by Raven Steele
Instead, my thoughts turned to the house at the end of the street. Lynx’s home. I hadn’t meant to invite myself to stay. I could’ve remained at my hotel and immersed myself into their lives that way, but there was something about Briar and Lynx that night at the club that made me act impulsively. Maybe it was the way Briar had fearlessly fought those shifters, despite the odds, and how Lynx had appeared so timid and sweet. I hadn’t been around people for a long time. In the moment, the idea of having roommates, friends, had struck me so hard I didn’t look back.
And I haven’t regretted it since.
As long as they didn’t discover the truth about me. But my secrets would remain safe because I would be careful.
I was almost to the house when I caught movement on the porch, a slight variation in the shadows. I stopped and waited for the threat to reveal itself.
“Samira,” a soft voice carried on the wind. It’s one I’d heard a thousand times before. It was also a voice that used to strike lightning straight into my heart, but now it only reminded me of betrayal and heartbreak.
Mateo slid out of the shadows to greet me. I tensed at the sight of him and strode past the home and around the side. I pretended I didn’t notice his golden eyes, the color of warm honey, burn into me or the way his chest muscles rippled when our eyes met. I had to pretend. He meant nothing to me.
He appeared next to me, walking as quietly and gracefully as a jungle cat. Once we were well into the woods, he stopped. “We need to talk.”
I kept on going. “There is nothing to say. You chose a different side the first chance you got.”
“It’s not like that. Would you stop walking, please?”
I turned to him, despite my brain telling me to keep moving. Being near Mateo was like standing on the edge of a cliff with a storm at my back: surrounded by danger on all sides. It was too much of a temptation to jump in with both feet. Except, if I did, there was no doubt I would end up hurt. “Speak quickly.”
His mouth opened then closed again. His brows furrowed. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Only if you make it so.”
“My actions are not my own.” He gave me a meaningful look. “I have to do what’s best for my coven.”
“You are their leader, are you not?”
“Yes, but—” His mouth closed again. He groaned and raked his fingers through his hair. I tracked the movements with my eyes, remembering how I used to do the same thing but in a very different setting.
I cleared my throat. “You say you want to talk to me, then you don’t speak. Why did you really come here?”
His eyes hardened, and he straightened his shoulders. “I came to tell you to stay away from the warehouse.”
I froze, my blood turning to ice in my veins. “Excuse me?”
“Stay out of Bodian Dynamic’s business. I mean it, Samira.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“There are things beyond my control. I cannot always protect you, especially if you insist on getting involved.”
“You stopped protecting me long ago.”
He growled, his fangs sliding out to pierce his bottom lip. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
I looked into his eyes, remembering how they used to make me melt. My heart skipped a beat, the sharp sensation scratching at the jagged scar on my heart. “You will never know, or understand, the way you broke my heart that night. You made your choice. Now you think you can tell me what to do? Never again, Mateo.”
“Maybe you should try to understand that choice I made so long ago.”
I turned to leave, tired of this game, but he gripped my arm, pulling me to him. This time his eyes were soft, and he cupped my face with his hand. “I’m trying to keep you safe, Samira. Can you not find a sliver of trust in that heart for me, mia anima gemella?”
I melted at his words. My soulmate. The name he used to call me, so long ago. Heat and desire pulsed into my body, every inch of my flesh tingled as if I’d walked through an electrical field. That’s how it was with him. The feeling hot and addictive. I met his eyes.
“Why are you working with them, Mateo?” I didn’t hide the desperation in my voice. “This isn’t you. At least not the you I remember. Have you changed so much over the years?”
“There are reasons why I do the things I do.”
“Tell me then. Explain it to me.”
“I cannot. You have to trust me. Please.”
I hardened my face, just as my heart broke all over again. Every single time I had seen him since that fateful night in the swamps, my body, my heart, my mind longed to be with him again. But, no matter what he said or did, I hardened myself against it. I couldn’t let him hurt me again.
I yanked my arm out of his hold. “You lost that right a long time ago.”
I stepped back so he could no longer touch me. “If you cannot tell me, then I suggest you go. Leave this city with your men and your drugs. Sever your ties with Bodian. Walk away and leave us all alone.”
He gave me a pained expression. “I can’t do that.”
I sucked up close to him and twisted the front of his shirt in my fist. “Then you stay out of my way.”
I shoved him backwards and walked back toward the house, anger swelling inside me.
“Don’t do it, Samira,” he called after me. “Your life is in danger.”
The smarter, wiser part of me wanted to stop and ask him what he meant, but I gave in to the more emotional part of me, as small as it was, and kept walking. I rubbed at my chest, wishing it didn’t hurt so much.
“You can fix that,” the ancient darkness inside me whispered. It spoke to me often, but I rarely indulged it anymore. This time, however, I pondered its words, remembering my vow to never feel the kind of heartache that shatters the soul ever again.
The sun set. I couldn’t see it from the confines of my coffin stuck in the basement, but I could feel it, much the same way a human feels coldness slowly seep into their bones as the flames of a fire sputters out.
I lifted the coffin’s lid and inhaled the darkness, the smell of rusty pipes and moldy water stinging my nose. I could’ve taken one of the rooms upstairs, but, no matter how many curtains or drapes, darkness up there would never feel complete. Not like it was down here. Plus the basement had a newer shower.
It didn’t take me long to get ready. After showering, I pulled on my favorite black leather pants and paired it with a gray tank top. I had plenty of clothes, but very few of them were part of my go-to wardrobe. I combed through my long hair and reached for my glasses on the counter. My hand hesitated over them, remembering the day I’d chosen to wear glasses.
“You need to find something to tie you to your humanity,” Detrand, my old mentor and friend, had told me once when I found myself in a very dark place. I think he thought I had misunderstood him the first time I’d worn the spectacles, but I hadn’t.
I slid the glasses onto my face. As long as I wore them, they reminded me how I needed to see through the eyes of those with less power, whether human or supernatural. I had been gifted with something terrible, yet powerful. I could use it for good if I learned to control it.
And I had.
Lynx greeted me in the kitchen. She must’ve heard me coming, which meant I was tired, because she handed me my thermos of blood.
“Do you want me to heat it up for you?”
I shook my head. Drinking warm blood reminded me too much of drinking from the vein, something I never wanted to do again. “But thank you.” I leaned against the counter and drank slowly, still stewing over last night.
“You look a thousand miles away,” Lynx said. “How did last night go at the warehouse?”
“Did Briar not tell you?”
“She didn’t stay long last night, but she was mad about something. Said there was someone she had to see.”
“Angel.” The word left my mouth before I could stop it.
“Why would she see him?”
“Probably because she
’s mad at him for betraying us.” When she bombarded me with questions, I held up my hand to quiet her, then told her what had happened.
“Those dirty snakes,” she said, smacking the towel on the table. “I knew I should’ve gone with you guys. I would’ve slapped some magic so hard on them, their heads would’ve spun.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I would’ve liked to have seen that.”
“Maybe you still can.”
I glanced up at her; her green eyes shined bright like that of a predator. It wasn’t a look I saw often, but whenever I did, it gave me chills. Lynx had no idea the strength of her power or the darkness it contained. I hoped when she did, she would be in a good place, because otherwise it might sweep her into the shadows. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s go back there. All three of us, but this time we’ll be ready.”
“It’s not wise.”
“It is if we’re prepared.”
“I don’t know.” I said the words, but deep down, I wanted to return and show Mateo I wasn’t going to back down.
“I insist.” She gripped my arm. The touch was hot, almost scolding. “We can’t let those drugs into our city, especially if they’re going to use them to turn supernaturals into Hydes. Plus, we can’t just let people go around kidnapping others. They need to pay.”
“Fine. We can try again, but we need a solid plan.”
She squeezed and let go of me, spinning on her heel. Before she left the room, she added, “I’ll take care of everything!”
I glanced down at my arm where she had been gripping me. My flesh was burned in the shape of a hand. Power, indeed.
I left the house, noting the time. Almost seven. Sersi would only be up for a couple of more hours. The President of the Ames de la Terra was well known for needing her sleep. A thousand-year-old fae, Sersi was my oldest friend. She knew me before I had met Mateo. Our friendship had been a rocky one, but it was as sure as the ground beneath my feet.
An hour later, I pulled up to the Blutel Estate thirty minutes outside of Rouen.
This place was the reason I was in Rouen. Blutel Estate was a large structure made of stone and iron, built over three hundred years ago. It had been destroyed in the late eighteenth century when a war broke out among supernaturals and humans, a war no one remembered now.
In time, Blutel Estate was built back up into something better and stronger. This was where a few powerful supernaturals joined together to create the Ames de la Terra, a group dedicated to keeping supernaturals’ existence hidden to mankind while also protecting them in the process. They turned Blutel Estate into a respite for all the otherly creatures of the world. A place where we could heal from the darkness that so often infected us. Here, in this grand place, they also taught us another way to live. To find and embrace the light within us, for we all have it. Darkness cannot exist without the light.
It had also been my own home for several years and had helped me harness the demons within me. After I joined them, their vision grew to encompass humans as well, any who had been harmed by supernaturals or needed assistance. The Ames de la Terra became a governing body for the world to ensure there was balance between good and evil. I wished I’d had the sense to join them sooner, but I never believed I needed their help.
Not until I’d hit what humans call rock bottom.
I walked up the stone steps and pushed open a heavy wooden door. A blast of air ruffled my hair, smelling of spice and cedar. Turning to my left, I walked past the grand entryway, the walls lined with dark wooden wainscoting and floral wallpaper not made in this century. Flecks of real gold still lay embedded within its many colors.
Two females, a young vampire and even younger shifter walked past me, giggling to each other. Orphans, no doubt. Those lost in a world that otherwise would’ve abandoned them. They were probably heading to the estate’s movie theater, built in the last ten years off the back of the building. Every Friday night, a movie was shown. I had seen many here.
Sersi was right where I thought she’d be—in her office finishing up for the day. Her blond hair, the color of wheat on a summer day, was swept up into a loose bun, stray tendrils falling to her chin. Her gray eyes looked up at me as I walked through the open door. Her gaze used to unnerve me, the sheer intensity of her attention, and the way her eyes penetrated into my soul, as if she could see every secret, every dirty thing I’d ever done. I used to shy away from that stare, but I’d since learned her prying eyes were those of concern and love. She didn’t know how to do anything else. She was a rare gem in this world, and I was glad she was at Blutel, safe and protected from the darkness.
“You look especially bothered today,” she said to me in that soft voice as sweet as the song of a morning dove. People would come from all over the world to hear her lectures. She thought it was for their uplifting messages, but I’d never tell her it was because the mere sound of her voice soothed the hardest soul.
“Life has been challenging lately.” I didn’t bother sitting down. I wished I had time, but there was much to do.
She smiled kindly, those gray eyes twinkling. “But it’s also been fun, too. Wouldn’t you say?”
Once again, she had looked inside me and seen something I didn’t know was there. “It has been nice to have roommates. Friends. They make my challenges easier.”
“As it should be.” She came to her feet, the blue material of her long gown whispering against the back of the chair. “You came to check on the Abydos?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It is yours to keep safe. We only provide the walls.” She turned around and pressed a button on a wall panel behind her. Two doors spread open, revealing a small elevator. She motioned me through first.
I stood next to her as the elevator doors closed. Sersi blew on her palm, captured the invisible air, then released it near a small black pad next to the elevator buttons. Wisps of blues and purples swirled into the air and was sucked into the blackness. The elevator jerked to a start and moved down deep within the bowels of the old mansion. Every President had expanded its floors, using not only modern methods, but magical ones too, to go over eight stories below the surface. The floors were used for different reasons—classrooms, dorm rooms, even a second banquet room—but the lowest of the floors was reserved for the oldest and most sacred artifacts. Only a few chosen people even knew of its location or had access to it. I happened to be one of them, given the right when Sersi discovered I had been given the Abydos to protect.
The doors slid open and lights came on. I followed Sersi into the giant, open room. Rows and rows of counter-height glass containers filled the space, each holding something of value. One day soon, I would like to spend days in this room studying all of its artifacts. I walked by a familiar-looking sword from the twelfth century and moaned at its exquisiteness. I imagined being there as men tried to pull it from its stone.
“You are welcome to come here any time,” Sersi said over her shoulder. “It’s a shame more of these items can’t be appreciated.”
My gaze slid over a long, oval mirror resting on its back and protected by glass. A single apple engraved into the gold frame adorned its top. Tingles exploded across my skin as I realized what it could be. These objects weren’t just from our realm. “I would love to.”
“Anytime.” She stopped at a glass enclosure at the back. It appeared empty, but I knew otherwise. She turned to me. “Would you like to unlock it? Just like we practiced.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, whispering the words: “Per sol, luna et sidera, resera hoc secretum locum.”
I breathed into the pocket of my closed hand, then released it over the enclosure. The glass case slid open. At first nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the small chest that held the Abydos appeared. I reached in and carefully lifted the lid. The small vial of dark blood rested on plush velvet.
“Of all the items in this sacred place,” Sersi said, “this could be the most import
ant. Silly, for such a small thing.”
My gaze slid over to the enclosure next to it. It contained the only other item I brought to Sersi at the same time I delivered the Abydos.
She followed my gaze. “You are still worried about the prophecy.”
“I admit, I am a little.” Detrand was the one who had given me the prophecy, believing it to be about me. “I thought it could be prevented if I stayed close to Briar, but then she killed the third Alpha.”
I swallowed despite the dryness in my throat. That night at Fire Ridge, when we had come under attack, I had tried to stay close to Briar. She had just discovered that Vincent, her uncle, was working with the strange and powerful being that both Dominic and Vincent worshiped. Up until that point, I never believed Briar could ever harm her last surviving family member, but then he’d betrayed her. I tried to go after her when the smoke being carried her into the woods, but that would’ve left Mateo, Lynx and so many others at the mercy of rival shifters and Hydes.
In the end, I could not stop Briar, and the first part of the prophecy had been fulfilled. At least she had killed the smoke monster, that terrible, seemingly unstoppable creature whose identity we had yet to uncover. Our only theory was that Vincent must've summoned it from another realm or maybe even created it using magic.
“There is still a long way to go before the prophecy comes to fruition,” Sersi offered. “If it ever does.”
I nodded and closed the lid. When I withdrew my hand, the box disappeared and the glass slid back into place over it. I approached the next case and peered inside. A rolled up, faded parchment paper tied off with a leather string laid inside.
“Do you want to look at it?” she asked me.
“No. I have it memorized.” More for myself than for her, I quoted it out loud:
“When the crimson moon rises on the eve of Litha, three dark souls will give their blood to bring forth the great Trianus, Lord of the Underworld, from the dark abyss. A Komira, sealed by the blood of three Alphas, a vampire who abandoned the Kiss of the Eternal Night, and a witch blessed by the sun and the moon. Bonded by fire and ice, the three will bend a knee and bow to the new Prince of Darkness, true and faithful servants, as he takes his place as ruler over mortal lands once again.”
