Darkness Haunts

chapter Nine



I stood in the shower, trying to wash away the memory of the night before, when the walls and floor began to shake. A thunderous roar came over the cabin and I nearly slipped on the wet tiles. The ominous sound had me grabbing a towel to wrap around my body as I leaped out. My heart thumped heavily against my chest as I reached for the gun on the sink counter, ready to shoot anything that came near. Had the sups come back already? My senses didn’t pick up anything dangerous nearby but something had to have made that noise. It couldn’t have been my imagination.

I moved in a methodical manner through the cabin using standard military search techniques. Nothing turned up by the time I’d finished. My confusion came to an end when realization hit me. I almost threw my gun against the wall, annoyed at myself for not figuring it out sooner.

In my weary state, I’d forgotten about the Air Force base nearby and their regular flights over the area. The roar of the planes going by annoyed everyone, particularly the locals who had to deal with it the most. This wouldn’t be the first time military aircraft had disturbed me, but I still wanted to run outside and raise my fist at them. Of course, they were long gone by now while I was left standing in the kitchen dripping water onto the floor.

I forced myself to set the weapon down on the table. It freed my hands, which were still shaking, to make coffee. The hot, soothing brew would help calm my nerves and wake me up—something I needed right now after last night’s events left me with little more than fitful sleep.

The memory flashed in my mind again.

It wasn’t something any decent person could forget. The dead witch’s face floated before my eyes, her gaze now haunting. It transformed to become one covered in blood. How many others had I killed overseas and tried to forget? Now I had an image to go with all the other deaths because I knew I’d hit some of my targets when we were ambushed. Feelings of remorse rose up before I shoved them back down. Not now, definitely not now. I tossed the key on my mental lock box for extra security.

There were bigger issues to worry about. The group had been angry when they left and would no doubt be back for more. My protections had held, but the sups would find a way around them, given enough time.

Make a run for it.

The thought flashed through my mind, no doubt fueled by self-preservation. It wouldn’t work. In all likelihood, they were more determined than ever to capture me and running away wouldn’t change that. Not to mention I couldn’t leave Aniya behind on the remote chance escaping the area might save me. She deserved better. She’d always been there for me. If I could at least get her out of there, maybe we could both hide.

One new advantage would help. Last night I’d taken extra care to memorize each of the sup’s unique signatures with my senses. It would allow me to know if any of them were nearby. All I had to do was find one of them and tail that guy back to their home base. They would have to be staying at the same place as Aniya. At least, I hoped they were. It was the one way I could think of to find her.

First, I needed some more wolfsbane. Most of it had been blown or washed away by the storm last night. The wind had been worse than I expected. What remained wouldn’t be enough to keep the werewolves out if they came back. I didn’t want them near the cabin, whether I was here or not.

I grabbed a phone book the cabin owner had been thoughtful enough to leave for my use. There appeared to be several herb shops nearby, but I didn’t want to be out in public any longer than necessary. Calling first seemed like a good idea.

I considered tossing the phone book after discovering the first two stores didn’t have wolfsbane. It didn’t seem right. The herb wasn’t uncommon and most places would carry it. They did in California—Lisette’s shop sold it. Not that I’d bought it from her place. She would have asked too many uncomfortable questions.

I tried the third and last one, hoping for better results. A woman answered the phone with a polite greeting. Her voice had a melodic tone to it.

“Yes, do you have any Aconite?” I gave the more proper name so as to not alert her to my true purpose.

A distinct pause followed my question before she answered. “I’m sorry, no, we don’t sell that here.”

A small tremor had been notable in her voice. She was hiding something, but I couldn’t come out and accuse her of it. “Do you know anyone who does?”

“It isn’t…commonly used in Fairbanks. You won’t find anyone who sells it in the area. Is there an alternative herb I could help you with?”

“Um, no, thanks.” I hung up.

The conversation told me a few things. First, the other shops hadn’t hesitated to inform me they didn’t have it in stock. I knew they were telling the truth. Next, this woman seemed to be a little too aware no one carried it.

She had to know why.

Maybe the sups forced local stores to get rid of the herb and to not sell it anymore. Humans could have been compelled and supernatural owners threatened. The practice might not be all that unusual for a place with a high supernatural population. It wouldn’t surprise me.

The woman had felt “other” but my detecting abilities had their limits over a phone line. Intuition was all I had. She had to be carrying it in secret because the feel of her words made me believe she told a half-truth. If that was the case, it would be worth the risk to find out.

After ditching the towel and getting dressed, I headed over to the store. It looked nice on the outside, despite its small size. Most herb shops weren’t that large so it didn’t surprise me. My senses picked up on her nature long before I reached the door, a fairy—one with a good thrum of power emanating from her. My senses told me she had been alive for about sixty years, but she appeared to be no more than twenty-five. Amongst the fae, fairies and elves tended to live the longest, measuring their lifespans in centuries instead of decades. I’d never seen an elf and this was only my second fairy.

The woman turned out to be as beautiful as her voice. She had flowing red hair reaching past her curvy hips and porcelain skin that brought out striking green eyes. If not for my ability to detect glamour, I might have believed magic made her look that good, but she didn’t need it.

A fairy’s natural appearance was a direct reflection on how they lived their lives. Those who did bad things were ugly and covered it up with glamour. The ones who acted good and kind became beautiful. Everything they did turned their looks one way or the other, so they had to consider every action. Maybe I could use that to my benefit. She wouldn’t want to tarnish her image.

I gave her a bright smile, which she returned with one of her own. It almost blinded me. Wow, she had to be really good to have that kind of wattage.

“Can I help you?” She asked in an even more lyrical voice than what had come across the phone.

“Yes, I called earlier about the Aconite.”

The skin on her face tightened a fraction. “I’m sorry, but as I said, I don’t sell it here.”

She avoided lying again by using the same half-truth. Fairies were good at that. She wouldn’t get off that easy with me, though.

“I know you said you didn’t sell it, but do you have it?”

Her eyes turned down as she started to fidget with a colorful floral arrangement on the counter.

“There is none available that I can give you.” She glanced up at me before averting her face again. “Is there something else I could help you with?”

I moved forward and put my hands on the counter in front of her. My next words would be a risk, but one I had to take. A glance at her business cards by the register gave me a start.

“Felisha, please don’t lie to me. I know you have it.”

The worry creasing her features melted to surprise, then denial. She backed away.

“I told you already no one sells that herb here. Please leave if that is all you are looking for because I can’t help you.”

She had a thread of fear coming from her that made me feel a tinge of guilt for my tactics, but there wasn’t time to be soft with her.

“I know you’re a fairy and don’t bother looking surprised.” I could see that she was. “Why are you taking orders from the vampires and werewolves around here?”

She gasped.

“You’re the woman they’re searching for, aren’t you?” Her voice came out little more than a whisper.

I shrugged. The word on me must have gotten out. “Unless there’s more than one woman who they’re searching for, I’m probably the one you’re thinking of.”

Felisha shook her head. “If I were you, I’d run as far away as possible.”

She paused for a moment. “Don’t use the airport, they’ll be watching for that.”

Wasn’t she helpful.

“Running from them won’t save me, we both know that. I came here for a reason. You have to have some wolfsbane back there.” Might as well use the real term for the herb now that my secret was out.

Pity reflected from her eyes. I supposed she figured me for a dead woman.

“Your being a sensor doesn’t mean you can beat them. Unless you have an angel or two around to protect you, they will get you.”

The one thing close to an angel I had would be more likely to kill me than save me. Of course, she didn’t know that, but something else she said worried me more.

“What makes you think I’m a sensor?”

Her lips thinned. “I have the sight. It might not work on you, but others have figured out what you are. I can ‘see’ them discussing it. Whatever you did last night sealed your fate. They want you more than you can imagine.”

A fairy that could “see” things. There weren’t many of them with that ability from what I understood. A few other races tended to have the monopoly on that skill.

“Please, sell me the wolfsbane. I need it to protect myself. Would you really deny me such a small thing considering all I’m up against?”

Her conflicting emotions—both fear and sympathy—bombarded my senses. These sups must have had her scared.

“Why don’t you leave, rather than live here in fear?” I asked. Seemed to me she had more of a choice than I did. There couldn’t be that much holding her to this town.

She opened her mouth, and then closed it with an audible snap, appearing to be in deep thought. After a moment of contemplation, she waved me over.

“Come with me, I’ll get you the wolfsbane, but you must leave after that. I have to hope they didn’t see you come in.”

“They didn’t,” I said. “You’re the only supernatural around here right now.”

“Oh, right.” She turned back and gave me a weak smile. “You would know.”

I smiled back, trying to reassure her. Not an easy thing under the circumstances. Her nervousness was making me nervous. I imagined both of us wanted to get this over with.

There were clear storage bins of varying sizes for the herbs in the back room where she led me. She pulled one open and took a sealed bag of wolfsbane out, handing it over while keeping an eye on the door. It was like a backroom drug deal, except of the supernatural kind.

“This is all I can spare. They’ve prevented us from getting any additional supplies into the area. I wish I could give you more, but you’re holding half my stock in your hands as it is.”

The bag weighed a couple of pounds with the herb packed tight inside. If I took extra precautions this time, it would be enough to do the job.

“Thanks,” I said, putting the herb in my backpack. “How much do I owe you?”

She waved her hand. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. Please, just don’t tell them I gave it to you.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll never know.”

She nodded and led me back to the front. Before I could go, though, she stopped me at the counter.

“There is one other thing I may be able to help you with. As a sensor you can handle using it, but save this as a last resort.”

She brought out a small white pouch that had been tied off with a golden string. I took it from her when she handed it to me. The pouch felt smooth, like velvet, and didn’t weight much.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Fairy dust. Are you familiar with its use?”

Wanda had covered some fairy mythology in her lessons, not a lot, but she’d explained enough for me to know their dust could be used as a protective measure. It stunned the victim for a brief period and made them forget the seconds before it hit them. Most of the time, only fairies could handle it since no others could touch the dust without being affected. Sensors were the exception. So long as our blood didn’t touch it, the substance would remain active for use on anyone else.

“Good, then please be careful. They want you now that they know what you are. I’m afraid of what purpose they think you could serve. Avoid them at all cost.”

I was touched by her concern. Not to mention she’d taken a serious risk giving me such a precious gift. If the sups found out, it could cause her a lot of trouble.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care and they’ll never know you helped me,” I promised.

She managed a weak smile and surprised me with a warm hug. We were about the same height. I got a good whiff of her floral scented hair as it rubbed against my nose. It had a calming effect that had nothing to do with its magical properties. It should have been awkward to embrace a supernatural creature, but it wasn’t with her. Maybe there were a few sups out there that didn’t have to be classified as all bad.

I broke away from her with a smile and headed out the door. The one way I could return the favor was by leaving.



***



Two hours later, I had the fresh wolfsbane laid out under the cabin. This time it was divided off into cloth sacks and tied to the supports underneath so it couldn’t be blown away. I tried to learn from my mistakes. Maybe it would keep me alive.

The landlord had come by during my trip to Felisha’s shop and patched up the window. I’d called him before leaving the cabin earlier, wanting to get it taken care of as soon as possible. He came faster than expected and left a message saying the glass was on order and would take about a week to arrive. I had to give him credit. He did a better job boarding up the empty space than I did. He even stapled some plastic on the outside to seal it better.

Satisfied my home was as safe as it could be, I left again to begin my search for the sups who could lead me to Aniya. The best defense would be a good offense. They wouldn’t expect me to search for them. Most sensible people would be running away right now. There was nothing sensible about my actions lately.

The sun rode low in the sky as I drove around. It didn’t take too long to cover all the major areas of the city, considering its size. Over two dozen sups blipped on my radar, but none of them were the ones who had been at the cabin last night or the bar the evening before. I decided to drive farther out in the hopes of finding them elsewhere.

My next stop was a town called North Pole. Not the actual North Pole, which was much farther north, but a town that went by that name. Even in August, it had a festive atmosphere and catered to the Christmas season. I had read somewhere the townspeople here received all the letters sent to Santa via the post office and replied back to the kids who wrote them. I wondered if the letters I’d sent as a child ever made it to this place. Assuming my parents really did mail them.

My attention was diverted while driving on Santa Claus Lane by the very thing I was hunting. There had been a few sups in the vicinity, but none I recognized until now. One of the werewolves who attacked the cabin the night before was inside the Safeway grocery store. I decided to pull over at a nearby gas station and grab something to drink while waiting for him to come out. About the same time I got back into my vehicle, he got in his.

I didn’t move until he got a few blocks away. My SUV glided into the light traffic as I picked up speed to follow him. He drove out of town and headed north for awhile, making a few turns onto other highways before I sensed his vehicle pull off and come to a stop. I couldn’t come up behind him, so I picked out a dirt road that didn’t appear like it was used much. It was far enough out of the way no one would notice my vehicle while I continued on foot.

I grabbed my backpack before heading into the woods. The hiking boots on my feet turned out to be a good choice for the terrain, along with my jeans, long-sleeve shirt, and jacket. The air had already begun to cool outside. The temperature would be dropping further as the sun set. All I needed to do was verify Aniya stayed at the same place the werewolf had gone and get a good look at the set-up. With luck, I’d be back at the cabin before dark to plan my next step.

The sups couldn’t sense me like I could them, making it less risky to sneak up on their house. There didn’t appear to be any other homes nearby, which reduced the risk of nosy neighbors. Despite not sensing anyone too close, I moved cautiously all the way until the house came into view through the trees.

There were a lot of sups in there. All of their contrasting signatures pushed at my senses, making me sway for a moment before getting myself under control. All the recent exposure to them had reduced the effects, but there were enough of them here to make my temples throb.

I counted at least seventeen in the place—eight werewolves, seven vampires, one witch and…a witch-vamp? That came as a surprise. From what I understood, it was an almost unheard-of occurrence. No vamp would want to turn them, and most witches wouldn’t ask for it. The transition could kill them, and even if they did survive to become a hybrid, their magic was reduced considerably from what it had been before.

Despite that, this one had been turned long ago and had to be around four hundred years old. She wasn’t super strong, but she still ranked higher than anyone else in the area. Some of the older vamps would have killed her on sight if they’d found her, believing a hybrid to be too great a threat, but she seemed to be doing well for herself up here. Of course, Alaska wouldn’t be a bad place to live if you wanted to avoid notice.

I maneuvered myself to about two hundred yards from the house and settled into a position with plenty of bushes where it would make it easy to hide while observing. No outdoor activity could be seen, and the werewolf had already gone inside. It was a large home that looked to be in good shape with light blue siding, and a deck along the back. It branched out over a down-hill slope and no doubt provided a nice view while standing on it. I imagined it cost a fortune to build the entire place. There were two above-ground floors and I could sense a couple of sups down in a basement below, both of them younger vampires who were probably resting until nightfall.

The tricky part came in attempting to sense any humans at this distance. Most of the time, I could only detect them at a very close range. Even then they had to be feeling strong emotions, but sometimes my ability could be stretched further with deep concentration. Minutes passed as I forced my mind to focus. All at once, a burst of fear came from the house. It had to be from a human, but I couldn’t get enough of a lock on the signature to know if the person was Aniya. The emotion strengthened to a high pitch and sent a shot of pain through my head. It had to be her.

A few moments later six werewolves came dashing outside in human form and raced straight for me. I sucked in a breath. How could they have known I was here? Not wanting to stick around and ask, I took off running through the woods toward my vehicle, fumbling with my backpack as I went.

The crack of broken twigs behind me let me know the group had sped up and weren’t bothering to be subtle about it. My feet practically flew across the uneven terrain as my pursuers gained on me at a terrifying rate. I could see the Pathfinder up ahead and pushed hard to reach it. My heart pounded hard in my chest. The SUV was close enough that I thought I could make it if I didn’t slow down.

The weres weren’t going to make it that easy, though. To my dismay, one of them pulled ahead of the others and closed the gap between us within a few seconds. As I came within a dozen strides of reaching the vehicle, he leaped forward and knocked me down. The air left my lungs as his weight collapsed over me.

It couldn’t end like this.

I had the fairy dust in my hand, having already grabbed the pouch from my backpack. It had to work. The werewolf pulled his weight off mine enough that I was no longer being crushed by him. I took advantage of it and flipped myself over. My hand flung a pinch of the dust into his surprised face.

It froze him on contact. I pushed his body off to the side and jumped up, ready to make the last stretch to my vehicle, but by this time the others had caught up. They circled around me, their postures wary.

My lungs dragged in air as I tried to catch my breath. Most of the fairy dust remained in my hand, but there would only be one chance to use it. When one of the weres turned his head to give an order, I took advantage.

With several flicks of my hand, I cast the powdery substance over their faces while pivoting on my feet. Some moved to stop me, but not quickly enough. The whole group stood frozen within seconds. I propelled myself to the SUV again and almost made it, but the first werewolf had come out of his trance. He had been the strongest one in the group.

It gave me a jolt when his hand took hold of my fallen hair. It had been in a bun before to keep it out of the way, but it must have unraveled during the chase. He rolled half of it around his hand and dragged me back to him. I struggled, not ready to give up yet.

He grunted when the sole of my boot slammed into his shin.

“You had to do this the hard way,” he said in a gruff voice.

A hard knock to my head made everything go black before I could reply.