Midsummer's Unveiling

By Raven Corinn Carluk

The third K&V Chronicle

Summer is almost here, and everything is looking sweet for Keila O'Broin. Defeating the sex mage Moira was only the start of recent triumphs, though none can top winning the heart of an elder vampire. Varick Eitenhauer is the most stunning change in her young life.
The world is at their feet as psionicist and vampire embark on a romantic vacation.
Yet she is a woman haunted. Haunted by terrifying dreams of a faceless elf. Haunted by missing memories of her beloved father. Haunted by a childhood that makes less and less sense each day.
Keila needs to know what causes her to wake screaming every night, needs to find the source even Varick can't discern. She will not hide from danger, but her bravery seems a thin facade in the dark.
Is the darkness coming from within, or is she being stalked by unseen forces drawing closer even now?

Includes bonus chapters removed before the final cut.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Corinn Carluk
• Release date: Feb 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465739469

Raven Corinn Carluk

Talking about myself is much harder than writing a book. You'd think a wordmistress wouldn't have such a problem, but I do. Let me rework a flat scene any day. Simple background: I'm married, have lots of pets, still work full time, and grew up in Las Vegas. But there's so much more to a person than that. Writing is more than just words on paper to me. It's a passion, an incessant need, a deep-seated drive to be a storyteller. I knew I wanted to be an author as far back as high school. Writing may have taken a backseat a few times, but I finally made it. My stories have bite because I'm a little different, and like slightly different things. No shock horror here, or cheap gimmicks meant to offend, or pandering to the latest trend. My vampires love human blood, my dragons hunt people, and my elves are magical and arrogant. Romance and darkness will always go together for me. Love really can get you through anything, as I know from personal experience. My characters will always have that glimmer of new love, that bond with a soulmate, and will do anything to be with their one and only. When I'm not busy having things killed. Being deeply romantic doesn't mean I'm not also a violent or twisted writer. Fight scenes, bloodshed, dark magic, and triumphant villains all have their places in my tales. I'll never apologize for who I am. Sometimes abrasive and uncouth, full of contradictions and juxtaposition, I am merely who I am. And what I am is a storyteller wanting to craft new entertainments for you.

Book preview

Relax, mein Keila. I have you.

Varick held me in the physical world, though I felt only his mental grasp. Submitting to his dream control powers took a lot of trust, but in six months together, he’d gained my trust and more. You really think you can trigger this dream?

The German vampire suffused me with confidence, his powers forming a tight cocoon. I shouldn’t doubt an eight hundred-year-old psionicist, but this was a tricky nightmare. Trickier than sharing regular dreams with Varick. I never remembered the details, just the dread.

You suffer through this every day now. It will not be a supreme effort to draw out of your subconscious.

The dream of the obsidian henge. It didn’t sound ominous, yet was becoming near painful. A few scattered dreams at the beginning of the year had grown more frequent through the spring. Since my birthday in May, I’d woken up screaming at least once a week.

So I slept in my lover’s arms, willing to try anything at this point. Varick had tried to enter my dream several times before, but his efforts had failed. Tonight, he guided me through a meditation, taking me deeper and deeper while keeping control of my mind. The theory was that if he started the vision, he wouldn’t be locked out.

Varick’s work was so subtle that I never felt myself fall into the dream. I went from mentally conversing with him, to blackness, to a starlit sky. Time meant nothing. I was free, playing in the winds. The stars sparkled just for me, the trees rustled to sing me a song, and the night held me in loving arms.

Energy played and flowed, and I followed the currents, no destination in mind. Ki pulsed from everything, even the faintest of stars. All things, living and not, gave off their own tune of power, playing together, making the music of the universe.

You are not exactly human, are you?

The vampire’s voice pulled me back from the creature without pulling me from the dream. Apparently not. I was some aethereal spirit, a consciousness without form. My senses were different, and curiosity ruled my world.

Magick flared somewhere below me, sharp and bright and flavorful. I zoomed closer, playing in the flying tendrils. Compared to the chilly evening, the magick was warm and welcoming. I coiled through it and sought the source.

Do you have any control?

Answering Varick was hard. I wanted to play, to find out who had so much power to wield. Separating psionicist from spirit took too much effort. I don’t.

The magick become warmer, fiercer, more delectable. As I approached, I continued to weave and warp my way closer to the source.

A beautiful obsidian circle pulsed with power, human voices raised in a lyrical chant. The aether twisted around the henge, forming a barrier. The upright rocks glowed with the earth’s energy, remembering their days as magma.

That layout is unusual.

Keila-me attempted to study the henge as spirit-me entered the circle. I’d seen the stones so many times in the last few months and never thought of them as unusual.

Twelve obsidian blocks, each bigger than an old Pontiac, in a perfect circle. Four pairs topped by a cross-stone, and four free standing between each pair. A heavy block made an altar in the very center. What’s so strange? I circled each stone and the person before it, bathing in their life energy.

Six couples, all young, held a candle each, chanting. White robes and mistletoe coronets, bare feet and arms. The flames glowed with buttery warmth, flicking in time with their words.

It is based on no Earth configuration. Less of a calendar, more of a cage. The stones were also worked by no tool.

The strange voice meant nothing to me. The youth before the northern stone was significantly more interesting. He crackled with power, and I played through his aura. The young man couldn’t see me, but he certainly felt me. His eyes remained locked on the altar and he continued chanting, but his skin prickled with fear.

I grew bored of him, and danced in the current created by their chant. Lyrical words laden with power, captivating and beautiful. The obsidian stones began to hum, adding their ancient voices. I joined in, and the candles flared.

Power coalesced around me, sparking and heavy. Was this what physical creatures felt? I sang louder, and the high tones reverberated off the blocks. The very air chimed with my presence.

Keila, I cannot control this. You are having no ordinary dream.

I wanted the unknown man to stop talking. He annoyed me, distracted me from the song. Like the eye of a storm, power whirled around me. Candles flickered, and the young couples began to tremble.

A new voice joined in. Resonant and deep, it belonged to a broad-shouldered woman who entered the circle. She wore only a silver torque, her nude body muscular and rife with scars. Proud, long hair dancing in the wind, she stalked to the altar in the middle.

I circled her, enjoying our duet. She was beautiful, both physically and psychically strong. Her aura was sharp and hard, and she smiled as I wove through her hair.

She looks like you.

How could any being of flesh look like me? I was free, wild, uniquely myself. The world and all its planes were mine to explore. No mortal creature could hope to be me.

The twelve young people stopped singing, though the woman continued. She opened dark green eyes, and smiled at a newcomer.

Candle flames changed to blue, and the air grew cold. I froze, letting my song die, staring at the towering elf.

Relax, mein herz. It is a dream. He cannot hurt you.

For the first time in my carefree existence, I felt dread. I’d dived to the earth’s core, had been caught in planar shifts, had been hunted by other spirits, and never once had I felt this chill. A fleshling was causing me fear.

Physically, he was attractive. Beautiful and proud, long of limb and hair, he was typical of all elves. His blue hair glittered with jewels and silver wire, and the torque around his neck burned with stored magick.

His eyes frightened me. Violet and full of knowledge, they were the only features visible in his shadowed face. He wasn't just hidden by his hair or the night; he didn't want me to see him and actively turned me away.

The elf could see me, however. His gaze speared me in place. I wanted to hide, but knew he would find me anywhere. He’d summoned me, brought me here for a reason. I knew he’d hunt me down if I sought escape.

When he added his voice to her chant, I couldn’t control myself. I fled.

Instead of night sky, I slammed into a barrier of power. Solid, transparent, it was like nothing else. Terror filled my being. I was free and unbindable. There wasn’t a force on any plane that could hold me.

And some elf had managed to do so.

Keila, come back to me.

The wind surged as my anger grew. Blue flames guttered, nearly dying, and their bearers murmured to themselves. The elf and the warrior woman continued to sing, ignoring my tantrum.

I cannot wake you. You must wake yourself.

He laid her on the altar, spreading her legs. I howled and raged, tearing at them, expressing my displeasure. The twelve humans were all frightened, pressing back against the stones, but they did not run.

None of my attacks affected the pair. Their torques shielded them, making me ineffectual. While the elf rutted with the warrior, I screamed my frustration to the world.

My curiosity had brought me to this. Trapped, unable to escape, cut off from where I belonged. By mortals, no less. They were fun to play with, but they didn’t have the power to do this. One elf couldn’t hope to control an eternal force like me.

Panic. Sorrow. Dread. Anger. I never experienced these emotions for long. But all were with me now, in full force. I shrieked, racing around the edge of my ever-diminishing prison. My thoughts lost coherency as I was drawn toward the womb of the warrior woman.

The dream shattered, and I jerked against Varick’s grip. I screamed until my throat was raw and struggled to be free. I needed freedom, to not be constricted. The vampire let me go, and I bolted from the bed.

Varick watched me with a stoic expression, sapphire eyes hooded. I stood in the middle of his room, shaking my hands out, swallowing around the hard lump in my throat. Waking up screaming and sweating was one thing; the panic reaction was entirely unexpected.

Of course, I’d never remembered the dream upon waking previously.

I remember it, came my tremulous groan. I stared with wide eyes, clenching my fists and breathing rapidly. I can still see it all.

The German vampire remained seated on his bed, naked torso practically glowing in the moonlight coming through the open window. In black pajama bottoms, against midnight blue sheets and bed curtains, he was as ethereal as the elf in my dream.

Varick blinked slowly, allowing me my space. His empathy would let him know when I was ready to be touched. Given the strength of his skill, he’d know about two heartbeats before I did that I was ready. I do not believe you were having an actual dream.

My breath caught, and I paused for a second. Then I turned my gaze outside, wringing my hands together. My tee-shirt and jeans seemed too tight, and I tugged at them as I took a step toward the window. If it’s not a dream, what is it? I replayed the spirit’s dying scream over and over.

Varick rose from the bed, but didn’t cross to me yet. A clan memory, perhaps.

The carpet was soft under my bare feet as I shuffled across the floor. Varick's house was as much a home as my own, giving me comfort, reminding me I was safe. And the vampire's scent pervaded the air, slowly working its power on me, taking the edge from my panic.

Staring at the trees by the pond, my heart began to calm. The last couple years had brought a lot of changes. Some good, some bad, some just mysterious. I’d survived all of them, and had grown more experienced. Maturity had already been mine, but these events had rounded me out. This nightmare would be the same.

After several long minutes, the vampire wrapped his arms around me, kissing my neck. I counted him as one of the very best changes.

My thoughts were finally coherent, and I wasn't likely to freak out again. What do you mean, clan memory?

He nuzzled my neck, holding me tight. Nothing sexual, but our auras still mingled and sparked. Electric warmth spread from his touch, and I was comforted. In his arms was probably the best place in the world.

"To me, that looked like some sort of origin. Especially with her strong resemblance to you, I believe this may be your origin story."

I scoffed even as I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. The O’Broins are descended from the elves?

Varick stroked my arms, breath warm in my ear. There are more improbable answers. This vision was most certainly a memory. Passed down through the blood of unknown generations.

Lacing my fingers through his, I smiled, forcing my mood to change. I can always ask the elves next week. I met his eyes in our reflection.

He wasn’t smiling. Our bond had deepened enough that I could pick up most of his emotions. The vampire was tense, disturbed by my dream. Not that I wasn’t; I just didn’t want to dwell on it. It was too raw, too close to the surface right now.

You think there’s a reason it's getting worse? I squeezed his fingers.

His sigh was almost imperceptible. Do you not?

I closed my eyes again, stiffening slightly. Of course I do. That’s why I asked you to do this. I shuddered, the spirit’s claustrophobia rising. Staying in Varick’s arms was difficult. But now that I can actually remember it, and I can see what you’ve glimpsed...

The words wouldn’t form. How did I explain that what I’d seen terrified me? I’d needed to know what had me screaming, why I only remembered fragments. There was an elf in this clan memory of mine that actually frightened me. Not just the spirit’s fear lingering or affecting my conscious mind: I was frightened of the blue-haired figure.

Varick turned me around, tucking my face against the crook of his shoulder. Hush, mein liebchen. We shall figure this message out, like everything else we do.

He paused. I wrapped my arms around his torso, conforming to every inch of his body. Together? I filled the pause.

The vampire smiled, running a hand through my hair. Ja, together. He slowly pulled me back to the bed. Now, come rest. You have a big day tomorrow.

We made love, slow and tender. Tension drained from me, and I cuddled close to him as we fell asleep. As I slipped into darkness, I continued to feel the power of the obsidian circle.

Chapter 2

The drive from Varick’s new place in Hillside was short, and normally peaceful for me. Not too far from my house, with beautiful landscape and semi-wilderness, it always put a smile on my face. Even after a nap in the vampire's arms, though, my thoughts were too dark and focused on the new memory to let me notice the tranquility.

I got home, and was exactly as pensive as I had been when I left Varick’s.

Standing in the driveway, I tried to pin down what was really bothering me. I’d been having disturbing dreams for months; being able to remember them should make it easier to accept and move past.

Although, finding out recurring nightmares were actually scenes from an ancestor put a different spin on it. I wasn’t just suffering from mental issues; there was a powerful elf in my family tree.

Was it really just the faceless elf that had my hackles up? Violet eyes glowing from the middle of blackness would put most people on guard, but I'd certainly faced much scarier things in real life. Werewolves, killer sex mages, and indestructible devouring monsters had yet to stop me, or put the fear in me like this.

Maybe part of me was too excited by the upcoming meeting in New York, and had just put the elf in there because I had them on my mind. From the moment Varick had been contacted to negotiate with an ancient clan of elves, I'd been almost crazy about them. Manic, even, in my excitement to shake hands with a real life elf.

I brutally dismissed that idea. I wasn’t so impressionable as to insert an elf in my dreams just because I anticipated being introduced to some. Granted, thinking about elves may have triggered my dream-memory to come more often, and might have even made me ready to accept the one in my head, but that was all. I hadn’t made the menace up.

Taking a deep breath of morning air, I worked on letting it go. Without a way to know who the elf was, or where he lived, there wasn’t much point fretting over it. Jumping at shadows was only going to make things worse.

I knew that from February. Even with Moira’s cult here disbanded, I’d expected retaliation. Varick had helped me through the mild paranoia, and I’d stopped hunting for enemies.

This was going to be no different. Forcing a smile, I headed into the house.

Shinobi was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs. I scooped him up, rubbing the Maine Coon’s head as he purred loudly. My limited animal psychic senses let me know how happy he was to see me. I missed you too. The young cat snuggled against my shoulder as I carried him upstairs.

Chris was asleep, and the place felt rather empty. I was at Varick’s pretty often, and Simy wasn’t coming home any time soon. It’s just you two boys rattling around in this big old place. I kissed Shinobi’s head.

What was I supposed to do? Varick was training me, not just sexing me. Chris and I still hung out when I was here, and he said he didn’t mind me being gone.

I wished Kiyoshi still lived with us. I’d feel better knowing he and Chris were looking after each other. That was part of the reason I’d asked the incubus to come over while I was away for a month.

Glancing into the empty bedroom at the last boxes of Simy’s stuff, I realized this maudlin weight on my shoulders wasn’t going anywhere soon.

The kiwi had left four months ago, but some days it felt like much longer. He’d kept in regular contact at first, emailing us every day, but the training had started taking more of his time. I hadn’t heard from him in two weeks, when he’d agreed to meet us at the airport in Christchurch. We were supposed to meet and hang out as the last part of my world trip, and have some fun. Simy had honestly seemed happier to get the last of his stuff than see me.

Bitterness was unbecoming, especially considering the circumstances. Simy’s mage powers had been rudely awakened, and he needed intense work to make up for lost years and to keep control. I spent plenty of time training and out of the house, and I didn’t require it like he did. The situation was only different because he wasn’t physically around for me to know he was doing okay. I needed to be happy that he was with family that cared for him, and not enslaved to Moira. He was getting the life he deserved, just as Chris and I were.

With a sigh, I turned toward my room. Even after her death, the sex mage was managing to annoy me. Simy’s cousin Patrick had removed the spirit from her soul, meaning Moira wasn’t coming back. Not that it mattered; she’d pulled me and Simy apart, and plagued me with dreams and doubts.

Had Sean known what big bad guy Moira worked for? I’d love to know if she’d taunted him with the same vague threats.

Shinobi squirmed onto my shoulder, then leapt to the top of a set of shelves. I was surprised how much he weighed at only seven months old, and rubbed the spot he’d left behind. You’re just going to be a monster when all grown up, aren’t you? He merely flicked his tail in response, and glared at the mess of clothes and suitcases.

It’s just for another few hours, I told him, touching his mind with one of my weakest powers. Influencing animals took effort, and I’d never do that to my own pet. But I didn’t have to compel him to form a bond of understanding; on a basic level, Shinobi and I could talk.

Right now, my black Maine Coon wanted me to know he was disgruntled. Flicking his tail violently, Shinobi knocked one of my stuffed animals off the shelf.

Ignoring his outburst, I wondered where to start. My lover was taking me on a month long trip, starting today in New York City. I’d confessed to Varick that I didn’t know what to pack for New York, Berlin, and New Zealand, and his answer had been to take nothing. He would simply buy me whatever I needed along the way.

As wonderfully decadent as that sounded, I couldn’t bring myself to agree. Varick spoiled me enough without my being purposely wasteful. Meaning I needed to settle in and get it done.

Traveling with my folks was easier. Probably because they’d told me what to do. And we normally traveled light.

I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I still had doubts about my family. More and more things were looking dodgy in hindsight. We’d usually taken only the clothes on our backs, but they’d been sending tomes and artifacts to this house the whole time.

Why hadn’t we just lived here, and gone out on missions? I wasn’t complaining about the places I’d been, but why hadn’t I known we had a house until after Sean’s death?

Letting my curiosity get out of hand wasn’t going to have me ready to leave at noon. The vampire would certainly leave it all behind if I was still quibbling when he got here. Show up in New York and have him pick out a whole new wardrobe for me, then leave it all behind and start again in Berlin.

Travelling the world without a plan. Did it get much better? So long as you weren’t on the run from something, it would be a grand adventure.

A chill ran up my spin, and I felt like I was being hunted. Violet eyes sought me, trapped me, destroyed me. My heart raced, and my lungs struggled to draw a full breath.

The chill stayed with me, turning my blood to ice. I tasted adrenaline on the back of my tongue, and every sense was on high alert. Even Shinobi tensed up, chuffing as he sought an enemy.

Focusing my thoughts wasn’t working. My calm place wouldn’t come, my emotions wouldn't get under control. I was spooked and shaken like I’d actually been attacked.

I pulled out my cell and called Varick. The sun was up, but the vampire was too old for it to have much hold on him. Age provided many benefits, including tolerance to daylight. The worst I’d do was interrupt last minute details.

He answered on the second ring, our bond opening. What troubles mein herz? Varick’s scent enveloped me, offering calm.

I closed my eyes, breathing him in as if he were here. There hadn’t been an exact date when this sense of each developed, but since at least my birthday Varick and I could smell each other at a distance. Perfect for times like this.

My heart still raced, but my thoughts were coming to heel. I don’t know if I can explain it without sounding silly. The spike of panic seemed far away now.

Nothing that bothers you so much I am aware of it can be silly. In your own time, tell me.

How had I been so lucky as to obtain such a wonderful man? The German was beyond just patient; he could wait for years for something. Giving me time to form my words was an easy task for him. Even when we needed to be getting ready, Varick was taking time out for me.

After a long silence, I began. I was thinking about your offer to just buy me clothes as I needed, and how my family never traveled with a lot of stuff. I thought it would be fun, until I realized that’s how fugitives live. My voice died in my throat.

Varick spoke with a low tone, nearly whispering in my ear. What happened then?

I experienced a moment of vertigo, and had to sit on my bed. Fighting back a renewed sense of panic, I focused on Varick's voice. I saw the elf's eyes. More than that. I swallowed hard, and Shinobi bumped against my side. I petted him, taking control. "I felt him hunting me, like he was closing in.

The vampire was silent for several heartbeats. When he spoke, I heard the tension behind his words. Do you believe this elf is the one Moira alluded to?

Um, yeah, duh, I snapped. Before he could respond, I was apologizing. I'm apparently more uptight about it than I realized.

This is understandable.

I got up to pace, unable to remain seated. "We both know coincidence doesn't exist. I started having the dreams about the same time she showed up. I'm frightened to hell of this dream elf, and she said 'he' would be hunting for me. And we both, apparently, had some outsider spirit bonded with us to enhance our powers.

Even then, this doesn't make sense. I glanced out the window, looking for watchers in the yard. Did my dad know about the elf? Surely Moira wasn't only making threats at me. If my dreams are to be trusted, then he knows about my family, right?

It would seem so.

Closing my eyes, I thought briefly of my missing memories. Dreamwalking had given Varick access to my nightmares, but he could never reach my true subconscious. Even when he pushed himself into my thoughts, the German came up blank.

The vampire made no mention of the gaps when he continued speaking. Would you like to postpone the trip until we find our antagonist?

"Our antagonist?" I prodded.

His smile and tenderness came through the bond. Any enemy of my Keila's is an enemy of mine. I would never leave you to face him alone.

My heart swelled with love, driving away the last of the chill. You mean that? And you'd really cancel the trip?

He chuckled softly, and I knew exactly how he'd be shaking his head. Is my heart fishing for reassurances?

No. I just... I sighed. This is a big trip. The dream is someone from my family's past. You don't need to do these things.

Varick's presence shifted through the bond, surrounding me in his strength. We are together in all things. We share our burdens as we share our joys. He paused. Before you decide whether to cancel this trip or not, know that I sense something on the horizon. There are no details, just an impending battle. No amount of meditating or gestalt with you or work with my sister makes it any clearer.

No details meant I was probably involved in this future. Not appearing in prescience did have some drawbacks.

So we can stay at home and hide from the unknown, or we can go have fun?

You have a way with words, the vampire said.

I shook my head. "Hiding is out of the question. You taught me to stop looking in the shadows for bad guys."

Then we shall leave for New York? No worries of this elf?

My tongue stud clicked against my teeth and I grabbed my family crest. We know he's out there and looking for me. I doubt he's part of the envoy you're meeting. I chuckled, dispelling the last of my nerves. And if it comes to a real battle, I know you'll become das Weise Klinge. The White Blade.

His voice was low and rich, his secret voice for me alone. Only if you are mein Schwarze Klinge. His Black Blade.

Chapter 3

My surprise could not have been greater had Varick proposed marriage. The vampire trusted in my skills enough to let me do my own thing, had shown how much he trusted me repeatedly; with Moira, and the werewolf Richert, and in our training sessions. The vampire pushed me, challenged me, made me work harder, but he’d never encouraged me to fight at his side like this.

What should I say? In for a penny, in for a pound? It’s not like we hadn’t already fought together, faced danger together. Neither of us were passive people, and through we didn’t go around looking for a fight, we weren’t going to hide from it.

You need not say it, Varick said softly."While your tongue may not move, your heart already