Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 05] Read online

  She drew in a deep breath and Gabriella noticed an uneasiness in her as she continued.

  “In order to end the darkness, Chaos has to be killed. The only problem is…we can’t find him anywhere. So until then, no sun.”

  “Seriously?” She had to see this for herself. Drawing the dark blinds open, Gabriella looked out over the vast property below her to see nothing but darkness.

  In the distance a light shone in a window of Cooper’s home.

  She closed the blinds, preferring not to think about Cooper just yet. “How weird.”

  “Yeah, and then some. Do you own any pants?”

  Gabriella turned to Trinity, baffled. “Beg pardon?”

  “All I see are skirts and dresses. No pants.”

  “I dislike pants.”

  “Seriously?”

  Gabriella shrugged. “Are you Basil’s wife?”

  Trinity closed the closet door. “Not really. We’re a couple but we’ve never tied the knot.”

  “How come?” Gabriella busied herself by making the bed. She felt energized, as if she was fuelled up.

  “Well…it’s never really come up.”

  “How long have you two been together?”

  Trinity pulled her braid of red hair over her shoulder to stroke it as she spoke. “A little over eight years.”

  “That’s a long time. Any children?”

  “No,” she said abruptly, then walked to the door. “Well, it looks like you’re settling in nicely. Make yourself at home. The kitchen is downstairs, through the living room, dining hall, and through a hallway. If you get hungry…well, Cooper usually took care of the food. If you get hungry, just help yourself.” She left the room in a hurry.

  Gabriella wondered what it was she had just said to make Trinity run off.

  Chapter Ten

  It pained him not to be with her, even though he’d spent the last twenty years without her, Cooper longed for his Gabriella now like never before. Perhaps it was because he had drank from her and she from him and in doing so had linked them forever as one.

  At least until she drank from someone else.

  That thought scared him more than death itself. He couldn’t allow her to drink from anyone but himself. They were soul mates, he’d known that from the very first moment he’d set his eyes on her beautiful face. Even though she may not allow him to feed off of her for now, he could still ensure that she would drink from his vein. Just as he had hours before when he’d appeared in her bedroom, his vein ready.

  He could understand Basil’s anger towards him, but he just couldn’t fathom why his precious Gabriella would not want to welcome him into her warm and loving arms. All he’d done was give her life. He would give her the time she needed, for now. Perhaps distance and time away would draw her to him. And if that didn’t work, he was sure the pull of his blood inside of her would.

  In the meantime, he was going to go stark raving mad sitting about doing absolutely nothing. It reminded him of his time at the Digital Domain. He hadn’t felt that closed since his days with Avadur when he would be chained down on the cot in the dungeon, a victim to Avadur’s abuse. Though the external scars had long since healed, the inner ones were still so often raw. He had endured days of torture at Avadur’s hands only to secure that Cooper would succumb to whatever Avadur wanted. He’d been beaten down and if it hadn’t been for the sad eyes of a boy too frightened to protect himself against an evil father, Cooper might have succumbed to Avadur’s abuse.

  But Basil had needed him, and so Cooper had fought for him.

  That was just what Cooper was going to do now.

  Fight for Basil.

  Chaos needed to be found. This endless darkness had to be stopped. The city needed the crowds of people, the humans that so often took advantage of their great city. Chaos needed to pay for taking the lives of five innocent young girls once and for all. Maybe, just maybe, if he were to take Chaos out, Basil would give him a second chance and welcome him back into his home, and into his heart.

  It would also give Cooper something to do to keep his mind occupied with something other than Gabriella’s unwillingness to see him.

  He sent himself to the compound that Chaos had called home for several decades now. He knew perfectly well that if he had appeared by the front door, not a soul inside would allow him in. So he set himself down inside the facility.

  And was appalled at the disgusting mess he found.

  How could people live this way? Filth was everywhere. On the walls. The floor looked as if it hadn’t been swept in ages. Furniture was broken down, looking as if it had been through a war. As for the stench, well, it was enough to make anyone gag.

  The sooner he was out of this wretched squalor the better.

  “Well, looky here. We got us a visitor.”

  Calmly, Cooper turned to the scruffy looking—he wasn’t sure what race the creature was but if he were to take a guess, he would say a cross between a werewolf and a monkey. He wasn’t entirely sure that was possible, but it was his best guess. The smell emanating off of the man made his eyes water.

  A good hour in a blistering bleach bath might do the trick.

  “I’ve come in search of Chaos.”

  “You and every goddamn other person. He ain’t here.” He shoved his hands in his filthy jean pockets and sucked in a wad of snot. “You smell fresh.”

  “It’s called hygiene. You ought to try it sometime.”

  The creature smiled, showing of his lack of hygiene in the decay of his teeth. “Sophitamacated too, aren’t you? Maybe I ought to bring you down a few notches.”

  Cooper vanished as the brute barreled towards him. He was sure in his haste to leave that the grimy slug fell right on that scarred, dirty face of his. Served him right. Deciding not to take the word of a man that smelled worse than rotting flesh, Cooper went on a tour of the facility.

  Oh, the things he could do here. It surely would give him hours of work just cleaning it. He grimaced as he sidestepped to avoid a pile of dung. It most certainly wasn’t from an animal, which told him again just how hygienic the lot were. The sooner he was free of this place the better.

  The sound of moaning coming down the hall took him closer to a door, securely locked. Undaunted, Cooper transported himself inside the room and saw a frail young man lying on a filthy cot. He looked gaunt, as if he hadn’t seen food or freedom in some time.

  “Not to worry, son. I’ll rescue you from this dung hole and those vicious creatures that have you locked in here.” But as he approached the cot, he smelt the distinct scent of vampire. He turned the boy’s head and saw the bite marks on his neck.

  When the boy opened his eyes, they were yellow.

  “They’ve already gotten to you. No matter. It’s not too late. What is your name, son?” Cooper asked mostly to keep the boy conscious. It would be easier if the boy could walk without Cooper’s help rather than if Cooper were to try to carry him from the facility.

  “Dusty…Dusty Ryder,” the boy choked out.

  “Well, Mr. Ryder, I am about to rescue you.”

  “The hell you are.”

  Cooper spun around just in time to be pummeled by rather large fists. He flew backwards, landing with a hard thump on the cold cement floor. His bones jarred, his tailbone cracked and he knew he would be in for a world of hurt if he didn’t retreat now. “I’ll return for you,” he promised, then vanished. Without hesitation, he sent himself to Basil. Since he’d let Basil feed off of him in the early days and still, on occasion in the past few years, they were minimally linked. He set himself down in the Digital Domain to a round of gasps from everyone inside.

  “What the hell?”

  He dismissed Jonah’s gasp to turn to Basil. “There is a young man inside Chaos’ compound that needs rescuing. I imagine he isn’
t the only one. We need to go in and rescue him before it is too late.”

  “Cooper, did you just…appear out of nowhere?”

  He waved Dante’s question away with a flutter of his hand. “We all need to go in and rescue him.”

  “We don’t need to do anything,” Basil growled at him in a fierce tone that even startled Cooper.

  “Will you allow your anger at me cloud your judgment and let an innocent young man suffer the consequences?”

  “I’ll do what I want to do when I see fit. I don’t need you anymore, Cooper.”

  Those words struck a mighty blow to his heart. Cooper stood his ground. “Fine, you need me no longer, but someone else does. I attempted to rescue him but I was attacked. I alone am no threat. If you don’t want my help, so be it, but I refuse to sit back while you do nothing.”

  “What will you do? Go back in there alone?” Basil laughed boldly.

  “Okay, I don’t know what’s going on here starting with Cooper appearing out of nowhere and why the two of you are sniping at each other, but if someone is in danger, we should help.”

  Cooper turned to Dante with an appreciative nod. “Thank you. At least someone is using their head.” The low, feral growl Basil emitted warned Cooper he was walking on a thin line. He decided it was best to turn his attention to someone who didn’t want to rip his throat out. “The boy is in the north end of the compound in the third room from the end of the hall. Hurry. Who knows what they will do to him since I’ve been there. His name is Dusty Ryder.” He vanished, hoping they would do as he asked and rescue the young man.

  ***

  “I am so lost.”

  Basil turned to Jonah. Feeling his rage boiling to the surface, he took a slow breath. “Is there anything you can do, electronically, to shut that place down, lock it up so no one can leave?”

  “Um…I’m not sure. Can we discuss what just happened here?”

  “No!” Basil turned to Dante. “Get your brother and anyone else willing to help. We go in an hour. Jonah, find a way to lock everyone inside.”

  “Sure. But first, what the fuck is going on?”

  “I don’t want to get into it now. Get to work.”

  Chapter Eleven

  It seemed silly to seclude herself in her room simply because she was afraid she might run into Cooper. Gabriella supposed she would have to face him sooner or later. She had never been the type of woman to put anything off, she didn’t know why she was procrastinating now.

  Yet stepping from her room was proving to be very difficult.

  She thrust the door open, taking in a deep breath. She was being silly and laughed at herself for it. Leaving the room, she walked down the long corridor. She’d admired the place long before she had ever met Cooper. Who wouldn’t admire a castle in a city where it was rare to see such a thing? Sure, it wasn’t actually in the city, rather on the outer limits. Still, it belonged to Jacob’s Cove.

  Cooper had given her a tour once, much to her delight. She had hoped he would when she’d shown up at his door with the delivery of flowers he’d ordered. From the looks of it now, nothing much had changed. She wondered if the flowers they had planted then were still in bloom today.

  One of the bedroom doors was ajar, drawing her attention. She stopped, unable to resist, and peered inside, surprised to see a baby’s crib.

  “It was to be my daughter’s room.”

  She jumped at least a foot, her heart thumping in her chest. Whirling around, she saw Basil standing soberly behind her. She placed a hand to her heart, drawing in a deep breath. “Was?”

  He nodded, walking past her into the room, stopping beside the crib. “She was taken from us only moments after her birth.”

  “Oh dear, I am so sorry. How awful for you.” Then Gabriella remembered Trinity saying she had no children. Was this what she meant? Was it any wonder she’d fled the room as quickly as she had?

  “She would be a week old today.” He turned back to her, clearing his throat. The obvious sounds of emotion rang in his voice as he spoke. “Have you seen Trinity?”

  The poor man. Poor Trinity. She could only imagine the pain they must be feeling. “Earlier. But not since. I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll find her.” He walked past her again, stopping but not looking at her. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

  “I’m taken care of, thank you. May I ask you something?” He looked up at her, nodded. “Will you ever be able to forgive Cooper?”

  “Will you?”

  She wasn’t sure she could answer that. “Touché. Have you spoken to him since…well…I showed up?”

  “I have. Have you?”

  “He came to me, twice. Once to feed me and the other time he brought me my clothing. He attempted to speak to me but I wasn’t ready. I know how much he loves you, how much you rely on him. I would hate to think I would come between the two of you.”

  Basil turned to her fully now and she saw sincerity in his eyes when he spoke. “You aren’t coming between us. His lies are. I need to find Trinity. I have a task I think she will enjoy doing.”

  Gabriella nodded as he left the room. She stood there a moment, thinking about what Basil had said. They both had been betrayed by the one they loved. Would either of them ever be able to forgive Cooper?

  ***

  Trinity stood at Basil’s side by the compound gates as a car came to a stop at the curb. Jonah, Dante, Gypsy, and Danny stepped out of the car. Behind them another car pulled up and three of Basil’s men exited. It wasn’t a strong number, but it was better than none.

  “This is strictly a search and rescue mission,” Basil told everyone. “But if you have to take someone out to get to them, so be it.”

  “Now we’re talking,” Danny said, eagerly rubbing his hands together.

  “This is not personal. So if you have a bone to pick with anyone inside, Danny, leave it out here. Got it?” Basil warned.

  “I know what I’m doing and if by any chance as I’m trying to rescue someone I happen to gouge the eyes out of the creeps in my way—oops—and if it’s someone who happened to piss me off in the past, then so be it.”

  “Just remember why we’re here,” Basil reminded him.

  “Trin.” Jonah walked up to her, a faint grin on his face.

  She hadn’t been too kind to him when he’d come to see her and she regretted that. “Look, Jonah—”

  “Grief does weird things to a person. They’re not always themselves. What they say and do is a reflection of the pain they’re feeling.” He took her chin in the palm of his hand. “I know this first hand.”

  Yes, he did, given the fact he had lost his wife and unborn child, then been turned into a vampire all within days of each other.

  “But you ever threaten to turn my dick into a shriveled raisin again and I may not be as kind.”

  She bit her lip, trying not to smirk. “I believe I said that if you didn’t leave the room I would make it so that a certain part of your anatomy would shrivel up to the point where the only box it would be useful in would be a box of bran flakes.”

  “I condensed it.” He smiled. “Good to see you out and about.”

  “Good to be about. Now, let’s go kick some ass.”

  “Rescue,” Basil reminded her.

  “That’s what I meant.” Grinning, she along with her few warriors headed to the compound. When the door flew open and a dozen angry men came rushing out, she felt the adrenaline kick in.

  Swords were drawn behind her but as she headed forward, Trinity knew her friends could take care of themselves. She was going to enjoy taking out a few slimy bastards on her quest. It had been a long time since she’d been able to fight.

  Metal rang out as it was used on its victims. She went in bare handed, relishing the hand-to-hand combat. Fists ra
ised, she took out the first jerk who dared to come at her. Damn, it felt good.

  Blood flew both in red and sickly gray. Vampires bore their fangs, werewolves raised long claws. She felt the sting of nails along her back. Swinging her leg out, she caught the bastard right in the throat. He went down on a choked scream, clutching his torn jugular.

  Served him right.

  “I’m going in to do a search,” Basil informed her then change into a bat.

  In her glory, Trinity took out her first victim with a snap of his neck. The were wasn’t dead, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be moving any longer. She turned back to the fight.

  “Get the cripple,” someone called out.

  As she turned to Jonah, she saw him pull out some sort of flat box-like device that looked a great deal like a calculator. He pressed something on it and she was shocked when a wire shot out in the form of a net to catch two vamps. Then things got interesting.

  The two vamps went down, convulsing as if they’d bitten into a live wire.

  “Hot damn, it works,” Jonah whooped, throwing one hand in the air. “Call me a cripple, will you?”

  Laughing, Trinity continued taking anyone out that dared come near her. When they began to retreat, she was highly disappointed but let the few scurry off to lick their wounds.

  “Damn, that was a riot,” Danny shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

  “Jesus, Jonah. That is a nasty device.” Dante laughed as he looked down at the unconscious vamps still twitching on the ground.

  “And now I know it works.” Jonah tucked the device in his shirt pocket, grinning.

  Dante’s jaw dropped open. “You never tested it before now?”

  “No better trial than in combat.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Damn, it is good to be back.” Trinity laughed.

  “They cleared house.”

  She turned as Basil set down beside her, a smile still filling her face. “I haven’t felt this juiced in…a long fucking time.”

  Basil gave her a hard, brain numbing kiss. “I knew it was just what you needed.”