Dominion Read online

  Sebastian shivered. This place held more menace than anywhere he’d ever been before. Each pool of shadows, formed in areas the light from the office buildings and the street lamps couldn’t reach, seemed to hold a secret, as though something hid, crouched in their dark depths, to reach out and grab him as he walked by.

  Had someone left all these lights on for a reason, he wondered? Protection against something, perhaps?

  One particularly dark spot of shadows directly below a ground floor window, in the spot between the wall and ground, caught his attention. He frowned again. Something wasn’t right. It looked too … black. Puzzled, he took cautious steps toward it.

  He put out a foot and stepped into the spot, but his foot met resistance. An ear-splitting shriek filled the air, making Sebastian clutch his ears with both hands, the sound painful against the imposing silence. The thing his foot touched uncurled and bright red eyes glared out at him from the darkness. It opened a mouth of needle-like teeth and hissed at him before unfurling, revealing almost primate-like arms and legs. The thing skittered away, down the street, leaping from one spot of shadows to the next.

  Sebastian stood with his mouth open. What the hell was that thing?

  This looked like Los Angeles—the city he’d come to think of as home—but also seemed so far from being the city he couldn’t even fathom it.

  “‘It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it,’” he muttered to himself.

  He was dreaming—he must be dreaming—what else could it be?

  “But vampires don’t dream,” he argued with himself out loud, his voice echoing in the strange silence.

  He remembered going to the bedroom and lying down to sleep, but now suddenly he found himself here, in this strange place that didn’t feel like the world he’d lived in for the past two hundred years. If he wasn’t dreaming, where was he?

  He started to walk down the street, slowly at first, his eyes seeking out the shadows, expecting another creature to dart from their depths. Then he picked up speed, breaking into a jog. Panic started to build at his back and he spun around, half-expecting a hoard of those weird creatures to be chasing him down the street. He needed to get out of here, wake up and go back to the land of the living.

  Land of the living.

  If the real world was the land of the living then this place must be inhabited by the dead.

  Menace filled those words. Was that where he found himself now? A place inhabited by the dead. Another shiver racked through his body.

  Perhaps none of this is real, he thought, remembering his notion about this place being like a stage set. Maybe the buildings around him were no more than a shell, something designed to make him think he was somewhere he was not.

  To test his theory, Sebastian ran to the closest wall, that of a shop filled with electronics—flat screen televisions, high-tech laptops, digital radios. Somehow, Sebastian knew all of these things never had—or ever would have—electricity running through them, normal movies or news updates, or anything else linked to the real world.

  It’s all fake, he thought. All just for show.

  He ran his fingers across the brick stone work. Some of the mortar crumbled beneath his touch, but it felt solid enough. He drew back his arm, clenched his fist, and punched the wall. The bricks imploded in an explosion of dust and stone, leaving a hole the size of a large car tire.

  Sebastian bent to peer though. He jerked back in surprise as a rush of black shadows flew out. Wings beat the air around his head, masking his vision with a flurrying burst of activity. Then they disappeared into the night, leaving him alone.

  “Jesus,” he breathed, turning one way and the next, making sure the things had gone. He saw no sign of strange bat-like creatures, but the dark spots offered a hiding place and he no longer trusted unlit places.

  Pulling himself back together, he lowered his face to the hole he’d created and looked inside. He’d punched his way into a storeroom, but the place looked exactly as he’d expect any storage area to look—boxes piled upon more boxes, metal shelving lined with small items. Nothing to alert anyone to the supernatural.

  What had he expected to find anyway? Some deep, fathomless pit into hell?

  Actually, yes, that wasn’t far off what he thought he might be looking at, but this place seemed more normal than the rest of the street.

  Sebastian pulled his face away from the hole and stood. Movement on the street ahead caught his attention.

  Two figures of the same height and build walked down the street, away from him. They moved in unison, shoulder to shoulder, seeming to neither hurry nor loiter.

  “Hey!” Sebastian called out, picking up his pace to give chase. He tried to put on a burst of his vampire’s speed to make up the distance, but his strengths failed him. He stumbled in confusion. What was happening? He had to be content with running, his feet hitting the sidewalk with no more grace than a regular man.

  But the two figures didn’t seem to hear him coming. When only feet remained between himself and what he took for people, they didn’t increase or slow their speed, or even turn their heads to see who approached.

  So close, Sebastian suddenly realized something. The people emitted no kind of scent, neither human nor vampire. Though vampires smelled nothing like the vibrant scent of humans, they still had a faint, metallic tang. These creatures, whatever they were, smelled of nothing. It was almost as though they weren’t even there.

  Sebastian slowed to a walk and paced himself a few feet behind them. He was torn between his desire to get answers and the certainty that everything about this place was very wrong.

  Simultaneously, the two figures turned back. Their eyes were black holes, their mouths gaping maws. Sebastian let out a yell and stumbled back. He tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, his wrists jarring on the sidewalk as he reached back to steady his fall. Pain shot up both arms and he cracked his tailbone on the concrete.

  The things continued to stare at him with their fathomless holes for eyes, their mouth stretched wide, though no sound escaped. Their faces reminded Sebastian of that famous painting, The Scream.

  Then, both at once, the humanoid figures turned back round—so quickly Sebastian barely witnessed it happening—and continued to walk down the street away from him.

  “Someone get me out of here,” he said, pushing himself to sitting and climbing back to his feet. He didn’t like this, not one bit. Not only did he have no idea what this place was, but his vampire abilities were failing him, his speed and agility. He still had his strength, but how long would that last? If he didn’t get back home, back to Serenity and Elizabeth, he might end up with nothing left.

  Chapter Nine

  Bridget arrived at the house less than an hour after Serenity placed the call. When the gate buzzer signaled her arrival, Elizabeth was at the kitchen counter, eating the pancakes Serenity had finally got around to making. Too hungry to wait, she had already gobbled the banana.

  Serenity pushed the button to allow Bridget to drive her Prius into the driveway and then went to the front door. Elizabeth scrambled down from her seat, her breakfast forgotten in her excitement to see her old nanny again. Whatever Serenity and Sebastian might think of Bridget, Elizabeth didn’t hold a grudge.

  Bridget pulled the car to a halt and climbed out. Her long white hair was braided down her back and she wore a long, brightly-colored dress of some kind of chiffon fabric. Strands of jade and silver beads hung around her neck and wrists, and, as she climbed from the vehicle, Serenity spotted another silver chain looped around her ankle.

  Elizabeth pushed past her mother and ran at Bridget. The little girl collided with the older woman.

  “Ooph!” Bridget exclaimed. “Is that an elephant trying to knock me over?”

  Elizabeth giggled in delight. “No silly! It’s me!”

  “Oh, my gosh.” The older woman smiled fondly down at the girl. “Haven’t you got big? I could have sworn that was an elephant running at me.”


  Elizabeth laughed again and Serenity couldn’t help but smile. However she felt about Bridget—and she wasn’t even sure herself—she was pleased to see her daughter look so happy.

  Bridget looked up and offered Serenity a smile. “So, what’s all this about?”

  Serenity had been deliberately vague on the phone, saying only that she needed to talk and needed to do so in person.

  “I assume Sebastian won’t be around,” she said, casting her eyes to the bright sunlight behind her.

  “Well, you never know,” Serenity muttered and Bridget shot her a look. “Come in and sit down,” she continued. “We need your help on something. At least, I hope you can help. If not, I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”

  Bridget’s face dropped. “Why, what’s going on?”

  Serenity led them all into the kitchen, Elizabeth hanging close to Bridget’s skirts. They all took a seat at the breakfast bar.

  “Can I get you coffee?” Serenity asked, remembering her manners.

  Bridget shook her head. “Just tell me what’s going on. You’re starting to scare me.”

  That Bridget still had enough attachment to her family to warrant her being frightened on their behalf warmed Serenity to her.

  “We’ve got a problem with Sebastian.” She took a deep breath and pushed her hair away from her face. “How can I explain? He’s able to move in the daytime, but has no memory of doing so. He’s been doing other strange things around the house, moving things and leaving water running.” She hesitated, not wanting to tell Bridget about him killing a man and not remembering, wanting to protect Elizabeth from that piece of horrific information at least. “Other things …” She jerked her head toward Elizabeth, hoping Bridget would understand her body language. “More serious things have been happening as well. The only thing I can think of is that some kind of witchcraft is at play and I wondered if you might be able to help.”

  Bridget’s serious expression didn’t waver and she leaned across the breakfast bar, moving in closer to Serenity. “Where is he now?”

  “Upstairs. Sleeping, I hope.”

  “Take me to him.”

  Serenity nodded and Elizabeth hopped down from her stool.

  “You need to stay here, honey,” said Serenity.

  “Aww, Mom! I should be there too. I dreamed something was wrong, remember. I might be able to help.”

  Serenity hesitated once again and said, “Okay, fine. But if I tell you to leave the room, you go, okay? No arguments.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

  Together, they traipsed up the stairs, Elizabeth leading the way.

  Sebastian lay on the bed, motionless, his eyes closed. He wore his suit pants and a shirt. His jacket was slung over a chair, his shoes by the base of the bed. His dark lashes appeared even longer and thicker against his pale cheeks. His lips were slightly parted in his un-dead sleep. A shadow caused by the light thrown from the open door made his cheek bones and jaw appeared even more chiseled.

  Even in sleep, he was beautiful and Serenity’s heart contracted, snatching her breath. She couldn’t stand the thought of something bad happening to him.

  Bridget frowned and crossed the room to stand beside the bed. Serenity held Elizabeth’s hand, keeping the little girl by her side. Moving slowly, Bridget walked around the perimeter of the bed, never taking her eyes off Sebastian’s inert face.

  She closed her eyes and held her hands over the top of his body. She muttered a few words, in what Serenity could only assume was Latin, and her hands began to tremble. Her frown deepened and she snatched her hands away, her eyes flying open.

  Serenity’s hold on Elizabeth’s hand tightened, worry spiking through her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  The older woman gave her head a slight shake, her long braid swinging. “I … I’m not sure. I got a sense of something else …”

  Serenity’s voice came out too high-pitched. “What do you mean?”

  “When vampires sleep, they don’t give off any sense of energy. There’s just … nothing.”

  Serenity flinched at the words, not liking the idea that when she slept, curled up beside him, he wasn’t alive beside her.

  Bridget continued. “But right now, I can sense something else. Something dark.”

  “Like what?”

  “There’s a dark energy inside him. Something that doesn’t belong here.”

  Serenity’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, God.”

  “The other presence is hiding from me, as though it doesn’t want me to know it’s here.”

  “It?”

  She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head again. “It’s not human—it’s never been human.”

  “What is it then?” Serenity asked, starting to feel desperate.

  “I’m not sure. I need to get it to show itself to me to try to understand what we’re dealing with.”

  “Okay. What can I do to help?”

  “Just keep quiet and let me concentrate.”

  Serenity shut her mouth and pulled Elizabeth closer.

  “Mommy?” Elizabeth whispered, her dark eyes wide as she stared up at her mother.

  Serenity placed a finger against her own lips. “Shhh.”

  They turned their attention back to Sebastian and Bridget. Bridget took up her stance, holding her hands above the vampire’s body. She began to mutter again, low words Serenity struggled to make out.

  “Ostende Te!” Bridget abruptly demanded, her voice raised. “Reveal yourself!”

  A darkness flooded across Sebastian’s pale face, rising to the surface like the shadow of a shark in deep water. Serenity gasped. She’d seen the same darkness before—a couple of days before at the restaurant.

  “Daddy!” Elizabeth screamed and stumbled back.

  “Get her out of here,” snapped Bridget, her face white with the strain of trying to control whatever hid inside Sebastian. Her hands and arms trembled with the effort, but the darkness melted away again, leaving Sebastian’s face as perfect as normal.

  With a pounding heart and her whole body wound into a tight ball of tension, Serenity ushered Elizabeth out into the hallway. “Just wait outside the door, honey. We won’t be long.”

  “What was that?” she cried. “What’s wrong with Daddy?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. That’s what Bridget is going to find out, so be a good girl and let her do what she needs to, okay?”

  “But I don’t want to be out here on my own.”

  “We’re right on the other side of the door. Please be good for me, just for a few minutes.”

  “Serenity?” Bridget’s voice came from behind, stern and commanding.

  “Wait here. I won’t be long, I promise.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Her tear-streaked face broke Serenity’s heart.

  Reluctant to leave her daughter, but knowing they needed to figure out what was going on with Sebastian for all their safety, Serenity went back into the room and gently closed the door behind her.

  “I’m sorry,” Bridget said, “but whatever this thing is, I only managed to get a quick glimpse. I don’t want Elizabeth in here, just in case. I need to try to bring it to the surface again and I’m going to need you to hold him down.”

  “Hold down Sebastian? I’ll never be able to do that. He’s far too strong. And anyway, it’s the middle of the day. He’s asleep!”

  “It won’t be Sebastian you’ll be holding down, it’ll be the thing inside him.”

  Serenity didn’t know if she wanted to throw up, run away or burst into tears. But she did as Bridget instructed and stood beside Sebastian, pressing her palms down on his solid shoulders.

  Bridget shook her head. “Not like that. You need to get on top of him. Use your whole body weight.”

  “Damn it,” she muttered, but climbed up on the bed. She slid one leg over Sebastian’s waist and then used her knees to pin down his thighs. She leaned over his torso and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her hair hung t
o one side, brushing his chest.

  Bridget placed her hands a few inches above Sebastian’s face again, as though she were doing Reiki or some other form of healing—perhaps that was exactly what she was doing. She started to mutter words again, her eyes closed to concentrate.

  Serenity felt Sebastian’s muscles tense beneath her in short, sharp twitches, as though he were having a bad dream. She’d never known him to move in his sleep before. Normally, he appeared as though death had stolen over him.

  Her natural instinct was to pull away from him, to get the hell away from whatever was inside the man she loved, but she forced herself to hold on. For Sebastian’s sake.

  The darkness completely took over his face and something beneath his skin rippled. A cheekbone swelled out, one side of his nose bulging, black and swollen, like he’d contracted some horrific growth or birth defect.

  “Oh, God!” Serenity cried. But she still held him down, despite every part of her wanting to flee.

  Bridget’s mutterings grew louder, the words blending together, and Serenity still couldn’t understand a word.

  Sebastian’s eyes shot open. Pure black painted his eyeballs—no white peeping through the coating.

  Serenity gasped in shock and suppressed a scream.

  His mouth stretched wide and a deep guttural roar peeled from his lips. He bolted upright, flinging her from the bed. She flew through the air and landed heavily, her shoulder smacking hard against the dresser. A bolt of bright white pain burst through her arm and collarbone. Tears blurred in her eyes.

  When she’d blinked them away and looked back at Sebastian, he was lying back on the bed, his arms folded across his chest, as still as ever.

  “What the hell was that?” she demanded.

  Bridget was standing away from the bed, close to the covered window, her eyes wide, her face pale. “It’s too strong for me. We need to find help.”

  “What is it!?”

  “A demon. Someone has placed a demon inside him.”

  “He’s possessed?” she said, aghast. To think they’d only made love a matter of hours ago. Had that been Sebastian she’d made love to or had some … demon … been taking part in the act as well? She fell back against the wall, her hand against her mouth. “Oh, God. What are we going to do?”