A Divine agent infiltrates a vampiric cult with a hive mind, dismantling their sinister network and exposing a treacherous pawn’s betrayal during a harrowing showdown.
Copyright © Priya Florence Shah
Nathan was a man whose veneer of charm barely concealed a darker nature. Beneath his false bravado was a coward, desperately seeking validation from anyone he could manipulate.
Raised in a family tainted by a legacy of crime and addiction, he learned early on to use others for gain. This environment, steeped in dysfunction, left Nathan emotionally stunted and increasingly twisted in his desires.
His craving for control and power over others manifested in disturbing ways, and his lack of empathy was only deepened by his upbringing. He was the kind of man who would chain women in his basement if he could get away with it.
It wasn’t just the thrill of dominance he sought, but the desperate need to feel something — anything — that would fill the void left by years of neglect and abuse.
It was not a reach that he would go on to join an evil cult, a misogynistic brotherhood involved in trafficking drugs, women, and children. Their modus operandi was kidnapping, abuse, strangulation, and dismemberment of their victims for the snuff films they posted on the dark web.
They would carry out their crimes in abandoned buildings and bury their victims in cement-filled graves or dump the bodies in landfills where no one would think to look.
***
The bar was crowded, its air thick with the mingling odors of spilled beer, cheap cologne, and desperation. The neon “Open” sign buzzed faintly above the door as Dani sipped her ginger ale, eyes scanning the room. She was here for one reason: Nathan.
The man she’d known for years — a friend of her ex and someone she’d always found oily — had extended a sudden invitation to “catch up.” Nathan was the kind of man who flashed a toothy smile that never reached his cold, calculating eyes. She’d been warned about men like him.
“Be careful of venomous vipers who act like friends.”
The warning whispered in her mind as she caught sight of Nathan weaving his way through the crowd toward her. Clad in a leather jacket that tried too hard to impress, he approached with a grin as wide as a grave.
“Dani!” he boomed, pulling her into an overly familiar hug. She stiffened but forced a polite smile.
“Nathan, hi,” she replied, stepping back. “You’ve got quite the choice in meeting spots.” She gestured to the seedy ambiance.
He chuckled, but there was something hollow in the sound. “What can I say? I like places with… character.”
Dani nodded, her eyes catching the glint of something darker behind Nathan’s cheery façade. He was nervous. His hands fidgeted, and his eyes darted toward the shadowy corner of the bar where a group of figures sat, silent and still, like predators lying in wait.
***
***
The Whispering Coven was what they called themselves, though Dani hadn’t pieced it together yet. Their hive mind was an abomination: centuries-old vampires tethered together by a psychic network, sharing thoughts and power.
They thrived on exploiting the weak and stepping on the necks of those they deemed lesser. Nathan was their newest pawn, promised untold riches for betraying Dani.
Nathan had been briefed. Get her drunk, humiliate her, break her spirit, and turn her into nothing more than a pawn to be used and discarded. But Dani wasn’t what she seemed.
Sent by Divine forces — angels cloaked in mortal skin — her purpose was to dismantle this vile hive from the inside.
***
“You’re not drinking?” Nathan asked, feigning nonchalance as she pushed her glass aside.
“Not tonight. Long day tomorrow.” Her voice was light, but her eyes pinned him in place. He laughed nervously and gestured toward the door.
“Let’s get some air. There’s a spot I want to show you.”
Outside, the air was crisp and damp, the smell of rain lingering in the alleys. Nathan led her down a winding path that veered into the woods beyond the edge of town.
The silence of the trees closed in around them, broken only by the crunch of their footsteps. Dani’s unease deepened with every step, but she let him lead. This was why she was here, after all.
The clearing appeared suddenly, bathed in moonlight. Waiting there was the Coven. Five of them, pale and statuesque, their eyes gleaming like shards of glass. Dani’s heart quickened, but her face remained calm.
“Dani, meet some friends of mine,” Nathan said, his grin stretched too tight.
One of the vampires stepped forward. She was tall, with jet-black hair cascading down her back like a river of ink. Her voice was silky but sharp, a knife wrapped in velvet.
“Nathan spoke highly of you,” she purred. “We’ve been eager to meet.”
“Likewise,” Dani replied evenly. Her hand rested in her pocket, fingers brushing the small vial she’d brought.
***
***
The vampires closed in, their movements unnaturally fluid.
“You see,” Nathan began, “we know your little secret. You’re not as perfect as you seem.”
Dani raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Do tell.”
Another vampire sneered. “By the time we’re done, you’ll wish you’d never crossed us.”
Dani smiled faintly, her calmness unnerving them. She slipped her hand from her pocket, revealing the vial of holy water.
“Funny,” she said, “I was about to say the same to you.”
She hurled the vial to the ground. It shattered, and the clearing erupted in brilliant light. The vampires screamed, their hive minds momentarily severed by the divine energy. Dani moved swiftly, a blade of consecrated silver appearing in her hand.
Nathan stumbled back, terror in his eyes. “What the hell are you?!”
Dani spared him a glance, her voice cold. “The reckoning.”
***
The fight was brutal. The vampires were strong, but Dani was faster, each movement guided by a power far greater than her own. Her blade sang through the air, severing limbs and striking hearts. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning flesh as the holy water’s remnants clung to her blade.
One vampire lunged, fangs bared, but she ducked and drove her blade upward, piercing its heart. It disintegrated in a shower of ash. Another tried to attack from behind, but Dani spun, her fist connecting with its jaw, sending it reeling.
Nathan cowered, watching the Coven fall one by one. He tried to run, but Dani was there, blocking his path.
“You betrayed me,” she said, her voice low. “You betrayed yourself.”
He fell to his knees, sobbing. “They made me do it! I didn’t have a choice!”
Dani stared at him, her face unreadable. “There’s always a choice.”
***
The last of the vampires lay in ash, their hive mind shattered. Dani stood in the clearing, bloodied but unbroken. Nathan trembled at her feet, a broken man.
“Please,” he begged. “Don’t kill me.”
She crouched down, her voice soft but firm. “I won’t. But you’ll live with what you’ve done. And you’ll never forget this night.”
With that, she rose and walked away, leaving him to his guilt and the remnants of his shattered alliances. As she disappeared into the trees, the first rays of dawn pierced the clearing, bathing it in light.
The battle was over, but her mission was far from complete. The Divine had sent her for a reason, and she would see it through — no matter the cost.
***
