Shadow Play_A Dark Fantasy Novel

by Jill Ramsower

  She glanced down at her hands. “Lucky for you I'm used to scary.” Her eyes peered up at me through her lashes and a corner of her mouth curved up. “I'm not sure who you are or what's going on here lately, but I suppose we'll figure it out. Don't worry yourself, I'm not going anywhere.”

  “Thank you, Cat, you don't know how much that means to me. Can I ask why you seem so surprised that Lochlan and Ronan talk to me?”

  “I can't tell you much, but they’re predators, Rebecca. Those men are frighteningly powerful and dangerous—I’ve seen what they’re capable of and you don’t want anything to do with them unless absolutely necessary.”

  I could tell there was a story behind her words, but she wouldn’t tell me more and pressing would only do more harm than good. While I could tell that she honestly believed her words, I had only seen Ronan and Lochlan in typically human settings and it was hard to reconcile what she was saying with what I had experienced. Lochlan could be intimidating, even scary, but I never felt that I was truly in danger of him hurting me.

  “I know you can’t tell me more, I’m just glad to know there’s someone else out there that knows.” I met her eyes and hoped they conveyed my sincerity.

  “I’ll see what I can do, but my family is unusually private.”

  I gave her a thumbs up and finished the last of my beer as I watched the leannan sidhe walk hand-in-hand out of the bar with the unsuspecting man. She would kill him, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. My internal struggle must have been evident on my face because Cat placed her hand on my arm and shook her head.

  “You can’t interfere, it’s too dangerous.” Her voice was soft but firm, and while I understood, it still hurt my heart to watch the man walk willingly to his death.

  “How can creatures like that kill humans willy-nilly—wouldn't people start to figure out there's monsters out there?”

  “I've no idea how often she feeds or if she always kills—she may know to cover her tracks to keep from alerting the Hunt. They'll find her, though. Most likely she hasn't been here long and that's the only reason she's still alive.”

  “I've told them about her—I guess that means they're already hunting her.”

  Regret bubbled up inside me as I accepted that if I'd had Ronan's number like he had offered, I could have called to tell them that the leannan sidhe was there. I realized that there was still hope and I grabbed for my purse, whipping out my phone and Googling the Huntsman. Cat watched in confusion as I listed to the phone ring time after time but no one answered. The regret blossomed into a full-blown case of guilt knowing that my decision not to exchange numbers would most likely cost the man his life.

  “I thought maybe I could tell them she was here and they would come help, but no luck.” I explained to Cat, eyes cast down to my hands in my lap.

  We sat quietly for a while longer to ensure the Fae was long gone before we made our way outside. I was hypervigilant on the way home after the all-too-real reminder of what could be lurking in the dark.

  I was no longer in the carefree mood that I had enjoyed when we arrived at the pub and I was dreading my interactions with Ashley. I didn’t want her to know that I had seen the Fae again so I would have to put my acting skills to work—channel my inner June Cleaver and pretend everything was just peachy. In fact, for the moment it would be best not to even mention that Cat knew about the Fae. That way there would be no questions to answer and no lies to tell.

  Once I had arrived at home and changed into more comfortable clothes, I suggested to Ashley that we put on a movie. As it turned out, Ash had done some sightseeing in Belfast and had come home exhausted. Neither of us feeling talkative, we turned on a Vampire Diaries episode that we had already seen.

  Instead of watching, I reflected on the portals and what my role was in all of it. I wondered just how many more creatures like the leannan sidhe would make their way onto Earth before the Hunt stopped whoever was behind it. What if the individual who was opening the portals was too strong to be captured or killed?

  I couldn't imagine what would happen to the people of Earth and civilization as we knew it if hoards of these creatures invaded. The concept of a zombie apocalypse or similar invasion was much more entertaining when the possibility of occurrence was nill. Things like going to school, the movies, even working a job, would become obsolete because survival would take precedent. Fallout shelters and deep seeded suspicion of everyone around you would become the norm as people struggled to stay safe.

  I hadn’t even realized that I had fallen asleep until I bolted awake in the dark living room gasping for air. I was alone in the living room. Just me and the memory of the shadow man, who had infiltrated my dreams, yet again.

  Like the last time, the inky shadow cloud had oozed into my body, filling me with its darkness. Was the dream illustrative of my subconscious dealing with all the new fears and doubts, or was there more to it? Stymied in a vast bog of helplessness, I was paralyzed by all the unknowns. Deciding I could wallow in my funk much more comfortably in bed, I gathered my blanket and trudged upstairs.

  The following day was a Thursday, and it was Ashley’s last full day in Belfast. I scooted toward her in bed and watched her steady breaths as she slept. Relief that she would soon be safely home buoyed me from the depths of my nighttime despair hours earlier.

  Her eyes fluttered open and her face screwed up in a cringe as she met my eyes. “Hey creeper, you watching me sleep?” she asked in a hoarse, sleep-filled voice.

  I couldn't help but giggle. “You know it. It's my last day with you here, I'm going to stare at you as much as I can.”

  Ashley rolled onto her back, gazing thoughtfully up at the ceiling before she asked, “You think there's Fae back in New York?” She sounded curious, rather than nervous, and I wondered at the reason for her question.

  “From what I've learned, there aren't many Fae on Earth, so I doubt it. But I suppose it wouldn't be surprising if the few that are here were drawn to big cities. They apparently like debauchery and mayhem.”

  Her eyes slid over to mine as a grin spread across her face. “Debauchery and mayhem? What are you, Jayne Ere?”

  “Shut it, woman.” I gave her a playful glare. “Why are you asking about Fae in New York? You nervous to go home?”

  “No, in fact, I feel like going back to my job and 'normal' life seems odd. Like I'm pretending the giant elephant in the room doesn't exist. I don't want either of us caught up in it, but I'm not sure I can ignore it either. It's just a lot to wrap my brain around.”

  “That makes sense.” We sat quietly for a moment before I spoke again. “I don't think you'll be missing anything of consequence. The guys at the Huntsman keep the Fae out and life will go on as it always has.”

  She didn’t look convinced, nor did she comment in response.

  “I tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I'll make you pancakes before I head to work.”

  She playfully rolled her eyes at me. “What, am I five now?”

  “You don't want pancakes?”

  “Hell yes I want pancakes! Get cooking, woman.” She tossed her pillow at me and I ran from the room laughing.

  When I walked into the museum later that morning, a stranger sat behind the visitor's desk. I wasn't familiar with the girl who sat in Cat's place but was informed that she was the weekend worker filling in for Cat, who had called in with a family emergency and would not be back until Monday. I hoped that Cat was meeting with the elders she had referenced, and that when she returned, she would be allowed to tell me about her secret society.

  I spent a good portion of my morning on a conference call with a museum in Greece discussing the possibility of a temporary exhibit arrangement. I wasn’t ready to take the lead on negotiations, but Fergus was great about including me in the discussions and paperwork so that I could learn what was involved in acquiring an exhibit. It was common for museums to swap some pieces periodically to drum up interest and provide new displays for visitor
s. The terms of the arrangement were generally pretty standard, but sometimes pieces required increased security or other special accommodations that had to be ironed out early on.

  Upon hanging up from the call, my office phone buzzed and the girl at the front desk let me know that I had a visitor. I made my way to the lobby and found Ronan standing by the front windows, staring out the rain-streaked panes.

  “I’m sorry if you had to wait,” I said as I joined him at the window.

  “It’s not a problem, I know my visit was unexpected. I wanted to see how you were doing—all of this is a lot to take in.”

  His eyes were warm and I appreciated that he had stopped by to check on me. I walked toward the arched doorway leading us into the heart of the museum where we would not be overheard. Ronan followed my lead and we sat at a bench just inside the main atrium.

  “I saw a leannan sidhe last night, it was the second time I've seen her,” I offered casually in a soft voice.

  “How do you know what you saw?” His studious eyes assessed me, brow pinched.

  “It’s not my place to tell you, but it was a reliable source.” I was curious how he might respond to my withholding information but was relieved when he seemed unbothered.

  In fact, he seized the chance to prove himself, rather than view my silence as a reason to be angry with me. “Rebecca, I want to earn your trust—that was actually the other reason I came by this morning. Come with me after work, please, there’s something I need to show you.” His features were set with determination.

  “I don’t know Ronan, this is Ashley’s last night here. I need to be with her.”

  “It won’t take long—you want answers, what I will show you will reveal more than any words I could give you.”

  Well, damn. How was I supposed to say no to that?

  “Okay, but I can’t be out long.” His eyes lit up and I could read relief and excitement on his features as he stood.

  “I'll pick you up just after six here at the museum.”

  “Oh! I nearly forgot.” I reached out to place my hand on his arm just as he started to turn away. “I realized last night when I saw the leannan sidhe that I should have had your number so that I could have alerted the Hunt when I spotted a dangerous Fae.” I studied my hands, feeling the weight of responsibility from knowing that the man from the bar was most likely dead and that was in part my fault. “I think she killed a man last night and I had no way to call for help. I won't let that happen again, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to have your number.” I held out my phone for him to put his number in my contacts.

  “Of course.” He accepted the phone and entered his information, then texted himself with my phone so that he would have my number as well. “I'm sorry you had to witness that last night and I hope you realize there was nothing you could have done.”

  I gave a small nod and he leaned in to place a chaste kiss on my temple. I wasn’t sure how to receive the gesture so I simply offered a small smile.

  “I'll pick you up out front after work.”

  His lean figure walked toward the front of the museum and I wondered what it was that he would take me to see. Like any normal girl, I also thought about the kiss. My heart had raced when his lips grazed my temple, but more from surprise than desire. Overall, Ronan had been sweet to me and I had enjoyed spending time with him. So why did I still feel wary of him?

  I could blame my hesitation on concerns about him being Fae, but that wouldn't have been accurate. My mom raised me better than to dislike someone merely for the circumstances they were born into. So far, the Fae men I had met hadn't been all that different from human men and any apprehension I had toward them was more from not knowing them individually, rather than a general dislike of their kind. I wanted to trust Ronan, but I also had to listen to my instincts.

  True to his word, Ronan was waiting next to his car outside the museum when I left work for the day. The rain had let up but ominous clouds still shrouded the evening sky in a heavy darkness. Ronan held open the passenger door and I slid onto the soft leather seat before he lowered himself into the driver’s seat and pulled the car away from the curb.

  “You going to tell me where we're going?” I asked, using a teasing tone to keep the mood light.

  “To a warehouse over by the docks.”

  “Um … should I be worried? You’re not going to hack me into pieces and feed me to the fish, right?” I gave a nervous laugh because as much as I was joking, there was a part of me that needed the reassurance.

  He glanced over at me out of the corner of his eye and spoke with a sly smile. “Rebecca, I doubt cutting you into pieces would further my goal of winning you over.”

  “You don’t have to win me over.”

  He didn't respond and we spent the remainder of the short trip in silence. We were both somewhat on edge, each for our own reasons, and it made the atmosphere in the car thick with anticipation.

  We pulled up to a large metal building set back a good distance from the waterline. The parking lot was worn down to gravel and weeds and the building hadn’t fared much better. After we exited the car, Ronan lead the way to a side door that opened into the main room of the metal building. Despite the darkness, I didn’t have any problem seeing as I took in my surroundings. A rancid odor permeated the cool air and I wondered what could cause such an awful stench. Empty pallets stood stacked in various locations throughout the room and at the far end of the building a staircase led to a set of offices upstairs.

  Ronan continued to lead us to the back corner of the building behind a large pile of pallets. The farther we went, the more overwhelming the smell became along with my fear of what he would show me.

  “Holy crap it stinks, Ronan,” I groaned as I lifted the collar of my blouse to cover my nose.

  When we rounded the pallets, I witnessed something that would have turned my stomach even without the awful stench. As it was, my already rebelling gut could not handle the additional strain and I leaned over the pile of wood and retched. Ronan hurried to my side and helped with my hair as I wiped off my mouth and tried to regain control of myself.

  “What happened to him?” I asked, referring to the corpse sprawled on the ground. He was coated in drying blood from a number of open wounds across his body. His wrists, neck, and belly were all slashed with deep cuts and the escaping blood had formed a dark, sticky pool beneath him.

  “He was a sacrifice. We don't fully understand how these portals are being opened, but what we do know is that they're using dark magic and that requires a high price. You can see the remnants of the markings beneath him that were used as part of the spell. We discovered it early this morning, though the ritual was performed during the night. We don't know what came through, but we were able to capture the Fae man working on this end of the portal.”

  “Does this mean that every time a portal is opened, someone has to be sacrificed?” The nightmare was even more horrific than I could have imagined.

  “Unfortunately, yes. Has Lochlan told you anything about the portals?”

  I shook my head absently, unable to draw my eyes from the gore in front of me.

  “He and I have never been particularly close, as you know, but lately he's been even more erratic and short tempered than normal. I've been keeping an eye on him—the Hunt can't afford to question the loyalty of one of its members.”

  “You think he had something to do with this?” I faced him and I could see the conflict and uncertainty in his eyes.

  “I don't know what to think. We were able to capture the individual working on this side of the portal and were hoping to get more information from him. Not only will Lochlan not allow anyone near the prisoner for questioning, but I have no idea where Lochlan was last night when the portal was opened.”

  “I don't know how the Hunt works. Is it normal for you to work independently or do you work together usually?”

  “There are no secrets within the Hunt.” His voice dropped and his eyes shone with inten
sity.

  What had gone on in the past among the members of the Hunt to cause such emotion?

  “Has Lochlan given you any information about his whereabouts or what he may be up to?”

  “No, he hasn't told me anything.”

  “I have a bad feeling about all of this. Each portal seems to allow more Unseelie through and we are no closer to finding the source.”

  “Could you tell how many came through this one?”

  “We're estimating about a dozen.”

  My mind flashed to the horrifying vampire woman and all the people like Ashley and my parents who would be totally unsuspecting and defenseless.

  “What can we do to stop this?”

  “I'm afraid that if there is someone inside the Hunt allowing this to happen, there will be no stopping it.”

  It couldn’t be. I couldn’t imagine Lochlan had been behind this. He was supposedly capable of murder, but this was a senseless slaughter, something performed by a monster.

  “I wanted you to know, Rebecca.” He stood in front of me and lifted my hands to hold them between us. “I want you to be safe and I'm worried that being near Lochlan is dangerous.”

  My tear-filled eyes met Ronan’s, overwhelmed with everything he had revealed. “I think I want to go home now.”

  He pulled me into his arms and I was so confused and upset from what he had showed me that I clung to him. The gory vision of the dead man would be forever seared in my mind. How naïve I had been to imagine that I knew any of these people, Fae or human. The sentiment applied to Ronan as well, but I was too fragile at the moment to force myself away. He gave me the time that I needed to regroup and once I had steadied myself, I stepped back and gave him a tight smile.

  “Come on, sweet Rebecca, let’s get you home.” With his hand in mine, he led us away.

  “What will happen to the dead man? Why was he just left there?”

  “We aren't totally unlike your police or crime scene investigators. Aside from attempting to use magic to identify a culprit, we take fingerprints and analyze the scene. At some point they will remove the body, but for now, the building has been spelled to keep unsuspecting humans out.”