Into the Shadows Read online

  In the blink of an eye, Evan was in front of me again. Damn, he was fast. He threw three awkward punches that I couldn't quite keep up with. One barely caught me above my ear and another was a fair hook to my ribs, but I was ready for the third one. I dodged, and his fist went past my head; I grabbed his arm, spun, and flipped him over my shoulder. He slammed into the floor with a satisfying thud.

  I still had a grip on Evan's arm and was in the process of stomping on his face when something small and solid hit me in the back of my head - hard. I think I stumbled over Evan and fell. The view in front of me was wobbly and dim. A reporter on the TV was saying something about Dan and Craig being laid to rest just over a week after the assault on the Everett home. My skull felt heavy and swollen. My arms and legs weren't cooperating; the best I could do was to stay on my hands and knees.

  "I didn't need your interference, Macie!" I heard behind me. It took my brain a second to process it.

  "You had best start minding your tone, pup," she retorted. "That human was handling you. Frankly, it was embarrassing to watch. All's not lost, though - thanks to you, now I have quite the entertaining story to tell my people."

  Something else was said, I don't know what, and then two taser prongs hit me almost simultaneously. I saw sparks in front of my eyes, and then nothing.

  QUESTIONS

  I woke up on my side, with my head on a pillow and my arms behind my back. The back of my head still hurt. The only source of light was somewhere behind me; it wasn't overhead, so I guessed a table lamp. There was a gap between the bed I was laying on and the wall I was facing. I looked down that wall and gauged how long it was, maybe twenty feet. It went up to a very high ceiling, too; I was in a big room.

  The single window centered in the wall was large, old-fashioned, and had etched artwork in some of the panes. There was a faint smell of sawdust and plaster. I heard hard soles walking on hardwood flooring.

  I stayed still and kept my breathing even; I suspected that two, maybe three, people were somewhere behind me, looking at me. I took a quick mental check of myself: wrists bound by what felt like zip ties, weak ache in my right ribs, and nothing securing my ankles. I felt a moderate urge to piss, and I was painfully lying on my bullet-grazed left arm. All things considered, it could have been worse.

  "See, he's still unconscious." It was Macie's voice.

  "No, I don't think so; I sense a difference." It was Evan's voice that time; he even sounded like a douche. "Trust me; I am one of many within my faction who could tell, whereas I'm told that hardly any of you Outsiders have the Gift of Discerning - such a pity."

  "If you like," she replied coolly, "I can give you a practical example of the Gifts I do possess; the ones that would leave you a whimpering, bloody pulp. Or, if you'd prefer more of a fair contest, I could persuade Mr. Beck to give you another thrashing."

  There was a long pause; I wondered what was happening. "You may face us, Beck," Evan said. "I know you're awake." I rolled onto my back, looking to my right and saw him and Macie standing in the wide entryway to the room. He stared at me for a second before turning to her. "I believe the guide has arrived. I'll bring her up here." He hesitated, about to say more, but then walked off without a word.

  I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. The large room was empty, save for a tall reading lamp. There were two more windows in the long white wall to my left, both of the same ornate style; I couldn't see anything but a dark night through them. Parts of the wall near the entryway were missing cut chunks of drywall, exposing either brick, or pipes and wiring. Macie was leaning against the entry with her arms crossed, neutrally regarding me. Behind her was another large space with banisters that surrounded a wide, descending staircase. I was on an upper level of wherever the hell I was.

  "How's your head?" Macie asked. "It'd be preferable if your brain wasn't addled."

  "Still talking funny, I see," I said, blinking my eyes from the throbbing behind them. "Are you planning to steal my wallet again too, or did you already do that?"

  She smiled with her dimples in full effect. "No need this time, Leo."

  I sighed. "Damn it, Macie, what am I doing here?" I asked as calmly as I could. "Why did you and that dickhead Evan attack and then kidnap me? It's not like I have any money or rich relatives, so what do you want?"

  "It's certainly not about money, Leo, and, to be clear on this, it's not what I want - not anymore. You were a means to an end, a debt to be paid. I've since thought that you'd be a fine addition to my faction. However, my time was running thin and the Doyenne found you to be a strong prospect."

  My frustration and anger came to a boil real quick. "What the fuck was all that supposed to mean? What debt? And when the fuck did I turn into a goddamn bargaining chip? I'm not even gonna ask what a fucking Doyenne is, but you're part of it. Somehow, you set me up - you made me a target! I was nothing but nice to you, Macie. Shit, I thought I even helped you out once! And this is what I get?"

  She didn't seem fazed by my little rant. "I won't say I'm sorry, Leo, because I'm not. If it helps, I do admit that I regret how this transpired. I won't say any more; someone else will explain things." As she ended her statement, Evan and a few other people came up the stairs and stopped near the entry of the room.

  "Who are you people?" I yelled. "Hell, what are you people?"

  No one responded. They didn't even react. Then I heard another set of hard-soled shoes coming up the stairs. Evan leaned against one side of the entry, with Macie across from him. They faced each other but had their heads bowed; whoever the late arrival was, they were given a lot of respect.

  A woman came around the corner and stepped gracefully into the room. My eyes travelled up her tall body; stylish mid-calf white boots, shapely legs, open, knee-length white mink coat, with a form-fitting golden dress underneath that came down to the middle of her firm thighs. She had long, silky blonde hair with bangs that hung just above her eyes. Oh damn, those eyes - large, bright amber eyes. She was stunning, a pale angel. It took me barely a second to realize that the woman standing there was the goddess that I'd been dreaming about.

  DOYENNE

  The woman literally of my dreams stepped closer to me. The smallest of smiles graced her full lips. "Leo," she said softly, like I was someone she remembered fondly.

  "I've dreamt of you," was all I could manage while staring up at her.

  "I know you have." She closed her eyes, and then slowly, enticingly opened them, as if she was revealing a prize. And then everything but her was forgotten. I was lost in amber heaven; her eyes became my world. Those captivating eyes moved closer and looked down on me. While holding her gaze on me, she brought her pinky finger to her mouth. I involuntarily moaned when she slipped it between her moist lips, and then flinched when she forcefully pulled it out. I saw blood on that perfect finger. Why would she mar it? It made me sad, and I worried that she was in pain.

  "Clean my wound, Leo," she whispered as she moved her delicate, wounded finger to my mouth. It was a gift - she was offering me a gift! Slowly, humbly, I put my lips around the end of her finger. The trickle that ran down my tongue was a liquid dream; I moaned again. It was similar to that wine I loved, but stronger, purer, and instantly addictive. I drew more from the wound, savoring the taste for each slow second that she allowed. I felt a slight pull and released the suction on her finger, not wanting to offend.

  As soon as she pulled away, I closed my eyes. The all-consuming allure of her mere presence slowly faded, only to be replaced with an overpowering respect and admiration for her. My mind cleared, and it saw her more clearly than before. I felt full to bursting with devotion to the woman who stood so near, much more than any loyalty I'd ever felt for my military squad or platoon. That devotion swelled within me; I felt invigorated from the honor she gave to let me serve her. I was still myself, still had my own thoughts, but my priorities were rearranged and focused on only one thing: my amber-eyed lady.

  I opened my eyes; she still s
tood in front of me. I nearly panicked - I was taught manners and knew better than not to stand in the presence of a lady. And she was not a lady; she was the lady. I sprung to my feet and muttered an apology.

  "You are the willful one called Leo, yes?" she asked me.

  "Yes, ma'am," I answered, not sure if 'willful' was a good thing or not.

  "Oh, that won't do," she said as she began tracing my facial scars with her soft finger. "I will say this only once." She pulled her finger away and looked up into my eyes. "I am the Lady Emmeline Le Meur. I am the Doyenne of this city. You, my minion, may only call me Madame. Do you understand?"

  "I understand, Madame."

  She nodded her acceptance of my reply. "And now, to ensure that my sovereignty over you is secured, I will ask two questions . . . I and I will know if you're lying." Since my hands were still bound behind me, I stood at parade rest and stared straight forward. "Who do you work for?" the Doyenne asked.

  "You, Madame," I barked.

  "Is your life yours, or is it mine?"

  "It's yours, Madame." I meant it.

  "Yes, it is - very good, Leo." She turned away and told the others to leave us for a moment. Macie, Evan, and whoever else was out there obeyed immediately. When we were alone, the Doyenne turned back to me and said, "You may free yourself if you're able."

  Wanting to please her, impress her, I widened my stance and strained my arms against the hard plastic strip. I was surprised and happy when I felt it stretch. My second attempt loosened it enough to free my hands. I worked the aches out of my arms and waited for her next order.

  The Doyenne wandered over to one of the windows and stared out into the night. "You will soon come to realize the honor you've been given, Leo," she said, still looking away. "I rule here; others bow before me, all of them. And you, Leo," she turned her head to me, "have been chosen to serve me." She paused for a few seconds and then returned her gaze to the window. "But first you must be educated. Over the next few days, you will remain here to alter your sleeping pattern and be tutored. Understood?"

  "Of course, Madame," I answered, hoping my disappointment couldn't be heard in my voice. I wanted to be near her, please her, and protect her.

  She slid her hands into the pockets of her thick coat and faced me. "To test the level of free will you might still possess, you may ask the first two questions that come to your mind, if any. This offer should give you evidence of how considerate I can be." A pause and then, "You may ask your questions."

  "Yes, Madame, thank you; I do have questions. First, what does Doyenne mean?"

  She grinned. "The word originated with the French; it essentially means 'leader'. Do you have a second question? And keep in mind that it may be some time before I let you speak so informally to me again, so don't waste this opportunity."

  "Yes, Madame, thank you; I appreciate it." Without hesitation, I asked, "Can I please use the restroom?" I think the question surprised her, but, damn, I had to go.

  Her thin eyebrows came together in a frown. "You may relieve yourself after I depart, which will be after I ask you about a very specific topic." I went back to a parade rest and waited, trying not to piss myself. The Doyenne looked at me intently again when she asked, "Have you heard the word 'Veleti' before?"

  "Yes, Madame, a few nights ago; some crazy bum yelled that word twice before he ran off."

  "And does that word have any significance for you?"

  "Uh, no, Madame; it sounds like an Italian dish to me, but the bum said it like he meant a person."

  The Doyenne nodded slowly. "You will not speak of this to anyone, Leo. Now you may go."

  I mumbled a thank you as I ran out of the room.

  ACCEPTANCE

  When I came out of the roomy bathroom, I saw Sarah standing nearby, twirling a lock of her sandy blonde hair with a finger and smiling at me. Shit. "What are you doing here, Sarah?" I asked with a sigh.

  "I was brought here to be your tutor. I hope you don't still think I'm bad luck."

  "We'll see. Where is everyone?"

  "Well, the Lady Le Meur said something to Macie about a debt being paid and dismissed her. Then the Lady left a few guards here and walked out with Mr. Dean - um, Evan. I only call him Mr. Dean."

  "She's already gone?" I hoped I didn't sound panicky.

  "You were in there for a few minutes, Leo. Besides, it's not like she's going to wait on you. Come on," Sarah said brightly as she took my hand, "let me show you around the place."

  The 'place' was originally a vast house - easily as big as Everett's - built for some rich dude in the early 1900's. It sat in an area called the northeast, an old section of the city not far from downtown. I knew the neighborhood; I grew up there. As long as I ever knew, the place wasn't a house - it was a museum of boring stuff. It wasn't a good part of town, although the aging homes around the large, three-story stone museum were kept looking nice. Sarah explained that all of the big rooms were being renovated. Most of the place was empty except for scattered piles of supplies and some construction tools.

  There were three guards, all of them dressed in Realm jackets and black ball caps. They alternated positions; two in the house, one patrolling the grounds. I learned later that those three were replaced by two other guards for the daytime shift. One of them had already made a grocery run; with a mini-fridge, and a microwave, we had enough for simple meals. They also got me a bottle of Jack Daniels, thank God.

  A couple hours before dawn, Sarah led me to the room she was occupying while stuck with me there. Like my bed, hers didn't have a frame, but she did have sheets. Her room wasn't as big as mine, but it did have a door. She also had a desk and chair. Considering that I only had a lamp and a bare mattress with box springs, she had a pretty nice set-up.

  "I know you have lots of questions," she stated as she sat then fell back on her bed, "so have a seat and I'll try to explain everything. We have a few nights, so take your time."

  I was too fidgety to sit; I had too many questions and not having any answers for them caused me to pace. "Could I start off by asking: what the fuck is going on here?"

  Sarah chuckled and propped her head up against a pillow. "That wasn't very specific, so I'll break it down into a few basic concepts. First of all, Leo, you have to accept one simple fact. If you don't accept it, then anything else I say is worthless and I'm wasting my time."

  "Okay, I'm a fairly open-minded guy; what is this simple fact?"

  "Vampires exist." Sarah noted how I stopped pacing and stared at her, so she quickly elaborated. "I'll bet you've seen some things you can't explain. Well, that's the explanation. I only use the word 'vampire' because it's the simplest way to get the idea across. I mean, it's the correct word, but since Hollywood made it feel cheesy and cheap, some vampires like other terms. I've mostly heard of names like daemon, strigoi, or Eidolon. Take your pick. I've heard Lady Le Meur refer to herself as an Eidolon once. Oh, and anything like 'bloodsucker' will not go over well."

  I continued to stare. "Are you fucking kidding me? C'mon, Sarah, I want a real answer."

  "You've been exposed to a whole new world, Leo," she said with a shrug. "I don't expect you to accept it so easily. I sure didn't. If you want, you can think on it for a while, and come to grips with that being the only answer for anything you might've been allowed to see."

  So that's what I did. I went back to my bed and tried to come up with rational explanations for things that didn't seem humanly possible. I failed. There were questions I tried to answer on my own, but all of the activities of a very long night caught up with me. Exhausted, I finally fell asleep just as the sky began to lighten through my decorative windows. I dreamed of Madame Le Meur.

  HEMOS

  The next afternoon, I sat down with Sarah at a folding table and a couple of stackable plastic chairs. I invited the inside guard to have some sandwiches with us while we talked; he said that he was allowed to be near us but not to interact much. He was following orders; I respected that fact, but it also me
ant that I wasn't going to give him any of my damn food. I didn't want to be there; my duty - my urge - was to watch out for Lady Le Meur. She ordered me to stay and I obeyed, but I wasn't happy about it.

  "Alright, Sarah," I began while making some roast beef and mayo sandwiches, "believing what you told me last night is going to be determined by what you can explain. I can't just take it as truth without having something to back it up. First of all, though, I need to make sure of something: I'm not one of those . . . vampires, Eidolons, hemoholics, whatever, am I?"

  She giggled. "Shit, no! And what was that word, 'hemoholics'?"

  "Just something I thought up this morning. Hemo means blood, so, you know, hemos, hemoholics - it seemed to fit. And in Evan's case, hemo could be mistaken for homo; again, it fits."

  "Yeah, well, fitting or not," she said, unable to suppress a grin, "I suggest you keep that one to yourself."

  "Okay, so I'm not one. Last night I thought about all that shit the movies said they could and couldn't do. I remember some of the older flicks; some of the stuff like garlic and no reflection in a mirror and not being able to cross running water . . . that all sounds kind of stupid."

  Sarah finished a bite of her pastrami on rye and said, "That's because it's bullshit. They do have a couple of the weaknesses that come to mind, like sunlight, but they - vamps - have what they call Gifts that set them apart from regular people. They're really not human anymore; they're more. And as they go along without aging - years, decades, centuries - their Gifts just get stronger."

  "Gifts, like what?"

  "All sorts of things," she answered with a shrug. "They have terms for them, I think, but I just break it down into three categories. The first is physical; you know, being stronger, faster, or tougher. Then there's the mind stuff: persuasion, heightened senses, making you forget, stuff like that. The last one is what I just call creepy. Some of them can control animals; others can even turn into one. There are other Gifts that can make someone nearly invisible, or maybe they just mess with perception."