A Shade of Vampire 80: A Veil of Dark

by Forrest, Bella

  Kalon and I had decided to stick around the lake house for a little while longer before heading back into the city. Last night’s kiss might’ve had something to do with it, but we’d also waited to hear from Tristan and Valaine first, with regard to the Darklings’ movements.

  I settled on the back porch, which overlooked the sprawling lake, trying to process everything that Tristan had told me about Astoria and what they’d found there. The thought that Darklings had death magic still made my insides squirm, and their ability to use ghouls and to elude Corbin’s troops just piled up on top of that preexisting anxiety.

  We still had a lot of work to do, but…

  Something had fundamentally changed between Kalon and me. I had feelings for him. Feelings he’d amplified with a single kiss to the point where I was overcome with both joy and fear—the joy of discovery, of falling in love, of being so in sync with a creature so different and yet so much like me; the fear that he might end up breaking my heart, somehow. The latter, however, lingered more in the background, smothered by the former.

  The memory of his lips on mine persisted. Kalon had been incredibly polite and reserved in the morning, when we’d woken up. He’d hunted a deer for fresh blood. He’d covered me with a blanket when I’d fallen asleep again while awaiting his return. Every single thing about him spoke of something good, of something promising and sweet. But my partial amnesia involving his rescue of me persisted, etching traces of doubt in my soul.

  I was missing a piece from that night in the basement. My instincts kept warning me, ringing alarm bells whenever I found myself alone.

  Kalon walked onto the porch, all dressed up and ready to go. Smiling, he knelt before me, his hands gripping the armrests of my wicker chair. “We should move soon,” he said. “I think we know enough to head back into the imperial city now.”

  The Darklings were definitely out of there and headed as far away from the city as possible, judging by Tristan and Valaine’s trail up the eastern coast. It meant we could take Ansel back to safety.

  “This place is really beautiful,” I replied. The sky’s reflection twinkled across the lake surface. The trees, silent giants dressed in dark green, swayed gently in the wind. Birds sang in the distance. What was there not to love? “I’d come back here, the first chance I got.”

  “We could come again,” he said, his eyes searching my face. “Without any Darklings.”

  I chuckled briefly. “That sounds like a good plan.”

  Silence took over as we looked at each other. I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to make sure that what had happened last night was real. That it wasn’t going to stop there, just past midnight, never to leave the wooden walls of this cabin. I wondered what was going through his mind.

  He must’ve picked up on something just by looking at me, because his gaze darkened, lingering on my lips. “Esme… We don’t know what awaits us out there.”

  “Just murderous Darklings.”

  “And a little bit of Black Fever,” he replied, playing along. “But I want you to know, I meant everything. Everything I did. Everything I said.”

  My heart jumped, the blood rushing through me with sheer exhilaration. I’d waited to hear something like this, I’d hoped for it, more than anything else. And yet, to hear these words aloud… I was still surprised.

  Nodding slowly, I inched closer, leaving merely a breath between us. “Good. That makes two of us,” I said.

  That was all he needed to close the deal and kiss me again. This time, the softness was replaced with hunger. Before I knew it, I was leaning back into the chair as Kalon deepened the kiss, his tongue challenging mine as our souls were drawn closer together. His fingers ran through my hair, his lips pressing and demanding more of me.

  I sank and flew at the same time, as Kalon reiterated everything he’d just said with this second, all the more dazzling kiss. I breathed out when he pulled back, his eyes almost black as he peered into mine.

  There was no need for words anymore.

  Whatever this was between us, it was strong, and it burned with the intensity of a miniature sun. My very soul danced as he moved close again, dropping one last peck on my lips before he got up, beaming and wholly energized.

  “I’ll go get my brother ready,” he said, his voice raspy. “I’ll see you outside in a bit.”

  “The Visions are good to go,” I replied.

  Everything we did together seemed to function like clockwork. Our synchronicity was as close to perfection as the universe might ever get. And this was only the beginning for us. I watched him go inside, listening to the sound of his footsteps up the wooden stairs.

  I allowed myself a few more minutes on the porch, to simply bask in the deliciousness of his kiss. Despite my many travels, I had never felt this way toward anyone. It was a new emotion, and its intensity sometimes worried me. But Kalon had a manner of pulling me closer to him, even when I tried to get away. It turned out the impact was not as damaging as I’d thought it might be.

  Grinning like the Cheshire cat, I finally got up and went inside. Light on my feet, I collected my backpack from one of the sofas. My arm hurt less, as did my side. I still had to be careful how I stepped, but as long as I walked on the tips of my toes, the pain shooting through my thigh remained at a dull and at best irritating level.

  I headed toward the door, when Ansel’s voice echoed through the house.

  “You’re a traitor to your kind!”

  Kalon shushed him. “I told you to keep it down! Dammit, Ansel!”

  The first sign of alarm was rearing its ugly head, I realized. Without even connecting all the dots I knew I’d need to form the bigger picture, I allowed my curiosity to take over. Kalon had shushed Ansel so I wouldn’t hear them. It probably meant that they had something to hide.

  Given that we were fighting the Darklings, of whom Ansel was a part, I felt it was my duty to listen in. That meant violating some rules of privacy, but my earlier fears about getting my heart broken were getting louder, moving from the back of my head to the forefront of my conscious existence.

  I snuck closer to the stairs and made my way up, carefully stepping so as not to make a single sound.

  “For the millionth time, we’re going to talk about this when we get home,” I heard Kalon say, his tone clipped.

  “Why? You’re afraid your lady’s going to find out?!”

  He slapped Ansel hard. I froze on the spot, my heart beating so hard, it hurt my chest. What the hell was I witnessing? Moving higher up the stairs, I heard their voices with increasing clarity.

  “I told you, Ansel! I told you not to get involved with them!” Kalon spat.

  Ansel laughed. “You can’t tell me what to do. I took action. I reacted. I did what you’re clearly too much of a coward to do!”

  Kalon slapped Ansel again. “I know my dealings with them better than you ever will. I specifically forbade you from getting involved, and here you are. Captured, about to be tried for treason. You absolute idiot.”

  “I did my duty!”

  “So did I. Only I didn’t get caught. Let me make it clear, Ansel. You will say nothing. No matter what she asks, you will keep your mouth shut. If you don’t, I’ll cut off your tongue. It will mean a whole month, at least, of me not having to listen to any more of your garbage, so mind yourself. Once we get home, we will talk. And you will not work with them again.”

  “Or what? You’ll take my place?” Ansel replied, still surprisingly defiant, though my ears still rang from the slaps he’d received.

  “I have my own place. Now, shut up. Let’s go. She’s waiting outside.”

  It took a tremendous amount of effort not to storm into that room. My chest burned, and my blood boiled, now knowing that Kalon had been keeping things from me. Important things, like his own dealings with the Darklings—of which there were some, at least, judging by what I’d just heard.

  I glided down the stairs and disappeared outside, stopping by Midnight to stroke her neck, sear
ching for a moment to just breathe and take it all in. I trembled from head to toe, heat rising from my combat suit. I welcomed the cool of the shade, trees towering around us.

  Kalon had lied to me. He was involved with the Darklings. He knew about Ansel, too. The shock he’d feigned upon discovering his brother among them was most likely fabricated. I’d been played.

  A sharp pain cut through my head, slicing my brain as memories I’d thought lost began to resurface. Kalon’s deception was a trigger, it seemed, because I remembered the ginger Darkling from that night in the basement.

  I remembered hearing her voice, asking for mercy. Only Kalon had been left to answer, and… he did. I remembered the screech of his blade, the sound of her gurgling as he killed her. As blood and death filled the silence she left behind.

  Trev had not been there. He’d already left. I was out of it—enough so that I didn’t remember all the details as soon as I awoke the next day. “Oh, my God,” I blurted, tears threatening to come up and break me.

  I’d kissed him. He’d held me in his arms. We’d slept in the same warm little spot, under the night’s watchful eye, our souls touching…

  Kalon’s lie came through. “She was already dead when I got there,” he’d said. He’d lied. He’d freaking lied, because he’d killed her! Why? Why did he do it? Was it because she would’ve recognized him as one of their own? Did she know him? Did they know each other?

  Everything was connected, but I was on the outside, barely able to look in, let alone understand. All I knew was that I had fallen for Kalon, and that he had been lying to me. Midnight sensed my angst, nuzzling me and licking the side of my face. She tasted my tears, I realized. For I was already crying.

  “Jeez,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and wiping my face. Several deep breaths later, I managed to force myself into a more focused state, though I was still boiling beneath the surface.

  Kalon had lied to me. About the ginger Darkling. About the Darklings. About his brother. He’d withheld his own affiliation with this band of murderers. But he’d also saved my life, more than once. He’d helped me investigate. Not once had he tried to deflect or to sabotage my efforts. And it was his best friend that the Darklings were trying to kill.

  Maybe it was too early to peg him as an evildoer. Maybe there was more to this story. Maybe I’d have to pay more attention. To ask the right questions. To listen carefully. This couldn’t be how it all ended between us. I did not want a tragedy on my hands, and I certainly didn’t want to get my heart broken.

  But I could already feel it tearing itself in half. Aching. Pulsating. Bleeding.

  “We’re ready,” Kalon said as he came through the doorway, startling me.

  I spun around to face him, hoping he couldn’t see any of my emotions. My body had this funny way of shutting down when put on the spot like this. Ansel walked behind him, cuffs keeping his hands behind his back.

  “Good,” I replied. “We’ve got a long ride ahead.”

  I sounded exceptionally calm, given what I had just heard. What I had just realized.

  Kalon stilled, frowning as he looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Absolutely,” I said, forcing myself to smile. Just seeing him brought back all the good feelings that had guided my judgment. The butterflies in my stomach. The shortness of breath. The daze of his kiss.

  But the truth was never far behind. He’d lied. I repeated it to myself, over and over, hoping that it would stick. I would have to find a way to talk to him about it. How? When? What good way was there to ask if he’d betrayed me? If he’d kept things from me?

  Kalon slipped a chain around Ansel’s ankles. The young Aeternae rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”

  “What did I tell you?” Kalon snarled, and Ansel shut his mouth.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, watching them like a hawk.

  “This ungrateful little bastard does not deserve the comfort of riding back into the city,” Kalon said, and hoisted Ansel over his shoulder. He came down the stairs and walked over to Lightning, throwing his brother over the Vision’s back as if he were nothing more than a sack of potatoes. “Ansel is just cargo.”

  The anger radiated from Kalon in a way that made me doubt everything I’d just processed. What was he so angry about, exactly? That Ansel had gone behind his back to join the Darklings? I needed to observe them more. I didn’t have all the facts, but I knew Kalon wouldn’t tell me anything now, not even if I asked.

  I had to catch him in the act. Spying on him was the last thing I’d hoped I’d have to do. Unfortunately, it was my only option. I’d learned this a long time ago: cautiousness before rushing to judgment; ask questions first and shoot later; get all the facts before reaching a conclusion. Small but precious tidbits I’d collected from different civilizations.

  Kalon reached me in a split second and kissed me, taking my breath and my mind away. I was paralyzed, unable to pull myself back, only sinking deeper into the feelings I’d developed for him. He tasted like a dangerously beautiful dream, and I’d fallen for him. Hook, line, and sinker. I couldn’t resist.

  Closing my eyes, I abandoned myself for the price of a few moments. I enjoyed the kiss. His arms snaking around me and pulling me closer. His hunger seeping through my skin and into my soul, asking me for more.

  What could I give him with a broken heart?

  What sort of nonsense was all this?

  “I’m sorry this is how you get to meet my family,” Kalon said, breaking the kiss.

  I nearly collapsed, holding on to him while my knees regained their strength. “What… What do you mean?”

  “Well, my younger brother is a Darkling. My mother is going to throw a fit. Not to mention my other siblings… and we’re headed to my place next. I would’ve preferred different, better circumstances for you to visit the Visentis manor,” Kalon replied, slightly but bitterly amused. He seemed genuine, and that bothered me.

  What was I to make of it all? I had feelings for the man I’d just discovered had lied to me—and if he’d lied about his knowledge regarding the Darklings, what else had he been lying about? Had he always known about the raids, for example? The blood slave trade? I couldn’t hold myself back. My heart was a mess. My mind was a thickening blur. In the meantime, the Darklings continued to hurt innocent people and play with death magic—and Kalon knew them better than he’d initially let on.

  “We can’t have everything we want, now, can we?” I muttered, my resolve slowly coming back to me. I had to keep up appearances. I had to make Kalon think I’d bought into this whole image of him. The less threatening he thought me, the better my odds of catching him in a corner. Of getting him to tell me the whole truth… and nothing but the truth.

  I couldn’t tell anyone about this. Not until I saw it through to the end, at least. Tristan would flip. Tristan would tear his head off for lying to me, especially about the Darklings. Tristan can’t know, either, then.

  Kalon had thrown me for a loop.

  I just needed enough strength to move forward with my plan.

  He stole another quick kiss and got on his horse. “Considering yesterday’s cleanup operation, I think we’ll have a smooth journey back,” he said.

  Smiling, I settled in Midnight’s saddle, taking her reins and tugging gently. She pressed forward, leaving the cabin behind. “Last one to get to the imperial city is a rotten potato!” I shouted, nudging Midnight with my heels. It was enough to make her fly through the woods.

  Lightning’s hooves thundered close behind me, Kalon’s laughter overlapping the sound. “It’s not fair, I’ve got extra baggage here!”

  That you do, Kalon. That you most certainly do…

  This was a lesson for me. The universe was teaching me something. Even with my careful approach, I’d still gotten burned. There was no way to avoid getting hurt. We all suffered, eventually—some worse than others.

  All I could do now was learn from this injury and play a better game. Chances were it would end bad
ly for me, at least on an emotional level.

  He lied to me.

  Two could play that game.

  Kelara

  “What the hell?” I croaked, as soon as my feet hit the ground.

  I couldn’t believe it. Out of all the places in the world, this was where the Morning Star had brought us. Soul, Phantom, and Widow didn’t seem as shocked by any of this. Then again, they didn’t know as much as I did about the living, particularly about the Shadians.

  “This is where my brother is,” Morning said, slightly confused. “I can feel him here.”

  “If anyone can find the Night Bringer, it’s her,” Phantom said. She frowned, as if trying to understand why my jaw was so close to hitting the floor. “I don’t get it. What’s wrong?”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” I mumbled.

  I’d never been here before, but I remembered the stories that Seeley had told me about this place—stories he’d heard from Derek and his people. I recognized the hazy sky with reddish streaks dancing across it. Mountains rose everywhere, titans who’d seen too much and could tell no one. There was nothing else, though.

  Only dead trees, rotting away. Dried dirt. Desolation. Emptiness. Silence.

  From the moment Morning had told us where we were going, I’d been on a constant buzz, trying to reconcile what I knew and what she had recently revealed about her brother.

  “Kelara, seriously, what is the matter with you?” Phantom asked, somewhat exasperated. I hadn’t made my thoughts clear. I’d merely been gasping at the sight of it all. Out of the Thieron trio, Soul was the only one who knew the significance of this place, and he hadn’t shared it with Phantom or with Widow.

  “I’ll tell you one thing. Cruor is as nasty as I thought it would be,” I said.

  “My brother is here,” Morning said. “Just like Spirit said. That right there, that’s the Star of Lussian.” She pointed to the sky, where a faint light could be observed with the naked eye. It was formless, blurred by whatever strangeness covered this world. “Like I told you.”

  Soul snickered, enjoying this moment as a joke of sorts. Phantom wasn’t amused. “I don’t get it,” she said. “Is this what you meant when you told Kelara that she was going to love it?”