Page 3 of Craving Darkness
I hadn’t made many friends over the long years of my existence, but fighting alongside someone for survival and the cheers of drunk, rich assholes, had a way of bringing you close in a type of brotherhood. Of course, many of the fuckers couldn’t be trusted to watch my back in or out of the battleground we called a sand pit. But there had been one who I could trust, and I did so after a ridiculously short amount of time.
My memories of those days were fuzzy at best. Very few of my memories remained clear in my mind. Only the lingering feelings remained, reminding me that I had enjoyed that time of my life. Honestly, I was glad for it. If I had to remember every fucking thing that I had ever seen or done, I’d be a whole lot crazier than I already was. A person wasn’t meant to live forever, and I wished I knew what the fuck I’d done to warrant that type of punishment from the universe.
As I watched the miles pass in a blur, I had the thought that the current era I was living in might be able to top even the feeling of holding a sword in my hand, while my muscles ached from the exertion of fighting for my life. I no longer used a sword to lop off the heads of my enemies, a loss I sometimes regretted since those days were so much easier. But it couldn’t be denied that the invention of the handgun was more convenient than the necessity for close-range combat that the sword required. Though, I had to admit, it wasn't as sporting or fun.
But this current time period was fucking fantastic. There was only a need to hunt for my food if I chose to. The food available to eat was full of all kinds of shit that was probably killing everyone except me, of course, but most of it tasted incredible. It was nothing like the bland food that had been the most common throughout the ages with the lack of spices available. Clothing that was comfortable and fit my large frame without straining the seams was readily available at any big box store in just about any city without the need to pay someone to make what I needed and have to wait days to receive them. And there was much to be said for the perfect leather jacket. It had taken me years to find one that fit my long arms properly without my wrists hanging out all the time.
Transportation was the best part, though. Since the beginning, as long as my memories allowed, the only option I remembered having was a horse or your own two feet. Along with that came the responsibility of feeding it, grooming it, and generally trying to keep it alive. Those days were long gone. Now, I enjoy riding a beast of a different nature. One that was black and chrome and roared like thunder.
The Harley-Davidson motorcycle rumbled loudly beneath me as I sped down the highway. It had been a long time since I’d last been through this part of the country. Due to my dangerous nature, I didn’t stay in one place for long. I traveled nearly continuously, only stopping for a couple of months out of each year, waiting out the winter weather until I could safely ride the highways again.
I hadn’t planned on heading through this way, at least not for another couple of decades or so. The last time I had been through here, there had been way too much of the type of activity I learned to avoid. But yet, here I was, willingly, albeit reluctantly.
I had heard of the demon king who had taken up residence in the city. Anyone would probably think that I’d want to be a part of that type of community, to join in with the beings who were like me. But they weren’t like me. No one was. In my long existence, I have learned it is best to stay far away from everyone.
The only reason I was driving down this dark highway heading toward what was probably my next regret was because one of the only friends I had in this never-ending cycle of breathing and disaster had called me. When Syn asked me to come, it was on the tip of my tongue to say no. I had no idea what she could possibly want from me now. I hadn’t seen her in probably thirty years, maybe fifty. I knew it was during a time when her last club had a shining mirror ball hanging from the ceiling, and the clothing was so horrendous I had wanted to find a cave somewhere to wait for the inevitable change. It wouldn’t be the first time. Likely, it wouldn’t be the last.
So, I had no idea what caused me to give in and agree to make the trip from the West Coast mountains. But I felt a strong pull, unlike anything I could remember feeling before. It had been impossible to ignore. So I put down the axe that I had been content using to chop wood for my own fireplace and put away my tools for carving shit like bears and deer that I would anonymously drop off at the local tourist shop, just for something to occupy my time.
So much for being a feared and deadly gladiator.
Even though I knew next to nothing about what exactly I was, I guessed Syn was some type of Succubus. Hell, maybe she was a hybrid if that were possible. Since the day back when the West was wild and untamed, and I had heard the screaming coming from a brothel I was passing by, Syn had always been involved in sex work of some kind. It seemed to be a reasonable guess that she was a Succubus. I’d foolishly chosen to stop and help toss out the trash who thought they could abuse women that day, and it seemed that, though the years passed, nothing much had changed when it came to Syn.
I saw the lights of the strip club shining like a beacon for lost souls in the darkness ahead, just the way Syn had told me I would. As I watched the neon sign grow larger, I wanted nothing more than to come to a stop on the deserted highway, turn my motorcycle around, and just drive away. I had no true desire to go back to my cabin in the mountains, but I could go to one of my other homes. I had property all over the place, from the United States to Europe. I could choose any one of them to head to.
But even as I considered it, I shook my head. Something was drawing me in. I had no words for the pull, only that there was something that was important, vital even. It was the feeling that had me agreeing to the trip when I had gotten the call days ago, and it only grew stronger the closer I came to those lights up ahead. I had no explanation for it, but I was starting to get pissed off. If something or someone was fucking with my head, they were going to find out why I spent my life in solitude. Nobody wanted to be around me when I was angry.
Instead of turning my bike around, I hit the accelerator and let the lights of the club pull me in.
Chapter 2
Kallista
Istood against the hallway outside of the main entertainment room and let the heavy bass vibrating through the walls soothe my aching back. I wanted to swipe my hand across my forehead to remove the sweat I could feel there. It was itching underneath the heavy makeup that Candy, one of the dancers, had painted me with. But I knew it would just make a huge mess of what she'd managed to do for my face.
My shift was nearly over, and I had already been on my feet while wearing stilettos for the better part of eight hours. Since I was an unpaid employee, Syn, the owner, didn't let me work the night shift when the money was better. I was grateful that she allowed me to work at all. I didn't have to share my tips with anyone, which was a huge plus, but the lunch and early afternoon crowds were pretty thin, and I was sure I didn't get tipped nearly as well as the night shift did. I really should be out on the floor for my last few minutes as the day and night shifts crossed over instead of waving my serving tray over myself like a giant fan.
I watched as more people entered the main room. Men and women alike strolled into the strip club with expressions ranging from excitement to guilt. It was those who had the look of someone waiting to be smitten by some fierce god that had me grinning and shaking my head. I hoped they managed to relax and enjoy themselves. I couldn't see how a couple of hours of watching live nudity swinging around on poles would damn a soul, but then, I also understood how one's upbringing could make one believe it. My own parents would be appalled, and the punishment for even being seen in this place would be severe.
I shook away the dark thoughts and stepped forward, placing my hand on the swinging door that separated the rest of the club from the entertainment room. The hallway I was in led in either direction. On my left would lead to the kitchens where food for the patrons could be prepared. The club served pretty decent meals, including steaks and burgers, which seemed a popular dinner choice. The path to the right led to the changing room and the owner's office.
Before I pushed the door open, movement caught my eye through the small glass window. A tall man wearing a thick black leather jacket strolled forward, stopped by the bar, and began glancing around as if he were looking for someone. There was something about him that made the breath stall in my chest. Good looking men came into the club all the time, but there was something different about this one I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Often, the most attractive seemed to be looking specifically for Syn. I didn't know what it was about her that seemed to draw men and women alike like bees to a flower. I understood that she had a beauty that seemed to radiate from her in a way that even the gorgeous, naked dancers couldn't achieve, but I just couldn't understand it. Syn didn't dance, but the way she walked around the place in her flowy skirts that did little to hide her amazing assets drew the eye of everyone, no matter the gender. I suspected that she did a little entertaining of her own back in her office if the number of patrons who followed behind her as she led them through this very door were any indication.
As I stared at the man, a part of me was screaming inside at the injustice. If he was looking for Syn, there was a good possibility that I would be going home to my tiny apartment and crying into a pint of my favorite ice cream before curling up into a ball on my futon and rocking myself to sleep.
He was broad, and even though I couldn't see his body under the bulky jacket he wore, the breadth of his shoulders alone hinted at the physique of someone who took care of himself. His shoulder-length black hair was almost as mesmerizing as his face. There was a strangeness about the color. It didn't shine under the dim lights of the room. Instead, the darkness of his hair seemed to be absorbing the dark shadows, or even appeared to be a part of them.
I felt a shudder run through me at the sight as I absently rubbed my right wrist against the skimpy lace skirt that did nothing to cover my panties. As I continued to stare, his face finally turned toward the door I was hiding behind, and I let out an inaudible gasp, nearly choking on my own saliva. It was impossible to tell the color of his eyes through the dim lighting, but there was no mistaking the beauty of his face. But his drool-worthy features weren't what had me shivering in both fear and delight. It was the aura that he had wrapped around him like a cloak.
There was something about the man that screamed danger. There had been all manner of men walking through the doors of this club. Men in business suits who were probably as rich as Midas, and powerful politicians. Bikers came in looking like they would as soon stick a knife through your gut as to shake your hand. But none had ever made me feel the need to lower my eyes and drop to my knees in submission before.
"Kallie, what are you doing?" Syn's sultry voice startled me, and I jumped back from the door. I swallowed nervously and glanced down at the serving tray that I had dropped at some point during my surveillance of the man. "I don't pay you to stand around." Syn's smirk had me laughing hollowly.
I bent down to pick up the tray, tucking it under my left arm and rubbing my wrist against my skirt again. I looked back at her as she stared down at me from her tall height, the heels she wore making her tower over me even more than she already would. I gave her the same answer I always did when she made that comment, "You don't pay me at all."
She winked. "Then I guess you should get out there and earn a few more dollars in tips before the end of your shift." I nodded and watched her turn and push open the door. The music grew louder for the brief moment it was open before quickly becoming muffled again. Her hips swayed with her innate sexuality, catching the gaze of everyone within eyesight of her. I kept my own eyes on her and watched as she strolled forward, the chanting plea in my mind that she head anywhere else ending abruptly in a whine as she walked straight for the tall stranger.
