Dark Beauty (Seeker) (2 page)

Chapter 3

Jared lay on top of a trash can, the silver metal crushed beneath his large body. Isabelle dropped her backpack, ready for attack. While assessing the situation, she hurried over to his side. Someone came up behind her. She whirled around, ready to land a kick to the intruder.

Abram stood in front of her, shirtless and clutching a silver dagger. Sweat rolled down his lean chest, and a dark mass of wavy hair swirled around his head.

“Isabelle, stand down. Everything’s fine. Just a little spring training,” Jared said, peeling himself off the trash can and rising to his feet. He ran his palms over his wrinkled jeans and straightened his equally wrinkled T-shirt. Jared was the only middle-aged man Isabelle knew who dressed in logo tees, ripped jeans, and flip-flops. With his salt-and-pepper beard and crazy mop-top hair, he always appeared to have just stepped off a surfboard.

“It’s all good, dark beauty,” Abram said, sheathing the dagger in his waistband.

“What the hell’s going on here?” She turned to Jared. “I thought you were being attacked.”

“We’re just practicing,” Abram said.

 “I didn’t ask you,” Isabelle said.

Jared placed his body between them, apparently concerned she might try to take Abram out anyway. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “We have some new techniques to work on today.”

“What?” Isabelle relaxed her fighting stance and glared at Abram. “I don’t have anything to practice with
him
.”

Jared gave her his wise mentor look, a serious expression that indicated he didn’t have time to deal with her tantrums.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll play nice.”

“Good.” Jared led them over to a grouping of chairs he’d set up. Isabelle chose a seat far from Abram and focused on Jared. “Now, I take it you two have met. Regardless of your feelings for each other, you’ve got to work together.”

Isabelle opened her mouth to argue, but Jared squelched her words with a hand gesture.

“Now,” he said. “Abram is stationed in Chicago. It seems they are dealing with a problem.”

“Let me guess, vampires that can handle sunlight without bursting into a pile of ash.” Isabelle directed her glare at Abram. “And what are you doing here, anyway? Who’s protecting your city while you’re bothering me?”

“The Apotheosis has assigned someone else to my city for the time being so I can assist other Seekers.”

“And what if we don’t want your assistance?” Isabelle crossed her arms. The Apotheosis, a group of ancient Seekers she’d never met, ran the organization. As far as she knew, their only contribution seemed to be positioning annoying, straight-laced Chapters of ex-mentors in major cities to oversee Seekers, and whose only purpose just got in the way of Seeker duties. Like now.

“You’re quite flippant for such a young Seeker,” Abram said.

“Enough!” Jared slammed his fist on his desk. “We are going to work together, and that is my final order!”

“Fine,” Isabelle said, slouching into her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Okay, according to the Apotheosis, Tavares, the vampire king, has been experimenting with demons. A vampire that completely drains a demon’s blood will transform the demon into a dangerous vampire that doesn’t follow the same rules as ‘traditional’ vampires. The transformation is almost immediate, but demons rarely hang out with humans, so the pickings are slim. These hybrids can withstand the sun’s rays, can’t be killed with a wooden stake, and don’t need an invitation to enter. And worst of all…they can possess demonic abilities.”

Isabelle shot up in her chair. “How is this possible?”

“The question isn’t how it’s possible, but more like why haven’t vampires figured this out sooner? I’m sure they’ve bitten demons before,” Abram said, sliding into the chair next to Isabelle.

“Tell me again. Why are you in Houston? Have we had, like, an outbreak?” she said.

Abram answered. ”The Apotheosis has sources. I don’t know, CIA for the undead or whatever. But according to the if-I-tell-you-I’ll-have-to-kill-you rule, Seeker people, there have been demon sightings in Houston—”

Isabelle immediately went on the defense. “So you’re saying my city has been invaded by these hybrid ‘vampire-demons’ and possibly even the king of vamps because we now have demons who’ve decided the city of Houston is a great place to party?”

“You can be naive and reckless all you want, but you’re only going to get yourself killed.” Abram placed his hand on her leg. “And you’re way too pretty to die.”

“Eww, get off.” Isabelle forced his hand off her leg and joined Jared at his desk. “So, tell me, how do I kill these ‘Daychildren?’”

“Daychildren, I like that name. It’s fitting,” Abram said, stroking his chin.

Isabelle ignored him.

Jared retrieved a dagger from his desk drawer and handed it to Isabelle.

She clasped the metal hilt and unsheathed it from its gold casing. Running her finger over the silver blade’s inscription, she didn’t recognize the Cherokee word. “
U-le-tsu-ya-s-ti.
What does it mean?”

“I had it inscribed for you. It means ‘brave.’”

“It’s beautiful.” Glancing up to meet her mentor’s dark eyes, she wanted to tell him thank you, but knew it would make him uncomfortable, especially in front of Abram. So she nodded instead.

At the sight of her new dagger, excitement coursed through her. Isabelle had always relied on her martial arts training and wooden stakes to take down the enemy. Now, she’d been given a silver dagger. Then she realized she had no idea why. What the hell was this going to do, other than slow them down for a bit? She certainly couldn’t kill any type of vampire with a blade, unless she decapitated him, but that was tough – lots of bone and tendons to get through.

“Okay, as cool as this is—” She held up the dagger. “How exactly am I going to kill a vampire with it?”

Abram chimed in, approaching the desk. “It’s the only way to kill Daychildren. Because they are part demon, they don’t rely on their heart to keep them alive. But their brain—” He flipped his dagger out of his belt and made a downward motion toward her head. She didn’t flinch. Sure, Abram was larger than she was, at 100 pounds soaking wet, but she had the muscle to back her up.

“Are you saying we have to plunge the dagger through their brain?”

Chapter 4

Isabelle started her training session working on outside-inside kicks. According to Mr. Know-It-All, aka, Abram, a kick to the side of the head stunned them, but only for a moment. Seekers had to be ready to take them down in the next move. This way, they were lower to the ground and easier for Seekers Isabelle’s size to plunge the dagger downward, using the momentum of gravity to create a more powerful strike.

“Let’s do it again,” Jared said.

Abram played the Daychild, and Isabelle assumed the role of Seeker. Luckily, Abram had put his T-shirt back on. She wasn’t about to spar with him half-naked.

As before, she jumped into a kick, her leg stretching so high it caught Abram’s temple, only he changed up the game. He blocked her kick and swept her leg out from under her, causing her to land on the mat.

“What the hell was that? I thought we were working on kicks.” Isabelle flipped onto her feet and set herself, ready to fight.

“Does a vampire always do what you expect?” Abram made a come-on gesture that infuriated her. She decided if he could change the game, so could she.

Isabelle spun into a roundhouse kick, her favorite, and took him out at the hip. As Abram fell to the side, she was ready to administer the next blow. She knocked him to the right with a hook to the jaw. He stumbled dizzily. Isabelle waited for him to tip forward so she could take him to the ground, get in a good position above him, and pretend to drive the dagger into his skull.

Catching her by surprise, Abram kicked her in the stomach. She flew backward, wondering if he’d faked his dizziness to gain more time between blows. She righted herself and went at him again. He blocked her jab and ducked before her foot made contact.
Damn, he’s fast
—which annoyed her even more.

“Get out your dagger!” Jared said, breaking Isabelle’s concentration.

As she reached for the dagger in her boot, Abram flipped her on her back and pinned her to the mat.

“You’re dead,” he said, climbing off her and rising to his feet.

Abram extended his hand to her. She dismissed his gesture and rolled to a stance. She’d never needed a man’s help; she certainly wasn’t going to start now. Isabelle’s father had left her mother when she was a baby, not prepared for the responsibility of raising a future Seeker. She guessed he should have thought about that before marrying her mother, but that’s all right. Isabelle and her mother had done just fine on their own.

“Well done, Abram,” Jared said, giving him a pat on the back. “Isabelle, you’re going to have to be faster with that blade.”

Goosebumps formed along her skin, and the tiny hairs on her arms rose. Her Seeker sense had set in. This meant only one thing— there was a vampire nearby. But how? Astonishment and fear consumed her. Abram wasn’t kidding – Daychildren really
did
exist.

A loud crash erupted behind them. Isabelle flew into a fighting stance, scanning the room for her prey. The others did the same. No one moved while three sets of eyes cased the room for the intruder. They seemed to be alone, but her acute senses told her otherwise. Then she saw it. The chair she had sat in moments before split in two at the far end of the warehouse, as if it had been launched across the room.

Chapter 5

Abram took hold of Isabelle’s arm and yanked her around a concrete slab Jared had created to replicate an alley wall. With his arm extended and holding his dagger in strike position, he shoved Isabelle behind him. She jerked out of his grasp. How dare he treat her like a helpless girl? Jared leapt to her side, brandishing his own silver blade. Isabelle ignored her frustrations and followed suit, sliding her dagger out of her boot. She wanted to ask Jared what had happened, but knew it wasn’t the best time. Whatever had thrown the chair was somewhere inside the warehouse, waiting for them.

Jared gestured for her and Abram to back him up. Isabelle grabbed his arm. She knew he was a good fighter and capable enough to take on the intruder, but something in her wanted to hold him back. Jared rested his hand on hers and nodded, indicating it was okay. She released her grip and readied herself to defend him at the first sign of a threat.

A wooden stake zipped through the air, whizzing past their heads. Jared slammed himself back against the wall. A crackling erupted from behind them. The wall they used as a shield started to shake. Isabelle glanced down at the concrete barrier, which was molded into the floor. A crack etched along the base. Then, something heavy pushed into her back. As she turned to see the hard object that was leaning against her, she realized the wall was caving in…on them. She sprinted out of the wall’s path, jumping through an open door as the concrete structure shattered to the floor.

Jared and Abram followed and slammed the door behind them. She no longer cared about the need for concealment; whatever was hunting them knew exactly where they were at all times.

“What’s happening?” she said to Jared, panting.

“It’s one of them, a Daychild. He’s found our training facility.” He peeked around the faux brick wall. A mock-up entryway created for training purposes wouldn’t protect them long. They were exposed on all sides.

Isabelle thought about the objects that had been tossed and collapsed. “But the chair, and the wall?”

Abram placed his hand on the door knob, getting ready to start the battle. “I guess I left something out. The Daychild has a certain ability.”

“Telekinesis,” Jared said, aligning himself behind Abram.

Isabelle stopped Abram from moving. “You mean this thing can move objects with its mind?”

“If it’s who I think it is,” Abram said.

“What, you know him?” Isabelle couldn’t believe this. Not only was there a Daychild in her city, but Abram knew about it and hadn’t told her. She wondered if Jared knew as well. This was information she needed to know before now.

“Are we ready?” Jared said, signaling Abram to open the door. Hiding wasn’t going to kill the enemy. Isabelle was practically chomping at the bit to get out there and practice her new moves. She glanced at her dagger.
This is going to be so awesome!

On the count of three, they burst through the door armed and ready to take out the Daychild. At first, there was no sign of it. Jared went to the right, and Isabelle moved straight ahead with Abram on her heels. There was no way Isabelle was going to let him get the kill. This vamp had come to her city – he was all hers.

Fighting broke out in Jared’s direction. Isabelle shot over to the right and spotted the Daychild. He resembled a human, only his eyes were angry and black. His long dark hair lay shaggy and disheveled past his shoulders. He looked straight out of a hair band that had done way too much head banging. She’d never actually seen a demon, but figured this must be what they looked like. The Daychild opened his mouth in an angry snarl, revealing his fangs. And his smell, ugh – like skunk, rotting meat, and a Port-a-Potty all rolled into one.

Jared knocked the Daychild backward with his fist. The Daychild flew into a pile of foam blocks they used to practice jumps and flips, and his dark eyes focused on something behind Jared. Just as quickly, a paint can on a windowsill levitated off the peeling wood and propelled itself forward. Isabelle sprinted into a leaping sidekick, catching the can with the bottom of her boot and sending it into the wall before it struck Jared in the head.

“Emanuel!” Abram said.

The Daychild stumbled upright, laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Abram said. “There’s three of us and one of you. The odds are against you.”

The Daychild set his hard gaze on Abram. “I already took out one of your worthless Seekers. What’s three more? Did you seriously follow me down here? You’re not going to beat me. Besides, there are more of us now. We’re not as easy to kill as the weak vamps.”

Isabelle thought about what Emanuel had just said. He’d taken out a Seeker. Why didn’t she know about this? Was this the real reason Abram had come to her city? “Why are you here?” she asked boldly.

“Mmm, now, you’re a Seeker I’d like to sink my teeth into.” Emanuel appraised her, cocking his head to the side. “I could find lots of fun stuff for us to do together.” He took small steps toward the exit.

Vomit rose into Isabelle’s throat. She swallowed, doing her best not to take his words too seriously. He was a disgusting half-breed. Anything that came out of his mouth was either a lie or very twisted.

“You’re delusional if you think you’re getting out of here alive.” Isabelle wedged the knife behind her back and somersaulted across the room, landing only feet from Emanuel. He threw a punch. She blocked it and administered a kick to his temple. He stumbled back, clearly disoriented. She shoved her knee into his groin. When he doubled over, she came down on him with an elbow. She chuckled, not knowing where she’d come up with that move. This was more like the WWF than martial arts. Pinned to the ground and writhing under her hold, Isabelle removed her dagger from her back and plunged it into his skull. Emanuel stared at her in horror, apparently shocked that the pretty young thing of his twisted fantasy had taken him out.

Abram peeled her off Emanuel’s large mass just as he turned to green goo and melted into the concrete. All traces of him disappeared. Isabelle’s dagger clattered to the concrete.

“Get off me!” Isabelle shoved Abram and glared at him. “I had it. He’s dead.”

“You should be thanking me,” Abram said. Isabelle ignored him and went for her blade. Abram shot in front of her. “Demon blood is like acid for humans. Unless you want blisters and a serious burn, I’d be careful which part of that dagger you touch.” He stepped aside.

Isabelle knelt down over her dagger, examining the blood-coated blade. She picked it up by the hilt and took it to the bathroom to clean.

She returned to Abram and Jared, plotting next to Jared’s desk. “So, when were you both planning to tell me that a Seeker had been killed?” She brushed her gaze past Abram, not surprised he didn’t fill her in. But Jared was her mentor. It was imperative that he told her the truth at all times, as he had told her himself – he was not one to omit details.

Jared could feel her pissed-off energy as he approached her and laid his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t want to put this on you all at once. This is your first week in the field. I wanted you to practice slaying vampires, not having to worry about whether they had demonic powers, too.”

“But I deserved to know what was going on.”

Jared regarded her, making it obvious he’d never been in this situation before. “I agree. That’s most of the reason Abram’s here.”

Abram rounded the desk and stood beside her. “The Seeker he killed was my cousin, Clarissa.”