Dark Silence - Matrix Taylor (best novels to read for students .TXT) 📗

t>PROLOGUE: Imperfection

Dyana quickly and quietly walked through the halls of Shands Hospital carefully concealing the small, white bundle in a coat she was wearing over her hospital gown. She used her mental ability to not only distract the doctors, nurses and other patients in the hospital but also shielded her thoughts from her lifemate, Michael. Their minds had to touch on a regular basis. She knew how unhappy and angry he would be if he realized what Dyana was up to.

For the last few nights since giving birth, Dyana had pretended to grieve for their son, who was a stillborn. But in truth, Dyana gave birth to an almost perfect Carpathian baby boy whom she named Gabriel. Dyana was ashamed that she had not been able to give birth to a daughter, but also because she gave birth to a deaf son. Dyana was afraid that the other Carpathians would disapprove of him. They would treat him different from their own children. Even Sara Marten, Falcon's lifemate, had psychic children, though hers were adopted… Human psychics that was stronger than her own Carpathian son… It was unacceptable.

He would be an outcast, as would she, should this ever be discovered.

Plus Dyana could never bring herself to simply take her own child's life. Even flawed, her child still deserved better then to simply be put to death because he was imperfect. So, she decided to do the next best thing…

Taking the elevator down to the floor she wanted, Dyana got off of the elevator with Gabriel still silently slumbering in her arms and hurried on, not planning to waste any more time then she had to. She only had probably about a good ten minutes left before the night nurse discovers her gone and begins looking for her missing charge. It would not be long afterwards that they will discover that Gabriel, her little angel, was missing.

`It helped that Michael truly believed that Dyana actually lost their baby. But, this was only because of Gabriel being deaf. He could not hear his father's mental call, although she was sure that the infant can feel them. Then again, the baby's mental abilities were unusually weak. She had barely been able to connect with him while he had been in her womb.

"Another flaw," Dyana thought to herself, her shame increasing. No other Carpathian woman had ever given birth to a less-than-perfect child…

With a sigh, she quickly found the laundry chute on the third floor and took one last look at her baby. Gabriel had his father's features and his dark hair. But, he has Dyana's blue eyes and pale skin. He was so beautiful, yet still he was flawed.

With silent apologies she knew that Gabriel would never hear, much less be able to remember, she kissed the baby's forehead gently and dropped him carefully down the laundry chute where he gently landed in the bend of soft towels and blankets below. Then Dyana silently slipped away again to her hospital bed to grieve for the son she felt she really had lost.

She would never try for a child again. Despite the severe need for Carpathian female infants, Dyana knew that she was not meant to be a mother. She had tried only to make her lifemate happy… And she had failed at that.

It was not until 8:15 AM that one of the Shands employees found the newborn among the sheets where he was crying for some milk…

Chapter 1: Ravenblack Angel


Haven't we met before
You're some kind of beautiful stranger
You could be good for me
I've had the taste for danger
If I'm smart, I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I stay
Heaven forbid
I'll take my chance on a perfect stranger.
"Beautiful Stranger" Madonna


Melissande Lovering stepped out of the elevator and onto the fourth floor of the Jacksonville Public Library. As usual, the computer area was not as full on this day due to the movie, Dr. No, being shown. That meant a better chance of getting a computer that actually play movies, music, her chatroom, or a cool downloaded game.
Melissande walked over to the computer scanner and smiled warmly at the librarian. He was a gothic-looking young man that could have been a reject from the band My Chemical Romance. She scanned her card and pushed her red hair over her pale shoulders, using the mouse to click on the computer she wanted. She clicked 'Finish' and nodded at the librarian before walking over to the computer she'd chosen. Ignoring some of the stares she recieved as she walked past, Melissande sat at the fifth computer and signed in. She waited for the programming to load before double-clicking the internet icon and typing in the address to her favorite chatroom, Ravenblack. She typed in her username and password absently before choosing to go to the better chatroom, X Rated-RP on teh modded list.

RedRaven has logged in*

She scanned the user's list before grinning widely. Inumonkey was online.

RedRaven: Hey Inumonkey!

Inumonkey was one of her many friends. She was a young female close to Melissande's age who resided in the moutain region of North Carolina. She and Melissande had been the best of friends since the first day Melissande had logged into Ravenblack.

Inumonkey: RedRaven!
*Inumonkey pounces the Raven*

Melissande couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's silliness.

*RedRaven is pounced and smiles*

She waited for about two minutes contemplating telling her friend about the dark dreams she is having. They had increased in frequency and clarity recently and she wasn't sure why. Just the thought of the dreams sent chills down her spine as well as a strange warmth that were small electric shocks which had now become so familiar to her. Melissande could also feel the speeding of her pulse and the ache deep inside of her like a tiger trying to claw its way out of its cage. She just wished that she knew why she had this strong of a reaction to mere dreams.

Inumonkey: Hey Raven...still there?
RedRaven: Yeah, yeah. I'm stll here. I was...I guess I just drifted off for a second there. LOL! I'm fine.
Inumonkey: You know, you really need to learn how to lie.

Melissande blinked at the screen, amazed at the other girl's perception, though it annoyed her.

RedRaven: I'll take the next few lessons with you.
*Inumonkey chuckles*
Inumonkey: Spill!

Melissande sighed, still unsure if she could explain her dreams to Shannon. She did it anyway, leaving out the more erotic or violent parts. After typing in in all that she felt she could explain and having done so to the best of her abilities, Melissande pressed the enter button, sending the message out into the room.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Shannon or any of her other friends that responded, but another user. A name she wasn't familiar with.

ShadowNobody: Maybe it means that you're searching for someone...or more likely, that someone is searching for you RedRaven.
Inumonkey: The newbie speaks!

Melissande laughed out loud at Shannon's response. However, Melissande knew that what Shannon said was true. The user ShadowNobody had first logged into the chat two days ago and was still a newbie. As far as Melissande and Shannon knew, the two sentences that he'd just posted were the first words he had said to anyone since his arrivival in the City, except the courteous 'hello' and 'goodbye'. She and Shannon had both tried to previously engage him in conversation, but to no avail. He was silent.

But, there was something in the newbie's simple response that pulled at her curiosity. There was also something about the newbie himself which definitely drew her attention.

RedRaven: Who could be searching for me?
Inumonkey: What do you know about dreams?
ShadowNobody: More then I care to, Inumonkey.

Mellissande became even more intrigued as she read his response. There was something in the response which reigned true. But, she also noticed that ShadowNobody neglected to answer her question. Melissande wanted a more private conversation with this user to continue their current conversation with, so she sent him a private message or PM.

*ShadowNobody sighs*
ShadowNobody: What do you want?

Mellissande coud tell by reading the abruptness of the message that ShadowNobody was already annoyed. But, even annoyance never stopped Melissande from doing what she had to do or throw her off. It was a gene she inherited from both of her parents.

RedRaven: I'm sorry about my friend. She meant no harm. And I'm sorry if we did something to offend you.
ShadowNobody: That's okay.
RedRaven: Why don't you talk to anyone?
ShadowNobody: I do talk.
RedRaven: I mean a simple conversation like the one we're having not the simple greetings you throw at everyone.
ShadowNobody: ...I'm sorry. I'm not use to talking with others.
RedRaven: Why?

This time, ShadowNobody did not reply as quickly. In fact, it seemed as if he just completly stopped talking.

RedRaven: Are you still there?
ShadowNobody: Yeah.
RedRaven: Well?

There was another pause and Melissande found herself really getting annoyed with him.

ShadowNobody: I'm just use to being alone.
RedRaven: Ahh...you're one of the loner types
*ShadowNobody chuckles*
ShadowNobody: A little

Melissande found herself smiling at the sent reply ShadowNobody sent back. Strangely, the mere thought of this strange guy chuckling caused her heart to race and the same little electrical currrents she felt in her dreams sent jolts throughout her body. The thought of what he must look like sent her heart and pulse racing.

"Just like in my dreams," Melissande found herself thinking.

Melissande quickly pushed the thought away, finding it foolish and typed...

RedRaven: Or we can be looking for each other?
ShadowNobody: Yeah...that's possible
RedRaven: Can I ask you a question?

There was another pause, this time lasting only two minutes before answering.

ShadowNobody: Ok
RedRaven: Do you believe in destiny.Do you think that it's possible to find your soulmate in your dreams?
ShadowNobody: I...I don't know *Shadow Nobody blushes*

Melissande could not help but grin at the screen as she imagine him blushing. Again, she felt that strange need stirring deep inside of her heart. But she pushed it aside. However, Melissande decided to at least take the topic a little further.

RedRaven: Have you...ever had a dream that...you know...
ShadowNobody: What?
RedRaven: I did not tell Inumonkey this, but in my dreams, I encounter something
ShadowNobody: Don't you mean someone?
RedRaven: No. 'Cause whatever it was seems almost too violent to be human.
ShadowNobody: I'm intrigued. Tell me more.
RedRaven: The something in my dream never says anything znd he pretty much stays in the shadows where I can't see him. He...does thng to me. The makes me feel things that I've never felt before. There seems to be so much violence inside of hm, but when he touches me...
ShadowNobody: Your soul feels like burning and you encounter a need so strong that you feel as if you're dying.
RedRaven: Exactly! But how could you know?! Unless...you've had the same dreams!

ShadowNobody gave me response this time. A few secons later, seh realized the user ShadowNobody had logged out of chat and Ravenblack. RedRaven sighs and goes back to the other chat where she cound that Inumonkey was engaged in conversation with another user.