Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:03:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard Garcia <invertedbeast@yahoo.com>
Subject: Darkness Evolves chapter 1

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This story contains graphic adult sexual situations
... blah blah blah ... if it is illegal, do not ... yadda yadda yadda
... no abuse of underage puppies occurred ... et cetera, et cetera ... only
organic cucumbers ... yawn ... and absolutely never in the capital of
Ethiopia.  So now you know.



DARKNESS EVOLVES
Chapter One



Darkness is dwindling.  It has been for millennia.  Ages.  But it will all
come back, soon.  If you're reading this now it probably means that you've
read what my darkfather posted and you already know that.  If you haven't,
find and read that first.  But it won't tell you enough of what you need to
know.  There's more.  We're all going to need to be ready.  How do I get
you to understand?  Maybe I should just tell you what's happened since I
captured the demon that had possessed me for six years.  That might be
best.  I'll tell you everything that's happened.

I'll start with Momma Lolotta's memorial service.  The service took place
twenty-nine days after her death.  That's one lunar month, which is
traditional.  Mom's shade told me that the custom arose out of the need to
give the new mistress time to settle in, and attendees enough traveling
time to get there.  In ancient days the body was shrouded and kept in a
dark place preserved by spells.  Nowadays they put it in a freezer.

The service for a lineage mistress is a sort of state affair.  Not only are
members of the Family all there, but other shadowkin also attend.  It's a
chance for members of allied (and rival) lineages to size up the new
mistress.  Old agreements and oaths are renewed and new ones are made.
There's lots of back room negotiations, people-watching and gossip.  You
know, politics.

Daniel and I were both invited.  Technically, since I'm third line, I
didn't need the invitation, but Katerina wanted to make it explicit.
Daniel's invitation was her way of officially recognizing him as a Family
ally.  It was a smart idea.  Katerina's going to be a good mistress for the
Estrellas.

The service took place in the Valley, in an amphitheater carved into the
hillside overlooking the sea.  They built a pyre out of different kinds of
woods and set her body on top.  At dusk the members of all three lines of
the lineage stood together in the amphitheater and offered our Darkness to
Katerina.  She raised her arms and sang, gathering and shaping the
Darkness, then turned and bowed to the pyre, releasing it.  The wood
ignited.

Daniel thought it was hilarious that Grandmother was a witch and they
burned her.  I guess it is sort of funny.

We watched the pyre burn for about half an hour until it collapsed in on
itself and started to die down.  Someone rang the campanile bell and that
was it, the service was over.  Everyone walked down a stone stairway to a
couple of big pavilions they had set up on the beach.  Each pavilion held a
buffet table with food and a bunch of circular tables to sit and eat.  In
the space between the two pavilions they had put up an outdoor bar and more
tables.  Tiki torches were stuck in the ground all around the pavilions and
for a hundred yards up and down the beach.  It was a cool summer evening
and the weather (of course) was perfect.

Amber and most of the rest of the first line milled around and
schmoozed. Katerina held court at a table in one of the pavilions.  Daniel
and I stood near the bar and watched the crowd.  There were almost two
hundred people in attendance and the majority were women.  Men were mostly
escorts or satelles to lineage mistresses.

Daniel bantered a little with Roland, Aunt Sherietta's satelles, and some
of the younger women came up to flirt with him — which always happens —
but most of the guests didn't directly approach us.  My brother didn't know
it, but the two of us were actually getting a lot of attention.  It wasn't
the kind of attention the lightblind can perceive, and Daniel's gift didn't
enable him to recognize it, but I could.

My brother was wearing an Armani suit with a blue-grey shirt that matched
his eyes.  In the light from the tiki torches he looked so beautiful that
it made my knees tremble whenever I looked at him.  Daniel is the most
handsome man I've ever seen.  He was amazing even before the moon gift, but
the more he integrates the more jaw-dropping he becomes.  Now he radiates
vitality and animal masculinity, and every movement is filled with
predatory grace.  The Darkness that emanates from his pores was a musk that
threw every witch near him into heat.

I don't look as physically imposing as Daniel and I never will.  The
attention on me was different.  Some were curious just because I was here
and wasn't an escort or, obviously, a satelles.  Those with Darkness deep
enough to sense my own noted it.  As they noticed me, I noted their
noticing in a kind of reciprocal acknowledgement, like nodding to each
other across a room.  We'd recognize each other's Darkness if we
encountered it again.  My mother's shade says that's part of what these
family gatherings are for, too.

Amber made her way up to our side.  Next to her was a plump older woman
with white hair tied back in a librarian's bun and round granny glasses.
 She looked like she'd just stepped out of a picture on a box of an
old-fashioned cake mix.  Following a few steps behind her was a middle-aged
woman dressed in a severe black dress.

"Joseph, Daniel," said Amber, "I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Garland."

"Nice to meet you, dears."  The older woman gave us a sweet grandma smile.

"Dr. Garland is the specialist who's been helping your friend Walter."

Daniel looked at her appraisingly.  "You mean a specialist like Dr. Fellers
was a specialist?"

"That's right, dear," the vampire answered.

"Well, shit."  He shook his head.  "I'd always imagined you all looking
like corporate lawyers."

"Hollywood version, dear."

His eyes widened.  She gave him a wink and another grandma smile.

"Will Uncle Walt be okay?"  I asked.

She turned to me.  Unlike Fellers' Santa Claus act, she wasn't casting an
illusion.  She really was an old lady.  Maybe she was only feeding off of
an older crowd, or maybe she just wanted to be old.  Sometimes it's hard to
understand why vampresses do the things they do.

"Yes, dear, he will.  I asked Amber to introduce us because I wanted to let
you know about his new living arrangement.  From now on Dr. Fellers' former
assistant will be staying with him."

"John?"  Daniel frowned.  "Why?"

"It's good for both of them.  Having someone around will help Walter, who's
been battling depression for years."  She paused.  "Nicholas' death was
traumatic for John in ways that you can't imagine.  The poor boy is
epileptic.  One of the reasons Nicholas kept John close was so that he
could keep him stabilized.  Now John will have to be on medication.  He's
become used to having an older male presence in his life and I've done what
I can to transfer his attachment to Walter.  They need each other."

"All right," Daniel nodded.  "Thanks for telling us.  And thanks for
helping Walter."

"You're welcome, dear.  Thank you for taking care of the demon."

She nodded to me and wandered off.  Silent as a shadow, the woman in black
paced behind her.

"So," Amber glanced back and forth between us, "are you two ready to pay
your respects to the new mistress?"

"Is that part of the show?" asked Daniel.

"As a matter of fact, it is."

"All right," he offered his arm, "may I escort you, Doctor Estrella?"

She chuckled and placed her hand on his arm.  I followed them into one of
the pavilions.

Katerina was sitting at a table near the middle of the pavilion.  Seated
with her were four other women, all lineage matriarchs.  Standing behind
three of the women were muscular men in suits: their satelles.  As we
neared the table one of the men locked eyes with Daniel.  His lip quivered,
like he was restraining a snarl.  I watched the back of Daniel's neck
stiffen in response.  The man was another moon-gifted.

Amber's hand slid down to close on Daniel's wrist.  She'd sensed his
response.  While she steadied him I checked out the other were.  He was a
little shorter than Daniel, but stockier, with copper skin and flat
cheekbones that suggested an American Indian heritage.  He hadn't received
the gift as fully as Daniel had.  In his beast form he'd scramble along
like a baboon, rather than running with my brother's loose-limbed lope.  If
it came to a fight, Daniel would wipe the floor with him.

I looked at his mistress.  Her dark witchy eyes flicked from Daniel to
Amber and then to me.  "Gabriel, querido," she said, her gaze still on me,
"dame una bedida."

Her satelles tore his eyes from Daniel.  "Si, dona," he said.  He turned
and left.  Daniel relaxed.

"Daniel, Joseph," Katerina looked up.  "Thank you both for coming.
Ladies," she turned to the other mistresses, "this is my cousin, Joseph
Meltzer, and his half-brother Daniel, a Family friend."

"Hello, ladies."  Daniel must have thrown them one of his movie star
smiles, because a couple of them actually smiled back.  The other two
didn't, but they couldn't keep the sparkle out of their eyes.

The sparkles died when their gazes shifted to me.  The moon-gifted's
mistress continued to study me.  "Third line, you said, Katerina?"  She had
a melodious Mexican accent.

"Yes, Ivonne.  Third line."

Ivonne nodded to me, the tiniest of movements.  I nodded back.

"Come on, gentlemen," said Amber, "let's get you something to eat."  Her
hand slid down into Daniel's as she led him away from the mistress' table.
I followed them.

Amber stopped after she'd gone a dozen paces.  "Good job, guys."  She
released Daniel's hand.  "That takes care of the formalities.  You're
welcome to stick around for as long as you like, but if you want to leave
now you can."

Daniel looked at me.  "What do you want to do, bro?"

I shrugged.  "Whatever you'd like is okay, Daniel."

He glanced around.  Most of the women were good looking, and a few were
really gorgeous.  The old Daniel would have definitely stayed and probably
ended up taking someone home with him, along with an iphone full of
numbers.  A part of him still wanted that.  But his beast half was uneasy
with the crowd (it could sense, better than his human half, the
concentrations of Darkness around us) and he was anxious about how I was
doing.  I could have reassured him, but I didn't.

He sighed.  "Let's go.  If we leave now we can make it home by midnight."

"Okay, Daniel."

He turned back to Amber.  "When will I see you again?"

"That depends.  I'd really like to talk with your Uncle Walter.  Jennifer —
that's Dr. Garland — is sending him and John home tomorrow and I thought
perhaps you could introduce me to him."

"You mean for real this time?  What's he going to remember about what
happened, anyway?"

"I don't know.  It depends on what Dr. Garland thinks is best."

"All right, so we can do it a couple of days after he gets settled."

"Daniel ... " I said.

"What?  Oh."

"Yes," Amber nodded.  "It's gibbous waxing.  I wasn't sure whether or not
you'd prefer to wait until after the full moon had passed."

Daniel looked away.  A muscle in his jaw flexed rhythmically.  "Yeah," he
got out, "that might not be a bad idea.  I'll let you know."

He looked at me.  "I'll go get the car.  Meet you in front of the caterer's
van.  Okay, bro?"

"Okay, Daniel.  I'll be there."

He headed off.  A dozen heads turned to watch him go.

"May I accompany you to the road, Joseph?" asked Amber.

"Sure."

We stepped out of the pavilion and walked slowly up the beach.

"How have you been doing?" she asked.

"Good."

"I've been concerned about how things might be for you, living with your
mother's shade."

"The Stone holds the past mistresses," I pointed out.

Amber drew a sharp breath.  "Yes," she agreed, "it does.  You ... of course
you would know about that.  But they're bound to the Stone.  They aren't
present in Katerina's mind continuously."

I shrugged.  I'd lived with a demon inside of me for six years.  My
mother's shade was a welcome guest.

"Normally as third line you would be assigned a tutor for instruction in
the Art."  She hesitated.  "Are you beyond that, Joseph?"

"Yes."

"I thought so.  Still, I didn't want to assume."

"I know, Amber.  It's nice that you asked."

"You do understand that a shade isn't a full person, don't you?  It may
feel like her, but there's a lot that isn't there.  Sometimes the gaps are
extensive.  You have to be alert to that.  Don't hesitate to ask if you
have questions or need help."

"I won't."

We arrived at the road.  The caterer's van was parked ten yards to our
right.  I turned to look at my cousin.  The light from the tiki torches
threw a warm glow along one side of her face.  She's a pretty woman.  And
she's smart and brave.  I can see why Daniel's attracted to her.

"Thanks for everything, Amber."

She smiled.  "You're welcome, Joseph."

Daniel's headlights swept across the narrow road as he turned onto it.  He
headed toward us.

I looked back at Amber.  "Can I tell you two things?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay.  One is that my mother would be really proud of everything that
you've done."

"Oh."  Amber's face softened in surprise.  "Thank you, Joey.  That's very
kind of you to say."  After a moment she asked, "What was the other thing?"

Daniel pulled up next to us.  I smiled at him through the window before
turning back to her.

"Two is that I don't share."  And I sent the bitter tang of sulfur to sting
her lungs.

Amber stood motionless.  In the torchlight I could see the flush blossom in
her cheeks.  I opened the passenger door and slid into the Porsche.

"Catch you later, Amber," called out Daniel.

I closed the door and we drove off.


InvertedBeast@yahoo.com