Cave of Secrets

By K.H. Mezek

A demon force is taking over Oak Haven and people are dying in horrific ways. Somewhere beneath the city lies the hidden chamber and the Secrets to the Origins of Life. If only Sera can find it, maybe she can stop the violence. She needs her dad to help her and she’s certain he’s still alive. But in order to find him, Sera must make a pact with her nemesis, Fabian Gore.

Peter, the Night Angel has vowed to love and protect Sera, but even he can’t help her in this task. Nor can Jimmy, the human whom she knows she can trust. Only the “girl with crazy eyes” can lead Sera to her father. Without her dad, Sera doesn’t think she can go any further.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Teen
• Release date: Jan 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781773391588

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Published by Evernight Teen ® at Smashwords

www.evernightteen.com

Copyright© 2017 K.H. Mezek

ISBN: 978-1-77339-158-8

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Melissa Hosack

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

CAVE OF SECRETS

Night Angels Chronicles, 3

K.H. Mezek

Copyright © 2017

To be prepared to accept danger, suffering, hardship, and even death in the attempt to change the world is to be most fully courageous, and most sincerely loving.

The Other Side of Virtue ~ Brendan Meyers

Chapter One

So, here I was, on the morning of the first day of school after Spring Break.

I’d only been gone one week, but everything had changed.

Well, I had changed. My house had changed. But the outside world? I guessed it was the same as always. I just saw it differently. I’d seen what lay beneath the surface of the town of Oak Haven—literally and figuratively—and it wasn’t pretty.

And somehow, I was sure this was only the beginning of what I was going to discover with my new eyes, now that my Turning was complete.

I was ready, as ready as I’d ever be to face Oak Haven High. I was dressed in normal clothes, like everybody else at my school. I was a bit pale, that was true. And a whole lot stronger, yes. But so far, over the past couple days I’d been back, nobody close to me had noticed. Some really observant people had commented on the changes, like Jimmy. But even then, who would ever guess that I had died and been reborn?

There were some humans I didn’t know who had surprisingly guessed what I was. Like the homeless man, Preacher. And that demon Amy who disguised itself as a nun. The world was getting weirder and weirder.

I was a denizen, having been given the blood of the Night Angels, five of the most powerful denizens to walk the face of the earth. I carried the sword of Vlad the Impaler. I had killed undead. I had saved the Book of Angels from that disgusting demon.

And I wore the Key of Mystery on a chain around my neck. Yes, chain was the right word. It was chained to me and me to it. This morning, brushing my teeth, I’d noticed when I bent down to rinse out my mouth the key didn’t move. I couldn’t explain it. It didn’t feel like it was stuck to my skin. But it was. It was as if it had become my skin. Or, as if my skin had become it. I didn’t know which. Perhaps both.

I placed the sword, my sword, in its sheath on my back. Humans couldn’t see it, not unless I had reason to draw the sword from its sheath. As a denizen, I was never without my sword.

I hoisted my backpack up over my shoulder, pushed my hair away from my face, and started down the short hall of the mobile home where I now lived with my mom.

Ever since I’d tried to destroy the two remaining masks my dad had given me, my house had become a war zone. One of them had come back and was hanging in the living room. I figured the other one had come back, too, but in some other location. If I could find out who had the other mask, I thought I could probably discover who was feeding power to the Queen and awakening the Ancient Ones. Easier said than done.

There was a question that really bothered me. Why had my dad given me those masks in the first place? Hadn’t he known how much trouble they were going to cause? It was just one of many mysteries that bothered me.

The living room was dark, the curtains drawn. I was tempted to move through space and out of the house, avoiding the living room and the mask that now hung on the wall. But I knew I couldn’t do that. I had no idea how the mask had appeared on the wall, but I was in a power struggle with it. I wasn't going to give in and let the mask, or whoever was behind it, take over my home.

Last night when I’d come home and found the creepy thing hanging there, I’d made a decision that every time I walked in or out of my house, I’d walk right past it. I wasn’t going to hide. I wasn’t going to avoid it by passing through any walls.

No. This battle of wills was starting now. And I was going to win.

Bye, Mom, I called.

Wait, sweetie!

I stopped warily.

Mom came down the hallway and I was amazed, as always these days, at how poised and professional she looked—during the day, that was. At night, it was another story. At night, my mom was a tormented ghost. I wished I could help her, but there was nothing I could do. Mom had made the choice to work for my hated enemy, Fabian Gore. It made me sad and angry and sick to my stomach all at once, just thinking about it.

Mom's frosted pink lips smiled at me. Her face looked more beautiful than ever, blue eyes made larger by black eyeliner and thick lashes. Her blonde hair was swept up in a classic French roll. She looked like she’d stepped out of a 1960s fashion magazine.

You look really nice, I said.

So do you. She hugged me, something I wasn’t expecting. It felt awkward and wooden, but I gave in and hugged her back. Have a wonderful day, sweetie. I won't be home until late. The fundraiser was such a success, donations are flooding into Fabian’s charities. It's just wonderful.

Great. I couldn’t help it. I sounded anything but happy.

Mom pouted. Sweetie, let's stop this. I never thought I'd have a bad relationship with my daughter, not like other mothers. I always thought we'd get along.

It was hard to believe the extent of my mother's self-denial. Didn't she remember how much we’d been fighting lately?

You know, you really have a selective memory, I said.

She pouted even more, as if she truly didn't know what I was talking about. Look, I'm trying, I really am. Meet me halfway, please.

Halfway. I smiled gallantly. What else could I do? My mom was no longer a rational human being. Have a great day, Mom. I'm glad you're enjoying your new job.

Her face lit up. Things are looking better for us, aren’t they? And Salem seems to be settling in. Fabian's been a godsend! It was the right decision to let Salem stay with Fabian. He's giving Salem the guidance ... well, the guidance his father never could.

With great effort, I held back my anger. We'd gone over this a million times. I wasn't going to change her opinion. It was wasted energy.

Do you know anything about the mask on the wall there? I pointed to the Nepalese mask where it hung above my dad's leather chair.

The mask stared back at me, the full red lips smiling as seductively as ever, the Kohl-blackened eyes shining with a mysterious red glow.

Why had I been so stupid as to try and destroy it? And where was that damned Japanese No mask?

Mom’s eyes followed where I was pointing. She blinked in confusion, squinted, and blinked again. What mask?

I shook my head. Never mind.

Interesting that my mom couldn’t see it. It wasn’t just my imagination, though. Marianne, the Night Angel, had seen it last night when we’d come home from Gore’s disastrous fundraiser.

I said good-bye to my mom and she gave me a peck on my cheek. Her lips felt as cold as my skin. As I walked past the mask the creepy hum intensified and the eyes glowed with malice.

I was tempted to give it the finger, but I was learning there were better ways to win battles than with immature gestures.

Chapter Two

I walked down the porch steps just as Jimmy rode up on his motorcycle. I gave him a grin and a high-five. Jimmy was the best friend a girl could have. It didn’t hurt that he was drop dead gorgeous, with his steely gray eyes and short-cropped light brown hair.

Oh, did I say that—drop dead?

He’d almost died and it had been my fault. I didn’t ever want to put him in danger again. But he had a mind of his own. I had to keep reminding myself of that. As he’d told me more than once, he could take care of himself. He was, after all, a killer martial artist; and although he was barely my height, he was far too self-confident to mind.

He wasn’t one for overt compliments, or obvious displays of emotion, but we’d been through enough together that I was beginning to know him, his expressions and his vibe. And right now, as he tossed me a helmet, he was saying without words, damn, girl, you’re fine.

I whacked him on the shoulder. Shut up.

Say, what? he objected, but he smiled back, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

I stuck the helmet down over my wild mop of hair and hopped on the back of the motorcycle. My eyes closed with delight as I felt the surge of the powerful engine beneath my body. Oddly enough, ever since I could fly, I looked forward more than ever to my rides on Jimmy’s bike. Sometimes, holding onto his lean, muscular body felt a lot better than flying on my own. And this morning, his solid presence reassured me that maybe, just maybe, I could survive this day without it turning into complete chaos.

We reached the school and Jimmy parked the bike, taking the helmet back from me.

Ready to face the crazies? He grabbed my backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder. I know you're a hundred times stronger than me, he teased. But at least let me look like the chivalrous male, okay?

I laughed. "Hey, you are the chivalrous male. I'm a weakling compared to you."

Uh, huh, thanks, but you know that's a lie.

At the entrance to Oak Haven High, we met up with our other friends, tough-talking Inez and her unlikely skinny, super-smart best friend, Scooter. Scooter lived in one of Oak Haven's most exclusive neighborhoods, but he preferred spending his time at Inez's house in Cliffside. This made him a real outsider in Oak Haven since almost everybody looked down on Cliffside, as if it were inhabited by a bunch of cockroaches.

And I had become one of those cockroaches. Me, Jimmy, Inez and Scooter. We came from the wrong side of the railroad tracks. We lived in Cliffside, the trailer park. Once upon a time I had lived in Meadow Oaks, one of the most exclusive gated communities in town. But then my dad died and we lost our money and status.

My dad died and the world of Meadow Oaks and all my cool friends had died with him.

I’d hated moving to Cliffside. It had been the most horrible humiliation. But now … well, I was beginning to see the benefits of having found real friends, people who didn’t care about the clothes I was wearing or the car I drove. They cared about me.

And I cared about them.

As a denizen, I wasn’t supposed to have any feelings about humans except disdain. But I had vowed to the Night Angels that I’d never lose my humanity—not completely. They had nodded their heads in the most annoying way, like they were oh so much smarter and wiser than I would ever be. They thought my vow was made because I was a baby, a new denizen, and over time I would change my mind.

Well, I wouldn’t. I never would!

And now, as I stood at the entrance to Oak Haven High, staring up at the hated entrance gate, who was standing with me?

Not the Night Angels. Not Peter.

Not my old friends, Kayla and Jen.

No.

My Cliffside Disneyland Zombies were with me. I loved them and I always would.

I don't know what I'd do without you guys, I said, staring up at the gate uneasily. I had fought the undead and here I was, scared to walk through that gate. How irrational was that?

Hundreds of students were passing through it, laughing, talking, on their way to another ordinary day at school. But for me and my friends, this day was anything but ordinary.

I’m a denizen!

I told myself this and felt a cold sweat forming on my brow.

Sweat! That was something I couldn’t allow. It would be tinged with blood. Everybody would see it and I’d get sent to the nurse’s office, then to a hospital, then, to some top secret government lab for experimentation.

Then…

Sera!

Inez was holding onto my arm. I fought the urge to break away and destroy her for daring to try and stop me. Stop me from what?

I stared at my friends, my head clearing. I’d been about to run away.

They returned my look with concern.

I don't want to go in there. I stalled.

Scooter's light brown eyes were baleful. Oh yeah? Tell me something new.

Inez laced her arm through mine. Come on. I thought you were the brave one.

No, that's all of you.

I meant what I said. I felt small and frightened. They looked strong and brave to me. So human and vulnerable, with warm blood flowing through their veins. So easily destroyed. I was invincible yet I was the scared one. How could I acknowledge being brave? It wasn’t true.

Inez is brave—and with a big mouth that gets us into trouble, Scooter was saying, and enduring a playful punch from Inez as a result. See? She's abusing me. Again. It's not enough that she decked that nun.

Demon, not nun, Inez corrected. She deserved it—and so do you.

Meany, complained Scooter.

Inez batted her eyelashes. Yeah, but sometimes I'm nice. She kissed him full on the mouth, with a lot of exaggerated passion.

I rolled my eyes, suppressing a laugh. Really, Inez?

Inez wasn’t into guys, but leave it to her to do something just for the shock effect.

Hey, none of that! Sure enough, one of the volunteer mothers, whose duty it was to patrol the front of the school, had seen the kiss. A thin, work-out obsessed woman wearing skin-tight jeans, running shoes covered in silver sparkles, and a wedding ring with a diamond the size of a small country glowered at Inez as if the girl had just committed a crime worthy of the death penalty. No public displays of affection—you know the rules.

Inez groaned. It's the Gestapo. Or maybe another demon. I used to be into aliens, but now, since I actually met a demon...

Scooter pulled Inez along, calling over his shoulder to the shocked mother, Don't worry, she's getting treatment for her delusions.

Jimmy and I hurried after Inez and Scooter. I was bubbling over with laughter—and feeling much better now.

Thanks to Inez and Scooter’s antics, I walked through the gate and didn’t notice I’d done it until I reached the other side.

Inez grabbed both my hands. OK, this is where we say goodbye, for now. You can do this!

I nodded.

Reluctantly, we parted ways, promising to meet up at lunchtime.

Now began the long walk to my locker. I did my best to keep as much distance between myself and the humans as possible. At least my locker was in an open space, on the outer wall of the gym, not inside one of the hallways. Each time someone brushed against me, I tensed, attracted and repelled at the same time by their human smell. I felt sure that everyone must know what I’d become. How could they not? Were they all staring at me?

No, it was my imagination.

I reached my locker and saw with a sinking feeling that Kayla was standing there, reaching into her own locker, which was right next to mine. Last semester, in another life, we'd been best friends. But that had been before the death of my dad.

Up until a few months ago, my family and the Thompsons had lived in the same exclusive gated community of Meadow Oaks. But when my dad, who was a geophysicist and had been working on the new transportation system for LA County, had mysteriously disappeared in an accident in a tunnel far beneath the LA County Library, my life had come crashing down. Terrible rumors had spread that he'd had a secret life and spent all the family money on drugs and gambling. My mom, my brother, Salem, and I had been forced to move out of Meadow Oaks and into Cliffside Estates.

As a result, Kayla and my other so-called friends—except for Scooter—had abandoned me. In Oak Haven, money and power meant friendship. Without status in society, I became a nobody and my former friends avoided me like a gutter rat.

I opened my locker, and said as nonchalantly as possible, Hi, Kayla.

Kayla's thick black hair was held up in its signature ponytail, showing off her long, swanlike neck. Her chocolate skin smelled of expensive perfume, and her slim figure was decked out in an outfit that was probably worth a thousand dollars. She was avoiding eye contact with me, clearly wishing she'd gotten away from her locker before my arrival.

Now, she glanced at me quickly, along with a tight smile. Oh, hi, can you believe Spring Break is already over?

I know. Have you heard from Jen? I asked.

Jen had been my other best friend, a porcelain doll of a girl whose Korean parents had made a successful life in America. Jen became involved with prescription medications and was now in rehab at the upscale drug treatment center, Celebration Life.

Kayla ignored my question. Clearly, she didn't want to talk to me about Jen—or anything else. She waved at someone in the crowd. I have to go.

Wait. I wasn’t letting her get away that easily. We're visiting Jen, remember? So, I'm wondering when.

Kayla frowned at the memory of inviting me to come with her. I'm not sure when. I'll message you. Bye.

I slammed my locker shut and followed after her, feeling anger stir my blood. I'd appreciate it if you'd tell Jen to put me on her visiting list, I said, trying my hardest to stay polite.

Kayla huffed dramatically, as if she'd just been asked the most unreasonable request in the world. "I'll try to remember."

That was the last straw. Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed Kayla's arm. A sudden urge overcame me to squeeze that delicate arm, to just keep on squeezing. Or maybe her neck, yeah, squeeze her cute little, swan-like neck until her eyes bulged out of their sockets.

You're hurting me! Kayla tried to shake free.

I didn’t want to let go, but thank God I did. I attempted to keep my expression neutral, but inside I was screaming. What if I'd actually done it—squeezed Kayla to death? Right there, in the middle of school—in front of everyone! How long would it be before I ended up on America’s Most Wanted List?

Reviews for Cave of Secrets

[Suze Lavender · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sera thinks her dad isn't dead like she's been told, she's convinced he is still alive and she's looking for him. Something sinister is going on in her city and her archenemy Fabian Gore is involved in it somehow. However circumstances force her to work together with the man she despises. Sera is worried about her mother, who's under Fabian Gore's spell. Why do people like him so much and what is he actually doing?

Sera used to be able to rely on Night Angel Peter, but their relationship is complicated. She's part of a powerful group now, but they can't help her with her quest. She needs to find her dad by herself. With a little assistance from her human friend Jimmy she finds a way into one of Fabian Gore's suspicious properties. Will she find the clues she needs there? Is there a chance Sera and her dad will be reunited?

Cave of Secrets is another fabulous story about Sera and the mysteries she needs to uncover. Sera is a strong girl with a good heart. She's fierce, resilient, smart and impulsive. I like her fiery nature and her brave character. She doesn't stay away from dangerous situations if it means she can rescue someone she loves or gather more information about the mission her father has given her. The Third Night Angels story intrigued me just as much as the first two and I read the story in one sitting.

K.H. Mezek's writing has an easy flow. She combines gripping fantasy with important life lessons about self control, drugs and depending on the right people. I love the subtile way she does that. Sera has an important mission that fascinated me from the beginning. It was interesting to see how she finds more and more pieces of the puzzle she needs to solve. She is a fantastic heroine and I really enjoyed reading another part of her story.