The End of Darkness by Jaime Rush Read Free Book Online

them. 
    Them.
    Magnus found Erica lying on the concrete floor a few feet away. Stilling the panic that she was dead, he watched for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Yes, alive. Since the cell was only set up for one prisoner, they'd used a standard handcuff to secure her to one of the bars. She was coming awake, too, going through the same process of realization that he’d just done. 
    Panic suffused her expression as she jerked fully awake, more so when she realized she was cuffed. She stood, her legs shaky, sliding the cuff along the bar as high as it would go. Her gaze flew to him. “Why are  you  restrained, too?” She was obviously confused to see him in the same position as herself. “Did they turn on you?”  
    A door opened at the top of the steps, and Copeland came down, Lanna following. She looked unhappy. Magnus tried to sort through what he'd overheard. They were planning a robbery. And she'd said they were Callorian. He  and  Erica. What the hell?  
    Copeland assessed the two of them, his gaze stopping on Magnus. “One of you tried to kill my brother, and I want to know who and how. You both have something in you that interests me greatly.”
    Magnus wasn’t feeling particularly cooperative. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “I think you do.” Copeland unlocked the cell door and stepped inside, Lanna right behind him. “There's something different about you. I'm sure you've realized it by now. You have a special ability. Yet you are mostly human from this dimension. Magnus McLeod, you will tell me how you came to have this. And how you came to Hold Darkness.”
    They knew his name. Of course, after he'd zapped him, they’d searched his pockets and found his wallet. He didn’t let on that hearing his name had any effect, but it bugged the hell out of him. He focused on the fact that they knew what Darkness was.
    “Special ability? Well, I'm especially good with the ladies. I can keep a hard-on for hours. Is that what you mean?”
    Copeland flicked a glance to the manacles. “You’re in no position to be coy.”
    “Coy, hell, I'm answering your question. What do you mean by Darkness?”
    “You don’t get to ask the questions.” Copeland punched him in the stomach. Magnus didn’t have time to tighten his muscles and took it deep. “Care to share now?”
    Yeah, right after he upchucked all over the guy’s black leather shoes. Pain radiated through his stomach, doubling him over. 
    Copeland seemed pleased with his big show of strength. “I suppose you don't know what it's called.”
    “Is that supposed to be an apology?”
    “Hardly. You can summon a dark energy we call Darkness to change your form. Don't deny it. I saw you try earlier. You cannot do it now, however, as the metal of your cuffs won't allow it. This is a detainment system for my brother when he goes mad. The metal curtails your ability, one you will now share with me.”
    Magnus studied the metal, seeing that it had a sheen to it he'd never seen before. And he realized he'd not picked up anyone's thoughts either. All right, he'd give the son of a bitch an ability. “I can astral project, send my soul to another location.” It wasn't something he used often.
    “And what about Darkness?” 
    He would never give away Jessie's existence. “I walked in on a fight between two men a couple of weeks ago. I tried to intervene, and one turned into a black beast and tore my throat. When I came to, I was whole, only my dried blood to prove that it hadn't been some horrible dream. But I felt different after that. If something riles me, my body starts to turn into something else. I don't know what it's called or what it even is. I thought it was something like werewolves, where I've been infected. What is it?”
    Erica was listening intently to every word he said, the horror of it clear on her expression.
    Lanna started to answer, but Copeland cut her off. “It's a dark energy, as I said. There are