Courting the Darkness

by Fuller, Karen

  ***

  Sissy brought the food to the table and placed it before Desiree and Caleb. “Ketchup’s on the table,” she remarked blandly. Noticing Mica, her eyes lit up, and she gave him a toothy grin. “What can I get for you, sugar?”

  Mica grinned, barely giving the woman a second glance. “Just a beer, thanks.”

  She reached over and caressed her fingers on the collar of his leather jacket. “Just a beer?” she repeated breathlessly, rubbing her body up against his arm suggestively and sitting down in his lap. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like anything else?”

  The implied offer did not sit well with Desiree, who sucked in her breath. Her mouth dropped open in shock. “What kind of establishment is this?” she whispered to Caleb. He shrugged.

  Mica heard Desiree’s quick intake of breath. Frowning, he pushed Sissy away firmly. “Just a beer.”

  She sighed in disappointment. She turned to walk away, tossing a comment over her shoulder. “You don’t know what you’re missing, sugar.” She walked over to the bar to order Mica’s beer.

  He saw Desiree watch the woman leave and then give him cautious glance. “Does that happen often?”

  He smiled at her unexpected question. “Yeah, all the time.”

  He saw a mix of emotions cross her face, and then she looked away, frowning in apparent disapproval.

  He cocked his head to the side. For some reason, that bothered him. Other women’s opinions of him had never bothered him before. He shifted uneasily on the bench. “Eat your dinner,” he grumbled, looking away. “It may be awhile before we stop again.”

  Caleb and Desiree ate in silence while Mica sipped moodily at his beer. He could not help but notice her refusal to look at him. He should not care, but he did, and that realization bothered him even more. The longer he sat there, the blacker his mood became.

  Caleb stared at Mica, seeming to assess his mood. He glanced over at Desiree, and she stared blankly at her empty plate. He saw compassion cross his features. “Mica…”

  “What?” Desiree cringed away from him at his tone. “What?” he repeated calmly.

  “I think we’re finished.” He pushed his plate away, grabbing his jacket. “We need to hit the road.”

  Raking his fingers through his hair, he glared at his friend. He stood up without comment, walking out the door.

  He felt her glare at his back. Even though he was leaving the restaurant, he could still hear them, his sense of sound acute. “Is he always like that?”

  “No, I’ve never seen him like this before. Huh…something’s bothering him. I’m sure we’ll find out what it is sooner or later. His bark is worse than his bite,” he laughed. “Most of the time anyway. Let’s go. The longer we stay here, the more danger you’re in.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Mica stood by the driver’s side of the Express Van, waiting for them to come out of the restaurant. His temper had not cooled down much, but he had made the decision that he had a job to do, and he might as well get it over with. Why should he care what the witch thought of him? She was Drake’s problem, not his. He just needed to get her back to Drake and get on with his life. She was already more trouble than he had bargained for.

  He watched Caleb and Desiree approach. “It will be daylight in a few hours,” he remarked to Caleb, pushing the button to pop the hatch. “Get in the back and get some sleep. Desiree can sit up front with me.”

  “It has been a long day.” He shrugged. “I could use the sleep.” Shooting Desiree an encouraging look, he climbed onto the cot in the back. Sitting up, he peered over the back seat. “Wake me up before the sun rises.” He then sprawled tiredly on the cot, closing his eyes.

  Mica approached Desiree on the passenger side of the van, opening the door for her. He saw the unease in her gaze as she climbed in. His manner reflected all business and duty bound as walked back over to the driver’s side, sitting down. Gripping the steering wheel, he glared out of the windshield a few seconds before he reached for the ignition. The engine roared to life, and he drove out of the parking lot, pulling into the first gas station he found and filling the tank. His manner remained “just business” as he pulled the Express Van back onto the interstate.

  * * *

  She stared at his mute, rigid profile for about a half an hour. This silent treatment was worse than his anger. Unable to tolerate the silence any longer, her patience reached its end. “Do you always act like this?” Her voice held a sarcastic sharpness. “Or did you reserve this silent treatment specifically for me?” She stared at him patiently for an answer.

  He glared over at her. “I’m not the one that quit talking.” His tone held an accusation. “I was in a good mood until you sat in judgment on me.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “I didn’t do that.” Her mind raced, trying to think back to the conversation in the restaurant. Maybe she had and did not even realize it. “If I gave you that impression, I’m sorry… I wasn’t judging you. I—I just didn’t like your answer to my question.” Turning her head, she stared out the window self-consciously. “It shouldn’t bother me that women act that way around you normally.”

  He lifted his eyebrows at her statement, grinning. “So, it bothers you that women act that way around me?”

  Her eyes opened wide when she realized what she just confessed to. “Just forget I said that,” she remarked defensively. “I can’t think straight when you look at me like that.”

  He chuckled softly. “So, tell me, what makes Drake think you can perform this miracle?”

  She threw out her hands. “I have no idea.” She shrugged, shaking her head. “I had managed to hide the fact that I was a witch from people for years. I probably could have kept it a secret for a few more years if my landlady hadn’t been such a snoop.”

  “You must be a powerful witch to keep yourself from aging a day in a hundred years.”

  She nodded at his assumption. “I am powerful, but I’m not as clever as everyone gives me credit for.” She laughed, feeling more at ease around him. “My not aging is a result of a spell that backfired.” She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t think I could recreate it if I tried.”

  Mica laughed with a deep rumbling from his chest. “Does Drake know this story?”

  “If he does, I didn’t tell him.” She bit her bottom lip apprehensively, looking down at her lap. “I can hardly put two coherent words together in his presence. He intimidates the hell out of me.”

  “Why are you afraid of him?” He cocked his head to the side briefly, looking at her before looking back at the road. “And me? I have keen senses. I can smell your fear.”

  She looked down at her hands. “Because you are the one species that I can’t protect myself from.”

  “Oh? Hmmm… Why would you say that?”

  “Because it’s true. I can maybe deceive your kind with an illusion, and I might even be able to stun one of you. But destroy?” She shook her head. “I don’t think that I’m powerful enough. Besides, after that backfired spell, I’d be afraid to try. Even if I could, I don’t think I’d want to. I don’t want to be a captive for eternity, but he did send you to rescue me.”

  “So…you can’t cast this spell he wants so badly.”

  She tilted her head, thinking about his statement before she replied. “I…didn’t say that. I said that I wasn’t powerful enough to destroy one of you. I didn’t say that I couldn’t help.” She looked back up at him with more confidence. “It would take some work, but I should be able to come up with something.” She smiled with pride. “I’ve been a practicing witch for a hundred and twenty-five years. You learn a few things in that time.”

  He looked over at her and their gazes locked. “You sure have a lot of confidence in yourself.”

  She smiled and broke eye contact. “Not at all. I actually have very little confidence in myself. Especially after that blunder I made of my life, but I have a lot of confidence in my abilities as a witch if I concentrate.”

  “Tell me someth
ing about that. How did Hargrove capture you in the first place? If you’re so powerful, why didn’t you just use your magic to break out?”

  “Caleb asked me those same questions in the inquisition center.” She looked out of the window into the inky blackness. “Jason jumped me from behind in my apartment, knocking me out with chloroform. While I was out cold, he trussed me up like a Thanksgiving turkey, gag and all. He dumped me in that cell and locked the door. There were amulets buried everywhere, so my magic didn’t work.” She looked back over at him, tears pooling in her eyes. “I’ve never felt so helpless. I was sure this time I would die.” She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, swallowing hard. Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin stubbornly. “It’s frustrating to know you have the ability to do great things and can’t even help yourself.”

  “Somehow you’ve convinced Drake that you can cast this spell. I hope you don’t disappoint him.” He shook his head. “Drake doesn’t take disappointment well.”

  “Then I’ll have to do my best not to disappoint him.” She tilted her head, staring at his profile again. “What did you mean when you told Drake we were taking the long way back?” He turned his head away from the road, gazing at her, and their eyes locked. “Why are we delaying going back?”

  He smiled, glancing back at the road. “In case you didn’t notice, I don’t take orders very well.” He looked back over at her. “I also figured that Hargrove will try to follow us. He must want you dead very badly to try and butt heads with Drake.”

  She could not help but smile back. Somehow, she found his stubbornness endearing. “He didn’t know anything about Drake until I told him.” She shrugged. “He thought I was lying. He said vampires don’t have anything to do with witches.” She laughed at Jason’s expense. “And here we are…he was wrong again. And as to the part of wanting me dead…” She sighed. “Yes. He does.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “I made a fool of his father fifty years ago by escaping. Jason has made it his life’s mission to destroy me.”

  His eyes took on an icy glare as he stared into the inky blackness of the highway. “He’ll have to get through me first.” He gripped the steering wheel harder, his knuckles turning white. “He won’t get the chance to ambush you again. He’s a dead man; he just doesn’t know it yet.”

  “So, you plan to set a trap for him.” He nodded in response and she continued. “Where are we stopping to set this trap?”

  “There are plenty of caverns in the mountains of Tennessee.” He glanced over at her, and then back on the road. “We’ll hide out there for a few days.”

  She nodded, looking out of the windshield to the horizon. “It will be dawn soon.” She furrowed her eyebrows together. “What would happen to you if you walked out into the sunlight?”

  He cringed, looking at the horizon as well. “It wouldn’t be pleasant. I would burn.” He shook his head. “It wouldn’t be an immediate thing. The pain would be instant, but it would take hours to kill me.”

  She shuddered at the thought. “We had better wake up Caleb then.” She looked back out of the window. “I can see the sun coming up on the horizon. It will be daylight in about a half an hour.”

  He pointed at a sign. “There’s a rest area up ahead. I’ll pull over there.” Pulling the van into the parking lot, he parked it, cutting the engine. He turned around in his seat. “Hey, Caleb, it’s time to get up.”

  “I’m up,” Caleb mumbled.

  He laughed. “You sound like you’re up. I’m going to walk Desiree up to the vending machines. We won’t be here long.”

  “Okay, okay.” Caleb sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I briefly forgot where I was. I could use a cup of coffee. I’ll walk with you.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Jason Hargrove arrived at the inquisition center at 4:30 that morning. Pulling his minivan up to the curb, he threw it in park, and cut the engine. Climbing out, he hurried up the walkway, eager to get the execution over with and hit the road. “Damn that Desiree,” he cursed under his breath. “Leave it to her to get Drake involved. Now I’m going to be on the run.”

  Approaching the front door, he found the guard unconscious on the front steps. “What in the hell is going on here?” Grabbing Hank’s shoulders, he shook him hard. “Hank—Hank, Hank, wake up.”

  Hank groaned in protest. “Where am I?”

  “You were sleeping on the grass.” He barely held his exasperation in check. This did not look good. “Why aren’t you inside guarding Desiree?”

  Bringing a shaking hand up to his brow, Jason could see his confusion. “Desiree who?”

  “Damn it, Hank! Desiree, the witch I brought in yesterday,” he spoke testily, shaking Hank’s shoulders again and locking eyes with him. “That witch was supposed to burn at dawn. Where. Is. She?” He stressed every word.

  His eyes grew wide, and he shook his head in denial. “I don’t know.” Desperation rang clear in his voice. “Two very large men came for her.” He continued to shake his head.

  His mind raced. The witch is gone. How can she be gone? He shook his head. No, no, no, no… That witch was supposed to burn in an hour and Hank’s telling me that two large men came for her? I have to get her back. “Large men… Hank, what do you mean by large men? Large as in fat?”

  Hank violently shook his head no. “No, Jason, large as in dangerous, large as in lethal.” He continued shaking his head. “When I grabbed that witch by the scruff of the neck, the largest one turned on me.” He shook uncontrollably. “I could see the bloodlust in his eyes. I thought I was a dead man.”

  “You look unscathed to me,” Jason spat in disgust.

  “That’s because that witch blasted me first. Everything went black after that.”

  “It was the vampires!”

  Hank shook his head violently no. “No,” his voice quivered shakily, “not vampires. Vampire.”

  He shook Hank’s shoulders again in confusion, as if shaking him would produce the truth. “I thought you said there were two?”

  “Just one vampire.” Hank’s voice still quivered; he gulped. “The other one was a—a—oh God…He was a black panther.” His eyes glazed over, remembering. “I almost wet my pants when I saw those lethal golden eyes train in on me. And that witch, she stuck closely to him, just like she knew him and was right at home with that sleek cat.” He shoved Jason’s hand away from his shoulder and then glared up into his eyes. “I don’t know who this witch is, but I’m not going after her. They can fire me. No witch is worth my life.”

  He rose to his feet, then looked down at Hank. “A black panther?” He scratched his head. “I thought you said two very large men.”

  Hank avoided Jason’s eyes as he spoke. “When I followed them outside, the panther had turned into a very large man, and he was putting clothes back on.”

  “A shape-shifter,” Jason grumbled under his breath. “Vampires and shape-shifters don’t normally hang out together. With a pair like that, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find out who they are.”

  “Are you crazy?” Hank’s eyes snapped up to his in a panic. “They’ll kill you. In fact, they already do want to kill you.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean when I spied on them from around the corner, the large one was very upset by the condition of the witch’s face. He said, and I quote, ‘I’ll kill Hargrove for this.’ And the witch spat out that she’d kill you first.” Hank raked his fingers through his hair, then looked away. “Man, I’m glad I’m not you.” He looked Jason in the eyes once again “If you knew what was good for you, you would hide and forget you ever heard of that witch.”

  “You’re not me. I’m going to find that witch and bring her to justice.”

  “It’s a fool’s journey, man.”

  Jason stood back up, scoffing at Hank. “I’m not dead yet.”

  “If you continue with this stupid vendetta, it won’t be long.”

  “We will soon see. What were they driving?”

  “It
looked like a black Express Van.”

  “A black Express Van,” he repeated under his breath. “That’s the kind of vehicle that gets noticed, nice, expensive, and noticeable. It shouldn’t be hard to track them down. I’ll see you later, Hank.” Jason stormed back to the van.

  “Good-bye, Jason.” Hank shook his head forlornly. “It was nice knowing you.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  They arrived in Sevierville, Tennessee just as the sun set. A blanket of snow freshly coated everything. Caleb pulled the van into the parking lot of a local department store and grocery, cutting the engine. He was hungry and ready to get out of the vehicle.

  Turning around in the driver’s seat, he gazed at Desiree sleeping soundly on the back seat. Mica slept in the back of the van on the cot. He should let them sleep, but he knew Desiree would be hungry too. “Wake up, we’re here.”

  “We’re here?” She groaned, lifting her head. “Where is here?”

  Mica sat up. “We’re in the mountains of Tennessee.”

  Desiree sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking around. Twilight gave the snow an eerie glow. “So, what now?” She threw the question out to whoever would answer.

  Caleb smiled at her worried expression. “We’re going to stock up on some camping supplies, and food.”

  She looked out the window at all the snow. “We’re going to camp in the snow?”

  Mica looked out of the window too. “No, we’re camping inside the Forbidden Caverns. They’re closed this time of year, so we should be safe from discovery. The temperature in there is a constant fifty-eight degrees, so you won’t freeze.”