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

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Jonah wants to see speak with all of us. Lucy brought dinner.”

  Adrian stiffened. He shut the laptop and stood, straightening his shirt. I chuckled. The Van Helsing brothers could be fearless in the face of vampires, but Jonah gave them the air of children with their hands in the cookie jar.

  I stepped into the hall and searched the empty offices. Esais lay on a small portable mattress with his arm curled under his head. The air became cold and thick with an oppressive presence. I stiffened and pressed my back against the wall. Something heavy pressed on my mind and sent an ache through my entire body, causing my body to stiffen. Tears flowed down my cheeks as memories surfaced. Esais coughed and gave a moan. The pressure abated as he sat up, rubbing his face. I turned my head from him and sucked in a long breath of air. Could that have been him, or was I imagining things like he claimed?

  He blinked at me. “Are you watching me sleep?”

  I chuckled softly and glanced at him from the corner of my eye. “I came to wake you up.”

  “Good, because that would have been creepy.”

  “Jonah is here. It looks like he brought dinner for us.”

  He stood and stretched with a sleep-filled smile on his face.

  “Food sounds good.” He smacked his lips together and wrinkled his nose. “I think I’ll freshen up first.”

  “Can you find Tres then?”

  “Sure.”

  I turned to the door with a nod.

  “Gabby, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” My voice was just above a murmur.

  I rushed from the door and down the hall, almost running into Adrian. He placed a steadying hand on my shoulder and looked past me from where I came.

  “Running from your ghosts again?”

  I shot him a glare and moved to the stairwell, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the elevator. I bucked, but he held tight.

  “One floor. You’ll be fine,” he said.

  I pressed against the back corner of the elevator with my hands flat against the wall. My stomach felt like it rose when we started to descend and the walls drew closer in. I closed my eyes.

  Inhale, I thought. One. Two. Three. Exhale. One. Two. Three.

  “So what had you running down the hall like a vampire was on your tail?” he asked.

  I swallowed hard. Should I tell him? Would he believe me? “I think there’s something wrong with Esias.”

  “He’s just upset that he’s not Superman.”

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “Why do you think something’s wrong with him?”

  “I keep sensing this mental presence when he’s around, but he acts like nothing is wrong.”

  “And you’re sure it’s not in your mind? You have been under stress lately.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m imagining things,” I muttered.

  Of course he didn’t believe me. I had no proof. Hell, I wasn’t sure if I believed me. I continued to breathe as I forced the images of being trapped between floors from my mind. Adrian had his little machines. He could always make a way out for us. I would be all right. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I rushed out of them and leaned against the desk in the lobby.

  “Congratulations,” Adrian said. “You’ve lived through two floors of the elevator.”

  I glared at him. “I’m not in the mood to be taunted.”

  “Who said I was taunting you?” He put a hand on my arm. “He has been acting different. It is possible this is something from his ‘gift.’ Or he’s just caught up in the newness of the boyfriend. Why don’t we keep a closer watch on him?”

  I nodded, crossed my arms, walked down the hall, and opened the door. Three round metal tables spread across the black and white tiled floor. A black counter divided the front from the kitchen. Adrian moved to help Lucy take cardboard boxes out of the sacks and set them on the counter. The smell of spiced chicken and tomato drifted through the air. Jonah was already seated at one of the tables and spoke on his phone. I opened one of the boxes and steam rose from the rice inside, warming my face and leaving behind little beads of water.

  “Greek?” I asked.

  Lucy nodded. “Dad got a feast for us.”

  The door opened with a squeak, and Tres stepped in with his arms raised above his head, followed by Esais. Tres’s eyes had a drooping quality and he wore a wide smile on his face. Esais’s hair had a slight ruffled look to it, though it looked as though it had been set that way on purpose.

  “I’m here, so we can get this party started,” he said.

  “Surprising,” Adrian said. “You’re actually on time for something.”

  Tres made a sarcastic sad face at his brother and walked to Jonah. He spread his arms wide. “Uncle Jonah, thanks for the meal.”

  Before Jonah could reply, Tres pulled him into a tight hug, patting him on the back. Tres stepped back and wrapped an arm around Lucy’s shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze with his good hand. Esais held his hand out to Jonah and leaned close to speak with him quietly.

  “You’re in a good mood,” I said. “How is your hand?”

  “I’d probably be in agony, but the pills they gave me are awesome.” He grinned and wiggled the fingers of his casted hand. “And I can still be a little useful. Watch.”

  His hand brushed my cheek, and a small scrape I’d gotten from the fight the night before. A warm tingle spread through my face. My fingers ran across my smooth cheek. He grinned.

  “Only little stuff, so try not to be yourself,” he said.

  He stepped past me to inspect the counter. A loud smack echoed through the room followed by a sting that erupted from my right butt cheek. I turned to glare at him, my hand clenching in a fist. He sidestepped out of my reach and winked at me. His gaze drifted over the food.

  He sighed. “I could really go for some mici or even good sliade from home. What about you, Adrian? Are you too accustomed to American fare?”

  “Pot and kettle,” Adrian said.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Tres asked.

  “Your choice in women. Your hunter instincts are horrible.”

  Tres glared at him, his face turning a bright red.

  “We all make mistakes,” Esais spoke up. “He’ll know better next time.”

  “Right,” Tres smirked. “Now I’ll have to do a background check on every girl I date.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Jonah said. “I could arrange that.”

  I coughed to cover the laugh at the look of dread on Tres’s face and held up my plate. “Shall we eat?”

  “Yes, I’m starving.” Lucy set her plate, piled to a peak with meat and rice, on the table.

  “Speaking of our guests.” Esais sat across from me. “How long do we plan to keep them against their will?”

  “Until we find a way to cure them.” I took a large bite, savoring the warm roasted chicken and spices.

  “If that’s possible,” Jonah said.

  Esais frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. “There isn’t another way?”

  “We could let them go, become possessed and be forced to kill them. This way, at least they have the protections of the office.” I turned to Jonah. “So, what have you found out?”

  He cleared his throat and patted his mouth with a handkerchief. “As I said, both samples of the drugs contained brimstone. They looked to be from the same formula.”

  “It has to be Faust,” I said. “What have you found from our guests?”

  “The Brimstone has been changing their physiology, metaphysically that is.”

  Adrian frowned. “How do you mean?”

  “I doubt it could be something any physician would be able to see. For instance, they all display severe allergic reactions to holy water, but all normal ingredients that are in holy water give no reaction.”

  “I think I said it before, but it’s weakening their souls,” I said. “Probably how they can be possessed so easily.”

  Jonah nodded.

  “I
believe the change is allowing them to become malleable for the demons to change their form.” He stared at the wall, his gaze growing distant. “Now we have the possibility of this becoming an international incident. What can you tell me about this company?”

  Adrian straightened and began going over what we’d learned. My phone vibrated from the pocket of my jeans and “Wandering Star” echoed through the room. I gave an apologetic smile in response to the glare Adrian shot me and stepped out into the foyer. John’s name flashed across the screen.

  “Hey,” I said, the warmth I felt coming out in my voice. “I was just starting to miss you.”

  “I need to see you.” He spoke the words in a shaky rush. “I think I may be in trouble.”

  A chill ran up my spine. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not over the phone. In person.”

  “All right? Do you want me to meet you at your hotel?”

  “No, some place public. Rubello’s in twenty minutes.”

  He hung up, and I stared down at my phone, trying to shake the sick feeling rising in my stomach. He’d sounded desperate, like a man out of options. Something had gone wrong. I just hoped it wasn’t something that would snowball into a disaster.

  Chapter 32

  I TOOK THE small set of stairs down to the darkened bar and wrinkled my nose at the stench of old cigarettes mixed with fresh ones. Rubello’s was one of the few places in New York where smoking was allowed inside. It had something to do with it being called a Cigar bar. Lucy had explained it to me a few nights ago, during our patrol of different clubs, but I’d only half paid attention. John waited for me at the bar with a lit cigarette in his hand. I sat beside him, clasping my hands together on the counter. He didn’t look up from his whiskey glass.

  “Since when do you smoke?” I asked.

  “I needed something for my nerves.” He glanced behind him with narrowed eyes. “Is there anyone here who is a blasphemer?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “A what?”

  He waved his hand in a circular motion with his palm up. “Someone using the drug.”

  “Oh. Interesting term.”

  I glanced around. The booths along the wall were filled. Men and women in business suits chatted and laughed over salads and glasses of wine. The world faded around me and a pop went off behind my eyes. I blinked at the myriad of hues that shifted around the patrons. Some of the auras touched and blended with each other, all were slightly muddied from inebriation, however none held the corrosion effect of Blasphemy. I turned my attention to John. A dark anxious red mixed with a muddied gray of fear swirled around him. Whatever this was, it had him pretty bad.

  “They’re clean,” I said.

  He let a huge sigh, and his shoulders slumped.

  “What’s this about?”

  “Cambione’s after me. I think he’s sent several of his flunkies to follow me.”

  My heart pounded in my ears, and my chest tightened. “Are you sure? How can you tell?”

  “I’ve seen the same people hovering for the last couple of days.”

  “Are any here now?”

  He shook his head.

  I shook my head. “That’s really strange. Why you? I mean, I was the one who had a direct confrontation. He should be after me.”

  “Yeah, well maybe he knows about us.”

  I swallowed, my mouth dry. “I’ve put you in danger.”

  He gave me a faint smile. “It’s all right. I knew what I was getting into.”

  “Could it have been whoever gave you the information?”

  John shook his head. “The thaumaturgist I talked to tries to stay away from demons. It had to be Faust. He knew me from the conference and after I’ve been looking into your whole Raina Adrian thing, he’s probably not too pleased.”

  I straightened. “Did you find anything out?”

  “Of course that’s what you’d want to know in all this.” He drained his whiskey glass in one swallow. “Not a whole lot you couldn’t find out if you knew how to use the internet. He used to work for Erebus.”

  “That’s the main company for Acesco, right?”

  “Yeah, big on weapons and tech. Their president started to branch out and bought a few other companies about a decade back. Anyway, interesting bit of information I did find, Adrian got put on some sort of special project with Raina. That is until he ran off with some company secrets and got involved with arms dealing.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. “What was the name of the project?”

  “Apotheosis.”

  “Like deification? What were they working on?”

  He shrugged. “Who knows? The rest you’re going to have to find out for yourself. I’ve got other problems.”

  The bartender stopped in front of us and pointed to John’s empty glass. “You want another?”

  John laughed. “Sure. It might be my last.”

  I frowned at him as my chest tightened again. “Don’t say things like that.”

  He shook his head. “Why not? My best bet is to make sure the bastard is dead.”

  “Then we’ll kill him.”

  “Do you know where he is? I sure as hell don’t and it’s probably not the best idea for me to go looking for someone who’s out to get me.”

  “I’ll find him and get his attention,” I said. “You lay low.”

  He snorted. “I don’t think that will work. He’s already set his sights on me. I doubt he’ll just let me go.”

  “I don’t think he’s that relentless.”

  John gulped down his new drink and muttered. “It’s too late.”

  He really wasn’t giving this one up. “Then come back to the office with me. We have protections.”

  He made a face. “As much as I’m sure the Van Helsings would love putting me up, I’d rather not be a sitting duck. I’ll just lay low, keep moving.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I won’t be able to protect you if I don’t know where you are.”

  He laid his hand on top of mine. “I’ll call you to let you know I’m all right.”

  I nodded, looking at his hand. It shook ever so slightly and felt light, like it was disappearing, and I wouldn’t be able to hold onto it. I’d gotten John involved in this, and now I couldn’t keep him safe. No, I could. I just had to do what I did best. Kill the demon who threatened what I cared about.

  “I can at least get you somewhere safe,” I said.

  He shook his head. “Sorry, but you have this habit of attracting the wrong kind of attention. Just kill him. Soon, Gabby.”

  I stood and pulled my hand away. Any words I wanted to say wouldn’t leave my constricted throat. I jammed my hands into my pockets and clenched them into fists as I headed for the stairs that lead outside. I wouldn’t—no, couldn’t—fail John. He’d put himself on the line so many times for me. He’d more than repaid me for saving his life when we first met and hadn’t asked for anything except for a little love in return. I needed to start checking the hotels in town. Cambione had to be set up in another one. Once I’d found him, I would end his wretched existence, save John, and free Marge.

  I glanced back to see a tall man in a long coat. He walked with a pace that matched mine but stayed several yards behind me. How long had he been there? He hadn’t been at the bar. I must have picked him up somewhere along the way.

  John was right.

  I always seemed to attract the wrong kind of attention.

  Chapter 33

  I SPED UP my pace and turned the corner. Thanks to John’s paranoia we’d met somewhere public, leaving me without my sword again. A dagger rested in a sheath in my boot, covered by my jeans. My jacket concealed the stake on my back hip. I had a couple of Adrian’s garlic pellets and some holy water. Not a whole lot to work with. I let out a sigh. I really missed the old days where I could vanquish a demon with a few well-enunciated words. Thanks to the Brimstone, that was all but impossible in this city.

  I turned a corner, pausing at a newsstand, and then quickene
d my pace. He’d been joined by a friend. I slipped past a family of five and darted down the stairs into a subway station. The reek of unwashed bodies and old urine surrounded me. My throat closed up, and my heart raced. People huddled at the platform as they waited for the next train. In a panic, they could crush me, and I would have no chance to get away. I doubted anyone would stop my stalkers if they wished to grab me. I needed to get a good look at them and didn’t plan on dragging them around the city.

  My mouth moved as I counted to ten silently and joined the crowd. The two men slipped down the stairs and moved to stand behind me at an angle. I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye. One was staring at me. No good. I didn’t want to let on I knew they were following me just yet. The train pulled up, and the doors slid open. I followed the crowd in while making sure I would be in the same car as them. They stepped in right before the door closed.

  I stared at the floor and let the colors of the people surrounding me wash over. Waves of blue pushed against greys, reds, and orange. I raised my eyes until the men were in my sight. The void around them sucked in the colors from the humans. Shifting shadows obscured their faces and body.

  “Esais,” I called mentally. “I have two vampires following me. I could use a little assistance.”

  Every minute I waited, my unease grew. He never took this long. I rubbed my closed eyelids. He’d really picked the most inconvenient times to make himself unavailable again. Tres and Adrian were in no condition to help. It looked as though I would have to handle this on my own. Thank God I’d thought to bring a stake. Now to get them somewhere private.

  As the train slowed to a stop, I pushed my way past several bodies to the door. It slid open, and I rushed out. With a long breath, I headed to the stairs. The wind hit me full in the face, stinging my nose and cheeks, and I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself as I hurried down the sidewalk. Moments later, the vampires emerged from below. The taller one stuck his hands in his pockets and searched the milling people. Our gazes met, and I turned away, quickening my pace.

  I scanned the buildings. There. The narrow alley across the street would work. I jogged over with my hands jammed in my pockets, kicking aside the bits a trash that rolled in the wind. The sickly sweet tang of garbage hovered in the back of my throat as I came to an L-shape end about twenty feet down. I turned the corner and pulled my knife from my boot and a garlic pellet from my pocket. Footsteps drew closer. A skittering can echoed in the air, followed by the sound of shushing. I counted to ten and tossed the pellet.