Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Another breeze encouraged the blossoms to dance.

“Mortals often can’t detect the fragrance of each individual wildflower,” he disclosed conversationally.

“I could,” she said, “even before I transformed.”

He cast her a curious look. “Because of your gift?”

She nodded. Tessa had been born with the ability to make plants grow and flourish with a touch. And even though she’d lacked the hyperacute senses of an immortal, she had always been able to detect more floral scents than her peers.

Will had been the same way.

Flashes of her brother lying several feet away in a pool of blood, screaming in pain, erased the beauty of the meadow.

Tessa squeezed her eyes shut, as if that could banish the horrific memory. Curling her hands into fists, she clenched her teeth. Tears rose, but she ruthlessly forced them back.

How long would this continue? How much time would have to pass for her to stop seeing her brother’s suffering every time she thought of him and instead remember the happy times they’d shared?

Opening her eyes, she rose and toed off her shoes. The grass was soft and cool beneath her feet as she strode toward the edge of the shade.

Behind her, Jared rose.

Halting, Tessa stared at the grasses and sporadic flowers that waved at her.

Her parents’ home rested in the center of several acres of land. And from spring through fall, she and Will had kept the rolling hills covered with a wealth of fragrant blossoms.

More images of Will’s last moments bombarded her.

More tears welled.

Kneeling, she buried her hands in the grass, wiggling her fingers until they reached the soil. It was still moist from recent rains and cold to the touch as she burrowed her fingertips into its depths. Energy thrummed through her as Tessa called upon her gift. Building in her chest, it flowed down her arms and entered the soft earth. Wildflowers in the meadow burst with new blossoms. Seeds dropped by the plants sprouted, the roots driving deep as stalks emerged, grew, and produced a wealth of fresh blooms. Dozens and dozens, then hundreds arose, rippling across the meadow like the white froth carried to the beach by ocean waves until they formed a dense, colorful, fragrant carpet.

Tessa’s heart beat harder as her energy faltered, but she didn’t stop, pouring everything she had into the ground beneath her. Tears spilled over her lashes and trailed down her cheeks. The warmth her gift always generated slipped away, leaving her cold and spent.

Exhaustion replaced it, so intense that her head hung low.

Her elbows buckled. Tessa toppled sideways.

Strong arms caught her before her head could hit the ground.

Her eyelids growing heavier by the second, she looked up and caught the concern that darkened Jared’s expression as he drew her against his chest.

Sighing, she closed her eyes.

Perhaps now she could finally seek oblivion in sleep.





Chapter Seven





Inside a holding room on sublevel five of network headquarters, Seth frowned down at the vampire Nicole had tranqed. Gary was a mere twenty-two years old. Seth would pity him for the future that awaited him if the boy hadn’t already had a history of violence before he’d transformed.

Having gleaned everything he could from perusing the young vampire’s twisted mind, Seth touched a hand to Gary’s chest. The heart housed within it ceased beating. A moment later, the vampire’s body began to shrivel up. It was a painless death. More than the boy deserved after the suffering he had spawned in his victims. Gary had killed none of them, per Gershom’s orders, but he had delighted in hurting and terrifying them.

Seth’s lip curled with disgust. “Coward.” The vampire had enjoyed picking fights with humans who were significantly weaker than he was, yet he hadn’t hesitated to run when faced with the prospect of battling an Immortal Guardian who could match his strength.

Typical bully.

Turning, Seth opened the heavy door to the hallway. Sound flooded in, his enhanced hearing carrying it to him from every floor of the building. Reordon had thought it best to soundproof this holding room to keep vampires they couldn’t persuade to join them from listening to the inner workings of the organization.

Normally, Seth wouldn’t consider that an issue. Any vampires who didn’t join them met the same fate Reed and Gary had. Since they couldn’t be saved, a quick, merciful death seemed the only way to ensure they wouldn’t harm or kill anyone else. So there was little chance the vampires would escape and share knowledge of the network with others. But there had been too many How the hell could this have happened? incidences in recent years. And Reordon liked to cover all bases.

Leaving the door to the holding room open, Seth headed up the long hallway. Perhaps he would pay each of the slumbering vampires who lived at network quarters a visit first and see what damage he could heal in their deteriorating young minds before leaving. Once the madness began to kick in, the vampires who sought refuge here became increasingly uncomfortable around the powerful Immortal Guardian leader because they knew he could see and hear every twisted thought and impulse they did their damnedest to suppress. So he often did it without their knowledge.

Seth was just about to visit Stuart, who seemed to struggle the most, when the elevator doors at the end of the hallway opened.

Jared emerged, an unconscious woman cradled in his arms.

“Oh shit,” Todd blurted. “What happened?”