Crimson Midnight (A New Adult Dark Urban Fantasy Series) (The Crimson Series Book 1) (36 page)

With her whip in hand, she made her
way, again, to the bitch that had started this ruckus in the first place.

“Er, Henry, I think we have a
problem.”  Thistle’s tone was even but laced with urgency. 

Henry followed her gaze and
gasped.  A mist of lights had detached itself from the wall and was heading
toward them. “Shit, shit, shit!”

Erin’s head snapped up, his eyes
widening. “Mum!” He pointed to the lights. 

Flo, jaw set, pulled him closer
wrapping her arms around him and burying his head in her ample bosom.  They’d
taken one of her sons but she was damned if she was going to let them take
another. They’d have to chew through her first. 
Should take them a while,
she consoled herself.  “It’s okay, baby.”

The lights picked up speed.

Thistle’s panicked gaze met
Henry’s.

The lights were a mere few seconds
away and gaining. She’d promised Rose…she’d promised…

Two seconds…one second…

Henry raised his hands, his eyes
squeezed shut.

“Why.”

Punch.

“Don’t.”

Punch.

“You.”

Knee in the abdomen.

“Die!”

Interlaced fists smacked between
the shoulder blades. 

The darkling sprawled on the
ground.

The Tinkerbell lights surged
forward, hungry and determined, teeth and claws primed to shred, and with a
crackle of static, bounced off an invisible barrier.  They spun backwards
through the air in disorientation, trying to readjust their group trajectory.

Henry opened his eyes, his teeth
gritted in concentration.

Liza couldn’t help but shriek as
the tiny things buzzed and tried to bite her. She was using a smoke spell,
grey, ashy smog spinning around her, repelling the crazy things as effectively
as it could. They would be sent back a few feet in the air and come back for
more. The scenario briefly reminded Liza of a wasp that had terrorised her in
her kitchen one summer.

She risked a quick glance in
Raven’s direction.  She could just about see him through the wall of grey and
mist of lights around her. The spell was draining her energy, but thankfully
not too quickly.

Raven was still locked in battle
with the Darklings.  She heard his snarl of frustration as they evaded him once
more. The lights buzzed closer and she focused on maintaining her spell.

Raven was beyond pissed off.  He’d
killed one of the Darklings, torn its throat out. Its blood was disgusting but
he shook off the sensation of swallowing what tasted like piss and rotten
turkey.

The remaining darkling was proving
to be challenging, no, more of an irritation.

It was on his back first, sending
him flat on his belly. Raven was strong enough not to be crushed under its
weight, but it wasn’t the most fun he’d had flat on his face.

He growled as the darkling slid its
claws under him, its arms wrapping around his body. It lifted him up, its foul
breath hot on the top of his head. Raven snarled and snapped and wriggled as
the darkling held him crushingly to its chest, cooing and hissing, its talons
digging into his exposed belly.

Raven gave up. He couldn’t
extricate himself and he was done wasting time and energy. Sometimes the wolf
form just wasn’t suited for certain situations.

He shifted back into his naked
human form, still in the Darklings arms but able to twist and face it, his arms
free. Without delay he grabbed its neck and broke it. The darkling crumbled to
the ground. 

Raven’s focus moved to Bres, who
was standing and observing. Rage burnt like an inferno inside him, almost
painful in its blazing fury. Raven wanted to taste his blood, do more than rip
his throat out. He wanted to eat him slowly, make him suffer, die a
terrifyingly painful death. He’d start by tearing open his stomach and savaging
his insides.

All that stood between him and his
prize were the crazy lights.

“Liza,” he called. “I need to get
to Bres.”

There was a moment before Liza
answered. “I have an idea.”

Raven watched the spiral of grey
smoke and the lights that tried to penetrate it and then the smoke caught
fire.  The lights around it were consumed instantly.  Liza screamed, the fire
burned brighter and she shot out her arms sending a sheet of flame at Bres. 
The lights surrounding Bres reacted to the threat by darting, not away, but
toward it and were reduced to cinders.

“That’s me done.” Liza fell to her
knees.

Bres was now exposed and Raven
registered the look of almost comical surprise on his face.  Raven shifted back
to wolf form, lifted his head and howled, howled for his lost pack brother,
howled for the vengeance he was going to take. He lowered his muzzle, his
silver eyes meeting Bres’.  He wanted the bastard to know what was coming. From
the look on Bres’ face the message had been received loud and clear.

Paws pounding the dirt, he ran
toward his prey.

Bres stood motionless as if
paralysed by fear.

Raven leapt, body flying through
the air, his jaws wide, ready to clamp down on fey flesh and bring the sorry
bastard down, to spill every last drop of his blood.

Raven’s jaws closed on nothing but
air. Bres was gone.

“You’d think they’d get the
message.”  Flo said.

“I don’t think they’re very
bright…no pun intended.” Thistle said wryly

 The Tinkerbells continued to
batter at the shield, seemingly undeterred.

“Mum!” Erin pointed toward a single
Tinker that had detached itself from the group and was hovering outside the
barrier. It glared at him hungrily and licked its lips, making chomping
gestures with its mouth and rubbing its tiny knobbly hands together in a
gesture of anticipated glee.

“Fuck off, you blighter!” Flo
pulled her son even closer forcing him to avert his gaze.

“I don’t think I can hold this much
longer.” Henry’s brow and upper lip were beaded with perspiration, his hands
shook where he held them in the air.  The effort of maintaining the spell was
almost too much.

Thistle bit her lip. “Maybe they’re
not so dumb after all. It’s okay, Henry. You did your best.”

Which is more than I could have
done
, she added silently.  For once her vampiric nature was nothing but a
burden to her– her need for blood making her weak and useless. At full strength
she could have moved like lightning, squashing the little bugs between her
fingers and feasting on their tiny little hearts.

If the barrier failed the only help
she could provide would be to throw herself first, to allow the little midges
to feast on her flesh.  It might give the others time to escape.

She laid a reassuring hand on
Henry’s thigh.  “It’s okay,” she said again.

A ripple of blue passed through the
shield.  Henry’s eyes went round with surprise and the Tinkers fled backwards
to hover a foot away.

“Don’t. Move. Your. Hand.” His eyes
were wide with surprise.

“What…”

“I think it’s helping.”

Flo took in the scene over the top
of Erin’s head, making the connection quickly. She too placed her hand on
Henry’s thigh.

The blue light surged brighter and
the Tinkers buzzed angrily.

Henry’s face broke into a smile and
his gaunt face was transformed, he looked almost handsome. “Thank you, ladies.”
His voice already sounded stronger, more vibrant.

Thistle stared at the shield in
awe. “What’s happening?”

“Your collective energy is feeding
the spell.”  He let out a thrilled bark of laughter. “We’re doing it! Together
we can do it!”

The Tinkers hovered for a moment
longer then surged into a huddle as if conferring.

Flo frowned. “What are the little
buggers doing now?”

“I don’t… oh dear...”  Henry shook
his head as one of the Tinkerbells turned and made a beeline in Rose’s
direction.

“Back off, she’s mine!” Faye waved
her hands at the Darklings and the Tinkerbells, commanding them to move away. 
The darkling obliged immediately hopping from foot to foot eagerly. The Tinkers
buzzed with annoyance having been denied their prize but, after a slight
hesitation, obliged also.

Rose faced Faye, her hands clenched
into fists at her side.

“You know what I really want?” Faye
purred.

“A smaller arse?” Rose quipped. 
She notice Faye flinch almost imperceptibly– she’d always had a complex about
the size of her behind.

Faye’s eyes were narrow slits of
menace. “I want you dead!”

“Well, I want a Big Mac and fries
but we can’t always get what we want.” Rose let out an exaggerated sigh of
longing.

The corner of Faye’s mouth tugged
up in a half smile.  “That’s just so you isn’t it? Hiding behind that smart
mouth of yours.” She stroked the handle of her whip.  “Hiding your feelings
behind little quips and sarcastic comments, hiding the hurt and fear and
despair behind a carefully manufactured don’t give a shit attitude.”

Rose couldn’t help but flinch as
the point hit home.  It was true and she knew it.  She knew that if she turned
her head slightly to the left she would be staring into the dead face of Roman.
She knew that if she allowed herself to she would fall apart. She would not
allow that to happen.

So, instead, she raised her chin in
defiance. “Cut the amateur psychology and get to the point.”

Faye’s jaw hardened. “The point is
that I’m going to give you your dearest wish right now.”

“You’re going to get me a Big Mac
and fries?” Rose allowed her eyes to widen in mock surprise.

“I’m going to send you to your
lover boy.”

“Bring it on, bitch.” Rose allowed
the anger to flood her, revelling in it as it mutated into the rage that she
had been holding in check thus far.  She felt the familiar tingle of power as
it unlocked itself and surged outwards from her centre to her extremities.  Her
hands began to glow.

Faye cracked her whip, falling into
battle stance. 

They moved in unison toward each
other, both yearning for the other’s blood. 

There was a loud crack like the
sound of thunder. They both stopped, glancing up simultaneously. 

The turquoise power was no longer
whirling on the ceiling but had condensed into a large ball, which hovered
directly overhead.  It took them only a moment to take in the sight before
another crack sounded.  A bolt of turquoise energy shot out of the ball and
lanced straight into Rose’s chest.  There was no chance to scream as all breath
was expelled from her lungs 

Rose could feel the invasion like
hot needles piercing her skin but was powerless to prevent it or to loosen its
grip. She saw Faye’s eyes, wide with shock, saw her lips moving, but her ears
were filled with the roaring of a thousand oceans. She staggered, her legs
giving way, she landed hard on the ground.  Her heart, it had her heart. Her
head hit the ground, her eyes flickering, and she saw him– Roman, so close, she
could reach out and touch him.  And so she did.  Her senses screamed in pain
and then she was swallowed by light.

45.

THE BEGINNING

“You can’t keep me in here.” She
was tired, so tired, yet full to the brim with energy.  How could it be that
the world was so bright?  Every tiny mote of dust sparkled like a jewel.  She
reached out to touch them, these floating gems.  It wasn’t so bad in the box
but she missed home– earth that tasted of cinnamon, air that smelt of all the
seasons rolled into one.  She shook her head, confused at thoughts that were
not her own. Home. Home is…a man with drawn features and a plump lady who
smiles easily and…the jewels in the air were so pretty.

“She’s distracted again.” Raven
sighed.  “We haven’t a clue what’s going on out there and no idea how to stop
it.”

“Keeping Rose in the box seems to
have isolated the power.  We’re preventing any further damage.” Richard watched
the beautiful girl with the golden hair as she pirouetted inside the glass box,
snatching at the air and giggling like a child.  The glow emanating from her
was muted at the moment, but over the past couple of days he had seen it so
bright it had almost blinded him. Something resided within her now, a fey power,
which they had no control over, and no inkling as to how to remove it.  The
only thing they were sure of was that its release into their world had caused a
rip in the fabric of their reality.  The survivors of the feys’ scheme had
returned to an eternal night where
hungry creatures
lurked in the forever dark.

 “And the evacuations?” Raven asked.

“Already begun.”

“Its hell outside.”

 “Let’s just hope we can stop it
from spreading.” Richard turned his back on the glass box and walked toward the
exit.  “There’s nothing we can do for her now, Raven.”

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