Dark City (The Order of Shadows Book 1) (9 page)

T
hat night
my dreams carried me to a great hill forested with oak, ash and tall thick trees of a name I couldn't recall. Their boughs were wide and twisted with pale bark and delicate papery leaves.

A spired city rose up from the valley below, its walls and domes hewn from amber stone that glittered in shades of coral and peach as the sun set. At the city's center was a grand palace with fountains and pools that reflected the vast crimson sky.

I knew this city well. I'd explored its labyrinthine streets for most of my young life. It had been a happy home, but now it was dangerous, a place of shadows and doubt, the citizens stalked by suspicion and fear. A range of black, brittle mountains framed the city like an ominous backdrop, streaks of bloody red sunlight spilling between their shards and peaks.

"We need to go." The man's voice was gruff, familiar.

I turned, but his face was a swarm of movement and I could not discern his features. "I can't see you." My young voice cracked with terror.

"You must forsake this world. It's the only way you'll survive."

Branches snapped as a line of soldiers moved up the hill toward us, sunlight glinting on the swords in their hands.

They did not look like men. Their helmets were long and silver. Almost wolf like.

"Quick." A gentle calloused hand grabbed my wrist and led me away. We ran through the trees and crashed through the heavy brush. My heart beat hard with fear and anger. Part of me wanted to turn back, fight, slay every single one of our pursuers, but I couldn't. I was just a child.

"Faster!" The man pulled me through the undergrowth until we emerged in a small clearing that led to a cavern in the side of a hill. The darkened opening buzzed and flickered. The sight of it filled me with nausea and panic.

This was a mystical place steeped in folklore and legend.

The cave at the end of the world. Those who entered never returned.

"Come." The faceless man pulled me on. "We have to go. We'll die if we're captured. I swear, if there was another way..."

I tried to squirm free. I flailed my arms and grabbed a branch but its mossy coating was slick and it slipped from my fingers as the man yanked my arm and dragged me to the cave.

Shouts echoed through the trees.

The man ran on. Arrows whizzed past us and smashed against the rock face. "The Gods help us," he cried as the gaping black void rushed towards us. Then his voice was snatched away by the sound of a roaring, churning sea. The last thing I saw as the darkness swept us away was the golden glimmer of the ring on his hand.

It was Tom's.

I
sat
up drenched in sweat, my dreams lingering and my heart pounding. It took a few moments to remember where I was and then a few more to ground myself.

Back on earth. It was a strange thought, and yet I knew it was true. The dreams had taken me somewhere else, to memories of a far off world.

A realm that couldn't be, and yet was. Were the dreams memories, or figments from my fevered imagination? Was I having another breakdown? Had the insanity and evil overwhelming the city finally gotten to me too?

My terror of madness was never far away, I'd borne it silently for as long as I could remember. Willow had known, but the wildness of her world made mine seem tame by comparison.

I'd told her everything one drunken night. Of plunging through a sea of black only to find myself in abandoned asylum, with a man whose face I couldn't see. Of waking, with no memories, into my body aged ten.

She'd given me an unreadable, bittersweet smile, and then she'd filled our glasses with wine and proposed a toast. "To life in all its beauty and madness."

"To life in all its beauty and madness," I said, as I rolled out of the tangled blankets and wandered into the living room. Two cats stared at each other from across the apartment, one on top of the television, the other on the bookcase. Then they turned to me with expectant, gluttonous eyes as I opened the fridge. There was nothing inside but the flickering light, a takeout container of something I'd long forgotten, half a tin of tuna and a lone can of beer. "Sad bastard," I muttered. "I need to sort my life out."

I sat and gazed at the napkin on the table, the one from Nika's Diner. Unfinished business. The killer was still at large and I had no idea how to find it. I knew next to nothing other than it was some kind of remotely operated, half-living automaton.

A flesh and blood drone, a golem.

The only real lead I had was the scar-like rune carved on Tom and the other victim, and I needed to find out what in the hell it meant.

I fed the cats and called Haskins but he had no news, so I hung up and headed for the shower, hoping the water would clear my foggy mind.

It did, a little. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my phone and headed out.

* * *

"
B
ooks
, Nooks, Oddments and Glamours" was a suitably tatty occult store situated halfway down Nightfall Street. The street itself was little more than a long dark thoroughfare with alleys that ran off it like the branches of a great sprawling tree.

As with most of the more magical places in the city, Nightfall Street was rarely visited by anyone non-magical, even though it was within walking distance of the heart of the city.

Anyone who somehow managed to wander unbidden within its thoroughfares would soon find themselves with a heavy sense of melancholy and an urgent need to be as far away as possible. To be back in the real world of drama and chatter, debt and banks, and the hoards of pricy crap nobody needs.

The day was overcast and shadows gathered below the shop awnings and seeped from the tightly packed alleyways. I wove through the milling tangles of shoppers, their faces obscured by hats and hoods. They clutched bags at their sides, jealously guarding their purchases. Which were most likely ingredients or enchantments they'd bought to patch the weaknesses in their own craft and make their sorcery harder to counter. A good motivation for secrecy.

I turned into the short passage that led to Books, Oddments and Glamours and slowed as I spotted three figures gathered in the gloom. Their hoods were low over their faces, but I caught enough of their ashen pallor to see they were vampires. They passed a joint of rare and magical herbs between them and grinned, revealing long teeth.

Their smiles faded when they clapped eyes on me.

They turned to face me, reflecting the grey sky in their round rimless shades. One hissed to the others, his thin lips twisting into a hard, mocking scowl.

Associates of the late Mr. Tudor? It was more than possible. News of his untimely demise must have broken by now and vampires are surprisingly loyal.

They blocked the shop door as I approached and only then did I realize I was completely unarmed, I'd left my gun and bag of tricks back at home. I didn't let that stop me, I walked right up to the nearest and leaned in close until our noses were almost touching. "Boo!"

He moved.

Just a fraction.

It was enough. I shoved them out of my way, pushed the shop door open, and the bells inside chimed in a twinkling arpeggio.

A heady scent of incense filled my nose, amber, cedar wood, musk and myrrh. And dust. Lots and lots of dust.

I passed dark rows of bookshelves and tables overflowing with candles, pouches, crystals and wands. I noticed a new display and a large bright yellow cardboard box stuffed full of vials of pick-me-up charms. I was fairly sure it was hokum but couldn't help but be intrigued by its claim of 'Four hours of non-stop Zest and Shine'.

"You don't need one." Talulah Feist stood between a pair of red velvet curtains, a large notebook in her hand. "You already shine like an evening star, Morgan Rook." She smiled then glanced over a tray of rainbow-colored orbs and scribbled in her ledger. "I hate doing inventory even more than I hate Tuesdays." She flicked an imaginary piece of fluff from her simple yet sleek cream colored wrap dress. It perfectly complemented the magenta highlights in her long brown hair, as well as her large pearl-grey eyes that flashed behind black horn-rimmed glasses. "And what brings you to my fabulous shop?"

"Questions."

Tallulah swept a hand towards the aisles of books. "Go forth and seek your answers." Her smile wavered as the door flew open behind me, filling the shop with a peal of chimes. I turned but could see no one. I was about to ask Tallulah who it had been, when she glanced down at the phone in my hand and her face fell.. "Must you bring that damnable device into my emporium?"

I flipped through the photos and pulled up a picture of the rune I'd sketched of the carving on the first victim's arm. "Do you know what this means?"

"Maybe. But..." Her brow furrowed, "but I'm not sure where I've seen it. Let me dig around a bit." Talulah leafed through the pages of her notebook and made a quick sketch of the symbol. "Anything to break the monotony of this hideous inventory. Wait here."

I wandered towards the rows of bookcases and browsed until one particularly fat dusty tome caught my eye. It was filled with neat, slanted handwritten words but I was not familiar with the language. I shivered as the book began to grow heavy and cold, and quickly slipped it back onto the shelf.

The shop grew darker as I wandered further down the aisle and the dim light from the string of tiny bulbs above flickered. The gloom at the end was as thick as syrup, but I saw someone move within the darkness and I caught a flash of eyes.

And then I heard a footstep behind me.

I spun round to find a hooded vampire bearing down on me, fangs out, a curved blade clenched in his fingers. I kept my eyes trained on his hand and waited for him to make his move.

And then I heard a rustle behind me.

Both his associates swept from the murk, their pale faces twisted with murderous hate.

I
leaned back
as the vampire's blade whizzed less than an inch from my face. "Piece of shit," he spat.

I glanced from him to the others, gauging their positions, before turning back to him. "You've been alive how long? Centuries?" I asked, looking to buy time, "And that's the extent of your vocabulary?"

"Go to hell!" He sprang forward and lunged at my throat. I grabbed a book from the shelf to block the knife. The blade pierced the cover, sank clean through the pages, and gleamed as it emerged from the leather backing. The book let out a piercing wail and its pages began to glow. I pulled it towards me, wrenching the blade from the vampire's grip and threw the impaled shuddering tome to the floor, as a pale sinewy arm slipped over my shoulder from behind. One of his friends had me in a headlock and his clawed fingers reached for my eyes.

I thrust my elbow back as hard as I could.

I struck the vampire with a sickening crunch. As I drew forward for a second blow, it vanished.

The vampire ahead lunged, his teeth drawn back. I punched him hard above the eye and felt my ring cut through his papery skin. Blood dripped into his eye, slowing him.

I spun back around and threw a jab at the third vampire as he tried to grab me. He came apart in a cloud of black motes that fluttered in the air like moths.

I broke through the ashy haze just as one of the vampires raised a gun.

Light flashed and an explosion echoed through the shop. I flinched, expecting to feel searing red hot pain, but the bullet struck the book beside my head.

A fresh cloud of motes appeared, black and magenta, they swirled into a human silhouette and within the blink of an eye Tallulah appeared. She shoved me aside and bore down on the pair of vampires stalking behind me. Her fangs were fully exposed and far longer than theirs, the bloodlust in her eyes much keener.

They fell back.

Tallulah seized the closest one. "You come into my shop..." She grabbed his arm and wrenched it behind his back with a terrible snapping sound. "...and destroy my books."

A high-pitched scream added to the whine in my ears.

"And cry like a little girl!" Tallulah was a blaze of motion as she threw the vampire to the ground and whirled back through the air to confront the next one. She seized his gun and threw it into the shadows before pulling the vampire's fingers hard. The crack that followed made me wince.

"You harass my friend..." Tallulah growled, before vanishing and reappearing as the final vampire tried to flee from the aisle. She blocked his path and stood firm as he hissed and lunged at her. Her porcelain hand shot out and seized him by the neck, then she turned his head back and gave his throat a savage bite.

A fine spray of blood misted the air, coating the books in a red haze. He howled and tried to squirm free.

"I should take all three of you to the cellar and feed you to my brood."

"Please." The vampire whimpered. Tallulah released him. He scuttled off to join the others as they backed away down the aisle.

"Please,"
Tallulah repeated. "That's better. You have some manners after all. Now get out of my shop before I eviscerate all three of you."

They burst into clouds of black and red smoke, and raced away. Bells tinkled and the front door thumped closed behind them.

Tallulah transformed back to her former appearance and even though the unbridled savagery was gone there was still a tinge of wildness in her eyes. "That book you used as a shield, it's probably worth more than you earn in a year."

"I'm sorry," I said. And I was.

Tallulah nodded. "Of course you are. And while sorry is nice, it's never going to replace my book. Which means you owe me a favor.
Another
favor."

"Sure." There were worse people to be indebted to. "Whatever I can do."

Tallulah gave me a hungry smile and guided me down the aisle. The cold chill of her hand sunk through my coat as she clasped my shoulder. "Your list of enemies grows by the day, Morgan."

"That's just part of the job."

Her sardonic smile faded. "I heard about Mr. Tudor."

"Word spreads fast." I swallowed, hoping she hadn't taken his death personally.

"He was connected to some very bad people," she shrugged. "Which is probably why those lowlifes gave you such a warm welcome. And now I've been drawn into the whole sordid affair."

"My apologies."

"Why aren't you armed? You should have a weapon with you at all times. You shouldn't need me to tell you that."

I didn't. But the last couple of days had kicked the shit out of me. I nodded. "I know."

"The Crimson Eye won't rest. They're relentless. They'll come after you and they're not going to stop until you wipe them out."

I knew that too. But I had bigger fish to fry and this was no time to worry about a low level coven of vampires. "I had to stop Tudor, he gave me no choice. He went off the synthetic, started picking up innocents and mainlining them."

"Innocents?" Tallulah laughed. "Neither of our worlds have much in the way of innocents these days, do they? Still, we have rules and they must be abided by. For now at least."

We strolled down the gloomy aisle toward the front of the shop and I was glad for the light and the window, as dusty and streaked with soot as it was. "For now?"

"The treaty, it's just words and good intentions. Words and intentions change, and change is coming. I wonder how long the agreements will hold."

The thought had crossed my mind too. "About that symbol..."

Tallulah's nail broke my skin as she placed her finger on my lip. "I'll tell you what I know, but I want no further part in this business. Do you understand?"

"Sure."

"Good. Do you know Argyle Screed?"

"The merchant? I know of him." Argyle Screed was a person of interest to the Organization, but there were plenty of others in the line ahead of him.

"I had dealings with Screed a few months back. He sold me some rare books. No doubt you're aware, his business can be shady and dangerous at times, which is why he hires mercenaries. The last time we met he had a new one, a woman. I noticed that symbol on her wrist, part of it was showing just below her cuff."

"Do you know where I can find her?"

"No, you'll have to ask him."

I needed to visit a lowlife like Screed right now like I needed a rash. "Do you know where he is?" People like Argyle Screed tended to move about a lot.

"I've heard there's an underground in a bar on Silversmith Street. You might want to look there. It's called the-"

"The Seventh Knot. I know it."

"Be sure to arm yourself this time."

"I will." I was about to leave when Tallulah leaned over and kissed the side of my face. I suppressed a flinch as I felt her attention stray to the side of my neck.

"Remember your debt to me, Morgan Rook," she called, as I pulled the door open and filled the shop with a cold breeze. I nodded, closed the door behind me and stepped out into the alley.

I'd almost made it to Nightfall Street when someone clapped a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back into the shadows.