Darkness Falls

by A C Warneke

Warily, he looked at his brother, “What are your intentions?”

  “Kill them all,” Jiro hissed. “Kill every last vampire abomination and make vamp creation a crime punishable by death or banishment.”

  “We cannot alienate our brethren that create vamps,” Feryn murmured, even though he wished he could do as Jiro asked. “If your first move as emperor is vamp annihilation, you will be rendered powerless. Even Aradians who have no desire to create vampires will sympathize with the vamp creators and you will have a mutiny on your hands almost immediately.”

  “Then what do you suggest?” A slight smile tilted Jiro’s lips as he looked at Feryn with curiosity and sheer relief.

  “Work with the humans,” Feryn said slowly as ideas formed in his head. “Get their permission to let vampires have certain rights, that there will be Open Feeds and that there will be plenty of warning in advance to keep the wiser humans safe. Make sure the Aradians know that if a single vampire takes a human life, he or she will be held responsible. We will cause no more death, Jiro. If a human wishes to be a vampire that is on him but we will no longer abide forced conversions.”

  Jiro nodded his head in understanding. “How is this going to work?”

  “Put Taella in charge of the feeds,” he said off-handedly. “She knows how to keep her vampires from killing their prey.”

  Malorie startled awake, her heart racing in her chest. Jesus Christ, Feryn put Taella in charge of the feeds. It was like putting the wolf in charge of the sheep, if the sheep had fangs and drank human blood….

  Oh, God, Feryn was going to give it all up! Slamming her hand over her mouth, she flew off the bed and barely made it to the communal bathroom before she lost the microwaved-meal she ate the night before. Leaning against the stall door, letting the cool surface soothe her over-heated skin, she tried to catch her breath and remind herself that Feryn was still alive and that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  Covering her face with her hands, she let out a soft, slightly hysterical laugh as she did the math and realized he would be moving on to another world soon if he hadn’t bit her on Christmas. She never would have met him had it been only a few more months and that thought tore through her, leaving agony and soul-deep gratitude in its wake. Just a handful of weeks, months, and she would have missed out on the most intense, most passionate relationship of her life.

  Pressing her hand against her stomach, she took a breath that shuddered painfully in and out of her lungs. She might never have known her mate, might never have known she had a mate, and it was almost too much to bear. Hot tears coursed down her cheeks as she thought about her time with Feryn, understanding his protectiveness so much better now.

  She understood Jiro’s devotion to Feryn as well, taking on the crap job of babysitting her and her son simply because Feryn asked. Feryn, the incredible man, broke her heart with his own sorrow and heartache and yet he still gave her the space she so desperately needed. It had to be difficult because the child she carried was a new beginning for him and he was probably terrified about losing the baby.

  He loved her because she brought him back to life. Was his love enough to last eternity or was he holding onto her out of desperation?

  It was like her relationship with Jack. She had loved her young husband, perhaps she had even loved him desperately, but she didn’t know if she would have fallen in love with him had it not been for their circumstances. Hell, she never would have met him….

  Just as she never would have met Feryn.

  Funny how fate worked.

  Was she a fool for loving Feryn, who had vastly more experience, more knowledge than her? He was the freaking emperor of the Aradians and he had never even told her. But hadn’t his actions spoken of a leader, one who was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the survival of his people, even if he was no longer going to be there?

  Would he have moved on to the next plane had she not gotten pregnant, had the memory augmentation spell worked and she had forgotten him? She remembered what he had gone through when he let her go, the agony of losing her and the certainty that he would have gone after her eventually. If she had forgotten would he have reconsidered the risk to his heart and simply walked away? In time, would he have come to the conclusion that life on this plane of existence was simply too painful and it was time to move on?

  She could have lost him twice, once before she knew him and once when she should have forgotten him.

  Her thoughts twisted in on themselves until her head was spinning in circles. She could spend hours, weeks, contemplating the quirkiness of fate, the cruelty and the kindness, but it would only drive her mad. Feryn was here, he was hers, for now or forever, and that was all there was to it. After tomorrow or the next day, she would return to the island and figure out a way to breathe under water… er, simply breathe and come to terms with her new life.

  It wasn’t as if she was completely powerless, just young and untrained. Plus, Feryn wasn’t a tyrant and even if he only loved her for the child she carried, for being his lifeline, she loved him. No matter what happened, she’d be able to carve out a new life for her and her children.

  Children.

  Her stomach rolled over but there was nothing left and so she spent a few minutes dry heaving, wishing she had some vanilla ice cream to ease the burning in her throat and stomach.

  Chapter 7

  Nervously, Malorie stood on the doorstep of a house she remembered even after seventeen years. It had a fresh coat of paint and the neighborhood seemed to be in better shape than when she had lived there and she was surprisingly glad for it. Nadine had been a wonderful woman and for a week, Malorie got to experience what it was like to have a mother. She had pushed so many memories of that week down deep because it would have been too painful to remember what she didn’t have, what she never had. It was good to finally be able to remember.

  After buying a used ’67 muscle car that was in exceptionally good shape, she had driven fifteen hours straight, stopping only for gas and quick meals and to throw up once. She had arrived at ten in the evening and it was warmer by far than it had been in New York. She wasn’t sure Nadine still lived in her old house but it was the best place to start. Smoothing her palms down the front of her t-shirt, she looked at the quarter moon and thought that it might have been smarter to wait until the morning.

  She should have gone to a motel, rented a room, and gotten some sleep. Then in the morning she could return and….

  Raising her hand, ignoring the tremble in it, she rapped once before she thought about it too much and chickened out. If no one answered, she’d find that motel and get some rest and debate whether or not she really wanted to revisit the past.

  Before she could talk herself into getting back into her car and driving away, the door swung open and she froze in shock. Staring at her was a pair of gray eyes that could have belonged to her father. Or her. He would have looked exactly like a teenaged Gustav, except instead of short, brown hair the boy’s was dirty blond and hung to his broad shoulders. Tall, still growing into his body, he was a boy on the cusp of manhood. She knew he was sixteen and suddenly the memories of Nadine and her father made so much more sense and color crept into her cheeks.

  “Oh. My. God,” she breathed, too stunned to think of anything else to say. The boy stared at her with absolutely no clue as to who she was and she wasn’t certain she wanted to enlighten him. By coming here was she placing him in danger?

  “Can I help you?” he asked, his voice already exhibiting the deep resonance of her father’s and in a few years he would be able to command armies.

  “Oh, wow,” she said, trying to remember how to put words together and form coherent sentences. Meeting her half-brother was never on her things to be prepared for so she wasn’t sure how to proceed. “Um, does Nadine Johansen still live here?”

  Never taking his eyes from her, he called out, “Mom! There’s some girl here to see you!”

  Her brows drew together at his words because she was almos
t nine years older than him. Hell, he was probably conceived on her eighth birthday and at that thought a slight smile curved her lips. Her father got her a birthday gift that year after all. “What’s your name?”

  He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorway as if he already commanded armies. She couldn’t imagine her father being so cocky but she hadn’t known him when he had been sixteen. Jesus, this poor kid didn’t have a clue. “Hunter, but my friends call me He-man.”

  She snorted, “Okay, Hunter.”

  He scowled at her but the smirk quickly returned. “Who are you?”

  “Malorie?” Nadine’s voice gasped from behind her son, who already towered over her by a few inches. “The little girl who lived across the street all of those years ago?”

  A joyous smile curved Malorie’s lips as she looked past her brother and saw the woman who had invited a lonely child into her heart and home. Nadine’s hair was shoulder length now and liberally streaked with silver and there were fine lines around her eyes and mouth but she had the same warm, light brown eyes and Malorie felt as if she had stepped back in time. “Nadine. It’s been a while.”

  Nadine looked from Malorie to her son and the color drained from her face, “Where’s your father?”

  Understanding a mother’s fear, Malorie softly murmured, “He’s not with me, if you’re worried.”

  Nadine shook her head no and glanced past Malorie, as if Malorie were lying and she wanted to check for herself. Forcing a smile to her stiff lips, she stood to the side as she held her arm out, “Come on in, sweetie.”

  Taking a deep breath, ignoring the nervous rumblings in her stomach, Malorie stepped into the magical house from her childhood. Even now, as an adult, the house radiated warmth and love and her smile grew wider until it hurt but she couldn’t stop smiling. Turning around, she grinned at Nadine, “You’re house is just as I remember.”

  The woman blushed, lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together in a thin line, almost as if embarrassed or angered by Malorie’s compliment. Hunter put a protective arm around his mother’s shoulders and glared at Malorie as if she were evil incarnate. Clearing her throat, Nadine said coolly, “We do the best we can.”

  Frowning, Malorie took another look at the older house to understand Nadine’s subtle animosity. There were a few tears in the wallpaper, the carpets were worn thin, and the furniture was a little dated but otherwise it was lovely, especially since there were large, thriving plants strewn throughout that hadn’t been there when Malorie was eight. In an instant, she knew who was responsible for them. “I love your house; I’ve always loved your house. It’s beautiful so whatever you’re doing keep up the good work.”

  Nadine and Hunter wore matching expressions of shock and Malorie saw the briefest of resemblance between mother and son. Her brother had a more slender nose than her father and his mouth was softer, not as grim. Of course, Hunter was only sixteen and hadn’t known war against the vampire hoards and her father had four hundred and fifty years to perfect grimness.

  Nadine was the first to break out of the spell, wearing an expression of bafflement, “You’re serious?”

  “Of course I am,” Malorie said with genuine sincerity, surprised that they would think otherwise. “Your home was a magical place for me when I was a child and it’s just as wonderful now as it was back then.”

  After a moment, Nadine swallowed thickly and Malorie noticed the sheen of tears that filled her eyes. Clearing her throat again, Nadine murmured, “Thank you. Now, what can I get you to drink? I have coffee or tea or milk?”

  “Anything would be fine.” As they quietly made their way to the kitchen, Malorie couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as memories of her eighth birthday flooded her, the laughter and the fun that she hadn’t known she was missing, that she had never really experienced again. The house could be falling apart and it still would have been the most beautiful home in the world. But Malorie was starting to suspect that the beauty had everything to do with Nadine and little to do with the house.

  Sitting down, she almost laughed in sheer glee. The counters weren’t as high as she remembered but then she reminded herself that she was almost a foot and a half taller than she had been and she had to hold her joy in. She watched as Hunter took a seat across from her, never taking his suspicious gaze from her. Crossing his arms on the table in front of him, he took a defensive pose and it only made her want to laugh harder.

  Spinning around on the stool, she felt like her eight-year-old self again and it was an exhilarating feeling. Until her stomach rebelled and she had to take a few breaths to keep from embarrassing herself in front of her brother and his mother. “Whoa, spinning doesn’t work as well when you are older, does it?”

  Nadine chuckled but the sound was strained as she set a cup of tea down in front of Malorie and then took her seat. Her eyes darted to her son once more before she stretched her lips into an approximation of a smile, “So, what brings you here?”

  “Well, I was going through some of my father’s things and I came across the old doll you had given me and I wanted to drop in and say hi,” she said with an easy smile. Looking around the house, half expecting four pre-teens to come strolling in, she asked, “Where are your older children?”

  Nadine’s pulse fluttered madly along her throat as she let out a nervous titter and forced words past her taut lips, “Gosh, they’re all over. Marcy is working out in California, Ryan is in the army, Lucy is married with two of the sweetest grandbabies, and Timothy is keeping himself busy while playing with his band. It’s just me and Hunter now.”

  Malorie smiled to herself because of course they were no longer in their preteens. Briefly, she wondered what they looked like now but then her eyes went back to Hunter. She wondered if they were going to pussy foot around the handsome elephant in the room or if she should bring it up, since it was obvious who the boy’s father was. As she continued to stare at the elephant in question, she saw Nadine out of the corner of her eye. The woman looked like she was going to be ill. Okay, so Hunter’s paternity was a touchy subject.

  “Why are you really here, Mal?” Nadine asked through a forced smile, her eyes hard as she glared at Malorie. “Does it have anything to do with my son?”

  “No!” Malorie adamantly denied. Trying to reassure Nadine that she had no ulterior motives, she leaned forward, “I swear I didn’t even know about, um, your son until I got here. But it is something we have to discuss.”

  Nadine seemed to weigh Malorie’s words as she kept glancing at Hunter, as if to make sure he was still there. Licking her lips, she gave a subtle nod, and murmured, “So Gustav doesn’t know about my son and he hasn’t sent you?”

  Malorie shook her head, “If he had known, he would have come himself. He never would have abandoned his child, especially since…. Well, you need to understand that there are very valid reasons that he should know, um, genetic reasons.”

  Nadine’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she stared at Malorie in horror and Mal realized how ominous her words sounded. Holding her hand up, as if to halt Nadine’s thought progression, she clarified, “It’s nothing life threatening but it does have to do with your son’s ability to grow plants.”

  “Huh?” Now Nadine just looked confused, glancing at her son before returning her attention to Malorie.

  “It’s a gift that everyone in the family has,” Malorie mumbled, the explanation lame even to her ears. “It’s impossible to explain without getting into specifics and it’s something I should discuss with Hunter in private.”

  “Are you sure it’s nothing serious?”

  “I didn’t say it wasn’t serious,” Malorie said slowly, knowing she was screwing up the entire thing. God, she wished her father was here to deal with this. As she considered the ramifications of having a half-brother, wondering if Gustav had a whole slew of children out there who didn’t know who they were, what they were capable of doing, her heart raced violently in her chest. It n
o longer mattered that her father didn’t want to be found because this was too important to be ignored. “It’s not life threatening but my… Hunter’s father needs to be told.”

  “I don’t know why I never told him,” Nadine sighed in resignation, though her eyes were still a little wild.

  Hunter’s head was bobbing back and forth as he listened to the conversation with increasing frustration and Malorie sympathized. As much as the boy needed to be told about his heritage, she wasn’t sure where to begin. All she knew was that he had to know and she couldn’t keep anything from him, though she’d wait until Nadine went to bed because she was certain the Aradians wouldn’t want a human to know about them at all.

  “How could you have told him?” Malorie asked, trying to ease the guilt Nadine carried for keeping her son to herself. It wasn’t as if Nadine knew what Gustav was, what her son was. “It’s not like we stayed in any one place long enough to track us down.”

  “He gave me a phone number to call in case of an emergency,” Nadine admitted with a half-smile, looking at her son with absolute love in her eyes even as she wrung her fingers together in worry.

  “And you didn’t think finding out you’re pregnant was an emergency?” Malorie asked, watching as her brother narrowed his eyes in growing comprehension.

  “To be honest, Malorie, your father was way too young for me and in a way he kind of frightened me.” She must have seen the objections in Mal’s eyes because she let out a soft laugh. “Not in that way. He was a kind and generous man and for that week I loved him more than I could possibly imagine but he was also a little, um, mad.”

  “Gustav is probably the sanest person I know,” Malorie said with absolute conviction. “His mind has always been first rate and I’ve never known him to lie.”

  “He talked about vampires, Malorie,” Nadine scoffed. “You can’t imagine how crazy he sounded, especially to a church going woman who lived in a quiet town where nothing ever happened.”