Dark Seeker

by Taryn Browning

  “This is the first boy you’ve spoken about, and you want me to drop it.” Isabelle slid Janie’s feet over to sit on the ottoman.

  “How many more years do I have to repeat high school? I’m feeling intellectually stunted. Normal humans don’t have to repeat their teenage years over and over again. When do I actually get to turn eighteen?”

  Isabelle smiled. “I did, and I turned out okay. I even got to go to nursing school and become a nurse.” She settled in, ready to gossip about a subject Janie knew little about—boys. “Does he go to Loch Raven?”

  “He’s the wrestling captain,” Janie said.

  “Is there a problem with a jock taking an interest in you? I don’t understand your reluctance.” She traced the imprint of the dagger on Janie’s calf. “Ouch, how long did you wear that thing in your boot?”

  “Practically all night.” Janie shook her head, indicating she didn’t want to discuss it.

  Isabelle thankfully took the hint. “So, are you seeing Matt tonight? What’s he like?”

  “Uh, Mom, slow down.” Janie bit her lip and winced, remembering she had a split lip. She didn’t taste any blood. It had already started to heal. “Matt should have no interest in me. He’s only speaking to me because I saved his life.”

  “You did what?” Isabelle’s interested gaze flipped to a disappointed frown. “Janie, that’s dangerous. You could have been exposed, and Matt—” Isabelle rose to her feet. “What were you thinking?”

  “What was I supposed to do—let the Daychild kill him?”

  Isabelle began to pace again. “I’ll have to speak to Abram about this. This is not good.”

  “Matt said he wouldn’t say anything.”

  “That’s not what I’m worried about. The Chapter can deal with the secrecy issue. Your father—” her words broke off. “Never mind.”

  “Why, what’s wrong?” Janie stood to confront her mother. “What does this have to do with Dad?”

  “Just trust me.” Isabelle turned and left the room. “I’ve got to call Abram back.”

  Luke picked Ava and Janie up in his classic red Mustang. Ava arranged her cotton turtleneck collar, while Luke patted his well-fitted, and even tighter, cashmere turtleneck. He’d paired it with straight-legged dress pants. They wound around one of the only roads still considered “country” in Towson.

  “Aren’t dice rear-view mirror decorations from the fifties?” Janie said, playing with the stuffed cubes dangling from the mirror.

  Luke rolled his eyes. “The fifties was a classic era. You gals don’t appreciate the quintessential.”

  “What does that even mean?” Ava said. “For being such a hick, you sure do sound a lot like Webster’s dictionary.”

  “I’m a refined, well-dressed hick,” he said, straightening his spine.

  “Is that the house?” Janie pointed to a large country home. It reminded her of Tara, the mansion in Gone with the Wind.

  “Either that, or there’s another party we didn’t know about. Check out all the cars,” Luke said. “I think the whole senior class is here.”

  “I recognize Pete’s red pick-up. We’re at the right house.” Janie buttoned the last two buttons of her black, fitted waist-length Pea coat. She’d donned her usual skinny jeans and black boots. The boots hid her dagger, and the jeans made the dagger more readily accessible, not that she expected any action tonight. But she couldn’t be too careful after she’d caught a Daychild on school grounds.

  Bright red and orange flames illuminated the forest backdrop. Piles of wood, rubble, even an old La-Z-Boy lay in a heap in the middle of the field. Hot embers crackled off the gigantic fire, whistling around in the dry air and flickering out. Seniors encircled the blaze—laughing, dancing and hanging out.

  “Janie—” Matt directed her over. He stood with two other wrestlers, Billy Reynolds and Chandler Baime. Matt still wore his varsity jacket, but he’d changed into a navy and white striped sweater. Partial horizontal lines were exposed under his open jacket. “You made it. Come join us.” Matt closed the distance between them.

  “Go ahead,” Luke said. “We’re going to find something to drink.”

  “Do you think they have Sprite?” Ava said.

  “Doubtful.” Luke shook his head, wrapped his arm around her waist and shuffled her forward.

  “Did you find the place okay?” Matt said. The fire’s refection flickered in his hazel irises, making them eerily pretty, like cat’s eyes.

  “There aren’t many other houses around, so we figured Pete’s was the house with all the cars.” Janie scanned the area. “Are Pete’s parents home? That’s pretty cool of them to let him set fire to their La-Z-Boy.”

  “His parents went away for the weekend. They have no idea.” He smiled.

  “Who invited you?” Molly appeared around a group of cheerleaders, her angry gaze set on Janie. She strode over to Matt and looped her arm through his. She’d cut her Loch Raven Wrestling sweatshirt around the neck so it slid off one shoulder. She eyed Janie’s footwear, raising one perfectly waxed brow. “Nice boots.”

  Janie threw her palms out. “Look, I’m outta here. Matt, have a good night.” She whirled around and set off to find Ava and Luke. Molly was right. They should’ve never been at the party in the first place.

  “Janie, wait!” Matt shook Molly off his arm and headed after her.

  “Matt, it’s no big deal.” Janie waved him away. “Go be with your friends.” This was why she didn’t want a boyfriend. Things got too complicated, and she didn’t need any more tricky situations in her life.

  He reached for her arm. “Will you at least stay? Don’t let Molly dictate whether you have a good time or not.”

  Good time—huh. “I’ll think about it.” She removed her arm from his grasp and strode away.

  Janie searched through the smoke for Ava and Luke. Seniors threw beer cans into the fire and girls danced to music flowing from an iPod plugged into someone’s car stereo. Teenagers lay across the hoods of cars, laughing and talking. A couple made out on the grass next to the fire. A twinge of envy ran through her. She forced her thoughts back to her friends. Where are they?

  Her skin started to prickle and a tingle inched up her spine. They are getting bold. Why are they suddenly leaving the city? Janie focused on the woods. A subtle movement behind a tree caught her eye. Instinctively, she touched her boot, but she wouldn’t remove her dagger until she got closer to the woods.

  The canopy of dormant branches muffled the sound of teenagers yelling and laughing, and lessoned the thudding vibration of the car stereo’s bass. She listened for any crackle of a tree branch or the crunch of dead leaves. Footfalls gave way to someone’s approach.

  “What are you doing in the woods?” Matt appeared next to a tree.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Matt. You need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”

  He puffed up, aligning his shoulders to make his six-foot stature appear even taller. He was a wrestler; he didn’t need to appear any more muscular. “Is it a vampire?” he said.

  “You need to leave.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone in the woods.” He stepped closer to her. “You saved my life, remember. I owe you.”

  “Is that why you’re talking to me, because you owe me?” She’d figured it out. The yellow rose, his interest in her, was all out of obligation.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” His jaw tightened. He broke a thin branch off a nearby tree.

  “Get down!” Janie suddenly threw Matt to the ground and spun into a roundhouse kick, planting the bridge of her foot into a Daychild’s side.

  The redhead lunged at Janie. She slid to the right, spun around and slammed him into a tree trunk. Janie reached into her boot and brandished her dagger.

  “Watch out!” someone said.

  The newly Turned demon, otherwise known as a newbie, stared at Janie with bloodshot, wild black eyes; he kicked her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. Matt jumped on the newbie’
s back. He threw him off with one shake and Matt landed at the base of a tree.

  “Matt, are you okay?” She scrambled across the forest floor.

  “I don’t think my arm’s broken, but my shoulder’s definitely dislocated,” he said, holding his arm tightly against his chest.

  Janie flipped onto both feet and drove her fist into the stomach of the approaching newbie. He doubled over. The redhead went for Matt. Janie sliced the dagger through the air. It pierced through the redhead’s skull, spraying green goo like an April shower. Oh no! Matt, the demon’s blood! Janie hurdled the newbie. When she landed, Matt was gone.

  She followed a dirt trail and discovered Kai crouched over Matt, gripping the collar of his varsity jacket. She sighed in relief. With his extraordinary speed, Kai had dragged Matt to safety.

  “Are you trying to burn a hole in your boyfriend?” Kai said. “You can thank me later for saving him from a fountain of acidic blood.”

  Kai let go of Matt’s jacket. Matt fell forward, catching himself with his hands.

  Kai retrieved his scythe from its holster. With his arms above his head, Kai lunged forward and spun in a circle, in the direction of the newbie.

  Janie extended her arm, looking past the dead eyes at his curly mop-top hair. . .she knew him. “Wait, Kai, no—”

  Kai finished his swing, beheading the newbie.

  Janie stared in horror.

  Matt appeared just as shocked. “Was that Billy Reynolds?” He scrambled backward in a crabwalk until his back hit a tree.

  “Who the hell’s Billy Reynolds?” Kai wiped his blade with a pile of dead leaves and reholstered it.

  “He’s a wrestler.” Janie stared at the empty spot where Billy’s body had just lain. She could hardly process what had happened. How could she expect Matt to understand?

  “You were talking to Billy when I arrived tonight. Did he seem alright to you?” Janie asked Matt.

  Matt gripped his shoulder. Sweat trickled down his forehead. “He wasn’t scary and psycho like he was just now.” Matt’s eyes were wide and his chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow spasms.

  “Are you saying the newbie was alive earlier this evening?” Kai asked Janie.

  “Less than an hour ago.” Janie leaned down and placed her palm on Matt’s forehead. “You’re burning up.” Although breathing, air didn’t appear to be reaching his lungs.

  “They’re making their own now. Vampires are no longer needed,” Kai said, ignoring Matt’s condition.

  “I know. The Chapter is aware of this. They’re meeting tonight to discuss options.” Janie knelt down next to Matt. “Are you sure it’s just your shoulder? Your forehead’s really hot.”

  “The Chapter, as in former Seekers?” Kai’s harsh tone redirected her attention.

  “Is that a problem?” she said. Kai ignored her. She glared at him. “Help me relocate Matt’s shoulder.”

  “What’s he to me?” Kai plucked a fresh leaf blade off of a branch just above him and cleaned it off on a tree trunk.

  “Then I’ll do it.” Janie placed one hand around Matt’s bicep and one around his forearm. “This is going to hurt.”

  “I know. Just do it.” Matt flashed Janie a pain-filled smile. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. On the count of three—”

  Janie’s boots slipped. She did her best to find her footing on the dry leaves. “One—two—” She jerked his arm forward on three. With a load crack, she snapped his shoulder back into its socket. He collapsed, writhing in pain on the forest floor.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “I—I’m o—okay.” Matt rolled over, doing his best to mask the pain. His facial muscles constricted and he appeared to be holding his breath. “What happened to Billy? He tried to kill you,” Matt said through a strained voice.

  “That’s what newbies do, they’re babies,” Kai interjected, as if Matt should already know the answer.

  Janie glared at Kai. “Stop being a jerk.” She helped Matt to a seated position. “A newbie is a newly created Daychild.” she answered. “They’re part vampire and part demon.” Confusion danced across Matt’s face.

  “Does he have to know the details?” Kai said. “You’ve already disclosed too much.”

  She stood to confront Kai. “His friend was just beheaded in front of him. I think he deserves some answers.”

  Kai didn’t back down. “Your boyfriend’s friend was dead when he was Turned.” He squinted his green eyes and his jaw tightened. His hair appeared darker in the forest, with no light to accentuate his highlights.

  “Stop calling him my boyfriend. And anyway, where did you come from? Did you follow me?” Janie remembered her dagger. She left Kai’s angry stance to retrieve it.

  “Why would I follow you? I couldn’t care less what you do on a Friday night.”

  “Then why are you here?” She searched the dead leaves. “Where’s my dagger?”

  “Looking for this?” Kai flipped her dagger up so the hilt faced out.

  She snatched it back, noticing it had already been cleaned. “Thanks.”

  A commotion of angry voices echoed from across the lawn, just outside the trees. Janie ducked, spotting the uninvited guests. There were two groups, but they weren’t seniors, and the dark made it hard to see them clearly. Her heart rate accelerated, heightening her Seeker sense—her skin crawled. Oh, no. Not again!

  Someone grabbed her arm. She spun around and slammed him to the ground, pinning him to the forest floor.

  “It’s only me,” Kai said, his palms raised. Blond waves of hair fell into his eyes. She exhaled in relief and released him. Her hand slid across his chest. She gasped.

  “What’s wrong?” he said.

  “Your heart. It’s beating. How is that possible?”

  He sloughed her off him and rose to a seated position. “Now’s not the time.”

  Her mouth hung open. He’s undead, so how does he have a beating heart?

  “Janie—drop it!”

  She did her best to hide her shock. “How’s Matt?”

  “He’s safe, for the moment. Did you see them?” He used his chin to signal in the direction of the visitors.

  “Are they Daychildren?”

  “One group. The other is made up of vamps.” He brushed the dead leaves off his jeans. “You sure can pack a punch.”

  “Let’s get a better look.” Janie pushed off the ground. Her hand crossed over his. His skin felt oddly neutral in temperature.

  Kai focused on his hand under hers. He didn’t attempt to remove it. Instead, he followed the curves of her arm with his eyes.

  Janie cleared her throat. “What are we going to do?”

  “About?” His green eyes stayed on hers.

  She shuddered at his touch, and removed her hand. “Them. We can’t just leave them here with the seniors.”

  Kai blinked and glanced back at the circus of wild teenagers. “Some of the seniors need to be put out of their misery.”

  Janie thought of a few cheerleaders who could certainly use a good scare. “Seriously, what’s the plan?”

  “You’re the Seeker.” He crouched closer to the forest’s edge for a better look.

  “We need to get Matt out of here. But we also need to do something about the ‘undead,’ no offense.”

  “None taken.”

  “I’ll confront them while you get Matt to safety,” she suggested.

  “That’s suicide. Forget it.” The muscle in his jaw tightened.

  She stood. “I’m a Seeker. It’s my job.” He caught her leg. “Let me go.”

  He administered a light karate chop to the back of the knee. She collapsed and landed in his lap, her face only inches from his. He grasped her arm, holding her in place. “You have only two daggers, and there are about ten of them.”

  She caught his breath and shivered. Being so close to Kai scared her. She shrugged him off and squatted next to him. “Yeah, but five are vamps. They’re easy to kill. It’s the ones with
demonic abilities that are sometimes a challenge.”

  His eyes tightened. “We’ll both get rid of them; then we’ll get Matt out of here.”

  “Does he have the time?” she argued.

  “He’ll have to.”

  “Why do you suppose they’re here, in the suburbs, at a bonfire for high school kids? This isn’t the first time I’ve caught them in Towson. One attacked Matt at school the other night.”

  “Who gets attacked that many times?”

  “I do.”

  “You go out looking for it.” Kai shook his head. “I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the shift of power. The vamps have it and the Daychildren want it.” He glanced back at a group of jocks chugging beer and pounding their chests like gorillas. “As for why they’re targeting Loch Raven Raiders, you’ve got me, other than they’re annoying and the world would be better without a few of them.” Kai flipped a stake out of his belt and handed it to her. “You’ll need this for the vamps.”

  “It’s like the Bloods and the Crips, demon-style.” Janie cocked her head and contorted her fingers into gang signs.

  “You’re a mess. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”

  “You call this hanging out?”

  “Whatever.” He shot to his feet and held his hand out for her. “Can we kick some vampire ass already?”

  “I’m right with you.” She ignored his gesture and jumped to his side.

  Janie and Kai approached the rival gangs. Her hand rested on her dagger. She eyed Kai. He appeared confident with a cool, tough-guy arrogance. The kind of tenacity someone developed when they’d persevered. Kai signaled for her to move ahead of him. Janie guessed it had to do with the element of surprise or something. Whatever. These vamps were hers.

  A vampire caught a whiff of Janie and cleared his throat. “Mmm, I smell Seeker blood.” The vamp was tall and skinny, dark-skinned and in his early twenties. He wore a red bandana around his head. Janie chuckled, recalling her Bloods and Crips joke.

  Gold chains hung from the vamp’s neck, layered over a white tank. His jeans hung off his butt, exposing a pair of striped boxer shorts. Janie wondered what Luke would think about the vamp’s choice of attire—Ghetto style.