Destined (Darkin World Book 2)

Chapter Nine

"You royally screwed the pooch." The female voice on the other end of the line was full of aggravation.

"It wasn't my fault; there was an ambush." Griffin winced as his busted ankle tried to fold under him. He'd been roughed up, but still hadn't broken. "I held up my end of the bargain. Now it's time you did your part."

A feminine laugh, full of sarcasm, filled his ear. "You failed, and you know it."

The sound of a steam locomotive setting its brakes drowned out whatever else the witch had to say. Griffin pretended not to see the stares his beat-up form elicited from other passengers.

There was no more black smoke of the Victorian and early twentieth-century eras. In this one, they used coal gasification. It was a technology used and perfected during the war after oil refineries were targeted and destroyed, which burned more cleanly.

Travel was also quicker by train than it had been in times past. Railways were rebuilt outside of towns and trains now reached speeds exceeding 155 mph. There were "offramps" of sorts if a stop ended in a town or the train needed to be refueled. The railroad resembled more an interstate with many "lanes." People in this era were far better planners for an uncertain future.

"I did not screw up," Griffin whisper-yelled into the phone. A curious onlooker glanced at him. He walked, well limped, to a less-crowded area and took a small pouch out of his shirt pocket. Whispering some words, he placed a soundproof barrier of air around him. It stopped the curious from overhearing the rest of his conversation. "I was ambushed in Pocatello and then tortured for information. I did not break, so spare me the theatrics."

Like most of the supernatural world, the vamps didn't know what Griffin was; what he could do as far as magic went. Eventually, he'd escaped their foul clutches. Now, he was in Texas, far from sadistic vampires and double-crossing witches.

"Someone let slip our plans. The youngest Darkin was nearly killed." The witch's voice was cold. No emotion leaked through the earpiece.

"I don't see how that's my problem. I've fulfilled my end of our bargain. I want what is owed to me."

"I will reunite you with your daughter when I feel you have fulfilled your end. Not a moment sooner."

The hand holding Griffin's cell phone tightened. It shook slightly from the pressure. He heard the plastic case crack. Letting out a calming breath, he watched the last of the passengers board the train. "You better not try and renege on our deal. You claimed you knew where I could find her and gave me proof. It better not have been falsified."

"You've known me long enough. Do you think I make idle promises? I know where your daughter is, and I won't give you the location until you finish the task I've set for you. If you fail, you will never find her."

"One day, I will find you, witch. That is the day you die," Griffin promised, then ended the call.

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