Page 28 of Craving Darkness

I set the empty coffee cup down and pulled the wallet from my back pocket. I withdrew some folded bills, checking to ensure there was plenty to cover the tab, along with a hefty tip. I set the bills on the counter in front of me just as the silver-haired waitress turned to face me with a broad smile on her gently lined face.

“Here you go, sweetie. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, ma’am, this is perfect. Thank you,” I replied, reaching out to take the bags from her.

“You got it. Drive safely, and come back to see us.”

I nodded but didn’t respond, knowing the chance of me returning to this area within her lifetime was slim at best. I turned, walking away from the counter and out through the front door. I had grown numb to the fact that nearly every being I came in contact with would die and wither to nothing but dust as I continued to roam this realm. Some much sooner than others. There were times, though, after meeting a human who stood out for their genuine kindness that I was reminded of my loneliness. Immortality was more of a curse than a gift, and I couldn’t help but wonder over the years what I had done to deserve it. But then, there were several regrets I had that were worth being cursed for.

But now I had a mate who would share my longevity. I also suspected she held a power similar to mine for a reason. I would show her how to use it without fear, as well as how to use it to protect herself. With our mating came strength. We would both be immensely more powerful with better control. Though I hadn’t been taught about any of those things, I could already sense it inside of me. The fact that we were connected so strongly suggested that the same would be true for her. Though, I did think that it was prudent to speak to someone sooner rather than later. We both had much to learn about our world and shouldn’t wait to find someone to teach us.

As I finished packing away our food containers as well as I could, my phone began to ring inside my jacket where I had stashed it after my conversation with Cyprian. I withdrew it as I sat on my bike and frowned at the screen. The number wasn’t one I recognized. I hit the answer button and brought it to my ear.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end of the line was brisk and formal with a faint accent similar to the kind most long-lived supernatural beings held after living in so many different places through their long lives. It wasn’t the voice that made me freeze, though.

“This is Councilman Crispin Decious. I received a message a few minutes ago that you might have information about an issue in one of our regions with rogue vampires.”

My head was still spinning as I sat there numbly.

“Are you there?” His tone had turned from business serious to suspicious at my silence. I gripped the phone tighter.

“Crispin. As in the Crispin who singly-handedly defeated twenty skilled fighters carrying spears before finally allowing help from your teammates?”

It was his turn to become silent for a long beat. I heard what sounded like the creaking of a chair. “There are very few who might know me from that time.”

I stared out across the parking lot as I got lost in a memory from nearly two thousand years ago. Crispin had been a human at that time; of that, I had no doubts. He’d been a volunteer gladiator, one who was fighting to earn money. Most who joined the ranks of the gladiators died in the Colosseum within the first year. Crispin had continued fighting for more than five that I could remember.

“I could imagine,” I replied with a grunt.

“There is only one other man who survived that day.” He wasn’t wrong. It had been a brutal battle, and nearly all of our team had died. Crispin had felt he needed to prove something after his intended bride had shown up married to someone else. “I always knew there was something different about you.”

I huffed out an amused breath. “Well, the human I knew back then definitely wasn’t a high ranking vampire.”

“How are you doing, Valen?”

“I’d be doing better if there weren’t vermin threatening my mate.”

It was his turn to grunt, disgust filling his tone. “That region has gone to shit since I left. I have been working with the other Council members to pick a new leader to take over for the worthless excuse of a King that’s in place there now. Tell me everything you know, and I will be on the next plane out there.” He paused. “Congratulations on your mate. We obviously need to catch up.”

I shook my head at the turn of events. Never would I have suspected that the man I had fought with back then, and considered a friend for the short time I had stayed to fight in the Colosseum, would have become a vampire. I wondered how it had happened and if, perhaps, he wasn’t one of the shitty ones.

Chapter 19

Kallista

Istood back and stared down at my handiwork. It had taken a lot of effort, but somehow, I managed to carefully roll each garment Valen had bought me into tight bundles for packing. It had worked, though my backpack and Valen’s bag were bulging at the seams. My clothing would be a mess of wrinkles, but at least I would have them.

I wondered idly where we would go after we left here. I had never been to the West Coast. When I traveled with my father, it was usually to conventions. Then we headed straight back to the plane and on to our next campaign location. So even though I had traveled quite a bit, it had never been for vacation or to just have fun. I looked forward to all the places he could show me.

I paused in the process of hauling the bags toward the lift as the sound of an engine broke through the silence. I hadn’t noticed until now how quiet it was in this area of town. I smiled as my heart made a little leap in my chest at the thought of Valen coming back. Then I realized that the sound I was hearing wasn’t just one motorcycle engine.

I stood frozen as I listened to multiple engines approaching. I glanced over to the alarm panel, relieved to see it was blinking, indicating it was armed. As I continued to listen, the engines seemed to slow, making me tense up as fear began to crawl up my spine. As they roared past the warehouse, I let out a gust of air as my shoulders relaxed.

I took a step toward the lift so I could set the bags down when the group of bikes sounded as if they had turned the corner. Were they circling the warehouse? I held my breath, waiting to see if they would move on. Perhaps they were just on the wrong side of town and took a wrong turn. It wasn’t until the sound of engines circled back around to the front of the warehouse that I began to panic.

“Shit, shit, shit! What do I do?” My gaze darted around the loft, bouncing over every surface as if searching for the answers that wouldn’t come. I had no weapons and no experience with them, even if there was a gun or a knife. By the sound of what was outside, there were at least three motorcycles. There was no way for me to defend myself against that many men, even if I were trained to handle myself in a fight.

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