Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  I pressed my body against the wall of the warehouse and crept to the door. A small black camera was bolted in the wall above the door, impeding any further movement. I touched the small bud on the inside of my ear.

  “Camera at the door,” I said.

  “Can you reach it at your height?” Adrian’s cool voice echoed in my ear.

  “Funny. I’m not that short.”

  “Put the device I gave you on it. The nanites should do the trick.”

  I climbed to the stoop while keeping as close to the wall as I could. It took me rising on my toes, but I managed to plant the device on the camera. The small red light blinked off. I waved to Viktor and Esais. They did a half-bent, fast walk to the guard.

  Esais shook his head. “No keys.”

  “I doubt they would really trust these humans with access to their merchandise,” I said.

  “I got this,” Viktor said.

  His hand hovered a few feet from the door and a click echoed from the handle. He pushed it open and motioned for me to go first. I pulled out my sword and new flashlight and stepped inside. The dim lights hung over rows of metal shelves filled with cardboard boxes. They towered over me as I walked between them. I shivered, scanning the tops of the shelves. Something could be crouched up there, ready to ambush whoever walked in uninvited. I shone the lights over them and found nothing.

  “Clear so far,” I said.

  I moved past the shelves to a more open area of the warehouse as Esais stepped inside, followed by Viktor. The center was mostly clear of shelves and the floor descended in a ramp down to the loading dock where three large, metal doors stood shut. The air conditioner rumbled to life, its rattle echoing through the open building. I nodded to the stairs along the left of the wall leading up to a landing. A metal bar guarded the walkway that lead to several offices. Esais slit one of the boxes open with a knife and pulled out a white bottle. On the label stood a woman in a sports bra with her hands on her hip. Synergy was written across the bottom in yellow dynamic letters. I raised my flashlight up the shelf, spanning the rows of boxes stacked, and gave a low whistle.

  “This is a lot,” I said through the earpiece. “Adrian, Marge? What have you found?”

  “A shit ton,” Marge said. “The warehouse is full of it.”

  “Boxes and boxes,” Tres said.

  “Ours, too,” Lucy said.

  “How did they make so much so fast?” I bit the inside of my cheek and stared at the wall.

  Esais looked to me with a troubled expression. “If it comes from demon blood, they have a lot of demons somewhere.”

  Adrian said, “They are using the Blasphemy users.”

  A chill ran through me. “All they have to do is take them from the drug dens, like the one we found.”

  Viktor cleared his throat. “Or from the night clubs. There has been a rumor going around in the club I work at about an awesome new drug.”

  I swallowed hard as a sick feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. “Let’s get to burning this. If this spreads across the country, I don’t know if we can stop it.”

  A truck rumbled outside. I froze, waiting for it to pass, but it only grew closer. Esais stiffened and grabbed Viktor, pulling him behind one of the shelves. I crouched behind another one and cut off my flashlight.

  “We have company here,” I whispered.

  “We have some of our own, dearie,” Lucy panted in her microphone with the background of grunts and gunshots. “But it looks like they were already here.”

  The engine of the truck cackled and puttered in its mechanical laugh and was accompanied by a steady beep right outside the left metal, roll-up door in the loading dock. The roar of the truck was cut, and two doors slammed. The click of a lock echoed through the warehouse, and the door slid up with the screech and rattle of metal. Boots thumped across the concrete, and the room was bathed in a yellow light. A tall, thin man with a long, pointed nose stood at the power box. He nodded to the second man, this one with a thick barrel chest, who pulled a ramp from the truck.

  “Grab those boxes over there,” the thick one said. “The bitch queen will have our asses if we don’t hurry.”

  I switched to my aura sight. In the corner of my eye, I could see Esais’s bright radiance which eclipsed Viktor’s sparkle. I turned my head and focused on the two newcomers. Both were devoid of any color. Their shapes had disappeared, leaving behind only shadow.

  “Vampires,” I sent to Esais.

  “They’re taking the drug out,” Esais sent back.

  “Looks like it.” I clutched my sword tighter and pulled out one of Adrian’s garlic smoke marbles. “I’m ready when you are.”

  The thin man drew closer to us. A few more steps, and he would see me with just the turn of his head. I shifted on the balls of my feet, ready to spring at Esais’s word. The vampire pulled a box from the shelf one down from our hiding spot and turned to walk back to the ramp. He took two steps, froze, and clutched his head with a pain-filled cry. There was another cry from the large vampire at the truck. Excellent. He’d gotten both of them. The box tumbled, stopped only a few inches from the ground, and slammed into the thin vampire. He stumbled back and blinked, looking around in panicked surprise.

  I tossed the smoke bomb at his feet. It flared to life in a quick flash, and the scent of garlic and sulfur filled the air. The vampire stumbled out of the smoke and pulled his gun, his gaze landing on me. He fired several shots off. I dove behind the shelf, hitting the ground. The bullets hit the boxes with a dull thud.

  “What the fuck is going on up there?” the other vampire called.

  “I thought you had him?” I asked Esais.

  “Their minds are slippery,” he said. “I will deal with him.”

  The thin vampire moved until he was only a foot from my cover. He turned his head back. “Just a pest, I have her trapped.”

  I lunged at the vampire and swung my sword at his neck. He stumbled back with wide eyes, his aim going sideways as he fired his gun again. The shot echoed against the concrete as bullets careened into the boxes above us. Esais hopped over the rails and disappeared from my view. There was another shout from the vampire below, and I grinned at my opponent. It was time to send the dead to their eternal slumber. If it had to be with blades and stakes, so be it. He raised the gun at me point blank.

  “Let’s see this miss you,” he said.

  I spun my wrist and brought the blade up again, severing his hand. It and the gun clattered to the floor. The vampire looked at the bleeding stump and his face twisted, the cheeks becoming hollow. His roar bounced off the metal walls, becoming louder and louder. Viktor leapt out of his hiding spot with a stake clutched between his hands. He raised it and jammed it into the vampire’s back. The creature spun around with black veins creeping into the whites of his bulging eyes. The shadows that belonged to the shelves bent and flickered, twisting into thin whips.

  “What the hell?” he snarled.

  “Damn,” Viktor said. “That’s harder to aim than I thought.”

  “Try the front,” I said.

  In a flash, the black tendrils ensnared Viktor’s arms and legs, forming in viselike grips. He fought against him, but they tightened around him until he could barely move. The bonds lifted him off of the ground, stretched him out spread eagle, and started pulling. The damn vampire was about to draw and quarter Esais’s lover. Not if I had anything to do with it. I brought my sword up in an angle slash along his back. He ducked out of my swing and grinned, flashing his fangs.

  Viktor continued to struggle in his bonds, but they had stopped pulling. I feinted to the left, twirled, and came up behind the creature. His momentum brought about his doom quicker as my sword was already swinging at his neck when he tried to turn and face me. Small tufts of shadow drifted where he once stood. Viktor dropped to the ground with a mix between a groan and exhalation of breath. He stood slowly, rubbing his shoulders, eyes scrunched up and lips pressed together. The other vampire shouted in pain from
the dock. At least someone seemed to be doing well.

  “Esais?” Viktor called, and he ran towards the loading dock.

  I pulled myself off the ground and joined him. Esais had another stake in his hand, and he seemed to be facing the vampire. Half of its face was in ruin from what looked like acid. I hopped down and joined Esais. The vampire snarled at the two of us and leapt at Esais. He slowed in midair. Esais slipped underneath him and rammed the stake into his heart as I ran my blade through his neck. His body didn’t even hit the ground.

  I sheathed my sword and pulled out the charges. “Let’s set these and get out of here.”

  We each took two and split up. I took the upstairs with the offices while Esais and Viktor divided up the ground floor. We crept from the warehouse and across the parking lot like the shadows we’d just fought.

  “Mission successful, here,” I said. “Everyone else alive?”

  “Yes,” Adrian said in a grim voice. “Are you away from the warehouse?”

  “Yeah, we’re three blocks away,” Esais said.

  “We’re done,” Marge said. “Why did I get the warehouse with no action?”

  “Look on the bright side,” Tres said. “You get to push the button and get a light show.”

  “Send the signals then,” Adrian said.

  Esais pulled out a small remote and pushed a button. It gave a small beep. Yellow and orange lit the sky form the direction of the warehouse and a large boom reverberated through the night. Smoke billowed up like a giant cloud. I crossed my arms and watched with a smile. I was starting to like fire; it had a certain beauty in its finality.

  “We shouldn’t stay here,” Esais said. “We’ll meet back at the office.”

  “Great, you’re buying drinks,” Tres said.

  I chuckled and followed Esais and Viktor back to the car. I couldn’t blame Tres for wanting to celebrate. We’d finally had a victory in this whole mess. I wanted to hold onto this feeling of triumph for as long as I could.

  Chapter 22

  TRES MET US in the lobby when we arrived. “Any injuries?” His gaze landed on me in particular.

  I rubbed my shoulder. “Just sore this time.”

  He gave me his charming smile. “Well you know, I could give you a massage. Rub the aches away and a few others.”

  “Mmm, still haven’t given up, I see,” I said.

  “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

  “Stick to you courtesans,” I said. “They probably appreciate the flattery.”

  Esais gave a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I’m going to grab a sandwich. I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  “Me, too,” Viktor said. “I’m starving. Does hunting always build an appetite like this?”

  “Only the good ones.” I glanced at Tres. “Where’s Marge?”

  “She said she had better things to do than sit around and talk. If we need her, call.”

  I shook my head. “And Adrian and Lucy?”

  “They just went upstairs to talk.” His phone buzzed and he put it to his ear. “Hey, beautiful. Give me a little longer.”

  I left Tres to his current flavor and headed up the stairs. Now that we had a victory, we needed to keep the momentum going, Adrian had to have had more information, maybe on where they were making Synergy.

  Adrian’s voice left his room. “Is this from your mother?”

  I stopped at the hint of cold accusation. Damn it, Lucy. She’d said she would be careful. I warned her of this, and Adrian, out of all of them, had discovered her secret. At least with Esais or Tres, there could have been a little more understanding.

  Lucy sighed. “Look, it’s not a big deal. I’m still the same Lucy you’ve always known.”

  “If we ever really knew you. You’ve been hiding this our whole lives, haven’t you?”

  “So, I heal really fast. That’s actually a boon to being a hunter. You don’t have to worry about me being injured. Tres doesn’t have to expend energy. It’s really useful.”

  “So, this would make you immortal, like Gabby.”

  The elevator dinged, and Esais, Viktor, and Tres stepped out, chatting and laughing. I stepped into Adrian’s office. Lucy turned with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. Adrian sat at his desk with his chin resting on his hands.

  “Maybe this is a conversation that should be shared with everyone,” I said, keeping a pointed gaze on Lucy.

  “You knew about this?” Adrian asked.

  “Know about what?” Esais asked from the door.

  “Wow, things look a little tense,” Tres said. “This must be good.”

  Lucy looked directly at me with her eyes narrowed. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “Fine. I guess you were right.”

  “Who was right about what?” Esais asked, looking around. “What’s going on?”

  “Apparently, Lucy has been hiding a gift of her own all these years,” Adrian said. “I watched her get almost eviscerated by a vampire only to have the wound disappear.”

  Esais and Tres turned confused looks at Lucy. She raised her arms in a half shrug and chuckled.

  “What can I say? I’m difficult to kill. Not like Gabby, of course, but I get by,” she said.

  “So, you’re an emissary?” Esais asked.

  “No, I’m like your boyfriend who’s hiding in the hall. You can come in, dearie. Let’s all join in on this little drama.”

  Viktor stepped in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, hun, this didn’t seem like my business.”

  “Why have you never told us?” Esais asked.

  “Because there are some things in my life I don’t like discussing,” Lucy said.

  “But you can heal yourself.” Tres’s eyes were alight. “This is part of what you are.”

  “Reckless,” I said under my breath.

  Lucy gave me another silent glare, which she then turned on the brothers. “Well, I wasn’t the only one to hide things from this family, was I?”

  Esais cleared his throat and stuck his hands in his pockets while Tres looked down at the floor. Adrian met her gaze unflinching. He would, of course. He was still in denial that he had any power at all.

  “I mean, I had to hear about your abilities from Gabby when she called me last month. So, don’t play that betrayed act with me.” Lucy let out a huff and crossed her arms.

  “We haven’t seen you in years, Lucy,” Esais said. “I mean the most we had was phone conversations with you and Uncle Jonah.”

  “Yeah.” Tres snorted. “Not really the best way to have that conversation.”

  Viktor stepped forward and gave her a wide grin. “Great to meet another one. You know any others?”

  She looked him up and down before a smile of her own crept to the corners of her mouth. “No, I haven’t looked. I’ve never really been interested.”

  Viktor’s smile faltered a little. “Well, just know you’re not alone.”

  “She never was,” Tres said.

  “You honestly have no problem with this, do you?” Adrian sighed. “Of course not.”

  “Why do you have such a problem?” Tres asked. “It’s Lucy.”

  Adrian stood, resting both hands on his desk. “Because all these gifts are poison. We know nothing about the entities that supposedly granted them. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

  Esais swallowed and crossed his arms with a long sigh. “We have no idea if they even ask a price.”

  Adrian shook his head. “This is going to turn on us, eventually.”

  “If you say so,” Tres said. “As much as you hate them, these powers have saved our asses, or your asses, more than often.”

  “For now,” Adrian said.

  Tres shook his head. “So, what now? The warehouses are gone.”

  “We need to find the factory they made Synergy in.” I looked to Adrian. “Where is it?”

  He sat back down and began typing on his laptop. “I’m still looking into that. This information is heavily encrypted.”


  “So we’re back to waiting,” Tres said. “Excellent. I know how I plan to wait.”

  “Actually, no,” I said. “We still need to find Cambione. John mentioned that he runs in a more expensive crowd than the dens, and his runners usually hit clubs.”

  Viktor nodded. “Like I said, there are rumors. And I noticed some new regulars.”

  “So, we start there,” I said. “We find one who can lead us to Cambione. Also, we need to find someone on the drug for Jonah. He wants to study the effects before they are possessed.”

  “So we’re adding kidnapping to breaking and entering, and arson.” Viktor chuckled. “Life has gotten more interesting.”

  “Don’t forget supposed murder,” Tres said.

  I shrugged. “Call it that, but maybe we can find a way to help these people. They’re as good as dead after they get possessed.” I looked to Adrian. “Can you come up with somewhere we can hold the ones we bring?”

  “I suppose I could multitask,” he said.

  “Try to be gentle. These people don’t really know what they’ve gotten into,” Esais said. “We’ll split up. Tres and I will join Viktor while he works.”

  Lucy crossed her arms and grinned at me, her annoyance forgotten. “Looks like I get to show you around my favorite spots.”

  Chapter 23

  I SCANNED THE few patrons of the bar. “This place seems pretty empty.”

  Lucy chalked the tip of her pool cue. “Yeah, most are at Paradise Lost for the Sons of Salem concert tonight.”

  “Paradise Lost, really?”

  She looked up and smirked. “We’re heading there next.”

  “Why not first? That sounds like the best place.”

  She shrugged. “It hasn’t started yet, so I figured we could check this place first.”

  The worn, green felt dragged against the calluses on my fingers as I arranged the multi-colored balls into a triangle on the pool table. The light reflected off the balls from the hanging lamp above the table. I scooted out from between the tables, grabbed my own pool cue, and motioned for Lucy to start the game. She leaned over, positioning her cue and aiming for the white ball. The colored balls clinked as the white one slammed into them then spread across the table.