Branded (An Otherworlders Series Novel Book 1)

by Lena Moore

  Draven didn’t need to explain to Aliyah how dire the situation was, or the fact that if he perceived any danger at all that he’d come in fangs blazing.

  Draven and Aliyah disappeared for a few minutes to feed from one another. He wasn’t nearly sated by only having her liquid gold pulse through his veins. Draven needed her constricting walls strangling his cock to feel satisfied, but there wasn’t any time for that now.

  They piled into his sexy-as-sin 57 Bel Air. They only stopped briefly for Dolph to shovel down some food at some fast food joint before hitting the road again. The drive to Baton Rouge was hauntingly quiet and felt like they’d been travelling for several hours instead of just over an hour.

  Draven parked the car out of sight and pulled Aliyah to his chest before they headed to the dock.

  “Promise me, if you sense anything is wrong that you’ll stop. I can’t lose you.”

  “I can’t Shrek, I’m sorry. These people raised me.”

  Draven saw the guilt and shame shimmer in her eyes, but he was a selfish prick and he wouldn’t let her go until she promised him.

  Growling, “Promise me, otherwise we aren’t going in there!”

  Aliyah stuttered, “F–fine, I’ll wait for you if I sense something. I won’t rest until we find them, though.”

  It wasn’t the answer he was seeking, but it would have to do. He nodded in acquiesce.

  They traversed quietly to the old abandoned dock. It looked fucking creepy. Approaching the decrepit gate, Draven and Dolph slinked off into the shadows. He couldn’t sense anything, which made his internal alarm go off.

  Watching Aliyah walk through the gate vulnerable and alone almost killed him. The heat fired up in Draven’s belly. He felt like he could vomit from the fear and anxiety. He pushed it down, hating the fact that she was walking unaccompanied along the rickety dock.

  Aliyah looked around, suggesting she was sensing the same thing he was: this was too easy.

  Draven’s head started to heat up and his mind seemed to tingle, if that’s even possible, and then he heard Aliyah’s voice inside. The fuck?

  “Shrek, can you hear me?”

  “Yeah, what the fuck?”

  “Don’t ask, I don’t even know how I’m doing it.”

  “Ok, so what are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking you and Dolph should escort me down this manhole thingy. This is too easy, Draven.”

  “You read my mind. Wait, can you do that?”

  Aliyah teetered, “Not that I know of, but that would be fun now wouldn’t it?”

  Draven groaned, “Not particularly. I’ll grab Dolph. Wait for us.”

  “Yes, dad.” He knew she’d just rolled her eyes, even though he hadn’t seen it

  Draven vamp sped over to Dolph, relaying what just occurred. His eyes bulged momentarily before he motioned for him to take the lead.

  The old dock had seen better days and Draven secretly wondered at every step if he’d fall through the rusted floor. Once he approached Aliyah, he stopped and closed his eyes, taking in the surroundings with his other senses. There were faint scents of humans lingering, probably her parents, but nothing else. The demons weren’t here, or if they were their scent wasn’t plausible.

  “Something isn’t right,” Dolph pointed out.

  “You’re not wrong, man. Aliyah and I feel the same way.”

  “So what are we going to do then, Draven?”

  “I’ll go down first, then you’ll send Aliyah down and jump down yourself after. I want us to be on either side of her, just in case.”

  “Let’s do this,” Dolph replied.

  Draven jumped down into a dingy lit bunker and the scent he was unable to smell before assaulted his nostrils. Someone, no something was down here.

  Aliyah hit his back during her drop, snapped him from his ruminations. He clutched her close to him. “Do you smell that?”

  She sniffed the air, her nose wrinkling. “Yeah, it smells like someone died in here.”

  Dolph hit the floor with a thud. “Fuck that reeks! And you said wet dog stinks!”

  Draven stifled a laugh. Wet dogs did stink, more to the point, wet wolves, he thought.

  The bunker had a few doors on either side. The three of them opened the first couple, revealing nothing but old mattresses scattered on the floor. The second to last door they opened looked like all the rest. Shackles chained to the metal wall and mattresses slumped all over the floor, until Draven saw a flash of white from the corner of his eyes. It was a note addressed to Aliyah. He grabbed it and read through it quickly, trying to keep her from noticing it.

  Unease and wrath sat in the pit of his stomach after reading the note. This demon was something else. His power was off the Richter scales. Draven didn’t fear him, even though he probably should. All he was worried about now was getting Aliyah out of this damn bunker. He decided to hide the letter until they returned home and slid it into his pocket.

  They stepped out of the stench-ridden cell and back into the hallway. There was one door left and he was sure they didn’t need to open it, after all he’d read in the letter. Her parents weren’t here anymore.

  The last door swung open and they all stopped, facing toward it. The thing that walked out into the hall was around eight feet tall, four feet wide, and reeked of evil. Bluish black ooze dripped from what appeared to be its arms as it lunged forward toward Aliyah.

  Draven jumped in between it and Aliyah, screaming, “Get her the fuck out of here. Now!”

  Dolph grabbed Aliyah’s arm and dragged her back to the entrance.

  Once he felt their presence leave him, he pulled the diamond dagger from his waistband and circled the abomination before him. Draven wouldn’t leave the bunker until this thing was vanquished back to the depths of purgatory, not that anyone knew where the fuck it was. Again, another cliché myth about hell being below ground and heaven being in the sky—what a crock of shit. He returned his attention to the fight. He couldn’t afford to be distracted at a time like this.

  Focusing all his energy, he surged toward the monstrosity, slashing into the demon’s disfigured face, causing it to bellow out in pain. Ooze splattered across Draven’s boots. He needed to strike the demon in the chest cavity where its heart would be if it was human. The demon’s fists launched toward Draven. Sharp claw like features erupted from its hands, narrowly missing Draven’s head. The abomination still managed to cut him across the shoulder. Pain radiated throughout his upper arm, but he smiled through and continued circling the fiend.

  “Is that all you’ve got, Demon?”

  It ignored his question and asked one of his own instead, “Do you really believe you can keep her safe, Vampire?” the demons distorted voice cracked.

  “I will keep her safe, especially from the likes of you!”

  Draven launched across the grimy room placing another laceration against the demon, just inches away from where he needed to plunge the dagger.

  “Nice try, it will take more than that to kill me. I can’t wait to deliver that stunning little thing and your head to master!”

  “What does he want with her!”

  “It’s part of the revelation, the prophecy. You can’t stop us!”

  Like fuck! Draven was done playing this cat and mouse game, and he sure as shit was over this Hemingway crap. First the letter and now this clown.

  “Let me ask you a question. Would your master be furious if you failed?”

  “It doesn’t matter because I won’t fail them!” it hissed.

  Them? Interesting. There’s more than one.

  “That’s a presumptuous concept,” Draven chuckled as he vamp sped around the demon a few times before diving on it and sinking the diamond blade into its soft flesh like form.

  A flash-like brightness erupted and then the demon shrieked, howling out its sudden, painful departure.

  Draven peered down at his shoulder. It was already healing, but stinging in its wake. He exited the bunker and found Aliyah
and Dolph off to the shadows. He inhaled and was grateful that she’d masked her scent.

  Aliyah ran up to him, her hands cupping his face as she sized him up searching for injuries. Of course she noticed the nick in his leather jacket. Tapping her foot, she arched her eyebrow in question.

  “Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Don’t be a fucking hero, asshole. You’d tell me if you were hurt, wouldn’t you?”

  “Of course, Snowflake.”

  Dolph snorted and pushed himself off from where he was leaning against a pole.

  “What are you snorting at, wanker?”

  “You.” His body convulsed with silent laughter. “You would prefer to get fucked up the ass with a cactus than admit that you’re hurt or need help. Remember, you’re my best friend and I’ve known you forever,” his tone took on a sad note.

  Draven had seen that look in his friend’s dark coal eyes before: melancholy, guilt and an abundant of what ifs. He didn’t know for certain, but something told him that his best friend was thinking back to the time that Delilah was murdered.

  Draven cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Dolph’s to Aliyah’s. “Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here, I have something I need to show you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  ~ Aliyah ~

  Aliyah was so not ready for the bomb that Draven was about to drop. A piece of paper fell through his fingers and flittered to the coffee table in Jadis’s sitting room. Every pair of eyes watched on, urging her to read the letter.

  Aliyah grabbed the note and read it out loud for everyone to hear.

  My Precious Aliyah,

  Branded, bound and blood won’t stop me from

  getting what’s rightfully mine.

  I’ve come this far; I won’t falter; my plan’s in place;

  as my blood viciously pumps through your veins like

  old wine.

  My Queen, My Goddess has spoken. The revelation

  is in motion. You were always a part of the puzzle, the

  only one to shine.

  You don’t know it yet, my precious little thing, but you

  and I are forever entwined.

  Deny it all you like, the darkness seeps from your

  every pore. You’ll remember everything soon, leaving

  everyone you love behind.

  A life for a life. The grains of sand splinter through the

  glass. Will you succumb, will you make it and save

  them in time?

  Gorgon.

  Aliyah threw the note to the ground like it had burnt a hole in her hand. It may as well have because she felt like she was going to faint. Her insides churned. Who the fuck was Gorgon, and what darkness is he talking about? What the fuck is the revelation? Aliyah’s head started to pound. She needed a drink—it needed to be something strong.

  “Where’s the hard liquor at, Jadi baby?”

  Jadis mumbled something under her breath and a small bottle of single barrel Jack Daniel’s appeared on the small table along with a tumbler with ice.

  Aliyah snatched the whiskey from the table. Pouring some of the contents into the tumbler, she sculled it in one mouthful.

  She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and burped, then said, “Fuck, I needed that. Thanks Jadis.”

  Dolph chuckled under his breath. “You’re going to have your hands full with this one, D.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Draven replied, shaking his head with a grin on his face.

  “Alright, Liah, we need to figure out what’s next. Your parents are still missing and now you have some creep staking his claim on you. That was some dark poetry shit right there.” Dany motioned to the note on the floor.

  “What does he mean by revelation?” Aliyah wondered.

  Jadis stood up and walked around the sitting area looking as flawless as ever. It’d taken a little bit for Aliyah to get used to, but she preferred the dark brown hair with purple tips. It was undeniably Jadis.

  “I think this Gorgon believes there’s some sort of prophecy at play, as if he’s predicting the future. It’s not something that’s been spoken of amongst my kind.” She paused, then continued, “Branded, bound and blood—that has to have something to do with you and Draven. What it means, I’m not sure. Draven, have you ever heard of such a prophecy or revelation within the vampire/demon community?”

  “No. I have no idea what the fuck his mumble jumble shit means in that letter. It’s all rather odd to me.”

  “He wants me. If it will help I’d gladly sacrifice myself to save my parents.”

  “No you fucking won’t!” Draven boomed.

  “Well, what then? Let them get killed because of me?” she yelled.

  “Stop it, both of you!” Jadis demanded. “No one is sacrificing anyone. Aliyah, we will get your parents back. First we need to figure out where they are.”

  “I can try reaching into Jill’s mind again,” Aliyah offered.

  “No, it’s too risky. You yourself said the demon sensed your presence. We don’t know how powerful he is or what he’s capable of doing,” Jadis replied.

  “I can’t fucking do this right now!” Aliyah stormed off, leaving them behind.

  Draven was behind her in a flash. “We need to keep you safe, Aliyah. Don’t you understand this? If the contents of the note ring true don’t you think sacrificing yourself is fucking stupid? They would have exactly what they need to fulfil their demented plans, which could mean the end of more than just you!” he growled.

  Aliyah winced, knowing he was right. However, she was too wound up to admit it to him. Instead, she stormed off in the direction of his lair.

  “Leave me the fuck alone. I need some space!”

  Draven didn’t follow her, and for that she was thankful. Her head was banging and spinning over the contents of the letter. She still had so many questions and no one she could ask to answer any of them. Fuck, where was the Goddess when she needed some guidance?

  Aliyah lay on the couch with her hand over her eyes, willing the ache to dissipate. She needed to figure out how the hell to get her parents back, sooner rather than later.

  Everyone was no doubt snickering about her sudden departure and outburst. Aliyah couldn’t give two flying fucks what any of them thought about her.

  Thinking of the deranged letter set Aliyah’s blood pumping angrily through her body, causing her to sense something scary swirl within her belly, something she hadn’t remember ever feeling before.

  Forcing herself to calm down, she breathed and looked around the room, counting all the things in her list aloud.

  “Five things I can hear: My breathing, the clock ticking, my blood hissing through my veins, quiet chatter from the Quarter and the fridge.”

  “Five things I can see: Purple walls, dark purple and black mat, cushions, framed picture of the Quarter, timber coffee table.”

  “Five things I can feel: The coolness of the leather from the lounge, my skin, my hair—” she paused then reached down to brush her hand along the floor. “—concrete floors and last but not least the heated feeling of anger and guilt within.”

  “And then take three deep breaths.”

  Aliyah reached the breathing part before she finally calmed down. It was a little trick her mother had taught her whilst growing up. And was the only thing that eventually mollified her angry outbursts.

  Aliyah bolted upright and gasped. Was that the darkness he was talking about? Do I truly possess something sinister in my blood?

  The tension in her head increased and suddenly the plaited ponytail she had her hair in felt too tight against her forehead. Ripping the lackeys from her hair, she ruffled her hands thorough it, swallowing the scream bubbling up in her throat.

  She wanted to be wrong. She wanted Gorgon to be wrong, whoever the fuck he was. Deep down Aliyah knew he was right. She now remembered those feelings and had sensed the darkness within herself; she’d felt the madness coursing through her
arteries, and a part of her had always welcomed it.

  The foul taste of vomit threatened to erupt from her mouth. Aliyah swallowed it down, gagging as she ran to the bathroom to regurgitate the contents of her stomach.

  Hugging the porcelain bowl of the toilet, she felt disgusted and disappointed in herself. How could she harness something so malicious in her body and actually like it? Is this what allowed her parents to be kidnapped? Her darkness?

  Aliyah’s mind was tumbling down the rabbit hole: confused, angry, poignant, and filled to the brim with questions she may never know the answers.

  She didn’t know how long she lay on the cold concrete floor or the fact she’d been crying until Draven scrambled down beside her.

  “Snowflake, are you ok?” His tone was laced with concern.

  Aliyah sniffled but didn’t answer him. Draven picked her up off the ice like floor and walked her out of the bathroom.

  He cocooned her in his arms, which always made her feel safe. “Talk to me, baby. Let me help you.”

  “I don’t know if you can, Shrek. I’m–I’m scared.”

  “Oh baby, I know you are. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you or your parents. You have my word.”

  Aliyah’s head snapped up to find Draven’s irregular pair looking down on her, flickering with what she deemed as concern. None of that mattered right now.

  “How can you say that, Draven? You have no damn clue what we’re up against either! Jill and John’s life are in jeopardy and you give me your fucking word?” she sneered as she felt that dark feeling coil in her belly like she’d felt earlier.

  Aliyah didn’t mean to yell at him; she was scared, angry and a part of her felt violated by this Gorgon fucker. What frightened her the most was that part of her was curious about him and what he may know about her. Deep down in her bones she knew that couldn’t be a good thing. The man was evil for fuck sakes, she chided herself.