Daughter of Shadows (To Darkness Bound Book 1)

by Zandria West

  I yawn and stretch then realise I’m naked and pull the blankets up around myself. Then I remember everything we did. It almost feels like a dream, like something my mind invented in the grip of a dangerous fever. I blush and see a slight smile tugging at Gabriel’s lips.

  ‘I can make you coffee, Lana, if you would like it?’ he says. Suddenly I think of the little coffee place I usually go to. I think of my home, my apartment, my building, my street. I wouldn’t even know how to find them from here. They’re not even in the same world as me. In an instant, everything I felt with Gabriel is buried in a haze of misery and depression. What am I doing? How long can I run and hide before whoever is looking for me finds me? What are the odds that Gabriel can protect me from them? I saw how scared he looked after he did the spell in my apartment.

  ‘Gabriel, you have to tell me… Who broke into my home?’

  He takes my hand and squeezes. ‘I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you everything – after you’ve had coffee and some breakfast.’

  I’m about to protest that food can wait, but with perfect timing my stomach lets out its own loud counter-protest.

  ‘I guess food might be a good thing,’ I say. ‘And I might just, ah, get some clothes on.’

  It seems ridiculous to feel shy now. Gabriel has seen every inch of me. He’s hundreds of years old and smoking hot and highly experienced, based on what he did to me last night, so I don’t even want to do the math on how many women he’s likely slept with. Last night I didn’t care. I felt different – wilder, freer, braver. Now I just feel like me: the girl who keeps the sheet wrapped tight around her chest as she pulls her t-shirt over her head, and then does the tricky thing where she puts the bra on without taking her t-shirt off. Oh yes, I have the skills. Gabriel watches the process with a bemused expression until I throw a pillow at him and tell him to get on with the coffee.

  ‘How does your back feel?’ he asks from the bench beside the sink, without turning to look at me.

  I stretch, bend forward, extend my arms. ‘It feels good. Much better.’

  He turns, carrying two steaming mugs, and sets them on the table next to the jigsaw. ‘I would expect we’ll see Alexander and Reuben soon. They’ll know to come here. For Alex to have been able to join with you as he did last night, and for Reuben’s Bondmark to already be complete… they’re not far away now, I’m sure.’

  I take a sip of the coffee to hide my unease. I feel relatively comfortable with Gabriel. I have no idea what it will be like to add another two guys into the equation, though. What does it mean? How will it work?

  ‘Here,’ he passes across a steaming bowl of oatmeal. ‘Sorry the food is somewhat basic.’

  I taste a mouthful. It’s sweetened with honey and flavoured with cinnamon and my stomach one hundred percent declares its enthusiasm.

  ‘It’s great,’ I say, and spoon it in as fast as I can. I know I ate something in the human world the night before, but how long ago was that? According to my appetite, about a lifetime. I finish quickly and take a sip of the coffee Gabriel made for me. It’s just how I like it – strong, milky and sweet. I close my eyes and feel the caffeine working small miracles inside me. When I open them, I find that Gabriel is watching me.

  ‘There,’ I say. ‘I’ve kept my side of the bargain. Food and coffee, done. Now I need you to tell me what you know about the break in.’

  Gabriel sighs and pushes his bowl untouched away from him. ‘I owe you an apology. I have not yet told you everything I know,’ he says.

  A sudden rush of cold fill my chest. I’ve trusted him completely: with my body, with my life. Now every doubt and fear that I’ve ever felt come back to haunt me. It’s all been a mistake. I’ve misjudged him, just like I’ve misjudged so many other guys who’ve shown an interest in me and have turned out to be jerks. My instincts veer between terror and rage but then I remember how tenderly he cared for me last night, the way he asked me to trust him. I decide to let him speak before tearing him to pieces.

  ‘I… I have a theory. It is not definitive yet, and it is certainly not proven, which is why I did not want to share it with you. But it seems that others may have arrived at the same theory, so we will need to act for the moment as though it were true.’

  I frown. ‘And your theory is…?’

  He closes his eyes. ‘I met your father because I was undertaking my own research in Jordan. I was searching for the key to a powerful spell. A key that had been hidden by a witch many hundreds of years ago, its secret taken to her grave. You see, the Barrier that separates the human and the demon worlds will not last forever. Like any form of energy, the magical power that maintains the Barrier deteriorates over time. It is becoming more permeable by the day.’

  ‘You mean…’ My eyes widen.

  He nods. ‘It will collapse, eventually. I do not know when. The Great Witch who originally created the Barrier hid the key because she feared that it could be used to undo her spell. There was dissension in the Great Coven at the time the Barrier was made, and a powerful faction of witches sided with the demons who opposed it. But the Great Witch intended for the key to be discovered eventually, in order for the Barrier to be re-made. She was powerful beyond any that walk the earthly planes today. Her own power was spent in its creation. Without the key, none could now re-do what she spent a lifetime working to achieve. Certain clues led me to the temple complex where your father was working.’

  I cross my arms over my chest.

  ‘I believe that your father found what I was seeking.’

  I frown. ‘And what is this key? Where is it now?’

  Gabriel looks down. ‘That’s the part I don’t know. It could be an object. It could be a symbol or text. There are so many forms that it might take. I hoped that your father’s message might be helpful in that regard. I believe he may have left it with you for safe-keeping, and that this is why you require protection.’

  My mind is racing. Most of my father’s estate was gifted to the university. His books, artefacts, papers… Jamie and I only inherited a few things. I think Jamie was bitter about it, but I didn’t care. What would I do with piles of mouldy manuscripts? They should be in the hands of people who understand their worth.

  I think of the things he gave me: his century-old typewriter, books that I loved as a child, some jewellery that belonged to my mother, a tea-set that he inherited from his grandmother, that I never take out for fear of breaking…

  Surely he wouldn’t have left me something so important, so dangerous, without even telling me about it?

  I think of the USB.

  ‘So, who broke into my apartment? Who took the urn?’

  I see Gabriel straightening his spine as though steeling himself for something awful. ‘A very ancient, very powerful sorceress. I knew her by the name of Garenda, though that was centuries ago. She was one of those who opposed the formation of the Barrier when it was first made. She is the one tracked us down to my house and broke the protection I had cast. I fear that I led her to you, Lana. Garenda did something, when she killed Ruark. She used my connection with my familiar to gain access to my mind. I am not sure how much she has learned from me, or whether she is still able to see my thoughts.’

  A sudden panic squeezes my chest. I remember the figure who stood in the doorway at Gabriel’s house: she had been powerful and ruthless. ‘Then she might know that we’re here…’

  ‘The safe house would withstand even her attempts to enter. The magic that protects it was made by the Great Witch herself. None who mean harm may enter.’

  I swallow and nod. It’s so much to take in all at once, my head is aching trying to think about it.

  A dark expression crosses Gabriel’s face. ‘I believe Garenda is working for the Haravin.’

  I frown. ‘What’s the Haravin?’

  ‘Not what, who. He is a demon lord, a kind of arch-demon if you will. He believes that humans should be annihilated, other than those that are kept in service as slaves of the demon races. As
well as separating the realms, the binding trapped him in a kind of a stasis. He was regarded as being too dangerous to the stability of both worlds to be allowed freedom.’

  ‘Nice guy.’

  ‘Not at all, no. But he has had his followers over the centuries, and their numbers are increasing. And if rumours are to be believed, as the Barrier falters, he is beginning to wake.’

  ‘What about my brother?’ I ask.

  ‘Your brother?’ Gabriel frowns.

  ‘Jamie. My father didn’t say anything about him? Does he need protection too?’

  ‘If he does, I have not been told of it. From what your father told me, the warning was specifically about you Lana. That is all that I know. The rest, at this stage, is still my own guesswork, though the evidence appears to be mounting in support of my theory.’

  I shiver. ‘So, according to your guesswork, I’m facing an ancient witch and a powerful arch-demon bent on my annihilation, and my father might have left me some kind of magical key to restore the Barrier between the demon and human worlds, but I have no idea what it is, and I’ve lost the only thing that might provide a clue? That’s fucking fantastic.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Lana. You said you wanted the truth. Perhaps I have told you too much…’

  I turn on him. For a moment I’m furious. ‘Don’t. Seriously. Don’t I’m sorry Lana me. This is my life, I have to know the truth.’ Then my fury fades, leaving only exhaustion in its wake. ‘I just… I don’t know what to do…’

  Gabriel reaches for my hand and takes hold of it. The warmth of his touch instantly settles me. ‘For the moment, you should leave what needs to be done to me. I must go out for a little while. It will be quicker and safer if I’m alone.’

  I pull my hand away. ‘What? You’re going to leave me here?’

  ‘There is a jigsaw that needs finishing…’ Gabriel tries a smile.

  I shake my head. ‘Nope. No fucking way. You don’t leave me here and go out there where you might be killed and think I’m going to sit around and do a fucking jigsaw.’

  In a heartbeat he’s standing so close all I want to do is fall into his embrace. But I don’t. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.

  He winces, then meets my gaze. ‘Doing nothing takes strength too, Lana. When the whole world seems to be shattering around you, to know when it is not yet your turn to act is of the deepest wisdom.’

  I swallow, horrified tears filling my eyes. ‘But I don’t want to lose you,’ I whisper.

  ‘You won’t, I promise. A quick errand. A few questions to some friends. I’ll be back before you know it. And I’ll bring you a change of clothes.’

  I flush as I look down at myself. I had forgotten I was still wearing the same outfit I wore when I first walked into Darktown – which was what, two, three days ago? I must stink.

  I’m sure it reflects my inability to grasp the overall gravity of the situation or maybe just my general poor sense of priorities, but Gabriel’s offer of new clothes decides it for me.

  ‘Alright,’ I say. ‘But please, don’t be long.’

  19

  ALEXANDER

  I must have slept, because I’ve woken to the sound of Reuben arranging his weapons. For a monster of the canine persuasion, he’s remarkably OCD. Always has to have everything just so. Goes through the same goddamn routine every morning. Change form back to human – tick. Brush teeth – tick. Arrange knives – tick.

  He has quite a collection, to be fair. And they’ve saved my life on more than one occasion, so it’s not like I’m complaining about them.

  Reuben has been living alone in the forest for god knows how long, and he’s forgetting little things like not growling at mealtime and wearing clothes. I’m not really sure that he’s ready to be brought back in to civilization but we both know he doesn’t have a choice. The binding has taken hold and he’s as restless as a dog with fleas. For my part, I have it relatively under control – by which I mean that the only things I can think about are seeing Lana, touching Lana, smelling Lana, being beside Lana, and protecting Lana from danger. But I’m still capable enough of rational thought that I understand there’s a process – there are things we’ve got to do in order to get back to Lana, though right now most of them seem to fall to my hairy pal here.

  ‘A bit of warning would have been good,’ Reuben mutters as he sharpens a twelve-inch long hunting blade before carefully sliding it into the sheath on his belt. ‘I mean really…’

  ‘Sorry Benji, I know how hectic your schedule is…’

  He turns on me and growls. ‘Don’t fucking call me Benji, Alexander.’

  I raise my hands and laugh. ‘Easy, friend. No offence meant.’

  Wolves. They’re so goddamned emotional.

  I’ve explained it all to him, based on the best of my knowledge of the situation. About Lana maybe holding the key to preventing the Barrier from collapsing and the demon and human worlds from colliding. You might wonder why, as a demon, I’m so keen on maintaining the Accord and keeping the separation of worlds. Here’s the thing. Since I was turned in 1453, I have watched human power grow unimaginably. It would have been that once, the demon world could have shattered the human world. For millennia, the balance was maintained by the Twin Gods in order to prevent that from happening. Dark and Light in a kind of balance until the Dark God was banished by the early witches to the outer void. Now, it’d be anybody’s guess what would happen should the realms collide. Sure, demons are nasty. They’re mostly predators, with teeth, stingers, claws and a penchant for blood and cruelty. But humans have bombs and biological weapons, plus hardware and software that we can barely conceive of. If demon cruelty is spectacular, human cruelty is demonstrably unmatched. You only have to watch a few hours of daytime television to know that.

  So, my money, if the Barrier goes down, is on everyone ending up mightily fucked up, and strange as it may seem, I’m a peace-loving kind of a guy. Yes, I drink blood. Yes, I’m technically undead. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want other people to be able to just get on with their lives.

  ‘Are you done yet?’ I say, but Reuben is focused on packing away his gear and doesn’t even look up.

  When werewolves focus on something, they fixate – it’s hard to get them off it, especially if they’ve been turning regularly. It’s been, what, five years since Reuben and I last saw each other. I’m guessing, based on his level of lean muscularity, that he’s been living in the forest, turning into a wolf at every opportunity, and keeping up a steady diet of mountain deer that he’s chased down himself, and leafy greens plucked direct from the bush. His rusty brown hair is down to his shoulders, the curls are almost dreadlocks, but he’s the strongest I’ve ever seen him – and Reuben is a strong guy.

  People look at Reuben and they see a fucking warrior. People look at Gabriel and sense the dark magic throbbing in his veins. People look at me and wonder where I got my jacket from, and if my teeth are naturally so sparkly-white. So what if I’m the toy-boy of the company? I can handle that.

  ‘Alright,’ Reuben growls, finally straightening and meeting my eyes. He’s packed all his belongings in a backpack, has tied a rolled-up camping mat to the bottom of it, and seems to be wearing most of his weaponry. Not conspicuous at all. Hopefully once I get him into the car I can keep him there until we get him to the safehouse, then Gabe can sort him out.

  ‘Car’s this way,’ I say, heading back down the trail that leads in the direction of the road.

  I don’t know if Reuben senses it yet but I’m feeling an urgency in the bond. It’s not an emergency, not yet, but the feeling makes me want to be back and beside Lana again, sooner rather than later.

  And from what I saw last night, in between flashes of heaven, I could make out that Gabriel has taken her to the safehouse, which means that something has gone wrong already in the human world. The sense of urgency rises.

  ‘This girl…’ Reuben mutters.

  ‘Lana,’ I say.

  Reuben gives a
low rumble. ‘What is she like?’

  For a moment I stop. What is Lana like? Where do I even start? ‘She’s like the most precious, beautiful, delicate, irreplaceable thing that somebody has handed to you and told you not to break except you know there’s a fucking cyclone heading straight for you.’

  ‘Human…’ Reuben murmurs and shakes his head.

  ‘One hundred percent, so far as I can tell.’

  ‘That is bad. She has no… family?’

  I can almost hear the word on his tongue. He wants to say pack. Big on pack is our Reuben, even if he’s been irreconcilably separated from his for years now.

  ‘Her father recently passed away and her mother died when she was born. She has a brother. A twin. He’s not part of the deal though.’

  Reuben makes a noise that’s part-growl, part-grunt.

  We scramble down a steep section of the path. I think we’re not too far from the car now, though the forest is thick, and everything looks pretty much the same, so it’s hard to tell. I can only thank the bond for the fact I was able to find Reuben at all. It’s a strange thing. I’d count him as one of my closest friends. We’ve fought side by side for more years than I’d like to reckon. We’d die for each other – almost have on a number of occasions. But I’ve never felt connected to him before like I do now. The bond that joins us to Lana also connects us to one another. I sense his unhappiness about being dragged from his seclusion, his curiosity, his staunch protectiveness of myself and Gabriel that is already bleeding into protectiveness towards Lana, the young girl-cub.

  He doesn’t ask any more questions, which means we trek in silence for a couple of hours. Then finally, the trees start to thin a little and I recognise that we’re nearing the edge where the forest is bisected by a narrow, winding road.