Marked: City of the Damned Book 1

Sara startled and jumped off the couch as the
book she’d been reading dropped to the floor with a loud resonating
thud. Reaching over, she picked it up and placed it back on the
glass coffee table that sat in the center of the room. Moonlight
cascaded in through the open window, casting an iridescent glow
over the sparse furnishings of her small midtown apartment, and the
sound of the honking taxis on the street below could be overheard
above the annoying voice of the infomercial commentator as it rang
through the speakers of the dilapidated television that sat in the
corner. Sitting on the edge of the couch, she rubbed her bloodshot
eyes and did a double take at the clock that sat haphazardly on an
unpacked box of dishes. No way could it be 3 o’clock in the
morning! That meant that she’d been sleeping for over ten hours
straight, but the move from Montana to New York had been
exhausting, and with no one to help her, Sara had knowingly pushed
herself far beyond her own physical capabilities.

At the age of 25, she had already graduated
from the University of Montana with a double master’s degree in
Computer Science and Media Studies, but no amount of studying
could’ve prepared her for the tragic events that had recently taken
place. Two weeks after graduating, Sara’s parents were on their way
home from spending a weekend at the cottage when the car they were
driving was struck head on by a drunk driver. It was then that Sara
had decided to pack up and move to New York, wanting to be closer
to her aunt and uncle, the only family she had left.

After the death of her parents, Sara had no
choice but to sell her parent’s ranch. With the exception of her
personal items, some clothing, and a few pieces of furniture, an
estate sale was held by the local auction house, and the remainder
of the items sold to the highest bidder. With the bills paid and
the estate settled, not much money was left over, but it was more
than enough for her to buy a small used pick-up truck and move to
New York in search of a fresh start.

“Oh Phineus,” she cooed “what would I do
without you?” Sara sighed and wiped away a stray tear that trickled
down her cheek. The gray clump of fur pounced onto her lap, and
with a resounding meow, purred contently as she gently stroked him.
Aside from a few tattered photos and broken memories, Phineus was
the only reminder left of home. He’d been given to her as a gift
for her 10
^th
birthday. As a child, Sara had never been
fond of cats, or any animal for that matter, but the minute the old
fat cat saw her, it was love at first sight. Over time, the two of
them became inseparable, but just like Sara, Phineus had lost a
piece of himself the day that her parents died. It was a grief they
both shared and understood all too well.

The old fat cat protested as Sara shoed him
to the floor and stood up. She stumbled tiredly towards the
kitchen, groaning as the muscles in her legs protested against the
sudden movement. It had been two days since she’d moved into the
apartment, and still the cupboards were bare. Opening the door to
the cupboard, she found three boxes of Toaster Tarts, a can of
tomato soup, and an empty bag of cat food. Needing both cat food
and something more substantial than Toaster Tarts, Sara slipped on
her jacket and boots, and grabbed her purse from the table in the
hall.

“I’ll be back soon.” She leaned over and gave
Phineus an affectionate rub between the ears, smiling as he purred
contently, and headed out into the brisk night air.

Luckily, the diner around the corner was open
24 hours, but then again, this was New York, the city that never
sleeps. Even finding cat food at 3:30 in the morning was a fairly
easy task. The cold air whipping against her face was invigorating,
and after spending five days cooped up in the cab of a pickup
driving across the country it was a welcome reprieve from the
stuffy air of the truck that reeked of cat and fast food. Sara
crossed the street and opened the door of the diner. The aroma of
freshly cooked bacon and eggs greeted her as a small gangly Asian
man stepped out from the kitchen and welcomed her. After settling
on pancakes and coffee, Sara picked up a well read copy of
yesterday’s paper and took a seat at the end counter as she waited
for her order. Her stomach growled as the smell of “real” food
lingered from the kitchen. A week of eating greasy food was more
than her petit body could handle. For the most part, she tried to
stay in good physical condition. Working out three times a week and
eating healthy helped her to maintain her slim form and well toned
body.

“Did you order pancakes and coffee?” A young
girl asked as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a large
Styrofoam container in one hand and a paper cup in the other.

“Yes,” Sara replied, and folded up the paper,
placing it neatly on the counter.

“That’ll be five dollars.”

Sara reached into her purse and pulled out a
twenty dollar bill. After paying for her meal, she headed back into
the frigid night air of midtown New York. The convenience store was
only two blocks away, but with the wind stirring, and the
temperature dropping, the walk seemed to take longer than it should
have. After a quick stop at the convenience store for a quart of
milk and a bag of cat food, she picked up her pace and started
jogging in the direction of her apartment, her breathing coming in
short ragged breaths as the cold air invaded her lungs. As Sara
turned the corner, she didn’t notice the leather clad man standing
at the foot of the alley, nor did she hear the heated conversation
that was taking place between him and the other man who stood in
the shadow of the building, further down the lane. Before she had
time to react to the presence of the sinister figure looming in the
darkness, a gloved hand reached out and grabbed her by her hair,
pulling her into the depths of the alley.

A scream built up in the back of her throat,
but the gloved hand covered her mouth, stopping the noise from
escaping. The leather clad man dragged Sara past the overflowing
dumpster and across the garbage strewn pavement, pulling her
further and further into the darkened bowels of the alleyway, and
out of sight of any passers-by. Sara thrashed violently against the
tight grip of her attacker, but his burly arms and inhuman strength
held her firmly in place.

“Let the girl go,” a husky voice
demanded.

The gloved hand covering Sara’s mouth pressed
tightly against her skin. “And if I don’t?” asked the leather clad
man.

“Your quarrel is with me, not the human. Let
her go and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Promises, promises. You tell me that now,
but how do I know that you’ll stick to your word, Gedeon? You’ve
lied to me before.”

“Let her go, Pryse. This is your last
warning.” Gedeon stepped out from the inky shadows of the
building.

“You’ve always had a soft spot for humans,
haven’t you?” Pryse grabbed Sara’s hair and roughly yanked her head
to the side, causing her to wince in pain.

Sara stood frozen in place by fear. What did
he want with her? Who was this strange man trying to protect her?
And why did he call her a human? Panic caused Sara’s thoughts to
muddle together, and she couldn’t wrap her head around the
conversation that was taking place between the two men. She glanced
around anxiously looking for a means of escape, but the attacker’s
grip was too strong.

“I can’t really blame you though,” said Pryse
“her scent is intoxicating. I may have to claim this one for
myself.”

Gedeon took another step forward. His voice
was menacing when he spoke, “It is against the law to mark an
unwilling human. If you mark her I
will
kill you.”

“You mean if I do this?” Pryse raised his
hand to his mouth. His fangs unsheathed and he bit down hard,
piercing the tender flesh of his wrist. Blood flowed in a steady
stream from the two self inflicted puncture marks.

The sight of his fangs made Sara thrashed
wildly against the strong arms holding her in place. Fear mixed
with the sight of blood caused the bile to rise up in the back of
her throat. She looked pleadingly at the man with the black hair
and husky voice, knowing that he was her only hope of escape, her
only hope of survival.

“Pryse, let her go,” he demanded again. “I’ll
give you what you want in exchange for the girl.”

“No thanks. I think I’ve changed my
mind.”

Momentarily, the gloved hand slipped away
from Sara’s mouth, only to be replaced with a bloodied wrist. The
metallic taste of rust rolled across her tongue and down the back
of her throat, causing her to gag.

“Don’t play games.” Gedeon’s thunderous voice
echoed through the alley as he took another step forward. “I will
never
give you the remedy if you mark her.”

“With blood this sweet, who needs the
remedy?” Pryse replied.

A gurgled scream escaped Sara’s lips as Pryse
forced her head to the side and lowered his mouth to her neck. His
fangs sliced easily through the rosy flesh at the base of her neck,
and Sara trembled as the pain started to spread throughout her
body. The skin around the puncture marks on her neck burned, and
the fire quickly spread through her limbs. Trying to fight against
the pain that was now consuming her, she staggered head first into
the brick wall, and fell to the ground on her hands and knees,
hoping that death would come quickly for her. The sounds of the two
men scuffling echoed through the alley, but the fire that burned
within was too intense for her to be able to concentrate on
anything other than the pain. As a set of footsteps rapidly
approached, she looked up to see Gedeon rushing towards her. Sara
cowered in fear as he knelt down on the pavement beside her. The
last thing she remembered before succumbing to the pain was the
pair of aqua blue eyes that shone in the moonlight, and the heady
scent of male that lingered in the air around him, permeating his
clothing and the denim jacket he was wearing.

“Damn humans,” Gedeon mumbled under his
breath. He bent over and effortlessly lifted the limp body of the
girl into his arms. Her head rolled to the side and her cheek came
to rest on his shoulder. Pryse was right, the smell of her blood
was intoxicating, but it was still no reason for the bastard to
unwillingly mark her. Now this poor girl would have to spend the
rest of her life hiding from the monsters that lurked in the
darkness.

Chapter
2

Sara awoke to a throbbing headache and
unfamiliar surroundings. Sweat poured in rivulets from her forehead
as the fever raged through her, burning every single nerve ending
in its path. Her body felt as if it were smoldering and ready to
ignite at any second. Sara tightly closed her eyes and forced
herself to think through the pain, trying to make sense of where
she was. Panic took hold as memories started to flood her mind; a
gloved hand, the alleyway, a leather clad man, and the fangs, the
long razor sharp incisors that glistened in the moonlight as they
moved swiftly towards her neck.

A key in the lock alerted her to his
presence. Ignoring the fiery pain that shot through her body, Sara
propped herself up on her elbows. She had to get away from here, to
run as fast as she could, but her body loudly protested. She lacked
the strength necessary to stand, let alone run. The door creaked
and swung open, and Sara closed her eyes as the man dropped the bag
of groceries on the floor and ran towards her. She waited for the
agonizing pain to start again, for his fangs to penetrate her skin,
but it never came. Instead, a strong pair of calloused hands pushed
her shoulders gently back onto the sofa.

“Don’t move,” the brutish voice ordered.