Haven
Authors: Dria Andersen
Haven
Dria Andersen
©2016 Adrienne
Andersen
All rights
reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission
of the author, except where permitted by law.
This book is a
work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, living or dead, is purely
coincidental. All characters and events in this work are figments of the
author’s imagination.
I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to my family for
their unwavering support throughout this process. I mean seriously, I know I
was scatterbrained and distracted, but you guys tots put up with it. I started
the process of this book with one kid and in the years it’s taken to research
and write it, we had another along the way. To my husband and mother in law,
you were amazing about giving me time I needed to write and I can’t thank you
two enough. To my sister Tina, thank you for always reading my stories, no
matter their state. I really truly love and appreciate your support and
encouragement of my writing. To my awesome friends and Beta readers, thank you
guys for all your feedback! And finally to everyone who picked up a copy of
this book and any before it, thank you! To the readers specifically who have
reviewed my book, a million thanks, I’ve used the feedback to improve my
writing and I appreciate you being a part of my journey.
Preface
It has taken me a few years to work on this book. I researched
gods and goddesses from all over Africa to bring my story to life. Some of the
names have been used as they appear in their legends, and some have been
changed to fit into the world and mythos I’ve built. It has been done with the
upmost respect for the culture, and I hope you enjoy.
Contents
hapter 1
BLACK BOOTS, check.
Short, tight black
skirt, check.
Liliana adjusted her
corset for maximum cleavage and took a deep breath. She pulled the heavy cross
on the end of her chain up to her painted lips for a kiss, praying she could
pull this off, her sister's life depended on it.
The black building
loomed, and trepidation skittered down her spine. This was the last club on her
list, the last link to her sister. Four years, and countless clubs later,
Liliana was exhausted. One way or the other she had to get answers. She didn't
think she could keep up the charade any longer. Hunters dogged her heels in
every city she'd stopped. She'd barely escaped New York. Hopefully though, she
was hours ahead of them and would have the time she needed.
She took a deep
breath and forced the tension from her body. Loose and limber, that was the
only way to get through this last stop. Fluffing out her short curls, she began
her sashay toward the club known as Haven.
Getting into this one had
proved the hardest yet. As it well should, it was the Amanda's headquarters,
security was tight. She'd managed to wheedle a guest pass from a guy who owed
her a favor. He made it clear when he gave her the guest pass that he didn't
know her if something went down tonight.
Liliana blew out a
disgusted breath. "Coward," she muttered. It wasn't a big surprise,
Sergio’s main motivation was money. He held no loyalty to her, or any of his
other customers. If the situation turned to shit he would've been useless to
her in a fight anyway. It didn't matter. She could take care of herself, had
been doing a fine job of it for years. Though, the years were catching up to
her.
Her heels crunched loudly
on the gravel in the make shift parking lot. It had taken her an hour to drive
outside of the city of Atlanta to reach this Haven. It looked like an abandoned
factory, and were it not for the amount of cars in the parking lot, she'd have
thought Sergio had set her up. A small line formed outside of the club, which
didn't surprise her. It was same at every other Haven she'd visited. There were
no lights, no music, nothing to betray the building for what it was, yet a line
of eager people waited to get in. Liliana ignored the wolfish stares and
catcalls as she walked to the back of the line.
The bouncer at the
door was a huge linebacker of a man, tall and wide. His dark brown skin was
smooth, his muscular shoulders and arms gleaming in the moonlight. The
sleeveless shirt he wore did nothing to hide his built chest and flat abs, nor
did it disguise the power pouring from him. Liliana shivered as she received
the brunt of his gaze. His eyes were hazel with a circle of glowing green
ringing the irises. He checked IDs of the guests as they passed, but his gaze
kept straying to her. By the time she reached the front of the line, her hands
were shaking. No matter how many times she went through this, fear of discovery
dried her mouth.
"ID." His voice
was deep, a rumble of thunder on the clear summer night.
Liliana fumbled with
her small clutch pulling out her pass. The bouncer eyed the pass, and then eyed
her, his chiseled features serious. He spared a cursory glance at her bare arms
then back up to her face. She fought not to squirm under his scrutiny. Finally
after several tense moments he handed her the pass.
"You got
trouble written all over you, shorty," he told her. "I ain't in the
mood for trouble, ya' hear?"
With a sharp nod,
she moved quickly into the building. She shuffled behind a group of giggling
females down a dark hallway. The music was dim, but it shook the building. A
door opened and her eyes widened. Music filled up the space in the hallway
rattling her chest. She went through the door and stopped in shock. Liliana's
skin tightened, tingled, and an odd hum moved across her nerve endings. Lust was
the setting for tonight and if her body was any indication, it was ripe in the
air. It was the magic of Haven at play, but damn if she could stop her body
from responding.
The place was
cavernous, not at all what she was expecting from its appearance on the
outside. Though the door she'd come in was street level, where she stood was at
least one or two hundred yards above the dance floor. The metal grate of the
floor allowed her to see the dancers. The spotlights surrounding them were
various shades of red, brushing over the crowd, painting the half-naked bodies
in its rosy shades.
She walked over to
the railing and stared down at the crush of bodies undulating and swaying to
the heavy bass line of the rap music blaring from the speakers. She looked up
and spied railing that indicated at least three more levels above the main
floor. Goosebumps chased up her arm as she thought of what went on in those
upper levels. It seemed this Haven spared no expense. From the smooth hardwood
floors to the silk damask covering the booths surrounding the dance floors,
opulence was the name of the game.
She walked over to the
bar that lined the wall, her hips swaying to music, that on a normal day she
would never listen to. Hungry stares followed her movements as she climbed onto
a bar stool and crossed her legs. A shiver worked down her spine at the
friction the motion caused between her legs.
She panicked at the lack
of control over her body and quickly erected mental shields she'd spent her
life perfecting. But try as she might, the magic beat against her tired body,
battering her shields.
Fighting proved to be
useless.
Every sweep of eyes
across her body was a caress, pushing her purpose further to the back of her
mind. If she didn't get a hold of herself it would be near impossible to carry
out her plan in here tonight.
She leaned over the
bar, motioning for the bartender. Her lips kicked up into a seductive smile
before she could catch herself. The bartender was fine. Shirtless, his brown
skin gleamed under the light.
He swaggered over to
her and flashed straight white teeth. "What can I get you?"
"Rum and coke."
The alcohol probably wasn't a good idea, but she couldn't muster up enough
alarm to change her order.
Whatever magic was in the
air was powerful. Sexual energy pulsed through her body, every beat of the
music throbbed against her skin. The other Havens she visited were nothing like
this one. Liliana reached for her drink gratefully, and tossed a twenty on the
bar, waving away the change. The bartender gave her a smile that promised he
would be back and went to serve the next customer.
Liliana rolled the cold
glass against her chest to cool off. She brought it to her lips and gulped down
half the glass's contents.
Big mistake.
Heat bloomed in her chest,
burning a path down to her stomach. A pleasant buzz suffused her mind and she
relaxed. It had been months, maybe even years since the last time she'd felt
able to do so. Downing the rest of her drink, a side of Liliana she'd kept
dormant for years awakened.
Awakened and decided
that tonight was a night for impulses.
Thoughts of her sister
surfaced, guilt niggled, but another wave of magic washed through her and swept
worries about Kita away. Liliana closed her eyes, and breathed deeply,
valiantly making the effort to fight the magic. The tangy scent of sex, the
mixture of perfumes, musk and sweat assaulted her senses.
Her nature rose, power
she'd purposely dampened surfaced. The urge to do something reckless rose and
took over.
"You look
amazing."
Liliana turned to
face the voice shouting to be heard over the music and smiled. Wearing a pair
of tight leather pants, and tight black t-shirt, he was certainly great to look
at. When was the last time she'd fed? Months, at least. Surely once she had, her
senses would return, the shields righting themselves.
She cocked her head
to the side… he'd do. "Let's dance."
***
LEO SLAMMED THE DOOR to
his brother's office thoroughly lectured and two kinds of pissed. He'd just
spent the last thirty minutes having his ass chewed by his brother Xavier, same
subject as always: Leo took too many risks, he never checked in, and on and on.
His brother was a champion worrier, and an even better nag. His long legs
quickly put distance between the two of them.
"Damn it. Why you
gotta be so hard headed? The shit you do is unnecessary, Leo." Xavier
shouted down the hall after him. Work in the dimly lit caverns halted and the
banging in the kitchen next to them stopped as the employees paused to stare at
the spectacle that was sure to come. Fighting between him and his brothers was
nothing new.
He stopped and took
a deep breath, wrestling his already shredded patience. He turned and faced his
older brother. "As long as the job is done, the how shouldn't matter. I've
been hunting Demis on Earth for over a century."
"That's not the
point." The sharp planes of Xavier's face were illuminated in the hallway
sconce above his office door. It highlighted the furious expression darkening
his eyes.
"What is the point,
bro? I don't need a lecture every time I take a risk, it's my job. You wanna
take it from me?" It was an empty threat. No one could do Leo's job and
they both knew it. He was Death's Messenger, responsible for hunting down and
taking Demis sentenced to death to Azrael, their Hell. The things he saw and
did…No. No one could do his job. Not and stay sane.
A small stab of guilt hit
him at the hurt that flickered in Xavier's eyes.
"You know what, Leo.
Fuck you. Do what you do." The door slammed behind his brother.
Leo shook his head and
headed back down the hallway spoiling for a fight. He growled at one of the
bartenders backing out of the supply closet taking pleasure in the fear that
leapt into the servant's eyes. He snatched a bottle of liquor from him and
opened it with his teeth. He took a long drag, thankful for the potent heat.
"No, you know what,
Leo? I'm not done." Xavier barked from behind him.
Leo kept walking,
refusing to face his brother. He lifted his middle finger instead. Xavier
cursed, and the employees in the hallway snickered. Again, same old fight,
different day. Haven's employees were used to the screaming matches, and they
found a great amount of amusement in it.
Leo gave them a dark look
that had them scrambling. Yeah, they were amused, but they still had a healthy
fear for Death's Messenger. Glasses clinked as the busboys rushed out of his
path.
He knew flipping his
brother off would have Xavier in a rabid state of mind. He needed to get lost,
and he knew the perfect place. His brother refused to come out during club
hours, so the dance floor would be a safe enough place to hide. It was
Saturday, Sensual Saturday to be exact, he could lose himself in a beautiful
woman and by the time he got home, his brother would be over it.
He stomped down the
corridor and rounded the corner. He took the stairs two at a time to reach the
entertainment level. He nodded to the bouncer at the door separating the back
rooms from the rest of the club. Opening the gilded door, lust immediately
swamped him. He drew the energy in with a deep breath, taking it and feeding it
through his body. Instantly he thrummed with power. His vision became sharper,
every shadow dissipated as his gaze swept the dance floor. He knew his normal
gray eyes would be silver warning others a predator was at large.
Leo smiled as hands
brushed his body, women on either side drawn to the danger, as he sauntered
through the crowd. He laughed out right as one bold woman reached over and
cupped his crotch. He grabbed her hand and twirled her around. Dipping her low,
he kissed her deeply, drinking in the lust she fed him. He pulled back a moment
later and moved her to the side. He wanted a willing female, but it was in his
nature to hunt.
He so enjoyed the
chase.
The woman pouted
prettily, dismissing Leo as easily as he had her. There would be many takers
for what she offered tonight.
He bopped through
the dance floor letting the music enter his head and drive out the B.S. of the
day. A woman backed into him, her hips grinding into his and Leo threw up his
hands to give access. Her pants were skin tight, the rest of her covered by an
intricate web of string, barely hiding the good bits. Leo grabbed her waist and
started dancing. Sensual Saturday was in full swing at Haven, and he would enjoy
the lust that filled the air.
A fine mist sprayed from
the ceiling as electronica blasted over the speakers. To the left and right of
him, both women and men were shedding their tops on the crowded dance floor.
Leo felt the power spike in the club, the lust doubling. It swept away
inhibitions while those who could, fed off the energy. He looked up at the
mirrored windows of the private rooms lining the third floor. Behind nearly all
of them stood powerful beings taking the energy in, and pushing out just enough
magic to sustain the sexual haze the humans reveled in. Judging by the crowd,
the Demis would be well fed this night. And the humans…
The majority of them
would get lucky. High off the lust and magic, they would leave the club and
have the best night of their lives. It was how they kept the club packed,
people clamored to get into Haven hoping to recreate that night over and over
again.
Leo removed his wet
shirt and tossed it into the crowd. The Roots song 'Rising Up' came on and he
let the music and magic sweep him away.