A Reason to Live: A Shadowdance Variation (4 page)

Illyana studied Makeda. There was an earnestness to
her words that made Illyana believe she wasn’t lying, but she was
definitely unwilling to reveal her hand. Illyana turned from Makeda
and walked toward the ledge. Without looking at Makeda, she said,
“I just badgered the Yakuza into attacking me. In hindsight, this
is so much easier.”

Illyana stepped up on the ledge. A gust of wind
caught her tattered clothing, her hair. Illyana struggled to remain
standing while looking down to the street below.

Makeda made no move to stop her other than to say,
“The fall won’t kill you.”

“It will do,” Illyana replied.

Silence fell again between the women, the wind
pressing at Illyana. It almost took control of her, but the vampire
maintained her balance.

Makeda stood her ground.

“If you see Adriana,” Illyana said, “tell her I’m
sorry.”

Illyana took a step forward.

At first, she thought a powerful gust of wind had
caught her, arresting her descent. She quickly realized that it had
not been the wind, but Makeda’s magical blue shroud. It carried
Illyana back across the rooftop and landed her in front of Makeda.
The African woman’s hand was raised next to her face; it glowed
with the same ethereal blue magic that embraced Illyana.

Then the glow disappeared, as did the shroud about
Illyana.

“I see why you turned Adriana,” Makeda said. “You’re
as stubborn as the legends say she is.”

“Turning her was a mistake,” Illyana replied, her
eyes drifting away from Makeda. “One I deeply regret.”

“Help me, and perhaps you can make up for that.”

Illyana thought for a moment.

“You’re right,” Illyana said. Makeda’s expression
lightened.

Illyana’s eyes turned back to Makeda. They held
suspicion. “I may know your name, but not who you truly are.”

“If someone is watching, telling you my name was too
much,” Makeda said.

“And now you’re reticent?”

“Let’s just say I have an interest in making sure my
enemies do not get the Vyntari shards. I think Adriana can help me
ensure they never do.”

Illyana cared little for Shadowdance lore, but she
knew of the Vyntari shards. They were the crux of the Shadowdance.
The person who controlled all nine could summon some supposedly
all-powerful shadow god to control.

Two groups, the Order of Haroth and the Knights of
Vyntari were the main forces pursuing the shards. The Order had
once allied themselves with the Nazis. The Knights fought demons.
To which group did Makeda belong?

If she could help Adriana, did it matter?

“You’re going to have to be more specific. Or, I can
knock you unconscious and—”

“You could try,” Makeda said with a smile.

Illyana opened her mouth to counter but decided
against it. She didn’t know if Makeda’s smile was a taunt or merely
good humor. Illyana was too tired to figure either way.

“I need to find Adriana,” Makeda said. “And I need to
know what motivates her.”

“So you can use her?” Illyana said. Reflexively, her
fangs extended from her gums. Makeda recoiled slightly at seeing
them.

“So I can guide her to a better path,” Makeda said in
a forced calm tone.

Illyana’s tongue ran over one of her fangs. She drew
back, only now realizing she’d extended them. Embarrassed, she
looked away from Makeda.

“What do you mean by a better path?” she asked.

“All creatures can redeem themselves. They simply
must be shown the path. I want to do this for Adriana.”

“Why?” Illyana snapped.

Makeda paused. She shrugged. “Honestly, helping
Adriana is a side thing. My true goal is to crush my enemies once
and for all. Adriana can help me do that.”

Illyana started to ask another question, but Makeda
held up a polite hand to silence her. “Again, if I give you
details, you could be compromised. But I will allow you this:
pursuing this path is a sacrifice that could very well end my
days.”

Staring at the woman, Illyana saw nothing in her that
made her words a simple bluff. Illyana bowed her head. This Makeda
meant to manipulate Adriana just as Cytheria, the former leader of
the Daughters, had. It is what led to Adriana’s anger, her desire
for revenge.

Illyana turned from Makeda and walked toward the
ledge. “Why should I tell you anything?” she asked.

“According to legend, her life has been nothing but
violence and bloodshed. Is that what you wanted for her when you
made her your daughter?”

It was a rhetorical question; they wouldn’t be here
if Makeda hadn’t known how Illyana felt about Adriana. Illyana
stepped up to the ledge. “She won’t listen to me,” she shouted back
over the wind. “She damn well won’t listen to you.”

“Which is why misdirection is the key. But I can’t do
that if—”

A gust of wind buffeted Illyana. The woman fought to
hold her ground on the ledge. She stood silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry I wasted your time,” Makeda said.

Illyana looked behind her. Makeda had turned and
started toward the elevator. Illyana turned to face Makeda.

“Her sister!” Illyana called after her.

Makeda stopped.

“She wants to find her sister, Dominique,” Illyana
continued. “She would listen to anyone with information on her
whereabouts. Or the whereabouts of any living Navarre.”

Makeda thought on this. She turned back to face
Illyana.

“You said it yourself, though. She won’t believe just
anyone.”

Illyana stepped down from the ledge and moved to
Makeda.

“Adriana has a scar, just above her heart,” Illyana
said. “Her sister gave her that scar.”

Makeda took this in. “Does Adriana want to kill
her?”

Illyana shook her head. “It’s far more complicated
than that. But, armed with that knowledge, one could get Adriana to
believe them about Dominique.”

Makeda studied Illyana, eventually nodding in
acknowledgment. She turned and headed for the elevator.

“Promise me no harm will come to Adriana,” Illyana
called after her.

Makeda stopped at the elevator door. She pressed a
keycard to a security panel. The panel lit up green. Machinery
churned, bringing the elevator up. Makeda looked back at Illyana.
“This is the Shadowdance. You know I can’t promise that.”

Illyana frowned, but she understood.

“I would recommend you go to ground,” Makeda added.
“If Adriana sees you she could get spooked, and that would destroy
the plan.”

Illyana nodded. She used the little bit of blood
magic in her system to move quickly, taking up a position in front
of Makeda in the blink of an eye. She put a hand on the woman’s
shoulder.

“I never could do right by Adriana,” Illyana said in
a sorrowful voice. “Promise me you will.”

Makeda mirrored Illyana by placing her hand on the
vampire’s shoulder.

“I will.”

The women stared at one another, sincerity in their
eyes.

The elevator door chimed and opened.

“Coming?” Makeda asked.

Illyana shook her head. “I’d like to enjoy the
view.”

“It’ll be dawn soon.”

Illyana nodded.

Makeda gave Illyana’s arm a compassionate, gentle
squeeze and then entered the elevator.

“This is such a fucking cliché.”

Illyana recognized Geisa’s voice behind her. Sitting
on the ledge, she stared across Tokyo, looking at the horizon as
the first light of the sun crept up over the bay. It wasn’t enough
to burn Illyana’s vampire skin. It wasn’t even enough to give her a
slight irritation.

Yet.

“You have about another ten minutes and then I’m
dragging you out of here,” Geisa said as she crossed the rooftop
toward Illyana. “Or maybe I’ll let you stay, burn just enough to
scar. For making me deal with that Yakuza bitch when I wanted to
hit Club Atom.”

Illyana smiled.

Sometimes Geisa’s affection for the life of a bon
vivant reminded her of Adriana in her mortal youth. Not that
Illyana held the same affection for her watcher. It was only a fond
memory of the girl she loved in a time when she was at her
best.

Standing, Illyana turned to Geisa. “We can go.”

Geisa stared at Illyana as if she didn’t recognize
the woman.

Illyana walked past her and toward the elevator. “I
hope there aren’t too many bodies between here and the exit,” she
teased.

“Just two.”

Geisa looked to the horizon and back at Illyana. She
shook her head and followed the other vampire to the elevator.
Geisa had a passkey, one stained with a few specks of blood. She
used it to call the elevator. Once inside, she took up a position
behind Illyana. He elevator descended.

After a few silent moments, Geisa asked, “So who is
this Makeda Arsi person?”

Illyana smiled, knowing Geisa couldn’t see it. “A
friend,” she replied.

“You know I’ll tell Kara and Fatale about this.”

“As is your duty.”

“Which means you probably just killed Adriana and
this new friend.”

Or,
Illyana thought,
this friend will look
out for Adriana, maybe even convince her to curb her murderous
ways.

Maybe then…

###

Click here
for more info and
where to buy a copy!

To learn more about the “Shadowdance” Saga,

go to
www.shadowdancesaga.com

Follow the saga on
Facebook
and
Twitter

The son of a sharecropper (not really), Mark Wooden
has actively pursued the dream of being a Creative since his epic
kindergarten work, "Ne-Ne the Vampire Panda.”

He draws inspiration from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
and “Blade
,
” decades of “Batman” and “X-Men” comic books and
conspiracy epics “24” and “The X-Files.” He'd be remiss if he
didn't mention the influence of a certain Frank Miller-created
assassin named Elektra.

Mark mines his two decades of experiences in live
entertainment to instill humanity into the vampires, demons,
werewolves, sorcerers and other creatures of his “Shadowdance”
urban fantasy saga. The novels allow readers to confront the evil
that men and monsters do from the comfort of a book.

“By Virtue Fall” is the first novel in the
“Shadowdance” saga.

Look into the shadows and see horror in action.