The Aching Darkness_A Dark Fantasy Anthology Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Connect With The Aching Darkness Team

  The Aching Darkness Title

  Copyright

  Content Description

  A Darker Fall Cover

  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH PARKER SINCLAIR

  Copyright

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  GLOSSARY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Brevity Cover

  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH ALEXIA PURDY

  Copyright

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  White Matron: Deadly Secrets Cover

  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH JESSICA OZMENT

  Copyright

  Dedication

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lord of Blood Cover

  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH ROBERT STOCK

  Copyright

  The Trophy Room

  Bathed in Blood

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH THE ACHING DARKNESS TEAM

  Website:

  TheAchingDarkness.wordpress.com

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  The Aching Darkness: A Dark Fantasy Anthology

  Copyright © 2017

  Rawlings Books, LLC

  RawlingsBooks.com

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  For more information visit our website:

  TheAchingDarkness.WordPress.com

  Cover Design by: Jessica Ozment

  Formatting by: Christie Lee

  Paperback Edition ISBN: 978-1979294881

  CONTENTS

  A Darker Fall…………………..……………….

  Parker Sinclair

  Dark Angel, Ilese, is part of an elite government team, Operation Quietus. Their mission, to destroy monsters unleashed by The Fallen, and Ilese is the only one who can annihilate them forever.

  Brevity…………………………………………

  Alexia Purdy

  Witnesses to the end of the world, two airmen race against a plague infecting the city of Las Vegas which turns people into bloodthirsty creatures. Ground zero for outbreak, they’ll learn the ones responsible are closer than they thought and the city, under siege, will never be the same.

  White Matron-Deadly Secret.……………………….

  Jessica Ozment

  Fey Westfall is a White Witch on the cusp of gaining her true power. Not only has she lost everything she knows and loves, she’s also on the verge of unraveling a complicated past that has an unbreakable bond with her destiny.

  Lord of Blood…………………………………….

  Robert Stock

  Killer, lover, immortal; Joe Smith is a vampire that saves as many lives as he takes. He’s a surgeon, and a literal Lord of Blood, bending flesh and plasma to his will. In the ER, he performs miracles. In the darkness, he performs atrocities. But don’t worry, he only kills the bad ones...mostly.

  BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  The Alex Conner Chronicles

  Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One

  Truth: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book Two

  Forbidden: An Alex Conner Chronicles Novella

  Only: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book Three

  YA Epic Fantasy

  Eve of the Exceptionals

  CONNECT WITH PARKER SINCLAIR

  Website: ParkerSinclair.net

  Newsletter: parkersinclair.net/contact

  Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/Parker-Sinclair/e/B00Q33GTQM

  Instagram: @ParkerSinclairauthor Twitter: @Parker_Sinclair

  A Darker Fall: A Dark Angel Novella

  Copyright © 2017 by Parker Sinclair

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Rawlings Books, LLC

  http://rawlingsbooks.com

  Cover Art by Jessica Ozment

  Edited by Heather Anne Osborne & Stephany Wallace

  Book Design by Christie Lee

  CHAPTER 1

  Monsters

  These boots have become imposing weights laced and tied to my feet. Despite the burden, I maintain my stealth and near silent approach. I lift, rotate, and then land once again, avoiding the miscellaneous obstacles littering the floor. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for my team, which is hardly quiet enough. Even though my hearing is ten times that of a normal human, the Queen’s will be equally as impressive. How they manage to avoid barreling through the mayhem, just enough to keep gun shells from rolling and clattering every which way, is a miracle. And Josh thought I was too hard on our units with the explosive trap exercise. I think I proved a few minor injuries were well worth it to get these troops on their toes.

  The sun is starting to peek over the mountains, its orange desert glow providing more light to the chaos. My team has been struggling in and out of their night-vision goggles since we got here, but possessing the gift of seeing in the dark, the lack of light hasn’t mattered to me. Some rooms have lights still intact, while some can only flicker, teetering on their last failing sparks and frayed wires.

  “Ilese. Do you think we are close? Is she here?” Josh slips next to me like a wraith. The protective gear gives a boost to his already-ripped appearance, as his light green eyes nearly glow in the darkness, a dead giveaway of his mixed bloodline. He’s my second-in-command and a hybrid, half Dark Angel, and half human. His orbs are a sharp contrast to mine. Full-blood Angels have light blue eyes, as opposed to Dark Angels. Ours are the darkest of blacks—black as the spaces deep underground. Yet, a light band of blue surrounds them, the only indication of our heritage and service to all that’s pur
e and good, even with our dealings in death. Josh is a rarity, and I know my luck at having him on my team, though others may find it hard to agree, and he can be a bit of a distraction.

  Like most of the elders, my family is from the pure lines and believes solely in the miracle of untainted Angels. Back in the darkest of ages, Josh would have been killed at birth, if not before. I’m hoping my stand on this will turn the tides, but it’s hard to unframe a mindset which has been around since time began—for some, even longer still. Besides, that’s not the real reason Josh is a distraction. Not that I’m admitting that to anyone, least of all myself.

  “Ilese?”

  He knows damn well I heard him, but he should also know when I don’t answer, it means I don’t know. I don’t know if we are close, or if the Queen is still here. What I am certain of is, she was here, and she managed to assist in some terribly destructive and gory acts before we got the emergency call. We’re usually sent in as the second wave to ensure success; but when things go to shit, like today, we come in to assess the damage and save anyone we can. My job normally consists of killing the formidable creations of the Fallen Angels, both the Queen’s and their destructive children. My Dark Angel abilities add strength and quick healing to my exceptional night vision and hearing. A sturdy opponent is necessary will facing monstrosities from hell.

  Our eyes meet, and I give Josh that look, one which tells him exactly what he should know already, before jerking my head in the direction where he ought to be with his unit. His eyes trace the long red strand of hair that’s escaped my helmet. I tuck it away, annoyed by the way his roving attention stirs an odd flutter in my belly. With a last knowing glance, I take a deep breath once Josh backs away, moving to his team. My long exhale calms me before I continue my search.

  Every bloody form we’ve come across has been deader than dead. Once we had pushed open the main door, stepping foot into the Arizona mansion, we had seen the humans littered in every direction. They hadn’t managed to get very far during their raid. Ripped off heads stare at us with lifeless eyes; organs, torn out and shredded apart are scattered from their original resting spots. Grisly intestinal trails litter the floor, resembling albino worms shriveled and cemented along the roadway after a storm.

  The scene has the sights and smells of newly turned vengeance. Those fully formed, yet of younger rebirths normally stick with the Queen, which means our intel was shit. Now, the best we can hope for is the first team is dead, meaning no one has been turned, because they got splattered all over the fucking floors and walls. Regular law enforcement may find leads and run stings based on criminal acts involving guns, sex, and money, but not the monsters. That’s where my units come in. Ordinarily, we take care of things like this, nice and cute. However, that’s when we have good intel.

  We were told this house was full of human lackeys, but then, the creatures must have showed. Humans may run the evil business on the outside, but the damaged minds of those murderers and thieves can literally be turned into soulless and mindless monsters known as Hollow Walkers. The Queen creates them to serve the deadly army, which keeps us from gaining ground in the war on evil. There was no end in sight to the human trafficking, drug addiction, and arms dealings which led to wars; that is, until my teams were formed. Once we were in place, we shut things down with ease and speed, winning and tipping the scales—until today. Somehow, we fell into this trap, losing the lives of some of our top soldiers. There’s only one explanation—we have a mole. Now, no one will be safe until we find out who or whom they are, and shut them down.

  Shuffling sounds to my left hit my eardrums. I make a hand signal, which starts a chain reaction down my line to Josh’s. No one moves. All intakes of breath seem to cease as I check it out alone. A limbless body to my left jerks uncontrollably, making squishing sounds against its own pool of blood and escaped body parts. Moving closer, my weapon aimed at the flailing form in front of me, the head moves, and I catch a glimpse of glowing red eyes. A twisted smile elevates off the ground as he lifts his head, sneering in my direction. My instincts trigger, before a single thought leaves my brain, and I stomp my booted foot against the creature’s chest with my sight trained on its forehead.

  Finch stares back at me, but he’s no longer the man we knew. No, he’s begun his transformation into one of the creatures I was born to fight and ultimately destroy. The Fallen Angel’s creations, the Hollow Walkers, are twisted into being by one of the few Queens hidden in the world. Queens hell-bent on consuming the souls of anyone they can get their claws on. Predominantly, they take the scabs working for them or those impacted by drug addiction, violence, and any type of mental and physical slavery, but today, they’ve entrapped one of my soldiers, and I’m beyond pissed. I look at Finch, changed into one of the soul-sucking minions by a Queen I hope to destroy before leaving this place of death and doom.

  I’ve never hesitated before, and I don’t now as the Walker’s newly deformed and heavily clawed arms and legs shoot from Finch’s body trying to grab hold of me. It doesn’t get a chance as I put a bullet in the monster’s head, paralyzing the body while I kneel down and look into the devil’s darting eyes. Its freakish orbs move in all around directions, frantically searching for a new host, but it won’t get a chance. My obsidian irises spark, igniting the blue hoops of fire surrounding them, as they lock onto the creature. It can’t resist the pull from a Dark Angel’s gaze; hardly anything alive can. It’s a power only those of my kind wield over the Hollow Walkers and their Queen.

  Red, beady eyes stare back at me, before their irises explode, taking the rest of Finch with them to meet the same demise. The engulfing inferno is eerily quiet, making quick work of the once human body as Finch is turned to ash in seconds. A pile of dust settles to the ground while ash continues to float and fall, outlining the once human form. Josh’s silent footsteps don’t signal his approach, as much as the hybrid’s closeness charges the air pressing against my back.

  “It was Finch,” I whisper in a matter-of-fact voice, without glancing his way.

  “I’m sorry. He was a good man and an even better soldier.”

  Wheeling on him, my lips nearly press against his tight, tank-topped chest. I take a step back, grimacing, knowing my feet have landed on what used to be Finch. “He did his job, and I did mine. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

  Taking back the space, I managed in my retreat; Josh’s green eyes bore into mine once again. His clenched teeth look as if they can break glass, while his poised muscles will break even the strongest of the Queen’s monsters. Believe it or not, the thing Finch became isn’t the worst of what we’ve seen.

  “We don’t have time for this. That wasn’t Finch, and if you were a pure Dark Angel, you wouldn’t even think, let alone say such human things. Get your unit and continue the sweep. I’m certain Finch isn’t the only one turned.”

  Josh knows, as well as I do, the fully transformed young tend to be incredibly and uncontrollably violent, and equally as strong. Some of the Hollow Walkers stay as close to human as Finch, we call those Stage Ones, or S1s for short. And the others, well, let’s say they’re the things of nightmares. Hopefully, the Walkers didn’t manage to salvage any more souls from the team to even allow the Queen time to convert any more of our comrades. The change is made possible through a Queen’s sheer evil force of will. Her power, in tandem with the Fallen’s, surges through her blood. Blood I share.

  Josh moves from me, signaling his team to follow, and this time, he moves far from mine. We don’t usually split this far apart in these types of situations. Something else must be driving him to break procedure. I should call him back, but the thought is fleeting. Josh can handle himself. He may not have all of my abilities, but he has enough to hold his own against a Hollow Walker.

  An eerie chill runs up my spine, causing me to clench my fists, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around myself. I’m not one to feel hot or cold, so perhaps this is my internal warning system kicking in. The Queen mu
st still be here, and if she is, she may already know of my presence. I hope she chooses to fight versus fleeing. A Dark Angel’s death would be a fine prize in the eyes of her Fallen. That alone may convince her to stay and take me on—damn, do I hope so.

  It doesn’t take long before we’ve searched our team’s entire quadrant in time to see Josh’s start their return to us, not more than fifty feet away.

  “We’ve found nothing.”

  Josh’s static-ridden intel pisses me off. How did she get away, and with all her fiends in tow? He continues before I have a chance to spat out my response.

  “At least no one else was turned into one of those things. Everyone’s accounted for. The troops would have wanted it that way.”

  What they would have wanted was to go in, kick some ass, and then leave intact, but not today. Something grates on my nerves. Why would the Walkers leave the Finch creation behind? A Queen never leaves her babies unattended. She’d sooner fight than abandon one of her young. Maybe she thought the change didn’t take in time; then again, maybe not.

  “Why don’t we do one last sweep, together? Maybe there’s a basement or crawl space area we didn’t see.” The house is on a slab; at least that’s what we were told, along with how it appears. Though that’s the same shitty intel from before, and these monsters are capable of anything.

  Josh’s line clicks, allowing me to respond, though I consider calling out since his team is so close. “This building is on a slab. There’s nothing…”

  As the words scarcely leave my mouth, thick, clawed tentacles yank the legs out from under Josh’s team. They’re dragged away in an instant, haplessly scratching to get a hold on the tiled floor.