The Darkness Within (7 page)

“Bastard!” Raising her hand and summoning as much power as she could, Althea knocked the demon off balance just before her twin charged her.

“We have unfinished business.” Aehtla’s voice dripped with deadly venom. “I tire of seeing your face!” The demon’s claws lengthened at her fingertips in an effort to gouge her eyes out.

Shielding her eyes, Althea pushed the beast backward. Both women rose. Aehtla charged, and Althea ducked, before delivering a blow to the back of the neck. When the demon charged again, her hand met with Aehtla’s windpipe. She landed on her back, clutching her throat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Quinton battling Viktor while Vukasin remained laying on the ground. No, it couldn’t be. Had the witch and demon stripped her of her happiness? A sinking niggling feeling gnawed in the pit of her belly as Aehtla charged her again. She didn’t have time to come to the men’s aid. She needed to finish the witch once and for all.

“Aww, I feel your concern for the wolf,” Aehtla said mockingly. “Now, you shall feel the pain of losing your vampire!” She chanted and raised her hand, allowing the black clouds and moon to disappear. In their place the sun shone bright.

“Nooo!” Althea’s heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest as she saw Quinton’s body turn to dust instantly. She watched as Viktor brought his sword down on the wolf’s neck, separating his head from his body.

Aehtla laughed as she delivered a blow to Althea’s jaw. “Come on. Give it to me! Let me feed on your despair and pain!” The witch’s voice shook the entire realm. For now, she had to push the deaths of her lovers out of her mind and do what was important.

Chapter Nine

Viktor and Aehtla closed in on Althea. “This is your last day on earth,” Aehtla said in a demonic tone. “While I do think you would be a formidable ally, unfortunately there is only room for one of us. You must take my place.”

 
“No, I’ve just began to live my life,” Althea bit out as she tried not to remember how Quinton and Vukasin had been struck down by the darkness. “You can’t use me any longer.” She glanced at Viktor. “I never gave you what you wanted. Sex would have been the icing on the cake for you.”

 
“I would have burned you from the inside out,” Viktor stated, before an evil grin formed on his face. “Once Aehtla has taken your place, we will be free to corrupt the human race, more so now than before. For that, I thank you.” He paused momentarily. “Your lovers are gone. Now there’s nothing left for you in this realm or the human one.”

 
“Yes...Nothing else left for you!” Aehtla said wickedly. “So many souls to corrupt. Humans have never been able to control their emotions. I have you to thank for the opportunity of taking up residence on this pathetic mound of mud you all call earth. Your anger and rage fed me. Now, I will prey on the weaknesses of others of your kind.” She smiled. “And, I’ll be able to free those entrapped within the silly jewels of your ancestors.”

Controlling her emotions, Althea concentrated on summoning the energy deep inside her. She couldn’t allow this evil to be unleashed on the world. Her ancestors’ work as Guardians would unravel if Aehtla and Viktor were unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

“Can’t allow you to do that.” She knew it had to end with Viktor, Aehtla’s connection to her world. Emotionless, she raised her hand before ensnaring the incubus in an energy trap. “I reject you, Viktor. You have no power over me. Evil demon, you repulse me.” Shame of once being attracted to this being tried to rear its ugly head, but she held it at bay.

“Nooo!” Viktor bellowed with rage as his form shifted and changed into a sight that made her skin crawl. “You cannot do this to me! You desire me. You need the sexual gratification!”

Aehtla growled her anger and tried gliding toward her twin, but quickly realized she was rooted to the ground. “I’ll skin you alive! Traitorous bitch! If it weren’t for me, you would still be married to that inconsiderate oath of a human!”

Emotionless, Althea stared the demon in the eyes. “I’ll finish you off once I’ve destroyed your precious incubus!” Satisfaction coursed through her veins as she realized she was on the right path. “Viktor, this realm is not meant for you. There is nothing here for you anymore. You can’t corrupt me with your promises of sexual gratification.”

The demon roared as his form immediately disintegrated.

 
She then turned to her mirror image. “Aehtla, I bind you forever, through time and space. You are forever lost to this place. The power that was mine, I bury in the sands of time, encased within this ring, send it away, I no longer need it!”

“Nooo!” Aehtla screeched as her true form showed through. “You can’t do this to me! You need me! Without me, you’ll cease to exist!”

“Not falling for your lies.” Sucking in a breath, Althea repeated her chant one last time. “I bind you forever, through time and space you are forever lost to this place. The power that was mine, I bury in the sands of time, encased within this ring, send it away I no longer need it.”

“Fool! What are you doing?” Aehtla screamed. “You’ve destroyed my beloved, Viktor, now you try and kill me too! How dare you! I’ve made you what you are today!”

“No, what I was someone who lost their way. You took advantage of me at my most weakened state. Now, I will make amends to those who deserve it, including Rufus. He was an ass, but he didn’t deserve those things you made me do to him!”

Althea watched as the spiraling black cloud was pulled into her into the gold ring. The sparkling emerald flipped back, latching into place. She squinted, swearing she could see her mirror image tapping against the jewel that held her firm in place.

She smiled solemnly. Feeling like her old self, her thoughts centered on the wolf and the vampire and how they’d given their lives over to save her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she sank to her knees. “Were they real?” She asked herself. “Vukasin and Quinton gave up their existence to preserve mine.” She thought as she returned home.

Althea stared into her mirror for what seemed like hours. Angrily she swiped at her tears, showered, and prepared herself for work. She had amends she needed to make. She promised the men. She wouldn’t be at peace if she didn’t live up to that promise.

* * * *

Once at work, Althea called an emergency staff meeting. Before that, she’d written out bonus checks for everyone.

“I don’t mean any harm, but I think she’s possessed or something,” she heard one of her employees, Mimi, say.

Althea looked up and smiled. “Or something.” She rose and handed everyone a check. “Look, I know I haven’t been the nicest person on the planet.” She paced back and forth as shamed washed over her. “I’ve been going through some—shall we say, personal problems?” She glanced up at the women who still said nothing. “It isn’t easy to explain. I just lost myself along the way, that’s all.” Her throat became dry, and she wished the floor could swallow her up. Did she really deserve their forgiveness? “Can you guys ever find it in your hearts to forgive me?”

“What was wrong with you?” Mimi asked. “You seemed like some kind of female ogre. Hell, I couldn’t even stand to be in the room with you.”

“There’s so much that I can’t explain right now.” Althea nervously wrung her hands as she paced back and forth. “You guys know I’m not such a bad person. If you have it in your hearts to forgive me, I’m asking you all. Please, forgive me.”

Althea was beside herself as her employees, including Dimples bum rushed her. “Of course! But you know, if you keep writing us bonus checks like this, you can turn Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde all you want,” Dimples said as everyone busted out laughing.

After the party, Althea’s mind drifted toward Vukasin and Quinton. For some reason, she could not let them go so easily. Suddenly, someone knocked on her door.

Figuring it was Mimi or Dimples, she opened it up quickly. Two large men clad in expensive suits smiled at her. One held a box of chocolates, and the other held a large bouquet of bloodred roses.

Althea frowned. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

“Yeah”, the large blond-haired man said with a grin. “We’re looking for Althea May Johnson. My name is Jack, and this is Frank.” The man’s chiseled features and knife-blade cheekbones were enough to make her swoon, but for some reason he made her think of Quinton. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and small, neatly trimmed sideburns adorned his face.

The other man was darker, and seemed to hail from somewhere overseas. When he smiled, it looked as though they had canines. They both did.

“Oh, Althea,” the dark-haired man murmured. “I’m really disappointed in you. Don’t you remember us?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, bloody hell,” the blond man snapped. “Dammit woman, it’s me, Quinton. And Vuk, how could you forget the annoying wolf?”

Althea gasped, and almost fainted, until the men caught her in their arms. She looked in their eyes, and sure enough, it was her vampire and wolf man clad in human bodies.

“Oh my darlings!” She flung her arms around both men, hugging them tight. She never wanted to let them go. “What happened?” She stepped back, eyeing them up and down. They sure as hell were a sight for sore eyes, even in different forms.

They walked into her office, chuckling. Vukasin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I’m glad it did. I swear to you, I woke up one morning and I was this well-to-do executive of a large marketing firm downtown.” He looked at himself and grinned. “Pretty sharp, huh?”

“Yeah, same thing happened to me,” Quinton claimed. “I don’t remember anything after that bitch unleashed sunlight upon me.” His gaze darted around the room. “She is gone, isn’t she?”

Althea laughed. It’s okay Quinton. She can’t harm us anymore.” She’s trapped in my ring. “So, you were saying.”

“Yes, oh, just like Vuk, I awoke to the fact that I’m a big shot lawyer downtown.” He frowned and scratched his head. “This concerns me.”

“The spell that entrapped Aehtla in the realm forced everything into the ring,” Althea stated. “But—who’s bodies are you inhabiting?” Her gaze swept over both men. Vukasin wore his hair in a black ponytail. Coal black, familiar eyes stared back at her. They no longer reflected silver.

“Well, I’m afraid there was a little backlash. Positive backlash, if you will,” Quinton stated. “In the past few days, I’ve been accused of fucking around on a woman who I’ve never laid eyes on.” He rubbed his cheek. She’s slapped the hell out of me twice. Had to call law enforcement to cart her away.”

A shard of jealousy sliced through her being. “Another woman?”

“Oh, my darling,” Quinton stated. “There’s nothing to worry about. I only have eyes for you. Apparently, she thinks I’m her cheating boyfriend. It’s going to take some time for that to simmer down.”

A feeling of knowing crept over Althea. “Oh, now you must make amends for the prior souls who inhabited your bodies. Those souls are now being recycled—so to speak. They’re being prepared for returning to earth. To another time, in another life,” she stated.

Quinton nodded before continuing. “Well, their souls weren’t exactly good. You see, the person whose body I’ve taken over was a criminal defense attorney who has been winning cases on behalf of the guilty. Knowing these men perpetrated crimes like rape and molestation, he continued representing them. His greed knew no boundaries.” Quinton sighed. “Now, I must clean up his mess and run the firm honestly. I just hope it isn’t too late.” He folded his arms across his massive chest. “I have so much work to do.

“Now everything my grandfather told me makes sense. But why have you both been placed in such difficult situations?”

She sat down, and Quinton patted her on the shoulder. “To live as a human in your realm, with you, it’s all worth it.” He massaged Althea’s neck. Relax and I’ll summon you some water.” He smiled nervously. “Hell, apparently I don’t possess the power to do that anymore. Althea, where’s your fridge or the water cooler.”