Kissed by Darkness

by Shéa MacLeod

  “I didn’t turn.” I wanted to feel relieved, but I didn’t. Not yet. Not until I was sure. “Wait. Vampires are real?” What I’d seen already told me they were real, but I wanted someone to tell me I wasn’t crazy and she was the only one there in that cold, bright room.

  This time her smile was pure and true. “No. No you didn’t turn. You’re still human. And yes, vampires are real. So are a lot of other nasty things you’ve probably never heard of.”

  “Then I’m OK? I’m not going to turn into … into …” I couldn’t say it. I didn’t even want to know what she meant by ‘other nasty things.’ I was still trying to get over the fact that vampires were not only real, but they weren’t the dazzling, beautiful creatures of Hollywood. The creature that had attacked me had been anything but sexy. Damn. There went a couple of my favorite fantasies.

  She shrugged. “I still don’t know. It’s been three days. If you were going to turn you should have done it within the first twenty-four hours. Since you haven’t, I think we can safely say you’re not going to.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods.”

  “Yeah, you should definitely be thanking somebody. Nobody survives a vampire attack like that without turning. Nobody.” She looked me over as though I were an interesting new specimen. I stood my ground and refused to squirm. Points to me.

  “Good, you’ll do.” Her expression went from cool curiosity to warm approval that fast. It threw me just a little, but it also made me feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside. Acceptance always feels good, even when you don’t really know why you’re being accepted.

  I gave her a baffled look. I was feeling decidedly confused and a little bit lost. “Do for what?”

  She stripped off the binding on my wrists then stuck her hand out. I took it gingerly and she gave my hand a firm shake. “I’m Kabita Jones, Class 1 Vampire Hunter and Demon Slayer. Welcome to my world, Morgan Bailey.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So you survived a vampire attack. And rather well, I might add.” Eddie took out a handkerchief, polished his glasses and popped them back in place. His brown eyes danced with excitement behind the thick lenses. I guess Eddie was a bit of a second-hand adventure junkie. I repressed a grin at the thought.

  “Yeah, well lucky for me, the street where I lived was a popular spot for paramedics on their dinner breaks. It was an ambulance pulling up that scared the vampire away. The guys were able to jump start my heart then rush me to the hospital for a transfusion or twelve. They didn’t know it was a vampire attack, of course. Just thought I was another victim of gang violence.”

  The fact they’d been able to revive me at all with so much blood loss was a major miracle. The reason for the miracle was starting to become obvious no matter how much I wanted to deny it. Even without the transfusions, I would have survived.

  “Your injuries, how bad were they?”

  I shrugged. “Bad enough. I had three broken ribs, my right ulna was snapped in three places, and I had a skull fracture and massive concussion. My kidneys were damaged, my spleen lacerated. I’d also lost a lot of blood, close to drained me. Don’t even get me started on the bruises and the teeth marks. He practically ripped my throat out.” I didn’t even want to think about how many stitches I’d had.

  The British had become very adept at dealing with vampire attacks, as had most of the rest of Europe, since they’d been aware of supernatural beings for centuries and had been fighting them just as long. Like the US and the rest of the European Union, the British government didn’t officially acknowledge the existence of vampires and other creatures, but Hunters were everywhere and plenty of funding existed through MI8, the British Military Intelligence branch responsible for researching the ‘occult’ and identifying threats of a supernatural nature. They weren’t supposed to exist, but then neither were vampires.

  “When I reached the hospital in London, undercover MI8 operatives recognized the true nature of my injuries and immediately shut me away in a special ward and kept me under surveillance. Fortunately for me, British policy prevents killing the infected until they’ve fully turned, just in case.” I’d been really glad of that policy when I finally woke up, though I was convinced the real reason for such a policy was the military’s hope they’d eventually be able to weaponize vampirism.

  I didn’t mention that, though. Didn’t want to sound like a conspiracy nut.

  Eddie pulled at his lower lip. “Interesting policy, since ‘just in case’ has never been an issue.”

  He was right about that. “Nope, never in recorded history. No one has ever been attacked and not turned. Not until me, and not since.” I doubted the Sunwalkers had made it into any official historical documents. They were too careful for that.

  The transmission of vampirism, on the other hand, had been studied by scientists probably since the day the first vampire showed up. There were still a lot of unknown factors when it came to turning into a vampire. Most people who got bitten didn’t turn, though there were some who did succumb even from the simplest of bites. I supposed in the same way that some people were more prone to getting the flu than others. But an attack like mine where the victim actually died after being nearly drained meant turning was inevitable.

  “I’m surprised they didn’t stick you in a lab and study you.”

  I shrugged. “They might have if it hadn’t been for Kabita. She’s got some clout over there.” A surprising amount, actually. Something to do with her family, though I’d never understood exactly what. I knew her mother was from India and her father was British and that she’d been raised in Malaysia, but I didn’t know anything else about her family ties. I tried to talk to her about it once, but she shut me down so fast I’d never brought it up again. Sometimes being a friend meant knowing when not to pry.

  “And she got you into the Hunting game.” He folded his hands over his ivory colored waistcoat-clad tummy. I nodded. “She trained me, gave me a job. She doesn’t like dealing with vampires, so I took over hunting them while she stuck with anything demon related.

  “After I’d been working with her for about a year, the US government started recruiting. They didn’t have enough trained Hunters and Europe was practically overflowing with them. Since Inigo was already living here, and it was my home turf, it was a natural fit.” I shrugged. “She changed my life. I owe her a lot.”

  How different my life might have been if it had been someone else who’d come to the hospital that day instead of Kabita. I’d probably still be locked up in a lab somewhere. Worse, if they’d figured out what I really was, they probably would have tried to turn me into some kind of weapon.

  He gave me a shrewd look. “So, I take it you healed faster than you should have?”

  I grinned. “Yes, but that was probably the least weird thing that happened. After I got out of the hospital and started training as a Hunter, I realized a few other new things about myself.”

  Like the fact I was faster and stronger than a human should be, not to mention I could heal not just fast, but almost instantly. And then there was the whole Spidey sense thing when it came to vampires. I still hadn’t mentioned the Sunwalker theory, but I had a feeling Eddie was getting there on his own. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  He pulled at his lip some more, frown lines creasing his brow. “So you inherited many of the Nightwalker’s characteristics, without actually turning into one. Interesting. This Darkness thing is new, is it? You’ve never been able to do anything like it before?”

  I shook my head. “Not even close. It’s only been since we took on this new client. It happened after I met with him, before I met Jack. The Sunwalker.”

  He smiled. “Oh yes, the Sunwalker.”

  I glared at him. He cleared his throat, an expression of amusement on his face. Cheeky git. “To be perfectly honest, this is all new to me. I’ve never heard of anything quite like it.” He frowned. “No, I take that back. I do recall … “

  He jumped up without anot
her word and headed for the hole in the floor and that damned aluminum ladder. “Come on. We need the Book.” With that, he disappeared down the ladder.

  Oh, joy. More ladder climbing. I shook off disturbing memories of the past as well as worries about my future and headed down the ladder to join Eddie. He already had the Book out. The thick creamy pages made a rustling sound as he flipped through.

  “OK, hmm … yes. This is it.” He poked his finger at a page in the book brightly rimmed with beautifully painted orange and gold flames. In the center of the page was a picture of a cloaked figure standing in the middle of a ring of fire. The fine brush strokes made the fire almost leap off the page, they looked so real. The figure’s hands were cupped in front, a small flame dancing between them. The rest of the page was filled with bold, black writing in what appeared to be Latin.

  Eddie quickly scanned the writing. “Yes, I thought so. These were the Elemental Mages.”

  “Say what?” Was it my imagination, or were the flames on the page actually dancing?

  “Elemental Mages. There aren’t very many of them left anymore and their powers are pretty much, well, they don’t really have any.” His finger traced the flame glowing between the Mage’s hands. “But a thousand years ago or so Elemental Mages had the most incredible powers. They were more powerful than any other magic practitioner ever recorded.”

  “I take it they were into the elements.” My voice was probably a tad drier than necessary. Honestly, sometimes I wished my life would stop with all the magical mysteriousness.

  “As the name would imply, yes, they worshipped the four elements as living beings, as gods. Each Mage chose an Element to worship: earth, air, fire or water. That element also became his, or her, element to call. They could quite literally channel that element through their bodies. They believed it was the gods giving them strength and power.”

  “What did they do with the element when they’d channeled it?”

  “Oh all sorts of things.” He was on a roll now, becoming more and more animated, hands waving about to emphasize his story.

  “Water Mages could channel water to create rain for crops or into troughs for livestock during drought. They could even hold back rivers during flood season. Fire Mages could keep fires burning for days without fuel so their people wouldn’t freeze during winter. Air Mages could speed boats on their course or lighten the impact of hurricanes, and Earth Mages could carve out roads or even encourage plants to grow. Amazing.”

  “But?” I knew there was a ‘but.’ People were people, after all, and there was something to the old saying that power corrupts.

  There was a hint of sadness and anger in his voice. “But there was a use for their powers which was very dark indeed. Much like your Darkness, they could also channel their elements while in battle and use them as a weapon. It made them stronger, faster, more deadly, and nearly impossible to kill.”

  There was more. I could tell from the hard look in his eyes that there was more and it scared me just a little. “Isn’t it good? Being hard to kill? Especially in my case, since I’m fighting vampires.”

  “It would be,” he agreed. “Except that the Elemental Mages became addicted to the power and it was a power not meant for humans to wield, even those with magic in their veins. Eventually, it drove them insane as the craving for power overtook everything else. They nearly destroyed themselves, not to mention the people they were supposed to protect. They eventually had to be hunted down and killed.”

  So, I was teetering on the edge of crazy. Fabulous. That explained a lot. “So my Darkness thing, it’s the same as what the Elementals could do?”

  Eddie pulled at his lower lip again before readjusting his glasses. “I’m not entirely sure. You see the Elemental Mages worked and studied for years before they were able to channel even a small amount of their element. Only the most powerful of them could channel power the way I described, perhaps one in every thousand. Even then, it took many more years of practice to control the power to the point where it could be used as a weapon.”

  “But this just happened to me. I didn’t try or practice or anything. One minute everything was fine and then … ” I shrugged.

  “And you say that now you can control it?” He peered at me over the rim of his glasses.

  “Well, sort of. I seem to be able to call it up now, at least when I’m fighting. I’ve done it a couple of times. The first time I actually called it on purpose it was just kind of, I don’t know, mild. It was there, but it didn’t really help much. Then again I only sort of half tried.”

  I pulled out a stool from behind the counter and plopped my butt on it. “Last night, though, that was something else.” I frowned a little, trying to remember what exactly had happened. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I really thought about it either time. It was just … there. At Pittock Mansion, I didn’t really need it. There were only two of them. Last night I definitely did.”

  His fingers traced the flame along the edge of the page. “And it came when you called it.”

  “Oh, yeah, in a big way. I can’t even remember a lot of what happened. But I’m not sure how much that had to do with me channeling the Darkness and how much was a result of whatever is going on with Inigo.” I shifted uncomfortably on the stool as fuzzy memories of Inigo and I together stirred in my mind.

  “So, no actual control, but it comes when you need it?”

  I thought about it. “Yeah, sounds right. I mean, I haven’t really tried to make it come during the day or when I’m not in a fight so I don’t know if it works when it’s not night time or when I’m not, you know, in mortal danger.”

  “Probably best you don’t.” A little puff of dust danced in the air as he shut the book. “At least until we have a better idea what it is we’re dealing with. Or rather, what it is you are dealing with. If it’s anything like the Elemental Magic, then the more you use it, the more dangerous it becomes. Only … ” He hesitated, obviously wanting to say more, but not sure how.

  “Only?”

  He sighed, “There is no record of Elemental Mages attempting to channel any other power beyond the four physical elements. I suppose if one could channel air, one could also channel light, but there is no mention of anyone trying.”

  He shook his head and started pacing back and forth and muttering to himself, the change in his pocket making a chinking sound as he walked. “But Darkness isn’t Light. Light is something. Darkness is not. It is the absence of light, not a thing in itself. How could one channel such a thing? Surely not. No, it can’t be Elemental Magic, something similar maybe?”

  “Earth to Eddie!” I waved a hand in front of his face. “Still here.”

  “My apologies, Morgan.” He stopped pacing and tapped a finger on the cover of the Book. “I have no idea what’s going on. I’m sorry. I wish I could be more helpful but this is so far beyond anything I’ve read about that I just don’t know.”

  “No biggie.” I shrugged, hopping off the stool. My turn to pace. “We’ll figure it out somehow, right?”

  His smile was a bit wobbly. He didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Of course. Of course. I will keep researching. Perhaps you should question the Sunwalker. Maybe it has something to do with him? Or possibly the amulet you mentioned. Though I don’t see how … ” he trailed off for a moment, lost in thought again, then shook himself. “In the meantime, let’s find out about your friend. I’m interested to see just what powers he might possess. What was his name?”

  “Inigo. Inigo Jones.” I already knew Jack had no idea what my ability to channel the Darkness meant, but I didn’t mention it to Eddie. It was just one more mystery in a long line of them.

  “Ah, yes. How interesting. I’ve heard of people naming their children after celebrities, but an architect?”

  I must have looked baffled because he mumbled something about sixteenth century London and architecture. I swear, sometimes I was surrounded by craziness.

  Eddie, intent on the Book, ignored
me and flipped open the cover. He closed his eyes for a moment and then spoke Inigo’s name. We both watched as the pages riffled through of their own accord and then stopped about a third of the way through. We stared at the page, equally gob smacked.

  “Uh, Eddie, that page is blank,” I said, stating the obvious.

  “Yes it is. How odd.”

  “Is it supposed to be blank?” The empty page seemed to taunt me.

  He flipped the page over and revealed what looked to be some sort of recipe involving bat guano and tree sap. “The Book has a mind of its own.” He flipped back to the blank page.

  Total non-answer. “So it’s done this before?”

  He thought for a moment. “Yes. Once or twice I’ve asked it for something and it simply refused to answer for some reason known only to it.”

  Great. A sentient book, just what I needed. “So it doesn’t know anything? Or maybe it does know what’s up with Inigo and just doesn’t want to tell us?”

  “Most likely the later,” he nodded. “When it doesn’t have the information I need, it usually just flips all the way to the back cover and stops. I would imagine that a blank page means it knows, but isn’t telling.”

  Even better a sentient book with attitude. Wonderful.

  He closed the book and turned to me. “I’m sorry, Morgan. I wish I could have been of more help.” He looked crestfallen.

  I reached out and squeezed his arm. “Eddie, you have helped. More than you know. I really needed someone to talk to who wouldn’t think I’m crazy.” I flashed a grin. “Much.”

  He laughed at that. “At least we have some idea about your Darkness, if nothing else. Speak to your Sunwalker. Who knows? He has, after all, been around for a few years.”

  I laughed. I already knew Jack couldn’t help and I had a feeling there was a lot more to this whole thing than either of us could imagine. Stranger things in heaven and earth and all that. Maybe Jack had heard of the Elemental Mages. That was something new, at least. “I’m off, Eddie. Take care, yeah?”