by Ariel Marie
Nicu
The Dark Shadows 5
Ariel Marie
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Ariel Marie
Copyright © 2017 by Ariel Marie
Cover Design: Natasha Snow Designs
Editor: Dana Hook at Rebel Edit & Design
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, businesses, events, and incidents are a figment of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, businesses, locations, history, and events are a coincidence.
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All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Created with Vellum
For my die hard Dark Shadows fans who have made it through the entire journey with me!
WARNING: Due to the explicit language and graphic sexual scenes, this book is intended for mature (18 years +) readers only. If things of this nature offend you, this book would not be for you. If you like a good action story with hot steamy scenes with vampires, then you have chosen wisely….
Chapter One
Nicu
The rage that was festering inside of Nicu Olaru was barely contained. He grunted at the twinge of pain in his shoulders from having his arms bound behind him while being dragged along by two rogue vampires. Without even looking, he could tell they were rogues by the smell that permeated the air around them.
Rogue vampires were abominations; lower than the scum of the Earth. The need to consume blood was where the similarities ended between vampires and their rogue counterparts. Rogues did not abide by the vampire laws, and were currently sided with vampires’ mortal enemy, the necromancers.
Necromancers were powerful, mystical beings that practiced black magic. They were creatures who fed on life forces; consuming human souls and energy. As one of the strongest magical beings on the planet, they were known to use their powers to raise the dead. Versi, as they were called, were the dead controlled by the necromancers.
Necromancers and vampires had been enemies since the beginning of time. Earth was just not big enough to house both powerful beings. It was a little over fifty years ago, during The Battle, when vampires defeated the necromancers.
The necromancers disappeared from Earth, never to be seen again, until recently, when they reappeared out of nowhere, and set their sites on Nicu’s sister, Nadira. They were relentless in their pursuit of her, and the Shadows again defeated them.
With the reappearance of the necromancers, the war has continued. Vampires everywhere refused to bow down and be defeated by the necros, who were being creative in their ways to defeat the vampires, by unleashing one of the most powerful black magic witches, Rowena.
It was said that Rowena held the key to killing vampires everywhere. She hated vampires just as much as the necromancers, and was imprisoned for centuries for the havoc she had created. The necromancers hunted her down and located the black magic witch in her undisclosed prison and released her. In her blind rage to exact revenge on the vampire king and queen, Rowena was killed at the hands of the vampires’ ally, the Valkyrie.
Again, the vampires prevailed.
The necromancers refused to give up their pursuit of extinguishing all vampires. In their next attempt, they unleashed their rogue army, pitting vampires against their rogue counterparts. It was at this battle that Nicu was captured.
Nicu was the commander of the Dark Shadows, vampire warriors that were charged with the responsibility of protecting the vampire nation against all enemies. It was Nicu who was bred to lead the Dark Shadows, who were the most dangerous entity on the streets, to defeat any foe.
Being the eldest son of the ruling vampire king, Nicu was one of the strongest vampires to exist, aside from his father. One day, it would be Nicu who would rule the vampire nation. But, until that day, it was his responsibility to ensure that the vampire nation was protected.
His Dark Shadow warriors consisted of his younger brothers, Adrian, Toma, and Teague, along with five other vampires who were sworn in by the Olaru family.
Each member of the Shadows were sworn to protect the vampire nation with their lives. It was an oath that was not to be taken lightly. Not only did that pledge extend to protecting the innocents, but other Shadow members as well. The Shadows would never leave a vampire behind. They would come for him. Nicu knew that the Shadows would not rest until they had rescued him.
And when they arrived, they would kill every fucking being that drew breath in this building.
Nicu’s feet dragged behind him while the rogues struggled to move him. He refused to be of assistance. Nicu made himself dead weight, and he knew he was one large vampire. All six foot five, three hundred pounds of him made it difficult for the rogues to transport him. The fuckers ambushed him during battle and rendered him unconscious.
They would pay for it.
He awoke to find himself with a chain secured around this throat and his arms bound behind him. Nicu didn’t need to ask where the rogues were taking him; he already knew.
The necromancer king, Sodan, had put a bounty out on Nicu’s head for killing his son, the necromancer prince, Xalak. Nicu held no regrets for killing Xalak. He would do it again without a second thought. If he could do it again, he would draw out Xalak’s death. He would have taken great pleasure in torturing him before killing him.
Xalak had not only captured Nicu’s siblings, Nadira and Toma, but Idris, one of the Olaru’s royal guards. They took Anika, Nadira’s human best friend, and Toma’s mate as well. Xalak took great pleasure in torturing Anika, and almost caused Toma to go rogue in the process.
So no, Nicu didn’t regret killing the necromancer prince at all. The separating of Xalak’s head from his shoulders was only slightly satisfying for the Dark Shadows’ commander.
“Master said to bring the Shadow warrior to him,” one of the rogues spoke, confirming what Nicu had suspected. The other rogue grunted his response.
They burst through a doorway, dragging Nicu into a room where murmurs ceased. He kept his head down, not wanting them to be aware that he was conscious. This would be the first time that a vampire was taken deep into the necromancers’ world.
Nicu’s body was tossed to the ground. He released a grunt as his head scraped the concrete floor, and cursed under his breath.
“Master, here is the Shad
ow warrior,” the rogue said.
“Very good.” Sodan’s voice came from directly in front of Nicu. Footsteps echoed, stopping in front of Nicu’s face. He shifted his head, taking in the dark robe that brushed the floor. “Nicu Olaru, we have been looking for you.”
“You couldn’t have been looking too hard,” Nicu growled, shifting his body. He refused to lie on the ground at the feet of the necromancer king. He was an Olaru, and they didn’t bow down to no one, especially not a necromancer. He slowly stood to his full height, towering over the necromancer king.
Nicu let his deadly gaze linger on Sodan before scanning the round room, holding other necromancers. Their faces were hidden by hoods that covered their heads, only allowing their amber eyes to be seen. This must be their council. “I’ve never ran from a fight before, and I damn well won’t start now.”
“Vampire, you will pay for killing my son. A life for a life,” Sodan shouted, his amber eyes glowing. The room shook from the necromancer’s power. “Your father will experience the same grief I did the night you took my son from me!”
His threats didn’t phase Nicu. Arms chained behind him, Nicu stepped closer to the necromancer king, his incisors descending. He let the murderous rage that burned in his chest rise, and was sure it burned bright in his eyes. “I took great pleasure in watching the life drain from Xalak’s eyes,” Nicu growled. “Just as I will take great pleasure in doing the same to you. My face will be the last one you see as you take your last breath. Just like your son.”
Chapter Two
Samara
It had been thirty-one days since she received a new lead, and ninety days since she initially reported him missing. Ninety-two days since the last time she’d heard his voice.
Samara Shamus sighed as the detective’s voice came through the phone.
“I’m sorry, Miss Shamus. We are doing all that we can to locate your brother.” Detective Reynolds’ compassionless voice broke through Samara’s thoughts.
Sure they were.
Samara rolled her eyes as she thanked the detective before hanging up the phone. She wanted to take her phone and throw it across the room, but she resisted. She fell back on the plush couch, at a loss of what to do next. Tears threatened to fall as she thought of her twin brother. She prayed that he was safe and sound, but deep down in her gut, she knew that it was too late.
Samara knew that if she were to find her twin brother, she would have to do it on her own. Something horrific had happened to Stefan, she was sure of it. She had to find her brother. She wouldn’t rest until she did.
Every police officer she had spoken to, insisted that Stefan had left of his own free will, and would return home whenever he was ready. But she knew her brother, and this was not Stefan’s personality. He would have never left her, and she always trusted her gut. Right now, it was screaming that something was wrong.
Stefan, born three minutes before Samara, had always been her protector, her friend, someone she could always depend on. They had always shared an unbreakable bond, one that linked them together since birth. They were always told that the bond between them was unusual.
Patricia Shamus never missed a day to remind her children that they were different. She always stressed that they could never tell anyone about their little quirks, which she would come to call their “abilities.” Neither of the twins ever felt any different around other children, but their mother made them promise to never share them with the world.
Between the two of them, they would always speak to each other telepathically. Stefan and Samara may never have been able to show off their abilities, but they always used it in their home, which drove their mother crazy. They didn’t even have to be near each other to be able to speak to each other. Samara brushed her cheek, feeling the warm trail of tears leaving their mark on her face as she reminisced about their childhood.
Aware of how their mother freaked out, knowing that her two children could speak telepathically to each other, the twins never let on about their other abilities. Patricia never caught on that they could always pick up on her moods.
When their father, Jack Shamus, walked out on them, Samara had felt the ache of her mother’s heart breaking. She would never forget the pain that radiated from her mother, as she would hug the kids each day before they left for school.
Patricia Shamus was a strong woman who didn’t want the world to think of her children as different. She was a fierce protector of the twins. Five years ago, God saw fit to call their mother home.
Colon cancer.
Samara sniffled as she reached out to grab a tissue from the box sitting on her coffee table, wanting to forget the image of her mother on her deathbed. If Stefan were here, he would remind her that their mother was no longer suffering, but smiling down from Heaven as she watched over them.
Her smile slowly faded. Samara could always tell when something was wrong with her older brother—through the bond—but lately, she couldn’t sense him at all. No matter how many times she had tried to reach out to him, she hadn’t gotten a return response. It was like he had disappeared from the face of the Earth.
She was running out of options. She had looked into hiring a private investigator, but each and every one of them presented her with the same information that the police would give her. Then, they would want to charge an astronomical amount for information regarding Stefan’s whereabouts.
Samara was lucky that she worked from home. Her job as a case manager for an insurance company enabled her to have a flexible schedule and set her own hours. As long as she had her laptop, she could work from anywhere.
She made daily trips to Stefan’s apartment, in hopes that her brother would return. She ensured that his rent and bills were paid, because she refused to let the landlord evict his belongings. She lied to the office manager, saying that Stefan was out of the country for a few months for work. She didn’t want her brother to reappear and have no place to call home.
There were no signs of a struggle, or even a clue to where he would have gone. Without any signs of foul play, the police didn’t believe that there was enough evidence to build a case, but still allowed her to file a missing person’s report.
Samara had taken to hanging posters in every part of the city, in hopes that someone had seen Stefan. She had visited emergency rooms and homeless shelters, showing pictures of her brother to anyone who would look.
What else could she do? It wasn’t like her phone would miraculously ring out of the blue—
Ring. Ring.
She sat up slowly, staring at her phone as the old telephone ringtone sound filled the air.
Ring. Ring.
She looked at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number that was displayed.
“Hello?” she greeted, while trying to control her breathing. Her heart beat rapidly as she waited for the person to respond, but only silence greeted her. “Hello?” She tried again.
“Is this Samara Shamus?” a deep baritone voice asked.
“Yes, it is,” she answered, her voice ending on a squeak. She cleared her throat before continuing. “Who is this?”
“We know where your brother is.”
Chapter Three
Samara
Samara dragged in a deep, shaky breath as she waited in her car. She secured the locks and sent up a quick prayer. This was the first big break she’d had in her search for Stefan. She double-checked the address she had written on a scrap piece of paper. Samara ensured that she would arrive early to the meeting location. The voice on the phone was specific on his instructions. She made sure no one followed her, as he requested, wore dark clothing, and was on time.
It was a cold night in Cleveland, Ohio. The city that was located on the southern coast of Lake Erie was known to have weather that could change at the drop of a hat. Tonight was unusually chilly for a September evening. She cranked up the heat and rubbed her arms for warmth, unsure if it was the cold air or nerves.
Butterflies filled her stomach
at the thought of the people coming to meet with her would know how to find her brother. She missed Stefan desperately, and wanted him home, safe.
A flash of bright light filled her car’s interior as a vehicle pulled into the dark empty parking lot behind her. She glanced at her watch, finding it to be exactly midnight, as the caller requested. The lights flickered off, casting her back into the dark shadows of her vehicle. The caller had wanted to meet with her in the Flats, an area located near downtown Cleveland. It was a dangerous area, and the parking lot he had suggested was isolated away from the nightclubs and bars that many partygoers frequented.
No one would hear her scream.
Doubt began to enter her mind as she thought of her location, timing, and the fact that she had no weapons for protection. She sent up a prayer that this wasn’t a trick, and that she wasn’t about to be kidnapped and murdered by a crazed serial killer.
The sounds of doors opening and shutting filled the air. She glanced in her rearview mirror, observing two males and a female walking in her direction. Samara took a deep breath. Shutting her car off, she unlocked the door and stepped out. She kept her car keys in her hand and slid her phone into her pocket as she turned to watch the trio approach her.
The leader, she assumed, as he walked in front of the others, was tall and lean. His hair was shaved close to his scalp, and the light slant of his eyes gave way to his Asian descent.
The other male was on the short side, standing not much taller than Samara’s five-foot-five frame. His dirty blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The female’s hair was pulled back into a single braid. Samara could tell that her sharp eyes didn’t miss anything.
“Samara Shamus?” the leader asked, stopping a few feet from her.
