Shade

by Daun, Cassa

  Bone winked at me and shot his back, wasting no time, and Shade’s fingers massaged my neck while I felt and heard him take his down too.

  “Someone’s here,” Ash said quietly, his glass clinking and refilling again. “Alert tripped at the front of the property. Driveway.”

  I looked over my shoulder, seeing him check the watch at his wrist while he picked up his glass again and downed another drink.

  Clouds formed around Blood and Bone, as if they were beginning to shift, only to pull right back in.

  “And?” Shade asked, curious.

  “Looks like Danni’s ride,” Ash said.

  “Definitely a vampire soul,” Blood added, shooting the remainder of his drink.

  I sipped mine again, unsure of what to think, what to do. “I thought you normally don’t have visitors?” They had told me the first night they’d never had humans at the house. That was for certain.

  “We don’t,” Bone answered. “They know where we are because we’ve never had a reason to hide, but there’s also never been a reason for them to come here either. Until now.”

  “You think this is about Misha? Or Tucker?” Shade asked, causing me to stiffen up. His fingers felt the tension and rubbed the base of my neck again.

  “Guess we’ll see,” Ash said, walking over to us with the decanter, shaking it lightly, sloshing the whiskey around. We all held out our glasses and he poured. Generously.

  The doorbell rang a typical tone, only lower, and the sound bounced around the quiet house as if it were a cathedral.

  “Should I—” I asked, getting ready to stand.

  Bone held my legs in place. “Nope.”

  Okay then. I looked around at them, wondering what the plan was. I took a bigger gulp of whiskey then coughed at the burn and set the glass on the console table.

  Bone looked at Blood, but no one moved.

  Ash huffed and slammed back his drink. “All right. Guess I get to play host.” He walked out, setting the empty decanter and glass on the hall table and disappearing into the foyer for a minute.

  We heard a mumbled greeting then they appeared at the living room entrance.

  Dani wore no makeup, a plain T-shirt, and ripped jeans, and had her blond hair braided back, looking even younger than she had the night I’d met her at Purgatory. Her eyes scanned the room, catching for a long moment on Blood before traveling to the couch and landing on me. She smiled with her brow furrowed. This definitely wasn’t a friendly visit.

  “Dani,” Bone said, leaning farther back into the couch. “You want to have a seat?”

  “Uh,” she said, twisting her fingers together as she looked around. She really had never been there before. She was nervous, but I doubted the unfamiliar environment was the entire reason. “No. No, thanks. I can’t be long.”

  “No shift at Purg tonight?” Shade asked, prodding nicely.

  She looked at him and at me, raising her eyebrows the tiniest bit. I smiled at her and mouthed a hi.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Enough with the bullshit. Can we just get to the point?” Ash wasn’t having any of it, and I was glad. The tension was getting thicker by the second and he sliced right through it.

  Dani nodded but didn’t speak.

  “We don’t kill messengers,” Bone said, his voice thick. “Unless you’re planning to deliver more than a message.”

  “No … only a message,” she replied, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Tucker’s family knows he’s dead. They haven’t found his body, but they know his habits, know he didn’t have the nerve to stray too far from his original home. They know about the three others too. The scout happened to be a pet of Tucker’s Maker—my Maker—Fallon. She might have overlooked Tucker, but when they realized it was all connected … to you Favored …”

  Shade dropped his hand from my neck and slid it around my waist protectively. “And what exactly did they realize was connected?”

  “They knew the scout was friends with Tucker and the others still, despite them being Outcasts. And after realizing that he’d been missing, they checked up on the others. They found his car and his pile of ash not far from here.”

  “Anything else?” Bone asked.

  Dani looked at Blood, who kept eye contact but still hadn’t said a word. Her eyes flitted to me. “Tucker had told a few others about Misha, what he thought she might be, what happened at Purg with you. That’s how they know it’s all connected.”

  “What’s the message?” Ash asked, crossing his arms and widening his stance. I had a feeling those drinks were starting to settle. I knew mine had, my head buzzing lightly. It made me wonder how often they drank, how drunk they could get since Shade had told me they didn’t react or need human things the same way we did.

  Dani scrunched her full lips. “Fallon’s message is, ‘We know at least one of you are involved in the deaths of four vampires. Because most their bodies have not been found, we can only assume they were killed unjustly. This is a request for a formal inquiry requiring at least one Favored, or whoever is responsible, to attend and explain cause and purpose. Otherwise we will consider it an act of violence against our family and in direct violation of the supernatural rules and regulations you are charged to uphold.’”

  Bone laughed, startling all of us. Dani looked positively scared, jumping like a tweaker in need of a fix.

  As his laugh died, he said, “She wants to see one of us so we can explain what happened to a few vampires, who kidnapped and and threatened a human, and who also used hexed silver bullets intentionally to try and kill us? That’s hilarious.” His voice leveled out at the end, his tone deadly.

  Dani’s eyes widened first at Blood then at me. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry they did that Misha.”

  “Sorry? Why would you be sorry?” Ash asked. “Did you help them in some way?”

  She gasped. “I … No! I didn’t … I wouldn’t. I swear, when Bone said not to say anything, I said nothing.”

  “I’m getting more whiskey,” Ash said, brushing his hair out of his face before disappearing down the hall.

  “You may not have said anything to Tucker or others, but what about your Maker? How much did she press you about Misha?” Shade asked, reading her well. Possibly reading her from the outside.

  She shook a little, nervousness controlling her body. I wanted to leap up from my seat and hug her. “She heard it happened at Purg …”

  “And?” Bone said, his hand tightening on my skin. From that touch, despite the deathly calm of his voice, or his face, I could tell even he was nervous.

  “I confirmed it. I’m sorry. I couldn’t lie when she asked me directly. She knows Misha is Marked.”

  12

  Bone shifted and reappeared in front of her within moments. And though Dani was a vampire, her own movements practically blurring with speed as she attempted to get away, he got to her first. He had his hand around her throat, and that was all it took for me to jump onto my feet.

  “No! Don’t!” I screamed, running and grabbing his arm.

  He looked down with a long blink and relaxed his hold.

  Blood and Shade rushed to my back, both touching me—Blood’s hand at my waist, Shade’s on my shoulder. I couldn’t tell if they had wanted to stop me, help me, or protect me. Possibly a bit of everything since I’d gotten between a Reaper and a vampire.

  Dani coughed, her wide eyes taking in the scene as Bone’s hand released her completely.

  “She had no choice, right?” I looked at Dani. “I believe you. It’s okay.” My eyes were back on Bone, my hands reaching up for his face. “Don’t, please. It won’t help anything.”

  He sighed and leaned into my touch, dipping his face into the crook of my neck and snaking his arms around my back to pull me closer. I kept hold of him, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and keeping the other on his cheek and jaw. Truthfully, I’d been worried he wouldn’t have listened to my plea. His body was poised and positioned, ready to hurt or kill her. So I was shocked that not o
nly had he listened but he had an immediate change in disposition. He was holding onto me intimately, displaying our connection and also a bit of vulnerability in front of Dani. Was it without care or without control?

  “Well, this night just got even more fun,” Ash said when he returned to the room. “I guess the party is over. Dani, you should leave now.” He dumped a heavy amount of whiskey from a full decanter into his glass and downed it.

  Dani sputtered another cough, rubbing her throat and looking between me and the others. “I … I’m truly sorry.”

  Before she could turn away completely, Blood finally spoke. His hand was still at my waist even though Bone had taken up a majority of my body. “You didn’t say when. When is Fallon expecting us to attend this formal inquiry?”

  “Tomorrow night. She doesn’t like to wait for answers.” Dani’s voice was nearly a whisper, and her eyes were thoughtful as she stared at Blood, at his hand on me.

  “It’s been a long time, but I remember,” Blood replied.

  “And what if we don’t show?” Shade asked, and Ash chuckled as he raised his new drink into the air.

  Bone finally pulled away from me and looked up at Shade’s question, wanting to know the answer too. His eyes didn’t seek Dani, though. The wide, silver orbs, pinned to mine, seeming to stare through me. I saw sadness in them and wondered what he was thinking, feeling … seeking.

  Dani remained quiet, but I could see her nervous twitches out of the corner of my eye.

  “That bad, huh?” Ash said at her silence. “I would say that there’s no need to say anything out loud, but I think we want to be clear on the specifics.”

  “Specifics would be nice,” Shade agreed.

  “She uh … she said even though you are Reapers, you yourselves are not immortal. You can die, like us. You can suffer too. And she’s more than willing to bring those things to you. There are ways, even if she must call upon Death himself.”

  “Oh, how thoughtful.” Ash released a long breath. “And that’s all?”

  “Yes, that’s all.”

  “So tomorrow then? Got it. Feel free to tell her you delivered the message. And if she asks for a response tell her—”

  “To fuck off,” Bone interjected harshly, finally cutting his eyes to Dani.

  “Well, I don’t think that’ll do at all,” Ash said with a laugh. He had either cracked or was completely drunk. It looked to be the latter, though possibly a little of the former too.

  “Just tell her we didn’t give a response because we aren’t giving one. You have no truth to hide. If we show, we show,” Shade said, grabbing his empty glass and moving to Ash to get it refilled.

  “Okay,” she whispered. And without another word, she turned and went to the door alone.

  “Well, that’s just another headache to add to this shit show.” Ash went to the window and flopped into the closest armchair.

  “What? Like we have to fear Fallon and her family?” Bone said, his hands, smoothing over my back.

  “Yeah, we should be worried. And by the way, what the fuck was that?” Ash said, seeming to regain some sense. “I heard and felt it all before I got back in here.”

  “What about it?”

  “You shifted and almost took Dani’s head off. The messenger … who you specifically told you wouldn’t kill,” Shade answered, threw back his latest drink, then shook his head. The wave of his hair scattered about, pieces sticking up in all directions.

  “She confirmed the information about Misha.”

  “And?” Blood replied calmly, no longer touching me but standing close behind us. “You know she can’t lie to her Maker if she’s asked directly. She had no choice.”

  “I know. I just …”

  “Overreacted?” Ash offered. “Yeah, ya did. And then you were in here cuddling Mish—”

  “Don’t,” Bone warned, casting a glare over to Ash. “She’s the only reason I stopped.”

  “Seriously,” Shade added. “You know damn well if Misha hadn’t stopped him, we’d have another dead vampire to answer for.”

  “How did that happen anyway? You looked like you crossed that point of no return,” Blood asked.

  “I’m not sure.” He kissed my forehead, tightened his arms around me, and whispered, “You are all I heard.”

  After a few silent moments of breathing him, feeling him, I slid my hands off his shoulders and pushed lightly against his chest. “I need another drink.” He released me, and I took my empty glass over to Ash, who was reclined in the armchair, looking up with his head tilted back. He lifted his glass to his lips and took the drink back, his heavy eyes still watching me as I picked up the decanter and poured my own. Another drink felt more than necessary.

  Blood had returned to his seat near the fireplace. I went to stand near him by the hearth and watched the flames flicker around, replaying Dani’s visit in my head as I took a long drink, the heat gliding down a little more easily. I welcomed the numbness.

  Ash groaned, breaking through all of our thoughts. “Fucking hell.”

  “Yeah,” Shade agreed from the couch, bending his leg and resting its ankle onto his other knee.

  Bone settled in at the opposite end, running his hands over his face.

  “Let’s flesh out what’s really happening here,” Blood said. “She didn’t believe the rumors until they were confirmed, so now she knows Misha’s real and Marked. Her call for an inquiry has less to do with the vampire deaths as it does with Misha. She wants to know more about her. She knows this is a chance to see her.”

  “No fucking way that’s happening,” Bone said. “They can come here and die here.”

  “She doesn’t have to go, which is good,” Blood added. “Dani said they don’t know the specifics about the deaths, just that we’re connected. They don’t know Misha was directly involved with Tucker’s death, and that means she can’t be held responsible.”

  “While that’s nice enough, it still doesn’t mean dick,” Ash said, kicking his leg over the arm of the chair. “She still wants us to show.”

  “I vote we don’t go. Let her try and come for more information,” Bone said, staring at me then looking into the fire.

  “We haven’t needed to deal with her in a long time, but you know as well as I do that not showing will be viewed as an admission of guilt. If the entire family knows, they will expect action, and she will come. And even though they are limited in hours, they have numbers against us … and quite possibly weapons.” Blood tapped his fingers on the edge of his armchair, his golden skin shining in the fire’s light.

  “I’m sure they’ve stockpiled enough over the years,” Shade said.

  I stared at the fire, thinking of how messed up their life had become because of me. And it all kept getting worse. “You can only be harmed in human form?” I asked, not looking at any of them, not wanting to face it all yet.

  “Mostly,” Shade responded. “There are methods to injure us while in Reaper form too, though. It’s just not as easily done and mainly involves witches and ancient spells.”

  “We won’t leave you alone or without protection in this form, so you can forget whatever you might be thinking,” Bone said, already knowing me well enough to guess my concerns, my thoughts. I still didn’t turn.

  “She said she would call upon Death himself. Is that possible?” I shuddered at the thought. When I’d first arrived, Ash had been concerned that Death might come for me. They had talked about it not being probable. But what about now? If he were to be called …

  “We have the ability to call him. But for them, it’s another task that requires the help of witches. Unless they get really lucky and see him while he’s transporting a soul,” Shade answered.

  “And what would happen if any of you went?” I wanted to know, and they hadn’t addressed it. Finally, I turned, needing to see their faces, to search their reactions.

  “We would probably appear in front of the Makers and the family’s council. We would explain what happened.
Offer proof,” Blood said.

  “But see, therein lies the problem,” Ash replied in a low voice, facing the other end of the room. “Our argument for their deaths is that they took a human captive. A human who, by all intents and purposes, we ourselves have kidnapped from the normal world. To prove anything, we’d have to admit that you are a Marked Soul, and then they’d likely summon you to come forward to attest to our facts. Which is exactly what she wants. She’s curious, and, like Tucker, she’s hungry for anything that might bring her more power. She wants a taste of what you can give.”

  “There’s no way we’ll take you there.” Shade shook his head. “We’d be at a serious disadvantage, and if she decided she wanted to keep you …”

  “We’re better off staying, defending you here. If they want to see what we’re capable of, then they’ll come,” Bone said. “In the meantime, we’ll check our own storage, security, and also ready Wraiths for extra protection if we need them.”

  “I thought they couldn’t kill anyone?” I asked, recalling what he had said about Wraith’s being transports, only following orders.

  “They can’t. But they can do some serious damage by soul confusion if we order them to.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. Well, that sounded promising, adding more numbers than four versus … who knew how many vampires.

  “Oh, but they can kill … if Death orders them to,” Ash added, waving an arm out from the chair’s armrest, holding his empty glass sideways. “He can give any Reaper the ability to kill … even us when we’re in our true form. We are his army after all.”

  Oh. So Death could fully control them too.

  “Ash?” Bone called over to him.

  “Hmm?” he replied.

  Bone chuckled. “After you sleep those drinks off, tomorrow I want you on our border. Shade, you and I will check our storage and pull what we need. Blood, you’re on Wraith duty tonight. We’ll check what we have tomorrow and switch their tasks up if we need to.”