All Hallows' Apocalypse: Nox: Night Cursed, #3

By J.C. Diem

As time wears on in Nox, the Night Cursed beings are becoming more and more shunned and ostracized by the uncursed population. Mistrust is rising in all of the Districts and Xiara Evora is right in the middle of it. It's her job to keep the peace in the City of Night, but her task is getting harder with each passing year.

 

Crowmon, the trickster god, and Raum, the leader of the demons, have gained a lot of power over the years. Xiara suspects they are searching for a way to increase their standing even more, but she isn't sure what their plans are. All she knows is that they'll do anything to increase their influence and that they don't care who will get hurt in the process.

 

Xiara and her team make new friends and allies who will help them with their quest to save the Night Cursed from the Immortal Triumvirate. The unholy trinity fears treachery and they're aware that someone will eventually try to topple them from their reign. Their solution to avoid their unwanted fate will have consequences that no one could have foreseen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: Sep 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393361299

Book preview

Chapter One

SUSPICIOUS EYES FOLLOWED me as I patrolled the suburbs of the Fae District. I was Night Cursed and the uncursed clearly didn’t want me to sully their pristine streets. It wasn’t easy keeping my expression neutral. As the Guardian of Nox, I had free rein to patrol most of the city. It was my job to keep the peace and to stop evil monsters and bad guys from harming others. Crime was low in the Fae District, but I still liked to make a nightly sweep through it.

Look at it strutting around as if it thinks it’s important, I overheard a fairy whisper to her companion. Both women tittered behind their hands as they eyed me. Their wings fluttered constantly, shedding gold fairy dust that vanished before it could hit the ground.

The Immortal Triumvirate use it to kill their enemies and the mindless creature just does what it’s told, the second fairy said.

Look what it’s wearing, the first fairy said. This time, their laughter was louder and meaner.

Compared to them, I probably looked like something the cat had dragged in. My hair was long and platinum blonde and I wore it up in a ponytail. Black eyeliner outlined my blue eyes, making them seen larger than they really were. My black jeans were artfully ripped from the tops of my calf-high black boots all the way up to my hips. A cropped black jacket with black and green feathers around the neck covered my long, lacy black shirt.

My silver blade was in a scabbard that was attached to my belt and I carried Wrath over my shoulder. Gray fog emanated from both the eighteen inch long blade on one end and the six inch long blade on the other end. I was tempted to slice their beautiful dresses to shreds with Wrath, but merely clamped my hand around his handle and kept walking.

My jaw ached from clenching my teeth together by the time I finished my rounds. The uncursed hated and mistrusted my kind. Their derision had gradually built up and now the Night Cursed were shunned. They’d been pushed out of the heart of the Districts and had been forced to live in the Nox equivalent of slums. Sure, their houses were adequate, but they weren’t exactly mansions.

Only the Miscellaneous Beings’ District remained unchanged. I figured that was because the snobby fae, vampires and shifters didn’t live among us lesser folks. Night Cursed magic users, artists, performers, fortune tellers and beings like me had congregated in the District to the south of the city. The uncursed travelled to our entertainment sector to have their fortunes read. They also gathered to laugh and jeer at the shows that my kind strove to put on for them.

Madam Quilla Astrid was highly sought after because her fortunes were eerily accurate. My best friend was often asked to perform house calls for her clients. The gypsy hated telling the future for our kind because nothing ever changed. Night Cursed beings lived the same night over and over and they didn’t even realize it.

Only my closest friends and the Immortal Triumvirate knew there was something different about a few of our kind. We had backstories, which meant we had personalities. We had our own set of rules and we had to abide by them. What the Triumvirate didn’t know was that we were able to remember things. Even if we died, our memories weren’t wiped clean like the rest of our kin. We had weekly meetings to discuss the things we’d seen and heard. We pooled our knowledge in the hope that one day, things in Nox would change.

Quilla had foreseen the futures of Lord Kreaton and Lord Graham, two of the rulers of the City of Night. She’d foretold that they might eventually both be toppled from their positions. Lord Dallinar, the fae ruler who bound the trio together through magic, hadn’t asked for his fortune to be told by my bestie yet. Either he didn’t want to know, or he was supremely confident that he would continue in his role forever.

A carriage pulled up in front of me when I stepped over to the curb. The skeleton driver inclined his skull at me in greeting. I nodded in return before climbing inside. I could almost feel its relief that it wouldn’t be ridiculed just for existing and for doing its job as the magically propelled vehicle went into motion. All of the carriages were driven by unarmed skeletons. Their armed kin were safely locked away in the cemeteries in the District where I lived. The zombies and ghouls were imprisoned with them.

Only the ghosts could leave the confines of their graveyards. The specters targeted people and houses at random. They caused mischief and occasionally turned poltergeist to haunt a building for a night. Every now and then, I was asked to persuade some irritating phantoms to move on, with the aid of Wrath’s divine light. We were always able to drive the spirits away without killing any of them in the process.

I wished some ghosts would turn up to wreck the house the two spiteful fairies had entered. It would serve them right to have their finery destroyed. Sure, they could repair the damage with magic, but the apparitions would make their night painful for them.

As we neared a cathedral, I sensed that it was packed with Night Cursed holy folk. They were the only beings who hadn’t been forced to leave the heart of each District. No one wanted to piss off the holy men and women. They couldn’t kill the uncursed, or even harm them, but the weight of their disapproval at being disrespected was enough to make sure they were left in peace.

A flicker of movement caught my eye and I tilted my head back to see a hideous gargoyle perched on the edge of the cathedral roof. It almost seemed to be watching me, but it had to be my imagination. I frowned, trying to recall if I’d ever seen a statue of a gargoyle on that particular cathedral before. Nox changed so often that it was hard to keep track. I couldn’t be sure if the statue was new. It was ugly and seemed out of place, but decorating the city wasn’t in my job description, so I put it out of my mind.

The carriage rumbled towards the Shifter District without me needing to tell the driver where I wanted to go. Skeletons could pluck our desired destinations from the minds of my kind. The uncursed had to tell them were they wanted to go. All of the Night Cursed were connected to the Immortal Triumvirate. We also seemed to be connected to each other, at least to some extent.

We pulled to a stop in a wealthy area of the Shifter District and I disembarked. I nodded at the driver in thanks and the skeleton lifted a bony hand in reply. Then the carriage lurched into motion, searching for a new passenger who needed a ride.

Chapter Two

PATROLLING THE SHIFTER District was never fun. The shapeshifters hated the cursed more than most. Over the past few years, they’d slowly forced my kind to live in the southeast corner of their District. Sexy nurses and their handsome doctors stayed in quarters beneath the hospitals so they couldn’t be snatched up by horny shifters to be used for their pleasure.

My upper lip lifted at the memory of a time when I’d had to rescue a nurse from the clutches of a randy werewolf. His name was Efrem Prager and he was a member of the Shifter Guild. He frequently attended the meetings that were held with the Immortal Triumvirate. It made me sick to my stomach that a monster like Efrem had a say in what happened in Nox. After Mr. Prager’s attack on the nurse, Sgt. Rick Malone, a Night Cursed cop with a backstory, kept his eye on the shifter. Rick and his team of officers did their best to protect our kind, but it was a losing battle.

Angry thoughts swirled around in my head as I walked the streets of the Shifter District. Wrath pulsed in my hand when he picked up on how dark my mood was turning. I sensed a shifter running towards me from behind and whirled around to face him. To my surprise, it was a Night Cursed wererat rather than an uncursed citizen. He was wearing a dark brown t-shirt, black jeans and lime green sneakers. He had a long, hairless tail that was daintily draped over his arm. I recognized him from my dealings with him in the past, but he had no recollection of meeting me before. There you are, Ms. Evora! he said, panting in annoyance. I was sent to get you, he added when he had his breath back.

Who sent you? I asked suspiciously. Shifters didn’t ask for my help very often. They didn’t want a lesser creature like me meddling in their affairs.

Lord Graham sent me, he replied and dread seeped into me. Quilla had foreseen that all three of the unholy trinity would try to bend me to their wills. I’d already suffered the attentions of the fairy and the vampire. I had a bad feeling it was now time for me to go through the same ordeal at the alpha werewolf’s hands.

Is Lord Graham at the Triumvirate’s headquarters? I asked.

Nope. He’s in the woods, the wererat said and hiked his thumb towards the north side of the District. His beady black eyes watched me eagerly and his nose twitched in anticipation.

Lead the way, I said in resignation. I couldn’t refuse a summons from one of our leaders. It was best just to get this horrible ordeal over with.

Another carriage pulled up and we climbed inside. The wererat nervously shifted away from my staff and glanced warily at my silver sword. Both weapons could end his life. The sword would only kill him for a night, but Wrath could kill him permanently. Have you heard about the beast in the shifter woods? he asked me suddenly.

There are lots of beasts in the woods, I replied.

Not like this one, he refuted, shaking his head. His ears swiveled and he kept peering through the windows as if he was afraid we were being followed.

What’s different about this one? I asked.

It’s a killer, he said in a hoarse whisper.

You’re all killers, I reminded him with an eye roll. That’s what shifters do. They hunt things down and eat them.

This one doesn’t eat its kills, he said, eyes wide and afraid. It targets our kind and kills us indiscriminately.

By ‘our kind’ he was talking about Night Cursed beings, which was why I hadn’t heard of this beast before now. If it had killed even one uncursed being, I would have been called in a lot sooner. Does Lord Graham want me to hunt this thing down? I asked.

The wererat shrugged. I hope so, he said bleakly. We’re tired of being slaughtered night after night. None of them would remember being killed, but there must have been witnesses. It had happened often enough that the cursed were able to remember it.

Our carriage headed to the only entrance to the shifter woods. It was considered private property and visitors weren’t tolerated. The fact that Lord Graham had called me here was telling. Either he really did want me to hunt down the mystery creature, or he was just using it as a pretext to get me alone. Either way, I wasn’t looking forward to this encounter.

My rodent guide led the way along the path into the gloomy shifter woods. I was glad for my night vision as I followed in his wake. He took off at a fast lope that I was easily able to keep up with. The pathway soon split and became a tangled, confusing labyrinth of trails. All around us, uncursed shifters were hunting. None of them were drawn to us and remained fixed on finding their meals. Not all uncursed shifters roamed the woods at night. They took turns letting their beasts out. On the three nights of the full moon, all werebeasts took to the woods to hunt.

I couldn’t sense any Night Cursed shifters in the area, apart from my guide. He kept sending nervous glances over his shoulder to make sure I was still there. It almost seemed as if he was afraid I would leave him all alone for the mystery beast to slaughter.

We ran for a couple of hours before I sensed Lord Graham’s presence. We were on the edge of what I sensed was Night Cursed territory. All manner of predators were on the prowl, hunting for food. Most of the herbivores were pulling carriages or were acting as steeds for the knights in Tournament Town. The others would be doing their best to stay hidden as they foraged for plants to eat.

Lord Graham is waiting for you down that path, the wererat said and gestured at a narrow trail to the left.

Aren’t you going to guide me back to the city when we’re done? I asked, but he was already racing away and didn’t bother to respond. Yeah, there’s nothing suspicious about this at all, I muttered sourly, then I continued my trek alone.

My link to the alpha of all shifters in Nox drew me to him. I came to a halt when I saw Lord Graham. If I hadn’t sensed him, I wouldn’t have been able to tell who he was just by looking at him. He was in his wolfman form and he was covered in ginger fur. His face was wolf-like, but he had a humanoid body. Long claws had sprouted from his fingers and toes. His tail wagged when he saw me, before he controlled it. I sensed a swell of anticipation and bloodlust coming from him as I closed the distance between us.

Xiara Evora, the beast man said. His voice was a growl and his amber eyes shone with an inner glow.

Lord Graham, I said neutrally. The wererat said you need my assistance with something.

You will help me hunt a beast that has been causing fear among your kind, he replied. It has broken the rules and it needs to be eradicated.

He knew full well that I couldn’t kill at his order alone. I needed proof that the law had been broken. Has this beast harmed or killed any uncursed citizens? I asked.

The alpha werewolf bared his teeth at me for questioning him before replying. Not yet, he admitted. But it is only a matter of time. I want to make sure it isn’t possessed by a demon and that it won’t turn on my kind.

My eyebrows rose at that knowledge. It sounded like the enigmatic monster was like me. If it was a Night Cursed being with a backstory, there was a good chance it could be taken over by Azazel. The demon hadn’t given up on his plans to deepen the rift between the cursed and uncursed. Every now and then, he found another of my kind and used them as his puppets. I’d had to kill a few of them over the years. I’d made sure the rest were protected by holy symbols so they couldn’t be possessed again.

Follow me, the lord ordered gruffly, then he took off at a sprint.

I wasn’t a shifter, but I was stronger and faster than a mere human. My link to the Immortal Triumvirate had given me some of their attributes. Relying on my bond with the werewolf, I did my best to keep up with him as he skirted around the edge of the Night Cursed shifters’ territory.

Chapter Three

WHEN WE FINALLY CAME to a stop, I was winded and was panting for air. I had a stitch and pressed my hand against my side. It took me a few seconds to sense we weren’t alone. Instead of the Night Cursed monster we’d come to hunt down, I saw a magic user wearing a gray robe. His face was covered by the hood, but I could feel power emanating from him.

Is everything ready? Lord Graham asked.

It is, my lord, the robed man replied. He was uncursed and he was far stronger than a normal wizard, which meant he had to be a warlock. I’d heard about his kind. They were born with power that increased with their age. I’d heard they eventually went crazy and had to be destroyed before they completely lost their minds. A crazed warlock could cause a lot of damage when they went on a rampage.

Who are you? I asked uneasily. He stood next to a cauldron that was bubbling over a magical fire.

My name is unimportant, Ms. Evora, he replied. Like a lot of the uncursed civilians, he had a foreign accent. He held out his hand and chanted and a mug appeared on his palm. He stirred the concoction with a metal ladle, then lifted it to pour a foul-smelling liquid into the mug. Drink, he ordered me and held it out to me.

No, thanks, I replied, shaking my head and backing away. Clearly, Lord Graham had been lying about wanting me to help him hunt the rogue monster down. Like Lord Kreaton, he’d asked for aid from a magic user to try to bend me to his will.

Drink it! the alpha commanded me.

Why? I asked. What does it do?

I am your master and you will do as I say! the werewolf growled. When I made no move to take the mug, he stomped over and grabbed hold of me by the arm. He dragged me over to the robed man, then he clamped his hand on my jaw and tilted my head back. Pour the spell into her mouth, he said to his lackey.

The warlock did as he was ordered. I dropped Wrath and thrashed to try to free myself, but Lord Graham was too strong. I could feel his excitement growing as the disgusting sludge was poured into my mouth. Swallowing out of reflex, I gagged, but he held my mouth shut so I couldn’t spit it out and I was forced to swallow it all. It should not be long now, my lord, the robed man said.

Leave us, the