Black Moon Rising (DarkLife Saga) (10 page)

“What’s going on Val; I saw your headlights.”

I pointed to Irulan.  “Get my wife inside where it’s safe, I’m waiting for David.”

He helped Irulan up and handed her off to one of the guards that were behind him.  “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on, and don't think I’m going to let you get away with lying to me this time.”

I saw headlights heading toward us and rushed forward to meet David and Dante.  “I’m done keeping things from you, Tam.  I promise, just let me get my son and his friend.”

I felt the shimmer of magic as David pulled Irulan's car into the deck.  Dante squinted through the windshield and let it drop the second he saw me.  I didn’t wait for David to get out and come to me.  Instead, I strode forward and pulled the car door clean off its hinges.  “What the hell, Ma?!”

I pulled my son from the car and into my arms.  “I’m just glad you're here that’s all.”  He pulled out of my hug and rolled his eyes as he looked back at Dante.

“Told you she was overprotective,” David chuckled and leaned
toward me.  He took a deep breath and wrinkled his nose in disgust.  “Oh geez, Ma, it’s you.”

“What’s me?”

“The smell, you reek.  I caught your scent in the alley next to the house today.  It totally slipped my mind until just now.  The smell is all through the house.”

It wasn’t me; whatever, whoever it was, the fucker has been in my house, near my son.  My vision changed and I knew my eyes had gone black.  I called Tamerlane just as I heard the click of a car door opening.  I turned back to the car expecting Dante, but that’s not who it was.  Dante was already out of the car and standing near the hood.  The door-clicker was none other than Rowan Meriwether.  Fuck me silly, this was the last thing I needed.

“David, care to explain.”

He dropped his head to the ground and sheepishly shrugged his shoulders.  “Well, you told me to bring whatever I was doing with me.  Rowan and I were talking.  She took the gate at Thorston’s to come and see me.”

Everything in me was screaming to send her packing, but she'd been in my home, and if that thing had her scent she was a target now, also.  I pushed David into his uncle’s arms.

“We need to get them inside, Tamerlane.  I’ll explain everything, but I’m only going to do it once.  Get Ballistic and Gridlock to bring Constantine here, now, like ten minutes ago now.  I don't care if they have to drag him kicking and screaming.  Lock him in a pine box covered in stakes if they have to, just get him here.”

My brother didn’t question me.  He just pulled out his phone and sent the text.  “Anything else?”  He asked as we boarded the elevator.

“Yeah, send a set of guards for Valerian, at this point he's in as much danger as Constantine,
hell we all could be, and get Daddy to a conference room.  He needs to hear this.”

Tam cursed as he sent out the set of texts that w
ould get Valerian an envoy and Daddy to the conference room.  It was time to let the cat out of the bag.

Chapter 11

C
onstantine was on his way to Charleston when Ballistic got Tamerlane’s text.  Apparently he was going to try to sweet talk more blood samples out of Sophie Blackmon.  We had to wait two hours for them to get back with him.

I spent those two hours explaining my theories and fears to Valerian.  I made him see the full scope of the mess Constantine had gotten us into and why I couldn’t keep his secret anymore.  He agreed with me.  If we were dealing with the Fae, it was too dangerous to keep everyone in the dark.

My cell buzzed, and I flicked my finger across the screen.  It was a text letting me know that Constantine was in the building.  Showtime.  “Come on, twin, let’s get this over with.”

We walked into the large conference room. Everyone was there.  David, Dante, and Rowan were gathered in a far corner talking among themselves.  Tamerlane and Thade were
poring over the files that contained the info on the Atlanta break in and the Russian fire.

Irulan was curled up in a chair with her eyes closed.  She looked like she was sleeping soundly, but I knew better.  She was concentrating.  Her attention was focused on me and the conversation I was had in my office with Vedo.

When I walked in, Tamerlane jumped up.  “About damn time, Valeria.  We've been waiting for you for two hours.  You've got some nerve flying in here like all hell was about to break loose, then keeping us waiting for so long.”

“I was waiting for Constantine, Tam, I told you that.”

“I could give a shit,” he retorted.  “I’m sick of your bull, Val, you’ve known…”  He didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying.  Our father walked into the room and took his seat at the head of the table.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to your sister that way.”  His voice was calm and cold as steel.  He didn’t have to raise it to get what he wanted.  The bite in his tone was enough.

Tamerlane hissed and jabbed his finger in my direction.  “Valeria knows something father.  She has for days, and she's been keeping quiet about it.”

Daddy cocked his eyebrow and laced his fingers together.  “And?  She had to have her reasons.  Whatever they were, I trust her judgment.  Sit down.”

If looks could kill.  Tam shot daggers in my direction, but he sat down without another word.  As Valerian and I took our seats, Ballistic and Gridlock came into the room, dragging Constantine behind them.

“Get your fucking hands off of me,” he yelled as he struggled with the two imposing bears.

“Gladly,” they muttered together as the shoved him down into a chair.  Free of their less-than-grateful charge, they turned and went to stand by the wall behind him.

Constantine’s eyes were black as he leaned forward and slapped his hands on the table.  “Fuck you, Tamerlane. This was uncalled for.”

Tamerlane jerked a thumb in my direction.  “Thank woolybooger over there.  This is her show tonight.”

That was Tamerlane’s way of taking a jab at me.  He knows I hate that nickname.  I ignored it and looked down at Irulan as she righted herself in her seat.  She nodded at me, and with her reassurance that I was finally doing the right thing, I began.

I pulled the torn book page from my pocket and held it up for Constantine to see.  His eyes began to tear up, and he covered his face, trying to hide behind his hands.

Daddy was taken aback at the sight.  He hissed and looked at me.  “Start explaining, Valeria.”

“The fire in Russia, the break in in Atlanta, Daddy they're all connected.”

He nodded his head in an ‘I already know that’ manner.  “I was informed that’s why he has guards, no.”

“What you don't know is that Constantine asked Valerian to take on a murder client a few days ago.”

Daddy and Tamerlane’s heads jerked
toward Valerian who clasped his eyes shut and shook his head yes, as if he was confirming what I just said.

Tamerlane growled.  “The escort you requested.  That was for an outside job.”

Valerian shook his head yes.  “I figured since it was for a family member it didn’t classify as an outside job.”

Tam rolled his eyes, “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

Daddy looked at me and I started talking again.  “It’s a human case, Daddy, or at least I thought it was, but after investigating, I’ve found out the murderer is an Extra.”

Daddy looked at Constantine.  “Why would you get your brother involved in a human murder
trial?  What could possibly motivate you to-”

“It was Fee, father.”  Constantine’s voice was hollow and broken as tears slid down his face.  Daddy got quiet and dropped his head.

“I’m sorry to hear that, son.”  Daddy knew about Constantine’s relationship with the human.  Did he know everything?

I slid the paper across the conference table.  “Did Daddy know you were still in contact with her?”  Daddy’s head jerked up at the news.  “How long have you been having an affair with her?” I asked softly.

Constantine laughed bitterly.  “How long?  It never stopped.  Why do you think I moved to Charlotte?”

The entire room was cemetery quiet.  I had to finish or I’d choke.  I hated being the one to drag my brother's secrets out into the open.  “Constantine, you’ve got to tell us what you spoke about with Fee the last time you talked to her.  It looks like whoever the Fae is that’s after you, is targeting your work.  Did you mention anything pertaining to your research to
Fee?”

He shook his head no,
and then looked at me with a puzzled look.  It was Tamerlane that gave a voice to his confusion.  “Hold up, did you say Fae?  Are you sure?”

Irulan leaned forward to look Tamerlane in eye.  “I searched the house for traces of magic right before we came here.”  She shuddered as she remembered the backlash of power that momentarily dazed her.  “It was definitely Fae and stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before.”

Daddy tilted his head in my direction.  “Stronger than you and Valeria?”

Irulan winced and slowly shook her head.  “Yes and no.  I’m not sure, Hadrian.  It tasted familiar, but nothing I’ve met had power like that.  So I
can’t be sure.”

Daddy
dipped his head at Constantine.  “Answer your sister, son.  What did you tell your human?”

Constantine slapped his hands against the table and groaned.  “For the second time NOTHING!!”  He brushed his hands across the deep grooves in the
paper.  The impressions were all he had left of Fee; letters written and erased time after time, setting up meeting after meeting behind William's back.

I looked over at David and lost my temper.  “I’m tired of your lies, Constantine.  I might have kept Valerian’s case a secret, but it was because you asked us to.  I have not outright lied to anyone’s face like you did, and continue to do.”

I pointed to David and held up my hands.  “Whatever this thing is has been in my home.  It's been near my son.  Do you hear me?  It tried to fucking fry me by sabotaging my car while I was out trying to get YOUR girlfriend’s husband off for a murder; you're indirectly responsible for.  Stop lying to me and tell me the truth, T!”

Daddy’s eyes bled to black, and he pushed his aura at Constantine, forcing him back into his chair.  “For the last time answer the question, Constantine.  You will no longer endanger your family with your inability to tell the truth.”

Constantine shook his head back and forth as tears slid down his face.  “I swear on everything I hold dear, I NEVER spoke about my work with Fee!  Father, look in my head, you'll know I’m not lying.”

Daddy pulled back his aura and Constantine fell forward against the table.  “Valeria, your brother is not lying,” he muttered after a few moments.

Constantine wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand.  “I wasn’t worried about work when I was with Fee.  The time we had together was too precious to waste on shop talk.”

I had all the pieces to the puzzle, but they wouldn’t fit together.  I looked at Valerian and Tamerlane.  “What am I missing?  It's all right here, but something is missing.”

I didn’t get the chance to dwell on it because alarms started blaring.  The lights blinked off, and thick, steel blinds slammed shut, covering the windows.  I heard the click of locks sliding into place on the door as Thade and Tamerlane jumped up and flew over to the only source of light in the room.  A glowing security panel embedded into the wall near the door.

Thade’s growl was laced with power as he punched in a sequence of numbers and leaned forward to have his retina scanned.  A few seconds later, his cursing filled the room.

“Fuck! I don't believe this!”

My father was the epitome of cool as he slowly rotated in his chair to look at Tamerlane and Thade.  “What’s the situation boys?”

Tamerlane raked his fingers through his braids and hissed.  “The building has gone dark, Father.  We've got a hostel on the premises.  The guards at the gatehouse are dead.”

The conference room became a blur of motion.  Thade and Tamerlane were busy trying to coordinate the guards outside of the room and get a team of Sentinels en route from the CMS.  We might have had our own forces, but we were still under their jurisdiction.

Thade stuffed his cell into his pocket and began unbuttoning his shirt.  “Uncle Marcus is on his way with three teams, e.t.a. ten minutes.  Have you gotten anyone on their coms yet?”

Tamerlane hurled his small watch-like com into the wall and growled as it shattered to dust.  “Even the emergency lines are silent.  Either everyone is compromised and forced to observe radio silence, or they're all dead.”

I shook my head, tossing a stray burgundy strand of hair out of my face.  “A mix of both, I think, but I can find out for sure.”  I closed my eyes and pushed my aura ahead of me, fanning it across the room and out into the building.  It passed through room after room in a massive wave, briefly brushing the bodies inside as I searched the main tower.

I pushed my aura farther away from me than I ever had before, until I got a feel for every person that was on the premises, everyone except our intruder.

When my aura slammed back into me, it was with enough force to double me over.  I jerked forward and wrapped my arms around my stomach, trying to hold it together under the weight of the emotions that came back at me.

Irulan was there at my side, holding me by the shoulders.  “Baby block it.  Shut down your shields.  You can’t lose control in here.  We've got nowhere to go, and I can cover everyone if you blow.”

I gritted my teeth and nodded.  I knew she was right, but it was so much.  There were over three hundred people in the building right now.  Almost every person was scared out of their minds, because we'd never gone black before.  Going black was bad, really bad, and they didn’t know what to expect.

Others were in pain.  I didn’t sense our intruder, maybe two, but they
-it was definitely out there.  I’d touched the auras of over twenty incapacitated guards.  They weren't dead, but they were damn near close to it.  Whatever it was, took out the muscle first.

Anxiety, anticipation, frustration, and anger, so many other emotions, all strong and fueled by adrenaline, ran rampant through the building, and they all
came rushing into me.  I fell forward onto my knees as tears gathered in my eyes.  The rush of blood in my ears was so loud it was hard to hear anything.

Irulan’s voice sounded muffled and far away as she nervously called for my other half. 
“Valerian, get here now.  I need you.”

My brother gingerly took my face in his hands and raised it so he could look me in the eyes.  Crackling blue lights danced across his face, and I knew that my eyes were flooded with Fae power.  My body was trying to protect itself, but there was nothing to fight, but the emotions riding me.

“Valeria,” his voice was calm and soothing as he called out to me.  “I’m here, Sis, let me help you.”  I heard footsteps come closer and felt a wave of panic.  I jerked away from the emotion and Valerians grip, and scuttled backward across the floor.  “No,” I moaned.  “It’s too much, keep away from me.”

My shields were blasted wide open, and I couldn’t close them no matter how hard I tried.  “Father, stay back, your panic is only going to make things worse,” Valerian ordered.  I
t was rare to hear him talk to Daddy that way.  Even rarer were the emotions coming off of Daddy.  I’d never felt my father so scared.  Knowing that the ultra-cool Hadrian Trumaine was capable of that level of fear didn’t help.  I moved farther away until I’d backed myself into a corner.