5 Darkness Falls

by Christin Lovell

  Drexel followed me to the room, closing the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

  I glanced at him. He was gnawing on the inside of his cheek, hinting at his concern. “Yeah. I’m just a little tired and overwhelmed. Thanks, though.”

  He nodded and came to sit on my bed, as I slipped into my closet.

  I grabbed a black maxi dress, a fresh pair of panties and a bra and carried them into the bathroom. I stared in the mirror at myself. I was a mess. Flour and sugar dotted my jeans and tee. A glob of icing was cresting on the stomach of my shirt; drops of blood speckled my whole outfit.

  I disrobed. Wetting a washcloth, I cleaned off the excess mess covering my body. I dressed as quickly as possible and pulled my hair into a pristine, tight knot atop my head. My ring from Kellan was the perfect accessory with my stud earrings and a simple necklace.

  I stepped out of the bathroom, entering the closet again. I slid into a pair of gold ballet flats before rushing back to where Drexel was waiting.

  “You look great.” He smiled, but there was something in his eyes that kept it from radiating.

  “Thanks.” I opened the bedroom door and rejoined the group.

  I frowned as I looked around the table. “Where’s Kai?”

  ***

  Kai

  I raised my hand, tapping on the timber with my knuckles. The door swung open.

  “Kai.” It was a cross between a question and a statement.

  “Can I talk to you, Will?”

  The Brit stared at me for a moment. His mind was locked up tight, but his expression was discernible. He was trying to figure out what would bring me here. Finally, he stepped back, allowing me to enter.

  I strolled into Will’s private study. Stained pine bookshelves ran floor to ceiling and lined parallel walls, creating flanks that beautifully framed the wall of windows.

  He closed the door and came around in front of me. “Ah, yes. Come have a seat,” he muttered, sounding unsure. It was difficult to catch Will off–guard, so I considered this a small victory.

  I sat in one of the leather, club chairs on the opposite side of his oversized, mahogany desk. There wasn’t a single visible part of the intricately carved desktop. Papers and books alike were piled high.

  He shifted some items, creating a makeshift pass-through to speak with me. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Kai?”

  “I’ve read the prophecy. I’ve studied its pages probably as much as you have.”

  “Why?” He fussed with the buttons of his shirt, his distress breaking the surface.

  I gazed at the uptight man, waiting until I had his full, undivided attention. “Because I love Leka.”

  We sat in silence for a minute, the magnitude of my confession bubbling in my chest. I’d never spoken the truth out loud to anyone but her.

  “What do you want to know? You’ve obviously come here for a reason.” He reached out and pulled one of the many notebooks from the clutter on his desk. He grabbed a pen and opened the journal to a blank page.

  “What are your theories on who takes care of Leka after?” I hitched a brow, flashing him a sly smile.

  His eyes opened marginally wider as he studied me, a smug smile dividing his face. “You think it’s you.”

  “Let’s compare notes.”

  Chapter 7

  The High Authorities took turns glancing at their watches as we all sat silently around the table. I received awkward glances on multiple occasions. Everyone had figured out the truth of my situation, but now I knew they were analyzing me, determining whether I could handle all of my jobs in my condition. I hated that they questioned my ability to juggle my responsibilities, but I couldn’t blame them. Even I could admit I’d stretched myself a bit thin lately as my business has been growing exponentially.

  “I made some new desserts that I would love your opinions on,” I stated, standing to get the cherry-infused blood and cream cheese Danishes and the chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate pudding fillings and blood red frosted peaks.

  I picked up both trays from the island. As I turned, Kalel and Drexel took them from me. I know it’s some misguided idea, thinking I should be resting, that’s motivating them to help. Yesterday, I saw a logbook that apparently Drex and Kellan have been keeping together; using it to record how often and how long I sleep. I didn’t bother calling them out on it. I knew the best way to handle them was with action. I had to prove to all of them that I was still capable of balancing everything. My appointment with Dr. H was tomorrow, and I was certain he would confirm my abilities to them.

  They all watched me as I sat back down in my chair. I glared back at them. “I’m fine!” I snapped.

  “Are you even aware of how rare this is, Lex?” Gabi’s forehead wrinkled as she stared at me.

  “Vamps have babies all the time.” I shrugged.

  “No, vampeens have babies. Vampeens mated with other vampeens have, on average, two children. Vampeens mated with humans have, on average, one child. While vampeens mated with vampires rarely have any,” she stated.

  “Kellan’s parents did.”

  “You ought to consider what Beth endured to deliver Kellan.” Laurence’s words were spoken low; there was a delicate touch to his delivery.

  “Can we move on?” I frowned. They were taking the joy out of this. They were ruining what I’d come to accept and love.

  “We want you prepared, not scared,” Auggy said. His expression was hard, but his eyes were soft, reflecting his concern.

  “The division between vampires and vampeens extends beyond just actions. It’s embedded in us. Even our bodies recognize that we’re not meant to be together.” Felipe spoke up for the first time. It wasn’t until now that I realized he wasn’t comfortable with Kellan and mine’s relationship.

  I openly stared at him. He sat demurely at the table, with a pompous air to him. I always knew he and Laurence held themselves highly, but this was a new edge.

  I thought back to when Kellan and Auggy went a few rounds at my house and Felipe walked with me outside. That conversation felt so different now. He’d indicated that the world would never be perfect. He’d said that if I wanted change, I would have to create it. I never knew he had doubts, that he had personal conflicts with me.

  “You are over analyzing me, Alexa. I was merely making a statement, not stating my own beliefs.”

  I felt my mind block securely in place, meaning that while I was openly staring at him, I was also making all my conspiracies open knowledge. Heat flooded my cheeks. “Sorry, but you have to understand how it sounded.”

  “Why don’t we eat?” Gabi interrupted, giving me an apologetic look.

  “I agree.” Kalel seemed weary from the discussion, despite not saying much.

  “Dig in.” I smiled, happy for the reprieve.

  I sat back and watched with glee as they all enthusiastically consumed my baked treats. I loved the way food influenced emotion. I’ve never seen anyone angrily eat dessert; by the time they’re done, any anger or sadness is gone. Food, despite how different the cuisine may be for each species, will always be regarded as a peacemaker to me.

  When they were halfway through the oversized trays, no longer piled high, I glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Kai was fifteen minutes late. That wasn’t like him. I tried to keep the fear at bay as I focused on those in front of me.

  “This is so good,” Gabi stated around a mouth full of Danish.

  They all murmured agreements.

  “Thanks.” I wanted to enjoy another baking success, but my mind was stuck on Kai.

  I let down my guard to project my concern to Kalel. “Where is he?”

  Kalel pulled out his phone. With a few taps he was able to pull up Kai’s location. “He’s in the building.” Kalel’s tone wasn’t right. His brows furrowed as he stared at the device. Suddenly, he stood, pushing back his chair. “Excuse me.”

  I immediately followed. “I’m going with you.”

  “Absolutely not,
” Auggy growled, forcefully shoving his chair back as he rose. “Let the military men handle this. Drexel, move your ass.” Auggy stopped and looked around the table. “I’m assuming the rest of you could defend her if you had to.”

  “Oh, shut up and go,” Gabi snapped, glaring darts at Auggy.

  The three men moved towards the front door. My heart accelerated with every step they took.

  “Never mind. He’s moving,” Kalel announced, the slight edge in his voice revealing that his fear had morphed into frustration.

  Auggy gave an exaggerated sigh as he ambled back to the table and plopped back into his seat.

  Drexel grabbed one of each dessert and winked at me. I gave him a warm smile. He tipped his head to everyone at the table before disappearing into his bedroom.

  Before Kai could knock, Kalel opened the door for him. “You’re late,” Kalel stated.

  “So I am,” Kai agreed as he rounded the corner. His gaze immediately searched for me. “I was tending to personal business.”

  There was something in his eyes that caused me to sit up and take notice. He was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t figure out what.

  “Let’s start, shall we?” Laurence said.

  Auggy pulled out his cell phone and set it in the center of the table.

  I stood and grabbed my notebook, which I’d set on the coffee table between batches earlier. Flipping to the back page, I retrieved the phone numbers for my army contacts. These are the men I’d appointed to keep watch over different sections of the world which also included watching over all the vampeen army members roaming in them.

  I dialed them all individually, requesting a detailed general status report. We’d reached the eighth and final manager when it everything came tumbling down.

  “Rashik, what is your status?”

  “I’m active in South Africa.”

  Suddenly there was a loud crash in the background, metal smacking into cement walls. Rashik’s breathing became labored.

  “Rashik? What’s going on?” My heart raced, as I listened carefully. The others sitting with me were silently evaluating all the background noise.

  I heard Rashik struggling, though I couldn’t decide if it was to get away or not. “Rashik?” His name was a hard bite on my tongue.

  “I’m afraid he can’t come to the phone right now.” The female voice sent chills down my spine.

  “Who are you?” I demanded. I snagged my phone off the kitchen island and immediately began recording the call.

  “Cecilia sends her love. She really is enjoying this, Lexi.”

  I silenced the table with a single hand gesture to keep the female on the other end from knowing I wasn’t alone.

  “Don’t you dare hurt him. If you have a problem with me, you take it up with me. Don’t hide behind my army.” My stomach churned as I challenged her. I didn’t know if I was ready to take on Cecilia and her army, but I wasn’t about to let Rashik take the fall for me.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll treat him as our honored guest.”

  “You better.” My voice was low, a rough growl, awakening every nerve ending in my body.

  The moment she hung up, the serum erupted into my mouth, coating my tongue. The new gag reflex I’d developed in the past week had me swallowing hard to keep down everything I’d eaten. I abruptly pushed away from the table. Gabi, Kai, Kalel and Auggy all stood, watching me closely.

  I sheepishly waved my hands. “I’m fine.”

  The moment the words left my mouth, an acidic burn rose up into my throat, mixing with my serum. I dashed to my bathroom in time for it all to come spewing out. I didn’t know what I was heaving up, but it was scorching my insides.

  I stared down in shock at the red liquid filling the bowl. Was I vomiting blood? I’m a vamp. We use every ounce of blood we consume. Nothing is wasted…or nothing was…

  A damp cloth was tenderly pressed to my forehead. “Are you okay, Leka?”

  Kai had squatted down behind me, his legs bowing out, encasing my back, as his hands wiped the damp cloth over my face and neck.

  “Um, yeah.” My voice was groggy; reminiscent of a human’s in the morning, prior to moistening their throat. My mouth, throat and chest burned, a fire flaring deep and rising higher with each passing second. A delayed reaction, I suppose.

  I promptly stood, closed the toilet lid, and flushed, not wanting to linger in this awkward position any longer. I turned and smacked right into him; he was a hard wall of muscle.

  He slit his eyes, watching me like a hawk. “Are you sure you’re okay?” There was doubt in his tone.

  I averted my gaze, not wanting to obligate him further. “I’m okay.” I moved past him, grabbing my toothbrush.

  Kai stood close by. He didn’t say anything further, but he made it obvious that he didn’t believe me.

  I rinsed my mouth with warm water before standing to face him. “Let’s go.” I jerked my head to the side, towards the door, to emphasize my point.

  His face was solemn as he gestured for me to walk ahead of him.

  I sighed, heading out first. Whispered conversations ceased the second I entered the living room.

  I focused on keeping my head held high as I approached them. “Okay, I’m leaving this meeting early. I’m taking Drexel and heading to my grandfather’s compound. He has voice recognition software that can hopefully tell me which vampire has my employee.” I picked up my phone from the table.

  “Please sit, Alexa,” Laurence requested.

  My gaze traveled around the table. When Auggy and Gabi, both, averted their gazes, I knew something was going on.

  “No. I’m not compromising my position. I’m perfectly fine. I can handle this. I’m not signing anything over so you’d have to pry it from my hands.” I left them sitting there, stupefied. I knocked briefly on Drex’s door before barging in. “Suit up and let’s go.”

  He looked up from his book, noticing the determination set in my jaw and the slight dip of my brow. Immediately, he set the book down and sprang to his feet. Opening the closet, he took off his shirt and tossed it into a hamper. Grabbing several holsters, he clipped them around his chest, shoulders and waist. He shoved varying kinds of weapons into the openings before pulling a clean black t-shirt over everything. Somehow, despite the tightness of the tee, his bulky muscles seemed to provide the perfect grooves to conceal the weapons between the material and his skin.

  Closing the closet doors and turning in my direction, he gave me a small smile. “Let’s go, Baby Cakes.”

  I couldn’t contain my smile. I loved that he didn’t question me…he never doubted me. “Let’s go.”

  As we walked through the dining room, everyone was still sitting around the table probably discussing me – though, I’d already tuned them out. Gabi and Jack hastily stood.

  “We’re going with you,” Gabi announced.

  I stopped and glanced back at them.

  “Jack can help with any software issues you have, and I can call in a few Bladang contacts on the continent to search for the pendeja the moment we have a name.” Her words were rushed, as if she knew my patience was short, and I might walk away if she didn’t make her case quick.

  I nodded, knowing a good deal when I heard it. “Alright. You can follow us.”

  “I’m going too. I can help with the computer stuff too,” Kai interjected.

  “Fine. Whoever wants to come, who isn’t going to challenge my every move or question my ability to function, just follow me and Drex.” I turned and walked out the door.

  I frowned, realizing the other army leaders didn’t have a way to lock the door behind them. “Is Sanders here?” I asked Drexel, never stopping as we arrived at the elevators.

  “I’ll have him come by to lock up.”

  I met his gaze. “Thanks.”

  Chapter 8

  Walking through the door of my grandfather’s home sent chills racing down my spine. I couldn’t stop myself from picturing his death. I shuddered as a f
lash of his head hitting the floor popped into the forefront of my mind.

  “You okay, chica?” Gabi asked.

  I opened my eyes, shaking myself. “Yeah.” I swallowed hard as I looked around his home. It was untouched. I made sure that no one came in or out. It was one of the few places that I stationed a guard at all times.

  Fernando was the guard on duty when we arrived. I couldn’t explain how happy I was to see him in position, ready for anything, including a group of attackers. He’d radioed for back-up before choosing a high point in a tree above the porch, where he could see everything and also have a fighting advantage.

  I quickly called him off. His dedication earned him respect in my eyes. I promised him a bonus for his diligence before pushing through the front door. The only indication that he was appreciative was the sparkle in his eyes and the slight upturn of his lips; then, he nodded and resumed his previous surveillance position.

  “Jack, do you mind leading us down?”

  “Certainly.” He stepped forward, moving past the group.

  We followed him through the dining room, into the kitchen and down the steps that seemed to lead to a basement. Past the concrete hall, we arrived at the office space.

  My eyes immediately sought the conference room in the corner. I knew it split in half, dropping unsuspecting victims, mainly vamps, down the hatch. I easily pictured a business meeting gone bad. How simple would it be to send your new enemy down the chute, falling through a maze of dungeons and traps?

  My grandfather was smart. He really was a great strategist. I didn’t understand the layout of his home before. I couldn’t conceive his play, his mindset. Now I got it.

  He needed the control room to be another level down, because anyone could find his office space. It didn’t matter if it was on a blueprint or not. No one would ever guess that an office floor, no less a boardroom, could split in half and open up the gates of hell.

  Everyone on my grandfather’s team knew about the control room. They also knew the traps that had been laid out and knew better than to get caught in them. They still needed a safe haven in the event that someone was clever enough to outsmart them. Should a team member shut themselves in the control room, they would be able to control everything in the dungeons below: every acid shower, every blaze of fire, every drop or rise in temperature. They’d also control the doors, the access points below and the cameras monitoring them. They could call for back up and know exactly where they were en route. My grandfather had thought of as much as possible when designing his home…including how to defeat his own granddaughter within it.