Born in the Shadows (In the Shadows Series Book 1)

by Courtney McPhail

  He wished that he had said something different the last time he saw her. There is nothing wrong with the way you look. Those words had been echoing through his brain, as if they were mocking him with what a fucking joke they were. He should have told her she was gorgeous in his eyes and anyone who didn’t see it was a dipshit. He should have waited for her after work and asked her out for those drinks like he wanted.

  Maybe if she had, she wouldn’t have been wherever she was when she had been killed. Maybe she would still be alive.

  These were the thoughts that kept him up at night. And if he was having them now, it meant he wasn’t even close to the level of fucked up he needed to be to make it through the night. He waved to the bartender, indicating that he needed a refill, stat.

  The old man behind the bar shook his head. “Sorry pal, I think you’ve had enough.”

  Fucking figured. In a dive bar like this, the old man had seen more than a few people intent on killing themselves with liquor and knew the signs. Well bully for him wanting to be the hero. He’d just hit up the liquor store on the way home and continue poisoning himself in private.

  He rose from the stool, swaying slightly before his balance was restored and he left the bar. The fresh night air was like a slap in the face and he felt his head clear slightly, his feet becoming steadier beneath him.

  Which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Time to hit the liquor store. Like hell he was going to lose the buzz he had worked hard to get.

  He passed couples and groups of people on the sidewalks, smiling and laughing, heading off to enjoy their night. He wanted to tell them that they were idiots for being happy, that at any moment the people they cared about could be taken from them.

  But he kept his mouth shut. He knew he reeked of booze and standing on the sidewalk yelling at strangers was just going to get him a night in the drunk tank. Or tossed in the loony bin for a seventy-two hour vacation.

  He stood impatiently at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, wanting to get away from everyone. He heard loud laughter from the opposite corner and looked over to glare at the group waiting for the light like him. A tall man who looked like a linebacker for a pro football team was flanked by a dark haired Amazon and a redheaded bombshell. Looked like the guy was having the time of his life as the women hung on his every word. The red head laughed and Gabe felt his heart jump as the sound lit off memories in him.

  It wasn’t possible. His mind was playing tricks on him. He stared intently at the redhead, studying her. Copper curls piled up on her head, a few curls dangling down around her shoulders to glint in the light of the street lamp. Long legs led up to a black skirt that hugged her ass and hips, which were swaying seductively as she balanced on her high heeled boots. She wore a black corset that was either silk or satin judging from the way the fabric shimmered in the lamplight.

  Yep, his brain was definitely fucking with him. That woman definitely wasn’t his Cordelia. His Cordelia wore jeans and sneakers and her hair was always pulled back.

  He wondered if this was his future. Would he always think it was Cordelia whenever he caught a glimpse of a woman with even the slightest resemblance?

  The woman’s laughter continued and there was that electric tingle in his veins again. He could swear she sounded just like Cordelia. He watched the group as they crossed the intersection and headed in the direction he had come from.

  He knew he should just shrug it off and head home, skipping the stop at the liquor store. Obviously, his grey matter needed a break from the booze bath if he was seeing Cordelia in strangers. But instead, an instinct he couldn’t name had him turning around and following the trio. He stayed on the opposite side on the street, his eyes glued to the linebacker as he ushered the women through the crowds.

  When they turned a corner, Gabe darted across the street, a car horn blaring at him but he ignored it. He didn’t want to lose them. When he reached the corner and looked down the side street, he saw the group had stopped at a doorway.

  He had spent a good deal of time down here on the Danforth and he had never noticed the doorway before. Then again it was just a non-descript grey metal door in a brick wall and you wouldn’t even know it led to anything important if it hadn’t been for the very large bouncer standing in front of it.

  The bouncer and the linebacker bumped fists before exchanging a few words. The bouncer held out a hand to the redhead and she smiled brightly as she shook it. Her head turned and for the first time, Gabe was able to see the woman’s face straight on.

  He felt like he had been kicked in the gut and he had to put a hand on the building next to him to steady himself. Though there was something slightly different about her appearance, it was definitely her.

  She was alive.

  He wanted to run to her and grab her up in his arms. He wanted to yell out her name. He wanted to do something to get her attention, to have her see him and acknowledge him, just to know for sure it really was Cordelia.

  But fear kept him paralyzed and they disappeared inside, the bouncer moving back to his place in front of the door. What if he did call out and it wasn’t her? He was half in the bag; this could all be some alcohol-fuelled hallucination.

  But he was so sure. Some instinct inside him told him it was true and all the logic and reason in the world wouldn’t quiet it. It was that instinct that finally got his feet moving down the street.

  The bouncer was in the classic get-up. Black jacket and pants, an earpiece and mirrored sunglasses so you could never tell where they were looking. The fact that he was a towering mass of muscle said that this place was serious about its security. This was going to take finesse.

  Gabe stood in front of him, trying to appear relaxed and sober. Swaying and slurring his words were going to do him no favours. As much as part of him demanded he shove the guy aside so he could get to Cordelia, he remained calm, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans as he nodded at the bouncer.

  “Evening.”

  “Members only,” the guy responded without even looking at him.

  “I’m a friend of Cordelia’s. She called me and told me to meet her here. She’s got curly red hair, blue eyes. She probably came in with a big guy and a dark haired woman. You remember them?”

  The guy gave him a slow once over from head to toe and Gabe got a chill. Even though he couldn’t see his eyes, Gabe could feel them assessing every inch of him, as if they was able to see all of his strengths and weaknesses.

  “Like I told you, members only.”

  “Please, just tell me, the redhead that came through here, was her name Cordelia?”

  “Now, I thought you said that this Cordelia told you to come here.” Okay so the guy hadn’t been hired just for his muscles, he had a brain in there. “Why don’t you tell me what you want with that girl so bad?”

  “I just…I need to know if she is who I think she is.”

  “And who do you think she is?”

  “A friend of mine.”

  The bouncer shook his head, his mouth a hard line. “Look buddy, this isn’t the place for you. Best for you to just move along.”

  No fucking way was that happening.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, flashing it at the bouncer. “How much?”

  The bouncer was silent for a few moments, his face unmoving and his shaded eyes giving nothing away. “Five hundred.”

  “Fine,” Gabe said, pulling out the bills, glad that he had cashed his last pay cheque earlier that night. He held out the cash for the bouncer, who kept his hands behind his back as he continued with more of the silent staring.

  “Come on, take it and let me in.”

  “You really want in that bad, huh?”

  “Yes. I need to talk to her. It’s the only way I’m going to know…” he trailed off, realizing that “If she’s alive or dead.” was not the best way to end that sentence. That sort of crazy talk would get him a lifetime ban.

  “Keep your money. I d
on’t like to stand between someone who wants something as bad as you do.”

  Gabe was shocked at the sudden change but he quickly stuffed his money back in his wallet when the bouncer reached for the door handle. When he opened the door, dance music pumped out into the street and Gabe could see the flashes of coloured lights and feel the deep bass vibrate through him.

  “Be careful in there. Like I said, this isn’t the place for you,” the bouncer said, smiling for the first time. The hairs on the back of Gabe’s neck stood on end when he saw the long, white fangs flashing in the streetlights.

  And they weren’t the plastic kind you got at Halloween; they were honest to God fangs. Christ, this must be one of those weird hardcore Goth clubs that people talked about being hidden around the city.

  A couple of the younger guys at work had ended up at one a few years back. They had said the place was filled with a bunch of vampire wannabes, some going as far as wearing strange coloured contact lens and having fake fangs implanted.

  It was the last place he would think to find Cordelia. The doubts about his sanity rose up to taunt him again.

  You’re drunk, you think you saw her alive, going into some Goth club. Yeah that makes perfect sense.

  It didn’t matter that it was insane. He was desperate and he was going to hold on to whatever small hope he could find.

  He walked through the door and down a short hallway before emerging into the club proper. A rainbow of lights flashing to the beat of the techno music lit up the large space. A bar lined with black lights was set against the far wall and a dance floor took up most of the space. It was filled with bodies grinding against each other in a mass of flesh, leather and sweat.

  Gabe skirted the edge of the dance floor, searching the throng of people for a glimpse of Cordelia. As he made his way through the crowd at the bar, he noticed that there wasn’t any set dress code for the place. There were men and women decked out in designer suits and dresses standing next to club kids in skimpy outfits and clashing colors. Black leather and silver studs has equal representation with glow sticks and multicoloured hairdos.

  Gabe was jostled by the crowd moving around the bar and he bumped into someone hard. He turned to see it was just a kid, no more than twenty with long black hair with a severe widow’s peak. He wore heavy black eyeliner and his face appeared to be painted white. His long leather duster and the studded collar around his neck marked him as a Goth kid. He had probably been a nerdy outcast in high school and at graduation reinvented himself as some bad ass in touch with the supernatural. Gabe didn’t buy that line of bullshit for a moment. The kid looked like a stiff breeze would knock over his spindly body.

  “Watch where you are going,” the Goth kid growled at him and Gabe saw that instead of normal canines the kid had fangs just like the bouncer.

  “Whatever kid,” Gabe replied, brushing him off and focusing again on his search for Cordelia.

  Before he could move further into the club, a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder and he found himself being spun around to face another Dracula wannabe. This one was in the same type of get up as the kid but he had enough meat on his bones to fill out the duster.

  “Who did you come with tonight, human?”

  Gabe felt ice fill his veins as he stared into Faux Dracula’s eyes. There was no black eyeliner and white face paint here. His eyes were an eerie red, as if his irises were carved from rubies. Fear began to curl in his belly as he continued to stare into those eyes but it was quickly quashed as everything around him became fuzzy and out of focus. All he could see was Faux Dracula.

  “Who did you come with tonight, human?”

  Gabe’s instincts said to tell the stranger to piss off but the seductive lilt of his voice kept Gabe rooted to the floor and compelled him to tell the stranger the truth.

  “I didn’t come with anyone. I saw someone I know come in here and I followed her.”

  “Does she know you are here?”

  “No, I haven’t found her yet.”

  “Do you belong to her?”

  “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  “Excellent.”

  Faux Dracula pushed on his shoulder, urging Gabe to turn around. He leaned down to whisper in Gabe’s ear, his moist breath striking his neck and making his flesh crawl.

  “Let’s go find somewhere more private. I’m starving.”

  His words ignited fear in Gabe but his body responded to Faux Dracula’s direction and began to walk towards the back of the club. He was no longer in control of his body. Somehow he’d been forced to take the passenger seat in his mind. He tried to scream but no sound came from his mouth, the plea for help echoing impotently in his mind.

  Wherever he was going, he knew it wasn’t a good place.

  ***

  Cordelia didn’t mind that Mary had been right. She had gone outside her comfort zone and found herself actually enjoying her night at Roxy. Which threw her for a loop because this was so not her. Or at least, the her she used to be when she was human.

  And maybe that was a good thing. She couldn’t go back to her old life after the change so why try to be her same old self. This was an opportunity to break out of the mediocrity that had been her human life and try something a bit more adventurous.

  Though sitting in the VIP section of a nightclub didn’t exactly rate super high on the adventure scale, it was still a big step for her. And a lot of fun. They had been joined by two other Shadow Walkers, Katerina and Zeke, whom Mary had introduced as old friends of the clan.

  Katerina reminded Cordelia of a fairy from one of the picture books she had as a child. She was tiny, even smaller than Anne, which made her doe eyes that were the color of topaz seem even larger. Her hair was a riot of blonde waves that reached her waist. Her nose was tiny and turned up slightly at the tip. Her mouth was a perfect Cupid’s bow and the pink gloss that she wore made her lips appear plumper. Her skin was flawless and the strapless black Versace dress she wore was an excellent contrast against her pale skin.

  Cordelia had found it hard to tear her gaze away from Katerina’s entrancing beauty. Unfortunately her other option was just as captivating. Zeke was a dead ringer for Josh Dumal, who Cordy had always found gorgeous. Spiky brown hair and a five o’clock shadow that coloured his strong jaw line gave him a rugged appearance. He was dressed head to toe in Armani; a pin striped tuxedo shirt, the first two buttons undone at the collar and black pants. He wasn’t as big as Demetri but the way he carried himself indicated that he could do as much damage as Demetri could with his large muscles.

  He was also quite the flirt and Cordelia found herself basking in his compliments and smiles. Mary had also been right about this. It was nice to have the attention of an attractive man. Sure, she had no intention of doing anything with Zeke and she was pretty certain it was harmless on his side but it was still nice.

  She felt damn good. She was strong, she was beautiful, she was surrounded by family and friends who had shown her a place she belonged and she was actually having fun. Everything seemed perfect. She had to remember to thank Mary for getting her to come out tonight.

  As she relaxed in the leather booth, listening to Demetri and Zeke relate the story of the time they had attended one of the first Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, a familiar scent tickled her nose. A spicy mix of sawdust and pine rose above the general smell of alcohol, sweat and sex that permeated the club. The scent tugged at her memories but she couldn’t quite place it. She scanned the area and some internal alarm went off when she noticed a Shadow Walker in leather leading a man towards the washrooms in back.

  She now knew why the scent was so familiar as memories of a handsome blond with a dazzling smile popped to the surface of her mind.

  What the hell was Gabe doing here?

  He disappeared around the corner with the male as she watched, trying to think of any reason why Gabe would be at Roxy. He’d never once expressed an interest in going to a nightclub. Even if he had ended up at the club
by some circumstance, Gabe had never seemed like the type to head somewhere private with another man.

  She didn’t wait for a response from the others when she told them she would be right back, making a beeline for the washrooms. It only took a few moments to catch up with them just before the washroom doors and she grabbed Gabe’s arm, bringing all of them to a halt.

  The Shadow Walker spun around to glare at her and she was surprised to find herself not entranced by him as she had the other Shadow Walkers she had met. The scent of cigarillos and cheap cologne clung to him and the sickly sweetness turned her stomach. His fiery eyes made that internal alarm of hers ring even louder instead of mesmerizing her. There was nothing appealing about him at all.

  He took a moment to look her over before clearly dismissing her as someone of no importance. He sneered at her, his voice a combination of annoyance and impatience. “What do you think you are doing?”

  She lifted her chin in defiance and tried to mimic Mary’s authoritative tone. “Where are you taking him?”

  “I’m taking him out for a nice steak dinner,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Where the hell do you think I’m taking him?”

  His tone was meant to cow her into submission but it wasn’t working. She wasn’t going to let this thing touch Gabe.

  “This one isn’t on the menu tonight.”

  “He hasn’t been marked so he’s not yours. Are you challenging me for the right to his vein?”

  She didn’t know what the hell he meant but she knew she had to save Gabe from him.

  “Yes I am so back the hell off.”

  She pulled Gabe closer to her and took a moment to look him over; making sure the male hadn’t done anything to hurt him. There were no obvious wounds but his eyes were glassy and she saw no flash of recognition when he looked at her.

  “You screwed with his mind, didn’t you? God, you’re an asshole.”