The Darkest Dream (The Darkest Trilogy) (21 page)

I could
feel
it.

I followed the woman through the maze of warehouses and shipping containers until we came to an opening.
 
She gestured toward a small car parked along the street.
 
“My shop isn’t far from here, but Darren asked that I take you from the area as quickly as possible.”
 
I only nodded in agreement, trying urgently to ignore the feelings roaring around inside me.
 
I tried to tell myself that it was only because I was leaving Darren—that I knew I would never see him again, that I knew how much danger he was in.

But it was something stronger than that.
 
Something that reminded me of the alarm I had felt the last time
Phe
had left my apartment—the day she died.
 
I had felt it with my mom as well—I remembered, even being so young, begging her not to go, begging my dad not to let her.
 
I remembered screaming at him afterward, blaming him for not listening to me.
 

It was as if I’d developed a sense about this world I didn’t even know existed—and it was screeching to life inside me as I drove away from the man I knew was going to protect me.

The drive was very short, and I followed the woman into a small building.
 
As soon as we were inside, light illuminated everything and I looked around at my surroundings.
 
It was a small shop, and from what I could make out, she sold organic health and beauty selections.
 

“Do you make
these
yourself?”
 
I spoke, shocking both the woman called
Marleja
and myself.
 
She was standing at the front window, peering through it.
 

“I do.
 
Everything here is made from natural sources.”
 
I nodded, holding a bottle of lotion in my hands.
 
She quickly moved around the room, closing the curtains that allowed a view of the street.
 
“We should go into the back.”
 
I nodded, returning the bottle to
it’s
place before following her across the small room.
 

The back of the store was separated from the front by a pair of plain white curtains.
 
“I know that you’re already aware, but it feels rude not to introduce myself.
 
My name is
Marleja
Henderson.”
 
She came to a stop and turned to offer her hand.
 
It was the first time I’d gotten a good look at her.

She was very pretty, as I had already guessed.
 
Her black hair hung to the small of her back, natural loose curls giving it a very full look.
 
She was just the slightest shade darker than
myself
, her vibrant brown eyes warm and alive.
 
I took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze.
 

“I’ve known Darren for many, many years now.
 
He’s a good man.”
 
I nodded, ignoring the bolt of pain that flashed through me.
 
“He cares for you deeply.”
 
Marleja
spoke with a slight accent, only adding to her exotic appeal.
 
I simply nodded again.

“He said you were going to protect me.”
 
This time, she nodded, her expression solemn.

“I’m going to do my very best.
 
For that to work, I will need your cooperation.”
 
I nodded once more, knowing this was what Darren wanted me to do. “I am a caster, Lucinda.
 
I don’t know if Darren explained, but I am what, presently, people would call a witch.”
 

“That’s about the gist of what he told me.”
 
I told her, thinking back to the things Darren had said about casters.
 
They were responsible for the creation of vampires—not out of malevolence, but rather devotion.
 

They had made Darren the man he was today.

As far as I was concerned, casters were okay in my book.

“Good, that’s a start.
 
However, I use
magicks
that have been passed down for generations—an ancient craft, that stretches back to the dawn of humans.”
 
She smiled a comforting smile at me before continuing on.
 
“I am going to form a circle of protection around you, a ritual that has been passed down through the generations.
 
It will protect you from all those who intend to do you harm.
 
You
must
stay in the circle for it to maintain
it’s
effects.”
 

“I’ll do it.”
 
I didn’t hesitate to comply, though I longed to run.
 
Marleja
smiled warmly.
 
“Whatever you need.”
 

“We’ll get started right away then.”
 
She disappeared from sight for a moment and I heard noises coming from a place deeper in the store.
 
“Darren told me that you go to Glover High.
 
Is this your last year?”

“I—yes,
”
 
I
responded, nodding though she couldn’t see me.
 

“What are your plans after graduation?”
 
She returned to view with various items in her arms.
 

“I—
”
 
I
didn’t know how to respond.
 
“I was planning to go to L.A. with my friend…but
she
…”
 
I cleared my throat.
 
“I may go out to the east coast.
 
Start over.”

“I have a daughter who lives out that way.
 
She enjoys it very much.”
 
I nodded, this being the first time such a thought had even crossed my mind.
 
I hadn’t given much consideration to what the future might really be like, once all of this was over with.
 
“She’s probably the same age as you.”
 
Marleja
continued on, and I looked up, forcing myself to focus.

A warm smile filled the woman’s face as she thought of her daughter and I looked away, my heart aching.
 

Nothing was ever going to be the same.
 
This was becoming more and more apparent as time went on.
 

“I haven’t really given it much thought,
”
 
I
added, almost as an afterthought.
 
“All of this…it threw me for a loop.”
 
The woman nodded before disappearing from the room once more.
 

“My family has always been a part of this world.
 
It’s second nature to me.”
 
She sounded very far away.
 
“But I understand how people have a hard time adjusting.
 
My brother-in-law didn’t approve of our life, and when my husband died, he made things very difficult for us.”

“I’m sorry,”

“It’s the way things are.
 
Zoe and I have done well.”
 
She returned to view once more, this time holding a stack of white candles.
 
“You’ll be all right as well, Lucinda.”
 

“Thank you.”
 
But something held me back from putting complete faith in her statement.
 
I couldn’t shake the feeling of something being off.
 

“We’ll begin the ritual now.
 
You must stand here, and I will form the circle around you.
 
The spell is not complete until I have lit all of the candles—the circle will appear to glow momentarily.”
 
I nodded in order to acknowledge her, remaining in the place I stood.
 
She began to pour a white powder in a circle around me—something that appeared to be salt—as she whispered very quickly to herself.
 

It happened as she was lighting the candles.
 
The sound of shattering glass came from the front of the store and
Marleja
froze in place.
 
Voices followed, and
Marleja’s
eyes widened in panic.
 
“There isn’t time to finish,
”
 
she
whispered, and I knew something had gone wrong.
 

“You must run, Lucinda.
 
Run as fast as you can, as far as you can.
 
Your scent is still hidden—you must—
”
 
And
then she gasped as if in pain, her head falling back.
 
My heart began to pound heavily in my chest.
 
“
Run
.”
 

I did not hesitate to listen to her, my feet already beginning to carry me away.
 
I was aware of a bright flash of light as I delved deeper into the store, hoping to find a back door.
 
As soon as I did, I fumbled with the lock until it was undone and I was free, dashing in the first open direction I laid eyes on.

I didn’t know where I was going, or what I was going to do.
 
I simply ran—my muscles burning, my lungs screaming in protest.
 
Nothing would stop me though—I wouldn’t let it.

It took several moments before I realized where I was heading, and as soon as I did, I was certain I was making a mistake.
 
Darren had told me to go—but he had done so assuming I would be safe.
 
It was clear that this was not the case.
 
That something had gone horribly wrong.
 
Fear coursed through me as I realized that it may have originated with him.

I had to find him.

The docks were darker, as the sun had finally gone down and so whatever hazy light there had been was now gone, replaced only by the moon.
 

I heard footsteps behind me and I threw myself around the corner of a shipping container, my heart pounding painfully in my chest.
 
Whoever had been following me wasn’t alone, and I stopped short, pressing my back to the wall, holding my breath.

It wouldn’t matter, though—I knew.
 
If they were vampires, then they could surely hear my heartbeat as if blasting from a loudspeaker.
 

I ran again, this time knowing my life was on the line.
 
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, ignoring every protest from my body.
 

I almost cried when I spotted him, standing alone in the middle of the dock.
 
His eyes caught mine and I saw a wave of fear pass through them.
 
I threw myself into his arms as I struggled to breathe, only just now aware of the tears streaming down my face.
 

“What are you—what happened—you’re not supposed—
”
 
His
voice was as frantic as my heart rate.
 

“They’re here—they followed me—
”
 
I
shook my head.
 
“She told me to run, Darren.
 
Something happened.
 
I didn’t—I didn’t know what to do—Darren, they’re
here
.
 
We have to run—”

“It’s okay,
”
 
he
held me tightly to him, protectively.
 
I could hear the tension in his voice.
 
This was not the plan.
 
“
It’s
okay, Lucinda,”

“No, we have to
go
—”

“You’re okay
now,
I’ll make sure of it.”
 
I wanted to explain to him that it wasn’t
myself
I was worried about—that we were both in danger, but I didn’t have time.

A faint clapping sound filtered through my ears and Darren tensed beneath me.
 

“Well, isn’t this just adorable.”
 
His voice sent a chill down my spine.
 
No,
I thought, my body rigid.
 

“The two lovers, reunited.
 
You’ve found yourself quite a peach, Darren, if I do say so myself.”
 

“Darren?”
 
I
asked,
my voice barely audible.
 
Without breaking contact, he placed himself between Demetrius and
myself
.
 

“Oh, don’t worry sweetheart.
 
I’m not going to hurt you…not yet, anyway.”
 

“You won’t touch her.”
 
His voice was as cold and solid as ice.
 

“Who’s going to stop me, Darren?
 
Surely not you.”

“You’re not going to hurt her.”
 
He was impossibly more firm this time—and I did not doubt him.
 

Until Demetrius gave a subtle wave of his hand, and from the shadows emerged more than a dozen figures.
 

There were too many.
 

Darren had been so sure that his numbers would be few—that the damage he’d caused when he’d burned down his house would have made a difference; that it might give him the edge that he needed.

But this…

I shook my head, closing my eyes.
 
No, this wasn’t the plan.

As the pack circled us and closed in, Darren gave a fierce growl.
 
I watched the figures come closer, my heart thudding loudly in my chest.
 

And then the first one pounced.
 
I watched as Darren fought with him, a rage I’d witnessed only in my nightmare emanating from him.
 
And then another came, and another—and then I was yanked from his side.