Scarlet Night: The Complete Trilogy

by Megan J. Parker

  “I think you should go, Keith,” Zoey floated gracefully to the rooftop with another three parking meters orbiting her in an auric grip, “before I’m forced to create a job-opening in The Council!”

  “Gah!” Keith gripped the hunk of metal protruding from him and winced in pain, his aura whipping and darting chaotically, “You wretch! You sodding—Ah! Dammit!—interfering little whelp! I’ll see to it that you’re all made examples of!” Focusing his aura, Keith gripped the meter and yanked it free, crying out as he did. As his breathing steadied, he narrowed his eyes at Serena, “I don’t know what you think is going to happen, but you’ll see in time the error of becoming involved with these peons!”

  “God dammit, Keith! What is this all about?” Serena demanded, drawing back her auric bow.

  Standing, he shook his head, “In due time, Serena. When I’m not…” he glanced at his bleeding shoulder, “When I’m better equipped to handle my affairs, I’ll see about showing you some degree of mercy.”

  Serena drew back her aura, preparing to strike, “Don’t do me any favors, you little shit!”

  Keith simpered and shrugged, stepping away from the three and towards the rooftop’s edge, “Consider it sibling hospitality, then, but I assure you that you’ll not want what’s coming to them.”

  And then he was gone; vanishing into overdrive.

  “God damn you, Keith!” Serena snarled, releasing her aura and running to where he’d been standing in the hopes of seeing some sign of him in the distance, “Don’t you dare run off! You fucker! Get you and your cryptic bullshit back here NOW!” She screamed out.

  “Serena, stop! He’s gone!” Zoey was still shaking from earlier. She turned to Zane’s unconscious body and shook her head, “We need to get him to the clinic! Fast!”

  “But what about—” Serena frowned as the first wail of sirens sounded in the distance. She knew that the cops, fire department, EMT, and anybody else with any authority in the humans’ world would be crawling all over the place soon enough, and it was in their better interests to not be standing around —beaten, bloody, and accompanying an unconscious, naked man—when they arrived. She growled and nodded, abandoning her hopes of tailing Keith, “Let’s go.”

  “Thank God for small favors!” Serena grumbled as she used her aura to steal the keys to one of the cars on the dealership’s lot, “I don’t know what we’d do if I had to try and hotwire a ride.”

  “I still don’t see why we have to steal the car!” Zoey frowned, hoisting Zane into the back seat of the convertible with her aura.

  Serena sighed, “Because I left my checkbook at home! God, Zoey, are you serious? If we’re standing around when they flashing lights show up do you think us jacking a car when there’s all this”—she motioned to all the damage in the streets and finished her arc with a nod to Zane—“is really going to be their main focus? We’ll be lucky if we aren’t brought in as terrorists! Besides, he’s too heavy for us to carry and I can’t travel with both of you in overdrive!”

  Zoey blushed. “I suppose that’s true…”

  “Fuckin’ A it’s true! Now get in!” Serena hopped over the driver-side door and nestled into the cushioned leather seat and ran her fingers over the steering wheel with her left hand as she fed the stolen key into the ignition. “Oh, baby! Where you been all my life?”

  Zoey frowned and looked over. “What was that?”

  Serena pouted and shrugged, “I said ‘this’ll have to do’.”

  Zoey frowned and shook her head, sighing nervously. “Should we at least leave a note or something?” she asked, chewing her lip.

  “Nah. The thing’s probably insured, and if it’s not they have it coming. Besides, what would you write? ‘So sorry to have stolen your car. Better luck next time’? Yea, real badass!” she shook her head and shifted into gear before slamming the accelerator to the floor and rocketing out of the lot; “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  Zoey whimpered, pressing her hands against the dashboard to secure herself, “I… I think I left it back there, actually!”

  Serena rolled her eyes and turned sharply onto the next street, running the light and hopping the curb as she did. “Shit! The steering’s loose! Piece of junk!” she frowned as the sirens’ wails grew louder and she realized they were coming from ahead. “Aw, dammit! Zoey, a little help?”

  “If I do will you slow down?”

  “Not likely, but at least we won’t have an entourage of law-enforcement following us all the way back to the clan!”

  Zoey groaned in defeat.

  Serena smiled, “Knew I could count on you!”

  As the emergency response crew neared, both Serena and Zoey’s auras darted out, entering each and every mind and cloaking their escape as they passed.

  “God damn, Zoey! We make one hell of a—” the headlights of an ambulance caught the windshield as it changed lanes, the driver unaware of the car in its path due to the pair’s auric blinders, and Serena flinched as the impending collision approached. In an instant, the world around them went blue as Zoey’s aura wrapped around the car and yanked it to the left and out of the path of destruction. “Holy shit!” Serena’s eyes went wide as she watched the tail lights of the ambulance disappear in the rearview mirror, “I mean, wow; that was adventurous, huh? Look at that, they took off the mirror on your side!” she cackled and slapped her left knee, “Damn, Zoey! I should drive with you more often!”

  “I think I’m going to be sick!” Zoey cried out, still bracing herself.

  “Oh c’mon, ya big baby! We did it!” Serena laughed wildly as she ran another light to make a hair-pin turn.

  “Oh god! We’re going to die!” Zoey squeaked.

  “Is he going to be okay?” Zoey’s already soft voice was nervous and shaken.

  Zane groaned and struggled to open his eyes, but found his lids heavy and unresponsive. He sighed and, still rolling on what he assumed was a sedative-induced calm, enjoyed the serenity while it lasted. Though he couldn’t see, he recognized the energies of the clan and found further comfort in knowing that they’d made it back safely.

  And that was about all that made sense to him at that moment.

  He recalled the fight—the familiar rage and the overpowering impulse to murder and destroy—and he also remembered seeing Serena.

  And then he remembered…

  Clarity?

  Peace?

  That couldn’t have been right. Nothing about the curse was clear, and there certainly was nothing peaceful about it; nothing! Perhaps Serena or Zoey had altered his memories to cover up some horrible act…?

  He was just beginning to test his mental condition to see if something hinted towards auric tampering when a second voice interrupted his thoughts; “It looks like he won’t have any prolonged injuries. His wounds were pretty severe, but his… er, unique condition seems to have repaired a lot of the damage. He’s also responding positively to the enchanted synth-blood we have him on, but we’re still monitoring for any lingering damage to his psyche. We should know for certain in a day or two when the swelling in his head’s gone down.”

  “That’s a relief,” Zoey said with a heavy exhale, “The big dummy! This was the second time he’d transformed in less than 24 hours! Every time it happens I can sense his pain from all the way across town! I don’t know how many times he can go through that before his body…” Zoey’s voice trailed off.

  Zane tried to move again—to will some response that would tell Zoey he was awake—but his body was still unresponsive.

  “It’s hard to tell. He’s not built for the process. While I don’t understand exactly what it is that does this, it certainly hasn’t helped him to endure the physical strain. Every time he changes—both into and out of that… thing—his body and his mind are literally broken. He isn’t so much being transformed as something is rebuilding him, but any biological response that could numb or moderate the pain seems to be held back, and if our scans are accurate, then it would appear
the same response is actually keeping his system from going into shock. Not only is the pain not being suppressed, his body’s actually working to stay conscious so he’s forced to endure it! It’s as though whatever it is those tattoos do wanted him—”

  “Listen,” Serena’s voice cut into the med-tech’s explanation, “this is fascinating and all—not to mention incredibly reassuring to hear—but maybe now isn’t the best time. What I’m hearing and what this all boils down to is ‘he’s suffered, he’s suffering, and he’s doomed to suffer yet again’ and while I’m sure this is making Zoey feel so much better—‘cuz, hell, your bedside manner is spot-fucking-on!—I’d say all your reassurance has put us both in such a positive frame of mind that we may just burst into song. Problem is, I’m tone-deaf and I have—get this!—actually killed housecats with my voice. So, while I’m eager to have more of your sunshine blown up our asses, I’d hate to cause an untimely death on your staff with my lyrical exuberance. So how ‘bout you give us a moment alone with our friend, huh?”

  Had it not been for Zane’s inability to speak and move he was certain he’d have fallen out of bed with laughter, and he once again cursed his unresponsive muscles at the realization that he couldn’t applaud the Vailean girl’s superb delivery. The silence—save for the rapid clacking of the med-tech’s retreating footsteps—was both a blessing and a curse. Though he hated the prolonged silence, the explanation had been—though nothing new to him—depressing and unsettling. Thankfully, Serena’s brashness had been more than enough to end it.

  Did she know he was awake?

  Had she done it for his sake?

  Though she had opted not to hear of his curse from their clan’s staff, he was certain that she was far from being over her curiosity. He would, no doubt, still have to explain everything to her sooner or later. If nothing else he owed her that much.

  Hearing her voice had calmed him though, and the more he thought about it the more he was forced to admit that he wasn’t imagining that fact. No matter how he approached the situation, there was no denying that the monster’s destructive nature had been squelched upon her arrival; had allowed his reason and focus to return so he could keep them both alive.

  But why?

  Why would the beast’s fury—a fury that had proven on many occasions to dwindle only after everything and everyone around it had been destroyed—yield to anybody.

  And why her?

  Could her ties to Gregori truly be that influential on something that was nothing less than rage and chaos incarnate?

  Surely it couldn’t be her gender; the beast didn’t care for anyone. Male or female.

  And none of the women on his mile-long list of past flings had ever swayed or stayed the perpetual mayhem in his mind.

  Hell! The only impact they’d had on it was encouraging him to make it hurt.

  But all the hair-pulling and rough fuck sessions had only ever been just that.

  Nothing but a one night stand.

  So why her?

  Why now?

  He heard more footsteps start up and fade into the distance, followed shortly after by the sound of the door as it was pushed open and then slowly closed with a sigh, and he wondered if he had been left alone with nothing more than his drug-hazed thoughts. He tried again to pry open his eyes, putting all his conscious effort into getting some control—no matter how small; anything to feel like his body was his own—and succeeded in getting them to gradually flutter open and was rewarded with a bright white light that bled past his parted lids. As the beams of fluorescence assaulted his wide pupils he hissed and tried to turn his face away.

  “Jeez!” Serena jumped a short ways away as his noise and movement cut through the still silence, “God! You big dummy! Scared me to Hell-and-back! Oh, and for the record, you should’ve left your eyes closed.” Serena’s condescending tone was laced with one of concern that gave her away as she leaned over him to adjust the light away—hanging on a swinging fixture over his bed—out of his line of sight.

  He looked around for a moment, relishing in his returning motor functions, and allowed his gaze to finally come to rest on Serena.

  He bit his lip.

  She was so close to him.

  Too close to him!

  He caught a whiff of her subtle scent—sweet and floral with something spicy mingled throughout, and visions of cherry blossoms and cinnamon sticks surfaced in his mind—and, getting lost in the enticing aroma, allowed himself to inhale it further again and again. It was too compelling to experience only once; demanding to be recognized and worshipped repeatedly. It was the smell of nature and beauty. Her long hair—the color of sunlight reflected on fresh snow—was tied back into a tight ponytail, and while he found the vision an enticing one, he couldn’t help but feel a tugging desire to pull it free of its confines. He frowned as he caught his left hand shifting and beginning to rise towards her and forced himself to pull away, shaking his head softly at himself.

  He would never allow himself to fall in love; could never allow himself to fall in love.

  Not with anyone!

  Not with this curse!

  Destroying everything and everyone was what it thrived upon, and any feelings he had for anybody would make it all the more painful when he tore their still-beating hearts from their fractured ribcages.

  “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” she asked softly.

  He sighed, keeping his gaze locked to the sterile-white ceiling tiles, “I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear it.”

  “Did Keith do it? Was he the one who killed my father?” Her voice was shaking, but he couldn’t tell if it was from grief or rage.

  “He…” he growled and closed his eyes again, not wanting to risk seeing her expression upon hearing the truth, “He was. It seems he’s assigned himself with a mission to take this clan apart from the inside. It’s all part of some fucking vendetta against your father, and he knew!”—he felt his hands tighten into sharp fists—“Your father saw it coming and I…” Zane forced himself to settle down. Obviously the drugs were beginning to wear off. “It doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that it was Keith’s doing.”

  Serena pursed her lips and looked away, trying—but failing—to conceal the shimmering wetness in her eyes. After several deep breaths, she opened her mouth and stretched her jaw before deciding she was in control of her emotions.

  Zane knew that look all too well.

  She sighed, “My brother and I never got along; to be honest with you, I don’t think anybody got along with the bastard. He was always up to something—always plotting some terrible new prank or some sadistic new way to torture… well, anybody!—and using our father’s role as leader as a means of getting away with it all.” She shook her head, her face starting to melt into a mask of rage, “He always used power and influence as an excuse to do anything he wanted. He’s never not been a manipulative, fucking dick, and I never did anything to stop it. I was too fucking scared of him!”

  Zane frowned and looked at her, “Serena?”

  She was still shaking her head; still staring off with growing fury, “I think this fight has always been mine. He hated that Daddy saw me as his princess—as the only one fit to take over the Clan of Vail—and now he’s using the fear I had of him when we were children to try and scare me away from this. All so he can prove that our father’s judgment was wrong. I just was too selfish to fight back…” she confessed, “… until now.”

  Zane’s eyes widened and he stared, dumbfounded and awed, “Then… you’re accepting the clan? You’ll help us?”

  “Bitch, please! I am done being under that arrogant turd’s boot. Besides, you wouldn’t make it that far without me, anyway!” She gave him a coy grin before shaking her head, “I can’t help but wonder how he’s gotten control of The Council’s approval for all of this, though…”

  “He hasn’t. Well, not completely, at least. Not yet. He still needs…” Zane sighed, shaking his head as he paused. Realizing for the f
irst time that they were the only two in the room and what that meant. He frowned, “Where’s Zoey?”

  5

  Downfall

  Zoey was exhausted.

  The end result of the previous night’s chaos had all-but driven her six feet under, and seeing Zane laid out on in the infirmary was just too much for her. While she wanted nothing more than to drop into her bed and allow sleep to consume her, she was unable to get settled enough to sleep. For nearly four hours she tossed and turned—her fleeting moments of sleep haunted by visions of the strange therion from the forest—and, upon each awakening, she was forced to admit more and more the impact he had had on her.

  When it was finally dark enough for her to sneak out without notice, she quickly took advantage of the situation; using her aura to scan for potential witnesses and seeing to it that they would recall witnessing nothing. Though there was a twinge of guilt at using her abilities against her own clan-mates—and for such selfish and, moreover, childish pursuits—she couldn’t shake her hopes to finally have some time to herself in the forest.

  Though she was secretly pining that she wouldn’t be alone.

  Sighing and allowing her mind to wander, she let her surroundings become a distant thought until she was finally in the depths of the forest. While she knew that she had the power to seek out the source of her restlessness with her aura, she momentarily abandoned her hopes from the fear that he wouldn’t want to see her again and went to her regular spot in the center of a clearing where the canopy of trees opened up just enough to allow her to see the moon. Settling in the rim of this clearing, she leaned against one of the thicker tree trunks that served as the dividing line and closed her eyes as her thoughts shifted once again to the therion from the previous night. She bit her lip and lifted her hand to her chest; she knew it was wrong to obsess over somebody that was, for all intents and purposes, the enemy, but she was unable to think about the therion as anything evil or malicious. Again and again she pushed the thoughts below the surface of her bubbling mind, yet, each time, they would burst back to the surface—that much stronger and more compelling—and she felt her heartbeat quicken and lodge itself in her throat.