The Light Who Shines Read online

  Jack seems to have recovered from his spontaneous coughing fit and says, “As a matter of fact, I think there was one case that I recall, a long time ago. I would prefer not to go into the details, though.”

  Then, in an obvious attempt to change the topic, he demands, “You’re injured. You have been avoiding telling me about it. I need to know what happened.”

  I retort, “Like you are avoiding telling me about auras chasing Vampires away?”

  Jack smiles smugly. “Yes. Exactly like that, except that you work for me. Tell me what happened.”

  Jack leans back in his chair and his hair, which is full of dark gold curls, catches the sunlight from the window. He keeps it long enough so you can see the curls but not long enough for them to be ringlets. He has vivid green eyes and a disturbingly sexy five o’clock shadow. His broad shoulders look magnificent in his light gray suit. I’m not sure what make it is because I don’t shop in those stores myself, but it is clearly very elegant. His charcoal gray tie hangs loose, and his top shirt button is undone, both very uncharacteristic of him. I wonder if my late timing made him that upset or if it was something else. His eyelids droop lazily as he leans back in his chair, looking the picture of ease, but I’m not fooled. He’s watching me intently.

  I take a deep breath, gathering the courage to tell him about the incident with the masked man. Since no out presents itself and I see no way to further delay, I fold my hands in my lap and say gently, “As I was leaving my apartment building today, a man grabbed me from behind in the alley, disarmed me, and held a knife to my throat.”

  Jack doesn’t move a hair, but the air in the room immediately fills with a violent, thrumming energy. He, who is usually so hard to read, is pouring deathly rage into the room to such an extent it seems the very air is becoming pressurized to the point of explosion. Outwardly I see only that his eyes tighten at the corners and turn into two black, bottomless pits. His mouth is fuller, a sign his fangs have extended, though he keeps his lips tightly sealed. His absolute stillness feels indubitably more dangerous than a thousand men attacking with knives. Others might not notice anything wrong if they walked in this room at this moment, but with my gift, I feel it. I am almost overcome by it.

  I lift my chin a degree and brave the threatening explosion. “The man was wearing a mask and had me from behind, so I can’t give a good description. From what I could tell, he was about six feet tall and thin, with an obvious beard beneath the mask. That matches the description from the bartender at the Cock and Bull Tap of the man wearing the red cloak. There was no red cloak today, though. He was wearing a gray cloak and dark pants with a white top. He was asking about the amulet, but I obviously didn’t tell him where it is.”

  Jack moves his hands slightly, gripping the edge of his desk. Despite seeing his knuckles turn white and hearing the wooden desk groan beneath his fingertips, I finish the tale.

  I drop my voice to a whisper, knowing full well he can hear me clearly but hoping to calm him slightly as I recount the entirety of the events. When I finish, Jack’s eyes are still black pools, but he has relaxed his hold on the desk. I see the intelligence has returned to his eyes, and they start to flicker as he internally calculates all the possibilities of what happened, what could have happened, and what might happen. I’m afraid of what his conclusions might be, but even this is preferable to the mindless black rage I saw in them a few moments ago.

  Jack finally leans forward and appears to regain his voice. Through his clenched teeth he snarls, enunciating the key words, “You took an injured wolf that was about to kill a man…in your car with you?”

  I’ve learned that when Jack is snapping like steel I need to remain strong like silk.

  “Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound so great. But it was really fine. I went straight for my Glock, but I didn’t need it.” I decide not to tell Jack that I couldn’t make myself pull the trigger. He doesn’t seem in the mood to hear it, and I’m not above omitting teeny tiny, irrelevant facts such as that.

  “And where is this wolf now?” Jack inquires.

  “He’s with my friend Alexis getting cleaned up, cared for, and fed.”

  This seems to settle Jack down slightly, but still he probes, “And he showed no signs of aggression toward you or Alexis?”

  “None whatsoever, I swear, nor toward her assistant. I’m sure his aggression was directed solely toward the man.”

  Jack settles back a bit more.

  I stand up again and start pacing. “So, as I was saying, I had to drop the wolf off at Alexis’ so this put me behind. Then I went straight to the Medical Examiner’s office.”

  Jack nods his head and says, “We’ll get back to the masked man in a moment. But tell me, what did you find out from the M.E.?”

  I hand Jack a copy of the preliminary report. Jack sits quietly for a few minutes, scanning through it. He flips through the pages, and I watch his face as it goes through several degrees of disgust and rage—not quite the degree of rage I saw just a few moments ago, but rage nonetheless. When he finally looks up, his mood is black.

  “It was pretty bad,” I say.

  Jack’s mouth presses in a tight line. “I see that it was.”

  “Well, I also stopped by the Dragomir Magical Artifact Shop and got a little history on the amulet.”

  Jack looks curious. “Did you speak with The Dragomir herself?”

  I raise my eyebrow. “Yes. Do you know her?”

  Jack’s lips twitch slightly, and I can see immediately that he does know her, perhaps personally. I feel more than a little angry about this and try to school my face from forming the scowl it wants to. I remind myself he is my boss, and even if he were interested in me, it would not be wise to pursue any type of relationship. He is also goodness knows how old, so I must seem terribly immature to him. He probably has some stunning Vampiress that I cannot possibly compete with keeping him company at home. This thought does not help with my scowling problem.

  Jack says, “Yes. I’ve known her for some years. She’s an expert on certain topics.”

  I scowl despite myself. I bet she is an expert on certain topics!

  Jack gives me an assessing glance and asks, “How did your interview with her go?” I frown and contemplate how much to tell him. I stand and pace a little as I speak, feeling restless for some reason. “She gave me a hard time at first, but when I showed her a drawing of the amulet she was very forthcoming. She told me the amulet is part of a key. There are two parts: the amulet and an eye that fits in the center. The eye is missing from the piece I have. Both together serve as the key to the Grimorium Cantionum Spiritualium.”

  Jack sits up straight. “The Spell Book of the Spirit and Soul?”

  I nod slightly, watching his reaction.

  Jack demands, “And where do you have it stored?”

  “I have it hidden in the wall of the bell room in St. Michael’s Church. I thought it best to stash it on holy ground.”

  “That was a good choice,” Jack says. “So, did Dragomira tell you the history of the book?”

  “Yes. How did you know about it, though? It sounds like it was kept pretty secret.”

  Jack frowns and looks out the window, obviously considering what to tell me. “Years ago I did some research on the Birth of Vampires. That is actually how I met The Dragomir. I’ve never seen the book, of course; no one has. I’ve only read some of the history.”

  Something has been bothering me about the story, and I bet Jack knows the answer. “How come this story isn’t well known? It was obviously pivotal in our history.”

  Jack stands up and appears to be concentrating on something outside the window before he angles toward me. “The book itself is too powerful for many to know of. But to get to the root of your question, remember that it took some time for the Vampire population to grow and cover the globe. It wasn’t until about a third of the way through the Deconstruction Era of the Red Ages that knowledge of Vampires was widespread, and the inc
ident with the book had long past. People just knew that Vampires were. The further civilization deconstructed, the harder communication and learning became. Then, of course, during the Bloody Era of the Red Ages, all humans were in hiding.”

  Jack walks close to me, standing slightly in my body space again. His eyes implore me for something. “Even though I was turned during the Bloody Era of the Red Ages, I am not proud of who we were and what we did. I know that most Daylight Vampires feel the same. We are ashamed of how we treated humans and how we looked away as Dark Vampires destroyed your breeds.”

  My mind reels. Jack has just dated himself to before the Reconstruction Era. That makes him over five hundred years old. Jack’s eyes search my face, and I can feel that he is seeking some sort of absolution from me, a person who had not even been born at that time.

  “Jack,” I say, “you are only responsible for your own actions, and what you do today speaks to who you are now, not what your people did five hundred years ago. Civilization is such a thin veil over our savage selves, easily lifted by some for personal glorification. Look at the Dilectus Deo if you want an example of that. We fight to hold on to our moral values and maintain civility between breeds. Regardless of what your people did in the past, Daylight Vampires did make the peace pact with humans that brought on the Reconstruction Era. Today you keep us safe from Night-Crawlers, and today that is what matters.”

  I can see his eyes lighten, and he steps back, leaning against the wall of windows behind him. Then he looks sharply at me. “So someone’s trying to get the book now. It is a very dangerous book, Blue. It could be an interbreed disaster if it gets into the wrong hands. It could destroy the peace we’ve fought for during the last five hundred years.”

  “I know,” I say. “I also learned a few more things today, but before I get into that, I want to show you this.” I reach behind my back and pull out my knife.

  Jack’s eyes light up. He holds out his hand and says, “May I?”

  I give it to him hilt forward and watch him caress it with his thumb and his eyes. “It’s beautiful,” he says.

  “Dragomira gave it to me. I wasn’t sure if I should take it. It’s obviously very valuable. However, after the incident this morning, I couldn’t say no.”

  Jack looks up at me with a question in his eyes, then he seems to answer it for himself. You should keep it,” Jack says. “Do you have a sheath for it?”

  I shake my head.

  Jack takes it to his closet and steps inside with it. I can see some ammunition belts and swords hanging, but Jack’s broad back blocks most of my view. He rummages around a little, then closes the door. Turning back to me, he places the knife in a beautifully embossed black leather sheath. He hands it to me. “A weapon this special should be housed properly.”

  I smile from ear to ear as I run my fingers over the exquisite craftsmanship.

  Jack says, “Now, about the other things that you learned. Please tell me everything.” He is back to his feigned laziness again, crossing his legs gracefully as he leans against the window.

  I oblige. “After the M.E.’s, I went to the precinct. The boy was on the missing persons list for twenty-eight days. His name is Jason O’Connell. He had a magical gift, but it is unclear what it was as he was just coming into power. His mother is Gifted as well, and she hid it from her husband for their entire marriage. When the boy came out, the mother came out as well, and the father split. He is obviously a person of interest, but Gambino isn’t feeling it.”

  “You plan on questioning them?”

  I pace a little, then come to a halt before the window. “Yes. I will do that first thing tomorrow. I should be in the office before noon.”

  I pivot toward Jack as a thought comes to mind. “By the way, can I share openly with Gambino about the book?”

  This must be an important question because Jack raps twice on the window behind him in his thoughtful way before answering. “I think we need to tell him a powerful and dangerous book is involved,” he says, “but I don’t think we need to give him details or the history. Furthermore, I don’t think you need to tell him where the amulet is. The fewer people who know, the better.”

  I nod at this and contemplate it awhile. Jack seems to understand my pause, because he says, “Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to lie. It is sensitive information and we have a right—no, a responsibility—to keep it confidential. Tell him it falls under the category of privileged information.” I nod again, this time feeling a lot more comfortable.

  Then Jack asks, “So, what are your theories on the murder so far?”

  I start pacing again as I think for a moment. Many theories have run through my head, some more viable then others. “The boy was hit by the car at an angle. It seems to me if someone was purposely running him down it would most likely have been head-on, though not necessarily.

  “It’s possible the murderer is not the same person who had the amulet and tortured the boy. I doubt it was the father, because what would the father who hated magic be doing with an amulet? Could the boy have gotten the amulet on his own? I don’t know. I think the amulet is the key to finding out what really happened. I’d like to know more about it.”

  Jack says with hooded eyes, “Tomorrow I’m going to the Glenwood Charity Gala. They have a silent auction of magical artifacts. Everyone who is anyone in the magical community will be there, including the most knowledgeable of collectors. Why don’t you accompany me?”

  “Isn’t that Gala to support the Green Tree Orphanage?”

  Jack nods imperceptibly, and I wonder if he knows that I grew up at Green Tree.

  “I don’t know,” I hedge, more than slightly embarrassed. “I’m not used to mixing with that crowd.”

  Jack smiles warmly. “You’ll be fine. I’ll guide you in anything you need to know. The invitation is exclusive, and the timing is kept confidential, so please only share this information with those you trust. Dress in evening attire, and I’ll pick you up at eight.”

  “Okay,” I say, because of course I do think it’s an excellent opportunity to meet a collector and gather more information on the amulet. After all, it is never wise to collect all your information from one source.

  Jack becomes serious as he gestures to his guest chair. “Now sit down. We need to discuss the masked man in detail. First of all, why did you leave through the alley entrance rather than the front door?”

  I sigh. “Because the front door had a wet paint sign on it. I assume he put it there to direct me to where he lay in wait. I should have been alert, but I was in a rush. Inexcusable, I know.”

  Jack ignores my self-berating and says, “Well, a murderer obviously knows where you live, so we are going to have to keep an eye on your place. In fact, we could have a man there to try to catch him. Is there somewhere else you can stay for a while?”

  I give Jack the evil eye, which I hope speaks louder than words, but just in case I vehemently insist, “No way am I going to cower down at someone else’s house. Nor are you putting a stranger in my place. If you want to have someone drive by, that is fine. But remember I can sense souls. The only reason I was surprised this time was because I was in a rush. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Jack looks dubious but says nothing further, so I stand up and excuse myself.

  What does it say about me that on my way out, the question that is most unsettling and terrifying to me is what in the world am I going to wear to the freaking Gala?

  Chapter 11

  Begging for Reprieve

  Jack Tanner: May 27, 2022, Red Ages

  When Blue leaves my office, I listen to her footsteps all the way down the hall. Holy shit! I can’t believe Father O’Brennen told her what happened with her aura and the Night-Crawlers in the alley!

  As soon as I hear her enter her office, I pick up the phone and dial. When a woman’s voice answers I announce myself. “This is Jack Tanner. Is Father O’Brennen available?”

  “Please hold. I’ll check,”
says the voice. The phone goes silent, and I try to calm myself down because I don’t really know what he told her. It seems like she would have said something different to me if she really knew.

  I drill my fingers on my desktop until finally a calm, warm voice answers, “Father O’Brennen speaking.”

  “Father,” I say, “this is Jack Tanner.”

  Father O’Brennen’s greeting is as warm as always. “Well hello, Jack! It is so good to hear from you. It’s been ages since we’ve seen you. Not since Blue reached her age of majority, I believe.”

  “Thank you so much, Father. I’ll stop by next time I’m in the area. But today I’m calling for a specific reason, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure, go right ahead.”

  “Well, Blue was in my office today and asked me the most surprising thing. She asked me if I had ever seen someone who had a strong enough aura to chase away Dark Vampires. I didn’t know what you had told her, so I honestly didn’t know what to say.“

  “Yes,” Father O’Brennen says. “Last night, Blue paid me a visit. She asserted that she was a mature adult and should no longer be protected like a child. She said she had a right to know more about her family and her past, and frankly, I agree with her. I told her the story of how a Daylight Vampire found her the day her parents died, but I didn’t say it was you.”

  I breathe a huge sigh of relief. “Father, I would never ask you to lie. However, if the question should arise and you can avoid telling her that it was me, in a way that doesn’t offend your sense of morality, I would greatly appreciate it. I’m not sure she is quite ready to hear that.”

  Father O’Brennen protests, “She does have a right to know that you were the one who brought her to me. Nor am I sure I understand why she would not want to hear that it was you. The best I can do is promise not to broach the subject myself unless I see some great need.”