LIES AND DECEIT
BOOK 1 – DARK MYST SERIES
CATHERINE FORBES
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2011 by Catherine Forbes
Smashwords License Statement
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The sky was a clear sheet of darkness stretching over the hideous residential area. Hundreds of stars seemed to be watching my every move, some twinkling as if with excitement—or with anticipation, in this case. They were my silent witnesses, watching intently and keeping my deadly secrets. I could spend hours looking up, mesmerized by the sheer beauty and unmistakable feeling of pure contentment. Unfortunately, at the moment, the simple pleasure of stargazing was a total distraction. I had a job to do.
I gazed at the invisible barrier with increasing interest. It was but a shifting of air, a slight glimmer that my eyes just managed to glimpse. If I hadn’t been concentrating, I wouldn’t have seen any sign of it. But I’d have felt it nonetheless. Never had I been so close to such complex sorcery that had actually succeeded in doing what it was supposed to do. Most high standard spells such as this failed for many reasons—mainly the ignorance of the caster. But this...I was definitely impressed at the strength of the force. I couldn’t feel any weak spots, any tweaks that I could work with to bring it down without my own magical aid.
The power of it prickled over my skin as I stepped closer. I almost shivered. I was close enough to reach out and touch it now, but I didn’t feel like being electrocuted. My insides frying to mush wasn’t on the agenda. Instead, kneeling on the soft grass, I took off my backpack and rummaged through it.
It was pitch black and the temperature was freezing, which were the conditions I worked best in. The natural light of the moon was blocked by the huge trees around me. I didn’t dare look up to try to see what I could of her. The moon swayed me even more than the stars.
“How’s it going?” a male voice in my ear asked, sounding very much ticked off.
I smirked delightfully as, ignoring the question, I pulled a shiny black ball (about the size of a tennis ball) out of my backpack. I carefully set the ball on the ground, right in front of the invisible barrier, and stepped back. I took a deep breath and stared at the ball, forcing my power into it. I didn’t blink, didn’t breathe, didn’t move. My heartbeat slowed drastically and my skin became even colder than it usually was. It would have seemed I was dead to any mortal. I had to use all of my energy pushing out and guiding the power that lay deep within—else it would be like a wild animal, becoming highly dangerous, highly destructive to everything around me.
Slowly, the little ball began to dissolve, becoming a black ooze that spilled onto the grass. It was pretty disgusting; it even gave off a horrid smell of rotten flesh, which I had the pleasure of finding out in my childhood. After a minute or so it started to bubble, then finally began to separate into hundreds of tiny spider-like creatures, the only difference being their gaping mouths full of razor-sharp teeth. The creatures made their way onto the barrier, making it spark and crackle, though it didn’t seem to hurt them. In a matter of seconds, the little beauties had made a hole—big enough to walk through—in the impressive spell by chomping and eating the magic. I continued to fuel them with my power until they were done and made their way back to the ground, where they turned back into the black ooze and then back into the ball.
“Myst? Silence will not be tolerated. You know that.”
I rolled my eyes as I came out of my trance and settled my power. The most irritating thing on a job was always having someone yapping in your ear, expecting you to answer back when doing so could easily alert your enemies. I always thought of throwing away the human device that was uncomfortably stuck in my ear, but apparently it cost a lot of money, and apparently money was important.
“Silence is bliss,” I replied, flatly, as I took a step forward and picked up the ball. I placed it back in my backpack and then swung the pack over my shoulder.
“You’re lucky you got this job.”
I stayed silent as I carefully stepped through the hole in the barrier. Passing it made my skin tingle and the hairs on my bare arms and neck stand on end. The caster was obviously top level, as this spell required raw power to be moulded to one’s will. If the body and soul weren’t strong enough or experienced enough, tapping into the power of the earth would result in a very messy death. I had once been a witness to such a death and, believe me, it wasn’t pretty.
When safely crossed, I came face to face with a wooden fence, about seven feet tall. I didn’t need any fancy magic to get past this obstacle. I simply jumped and landed right on top, where I crouched, scanning the dark back garden that it enclosed.
“We were going to send someone else,” the voice continued with a tone of superiority.
My thin eyebrows rose. “Delan,” I said, “I grow tired of your immaturity. What you feel toward me is mutual. I, however, am not a fool. I am professional, as should you be. Now, be a dear and give me an update on their status.”
The small back garden was unkempt, the grass and weeds about a foot tall. Other than that, it was empty. My eyes scanned the long grass as I tried to locate the magical traps that lay hidden within.
“The female and three males are still at the diversion site,” replied Delan. It sounded like he was going to say something else, but nothing more came from him.
I nodded, looking left and right. The only way forward was...well, forward. I couldn’t run the length of the fence to the house, as the barrier intercepted it (apparently this caster was smart enough to be fond of abnormal shapes), meaning I would have to make more holes, which would take time and power I didn’t have to spare. Strolling through the grass was the only option. In one quick motion, I landed with a soft rustle.
There were several traps ahead of me, all of them familiar, more or less. I grabbed my backpack once again, this time looking for something a little more bizarre-looking than the ball. It was the shape of a star, but the five points were elongated into sharp edges. Flat in my palm, thin needles sat on the ends of the points, aimed vertically, toward the sky. It looked metal, with symbols etched deeply into the silver. It was old, nearly twice my age, and that was saying something.
I lifted my hand to my chest and without hesitation placed the star just above my breasts, the needles piercing my skin and embedding themselves into my flesh. I took deep breaths, getting used to the hot sensation that spread throughout my body. Once the feeling settled to a steady pulsing heat, I whispered one word: “Adune.” I shuddered, my eyesight diminishing to black. The word echoed in my head, over and over. But after a minute, everything went back to normal. Well, not exactly normal. When my vision returned I instantly looked left and right, seeing several eyes looking back at me—my own shimmering green eyes. The copies of myself were identical, and I had to try my best not to look away in shame. They were tall and naturally thin. Each had very long black hair tied back in a tail; skin-tight black leather hugged their curve-less bodies. The long pointed ears were very noticeable and clearly my best features, if I should say so myself. I never tried to hide them, as I was proud of what they represented. My kind are beautiful and flawless, and at one time so was I. But, unfortunately, I was foolish enough to make a mistake on a job that cost me my beauty. I couldn’t care less about looks; it was the fact I messed up that made me feel shame, and the scar tissue running down the right side of my face and arm was a reminder. I was very lucky my eye went undamaged. Luck: a word I hated, and something I never wanted to rely on.
A shiver ran through me as I pushed the thoughts away. It was such an inappropriate time to be thinking of such things. I nodded to the copies and they moved into action, each one carefully walking to a trap hidden in the grass. I stood perfectly still, as all the traps were clearly visible to the copies, but not to me. Once they were all standing at one, being careful not to get too close, they started waving their hands in strange gestures. It took two minutes and then they moved to another location, to another trap. I really shouldn’t have been surprised, but hell, there were a lot. It took a half hour before all five copies returned to me and nodded, indicating that their ritual was completed. I frowned; this was certainly the longest part of the task. Having more copies would have been wonderful, but for now that was impossible.
I covered the star with my hand and pulled it free in one motion. The copies disappeared, and only tiny marks were left on my skin, where the needles had penetrated. I returned the star to the backpack, once again swinging it over my shoulder. I started forward, confident that all the life threatening magic was disabled.
The white house was a typical two story and looked like all the other houses on the street. Normality can certainly be deceiving. I approached the back door and looked it over. This was going to be the simplest part. I didn’t sense any magical traps or spells. But, then, I already knew I wouldn’t. One might wonder why the door had been left plainly locked—those who’d done so simply had no need to spell it. Inside the house, that’s where the ultimate death traps where, bigger and badder than what I had faced. I wouldn’t survive long in there, but I didn’t need to.
I lifted my leg and kicked the door. The force of the blow caused it to brake off its hinges and fall into what I assumed was a kitchen. I didn’t need to be quiet now; this was nearly over. If nosy or concerned neighbours heard the noise and perhaps called the cops, I’d be out of sight or long gone by the time they got here. I was betting for the latter.
“Starting shadow walk,” I said, pulling a vial out of my trouser pocket and downing the contents quickly.
“You have five minutes,” came the reply from inside my ear.
I didn’t feel any different, and everything looked to be the same, but I knew the effects of the liquid worked almost straight away. I slipped the vial back in my pocket and stepped past the doorway, into the house. My eyes scanned the small kitchen, equipped with the normal appliances of a normal modern-day household. It was clean and very tidy. It looked too perfect—meaning it was fake, a scene purely for show. These creatures didn’t live like humans, but to fit in and not draw attention, they had to pretend.
There were three doors in the kitchen. One was open, showing a cosy living area with a widescreen television. I instantly headed for the other two, opening the door closest to me, then closing it when all I found was a few mops and a hoover. I ignored the faint smell of blood that wafted out into the kitchen; obviously the mops had been used to clean up messy incidents.
The third door opened with a loud creak. I smiled as I looked down the wooden stairs leading into a basement. With great haste, I made my way down the stairs, reaching the bottom and looking over the room. It was large, with long tables lining the walls. Many different things lay atop the tables: weapons, files, witchery charms, and other magical devices.
I approached the files, but my gaze kept flickering to the large cage at the back of the room. I could smell dried blood coming from it. My race had been caged there and treated like animals. Tortured because of a sadistic hunger for power. My hands turned into fists as anger burned through me. I wanted to slit their captors’ throats and feel their blood on my fingers. I wanted to rip them to shreds and feed on their flesh. I shuddered and steadied my breath. Killing them would come in good time, just not tonight.
I started riffling through the files, stuffing many of them into my backpack, which I’d swung around on my arm. A box containing even more files had been hidden under the table; I went through it as well. I had two minutes to get out of the house before the potion stopped working. If I didn’t, I was dead, and I surely wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.
There was a scratching sound behind me and I spun to find nothing. It could have been a rodent, or my imagination, so I went back to my riffling and grabbed the last set of files, which I had to hold as my pack was full.
I nodded to myself, turned to face the stairs—and stopped, frozen. There, standing ten feet in front of me was a creature I’d never seen, only heard tales of. My mouth almost dropped open as it stared directly at me. It kneeled on its hind legs, head tilted and red eyes unblinking with a look of amusement. Long horns curled backwards from its head, nearly touching the bat-like wings protruding from its back. Long claws started to scratch along the floor.
I grimaced. This was just unbelievable. I certainly wasn’t invisible to this creature. I threw the files that were in my hand at its stone-like, triangular face, hoping for a distraction as I took a few steps and tried to leap over the thing. I might as well have thrown flowers at it, as the pages failed to do anything. The creature extended its wings, and the spikes that erupted from the ends of them caught my side. I didn’t feel the pain, as the need to escape overwhelmed me. I landed on the ground directly behind the creature, and it turned to hiss in my face, leaning over me. I held on dearly to my pack as I kicked with both feet and tried to get some distance between us. The creature didn’t move; it was like stone. I tried to crawl backwards, to get closer to the stairs, but its razor sharp claws slashed the right side of my face. The wound burned, and I immediately started to see black dots disrupt my vision. Poison. I blinked slowly in understanding.
“They have a freaking gargoyle,” I said.
I meant to shout it, but instead it came out as a whisper as I faded into unconsciousness.
* * *
There were flashes. It seemed only the flashes existed. There was nothing beyond, nothing to reach out and touch.
A blanket settled over, making the white light grow dull. Something was breaking through the flashes, a familiar setting, one I couldn’t forget.
A soft blue light illuminated a room. The black symbols decorating the white walls hummed in tune, their notes rising and falling elegantly. There were ten symbols in total, each representing a desirable or important trait. Two of the symbols represented innocence and purity; a wall bearing those two symbols made it obvious the room belonged to a child. And, yes, there she was, a small figure lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was restless, unable to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. The vines of her bed encircled her, giving off their scent in the form of tiny warm droplets that fell upon her skin.
Everything was as it should be, but it didn’t feel right. The tunes, the aroma, and the flickering of the flame were all things to relax, to induce sleep. The child closed her eyes, but quickly reopened them. She knew what she needed and it wasn’t enclosed within the four walls. Her feet met the soft fur that lined the floor. She stood and headed to the door, passing wooden toys of all shapes and sizes. Once out of her room, she eyed the large hall and hugged herself as if feeling cold. She didn’t feel comfortable here. She couldn’t see the sky.
The hall was richly decorated, with treasures from all over the world. Red and gold were pleasing colours, and they complimented the room’s beautiful structure in the form of cloth draped along the walls. Sparkling jewels sat upon carved stones that were placed in the center of the room, located for all to see.
“Petal, are you all right?” asked a feminine voice filled with worry.
The girl looked to her right to see her mother rushing toward her, her long, wavy black hair bouncing about her shoulders. She wore a white night gown, but looked to be completely awake.
“I...cannot sleep again, mother,” the girl replied in a tiny voice.
Her mother’s arms wrapped around her, and the girl breathed in her sweet scent. “You have been awake all this time?”
A nod from the girl as an almost shameful look passed over her features.
“I did not want to upset father again.”
Her mother drew back and looked at her, green eyes glistening in the darkness. “You do not have to worry about that, my sweet girl. For now, he is not here.” She smiled and kissed her daughter lightly on the forehead.
“So...I can go outside?”
Her mother stood and held out a hand. “Anything for you.”
“But...what about the...?”
“Mystren, you know I will protect you.”
The girl smiled brightly and took her mother’s hand. The night called to her.
Only outside would she feel at home.
* * *
My face was burning as I awoke on a hard surface. My senses seemed to crash back into me all at once, and a whimper escaped my lips, sounding unreal in the deafening silence. My vision was clouded black; the black quickly dissolved into tiny dark specks. Thick, long shapes came into focus, and I almost cursed as I realised they were the metal bars of the disturbing cage I had seen earlier. I knew I’d been unconscious for hours, estimating that it was well after dawn. There were no windows in the dreaded basement to confirm this, but my body felt drained and weak, and not only because of the after effects of the foul poison. My power had buried itself so deeply, I could not reach it. I was fragile, helpless, and going to suffer. Rightfully, I should have been sleeping, dreaming of moonlit lakes and erotic encounters with attractive males, as when the sun rose, I became almost like a mortal. But now I’d been caught on a simple job by a creature that wasn’t supposed to be up and walking around. That was something I’d have to ponder.
I sat up and touched my face, feeling my damaged cheek. Bloodied slices were now an addition to my already scarred face.
“Sunshine is finally awake,” said a male voice with an English accent.
My head snapped up and my eyes locked onto the figure sitting comfortably in front of the cage. The gargoyle was perfectly still and looked like an eerie statue. It was a magnificent being and looked far more impressive and dangerous than the pictures I’d seen in the past.
I realised the voice hadn’t come from the beast, but from someone behind it. I raised myself, using the bars for leverage, and peered over the bulk of stone. I clutched my side as blood started to pour out of the wound I’d forgotten I had. Boy, this was just a super day.
There were four of them, all standing and staring directly at me. I was the centre of attention, something I utterly despised.
“Oh, she doesn’t look so good,” the voice said, this time with obvious amusement.
I looked to the owner of the voice and eyed him with hatred. He grinned back at me, which made me growl pathetically. He was of medium height, with scruffy brown hair that fell about his eyes. He stood with his arms crossed and legs apart, showing off confidence—and an ego. His beauty was obvious: boyish features with what looked like a well-defined body under his tight white t-shirt and blue jeans. His eyes held a glint of promise and passion. When I looked at him I could instantly tell what he was. I almost choked back vomit at the thought. His kind had that effect on me.
Incubi and succubae roamed this world in great numbers, but they weren’t much of an issue to my kind. They posed little threat and were considered pests, like cockroaches. Something to squash under your foot. Their only weapon was seduction, and only humans—weaklings to such things—fell victim to that.
I swallowed, my head starting to throb. “How did you know?” I asked.
The incubus looked to one of the others. This one was tall, standing with his hands clasped. He answered instead.
“Let us just say we got one step ahead,” he replied, his Irish accent filled with fake charm.
He was pale, his black hair tied back. He wore a blood red shirt with black trousers, making him dark and handsome. He held dominance in the room, and he intentionally let his power trickle out into the air, for my benefit, obviously. I also knew what creature this one was. There was one tell-tale sign: he wasn’t breathing.
Vampires were an interesting species and more of a worthy foe than most, especially the old ones. The youngsters were unstable at best; most of them succumbed to their hunger and turned feral, needing to be put down. The few that controlled themselves became powerful elders of their species, such as this one standing in front of me.
“It is about time,” I replied, forcing a smile, which soon faded at the thought of my failure. My eyes then fell upon the creature in front of me. “Though you had aid, of course.”
“We did what we had to do,” said the only female in the group, her accent unfamiliar. She was of medium height, with long red hair and a body so unlike my own. She bore the appropriate feminine curves, the dress she wore arching out in multiple places to accommodate them. If it weren’t for the pendant that hung from her neck, I wouldn’t have been so sure of what she was. But, of course, the pentagram made it quite obvious. Witches were humans who embraced the ways of earthly magic. Magic in this world was nothing compared to ours, and was often exaggerated, but it was still dangerous in the right hands.
“Indeed, we had no choice,” the vampire gritted out. “Your people are...relentless, to say the least.”
There was silence, then, during which I mulled over the situation. My backpack lay across the room, on the floor, little white stones surrounding it. I raised a brow, realising this was the red-head’s doing. I could connect to one of the devices in the pack without being near it, but couldn’t now because of the barrier around it. It was an amateur version of the barrier outside.
I lifted my chin a notch, looking over my captors. The only one who hadn’t spoken stood in the shadows underneath the stairs. I couldn’t see him clearly, but he was tall, and I couldn’t sense anything off him.
“Killing me,” I said carefully, “won’t even put a dent in our populace.”
It was true enough, ever since the decision was made to procreate in this world. Our race had to survive, of course, and our offspring grew quickly, followed by a prolonged adulthood. The elders did their utmost best to keep our young untainted by humanity, but they would never know the wonders of our home world, only the destruction of this one. That is why we had to save it.
Suddenly, the gargoyle in front of me began to shimmer. I blinked, unsure of what was happening. The once statue-like beast was now morphing, its shape contorting, becoming tall and thin. The wings shrunk and folded away; stone coloured skin turned to a healthy olive; the horns atop the gargoyle’s head melted down, becoming short, fluffy hair.
I gaped, now realising what was happening. The incubus snickered as he watched my reaction, but I didn’t look at him. My eyes were glued to the creature. Wet, cracking, and slurping noises emanated from it. My whole body went numb as its back straightened and it took the shape of a human. The man was thin and very tall, with short brown hair. A pair of big, thick-rimmed glasses appeared upon his slightly pointed nose. He wore a grey suit and black shoes; I had no clue if they were the expensive sort or not. He looked at me with shimmering grey eyes and bowed his head in a polite nod to me. I narrowed my eyes in return.
“Apologies, miss, for the—” He gestured to my face. “Could not be helped.” He smiled, then, showing little pointed teeth.
I opened my mouth to respond, but I could form no words. What could I say? Torture and death awaited me unless I escaped, which was impossible at the moment.
“Let me introduce myself,” the gargoyle continued in his polite manner. “I am Bob.”
This group had to be utterly insane. Actually, I believed all beings that lived on earth were. My race had come to save them from their own foolish ways despite these “supernatural” creatures having banded together to stop us.
“And over there is young Harrison, Liam, Ivy, and Samuel, who is standing at the back.”
I looked at them in turn once again. The one named Samuel had yet to show himself. I wondered if he was simply a human or another witch. Was he frightened?
“And who might you be, miss?” asked Bob...the gargoyle.
I took a silent breath before answering. “You think I would tell you that?”
The well-mannered smile never left his thin lips. “No, I suppose not.” He took a loud, deep breath before glancing at his friends. “Harrison, be a good lad and get me a chair.”
The incubus nodded and turned, heading for the stairs. Stairs I’d failed to reach hours before. I closed my eyes briefly and scolded myself. It was time to forget the failure and think of a way out of this mess. Delan would have told of my silence by now, but whether rescuers would be sent was unknown. I highly doubted it.
Moments later a black chair was unfolded before me and the incubus returned to stand with the others. Bob gracefully sat down, lifting one leg to rest on the other. “We have many things to talk about,” he said to me.
My hands fisted at my sides. “I will not tell you anything.”
Bob shook his head, his features changing as he turned serious. “I have no intentions of trying to make you talk, my dear. In fact, I am simply going to talk to you.”
I took a few steps back until I was against the wall of the cage. This was not the torture I had expected, but here it was all the same.
“About ten years ago, a King announced to his people that their world would soon be destroyed by forces unknown. But all was not lost, he told them, as he had found a way to another world. And so, the people descended upon this other world in hopes of finding a new home. What they found, instead, was a selfish race destroying it. That is familiar to you, yes?”
It was not only familiar, but it was my life. I merely stared at the storyteller.
He turned his head slightly and nodded. This was obviously a signal for the others to leave, as they started to head for the stairs. I finally caught sight of the one that had hidden in the shadows. He was tall and quite muscular, with tattoos covering his arms. His black hair was short and his skin pale against his black clothes. He was unlike anything I’d ever seen. His dark beauty astounded me. He glanced at me and I had to look away. I don’t know why I showed submission to him, but it ticked me off.
Once they were gone, Bob continued. “Ah, but let me tell you another version, shall I? The King was a greedy man and discovered a new world through means of dangerous magic. Consumed by the lust for power, he tricked his people into thinking their world would soon be destroyed. So he came here, hoping to rule and enslave humanity, while his own world is safe and sound.”
I bit my tongue to keep from screaming at him. His words were poison, lies meant to trick me. They cut into my skin like so many tiny blades. Blood filled my mouth and I swallowed, suddenly feeling exhausted. My wounds wouldn’t heal until nightfall, and my energy wouldn’t return until then as well. I slid down the wall until my rear rested on the floor. This was going to be a long day.
Bob leaned closer in his chair. “The creatures here are only protecting their home, my dear. What your King has started is a war. It has got to the point where my kin are being awoken from their slumber. When will it end?”
“It would not have started if humanity had valued what they had,” I said. “And what they had was a beautiful home, which is crumbling because of their actions.”
“It would have started anyway. Your King does not share, I am told. As for the destruction, yes, you are right. But let them get on with it. They have free will, after all. And they are the most intellectual beings. You have surely seen their technology.”
Anger burned through me. “They rip down nature and hunt species into extinction. They only care for money. They make things that destroy their atmosphere—”
“Yes, blah, blah,” Bob said, cutting me off. “They are guilty of that. That does not mean they should all be killed or enslaved. Let them live their lives as they see fit.” He adjusted his glasses atop his nose and I wondered if he actually needed them. “And your home is not destroyed.”
“You lie!” I spat as vehemently as I could.
He tilted his head and sighed. “I knew it would go this way.” He stood and slid a bony hand into his jacket, withdrawing what looked like a tattered book. He stared at it for some time, then looked at me. “I am the keeper of this book, and I have had it for centuries. I give it to you, now.” He stepped up to the cage bars and bent to place the book in front of me on the floor. I didn’t move; it seemed like too much of an effort. My eyes just rested upon the mysterious reading material.
“In your own time,” he said as if understanding my needs completely. He then turned and left the basement. I was alone at last, but instead of searching for a way out, my eyes drifted closed and I fell into an unwanted deep sleep.
I didn’t know what would happen to me. Would I die? Bob certainly wouldn’t let me go, that was for sure. I could only brace myself for what was to come.