Immortal Dreams (10 page)

"Dark users are too good with tech."

"And black magic," I scoff while zipping up my jacket and heading out into the rain.

"And these woods," he sighs.  "Stay close.  I really don't even want you in here.  Calypso will kill me for letting you come."

"She'll die if we don't find her."

He tightens his lips, and lets out a breath of defeat as we start heading into the creepy-as-hell forest.  It's daylight, but between the rain and the shadows cast by the thick, leafy limbs of the forest giants, it's dark as night.

The wind whistles through a hollow log beside us, and Frankie evaporates only to reappear several yards in front of me.

"Really?" I scold in a whisper.

He shrugs and starts walking again until howling erupts from the far north, making Frankie evaporate once more only to reappear in a tree.

"I'm supposed to be the one who's scared," I grumble under my breath.

"Sorry," he murmurs as he reappears at my side.

"No more evaporating just because the wind rustles too loudly."

"Fine," he huffs, his body tensing as we slowly make our way through.

"If you want to evaporate so badly, then do it and grab Mom."

"You know it doesn't work that way.  I can only travel short distances, and I have to see where I'm going and what I'm doing.  If I could just pop in where she's at, I would have already done it.  Not to mention, it'd make traveling a lot easier."

"I was being sarcastic," I mumble.

"Oh."

We continue walking in silence, making sure to investigate every shadowy form we see.  Suddenly, a large, white bird, resembling a hawk, shoots free from a tree and rushes by us, making Frankie squeal and evaporate simultaneously.

Unbelievable.

I walk up just as he reappears, panting for air with his hands on his knees.

"That's it.  Hand over your man-card.  I'm having it revoked."

He straightens up, adjusting his shirt, and then scowls at me.

"I've been around a lot longer than you, meaning I've heard more horror stories about these woods than you."

"Meaning you've lost your balls along the way," I add, mocking him further.

He glares at me, but he doesn't come back with anything else as we continue on, warily checking over our shoulders with each step.

"How far until we reach their holy ground?" I ask, swallowing when I feel a chill in the air.

"At this pace?  Three days."

I groan inwardly, and then I pull out a bottle of water from my pack.  The only way to get there is on foot, and since I can't evaporate around the woods, this is going to be one hell of a three day trip.

Hours pass, leaving me exhausted and Frankie so tense that he's stiff as a board.  I shiver as night really does descend, making me realize how much darker these woods can get.  Frankie collapses to the ground, showing his own exhaustion - proving immortals aren't immune to being out of shape.

"We'll set up here for the night.  I'll take first watch," Frankie says.  He turns his jacket into a pillow for his back and props it between himself and a tree.

Reluctantly, I plop down.  We can't see two steps in front of us right now, and we'll get lost if we keep trying to cipher our way through here.

"Wake me when you get tired."  I yawn while resting my backpack under my head, praying the night doesn't hold any surprises.

A chill slithers up my
back, and I wake up to the pitch black to see Frankie’s eyes closed and his body limp as he snores.

Way to keep watch, Frankie.

I pull my jacket around me a little tighter as I stare at the streaks of moonlight escaping through the veil cast by the trees.  My heart beats too quickly when I see several shadows appearing and evaporating in the distance.

Dark users.

"Frankie," I whisper while tugging at his jacket, but he doesn't move.

I slowly stand to my feet to kick him in the stomach, but still he doesn't move.  It's then I realize his snoring is too deep.  They've put him to sleep because they want me alone.

Fuck!

"Alyssssaaa," a phantom voice hisses too close, and I whip around just as the shadow turns to nothing.

They're playing with me.

"How do you know my name?" I demand, trying not to sound as terrified as I am.

"Alyssssaaa," the voice hisses again, and then suddenly I feel the air being knocked out of me as I'm thrown backwards, my body thudding hard against the ground as I collide.

"That's gonna leave a mark," I mumble under my breath while trying to stand up.

I feel another strike just as I stand, and I'm knocked backwards again.  This time, I hit so hard my tongue gets chomped between my teeth, drawing blood.

I spit it out, steadying my breaths as I search for something to use my magic on.  But it's hard to fight back when I can't see them coming.

I scream as my body gets lifted from the ground by a force I can't see, and then I get whisked up to nearly the tops of the trees just as several other shadows rush into the party from behind us.

Just when I accept my fate, I realize these shadows aren't evaporating, they're just fast as hell.

Screams erupt, and I'm dropped from the monstrous height, screaming all the way down.  I brace for impact, but I feel swift, gentle arms catching me and then gently dropping me to the ground as the figures emerge more obviously.

Dark-hooded silhouettes rush from place to place as the dark users scream out their pain.  The mystery people don't speak or slow down.  Instead, they work together like a band of choreographed dancers fighting against my attackers.

Then I see it.  Their faces are masked and their heads are covered, but I see the glowing blue eyes as they drain the dark users of their energy with the ease only one creature can hold.

Night stalkers!

Here I was, foolish enough to think I was being saved, only to find out I'm someone's next meal.

I slide over, and then kick Frankie's foot, trying to stir him awake, but it's no good.  I watch in horror as the night stalkers continue to drain the dark users, deflecting their attacks as they feast, never fazed by their outnumbered circumstance.

Then I squeal as two lycans crash through the trees, roaring and shredding the dark users who were trying to rush the night stalkers from behind.  One of the lycans spots me, and it snarls as it pounds the ground with its heavy paws.

The beast I've only ever heard about but never seen is far more terrifying than I imagined it to be.  It's head is the size of seven human heads, and it stands six feet tall on all fours.  I cower back, covering Frankie, offering myself as sacrifice.

The rabid beast snarls and rakes the ground with its dagger-like claws, readying itself for a charge as the battle behind it rages on.  A pair of glowing blue eyes offer me a glance before a silhouette leaps over, kicking the beast in the stomach, sending it sailing.

I squeal, and shield my eyes momentarily.  When I look up, I see the lycan is licking its paw, and then it charges back into the fight, no longer acknowledging me as it returns to shredding the dark users.

"Frankie!" I screech desperately, and he finally stirs just as the last of the dark users retreat.

"What?" he murmurs through sleepy yawns, and my eyes look up once more to see the glowing blues fade before the unlikely rescue team darts away, disappearing from sight instead of coming to drain me dry.

Both of the lycans disappear, leaving us behind in the darkness without a threat.

"What the hell just happened?" Frankie gushes as he rises up to see the bodies of the dark users lying around like limp, drained rag dolls.

"Believe it or not, night stalkers and lycans just saved our lives."

"Night stalkers and lycans took down a flock of dark users to help us?" he asks in disbelief.

I look around, understanding his shock.  I watched it happen with my own eyes and I'm still struggling to find it true.

"Yeah.  These dark users were apparently fairly new to their abilities, so they died easier."

"Those had to be some badass mother fuckers to do all this even if they were new to the change," he murmurs to continue our very whispered conversation.

I step over the bodies of the men and women shriveled up, their eyes glazed over with death's glare. 

"That's creepy," Frankie shivers out.

"What's creepy is watching the dark ones of our kind trying to tear us apart and then watching our heroes be night stalkers and lycans."

Frankie shakes his head, still reeling from the absurdity of it all, and we continue to trek through the woods, not risking getting still again.

"How about casting an awake spell?" I whisper.  "I'd prefer to have a little backup the next time they attack."

"Good idea," he mumbles before he starts chanting under his breath.

"There it is," he whispers
as we stare through the thick brush at the black tree in front of us.

My clothes are filthy, my hair is a tangled mess, and we've been on foot for two days - no sleep since the attack - for this?

"How is this supposed to help us find Mom?"

"Like the Tree of Gaya - the root of the light - this is the tree of Tartarus, the root of the dark.  If Calypso is close by, this will lead us there," he whispers, careful not to draw any unwanted ears our way.

Suddenly, a white hawk zooms down from the sky, barreling toward us as it screeches in protest.

"Get down, Alyssa!  Changer!" Frankie yells.

I squeal and duck, but the hawk doesn't attack.  Instead, it disappears behind the tree.  I pull my hands up, ready to go on the offense, when I'm startled from behind.

"Don't use that tree.  You'll awaken a thousand souls and yet you'll only have a riddle for what you need to know," a smooth voice says, and my eyes fall on his face in disbelief.

"Thad?" I gasp.

His lips thin, and then he nods while tossing a pair of pants beside the tree.  I look over my shoulder to see an a guy pulling them on, his bare body making me blush, and then I whip my head back around.

"I'll tear you apart if you try to touch us," Frankie threatens.

"If I wanted to harm her, I would have already done so.  I moved in next door to keep an eye on her once I found out she was living in a town full of night stalkers."

I tilt my head, still stunned into near silence.

"Why?  You're a-"

"A vicious killer with a taste for blood?" he laughs out.  "Not exactly.  Just because I'm a changer, it doesn't make me a killer.  I've only killed when necessary, never for a meal.  They have blood banks these days.  I happen to own a few.  Before then, I learned when to stop before I killed someone."

His smug tone doesn't match the sweet boy next door I thought he was, but at the same time, he just got a hell of a lot sexier.

Stupid bad boy complex.

"Changers don't stop, they kill for fun," Frankie objects, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny.

"It's amazing you say that, considering the same was once said about witches and warlocks.  You think you're the only ones who've evolved?"

Three girls and two more guys walk up to join him, all of them hiding their secret.  Then one girl's eyes glow blue, making me sick.

"Night stalker," I shiver out.

"She's not going to hurt you.  She's here to help," Thad says as he walks toward me.  "Your mom isn't here - never was.  But someone wanted the council to think she was."

"And we're just supposed to take you at your word?" Frankie scoffs.

"No, but a thousand souls really are tied to that tree.  That's what the dark ones used to bless it.  If you use your white magic on it, you'll release more hell on earth than Pandora's box ever thought about, and you'll have nothing in return."

"Where is she?" I interrupt, holding Frankie back when he starts to do something foolish.

Thad keeps a wary eye on Frankie for a moment before answering me.

"That, I don't know.  I do know you're not going to find her this way, but I'll help you find her the right way."

I glance at the dark tree that seems to be taunting me right now, a silent plea for me to free the mayhem begging to wreak havoc, whispering its desires to me.  I cut away before I get too entranced by the fucked up chaos living inside of it.

"How did you know?" I ask, suspicion oozing from my tone.

"About your mother's disappearance or the fact you're a witch?"

"Both."

He cracks his neck to the side, and then looks around before speaking.

"I'm here as a servant to... Drackus.  If I can't help you, he'll get involved.  No one from either side wants that," he almost whispers, making the others lower their eyes.

"My father?" I gasp.

Frankie takes a step back once he hears the name that has struck fear in so many for so long.  Thad nods.

"Believe it or not, he's been keeping tabs on you since you were a child.  He sent me to watch after you after he learned you had branched out on your own."

I'd be touched if my father wasn't a psychotic asshole with too much power for any one person to hold.

"Where do you suggest we start?"

"I suggest you let me take over the legwork from here.  I didn't mean to get this involved, but now that I am, it's time to let us seek her out.  I'll call you if I find anything."

He turns to walk off with his entourage, but I race to get in front of him.

"Hell no.  She's my mother, and I want to be there."

He gives me a look filled with condescension, and I refrain from using my magic on his alpha ass.

“Alyssa, you're looking at old world relics and falling into obvious traps.  You can't expect me to let you come.  You have no idea the things your father would do to me if anything happens to you."

"Nothing will happen.  Please.  She's my mom.  She's all I've got," I whimper, and his eyes soften, his arrogance slowly subsiding and fading into sympathy.

"I'm really, really going to regret this, but... fine."

Without thinking, I throw my arms around his neck and he staggers back lightly from the unexpected hug.  Tears stroll down as the last couple of days full of exhaustion and overwhelming fear catch up with me.