Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson Guardian 5)

I stepped through the door, and almost immediately saw the sturdy-looking guard to my right. Bang went my plans for a little easy breaking and entering.

"The Executive Room?" I asked, my gaze skimming the shadows, looking for cameras and infrareds. There were three of the former - one covering each door, and one near what looked to be an elevator - but none of the latter.

"Door to your left, ma'am," he said politely.

"Thanks." I lowered a shield and carefully felt for his mind, my psychic probe little more than a barely there caress.

The guard wasn't shielded, and his mind was wide open for invasion. Which suggested they either had nothing to hide, or that they didn't think they were ripe for trouble in the safety of their back rooms. It was mighty tempting to do a full mind-raid, but the cameras were on me and I couldn't afford to stand still. Not even for the short amount of time it would take to read his mind.

I turned on my heel and headed for the lushly padded doors to my left. While the cameras weren't infrared, disappearing into shadows in the middle of the corridor was likely to gain more than a little attention from whatever security forces were watching the screens.

The velvety doors slid open as I approached, and the soft purr of music spun out. Like the main room, the dance floor here dominated the space, but there were fewer tables and more sofas and beanbags spread out along the walls. The room itself was warmer in tone, the walls a rich gold and the furnishings a mix of leather and plush materials. The sensual and erotic melodies of the music mingled with the scent of lust and sex in the air, creating an ambience that was relaxing yet sexy. I breathed deep, allowing the atmosphere to soak deep inside. An answering tremor of excitement coursed through every fiber. Now, this room was more my style. I guess it was the more intimate atmosphere I found sexier - the main room was just too large for someone used to smaller venues.

I walked down the steps and around the dance floor, looking for anyone resembling Adrienne's drawing. The sights and sighs of mating were all around, and my own lust rose, sweetening the air. A shifter gravitated toward me, drawn like a bee to honey by the scent of a willing wolf in heat. I gave him a smile and shook my head. I'd made a promise, and I intended to keep it.

I claimed a booth toward the rear of the room, placing my drink on the table before tugging off my shirt and dumping it beside the drink. If anyone happened to come looking for me - and there was no reason why they should - they'd think I was on the dance floor. After a quick look around to be sure there were no eyes or cameras pointed my way, I faded into shadow.

It was easy enough to slip through the darkness hugging the dance floor. The tricky bit was timing the sweep of muted lights with someone going through the main door. I missed several chances thanks to the timing of the lights, but finally followed a panting and naked couple out of the door. They went right, to the bathroom. I stepped left, into the deeper darkness.

The guard sniffed, his nose rising a little as he tasted the air. Scenting me, even if he couldn't see me. I gave him no time to place the aroma or hit the alarm, just lowered several layers of shields and stormed into his mind. He was mine in an instant.

I rifled quickly through his thoughts and memories, finding nothing when it came to Adrienne or Jodie, and very little else that was useful - mainly because he did little more than follow orders handed down from his shift supervisor.

I made him open the door and peer inside, as if investigating a noise, then I slipped past him, into the shadows of the smaller room. When he closed the door again, I released him, keeping only the barest psychic hold on him so I'd know if he heard or suspected anything unusual.

This room was all dark paneling and thick comfortable seating. The air was warm and sweet smelling, the aroma a mix of leather, alcohol, and sex. Interestingly, there were no security cams and no dance floor, but there was a large well-stocked bar.

There didn't seem to be anything of interest in this room, and yet instinct prickled.

Frowning, I walked around, inspecting the walls, looking for anything odd. There didn't seem to be anything out of place, and certainly nothing that would explain my growing certainty that this room held secrets.

I flicked to the infrared of my vampire vision, and looked around again. That's when I discovered the other room. It was behind the wall to the right of the entrance, and there didn't appear to be a door into it. Not from this room, anyway.

I walked over, then flicked off the infrared. The wall looked totally solid, but maybe there was a hidden entrance. I mean, it looked like a storage room, so why wouldn't there be a door somewhere? It made no sense, otherwise. I raised a hand, expecting to meet wood paneling. Instead, my fingers met nothing, disappearing into the wall.

What appeared to be solid concrete and wood paneling was, in fact, a fake barrier that divided the room into two.

After a moment's hesitation, I stepped through. Energy caressed my body, making my skin tingle and my hair stand on end. I'd felt a sensation like that before, in the den of the dark god. Someone had set up magical barriers on this door, meaning there was obviously something worth protecting in the room beyond.

But if the barrier had been set to protect, why was I able to step through?

From this side the barrier looked almost nonexistent. There was only a slight shimmer of energy to suggest there was any division between the two rooms. This half of the room beyond was much smaller, with only half a dozen steps between the false wall and the real back wall. Air flowed gently from the thick darkness to my right, but it was the setup on my left that caught my interest.

Someone had set themselves up a recording room, complete with several expensive-looking video cameras that sat on desks facing the false wall. It seemed the owners were filming events in the other room. Maybe they had a sideline of blackmail going on. Which, while illegal, wasn't exactly what I was here to uncover. And given Adrienne hadn't even made it in here, it wasn't what she'd discovered, either. Unless, of course, she'd seen it when she'd brushed against the stranger in the hall.

So why would she then go on to the island? Why not expose the blackmailing scheme, if that was what was going on? Was there any connection at all to the three missing women, or was it pure chance she'd disappeared the same way as those others?

I'd barely stepped away from the cameras when there was a sharp sound from the shadows, then a door opened and light suddenly swept across the darkness, just missing my toes.

Two men were framed in the light, one human, one not. Both armed.

If I didn't get my ass out of there, I was one caught puppy. bed my arms, and wished I could pinpoint the precise location of the dark soul. It seemed near and yet not, outside rather than inside. Which was why I stood here rather than getting that woman out of the house and away. I might be risking her life by remaining still, but I didn't dare do otherwise until the dark soul was near and visible. This might be our only chance to understand what the hell was going on.

The kettle whistled, the sound almost lost in the husband's continuing tirade. Mary reach for two cups, then tipped coffee into both.

That's when I saw it.

Black smoke, seeping into the room through the partially opened window on the opposite side of the room. It was featureless, this soul, bearing no resemblance to a human in any way, shape, or form. Perhaps it had never been human, even in life, though the anger and need to destroy that seemed to be emanating from it were both very human emotions.