Darkness Wanes (54 page)

“This is Kerbasi,” she introduced. “He’s older than Babylon and cranky as hell, but if you stay with him no one will mess with you.”

“You can’t be serious.” Brandi would have felt safer standing in front of a speeding train. Hell, Kariann suddenly didn’t seem that bad—or any of the other patrons in the place for that matter.

“Exactly my thoughts,” Kerbasi said, scowling up at them. “I did not come here to babysit a human.”

“I’m not staying with him.” Brandi shook her head.

Kariann made an exasperated noise. “He’s forbidden from killing humans. No one else in this bar can say the same.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” That was like handing someone a plate of food and promising it wasn’t poisoned. Except that once they brought the idea of poison up, there was no getting that thought out of one’s head.

A malevolent smile crossed Kerbasi’s face. “It’s not my ability to kill that people fear. It’s my ability to inflict pain over long periods of time without causing death that worries them.”

Brandi felt her knees turn weak. He was more than a little proud of himself for that.

Kariann leaned down until her nose practically touched his. “You are going to watch her, be nice to her, and make sure she gets home safe.”

His eyes narrowed. “I’ll do no such thing.”

“Yes, you will, or I swear by all that is holy I’ll fill your home with sex toys and tell everyone you’ve been visiting brothels.”

Brandi’s gaze ran between them. What kind of threat was that? She was rather certain there weren’t any brothels in Fairbanks, but it wasn’t like she’d ever had a reason to ask.

“You wouldn’t,” Kerbasi said through gritted teeth.

Kariann smiled. “You know I would. It might even be good for your image.”

“I could kill you where you stand.”

“Promises, promises.”

The man with ancient eyes turned his attention to Brandi. He studied her in a way that made her think he could see every one of her secrets. Did he have that kind of power? She couldn’t begin to guess what kind of supernatural he might be. Her heart started beating so hard in her chest she suspected the entire room could hear it, even above the din. She stumbled back a step and bumped into another patron’s chair. The woman sitting there turned, her eyes darkening. Kariann growled at her and pulled Brandi away.

Kerbasi let out a martyred sigh and relaxed his shoulders. “Very well, but only because I find her interesting.”

“Good.” Kariann shoved Brandi into a chair. “Then I’m sure you two will get along just fine.”

The female vampire sauntered off without another word. Brandi avoided meeting Kerbasi’s gaze and stared at the table instead. There was a glass on it that looked like it only contained water. Why would he come to a bar if he wasn’t going to drink any alcohol?

“I don’t bite,” Kerbasi said after a few minutes passed. He sounded tired and bored.

Brandi hesitated. “Then what do you do?”

“Torture,” he paused to study his fingernails, “when the occasion calls for it.”

A shudder ran through her. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

He shrugged. “I prefer to focus my attention on supernaturals. Humans are too frail.”

Kariann appeared with a fresh mug of ale for Brandi. She set it down on the table and then smacked the back of Kerbasi’s head. “Stop scaring her, guardian. You’ve been out of the torture business since last year.”

He rose from his seat with a murderous expression. Brandi scraped her chair back. No way was she going to get between these two psychos. He took hold of Kariann’s arms and a moment later they both vanished in a bright flash of light.

The tavern became still and quiet. Not wanting to look but knowing she must, Brandi turned her head. Most of the patrons stared at her or whispered to their companions. Was this what it felt like to be cornered by predators? Before she could formulate a plan, a hand fell on her shoulder. It squeezed hard and jerked her from her chair.

“My friends told me coming to Fairbanks would be fun. It appears they were right,” said her assailant. She gaped at the pale face of a man with black eyes and sharp protruding fangs. He couldn’t have been much older than her at thirty, but since he was a vampire his looks might have been deceiving.

She kicked and flailed, but he was too strong for her. Nothing could break the grip he had on her arms. He must have had shins of steel too because he didn’t even flinch when her boots struck him. Brandi saw her life flashing before her eyes as he leaned down, moving his mouth toward her neck. She tried to stretch away and push at his chest, but he didn’t budge.

Then he caught her gaze and her muscles went limp. For reasons she couldn’t understand, she had no will to fight anymore. A tear slid down her cheek. It was over. Brandi didn’t have to worry about how or when she’d die anymore. She had her answer.

Just as the sharp points grazed her skin, she was jerked away. Kerbasi set her down next to him and took a step toward her assailant. His presence filled the room so completely that she couldn’t help staring at him. Were those wings starting to protrude out of his back? He also seemed much bigger than when he’d been sitting in his chair before. Brandi was tall for a woman, coming in at 5’10”. Kerbasi had to be around six and a half feet.

He reached out a hand and wrapped it around the vampire’s neck. “What do you think you are doing?”

“She was fair game,” the vamp replied.

Kerbasi jerked him closer. “You did not notice her sitting at
my
table?”

“You left,” he choked. “I thought you were done with her.”

Kerbasi’s gaze hardened. “You’re new to town, aren’t you?”

“What does that matter?”

“Only a fool would touch this woman while I was gone,” he paused to scan the room. “They might look at her, but no one here would be stupid enough to touch what I’ve sworn to protect.”

“Who..are you?” the vampire stammered.

Brandi noted his fangs had slid back into his gums. He might have been terrifying a minute ago, but now he looked like a teenage boy caught stealing. She could hardly blame him. Kerbasi was rather frightening and yet she couldn’t help feeling a small thrill that his anger was over concern for her. No one had ever defended her like that before.

The gray wings she’d caught protruding from his back flared out, knocking several people and chairs over. They scooted away without a word. “I’m a guardian from Purgatory. True immortals know me for my ability to inflict endless pain on my victims. I gain great pleasure from it. Now who are you to question me?”

Though Brandi hadn’t thought it possible, the vampire grew paler. “Nobody. And I wasn’t going to kill her. I was playing by the rules and was only going to take a small drink.”

“Perhaps.” Kerbasi narrowed his eyes at the vampire. “But if you’re no one, it won’t matter if you die.”

Brandi couldn’t stand by any longer. She dug down deep until she found the well of courage that had been buried for far too long. She wouldn’t watch someone die on Christmas Eve—even if the vampire had tried to hurt her.

“Don’t kill him.” She touched Kerbasi’s arm.

The guardian glanced over at her, silver eyes swirling. “He cannot go unpunished.”

“No,” she agreed. The vamp had attacked her after all. “But he doesn’t need to die. I don’t want to be part of any more death.”

He let out a heavy sigh. “Very well.”

In a swift movement she barely caught, he snapped the vampire’s neck and let the body fall to the floor with a heavy thud.

“Dump him outside,” Kerbasi ordered two men. They didn’t hesitate to follow his instructions.

“That didn’t kill him?” Brandi asked, watching in horror as they carried the limp body away.

“No,” Kerbasi replied, settling comfortably back in his seat. His wings had disappeared again. “He’ll be back up and moving before dawn.”

That didn’t seem so bad, but there was still one other problem Brandi had noted. “Where’s Kariann?”

The female vampire was nowhere to be seen.

“Sit,” Kerbasi ordered.

Brandi dropped into her chair. “What did you do to her?”

“I took her home.” A corner of his mouth curled up. “It will take some time for her to return.”

Brandi probably should have left it at that, but curiosity got the better of her. He had disappeared into thin air, after all. “How? Did you teleport or something?”

“That is one way of describing it, though most of us call it
flashing
.”

Her brows knitted. “Is that something only guardians can do?”

“Anyone who is at least half-angel can do it.”

Brandi’s jaw dropped. “You’re an angel?”

“Not quite. There is a hierarchy, but I may one day rise to become one.”

She mulled that over. “I’m pretty certain you’re going to have to stop killing and torturing people if you want to reach that level.”

“You catch on quickly,” he said, perturbance in his tone.

Brandi had never believed in those sorts of things before supernaturals came out into the open. Even after they did, she had a hard time believing they were real. To her, it had all seemed like some sort of practical joke. Vampires, werewolves, fairies—they were the stuff of movies and legends. How could they have been around all this time and no one knew about it until this year?

“Right. And you left Purgatory to live in Alaska?” She couldn’t begin to imagine what Purgatory would be like, but if he was going for a vacation spot from there, Hawaii might have been a better choice. Or had he come here for some other reason?

“It is a long story.” He made a dismissive gesture. “I’d rather talk about you and what brought you to this place tonight.”

She shrugged. “The weather was too bad to drive home—and I’ve got nowhere else to be, anyway.”

“On that point, we are similar.”

“You don’t have any friends or family?” Brandi asked, cocking her head.

“Kariann is the closest thing I have to a friend, though I’m not certain I’d call her that. Most others find me intolerable.” His tone was indifferent, but his hunched shoulders told her a different story. There was a hint of vulnerability within him that he couldn’t quite hide. Did he behave the way he did to keep people at a distance? She’d been guilty of doing that herself.

Brandi felt some of the tension ease inside her. Whether you were human or supernatural, the world could still be a tough place. “I guess that’s another thing we have in common. No one wants to be around me, either.”

“Perhaps, but perhaps not.” He cocked his head and gave her a perceptive look. “I suspect your loneliness is by your own making.”

Brandi narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Do not be so certain.” Kerbasi leaned forward, gazed deeply into her eyes and spoke in a low tone. “I know your parents died in a car accident—one in which you were the driver. It wasn’t your fault, but you blame yourself anyway and you’ve pushed everyone out of your life until there is no one left. Even with my vast experience, I doubt I could have made you more miserable. Quite an impressive feat.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “How could you possibly know all that?”

“Your mind is an open book to me,” he said, sitting back and giving her a piteous look. “Call it a gift or a curse, but I can discern almost anyone’s darkest secrets—should I choose to do so.”

She wouldn’t want that kind of gift. Dealing with her own problems was bad enough. Brandi stared down at her lap and took a shuddering breath. “I don’t deserve to be happy.”

She’d avoided talking to anyone about the accident that happened over two years ago. One that she’d survived and her parents didn’t. No matter how much her sister and friends tried to help her in the beginning, she’d pushed them away. They didn’t understand and she didn’t deserve their compassion.

Brandi had known the weather was bad that day—much like tonight. When her parents insisted they were braving it anyway, she’d offered to drive. Nothing could have stopped them from seeing their first grandchild born. She’d wanted to be there too, though she’d known it was risky.

While her older sister brought one life into the world, Brandi took two out. The car had slid off the road and sideways into a patch of trees. Her mother died instantly and her father during the drive in the ambulance. She saw her niece briefly while staying at the same hospital, but then she’d hid herself away. The guilt had been too much.

“Does anyone deserve happiness?” Kerbasi asked.

Brandi squeezed her eyes shut. Pain. Too much pain. “Good people do.”

“There was a time when your suffering would have pleased me,” Kerbasi muttered, “but I fear I’ve grown soft.”

She lifted her lids and glanced toward the window at the front of the tavern. The snow was letting up. “I should go.”

“To your home? That would be boring.”

For a moment, Brandi forgot her misery. “What do you care?”

“I certainly shouldn’t.” He took hold of her hands and gently brought her to her feet. “But perhaps neither of us should be alone tonight.”