The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1)

by Robyn Wideman

  Jess dialed Mandy, who answered after the first ring.

  “Jess, oh thank god. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m okay. Mandy, where are you?”

  “I’m at home. Where are you?”

  “I’m at Cain’s house. I was at the coffee shop but left. I can’t explain right now, but I’m okay, I promise.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Mandy. “You don’t need me to call the cops or anything like that, do you?” she asked in a whisper.

  “No, it’s not that serious,” Jess lied. “It is just complicated. I’ll explain everything in the morning.” She had no idea what she was going to tell Mandy, but the truth was certainly not an option. “Get some sleep. I’ll be home in the morning.”

  30

  ERICA

  Erica was in the library when Brad walked in.

  “I hope you don’t mind, I let myself in,” said Brad as he entered the library.

  “Hello, Brad,” said Erica coolly. She had been on the computer all morning trying to find out more about vampires and was no further ahead, than when she started. It was time she got some answers. She placed her hands on her hips.

  “How is Jeffery?”

  “Jeffery is fine. He took a hard hit to the head, but will be okay. I think he is enjoying all the attention Terra is giving him,” said Erica.

  “Good and good. I thought there might be something between the two of them, but I never knew.”

  “So tell me, Brad, how is Jeffery alive? Two vampires catch him in a sneak attack and knock him out, only to end up dead. You keep insisting this house is especially safe. How about you start by giving me some honest answers. Between you and Tomas, I don’t know who the bigger liar was.”

  Brad looked carefully at Erica. He could now see she was angry, and right now he was the target for that anger. “Erica, Tomas chose to live a double life. He felt it was the easiest way to manage things. He wanted to keep you safe. I didn’t always agree with Tomas, but he had your best interests at heart.”

  Erica shook her head. “That’s bullshit. He gambled with my life and with my family’s lives as well. I loved him, but he never gave me a choice. I would have accepted the dangers, because what he did, and what you do is right. But he treated me like a child, not a partner or a capable adult. Now you are treating me like a child as well. Telling me what is good for me, instead of telling me the truth and letting me make my own decisions.”

  Brad sat down. Erica’s harsh words were hitting home. “You’re right. I am so sorry.”

  Erica did not let up. “Don’t be sorry, be honest. Why am I here?”

  “Okay, from now on all you get from me is honesty.” Brad paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, “The easiest way to explain is to tell you a story.”

  “In the early 1700’s, exactly when is hard to track down, there was a vampire outbreak in Italy. A large number of vampires had formed a clan and were terrorizing the country. They were aggressive hunters, but for the most part stayed in the shadows, hunting the weak and anyone caught alone at night. The countryside was a dangerous place. At that same time, werewolves were also hunters of humans. It was a dangerous time. Legend has it that some werewolves were becoming protective of humans and turning against the vampires who hunted the humans. It is said that a leader among the werewolves had a fully-human wife and was encouraging his brethren to accept humans as equals. This enraged the vampires…

  They hunted down and killed the werewolf and his human wife, but the child escaped into the country. Before the vampires could catch the child, a young noble lady found the child running through the woods. The young noble woman rescued the child and took him back to her husband’s estate. The husband, after hearing his wife’s story, backtracked through the woods, until he found the boy’s family home. The vampires had meant to make an example of the werewolf and his human bride. Both were staked up. Their ravaged bodies pierced by large poles running through them from anus to mouth. Their home was smeared in their own blood. The message written, ‘all mixed-blood must die.’ The husband realized the child his wife had saved was the mixed-blood child of the werewolf and his wife. His wife had rescued the vampires’ intended victim. The vampires would be coming after her now, for interfering in their affairs.…

  The husband knew that no human was a match for a vampire. He would be helpless to protect his wife and the child. Leaving the gruesome scene, the husband rushed to the only man he knew might have a solution. A local mage, one of the few and last magic workers of the times lived near them. Mages were a prickly sort, often loners. The strange magic they performed made them different than normal people. This made them something to be feared. But the husband did not fear the mage. The husband was a well-educated noble. He knew the value of mages and that they worked spells and magic that could help one against enemies like vampires.…

  So the husband rushed off and found the mage, he told him what he had seen, and how his wife had rescued the mixed-blood child. The mage agreed that the vampires would not stop until she and the child were dead. The only way for the husband to protect his wife was through demons. The mage explained to the husband that often demons from other plains of existence would take over the bodies of humans, possessing them. The husband had knowledge of this. The mage explained that he had the ability to make it so the husband could possess a demon. The husband would be able to take control of the demon’s body and use its powers to defeat the vampires. It was a one-time deal. Once the husband took the demon’s body, he would be connected to it for centuries. The life span of a demon is infinitely longer than that of a human. The demon body would be cast in stone, encasing them both into one entity. The husband had heard rumors of such things, gargoyles, human-demon crosses sworn to protect their master’s homes. The demons accepted the magical binding because being encased in stone under human control was still a much more desirable outcome than staying on their own hellish planes of existence. The humans accepted the bond for immortality, the price being unflinching loyalty and a stone prison. Gargoyles became part of the house, only activated by danger….

  The husband loved his young wife dearly and would do anything to save her. He accepted the gift, or curse depending on how you view it, and allowed the mage to turn him into a gargoyle. Turned into a stone being, half-demon half-man, the husband returned to his home, just in time to stop a vampire attack. He killed the attacking vampires, rescuing his wife. When it was over, he tried to explain to her who he was, but she was terrified of the stone beast, even though it had just rescued her. She refused to believe it was her husband. The husband returned to the mage, asking him what could be done. The mage explained that with time he would be able to retake his human form. He would be able to shift back and forth but would need to spend the majority of his time in stone. Otherwise the demon would become too strong and become dominant. If the demon did that, the husband’s soul would go to the hells from which the demon had come. The husband was now committed to becoming part of his own house, to being a stone protector. The mage promised to speak to the wife, to explain what happened. But the wife never believed and fled the mansion. The husband had saved his wife only to lose her….

  The house was sold to a new family. The gargoyle stayed true to his word and became their protector. The mansion was bought and sold many times over the years, until this year when we bought it and moved it here. Hoping that the mansion would provide a level of protection beyond what we could give you.”

  Erica was stunned by the story. “Garg, you are telling me Garg killed the vampires?”

  Brad looked confused, “Garg?”

  “The gargoyle above my balcony, I named it Garg” explained Erica.

  “Possibly, I don’t know which of the stone gargoyles is the true one and which ones are just statues. We were not one hundred percent positive that the original gargoyle was still active. We felt it was worth the shot.”

  “So you used me as bait, hoping the vampires would activate Garg,”

/>   “I brought you here, because the house of Dante De Bello was the only place we could think of that might truly offer you protection from vampires. We would have gladly waited a lifetime to find out, you were not bait. I did not plan your visits into the city. I did not plan for a vampire spy to be watching your favorite Chinese food restaurant, and I most certainly did not plan for Jeffery to get hurt,” said Brad, trying to be patient. “I am glad that Dante seems to have been activated and saved Jeffery. Hopefully, that is what happened, because an active gargoyle is probably the only thing that can save you.”

  Erica relaxed a little. Brad seemed sincere when he said that he had not used her as bait. “Bait or not, I do not like being left in the dark.”

  “As I said before, that won’t happen again,” said Brad. “If you don’t have any more questions, I am going to go check on Jeffery.”

  “Just one. Do you believe that Garg, or Dante, saved Jeffery?”

  “It is the most logical answer. Something or someone killed those two vampires and it wasn’t Jeffery. The one vampire’s head was ripped right off. That takes an enormous amount of power.

  “Like the power of a demon trapped in stone,” said Erica.

  “Exactly like that,” confirmed Brad.

  Erica thought of all the conversations she had been having with Garg, or Dante, some of them were very personal. She wondered if he was actually listening to her. She blushed and then looked at Brad. “Thank you for coming here today, and thank you for your honesty. I needed to hear that.” Erica paused for a second, “On a different note, if I am going to live here for free and not work at my old job, I am going to have to find something to do with myself. I was thinking maybe working for a charity or something of that nature.”

  Brad hesitated before answering. “I might have something you would be interested in. Would you consider working with shifters?”

  “I have no problem with shifters. I’m not very fond of vampires though. My experiences with them have not been the best,” said Erica, her voice dripped in sarcasm.

  Brad gave a half smile, “Not all vampires are as radical as the ones we are dealing with. To be fair, there are shifters who agree with and consort with those vampires. What I am suggesting is, that if Dante De Bello has indeed become your protector, we make this a sanctuary. We make it a protected place for all shifters and vampires who are being hunted for their choice to interact with humans. The numbers would not be large, a few at a time. Most shifters have declared themselves neutral and they don’t involve themselves with the fight. It is the vocal ones who need our protection. They are the ones who have risked everything to say that humans deserve to be treated as equals.”

  “Are all shifters as quiet as Jeffery?”

  “No, not all shifters are like Jeffery. Like humans they come in all shapes, sizes, and each with their own personality,” said Brad.

  “In that case, it sounds like an excellent idea. I wouldn’t mind having some more people to talk to around here, and if Dante is as powerful as you say he is, then he should do more than just protect me. He can be a force for good.”

  “Being a force for good is a very subjective way of looking at things. I tend to agree but not all would share that feeling. Regardless, Dante would protect all those under your hospitality.”

  “I’ll think it over,” said Erica. “It sounds like good idea, but I want some time to think.”

  “Excellent, I can live with that. Thank you, Erica.”

  As Brad left to check on Jeffery, Erica headed up to her room. Now that she knew Garg was likely Dante, it was time for another one of their talks. Perhaps this time he might reply and even if he didn’t, she would let him know of Brad’s plan. Erica hated being lied to and manipulated; she wasn’t going to start doing it to Dante, even if he was only a stone statue. If he was more, well then she owed him the truth.

  31

  SERENA

  “We have a problem,” Serena said as she walked into Vladimir’s office. He was standing at the window, staring out at the city below.

  “What is it?” he asked, not bothering to turn and look at her.

  “We lost another hunter squad.”

  “How?” Vladimir turned slowly and fixed his intense gaze upon her. Serena fought to remain composed under his scrutiny.

  “Lucas and his team finished with their human targets and attempted to take out the Butlers. They had Cain but Jaden saved him.”

  “Your boyfriend,” said Vladimir coolly. “Perhaps you should have sent two teams.”

  Serena chose her words very carefully. Vladimir had not accused her of anything, but that meant nothing. “I put one of our best teams on it, as the plan called for.”

  “And you told me when I showed you the plan that one team was not enough,” said Vladimir with an extended sigh of annoyance. “I should have listened to you, Serena. I misjudged how dangerous your boyfriend truly could be. I thought you were exaggerating his stature to impress the council. That was my mistake. Tell me what you think we should do now.”

  “We should continue with everything as planned. Cain was speaking to a human woman at the time of the attack. He and Jaden will now be preoccupied with getting her to safety. That will buy us time to complete our goals before we have to deal with Jaden.”

  Vladimir punched the glass window. It shook violently. He spun and glared at Serena. “I do not like waiting. The Butlers must die.”

  “You asked me what I thought,” Serena said, standing her ground. “Jaden Butler is a killer equal to or better than any we have. If he decides to come after the council, we all could be in danger. If you start sending teams after him, they might end up the same as Lucas. We can only afford so many losses before the entire plan is endangered.”

  Vladimir slammed his hand down on his desk in frustration. “I will not let human-loving vampires roam free. They are the biggest threat outside of those fucking gargoyles. The humans will be too busy killing each other to notice we are behind the curtain pulling all the strings. We must deal with these threats now.”

  Serena nodded as if in agreement. Vladimir was correct, vampires like Jaden could very well be his downfall, and the gargoyle was another issue altogether. Gargoyles were powerful creatures dedicated to protecting those living under their watch. That a gargoyle had been activated while attacking one of their high profile human targets was a problem for the council. However, gargoyles were defensive creatures and could be avoided if Vladimir chose, but Jaden Butler would only hide so long before he started hunting them. Jaden was a much bigger issue than the gargoyle, but Vladimir was too blinded by his own beliefs to understand how big a threat Jaden truly was. He believed any vampire that defended humans was weak, a belief that could not be further from the truth.

  “What shall we do then?” asked Serena.

  “Send out scouts to find them. Once they are found, send in Nickoli,” said Vladimir.

  Nickoli. Serena suppressed a shiver of revulsion. “As you wish, Vladimir. I will see to it this is done immediately.” She turned on her heel and left Vladimir’s office before her emotions could betray her. She wasn’t sure if sending scouts after Jaden was the right move or not, but at least it bought her time to figure out her next move. Nickoli was one of the oldest and most dangerous vampires alive. He did not hunt humans; instead, he hunted shifters and other vampires, preferring the more dangerous, challenging targets. Nickoli was despised among the council for his ways, but Vladimir used him as his enforcer. No vampire on the council would challenge Vladimir’s rule while Nickoli was out there.

  Vladimir was risking his very rule by sending Nickoli into battle. The apocalypse would happen regardless and Vladimir’s new world was coming, but would he be around to see it? If Nickoli failed to kill Jaden Butler, then that was a valid question.

  For the first time, Serena could see a path out of her current position. If Jaden could defeat Nickoli, then Serena would have a chance to leave the council. She had to warn Jaden.

&n
bsp; 32

  JADEN AND JESS

  Jaden woke in the middle of the night. Cain was sleeping soundly and Jess was sitting in the corner of the living room drinking wine and watching them. Watching over Cain, he thought. He had questioned the supposed bond between Cain and Jess, but when she had willingly volunteered her own blood to help save him, he had seen the truth. It was apparent there was a genuine connection growing between his brother and the human woman. He looked at her with increasing respect.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Jess when she saw him watching her.

  “I’m better now,” said Jaden, “Without a wound or an infection for my body to fight, I heal incredibly fast.”

  “Will the council come here tonight?”

  Jaden raised an eyebrow and sat up. Cain must have told her a lot in the café. “No, I doubt they will have a second team in the city.”

  “Cain told me that if either of us survived tonight, we would be hunted down. He said that his enemies would never stop now.”

  “He was right. The council is power-hungry and wants a world where humans cannot hurt vampires. They will kill anyone in their way. I thought it was all a lot of talk. I didn’t believe it, but Cain knew it was coming.”

  “The last thing Cain talked about was you. He said that if I survived that I would need to look after you.”

  Jaden frowned. That’s stupid. How could a human woman look after me? That was so typical of Cain. Even when facing death, he was trying to protect Jaden from his dark side. Sorry, brother, I am embracing the darkness. The council will pay for attacking us.

  Jess looked confused, as if she too was wondering what she could possibly do to look after Jaden. “Do you have a plan?” she asked.

  “I need to get you and Cain to safety, but first, I need to find out what is going on with the council. One of the hunters said an apocalypse was coming and I didn’t get a sense that he was boasting. He believed what he said.”