Beyond The Mask (The Beyond Book 1)

by Hunter, Aubrianna

  Nik's laughter continued. This... this was the attraction. It had been so long since he'd felt this kind of pleasure. "You don't find her utterly charming?"

  "Charming? Which part was charming; when she destroyed your house or when she speared you to a wall?"

  "Both. The only part I didn't particularly enjoy was when she threatened to castrate me. I had to talk her out of that one."

  Alex raised his eyebrows, a wry twist to his lips, causing Nik to laugh again.

  Before they could continue the conversation, something drew Nik's attention. Alex must have sensed it as well. They both drew back, further into the shadows, before freezing in place. Making no sound, no movement, they waited patiently for the disturbance to show himself.

  As a vampire stumbled his way into the opening, Nik easily took his measure. Young, absurdly so if his lack of grace was any indication. His skin still maintained flaws, his eyes darting around, still uncertain of his other senses.

  "Hey... you two. You need to get out of here. This is my territory. I claimed it when my maker was killed this morning. Go on now... get out of here."

  When neither Nik nor Alex showed any inclination to move, literally not even twitching so much as a finger, the fledgling continued. "Do you need me to be a bit more persuasive?"

  At that Nik chuckled. A rare snort of laughter even escaped Alex's lips.

  "Do you know who I am, youngling?"

  "Yeah, you're the vamp I need to teach a lesson to. This is my territory."

  Nik smiled. Not in humor. This was a slow, slide of lips designed to frighten. It was an expression he used often and well.

  It was successful as usual. "Your territory?" Nik asked. A smarter being would have heeded the warning in the tone. Clearly this youth wasn't simply young, he was incredibly stupid.

  "I think not, fledgling. If you'd had any sort of maker, he would have taught you proper respect. Clearly that is not the case. Since this is my territory, in fact, my state, that leaves it up to me to teach you respect. Not only for your elders, but for the ranking authority."

  The youth blanched, already beginning to step backwards, tripping over his feet as he refused to take his eyes off Nik.

  "Niklasson... Sir... I'm sorry. I did... I didn't know."

  The youth bolted, darting between the trees. His speed would have been impressive to a human, yet Nik found it merely annoying.

  "Why in hell would he even consider running?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

  Alex shrugged, "No clue."

  With a sigh, Nik began to remove his coat. He didn't need it for any sort of warmth, his body operated at its own temperature regardless of environment, but it helped to blend in. People tended to stare at a man walking at night, in winter, without a coat of some sort. It seemed he had something to do while he waited. Might as well enjoy the hunt, simple as it would be.

  As he removed his gloves, he spied Derek, Jade's human, stepping into the clearing on the other side of her grave.

  Why was he here? She had been buried hours ago. Like most human males, especially those who's minds were not completely normal, he should be in a bar somewhere losing his pain in the numbing qualities of liquor.

  Nik knew from his watcher's reports that he had done just that last night, going so far as to bring home a temporary replacement for Jade.

  Opting to wait and watch Derek, Nik made a snap decision. "Alex, I'm going to wait here. Go and take care of the other matter, if you would please."

  "Should we take care of that as well?" Alex asked, nodding toward Derek.

  "No. Not yet, only if he proves to be a problem. For now, leave him be."

  A simple nod and Alex was off, his movements a blur through the trees.

  Sliding his coat back in place, Nik stepped out from the darkness, waiting and watching during the time it took Derek to notice him.

  * * * * *

  Slowing, as he broke from between the buildings, Derek surveyed what lie ahead of him. Breathing hard, he worked to still his pounding heart before he continued. The last thing he wanted to do was disturb those that lay here. After all, he already had one angry ghost on his hands, the last thing he needed were a thousand more.

  Crossing the final street, he stepped into the cemetery, trying to move a quietly as possible. Were the rules here the same as a library? He wasn’t sure and so thought it best to bring as little attention to himself as possible.

  Hoping Jade could forgive him for being late, he moved along slowly, through the darkness that was only broken by cones of odd yellow light cast upon the ground by regularly spaced lampposts. They called to him like beacons in the darkness, beckoning him to move from one point of light to the next.

  Moving among the many rows of headstones, his eyes darted this way and that, constantly visualizing movement on the fringes of his vision, but he told himself they were tricks of his imagination. The characters had silenced, they, too, were on the alert. Something here was unnatural.

  Every sound, every blowing leaf, and every rodent caused him to pause in his search, certain something crept up on him. Crossing the darkness from one row of graves to another, it occurred to Derek he was not certain whether a person was buried in front of or behind their headstone. How he could not know such a thing made him all the more uneasy. Had he not stepped behind a headstone just moments before? Was that offensive to those beneath the ground?

  Changing tactics he gave each stone wide berth both in front and behind, limiting his available options for travel. No sooner had he changed his method of progression, however, and something caught his attention.

  Across the manicured lawn from him, perhaps a hundred yards, a man stood at the fringe of the light cast by one of the many light posts. He stood watching Derek’s approach and even at this distance their eyes met. Feeling uneasy, he wondered if perhaps this was a friend or co-worker of Jade’s and maybe he was not too late, but those hopes were quickly dashed.

  As Derek neared, the man became more visible and staring one another down across the shrinking expanse, he could see the man sneering at him. He was a tall blonde in a long black coat, and he looked immaculately kept. Even at this distance, he could see the man’s eyes: ice blue, cold, and unfeeling.

  In that moment it hit him as the world and all cautions vanished, as if light had been sucked out by a vacuum and all that remained was the man: he’d seen those eyes before. His heart stopped, his stomach rose to his throat.

  He had seen him first on the street after the concert, leaning into a wall. Jade had flashed him playfully. Then again atop the stairs to The Beyond when they had collided. The bastard had been stalking her. Isn’t that what rapists did? Stalk their victims?

  This was not a co-worker or friend, it was a monster returning to visit his victim. It was upon this realization that the world around him grew dark and cold, all hopes and cares vanished as Derek watched the man’s scowl change to a look of… Was that fear?

  Twenty yards. In mere moments Derek would give him what he had coming. He would spare him no injury and show him precisely how Jade had felt as she died. Balling his fists Derek trod upon the graves beneath him, no longer subdued by what consequences the dead might bring. His only thoughts were to kill the man and make it last.

  The man turned and fled, but Derek gave chase. Through rows of head stones and concrete markers he pursued the blonde, but already it seemed useless. The blonde man was pulling away at an alarming rate. He couldn’t keep up. Rounding a row of crypts ahead, He lost sight of the raping murderer for only a few seconds, but turning the same corner the man was nowhere to be seen. Looking this way and that, running circles around the crypts availed him nothing. The man had vanished. The world again sagged upon his shoulders.

  “Fuuuuuuck!” he screamed.

  Defeated, tears came to his eyes as he finally gave up. With nothing left to do, he returned to the grave the man had attended and knelt in the newly turned soil. Broken, he let the tears come, telling Jade of his
love and apologizing for his failures.

  Had he stayed at her side at the party she would still be here. Had he been stronger she would not have found him with another woman and been angry. Had he been faster he could have avenged her death this very night. Every action was a failure and Derek was beyond sorry for each.

  Digging his fingers into his hair he pulled if only to feel something physical, before releasing his grip to punch and beat the newly laid soil in frustration. It left prints in the soil, like the ones that had been left on her body. It was an image that would stay with him forever. His biggest failure.

  Rearing back upon his thighs he tilted his head back and yelled out his anger, his fear, and his pain. Threatened with tears once more, he fought to regain control of himself before he spoke, letting his anger replace the hurt.

  “I love you, Jade, and I swear I will find him and make him pay,” he whispered into the darkness. “I miss you like hell, but think you should move on. I wasn’t good enough for you before now, and I cannot do you any good like this.”

  Rising he kissed his fingertips before brushing them across her grave marker. Turning he strode back the way he had come, trampling the graves of those lost beneath him.

  He knew he would not find the man who was responsible again this night, but he would find him eventually, no matter how long it took. Tonight he needed to forget, to let go. To let her go. She deserved better.

  * * * * *

  He watched on in silence as the two men neared one another, hidden in shadow behind a great granite headstone. He couldn't believe the Derek did not sense the danger he approached. Stupid sheep. Where the hell was the ghost? Wasn’t she supposed to be preventing this precise scenario? Sheep, dead sheep, and even stranger’s limbs didn’t know how to follow simple orders. No wonder they found so much trouble in the world.

  Straining to watch his friend, Gunny noticed a change in the blonde fang head. Though the shift was subtle, it appeared as if the vampire prepared to attack.

  Rising from his concealment he lumbered out of the shadows. Above him the lamp bulb flared brighter with an audible buzz, casting him in a vibrant backdrop. Though Derek’s back was to him and had not noticed, Blondie did.

  Raising his gaze slightly Gunny and the vampire looked into each other. The soulless bastard must have seen him for what he was, for no longer than a fraction of a second passed and it took to its heels, bolting into the darkness. The fool, Derek, took chase.

  Now it was out of Gunny’s hands and into fate’s. He could not keep pace with either of them. If Derek were lucky, the vamp would simply leave. Gunny resigned to wait it out.

  Resuming his place in the dark, it was under half an hour when Derek returned. Head sagging, shoulders slumped, the man looked more like a beaten dog than a sheep. Scratching at the fleas in his beard, Gunny watched as his only real friend broke before his eyes. It was a wretched thing to witness, a moment designed for privacy, yet he watched it unfold.

  Derek screamed in anguish to the heavens, tears pouring from his eyes, before pummeling the ground about him. Seemingly finished, he rose and whispered final words before leaving. At least for the time being, he knew Derek was safe.

  The vampire waiting here was all the evidence Gunny needed. But He didn’t know if his hunch was possible or not having never seen it before. He needed to consult the good Father.

  Watching until Derek was lost from site between the buildings beyond the cemetery, Gunny rose and took up the same path he had taken just hours ago. He needed to hurry to make it to St. Jude’s and back before daylight.

  Leaving his cart behind, he prepared to travel light, taking with him only what he could carry without looking conspicuous. By morning his questions would be answered.

  * * * * *

  He had walked empty minded, feeling like a shell of a person devoid of emotion for most of the night. Rounding the corner he realized he had perhaps not wandered completely aimlessly, as before him stood the same bar he had attended in nights past.

  Giving in to the characters’ whispers, he pulled the handle and stepped through the door. Tonight the place was smokier, busier too. Looking about the dive, he realized quickly that the stool he had become accustomed to was already taken. Not wanting to sit near the fellow who appeared to be the chatty type, he located a small table near the wall that was vacant.

  Signaling the bartender before he sat, Derek listened as the characters argued over some detail unknown to him, their whispers a blur of sound that echoed inside his head. As the bartender neared, without so much as looking at him, he placed his order.

  “Whatever I got left on my tab, just bring it to me in shots.”

  It was a simple request, a direct one. He just hoped there would be enough to pickle his brain for a few hours. Instead of turning and returning back to the bar however, the bartender crossed the small room instead. Derek watched from the corner of his eye as the man strode across the room through the smoke to another table.

  An image of Jade popped into his head but he quickly banished it. Not right now. Now he needed to be empty. The bartender departed his other customer and in moments returned with his presumed order.

  “Here you go, compliments of the lady,” the bartender said as he arrived with a tray in hand. Upon the tray was a scotch glass, easily ten times larger than a standard shot glass, and a full bottle of whiskey.

  Instantly Derek looked around in panic. He couldn’t believe she was here again tonight. He did not want to see her again, not now, not ever. What had her name been? Lexus? Candy? Brandy? It didn’t matter, the last thing he needed was to deal with the bimbo again no matter what drink she bought him.

  Table to table he peered but the blonde was elusive. Now that the bartender had departed, however, his eyes fell to a table that had previously been obscure. Accompanying the table was a woman who sat in the darkness alone. With a slight wave of the fingers and a smile she greeted him, but turning away quickly, he pretended not to notice. Instead he turned back to the bottle and the glass. Pouring himself a large drink he tossed it back in a single gulp and followed it up with another.

  It was not long before Derek felt the touch, her fingers upon his shoulder. Looking up, his eyes met hers and for an instant his breath was lost. She had a shade of red hair he could not recall having ever seen before. Something between blood and wine. Her flawless blue-green eyes called to him from among a spattering of barely visible freckles that crossed her nose. No other color inhabited them, no streaks, no specks, they were solid aquamarine, and felt as if they looked through him.

  Though at one time it might have made him uncomfortable, he instead was reminded of another woman. His woman. The woman. The only one to have ever given him a chance for the long haul. The only one to understand him.

  They were nothing alike in truth, Jade having been athletic, where as this woman was abundant in her curvy regions, each of them drawing his attention if only for an instant. Just as quickly as their eyes met, she strode behind him, breaking the gaze, as her fingers trailed across his back from one shoulder to the other.

  Seeing her reappear again, he was impressed to see a woman in this place dressed as she was. Though her outfit was a formal knee length skirt and matching blouse, the fit of the fabric to her skin made it sexy if not outright flirtatious.

  Derek watched as she seated herself beside him. A gracious smile parted her lips as she placed a glass matching his own upon the table. Pouring herself a glass, she refilled his as well and without a word, she raised her glass to him

  He could not believe this was happening again. Is this really what women wanted? Broken, disheveled men who hung out in filthy dives drinking themselves into oblivion? Raising his own glass he tossed it back in time to see her do the same.

  “Jack and I are on familiar terms,” she said with a wicked grin. “It looks to me like you have had a rough day. Would you be so kind as to allow me to help you forget about it?”

  Something about her words we
re like honey. Perhaps it was the alcohol? She had a hint of an accent, maybe Georgia or Mississippi. Definitely from the south, though it didn’t really matter. Thinking over her offer he couldn’t believe he was going to do this again. Though Jade might witness and again destroy his apartment, it might be the only way to show her that it was OK for her to move on. Derek nodded to the woman who awaited his reply anxiously.

  “Not much of a talker, huh?” she asked, her eyes sparkling, drawing him in. “That’s OK, hun. Here, this will help loosen you up.”

  Looking down Derek watched as she raised a hand, turning her palm to the ceiling. Her flesh was milky. Smooth. With the other hand she revealed a small vial, which she carefully opened. Tapping it gently she laid out a thin line of the white powder on her wrist before offering it up to him.

  Though Derek had never been a fan of drugs, not even prescribed ones, he barely hesitated. What more could he possibly lose? His whole life he had been bounced from family to family who had each taken him to new doctors who gave him new drugs and none of them worked to fix him. At this point he didn’t care what happened, he just wanted to forget and move on.

  Pressing a finger to one nostril he inhaled the contents from her wrist with the other, trying to do it as elegantly as was possible. Sitting up he blinked his eyes in rapid succession in an attempt to clear the sensation from his sinuses. It was not a burn, or even a hurt for that matter. More like an uncomfortable tickle. Beyond that, however, he felt nothing new whatsoever.

  “Just give it a minute, hun,” she reassured him.

  It was not an exaggeration. Only a minute or two later and the world around him seemed to open up. Though his heart raced somewhat uncomfortably, light grew where darkened corners had been, and the room seemed to expand. Derek felt more alive than he could ever recall except when Jade had been around. Even the characters seemed to react to the coke. Chattering like fools as they danced around laughing like children.