Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 02] Read online

  “She will not win. Not this time,” Chaos said after pulling away from Jonah’s neck. “This time, I will have the upper hand.”

  He felt himself drifting, felt his heart slowing its beat and welcomed the end. It was dark. He expected to see a light as so many had described at the nearing of their death. But all he felt was darkness. There were voices, but they all blurred into one and he couldn’t make out anything that was said. His body felt light, relaxed, and free. He felt no pain, felt no sorrow, and as he gave up his last breath, he smiled.

  And then he was drinking. Sucking in something that coated his throat like honey and sparkled in his system like wine. He felt it as it slid into his body, revitalizing him, pumping him up, and making him feel high. His heart began to speed up and the darkness began to slip away. And when he opened his eyes, he saw the yellow eyes staring back at him, and the smile on Chaos’ face.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dante hobbled down the stairs to the dungeon as Trinity, Basil, and Gypsy carried their newest hostages to their cells. He had a feeling they were not going to go lightly on the three hostages and had conflicted emotions about what was about to happen. He wanted to know where Jonah was being held, but wasn’t about to stand by and watch his brother be beaten in order to get the information.

  “You don’t need to be here for this, Dante.”

  He looked over at Trinity and shook his head. “I’m not leaving.”

  “If you have ideas of letting your brother go—”

  “I don’t.” This was the best place for him. He was away from Chaos and Dante couldn’t help but feel he had to try to turn his brother away from the evil fiend that had stolen his life so many years ago.

  “He knows where Jonah is being held. You have to know I’ll do anything to get that information out of him.”

  There were other ways of attaining information. “Can I try talking to him first?”

  “Yeah, because that went so well the first time,” Basil snarled.

  “Maybe this time he’ll give in. We have him locked up in a cage. He might give it up.” Basil shot him a “get real” sort of look. “At least let me try.”

  “We’re running out of time, Dante.”

  “I know, Trinity. I know. Give me fifteen with him, please.” He was relieved when she stepped back, taking Basil with her.

  He stepped into the cell as Trinity lifted the spell that had knocked Danny out. Standing over his brother, Dante watched him come awake. He looked so young, so…normal. How had his life turned so horribly wrong? “Danny.” Startled, his brother woke and scurried to his feet. “Relax. It’s just me.”

  “What the hell did you do to me?”

  “Trinity put you to sleep. We don’t want to hurt you, Danny, but we need to know where Chaos is holding Jonah.”

  Danny backed away, his eyes darting around the cell. “Yeah, like I believe that. I can’t believe you did this to me, Dante. How could you!”

  “Just tell us where Jonah is being held, Danny, and we’ll let you go,” he lied. Now that he had his brother locked up, Dante wasn’t about to let Danny go until he came around to his side.

  “Fuck you,” Danny spat, glaring at him.

  “You had your chance, Dante. Now let us have ours.” Basil stepped forward.

  “Just wait.” Dante held up his hand. “Give me a few more minutes.”

  “I’m not going to tell you anything, Dante, so you might as well save your breath.”

  “Why? Why won’t you help me? Help us. Danny, please.”

  “He’s not going to help us, Dante. Enough.”

  He spun on Trinity. “Start with one of them. They might tell us. Just give me some more time with Danny. Please.”

  “We’re wasting time,” she shouted at him.

  “Then start on them,” Dante shouted back. He loved his brother, no matter who he’d become, and couldn’t stand by and watch him being tortured.

  “Fine.” Basil materialized inside the cage of one of the other new hostages as Trinity woke him up.

  “Come on, Danny. Please, just tell me.”

  “Go to hell, bro.” He turned his back and sat down on the cot.

  Infuriated, Dante marched to the doors and waited as Gypsy unlocked it for him. He didn’t say a word as he stomped from the room. He knew she was behind him, but he was in no mood to talk. He was torn. He wanted to find his friend, but he didn’t want to have to torture it out of his brother.

  And what hurt the most, was that Danny didn’t seem to feel anything towards a brother that had once been his best friend. Dante felt like he was talking with a stranger, rather than his brother.

  “What are you going to do, Dante?” Gypsy came up beside him.

  “I have to find Cooper.”

  “Why? What can he do?”

  “I’m hoping something that won’t involve bloodshed.” Finding him in the kitchen, Dante didn’t waste any time. “Cooper, can you concoct some sort of truth serum?”

  Cooper dried his hand on the towel hooked in his belt and cocked his head to the side. “For what purpose?”

  “I want to give it to my brother and find out where Chaos is holding Jonah.”

  “I don’t have the means to concoct such a thing. I’m sorry.”

  “Fuck! Where would we get what you need?”

  Cooper shrugged. “I have no idea where you would be able to attain sodium pentothal here. I’m sorry.”

  “Damn it!” He stormed from the room, not giving a damn to the ache in his knee. He took the stairs in twos and waited until he was in his room before letting his anger surface. He grabbed the first thing he saw and threw it across the room. Then he cleared the bedside table with one hand, sending its contents crashing to the floor.

  “I’m not sure how Basil and Trinity will feel if you destroy their property.”

  “I don’t give a fuck.” He tore the blankets off the bed in his rage, tossing them aside. And nothing he did dispelled the anger he felt inside. “Why the hell won’t he help me? Why does he treat me like I’m nothing more than another human being and not his blood brother? Doesn’t he feel anything towards me?” He kicked the pillows on the floor and felt little relief. “I know they’re going to beat him to get the answers out of him and part of me wants to let them, and another wants to protect him.”

  “Which is understandable. He’s your brother.”

  “He doesn’t seem to want to be anymore. I just don’t know—God, I’m so fucking torn.” He dropped down on the disheveled bed and hung his head in his hands. He felt the bed give beside him but didn’t look up. “He thinks of Chaos as his family and not me. Not once has he asked about Lexi or our parents. When he looks me in the eye, I see nothing of the boy I once knew.”

  “He’s been with Chaos for twenty years, right?” Dante lifted his head, nodded. “And away from your family for twenty years. Maybe—and I’m just thinking aloud here—a part of him thinks his family let him down because no one came to find him.”

  That was an interesting theory and he hated himself for not thinking of it. “The police did what they could to find him, but after a year, his file was put in the cold case vault. No one believed me when I told them Danny had been taken by a vampire.”

  “You knew about vampires back then?”

  “I watched a lot of old movies and Dracula was my favorite. I witnessed Danny being taken by Chaos. And I did nothing. I did nothing.” He repeated as he stood. He needed to move, to walk off his frustrations. “For years I researched vampires and I knew there were some in Jacob’s Cove. Something inside of me told me he was alive, but I could never find him. I’m sure he felt like no one cared. Damn it, why didn’t I realize that before now.”

  “Where are you going?” she asked when he headed for the door.

  “To s
ee Danny. I have to tell him I tried to find him. I have to make him understand that I didn’t give up on him and that I won’t give up on him now.”

  ***

  Jonah felt the hands touching his face as he came to. His body felt…weird. There was a slight tingling feeling, similar to the sensation of pins and needles inside of him. And oddly, he felt empty inside, hollow. He opened his eyes and everything looked fuzzy, blurry. His mouth was dry and when he licked his lips, his tongue scraped over his teeth, startling him. They were pointy, sharp.

  What the hell?

  “Thank God you woke up.”

  His head swung to the left to where the female voice had come from and though she looked blurry, he knew who it was. “What…what happened?” His mind was as fuzzy as his eyes.

  “Here, drink this.”

  “What is it?” he asked as she put it to his lips.

  “Water.”

  His lips parted and he drank in the water like he’d been parched a week.

  “I worried you wouldn’t come to.” She took the glass away and picked up a cloth. She dabbed it on his face, then his neck. “How do you feel?”

  “Weird. What happened?” The last thing he remembered was Chaos having a tantrum in the room. Then… “He bit me?”

  She nodded, dabbing the cloth to his neck.

  He remembered that now and, closing his eyes, remembered looking into Chaos’ yellow eyes as he…drank from his wrist. “I drank from him.”

  “Yes.”

  “He…made me…he turned me into a vampire.” No, no that couldn’t be. Yet the scrape of his front incisors on his tongue told him otherwise. “No…please tell me it isn’t true.” He couldn’t be…

  “It’s true. I’m going to get you out of here,” she whispered to him as she leaned in to wash his neck.

  He heard what she’d said but his mind was preoccupied with what had happened to him. He was a vampire and he’d been sired by the very man they’d been trying to bring down. Did having Chaos’ blood inside of him make him evil? He didn’t feel evil, he just felt…empty.

  “I haven’t figured it out yet but I will. Just be patient and wait for me to come get you, okay?” She hurried away from him when the cellar doors opened and Chaos came down the stairs. He didn’t like how timid she was around Chaos and wondered what he did to her to keep her here.

  “Ah, my newest creation is awake. Wonderful! And how are you feeling, my son?”

  “I’m not your son,” Jonah stated firmly.

  “In time you’ll change your mind. I’ve sent a messenger to Trinity to tell her I’ve turned you. That should bring her out.”

  “She’s more powerful than you could ever hope to be. You’ll never catch her.” He had faith in Trinity and he knew there was no way she could be duped into coming out of hiding. She was smarter than that.

  “That remains to be seen, my boy. So…are you thirsty? Do you feel the craving clawing at you yet?”

  “All I feel is disgust for you.”

  Chaos put a hand to his chin and clucked his tongue. “So defiant. Let’s test that defiance, shall we.” He bit into his wrist as he walked towards Jonah.

  He had no place to go when Chaos lifted his hand up to his mouth and even when he turned his head, Chaos only grabbed hold of it with his other hand and held it in place.

  “Drink!”

  He didn’t want to but the instant the blood touched his lips, he felt an insatiable need to have it. Though his mind was saying don’t, his body cried, take it. He latched on to the wrist and began to suck on the vein as it called out to him. He drank the blood, knowing what it was and needing it all the same. And when it was pulled away from him, he nearly begged to have it back.

  Nearly.

  “You can not resist the temptation of blood now, my boy. It’s what fuels you, what gives you life. Without it, your body will begin to destroy itself. And you’ll want more.” Chaos took his face in his palm and squeezed. “I’m the only one who can give you more.”

  “I’ll never want more from you, Chaos. Never!” he insisted even while his mouth craved one more taste.

  “We’ll see. We’ll just see.”

  ***

  Dante took the steps down on one foot while he braced himself on the railing. His knee was throbbing something awful now, but he was determined to do what he had to do to make his brother understand he hadn’t deserted him.

  “I could carry you. It would be a lot easier on your leg.”

  “I don’t need you to carry me, Gypsy.” She’d been right there with him while he’d had his minor meltdown and still now, as he make his way down the long flight of steps. He’d never noticed how long they were before, but he supposed having an injury made a person more aware.

  “It wouldn’t be a problem for me. You’re not that heavy.”

  “I am not having you carry me.”

  “Why not?”

  He hopped down the last step then took a moment to catch his breath. It was hard work favoring an injured knee. “Because I’m more than capable of walking.”

  “But it hurts your knee. I don’t mind. Actually, I rather like it.”

  “Well, I don’t, so drop it.”

  She tilted her head to the side and gave him a baffled look. “Oh, I get it now. You think it makes you look bad if a woman carries you?”

  “Looks have very little to do with it, sweetheart. It’s pride.”

  “It doesn’t make you less of a man to have me help you.”

  “Maybe not, but it doesn’t make me feel very manly when a frail looking woman can lift a hundred and seventy pounds like it was no more than five.”

  She grinned, touching a hand to his face. “Aw, did I bruise your ego? Want me to make it feel better?”

  His eyes nearly crossed when she clenched a hold of his dick and balls in her hand. “That’s not my ego.”

  “Every man’s ego is in his dick.” She snuggled in real close and ran her tongue along the side of his jaw to his ear. “Want me to stroke it?”

  The loud thud on the front door started them both, and no more than a second later the alarm began to ring. Cautiously, Dante walked to the front door and peered out the peep hole.

  “See anyone?” she asked, practically breathing down his neck.

  “No. But that doesn’t mean someone isn’t there.”

  “What’s going on?” Trinity asked, coming up behind him and making him jump.

  “Don’t know. We heard a thud on the door and the alarm went off.”

  “No one’s out there.” Gypsy came back from the front window. “But there’s a white thing laying by the door.”

  “I’ll check it out.”

  Before he could say anything, she vanished and seconds later, reappeared beside him. “What is it?” he asked, nudging his head to the white lump she held in her hand.

  “A rock, with a note on it. How original.” Trinity rolled her eyes then pulled the elastic away and removed the paper.

  “What does it say?” Gypsy inquired.

  Dante saw Trinity’s hand shake and her eyes gloss up with tears. He took the paper and turning it over, saw the picture taped to it. “Oh, fuck.” It was a close-up picture of Jonah chained to a wall, and two distinct holes in the side of his neck. “No!” They were too late. He felt the wind stir up and as he looked up, saw Trinity glowing an eerie blue right before she vanished. “Shit!”

  “What?” Gypsy took the paper and gasped.

  “Get Basil. Now!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  He was a vampire. Jonah ran that over and over inside his mind as he hung from the wall. He’d often wondered what it would feel like, and now he knew. He’d never wanted to become one, never once even thought to ask Trinity to change him. But he’d always bee
n curious what she felt. Now he knew.

  He was still himself, but not completely the same. His body ached, sure, but the pain wasn’t as intense as it had been before. There was an odd, energetic sensation inside of him. He felt pumped, like he’d had too much coffee and was riding on a caffeine high. But his heart still ached for the lives he’d lost.

  He missed his Ariel, and wished they’d been able to raise the child they’d created. He’d been so excited when she’d told him she thought she was pregnant, and now all he felt was despair. They’d only been married a few short years, but he’d thought she was his soul mate. They’d been as one in so many ways. Ariel always knew what he wanted even before he had. She’d show up at the oddest times and simply give him a kiss, then turn and walk away. And it had always been just what he’d needed at the time.

  He longed to hear her laughter. She had such a hardy laugh and when she got going, would snort, which only made her laugh more. He longed to feel her in his arms. To hold her, to touch her, to have her just one more time. What would their child have been? Boy? Girl? Now he would never know. They would have made great parents, and their child would have wanted for nothing.

  And because he’d been insistent on needing the laser scope, he’d lost them both.

  He wouldn’t have needed it, not really. He could have worked without it. Why had he insisted he needed it? Why had he put them all in danger? He didn’t deserve to be alive. It should be him who died in the car, not Ariel and not their innocent child. It was all his fault.

  He hoped Trinity didn’t try to find him. He didn’t want anyone else getting hurt. Had Dante and Gypsy even made it through the accident and the attack after? The last thing he remembered was seeing Gypsy attacking one of the vampires. Dante had been on the ground but Jonah had no idea if he’d been alive or not.

  Jonah had been such an idiot, so thoughtless to the others and now they were paying the worst price. He didn’t deserve to live and he wished to God he would just die.

  Someone put a stake through my heart and end my sorry life.

  He heard rapid fire footsteps above him and wondered what the hurry was. Then the cellar door opened and the light spilled out into the darkness. His eyes were beginning to focus more now, but with the bright light he was forced to close them to stop the burning he felt from the brightness.