Page 9 of Darkness Defined

“Mind what?” Smith echoed.

“A light, Smith. As you can imagine, that’s not really my forte.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “I want to get a better look at my latest recruit.”

A sickening tone of subservience replaced Smith’s previous combativeness. “Sorry, Miss Scry.” He waved a hand and muttered something I didn’t catch. Then a bluish light blossomed overhead, illuminating the speakers in high-relief. To my shock, the woman was much younger than I would have expected for someone commanding so much authority. Old or not, her eyes were sharp and ruthless and she looked meaner than a pissed off copperhead.

I glanced around from my suspended perspective. Now that there was a proper source of light, the damage was clear. Oliver’s gang lay strewn about the courtyard. Only Scylla had found her feet while the other two looked comatose.

“Good heavens!” Smith exclaimed, taking in the havoc I’d wrought.

I snickered, and he shot me a look while the woman stared at me as if assessing something I couldn’t see. I glared defiantly back, and she cracked a smile. It was gone before I could decide if it was sinister or sincere.

The woman waved a dismissive hand at the apoplectic Smith. “Cool your grits, they’ll be fine. The damage is minimal, nothing a healer can’t set to right.”

“Minimal? He could have caused actual harm! And in case you didn’t realize, we don’t exactly have the funds to maintain a fully trained healer on staff,” Smith snapped as he walked over to help Rufus, the club I’d shoved in his mouth, now gone.

“He’s an absolute natural.” The woman’s smile definitely seemed genuine now. “I dare Gabriel to top this one. He’s easily above a ten, maybe even as high as a seven. Hard to tell now, though, with no training.”

“Ten!” For a second, it looked like Smith might actually faint. “He could’ve killed them!”

She rolled her eyes. “Please. Did you miss the part where I stopped them?” She gestured at where Oliver and I hung a few feet apart in the air. “As for a healer, I’ll send you mine if you’re that worried, but we both know they each got what was coming to them. Besides, the injuries seem mostly superficial.” She tilted her head to the side and Oliver plummeted to the ground. His resulting moan said he was fine, but in pain.

“Miss Scry, I really must protest at your abuse of my wards.” Smith marched up to her, wagging his finger.

Her eyes went solid black, and the night seemed to warp around her. Chills crawled up my spine as the darkness tightened around me, causing me to wheeze. The color drained from Smith’s face, and he dropped his accusatory finger.

“It’s no less than what he deserves. We all know what he intended, dragging my ward out here.” Menace laced the low words and goosebumps pimpled my skin. “It’s a far cry better than what he would’ve gotten if I hadn’t intervened. Matthew is clearly raw and untrained. If his record is anything to go by, his anger and control are both out of reach.”

Without warning, I flew towards her. My eyes widened in panic and I struggled harder. This lady was without a doubt the most dangerous person out here, and after what I’d just felt, I had no desire to be any closer. My flight stopped as abruptly as it had started, leaving me mere inches from where she was standing.

“Do you have any personal effects here?” Vera asked, her eyes still obsidian.

I shook my head vigorously, fear momentarily freezing my tongue.

“Good. Smith, we’re leaving. Next time you get even an inkling of a power level like this, you call me sooner rather than later,” she ordered, her eyes still boring into me.

I swallowed and fought to keep from shaking uncontrollably.

“Y-yes, of c-course,” the cowering administrator stammered.

“And Smith,” she finally looked at him, “try to keep this lot under better control. If you need help, I’d be happy to send some… volunteers.”

Smith went noticeably paler, an impressive feat considering how washed out everyone already was in the bluish light. Fear once again trickled down my spine.

She turned back to me. “Give me your hand.”

I shook my head and tried to shrink away, for all the good it did me.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed my left arm. The world was sucked from around us. There was only darkness. Then I blinked, and we were standing on a sidewalk. A glance behind me revealed a sign with scrolling letters that read Superno House for Wayward Children.

I looked back at the woman, able to see her better in the yellow streetlights. Turned out she was dressed in nothing fancier than blue jeans and a t-shirt with wild red hair that looked like the fire Oliver had been sprouting minutes before.

“Who are you?” I blurted out.

At the question, her entire intimidating demeanor fell like she was dropping a mask. Then she put her hands on her wide hips and smiled. “Sorry about that. Some of these old fogies are still living in the last century. All they know is reputation and fear. Sadly, honey doesn’t get you as much as it should these days, but I’m working on that.”

She’s absolutely certifiable.

“My name is Vera Scry. I’m the expert you were promised. Sorry I didn’t find you sooner, but at least you were still here to find. Shadow Demons are a tricky lot, especially if they haven’t really manifested. I confess, if I hadn’t already been in the states, it might have been another month before I got here.” She looked at me expectantly. “You know, you’re not restrained anymore.”