Light Shadows

  Silence stretches between us, pushing Niko further and further away from me. His back hits the wall, making it blatantly clear that he wants to escape this room—escape me. I want to go to him, beg for his forgiveness, but I’m afraid. Afraid that I’ve lost him forever, just like Dorian.

  “Say something,” I beg. I swallow, tasting bile. I’m so disgusted with myself, that I’m physically ill. “Even if you want to yell at me, call me a bitch, tell me I’m a miserable person. Just please…say something.”

  He drops his gaze, leaving me in the cold where I belong. Then in the next second, he turns towards the door, and he freezes, his brow furrowed in concentration.

  I hear it at the same time he does—the squeaky wheel of a cart. It bypasses rooms 1588 through 1602, stopping at 1604. My room.

  I know those three knocks are coming, yet I still flinch. I’ll never get used to the sound of bare knuckles rapping against wood. It’ll forever haunt my dreams, serving as the menacing music played in my own personal horror flick.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  That’s the sound of Death calling.

  Niko goes to look out the peephole, but turns back to me, shaking his head. Either there’s no one there, or someone is deliberately covering the peephole. Theory number one is quickly tossed out the window when someone knocks again, announcing, “Housekeeping.”

  It’s 1:37 in the morning.

  It is not fucking Housekeeping.

  They’ve found us. Aurora, Stavros and now Dorian, have found us. And they want to remind us that there is nowhere to hide. They’ll keep sending Death to our doorstep. They’ll keep forcing us to kill innocent kids who have no control over their thoughts or actions. They want us to surrender—to come crawling back, begging for mercy. And right at this moment, I’m not sure if that’s such a bad idea.

  There’s one last knock before the sounds of muted shuffling are heard from the other side of the door. There’s a quick struggle, a crunching snap and then silence. Dead silence.

  The next round of knocks takes the breath out of me, but something compels me to flash to the door and whip it open. Call it intuition or a plain stupidity. But the moment I turn that handle, I know I am twisting open a whole can of worms that only a certifiably crazy person could deal with.

  Niko leaps in front of me, shielding me with his own body, even after all I’ve said to him. But it’s too late. I’ve already seen what stands just inside that doorway, sucking up space and air with his massive frame.

  It’s Lars.

  And there’s a dead girl at his feet.

  WE MUST’VE STOOD there for a good sixty seconds before anyone regained the function of speech or movement. Then, we were merely a whirlwind of chaos, talking over each other and frantically trying to figure out what to do next.

  “You killed her!” I shriek, although it’s more out of surprise than anything else.

  “I had to,” Lars retorts, flinging her lifeless body across the room. She lands unnaturally, her limbs folding like a paper sack. If her neck hadn’t already been broken, it would’ve been now. “If I hadn’t, she would have killed you.”

  “Why the hell are you here anyway?” Niko asks accusingly, pacing the floor. He stops abruptly, spinning around to pin Lars with his pale blue eyes. “And how did you know she was infected?”

  Lars goes to the quickly cooling corpse and pulls down the beige housekeeping uniform. In bold, black ink, the word Mīsos is etched in her skin. “I followed you here. I could smell the repugnant stench of Dark hatred from down the hall.”

  Niko curses, going through the housekeeping cart to rummage for clues. “Mīsos is the Dark house of Hate. They produce venom that burns through flesh and bone like acid. I suspect this girl would have had something like that on her.”

  “Be careful,” I warn, wringing my hands in front of me. Niko shoots me a tight, pained smile and nods. All is not forgotten and forgiven.

  “I think I found something,” Lars announces, after flipping over the body. He lifts up a plastic spray bottle with just the tip of his fingers, holding it away from his body. “My money says this isn’t just disinfectant.”

  “Only one way to find out.” Niko strides towards him and lifts a hand, causing the bottle to stay suspended in midair. Lars steps back quickly, unwilling to be a subject in Niko’s science experiment.

  Guiding the movements of the bottle with his hand from a foot away, Niko turns the nozzle to the dead body. In the next second, a fine mist falls over her, looking like fresh, morning dew on a peacefully sleeping girl.

  Until it begins.

  Her skin begins to sizzle, bubbling with horrid blisters. The sores burst and ooze blood and pus, causing fluid to run down her face. But it’s not just vile-smelling liquid dripping onto the hotel carpeting. It’s her skin. Her skin and tissue melts right off her skeleton like bloody goo, creating a smoking pile at the base of her now exposed skull.

  I take off for the bathroom, the sight and smell of burning flesh conjuring the remains of hamburger and champagne from my gut. Even after I’m sure I’m completely empty, I stay planted to the floor, leaning against the cool porcelain of the tub.

  “You can come out now,” Niko calls from the other side several minutes later. “Lars got rid of it and I was able to clean up out here.”

  “Why did you do that?” I croak, my throat dry and sore.

  “I had to test it,” he says, his voice closer. There’s a shuffle against the other side of the door as if he’s just sat on the ground and leaned against it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”

  “Don’t apologize. You of all people should never apologize to me. I don’t deserve it.” There’s silence, and I imagine the pained look in Niko’s eyes from just minutes earlier. “I’m sorry, Niko. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. You’ve always been so good to me, and I…I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you.”

  “You’ll never lose me, baby girl. Never.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise on everything I’ve ever loved and lost. I promise on every star in every universe from here to infinity. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I smile, closing my eyes as the cool smoothness of the bathtub soothes me into exhaustion. It’s been a helluva day. I’m not even sure how I’ve held up this long.

  I’m only slightly aware of the sounds of rustling outside the door before it clicks open. Then I’m being lifted up from the floor.

  “No,” I protest, covering my mouth with a hand. “I have to brush my teeth.”

  “Ok,” Niko chuckles. “That’s probably best.”

  “Shut up.”

  He lays me down on the bed, pulling back the covers before gently folding my legs between the sheets. Through hazy eyes, I watch as he goes into the bathroom, emerging just seconds later with my toothbrush, a drinking glass and a bottle of water.

  “Here. Let me help you,” he murmurs, his voice smooth and soft as silk. I try to reach for the toothbrush, but he bats my hands away. And honestly, I’m too tired and weak to fight him.

  “I can do it,” I whine. But just as I say the words, I feel myself in and out of slumber.

  Niko ignores me, fastening my chin between his fingers as he opens my mouth. Then I feel soft bristles covered in mint, lightly stroking my teeth and gums. He’s brushing my teeth. This supposed evil, murderous being who has seen and done unspeakable things, is brushing my teeth for me. When he’s done, he gingerly cradles my head, before inserting a small mouthful of water. I’m barely conscious when he tells me to spit into the glass, which I somehow manage to do without making a mess.

  “Sleep, sweetheart,” I hear him murmur, tucking me under the comforter. The light that shines through my eyelids dims with the click of a lamp.

  I’m falling, grasping onto the corner pages of an elaborate dream when I feel soft, warm lips brush across my forehead. Then, I don’t feel a thing.

  THE ONLY WAY I know it’s morning is the red flashing numbe
rs on the bedside clock. 9:03am. I slept through the night. For the first time since God knows when, I slept soundly, damn near peacefully. And I know why too. I’m just not ready to acknowledge it.

  There are arms around me.

  Strong, warm arms, wound around my body protectively. Holding me. Cradling me.

  There’s cool breath tickling the nape of my neck in a rhythmic pattern. And when I lean back just a fraction, I brush against a rock hard wall of smooth, bare skin.

  This shouldn’t bother me, and it doesn’t. This shouldn’t confuse me, but it does.

  I want to stay here. I want to just stay under these covers and live in the safety and solitude of Niko’s arms. I want to remember the way he cared for me last night, and laugh at how silly I must’ve looked. And when we wakes up, his hair a messy, black halo, I want to see that sleepy smile of his, because I know it will make me smile right back at him.

  But girls that just lost the love of their life don’t jump into bed to cuddle said love’s younger brother. It’s just wrong, no matter how right it feels.

  I take a resigning breath before trying to peel Niko’s arm from around my waist. Just as I think I’ve got it, he tenses, pulling me in closer, so close that I can easily feel his morning erecti0n pulsing against my ass.

  Holy. Shit.

  “Don’t go,” he murmurs. “Stay a little longer.”

  “Niko, let me—,”

  “Please, Amelie. You said you wouldn’t leave.”

  Amelie? Oh God, he’s dreaming.

  “If you love her, you will save her.” An anguished sound cracks his voice, which comes out in a weak tremble. “Please, come back. I’m sorry. Don’t leave me.”

  Niko sobs, the noise causing him to wake with a jerk. I try to stay completely still, not wanting to embarrass him.

  “Shit,” he groans, rolling away from me. The loss of his body heating mine makes the room plummet 20 degrees. I turn around slowly, pulling the covers up to my chin. Niko lies flat on his back, a hand over his eyes.

  “Good morning.” I know it’s somewhat contrived, considering what I just heard, but what else am I supposed to say?

  “Morning,” he gruffs, his voice still strangled with sleep and emotion. He clears it, trying to rid himself of his weakness. “Feeling better?”

  “Yeah.” And I do, actually. Much better.

  “Good.” He scrubs a hand over his face, rubbing the dark stubble on his jaw. “I couldn’t leave you.”

  Huh? What does he mean he—

  “I didn’t want you to be afraid if you woke up alone, after what happened last night. And until I knew you were safe for sure, I didn’t want…”

  I don’t miss the desperation in his voice, his words begging for acceptance. “Thank you,” I say hastily, not wanting any awkwardness to stretch between us. “Thanks for staying. I’m glad you were here.”

  I watch his bare chest rise and fall, forcing my eyes to focus on the movement and not the rippling muscle of his torso. God, he’s gorgeous. Tan, smooth skin. Abs for days. And from what I just felt pressed against my ass while he was deep in dreamland, I know he’s working with some serious pipe.

  FML.

  “Where’s Lars?” I ask, grasping at anything that will divert my attention. Shit, I can still see his massive appendage resting on his thigh, docile yet thick with vitality.

  “He had to make a trip. The spell to bring Dorian back requires some research. And where he’s going, we’re not welcome. So he’ll be back in a couple days, hopefully less. Thankfully, he’s placed a Light ward around the perimeter of our rooms. That will take care of the humans passing through with Dark magic.”

  “So we’re stuck here for days?” I’m whining not because I think I’ll die of cabin fever, but because being with Niko makes me think and feel things that I don’t want to face. I shouldn’t even be entertaining this shit. And spending everyday with him, without the buffer of Morgan or Alex or even Lars, how will I continue to ignore that niggling urge to act on these insane impulses?

  Niko shakes his head, his eyes still gazing up at the ceiling. “We’ll try to make the most of it. There are other ways to entertain ourselves. We just have to be creative.”

  Entertain…*gulp*…ourselves? “Like?”

  Suddenly, he sits up, placing his bare feet on the floor and giving me a view of hard back, roped with muscle. Standing, he grabs his discarded shirt and simply drapes it over his shoulder. “Get ready and I’ll show you.” Then he disappears through the door that adjoins our rooms.

  I roll onto my back, huffing out a gutful of frustration. What am I doing? Has my ascension really made me so callous? Am I so starved for affection that I’m willing to risk what I have—had—with Dorian? I’ve never been that kind of girl to act like a complete slut for the attention of a guy. I mean, I have morals, however shallow they may be.

  I trudge out of bed and stretch my limbs, realizing that I’m still dressed in that skimpy black dress, which has ridden all the way up to my waist, exposing most of my black-thonged ass. Great. As if I need another thing to obsess over.

  I shower and primp as quickly as possible, anxious to discover Niko’s methods of entertainment. When I reach for my toothbrush, an unexplainable flutter erupts in my belly at the memory of him brushing my teeth last night. He was so gentle, so sweet. I felt unbelievably cherished and adored.

  I shake it off, telling myself that he was just being nice, and reading into it would only make me delusional. I was the equivalent of a toddler to him, or some helpless hospital patient. There was nothing remotely sexual about being so plastered that I needed someone to help me brush my damn teeth.

  Except, I wasn’t drunk. And after he tucked me in and ensured our safety, he climbed into bed with me, pressing my mostly bare ass against the erection straining underneath his slacks.

  This is so fucked.

  I’m bent over, pulling on my comfy, fur-lined boots when a pair of jean-clad legs appears out the corner of my eye. “Holy shit!” I shriek, clutching my chest. “Don’t do that! You scared the crap outta me!”

  Niko smirks, the devil in him snickering at my fear. “Well, hopefully, by the end of today, you’ll be able to do the same thing.”

  “For real?” Learning how to manifest from one place to the next, even over long distances, would be freaking insane! If had had that skill a week ago, I could have been there for Jared. Hell, maybe even for Donna.

  “For real. Now you’ll have to hang onto me for the first leg of our journey, but coming back, you should be able to make the trip independently.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He closes the space between us, and before I can protest, his arms are wound around me for the second time this morning. I look up into those crystal blue eyes, seeing the reflection of longing in my own expression. “Hold on,” he whispers, his breath stirring the curls around my face. Then we’re gone, transported into obscurity.

  A bout of vertigo causes my legs to wobble like Jell-O, even though this time was a much smoother journey than the times before. Niko supports my weight, holding me tight against his chest, while I take a minute to collect my bearings.

  “You’ll get used to it. Deep breaths, baby girl. It’ll pass.” He strokes my hair, refusing to let me go until I’m able to stand on my feet without wobbling.

  “Thank you,” I say, my cheeks hot. When I step away, I see that we’re at the edge of a lake, encapsulated by a wall of tall, lush trees. “Where are we?”

  “Green Lake. I was able to…persuade…the local occupants to keep their distance for a while. We’ll have some privacy.”

  I smile, taking in the rich greenery and listen to the sound of a light breeze rustling a thousand little leaves. The sun just barely breaks through heavy, grey clouds, yet it’s enough to make me raise my face to the sky and soak in the vitamin D. The Light in me craves this. I needed to be outside, surrounded in the splendor of nature, to recharge my batteries. And as the scent of fresh water a
nd foliage fill my lungs, I feel as if I’ve finally found peace. This is my little slice of nirvana.

  “Like it?” Niko asks quietly, after giving me several minutes to take it all in.

  “I love it,” I breathe, feeling as if I can’t take in enough fresh air. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  He tips his head. “I wish I could say it was solely for relaxation. Actually, we’re here to work. You want to learn how to use, and there’s a likely chance that Dorian won’t give in without a fight. It’s time you learned how to protect yourself, and manipulate that power inside you.”

  “But I thought there were no spell books or things like that?”

  “There aren’t.” Niko strides to me, leaving mere inches between us. “It comes from here,” he says, touching my forehead. His other hand goes over my heart. “And from here. You’ve always had it inside you. You’ve just been too afraid to let it out.”

  I don’t realize that I’ve stopped breathing until I feel like I may burst with the need for oxygen. Niko takes the hint, and backs away, taking my hand instead. “But first, we dine. You need to have your strength before I work you.”

  Just beyond a grouping a trees there’s a little clearing where Niko has placed a blanket and a basket of food. A knot forms in my throat as I let him lead me to it, thinking of the time Dorian took me to the park for a picnic. He always made the simplest things seem so grand and special. It was the perfect day. And now that I’m here with his brother, all I can think about how I’ll never be able to accept another man without comparing him to Dorian. I’ll always think, Dorian did it first. Or, I liked it better when Dorian did it. And while I’m perfectly happy and grateful to be here with Niko, I know that any man I choose will only get half my heart. The other half will forever belong to someone else.