The Arbiter: Divinely Damned Book One

by K. B. Ladnier

  I feel her before even seeing her. That new power calls to me like a beacon in the crowd. It awakens parts of me that have laid dormant for years. Before I even open my mouth to say anything, I watch her stiffen from behind. I despise being in this place. Loud music and a room full of Infernal; just what every Rite wants to end the day with.

  The only thing that makes this whole trip worthwhile is the possibility of sating my curiosity. It's been a long time since anyone has captured my attention, and never has it been a Damned. That is almost taboo among the likes of us and is profusely frowned upon. It’s a surprise there are as many as a hundred halfies in existence. Considering the number of people in the entire earthly realm, it’s not a lot. But amongst us, it’s more than what’s considered common. Then again, we need them. It’s a paradox.

  My need to know more about this spell that she's woven over me is more important than anything else at this point.

  She turns around and that power rubs against me again. I shift subtly to hide the clear-cut evidence of just how much she's affecting me. No one other than the Strige at her side catches it, even though the entire room faces me at this point. I'm sure they're all too worried about a Rite being within smiting distance.

  I listen with as much patience as I can muster, while keeping my face hidden and replying when necessary. The Lupin stabs Nocturna with his eyes when he thinks that no one is watching. Without meaning to, I step a little closer to her. There's no doubt in my mind that the two Infernal on either side of her would jump first, but they still wouldn't beat me to him.

  Turning my back and walking away is more difficult than what it should be. I despise leaving her behind with those Infernal. Half breed or Arbiter, I’m sure that she can hold her own. Still doesn’t settle well in my gut. Especially, now that I’ve gotten a good look at the two Damned protecting her. The one seems to be one of the rare good ones, but the other is wearing a very dangerous mask.

  I leave out the side door, and my ears finally get a break from the overbearing noise. Picking up a faint trail of Nocturna’s scent, I follow it up the stairs to the third landing. There, I pause for a moment and look out over the old cemetery while lost in thought.

  If only there were a way to get her alone. I would be able to bind her to me, so I’d know if she were ever in trouble. If the order ever found out, though, I’d be getting more than a slap on the wrist. There’s only so much allowance I’m given as Abel’s descendent.

  I wonder for a second if I could use our power’s weak connection to call her to me. Sending out a small push to her, it takes a few minutes before I hear the door I exited from open. Throwing up a few shadows around myself, I step back into the darkness.

  She takes a deep breath of the cold night air and lets it out in a puff of white smoke, before climbing the stairs to where I am waiting. When I reveal myself, she lets out a quick scream that I try to muffle with my hand. Someone still heard down below. One of her Strige or Lupin guards I’m sure. They may be the hired hand of the club, but with her new status, I don’t think she realizes just how many of them are now willing to sacrifice their lives for her.

  Two of them exit the door on the ground floor. I spin us, so that she’s pressed against the wall. As I lean in to whisper a quiet shh in her ear, it brings our bodies flush against each other. Not once does she try to make a move to get away from me. Her face is looking over my shoulder and when she turns it back to me, I lower my hand and capture her lips with my own.

  I don’t truly want to tie her to me, but the compulsion to do so is just too much to handle. It only takes a few seconds before her power bends to me, and I feel them meld together. I wish I could say that I don’t enjoy the feel of her lips against mine, but it would be a lie. Any human or Damned that caught site of us, would think nothing of this one small act. A Rite on the other hand would see it for what it is; a link between the two of us. Even Nocturna herself won’t even realize it’s there unless I tell her. Her Damned companions break us apart as they come out after her. I whisper a warning that I hope she’ll heed before jumping the side rail.

  Cloaking myself, the two on the ground never see me. I take off into the trees until a feeling stirs in my gut. I haven’t been soul linked with anyone in centuries, and I’m going to have to get used to it again.

  Creeping back through the trees, I watch as Nocturna and the two Damned enter her residence. It brings another feeling to the surface, and I’m shocked by it to say the least. Jealousy isn’t something that a Rite was created for. Yet, there it is.

  I shadow myself again as I climb the large tree leading up to the window on the third floor. Feeling much unlike myself, I watch as Nocturna paces and argues with the one called Enoch. Even though, it’s more like him arguing with himself than anything. Until he grabs and kisses her that is. My hand flexes, and the branch underneath it snaps.

  The Strige on the couch turns his face towards the window slightly and smiles as if he sees me. That smile turns to a grin as I feel a flash of power come from Nocturna, half a second before Enoch hits the floor. Having not smiled in so long, the muscles in my face struggle as the corners of my lips turn up.

  Enoch throws some words at Nocturna before walking back out the door. I watch him take off on foot down the road. When I look back up, it’s to find the other Damned taking advantage of what’s in front of him. Surprisingly, it doesn’t bring back that jealousy. There’s something familiar about him that I just can’t put my finger on.

  Jumping down from the tree, I take off after the angry one. Nocturna is in good hands, and if I stay any longer, I may do something that we would all regret.

  Nocturna

  “Hello? Nocturna?” Jamie asks waving a hand in my face.

  I shake my head as if I can throw out my thoughts that way, “What is it?”

  She looks at me as if she’s asked the same question multiple times. Shit, she probably has.

  “I was asking, how you think the meeting went last night,” she says fighting a smile.

  Shrugging, I answer her honestly, “Don’t fucking know. The only thing I walked away from the meeting with was how the Infernal handle business like a bunch of dirty pirates.” Oh, and a kiss from a Rite that I can’t seem to get out of my head. But there’s no need to tell her that.

  I catch her eye and can’t stand it any longer, “Ok, what gives? Why in Damnation have you been staring at me like that all day?”

  Her answering grin makes me want to smack her, and her next words concrete that feeling.

  “Only that Felix saw a certain Rite jump from your balcony last night. Also, you haven’t been able to stop staring at Liege Monroe all evening.”

  “What’s it to anyone, huh?” I snap.

  She throws her hands up in front of her, “Hey, it’s not a big deal, and I’m pretty sure that we’re the only ones who know. I just think it’s good that you’ve got a balance going on. That is, if we aren’t counting the other…we’re not counting him, right?”

  My eyes roll so far back in my head I don’t think they’ll ever be straight again, “He’s definitely not in this equation, and we are way beyond talking about said situation. Now go clean something.”

  “Aye aye, boss lady,” she says, mock saluting me before walking away.

  Fucking Damned.

  Speaking of, Monroe catches my eye from across the room where he’s having an intense conversation with Raphael. He winks at me, before turning back to the still talking Strige in front of him. I muster a small smile for him and quickly turn away. I don’t need anyone else being keyed into what Felix and Jamie have managed to pick up.

  When did everything become such a clusterfuck?

  My insides churn and cause a quick flux of power that makes my skin itch.

  All of a sudden, the sound of breaking glass comes from the first floor. I run as fast as my four-inch heels will allow down the stairs behind Felix. As we emerge from the bottom, I catch sight of a Rite and Lupin locked in a dirty fight near
the stage. The mirror on the side wall is broken. Sitting underneath is a human woman covered in blood and clearly in shock.

  Monroe, who I felt the entire time at my back, steps up beside me. We lock eyes, and I motion towards the girl. He doesn’t hesitate or ask any questions before he starts toward her. I don’t even have to watch to make sure that he fixes her up and has her memory erased from whatever she witnessed. I trust him.

  In the meantime, I’ve got two grown ass supernatural beings to kick out of my club. I watch in aggravation and a bit of shock as two of my other bouncers have jumped into the fight, the other people giving them a wide berth to simply watch. The two fighters struggle against their restrainers to get at each other again. They manage to toss them, literally half way across the room. Fists fly and connect with flesh as they go at it again. When they crash into the stage, it sends our performance chairs sliding every direction. A few of them are broken beyond repair.

  Raphael steps out from behind me and assists Felix in pulling the two of them apart. Still aiming for the other’s throat, I stop to consider myself lucky that they haven’t shifted or been using any of their powers. This would be a whole different ballgame if they had. Raphael stumbles and almost loses his grip on the Lupin.

  “Enough!” I growl, putting some force behind my words.

  The two of them stop immediately and look towards me curiously. I tone down the energy begging to put them both in their place, “This is a place of Sanctuary. I don’t care what started this, but there will be no more fighting here. You both are banished from ever stepping foot in here again until you can start acting your ages.”

  Their spines straighten as Raphael and Felix let them go. Passing by me on the way to the exit, the Lupin spits at my feet. I’m sure as a last ‘fuck you’ for not taking his side over the Rite’s. My eyes follow them all the way out the door. Movement in the corner has me dragging my eyes that way.

  Enoch.

  He didn’t offer any kind of assistance in detaining the two of them, but I didn’t really expect him to. His face is furious as he gives them a two-minute head start before walking out behind them. If I had to guess, I’d say that he’s going after the Lupin that spit at me, or maybe that’s just my subconscious hoping. Either way, it’s out of my control. I’m not their damned babysitters. Once they leave my turf, they’re on their own.

  The crew starts trying to clean up the disaster the assholes left in their wake, as the customers go back to their business. I feel a few eyes still on me, but none will meet mine as I look around. Since the situation is over, I make my way back upstairs. I don’t go far, though. Just in case someone else decides to show their ass.

  My forearms are braced on one of the rails that overlook the glass to the second floor as I watch the people below.

  “You ok, Cher?” Monroe asks as his hand finds the small of my back and slowly works its way up to my shoulder.

  I debate my words for half a second, before answering him, “As ok as I can be. Just last week, my biggest concern was putting my next order in for alcohol and choosing what outfit I would wear to dance in. This week, I’m the fucking Arbiter. Damned are being kidnapped, tortured, and killed. Also, two races are fighting in my club for the first time in centuries. Let’s not forget the fact that I’m at war with myself; stuck between a rock and a hard place with two Infernal Lieges and a Rite.”

  “Yes, I can see where you’d be frustrated at being lavished in so much attention,” he says, cutting his eyes over to me while trying to hide his smile.

  I can’t tell if his smile is him being smug, or if he just finds amusement in my predicament. On any other night, I may have enjoyed his good humor. There’s just too much weighing on my mind tonight.

  “Ok, ok,” he back pedals. “Damned are being kidnapped, tortured, and killed, but the best of the best is on the case. We will have answers soon. The fighting is because your extra power has them on edge. The same way that it called to me. It also calls to them. It brings even the worst out of the wood works. And yes, Nocturna; you are the Arbiter, and you would do well to never forget that. As for the romances, they will work themselves out in time.”

  His words sink into my brain, and I feel a little lighter than before he walked up. “Thanks,” I tell him, “You’re a good one to keep around. Even if it is only for the pep talks.”

  “Oh, mon cher,” he says, moving to whisper the last part in my ear, “You’ll keep me around for a lot more than that, and you know it.” He nips at my lobe before walking off.

  I catch sight of Jamie watching us across the club. She winks at me before turning back to one of the human customers.

  Yeah, there’s no way to talk my way out of that one.

  Silk sheets rub against my naked skin. I stretch my body out, and as I move, my legs tangle in the silk. My skin is sweating worse than a whore in church. Hence the reason why silk sheets make no sense, ever. They are sticking to me like glue. Throwing them off, I reach out for Monroe. This must be something of his doing surely. The bed beside me is cold to the touch.

  When I crack my eyes open, it’s to find that he is in fact not there with me. More so than that, though, is I have absolutely no idea where I am. I’m groggy and feel like I’ve been drugged. Everything is hazy. It makes me feel dizzy to even think about sitting up. I try to get a good look around me, before I risk it. The walls are a deep burnt charcoal color, and the bed that I’m lying on is a monster, four-poster with a headboard that looks like it just stepped out of medieval times. It’s black with intricate designs carved into the wood. The closer I look, the more I can make out tiny little faces that look like they are screaming in pure agony.

  A door opens across the room, and I startle. As fast as I can through the cloudiness swimming in my head, I slide off the bed. I didn’t put much thought process into this, because here I stand stark naked and defenseless against whatever decides to walk through that door. The swish-swish sound of material on the floor hits my ears before I see it. A black robed figure seems to glide in without much walking involved. The robe is so dark that if they were to stand against the wall, I doubt I’d be able to find them again.

  “Hello,” I try to say, only to find that my voice doesn’t work. I put my hand to my throat, but the robed figure ignores me as it makes its way over to an old wardrobe. It pulls out a dress that is so vivid red that it makes my eyes hurt after waking up to so much darkness.

  It swishes its way over to me and holds out the dress, careful as if not to expose any of themselves. When I reach for the material, I try to trick the robe into showing a little of what’s underneath. The figure abruptly jerks back and immediately leaves the room.

  Laying the dress on the bed, I walk wobbily over to the wardrobe. Not that I don’t appreciate the gesture of clothing, but I’d be much more comfortable in just jeans and a t-shirt. Especially since I don’t know where I am and making a getaway in a dress like that would be next to impossible. Unfortunately, I find the wardrobe empty. How weird for it to hold only one dress. I look around, but my first observation was accurate. There’s nothing else in here. Well, shit.

  Shuffling back over to the bed, I pick the dress up and pull it up my legs. The lace hugs tight to my torso and arms and is definitely see through. As I turn, the bottom half of the dress spins with me and looks as though it’s made of black fire. Before I can do anything more, the door opens again.

  One of the most beautiful men that I have ever seen in my life stalks inside. His stride is predatory, and it makes me feel like a gazelle caught in a lion’s den.

  “So glad to see that you’re awake, my queen,” he says with a voice so sultry, that it would have even the straightest of men questioning their sexuality. My brain tries to catch up with what is going on, but there’s still a haze that I can’t seem to shake.

  When he reaches out a hand to me and says, “Come. I have much to show you,” my hand reaches out as if it can’t disobey him. He pulls it to the crook of his elbow before
walking us out into a long hallway. The walls around me flicker almost like coal in the bottom of a firepit. It’s making it really hard to stay focused, especially with the haze still covering my brain.

  Who is this man? Where am I? Why do I feel like I must obey his every word? Why is my body betraying me when all I want to do is go home? These questions filter through my frazzled brain as we walk.

  Thankfully, the walk is short. We take a flight of stairs up to a higher level before he leads me through another door. This one takes us out onto the roof of the building that we’re in. The expanse of the roof is breathtaking enough by itself. It’s at least two football fields long.

  A red sun beats down on our heads from above. As I glance up, I have to squint from the brightness to see black clouds covering the sky. Damp sweat covers my body and makes the lace of the dress stick to my skin.

  The beautiful stranger walks us over to a balcony that hangs over the side of the house. Wrought, black iron daggers point towards the sky around the edges.

  He pulls me to a stop right in the middle of the platform. Nothing is said while I take in our surroundings. There’s a giant wall about half a mile away from us on the ground. It stands as tall as our building, but it’s lit up with a dark red color underneath an obsidian looking stone. The wall makes a complete circle around us with five points that stick out. Nightlock grows up the side, making it look even deadlier. Past the wall, there is a moat of what seems to be nothing more than black fire.

  My eyes roam over the landscape, and I can’t hold back the gasp that leaves my mouth. It’s a replica of the city next to the Apothecary. I recognize several of the buildings out in the distance. Only, this place looks like it’s been struck by every natural disaster known to man and then set on fire. What isn’t set on fire is nothing but rubble and ruin.