Darkness Haunts

by Susan Illene

  “You have to go,” she said, eyes panicked. “He can’t catch you here.”

  I jumped up to my feet. “Who?”

  “One of the guys who hangs out at the same place as my mom.”

  My heart leaped in my throat. “Has he done something to hurt you?”

  She shook her head and let out a short laugh. “No way. Derrick wouldn’t do anything like that. Since I stopped going over to that house a few months ago, he started coming here to check on me. He worries cuz I’m here alone all the time.”

  “Okay,” I said, still not comfortable with the idea of leaving her with a werewolf. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

  Emily nodded. “Yeah, he’s a nice guy, not like the others. Are you gonna come back?”

  He was two blocks from us. I started inching my way down the sidewalk, but gave her a reassuring smile. “Tomorrow. I’ll come by and bring some cheeseburgers.”

  She grinned. “Okay.”

  After a short wave, I made my way to the street. Once there, I sped up to a light jog and managed to get two houses down before the werewolf passed in an old truck. I didn’t even glance in his direction. He hadn’t seen me come from the house so there was no reason for him to be suspicious. I didn’t sense any emotions coming from him either. Not wanting to take chances, though, I headed straight back to the motel. At least no sups were close by there.

  Chapter Five

  Later that afternoon, I found myself in Pioneer Park, formerly known as Alaskaland. The travel brochures had boasted of it being a great tourist stop, but it also had a more important feature. Many locals ran shops in the park. It made the place ideal for questioning a wide range of people. It was doubtful Aniya had been here herself, but maybe someone had seen her around town or near their home. I couldn’t rule out any possibilities.

  Most of the buildings inside the park were old-style log cabins, painted in shades of green, brown, and other assorted colors. They came in a variety of shapes and sizes as well. Not every place was a cabin, though. Some structures were outfitted with white siding and probably built sometime around the WWII era.

  I stopped by several galleries, museums, and other attractions along the way. Between those and the shops, I often found myself distracted while gazing at the various selections on display. They made me think of my missing friend and her love of shopping for unique things.

  Aniya wasn’t the type of woman who wanted the name brand stuff. She liked unusual jewelry, locally designed clothes, and hand-crafted knick-knacks. Malls were never her style and a place like this would have appealed to her. Too bad she probably didn’t get the chance to visit.

  Each time I asked the proprietors about her no one recognized the picture I showed them. The chances of her being alive and well were sinking by the minute, but I refused to give up hope yet. She had dreams and deserved a future where she could live them.

  Toward the end of my rounds through the park, I came across a tarot card reading place. The older woman who ran it had a healthy amount of magic thrumming through her. Not the dark kind or I wouldn’t have considered entering, but a tinge of gray was mixed in with the light. She felt warm, with an electric charge sparking out. Static raced across my mind as I recognized her as a mystic.

  There weren’t many more of her kind than mine. Mystics and witches didn’t get along well and had been fighting each other for centuries. It had something to do with their magic clashing. I didn’t know the specifics, but there’d always been more witches around, giving them the greater advantage.

  The woman caught me hovering at the door and waved me inside. I took two steps in and stopped. She wasn’t much of a threat, but coming near her still made me squeamish. The vampire from the night before had been a reminder of the dangers I faced with sups.

  “You look lost, my dear. Are you searching for something?”

  Once my eyes had adjusted to the dim interior, I saw she had kind hazel eyes, and a face framed by long silver hair. The wrinkles lining her skin accentuated, rather than detracted, from her appearance. My senses told me she was pushing seventy years old, but she had a small, nimble body that must have been more than capable.

  The mystic must have been one of those types who got into the act of her profession because she wore a long, dark robe that flowed around her. Something I might have expected from a tarot card reader. Of course, she ran her business inside a major tourist attraction. She would want to cater to customers’ expectations.

  “Actually, I’m looking for someone.” Pushing aside my trepidation, I pulled out my picture of Aniya. “Have you seen this woman?”

  She leaned over the black silk-draped table she sat behind and squinted at the photo. After a moment, she shook her head.

  “No, I’m sorry. She hasn’t been around here.”

  “You haven’t seen her anywhere?”

  She smiled. “I don’t get about town much these days. This is the one place I have a chance to see anyone aside from my family.”

  I supposed that made sense at her age, but this was the last place I had left to visit in the park and had hoped for better results. It was the only reason I’d been willing to take a chance on her. Vampires couldn’t mesmerize her into forgetting like they could the humans around here. Not at her power level.

  “Why don’t I give you a reading? Perhaps that will help.”

  My body tensed. Sticking around a sup, any sup, for very long did not sit well with me. Never mind that I needed to work on getting past that particular problem if I was ever going to have any luck finding Aniya. I really didn’t think she was with a human anymore.

  The mystic cocked her head at seeing my reluctance. “If you’re really worried about your friend, it could be worth a try.”

  Doubtful, but this was an opportunity to get a feel for the woman and see what she was made of. All the other readings in my past had been fake, done by people who had no skills at all. I went along with the show because it amused me to see how far they would go in their act. My ability to sense magic let me know they were doing nothing more than guessing. But this woman had magic—not that it would do either of us any good.

  She took the twenty I handed her and stuffed it into a small opening in her robe. I contemplated asking her if she could do a spell with Aniya’s picture to find her, but didn’t feel ready to ask for that kind of help. One step at a time. I’d just set the photo down on the table. Maybe she’d make the offer herself.

  She turned her back to get a deck of tarot cards after motioning for me to take a seat. My muscles cramped as they bent down into the chair, the kind of ache that came after too many hours on your feet. The run this morning must have taken a bigger toll than what I’d thought. I made a mental note to get myself into a better routine with my workouts. They were more important now than ever.

  The mystic shuffled the cards and arranged them with care before laying them down. We both took an indrawn breath at what was revealed, or rather, not revealed. The woman’s face turned ashen. I drew back in my chair. Every card she laid down came up blank—solid white, with nothing on them. It was the last thing I’d expected.

  Her magic was trying to pull my information, but couldn’t, so it wiped out the details of the cards. She mumbled under her breath as her hands began to shake. Guilt stirred inside me at seeing her so upset. From what I could tell, the cards had their normal illustrations on them until she laid them down, then they blanked out. She tried several times with no success. My very nature made me a void for magic, but I hadn’t realized it went that far.

  Our attention was so riveted on her trying a new deck that neither of us noticed the man who stepped in until he spoke.

  “Those won’t work on her, Yvonne.” His rough voice carried over to us. I jumped.

  A glance toward the open doorway revealed a man who most people would assume to be in his mid-fifties—about two hundred years short of his real age. He was large despite a slightly stooped back and he had black hair highlighted with streaks of
gray. Most of it was slicked back, but a few fallen locks framed his face. I guessed his origin to be native Alaskan, based on the medium skin color he had. He was also a shaman.

  I’d never met one of his kind before, but had heard of them. His magic was strong and of the earth. To my surprise, he didn’t make me as nervous as many of the other sup races did. He had a sense of peace about him. His aura drifted through my mind like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, bringing relief from the overwhelming heat. I had to fight myself to not relax in his presence.

  Yvonne frowned as soon as she saw him and cursed under her breath. She covered the deck with her hands, but it sounded like her failure to read the cards had been discovered already. I was more worried about how the shaman knew they wouldn’t work.

  “What do you want, Charlie? Can’t you see I’m with a customer?”

  He raised his brows. “Not much of a customer if you ask me.”

  I stood up. That was my cue to go. The shaman took a step back into the doorway and spread his feet apart. His face could have been set in stone.

  “Let me pass,” I said through gritted teeth.

  He turned his gaze on Yvonne. “I said your cards won’t work on her. Magic doesn’t work on her.”

  I cursed myself for being stupid enough to allow the reading.

  Yvonne frowned. “Who are you that my magic doesn’t work? What are you doing to prevent it?”

  Her stirrings of resentment pushed at my senses. I moved as close to the door as I dared. Charlie didn’t budge an inch. He didn’t show any emotion either, which made it hard for me to get a read on him. With no way out, I was stuck, but if it came down to it I’d climb over the shaman to get away.

  “Don’t push her, Yvonne,” he said. “There aren’t many of her kind left. She is rare but harmless for the most part. She should have known better than to trick you, though.” He shot a disapproving look in my direction.

  I shrugged while keeping my hands in my pockets where a couple of small knives rested. The gun would be too loud and draw attention. My body backed up against the wall so no one could come from behind. It allowed me to keep both the man and woman in my view—her in front of me and him to the right. I needed to be ready in case they attacked. Neither appeared as threatening as the witch in Monterey, but the shaman was far more powerful.

  “How do you know what I am?” I asked in a tight voice.

  “I’ve seen it. Trouble is brewing among the supernaturals in this area. Has been for some time, and you have the ability to make it stop.”

  The glare I shot at him didn’t seem to have any effect. “I don’t have any business with the supernaturals. I’m here to find a friend.”

  Charlie shook his head. “If you continue to believe that, you’ll not succeed in getting her back. There is much more for you to accomplish on your quest than you realize. You have to help set things right.”

  I didn’t want to be tied to anything of that nature. “Sounds like a problem for you supernaturals to deal with, not me.”

  He sighed.

  “It is you, have no doubt in that.” He nodded at the picture of Aniya I’d left sitting on Yvonne’s table during the reading. “That girl drew you here, did she not?”

  I glanced at the solitary photo laying on a black sea of silk. It looked as alone there as my friend probably felt right now.

  “What do you know of her?” I asked. If he had answers, I wanted them.

  “Not much, but she isn’t gonna be easy to get back. I doubt they’ll let her go at this point.”

  “They?”

  “The dark ones. I did my best to make them leave when they took over a few years back, but have only succeeded in keeping most of them out of town. They need to be removed, but the only one who could do it has been put under a spell.”

  I scowled at him. “What does that have anything to do with me and my missing friend?”

  “If you broke the spell, which binds the one we need, all will be set right and you could get your friend back.”

  He was speaking the truth, but that didn’t make me feel better. “Who is this person that is so important?”

  Charlie clasped his hands behind his back. “He is a very old vampire who ruled the supernaturals in this area for more than four decades before he was removed from power. His name is Nikolas.”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “And you want me to break a spell so he can come back?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “No.”

  “You’ll have to do it, Melena, if you want to save your friend. Resist the things I’m telling you now, but it will make things harder for you in the future. You know this to be true. Your abilities would tell you if I lied.”

  I flinched. Maybe I should try a different line of questioning. “How do you know my name?”

  He smiled. “I know many things.”

  I stepped toward the door.

  “That isn’t possible. Now let me pass.” My voice might have come out a shade panicky, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “Very well. Go now, sensor, but remember my words. You’ll do the right thing when the time comes.”

  He bowed his head and moved aside. Yvonne said nothing during this time. She had listened to our conversation, but hadn’t given any feelings away. As an afterthought, I grabbed the picture of Aniya off the table before turning back to the shaman.

  “Will you be warning the dark ones about me?”

  “Your secret is safe with us.” He nodded toward Yvonne to include her. “We are no threat to you.”

  He told the truth and, for now, that was enough for me. I nodded and walked out.

  His parting words floated over me as I rushed away. “May the wisdom of your ancestors guide you.”

  What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  Chapter Six

  Three days of fruitless searching, along with daily lunches at Emily’s, and I found myself returning to the one place Aniya had been seen. No one else had recognized her and my options were running out.

  It had been frustrating, going from one establishment to another as I tried to ignore the warning Charlie had given me. No matter what my senses said about his honesty, I didn’t know him or trust him. After visiting Pioneer Park, I checked other places including more bars, restaurants, and shops. To be thorough, I even stopped by a few clinics and the hospital, but not one trace of her could be found.

  My ability to work around sups had become better. I’d even followed a few in the hopes they would lead me back to Aniya. They seemed to be everywhere, in one form or another, but no new leads had come up. Each day that passed pushed my sense of urgency higher until coming back here was the only choice I had left.

  Everything at the bar looked the same as my last visit, except now it was Friday night and most of the twenty-plus tables were full. Luckily for me, a small table in a semi-dark corner was vacated by a young couple right after my arrival. I managed to grab it before anyone else got there.

  Matt showed up about fifteen minutes later. He appeared to be alone this time, since his friend was nowhere in sight. Deciding he would make a better companion than some of the other patrons, I motioned him over. His eyes lit up in recognition when he saw me.

  "Have a seat,” I offered.

  He smiled and took the chair I indicated. "Didn't expect to see you here after your quick getaway the other night."

  I shrugged. "Something came up, sorry."

  "So, what are you doing here tonight?”

  “What does it look like?” I held my drink up.

  "Yeah, I guess that was a dumb question,” he admitted. “Any luck finding your friend?”

  "No.” I sighed. "Still searching."

  His brows drew together. "It’s weird that she disappeared like that without a trace.”

  “Yes, it is,” I said. Of course, now I had a better idea of why. The vampires had her.

  "I have to admit, if my best friend was missing, I’d be out searching too.” He shook his head. “Hav
e you tried talking to the police?”

  "Yeah, but they won't help. They think she ran off with some guy she met here and will turn up eventually."

  Matt took a chug of his beer. "Are you sure that isn't what happened? She looked mighty comfortable with that guy I saw her with..."

  I slammed my drink down. The remnants splashed from the glass and sprayed across the table. Matt froze in his seat, face lined in shock. All the frustration I’d kept bottled inside came rising to the top. I gave him the glare to end all glares.

  "Don't you think I know my best friend well enough to recognize when something is wrong? She wouldn't abandon the people she cares about. The life she was building for herself. You don't know anything about her!”

  Several people nearby turned to look at us. Matt flushed at their attention and raised his hands in surrender.

  "I wasn’t trying to offend you,” he said in a calm voice. “The first step is to eliminate the obvious. You have to know that."

  I continued to glower at him, my teeth grinding to keep from saying anything I would regret. It wasn’t easy, but more people were watching us now. I didn’t want to make things worse. That much of my common sense still functioned.

  "Look, I didn't mean to make you mad. Sorry to have upset you.” Matt stood. A hurt expression covered his face. “Good luck finding your friend.”

  Guilt crept up as I watched him walk away. His back was ramrod straight. He wasn’t the enemy, the sups were. Matt had been trying to help. It didn’t make sense to jump down his throat for something he had no part in. I needed to get myself together and remember where to direct my frustrations.

  Plus, I didn’t want to scare him off—the arrival of several vamps in the parking lot prompted me to be reasonable. They had impeccable timing. I’d been so caught up in my anger, their presence hadn't even blipped on my radar. In a desperate bid, I called out to him.

  "Wait, Matt, come back.”

  He turned and raised an inquiring brow.

  "Please...sit. Let's start over.” People were staring at us again, but I didn’t care. The vamps were making their way toward the building and the tension was building in my head. They loved finding people sitting alone and I didn’t want to be their next meal. In my case, blood would tell.