Shadow Realms

by Kelly Carrero

  “That’s probably your guilty conscience talking.” She strode toward me and pointed to the area surrounding us. “I feel great loss when I’m surrounded by so much death. There’s a dark energy that seeps into the earth, staining it with the demonic energy that created the loss of lives.”

  Oh, I felt it, but I also heard something, and the more I listened, the louder the voices became, forming mumbled words—meaningless but nonetheless real.

  “Max told me you were hard to take down, that you fought back with untrained skill reserved for a newly born vampire. But you obviously hadn’t turned if you’re still with us today.” She smiled.

  My heart hammered against my chest, deafening my ears as I waited for her to pull out a weapon and decapitate me before I would have a chance to move. But the moments ticked by, and she averted her gaze from me to the street.

  I released a shuddered breath, partly because I wasn’t dying today and partly because this place and the voices creeped me out.

  “Staay,” the voice whispered.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, which didn’t go unnoticed by Lana. Trying to cover up the voices in my head, I said, “Sore muscles from this morning.” I stretched my right arm above my head, tugging at my elbow with my left hand to give the full effect. I moved onto stretching the other arm then shook both beside me.

  Lana may not have thought I was a demonic abomination, but she sure as hell thought I was a wimp.

  Better a wimp than an untrustworthy demon whisperer.

  I was about to walk out into the street when the voices stopped me in my tracks. I spun around and faced the alley, my gaze darting up the walls and to the roofs of the buildings surrounding us, almost expecting to see a hoard of vampires watching us.

  There was none.

  “What are you doing?” Lana asked with a mixture of concern and wariness in her tone.

  “Nothing,” I replied as nonchalantly as I could while my skin buzzed beneath the surface with anticipation of something dangerous to come. “I just want a moment to remember what I almost became and the person I want to become.”

  “Take your time,” she said, her tone no longer showing any signs of concern. “I’ll be in the car waiting.”

  A smidge of relief flowed through me, but it was short-lived as the walls started to ripple, swaying, morphing into the demonic creatures that had beckoned me two nights ago.

  Only this time, they weren’t speaking to me.

  21

  My head practically exploded as their voices rushed through my mind, their words morphing into a slew of unintelligible sentences that reverberated through the streets. My heart skipped a beat every now and then as I picked up on certain words. A mixture of dread and hope consumed me as it became clear they were talking about moving up the transfer of the possibilities starting with the one at the aviary.

  Deep down, I knew they were talking about Mason.

  My stomach lurched, and I did everything I could to pretend I couldn’t hear them. I focused on the blood splattered before me, then tilted my head back. Looking into the heavens, I mumbled a prayer, missing chunks of verses along the way. I performed the Catholic cross thing for the first time in my life, hoping I got it right and was able to convince not only the demons that I hadn’t heard anything, but also Lana, whose gaze was boring a hole into the back of my head.

  With my heart in my throat, I headed back to the van and climbed into the front passenger seat.

  “I didn’t know you’re religious,” Lana said, studying me.

  Shrugging, I put on my seat belt. “Never too late to ask for redemption.”

  She smiled as she tapped the pads of her fingers against the steering wheel. “Redemption comes in many forms, and something tells me you’re heading down the right path.”

  Something told me I’d stumbled into the freaking lion’s den, and I had no idea how I was going to relay the information I’d learned without outing myself as a demon whisperer.

  Shit was about to get real.

  The whole way back, I pretended everything was normal when all I wanted to do was shake down the girl, tell her what I’d heard, and find out if Lana knew what the aviary meant.

  Mason was out there, and there was a very good possibility the demons had been talking about him. After all both Finn and him had tested positive for the gene, and…

  I twisted in my seat to face Lana as she parked the car back at the compound. “Does the gene normally run in a family?” I’d already asked Finn, but who knew if what he told me was the truth? He had a bad habit of keeping things from me.

  Lana narrowed her eyes at me, making my nerves set on edge. “Generally.” She hopped out of the car and closed the door behind her.

  I jumped out of my seat, slamming the door closed, and raced around the front. “What does that mean?”

  She shoved the keys into her pocket and headed toward the elevators. “It means it can happen. Therefore, I’m sure the demons will be very interested to see what the outcome is once Mason turns eighteen.”

  Knowing that was years away didn’t make it any easier. “Is there any way for them to know before he turns eighteen? Or is it just some lightbulb that turns on at midnight?”

  Lana chuckled as she pressed the elevator call button. “There’s no lightbulb, but there is a different test that gives an absolute. And thankfully, we’re the only ones who have the object needed to perform the ritual.”

  Ritual? That sounded painful.

  The elevator arrived, and we entered the metal cube.

  Lana leaned against the back wall. “Remember the sword in the training room?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s one of the huntress’s weapons. It’s encrypted with an ancient magic that is not known to this world. It lies dormant under the protection of the conjurers until awoken by ‘the one.’”

  She continued, “There are four swords in total, spread across the world, safeguarded by those sworn to protect them.”

  “The conjurers?”

  She nodded as the doors opened. “The same ones who perform the hunter’s initiation.”

  Lana stepped into the foyer, and I followed. “And they give the hunters the inhuman abilities?”

  Lana nodded and headed down the hall. “Yes, we have the conjurer to thank for our skills. But as you’ve already been told multiple times by both Finn and Max, a hunter can’t be made. They have to already live within.”

  I wished there was a handbook on all of this. “So, let me get this straight. To become a hunter, you must be one within. Then the conjurers performs their voodoo, igniting and bringing it to the surface.”

  “There’s a lot more to it on the conjurer’s end, but for us, that’s basically it,” she said. “So, when we bring someone in who wants to help with our fight, they’re distributed into desk roles, etcetera, and for the ones who show potential, they train, prove themselves capable, then undergo the ceremony.”

  Lana stopped outside a single wooden door. “We need as many as we can get, but unfortunately, there aren’t enough who are willing to give up everything and everyone they care about. I don’t blame them, but it makes our fight that much harder. They usually come to us out of gratitude, for revenge, or for redemption.” She smiled and gestured to me.

  She opened the door. “Enough about that. We need to get you some clothes.”

  An hour later, I carried the bags of generic clothes into my closet and dumped them on the floor.

  Lana’s gaze flicked between the bags and me. “Aren’t you going to put them away?”

  “I’ll do that later. I thought we could get in another training session before dinner,” I said in a hopeful voice.

  “You need to rest, girl. Otherwise, you’re going to prove the boys right.” When I frowned, she added, “You need to give your body time to repair to avoid doing damage that will ultimately take days, if not weeks, off your training schedule.”

  I made my way out of the closet and stretched my arms then m
y legs. “What’s the difference between before dinner and later this evening? I feel fine.”

  “That doesn’t mean you should push it,” she said. “I want you to succeed almost as much as you do, but in order to do that, you need to be careful, which means we stay on schedule. Plus, you were complaining of your aching muscles.”

  My face slumped. I’d only been complaining to provide an explanation for my strange behavior. “Isn’t there some sort of divine magical concoction you can give me to help keep me at my prime?”

  Lana laughed. “Unfortunately, not for you mere mortals. It is only hunters who are blessed with such attributes.”

  I pursed my lips. Of course, there wasn’t anything to help me. “Fine.” I stood at the foot of my bed then fell onto my back, staring at the ceiling, wondering how I was going to get around this hurdle.

  “Just because I said there’s no training, doesn’t mean you need to get all sulky,” Lana said.

  I lifted myself up and rested my elbows on the bed. “I’m not sulking. I’m disappointed.”

  “You’ll thank me in the morning.” She leaned over me, grabbed my arms, and pulled me to my feet. “Come help me in the kitchen.”

  I scrunched my face in confusion. “You work kitchen duty?”

  Lana barked out a laugh. “They wouldn’t let me near the general food prep even if I begged.” She hooked her arm with mine and led me out of my room, closing the door behind us. “You see, not everyone shares my food idealisms. I’m not sure why, considering they’d feel so much better and have fewer digestive issues, but hey, I can’t force them to see sense.”

  Fearing what she was going to get me into, I slipped my arm free. “You know what?” I took a step back toward my room. “I think I might go for a run instead.”

  Lana scowled. “You need to rest.”

  “I normally run twice a day, so I don’t think I have anything to worry about. You know, muscle memory and all that.”

  “Okay,” she conceded but didn’t look at all happy about it. “Don’t push yourself hard.”

  “I promise. I’ll only stretch my legs.” I held up my fingers, giving her a Scouts’ honor—even though I hadn’t attended a single class or whatever they called them. “Now, where’s the track?” Finn had mentioned the track last night before we went to bed and had promised to show me where it was today, but like all his promises, he never followed through.

  “There’s a map in your welcome packet tucked in the top drawer of the desk. But I can show you where it is after I make my kombucha,” she offered. “I need to get it started so it has enough time to cool down before I transfer it. It won’t take long.”

  The thought of that hippy placenta-made drink made my stomach lurch. I knew it wasn’t actually made from placenta, but that scoby thing sure as hell looked like one. Not that I’d ever seen a placenta in real life. “As tempting as that sounds, I think I need to find my own way around this place.”

  “Suit yourself. But if you get lost, you know where to find me.”

  I smiled at her then made my way back into my room, where I grabbed the packet out of the drawer. I riffled through the various pamphlets until I found the map, which thankfully had a little “You are here” mark I was pretty sure was thanks to Lana.

  Studying the layout, I found the track located on the rooftop. Perfect. Fresh air, no walls, and hopefully no people. Just what I needed.

  I thought about taking a shower but decided it would be pointless to do before a workout, so I opted to change into a pair of running tights and sports crop, then slipped on a clean pair of socks and shoes, grateful I was able to get out of the outfit I’d worn since I’d woken up in quarantine. It smelled more than a little nasty.

  I lifted my arm and took a whiff. “Whoa.” Yep, definitely needed a shower.

  Letting my arm fall to my side, I opted for a spray of deodorant and prayed I wouldn’t come across Kade along the way. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me in my primal who gives a shit moment.

  The thought of running into him almost made me take a shower, but my careless attitude took over. There were bigger things for a girl to worry about, and crushing over a guy who thought of me as a little sister wasn’t one of them.

  With the map in hand and water bottle filled to the brim, I headed down the hall where I came to a staircase leading up and down. Satisfied I was going the right way, I trotted up the stairs, down the hall, turned left, and went up the next set of stairs, leading to the rooftop.

  As soon as the door burst open, a sense of peace washed over me, and I stepped out onto the state-of-the-art running track that was all my own. There wasn’t another person to be heard or seen.

  Guilt swept over me as I thought about Mason probably getting his blood sucked by some skanky vampire while I was enjoying the last of the day’s sun.

  I set the bottle down on the bench seat and headed to the track. I shook out my legs then stretched out my muscles, cursing as I released the tension that had built up over the past few days. What I needed was a good massage or a soak in a hot tub.

  What I needed was to shut the hell up with my whining and concentrate on why I was there.

  Breaking into a jog, I took comfort in the sun’s rays beaming against my skin, slowly warming my soul as I rounded the track, pacing myself, making sure I didn’t push myself too hard and pay for it later.

  Lana had been right in that I should’ve rested, but there was nothing better than the feeling of the wind in my hair, the sweat beads forming a thin coating on my skin, and the soft breeze cooling it.

  I may have cursed my mother for making me stick with my running while she was alive, but now…

  My heart ached as I thought about the arguments I’d gotten into with her. How I wished I could’ve taken them back. I would’ve given anything to be able to tell her I was sorry and that I loved her. But I couldn’t raise the dead, and I certainly couldn’t speak with spirits—even though I’d tried on numerous drunken, drugged-up moments.

  I blinked my eyes as tears slipped down my cheeks, remembering her face, her laugh, her smile. I would not fail her in finding Mason. I would not let our family fall apart anymore than—

  My eyes widened as the door opened, and I came to a sudden halt, fear rippling through me as I stared at Max, realizing I was alone and no one would be able to hear my cries for help.

  22

  Max’s gaze honed in on mine, a mixture of revulsion and hate consuming his eyes. His jaw clenched as his muscles tightened across his bare chest, pressing against the jagged scars covering most of the left side of his torso, a stark contrast to the smooth, tanned skin on the right. It was almost as if the vampires had laid him down and devoured him on one side, eating their way to his insides.

  A shiver ran up my spine.

  I got why he hated me. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t learn to live together and not get in each other’s way.

  As much as he scared the absolute hell out of me, I couldn’t allow him to see my fear. If I did, we’d never get past this and I would forever be hiding from him.

  Where was my overbearing, bubble-wrapping brother when I needed him?

  Shoving my fear to the back of my mind, I stepped into a jog and continued around the track, my nerves going into hyperdrive as I passed him and slowly seeping away again with every step I put between him and me.

  Relief flooded through me when I caught sight of the empty spot where he’d stood, but it was short lived.

  My heart jumped into my throat as his barely audible footsteps came up behind me, and I had to do everything I could not to turn around and prepare to fight for my life.

  I couldn’t let him see me like this.

  The footsteps closed in on me, and suddenly they were beside me. “You need to leave,” he said, his tone once again laced with venom. Then he passed me with little to no effort.

  I watched in a mixture of awe and terror as his large frame almost glided across the track, barely breaking a sweat,
reminding me how inferior I was.

  A few moments later, he caught up to me again, briefly slowing his pace. “You’re a liability that could get us all killed. You know it, I know it, and so does your brother. Only he’s too afraid to let you go again.” He sped past me.

  Anger boiled inside of me, his words cutting deep, but I couldn’t let him get to me.

  “I saw what you did, and it’s only because I owe Finn that I’m not saying anything,” he said, catching up to me again. “There’s no going back from what you did. You’re one of them, pretending to be like us, but we both know, given the chance, you’d do it all again.” Turning toward me, he stepped into my path and stopped.

  I put my hands up in front of me as I skidded to a stop. “Jesus,” I said, lowering my hands. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “You’re what’s wrong,” he said, stepping closer. “You may have everyone, including Lana, fooled, but not me.”

  Holding my ground, I tried to contain the anger boiling inside me as my fight or flight instincts kicked in. Only, I didn’t know which to choose and my mouth had other ideas. “Look, I get why you want to kill me. Lana told me what happened, and I can’t even imagine what you went through at the hands of those demonic freaks, but I’m not your enemy. I know what I did was wrong, but I did it for what I thought was the right reason. I understand how misguided I was now that I know hunters exist. But at the time, all I could think about was my baby brother and making sure my family didn’t lose another member. So, you need to get it through your thick head that I am not a vampire. I don’t crave blood, and I certainly don’t possess the abilities that come along with the demon slavery. I am here for one thing and one thing only. Mason. And once he’s found, I will happily leave and you’ll never have to see me again.”

  His steely gaze flickered with barely contained rage, and I knew I shouldn’t have said anything about his past. “Lana shouldn’t have told you. But now that you know, yeah, I was the human offering, handed over to a group of hungry fledglings who almost ripped me apart. Each one of these scars was from a different vampire, and I have your brother to thank for saving my ass. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve ended up like that one you bit.”