Lacrimosa (2 page)

I focus my attention back on him as he finishes his song. There is no evidence of his true nature reflecting in his features; no fangs or claws to signal danger. No sulfur-scent or bloodlust. No proof of the demon that lurks just under the surface. Nothing except the black bat-like wings curving across his back, hidden from everyone.

Well, almost everyone.
Not expecting
me,
are you?

His voice intoxicates the crowd. The hunger in his eyes reveals his true intent. Aydan is on the hunt.

Two can play at that game.

I notice a small door at the end of a corridor adjacent to the stage. No doubt it empties to the alley that flanks the church. Perfect. Now, to get him outside before he chooses one of the screaming girls as his prey.

Aydan finishes his song as I make my way around the stage and towards the hall. I watch him turn away from the crowd.

Almost time.

The horde screams for him, begs the band to continue.

Aydan grabs the mic. “Do you want more?” he yells. Their response, a cacophony of “
Yes!
” and “
We love you, Aydan
!” rings through the rafters of the once-holy building.

I watch as he works the mob into a craze. Voices blend away. The scene shifts. All I see, all I hear, is Aydan. An unfamiliar current of electricity streaks through my body, causing my heart to beat wildly against my ribs. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stiffen with anticipation while anxiety fills my senses.

This can’t be happening.

I force my heart to slow and shove aside the silly human reactions.

The guitarist starts to strum a ballad. A light frames Aydan as he begins to sing in slow, rhythmic phrases. He scans the crowd; a predator looking for his prey.

Chapter 2 – Hunter

Aydan

The crowd is wild tonight, hordes of kids desperate for a little action. The perfect hunting grounds. Maybe that’s why I stick with the band—the free food.

My senses pick up the distinct scent of vanilla and warm sugar.
My favorite.
I feel the craving start at the back of my throat. I have to find the source of that scent and drink from her soul.

Soon.

The lights drop as I sing a slow melody. The rhythms are smooth, seductive. I watch the girls drop their defenses and feel their lust rise with each word I sing.

Scanning the crowd, I search. My need grows with every passing second. Every girl strains to look at me and through their eyes I see their desire, taste their lust. It floods my senses, nourishing me.

But the feeling is temporary, just enough to awaken the Beast within and force me to continue the hunt.

My eyes settle on a girl near the back of the crowd, sandwiched between the stage and a narrow hallway. She’s different from the usual patrons of the club. Beautiful—long blond hair, legs that seem to stretch forever, and curves that make me ache. But it isn’t her beauty calling to me, or her distinctive vanilla scent.

It’s the mystery.

I can feel her desire. But there’s more too. So much more. Something angry, dangerous. Something that fills the very depths of me.

I stare into her eyes, and feel her wave of emotion crest. I sing the lyrics to her and watch our worlds join—just me and her.

Easy prey
.

She closes her eyes, obviously trying to break the spell I’ve cast. But I know it won’t work. No one can get away from me. I’ve had centuries of practice.

I continue to sing, weaving a trap around my target. She stares at me, an almost pained expression on her face, in her eyes.

You’re mine now.

A flood of emotions fills me, chaotic and wild, desperate.
Her
emotions,
her
passion. The taste is addictive, and I know I can’t resist her. I don’t want to.

The song ends as my frenzy grows.

It’s time.

Chapter 3 - Chaos Forgotten

Nesy

He’s coming through the crowd, straight for me. I need to lure him outside; complete this task and get out of this darn form. But my feelings are too erratic, too chaotic. My body is confused. And my mind, lost. Memories that aren’t supposed to exist threaten to undo me. I need to think; get this human body under control.

I need to be alone.

I run down the hall, ducking into the bathroom. It is just as I suspect—small, dank, and stuffed with Aydan’s would-be victims primping and getting high. I squeeze into their near-vacant thoughts, willing them out of the cramped space. Not exactly within the rules, but a necessity if I’m going to salvage the situation at all.

One by one, the parade of girls spill from the bathroom until, finally, I’m alone. I grab the sink and glare into the human eyes reflecting back at me.

“By the strength of Mikayel, you’ve got to get it together,” I say to my image. “Teenager or not, you're still a warrior. He’s your target, nothing more, no matter what you think you feel. He kills humans for sport. He’ll kill you tonight if he gets the chance.”

I take a quick breath, forcing the nonstop barrage of images from my thoughts. A boy, tall, with amber eyes that stare through me.

He’s
not
Adam.
He can’t be.

That life ended centuries ago.

I stare back at the human version of myself. “The Council trusted you with this job. No one else. You told them you were ready for it, ready to be human again. Ready for what that might mean. You will not disappoint them. You will not forsake your commitment. You will not
feel
. Period.” I stare at myself, half expecting the reflection to answer. Moments click by and the emotional wave passes. The memories clear and my thoughts calm.

I stretch my neck, my spine, my legs, searching for the comfort I once felt in flesh. But it’s no use. I feel confined. Out of control. Weak.

I hate being human
.

The only way out is to finish the task. Determined, I leave.

“You ran off fast.” Aydan leans against the wall in the cramped hallway. “Something scare you?” He moves closer, the warmth of his breath tickling my cheek.

Memories—my memories—pour forward. The smell of pine on his skin, the feel of his arms around my waist, the taste of his lips on mine. I lose myself in his eyes, in my past.

Adam
.

Leaning into him, I brush my trembling lips against his.

No!
The voice is loud in my head, breaking the UnHoly’s spell. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. I can only…

Run.

The cold night air bites my skin as I burst through the emergency doors, the alarm wailing behind me.

“
Succurre mihi.
Help me.” My voice is louder than the shrieking bells. My legs tremble and I grab the stone wall of the church, sliding to the ground. Fear that shouldn’t exist, grips the whole of me. “
Succurre mihi,”
I say again.
“Succurre.”
I am overcome by pictures long forgotten. They storm my senses and my mind.

A dark forest…
so cold
.

A hideous monster…
sharp teeth
.

A tall boy, golden. Angry…
my love.

I touch my lips. The taste of Aydan lingers there, a reminder of things that shouldn’t exist.

My heart rips open.
“Su
ccurre,”
I whisper one last time as the images continue and my mind rolls in on itself. I’m lost inside an unwanted fear.

And need.

Chapter 4 - Torture

Aydan

I watch as the girl runs from me, intrigued. Her scent, the one I crave, floats in the air, igniting my hunger.

The hunt begins.

Everything about this girl is exactly what I need—enticing looks, desire she can’t control, and enough chaos to feed an army of dark creatures.

But it isn’t her emotions pouring forward that excite me. It’s her confusion, her chaos. Almost like she’s never felt so out of control before. It’s intoxicating, addicting.

There’s a familiarity in her endless blue eyes, a kind of haunting that reminds me of only one other. The one I can’t forget. The one I dare not remember.

More than enticing, this girl is dangerous.

“Not going after her? That isn't like you.” My master stands behind me, his human form so like my own. Black hair, chiseled features, young in appearance, despite the four millennia that has defined his existence. His cold voice echoes disappointment. “You haven’t finally met your match, have you?”

“Never,” I growl.

“Don’t get mad. You're allowed an off day.” I feel his eyes on me, waiting. “Occasionally.”

His threat hangs in the air. Each passing second awakens the Beast inside, igniting my rage. Rage for letting the girl leave, rage for needing her soul at all.

I weave through the club, watching my brethren, dark creatures of every assortment, consume the sins of the naïve teen crowd. The creatures snap their beaks and claw the air as they drink in the lust, greed, and envy of the crowd. The teens have no idea that many of them may not survive the night. They are all lambs to the slaughter
.

For the first time in centuries, their actions bring disgust. I have to get away, get a hold of myself before my master notices there’s a problem.

I leave the club, inhaling the stale cold air of the rotting city. I reach the train and descend the steep stairs that lead to the subway platform. My thoughts are heavy, laden with emotions I shouldn’t be feeling. Not anymore.

I stare down the dark tunnels, trying to clear my mind. But the harder I try not to think of her, the more her blue eyes haunt me.