Dark Faery II: The Mercifuls (DarkFaery Book 2) Read online

  “Look at me, Flynn,” Simon said in a whisper. Flynn looked, his eyes fastened to Simon. “There is nothing to fear.”

  Simon caressed Flynn’s neck making sure the collar was well away from his neck. He put his hand on Flynn’s opposite shoulder and leaned in. He savored the scent of light Faery for a moment, running his thumb along the jugular much the same as he’d rubbed Flynn’s arm before he made the thrall marks. In the distance they could hear the excitement build as the fire kindled on the mountain.

  Simon bit into Flynn’s neck, the soft flesh giving way easily beneath the sharp fangs. Flynn didn’t cry out; he merely gasped, his wings fluttering involuntarily as his body tried to protect itself. Simon maintained hold of Flynn’s opposite shoulder to keep him still and stuck to the ground. He made the gurgling sound of one being strangled, and fought to get away. There was no hope of that. Simon was far stronger than Flynn.

  Flynn didn’t want to fight. His body reacted to save itself. The conflict frightened Flynn. There wasn’t much pain but a quickening weakness. He felt like he might fall, and only Simon’s grip on him kept him upright. His heart began to beat quickly and then flutter. He knew this must be the end. He was afraid, so afraid. Every fiber screamed no! but he made no sound that he was aware of.

  Simon gloried in the blood. This confection he’d denied himself so long was like water after days in the desert. He couldn’t imagine how he’d controlled himself. He felt suffused with a new strength, a new wonder at the world around him. No longer did he need to be cautious and satisfied with a sip.

  He became aware of the thready fluttering of Flynn’s heart. He had just enough life in him. Simon withdrew his fangs, pulled a small knife from his pocket, and cut across his wrist. He lowered Flynn to the ground and held the boy’s head up, putting his wrist against Flynn’s lips. At first Flynn resisted, not understanding the ways. As the first drops of blood entered his mouth, they awakened the fledgling Vampyre’s undead senses, and he began to drink. Simon felt the euphoria as Flynn drank his blood. After several moments, Simon pulled his wrist away. Flynn resisted, trying to keep hold of it, but he was weak yet, and had no fangs. Simon couldn’t allow himself to become weakened. He licked at his wrist to seal it, and stood. Flynn fell back on the ground, his eyes closed.

  The crowds were cheering now. The runner had retuned with the new light. Simon had to get Flynn away before people dispersed for their homes.

  Flynn was nearly unconscious. Simon’s blood had kept him from complete death and insured he’d rise, but he was much like someone who’d been in a serious accident and knocked nearly unconscious. He couldn’t really do much for himself. Simon gathered him up with his things and flitted up into the trees. They needed only to head south to reach the cave, and most people would travel in other directions.

  Simon couldn’t fly as quickly as he usually did carrying his burden. When he arrived at the cave, Zoe stood waiting near the door, biting her lip. She looked relieved when she saw Simon.

  “I was worried,” she said.

  “You didn’t think I could do it?”

  “I thought you’d be back before this. I was afraid something had gone wrong –”

  Simon lowered Flynn so his feet touched the ground.

  “Help me with him,” he said, and Zoe pulled one of Flynn’s arms around her shoulders while Simon did the same with the other. They brought Flynn to Simon’s lair, where a second bed awaited Flynn’s body.

  “It’ll be a few days before he rises. I must make sure he transitions well.”

  “He’ll be all right,” Zoe said. “You’ve done well with those you’ve sired. Was he hesitant at all?”

  “No. He was quite willing. Frightened of the unknown as most are, but surprisingly little fighting in the end.”

  “You think he’ll be strong?”

  “Most definitely. And a rare talent.”

  “You sound like you’re in love,” she teased.

  “Only with you, my sweet,” he said, moving away from Flynn’s bed to put an arm around Zoe. “But he’s hoping Caelen has something in her heart for him.”

  “That would be nice. Caelen needs someone.”

  “You’re a hopeless matchmaker, you know that?” he replied.

  “Yes.” He kissed her and she left for her own room.

  Simon made sure Flynn lay flat and his gear was stored safely for future use. The boy looked serene as he slept. Soon enough he would shudder and shake as undeath took over his still body.

  Once he was sure Flynn was taken care of, Simon retired to his own bed.

  18

  Zoe watched the boy, horrified and fascinated as Flynn shuddered from time to time. After two days, the violent movements that looked like some kind of seizure had abated, and now only small shudders wracked his body as it made subtle changes. He was almost completely reborn.

  “Was I like that?” Zoe asked.

  “Oh yes,” Simon replied. “The body must finish being a living thing and become something other, something that will not decay. Tomorrow he will rise.”

  “How do you bear watching?”

  “It’s a birth. Aren’t light Faery overjoyed by a birth despite its pain?”

  He put his arm around her. “This is as close as we get to having a child.”

  She smiled up at him. “I didn’t know you enjoyed being a father.”

  “I never thought of it that way. You’ve helped me with his care, so I think of him as ours.”

  “I like Flynn. And I was curious about what happens. I don’t remember my change past your taking my blood in the grove. I don’t remember the after part.”

  “I don’t know. It looks far more painful than yours. I know of no Vampyre who remembers the days of change. But I’m keeping you from feeding.”

  She left him.

  Lana knew better than to question Vampyre matters. While she knew Flynn had been changed, she hadn’t seen him since the night Simon brought him to the cave. She didn’t know if he’d gone out to feed with the others or not since they came and went without consulting her. She hadn’t seen Simon much, for that matter.

  “How are you this evening, Zoe?” she asked with a smile when Zoe emerged from the hallway of their retiring rooms – Lana was forbidden access.

  “I’m well, thank you, Lana. And how are you?” Years of polite protocol in the House of the Priestesses made certain exchanges automatic.

  “I’m well. Are there any concerts planned?”

  “Some of us will be touring soon,” Zoe replied. Lana didn’t need to know that the planned “tour” was a ruse to keep Flynn as far away from his family clan as possible, to keep them safe from any attack he might make during his wild days. If they were successful, he’d never taste Faery blood.

  One advantage to drinking Human blood was that it seemed to calm new dark Faeries faster than Faery blood did. Perhaps the “eating your vegetables” aspect of it – as Simon called it – had an anesthetizing effect on the outraged part of the psyche. No matter how willing a victim was, part of his being railed at living beyond death for a time, until resignation settled in.

  Zoe didn’t take long feeding. Concerned that Simon was spending too much time and worry over Flynn’s change, she thought he needed to go out and spend some time about his own feeding. He’d have enough to do once Flynn awoke to the life.

  When Zoe returned, Simon was surprised.

  “It seems only a few minutes ago that you left,” he said.

  “It was longer than that. You need to get out and feed. Take your time. Nothing will happen to Flynn while you’re away. I’ll contact you if you’re needed.”

  He nodded and left. She knew he was hungry. He hadn’t eaten the night before and watching Flynn had to take more of a toll on him than it did on her. He was directly connected to Flynn.

  As she watched the boy she noted the slow progression of changes occurring in him, making him look more like a dark Faery. His skin paled, his muscles appeared more defined. He a
lso looked more handsome in undeath than he had in life, although exactly how, she couldn’t say. He was a nice-looking boy to begin with.

  When Simon returned he looked better. Zoe told him that there was no change. They sat together and talked until nearly dawn, when Zoe returned to her own lair.

  19

  The sun set on the third day, and as Simon rose for the night, he saw signs of Flynn stirring. He approached the bed.

  “Flynn. Flynn –”

  Flynn’s eyes flew open and he snarled as he sat up. Simon kept him from standing by holding his shoulders.

  “Flynn,” he said, command in his voice. Flynn’s eyes locked on Simon’s and he winced as if Simon’s power hurt him.

  “You are one of us now. You must feed. I’m sure you’re hungry.” Flynn nodded. “You will be weak. You must come with me and do exactly as I say.” Flynn nodded.

  Simon rummaged in a drawer and brought out a chain. Flynn watched dully as Simon approached. Simon moved faster than a light Faery would have perceived, but Flynn saw the movement. He simply couldn’t move fast enough, and by the time he reacted and tried to fight, the chain had been locked around his waist. The other end was attached to a brace around Simon’s wrist.

  “This is for everyone’s safety. I have to know you’ll obey me.” Flynn looked angrily at Simon. “Now we’ll go find what we need.

  When they left the sleeping quarters, Simon held the majority of the chain in his hand so that it wasn’t obvious that Flynn was chained to him. Lana didn’t generally pry, but if she saw something unusual she would ask. He couldn’t spend the time explaining, and he didn’t want to be short with her.

  They passed the reception desk so that Simon was closest to it, making it less likely she’d notice anything.

  “Good evening, Lana” Simon said.

  “Good evening, Simon. Good evening, Flynn,” she replied.

  Flynn snarled, but Simon cleared his throat so that she didn’t hear it.

  Once outside, Simon let go of the length of chain, and unfurled his wings. He waited until Flynn’s wings unfurled and flitted off toward the lands north of the forest where the Humans lived. Flynn kept pace with no idea where they went. They took a path that kept them away from the forest clans’ land, so it was new area to Flynn. He felt like a dull savage, his mind refusing to work. He couldn’t seem to form any thought; he simply existed. Blood was the only word that formed in his head, and even that wasn’t a word as such, but a picture, a need.

  They arrived at a human house and slid under the door. They flitted into the bedroom where a husband and wife slept. Simon directed Flynn to the husband’s arm. Flynn snarled in hunger.

  “Calm, Flynn. Just bite. There will be plenty of blood. Just let it happen.”

  Flynn landed on the man’s arm and bit. There was slight movement and he shifted his arm. Flynn remained locked to it. Simon kept watch. After a few moments Simon touched his shoulder.

  “Enough, Flynn.” Flynn turned and snarled. “Enough!” Simon pulled the chain, forcing Flynn away from his victim. “I know you’re hungry. Now, the wife.”

  Flynn flitted to the wife’s arm and attacked again. He didn’t need to be pulled away. Once he’d fed the second time he felt sated.

  Simon went into the children’s room with Flynn in tow. Now it was Simon’s turn, but the children had a different scent and Flynn made motions to feed again.

  “No, Flynn. You need to wait. You don’t yet know how to feed on children.”

  Flynn snarled and growled, forcing Simon to pull the chain hard, throwing Flynn onto the floor. Flynn whimpered, but didn’t attempt to attack again. The blood he’d already had began to take effect and he was able to wait while Simon fed.

  They headed away from the house toward the cave. After a few minutes Flynn realized they weren’t headed there. He was glad since he wasn’t ready to go there yet.

  “Hungry,” he managed to say. His voice sounded strange to him. It seemed the first coherent thought he’d had since he’d arisen. While he understood everything Simon said, he hadn’t been able to do more than react.

  “You need to wait a bit, Flynn. You can’t gorge yourself. We’ll feed more later.”

  “Where?”

  “Now? We’re going to the stage. Everyone will be there.”

  When they arrived the others were there. Simon landed up in a tree branch with Flynn and removed the chain from himself and Flynn. He knew Flynn would be embarrassed if the others saw it, and he was relatively safe and controllable with eleven other Vampyres to keep him so.

  They flitted down and the others gathered around.

  “Hello everyone,” Simon said. “I’d like you to meet our newest member, Flynn.”

  Flynn came out of his muddle enough to wonder why Simon was introducing him. They all knew him. He’d played with them before in practice.

  Things, the past, the band all began to fall into place. His reason for being here: he was one of them now. It annoyed him that he’d only just started to think. He’d been awake for hours now, and his brain had only now begun to function rationally.

  “It’s good to see you, Flynn. Welcome,” Fiona said, smiling.

  Each in turn welcomed him. He smiled awkwardly and thanked each in turn. Caelen was the last. She smiled at Flynn.

  “Welcome to the coven,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he replied, grinning

  There was something of a party atmosphere on the stage, with several of them asking how he liked being a Vampyre so far, others recalling how difficult it was to rehearse with him, reassuring him that now he didn’t have the light Faery smell to him.

  “You’re really much nicer to be around now,” Zoe said.

  Flynn was bothered by something, but couldn’t quite understand what. Then it dawned on him where they were.

  “Simon, this is where you give the concerts.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “What if – what if some folk come by here?”

  “They won’t.”

  “How do you know? They might.”

  “We have an aura around the area.”

  “An aura?”

  “It’s like glamour, but it works that way on large areas. If one happened by they wouldn’t see us or the stage. They only see the stage when we want them to. And they wouldn’t see us unless one of us approached them.”

  “But I practiced here!”

  “You were a thrall.”

  Flynn inadvertently rubbed his arm. Simon laughed. “You should look at that, Flynn. It’s gone.”

  Flynn pushed up his sleeve and looked hard at the spot, but it was as smooth and perfect as the rest of his arm. In fact, there were no blemishes or scars anywhere, and he knew he’d had several scars. He put his hand to his neck, but it, too, felt smooth.

  “You have no mark there. Your body healed to a perfection it didn’t have in life.”

  He realized his vision was more precise. He looked around at his fellow Vampyres. All were perfect: perfect features, build, and comeliness. Although they looked vastly different, and were different heights. There were no malformed noses or buggy eyes or baldness or crooked teeth. Someone at the far end of the stage whispered to one standing next to her. Flynn heard it as if the words had been whispered in his ear.

  Kele approached Flynn with a looking-glass made of highly polished silver. He held it up before Flynn’s face. Flynn saw a perfected version of himself reflected back. And yes, he had a reflection.

  Now he seemed to understand what he couldn’t before as a light Faery. He’d never quite realized what it was that he found so wonderful about the Vampyres. He couldn’t see the perfection with light Faery eyes.

  Light Faery: they were gone from him forever. He felt a twinge, but then moved on to what others were doing and saying.

  “Is being a Vampyre living up to your expectations so far?” Aranck asked, gliding up behind him. Flynn started.

  “I don’t know. I felt stupid like an animal when �
� before I fed.”

  “That goes away,” Aranck replied with a calm smile. “It’s part of becoming. You weren’t quite through.”

  “So, do you see light Faery as stupid?” Flynn asked.

  “No, not at all. It’s more like having been ill and recovering, the way you felt. That’s what crossing over is. It’s not part of being a light Faery; it’s part of the process of becoming dark Faery. Your body changed and your mind had to catch up. You were a brilliant musician for a light Faery.”

  “Most aren’t?”

  “No. Most are rather good, if they are talented. It’s a rare genius who performs as you do. We would have tried to recruit you if you hadn’t come to us. Your talent would not have gone unnoticed among your own people. As you gained fame, we would have heard of you and heard you.”

  “So, I’m better than all of you?”

  Aranck laughed. “No. Each of us is a rare talent. In times past, some of us were accused of sorcery among our own people, and so we chose this path – or at least put ourselves in the way of it by accident.”

  “What are you filling his head with, Aranck?” Simon asked in an amused tone.

  “Vampyre history.”

  Simon laughed.

  “Simon, I’m hungry,” Flynn said.

  “Soon,” Simon replied.

  Aranck looked at the boy and at Simon. “You’re a hard taskmaster.”

  “He had two humans. He needs to wait. He needs to learn restraint.”

  Aranck bowed his head briefly and stepped away.

  “Why must I wait?”

  “Because I said so. I told you already. I won’t forget.”

  “But –”

  “Enough!” Simon said and walked away.

  “It looks like our youngest is a little petulant,” Kele said, gliding beside Simon.

  “He’ll learn.”

  “First days are difficult.”

  “Let’s have some merriment,” Simon suggested, clapping his hands.