Hearts in Darkness (Nikki & Michael 2)

"He binds us,” she continued. “He captures us, forces us into human form. You must stop him." The lights behind her shivered and swayed, as if emphasizing her words . I've stepped into wonderland, she thought, and felt the lump on the side of her head. Maybe this was all just some weird dream. Maybe she was still unconscious in the meadow.

"Who binds you?” she asked eventually.

Her question sparked feverish activity in the lights. Rainbows splashed across the darkness, reflecting brightly off the black stone walls that surrounded them.

"He does,” Ginger said.

Nikki snorted softly. “Yeah, but who is he?"

"He who is accompanied by she."

This was not making a whole lot of sense. It had to be a dream, surely. “And she is?"

"She has the darkness in her. Like the man who accompanies you." A chill ran through her. She swallowed to ease the sudden dryness in her throat. “What do you mean?"

"She feeds off life. She walks in darkness and knows no light." Vampire, Nikki thought, rubbing her arms. Perhaps the same vampire that had attacked her in the warehouse. “But what did you mean about Michael?"

Ginger shrugged. It seemed an awkward movement. “He walks the line between light and dark. He has the taste of the woman on him."

Her words made no sense. In three hundred years, Michael had only tasted one human—her. Or was that a lie, too? The chill biting through her limbs increased. “Meaning?" "We can not trust him. Only you. You must help us."

"How can I help you when I don't understand what it is you want?"

"You must stop him,” Ginger repeated, as if talking to a child. Back to square one, Nikki thought wearily. Maybe she should try a different tack. “What are you, Ginger? What are the lights?"

"We are flame imps. We are of this land."

As explanations went, it didn't help much. But perhaps Michael would know. “And you can take human form?” It seemed an obvious question, yet the awkwardness of Ginger's movements suggested she was unfamiliar with this particular body.

"Only when the new cycle begins. He has forced this form upon us." Nikki had a feeling that if she asked what ‘new cycle’ meant, the answer would only leave her more confused. She eyed the lights for a minute. They seemed agitated by Ginger's words. “And he wants to do the same to your friends?"

Ginger shook her head. “Only some. Others he uses in his magic. We die." The lights muted, becoming gray. Sadness seemed to hang in the air.

"What about Rodeman. Why marry him? What was the purpose behind that?"

"He makes us marry."

"But why?"

"To bring them here."

"Do you know why?” She felt like a CD that had become irreparably stuck on one line. Ginger shook her head. “We only bring them here."

"So where is Rodeman now?"

"He is with him. In the darkness."

Alarm spread through her. Sparks leapt across her fingers. “This darkness?" The lights shivered, their glow darkening to purple. “No,” Ginger said. “This is our last home. The last place of safety we have."

Nikki didn't ask where exactly that was. Given the heat in the rocks, the deadness in the air and the night's utter pitch, she had a feeling the answer was one she wouldn't like. “Then where has he taken Rodeman?"

"To the spaces underneath the hotel."

Caverns, she probably meant, though this didn't seem the sort of area that would have much in the way of underground caves. Nikki again scrubbed a hand across her eyes. “What about you, Ginger? What happens to you now?"

"We will die, as others have died. This body will not contain me. It will burn, and we will go with it. No longer will we dance under the orb of life."

The cavern went dark, and sadness washed in waves over her. Tears stung her eyes. “And nothing can stop this?"