Lauren DaneHEART OF DARKNESS
This one is for Linda Sue
who always puts her family before herself.
Love you, Momma.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Laura Bradford for knowing how much I wanted this and going way above and beyond to help make it into a reality.
Thanks also goes to Leis Pederson, whose edits always make me a better writer.
To my husband, who makes my heart beat faster and brings me home Thai food just becauseI love you!
And to all the people who have supported me with so many kindnessesthank you. Thank you for buying my books, for talking about them, for the notes you send and for coming to see me at events. It means so very much!
And for a moment it seemed to me as if I also were buried in a vast grave full of unspeakable secrets. I felt an intolerable weight oppressing my breast, the smell of the damp earth, the unseen presence of victorious corruption, the darkness of an impenetrable night.
JOSEPH CONRAD, HEART OF DARKNESS
Chapter 1
MERIEL sat, taking notes as her mother spoke from the head of the table. The pale, late autumn light spilled through the windows of the seemingly normal conference room, casting shadows on the far wall. The tastefully expensive clock and nondescript black-and-white framed photos made the space look like a law firm instead of the headquarters of a witches clan. A boring, non-offensive space that seemed to lack any point of view at all. This was most likely a deliberate choice, but Meriel thought pretending not to have a POV when you were someone as opinionated as Edwina Owen was absurd. But it wasnt her place to make decorating choices. Not yet anyway.
So she sat in a moderately comfortable chair around an intentionally imposing table with the same fifteen people shed spent her days with for as long as she could remember. How sucky was it that it was days like this that made her wish for law school again? What sort of whackadoo actually missed law school? But in law school when she excelled, it was without the context she carried in her life here. The next in line. The princess. Magickal royalty. Blah. There, shed just been another overachiever struggling with the realities of being in a room full of people just as smart, and in many cases, smarter, than she was. That sort of bumpy ride had been a novelty.
But this was her future and she took it seriously even if she had a stack of other things to do at the moment. Meriel really didnt have the time for this assignment, but Clan Owens investigator, who also happened to be Meriels best friend, Nell, was still out on her honeymoon and wouldnt be back for another few days.
Really, Gage, who was Nells second-in-command, would be a fine substitute. But as far as Edwina Owen was concerned, as the next in line to run Clan Owen, Meriel was expected to pick up the slack when necessary. Rather like working in the mail room or running the copiers, it trained in the overall running of the clan.
Whatever, at least shed get out of her house for the evening instead of sitting around reading legal briefs or ordering a movie on demand and eating too many spring rolls. Mmmm, spring rolls
The lull in sound meant her mother probably expected an answer and it was time to pay attention instead of thinking about fried carby goodness.
She sat, back straight, and met her mothers eyes. I have the file. Nell briefed me before she left. Ill head to the club tonight to see for myself whats going on. She continued to hold her mothers gaze. It wouldnt do to show Edwina Owen, the leader of Clan Owen, any weakness. Some predators ate their babies, Meriel knew. Shed actually said that to her mother once. Her mother had replied, Then you should never give me a reason to do that. Not really warm and fuzzy, Meriels mother.
Take Gage with you. It wasnt a request. Very little of what Edwina said ever was. In this case, as was most often the fact, she was right. It wasnt like Meriel was unused to having guards with her. She wasnt helpless, but she had no problem having an expert on the job with her.
Ill be picking Meriel up this evening at ten, Gage spoke from his place near the door.
Edwina looked very pleased the whole world was following her command and Meriel fought the smile edging the corners of her mouth.
Excellent. Brief me in the morning then. Edwina dismissed her with the flick of her fingers. Meriel gladly took her up on it and got out of the room as quickly as possible.
She scares me, Gage said as she passed him in the hall on her way to her office. She totally did not look at his butt or the way the denim was faded in all the right places. That would be wrong. Heh.
Meriel, who was not having nasty fantasies about a coworker, tried to emanate total professionalism for about five seconds before she simply rolled her eyes. Whatever. She wants you to be scared, she likes it. Gets off on it even. Some men like that. My dad for instance and I dont know why I brought that up because, um, ew. She shook her head to dislodge that thought. Oh yeah, Gages ass. She smiled at that much more appetizing mental image. Ill see you tonight then? So you can protect my honor and stuff?
He grinned. Your stuff is awesome and Im sure you can protect it yourself. But yes, Ill be there with bells on. Or not with bells, that would be noisy and annoying, but Ill be there. He sauntered off and she snuck one last peek at his ass. She wasnt a saint after all. It was a spectacular ass and, like any great work of art, should be admired. It was her sacred duty as an American. And stuff.
EFFICIENTLY, she made her way through the office to her side of the building. Clan Owens headquarters took up the entire thirtieth floor of a high-rise in downtown Seattle. They were much like any other business, with a secretarial pool, legal department, accountants, sales reps even. Only their employees were all witches.
Twelve generations of Owen women had run the clan. The first Owen witches came to California in 1847. Theyd come a long way from the dry-goods stores and illegal booze operations that had given them their first financial roots in the region. Now, the clan was a multimillion-dollar business and an unquestioned powerhouse in the world of witches.
Like every firstborn daughter of the leader of Clan Owen, from birth, Meriel had been shaped to lead. Taught, formed, molded into the kind of witch, the kind of woman who could hold the clan together and keep it prosperous and powerful for the next generations.
Edwina had not been the kind of mother to kiss boo-boos and bake cookies. Shed raised Meriel to be hard and canny. Meriel liked to believe she got the canny part without the hard.
And one day shed kiss boo-boos and bake cookies and still manage to run the clan just fine.
She stopped by her assistants desk, picked up mail and messages and closed her door, and the rest of the office out.
The day was nice enough and she let it pull her attention from work for a moment to take in the beauty of the water glittering in the sun, of the ferries dotting the Sound.
With a happy sigh, she kicked off her shoes and opened the file folder on her deskthe dossier on the man shed be speaking to that evening.
This man had just appeared in Seattle and had set up a nightclub in the middle of Owen territory. For months it appeared he only ran the club for humans, which is why they didnt notice him at first.
She didnt know exactly when hed opened up the part of the club for others, but hed been using magick from Clan Owens font to power some wards for a few months and it had just been noticed two weeks before.
One, it agitated her that it took so long to be discovered.
Two, despite her annoyance, she was impressed.
Whoever he was, Meriel understood that it wouldnt do to underestimate him. She hadnt achieved bonded full-council status yet, but she wasnt stupid.
She was curious though.
A knock sounded on her door and before she could speak, her mother came in. Not breezed in, not strolled or barged or anything of the sort. No, Edwina came in and occupied nearly all the oxygen in the room.
Ive just received an interesting phone call.
Meriel didnt bother to ask her mother to sit. Edwina would do what she wanted to do. She pulled out a notepad and a pen and looked up, ready to take notes.
Thereve been some developments in New Mexico. Three witches are missing from a local coven just outside Albuquerque.
Shed been an attorney long enough to know silence got you more information than a lot of leading questions when you were interviewing someone. So she simply waited for her mother to give her all the details.
One of the women has been missing for eight months. They believe she is dead. Another male gone for six months and this last one went missing two weekends ago.
Were they all active within the coven? Or loners? Drugs? Trouble at home or work?
Her mother nodded her head once, as if reassuring herself Meriel was indeed not a total idiot.
None of the three is very active. They dont have a font, but the parents of one of the women are leadership. Which is why it got to me at all I expect. The unspoken was that no one would have cared about the other two because no one was watching out for them.
The very idea of it burned in Meriels belly. The very fact that her mother wasnt similarly offended also burned. This could be a totally nothing issue, or a big problem. Simply refusing to examine it very closely wasnt, to Meriels mind, a very effective way to run things.
Why these people? Is it connected to some of the similar stories weve heard lately?
Her mother simply went forward as if these questions meant nothing. I know you like open communication with other witches, even those who are clanless. Im going to have you be the point person on this for the clan. Until Nell returns on Monday, work with Gage. She stood and then handed a file folder to Meriel. That contains all the details. Again she paused, taking a breath. Im not convinced this is a problem. People disappear, Meriel. We dont know enough about any of them to get worked up.
It must have been a herculean effort to not show the sneer in her voice on her features. Meriel bit her tongue and reminded herself shed run the show differently when her time came.
She took the file, looking over her mothers beautiful and very precise handwriting. Edwina may have thought the call was crap, but she took good notes. Meriel would head over to talk to Gage about it to get his opinion once her mother had gone.
If they were in a clan, theyd have taken better care of their people. This may not have happened. People do themselves all sorts of damage. You know this as well as I do.
If she spoke, shed say something bitter and she didnt want to. Didnt want to spend any more negativity on the day. Or on her mother.
One brow rose in challenge. Go on. Say it. If youre going to take over for me, you need a spine.
It was difficult, but not impossible to rein her magicks response to her mothers taunt. There was no winning by Edwinas rules. So she refused to play by them. Im not playing this game with you. Also, theres no if and you and I both know it. Thank you for this information. Ill handle it from now on. And she was sure the witches in New Mexico would appreciate not being made to feel as if it were their own fault for getting kidnapped or killed or whatever may have happened down there.
Edwina narrowed her gaze and Meriel gave her blank face right back. Shed groomed her blank face over many, many years. Considered it perfect. It was the only way to win with her mother, who pushed to get a response. One of these days though, oh, Meriel would give it to her, all right.
Thank you. Meriel said it again, holding her mothers gaze.
Edwina sighed and moved to the door. Keep me apprised. And left.
Meriel read through her notes and headed to Gage.
Chapter 2
GAGE looked up as she tapped on his door. Meriel liked this part of the office. Back in a far, infrequently used corridor, Nell ran the investigative and law and order arm of the clan. They had a pinball machine. Hello.
Gage sat, boots up on his desk, a phone to his ear as he looked over whatever he had in his hands. She waved when he looked up and made to leave, but he waved her in to sit and wait.
I have to go. No. Nell, if I so much as get a whiff youre back in town before Sunday, I will kick your ass. And Ill tell Meriel. He grinned up at her as he paused, clearly getting an earful. Bye. He hung up, laughing.
She cant possibly be coming back early. William has to be more attractive than anything she could find here. William in swim trunks. Yum!
He rolled his eyes. I had to call her about this New Mexico stuff. I take it your mother spoke with you?
Yes, thats why Im here. It could have waited until Monday, you know. Nells only going to obsess about it now.
I know. But she made me promise to call if anything unusual came up. I found a way around it for the investigation at this club. Thats not new. He shrugged and Meriel laughed, delighted.
I love the way you two are together. You keep her in line.
William told me marrying Nell was like getting me too. But then he confessed that he was glad because it would take more than one person to keep her in line. He said as long as I had no designs on the parts he liked to keep in line we were good.
Meriel always had wondered why Gage and Nell hadnt hooked up. But she imagined it was one of those great, totally non-romantic partnerships. They teased, but there wasnt an ounce of sexual tension between them.
Hes a smart man. She held up the file. So what do you know about New Mexico?
I spoke with the person who called your mother. They dont have a clan organization so no law enforcement to speak of. No investigative team. Theyre not going to bring in anyone else. I did offer, he added at her questioning look before continuing. Missing witches. No real connection they know of. But theres too much they dont know for me to be really comfortable with the situation.
We need to be sure were keeping a good eye on everyone. Even the outclan. This would make her mother insanely angry, but just because those witches didnt want to join the clan didnt mean the clan should simply leave them without any protection. They used the font. They obeyed the clan rules. They deserved some benefit.
I agree. We have something in place, as you know. But I think it can be stepped up. Im going to work with section five to see if we cant monitor through the font. You know, see who is taking and filling. Look for gaps.
The font was the collective energy bank for the clan. All witches within it were keyed in so that their magickal energy should be part of it, if not every day, at least several times a week. An absence could be detected; she just didnt know how hard it would be to do it.
Good. Thats a good idea. Theyll tell you if it can be done or not. Keep me apprised. Ive been named the point person on this.
Gages brows went up a bit.
I know, Im surprised too. She couldnt very well say she was shocked her mother had let go of the power. Her mother had a way of hearing lots of things. Most likely, her mother thought this was all bullshit so it was fine to give it to Meriel, whod also end up with a reality check that would smack the notion of working with other witches and protecting against external threats by banding together right out of her head.
Ha. Edwina had no idea. None. Which bugged Meriel. For heavens sake, she was Edwinas childcanny and strong willed, just like her mother. The future didnt involve this continued self-segregation and her mother could pretend Meriel didnt know any better or that she was naive, but they both knew that wasnt true.
Totally hypothetical question here. Do you think this might be connected to the situation in Minnesota? With the mages?
A witch had been found nearly dead and had recounted a horrifying tale of being kidnapped by a group of mages whod spent days siphoning her power. She had only been able to escape when shed managed to grab back enough of her magickal power to siphon the air from the room and the mages had passed out. Shed crawled nearly a mile before someone found her and took her to the hospital. By the time the police had arrived at the house, everyone had gone.
The human authorities were looking for human monsters. Human monsters could be taken down. But mages were not human, and they had no code of ethics like witches. No, they stole power and magick to twist it and use it like a drug.
And what if theyd decided to hunt witches for that drug?
BY the time shed made ready to leave for the day, the sun was down. Shed had plans to duck out early but of course that hadnt worked out. As it was, she still had the opportunity to stop at the little boutique just down the street from her apartment building. She wanted something new for that night. Wanted to find an outfit suitable for club wear.
Her phone was ringing when she came out from her bathroom and she ran to grab it. It had been Gages mother, Shelley, calling from his house where he was currently suffering the throes of food poisoning. Shed assured Meriel that Gage would be fine by morning, but there was no way hed be accompanying her that evening.
Meriel had almost felt sorry for him as hed attempted to order her to wait until the following night and shed refused, promising to be safe and check in the following day before telling him to get well and hanging up.
Shed made the choice to go and, she thought as she put in her earrings, that was that. It hadnt simply been a matter of their font being stolen from. It had been bigger.
No spiky-heeled sandals that night. She needed to be able to move easily and quickly. So she opted for her cowboy boots. Thankfully they went well with the outfit shed picked up.
The skirt was a little shorter than she usually went for, but it wasnt so short shed be in danger of showing any of her bits. And the shirt was snug and a little stretchy; the sequins accenting it here and there would catch the light. Feminine. Sexy. And it all emphasized her best parts and hid her worst.
In the garage she looked at what shed picked up two days before. Nells car. Nells beautiful, cherry-red classic 1967 Camaro. All shiny and powerful.
Her own car was nice enough and all, but this, well, this was part of the whole night. Unexpected like the short skirt and this mission she went on. Silly, but it was thrilling all the same.
She traveled across the lake toward Seattle, feeling as if there was a reason she felt nearly driven to do it. Though Meriel was as rational and logical as they came, she still believed in following her gut. Her gut was where her magick lived and it wanted her at that club tonight.
There were no reasons to expect a violent response from Bright. Hed been peaceable since hed arrived in Owen territory, though still a thief. He had to quit that, of course. And the opportunity to do something so unexpectedto act on behalf of her clan with this witch to make him stopwell, that excited her.
It could wait, of course, for the next night, or the next week for that matter. Restlessness had settled into her bones over the last year. Before that shed been pretty much single-minded with her studies and her job.
Ambition came to her naturally. Her foremothers had created Clan Owen from nothing and built it into one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Meriel accepted that the blood of these women ran in her veins for a reason and that she was supposed to use every gift shed been given to protect and serve her people.
From infancy there had been one path and she greeted that with joy and a sense of duty. But things were changing. The older and more experienced she got, the more the witches in Clan Owen expected her to lead and many had begun to look to her first, before Edwina, and that had created a rift. Most though werent sure she could be as brutal and ruthless as Edwina. So shed have to show them. But in her own way.
For the first time in her life it was hard to wait for what was next. She wanted to go out and greet it. Wanted to make things happen. Wanted to see what this heady sense of expectancy was all about.
She supposed at this point in a full-council witchs life, it was about finding her bond-mate to finally ascend to her full power. She was in limbo until that happened. Until a full-council witch performed the ascension spell with her bond-mate, she wouldnt achieve her full power and take her seat on the ruling council of the clan.
It wasnt so much that Meriel was aching to find her bond-mate. It was more than the magickal ascension, though she did want that very much, it was a lack of soul-connection. It had only gotten worse once shed seen Nell with her new husband, had seen love in her best friends eyes.
Things were about to change. She could feel it.
DOMINIC tucked his shirt into his jeans and gave himself one last look in the mirror on the back of his office door. He had a to-do list as long as his arm and the sense of impending something lay heavily in his gut.
He hated that. He didnt want this special-sense thing. He liked his gifts well enough, but it was just fine with him to be an ordinary guy with a little bit of magick. He didnt want foresight. Tom, the closest thing Dominic had to a father and the man who deserved the credit as one, got on his case for being a slacker and not living up to his full potential. Thats what fathers did, Dominic knew. But he had a successful bar, didnt he? Was he not giving a place to go to both others and humans alike? It wasnt like he was still living on the edge the way he had those years before. No probation officer. He was a businessman now. No more running from bill collectors. Hell, he even had employees. As far as Dominic was concerned, he was a useful member of society and Tom should be satisfied with that.
It wasnt so much that he never used his magick. Just that he used it the way he wanted to. This whole clan business, having to be a member and obey rules, none of that was his scene. He didnt need to be told what to do. Not by anyone.
After finally growing tired of the violence and hand-to-mouth nature of the lifestyle hed lived for the early part of his twenties, hed landed in New York City where hed learned how to run a business. When hed saved for a few years, hed come back home to the Northwest.
Hed made something of all that energy and ambition. He took an empty space and with some magick, okay some borrowed energy too, had created Heart of Darkness. At first glance it was an industrial nightclub but through an arch, hidden to non-magickal eyes, was the spot for Others in Seattle. Part cafe, part bar.
The place was packed every night and as Simon pointed out just that day over lunch, they were bound to get a visit from some clan witches very soon. There was no way word of the place hadnt reached them and thered be a bill come due from using their precious font. Even an outclan witch like him knew he was breaking their laws by using their magick without being keyed in. Until then though, hed continue to do so because he needed to and they couldnt possibly have a use for all that spare power.
And because he still liked to play on the edge.
Chapter 3
MERIEL stretched her legs out the open car door, unfolding her body to stand beside the shiny curves of steel. Part of the reason people stared was the car, and she totally got that. Normally, Meriel drove an Audi. Low slung, sporty and temperamental. Sort of like she was on a good day. Heh.
Still, maybe a little bit of Nells sexy-momma mojo would rub off on her.
The valet tried to look sullen and bored as he approached with an outstretched hand. A valet at an industrial nightclub? What was the world coming to?
Sullen and on the verge of tears seemed to be similar looks for this boy. No way was he more than a hair this side of nineteen. His skinny jeans only emphasized just how thin his legs were. It must have been a serious workout for him to move in those big boots he had on. Couldnt have been more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. Probably why his guyliner was running. Or maybe that was on purpose. Whatever, she didnt really care. Emo boys were not her cup of tea anyway. As long as he didnt scratch the car, he was free to weep and write bad poetry all day long.
She dropped her keys into his palm and raised one eyebrow. Might as well put on a show all the way and throw a little Edwina in there. Do be careful, wont you? She added a touch of magick to be sure he was.
He nodded, Adams apple sliding up and down as her magick tickled his skin and permeated his brain. She briefly toyed with also telling him to eat a sandwich, but let that go.
Tell meshe paused, looking at his name tagSpider. Very goth, by the way, Spider. She tried very hard not to snicker. Is Mr. Bright in this evening?
Should be. Spider tried to look tough, but she could use him to pick spinach from her teeth with one hand so the effect was lost on her.
She nodded, taking her tag and sauntering past the line and through the doors. The bouncer took one look, a smile settled over his features and he stepped back, letting her pass.
Once inside, the scent caught her attention. Mmmm. Humanity. Sex, lust, greed, anger. Beautiful. The hard-edged beat vibrated off her skin as she prowled through the crowd. In every flash, flash, flash of the strobe lights bodies moved, arms up in the air.
Magick drifted through the large room, drawing her to its source. It wasnt hard to find the go-between, the place normals wouldnt see but Others would be drawn to, and through, into their own private club.
Heart of Darknessnot a bad name for a club, really. One of her favorite books too. Too bad Gage wasnt here. The women would have been falling over themselves to get to him. Her mother would also have a cow when she heard Meriel had disobeyed her orders and had come out unescorted, but for goodness sake, it wasnt that dangerous to talk to a thief in public. And hello, she wasnt fifteen. It had been a long time since Meriel had looked to a mother to do any taking care of her. And last, it amused her to visualize her mother having a cow.
Despite her amusement and admittedly, no small amount of admiration for how much talent it took to set this place up, Heart of Darkness had the potential to be dangerous for them all. Dominic Bright took risks he had no right to. Not on Owen ground and certainly not with Owen font magick.
Though the Weres had been out for a decade and the vampires discussed it endlessly, witches were far less enamored of the idea.
Theyd been there and done that and many of them hadnt survived. In fact every time humans focused on them it involved hanging or drowning or being burned alive so they were obsessive about keeping what they did quiet. Pagans and Wiccans already got enough hatred; if humans knew there were witches like Meriel, well, she didnt like thinking about it overlong.
This place was a risk of exposure on top of the fact that one simply didnt just steal from Clan Owen and not face consequences. Clan witches loved rules. Rule breaking was frowned upon because risks were dangerous.
Mr. Bright needed to be taught that it was the height of offense to a clan to come in this way. Some of them would have sent enforcers in and hed never have been heard from again. Lucky for him, Meriel thought that a big show of aggression would be an overreaction. At least until she learned more.
And then, if he needed to be disappeared, Nell would make it happen. The weak got preyed upon and Clan Owen wasnt weak.
Already she knew he had some sense. The closer she got to the go-between door, the more the repulsion spell increased in intensity. The entrance looked like a back door and the presence of two large bouncers looking like bartenders would stop interlopers.