Shadows of Our Sins: (Shadow Purgers Series, Book 1)

by N. Phillips

  “We’re here. The Imperial Ebony Diamond Hotel.”

  The outside of the towering structure was decorated with trees that surrounded a large fountain and created a path to the entrance of the building. The three of us got out the vehicle and observed the charcoal gray exterior of the hotel before walking inside.

  “Lavish,” Maylene uttered while looking around the lobby. The glossy onyx flooring, gold sculptures, and walls covered with intricate paintings was everything you’d expect from a five-star hotel.

  Before we could reach the reception desk, a young man wearing a jet-black uniform stepped in front of us. “Are any of you named, Aliyah?”

  “I am.”

  A jingling sound was heard after he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a key ring and offered me a black key.

  “Cassandra Blackwood is waiting for you in Room 525 on the fifth floor.”

  “Thank you,” I said, taking it out of his hand and darting to the elevator. What made me stop in my tracks and turn around was a yelp from Robyn. Her face was etched with pain as she leaned her back against a wall and slid down to the floor.

  Observing her suffering, I noticed a red spot forming in the middle of her jeans. “Robyn, you’re bleeding,” I informed her.

  Maylene examined her as well before turning to me. “I know this is going to sound awful, but we can’t waste time on her.”

  “Blondie’s right,” Robyn managed to voice through her agonizing moans. Her condition began to attract a crowd. “I’ll stay here and hopefully get some help from these damn nosy people. Go save Lucas.”

  Maylene and I nodded before rushing inside the opened elevator. She pressed the button to head up to the fifth floor and smirked as the doors closed.

  “I’m so ready to kick some ass; are you?”

  “Don’t get too excited,” I told her, feeling the temperature in the elevator rise at a rapid rate.

  “Ugh, fine. But have you thought of how you’re gonna fight this black widow? If you don’t want me to incinerate her, what are you gonna do?”

  “I’ll try to free her mind with my light. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just have to beat her ass until she begs me to stop.”

  She purred with a wink. “I’m sure she’ll love that.”

  The elevator doors opened to a narrow hallway with a black carpet. “There’s room 525 at the end,” Maylene pointed out.

  We sprinted down the hall and barged inside, allowing us to see something that made my heart drop. Lucas was half naked and bounded to a bed by his ankles and wrists. Sitting on top of him was Cassandra, who stroked his bare chest as he ogled her in a daze.

  “Look who made it,” she said in a low and arousing voice. “And with not too much time to spare. Lucas and I were just about to get to the best part.”

  “You’re sick,” Maylene said. “How many other guys have you forced into sleeping with you?”

  Cassandra tittered. “And who is this fiery young lady? Did you perhaps want to make this a group session, love? Or shall it just be us girls and we let Lucas watch?”

  The overflowing rage inside of me was ready to erupt. “This will be the last time you ever do this to someone.”

  She slid her body off Lucas with her attire only consisting of a black, leather halter leotard and high heels. “I haven’t even started yet, darling. But try me if you think you can take me.”

  “Oh, I can. Believe me. Maylene, get Lucas out of here. No questions.”

  Maylene glared at Cassandra as she walked past her and burned the ropes constricting Lucas. She struggled to lift his heavier body, but eventually managed to wrap his arm around her neck and walk with him toward the door.

  “Make sure Robyn doesn’t get near him,” I added while keeping my eyes locked on Cassandra. “I’ll get home just fine. Don’t wait on me.”

  Hearing Maylene close the door behind me, I braced myself for a physical altercation as Cassandra proceeded to walk around the large, luxurious room.

  “Do you know why this is my favorite place in the world?” she asked over the sound of her heels clicking against the tile floor.

  “I don’t know. Is this where you first became an escort? I should’ve guessed you slept your way to the top.”

  She snickered. “Spicy, but no. This is where my ex-fiancé proposed to me, and also where I caught him having an affair with that whore. Now, I come here as a reminder of what made me so powerful. Without his infidelity, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.”

  I snorted at her backstory but kept my serious demeanor. “Jeez, ever thought of going to therapy? No? No wonder you're a psycho.”

  “Psycho? Never. I prefer the term, refined. Wouldn’t you say so?”

  “No. You’re a shallow person using the power of sex appeal to get what you want. You think men and women worship you because they leave thirsty comments on your social media pages, but you’re just a fake model; a product that becomes worthless once its expiration date is up. The worst part of it all is you don't even care how you're influencing girls my age who believe being like you is enough to succeed in life. You’ll never be respected by credible individuals, and you’re gonna have a hard ass time finding happiness if all you have to offer is your body, no matter how many guys or girls you sleep with. You’re nothing but a trashy, soulless bitch who feeds on people’s weaknesses.”

  “Aha. And there you have it—their weaknesses. Yes, your boyfriend may love you so much it hurts,” she cooed as she mocked me, “but just like every other person in the world, all he truly craves is pure, unadulterated sex.”

  I winced at her comment before scanning my surroundings for a weapon. She would need to be taken out with one shot. Her ability was too dangerous for a long, drag-out fight.

  “Perhaps you weren’t satisfying him enough,” she continued, ignoring my advances to the lamp by the nightstand. “But don’t worry, I fed on his lust. Even though it wasn’t much, it tasted divine.”

  I pulled the lamp out of the socket. “Tell me how this taste.”

  The swing of the weapon hit Cassandra across the face and knocked her to the ground. My heart pumped with adrenaline, and thoughts of continuous assaults played in my mind until I saw the blood on the side of the lamp.

  Walking over to her seemingly unconscious body, I couldn’t tell if she was dead or alive because of her hair covering her face. Confirmation came quicker than expected, though, due to her incoherent mumbling.

  “Don’t you ever touch my boyfriend again,” I demanded. “You better pray that the people you’ve hurt in the past have enough heart to forgive you. I sure as hell won’t.”

  I emitted a light in my palm and directed it down at Cassandra’s body, ready to relinquish her of her sins. But before the radiance could discharge out of my hand, a pair of fingers rubbed across my leg.

  “Stupid, stupid girl,” she muttered as she stumbled to her feet while keeping her hand around my ankle. “I’m going to have fun killing you.”

  Immobilized from her touch, I could do nothing as she repeatedly slapped me across the face. She then wrapped her fingers around my throat and pushed me onto the bed.

  “My beauty will be the last thing you see,” she declared, climbing on top of me. Her bug-eyed expression reminded me of a possessed serial killer.

  “Have you ever been aroused by asphyxiation? I’ll make sure you die happy, little girl.”

  I was looking into the eyes of the woman who would take my life away. Those same eyes grew even wider with the sound of a gunshot. A clot of blood gushed out of her mouth before her body fell on top of mine.

  My lips parted to scream, but a firm grip covered my mouth and muffled my voice. I clawed my fingers at the black glove, using my last breath to cry out for help as my vision grew hazy. It wasn’t long before my sight was complete darkness.

  CHAPTER 18

  Iregained consciousness to the smell of burning iron filling my nostrils. My eyelids fought to open against the beaming light above me after hearing
the sound of a familiar voice.

  “You’re awake.”

  While rising off the stone floor, I looked around at the malachite walls surrounding me like a cage. My focus then turned to the tall male standing in front of me, who I had realized was Alvin. He wore a black lab coat and observed my apprehension.

  “What is this place?” I asked, tasting the blood in my mouth from the brawl with Cassandra. I backed against the cement wall while struggling to keep my balance. “What did you do to me, Alvin? Why do I feel so weak?”

  He cleared his throat and took two steps toward me. “It’s a pleasure to be in your presence again, Miss Dawn. A proper injection was in order in case you became hostile after your revival. Do not panic. The effects should wear off by the time we’re done.”

  Two suited men with colossal physiques walked into the room, making me grow more unnerved.

  “Stay away from me.”

  My eyes darted around the room for a weapon as they got closer. No objects were present, however, and the two muscular men grabbed me by my arms and held me steady.

  “You’ll find this place much more interesting if you relax,” Alvin suggested with his hands folded behind his back. “Follow me, will you?”

  He exited the room with the suited men pulling me along to follow him. As we walked the emerald corridor, I looked on in horror at the disembodied corpses inside the rooms we passed by. Multiple men and women dressed in lab attire appeared to be experimenting on their lifeless bodies.

  “Where are you taking me? Let me go.”

  “I said don’t panic, didn’t I? The specimens you’re seeing were already dead before arrival. Their bodies were brought here simply for research purposes.”

  My tour came to a standstill when we reached a large white room that contained multiple doors and active computers. Alvin stopped in his tracks to observe the individuals inside the clear cylinders that occupied the room. I could do nothing but stare in trepidation as they banged on the unbreakable glass that silenced their screams.

  “This can’t be real.”

  “What you see here is not only a prison for the next evolution of mankind, but a potential method to saving humanity. This is Operation Dreamcatcher.”

  My body began to tremble from terrifying thoughts of what could happen to me. Would I end up like these people? Confined for what may be eternity as one man’s sick science project? No. I needed to get it together and be strong. That wasn’t going to happen.

  “Let these people go.” My shout echoed through the room. “I knew something wasn’t right with you, and I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but this can’t be the way to save humanity. You can’t expect me to believe this.”

  “I’m not one for charades or facades. I prefer honesty and relaying information up front.”

  “You’re grinning and wearing a lab coat while there’s dead bodies being tested on and people in giant test tubes. I’ve seen enough movies to know that you’re not the good guy here. Let. Them. Go.”

  A brief laugh escaped his lips. “Ah, youthful banter. I can assure you that I mean no harm. Believe me when I say that if I saw you as a threat, you’d already be eliminated. Besides, don’t you wish to know where you are, Aliyah Dawn? Or better yet, what you are?”

  He gestured his hand toward the suited men to release me, but I knew freedom was far from obtainable. My only option was to get as much information from him as possible until my body regained its strength.

  “Fine. What do you know about me?”

  “Not enough, actually. What I do know is that your documented attempts at being a vigilante of late have not been successful. What intrigues me the most is your multiple involvements with the infected.”

  “The infected? Are you talking about the people who’re being manipulated by demons?”

  He broke into a silent laugh. “Demons, you say? Why, that’s ludicrous. I’m speaking about those who can manifest their dreams into reality. Their very desires can alter the world around them if need be. Dreamers is what I call them.”

  I had hoped he would know more about the demons, but calling people with abilities Dreamers? That was interesting.

  “Tell me,” he began, “what is it that you desire the most?”

  An answer should’ve flew right out my mouth, but it didn’t. I looked to the ground and thought for a few seconds before my eyes rose to meet his.

  “A world without so much sin. Nothing perfect, but more peace and happiness. I want freedom without the evil and corruption that too much of it can bring. No more violence. No more wars and hatred. I want it all to end, and it might seem like an impossible and cliché dream to you, but I believe I can change the world and make that happen. I know I can.”

  He responded with repeated nods. “Very interesting. Care to take a walk with me?”

  I followed him into one of the many doors connected to the room. Various machines lit the dark hallway that led to a larger computer displaying a CAT scan of the human body.

  “The government has identified the cause of the strange phenomenon plaguing the city. I am tasked as the lead researcher in this laboratory to put an end to it. I believe you can help me achieve that goal, which is why I’m entrusting you with this knowledge. Never share it with anyone.”

  He adjusted his glasses with a push of his index finger and stared at the demonstration on the giant screen. “Watch closely, young lady. You’re about to see what happens to someone with powerful aspirations.”

  The disturbing visual of an odd-shaped worm implanting itself into a human brain made me want to turn away. Had it not been for my morbid curiosity and the weakness of my legs, I would’ve sprinted toward one of the doors in hopes of escaping.

  “What you see here is the Mentifery Virus. It has quietly infected thousands of people in the city. This is only a simulation of how it starts. The truth is that the worm you see is not visible to the human eye.”

  He ended the presentation before continuing. “It is the deadliest, most incomprehensible disease in history. It alters the mind, creating abnormal brainwaves in the cerebellum. It then causes a mutation within your DNA and allows you to manifest your deepest aspiration. The greater your wish is, the stronger your desire must be for it to become reality. The government has managed to keep this a secret since it began six months ago, but the virus has continued to spread rapidly over time. More Dreamers are being discovered every day. More people who I believe are just like you.”

  His explanation was mind-blowing, but I couldn’t help but feel there were some elements to all this that not even he knew about. Like the demons for example, and where they came from. One thing he did know about was my ability even before I revealed it to him, and I was curious to know how.

  “Alvin, I’m positive you had knowledge of my powers before what happened in the hospital with Valeria. Tell me how’d you find out. I made sure to only use my power in secrecy.”

  “Well, let me inform you of this while you’re young: you can never hide anything from the government. You see, this lab is funded by an organization known as Obsidian, which works closely with the FBI. It is their job to follow and investigate anyone associated or involved in any activity with a known or suspected Dreamer.”

  I glared at him with my arms crossed. “Wow, so you’ve been following me? Is that how the police knew what was going on in Ravenvale High the day James and my friends died?”

  “Yes. Our investigation on you began a few days before Valeria Vasquez committed suicide. After your fall, you were brought into an Obsidian operated hospital that specializes in nursing Dreamers back to health. Usually, once we’re done caring for them, we bring them here because most are deemed too dangerous to interact with society. But you, Aliyah Dawn, are different. I believe something pulls you toward other Dreamers, and that something was revealed in the words you said to me moments ago.”

  Only one thing could’ve triggered that thought. “Was it my desire?”

  “Correct,”
he answered with a wide grin. “I’m positive that your pursuit of happiness has given you the ability to find people who need help and aid them from being taken over by their sinful ambitions. When the Mentifery Virus completely takes over the mind, it controls the host and forces him or her to use their power irrationally. Unfortunately, those that this has happened to need to be eliminated in order to prevent chaos or a shift in the balance of the world.”

  He may have thought his intentions were pure, but his actions were anything but righteous. He was murdering people who didn’t deserve to die. End of story.

  “That’s why Cassandra was killed, am I right? The same for James and those dead people I saw in the other rooms. Alvin, what you’re doing here is wrong. Killing people who need help isn’t going to solve the problem. I’m guilty of attacking Cassandra because she invaded my personal life, but I never would’ve killed her.”

  With his face screwed in frustration, he let out a loud groan. “Can’t you see that I’m asking for your assistance in finding a cure? The virus is only airborne in four boroughs of New York City for now, but it could expand to different parts of the world if we do not do anything to stop it. It’s growing stronger by the minute, taking over more of the human mind as days go by. Eventually, even the most juvenile desires will manifest into reality, ultimately causing mankind to change forever. Humans are not meant to wield such power. It would bring war and destruction. Nothing would ever be the same.”

  I shook my head in disgust. “There has to be another way other than being your lap dog and sniffing people out for you to experiment on. I’m done with this conversation, and I wanna go home now.”

  “No. If you can indeed sense the vile instincts of those around you, why not use your righteous desire to prevent humanity’s extinction?”

  Feeling the strength in my muscles returning, I remained silent and looked around the room. There was a door a few feet away from me. All I had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity.