Black Moon Rising (DarkLife Saga)

by Ronnie Massey

  The world around me came alive in a way that it never had before. I was reading everyone inside the complex whether I wanted to or not. Every thought, every feeling, and stray emotion, rammed into me with the force of hurricane. I tried to pull back, but only succeeded in throwing my awareness farther away from me. I touched the minds of the reporters camped out at the outskirts of our property and even farther.

  I jumped into the mind of a mother at a bakery in NoDa, telling her son that he couldn’t have another muffin. I slipped into the thoughts of a man singing to himself as he walked through Concord Mills Mall. I was a baby crying after having a bad dream, and a teenaged girl thrilled with herself for finding the courage to sneak out and meet her delinquent boyfriend. I was everyone and no one, because all the things that made me Valeria were lost to the hundreds of voices inside my mind. I fell forward, clutching the sides of my head.

  “What the hell,” I moaned. “Ire, what did you do?” I struggled to push all of the extra voices out of my head. Little by little I shoved away every individual mind, until I was only reading my family. Their familiar thoughts calmed me enough that I was able to turn my attention to what was going on around me. I forced myself to look up at Ire.

  The faraway look that filled her eyes seconds earlier had faded. She frowned, and I saw that I looked like shit. There was a wild look in my eyes, and my hair was singed in places. How the hell did my hair get singed again? Oh yeah, the fence. Furthermore, why in the hell was I looking at myself from the outside? I squeezed my eyes closed and sighed.

  When I opened them, I could still see myself as if I were looking in a mirror instead of at the world around me. With the opening of my eyes also came an understanding. I was seeing myself through Irulan’s eyes. We were linked, closer than we'd ever been.

  She thought the same thing. I received the notion faster than she conceived it. I was about to ask her how, but she shook her head. She didn’t know. I knew without her saying or fully thinking, the answer to a question that I didn’t have time to project. We were finishing one another’s thoughts faster than we could think them.

  I read Tam’s frustration, coupled with Valerian’s abject terror that something was going to happen to me, and I pulled back my awareness. I slipped out of my twin's thoughts and almost choked when I realized he didn’t feel my presence. Valerian was the one person that I could never hide from. We were too close. Now I breached his shields and read him without notice.

  Our joining had boosted my natural abilities. Then there were our other gifts. Those granted to me by the Sidhe blood that ran through my veins. The combination of our energies felt like someone had shoved a power line up my ass.

  Another wolf leapt through the air toward the Banshee. He never got close. The ripples of a wail rolled through the air and struck him in the underbelly, not only knocking the wind out of him, but throwing the pony-sized werewolf off course. He flipped through the air out of control, toward me and Irulan. With our minds linked as they were, our movements were automatic, mirror images of one another’s. Together we threw a shield and caught the werewolf in mid-air before he could hurt us or himself.

  Marcus shot by us and grunted his thanks as his subordinate tumbled down the firm shield, to the safety of the ground. His breathing was deep and labored. When he was close enough, I reached out and caught the pony-sized wolf as carefully as I could. I eased him down, his face screwed with pain. The impact did some damage, but at least he was alive. He was out until his accelerated healing kicked in. By my count that made three wolves that were now out of the fight. That left four Manticores, two weres, and me and Irulan. We were so close to the entrance to the Vault. I just had to get past her and inside. I searched the area, looking for anything that we could use as a distraction, but there was nothing. A cool breeze lifted a strand of hair, and I glanced up.

  It looks like we had something after all. Fazion was circling high above us in his massive dragon form. I’ll be damned if he wasn’t about to save our asses for a second time. Who would have thought it? The instant Fazion’s image popped into my head; Irulan received it also. In a few seconds, she had a plan. I caught the thought and nodded. It would work. The Banshee could deflect energy based attacks as fast as I could absorb them. She could also deflect projectiles, whether they are bullets or a flying fist. But just because she could deflect them, that didn’t make her impervious to them. We’d proven that. If she was distracted and didn’t have enough time, she was as vulnerable to physical attacks as I was.

  I heard the clang of metal and looked up to see two Manticores swinging their swords toward the Banshee. She met their blows with her own blade and pushed them away. Marcus darted in from behind her and in a move no natural wolf would ever make, let his body fall sideways, into a roll. His roll took him close enough to clamp his powerful jaws around the Banshee’s leg. We were rewarded with her first cry of pain. She dropped to one knee, fending off the Manticores with one arm. With the other, she reached inside her tunic and pulled something free.

  I saw the glint of metal in the moonlight and yelled. She was holding a curved dagger that looked large enough to some serious damage to Marcus. He was so focused on keeping his hold intact that he didn’t even see it when she lifted the dagger in the air above him. Thade howled beside me and took off, but he was too far away. He would never make it in time.

  Irulan dropped to her knees and thrust her hands into the earth. At the same time, I reached for the Manticores and the two werewolves. I’d had plenty of practice forming shields and manipulating the stores of energy inside of me, but the control I had over my telekinesis left a lot to be desired. It was easier in the FaeLands, but once I got home, I found that it required more than a casual wave of my hand to lift things. Sure I could move small objects with little problem, but manipulating four living-breathing beings, was a far cry from floating a Pepsi across the room. If I put too much into my hold, I could crush them. I knew what Irulan was planning, and there would be no way for her to exclude them from her plans. It was either move them or let them fall with the Banshee.

  The neatly cut grass came alive. A thick column of dirt and debris punched through the earth, lifting her into the air. At the same time, I pulled back, grabbing the werewolves and Fae in my invisible hold, pulling them away from her. With Irulan and I connected the way that we were, I had no trouble controlling the action. The Banshee threw out her arms to steady herself. “You’ll have to do better than that, Tuatha,” she yelled.

  Irulan didn’t waste her breath responding. She just nodded her head because she saw what the Banshee couldn’t. And that was Fazion dropping through the air. By the time she took notice of him, she had no time to react. He curled his talons around her outstretched arms and jerked her upwards. With a small flick of what passed as his wrist, he threw her through the air, right for the electrified fences that surrounded the property.

  I took off for the Vault. I ran toward the covered incline, throwing my mind toward Tam so he could unlock the door. “I’m ready,” I projected as loud as I could as I ran. Behind me, I heard an ungodly screech and knew that she'd recovered before hitting the fence. Nope. I wasn’t that lucky. Rather than waste time looking behind, I dropped my head and pushed my body faster. That's when I saw them.

  There was a pair of feet slapping against the ground, keeping almost even with me as I ran. I jerked my head toward the owner of the feet and almost shit myself. I was so focused on making it inside the Vault that I didn’t notice Irulan had broken our link and was right beside me. “What in the hell are you doing,” I yelled.

  “What does it look like?” She answered. “I’m not letting you do this alone.”

  “The hell you aren't,” I pointed at a small hill, “There’s a utility shed, five hundred feet in that direction. Go.”

  She shook her head and kept going. “Either your plan is safe enough for the both of us, or we take a stand here and fight together. Take your pick because I’m not going anywhere.”
>
  “That wasn’t part of the plan, God damn it,” I hissed inside her mind.

  “I’m not leaving you. Deal with it.” She responded.

  Someone yelled duck, and I snagged Irulan’s sleeve, dragging us both to the ground. A Manticore sailed over our heads and bounced against the concrete walkway. We watched him jump to his feet and point at the door.

  “Get inside, Princesses,” he ordered, “You’re almost to safety. Don't give up now.” His delivery was a little over the top, but the guy is a warrior, not an actor. Irulan pulled me to my feet as he ran past us, going back to join his brothers in arms.

  “We’re almost there,” she said, loudly enough for the Banshee to hear. “Once the doors are locked, she won't be able to get past them.”

  “I won't believe it until I see it,” I grunted. After seeing everything that the Banshee was capable of, I almost believed my lie.

  Chapter 20

  How we made it inside without getting our asses blasted to kingdom-come is anyone’s guess. But we did. The original Vault is thirty five hundred square feet and shaped like an octagon. There are rooms situated around an open area in the center. Right now most of the space was being used for storage. I looked around the dark room, hoping that one of them was open. “In there,” I pointed, “We can hide in there.”

  Irulan nodded, and I began to lead her through a maze of shoulder-high, metal and wooden crates. My hunter’s eyes were better suited for the darkness than hers. “Once she gets here, we've got ten minutes to get the hell out of here before Tam blows the tunnel.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” Irulan sighed. She let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes. I felt her presence roll through me as it spread through the room, but it quickly retreated into her.

  “I can't feel the FaeLands. There’s too much metal here.” Irulan has the strongest immunity to iron that I’d ever seen in a Fae being. We lived in a building that was equal parts iron, brick, and wood, and she had no problems. She also had some limited control over metal objects. If she was feeling the effects of being surrounded in the Vault, then I made the right decision in choosing this place as our trap for the Banshee.

  “That’s what we want right. It's a good thing.” I leaned forward and peeked around the doorframe. The entrance to the Vault was barely open, but I could hear the sounds of a fight right outside. She was getting close, and the Manticores were doing their part in making sure it looked like they were trying to prevent her from reaching us.

  Not that I’d be quick to admit it, but the Fae guards were the best fighters that I’d seen. The Sidhe warriors would give me more than a run for my money…if I fought fair. I listened to the sounds of the struggle, waiting for Irulan to answer, but she never did. “Well.”

  “Yes. Judging on how I feel, this place should contain her just fine.” Her voice, so commanding and full of power a few moments before, was weak. I frowned and leaned forward to take a better look at her.

  Her glamour was intact, but there was an ashy pallor to her skin that shouldn’t be there. She also had bags under her eyes, and her lips were beginning to crack.

  “What’s wrong,” I jumped to my knees and tilted her head to get a better look at her. Her eyes weren't glamoured, but they were off. Instead of the clouds that filled her eyes, I was staring into a sea of solid-forest green.

  Irulan shook her head and closed her eyes. “I think I might be suffering from iron poisoning,” she whispered. “Whatever that Banshee did to me isn’t helping. I need to get home and recharge before my immunity kicks in.”

  And that one and all, is called a game changer. Damn the Banshee and my grandfather FaeVar’s time constraints. If he wanted her stopped that bad, he could come and do it himself. “I’ve got to get you out of here.” I almost lost her once because of the Harbinger. I wasn’t going to risk her again.

  I stood and pulled her to my side, listening to the sounds of the Manticores giving their all. Please let them kill the bitch, I prayed. I had to get her into the open. I slipped my arm under hers and pushed open the glass door. The crates. Instead of going through the maze, I propped Irulan against the wall and began shoving them out of the way. I moved as fast as I could, kicking some as I worked to clear a path to the entrance.

  My phone began buzzing at my side, and I cursed. That was the five minute mark. Well, at least the Banshee hadn’t showed up. With Irulan in the condition that she was, we'd never make it out in time if she did. I rushed forward and threw my shoulder into the last crate blocking our path. The metal box didn’t budge.

  I tumbled backward, clutching my throbbing arm and wanted to cry. There, standing in the open doorway, blocking our escape, was the Banshee. Damn me and my ingenious plan. Not only were we about to trap the Harbinger, Irulan and I were about to go down with her.

  “You thought that you could hide from me in this metal prison,” she sneered as she took a few steps inside. “Silly girl, haven’t you learned by now that nothing you do is going to prevent your death?”

  Yeah, it would seem that way. I was alright with dying if that meant the rest of my family was safe. My watch vibrated. Another minute was gone. I had to get Irulan out of here before Tam blew the tunnel.

  “Alright,” I said, holding my arms out. “You win. I give up. I won't fight you anymore.”

  The Banshee nodded and reached for the sword that hung on her hip. “I will tell the Dark High King that you died an honorable death.”

  “Wait.” I threw up a finger and took a small step away from her. “Before you do this, I want my wife out of here.” I looked behind me and pointed to Irulan. “I don't want her to watch me die.”

  The Harbinger leaned past me and stared at Irulan for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. “The Tuatha may go. She'll be dead soon enough.”

  “No. I go without a fight only if you can promise me she'll be safe. You have to swear that you won't go after her when I’m dead.” My wrist vibrated again, and I cursed. There were only three minutes left. Irulan wasn’t going to be able to clear the blast area without help. I tilted my head and focused on the world outside. There above all the mayhem was the sound of wings flapping.

  “The Tuatha will not die by hands,” the Banshee said. I nodded and yelled for Fazion. As soon as his name left my lips, the bitch cocked an eyebrow and dipped her head toward Irulan. “But suffer no misconceptions; she will die before this night is over.”

  The fuck you say. Fazion’s massive body landed at the mouth of the tight passageway. “Get Irulan out of here,” I yelled. The Banshee twisted to look behind her, giving me the best window I’d had all night. I flashed forward and jabbed an elbow into her chin; catching her before she could level me with her scream. Her head snapped back. At the same time, she reached for her sword. Her reflexes were as good as my own, but I had more to lose.

  I gripped the pommel before she could and pulled. Unwilling to let go of her weapon, the action jerked her body downward. Her head pitched toward the floor, and my knee was there to meet it. The momentum threw her backward, but I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her body toward me again. This time I shoved a knee into the center of her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Try and scream through that.

  My wrist buzzed. One minute. There was one minute left. I wanted to look for Fazion to make sure that he'd gotten in and out with Irulan, but I couldn’t risk it. The Banshee swung a fist toward my head. I ducked, avoiding the blow, and tackled her around her mid-rift.

  I felt her tense, trying to draw air in to her lungs. Couldn’t have that, now could I. I tighten my arms, preventing her from drawing in the breath that she needed to scream. She lifted her arms and brought both elbows crashing into the small of my back. “Fuck,” I hissed, almost releasing my hold, but somehow I held on.

  The click of the Vault’s door closing echoed through the room, and I laughed. Whether the Banshee killed me or not, I was as good as dead now. I reared back and threw the Banshee away from me. She crashed i
nto a wooden crate, breaking it with the impact of her landing.

  The first charge went off, shaking the ground with enough force to knock me off of my feet. The empty pits that should have been the Banshee’s eyes stretched with what I guess, was surprise.

  “That’s right, bitch,” I laughed as I struggled to climb to my feet. “You’ve been played.” Another charge went off, and I fell again. “I might die of starvation but you'll go from iron poisoning.”

  She tore her eyes away from me and began searching the room. I hiked my thumb toward the entrance. “What you just heard was the sounds of explosives. They collapsed the tunnel that led to this place. In case you're wondering, that was the only entrance. Meaning there’s no way out. These walls are ten feet thick and solid iron. So chew on that.”

  I’m not sure what I expected, maybe an over-dramatic declaration of defeat or a last ditch effort to escape, a fight even. Either one of those would have worked for me. They fit the situation. So when she climbed to her feet and lifted her head with a smile plastered to her face, I was a little thrown. Did she not understand that she just lost?

  Someone coughed, and my heart almost stopped beating. It couldn’t be. But it was. “Allow me,” said the Banshee. With a touch of flair, she threw out her arms and stepped aside so I could see behind her. There, shielded under Fazion, was Irulan.

  I jerked, wanting to go to her, but getting blown across the room wasn’t going to help anything. The Banshee’s smile got even broader, and she took a few more steps away from me. “By all means go. Say your last goodbyes.”

  I inched my way past her and made my way to Irulan and her cousin. Fazion leaned away from her and shook his head. “I wasn’t fast enough,” he apologized. I moved to take position in front of them, but Fazion rose to stand by my side.