Hanover M. L. N. - Black Sun`s Daughter 02 - Darker Angels, Ebook, English
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Darker Angels
BlackSun’sDaughterBook2
M.L.N. Hanover
Introduction
“Howlonghasthisbeengoingon?”
The teacher sat on the corner of his desk, a pile of ungraded math worksheets shifting under his
thigh, and thought about how best to answer. The woman stood, waiting. She was younger than he
was by almost a decade. Pale hair, ice-blueeyescreamlinensuitshoulderholsterShewasn’thow
he’dpicturedanFBIagentShewasalmostsmallenoughtositatoneofthekids’desksbutittooka
while to notice that. She seemed bigger.
How long had this been going on?
“Maybesixmonthsmoreorless”hesaid“butit’snotthekindofthingyoucanbesureImean
Daria’salwaysbeensmartandthisisn’taschoolsystemthat’sbeenmuchgoodwithsmartkids.
EspeciallysmartblackkidsShe’salwayshadastruggletofindherplacehere”
The woman smiled and nodded, the implicit message being that she understood. He was free to
speak, even about issues of race. The teacher relaxed a little.
“Whataboutthehurricane?”sheasked“ShewasherewhenKatrinahitwasn’tshe?”
“YeahwellThereisthat”hesaid“HerfamilytriedtorideitoutShemadeittotheSuperdome
withhergrandmotherandhersisterHerbrotherandmomtheydidn’tmakeitIdon’tknow
MaybeitstartedbackthenButthepastfewmonthsit’sgottenworseShe’slateforclasshalfthe
timeandmissingmaybeadayeveryweekHerwork’sperfectwhenshedoesitI’vegotthegrade
book right here. Hundreds and zeros. Nothing but”
The woman stepped forward, looking at the book in his proffered hand. The classroom windows
weredirtythedustandgritsofteningthelateafternoonlightThewomandidn’tstepbackandhe
found himself uncomfortably aware of her body close to his.
“ndthestories?”sheasked
“boutsixmonthslikeIsaidIknowalltheteachershereI’vetalkedtothemSheneverusedtolie
OryouknowwhatImeanNomorethananykiddoesNotlikethis”
“Iunderstand”thewomansaidleaningpasthimto put the grade book back on his desk. Her jacket
brushed against his shirt with the soft hushing sound of fabric on fabric. He cleared his throat. The
womanstrodeovertothewindowsasiflostinthoughtHecouldn’ttellifshewascomingontohim
or simplydidn’trecognizetheeffectshewashaving
“MindifIaskwhyher?”hesaid
The woman turned back, a question in her eyes.
“Daria”hesaid“She’sagoodkidIlikeherButWellIcansaythisbecauseIworkhereThere’sa
reasonwe’vegotsomanyprivateschoolsinNewOrleansThekidsIseeinherealotofthemdon’t
alwayshaveenoughfoodallthetimeOrgoodclothesThey’vegotdaddiesinjailoronthestreetor
missing. This is fourth grade, and some of them are already on drugs. I had a nine-year-old girl last
yeargotpulledoutbecauseshewasmessingaroundwiththeboysonschoolproperty”
“ndyouthinkbecauseDaria’snotfuckingtheotherstudentsshedoesn’tmatter?”thewomansaid
Hervoicedidn’tgiveawayanythingShe might have been amused or offended or curious to see how
he reacted to her clear, clean enunciation of the word fuck. He felt a twitch of anger, and crossed his
arms.
“I’msayingwe’vegotalotofkidsintrouble”hesaid
“Notlikeheryoudon’t”the woman said.
The slap of small shoes on the tile interrupted them. After classes got out, there were hardly any kids
still in the school building. The sound of one child running echoed down the hall, coming closer. The
teacher rose. The woman shifted her attention to the doorway, and Daria Glapion skidded through it.
Thegirl’sbreathwasrushedherfaceflushedThelongtightbraidsofherhairglowedSheworea
greenskirtandawhiteblousethatlookedmorelikeanadult’sclothescutsmallthansomething a
childwouldwearIftherewasfearinthegirl’sexpressionitwasnomorethanwhattheteacher
expectedfromachildwho’dcomelatetoherappointmentHesmiled
“Daria?”hesaid“ThisisKarenBlackShe’sthewomanwhowantedtotalkwithyou”
The FBI agent came forward. Daria swallowed once, then nodded to her and smiled theatrically.
“Idohopeyou’llforgivemybeingtardy”DariasaidwithanaffectedformalityHervoicewasso
adultshealmostsoundedBritish“Imeanttobehere beforebutmysisterwaseatenbyasnake”
HeshotaglanceatthewomanThat’sthekindofthingwehearallthetimeButtheFBIagentwas
fixed on Daria, the pale eyes suddenly soft and friendly, the smile warm and gentle. She knelt a little
to put herselfatDaria’sheightDaria’ssmileandposturekepttheirformalitybuthesawthegirl’s
eyes flicker.
“CanIaskyouaquestionDaria?”thewomansaid
“Butofcourse”
“ThesnakeTheonethatateyoursister?Whatcolorwasit?”
The shock on Daria’sfacewasstartlingThefalseairofsophisticationvanishedhereyeswentround
and her skin ashen. The teacher stepped forward with the sense that something dangerous had
happenedbutdidn’tknowwhoheshouldprotectorfromwhatTheFBIagent’s expression was soft
and reassuring and maternal. Her pale eyes had the hint of a smile at the corners.
“It’sokay”thewomansaid“You’reokayYoucantellme”
“Itwasshiny”DariasaidShesoundedterriblyyoung
The woman nodded, as if the two of them had said aloud something they both already knew. She
took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the sound of it loud enough to carry. It was a trick, breathing
likethathethoughtShe’stryingtokeepthegirlfrompanicking
“Okay”thewomansaid“Ineedtoaskyousomethingelsehoneyndit’sveryveryimportantthat
youtellmethetruthallright?It’sokayNoone’sgoingtohurtyouIt’sokaytotellmethetruthYou
understand?”
TherewasapauseHecouldseeDaria’spulseracinginthe hollow of her neck. She nodded.
“Doyoubelieveme?”thewomanaskedgently
DarianoddedagainThewomanreachedoutandtookthegirl’ssmalldarkhandinbothofherpale
onesDaria’sbreathwasfastherfacebloodlessHealmostspoketobreakthe unbearable tension in
the air, but something held him back.
“Thesethingsthatyou’retellingme”thewomansaid“Havetheyhappenedyet?”
The teacher leaned forward.
“No”Dariawhispered
The woman rose to her feet, her expression closed and tight. Where a moment before she had been
soft and gentle and welcoming, now she was solid and businesslike. Daria took a step backward,
biting her lip as if she could take the word back.
“Ihavetogo”thewomansaid
“What-”theteacherbegan
“Ihavetogorightnow”
ONE
“Hey”mydeadunclesaid“You’vegotacall”
I rolled over in bed, disoriented. A dream about meeting Leonard Cohen in a perfume factory was still
aboutasimmediateasrealityMypreviousday’sclotheswerepiledinthecornerofthetile floor
alongwiththeleatherbackpackIusedasapurseThepack’ssidepocketwasopenandglowingMy
uncleEric’svoicecameagain
“HeyYou’vegotacall”
I untangled myself from the sheets and stumbled over, promising myself for the thousandth time
that I would change the ringtone. The bedroom was still unfamiliar. The cell phone flashed a number
Ididn’trecognizebuttherewasaname-Karen Black- associated with it, so she must have been in his
contacts list someplace. I accepted the call.
“Unh?”Igruntedintothereceiver
“Ericit’sKarenI’vefoundit!”awomansaid“It’sinNewOrleansandIknowwhereit’sgoingnext
There’salittlegirlwithSightandshesayshersisteristhenexttargetIdon’tknowhowlongI’vegot
I need you”
It was a lot to take in. I hesitated, and the woman misinterpreted my silence.
“Okaywhat’sitgoingtotake?”shedemanded“NameyourpriceHeller”
“ctually”Isaid“That’scomplicatedI’mJayneEric’snieceHe’sumhepassedonlastyear”
ItwasKarenBlack’sturntobesilentIgaveheramomenttoletitsinkinIskippedthepartsabout
howhe’dbeenmurderedbyanevilwizardandhowseveralofEric’soldfriendsalongwitha
policeman who owed me a favor and a vampire with a grudge against the same wizard, had teamed
up to mete out summary roadside justice. I could get back to that later if I needed to.
“Oh”shesaid
“YeahHeleftmeprettymucheverythingIncludingthecellphoneSohiJayneherenythingI
can do to help out?”
The pause was longer this time. I could guess pretty well at the debate she was going through. I gave
her a hand.
“Thisisaboutridersisn’tit?”Iasked
“Yes”shesaid“Soyouknowaboutthem?”
“bstractspiritualparasitesComeinfromNextDoororthePleromaorwhateveryouwanttocallit”
IsaidasIwalkedcarefullybacktothebed“Takeoverpeople’sbodiesHaveweird-ass magical
powers, kind of like the magic humans can do, but way more effective. YeahI’vegottheFor
Dummies book, atleast”
“llright”shesaid“DidEricdidheevenmentionme?”
“No”Isaid“Sorry”
The woman on the other end of the line took a breath as I got back under the covers and pulled the
pillow behind my back. I heard Aubrey cough from one of the bedrooms down the hall.
“llright”shesaid“MynameisKarenBlackIusedtobeaspecialagentfortheFBIbouttenyears
ago, I started tracking down what I thought was a fairly standard serial killer. It turned out to be a
rider. We caught the horse, amannamedJosephMfumebuttheriderswitchedbodies”
“Sonotsoeasytotrack”Isaid
“No”sheagreed“MysupervisorswantedmetostopTheydidn’tbelievetherewasanythingtoit
ndwellX-Files was still popular back then. There were jokes. I was referred for psychiatric
counseling and taken off active duty. I resigned and went on with the investigation myself. Eric and I
crossedpathsafewtimesovertheyearsandIwasimpressedwithhisefficiencyI’vefoundwhere
the rider is going tostrikenextandIneedhelptostopitIthoughtofEric”
“Okay”Isaid
“Canyouhelpme?”
I rubbed my eyes with my free hand until little ghosts of false light danced in my vision.
“HellifIknow”Isaid“Letmetalktomyguysandcallyouback”
“Yourguys?”
“Ikindofhaveastaff”Isaid“Experts”
IcouldhearherturningthatovertooIwonderedhowmuchshe’dknownaboutEric’sfinancial
situation. For a man with enough money to buy a small third-worldnationhehadn’tflaunteditI
hadn’tevenknownuntilheleftmethewholethingMyguesswasKarenhadn’texpectedEricto
have a staff.
“Idon’tknowhowmuchtimeIhave”shesaid
“I’llgetbacktoyouassoonasIcanPromiseWe’reinthensrightnowsoitmaytakemeafew
daystogettoNewOrleans”
“Idon’tmeantoberudebutit’snotthatlongaflight”Karensaidimpatienceinhertone“You
could drive it in eight hours or so.”
It took me a second to process that.
“NotGeorgiathens”Isaid“thensthensCradleofcivilization”
“Oh”shesaidandthen“OhfuckWhattimeisitthere?”
I snuggled down under my covers and looked at the bedside clock.
“Oneinthemorning”Isaid
“Iwokeyouup”shesaid“Iamsosorry”
Amid a flurry of apologies and promises to return calls, Karen and I let each other go. I dropped the
phone next to the clock and stared at the ceiling.
ThelastsixmonthshadofferedmeawidevarietyofbedroomceilingsThefirstatEric’shousein
Denver when I was first thrown into the world of riders and possession and magic. Then the dark
wood and vigas of an old ranch outside Santa Fe, then a place in New Haven with honest-to-God
mirrors over the bed and red silk sheets, followed by a gray-green retro-seventies number in a
rentcontrolled apartment building in Manhattan that was so small I got hotel rooms for the guys.
There had been a much more civilized beige with a little unprofessional plaster repair near the corner
in a townhouse in London, and now the bare white with deep blue notes that said this Greek villa had
been a full-on tourist trap rental before Eric bought it.
The guys had been with me the whole time, apart from a couple weeks when Aubrey had gone back
to his former job at the University of Colorado to tie up some loose ends on his research. In the long,
complexprocessofinventoryingthepropertyandresourcesErichadleftbehindwehadn’tstayed
anyplace more than two months running, and most considerably less. None of it seemed like home
to me, and from experience, I knew I could stare at the dim white above me for hours and still not
sleep.
With a sigh, I got up, pulled on my robe, and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. A newspaper
onthecheapyellowFormicatableyelledoutheadlinesinanalphabetIdidn’tunderstand. I poured
myself a bowl of cereal with little bits of dried fruit and added milk that tasted subtly different from
the2%I’dgrownupwith
I heard the door of one of the other bedrooms open and soft footsteps come down the stairs. After
so many months together, I could differentiate Aubrey from Ex from Chogyi Jake without looking.
“Whydoyouthinkitis”Iasked“thatsomeonecanontheonehandbetalkingyouintoafight
against evil spirits and semi-demonic serial killers, but then on the other get embarrassed when they
figureouttheywokeyouuptodoit?”
“Idon’tknow”ubreysaidashesatdownacrossfromme“Maybehejustdidn’twanttoberude”
“Shedidn’twanttoberude”Isaid“Sexist”
Aubrey smiled and shrugged. Aubrey was beautiful the way a familiar leather jacket is beautiful. He
wasn’tallmusclesandvanityhedidn’tspendhoursonhiswardrobeandhairHissmilelookedlived-
in, and his body was comfortable and reassuring and solid. He always reminded me of Sunday
mornings and tangled sheets.
We’dbeenloversonceforaboutadaybeforeIfoundoutthat-point one-he was married and- point
two-I have a real hangup about sleeping with married men. I still had uncomfortably pleasant erotic
dreams about him sometimes. I also had divorce paperwork in my backpack, filled out by his wife
withhersignatureandeverythingIhadn’ttoldhimaboutthatItwasoneofthosethingsthatwas
so important and central to my life that putting it off had been very easy. Every time a chance came
uptotalkaboutitI’dbeenabletofindareasonnotto
“What’stheissue?”heaskedandIstartledalittlemystill-exhausted mind interpreting the question
as being about the divorce papers. I pulled myself together.
“There’sanex-FBI agent inNewOrleansShe’sonthetrailofariderthat’saserialkiller”Isaidand
yawned“retherealotofthose?”
“Dependsonwhoyouask”hesaid“Therearealotofserialkillerswhoclaimtobedemonsor
victims of demonic possession. You remember the BTK killer? His pastor said right through the end
thatthevoicecomingoutoftheguywasn’tthemanheknewTherearesomepeoplewhothinkthat
allserialkillersarepossessedSerialarsoniststooIsthatthelastofthemilk?”
“Nothere’s anotherwholebottleinthefridge”Isaidaroundmyspoon“Soisittrue?retheyall
riders?”
“Probablynot”ubreysaid“Imeansomeserialkillersblamepornorbadparentingorwhatever
And you can be mentally ill without there being a rider in yourheadButbythesametokenI’dbet
thatsomeare”
“You’dbuyit?ThisFBIladyhasbeentrackingdownabody-hoppingserialkillershe’smanagedto
getonestepaheadofitandneedshelpSoundsplausible?”
“We’veallseenweirder”ubreysaid as he measured out enough coffee for three of us. Chogyi Jake
alwaysoptedfortea“Doyouhaveanyreasontothinkit’snotonthelevel?”
“Youmeanisitthebadguyssettingatrap?Idon’thaveanyreasontothinkso”Isaid“lsono
reason not to, thoughIcouldgetabackgroundcheckonherIguess”
“Mightbewise”
Ididn’thearExcomingHejustbreezedinfromthehallwayEventheT-shirt and sweats he slept in
were black. His hair was loose, a pale blond flow that softened his features. Usually he wore it back.
“Sinceweapparentlyaren’tsleepingtonightwhatarewetalkingabout?”heaskedashepulledout
a chair and sat at the table.
“Serialkillersdemonicpossession”Isaid“Sameasalways”
“Jaynegotusajob”ubreysaid
I ran down the basics again while I finished eating and Ex and Aubrey started. The coffee smelled
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