Surface Below: Dark Secrets (The Surface Below Book 1)

by Leeah Taylor

  “The answer is no. I don’t want to see mom. And you are here so much of the time I’m surprised Miranda isn’t with you now. And tell Craeden to stop going gray over me…he isn’t my father.”

  Markus came back to sit next to him. He looked tired and worn down from partying and heavy blood dosing. No matter how many times he was there to stop William, he knew there were many more when he wasn’t there. What scared Markus the most was knowing William could lose control if he kept drinking it. Turn into something from a nightmare.

  “Come on William, how long are you going to stay mad at mom?”

  The bad blood between him and their mother ran deep. William hadn’t seen his mother in years, nor had he been to the Dimension in even longer. He could no longer entertain her lies about his father.

  William pushed away from the counter and crossed the room. “When she gives up Merrick then I’ll come home.”

  Markus gave his brother a long sad look and a heavy sigh. Shaking his head, he picked up his bag and headed for the door. So many times he tried to get William to look past the situation with their father. Their mother couldn’t change it, nor was she lying about it. Although Markus questioned it himself. He only wanted to bring his family back together.

  “How many times does she have to tell you that Merrick was set up? Hmm?”

  William didn’t say anything. Instead he leaned into the frame of the window. The town beneath them was coming to life. People heading out to start their day. Cars were backed up at the intersection. Businesses were just beginning to flip their closed signs to open.

  “Fine, you’re stocked up on doses. Do yourself a favor and use them. I’ll come by in a couple of days. Maybe we can have a few beers and watch the game like normal brothers.”

  “Maybe,” William muttered, still watching the world go by, his arms crossed.

  Markus took a last look at his brother and then left.

  “In another life, Markus.” He sighed.

  He knew his brother meant well. There was a time when William was close with his family. Markus and he were even closer than that. But as William grew older he started to resent the absence of his father, Merrick. He had been accused of murder and treason before William and Markus were born. And that anger inside of him dwelled and festered, creating the dire thirst he had for human blood. It was the only thing that kept the Beast at bay and his emotions in check. And so he broke away from his family, from his brother and returned to the Surface to live in solitude.

  William headed for the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. The room filled with thick, hot steam. Wiping the fog away, he looked into the mirror and stared at himself. He tried again to replay the night back into his mind but it just wasn't coming in clear. It was already locked away in his mind. He slammed his fist down on the bathroom sink. A clipper hit the floor. He bent down and picked it up. Looking back up into the mirror and then at the clipper, again he plugged it into the wall.

  Time for a change.

  Chunks of blond and brown hair filled the sink as the buzzing of the clipper filled the small space. Setting it down on the counter he stared at himself. His bright green eyes glared back at him. Anger was the only thing there. He rubbed his bare head. It almost made him look more like his brother.

  The shower was helpful for whatever lingered from his hangover. Stepping out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to the kitchen. He went through the motions of preparing a fresh pot of coffee. When he pulled open the drawer on the end, the glass clinked together. He pulled a vial from it, the contents a thick, dark crimson fluid, and emptied it into a new mug. The Beast stirred some but it drifted off again, unimpressed with the aroma Hybrid gave off. It barely put out the raging wildfire that burned in his chest that reminded him of what he was.

  He went back to the window and looked out; silently begging whatever force was out there to give him the same boring, normal life as the rest. He was what he was and the rules he was bound by left him lonely and oppressed. He couldn’t surround himself with humans but he didn’t want to be around his own kind. So he chose to be alone. If choice was an option.

  William needed more though. He needed to be amongst humans, he was drawn to them. Fascinated by their habits, emotions and energy. And when he had graduated he had made the decision to go to college and stay on the Surface. His mother and uncle had protested the notion, for good reason, but those reasons were not enough for him not to go.

  And there his needs were met. He could feed on the energy around him, absorb the human emotions that he thirsted for. And he could spend time with women. He couldn’t touch a woman though; not that it stopped him. William just wasn’t satisfied being with a vampire. Female vampires were competitive, hard to please creatures. A human, though, had so many emotions. He welcomed the passion rolling off them in waves, and the affection, he could appreciate it. It was the closest thing he had to being human.

  Defeated, he went back and poured coffee into the mug. The crimson mixed with the blackness of the coffee. The Hybrid would sweeten it to perfection. It was the only way William cared to drink the blood replacement.

  Crossing to the other side of the room, he went over to the large desk in the corner. Unopened letters from his mother sat stacked on the edge of the desk, begging to be read. He was sure each one was the same: she begged him to listen, be rational, and to come home. They would fall on deaf ears because no matter what she said, he continued to believe the worst about his father. He wasn’t sure how far the letters went back, but they had started sometime after college.

  Pushing some papers off to the side, he settled into the black leather office chair. He set his coffee cup in its familiar spot on the wood, a dark ring stained beneath it from many cups before.

  He lifted up the screen on the laptop and it came to life. A picture from a different time looked back at him. It was of Markus, Miranda and him. Blues skies and white sand surrounding them. They all had big smiles that touched their eyes. In that singular picture were so many happy memories. He pushed it out of his head though and quickly clicked the browser.

  He scrolled through his emails, but there was nothing of interest to him. Mostly junk and bills.

  He went on to check his stocks, happily surprised that a couple turned out to be a good sell. And he had turned a nice profit.

  As he clicked through and purchased some promising ones, he recalled a distant memory. Not so distant college years. It made him realize it had been five years since he’d graduated. William had been two years into his English Lit degree and already losing interest. He had loved books and had an arsenal against the wall next to him to prove it. Everything from Poe to King had lined the shelves. But college in general hadn’t interested him. Partying and the girls is what had kept him lingering around.

  By that point, William had cut himself off from his mother and the people who cared for him. Which meant he had cut himself off from the money. He had done it to himself. William knew even through the rebellious years his mother would have given him money. And at times she had insisted but he didn’t want it. And then a curious professor had taken the young William under his wing. Turning him into his little protégé.

  The man had taught him all he needed to know to play the money game. Buying, selling, and waiting patiently. Not exactly one of his strongest attributes. It had seemed odd to William, at the time, that the professor had even taken an interest in him. But no matter the reasons, William had benefited from it. It wasn’t until he graduated from college that the professor had revealed to William who he was.

  Benton Bancroft, a Bottom inhabitant by night and Surface dweller by day. The man was a Conjurer just as William’s mother was. William only carried half of that gene, inheriting the rest from his father, the vampire. And he embraced that vampire side with very little left to give his Conjurer.

  Benton had given William the knowledge and resources he needed to become a Drifter, to be able to walk away from the Bottom life
and live comfortably on the Surface. And that’s exactly what William had done. His visits to the Bottom became scarce. He lived his life on the Surface among a species he appreciated.

  Tired and sore, he finally retreated back to his bedroom. He didn’t bother closing the door. Letting the towel drop to the floor, he climbed into the welcoming embrace of his king size bed. Before drifting off to sleep he wondered if he should go out that night. He knew he would, but still he wondered if he should.

  Time for a change.

  Chapter 3

  The sun was already flirting with the sky when Becca climbed into the comforts of a hot shower. Her feet sore and throbbing, her lower back aching. Hot water ran down her body and over her sore muscles, calming them and washing away the night’s drunken advances.

  Stepping out, she came face to face with a soft blue-eyed girl. Dark red hair framed her face, curls wet and running water down to her shoulders. She worried she had lost that person but here she stood, looking at her. Her own reflection. Pulling her hair up and securing in a mess, she turned off the light and went for the door.

  The house had quickly quieted down as Becca passed the rooms, one by one, turning off the lights. Reaching the end of the hall; on the far side of the house, she peered into the room across from hers. A smile crept up on her as she eyed the bed. Z, her cousin, was already curled up with his arms wrapped around her best friend Nikki. She was more like a sister though. The two were already fast asleep.

  It had been a long night at the bar. Too many college students crammed in, all too eager to catch the football games. Two waitresses had called in, leaving Nikki and Becca. And Z had run back and forth from the storage room to the bar, restocking as fast as he could.

  Becca switched off the hall light and turned to look into the blackness that now filled the house. On the other side of the house her Uncle Danny was in his room, not sleeping, but quietly tucked away in his bed with a book. This was her family. And it made a smile grow to touch the corners of her lips.

  Softly closing the door, she went over to her bed. It was small. Just big enough for her bed, night stand and dresser. The white walls made the room bright. A few pictures decorated the walls. One was of a country farm with a big beautiful house and red barn. It was her favorite one. It had been a gift from her uncle. He had told her it was the old Marks Farm. An old family friend, he would say. A family he grew up with and spent most of his own childhood and teen years with.

  Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she glanced over at the picture on the night stand. A heavy sigh passed her lips as she reached for it. It rested in her hand against her lap. The man and woman in the frame stared back. Tears stung at her eyes and her bottom lip quivered like a child’s. The woman was beautiful and full of joy. The man’s eyes were glowing with love.

  Wiping the tears away, she placed it back in its place on the stand and slipped under the pink comforter of the twin size bed. As she turned out the light, Becca blew a soft kiss to the picture, “Good Night mom and dad, I love you.”

  It was early afternoon before Becca woke up. She was still tired and sore from the prior night’s shift. And sleep hadn’t been peaceful. Dreams had filled her mind. Some were of her parents and others of a dark place. A place she dreamt of often. It was a city but she knew it wasn’t of this world. Skyscrapers filled the horizon, the sound of waves breaking against the shore filled the air, and in the distance, a grand castle. It stood above it all, on a rocky surface. A moon so bright it couldn’t possibly be from this world. And she stood over it all. As if it were hers for the taking.

  Becca pushed the dream from her mind and slipped from her bed.

  As she made her way through the house, it was still quiet. Z and Nikki were still very much asleep. Like every morning, she searched the space next to the door, noting that her Uncle Danny’s keys were already gone. He was at the bar preparing for another night.

  Becca went into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards to find coffee. The kitchen was functional. A small four-chaired table sitting on the opposite side in a small nook. Windows surrounding it. The kitchen was minimally stocked with appliances. The basics: a fridge, stove, microwave and of course a coffee pot. And Becca was sure they had a toaster somewhere.

  Waiting for the carafe to fill with just enough to make a cup, Becca went for the back door. It was bright outside and already humid. She squinted against the light as she pulled open a storage door, inside the laundry room. An empty basket sat in front of the dryer and Becca opened the door, loading the clothes into it. Behind her on a small counter sat a basket ready for the wash. She rolled her eyes, already picking it up and dumping the dirty clothes into the washer.

  “Sure, Becca will do it for you,” she mumbled, pouring a capful of detergent into the washer and dropping the lid down. Its sound resonating through the room.

  In the kitchen, with a fresh brewed cup of coffee, Becca took to folding the laundry. She did most of the housework for her family. It was a love-hate relationship. On one hand Becca adored her family, but she wondered how they would function without her. But she appreciated the small sliver of personal time. It was uncommon in their home. Had been since they were six years old. About the time her Uncle took both Nikki and Becca in.

  The sound of shuffling feet brought her back to reality, pulling her from the far-off time. Looking up, she caught sight of Z. The vision of a zombie, dragging one foot, trying to make its way across a large field to catch a meal, came to mind. She scrunched her nose and giggled. In Z’s case it was making it across the tiled kitchen floor to the coffee pot.

  “Good morning.” She said. He made a sound but nothing that resembled a coherent word.

  “Ugh…”

  It only added to the zombie picture in her mind. Giggling again, she propped the laundry basket on her hip and went to place a singular kiss on his cheek. Again he grunted. She gave him a once over. His brown hair was sporting an interesting squished and wild bed head. She reached up and pulled a mug down, and placed it in front of him.

  “It’s hot, don’t forget this time.” She enjoyed taunting him. Patting him on the back, she left the room and went to finish the chores.

  The afternoon went by too quickly, and Becca found herself in front of the mirror fixing her hair and doing her makeup. Grabbing for her eyeliner, she looked up to see Nikki standing in the door, already primped and ready for another night at Tony’s.

  Friday and Saturday nights were their busiest nights and Tony’s had a reputation in this town. Good old Raymont, GA. A town known for its fishing, hunting, bed and breakfasts and yes, even ghost stories. People flocked there this time of year. Fall time. Tony’s was the place to be.

  “Hey you, I see you’re already perfectly beautiful for tonight,” Becca noted, applying the eyeliner. Nikki rolled her eyes and went over to her, taking the pencil from her hand. Expertly she began applying it for her. “What are you doing?”

  “Keeping us from being late.” She half laughed, moving to the other eye. Style and fashion came naturally to her where Becca was insecure.

  Nikki’s long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her tan skin was beginning to lose its beautiful summer glow, but not that anyone would notice. She was everything Becca wished she could be. Physically, that was. Becca had always wanted the body Nikki had. Growing up together, from the tender age of six, when Danny finally took Nikki in, Becca had wished she could be one tenth the beauty Nikki was.

  It was all in her head though. She was every bit as beautiful as Nikki. Her gorgeous red curls were something to be envious about. And the fierce, deep blue eyes that contrasted against her pale, lightly freckled skin left most guys panting. Becca didn’t see it that way though.

  “We wouldn’t have been late.” She took the pencil from her and tossed it up on the counter. Nikki sighed heavily and turned Becca to look in the mirror. With her arms around her from behind, she hugged her tightly.

  “Becca, you’re beautiful. No matt
er what you think. Stop trying so hard to be someone you’re not. You’re Becca and that’s all you need to be.” She kissed her on the cheek. “Now come on, let’s get to work.

  Nikki skipped out of the bathroom and left Becca staring at herself. She knew what Nikki had said was true, but there was still that self-doubt in the back of her mind. It made her wonder if she’d feel the same way if she had grown up with a mother. Maybe if she’d had the encouragement only a mother could give. Becca gave a heavy sigh and pushed off from the counter. She would never know what growing up with a mother would be like, and she was tired of wondering about it.

  Chapter 4

  “Becca!” Danny yelled from the back room. “Did you order those extra cases of beer?”

  A smile grew on Becca’s face and she appeared in the doorway of the storage room. He was holding a clipboard and staring at the crates of beer.

  “Yes Uncle Danny, I did. Should be here later tonight. We have plenty to get us through till then.”

  Her uncle looked down at the cases again and started counting them. Mentally counting each one, doing the math in his head and looking back down at his clipboard.

  “Alright, tell Z to make sure the bar is fully stocked.” He didn’t look up.