Heart of Darkness Read online

  “This room leaves you speechless every time you walk in,” a soothing voice said from somewhere behind me. I turned and glanced up to find Amoria standing on the balcony, looking simple, yet so very elegant, in a pure snow-white dress.

  “It’s beautiful. So yes, every time, it takes my breath away,” I answered.

  “You’re angry with me,” she said sadly, not meeting my eyes.

  “No, I’m not angry. Sad, yes, but never angry. You’re following your duty to your world. Besides, I can visit anytime I wish, so what’s not to love, right?”

  “This is also my world,” Amoria said softly. Her own eyes shimmered with tears, showing me she didn’t want to go, but her duty called.

  The shrill ring of my cellphone interrupted our quiet moment. I checked the screen and saw Pete’s name on the display. He was the chief of police, and technically speaking, my other boss.

  “Valentino,” I answered.

  “We need your expertise over here. We’ve got a crime scene and it’s bad.” He didn’t bother with a greeting, and his tired irritation echoed through the line.

  “Yes, sir. Text me the address and I’ll be there.” This can’t be good. I sighed and returned the phone to my pocket, before turning back to Amoria. “I’ve got to go, I’m sorry, but I’ll be back,” I added before she could ask.

  I left the house and came across Dan, still in the garden, and noticed the confusion etched into his perfect features when he saw me.

  “Where are you going? We still have to choose an outfit for you to wear tonight.”

  “I know, but I have to go. Something came up.” I only gave Dan half my attention as I checked my phone for the text from Pete.

  “What is it?” he asked me, concern heavy in his voice.

  “Just got a call from the chief. There’s a crime scene and they need my help.”

  “Oh, that can’t be good.”

  “It never is.”

  In my line of work, I helped with crimes which had ties to the supernatural, or at least, the ones which didn’t look like a normal crime. They were usually insanely gory and beyond the realms of human explanation. Pete, who I’ve been working with for a couple years now, knows his stuff. If it was something human-related, he wouldn’t have even bothered calling me, but if there was even a hint of supernatural to a case, I was the first call he made.

  My partner Jack and I were quite the team at solving supernatural crimes and cleaning things up to make it appear more human-like. Pete prefers to be left out of most details concerning our cases, for personal reasons, I guess...or maybe so he doesn’t have to report to his superiors things he just doesn’t understand. I’ve never asked, and he’s never said. He just wants things done and back to normal as fast as possible.

  “Don’t be late. You can’t afford to be, believe me.”

  I dragged my attention back to Dan. “I’ll try not to.”

  “Don’t try. Be here on time,” he snapped at me.

  “Yes, Master!” The chief’s irritation seemed to have transferred to me, mixed in with the grief I already felt at the thought of losing Amoria.

  The glare Dan sent my way would have withered a lesser man. Thankfully, I received the text from Pete with the address before things could get any worse.

  I knew the area the crime occurred in pretty well. Sophisticated apartment complexes lined the neighborhood, and to the delight of the humans who love living in the city’s center, they were shockingly affordable and very spacious.

  “Alright, Dan, I have to go. And yes, I’ll be here,” I told him a bit more respectfully, though my voice still held a weary tone.

  “Make sure you are,” Dan said firmly.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I mumbled under my breath as I made my way to my car.

  Not that I had any choice in the matter. Later that night, Amoria would welcome a new guardian to take her place. I will no longer be her consort, and she will no longer be in the human world. Even though I didn’t want her to go, I truly had no choice in the matter.

  ~

  I’ve heard people say there’s at least one thing you’ll see in your life that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Well, this crime scene just might be that “thing” for me.

  The murdered victim was flat on his back, and adding to the horror, he was left completely naked. This man hadn’t been allowed to keep even a small amount of dignity intact. His legs were spread wide on the white velvet carpet, which was now tinted crimson with his blood. His chest had been ripped open and an expression of shock and pain was frozen on his face. Whoever this man had been, he’d suffered immensely. A circle with several symbols was drawn around him.

  “So, what do you think happened here?” Pete asked me, his face pale from the shock of the murder and probably from exhaustion.

  “It looks like the victim was part of a Dark Summoning.”

  “And?” He snapped at me.

  “And what?”

  “I want more details! What kind of summoning? Was it demonic? Or was it something else?”

  I looked at the symbols within the circle surrounding the body. My detective job required I study the magic elements used in rituals. Being the consort to a fae was a source of knowledge, and I learned a bit of fae magic over my years with Amoria. As a half-incubus, I had my own abilities I could tap into as well. All of this means I could usually recognize just about every magic symbol used in a summoning, and whether it was from the light or the dark.

  But this time, I simply could not recognize the markings within the circle. In fact, they were all new to me, and this troubled me deeply.

  “It’s not demonic, I don’t think. Whoever did this knew exactly who or what they were summoning. To make matters worse, it appears the victim was alive when the creature came out from within him, eating its way through. The only thing that would have made this a demonic summoning is if the body had been a blood sacrifice. I think this much blood spilled was from the trauma itself, not intentional.”

  “Jesus,” an officer whispered, and immediately threw up in the corner.

  “So, it’s not human at all?” Jack asked.

  “Whatever was summoned has probably taken human form by now. But I’m sure it was some type of animal creature when it came out. Just look at the scratch marks on the floor.” I pointed out the deep claw marks on the wooden floor where the carpet ended. “Could’ve been a forced summoning, but I doubt it.”

  “Why him? And right here in his own apartment, where none of the other residents claim to have heard a damned thing,” Jack said, more to himself than anyone else.

  “So how did you find out about it?” I asked Pete.

  “Got a 911 call about a dying man at this address. When police officers arrived and found him, they called me. When I saw the scene, I called you.”

  “Did you find out who made the call?”

  “No.”

  “Whoever killed him must’ve known him, so it was probably easy to bewitch the guy. Or maybe the man was messing around with things he didn’t fully understand and paid the price,” I said as I looked around for more clues, but all I saw and sensed were blood, death and pain. I turned and looked at Jack first, then Pete. “This a serious a matter.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Pete, who was looking at me with intensity, as if he knew it was about to get a hell of a lot messier.

  “I don’t think this is over. Whoever performed this ritual, because I really don’t think the man did this himself, is still out there. And so is the thing that came out of this man’s chest.”

  ~

  As I waited outside for the victim to be transported to the local morgue, I gave one last look back at the apartment. I couldn’t shake the feeling someone, or something, was watching me, but I saw nothing. I shivered as a chill rushed over me.

  I don’t like this at all.

  I finally gave up waiting and headed toward my car but stopped when Pete called out to me.

  “Wait!” Pet
e walked over to me, and I could see the exhaustion lining his face, even more so than usual. “We got a name. Ken Bob, thirty-seven years old, owner of an old antique store near Chinatown.”

  “An old antique store? Maybe that’s how he met the summoner.”

  “Go check it out.”

  I knew Pete wanted this crime solved like yesterday, especially since it was something involved with the supernatural, but I was going to have to piss him off.

  “I’ll definitely do it tomorrow, but I can’t tonight.”

  There was no way I could get out of this, and no excuse, not even a murder, would be good enough.

  “Why not tonight?” Pete asked me, narrowing his eyes.

  “I’m meeting my new guardian, and it’s required I be there.”

  “Oh. Amoria’s leaving?” Pete asked with surprise. He’d met Amoria once, when we were working a crime which involved a band of ogres gone wild in North Philly.

  “Yes,” I answered shortly, afraid saying too much would cause me to lose it. “So I have to be there, but I’ll start working this case first thing tomorrow.”

  Pete nodded once, and I turned and slid inside my car, feeling the chief’s eyes on me the whole time.

  ~

  I arrived back at the mansion, and as I walked up the front steps, I saw Dan standing near the entrance, arms crossed across his chest.

  “Oh gods, are they here already?” I asked him. I felt my stomach clench, because I’d promised Amoria I would be here, and I didn’t want her to leave a bad impression on the new guardian because of me.

  “No, but his plane has already landed,” he informed me as he opened the door.

  “Sorry. The investigation went longer than I thought it would,” I explained and followed him inside.

  “What happened this time?”

  “Oh, you know. The usual mysterious brutal murder and stuff,” I answered sarcastically. I probably shouldn’t have said it like that, all flippant and blasé, but if you could see even half the things I have, you’re bound to use tactics like this to avoid having to talk about the details.

  “Where’s Amoria?” I asked Dan in an attempt to distract him from asking any further questions.

  “She’s in her chamber getting ready, which is what you need to be doing. You stink of death. A bath has already been prepared for you, so let’s get to it,” he commanded as he pushed me gently forward.

  “You know exactly what I need,” I said adoringly, then laughed as he responded to my teasing with a loud smack of his hand across my ass.

  I followed him to the bathing place, which is large enough for five people. The scent of roses and jasmine filled the air, naturally scenting the entire room. I undressed myself and slid into the warm water, sighing as I felt my muscles begin to relax.

  “I’m going to keep you company,” Dan announced as he removed his clothes.

  I sat wide-eyed, unable to look away from the perfection that was his body.

  “Wow! Amazing,” I whispered softly.

  He released a laugh, and I realized I obviously hadn’t been as quiet as I’d thought. Dan slid into the water, but I was still frozen, mesmerized as I watched every inch of him disappear below the water. He picked up a sponge and the soap, then began washing my back, which I found to be quite relaxing. Nevertheless, I couldn’t completely relax knowing how very close to me the other man was, especially when his naked body pressed against my back.

  “You know, this is the first time I’ve you seen you naked.” I said, without looking back at him.

  “Does it make you uncomfortable?” He leaned closer and I felt his soft lips brush against my ear.

  “I have always respected you and found you attractive, and there have been many times I was curious...but no, I’m not uncomfortable, just a bit shocked.” I answered honestly.

  “Good.”

  “Guess this is our first and last bath together,” I lamented as I leaned against him and he began to rub the sponge over my chest.

  “You know you can come and visit us.”

  “I know. It’s just...it’ll never be the same.”

  “Believe me, I know. It saddens us too, but we have no choice.”

  “Destiny sucks, big time.”

  A few minutes of silence passed as he continued to wash me, and I continued to enjoy it. Then I felt the sponge pause mid-stroke on my chest, and I opened one eye.

  “Valentino?” Dan spoke my name softly, which caused me to turn my head toward him in concern, as this man had never spoken a particularly soft word to me in all the time I’ve known him.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Do you want to make love?”

  “Whoa! Wait...with you?”

  “Yes, is that bad?”

  “No! No, I’m just surprised and...well, why now?”

  “You said it yourself, it will be our last time together here. And I want to.” Dan then flicked my ear with his tongue, sending a chill down my body and causing my member to harden almost instantly.

  “I didn’t realize you’re a lover of men,” I whispered breathlessly.

  “You humans always feel the need to separate love into categories and labels,” he said as he shook his head. “Love has no limits for the fae.”

  So I noticed, I thought to myself.

  “I’m an excellent lover, if you’re afraid I will give a poor performance,” he told me with a wink.

  “Really?” I asked teasingly, turning to face him completely. “Are you now?”

  “Oh, yes,” he murmured, then gently kissed my lips.

  I couldn’t help but moan once I got a taste of him. He tasted so good, like warm cinnamon and sweet caramel. His lips were as soft as velvet. As I continued to kiss him, I suddenly felt extremely lightheaded, and I knew he was aware of his effect on me, because he held me tightly in his arms to keep me from sinking beneath the water.

  “Sorry,” I told him as I felt my head return to normal. “I got a little dizzy there.”

  “I’m sorry! I lost myself in your lips and wasn’t thinking. I forgot to drop my shield.” He smoothed his finger gently over my lips as he explained and apologized.

  Not wanting me to become dizzy again, Dan dropped his shield and opened himself to me. I then sipped on his life force, just enough to give me some much-needed strength. The minute I felt his energy course through me, all hell broke loose between us. I kissed him vigorously as I grabbed onto his firm ass and pinned him against me, grinding my hips against his.

  The warm water made our bodies slick, and both our hard cocks rubbing against each other felt fantastic. I felt him as he grew even larger and harder, and I heard his hiss of pleasure. He got on his knees in one swift movement, making the water splash all around, then took my cock in a firm grip with one hand, as he sucked me into his mouth, running his tongue softly over my sensitive tip. With each flick, I could feel a gentle pulse deep inside, and it was driving me wild. An overwhelming explosion of sensation blasted over me as he swallowed me, causing me to lose my breath for a moment, before releasing a low moan of pleasure.

  One of us must have decided we needed to get out of the tub, because the next thing I knew, we were both lying on a small sofa. I was on top of him, and our bodies still dripped with water. I kissed him again, biting his bottom lip, and he growled in response, biting me back. I licked down his chest until I reached his fully-erect cock, and began to swirl my tongue over the head, until finally sliding its length inside my mouth.

  Dan groaned and grabbed my head with both hands, quickening my movements. I looked up at him, and his eyes—his beautiful eyes—glowed brightly from both lust and need. I kept sucking him, and the taste of his delicious pre-cum made me suck even more, wanting every drop.

  “Enough!” he commanded, then flipped me onto my back. “Let me show you just how I take care of things.”

  He growled as he slowly entered me, inch by inch, until he was all the way inside, filling me completely. Slowly, he moved in and out, savo
ring each sensation and stroke. He took his time, until neither of us could stand it a moment longer. The need for release overruled all else as he thrust himself inside my body. Pain and pleasure mixed into one, until all I saw was a whiteness of heightened sensations, a merging of two souls as one, a huge explosion of orgasmic dynamite.

  We screamed together, loudly, as our bodies shook from the incredible unified release we just shared.

  “By the gods, Valentino! That was amazing. You’re quite a lover!” Dan praised me, his cock still inside me, and his body still above me, glistening with sweat.

  “I could say the same of you. Now get up, we have to get ready,” I reminded him with a gentle tap on his ass.

  We finished bathing this time, dried ourselves, then rushed into the dressing area and donned our best attire. We left the room in search of Amoria, the future Faery Queen, the very same who stole my breath once we found her.

  The magnificent gown she wore appeared to be made of starlight, dew drops, and delicate glistening spider webs. Her bronze skin seemed to glow from within, and her raven hair was embroidered with numerous precious pearls.

  “Wow! You look...incredibly stunning,” I managed to say, despite the feeling of mind-numbing awe that filled me over her beauty.

  “Thank you, as do the both of you.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Dan answered, bowing down to her.

  “Dan, I’m not a queen yet, there is no need for such formality.” Amoria reminded him, surprised by his reaction.

  “My apologies, my lady, but you already have the elegance of a grand queen,” he replied, as he stared at her, pride showing clearly on his face.

  “Yes, you do,” I agreed as I moved to stand next to her.

  “Let’s get ready to meet our guests,” she said, then glided down the steps. “Dan, if you would please?”

  “Yes, my lady,” Dan said as he walked ahead toward the door.