Page 1 of Her Dark Powers

Chapter one

TORY

Thethirstforbloodwas becoming overwhelming. It burned in the pit of my stomach and flowed like acid through my veins. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them close, as though I could trap it inside me. I laid my head on my knees and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind and stop myself from thinking. Despite the fact that it was August, the sky was grey, and rain drizzled from the clouds in a fine mist that had me soaked and shivering underneath the thin cotton dress I’d managed to fish out of a charity bin near a local supermarket. The lightweight jacket I’d also managed to grab afforded a little more protection from the rain, but not much. It was soaked through as well and heavy from being waterlogged. My hair lay plastered to my head and was dripping water into my eyes, but I could feel the hot, salty tears that fell, merging with the raindrops. I didn’t try to stop them. I didn’t have the energy to. It had been a week since I’d fed on one of my priests, a week since I had left them there at that warehouse, staring after me as I hurried away from them into the darkness. A week since I’d burned someone alive and descended into some kind of blood and sex crazed monster. The image of myself standing there, covered in blood and cum, naked and dirty, was burned into my mind, and it returned every time I slept. That, and the vision of Jabari’s flesh burning away just from my touch.

I had barely slept in four days. I’d tried to at first, especially when I’d been in my lioness form, and tried to pass as much time as possible in dark oblivion, but that release had never come. I’d simply been bombarded with memories and dreams—I couldn’t tell which was which—of sturdy limbs rubbing against mine, fiery kisses, and fingers gripping hips, of tongues and cocks everywhere, and of the slip and slide of blood against our skin. I saw fire in the darkness and then Jabari looking at me, his eyes fixed on mine as his skin began to crack and his eyeballs melted, his skull grinning back at me as it fell to ash, only to be replaced by the head of a black cobra that struck at my face. I’d wake sweating and shaking, curling myself into a ball until the images faded. I was exhausted.

A soft rustling sound came from the end of the alleyway, and I pulled myself closer to the bins I sat next to. I was avoiding humans as much as possible, but in a city such as London, that was hard to do. Despite the chilly weather, the British population still preferred to dress for the summer they always hoped for, so sundresses and T-shirts surrounded me, leaving their vulnerable throats on show, tempting the monster in me to pounce. I’d be warmer in my feline form, but at least in my human form I had a better handle on the beast inside. It was easier to resist the dark thirst that was beginning to dominate my waking thoughts. She stalked up and down inside my head, growling for blood, for release. Giving her even the slightest freedom could mean the unthinkable, so despite the wet and cold, I remained human. The rustling drew closer, and I gritted my teeth. Humans also meant questions, ones I wasn’t ready to answer.

Goosebumps broke out over my skin as biting cold seeped through my body, and my breath seemed to catch in my throat. A terrible realisation came to me, and I risked a quick look around the edge of the bins. Not human. Definitely not human. The dark, twisted shapes of twohataywere making their way towards me. One had a human head that swelled out to become a bull’s, its huge horns glinting in the streetlights that were just starting to come on in the gloom. It sniffed this way and that, scenting its prey. The other almost looked human, except it had no facial features save white eyes, and its fingers stretched out into sharp, elongated claws that it dragged along the brick walls with a horrible scraping noise that made me cringe.

They’d find me in minutes, and running wouldn’t work out well for me. I’d seen how fast some of those things could move. I looked around my immediate vicinity, trying to see if there was anything that might serve as a weapon, but there was nothing. It looked like shifting was my only option, but to do that, I’d have to letherout. Maybe there was a compromise. I held my hand up in front of me, trying to block out the rustling noise as they drew closer. Staring at my fingers, I willed my hands to change just enough to let my fingernails harden and extend into wickedly sharp black claws. I felt my fangs descend and my teeth sharpen, and I ran my tongue gently over their razor-sharp edges.

A shadow fell across the glistening wet concrete slabs in front of me, and I scrambled to my feet, launching myself at the nearest creature. It was the one with longer claws, and I cried out as they scraped down one of my outstretched arms. I drew blood myself though, raking my claws across its chest. It hissed as the thick, black fluid they had for blood began to ooze from the slashes and lashed out again. This time I dodged its strike and went for the simple rugby tackle. With a hard thud and arms around its torso, I brought it crashing to the ground. As solid as thehataywere, their bones were actually weak and brittle inside their dead bodies. I heard cracking as the two of us hit the pavement, and the thing shrieked. I growled as I went for its throat with my teeth, but then jerked to a halt as the otherhataygrabbed my hair from behind, painfully dragging me up and away from the creature on the ground.

A thick arm wrapped around my neck, and it began to choke the life out of me. I clawed at its arm, sinking my claws deep into its flesh. It howled, its grip loosening just enough for me to drop and twist out of its grip. Without hesitating, I brought my heel down hard into the chest of thehatayon the ground. Bile rose up in my throat as my heel sank into the cavity of the thing’s ribcage with a splintering noise, crushing its heart. It made a wheezing sound and fell still.

One down, I thought, and turned to the other. It was closer than I had thought, and as I turned, it grabbed me and threw me across the alleyway. I cried out as I crashed into a pile of cardboard boxes and wooden crates. Splinters pierced my skin, and I rolled down onto the ground, trying to catch my breath. The thing was on me in seconds, lifting me again to throw me, but I twisted and sank my claws into its arms so it couldn’t let me go. It growled at me, and instead of throwing me, it ran straight at the fucking wall. Pain flashed through me as we hit the bricks once, and then again. I released my grip, dropping to the ground.

As I got to my hands and knees, the thing grabbed my shoulders, rolling me onto my back and with a force that left me gasping. With a hard tug, it split my dress at the top, baring my breasts to the cold air. It stared down at me hungrily, and the heart it craved pounded in my chest. A hand slashed down, raking across my skin, and at the same time, I lifted my legs and wrapped them around its waist, clenching tight to stop it from getting away. I rolled hard to the side. I hadn’t counted on it working, as the thing was bigger and heavier than me, but I must have taken it by surprise, because thehataycrashed to the ground under me. I struggled to sit up, and it twisted beneath me, trying to get back up. I let it turn onto its front before leaning forward and taking hold of its horns in my hands. I moved up, kneeling on its back as it shook its head, trying to get me off. I hung on for dear life, then as I got close enough to pin its shoulders down with my knees, I yanked back hard on its horns. Its neck broke on my second attempt.

I knew that wouldn’t kill it, but it definitely seemed to have hurt it. It collapsed, a shrill keening noise coming from it, and I let go of its horns. Looking back to the pile of boxes the thing had thrown me on top of, I reached out and tore a jagged piece of wood from one of the crates. Shuffling back, I wrapped both hands around the wood and brought it down between its shoulder blades. I didn’t hit the heart the first time, but a red haze descended, and I stabbed the creature again and again, stopping only when my arms gave out. It lay still and didn’t move as I stared at it, breathing hard. Blood ran down my arms and the centre of my chest, and my arms and face were covered in sticky lack ichor. I looked down at my hands, still wrapped around the wood. I was covered in the creature’s black blood up to my elbows. I dropped the wood, my hands shaking badly, and stood up, moving backwards and pressing myself against the wall as I looked down at the two bodies on the ground.

I’d killedhataybefore, of course, but that had been alongside the priests, with weapons, or in lioness form. Here in the city, alone and in human form, it seemed more like murder, and even though they’d been here to devour my soul, an incredible sense. Of guilt and horror came over me. I stood, frozen in place, until the clink of an empty, discarded can blowing in the evening breeze snapped me out of it. I wrapped my jacket around myself, pulling it tight so no one could see the ripped dress or the dark stains, and then I turned and ran through the alley to streets beyond, where some vestige of humanity called to me.

The red haze began to lift as I moved through the crowds of London commuters, finding both solace and torture in the sudden throng of people who had appeared for the regular rush hour. My bare feet left pale pink tinges on the wet paving slabs as I hurried along. I could feel the confused looks from those suited and booted, but shoes were something I’d had to do without, and my feet were cut and grazed from the constant walking.

It was all I could do—walk the streets. I knew I couldn’t stay in one place very long. The priests would be searching for me, and West would have access to cameras everywhere, that much I knew for sure. They couldn’t take the risk of me being out on the streets, alone among humans. Not now that I’d given in to my nature and actually fed on one. I mean, sure, I’d been drugged, but it was only a matter of time. The dilemma swirled in my head. I couldn’t bear to go back to them, couldn’t face the way they looked at me. Jack’s quirky grin, Wesley’s shy smile, the heat in Zayn’s eyes, Jasper... Pain shot through me as their faces came to mind. I missed them, all of them, even West. It was true what they said, ignorance was definitely bliss. But how could I go back now, when I knew all that was simply a show, a cover-up? How could they look at me that way when I was a monster inside? When they knew what I had done? They couldn’t. It was just part of the elaborate plan they’d had since this whole thing began to keep me under control. Hell, I couldn’t even look at my own reflection in a window. Maybe if I’d had my memories back earlier, I would have seen the ruse to keep me quiet and happy. Maybe I’d have realised it was a trap before I’d fallen for them… before my heart had broken.

I stumbled, colliding with a silver-haired man in a suit. He glared down at me before going on his way, shaking his head. He probably thought I was some kind of druggie looking for a fix. In a way, he wasn’t wrong. I knew I looked like shit.

My footsteps were slow and lumbering as I made my way towards the river. London Bridge loomed up in the greyness in front of me. There was a place on the other side that seemed quieter. Maybe I could sit down on a bench for a while or move under the bridge to shelter from the rain. The first couple of nights, I’d made sure I had somewhere as safe as possible to sleep, but I was past caring now. Weariness of mind and body filled me so completely, I’d have welcomed someone ending it for me. I felt like a zombie, making myself move with one foot and then the other. In the centre of the bridge, I paused, turning to rest my arms and then my head on the barrier. The murky water swirled below me, higher than normal for this time of year due to the amount of rain we’d had in the last couple of days.

I stared down into it, my mind as murky and dark as the water beneath me. I couldn’t go back, not now that I knew. I’d honestly thought there had been something there, something more than just loyalty. Knowing it had been another ruse, another deception by each of them, just to control me, made my heart rage and break at the same time. I had to hand it to them, they had the act down. I wondered if they’d used it before and if I’d fallen as easily. Had West ordered it?Hey, guys, I’ll play bad cop while you all make her fall for you so she’ll stop trying to run away.

I tried not to think about West. As much of a bastard as he’d been with me, the idea that he’d deceived me to this extent cut deeper than the rest. I’d known him since I was eight. He’d been the strength and safety in my life for so long. I’d called him my jailer back in Cairo. Little had I known how close I’d been. Then again, I couldn’t blame him, and I’d been his jailer as much as he’d been mine.

I pushed the sleeve of my jacket back, letting my blood drip from the wounds thehatayhad caused. My magic was completely spent, and my wounds were not healing any faster than a normal human’s would and wouldn’t until I could feed. I watched it fall down into the water, as though it was nothing more than melted ice cream. West had kept me imprisoned because I shouldn’t have freedom—not with what I was or what I could do. Jabari had known that. He’d tried to kill me and erase my existence from the ether so I would never return. I’d fought him instinctively, but as I looked back, I had the sickening feeling I should have let him finish the job. It had never occurred to me that in this story of gods and monsters, I was both. Jabari had been the good guy, trying to save the world from the bloodthirsty beast that stalked humanity. Would that knife have saved the world from me? Would it have brought me release? Would it have brought me the peace I craved?

Without really giving much thought to what I was doing, I removed my jacket and climbed over the barrier until I was standing on the other side. The light was dimming, and I could see the lights of the city reflecting off the dark surface. I could dive into them, and it would be like diving into the stars. Darkness and peace and an end to it all. With my hands gripping the barrier behind me, I leaned out over the water. I could end it. The thought was simple and clear, and I wondered why it hadn’t occurred to me before. I closed my eyes and thought of my parents, and pain welled up inside me. Did they know I was missing yet? Or had West concocted some story to keep them happy while he searched for me? I filled my mind with their faces, and for a moment, I almost changed my mind. I could climb back over, make my way to Knightsbridge, and run into their arms—and quite possibly rip their throats out to get to their blood. My eyes flew open, and I gritted my teeth. No. That way was closed to me now.

As I stared down into the murky water, I finally allowed myself to think of the priests. My priests. It still seemed strange to call them mine, but it hurt to think of them that way now. I could almost see a life with them, had seen flashes of my lives before. They had different names and faces, but I knew them by heart.

I was alone, and I had to do this alone.

Behind me, I vaguely heard car horns blaring, and I realised the drivers passing by on the bridge must have noticed me. I could hear sirens in the distance, but they could have been going anywhere. I didn’t have much time. I wonder how it would feel to drown, to sink down into that cold, murky water and never come up again. Would the cold water extinguish this burning need for blood that scorched my veins? I remember someone once telling me that drowning was one of the most excruciating ways to die, but that was what I deserved, wasn’t it? After what I had done in my past, I didn’t deserve an easy way out.

I looked down into the dark water again, and my fingers loosened their grip on the metal bar. I slipped forward slightly, then jerked back up, pressing myself flat against the barrier, breathing hard. This wouldn’t work. Despair crashed through me at the realisation that even if I killed myself, I would still come back again, and what if my next incarnation did even more damage? I should have let Jabari kill me. I should have let thosehataypull me apart and devour my heart and soul. The thought had crossed my mind as I sat there in the alley, waiting for them to find me, but my lioness had a strong survival instinct. I needed the knife Jabari had dropped in that warehouse, though surely West would have it in his possession now. Maybe the Golden Dawn had more weapons that might do the trick? They had wanted to destroy me for so long, so they must have some idea of how to do it. Surely they would be better than thehatay, or less painful anyway. I didn’t want to admit it, being this powerful vampire goddess and all, but I was afraid of dying. I was afraid of the pain and of what, if anything, came after. If nothing did, I was afraid of the dark void that waited for me. At least with the Golden Dawn, I’d have some kind of human contact again before I left the world, and that would be something.

I turned slowly and carefully made my way across the barrier. Pulling my jacket on, I headed back the way I’d come across the bridge, ignoring the shouts of drivers that had stopped. I needed proper clothes and a phone, and for those, I needed to get to Chelsea.

Chapter two

TORY

Ibowedmyhead,letting the scraggly curls of my hair cover my face from the security camera I knew was pointing at Hattie’s door, and tapped in the code to my cousin’s apartment, praying she hadn’t changed it recently. To my relief, the red light on the chrome keypad turned green, and I heard a click as the door unlocked. I slipped inside, closing the door behind me, and sighed with relief as the familiarity of the place swept over me. I pushed away the pang of longing for Hattie’s no-nonsense approach. She would never be able to understand everything that had fallen on me, and I couldn’t endanger her by asking what she thought. If the Golden Dawn had believed she knew anything, I was sure they would have sent agents after her already. She also would never have let me do what I was about to do.

I headed into the small kitchen/lounge area and sat down at her desk. Firing up her work laptop, I searched for the number I needed, then reached for the landline I knew she still kept. Her parents were old school and had insisted she owned one in case of emergencies. I dialled the number, my hands shaking.

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