Storm of Shadows Ch. 02

"Yes," she whispered, swallowing back the tears that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. Having her father's acceptance of her worth meant the world to her. She was aware how difficult it was for him and yet he had allowed himself to be talked around against his better judgement.

"I may be the only person who can save him, Dad. I need to help Kothi, and it has nothing to do with his erroneous belief about us being mates. Being pack is all about being family, but being Vârcolac...I don't know how best to describe how that bond feels to me. The closest I can come is it's like every one of us have the same link that you have with Uncle Andrei. I don't know if that makes a whole load of sense, but it's how I feel."

Her father remained silent for another long moment and then he nodded. "It makes perfect sense, but I'm not going to lie and say that I am happy about this, because I'm not. What I will say is that I respect your decision and believe in you as much as anyone else in this room. If Rafe is in agreement to you going to Europe, then I won't stand in your way any further." The rough edge to his voice was the only hint of the powerful emotions he was suppressing.

At the mention of his name, Rafe snorted, walking around his desk to come to stand before Dara. "Nice to know someone noticed I was still here in the room." There was a hint of amusement in his tone even as his expression was grave. "Contrary to your father's belief, I don't want you going to Europe any more than he does, Dara."

"But, Rafe..."

The Alpha gave her a small smile when her expression turned shocked and she went to say more. ""No hear me out, Dara. I said I don't want you going to Europe, I didn't say that I would stop you from going. Unlike your father, I have to think of the needs of the pack as a whole, and right now three of my most valuable members are missing and we don't know for sure what's happened to them. With the recent attack against us, I need all three back here safe and sound."

Sighing loudly, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "We can't ask the vampires to go because we are nowhere close to preparing enough antidote to the Amort poison. We can't risk our allies to suffer what Pietro did. I can't send wolves because not only will Kothi just shadow himself to hide from them, the European vampires would execute any I sent. Add in the fact that you're the only one who appears to be able to track Kothari, well that means that you would stand the best chance of finding him. There is no other option left open to me but to send you."

Kallum frowned as he listened, weighing up the Alpha's words and finding himself unable to disagree with anything he said. He did have one thought though. "More than one Vârcolac could go. I could accompany Dara, possibly Elina too?"

Rafe was already shaking his head before the younger man had finished speaking. "Kothi has hidden himself from all of you with the exception of Dara. While I don't fully understand what is going through his mind right now, my gut instinct is telling me that he would hide from everyone if Dara takes someone else with her. It feels as if he is almost inviting her along...that he is telling her he needs her with him. His need to find Gard and Rayne is paramount and most likely he only trusts himself to do that, and possibly Dara."

"But what about Gard and Rayne's disappearance?" Cedar interjected. "Someone or something managed to get to them and they're the oldest beings to walk this planet. How will Dara or Kothi be safer over there on their own?"

Dara stepped over to her mother, taking her hands in her own and giving her a reassuring smile. "No one is saying this isn't a dangerous assignment, Mom. I promise I won't put myself recklessly in harm's way if possible, but we have to do this. We have one advantage and that's knowing that there is someone out there so powerful he or she could overcome Gard and Rayne. Gard doesn't have the power to shadow himself and you know that Rayne would never leave him by protecting herself when he was vulnerable. It's different for Kothi and I as we both have that power and we will use it to protect ourselves."

"We can also use some of Caleb's contacts over there too, Cedar," Rafe added. "Dara will not be completely alone. We do have allies in Europe she can turn to as she tracks Kothari."

"Are you planning on asking Caleb and Annie's thoughts on this plan?" Andrei asked. His tone made it plain that he didn't see the need.

"Annie has enough to deal with right now," Rafe sighed. "Gard is her brother as much as I am, and she will be taking his disappearance hard. I will let them know what we're doing, and get contact details from Caleb, but this mission is purely pack related for the most part. I am not asking their permission to send Dara over. I will be telling them it's happening."

When no one asked any more questions, the big Alpha gave Dara a tight hug, his pride and concern flowing down his Alpha bond with her. "Keep hold of Kothi's journal. It may help you decipher his way of thinking when you're in Europe. For now, go and get packed. We need to arrange travel documents for you and I'll call Caleb to see if we can use his private jet."

"If you need travel documents for Dara, then how the hell will Kothari get to Europe?" Pietro asked, drawing all eyes to him. It was a valid point. None of the Vârcolac had any formal travel documents.

"He couldn't go to any of our usual people," Alexei mused, his expression turning thoughtful.

"No, he couldn't," Andrei agreed, his expression mirroring his brother's. "Any of our authorised people would flag up the request as is the norm to either Were or vampire council. He would have to deal on the black market and I know just the person who would likely entertain his request."

"Give me that information," Rafe said as he pulled out his phone to call Caleb. "That might be a good starting point for Dara when she's ready to go."

The meeting now concluded, everyone filed out of the Alphas' house, Dara returning home with her family to begin her preparations to leave. She couldn't deny there was a level of excitement about going on the mission, but she was filled with trepidation too. Everything hinged on her interpretation of Kothi's journal being right. If she was wrong and he didn't believe she was his angel...things might not go as well as she hoped they would.

He moved silently down the dark alleyway, avoiding the overflowing garbage from the dumpsters on either side of him. It had taken a while to ferret out who would be the best person to go to, time he didn't have the luxury of wasting. It was daylight now and it wouldn't be long before someone went to check up on him and discovered he was missing. He needed to be far away when that happened, and nothing was going to prevent him from doing just that.

Clad entirely in black, he would have melted into the murky shadows within the alleyway, that was if anyone could actually see him. Instead, he was a passing breeze to the half-asleep homeless souls shivering under the piles of garbage and old newspapers they had tried to keep themselves warm with throughout the night.

He didn't see them, not as others would have. They were a vague flicker in his peripheral vision, society's castoffs who were of no threat to him. Intent on his target, he strode confidently onwards, towards the faded red metal door that was his destination. The cruel curl of his bottom lip was his only outward reaction to the locked door. It was no obstacle to him, and he didn't even care that should anyone be looking they would see the door miraculously open by itself.

The door gave against his preternatural strength with barely a squeak, the vampire just inside turning startled eyes as it opened. He would see nothing, and that would surprise him long enough for Agony to slip past the unsuspecting male unhindered.

Shadowing was one of his most favourite parts of being Vârcolac. That unique skill of being able to bend light to hide his physical appearance, as well as to completely mask his scent had brought him much satisfaction over the years. It was how he had slipped the reins of his pack. How he had first discovered the Praetorians protecting them. It afforded him the ability to cloak his existence from those lesser beings surrounding him, with the exception of those Rhianna had permitted to see him.

He was still angry about that, even after all these years. The Vârcolac were visible to each other, and also to the Triumvirate. What Rhianna had done was make them visible to their parents too. It didn't matter that both his parents had been able to detect his shadowing anyway as his mother was Vârcolac and his father one of the Triumvirate. The rest of them could have shadowed around their parents, but Rhianna's spell casting had changed that once they'd discovered the children had this ability. Granted she had done this so only each child's parents and the pack Alphas could see through their abilities, but it still irritated him no end. If his parents hadn't been who they were then Rhianna's magic would have afforded them the ability to see him, and that anger bubbled within and always had.

Holding in the deep sigh that threatened to give away his presence, he pushed aside the childish musings of a time long past, and continued down the dirty hallway towards the male he was here to see. It wasn't worth thinking about, wasn't worth indulging in the rage the constantly lived in his soul.

Entering the room at the bottom of the hallway, he watched the confused expression that crossed the face of the male within with another cruel tilt of his lips. Agony slipped off to the side as the male rose and walked to the open door, staring up the hallway to his guard who was shrugging his shoulders. Faraday was a tall man, beautiful as all vampires were, but with a coldness to his blue eyes that spoke of unhidden cruelty. He was old, possibly around about the eighteen hundred year mark, which was surprising for one in his position.

Agony moved to stand beneath the blacked-out window, as he watched Faraday close the door and return to his seat behind his desk. The casual grace of the vampire's movements spoke of power and great speed, so perhaps it wasn't so surprising that he had gained the age that he had. Something about the other male called to Agony, and it took a moment to realise what it was. This male, while inferior, had managed to make it to almost Ancient status despite his criminal proclivities. That meant he excelled at what he did and wasn't one to be underestimated.

He could relate to that, could understand and even respect it. There was a high probability Faraday would survive this meeting, unless he did something totally stupid. Wearying of his little game, he released his shadowing abilities, allowing himself to become visible to the other male. The speed with which Faraday moved impressed him, even as he easily blocked the talons aimed at his throat and broke both of his attacker's arms.

Faraday was strong but no match for Agony's enhanced Vârcolac skills. It took no real effort for him to pick up the struggling vampire and force the other male face down on his desk. Pinning him there, Agony leaned in close to his ear, drinking in the acrid scent of fear that was suddenly filling the room. It was a heady scent, one he loved, and he knew Faraday was intelligent enough to be aware that he was bested by the interloper in his lair.

"I do not wish to kill you; however I have no such compunction where it comes to any others who may enter this room. I suggest you calm down and listen to what I have to say, unless you're willing to lose all of your handpicked team dotted around this building."

"Let me up," Faraday hissed, fury lacing his fear. The fact he kept his tone as low as Agony's was a clear indicator that he was aware of just how serious his situation was.

Agony released his hold, stepping back and watching silently as Faraday tested his arms had healed by pushing himself up from his desk. When he turned to view the interloper, there was naked fury in his eyes, as well as a healthy amount of respect.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"What does everyone want who comes to call on you, Faraday? I need travel documents so I may leave the country." Agony sat down on the chair across from the desk, crossing one leg nonchalantly over the other. He watched his talons shrink back down as if bored, hearing the slight increase in the other male's heartbeat. Satisfaction engulfed him, a heady feeling of power rising swiftly to the surface. Faraday was wise to fear him and it enthralled him to know the other male did.

"I need a name, and personal information. When do you need them by?" Faraday was suddenly all business, sitting down with his fingers on the keyboard to his laptop, his gaze impatient as he viewed his visitor.

"Right now."

The other male's eyes widened, anger warring with the ever present fear in his gaze. "I usually require a few days to provide good quality documents."

"You have half an hour maximum," Agony drawled, his tone bored though he was anything but. He didn't have days...he was lucky if he had a few hours.

The blood rushed from Faraday's face, his expression turning panicked. "That's impossible!"

It wasn't what he wanted to hear, and he leaned forward, resting his arms on the edge of the desk. "Make it possible..."

For a moment the other male just sat there staring at him, and the weary sigh Agony had been withholding did escape. "The longer you sit there convincing yourself you can't do this, the more time you're wasting. I don't care what name or personal details you want to choose, just do whatever you need to so I can get my documents."

"And how are you going to pay me for this? I don't work for free, you know."

The grudging respect he was already feeling towards the vampire went up another notch. It took a brave person to stand their ground with one they knew without a doubt could kill them in the blink of an eye.

"With your life?"

Agony smiled as he watched Faraday swallow hard. It was satisfying to watch him squirm, his rising feeling of power something glorious to experience. There was a tiny part lurking within him that found it distasteful to play with one so weak but his other emotions overrode it.

"Get to work," he sighed, suddenly bored with the whole thing. "I will be back in half an hour with your payment."

"I need your eye colour for the documentation," Faraday called as Agony shadowed himself once more. "I need to take a photograph too."

The Vârcolac unshadowed himself, frowning at the vampire. Now that would be a bit of a problem and something he hadn't considered until now. Peeling off his sunglasses, he allowed Faraday a rare view of his eyes.

"What the fuck? Have you crossed over, you crazy bastard? You need to feed right now!"

He hadn't thought it was possible for Faraday's pallor to become any more pasty but his face was now an unappealing shade of grey. It was also intriguing to note that he presumed Agony was a vampire and therefore his automatic reaction was for him to feed. He filed that away for another time to muse over and put his glasses back on. "I haven't crossed over, that is my natural eye colour."

"You're natural colour is silver and red? There is nothing natural about that. Just who or what the hell are you?"

Faraday stood up, his body language so tense Agony wasn't certain that he wasn't thinking about trying to make a run for it. He hoped he wouldn't because he didn't have time to give the vampire another lesson in the futility of not doing what he wanted. "I'm the man who requires you to make documents. That's all you need to know."

Faraday stared at him a moment longer and then slowly sat back down. "You can't wear those glasses through customs so you'll have to disguise your colouring. When you're out stop by this address and tell Carl I sent you." He handed him a page from the notebook on his desk, an address hastily scrawled across it. "He'll be able to provide you with some coloured contact lenses that will disguise your eyes."

Agony hesitated and then took the paper, quickly scanning the address before handing it back. He had an eidetic memory just like the rest of the Vârcolac. The vampire could simply have told him the details and he would have remembered them. His satisfaction rose higher too. It was clear that Faraday had made the decision to service his requirements so he shouldn't have to waste any further time convincing him.

"Brown," he said, turning to leave once more. "That will be the colour I select for my eyes. I will be back in thirty minutes. Make sure you have everything ready for then, and you can take your photograph to add to the documentation." He shadowed himself and left as silently as he'd arrived.

Faraday swallowed loudly when the door closed of its own accord, wondering if the strange young man had truly left or if he was standing watching him to see if he would do as he was told. It took a lot to frighten him but the dark haired young man scared him witless. He considered calling some of his men in but decided not to.

If they survived an encounter with the younger male, they would no doubt also see Faraday being bested by him. That would be disastrous for his business so he would do what was asked of him. In under an hour the boy would be gone and he could once more go back about his business. Turning to his laptop, he began scouring the pre-prepared IDs he already had half finished. Possibly one of them would fit the bill and he could complete the rest before the boy returned.

Agony headed to one of the pack's safe houses that he knew wasn't being used right now. There were various properties owned by the pack dotted around the city that members crashed at when they didn't want to return home to the compound in the heart of the forest. He was aware that there were numerous supplies to be had, most importantly each had a well-hidden safe full of cash should anyone require funds.

He entered the unassuming brownstone apartment and headed straight into the kitchen. Pulling out the refrigerator, he accessed the safe behind it, typing in the ten-digit code that was this week's combination. Someone came around once a week and changed the codes in all the properties. Every pack member was privy to the combination. There was no telling when any of them would require a safe haven and funds to live off. It wasn't that Rafe was particularly paranoid, though they had all heard the tales of Richard Graves and how he had once attacked the Hanlon pack to try to kill Lacey many years before. Many emergency measures had been set it place since then and Agony, for one, was grateful for them right now.

There had to be at least a hundred thousand in the safe when it opened. He took that and a handful of credit cards too, as they could most likely come in handy as a diversion. Like the safe combination, all of the spare credit cards had the same four-digit pin that was circulated to the entire pack once a week. He pocketed the cards and found a plain black bag for the cash. Then he left as quickly as he'd entered, heading to the address Faraday had given him.

"I'm here to see Carl. Faraday sent me." There were too many people around to bother shadowing and he didn't see the point to it when he didn't need to.

The female vampire eyed him up and down slowly, a hint of lust in her green eyes when she reached his face once more. "He's inside." She gracefully arched her neck, indicating the door to the left. "If you have time after your meeting, I get off in ten minutes."

She was beautiful and blonde...just the type that his other half, and therefore he too enjoyed. If he hadn't been on such a tight deadline he might have been tempted to join her. However, he was aware that his other half wouldn't approve, that he believed in his angel back at the compound.