Dark Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 1)

The cloaked figure laughs humorlessly. “We’ve had her once. Somehow he managed to get her out of a very well-fortified compound. I’m not making the same mistake twice. She’ll be doubly guarded from now on, and no one will fall for such a stupid ruse as they did before. It’s too risky, and Gage is of no consequence to me. I made Gavin strong, and now you’ll take his place.”

Smiling wickedly behind the veil of darkness, the cloaked figure hands the dark user a box. The dark user takes it curiously, opening it to find a seemingly dull stone.

“What’s this?”

“The first step into making you as strong as Gavin ever was. Touch it and see.”

Breath rushes out of the dark user as the stone comes to life just under his fingertips, and he groans as the magic flows from the stone into his body, filling him with power he didn’t know could exist.

As he revels in the powerful charge, the cloaked figure continues on.

“They have magical charms on Gavin. I feel my hold over him growing weaker by the second. Once I know for sure they’re not going be visiting him, I’ll release him from the blood oath and wipe his memories the best I can from here.”

The dark user catches his breath and nods toward his master. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

A hand reaches out, stroking a delicate glass vase that holds a luminescent blue liquid inside.

“Any word on my twin creature gods?”

“No. Sorry. We’re tracking them down, but they’re good at hiding. It’ll be hard to get them to trust us. Do we have to have them?”

The leader’s hand caresses the vase once more, lovingly stroking the valuable piece of history that has been missing for so long. Now to find the rest.

“They are the Gemini twin, but we only need one. And we still need to find the rest of these,” the thoughtful voice says, motioning to the blue liquid that seems to float inside the vase.

The dark user nods before bowing respectfully. “I’ll do all I can to fill in for Gavin.”

“That won’t be hard. As I said, Gavin was fighting me. Perhaps the royal ingrates did me a favor by taking the chink in our armor.”

“And the royal family?” the dark user asks. “How do we deal with them? They’re out there looking for leads to find us.”

Smirking, the cloaked mystery turns to face the dark user, letting him see the blackened eyes that match the hardened soul hidden within the depths. The dark user staggers, feeling the weight of the power emanating from the mystery he just accidentally solved.

“We won’t have to do a thing. They just freed hundreds of men and women who have been chained up. Some of them have been out of society for centuries. And they didn’t just free the ones who are innocent.”

The dark figure turns back toward the window, staring out at the wooded world around them. The lake just in front of them is one of the mortal world’s best. Pine Shore is where the gates of purgatory were opened, and that’s where the power is the strongest. Now it’s a game of finding all the missing links to solve the puzzle.

“The dark ones?” the dark user asks, swallowing hard.

“Oh, they’re much, much worse than merely dark. The bitten fey who were starved of blood… Well, insanity has chipped away at their minds for much too long. Eventually the bodies will start piling up. Not to mention all the ones who have lost their ability to feel regret or remorse after years of torture and scientific experiments. The royal family will be so consumed with sifting through the carnage of their noble intentions, that they won’t have time to notice us. Especially considering we won’t be working above the radar.”

The dark user scowls. “We’re stronger. We can take them.”

A harsh gasp escapes his lips as he’s flung across the room, and he cries out in agony as he grips his throat, clawing at the invisible force that is holding him back.

&n

bsp; “They have three creature gods,” the leader hisses. “They have surprised us with their skill and intelligence. Most importantly, they’re cautious and have an undying loyalty to each other. We let them chase down the others, and we work under the veil of the shadows. If we risk fighting them too soon, we lose it all.”

The foolish dark user is dropped to the ground, his breaths coming in harsh and coarse, punishment for his insolence. He really should know better.

“Of course,” he says, humbled now that he’s reminded of his place.

“We let them run after the chaos they accidentally unleashed, while we thrive as a result. The only things we need to acquire before the red moon eclipse are the other essences, one of the Gemini twins, and of course, and then the most important element.”

The dark user smirks. “The princess.”

The master smiles at the apprentice, a wicked smile that could raise the hairs on the dead. “Then we can take the world back. No one will be able to stop us once we’ve succeeded in finishing the ritual.”