The Usurper

by Candy Crum

“I’m the usurper, remember?” Kailah said defiantly.

  Still laughing, Khia said, “Oh, sweetheart. You’ll be strong enough to do damage one day, but right now, you’re like a little lab puppy trying to bark and growl at the full-grown Rottweiler that’s trained to kill. It’s kind of cute, actually.”

  Nothing pissed Kailah off more than someone threatening the people she loved—but she quickly discovered being mocked was a close second.

  Kailah allowed her body to be guided by the spirits around her. She could feel their power, even though she couldn’t tell what that power might have been. It didn’t matter as long as they could work together.

  Rain began to fall hard as the thunder and lightning continued to boom overhead. Khia looked around and smiled. “Cute.”

  Kailah laughed maniacally, just as Khia had, and immediately cut it off for affect as she turned a deadly tone toward the older Immortal. “Just the fucking cutest.”

  She whipped her hand around, and the water standing on the deck immediately formed into a spear before impaling Khia through the chest. It all happened so fast, in less than a second, and Khia was left stunned.

  Hands now at her sides, she didn’t bother giving Khia a chance to respond as she took several steps forward, following the lead of the spirits guiding her. Both her hands moved in front of her, and a blast of wind came from behind, launching Khia through the air and into the yard.

  Something blew through the yard, and Kailah quickly realized it was Aeric. He came to a hard stop as he rammed a large wooden stake—that had come from the shattered tree—through her chest. Brett moved just as fast as he rushed forward and grabbed hold of Khia’s head before snapping her neck.

  “Get Amanda!” Aeric yelled.

  Rachel and Mary ran inside, and Kailah looked from them back to the brothers with confusion. “She’s dead. Why the rush?”

  Aeric stood and shook his head. “We have five minutes. Maybe.”

  “Tear her head off!” Kailah yelled. “Would that kill her?”

  Aeric and Brett shook their heads. “We don’t know what will kill her. We only know how to stun her. We need to go.”

  “Really tired of hearing that phrase,” Kailah said out loud.

  “Get to the car,” Brett said. “We’ll get them. Just go!”

  Kailah moved quickly, not wanting to take any more risks. The Charger was unlocked, and she opened the back door for Amanda. By the time she turned around, Aeric came to an abrupt stop before setting Amanda down on her feet, leaning her away from the car, and pulling back her hair only a second before she threw up everywhere.

  “Damn. Nice timing,” Kailah said.

  “She was sick anyway. I knew touching her would make it worse, but that kind of speed was too much.”

  Amanda threw up again, wiped her mouth, and stood. “Fuck. All this,” she said between breaths.

  “You can hate us all later,” Aeric said. “Right now, we have to get you out of here, so you can live on to do so.”

  He helped her in the back, and she slid into the middle. Kailah quickly jumped into the front seat. By the time she got buckled, Brett, Rachel, and Mary were already speeding down the driveway.

  “Move, Brother!” Brett shouted. “She’s up already!”

  Kailah no more than blinked, and Aeric was in the driver’s side, shutting the door. Khia was twisting her head from side to side, adjusting her neck, as she stalked toward them. Her beautiful white clothing was stained red with blood, and her eyes were so icy they were almost white.

  Lightning webbed across the sky as her hands went out to the side. “If that hits this car at full power, it’ll fry everything,” Kailah said. Earlier, Wendy had helped them start the Scion, but the energy had been severely cut. A raw lightning bolt would likely destroy the electronics on board.

  “Kailah,” Aeric said. “I’m really sorry to have to do this to you.”

  Thunder cracked as lightning touched down, bolts in both Khia’s hands.

  “What are you talking about? Drive!” Kailah shouted.

  Her head suddenly felt like it would split, and her stomach wanted to revolt. She looked over and saw Aeric’s red aura flaring brightly as his eyes darkened and ringed in black. He growled and moved with dangerous purpose. His hand wrapped around her throat as he opened his mouth wide, ready to attack.

  Kailah’s adrenaline immediately spiked, and a blast of energy exploded, throwing Aeric back into the door. He cried out, his skin smoldering and even burning his shirt. A brilliant white light flashed in front of them, and Kailah looked forward to see the lightning Khia had thrown bouncing off a waving blue barrier.

  “That’s what,” Aeric said, starting the car and throwing it in reverse. “You just saved our asses.”

  Kailah looked at him, exasperated and terrified. “What?”

  “What the fuck is happening?” Amanda yelled from the back.

  Aeric sped down the driveway, whipping the car around in the gravel before quickly getting it on the road. He hissed as the shirt continued to burn his skin. Kailah had done a lot of damage. He was black all over, and in some places, he was burned all the way down through the muscle.

  “Get the shirt off me,” he said. “Please. Just rip it off and throw it out the window.”

  She quickly did as he asked, pulling the already weak material the rest of the way off and throwing it out. By the time she looked back, his skin had already begun to lighten. His singed hair was quickly growing back, and his face was smoothing out.

  “Holy hell, you heal fast,” she said.

  He nodded. “Takes a lot of energy to do so, but yes. I do.” He looked into Kailah’s eyes and reached out. She flinched, but his fingers were very gentle as he brushed the side of her throat. “I’m so sorry.”

  While she didn’t enjoy being attacked, she understood why he’d done it. There was no time to discuss whether she could or couldn’t create a barrier, let alone teach her how to do so. He had to rely on her instincts kicking in, and it nearly killed him.

  “You could have died,” she said.

  He laughed. “I almost did. You pack one hell of a punch, but I assumed you would.”

  “If you knew she’d do that to you, why risk it?” Amanda asked.

  “Because I wasn’t about to let either of you die because I was scared,” he said.

  By the time they turned onto the highway, Aeric’s skin was almost completely back to normal. “You look much better,” Kailah said.

  He looked down. “I feel much better. You did really well today,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

  She laughed. “Don’t get too excited. I have no idea how I did any of that. I couldn’t do it on command. That’s why I’m not pissed you attacked me. It had to be done, because the only thing I had working for me are my instincts. But try not to do that again, okay?”

  He nodded. “You’re coming back to Louisville with us.”

  She thought about that and what it meant. While she had been teetering on the edge of her normal life and this new one for a couple of weeks, she knew that once she crossed the threshold of casa dei vampiri, she would begin her new life.

  And for once, that didn’t scare her.

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I think I’m ready for that orientation now.”

  The Dark Professor (Prologue and Chapter One)

  As Nadya stepped to the edge of the street, she inhaled deeply, sifting through the different scents for any sign of danger. Traffic on this street was now non-existent, since it was blocked off at each end every night after seven p.m. for the safety of the patrons inside the buildings standing around her.

  It was quite the party location, several bars lining each side all the way down the block. When the businesses began to open to their awaiting crowds, thick, metal bars would lift from the road on either end, quarantining the street from passing traffic. The popular clubs were only accessible on foot after having parked in one of the parking garages surrounding them.

&nb
sp; The lack of traffic was good. It meant less interference for what she had planned. Two large Russian bouncers stood just outside the door of her destination, deciding who was important enough to enter, and who would be left out in the cold.

  What they didn’t know was that any who enter would be put through yet another judgement—Nadya’s. As she watched the disheartened humans who had been turned away skulking back down the street from where they came, she shook her head.

  Whiny beasts. They have no idea just how lucky they are.

  The night sky was beautiful, the moon eerily large and bright as it loomed overhead. The lights from the buildings hid far more stars than the sparse dusting of clouds. Thinking of that only irritated Nadya as she thought of how humans had destroyed the natural beauty of the world with their many inventions—even if she didn’t want to admit to herself just how useful they were.

  From where she stood, she heard the words she had been waiting for spoken by one of the large bouncers. “Full to capacity. You’ll have to wait.”

  Several people turned and walked away, not wanting to wait any longer in the cold for someone to leave just for the possibility of being turned away anyway.

  With a wave of her hand, Nadya took the first steps out onto the cold street, crossing the pavement with several vampires, who she referred to as her children, close behind. She heard several gasps as those still waiting in line took in their red eyes.

  She stopped just at the edge of the sidewalk, turning to them and smiling. “Unless you all want to die, I suggest leaving. Now. Consider this my gift to you.”

  Pushing a bit of her influence, the hopeful humans turned frightened, running in the opposite direction.

  “I don’t think so,” one of the bouncers said as he grabbed her arm.

  She turned, smiling wider. “Oh, moya lyubov,” she said, his eyes widening at her confidence and condescending tone as she spoke the pet name. Her hand moved like lightning to grab his wrist. “Not a smart thing to do, I’m afraid.”

  With only the lightest pressure, she snapped the tiny bones in his thick wrist, dropping him to the ground in pain. Then with a flick of her hand, shadows seemed to rise from the ground before throwing the other bouncer through the door.

  “Pereyekhat,” she said, ordering the man on the ground to move. Without hesitation, he stood while holding his wrist and doing his best to scurry through the door.

  Once she and her children were inside, she simply nodded to the others. In a flash, a large group fanned out across the building to search for any exits. Their job was to keep them secure and not allow anyone in or out while their queen worked. The rest of her children stood just behind her, ready for orders.

  Taking a deep breath, Nadya looked over to the bouncers, who both stared at her with obvious terror on their faces. She felt the sharp teeth in her mouth extend in anticipation of what was about to happen.

  “If anyone tries to leave, break their legs,” she said to her children, her eyes never leaving the bouncers. “I will judge them. I will turn them.”

  In her peripheral, she saw a few nods before she moved. In a flash, she was at the throat of the bouncer whose wrist she had broken. His blood splashed across her tongue in a euphoric explosion of flavor. He was incredibly healthy and strong. He would make an excellent servant.

  She then bit down harder, releasing her venom into his veins. The resulting scream alerted those in the immediate area that something was very wrong. As she moved in a blur to the other bouncer, killing him for an illness she wasn’t even sure he was aware he had, the crowd then erupted into panic.

  Screams echoed throughout the building at deafening levels. The lights flashed and darted around the room as the music boomed overhead, but still, the humans drowned out the sound.

  They fled pointlessly across the room, the sound of breaking bones now reaching her ears as her children followed her instructions perfectly. She made her way through, one after another, biting into them and tasting them. She could see into their memories, into their true nature. Their secrets were spilled before her.

  Sorry, Soccer Mom. You have to go, she thought as she snapped the neck of a young woman with small children at home. “Oh, such a Good Samaritan,” she said to a man who had recently helped a homeless woman just before tearing into his throat and draining him.

  Over and over, Nadya judged the terrified patrons, some of who were crumpled and broken on the floor. She searched for darkness in them, darkness that would make them good warriors in her army.

  The sound of shattered glass met her ears, and she rose from a man that would soon awaken as her newborn fledgling. Several feet away at the bar, a brave soul shattered a whisky bottle and had stabbed one of her children with it.

  The young vampire only smiled as he pulled it from his chest, looking to Nadya for what she knew was a plea for permission. With only a nod, the vampire lashed out, slicing the woman’s throat open before throwing her up on the bar and holding her down as he licked at her neck.

  Nadya dropped her soon-to-be fledgling on the ground, his heart slowing in his chest as his human death approached. She then made her way over to the bar and did not hesitate to bite into the woman’s wrist, passing her venom through her veins. Anyone willing to stand up to her or her children would be a strong warrior.

  It took quite some time to make her way around the building, her stomach becoming too full several times and forcing her to purge just to continue—but she loved it.

  The time had come to build an army. She was ready now and waiting around for centuries for natural reproduction was not the answer she needed. Pregnancies for vampires did not come very often, so it was up to her to put her fate into her own hands.

  Nadya sighed heavily, moaning as she licked her lips and pulled away from the throat from which she had been drinking. She leaned back, placing her hands flat on the floor as her eyes closed. Her head leaned back as her face tilted toward the ceiling while she reveled in the blood rushing through her veins.

  Several moments ticked by as she allowed her distended stomach to digest some of the mass quantity of blood she just drank. Her eyes opened as she moved to sit upright again. A pleased smile graced the vampire queen’s lips as she took in the sights around her.

  The lights still flashed in the club, the colors gliding around the room, blinking fast and fading out as others began. The music still boomed overhead, all signs that a good time was being had, but it was only Nadya and a few of her most capable children that were having any fun.

  Bodies and various limbs littered the floor around her. Almost two hundred humans in various stages of death were strewn about as her minions drained whatever it was she had left for them.

  Over the course of the past hundred years, her body and her power had evolved once again, and she was much more powerful than ever before. She could finally create an army of vampires without it weakening her in the process. It was the first time in her very long life she believed she could succeed in taking the gods on the mountain; the dragons who believed they were better than she.

  “It won’t be long now,” Lawrence, one of her children, said in his sophisticated English accent as he stared at the floor. “Think we should’ve left some for them?”

  Nadya thought for a moment before shaking her head. “No. I want them hungry. In fact, I want them absolutely ravenous. We have a lot of work to do.”

  “Kak ty sebya chuvstvuyesh'?” Ivan, one of her many Russian children, asked.

  Nadya smiled. “I feel just fine, Ivan. Better than ever, actually.”

  Ivan only smiled and nodded, walking away and inspecting the bodies on the floor. He wasn’t a man of many words, but he was certainly loyal.

  Nadya made her way behind the bar, pushing bodies over and leaping across. She smiled as she pulled free an expensive bottle of vodka. “Da. Come to mama.”

  Not bothering with a glass, she tipped the bottle back and moaned as the harsh burn hit her throat. Though they couldn’t eat, v
ampires could certainly drink. It was something she enjoyed regularly.

  Her children wandered around the room, checking the bodies over and over. A good portion of them had been mangled to the point where rebirth was impossible. But many had died human deaths, their hearts never truly stopping, but slowing to the point where the venom would be still in the body, eating away and rebuilding the muscles and bone structure to create a more powerful form.

  Nadya tipped the bottle up and drank some more, movement in her peripheral catching her eyes. “Ah, look,” Nadya said with a smile. “They’re beginning to wake.”

  As she watched newborn vampires stirring on the ground, she took another long drink from the vodka. She thought about just how far she and her species had come, and then she thought about how far they would go. She had only just begun.

  Nadya walked around the bar, kneeling down to the nearest transitioning vampire. Slowly, the young woman’s eyes opened, revealing red irises. Though they weren’t nearly as bright as her maker’s, they still marked what she was.

  “Hello, child,” Nadya said softly as she gently laid a hand on the fledgling’s cheek. “My name is Nadya. I am your mother, your queen. It’s time for you to rise and learn where you came from.”

  Chapter One

  A long and arduous night at work was just the start of Ashlynn’s troubles. Third shift was a beast almost anywhere, but as a certified nurse’s assistant in a long-term care facility and the only aide working the whole floor, it was damn near impossible.

  Though it came as no surprise, a co-worker named Sara, who Ashlynn had originally been scheduled to work with had been a no-call-no-show for the third time that week. The facility was desperately short-staffed, allowing the young woman to skirt around being fired.

  Unfortunately for everyone else, it was a situation Sara was well aware of. She certainly hadn’t shied from taking advantage of their tolerance either—not the three times that week, once the week before, and several times over the previous weeks.

  Ash believed her patients deserved to be respected and cared for in the moments when their dignity was all but stripped away. The people in her care were forced from their homes either by health or by family that simply had no ability, funds, or experience to take care of them. They were told when to eat, when to sleep, when to shower. They had limited personal belongings, and those were sometimes taken by others who were cold and cruel.