Page 1 of Song of Tenebrae

Prologue

Raiden

“Video time, Kenny.” Torrent whistles as he walks into the room, “tell those elders all is good in the world of rock and blood.”

I’m sitting on the floor across from the cage we keep him in and he’s shooting daggers at me with his eyes. We have held him captive now for nearly a year and he’s been useful, but I can see his usefulness running out.

“How much longer, Raiden?” his voice cracks on the words. “How much longer can you keep me here?”

“Until you’re no longer useful.” I shrug and continue to clean my nails with my knife.

“Then what?”

“I would advise that you don’t become un-useful.” Torrent snaps his fingers.

“Why did you turn on us?” He’s been asking this question for the duration of his imprisonment, and I have yet to give him an answer.

Kenny doesn’t know where he is being held, he doesn’t know why he’s being held, and he’ll never know that once I’m through with him, he’ll be dead. I need him because no matter how hard we’ve looked and who we’ve spoken to, we can’t locate the elders. It’s a mystery we can’t uncover, and I won’t rest until they’re dead.

Kenny at the very least has an idea where the elders stay and I need that information before I gut him. They don’t discuss places when they video chat, only where this parish stands on new recruits and sacrificial lambs. Little do the elders know that this parish is completely wiped out and all sacrificial lambs are set free - if they are even sent to us in the first place.

The video chat starts up and Kenny sits in his chair with his brand-new clean shirt, smiling brightly. It always begins the same way, and it takes every ounce of my willpower not to kill him as they ask the question.

“Kenneth,” the decrepit old lady croaks, “have we located Tempest Skeigh Verona?”

Chapter One

Tempest

I pull on the strap to release the tie at my neck, letting my bikini top slip open, and expose my breasts. I can hear the intake of breath and subtle moans around me, all of them wishing they could feel my skin. Witchy Woman by The Eagles plays through the speakers and I grin at the irony. That’s how they refer to me around here.

I have a large scar on my torso in the shape of a pentagram and then I have a myriad of scars from my shoulder blades to my tailbone, weaving a story of pain and torture. The bright white marks glow on top of my dark olive skin tone, looking ominous. Many men are intrigued by my appearance and all of them want to know the story of their origin. I have never uttered a word to anyone besides Sky about what happened on that small Caribbean Island Dominica, but there are stories still floating around.

I escaped a cult and was punished for it. I cast spells and the cost is etched in my skin. Or my personal favorite: I am Lilith reborn and sacrifice children every full moon. I’ve heard them all and yet none of them strike fear inside my heart like the actual events do. None of them holds a candle to the true darkness I was thrusted into.

Dropping to my knees, I let my legs slowly slide open, and the small scrap of material between my thighs wedges up inside me. The groans echo around me as The Eagles croon about a Witchy Woman and I run two fingers up my center. The dollar bills begin to gather around me and I fall forward onto my hands, crawling through the piles. My tits swing as I move and I watch as several men’s eyes darken with need.

I stop at the edge of the stage and extend my arm, reaching my finger towards a face in front of me. I glide my long, pointed black nail along his cheek, and dig it into the jaw. He hisses and I laugh, bringing myself back up to standing. I can see the angry indent sitting at his jawline and cackle once again as I turn my back, swinging my ass exaggeratedly. I pull open the curtain just as the music stops and disappear behind it, leaving the Witchy Woman on the stage. Back here I’m an angry storm and for once in my life, my name makes sense.

Raiden tore through my defenses and now he’ll have to contend with my raw, burning insides. He has no idea how long I’ve been keeping my anger bridled, how long it took to strengthen the cage, and how long it’d been brewing before he set it free. He better hope one of those Illuminati fuckers kill him before I get the chance.

“You’re going to get an UTI.” Sky snorts as I stomp into my dressing room, “you need to let your kitten breathe.”

“Are you suggesting I strip down buck ass naked.” I grin at her and she laughs.

“We’d probably get even less in tips, it’s the peeks you give them that drives them insane.”

“And the fact that they think thiskittenis cursed.” I pull out the vial in my drawer. I need to calm my insides because I can feel myself vibrating, ready to explode with rage.

“I think you think the same as well.” Sky murmurs as she stands behind me. She watches me in the reflection of the mirror and begins to run her fingers through my black hair. “What do you really believe about that pentagram on your stomach?” Her dark brown eyes stare into my stormy grey ones and I can’t seem to even blink.

“I think he pulled a piece of my soul out that day and tied it to his own.” I whisper, unable to stop myself. “I can still feel him everywhere, I ache for him, and yet, I fantasize about killing him.”

She leans her head down to my shoulder, her long black and blonde braids swinging behind her, and kisses my cheek. “I love you Temp, but I pray for the day you do come face to face with him. I need my best friend back.”

“I will never be the same again,” I admit and watch as the smile falls from her lips, “he ruined me Sky and now all I see is revenge.”

She stands back up and continues to run her fingers through my hair, her rich ebony skin popping against the orange of her tube dress. Sky is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and it saddens me that she no longer wants to strip. She would make a killing and hands down be the best I have. Her life changed on that island too and she came back forgetting her love of dance.

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