Nightsoul

by McKenzie Hunter

  The gnawing urges were gone, but they were replaced by an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. A husk. A vacant shell.

  Shouldn’t I have felt something…more?

  I needed to feel something.

  For years, I had felt this nearly unquenchable thirst, only for it to be replaced by a state of nothingness, leaving me feeling unlike myself. I was positive it wasn’t something I could get used to.

  Nolan and Elizabeth joined hands and whispered words in their language, and a flare raced through me, forcing out a gasp. I doubled over. Tears welled in my eyes. It tore through me and I knew I couldn’t function that way. I released it, magic shooting from me like a bullet, knocking over the sofa, tables, and everything else in its path.

  Magic. I felt it. The heavy weight of it replaced the emptiness as it poured through every inch of my body. It was a livewire inside me, making everything I felt pale in comparison. I knew it was impossible, or just my imagination, but things seemed brighter, as if a film had been lifted. Renewed. I was no longer a shadow of myself. I wanted more than just that fleeting moment of destruction, I wanted to use it. Be one with my magic.

  Elizabeth frowned at the destruction, whereas Nolan seemed pleased.

  “She’s powerful,” Nolan acknowledged with paternal pride.

  “Did you expect her to be any other way?” Elizabeth asked sharply.

  Studying me with an air of judgment, she asked, “How do you and your mother do it?” Although her words were benign, the level of contempt wasn’t. “Malific should have been destroyed years ago and yet she lived. The Huntsmen found out who you are, but instead of destroying you, they protect you. They aren’t known for protection, quite the contrary.” She exhaled and shook her head, turning from me to straighten the mess I’d created.

  Nolan assisted while talking to her, his voice level and entreating in direct contrast to her edgy responses.

  “I’d like to know what’s going on,” I finally said, my patience frayed as Elizabeth continue to treat me as a nuisance. She set me up to be killed? Well, fine, I held her in equal contempt.

  “He wants to teach you to use our magic. Rather, he wants me to teach you while he tries to find others of our kind. He’s convinced there are more on this side of the Veil, hiding. Now he believes she should be killed.”

  “She’s a mere god now, with their weaknesses, not an Arch-deity. She can’t create an army. You’re right, it is time for her to be killed. She’ll come for Erin, so Erin needs to be prepared.”

  “She’ll come for Erin and will kill her. Her magic will be restored and things will return as they were. Your plan was shortsighted, brother. Foolish. What about her sycophants? There weren’t many but they were gods. Do you think they won’t join her again?”

  They slipped back into their language, sniping back and forth at each other.

  I didn’t want any part of it. I had magic. I’d gotten what I came for.

  Deciding to leave, I went to the kitchen and found myself distracted by the window view of the haughty imp traipsing toward the back of the house with a hose in hand. After seeing people garden in ratty clothes, overalls, blindingly bright floral shirts and pants, and other attire, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by him doing it in vest and slacks.

  In the backyard there were beds of flowers nestled along the side of the house. A small vegetable garden was to the far left and to the right of it an apple tree and vine of berries. Another small garden was a little farther away, with herbs, unfamiliar flowers, and next to it, a tree bearing a fruit that looked very similar to mango. It was highly unlikely that it was mango since it was hard to grow them in the Midwest.

  Unlike the other gardens, the dirt looked freshly turned. Newly planted.

  “What is that?” I asked, stepping outside, my voice so loud and commanding it startled the imp. His head jerked in my direction. Arius looked at me with aloof condescension.

  “It’s Amber Crocus.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  “I’m not sure. You’ll have to make your inquiry to the mistress.”

  He was lying and I didn’t need to be a shifter to know that.

  Charging back into the house, I confronted my aunt.

  “Where did you get the Amber Crocus?”

  “We stumbled upon it,” Elizabeth said, her arms folded over her chest, a humorless smile on her face.

  “You didn’t stumble upon it. You stole it.”

  And I planned to take it back. I stormed out of the house, shoving past the imp, who looked appalled at my rudeness. Kneeling, I clawed up the dirt and pulled out each plant individually. Nolan took up position next to me, also scooping up the plants.

  Elizabeth looked smug as she watched us destroy her newly planted garden.

  I shot her a sharp look. “Do you know what you’ve done? You probably don’t even care. This little stunt put my life and the coven you took it from in danger. They were supposed to sell this to the vampires, and then it was stolen.”

  Instead of remorse, she held a look of lofty indifference until the streak of magic from me pelted her chest. It hit harder than I expected. I would have to learn to modulate it. With it directed at my cynical aunt, though, I didn’t care. My magic was comparable to the magic I’d borrowed from Mephisto, but with subtle differences, intrinsic because it was mine. I owned it.

  When she came to her feet, I shot another one in her direction, but the field she erected protected it. The reversal spell I performed shattered the field and left her glaring at me. It had been a shot in the dark; reversal spells countered spells, not destroyed protective fields. I wasn’t sure what had caused me to do it, but now I knew how it worked.

  “Her magic is very unique.” The sneer in her voice was a massive “I told you so.”

  To an adulating Nolan, it didn’t have any effect.

  “And that’s a good thing,” he replied, pride in his voice.

  It did nothing but fuel my anger. His admiration and satisfaction meant nothing to me. I was a pawn. Part of his stratagem. Just a tool he created for revenge. The more I thought about these to, the more livid I became.

  When he spoke, it was just above a whisper. “I was foolish and wrong in what I did. My goal was to be heartless and cruel to get back at Malific.” He stopped, and in my periphery, I could see him looking at me. “I worried you’d be like her. Having you locked away was to protect you from becoming like her. Watching you struggle the way you did proved that you weren’t. She would have killed without remorse, given in to the urges, not cared about the consequences.”

  I tuned him out. Whether he meant it or not, it made things worse. With my magic unfettered and uncontrolled running through me, I felt like nothing more than magic and emotions running amok. I wanted this day to be over and everything that had unfolded over the past few days to be in my distant past.

  I knelt once again, recalling the spell that Cory found that would destroy the land, preventing it from ever growing anything. Another spell that wasn’t light magic and that tap danced along the lines between light and dark, good and bad. Shoving my hand into the earth, I said the spell, and the dark, ominous feeling of death and necrosis rushed through me, moving from me into the earth. It pulled the moisture, leaving dried crumbs. The putrid smell of destruction drifted from the earth as a gray sheen covered it. Even without the discoloring patina, the land looked barren beyond repair.

  “Look, your daughter has destroyed the land, one of the many things she will annihilate.”

  “You go to hell,” I barked at my aunt, and then turned my ire on good ol’ dad and his distorted and disturbing reason for making me and not being in my life. “And you can go with her.”

  With the AC crushed to my chest, I ignored Nolan’s calls.

  Tossing the plants in the back seat of my car, I closed my eyes and rested against the seat. My breathing eased and I found some remnants of calm despite the nagging feeling of remorse for telling the only people who could help me with
the other aspects of my magic to go to hell. At least I didn’t tell them to fuck off. I kept it nice. There had to be some bonus points for that.

  CHAPTER 21

  It took me an hour to ease my thoughts away from Elizabeth and Nolan. The peppermint white mocha that I was sipping on when Landon called didn’t have its usual appeal. Probably because I wanted—no, needed—something a little stronger.

  “I have the Amber Crocus,” I informed him the moment he answered the phone. There were probably only a handful of times saying five words brought me so much relief.

  “Ah, did Mephisto give it to you?”

  “He didn’t have it.”

  “I’m sure you’re going to tell me who stole it. Such betrayal can’t be ignored.”

  “No, I’m not going to tell you.”

  “Erin, is it really necessary to have this debate? You will tell me,” he asserted, defiance and entitlement coursing through his words.

  “You want the AC or not?” I snapped.

  Even over the phone, I could feel the cold tension. As more time passed, I looked at the phone to make sure we hadn’t been disconnected.

  “I will see you soon,” he conceded in a huff.

  I wasn’t looking forward to seeing him.

  Of all the unwise things I’ve done in life, seeing a powerful vampire when my emotions were frayed and my temper was on a short fuse was definitely topping the list. But the longer I had the Amber Crocus, the more opportunities there were for something to happen to it. Once it was in his possession, my job was complete and it became his problem.

  Landon opened the door and sneered at the exposed AC poking out of my bag. He put some distance between us before waving me forward to follow him to the room I’d met him in when he hired me for this job. Taking a seat in the throne-like chair, he fixed his night-dark slits on me.

  “If not Mephisto, then who?” he asked.

  The answer was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted so desperately to let him take his wrath out on Elizabeth, or perhaps she’d teach him a lesson about revenge. Best-case scenario, they hurt each other in a fiery blaze. But situations like that never play out as intended and it was more likely they’d walk away unharmed but leaving innocent bystanders injured, or worse.

  “I’m not going to tell you,” I said. “Know that the land where it was planted was destroyed. Nothing was left behind. Unless someone finds another batch somewhere or learns to create it, you have the only AC available. The witches are still under their oath.”

  “Yet, I still feel dissatisfied.” There was a sneer in his voice.

  Suck it up, buttercup.

  I cursed under my breath when Elon, the vampire’s henchman, entered the room. The rigid lines of his face betrayed the effort it took him to move humanly and deceptively slowly. As the actual vampire’s cleaner, he lived a clandestine existence. I knew of him because it was my business to know. And if he was here, it was either to make a point or to do his job. This wasn’t going to end without bloodshed; I just hoped it wouldn’t be mine.

  Having magic gave me an advantage. Neither of them knowing that I had magic gave me even more of an edge. It was exactly what I needed when dealing with self-entitled asses, high on their feelings of umbrage and with a thirst for revenge and retribution.

  “Erin, you have proven to be exceptional whenever I’ve worked with you. Impressive, but putting me and the other vampires at risk can’t be tolerated. So, you will tell me who stole this,” he demanded in a voice that was so hypnotic, I wondered if he was trying to compel me.

  “Hmmm. Will I?”

  “This doesn’t have to be contentious.”

  “You’re right. Yet here we are.” I kept a cautious eye on Elon.

  Play nice, Erin.

  Typically, it wasn’t too difficult to exhibit some diplomacy; after all it was part of my job most of the time. On any other day, I’d shrug off Landon sitting on his throne, looking like a supervillain hopped up on the drug of privilege and entitlement, as him being eccentric and overly annoying. I’d finish the job, add a surcharge for the trouble of having to deal with his eccentricities and him getting on my damn nerves, and be done with it. Today I didn’t have it in me.

  “You’re not getting a name,” I said decisively. “You have the AC, the job is over. Pay me so I can leave.”

  He slipped a look in Elon’s direction. I dropped the electric pellets I’d slid from my pocket to his left side. The mini explosion drew their attention, giving me the time I needed to yank the stake out from the back of my pants and shove it into Landon’s chest. His eyes widened and he gasped in unneeded breaths as his eyes dropped to the wood protruding from his chest.

  He bared his fangs.

  “Now, put those away.”

  White-hot anger moved over his face. The sharp gaze he leveled at me was rife with malice. With great effort, he drew his lips down into a tight line, covering the fangs.

  Taking several steps back, I locked eyes with Elon while blindly reaching for the Amber Crocus. Pulling out a piece of it, I held it out at him like people did with crosses, to ward off vampires, an act that usually resulted in the vampire cackling with amusement. It was a clue that the person hadn’t done their vampire research. But the Amber Crocus had Elon moving to the other room and me considering keeping a piece of it for myself. For it to work, I had to imbed it in him, but that didn’t seem to matter. He retreated as if a mere touch would be his true death.

  I had Amber Crocus in one hand and a blade in the other. On the long list of things I wanted Mephisto to show me how to do, moving at their eerily fast speed was one of them. Happenstance and good fortune were the only reasons this particular situation had worked out. Living by luck wasn’t a good strategy because luck eventually ran out.

  Splitting my attention between Elon and Landon, I addressed Landon. “You’re going to have true death if I don’t feed you. You’ve attempted to bully me, threatened me, and accused me of betraying you, which I didn’t.” I kept my voice low and neutral to prevent inciting more anger from them. I didn’t want to fight Elon and I wasn’t ready to reveal my ability to use magic. It was a tactical advantage I wanted to keep secret until I really needed it.

  Landon’s glare intensified as I eased toward him, twining the plant around the blade. “What’s it going to be? We end this now with my face being the last thing you see before true death and I walk out of here with the AC and your vampires still at risk. Or I feed you, you pay me, and I leave the AC here with you?”

  If looks could kill, I’d have died a thousand times over. His eyes screwed tight. “You have my word, no harm will come to you over the AC,” Landon ground out through gritted teeth. True death was starting, and watching rigor mortis set in and the putrid changes in his skin wasn’t something I wanted to see again.

  “No, I need your word you won’t try to retaliate, either. I was just protecting myself.”

  After a few beats, he conceded. “You have your wish.”

  Even among the morally gray, promises were kept. It was a part of currency as much as money.

  I yanked out the stake and extended my arm to him. He took it and with more care than I expected, bit. Landon slowly drew from me until he didn’t move with the stiffness of before and his skin had returned to its pale coloring.

  When he released my arm, I moved away from him, watching his tongue glide over his lips, removing the rivulets. Anger gave way to lust. Vampires tended to conflate sex and violence.

  “Perhaps we should have a drink, to celebrate our resolution,” he suggested, giving Elon a nod, cueing him to leave, his interest undeniably lascivious.

  What is wrong with you! I just staked you and threatened you with true death and that’s made you hot?

  “No thank you, I’ll just take payment.”

  His movements were devoid of his usual fluid grace and stealth as he moved to his desk. It would return once he had a proper feeding. He had taken just enough to stave off death.

  “Ver
y well.” He tapped at his computer and I pulled out my phone, confirmed his payment, and smiled. He’d given me a bonus.

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you for not letting me die,” he said, a flirty tease to his voice.

  I needed to get the hell out of this house of weirdness where attempts on a life made me alluring.

  “Erin, I do think we’ve reached a very special place in our relationship.”

  Not a relationship. Let your freak flag fly. It’s all good but it won’t be with me, you weirdo.

  “You’re right. If you’re ever in need for another job like this, hire someone else.”

  I unraveled the AC from my blade and dropped it with the others. If they were too afraid to move it, I was sure Landon had someone who could help them.

  Backing out of the room, I kept my blade in my hand and my guard up as I quickly made my way out of the house. I stayed on high alert until I was safely in the car. I texted Wendy to inform her that the Amber Crocus had been found. She received the same response I gave Landon when she inquired who had taken it. After I reminded her that the oath still stood, I tossed my phone aside and headed home.

  CHAPTER 22

  Ms. Harp, if nothing else, you are consistent, I thought when the silver 911 Carrera started following me once I turned onto the main road leading to my apartment. I decreased my speed to a snail’s pace, forcing the sports car tailing me to do the same. Checking my rearview mirror, I expected to see a look of irritation from Asher; instead, there was a smirk of comfortable arrogance. Several blocks he kept with that pace, then he moved past me and slammed on his brakes, forcing me to stop. He was out of his car and walking toward mine moments later.

  His smile vanished when he saw me.

  I didn’t bother to let my window down; he could hear me clearly through it. “What embellished tale did Ms. Harp give you this time?”