry, my King.” Reese hears Duncan say in his mind. Duncan has the ability to manipulate air. He can cross great distances in an instant.
“Good. Her fury will entice him,” Samantha replies. She is Duncan’s mate and the soothsayer who predicted the victim. Unfortunately, she can only see short distances into the future. They hope that it will be enough to capture the Dark Fae before he kills again.
Katie seems oblivious to the danger she is in; she merely knows that she is losing money. Her arguing with the construction workers is pointless and she blows back to her shop in a hurry. As she passes Reese, she looks directly at him, slowing for a moment then keeps going.
“Well, if the customers can’t come to us, then we will go to them,” she says to herself. Walking through the door to the café she orders the two cashiers behind the counter to fill up trays and go sell them outside. “We can make this work, girls. I will man the shop. Hurry now, time is money.” Tossing her long blonde curls over her shoulder, she watches the girls leave.
With a sigh, she looks around, suddenly chilled. Katie hurries to her purse and reaches inside, when she hears a male voice say, “You won’t need that, Katie.”
Confusion fills her mind as she drops her grandmothers cross. It was a token from her granny to protect her from spirits. “I don’t need this,” she says in a monotone voice.
“You should close the shop today, Katie. The construction crew will be here all day, and I want to play with you.” He says brushing her hair back from her face. Katie struggles to move. Eyes wide open; she watches the demon appear in front of her. Sweat breaks out on her body as she fights his mind control.
His beauty repulses her for she can see past the glamour spell he wears. He is not what he appears. When he smiles, he reveals two rows of sharp stained teeth and he leans close, savoring the aroma of her fear. “Pretty Katie, I’ve been watching you for some time.” The scent of death floats on the air as he licks her cheek.
Katie lashes out and strikes him in the throat. The force of the blow sends him across the shop, crashing through tables and chairs. Nyssa gives a shake and frees herself from the disguise she holds. Shape shifting for that long has weakened her body and she goes to one knee on the floor. Duncan moves quickly through the front door with Sam to assist her. In a blur of movement, Duncan attacks the Dark Fae while Sam hurries to help Nyssa.
“He will try to flee through a body, Duncan,” Sam tells him.
Baring his teeth, he lunges for Duncan slashing at him with long black fingernails. Duncan kicks him straight in the chest and sends him flying back into the wall.
“Where is my Katie!” he screams at him spraying spittle.
Reese comes through the back of the shop and with a thought locks the front door. He draws on his power and sends cuffs of light straight at the demonic Fae, pinning him to the wall. He is unable to move and struggles against the energy holding him.
“Gallus, I am Reese, the Shadow King. You have betrayed your people and shamed our race. You are guilty of murder. Do you have any last words?” Reese asks.
“Shadow King!” he laughs. “You do not know the meaning of the word, King, but you will. Our numbers grow every day and soon the true King will rise. If you think the Fae will allow a human to be our Queen, you are mistaken,” he sneers at them with hatred in his eyes.
Sam grabs her head and struggles with the vision. “He speaks the truth, my King.” Nyssa holds Sam protectively and whispers a spell to ease her pain.
Duncan moves to the door to watch for humans. Gallus leaps from his body in spirit form and attacks Samantha. In her weakened state, he is hoping to take her body. Duncan moves, using the power of the wind he captures Gallus in a cyclone of light and wind. Gallus starts screaming when Reese unleashes the power of the stars and judges the spirit of the Fae incinerating him. The King turns to the unmoving body of the fallen Fae and calls upon the power of the sun burning it to ash.
Nyssa looks around at the mess in the café, “Time to go. I will bring Kathleen back after we clean up.”
“He speaks the truth. They are plotting to assassinate Queen Caderyn. We have to warn them,” Samantha says walking over to Reese.
“I will. Tell me what your vision showed.” Reese demands. Duncan and Nyssa clean up the shop and leave to get Kathleen.
Reese guides Samantha to a chair and sits her down. “I saw the Vale, Reese. It was as beautiful as ever and it sparkled like diamonds calling me home. A shadow passed by and reached out a clawed hand, ripping the Vale open. Shadows poured into the Vale and the screaming started. Reese! They were devouring the light of every Fae. We have to stop them!” Sam cries out, clutching her head again.
“We will. Time for you to go home,” he watches as she gets up to leave and waits for the others to return.
Nyssa walks inside with the real Kathleen. She smiles at them saying, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome, all is safe now,” Reese speaks to Nyssa’s mind and tells her to erase Kathleen’s memory. Nyssa nods, but before she can move Kathleen speaks.
“It won’t work. I may be human, but I have gifts of my own,” she tells them with a laugh. “My Granny used to tell me s
tories of the Fae, but I thought that is all they were. Our family has gifts. I can sense danger and hear people’s thoughts. Though, I try not to very often.”
Reese smiles as he looks at the shock on Nyssa’s face. “Humans amaze me. They are always surprising me and always more than they seem.”
Duncan opens the door, “My King, the others return.”
“King?” Katie asks paling slightly.
“I am the Shadow King, the Fae of old are evolving. Some have chosen to leave the Vale and hunt humans. The King and Queen of the Vale allowed me to leave to bring these Dark Fae to justice. Be careful, Kathleen O’Haley the Dark Fae know of you now, so you must be watchful for more.” Taking her hand, he gives her back her Grandmothers cross.
“Thank you.” She whispers as they all move to the door to leave. In his mind, Reese hears Kathleen speak softly, “There are humans who would fight with you if you asked, my King.”
He turns back and gives a nod of thanks and is gone.
Chapter 5
The rental house seemed like the perfect hideaway. Ariana has grown weary of running and he always seems to be just a step or two behind her. The owner rented the white Cape Cod to her over the internet. All she had to do was punch in the code at a lock box on the property and pick up the keys. Finally, she could relax. The small, two-bedroom farmhouse, on a private hill, is close enough to town to pick up anything she might need and secluded enough to prevent unwanted drop in visitors.
As she pulls down the driveway, she scans the property trying to sense any shadows. Her rental car is a Ford Explorer and she carries with her two bags. Her needs are few; she just needs time to rest and heal. Looking up at the small house she sighs, peace. That is what she feels here and whispers a spell. Anyone looking will see a woman in her fifties, with graying hair. Ariana covers her porcelain skin with wrinkles and age spots. Her waist length, curly, red hair shifts to short, black hair, peppered with gray and her violet eyes morph to brown. Stepping out of the car, she is greeted by a soft wind and the sound of birds. In the distance, she can hear sheep bleating and she smells spring on the air. Ariana inhales the scents of spring deep into her lungs.
