The Darkest Colors Read online

  Raina took half a step out of the elevator, then hesitated again. “Please, Brenna. Just tell me I’m doing the right thing here.”

  Brenna took her by the shoulders and continued to meet her gaze. Yet again, she had to fight the temptation she felt to kiss her. She just looked so vulnerable, so trusting, and so dependent. She was adorable. Well … Raina was just adorable in general anyhow, but she was especially so in that particular moment. Brenna did not appreciate her because she wanted to play a dominant or masculine role to her. She wasn’t a butch dyke, for crying out loud. She simply loved the fact that she felt so needed by Raina. It was the first time in her life that she had ever sincerely felt genuinely wanted and needed. She felt almost as though, just for an instant, Raina might honestly feel exactly the way for her that Brenna did for her. It simply broke her heart that she just couldn’t love her as openly, because Raina just couldn’t seem to get past the whole homophobia thing. It would be a terrible, terrible crime of fate if either of them died when they were this close to finally being together … really together.

  At last, Brenna said, “I can’t tell you what you feel is right or wrong, my sweet. That’s up to you to decide for yourself. And whatever you decide … well, like I said, I’m with you all the way.”

  Raina finally seemed to accept that, and she stepped clear of the elevator car as a buzzer began to sound in protest from keeping the doors open for too long. They walked closely together around the corner of the hallway, passing a few nurses in green scrubs that slowed in their footsteps to look at them with slight surprise. Of course, their eyes were largely fixed upon Raina, as her long elfin ears were impossible to ignore as they jutted straight upward, peeking through her frazzled dark brown hair. She felt Raina nervously take hold of her hand, and Brenna could not help but to smile a bit. Indeed, she would be there for her through all of this, through thick and thin, and Raina could always count on her to help see her through whatever perils they would soon face. The sentiment seemed corny and chivalrous and romantic to Brenna … but it was no less sincere. She loved Raina. That’s all there was to it.

  Brenna’s heart was thudding within her chest in anticipation of what they would soon be facing. She was no stranger to heavy crowds, and she was not the least bit shy about being the center of attention in front of a large audience. She was, after all, a professional exotic dancer. Nevertheless, the quickened pulse, the damp palms, and the knot in her stomach were always there whenever she was making a public appearance of any kind. Although those symptoms had significantly lessened over time, they were as strong now as they had been the first time she’d ever dropped her top on-stage.

  The doors leading out to the southern main entrance of the hospital were generally a one-way arrangement after-hours, as she’d learned from stopping by on nights when Raina had still worked here. They pushed open for those leaving, but were locked shut for those trying to get in, forcing them to enter through the Emergency Department registration and triage area. There was a cluster of people gathered on the inside half of the entrance tonight, though, lingering around the vending machines and waiting area of the Pharmacy Department. Most of them were dressed formally in business wear, all suits and slacks, although two women were dressed casually … and quite deliciously, Brenna mused, as she noted the gothic nature of their attire. One security officer and two uniformed city police officers were posted on opposite sides of the hallway near the door while the rest, perhaps ten people, all turned as one to look at the hand-holding vampires that approached them.

  “Holy shit,” Brenna said under her breath. “I guess they must be the welcoming committee.”

  Raina’s hand squeezed hers tightly as they stood together in hesitation. “I don’t like this.”

  “It’s not too late,” she told her. “We could always turn and run for it. I’m ready if you are.”

  “No. Let’s just get this over with,” Raina said with a sigh of resignation as she led the way.

  They practically marched down the hall together, still hand-in-hand. Brenna could not tell how much of the dampness in her hand was her own and how much was from Raina’s, but she could sense from the virtual death-grip that Raina had that she was at least twice as scared to be facing up to this bunch of folks. Brenna thought of taking the lead in their walk down the long hall towards their awaiting party, but Raina surprised her by bravely taking the initiative in spite of her own fear, releasing her hand and walking ahead.

  Two men approached to meet them in advance while the others held back. One had short black hair that was cut very conservatively in an almost nondescript manner, and he looked to be Hispanic; the other, slightly taller, had long black hair tied back neatly in a ponytail, long sideburns, and had a rather long chin goatee of dark brown. They were dressed slightly less strikingly than the others. While the other men and women of the throng of people looked like they were ready to attend a high-class wedding, with two men wearing actual tuxedos and two women in elegant red evening gowns, the two men that were walking ahead to meet them were only dressed semi-formally in button-up shirts and black khakis with immaculately polished shoes. One of them, a handsome fellow with brown hair, held a sword in his left hand.

  “Raina Delgado?” the man with the sword called out as they neared. His voice was deep and soft, yet it carried down the hall easily, the mark of a man accustomed to public speaking.

  Raina didn’t quite screech to a halt, but her footsteps slowed rather abruptly. She said nothing in response. Brenna moved to stand beside her, rather than behind her. She didn’t want to take the spotlight, but until she knew what that man intended to do with that sword, she wanted to be ready for anything.

  “M’lady, I am Lord William Santiago,” he introduced himself as he and his partner stopped a comfortable distance away from them. He gave the same Euro-bow that Countess Wilhelmina had used, earlier. “I am the director of security for the House of Fallamhain. The gentlemen beside me is Lord Robert Dietrich, assistant director of security. We have been assigned by Grand Duchess Duvessa Fallamhain of the International Vampiric Council to personally escort you to meet her, and to keep you safe from harm.”

  He spoke with an obvious British accent. Brenna watched his mouth closely as he spoke, and was only slightly surprised to find a pair of Commoner’s fangs barely visible behind his lips. He was quite handsome, although a bit tame for her liking; the other fellow beside him, Robert, was positively hot. She didn’t even try to hide the smile that came to her lips as she looked to him, and was delighted by the subtle smirk that formed on his lips as his green eyes met hers.

  “Umm … hello … my lord,” Raina replied shyly.

  “The Grand Duchess has asked me to apologize on her behalf for not being here to greet you in person at this time and to oversee your safety, but she sincerely hopes that you will feel our company will be sufficient until such time as we are able to escort you to meet her. And by all means, please do not feel obligated to address us only by title. It’s a silly formality, frankly, and we all much prefer to be on a first-name basis with one another,” Lord … um, William explained. He hefted the sword he held and grasped its scabbard with both hands, holding it forth in offering to Raina. “I have also been instructed to deliver to you this sword, which belonged to your Maker, Duke Sebastian Fallamhain. With his passing, this sword is yours by right of blood.”

  Thanking him in an almost timid murmur, Raina accepted the sword delicately, marveling over its craftsmanship. The sword, a katana, was decorated nicely with an ornate scabbard, stained with a red lacquer finish, and its black leather-wrapped handle was accented with what appeared to be a genuine gold hilt and end cap. A golden emblem of an ankh, the Egyptian symbol of eternal life that was synonymous with vampires and the IVC, was set within the scabbard and inscribed upon the handle end cap.

  “It is to my understanding that you are already proficient in Japanese swordsmanship,” William continued.

  Raina shrugged lightly, still look
ing at the sword with almost reverence. “I’ve been practicing shinkendo and iaido for a few years, along with some empty-hand training.”

  “Well, then it would seem to be fate that a sword such as his would find its way into your hands. Although, I should hope that you are never required to use it for the sake of defending yourself. That is why myself and Robert are here, of course.” William then turned his attention to Brenna. “And I presume that you are Brenna Douglass?”

  “You would presume correctly,” she confirmed with a warm smile.

  “I would like to thank you on behalf of the Grand Duchess for your efforts in keeping her bloodspawn alive,” he told her with a polite nod.

  Brenna felt the knot in her stomach cinch itself tighter. “Really, I … I don’t deserve any thanks. I did a better job of screwing things up than I did at doing what she asked.”

  “The involvement of the authorities was an unfortunate matter,” Lord William conceded, “but as I understand it, someone else notified them of Raina’s condition and misled them to believe that you were actually holding Raina captive.”

  “That would be Lisa,” Raina muttered sourly.

  “Lisa?”

  “Just someone I used to work with,” she replied. “She found out I was going through the Change, so she freaked out, started jumping to conclusions, and called the cops.”

  William glanced at Robert very briefly and then shrugged. “It isn’t particularly important now. What matters most is that you managed to survive your Change, and that we were able to reach you before you could be approached by enemies of the House of Fallamhain.”

  Brenna had to restrain herself from saying anything in contradiction of that assumption, barely managing to resist the urge to even look at Raina, who also wisely said nothing in reply to that. They both realized that, at least for the time being, it was best if they kept their encounter with Countess Wilhelmina only minutes ago a secret. If they learned that she had approached them, then questions would be asked as to why she had not attacked them, and what she had told or asked Raina. Inevitably, Raina’s allegiance and honesty would then be brought into question. She clearly had some reservations now about essentially signing herself over to the Grand Duchess. While Brenna did not necessarily agree with her on the matter, she would nevertheless honor her promise to support her, regardless of which side she chose.

  Raina lowered the sword to hold it at her left side, asking, “Is it really as much of a media circus out there right now as I’ve heard it is?”

  William chuckled. “Yes, but don’t worry yourself about that. We’re not leaving that way.”

  “We’re not?”

  Gesturing to the two goth-dressed females down the hall, he replied, “Ladies Mary and Jen will be your body doubles for tonight. We’ll hide their faces from public view as they’re escorted into a limousine and whisked away, while we make our actual departure elsewhere. The media will be none the wiser. Say hello, girls.” He looked over his shoulder and waved to the two women with a smile, who bared fang-flashing grins and waved happily in return.

  “You hired body doubles just to sneak us past a bunch of cameras?” Brenna asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Of course not,” he replied, gesturing for the hospital security guard near the door to come to him. “It’s a security precaution. If anyone out there intends to harm you, they will follow the limousine, as they’ll be under the impression that the two of you are within. If they are bold enough to attack, Mary and Jen are adequately armed and trained to take care of themselves.”

  William led everyone back toward the elevators that Brenna and Raina had just exited, but instead directed them down the stairs next to the elevators. They descended to the basement level and were led right by the entrance to the hospital laboratory, passing what had been (until recently) Raina’s workplace. They passed down the long concrete corridor with only the sound of the group’s footsteps to accompany, as everyone seemed too tense for conversation. About fifty feet away from the locked gate with an inset one-way door, William stopped and turned to the security officer.

  “Would you be so kind, sir, as to check the corridor ahead for any photographers, or anyone else we don’t want to meet?” he asked politely. The officer nodded and walked ahead as William turned to Raina. “It wouldn’t do us much good to have gone through the trouble of placing Mary and Jen at risk if you’re spotted elsewhere.”

  Raina nodded as she watched the security guard approach the gate, peer through it for a few moments, and then turn back toward the group of vampires with a nod.

  “Three people at the end of the ramp,” he confirmed.

  “Do they appear to be with the media?” William asked. The officer looked again, and then turned back with a frown, shaking his head. “Then we’ll need to use another exit.”

  “I know one we can use,” Raina suggested abruptly, almost excitedly. “It’s the back exit for the lab that goes to the fire exit stairway.”

  “To which side of the building does it lead?”

  “The east, over by the covered parking lot,” Raina replied, adding bitterly, “it’s where all the doctors and fancy-pants administrators get to park.”

  Raina led their group back up the long industrial-looking corridor, again passing by the morgue. Brenna noticed the way that Raina’s attention seemed to be squarely focused upon the door of the morgue as they passed it, as though she half expected someone to jump out of it.

  “What did they do with Duke Sebastian? His body, I mean?” Raina asked as they walked, finally breaking the silence.

  “His remains are being taken to a funeral home that is one of the few in this area that will perform services for vampires,” he replied. “His body will be cremated as soon as possible. The Grand Duchess wanted to avoid giving any humans an opportunity to use his body for scientific research.”

  Raina frowned at that. She and Brenna had discussed funerals and such on a few occasions in the past, and Raina had made it plainly clear that she did not approve of cremations. According to her, although she had never seemed overtly religious, she never wanted to be cremated because it reminded her too much of the whole “burning in Hell” concept. Brenna could appreciate the sentiment to a certain extent, although she was quite sure that once a person was dead, they would cease to care one way or the other what became of their worldly body. Brenna couldn’t have cared less about what became of her remains after she was clinically dead. People could lop her head off and go bowling with it, or have her corpse preserved for use as a mannequin, for all she cared.

  “He really seemed like an okay guy, for the most part,” Raina commented softly … although she nearly slapped herself for having actually said it aloud.

  “Yes, he was,” William confirmed with a solemn nod. “He will be sorely missed by all of us … although perhaps none more than the Grand Duchess. Duke Sebastian was the eldest of her consorts, and the most beloved.”

  “Yeah, he was an okay guy,” Brenna added, “when he wasn’t knocking women out and having his way with them.”

  Raina gave her a silent look that seemed to say, Shut your trap, already, before you get us into trouble. Surprisingly, neither William nor Robert, who had yet to speak a word, had anything to say in reply to that. What, did Duke Sebastian have a reputation for molesting or raping unconscious women on a regular basis? She wouldn’t pursue it at that moment, but she damned sure intended to ask about it later, if given the opportunity.

  They passed hurriedly through the lab with Raina in the lead, the hospital security officer following closely behind her while everyone else trailed after. She led them down a main hall and then through a series of bewildering turns where Brenna had never been during her visits to see her friend, until they were making their way up a short but narrow fire escape stairwell. Raina began to reach for the exit door when William abruptly told her to wait.

  Raina and the officer stepped aside as William opened the door only just enough to let himself out, keepin
g it propped open a few inches with his foot. He visually surveyed the surrounding area outside for a few moments before reaching into his back pocket and flipping open a cell phone. Surprisingly, he began speaking in some other language that Brenna could not place, presumably informing someone else of their change of exiting locations.

  William kept the phone to his ear as he apparently waited for their ride to show, but his eyes drifted to Raina, who was still looking over the sword that she carried with continued fascination. He wasn’t flirting with her at all – quite the opposite, as he was an embodiment of professionalism – but Brenna knew the look of a man that was interested in a woman. He wasn’t lewd about it, either. He wasn’t ogling her breasts or anything such as that. His eyes remained focused upon the profile of her face, as she stood facing more toward Brenna as she held her Maker’s sword. Raina’s gaze lifted toward Brenna’s, and apparently she noticed the smile that Brenna felt lifting the corners of her mouth. She made a silent glance in William’s direction, giving Raina enough direction to turn and look at him, as well. William abruptly played off his staring by forcing his gaze to wander elsewhere … uselessly, off toward a rather featureless, old concrete wall nearby. Oh, yeah. He liked her. But then, who couldn’t?

  “It’s Suomi, in case you’re wondering,” William told them. “We don’t bother much with secret codes and the like, but we like to make it a little difficult for anyone listening in to pick up what we’re saying. Some members of the paparazzi have scanners that will pick up mobile phone conversations, but not a lot of them are from Finland.”

  Moments later, as he watched the lot outside, he finally pushed the door open farther and gestured for them to follow. The security officer held the door open for Brenna and Robert as they followed Raina and William out into the pleasantly warm night air, across a large swath of grass to an awaiting black Lincoln Navigator. William waved in thanks to the security officer as he opened the rear passenger-side door of the huge SUV and gestured for everyone to take a seat within. Even seated three-wide, the interior did not seem the least bit cramped. Raina sat between Brenna and Robert while William climbed into the shotgun seat beside a rather odd-looking and hairy blonde-haired male in the driver’s seat.