Cover
Indulge
By
Megan Duncan
Copyright © December 2011 by Megan
Duncan
http://meganduncan.blogspot.com
These stories are works of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are either
products of the author’s imagination or used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication can be repro-
duced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, without
permission in writing from Megan Duncan.
Cover art by Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
http://www.rldprint.com/portfolio/
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Chapter_1
It wasn’t the sound of Arrick’s feet tread-
ing heavily against the brittle forest ground,
but the sound of his heart thumping madly
in his chest that woke me. I stirred slightly in
his arms as my face rested against his chest.
“Where are we?” I asked sleepily, unwilling
to let my heavy lids rise.
“Not sure exactly. Somewhere in the out-
skirts. I’ve been driving non-stop all day.
Sun’s down now though; I figured it’d be safe
to stop for a break.” He smiled down at me.
“Think you can walk?”
I rubbed my eyes and nodded. Arrick set
me on my feet gently and confidently took
hold of my hand as he led me deeper into the
forest. As soon as the sun glimmered on the
horizon, exhaustion and sleep took a firm
grip on me. Arrick pointed out that the back
seat of the Mercedes was outfitted for day
driving, so I could sleep safely while he
drove. I received a small, but helpful nudge
from Arrick and climbed back, pulling shut
thick black curtains nestled into hidden com-
partments framing the windows.
We walked in the forest in comfortable si-
lence until the soothing bubbling of a small
creek made me smile in excitement. Arrick
laughed at my amusement and sprinted after
me as I charged for the water that was wait-
ing not far in front of me. It felt good to
stretch my muscles even though they were
still sore and weak. I could feel them repair-
ing and by the rumble of hunger in my stom-
ach, my small snack had not been enough to
completely revive me.
I smirked at the thought of considering
Arrick a small snack. “What are you smiling
about?” he questioned.
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“Just excited to finally clean myself up a
bit,” I said while peeling off the blood stained
clothes that were stiffly plastered against my
body. Arrick immediately turned his back
and I blushed. I hadn’t even given it the
slightest thought that he was watching me
undress. “I thought vampires considered the
body a work of art?”
“I…” Arrick stammered, “I’m not a
vampire.”
“Oh, so you don’t think my body is a work
of art?” I was thoroughly enjoying teasing
him. He was always so centered, it was nice
to see I had the power to make him squirm.
Yet somewhere deep inside, a twinge of
guilt pierced me. Dmitry would be crushed to
see me flirting with Arrick. And that’s what I
was doing, wasn’t I? The ease and comfort
came too easily around Arrick. My mind pro-
tested the flirtation, though, not my heart at
least I thought so. This damn connection
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between us was so strong and hard to
understand.
“I didn’t say that. I just…” His argument
trailed off, and he turned to face me again
before quickly pivoting back.
I decided to leave on my undergarments;
it wasn’t only because it would make Arrick
more comfortable, but also because this was
a strange river; there might be any number
of insects lurking. I may be a vampire, but
I’m still a girl and creepy crawlers will never
be less scary.
“It’s safe now,” I called out, dipping my-
self into the cool water. My body shivered as
the lingering clouds of sleep shook off my
body. I cupped water into my hands and
scrubbed myself vigorously. Surprisingly, the
scent of dried blood was very unappealing to
me, much like rotten food would be to a hu-
man and with every bit I washed away my
stomach settled more and more.
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I took extra care to clean around my
already healing wounds. Thick scabs were
beginning to form and though still tender,
my bruises were now yellowing. I tentatively
traced my finger along the cut on my face,
distinctly recalling the pain that screamed
through me when Ana slashed at me. I had
never been more grateful for being a vampire
and having their healing ability, and secretly
hoped that it wouldn’t leave a scar. It may be
a vain hope, but I didn’t want anything to re-
mind me of that night. Though that was a
foolish thought. I would never forget it.
As I sloshed my way back to shore, a ro-
bust black duffel bag sat waiting for me. I
looked up to see Arrick stacking wood in a
fire pit and dragging a heavy log for us to sit
on. I stood trembling in the night air watch-
ing him try to work and keep his back to me
at the same time.
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“Are you going to stand there all night?”
he asked at last, his tone somewhat playful
and annoyed.
“If it would drive you crazy I just might,” I
countered, sticking my tongue out and drop-
ping to my knees near the duffel bag. I rum-
maged through and found a pair of jeans and
a few shirts, all with the price tags still on. I
didn’t bother asking him where he got them
and was just relieved that they looked like
they might actually fit. I dug deeper in hopes
that he might have also snagged me some
panties too and I wasn’t disappointed. They
were still packaged, and I pulled them out. I
wasn’t sure if I should be glad he bought me
grandma panties or not, but it was better
than a thong, at least.
I pulled on the clothes and smiled at how
well they fit. Flannel never felt so good in all
my life. I unhooked my bra and pulled it out
through my sleeve. There was no way I was
going to wear a wet bra all night. I walked to
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the small fire Arrick built and picked up a
sturdy branch along the way. As I sat down
on the thick log, I hung my bra and leaned it
close enough to the flames to hopefully dry it
and not catch it on fire.
Arrick rolled his eyes at me but smiled.
“Feel better?”
“A bit.” I lowered myself to rest my back
against the log and pushed my feet nearer to
the flames. “Is it safe to be out here like this
with a fire?”
We hadn’t spoken about what had
happened and I was grateful for that, but the
thought that someone would definitely be
looking for me made my eyes dart at every
shadow that moved erratically in the
firelight.
Arrick considered it for a bit before an-
swering. “For a little while, and then we have
to get going. But first you need to eat.” He
tossed me a small plastic bottle filled with
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blood while he tore open a crumpled bag and
bit into a thick burger.
“Where did you get this?” I unscrewed the
lid and sniffed. Arrick’s familiar scent
lingered faintly, along with a staleness that
made my nose wrinkle. “Do you need me to
heal you?” I surveyed his body and didn’t see
any injuries, but my heightened vampire
senses picked up the mouthwatering aroma
of a fresh wound. I was surprised I hadn’t
noticed it before.
“No, Claire. It’s best if you don’t feed from
me directly,” he said as he shoveled fries into
his mouth. I tried not to be hurt by his com-
ment. It couldn’t be that he didn’t want me
to feed from him. Right?
His vigorous appetite made my stomach
growl and I put the bottle to my lips and
chugged. The flavor wasn’t as savoring but it
was satisfying nonetheless. My body yearned
to drink from Arrick, but his offering was
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enough to subdue the animal inside me. I
was starting to realize why vampires and
their Blood Mates grew to be so close. The
desire was building and I knew if I were to
ever give in to it, there would be no turning
back.
I finished the contents of the bottle long
before Arrick completed his burger, tossing
the empty vessel into the dancing flames. It
popped and sizzled before quickly turning
black and wafting the odor of burning plastic
into the air around me. The flames were hyp-
notic and relaxing. Closing my eyes, letting
the night fill my ears, I allowed them to draw
me in. I could smell the burning wood, the
freshness of the running water, dry earth and
rotting leaves. I delved deeper into my
senses, allowing my instincts to guide me.
Hearts beat around me, one stronger than
the others - Arrick’s - and the rest weak,
probably belonging to forest animals.
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I reached out further, searching for how
far I could go. I felt powerful. I was a new
breed of vampire, a hybrid, and I wanted to
be without limits. I never wanted anyone to
be able to hurt me again, but most of all, the
longing for the sweet taste of revenge was an
enticing idea in my mind.
I had never had such a thought before and
it surprised me. Being a vampire was chan-
ging me in more ways than I expected. Hope-
fully, they would all be good changes.
I smiled inwardly at the thought and con-
tinued focusing my energies. I had made it to
the edge of the forest and knew the Mercedes
sat not far from there. Just as I was about to
revel in my small accomplishment, aware-
ness prickled at the edges of my senses.
There was someone or something out there,
but I was too far away to determine it. Fear
trickled through me and broke down my con-
fidence. What if it was Ana? What if she
came back to finish what she started?
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Arrick startled me out of my trance when
he plopped down next to me, wrapping a
thick wool blanket around us.
“Geez,” I growled, trying not to show how
much he had spooked me.
“Sorry. You were pretty deep into it. What
were you thinking?”
“Honestly?” He looked at me expectantly
and I sighed deeply. I didn’t want to show
weakness, but Arrick and I were connected
on an intimate level. There was no way I
could hide my fear from him; he felt it. It was
both comforting and intrusive to have anoth-
er being so in-touch with my thoughts and
feelings. “I’m worried that Ana will come
after us.”
I waited for him to laugh at me, but he
simply nodded his head. “I would be sur-
prised if she didn’t…” I jerked in shock and
opened my mouth, be he cut across me to
look into my eyes. “Calm down, Claire. As
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much as I want to kill her for what she did to
you I will say this. Ana is not stupid. She will
not lash out at you again quickly. She will
plan it out meticulously and take her time.
She is as vengeful a vampire as I have ever
seen and she will not want to fail again.”
He was right. Ana failed in her first at-
tempt at killing me, but this time she will be
fueled with just more than a desire to steal
my throne. She wanted revenge and I was
ever so slowly realizing what a sweet thing it
would be.
“That really doesn’t make me feel any bet-
ter. Do you think Luka survived?” If I killed
him then Ana’s rage would be ten-fold.
“It’s very possible. That kind of blow to
the head can do serious damage to a vam-
pire’s nervous system. As much as I’d like to
see him dead as well, it might actually be an
advantage for us if he survives,” Arrick said.
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He reached forward and adjusted a burning
log with his boot.
“How? She’s going to want to tear my
spine out for killing him!” I cried. Suddenly
my throat was dry. I wanted to ask more, but
that was all I could manage. Saying the word
“kill” out loud disturbed me. It didn’t seem
real. Was I really capable of such a thing? All
I did was hit him in the head. How could that
have killed him?
Arrick fixed me with a concerned look and
got up to retrieve the duffel bag. “Well, if
Luka is alive it’ll buy us some time; Ana will
focus on him first. It is nearly impossible to
separate a vampire from a wounded mate.
But… if he is dead…” Arrick shrugged, with-
drawing a dark bottle from the bottom of the
pack.
If Luka was dead, then Ana would be hot
on our trail. Even after everything he did, I
wasn’t proud of the fact that I might have
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killed him. Although I highly doubted I did
accomplish such a feat. He was Dmitry’s
brother after all, and I knew it would hurt
him deeply. I never wanted to cause Dmitry
any pain.
“How could I have killed him?”
Arrick looked at me with a grimace.
“What’s that?” I pointed at the bottle Ar-
rick carried, quickly changing the subject.
Maybe I wasn’t ready to hear all the grue-
some details of what I had done.
He offered it, and the sweet yet bitter
scent of cheap red wine wafted at me.
“Drink,” he instructed.
“No, thanks.” I raised my hand and licked
my lips, wishing I hadn’t thrown the plastic
bottle into the fire. I was almost desperate
enough that I would probably lick it if I
could.
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“Listen, Claire. You need to heal, but in
the current circumstances we can’t do that
right now. I need the energy to drive us the
rest of the way and then I will make sure you
get the proper nourishment.” He waved the
bottle in my face once more. Rolling my eyes,
I took it.
“How is wine going to help me?”
“It just does, now drink it.”
An irritated growl rumbled in his chest,
followed by a sense of disappointment. Not
in me, but in himself, which only made me
feel immediately guilty. I watched him pace
and then stare intently into the fire, causing
flickering shadows to dance across his mus-
cular face.
I chose to obey and took girlish sips while
I contemplated our situation. I had been at-
tacked to near death, may or may not have
killed my almost boyfriend’s brother, and
now I was escaping to another region with
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my Blood Mate, who thought there was a
very good chance the vampire who wanted
me dead was biting at our heels. Yes, my
situation was very dark I decided, so I
stopped sipping the wine and drank greedily.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough. I need you re-
laxed, not drunk.” Arrick snatched the bottle
and stowed it away, grinning.
“Ya know, I’ve never been camping be-
fore.” I hiccupped and giggled as the wine
took effect. “I never even left the city. Pretty
sad now that I think about it, don’t you
think? It’s actually quite peaceful here.”
“That’s just the wine talking,” Arrick said.
I didn’t agree, but decided not to harass
him. I really did like it in the woods and star-
ted to realize how much bigger the world
really was. So much bigger than my small
human dreams of living next door to my best
friend and growing old with our husbands
and kids. My world now was endlessly
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changing and I would live to see it all.
Hopefully.
Arrick had pulled a phone from his back
pocket, and was now pointing it hopefully at
the sky, silently praying for a signal. “Who
are you trying to call?” I asked Arrick while
folding the wool blanket. I knew we wouldn’t
be staying here much longer and would have
to get on the road again soon.
For a moment he ignored me, cursing the
phone and banging its display with his hand.
“Your parents,” he said at last, “but I can’t
get a signal.”
“Oh.”
The thought of meeting my real parents
brought reality crashing in on me again. Not
the human woman I had thought was my
mother for eighteen years, or Nicolae and
Evilyn who kidnapped me because they
wanted to be my parents and called me
daughter, but my real parents.
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“We should tell them we are coming.”
He looked at me confused and slid the
phone into his shirt pocket. “Would you
carry that pack? Let’s head back to the car.”
I nodded and slung the bag over my
shoulder. The half full wine bottle hit my
back as it landed and I winced in pain when
it connected with an only slightly healed
wound.
“You sound like they won’t be happy when
we show up,” I said, gritting my teeth as the
pain dissipated. I followed Arrick easily back
through the woods as our feet crunched
against the dry forest floor.
“No, it’s not that at all, Claire,” he said
calmly as he adjusted the duffle bag to rest
on his shoulders. “They will be very happy to
see you. It is just the wrath of Noire that they
won’t be happy about.”
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“The wrath of Noire? You mean Nicolae?”
I still had a hard time imagining Nicolae was
as evil as he was being made out to be, but
maybe I just had a soft spot for the first man
I had ever thought was my father.
“I know you still think he is good, Claire,
and…” He hesitated, trying to find the words.
“And what?” My mind rebelled the action
of defending Nicolae but my heart fought on.
Or, more accurately, my blood did. Nicolae’s
blood.
Arrick stopped at the clearing and
dropped the duffel bag onto ground. He
turned to me, his hands in the air and his
handsome face contorted in frustration.
“And maybe he is, Claire, but you need to un-
derstand. He will do anything… anything to
accomplish what he sees as right. That is
what makes him different. That is what
makes him evil. He will commit a wicked act
to prevent one.”
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Arrick rested his hands on my shoulders
and I looked into his eyes. Our connection
immediately locked as our emotions inter-
twined. “I’ve watched over you all your life,
Claire. I will not let him take you again. To
live in his false world of peace that has an
endless darkness building beneath it.”
His words struck a chord within me and I
latched onto him with a bearlike hug that
would rival any of Robin’s. I knew Arrick was
right whether Nicolae’s blood inside me
wanted to admit it or not. This was going to
be a struggle I could not face alone and it
strengthened me to know that I had Arrick
by my side, as he always had been my entire
life.
When I finally released him, he swung the
duffel bag back over his shoulder. “Let’s go,”
he said, smiling reassuringly, quickening his
pace to reach the Mercedes.
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I followed him at a steady trot until I felt
the hairs on my neck prickle. Arrick sensed
something too and looked over his shoulder
at me. Something was watching us, just bey-
ond the reach of our senses. I quickened my
stride trying to ignore the pain as the
wounds on my legs and torso tore with the
movement,
reaching
the
Mercedes
in
seconds. Arrick was already there; in the
driver’s seat, key already in the ignition, he
reached out a hand to pull me in. I jumped
onto the smooth leather seat and he
slammed on the gas before I even shut the
door.
“Something was out there,” I said as I
pressed my hand against a reopened wound
on my thigh. I rolled down the window and
stuck my head out to look behind us. “You
felt that right? What was it?”
Arrick pressed a button rolling up the
window after I sat back down. “Yeah I felt it.”
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He gripped the steering wheel turning his
knuckles white.
“What was it?”
He glanced into the rear view mirror as
we sped down the empty highway. “I don’t
know.”
28/396
Chapter_2
We drove on in silence until the electricity
in our nerves died down. I didn’t want to say
it out loud, but I had a sinking suspicious
that Ana was watching us. Just like Arrick
said, she would plot and plan, taking her
time until the perfect moment to strike. She
was going to watch me, haunting my every
step until she was ready to strike. My stom-
ach grew queasy at the thought, but I was de-
termined to be prepared for that moment,
whenever it may be.
“Are you excited?” Arrick asked. There
was a lighter sound to his tone, but it seemed
forced.
“About?” I couldn’t imagine what I could
possibly be excited about considering the
situation we were in.
“Going home.”
I got the feeling that he might be the ex-
cited one. I had never known my real home
and Arrick had been assigned to guard over
me. He had to leave his home and live in hid-
ing for eighteen years in a different region.
“I don’t know really. I’m not sure I feel
like I really have a home right now.” How
could I be excited? With my current track re-
cord something was bound to rip me from
this new home soon enough.
“Don’t let it get to you, Claire. You will
love it in Naos.” He gripped the shifter, ad-
justing the gears on the Mercedes.
“Naos?”
“That’s the capital of the Zakarian region.
The most beautiful city in the world. I can’t
wait to show it to you.”
30/396
His happiness now seemed genuine, and I
hoped it would be infectious. I envied his
joyous and seemingly care-free mood.
I adjusted my body on the leather seats
and directed my attention to Arrick and off
the endless darkness of the night as I
searched for what hunted us. “All the cities of
the region are named after constellations
and stars, right?”
“Yes, in honor of the goddess. In the an-
cient tongue it means, ‘dwelling of a God’. In
a mythical tale, the goddess sailed down
from the sky on the moonlight in a ship
called Naos. That is how the city it got its
name.”
“Tell me about Naos.” I rested my head on
the back of the seat as Arrick spoke.
“It’s an ancient city built on a rocky coast
with towering stone buildings and crashing
waves against its shores. Some say the water
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is so clear that the moon reflects off it and
lights the entire city.”
“Sounds pretty. You really miss it there
don’t you?”
“More than I realized.”
Arrick had opened his mouth to say more
but the sound of his phone buzzing in his
shirt pocket broke his concentration.
I needed only one guess for who was call-
ing him and it made my stomach ties in
knots of nervousness. I knew there was no
avoiding it, but meeting my real parents
scared the hell out of me.
Focusing intently on Arrick, whose brow
was furrowed, I tried to pick up on the con-
versation. Sadly Arrick only responded with
‘Mhm’ or ‘No sir’, making it super difficult to
get any details. Yet, when he glanced toward
me and gave another ‘Mhm’, I knew without
32/396
a doubt who and what they were talking
about. Me.
I ran my tongue absentmindedly against
my fangs until Arrick clicked his phone shut
and slid it back into his shirt pocket. “Well?
What did they say?”
“They got my message.”
I hated that I had to pull every bit of in-
formation out of him. “Yeah, so… are we al-
lowed to go there or not? Are they happy I
am coming home?” A growl of annoyance
tumbled from my throat, but Arrick only
smiled.
“Yes and yes, Claire. That was Cathair.”
He shot me a sidelong glance before clarify-
ing, “Your father.”
“Wow, so that’s my dad’s name. Cathair,”
I repeated the name again in hopes that it
would somehow stir something inside me,
but it didn’t. “What’s my mother’s name?”
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“Her name is Ione. You look so much like
her.”
“I do?” I flipped down the sun visor and
opened the small compartment on the back
that revealed a small mirror illuminated in a
slight yellow glow. I stared at my reflection
and wondered what about me, resembled my
mother. Was it my round eyes, my long
lashes or my auburn hair? Did her nose
wrinkle like mine did when she laughed
really hard?
I looked to Arrick, whose expression made
my heart pound heavily in my chest. His feel-
ings for me hit me head on, yet I did not feel
the same. A small part of my heart longed for
Dmitry and the other yearned to reciprocate
Arrick’s feelings. My heart was in a battle
with itself. But maybe I could be wrong
about Arrick’s feelings. He had never
verbally expressed them. Perhaps I was read-
ing the signals wrong? Maybe I was
34/396
mistaking his devotion to his duty of protect-
ing me for eighteen years, for love.
“We will make it there by sunset
tomorrow.”
“That long?” I was starting to hope it
would be sooner. Not from excitement, but I
was just sick of riding in the car. I was never
very good at sitting still for very long.
“That long; we are still about a day away,
and you can’t exactly stroll through town
mid-day now, can you?”
“No.”
“Sunset tomorrow will be perfect, Claire.
You will see Naos in its finest.”
“Can I call on Robin when we get there?”
Arrick’s muscles tightened at that, and I con-
tinued quickly before he could shut me
down. “She’s got to be worried sick and I
trust her completely. She deserves to know I
am alright.”
35/396
“We don’t know what kind of situation we
are in, Claire. The attempt on your life and
my taking you can have our regions at the
brink of war.” His tone was rising in
defiance.
There was no arguing; Arrick’s duty would
always overshadow my needs. He had been
watching over me for eighteen years. There
was no way I could talk him into risking that
so I could call my best friend.
I folded my arms in defeat and went back
to staring out the window. I focused on the
night sky, hoping that Nyx would connect
with me and give me some peace. If even a
little.
“If you’re going to keep sighing like that, I
can promise only that I will ask the King.”
I swirled in my seat and beamed at Arrick.
I could tell he wasn’t happy about giving in
but he attempted a weak smile anyway.
36/396
“I only promised to ask, so don’t get too
excited. I don’t remember him being very le-
nient, but maybe time has changed him.”
“Thank you, thank you.” I held myself
back from giving him another bear hug. We
had enough problems and causing a car acci-
dent didn’t need to another one of them.
The thought of getting to talk to Robin
again filled my heart with renewed hope. I
could only imagine what she thought when
she saw the state my room was left in. Even
worse when Dmitry told her what happened.
That he and Arrick walked in on Ana drink-
ing me nearly dry and Luka lying on the floor
motionless. Poor Dmitry. He had left to get
me help only to return to find me missing.
Would he think that Arrick took me or that I
ran away? I wondered if he would come
looking for me, thinking he needed to save
me from Arrick.
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I smiled inwardly at the thought of Dmitry
coming to my rescue, even though I didn’t
need rescuing. I envisioned his devilish smile
in my head and the way my body heated
when we danced at my coronation ball. Wow,
I really was in trouble. My feelings for
Dmitry were stronger than I let myself be-
lieve. I missed him as much as I missed
Robin, if not more. If I got to speak with her
then I would have to give her some kind of
message that she could pass onto Dmitry to
let him know I was okay.
“What are you thinking about?” Arrick
asked wryly, obviously sensing the passion in
my emotions.
“My friends.” Technically I wasn’t lying.
They were both my friends. I just had deeper
feelings for one of them.
“Right…” Arrick sounded unconvinced.
“Whatever. Just get us to Naos, so you can
ask permission to let me contact them,
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okay?” I huffed and flipped on the radio only
to find static.
After a good half hour of silence, Arrick
cleared his throat. “In about a hundred more
miles," he said, “we should be able to pick up
the radio signals of Naos. They will be a little
fuzzy, but you might be able to get some
stations.”
I could tell he was trying to make peace so
I smiled at him. “Thanks. So what are you
going to do when we get back to Naos? You
won’t have to watch over me anymore. You
can live your own life.”
He looked hurt by my words, which sur-
prised me. I had meant them to be kind. He
couldn’t have enjoyed giving up his life to
pretty much babysit me for eighteen years.
“This is my life, Claire. You are my pur-
pose. Before I was assigned to you I was an
ironworker. I dreamed of joining the Blood
Guard. Then you were born and the entire
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region rejoiced at the miracle. Humans,
vampires and Blood Mates from all over
came to Naos to offer themselves into ser-
vice. I was one of them.”
“That just sounds so bizarre.” I had said it
more to myself than to Arrick. I had never
heard of vampires having children before. In
fact, up until now I had never known it was
possible. Apparently it was. And I had no
clue what the Blood Guard was. Some kind of
army?
“Not bizarre. Just rare. It is a miracle that
Nyx has passed only to the Zakarians.”
“Sounds like Nyx plays favorites.” I could
tell my comment came off as snotty when Ar-
rick failed holding in a growl.
“Must you always look at things so one di-
mensionally? It is not playing favorites,” he
said, his tone rising in pitch. “It’s her grant-
ing the faithful a gift, so that they may live a
full life even with such a great sacrifice.”
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“What great sacrifice is there for someone
who will live forever?”
Softer now, Arrick said simply, “Family.”
I had hit a sensitive nerve with this sub-
ject and I made a mental note to be wary of it
in the future. Growing up, I knew nothing of
Nyx. But I had to admit that I probably
wouldn’t have survived my transformation
without her. Connecting with her as I locked
onto the limitless night sky was probably the
only thing that kept me alive during the most
painful experience of my life. Well, one of the
most painful.
The more I thought about Arrick’s answer,
the more I realized it sounded very much like
something Nicolae would say. He too had
told me how important family was. In a
small way I guess that explained why he had
me kidnapped. Only the Zakarians could
have children. I should hate him for what he
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did, but how could I? He wanted a family
and so did I.
“What is it like for a vampire to have a
child? I mean… how does it happen?” I
blushed at my question and hoped that Ar-
rick wouldn’t start giving me the birds and
bees talk, but I was curious. It couldn’t pos-
sibly work the same as it did for humans.
Arrick smiled, “It is a bit of a mystery ac-
tually. A vampire can be pregnant for dec-
ades or even centuries before she will even
start showing, if it even happens at all.”
I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to
be pregnant for that long. I recalled a girl in
school who had got knocked up at sixteen
and how much she whined about how ter-
rible it was. That had to be nothing com-
pared to years upon years of it.
“So… Ione carried me for decades?”
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“Yes. Or longer. There is no way to tell for
sure. A vampire doesn’t even know she is
pregnant until she starts to show and the
birth might not be for a couple more years
after that.” He glanced at me and grinned at
my perplexed expression.
“I still don’t understand how it’s even pos-
sible. I mean… vampires aren’t human.”
Arrick laughed loudly, which only frus-
trated me. Why was it that everyone found
my limited knowledge of Vampires so enter-
taining? Irately, I raised my eyebrows and
folded my arms at him.
“Sorry. You just sounded like those hu-
man protestors who think vampires are some
sort of undead, soulless being.”
I sighed heavily. I did worry that I was
soulless. That someday the animal inside me
would consume what was left of the Claire I
used to be.
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Sensing the emotions of my thoughts, Ar-
rick grabbed hold of my hand. “You’re not,
Claire,” he said reassuringly.
“How do you know?” Hot tears of frustra-
tion raged down my cheeks. I tore my hand
from his grasp to smear them away.
“Because I know,” he said sounding like a
smartass and I just rolled my tear-filled eyes.
“I might not be a vampire, but I’ve been
around them a very, very long time. If you
were soulless would you be crying right
now?”
I aimed the a/c vent toward my face and
exhaled, “I guess not.”
“If you were the undead wouldn’t you
have had to die and rise again?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright then,” Arrick said triumphantly.
“Fine, I get your point. You still haven’t
answered my question though.”
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“I know I haven’t.” He looked at me and
smiled softly, even when I raised my eye-
brows defiantly. I hated it when things wer-
en’t explained clearly to me. “Sometimes it is
best for a mother to explain to a daughter.”
I was stunned. Arrick was withholding the
information so I could share the moment
with my mother. I could feel his love for
sense of family emitting strongly from him
and it made me heart swell. Arrick wanted
family and valued it as much as me. It was
heart-warming to know we had that in com-
mon. Maybe we really could have more than
just the bond that connected us through an
ancient vampire ceremony.
My body sensed the rising of the sun even
before its rays broke the horizon. I crawled
into the back of the Mercedes and latched
the curtains to prevent any light from enter-
ing. This would be my last day’s sleep before
we arrived at Naos. I wasn’t sure what to ex-
pect, but I prayed to Nyx that it would be a
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better home than the last one. Then I prayed
that Nyx could even hear my prayers during
the day, before falling into a deep dreamless
sleep.
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Chapter_3
The sound of the Mercedes door slam-
ming shut startled me awake. I shoved the
curtains away from the windows to see noth-
ing but darkness through the dark tint. Just
as I began to expand my senses to find where
Arrick was, he pulled open the car door
swiftly and poked his head in, an excited
smile planted firmly on his chiseled face.
“You look awfully happy,” I said sleepily
as I rubbed my eyes.
“Very. Is there something wrong with
that?” Arrick offered his hand to help me
pull my cramped body out of the back seat.
“No.” I rolled my eyes, not wanting to
have another debate with him.
Finally free of the Mercedes, I stretched
my arms and legs, allowing my muscles to
flex. His excitement confirmed we had ar-
rived, but as I looked around I realized my
surroundings were nothing like I thought
they would be.
“This is it?”
“Almost. We have to leave the car here.”
Arrick pushed up the trunk door and flung
our bags over his shoulder. “Just a quick
walk over the hill there.” He pointed with a
shake of his head and slammed the trunk
shut.
“Okay…” I looked toward the hill that was
aglow with the brightness of the moon. I
couldn’t recall ever seeing grass reflect the
light with such intensity before. “So, then
where are we now?” I asked Arrick as I
offered to take a bag from him.
“It’s not heavy. I got it. We are just out-
side of Naos. Like I said, the city is very old
and the streets weren’t quite built for cars
back then. Anyone who drives must park at
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one of these storage areas.” He pointed his
thumb toward a silver sports car I hadn’t
even noticed was there.
We made our way onto the small concrete
path that led up the small hill only a few
hundred yards away. The closer we got the
more I could sense the city. It was buzzing
with power. I could sense Nyx as strongly as
I could the night of my transformation and it
made me quicken my steps. “Wow,” I ex-
haled as we neared the peak.
“You haven’t even seen it yet,” Arrick
laughed.
“No, but I can feel it.”
He smiled at our shared excitement. I
raced to the top, and Arrick joined in the run
behind me. The sprint did not make me the
slightest bit winded, but the view that lay be-
fore me took my breath away.
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The city hugged the rocky coast, allowing
the full moon’s light to reflect off the crash-
ing waves of the shore. It was bathed in its
beauty. The buildings were tall and smooth,
every one seemingly unique in shape and
size. There were round towers with arched
windows and large square buildings with
iron lined railings that swooped and twirled.
All were lined with roof tiles that seemed to
sparkle in the night like a billion stars.
“Wow.” I couldn’t think of anything else to
say. The city of Naos really looked like a city
blessed by the Goddess of night.
“You said that already,” Arrick smiled and
wrapped his arm around me, as he took in
the sight. “No matter how many times I’ve
looked at it from this vantage point, I think it
gets more and more beautiful every time.”
“I can imagine,” I agreed as I focused my
vision to take in every inch of its beauty.
“How does it reflect like that? I asked,
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pointing at one of the rooftops. It looks like
it’s made out of stars.”
“They are made from Zakarian sand. The
beaches further south sparkle with it at
night. It’s luminescent sediment; it reflects
light. All the roof tiles are made of the sand.
And other things like glass, sand art, um…”
Arrick tapped his finger to his chin, trying to
think of other examples.
“Well, it’s amazing. I don’t really know
what I was expecting, but this… this is really
indescribable.”
“Wait till you are in the middle of it. It is
like another world compared to…” Arrick
caught himself, but I still knew what he was
going to say. Naos was looking to be a much
more beautiful place than where I had come
from.
“Let’s get going,” I said, and yanked a bag
from his grasp despite his protests. I was
more than capable of carrying one and I
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needed something to do. As much as I was
already taken by the beauty of Naos, I wasn’t
going to let it win me over completely until I
knew more about it.
When Arrick started to walk I decided to
take the lead and sped to the entrance of the
city a towering archway that curved over a
cobbled street between two cream buildings.
I could clearly see people bustling back and
forth on the street at the other end. The city
was full of life and a positive energy fluttered
out toward me.
I wanted to walk out into the crowd, but I
didn’t know what the Zakarian people
thought of vampires. Back home, vampires
lived in their palaces and mansions, only
seen on special occasions. Mysterious rulers
from afar that had little to no interaction
with the average citizen. Arrick hadn’t told
me of the customs here, so I waited the few
moments before he flashed to my side.
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I looked up at him, raising my eyebrows,
but he obviously didn’t get what I was hint-
ing at. “Which way do we go?” I asked. “Do
we have to take back alleys?” I wasn’t sure if
I could be seen in the city streets. A killer
vampire might or might not be after me, and
I certainly didn’t want to put these people at
risk.
“Straight through,” Arrick pointed and
began walking.
“They’re okay with vampires walking
through the streets?” I asked, keeping a slow
pace behind Arrick. I wasn’t exactly afraid,
but I didn’t want to start things off here on
the wrong foot either.
“Of course, Claire.” Smiling at me, he
waved me forward to walk beside him. “Life
is different here. You’ll see. Vampires, hu-
mans and Blood Guards are all equals here.”
The alley spilled out into the city’s busy
marketplace.
Dozens
of
vendors
had
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elaborate booths to sell their goods as people
flowed every which way. Some carried recent
purchases, others chatted with friends, and
even more just appeared to be walking casu-
ally, appraising the available merchandise
with complete content.
A plump woman, with stark white hair
smiled broadly at me. I returned her smile,
making sure to not reveal my fangs, which
made her giggle. She offered a small, tear
drop shaped vial filled with a purple liquid.
“Perfume for you, sweetie?”
“Um…?” I looked to Arrick, unsure what I
should say.
“She would love to try it.” Arrick took the
vial, pulling the tiny cork stopper from its
top. “Just a sample,” he whispered to me and
I offered my wrist. A drop of fragrance left
the bottle’s mouth and the smell instantly hit
me. Lavender. I loved lavender.
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Wrist poised in front of my nose, I
breathed the scent more deeply. The mer-
chant lady grinned. “It’s lovely,” I managed
to say after probably too many seconds of
sniffing.
The lady beamed widely and happiness
expelled from her with incredible force. If
the entire market hadn’t already been so full
of emotions, I might have been knocked over
by the impact of it. She looked to Arrick
wide-eyed and he nodded, which sent her in
a flurry as she wrapped the vial with a thin
sheer fabric and then dropped it into a tiny
purple pouch.
Arrick took the pouch and handed it to
me. “Thank you,” he said.
He and the merchant shook hands for a
few seconds - then her hand went to her
pocket, stowing her pay and her attention
moved on to the next customer.
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I looked down at the small pouch and
then back to Arrick. “Thanks.”
“Just don’t say I never got you anything.”
He winked at me. “Besides, you made her so
happy when she saw how much you liked it, I
couldn’t say no to her. Could I?”
I recalled the old lady’s happy face and
agreed. “I don’t believe you could.”
Tucking the pouch into my pocket, I stuck
close to Arrick as we weaved our way
through the mass of people. Even though I
no longer ate food, I was still impressed by
the wide array available. There were cheeses,
fruits, dried meats and baskets overflowing
with nuts I had never seen before. I paused
and eyed the cheese for a brief moment, re-
membering the pasta I had in the kitchen
with Robin. The scent made me miss her and
my heart ached.
Arrick quickly noticed I had fallen behind,
but I waved off his questioning expression
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and trotted slowly to his side careful not to
pick up too much speed.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. There is just so much to take in
here, ya know?” I avoided his eyes even
though I knew he sensed my sadness. Now
wasn’t the time or place to have the discus-
sion, so I hoped he wouldn’t pry.
“That there is,” he sighed with satisfac-
tion. “You still haven’t seen the best of it yet,
so hold on to your panties.”
I looked up to Arrick and his child-like
grin completely confused. I wasn’t sure what
I thought of chipper Arrick. Sure, it was nice
to see him happy, but it was making me jeal-
ous that I wasn’t as happy as he was. Not yet
at least, but I had plans to make sure I would
be. Plans that involved one very unvampire-
like best friend and one devilishly cute vam-
pire named Dmitry.
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“Please don’t ever use the word panties
around me again. Deal?” Arrick might have
been incredibly hot, but hearing a masculine
man say that word, was just too awkward.
“Why not? I bought them didn’t I?” He
laughed aloud as he dodged a heavy-set man,
who was walking briskly toward a dried meat
carving vendor, a look of hungered determ-
ination set firmly on his hairy face.
“I’ll gladly give them back if you promise
to shut up?” I shot him a wicked smile - and
then bit my lip. Were we flirting again?
Arrick must have felt it too and he chival-
rously changed the subject, the smile gone
from his face as well. “Like I said before, you
still haven’t seen the best part yet.”
“Oh yeah?”
We broke through the seemingly endless
crowd and now found ourselves in a residen-
tial area. In the entryway of one of the
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houses sat a stray cat, washing itself, and I
thought of Louie. I couldn’t let the thought of
him make me sad. I knew Robin would take
care of him and after this whole mess with
Ana was settled, I would get to see him
again.
“The Château.”
“Sounds fancy. Is that where we are
headed?”
Arrick simply nodded as we made our up-
ward climb through the streets, toward the
Château that lay somewhere beyond.
I knew I should be more excited about fi-
nally being home, but it was hard having
never known this home before. Not to men-
tion that the last place I called home, I was
almost murdered in. But Ana didn’t win, and
I still had the fire alight inside me that was
determined to make her pay for what she
did. That much I was sure of.
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After the slow thirty minute hike through
the city, the last buildings petered out, fading
into open cliff-side. Towering on the edge
stood a building on the rocky shore. The
Château sat regally amongst its surround-
ings, as beautiful or more so, than the city it-
self. It almost seemed like the world had
grown and blossomed around it. The warm
glow flooded through the dozens of windows,
cascading softly on the city below. In some
way, the Château seemed more like a watch-
ful guardian than just a building. The
thought made me smile.
I inspected it meticulously in the moon-
light and saw another building. It was lined
with glass, but unlit, jutting out like a sword
among the stones. Why have a lighthouse if
you weren’t going to use it? The thought just
me that more curious. Sure, with today’s
technology, lighthouses had very little use,
but something about it was mysteriously
interesting.
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I didn’t bother asking Arrick, because I
was sure I would soon find out for myself
and I longed to have time alone. Walking
around my new home, alone with my
thoughts, sounded much like a vacation to
me. My excitement compounded, putting a
spring in my step.
A tall arched hedge welcomed us into the
gardens, just beyond the entrance to the
Château. This place was quickly gaining my
favor even though I was trying to fight it. The
gardens at Nicolae’s palace were my retreat
and made me feel at peace. I knew instantly
that these would too.
The hedges were all neatly trimmed to
line pathways or seemingly float over flower-
beds in unusual shapes. Soft white lights
aimed toward each plant, captured unique
angles in its shadows. There was no straight
path that led to the Château and I delighted
in the idea that I could get lost in the maze of
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hedges. In fact, maybe some night I might do
just that.
“I knew you’d like it.” After so long in si-
lence, Arrick’s voice almost startled me. I
had been lost in my thoughts and almost for-
got he was even there.
“I love it.”
I ran my fingers across the leaves, allow-
ing the sense of nature to relax me. This
night was just about to begin and I needed to
be calm and collected. I was meeting my real
parents tonight. There was no excitement, no
nerves; was this what real peace was like?
After tonight I might finally be whole and fill
the missing void that has lingered inside me
for eighteen years.
Tall iron doors glowed from the entrance
of the Château, the frosted glass allowing the
interior lights to flow through. I didn’t allow
myself to hesitate as I watched Arrick grasp
the cold metal and pull the doors open
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toward me. I stepped in first, the orange ra-
diance of candle light hugging my skin as it
covered me. I walked confidently further into
the entry. Candelabras stood along the walls
of the foyer, their hot wax dripping to
already cooled mounds on the stone floor.
“Welcome home,” Arrick whispered into
my ear as he grabbed the bag from off my
back.
It didn’t feel like home. I felt like we had
snuck into someone’s house and any mo-
ment they would come screaming out that
intruders had entered, but there was only
silence.
“Where is everyone? I thought you said
they knew we were coming.” I folded my
arms and planted my weight firmly atop the
Persian rug near the entrance.
“They are probably waiting in the throne
room. They are usually always in there first
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thing in the evening to get all the day’s
reports.”
It made sense, but I was a little disappoin-
ted and pissed that I wasn’t getting the
homecoming I was secretly hoping for. Kid-
napped as a baby, their daughter was finally
returning home after all these years, and
they weren’t waiting at the front door on pins
and needles? Was that really too much to ex-
pect? Apparently so.
“Well, let’s go to the throne room then,” I
huffed. I knew I was more disappointed than
I was angry.
Either ignoring or completely oblivious of
my mood, Arrick made a quick left and
headed through a dimly lit sitting room. I
took a moment to collect myself and glanced
around the entry once more before following
in his footsteps.
I had not taken but three steps before I
sensed someone nearby and a fragmented
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moment of shock that had coursed through
Arrick. My vampire instincts kicked in in-
stantly and I flew to Arrick’s side. It felt ex-
hilarating to release the caged beast inside
me.
In a fraction of a second, I was in front of
Arrick. I bared my fangs and hissed at the
figure like an angry cat, my stance ready to
pounce at any sudden movement. I wasn’t
sure what had come over me.
The figure gasped and stumbled back-
ward, falling hard onto the floor. They tried
to crawl away in fear, and a victorious surge
went through me, when a firm grip clasped
tightly around my neck.
“That’s enough!” Arrick’s voice was deep
and commanding.
I squirmed in his grip for a moment, his
fingers growing more secure until the rage fi-
nally dissipated. He focused on my face,
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feeling the slowing of my breath through his
fingertips and then deep into my eyes.
“Let go,” I gasped angrily.
He held me in the air, like a rag doll, for a
few seconds longer before lowering me to the
floor. My hands flew to my throat, rubbing
away the sensation of his death grip on me.
“I was only trying to protect you!” I spat
angrily at him. The urge to shove him across
the room was tickling the back of my mind.
“I don’t need protecting, Claire! Especially
not from her.” He pointed to the cowering
figure on the floor. Arrick walked over to her,
cooing softly at her. “I won’t let her hurt
you.” He offered a hand and she took it, her
legs wobbling.
I stepped forward to get a better look at
the figure, but Arrick brought his hand up
and looked at me sternly, shaking his head.
He looked back at the girl and pulled her
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hood from her head. My mouth fell open in
shock and guilt swiftly cut into my gut. She
was just a young, human girl. Allowing my-
self to focus and clear my jumbled thoughts,
I could hear her heart beating rapidly. She
was afraid. Of me.
“I’m sorry.” I took another step toward
her, but Arrick’s hand flew up again to stop
me and I obeyed. I had never felt so ashamed
in all my life. How did I let myself get so out
of control?
I watched Arrick whisper to the girl and
she quickly skittered out of the room, sure to
give me a wide berth. Then he gave me a
heavy, disappointed look. I couldn’t blame
him; I felt like a monster.
“You need to be more careful, Claire.
There is a lot of anger in you, and you need
to learn to control it.” His tone was filled
with concern, but my body still tensed as he
approached me.
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“I don’t know what happened. I felt your
shock and then something just snapped.” I
threw my hands up in the air and stared at
him. I searched his eyes, hoping he believed
me. Knowing that I let him down made me
realize how much I needed him.
He nodded. “You are still angry about
what happened with Ana. Sometimes it can
take weeks before the rage will completely
die down.” He put his arm around me, caus-
ing me to instinctively bring my hands back
to my throat. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but
I couldn’t let you harm that girl. You could
have easily killed her.”
“I know.” I took in a deep breath, praying
for my nerves to settle.
I let Arrick guide me through the Château,
not paying attention to anything around us.
My eyes were fixated on the floor as we
walked.
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“I’m not angry with you, okay?” He tried
to reassure me. “You are still a young vam-
pire, and it will take time to learn to control
your instincts. Besides, I should have warned
you.”
“Warned me about what? That I’m a mon-
ster?” I grumbled. He might not be mad at
me for what I did, but I wasn’t going to let
myself off that easy.
“No. And don’t ever call yourself that, you
understand me?” I nodded glumly. “That was
Lya,” he went on. “She is a servant here.
Many of the humans who work here have
taken on the nocturnal schedule of vampires.
She just startled me as I walked into the
room. I should have been paying closer at-
tention. So, technically, it’s my fault.” Arrick
smiled at me and I couldn’t stop myself from
grabbing him, pulling his firm body into a
solid hug.
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He stood still, surprised for only a mo-
ment before returning the hug. His large
hands held my head to his chest and
caressed my hair. As much as I was savoring
the moment, I couldn’t help but think I was
standing in a strange hallway of a Château
that I never knew as my home with parents
somewhere nearby I had never met. The only
thing in my life at this moment that I felt I
could count on was Arrick. I tightened my
grip, trying to convey how much I needed
him. Right now, he was all I had. I couldn’t
even trust myself anymore.
“You’ve been through a lot. What
happened with Luka and Ana…”
“Yes I have,” I said, my voice more confid-
ent than I felt.
Arrick let me hug him as long as I needed.
When I finally released him, Arrick contin-
ued to guide us, me perched beneath his
arm, until we came to an ivory doorway. It
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was covered in a design of golden swirls, like
vines had taken over and claimed it.
The room we entered was a bedroom,
large and expansive. One entire side of the
room was lined with a large balcony, open to
the cool night. I was grateful for the air. Until
that moment I didn’t much feel like being
confined by four walls. I felt suffocated by
my own body. My very thoughts weighed me
down.
I didn’t know what to say to him. We
hadn’t spoken about what happened. I didn’t
know if I could. But did I even have a choice?
I wanted this all to end, and there was only
one to do it. Ana had to die.
Arrick eyed my wearily, walking further
into the room. “Are you okay? Other than
physically, I mean?” My body froze as he ap-
proached me, sliding his finger across the
faintly visible scar across my jaw.
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I opened my mouth to speak, but no
words came. Every emotion in my body was
clawing frantically to gain control. I was full
of savage hunger to kill Ana, anger at myself
for blindly believing Nicolae’s lies, crushing
depression from a life that I didn’t feel was
my own and now I felt a growing desire to
claim Arrick as mine, but my mind wouldn’t
let go of my memories of Dmitry.
I stared into his eyes, our faces inches
from each other. I could feel myself slowly
spinning a ribbon of desire, weaving it
around him. Our bodies drawing closer, our
senses growing more tuned to each other. All
I had to do was reach out and touch him.
Just take him and make him mine. I could
forget everything, and indulge in a moment
of pure ecstasy.
My vampire instincts prickled with excite-
ment. I could see in his eyes that he felt the
same. Heat began to build between us and I
sighed heavily with anticipation.
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Arrick grabbed me fiercely, but it only
made our fire stronger. His lips pressed to
mine as his fingers tangled in my hair. He lif-
ted me into his arms, while our tongues
danced. His lips traveled ardently across my
neck and I moaned with pleasure.
Suddenly I was jerked back. He had
pulled me off him. I smiled, doe-eyed, my
body and senses completely enthralled in the
rapture of pleasure, but his expression im-
mediately extinguished it.
“What’s wrong?” He released me, cover-
ing his face with his hand.
“This isn’t right, Claire.”
I didn’t understand. I felt his desire, I
knew I did. “What’s not right?” I grabbed his
arm, but he pulled away.
“This!” He threw his hands up, frustration
dripping from his voice. “We can’t do this. I
can’t do this.”
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“Oh…”
I bit my lip, my fangs nearly piercing the
skin. The rejection hit me hard, but just as
tears threatened to fall, anger replaced it
with intensity. “I get it. Perfect, Arrick. Al-
ways follows the rules, doesn’t want to get
his hands dirty with a monster of a princess.
I’ll save you the trouble and say it for the
both of us. Forget this ever happened. Let’s
just call it a lapse in judgment, shall we?”
Without waiting for an answer, I stormed
away, heading to a door that I hoped led to a
bathroom. I had hurt him and though I
hated to admit it, I was a little glad I had.
It was a bathroom and I leaned against
the door, sighing in relief. Just as amazing as
the one I had in the palace. I nearly ripped
my clothes off at the idea of taking a nice hot
shower. It would be nice to finally be clean
and soothe the last aches of my wounds away
under the water.
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I turned the lock firmly on the bathroom
door, not because it would make me feel
safer, but because I wanted to be sure Arrick
heard it. I didn’t want there to be any doubt
that, for the moment, I didn’t want him any-
where near me.
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Chapter_4
Hot water hammered my naked body as I
stood under it woodenly. My anger toward
Arrick might have begun to wither, but a
sense of ache remained in its wake. Was I
really upset because he rejected me or be-
cause I felt guilty for kissing him in the first
place? I hated to lie, but I never wanted
Dmitry to find out. I remembered the look
on his face when we found out I was getting a
Blood Mate. Hearing I had kissed Arrick
would only make matters worse.
My feelings were so conflicted. Maybe
that was the problem. Maybe Arrick could
sense a piece of me was still holding onto
Dmitry. I felt like I belonged in some
ridiculous day-time movie. A girl torn
between two lovers. Okay, they weren’t ex-
actly my lovers, but I did care deeply for both
of them, just in different ways. How could I
ever choose between the two? Especially
when neither had done anything wrong.
By the time the water had run cold, I had
resigned myself to fight the connection
between Arrick. No matter how strong it felt
at times, I promised myself I would always
remember the pain of his rejection. That
should make it easier not to return his smile,
or allow my stomach to flutter the next time
he touched me. At least I hoped it would.
I braided my hair after partially combing
the knots out and wrapped myself in a thick
towel. Before I opened the bathroom door I
decided to pull on a robe as well. I didn’t
want Arrick to see any part of me. The more
coverage the better.
I smiled smugly as I exited into the bed-
room in a cloud of steam. Arrick was
nowhere to be seen.
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The balcony drew me in, the twinkling city
of Naos spread out beyond it. I gripped the
metal railing as I leaned over to peer at the
crashing waves below me. Up here it seemed
much higher than it had looked from the
ground. My stomach started to spin and I
pulled back, laughing at myself. I guess being
a vampire didn’t do anything for my fear of
heights. I ran my tongue across my fangs and
turned back into the room.
Hanging on the wooden canopy of the bed
was a long golden dress. I rolled my eyes at
the thought of having to wear it and even
more so when I thought that perhaps Arrick
had left it behind for me. I walked closer to
inspect it when an unfamiliar scent tensed
my senses. Someone had been in the room
and it definitely wasn’t Arrick. He had a
strong, earthy scent and this was nothing like
it.
I sniffed the air. My vampire senses told
me that whoever had come in was now gone,
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but it creeped me out that someone had
entered nonetheless.
Up close the dress was more attractive
than I had originally thought. It appeared to
contain the same sparkling gold that I had
seen so many other places in Naos. The fab-
ric wasn’t the usual heavy kind like I had in
my closet at Nicolae’s palace. This was light
and airy, yet somehow still elegant. I knew
the dress was hung there for a reason.
Someone, most likely my parents, wanted me
to wear it. I guess whatever was in Arrick’s
travel bag was not an option.
I plucked the dress from the hanger and
marched to the bathroom. I was going to
have to make myself look a little more
presentable if I was going to wear it. I didn’t
think a messy braid and no makeup would
really do the dress justice. Nor did I want to
meet my parents looking like a slob.
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I tugged on the gown after dropping the
towel and robe onto a lumpy pile on the
floor. It slipped on easily and was a perfect
fit. The inside of the gown was lined in an
ultra-soft fabric and my highly sensitive
vampire skin loved the delicate sensation of
the dress’ caress. The bathroom wasn’t
stocked for my arrival as the last one had
been, so I pulled out my braid and allowed
my hair to take on its natural curl.
I eyed my ruby pendant and locket curled
atop the bathroom counter before picking it
up and clasping it behind my neck. But as I
eyed my reflection, I thought better of it, and
tucked the pendant under my dress so only
the chain was visible. If my parents saw me
wearing the symbol of the Noire family, they
probably wouldn’t like it. I pinched my
cheeks for a little color and admired my re-
flection. I was looking less and less like my
old self, and more and more like a real vam-
pire princess.
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I had a new confidence about myself and I
liked it. I smiled widely to admire my fangs.
They really were impressive. I looked so
much like a full grown vampire with them. I
felt powerful and I finally decided I was go-
ing to fully embrace that power. I’d been act-
ing like a wimpy human girl for long enough.
I was a full grown, vampire princess. Like
Arrick had said, there had never been a vam-
pire like me before.
I marched out of the bathroom and out
the bedroom door. Why should I wait for
someone to come get me? I was certain I
could find the throne room all by myself.
I pulled open the bedroom door with one
solid movement, only to find the one person
I didn’t want to see. Arrick. I held my breath,
putting my hands on my hips. The look on
his face still held the hurt I had inflicted, but
there was a hint of something else. Surprise.
The new me was causing the reaction I
wanted and I couldn’t help but smile.
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For a few seconds he gawked, inarticulate,
until I finally broke the silence. “Did you
need something?”
Arrick blinked repeatedly before pulling
his lips up into his sparkling grin. “Yeah. I
came to see if you were ready.”
I raised my eyebrows. Obviously I was
ready. I stepped back to give him a better
view of the gown.
“Do I not look ready?”
He smiled back at me again and it infuri-
ated me. Neither my attitude, nor my new
confidence were having any further effect on
him.
“Aren’t you going to change?” I asked, no-
ticing he was still wearing last night’s
clothes.
He considered himself, frowning. “What’s
wrong with what I’m wearing?”
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“Nothing. Let’s go.” It didn’t matter if he
looked good or not. I was the one who would
be meeting my real parents for the first time.
As we walked, I licked my fangs so they
would sparkle. It was becoming a habit, but
in some weird way it was comforting.
“You nervous?” Arrick asked, his tone
calm and friendly.
I wanted to stay mad at him, to keep my
irritated tone. It made it easier to bury my
feelings for him. It just didn’t feel right
though. Especially when he continued to be
pleasant and polite, no matter how rude I
was.
“I don’t know.” It was the truth. I still
hadn’t quite sorted out my feelings. Maybe
when I actually met them, I would know
what I really felt.
“I can’t imagine what it must feel like, but
I know they will love you. They already do.”
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I nodded at him. He knew exactly how I
felt through our bond. He was able to say the
words I couldn’t quite put together. I wanted
to be perfect for them. They had to have had
expectations. I knew I did for them.
Growing up, I had fantasized that my
father was some amazing super hero who
was so busying saving the world and damsels
in distress that he was never home. That was
just my child-like mind rationalizing his
absence.
Since I found out I was kidnapped as a
baby and my parents were vampires – I still
didn’t know exactly how that worked – I
imagined them as god-like beings. They lived
in this beautiful city that seemed one with
the stars. But me… I felt like a dark cloud fol-
lowed me wherever I went. I was a cursed
monster, but hopefully not for long. I
planned to embrace all my abilities, make my
parents proud and take my life into my own
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hands. No one else but me was going to de-
cide my future from now on.
We walked silently until we reached the
throne room doors. Taking a deep breath, I
paused. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach;
suddenly I was incredibly nervous. I looked
to Arrick and smiled weakly.
“Well… this is it.”
He placed his hand on my arm, but it
didn’t contain any of the passion we had pre-
viously shared. “Don’t sound so sad. You
should be happy.” He smiled reassuringly
and I returned it, against my previous refus-
al. It was really hard to stay mad at him. I
both hated and loved it.
“I am happy.” I smiled again, flashing my
fangs trying to be both believable and a little
powerful, but failed miserably. Arrick
chuckled lightly at me and opened the doors,
allowing a whoosh of air to fly over me.
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The room was long and narrow. Three
chandeliers hung massively above me. They
shone brightly throughout the room like
three massive suns. My eyes protested the
intensity of the light but quickly adjusted.
Arrick following a few steps behind me.
The right side of the throne room was open
to a lengthy balcony that covered the entire
wall, like the room I had changed in. Thick
velvety gold curtains were pulled back with a
shimmering rope. I appreciated the open air;
it helped to ease my nervousness as I walked
further toward two figures who sat atop
enormous wooden thrones. My parents.
I took another deep breath, but continued
my steady march toward them. The room
wasn’t much longer than fifty yards, yet
crossing it seemed to take an eternity. Sure, I
could have just used my vampire speed to
run to them in mere seconds but my legs
wouldn’t let me and nor would my nerves.
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My mother and I locked eyes, and time
seemed to freeze. She inhaled quickly, caus-
ing my father to raise his head from his
hands and look at me. Years of sadness hung
heavy on their faces, mixed with uncontained
joy. The years apart from me hadn’t been as
easy on them as I had feared.
My mother, Ione, was more beautiful than
any human or vampire I had ever seen. Her
skin was porcelain, much like an exquisite
china doll, and her hair was the same
chocolaty auburn as mine. She wore it in a
long braid on her shoulder, woven with
golden threading that glinted in the chan-
delier’s light. Her hand rose to her mouth.
Hot tears built in my eyes. Seeing our re-
semblance made my heart ache like it had
never before. I knew she was my mother.
There wasn’t a doubt in my entire being.
Arrick took my arm and guided me closer
to them, the momentous shock of the mo-
ment not allowing my feet to carry me
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further. Ione rose from her seat, closing the
gap between us hesitantly. I could clearly see
the wet tracks of tears falling steadily down
her face, which only made me lose my re-
straint on my own. I yanked my arm from
Arrick’s loose grip and ran to my mother as
fast as my vampire speed could take me. I
leapt into her arms, squeezing as hard as I
could, weeping like a baby. She returned my
embrace with the same ferocity and tearfully,
we sunk to the floor together.
I could feel the love radiating from her
and it warmed me through and through. The
lifetime apart from her seemed to fade away.
The missing hole in my heart was filling as
she rocked me back and forth.
“My daughter,” she cooed softly. My head
pressed firmly against her breast. This place
I had never known felt more like home in
that moment then anywhere I had ever been.
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Ione lifted my head gently. I sniffled as we
looked deep into each other’s faces. She
smiled broadly, her beautiful sharp fangs
sparkling at me. I wanted to smile back, but I
was afraid that showing my full grown fangs
might ruin the moment, so I kept my lips to-
gether and returned the smile as best I could.
Movement caught my attention. Standing
behind my mother was my father. A moun-
tainous man, though he was a vampire his
perfectly sun-bathed had carried from his
human life. That might have been hundreds
of years ago - or maybe even more for all I
knew.
His piercing black eyes were buried under
a stern brow. Centuries of wisdom, pain and
joy slightly wrinkled his forehead. A dark
beard flecked with gray defined his features,
making him look both handsome and power-
ful. He looked more amazing than anything I
could have ever envisioned. He was the one
thing I had dreamed of all my life, and there
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he was standing before me, a tear dripping
down his cheek and disappearing into his
beard.
I rose from the tangled heap with my
mother to look at him. We had the same
cheek bones and I had his long eyelashes,
making a tiny giggle bubble inside me. The
moment I saw him smile I fell into his large
arms and buried my face in his broad chest. I
breathed deeply, taking in his strong scent.
Sweat mixed with a woodsy smell and lav-
ender. My dad smelled like lavender and I
loved it. I wondered if it was his favorite
scent, just like it was mine.
“Our daughter is finally home,” I heard
my mother say as she rose to her feet. Emo-
tion still dripping from her voice, the waves
of joy nearly too much for her to contain.
My father’s massive hands cupped my
head completely, making me feel like a little
girl. I felt an anger tickle the back of my
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mind at the thought of all I had missed. Nic-
olae had taken this away from me. I could
have had my father and my mother my entire
life. I could have felt this undying love all my
life. No longer did I want revenge on only
Ana and Luka. Now I wanted revenge on
Nicolae too.
Having felt the heat from my anger, my
father held me at arm’s length and knelt be-
fore me, looking into my eyes. “There is
nothing in this world we have ever wanted
more in all our long years than to have you
home,” he said. My mother walked to his
side and they laced fingers, both of their
faces filled with emotion. They were so open
in their expressions that I knew they meant
every word. “Every day without you, my
child, has been a pain that nothing could
ease, except this moment. We are and have
always been a family. Nothing in the past or
future will change that. What matters now is
that you are home.”
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I nodded at his words as emotion took
over me again and eased the anger away.
“I’m glad to be home.” I really was.
“And, Arrick,” Cathair said, calling to my
Blood Mate. “Thank you for keeping our
daughter safe.” He offered his hand to
Arrick.
Each grabbing the other’s forearm, they
locked together. I could truly sense the mag-
nitude of the duty Arrick had felt. The look of
gratitude on my father’s face was clear.
Through our connection I could feel how
proud Arrick was, and I was proud for him
too. He had accomplished his mission. I was
safe and home with my parents for the first
time in my entire life.
“Thank you, your highness.” Arrick bowed
slightly. He released his grip with the king
and looked to my mother, bowing to her as
well.
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“Now,” Cathair said, removing his arm
from my shoulder, “you must tell me what
has happened at Palace Noire.”
Arrick nodded sternly as he and my father
began to walk toward the balcony. I watched
as they walked. I had always thought Arrick
was so tall and masculine, but seeing them
walk alongside each other, I thought other-
wise. Even though they were the same
height, my father’s wide frame seemed to be
two times the width of Arrick, making him
look like a small teenage boy beside him. I
could feel my lips pull up freely into a smile.
“What’s going to happen?” I asked my
mom without breaking my stare from the
two most important men in my life. Arrick
was talking animatedly while my father
simply nodded, his arms folded across his
chest.
“I don’t know,” she sighed heavily.
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There were many possibilities, but all of
them seemed grim and led to one conclusion.
My kidnapping, Ana and Luka trying to kill
me, and Arrick stealing me away in the night
during an attack on Palace Noire, all led to
war. My coming home should have been a
happy time, but the serious expressions on
my father’s and Arrick’s faces revealed a new
fear that threatened to tear my world apart.
We would be going to war and it was all be-
cause of me.
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Chapter_5
“She said what?” Shock rattled my voice.
After Arrick informed my father of the
events at Palace Noire, they called a meeting
and we all gathered in a large round room. A
thick cherry wood table stood prominently in
the center, with statues that towered from
floor to ceiling circling around us. I didn’t re-
cognize any of their marbled faces, yet their
stone eyes made the hair on my neck stand
on end. It felt much like a large portrait,
whose eyes, seemed to follow you wherever
you stood in the room. It was just darn
creepy. I’m sure that wasn’t the goal of who-
ever designed the room, but that was defin-
itely the vibe I was getting. Everything that
was said or done in this room was under the
watchful ivory eyes of ancient vampires.
We were joined by six other people, two of
which were vampires, who by my surprise
were incredibly old - and I don’t mean by
vampire standards. They had to have been
turned when they were in their late seven-
ties. My jaw fell open when they entered and
they returned my shocked expression with
kind smiles.
The other four were members of what Ar-
rick called the ‘Blood Guard’. They were ex-
actly like Blood Mates, except here they wer-
en’t forced to be bonded to a vampire. In this
region they chose to join for many reasons,
to protect a royal family member, to devote
their life to Nyx or to spend their immortal
lives honing their craft. I was a bit surprised
that someone would want to live an immor-
tal life just so they could be the best artist or
cook. My mom interrupted our conversation
and explained that those who were con-
sidered masters in their field achieved great
respect and to become skilled at something
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was a goal nearly every citizen of the region
desired.
“It is one of the most shared goals of our
society. We all desire to do our part in mak-
ing our region the very best it can be.
Someday you will find your heart’s desire
and you will want to be the very best you can
at it.”
I didn’t know what that could possibly be,
but I saw her point. The more I learned
about my new Zakarian region, the more I
loved it. This was exactly the place I wanted
to be. Hopefully I could bring Robin here
someday, and maybe even Liz. Maybe we
could still have the life we had always hoped
for. All my best friends together in one place.
I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
“Are you certain?” my mother asked
Arrick.
“Yes, I heard it myself. She said the dark
was coming.”
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The room broke out in frantic whispers. I
didn’t know what that meant, but it obvi-
ously couldn’t be good. “What’s the dark?” I
placed my hand on my mother’s as I asked,
but she waved me off.
“Please, stay calm.” My father raised his
hands to silence the room and everyone
quickly obeyed. “We cannot allow fear to
consume us before we know the truth behind
everything. The words were spoken by a
young vampire. Either someone is using her
as a pawn or she knows not of what she
speaks.”
My father’s voice remained steady and
strong, yet somehow I knew this was not a
good sign. I swallowed hard, pushing the
lump further down my throat.
I said as confidently as I could, “I don’t
think she is the type of vampire to say such a
thing like that, and not know what it meant.”
Every eye in the room was on me.
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“She tried to kill you, this Ana,” said one
of the elderly vampires. Her voice wavered
with age. “Attempting to murder a princess
is reason enough, but if her darkness runs
deeper then we must defend ourselves.”
“Leona is right.” One of the Blood Guard
spoke up. “I know it is against our beliefs to
take action. But we cannot allow such atro-
cities to go on any longer. They will take us
back into the dark ages if we do nothing.”
His voice started to boom with aggression,
but a hand on his shoulder from a nearby
guard placated him.
My father nodded, scratching his beard
deep in thought. “You speak the truth, Jar-
van,” he said. The man nodded, appreciative
for the recognition. “I do not believe that in-
action will prevent a war this time and the
stakes are too great. I will not allow them to
take my daughter again.” His eyes flashed to
me and my heart surged with happiness. My
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father wasn’t going to let anyone take me
ever again.
“No matter what decision we make, I be-
lieve Nicolae will start a war to get her back.”
Arrick pointed to me. “There is no way to
avoid war as soon as he knows where she is.”
“Then why did you bring her back?” Jar-
van, the Blood Guard with stark white hair
and a thick mustache asked. “The King and
Queen made the greatest sacrifice to prevent
war when she was taken, yet here you spit on
their decision by bringing her back. Now we
must worry about the consequences of your
actions and prepare for the possibility of an-
other dark age.”
I could sense Arrick’s frustration with Jar-
van’s words. “They tried to murder her!” Ar-
rick shouted. He stood, slamming his hands
on the table. “I’ve watched over her for eight-
een years. Silently seeing her live a life that
was never meant to be hers. I saw a child
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who cried herself to sleep at night because
she longed for a family. She carried a hole
within herself for her entire life that could
not be filled.”
Sadness filled me as I listened to Arrick’s
words. He knew the depth of my turmoil.
I had been wrong. Our feelings, our bond,
were not just a result of the Blood Mate cere-
mony; Arrick knew me. He really, truly knew
me and the pain I masked from everyone.
Knowing now that he understood that pain,
made me feel less alone. It hurt to admit it,
but my heart and mind were slowly releasing
Dmitry and embracing Arrick. And I didn’t
want to fight it anymore.
My mother rose from her seat and lifted
her hands to stop the heated discussion.
“Everyone has made sacrifices to maintain
the peace we have had for the past many
years. There is no way to compare whose was
greater. And our daughter belongs in Naos,”
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she said, her eyes flashing to Jarvan with
sweltering anger. “If there are vampires in
Nicolae’s region that are following the dark,
then whether or not Arrick brought Claire
home would make no difference. If he had
left her there, she may have never made it
home to us. He did a great service to our
region.”
Arrick nodded but I felt the anger still
bubbling within him. I hated seeing everyone
arguing over what to do. There were so many
things that had gone wrong, and so many
ways that things could continue to go wrong.
I didn’t want to be what tore this beautiful
city apart. I shot up from my seat and ampli-
fied my voice as I did during my coronation
ball. I didn’t want there to be any doubt in
the sincerity of my words. “I will go back if I
have to. If that means it will keep your way of
life safe then I will do it.”
Jarvan nodded in agreement, and anger
flared inside me. I knew this region was all
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about peace and avoiding war, but to me, he
seemed like a coward.
“No, you won’t,” Arrick retorted.
“Yes, I will. They want me. Nicolae will do
anything to get me back. He is losing hold of
his position and if he doesn’t have a pure
blood to maintain his position of power then
he is the next target. Think about it. He took
me not because he wanted a daughter but be-
cause he needed to keep the throne. He knew
that someone was after him and he used me
to deflect that.”
“You are very wise for such a young vam-
pire,” Leona spoke up. “If you were to return,
you would be a target. Nicolae would contin-
ue to use you to help maintain his authority
of the throne. Especially if he knows that
there are traitors among his family that are
following a dark path. The risk will be much
greater than before. Sending you back will
only buy us time. It will not prevent a war.”
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I felt my resolve faltering. Leona was
right. I would probably be in greater danger
going back, but what choice did I have? If it
meant protecting my family it felt worth it to
me.
“War cannot always be prevented and I
will not have my daughter used as a pawn,”
My father’s voice was deep and menacing.
My body cowered at the sound of it. Even the
air seemed to vibrate under its power. “It is
time.”
He turned his back to the room and paced
silently. I wasn’t sure exactly what had been
decided and when I turned to my mother she
was already headed to my father’s side. Were
we going to war against Nicolae? This wasn’t
what I wanted at all.
I got up and walked to the empty seat next
to Arrick. “What’s going to happen?”
“He’s deciding if we are going to war or
not,” he said, picking at a niche in the table.
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“There has to be something else we can
do. Can’t we send someone to talk to Nic-
olae? Maybe we can negotiate?” I know it
probably sounded crazy, but I just got home.
I didn’t want anything or anyone to take that
away from me.
“Cathair is incredibly wise. He knows very
well that Nicolae will come for you. You are
his last and only way of maintaining his
throne. Your pure blood is bound to him,
Claire. If we do not bring war to him, he will
bring it to us. He will claim that you were
stolen from his palace in the night and all the
vampires in his region will rally to take back
their princess from us.”
“What if his throne was no longer
threatened? Then he wouldn’t need me any-
more, right?”
I hesitated as my father approached, a
look of interest on his face. He had been
listening. “Go on.”
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“Well… Nicolae isn’t the only vampire
who is going to be after me. I’m pretty sure
Ana is somewhere out there, lurking in the
dark, waiting for the time to strike.” I
clenched my fist at the thought.
“I’m not going to let her hurt you, Claire.”
Arrick blurted.
“That’s not what I’m saying.” My tone
grew frustrated but I took a breath and
calmed myself. “Ana attacked me because
she wanted Nicolae’s throne. Getting rid of
her would not just make me safer, but it
would also take the threat away from Nic-
olae. Without risk to his control, he has no
reason to pursue me.” The logic of my words
just made my revenge on Ana that much
more justified.
“Spoken like a true strategist. You are
most definitely my daughter.” My father
smiled, his lengthy fangs threatening to
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pierce his lips. “Maybe we can avoid a war
after all.”
Maybe. The only problem was that we
didn’t know where Ana was.
For the next few hours, Arrick, my father
and the other Blood Guards spoke ardently
about our plans and how we were going to go
about stopping the threat to Nicolae and
killing Ana. Not to mention discovering who
was behind her evil deeds. I voiced my suspi-
cion of her parents and everyone seemed to
agree, yet my parents stated that it had to
run much deeper than that. They believed
there was a different design than just gaining
control over Nicolae’s region. Especially if
the dark was coming.
My mother and the two older vampires
explained to me exactly what the dark was. It
connected with the story Robin had told me
before the ceremony that bonded Arrick and
me. In the dark ages, the blood thirsty
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vampires who killed all living things created
a kind of sect or religion that they called The
Dark. They were consumed with lust for
killing and the power they felt when draining
human life.
The Dark wanted complete control over
all regions, to be feared and worshipped by
all, killing anything that stood in their way.
My mother said she always feared that there
were still followers lingering somewhere in
the shadows and someday they would return
to take back what they wanted, by any means
necessary. She described them as animals.
They were vampires, but by killing their own
kind they evolved into something else. So-
mething sinister. Something monstrous.
“They are demonic creatures, Claire,”
Leona said, her voice laced with worry. It
was hard to imagine her as a battle-worthy
vampire; she looked so frail, but the look in
her eyes said otherwise.
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“But Arrick drank my blood to become my
Blood Mate and he didn’t change,” I said.
“Blood Guard,” Alistair corrected. I
learned that he was Leona’s grandfather. She
had wanted to follow in his footsteps and be-
come a master at vampire history. It re-
minded me of Robin and her family. I missed
her so much. “His drinking your blood was
part of an ancient ceremony, but what The
Dark does is very different. You young vam-
pires don’t understand what it could truly be
like. You don’t know what true evil looks
like.”
I swallowed hard. I did know what it
looked like and I definitely knew what it felt
like. I rubbed my neck, remembering Ana
latching onto it with her fangs. I re-
membered what it felt like to have my blood
sucked from my body. To be on the edge of
death.
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“Excuse me,” I hissed at the old man. The
phrase might have been polite, but my tone
definitely wasn’t. I nearly ran from my seat
causing it to squeak against the marble floor
and echo throughout the room, everyone
watching behind me. I still hadn’t tamed the
anger from what happened to me and my
heart was hammering in my chest.
Feeling my internal struggle, Arrick
flashed to my side and wrapped his arms
around me. I didn’t fight him, but simply let
his comforting embrace calm me. I couldn’t
let my anger take over me. Not yet, at least. I
would have to keep it caged until I was face
to face with Ana and then I could set free the
monster I felt I was becoming.
I felt Arrick flinch and I looked up to see
Alistair approaching. He was walking slowly
like an old man, even though he could prob-
ably rush to me with incredible Vampire
speed. He smiled weakly; his old fangs were
a slight shade of gray.
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“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. “So-
metimes I stick my old foot in my mouth.
Ione and Leona reminded me, very sharply,”
he raised his long, bushy eyebrows. “Of what
happened to you. A vampire as young, and
special as you, should not have gone through
such a thing. Especially our princess.”
He hobbled away as my mother and
Leona approached. Leona kept a wary eye on
him as he exited the great room.
“I hope he hasn’t bothered you too much,”
she said when he was gone. “He doesn’t have
a filter at all I think sometimes. He will say
whatever pops into his old head without even
the slightest thought beforehand.” She
smiled reassuringly. “As I was trying to ex-
plain, it is not the act of drinking blood that
changes you, but also the intent behind it.
Just as The Dark, used to be like us. When
the act of their blood drinking changed, so
did they. Also, during the ceremony the
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blood is infused with a tear from the
Goddess.”
A giant question mark sprung onto my
face and Leona laughed whimsically. “Not an
actual tear. Of course, the priests would nev-
er admit that.” Her smile was as mischievous
as a young girl who knew a secret. “It’s really
just water that the priests bless.”
“Oh.” I was a little disappointed with the
revealed information. Sure, I knew it was in-
credibly unlikely that they had tiny vials of
real Goddess tears, but it was a fantastical
thought.
“Don’t look so disappointed, Claire,” my
mother said. She draped my hair behind my
ear with a finger allowing her to see my face
fully. “Remember, it is the intent behind the
act. The priests bless the water because they
follow Nyx; the Blood Guard, or Blood Mate
in your case, drink the blood because they
want to serve Nyx and her creations and the
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vampires offer their blood so that others may
follow Nyx as they choose. Do you
understand?”
It was confusing, but made sense all at the
same time. I nodded. “It’s like a circle.
Without my blood, Arrick might not have
been able to become a Guard… I mean Mate.
And without priests to worship, follow and
teach of Nyx, no one would know about her?”
I hated always mixing up his title and de-
cided that, to me, he would always be both.
“You’re getting it.” My mother and Leona
both smiled. I couldn’t fight their positive
energy and smiled with them.
“I am proud of you, Claire. I know it’s
hard to deal with everything that has
happened and I can still see the hurt and an-
ger in your eyes. Ana may be a young vam-
pire, but she still is quite old and you de-
feated her. In fact you held your ground
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against
two
Vampires.
That
is
very
impressive.”
Her
words
were
comforting,
but
squelched the temporary relief I had felt. A
picture of Luka, lying on my bedroom floor,
blood pooling around him flashed in my
mind. As much as I hated him, I didn’t want
to remember him like that. And I didn’t want
Dmitry to remember him like that either. I
hoped that someday he would forgive me.
“I didn’t defeat her though,” I said. “Ar-
rick didn’t see her when he looked over the
balcony.” Anger burned beneath the surface,
but Arrick’s sudden grip on my hand quickly
cooled it. I didn’t know what I would do
without him.
“In my book, you are victorious.” My
mother pulled me into a small hug and
guided me out of the room. Arrick and Leona
following behind in whispered conversation.
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“You proved to her that you will not go
down easily. You are stronger than she or
you even think you are, and that is a good
thing, Claire.”
It was comforting to hear words of en-
couragement from her. I did my best to clear
my head and let my nerves unwind. I wasn’t
alone in this. I had a family and friends to
protect me, and it felt good.
“Are you hungry?” my mother asked as we
walked through an archway into a large din-
ing room.
“Starving.”
We seated ourselves and my father, fol-
lowed by the Blood Guard, quickly joined us.
The conversation was much lighter now,
everyone talking about the customs of the re-
gion, or locations in the city with exceptional
beauty that I should visit immediately.
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“You must take her to the temple, Arrick.
She will love it there.” Leona smiled at me.
“I plan on it. I’ve already taken her to the
gardens and she loved it. Right, Claire?”
“Yes, they are beautiful.” I wished I could
go hide in the gardens that very moment. I
was so tired and didn’t feel like talking to
anyone for the rest of the night.
“They are my favorite place,” my mother
winked at me and raised her hand to have
dinner served.
Several golden platters were carried in by
hooded servants. They smiled widely as they
served us, lifting the lids from atop the
dishes after placing them delicately on the
table. I always felt the human servants at
Palace Noire were so skittish. It was nice to
see how comfortable they were here.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting for din-
ner. My meals at Palace Noire were all served
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in little silver goblets, but what sat before me
made a small gasp escape me. A petite por-
celain bowl sat delicately before me, its edges
painted in a golden leaf design. “What is it?”
I knew it was blood of course, but I had nev-
er seen it served in such a way.
“It’s been infused with almond oil. It’s one
of your father’s favorite dishes.”
Sure enough, my father was looking hun-
grily at his bowl, but he waited patiently for
everyone to be served. Arrick and the Blood
Guard were brought plates matching the
design on the bowl, each topped with a
mountainous salad and large grilled fish,
steaming and oozing juices. It was cooked
perfectly.
When everyone was served, I expected the
feast to begin. In fact, my stomach growled
loudly in anticipation but it was disappoin-
ted. My father rose first, everyone else fol-
lowing his lead. I stood up last, unsure of
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what was going on. We all joined hands and
bowed our heads, my father clearing his
voice. I caught him stealing a glance at me
with a smirk on his face and then closed my
eyes with everyone else.
A giddy sensation crept through my heart,
warming it as I held hands with my mother
on one side, and Leona on the other. I knew
exactly what we were doing and it was so tra-
ditional, I felt like I was having my first
formal family dinner for the first time in my
life.
“Tonight we have one very special thing to
be grateful for. A miracle and a dream that
Nyx has blessed us with. The homecoming of
our daughter, Claire. I have never been more
happy since the night she was born. To
Claire!”
Everyone raised their glasses, turning to-
ward me, smiles on their faces. Yet the hairs
on the back of my neck were standing on
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end. Something didn’t feel right. I scanned
the room, everyone looked genuinely happy.
Was I just being paranoid?
No, it was just my nerves. I was finally
where I belonged, surrounded by my family.
Nothing in my life had ever been this right
before.
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Chapter_6
I spent the next week exploring the
Château and Naos. Arrick spent most of his
time with the Blood Guard and my father,
making their plans for what they would do.
For a region that was preparing for war it
was completely peaceful. I guess it made
sense; telling the citizens would only cause
mass hysteria. No point in causing everyone
to go running in the streets, fearing for their
lives.
Some days my mother would join me in
the gardens and talk to me about, well, about
everything. She mostly wanted to know
about my life. I told her how I grew up and
about Liz. She could easily sense how much I
missed my old life. I promised her that I was
happy to be home and it was the truth.
I wanted to ask her about bringing Robin,
Dmitry and even Liz to come live here in
Naos, but the timing wasn’t right. Plus, I was
afraid to ask. I didn’t think it would upset
her, but I was frightened of hearing the word
no. Holding back the question meant I could
hold onto the hope that she could someday
say yes.
Walking past the meeting room where the
others were strategizing for the war, I saw
how heated it was becoming. They had better
come to a decision soon; I didn’t think that
Ana or The Dark were going to be very pa-
tient. News that I was not longer at the
palace must have definitely broke by now. All
they needed to figure out was if I was their
first target or if Nicolae was.
It was hard for me to visualize the threat.
All I could picture in my mind was Ana’s face
covered in my blood. If The Dark were any
worse than her, which I was certain they
were, then we were all in big trouble.
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“I’ll go. I know the city and the palace lay-
out,” Arrick said confidently.
Over the past week, scouts had been sent
out to figure out the state of the Noire region
and to locate Ana. They had failed.
“You will be a walking target, Arrick. Just
because the city is running normally, doesn’t
mean every vampire in that region isn’t
aware of what’s going on. It will only take
one of them to see you. Just one!” Jarvan
shouted.
“No one will see me. I swear it,” Arrick
protested and looked to my father for his
approval.
“He’s right.” I hadn’t meant to interrupt,
but I believed in Arrick. He had been my
guardian my whole life; now it was time I
paid him back somehow.
I stood by his side, pushing back the tingle
in my gut as our hands brushed, and raised
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myself to my full height. “He has experience
in the region and I trust him. Arrick will be
the one to go. If you must” I looked to Jarvan
with anger boiling inside me, “then someone
will go with him.”
My father’s smile peeked from within his
beard, but quickly vanished when Jarvan
turned his way. “We must handle this delic-
ately, your majesty,” he said. “If anything
goes wrong, we could turn the eye of evil un-
to us.”
“That’s enough. We have debated long
enough. Some of you have seen the dark
ages, as have I. I understand your resistance,
but doing nothing, only invites war to our
doorstep. We are a region of peace, but peace
must be maintained.” Jarvan opened his
mouth to protest, but my father slammed his
heavy fist onto the table to silence him. “Ar-
rick will go and get as much information as
he can.”
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A few heads in the room nodded in agree-
ment. I was glad. It appeared that Jarvan
was the only one that didn’t agree. I might
have been born in this region, but I didn’t
share the stand by and watch ideals that Jar-
van seemed to desperately cling to. I had a
hinting suspicion my father felt the same.
Sure, we both favored peace. So far, I
thought Naos was the perfect place to live,
but there was no way in hell I would let any-
one threaten it in any way. The Dark may not
have done so directly, but if they gained the
power they wanted by taking Nicolae’s
throne it would only be a matter of time.
As everyone filed out of the room, I stayed
behind. “Are you sure you want to go back?”
I wanted to hear the words directly from his
mouth. It was going to be very dangerous
and I guess I was worried about him.
“Without a doubt.”
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Something about him had changed since
we had been in Naos. Being back home had
made him more confident, more focused,
making him all the more attractive. I ima-
gined that bringing me home safely had
earned him a lot of respect, not from Jarvan
obviously, but definitely from everyone else.
From me too. I didn’t think I was just a job
to Arrick. At least I hoped I wasn’t because I
didn’t want to be.
My father approached, “How soon can
you be ready?” he asked, locking arms with
Arrick in a show of respect. For the first time
I truly saw Arrick for the warrior he was.
“Tomorrow night.”
“Good. You have three days. Learn as
much as you can and get out. Do you
understand?”
“Three days?” I said, surprised. It took us
nearly that long just to get here. How did he
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expect him to get there, investigate and re-
turn in such little time?
“It’s more than enough time,” Arrick said.
“Don’t worry, Claire. I am fast.” He winked
at me. I sensed through our connection that
he knew something I didn’t - and then it hit
me. He was going to run there. My mouth
fell open. I knew Blood Mates were faster
than vampires, but I guess I didn’t realize
just how much.
Arrick nearly skipped out of the room,
saying he had a lot to do to prepare. I wanted
to follow after him. There was one simple re-
quest I had for him on his quest. I needed
him to find Robin and Dmitry. I at least had
to know that they were okay.
My father’s grip on my shoulder shook me
from my thoughts. “That was quite a sight to
see, Claire. You, speaking your mind to Jar-
van. I’m proud of you.” He lowered to my
height to look into my eyes. “Always speak
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your mind and be honest. Even when you
have to do it to a grumpy old Blood Guard,”
he laughed. It was a deep thundering sound
and it made a small giggle escape me. I still
couldn’t
believe
I
was
finally
home.
“Someday you will make a marvelous leader,
but for now,” he said, gripping my chin in his
meaty fingers, “Have fun. I love to see you
smile.”
My face lit up at his kind words and I sped
down the hallway in the direction Arrick had
gone. Hopefully, I could track him down and
make my request. It wasn’t too much to ask.
Was it? I wouldn’t be able to stay behind un-
less I knew that he would at least check on
them. The thought of The Dark attacking the
palace made me worry for their safety daily.
They had to be okay. They just had to.
It took some searching, but I finally found
Arrick after almost an hour. He was sitting in
one of the small prayer rooms within the
Château. So far I had found two such rooms,
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both seemingly identical. Not much larger
than a walk-in closet, the prayer room held a
few benches, a statue of Nyx and thousands
of candles that made the room glow in a soft
rosy light.
Arrick was kneeling, his head lowered,
faint murmurings of his whispered prayers
hanging in the air. Not wanting to interrupt,
I leaned against the door frame in the entry,
waiting for him to finish.
“Are you going to stand there all night?”
he asked, glancing up at me.
“I wasn’t planning on it.” I replied enter-
ing the prayer room toward Arrick’s sarcastic
smile. “I was trying to be polite and let you
pray in peace, but if you are going to be so
rude about it, I’ll make sure to interrupt next
time.” I took a seat across from him on a
bench and crossed my legs, swinging my foot
rapidly in anxiousness. Arrick grabbed it to
hold it still.
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“What’s got your panties all in a bunch?”
he asked. Then, after a final look at the
statue, he turned to leave. “You coming?”
I sighed heavily and followed after him.
He was so hard to figure out. One minute he
was a duty bound Blood Mate, the next he
was consumed with passion for me, and now
he was acting like I was his annoying kid sis-
ter or best friend.
I lengthened my stride to keep pace with
him. “I wanted to ask you something before
you leave.”
“I know. What is it?” There was a hint of
irritation in his voice. Did he already know
what I wanted to ask?
“Okay,” I inhaled deeply. I wasn’t sure
how I should bring it up, so taking my fath-
er’s advice I came right out with it. No reas-
on to dance around the truth. “I wanted to
ask you a favor while you are back in Nic-
olae’s region.” Arrick winced, but I continued
129/396
before he could start an argument. “I need to
know they are okay. Robin and Dmitry.”
I had been asking every time I saw Arrick
to try to contact them, to at least send a mes-
sage, but he always refused. I didn’t have the
guts to be asking anything of my parents, es-
pecially since I had brought so much trouble
with my homecoming, so asking Arrick was
my only option. I knew I was driving him
crazy, but they were important to me.
“Anything else?” He spoke through
clenched teeth. I just stared at him dumb-
founded, and he turned on his heel and
marched swiftly down the hallway.
Seeing him walk away made my heart
ache. I couldn’t let him leave like this. “Ar-
rick!” I ran to his side quickly, pushing my
incredible speed to its max. I grabbed his
arm and forced him to turn and look at me.
“What’s your problem?” Probably not the
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most tactful way to go about it, but I wanted
answers.
“What do you want from me, Claire? You
want me to be your errand boy?”
What was he talking about? One simple
favor, and now he was throwing a tantrum?
“No,” I said, as snotty as I could. “I wanted
the person I trust to do something for me
that I can’t do myself. I’m sorry that’s too
much to ask. Listen, Arrick, I don’t know
what your problem is, but you better figure it
out. You can’t keep throwing my emotions
around like your play toys.” This whole hot
and cold thing had to stop. Either he liked
me or he didn’t. He was either jealous or he
wasn’t. “Decide how you feel about me; I
can’t keep playing your games.”
He stared at me, hard. Despite our con-
nection, I couldn’t sense how he felt. “I know
how I feel about you.”
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My heart skipped a beat. Did I really want
to know? “Then why are you acting like
this?”
He shifted his weight, considering his an-
swer before he spoke. “I’ll try. I can’t promise
I’ll come back with any information on them,
but if I see them I will let you know.” He
smiled slightly. I could tell it was fake, but I
stepped aside and let him continue on down
the hallway.
He stopped and turned to face me. My
heart fluttered hopefully.
“Meet me in the gardens in an hour. I
want to show you something”
I smiled and nodded.
I made my way out of the Château and
onto a secluded area of a beach near Naos. I
thought some time alone would clear my
thoughts; that way I could be completely re-
laxed when I met up with Arrick later.
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Hearing the crashing waves, so close was in-
credibly soothing. I climbed down the rocky
coast, my shoes dangling from my hands.
Walking barefoot was much better. I enjoyed
the cold feel of the rocks and the gritty tex-
ture of the sand between my toes.
There was a large, washed up log on the
shore. It was sandy and the bark cracked in
jagged trails along the length of it Seaweed
was tangled around one end. Yet, it looked
somewhat perfect, lying idly on the beach in
the moonlight. I tossed my shoes to the side
and plopped down atop the log.
Twirling my necklace about my finger, I
popped the locket open and closed with my
thumb. The more I looked at the images in-
side the more heart broken, angry and lonely
I became. Yes, I was happy in Naos and with
my new family, but Liz, Robin and Dmitry
were all my family too in a way. They were all
as dear to me as Ione and Cathair and even
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Arrick, although I fought those emotions and
lost most of the time.
I stared up at the sliver of moon and
prayed that Nyx would keep them all safe.
The stars twinkled at my words and I smiled.
Maybe Nyx could really hear me. I didn’t
know for sure, but it was a comforting
thought.
I dug my toes into the sand and licked my
fangs as I enjoyed the sense of peace, until
the hairs on my neck stood on end. My
nerves vibrated in warning. That familiar
sensation that I was being watched returned.
I bolted upright and scanned my surround-
ings. Nothing was around. I focused my
hearing, past the crashing waves, past my
own breathing. The city came to me, faint by
normal. I spun, searching desperately, heart
racing.
That’s when I saw it. A dark figure stand-
ing atop a cliff, high above me. I stood
134/396
frozen, staring at it, trying to push my abilit-
ies to their max. I had to see who it was. My
body instinctively stepped forward, my toes
dragging in the sand. The figure reacted,
crouching down, but still very visible. Even
with a sliver of moon in the sky, I could eas-
ily see the silhouette of a person.
I took another step, the figure becoming
the tiniest bit clearer. They were hooded, a
tall staff grasped in their left hand. I could
feel my instincts growing, the vampire
nature inside fighting to be released. This
was my chance to get answers. This couldn’t
be just some onlooker. They were watching
me. They had to have answers and I wanted
to get them.
Crouching, I prepared to unleash my
speed to scale the cliff. Maybe if I captured
this person, he or she could help prevent a
war. Maybe they could help us find the miss-
ing piece we needed to keep The Dark from
stealing the throne from Nicolae.
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I sprang - and the figure threw something
at their feet. A cloud of purple smoke envel-
oped them. I propelled my body faster. My
muscles were warming up to the task, the
rocks providing easy leverage to climb up-
ward to the cliff above. A howling scream cut
through the peaceful night.
Reaching the top, I leapt into the haze of
purple smoke - but the breeze had almost
dissipated it entirely - and the figure had
gone.
I slammed onto the hard earth and a
growl erupted from me. How could they get
away? What was that purple smoke? I was
nearly panting in my rage, tears of anger
streaming down my dirty face. I failed.
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Chapter_7
Feeling defeated and ashamed, I slowly
made my way back to the Château. I burned
the few details I had to memory. I needed to
be on guard. I knew they would be back and I
had to be ready for them. Was it Ana watch-
ing me or was it someone else? A member of
the The Dark spying, keeping tabs on me?
I knew I should probably tell someone,
but what could I really say?
I made it back quicker than I had wanted
to, even though I had been dragging my feet.
I needed time alone to think and there were
too many servants, Blood Guard and vam-
pires around. Plus there was Arrick. He had
to have felt my rage when the mystery figure
disappeared. In fact, I was a little surprised
he hadn’t run out to check on me. He was my
Blood Guard; wasn’t that his job? Maybe
whatever was going on between us was af-
fecting his duties.
I quickly washed my face and ran a comb
through my hair before heading for the gar-
dens to meet Arrick. Almost as an after-
thought I splashed some of the lavender per-
fume he had bought me and headed out the
door. I knew I was probably late to meet him,
but hopefully he would still be waiting for
me.
I found him sitting on a stone bench,
twirling a freshly picked flower in his fingers.
When he heard me approach he bolted up
and ran a hand through his hair in a nervous
gesture. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
He handed me the flower as more of a
peace offering than a romantic gesture, but I
took it gratefully. “I wouldn’t miss it.” I tried
to sound excited in hopes to ease his nerves.
“Where are you taking me?”
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His face lit up and I could feel his body re-
laxing through our connection. “The temple.”
I took his offered arm and sniffed absently
at the flower as we walked. I didn’t want any
of the stress of what had happened on the
beach to ruin our time together.
“Where were you earlier?”
I silently cursed myself for thinking about
it, but at the same time I couldn’t help but
smile at his sensing the change in my emo-
tions. He was so much more attuned to my
feelings than I was to his. I wonder why that
was.
“I went to the beach.”
He glanced at me briefly, wanting a more
detailed explanation, but I didn’t know what
to tell him. It would only distract him from
what he had to do if he was constantly wor-
ried about my safety. Besides, what could I
say?
139/396
I saw some creepy person at the beach
and when I chased them down they disap-
peared in a cloud of purple smoke. I would
sound like a nut case.
“I just wanted some time alone to unwind
and clear my head.” It wasn’t a complete lie,
so I didn’t feel totally guilty about it.
Luckily, Arrick nodded his head like he
understood. “I’ve felt how stressed you’ve
been. And I know part of that is my fault, so
I’m sorry.”
I kicked at the tiny pebbles along the path
as we exited the western edge of the gardens
and started our ascent up the rocky moun-
tain side that shadowed the back side of the
palace.
“I’m sorry too,” I admitted. My words
seemed to break through the pounding of
our footfalls and resonate in the night. Their
meaning weighting them down heavily.
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We continued on in silence. Through our
connection I felt what he felt mingling with
my own emotions. He was confused and
frustrated, that much I was sure of, but I
could also sense how much he cared for me.
I wasn’t sure if our connection made it
harder or easier for us to talk to each other.
From the way things were currently going, I
would say harder. I had always been the type
of person to keep things bottled up inside.
Now, because of our bond, Arrick was the
stopper to that bottle. He knew everything I
kept from everyone. Even the things I tried
to hide from myself.
That thought made me think I should feel
more sorry for him than I already did. The
poor guy had to deal with my battling emo-
tions constantly. It was hard enough for me
to deal with on my own.
I tore my eyes from their vacant gaze at
my feet and flick them up to Arrick. He was
141/396
intently focused on our path, either to be cer-
tain we were going the same way or perhaps
because something else was on his mind.
His eyes cast downward onto me and
softened. My stomach fluttered and I angled
my body to walk closer to him. It felt com-
forting to be around him - and it felt more
and more right the less I fought it.
“This way.” Arrick placed his strong hand
on the small of my back as he pointed with
the other to a fork in our path. It zigzagged
upward on the small mountain-side. I looked
up to see were they led, but I could spot only
a small splinter of white peeking between the
pointed rocks at the summit.
His touch reminded me of our first kiss. It
seemed like so long ago and the memory
made heat burn in my heart. I wanted to kiss
him again. I dared to steal another glance at
his face and what I saw there made me
blush.
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Arrick was as intent on our path as he was
before, but there was a small smirk on his
lips, too. He had felt the small flicker of pas-
sion I had.
A giggle escaped me and, with it, so did
the remaining tension of the earlier events
on the beach.
“What’s so funny?” He looked down at
me, amused, and bumped me with his
shoulder. I bumped him back.
“Nothin’,” I smirked. “So, they had to put
the temple at the top of a mountain, did
they?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I
was giddy enough already and I didn’t want
his charm to melt completely. Yet.
“Of course. As close to the stars as they
could get it,” Arrick said, the amusement still
lingering on his voice. He knew I was delib-
erately trying to change the subject.
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I was actually getting nervous around
him. Seriously, what was wrong with me? It
wasn’t not like this was our first date. In fact,
we’d never even been on a date, but what we
had already gone through surpassed any-
thing any knew couple could ever imagine.
Still, there was something new and exciting
and magnetic about him. No matter how
hard I fought it, I would always get pulled
back in.
Arrick and I chatted about random topics
as we continued our climb. He told me about
his childhood, his life before joining the
guard and even about how the region celeb-
rated for weeks after I had been born.
“It’s weird to think you’ve known me that
long.”
“Geesh, thanks.” He rolled his eyes and
smiled at me.
“You know what I mean!” I replied exas-
peratedly. “Not creepy weird. I mean, you’re
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not some disturbing old man or anything.
Wait. Are you?” I stopped in my tracks and
put my hands on my hips in mock concern.
“What do you think?” He turned around
so I could look over him fully. “Do I look
creepy to you?”
I tapped my chin and smiled. “Fine, you
might not be creepy, but you’re definitely
old!” I teased him and grinned madly.
“Oh, that’s not nice at all.” Arrick preten-
ded to be hurt and sauntered off. I laughed
all the more and ran after him.
I had planned on running to Arrick’s side
and getting back into our conversation. It
was nice getting to know each other on an-
other level. Sure, we were eternally bonded,
drawn together like two magnets, but know-
ing the simple things like what his favorite
music was, his fondest memory and even
down to the name of his dog growing up
(Doc), was all endlessly interesting to me. It
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made our connection that much more intim-
ate and less like it was based solely on our
bond.
But that didn’t happen, because the
temple finally came into view and stole my
breath away.
I had wanted to know more, but the co-
lossal ivory columns circling around the
temple and its domed roof, cleared my mind
of all thoughts Arrick. For the moment.
“Holy…” My paced quickened as I closed
the gap between myself and the massive
temple that stood before me. I felt an inch
tall as I approached the gigantic building.
Arrick chuckled softly and grabbed my
hand, guiding me closer to the entrance. I
would have toppled over without his sup-
port, walking with my head permanently
tilted upward. The temple seemed to grow
taller the closer we were.
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“It’s huge!” I exclaimed.
I followed Arrick up the stone steps lead-
ing into the temple. The columns swallowed
us in darkness, the outside world disappear-
ing with every step inward.
“You haven’t even seen the best part yet.”
He tugged me along behind him, my atten-
tion locked on the building around me. My
vampire eyes quickly adjusted, only magnify-
ing the beauty of it.
I couldn’t decide if it was the enormous
size of the temple, the gorgeous architecture
or the sensation that tingled my body that
excited me most. “What is that?”
“The temple was built to amplify the con-
nection with Nyx,” he said knowingly.
I felt as close to her as I did the night I
was turned, only without the pain. This sen-
sation was definitely preferable.
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Inside the temple, the columns continued
lining the walls. There were huge candles
flickering in the night air yet still maintain-
ing their flames. Baskets of flowers, cheeses,
breads, intricate fabrics weaved with golden
fibers, scented oils and an endless assort-
ment of other items lined our path. Offerings
to the Goddess Nyx. When word got out
about The Dark I imagined these walls would
carry many more offerings.
I hadn’t realized we had stopped until Ar-
rick pulled me close, wrapping his arm
around my middle. I was eyeing a portrait of
Nyx that someone had left for her. In their
rendition, her body was luminescent. Her
skin shimmered like it was made of star dust
and her hair was as white and bright as the
moon. Her eyes were dark but in no way
menacing. The artist had managed to cap-
ture a softness in her expression that
traveled to her eyes like limitless pools of
love and respect. Her body was curvy and
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naked, but in no way sexual. She was pure
beauty and adoration.
It was so realistic I almost reached out to
touch it, until Arrick distracted me.
“Here’s the best part,” he said, pulling me
against his side.
Although I enjoyed the embrace, it wasn’t
enough to keep me from moving. He was
right. What stood before me, was the best
part.
I pulled myself from his arm as my heart
hammered in my chest. The long entry led to
an even larger round room. The ceiling
towered above me curving perfectly. It
stretched upward farther than I thought was
structurally sound. If it were any taller it
would collide with the stars. The domed ceil-
ing was completely glass, open to the night
sky and all its splendor.
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I took three steps further, my knees wob-
bling with the sensation and power of the
temple. I felt completely at peace and safe
here. I wasn’t certain I would ever be able to
leave.
Centered in the room was an enormous
statue of Nyx. Her body was as curvy and
beautiful as the portrait that had me enrap-
tured in its loveliness. A soft, flowing fabric
was carved flawlessly across her body. I
could envision the invisible breeze the artist
had tried to capture. It was impeccably
frozen in motion, covering her delicate parts
but in no way looking provocative or prude.
The naked body was beauty and admired
here as it was in the palace. I understood
now, completely. It was gorgeous. I didn’t
feel the slightest bit embarrassed that I was
gaping up at giant statue of an almost naked
Goddess.
Her face was cast downward in an affec-
tionate gaze, her left arm lowered as if she
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were offering to help someone up. Her right
arm was raised high above her head, a
massive sword centered and pointed in the
night sky. I tried to imagine the story behind
the pose. Was she caught in a battle and of-
fering help to a fallen comrade? Was the
artist trying to depict that Nyx would always
fight and be there for us, offering her hand?
All we needed to do was take it.
My body tingled as if in answer. Somehow
it felt right. Maybe our future wasn’t as bleak
as I had thought before. Standing here in the
temple with Nyx looking down at me, I had
renewed hope.
Arrick was suddenly beside me, his hand
on the small of my back. He guided me closer
toward the statue. It stood in the center of a
pool of simmering water, much like the li-
quid that was used during a Blood Mate
ceremony.
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“Nyx’s tears,” I whispered softly. A stone
bench encased the sparking water and we
took a seat, peering down in the pool.
Arrick took the flower that I still twirled in
my fingers and held it before me. I sensed
what he wanted to do and joined my hand
with his, pinching the soft stem of the flower
between my fingers.
We locked eyes for a moment, our emo-
tions tangling intimately and lowered the
flower into the water. This was our offering,
and we each silently made a prayer, hoping
she not just hear, but answer.
I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and fo-
cused every ounce of my being into my pray-
er. When I opened them again, the flower
had absorbed the luminescence of the water
and shimmered as it floated away.
I realized Arrick and I were holding hands
and I met his gaze. He was so full of love and
devotion it was hard to know where it began
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or ended. It was hard to tell through our con-
nection if the feelings I felt were just his, or a
combination of ours that made them that
much stronger. There was no denying I cared
for him. Our bond just seemed to intensify
everything that was already there.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he
placed a finger on my lips to silence me. It
was a delicate touch and completely inno-
cent, but my entire body tingled with the
sensation.
“I know I have been hard on you lately
and I know I have made things very confus-
ing for you,” he said. I nodded. “That was
never my intention. Nothing has turned out
how anyone planned it.”
My brow furrowed. This wasn’t sounding
like an apology or even anything romantic at
all. Disappointment quickly coiled around
me.
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“Hold on,” he said, squeezing my hand
tighter. “Let me finish. I am not the best at
expressing myself through words and I guess
I hoped that you’d be able to sense how I
feel, but I think I’m only confusing you
further.”
“Pretty much.” I recalled the confusion
and anger I felt when he rejected me.
“When I began my duty as your guard you
grew incredibly important to me. You were
more important to me than my own life. You
were the most precious thing in the world,
and as I watched you grow, my sense of duty
grew with you. Claire, you were reason for
being. My life’s purpose.”
My eyes brimmed with tears as in emo-
tions hit me full on. I shuddered. “But you
don’t want me,” I whimpered, surprising my-
self and bit my lip. I hadn’t meant to say that
aloud.
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He nodded and I felt a knot build in my
gut. Was it true then? Did he not want me?
“I do want you, Claire. Before I was just
your guard, I was content to protect you
from the shadows. I felt joy when you were
happy and sadness when you were in pain.
But now that we are bonded, it is like you are
part of me. Like you belong to me. You are
me and I am you.”
His words grew frantic. I could feel his
frustration as he fought to find words to de-
scribe his feelings. “Then why did you turn
me down?” I broke the silence between us,
his eyes flickering in almost panic. I had nev-
er seen him like this before. He was always
so calm and collected.
“I feel what you feel, Claire.”
I looked at him confused, then exhaled
softly when I got his meaning. My fears had
been confirmed. Arrick sensed my feelings
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for Dmitry. I felt ashamed, embarrassed and
confused all at once.
“I…” I couldn’t think of what to say. He
was right. I did still have feelings for Dmitry.
He was my first real crush and I fell quick
and hard for him. It wouldn’t just disappear.
All I could manage was, “I’m sorry.” I
looked away, not wanting to meet his steady
gaze.
“I’m not upset with you, it’s just
something I need to deal with. I wanted you
to forget him and be with me, but when I
kissed you I felt you think of him and when
the two of you…” He swallowed hard like the
word was bitter, then finished, “Kissed.”
“I don’t mean to,” I pleaded apologetic-
ally. “Yes, I cared… care about Dmitry, and
that might never change.” I knew my words
might hurt him, but I didn’t want to lie. “But
I care about you too. Like you said, things
haven’t gone as planned. I never expected to
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feel what I do for either of you, and being
ripped apart has made it hard for me to let
him go.”
Arrick’s jaw tightened at my words and I
could feel his frustration. I guess I was at bad
with words as he thought he was.
“I suppose you are going to want both of
us then? We are going to have to share you.”
His words were full of disgust. I had never
seen him this way and it almost frightened
me. It was unnerving to feel such hostility in
such a peaceful setting.
“No. I would never do that.” I remember
how Evilyn explained her situation with Fox.
They were not intimate, yet he remained loy-
al to her and their bond. She had found a
way to make things work between her, Nic-
olae and Fox. Why couldn’t I do that with Ar-
rick and Dmitry?
I scooted closer to Arrick, hoping that
closing the gap would give him some comfort
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and cool his anger. “I care about you, Arrick.
More than I want to admit to myself some-
times. Every good thing I have ever had in
my life has been torn away from me. Some-
times I think I am more afraid of a good
thing than a bad thing. Does that make
sense?”
He nodded, but still didn’t meet my eyes. I
watched the vein in his neck pulse before
continuing. “You should know that better
than anyone.”
“I do,” he conceded, turning to me fully. “I
know it will take time. It is hard for me to
know I must share you, even a little, but I
feel everything. Any time you are around me
and something reminds you of him it’s like a
knife in my gut.” His eyes were full of emo-
tion as words came spilling out. “I try to re-
mind myself that it is different for you than
me. You’re only just starting to care for me,
whereas I’ve cared for you your whole life.”
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“I’m not just starting to, Arrick. I feel
what you do, so in a way I can sense the emo-
tions you’ve always had. I feel like we’ve al-
ways known each other and always cared for
each other even though I’ve only known you
a few weeks. It’s hard to make sense of it
sometimes, but I don’t want to fight it
anymore.”
It felt good to finally put everything out in
the open between us.
“I don’t want you to fight it anymore
either,” he said slowly, and that handsome
smile of his returned to his face.
We each took a heavy breath, releasing
the remaining weight of our emotions. “It’s
going to be dawn soon,” I said, even though I
didn’t want the night to end. I felt like we
had made some progress, if even a little. I si-
lently swore I would control my thoughts of
Dmitry when I was around Arrick. It wasn’t
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fair for him to have to feel how conflicted I
was between the two of them.
The horizon was lightly dusted with
shades of pink and orange as we exited the
temple. Much like the soft beauty of the
flower petals we had given as our offering to
the goddess.
I took one last longing look at the temple
before our pace quickened back down the
mountain side. I definitely wanted to come
back here as often as I could. Maybe the
peace and serenity and splendor of it would
help me to clear my head enough to make
some much needed decisions. Arrick or
Dmitry? Was Nicolae guilty? Was I really
ready to fight in a vampire war? All those
questions and more rattled in my head, but I
decided, for now, I would push them away
and enjoy my last few moments with Arrick
before the sun rose.
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We picked up our pace this time, having
to race against the sun. It was kind of thrill-
ing and only the tiniest bit dangerous. I knew
he would snatch me up if we ran out of time
and get me to the Château quickly, but it was
still exciting to race beside him and laugh all
the way.
At the main entrance to the Château I
entered less hesitantly than the first time.
The curtains were all already drawn and the
interior was dimly lit with candlelight. It was
in no way creepy. This was my home now
and I loved it.
“Good day,” Arrick said watching me.
I sighed, thoroughly enjoying the feeling
of knowing I was home. This was my home. I
met his gaze, happiness filling every pore of
my being. “Sweet dreams.”
He leaned in and his urge to kiss me
wrapped around my body like a warm,
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comforting blanket. I welcomed it. My mind
was filled with nothing but contentment.
But he hesitated, and instead planted a
firm kiss on my forehead. I was a little disap-
pointed but it was so endearing, and when he
stroked my cheek with his thumb, shivers
rippled down my body. I watched Arrick
walk down a hallway and disappear before
heading to my room.
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Chapter_8
The Château was unusually quiet and I
made my way back to my room without see-
ing more than a few humans walking about
in their hooded robes. I didn’t understand
why they dressed like that. Walking around
like floating figures with little to no part of
their bodies exposed.
I could feel that the sun was quickly
breaking the horizon, so maybe that was why
it was so quiet. I was the only crazy vampire
who was up super late. It almost felt like I
was sneaking back in after a night out with a
guy. I snickered to myself. In a way I kinda
was.
The large curtains in my room had
already been closed, to block all rays of the
days light. I walked toward them, and tugged
on the knobs of the French doors, to ensure
they had been locked. Not that they would do
much to protect me. I knew firsthand how a
lock like that could do nothing to protect me,
but I checked them anyway.
I walked around my dimly let room, let-
ting the light of the few candles dance across
the walls. Since coming home, the hole in my
heart had been filled, but nothing in my life
had become less complicated. A war was
brewing on the horizon, Ana was out there
somewhere planning how to kill me, a mys-
tery figure was watching me in the darkness
and Arrick was… well after tonight I knew I
wouldn’t be fighting my feelings for him any
longer.
When I awoke the next evening, the wor-
ries of the night were still heavy in my mind.
I snuggled deeper into my covers, not want-
ing to face the night. I wondered if Arrick
had left yet. We should at least say goodbye
to each other. I rolled over to face the door,
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trying to talk myself out of getting out of bed
when something caught my eye.
Lying atop the thick, white down comfort-
er on my bed was black spot. I sighed think-
ing that I must have made a spot, coming
home so dirty from the beach but as I sat up
I was sadly mistaken.
Even with as dark as the room was, a
single black stone twinkled on the bed beside
me. It seemed to capture the light of the only
candle and allowed it to sparkle on its sur-
face. Dread instantly tightened my chest.
Without any thought I knew exactly what
this meant. The Dark was coming.
I held my breath and leaned in closer to
inspect the stone. A strange energy eman-
ated from it. A desire to pick it up tickled my
senses, but I resisted. I bit my lip, my fangs
piercing the soft flesh. I felt a drop of warm
blood trickle down my chin.
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The energy from the stone grew stronger
and started to hum. It wasn’t loud, yet
seemed to pound into my ears. I licked my
lip and jumped off the bed. Whatever this
stone was, I didn’t want to be anywhere near
it.
I burst out of my room with incredible
speed, the sound of wood splitting echoing in
the distance. I probably ripped apart my
bedroom door but I didn’t care, nor did I
care; that I was running through the Château
in my underwear. The Dark was here, I was
sure of it. Things were much worse than we
all thought they were.
I flew through the open doors of my fath-
er’s strategy room. He, my mother and Jar-
van were deep in conversation, all of their
brows wrinkled in thought. I crashed into a
chair, knocking it over. Holding myself up by
the end of the table, I gasped for air; my run
hadn’t exhausted me, but I’d held my breath
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the whole time. My vision swirled for a mo-
ment before coming back into focus.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asked con-
cern seeping from her tone.
My father flashed to my side, wrapping a
soft
shawl
around
me.
“What
has
happened?” His voice was stern but laced
with worry.
“In my room,” I gasped. I fell down into a
seat, realizing the effects of the stone still
plagued me. Fear still squeezed my insides,
but the sight of my parents was slowly over-
coming it.
My father’s face grew red instantly, his
eyes flashing to Jarvan. They stared at each
other and nodded. Seconds later, they flew
out of the room so fast my hair fluttered up
as if an ocean breeze had lifted it, tickling my
face.
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“Tell what happened,” my mother said.
She took a seat across from me, but kept my
hands in hers. Her soft skin was soothing
against mine and I closed my eyes as she ran
her fingers gently through my hair, trying to
relax me.
When I felt my heart slow back to its nor-
mal pace I opened my eyes again. “When I
woke up there was something in my bed. I
thought I had stained the sheets from being
outside last night, so I looked closer and
that’s when I saw it.”
My lip quivered as I recalled the memory.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now.” My mother
cooed.
“A black stone,” I said, staring at the
ground. When I heard my mother gasp, I
looked up.
Shock was written clearly on her face. She
clutched my hands tighter, “This can’t be.
Please don’t let it be.” She jumped from her
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seat and began pacing the room rubbing her
temples with one hand, the other over her
stomach. The sight of her made dread bubble
up inside me again like a witch’s cauldron.
Was the situation more dire than I had
thought?
Hours seemed to go by as we waited for
my father to return. Blood Guards had
shown up and now blocked the door, while
my mother and I waited. She continued to
pace about the room and I curled up in my
chair, wrapping the shawl tighter around me.
The weight of the emotions had taken a toll
and sleep threatened to claim me. I fought it
as best I could, afraid to go to sleep. I wanted
to be awake when my father came back. I
wanted to know what that stone meant.
The scent of my mother’s honey-suckle
perfume filled my nostrils as she walked by
and my eyes flashed open. She sat across
from me again, her eyes closed and her head
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resting back against the chair. I had never
seen her like this and I didn’t like it.
“Where’s Arrick?” I asked. The question
just fell out.
“He’s left already, darling,” she said, her
eyes remaining shut.
I should have known. It hurt that he
didn’t say goodbye and with everything that
was going on I needed him near me. I had to
tell myself he would be back soon to keep
from crying. I didn’t like this new emotional
side that the stone had pulled out of me. I
felt like I was falling apart.
Finally, a long time later, a loud noise
startled my mother and I awake. We must
have fallen asleep. Neither of us had heard
my father and Jarvan enter. A large black
box sat in the center of the table.
It was ornately carved, but in a sinister
way. Naked bodies and tortured faces
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wrapped around the ebony wood in a seem-
ingly endless scene of misery. Recalling
vividly how the stone made me feel, it
seemed the perfect casing for such an object.
In a grotesque, twisted kind of way.
I looked to the box and then to my father’s
face. It was still red, but anger and dread
were clearly visible. The stone had the same
effect on him. I wasn’t sure if I should be re-
lieved or more fearful of that fact.
“Is it true?” my mother asked, her hands
shaking as she stared at the box. My father
simply nodded and fell back into his seat.
“All the stars in the heavens,” she said, her
chest rising and falling quickly.
The severity of the presence of the stone
was apparent, but no one was talking about
it. Was it what I feared it was? What was it
doing to me?
Only Jarvan met my questioning eyes as
they danced across the room, silently
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pleading anyone to speak up and confirm
what my instincts were telling me. “It’s a
dark stone,” he said nodding toward the box.
I looked to my father, who was rubbing
his temples, his fangs exposed in a severe
grimace.
“So, does that mean they are here?” I
feared the answer but I needed to know.
“It is very possible. The stones mean
many things. It is hard to know its purpose
without knowing who put it there,” Jarvan
said.
“Why… I mean, what did it do to me? I
have never felt so terrified in all my life.”
Jarvan nodded, clearly agreeing that he
knew that same feeling well. I sensed that
this wasn’t his first encounter of a dark
stone. Maybe that was why he was so callous
and hard. I couldn’t imagine ever having to
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experiences this sense of dread ever again. I
didn’t know if I could take it.
My mother placed her hand on mine and
took a deep breath. She looked to my father
and he immediately lifted his head, as if
sensing her eyes on him. When he nodded
she looked back to me. “Dark stones are un-
believably powerful objects. They take in-
credible power to make and require the ulti-
mate sacrifice to make. The stronger the
stone is, the greater the sacrifice was to cre-
ate it.”
Tears threatened to fall as she spoke and
with every word the threat to our world grew
more bleak. Fear build inside me - but
something else was brewing too. It was my
vampire instincts, fighting like a beast for re-
lease, wanting revenge on the bringer of this
stone.
I felt like the only thing my vampire in-
stincts wanted was revenge. Like there were
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two beings inside me. Myself and something
else. Something dark.
The thoughts were always there in the
back of my mind, always wondering and
planning for when I would have my chance
to avenge my pain. Then again, since becom-
ing a vampire, that was pretty much all I had
experienced. Maybe if things had happened
differently, then I would be different.
Wouldn’t I?
My mother couldn’t seem to find the
words to go on, so Jarvan continued in her
stead. “Dark stones are created using the
soul of an unwilling sacrifice. It captures the
pain, fear and misery that they feel at the
moment of their death. They seal it inside
the stone and cast a spell that amplifies the
feelings of the soul trapped inside.”
My mouth fell open in shock. “So, what I
felt… that was what someone else felt?” My
heart screamed in sadness for the anguished
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soul trapped inside the stone. What had they
died for? So, that The Dark could use it as
their calling card and scare people? “Can we
break it? We can’t just let someone’s soul be
trapped inside.” I didn’t know if souls felt
anything, but I wouldn’t want my soul to be
trapped in a stone.
“The stone is indestructible. There is no
way to break them that we know of,” my
mother said.
I was confused. I had always thought that
The Dark were vampires, but this sounded
like something else. “They use magic?” I had
never heard of anyone using magic before; it
only existed in stories.
Jarvan nodded. “The Dark practice black
magic. You have heard the tale of the battle
of the Dark Ages?” I nodded. “The vampires
who turned against Nyx and their own kind
grew ravenous for the taste of blood and
power. Even though they had been defeated,
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it has always been suspected and feared that
some fled. I, for one, knew that they would
always come back.”
My father groaned at that, clearly at odds.
It seemed to me like Jarvan was a very suspi-
cious character. He looked battle worn. He
had seen the Dark Ages first hand and it very
clearly still affected him. I guess an experi-
ence like that could never be erased from
your mind and would haunt you forever.
“No one could ever find them, Jarvan.
Guards scoured the land looking for the
deserters, but none were ever found. Why
should we live our lives, fearful of their re-
turn, when we could not even prove there
were any left? If we had done so, it would
have given them a victory in some small way.
No, we had to rebuild and bring our people
confidence and security,” my father said.
There was a hint of irritation in his voice, like
he had had this conversation many times.
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His brow creased and he went back to rub-
bing his temples.
“Why can’t we use magic to destroy it
then?” It didn’t seem like a crazy question
when I thought it, but by the reactions of
everyone in the room I was sorely mistaken.
“No, child,” My mother grabbed my face,
her expression growing stern. “You mustn’t
practice magic. To do so is to travel a dark
path, away from the Goddess. To do it, you
must expel the humanity left within you.”
She placed her hand on my chest. “Do you
understand? You will lose who you are.”
“Members of The Dark follow another
God. One who gets his power from the souls
of the living. Magic isn’t the appropriate
word for it. More like the energy of the per-
son’s life force,” Jarvan explained.
He always seemed such a bitter, angry
man, but now he just looked sad. Something
registered when I looked into his old, sad
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eyes. Was the soul of someone Jarvan had
loved, killed and trapped in a stone?
How could anyone survive such pain? I
thought of those I loved and what I would do
if it happened to them. The despair was al-
most unimaginable. Knowing their soul
would never rest and the pain of their deaths
would play out endlessly like a broken record
player. My body shivered in fear at the
thought.
So, doing magic ourselves wasn’t an op-
tion. I certainly wasn’t going to take
someone’s soul so I could have power. What
else was there? “What do we do now? Just
leave the stone in the box?”
“The box contains the power of the stone.
It must remain inside. The effects will wear
off soon,” said my mother, holding me close.
At the end of the room, their faces
stricken with emotion, my father and Jarvan
spoke in whispers. Everyone here was like
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Robin, wearing their feelings openly, no hid-
ing how they felt. I loved that about Naos,
but right now I wanted more. I wished I
could tap into my father’s thoughts and
know what he was thinking.
The sight of the captain of the guard
marching into the room answered my ques-
tion. I had seen him before, talking with my
father about their plans. Obviously, plans
were about to change.
“Your majesty,” Renek bowed deeply. His
armor gleamed from under his crimson cape.
For an older man he was incredibly hand-
some. A strong jawline carried the shadow of
a growing beard and a scar ran down his face
from brow to cheek. On anyone else the scar
would cause heads to turn away - but on
Renek it fit him. Like it was a badge of
honor.
“Assemble the guard,” my father said with
finality. I had a feeling it meant more than
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just a gathering of the Blood Guard. We were
preparing for an attack.
Renek nodded, not the slightest bit af-
fected by the order. I guessed a captain
would have to be prepared for anything. I
certainly wasn’t. I could still feel my nerves
tingling inside me. I watched Renek march
out of the room followed by Jarvan. No
doubt they were spreading the news and the
quiet, peaceful Château would soon turn into
a stronghold.
As the two men exited they were quickly
replaced by other people as they filed into
the strategy room one by one. Some I could
easily tell were vampires, and others I wasn’t
quite sure. They wore long capes, like the hu-
man servants of the house, except they had
crests sewn onto the breast.
“Who are they?” I whispered to my moth-
er. She was watching everyone conversing,
their hushed tones echoing throughout the
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room. And why did they need to whisper?
We all knew what was happening.
“They are members of the guard.”
I looked back at the people and was
shocked. There were two older men well into
their seventies, three women that I guessed
where in their forties and a younger man
around thirty. They didn’t look like a very
battle hardy bunch to me.
“Really?” I hated to sound so doubtful,
but after seeing Renek and the other warrior-
like Blood Guards around the Château, these
people looked nothing like them.
“Not all of the guard is composed of sol-
diers. Being a member of the guard doesn’t
mean you just guard the city; it also means
safeguarding its values, traditions and skills.
Like the older man there, with the golden
crest,” she said, pointing, “You see how he
has an anvil embroidered with flames blaz-
ing behind it?”
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I nodded. I focused my vision and stared
at the crest. It was meticulously sewn. The
golden edging was most definitely Naos
sand. I had grown so fond and familiar with
its hue after spending so much time on the
beach. I would know that color anywhere.
“He is a weaponsmith,” she said. “Many
people join the guard because they wish to
become masters in their craft. The time these
people have spent perfecting their abilities
and skills makes then invaluable. They must
be informed of the situation, so they can help
us to prepare.”
I hadn’t really paid attention before to
how things worked in Naos. I knew Arrick
had told me a similar story, but knowing me
I was lost in thought and it hadn’t resonated
in my mind. Seeing all these people, all these
experts in their trade, gave me a sense of
safety. We weren’t some unsuspecting region
that The Dark could terrorize in the night. I
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had a feeling we had a sleeping beast that
was ready to defend us if we needed it.
Conversations grew louder as planning
began. I had spent hours sitting in the room,
listening to everything. I wanted to soak
everything in and learn as much as I could,
but most of all I wanted to be a part of it.
When I overheard my father talking with
an elderly man, adorned with a crest of a fox,
that they wanted to send me into hiding for
my own protection, I spoke up. “I won’t hide.
I want to help.” My voice didn’t sound as
convincing as I had wanted, but both men
smiled up at me.
“She’s a brave little thing. I’ll give her
that.” The old man winked at me and I
couldn’t hold back a smile. If I could win him
over, maybe I could talk my father into let-
ting me do something. I knew I wasn’t help-
less. There had never been a vampire like me
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before and I knew I was tougher than I
looked. I had proved that much, I hoped.
“And what can you do?” my father asked.
There was an amused note to his voice. I
couldn’t say that I liked the sarcasm, but it
was nice to see him smile again after the
evening started so ominously.
“I can fight.” I pulled my shoulders back,
standing as tall as I could.
“I don’t doubt your courage, Claire, but I
couldn’t stand it if something happened to
you.”
I folded my arms and wrinkled my brow
in frustration. I could fight, I knew I could.
Plus I didn’t want to be left waiting for who
knew what to come after me.
“Let the girl fight if she wants to, Cathair,”
the old man chimed in, smiling at me. “She
has the heart of a warrior, and with a little
training I’m sure she could be an asset.
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Besides, you don’t want to leave her defense-
less, do you? A young vampire would be an
easy target.”
I was glad to hear the old man had my
back, although I didn’t much like being re-
ferred to as an easy target. He did have a
point though. A little training would do me
good. If it would make me stronger, I was all
for it. Finally, something myself and the
killer instincts inside me had in common.
Neither of us wanted to be left out like a
lamb for the wolves to prey on.
My father sighed. “Very well. You will
train, but only for your protection.” I tried
not to smile too widely in fear that he would
change his mind, but I couldn’t help myself.
It felt good to know I would be doing
something helpful instead of just hanging
around.
My father waved over a man from within
the crowd. “Eli!” he called.
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My stomach flip-flopped at the sight of
him. He was nearly six feet tall and had
muscles that threatened to burst through his
clothes. His hair was black as night, as were
his eyes, and he had a perfectly deep tan that
only accentuated his muscles. Side burns
covered his jaw, giving him a rugged look.
He simply grunted at my father and I
couldn’t help but think he was a meat head.
Did I really have to train with this guy? His
neck was as thick as my thigh. But he cer-
tainly looked intimidating, and if I was to
train with the best, then he was definitely it.
After my father discussed my training
with the man he turned to give me a look
over. If any other guy had looked at me like
that I would have probably flipped him off,
but this guy, he was dissecting me. “I can
train her,” he said. His voice was deep but
raspy. A thick scent of cigar smoke traveled
with him as he approached me to offer his
meaty hand.
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“I am Eli. I will train you. It will not be
easy, but you must do as I say and you will be
a powerful fighter.”
What did I say to that? Thank you?
Without saying anything, I took his offered
hand. As expected he crushed it with his
fierce grip, and I smiled, returning it with as
much strength as I could manage.
“Ah!” Eli smiled evilly at me, wagging his
finger. “You are stronger than I thought. She
will do well,” he added as he turned to my
father, who nodded proudly.
I left the room with orders to be ready for
training four hours before dawn. I was hop-
ing I could rest before we started, but Eli
didn’t have the face of someone who would
allow whining, especially not in a time like
this.
I knew I didn’t have much time so I took
off to Arrick’s room. I needed to know for
myself if he had really gone. Deep down I
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knew he had. If he were here he would have
been in the strategy room with everyone else.
I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves,
and stepped into Arrick’s room. It was
empty, looking very much like he had never
been there at all. I was surprised by how dis-
appointed I was. It’s not like I didn’t know he
would be leaving.
Ever since becoming a vampire, my love
life had become so complicated, but I wanted
to change that. I thought we had made pro-
gress at the temple. Arrick and I were going
to be bonded for all eternity. It just made
sense that we should be together. Not just
because we were bonded, but because of how
we felt.
But he was right; no matter how hard I
tried, I couldn’t bury my feelings for Dmitry.
I was what was stopping the two of us from
being together.
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I headed for the dining hall on the way
back to my room and grabbed some blood
before the inevitable training was to begin. I
definitely didn’t want to fight on an empty
stomach. I finished the glass quickly and
handed it to a maid who had passed me by.
She smiled merrily, completely oblivious of
the terror that was lurking, waiting to
pounce on the city.
I smiled back at her and headed to my
room to change. A servant had brought me
clothes earlier, while my mother and I were
waiting, but I doubted training in pajamas
was appropriate. No, I had the perfect outfit
planned out already. As pathetic as that
sounded, Liz really did have a bigger impres-
sion on my current fashion sense than I
would ever admit. I was going to show up to
that training session with Eli looking like a
skilled fighter.
I hesitated at my bedroom door, fearful
that a lingering sensation of the stone might
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still be locked inside, but when I opened the
door I was met with only a cool night breeze.
My balcony had been fully opened to let the
air in the room filter out. My nerves quickly
relaxed and I focused on the task at hand. I
needed to psych myself up for this training. I
wanted desperately to be the best, to prove to
everyone and to myself that I could be what
everyone thought I should be. There had
never been a vampire like me before and I
sure as hell was going to see how far I could
go.
My planned attire was definitely on mark.
I regarded myself in the mirror: fangy smile,
black yoga pants, a black tank top, and black
sneakers splashed with red. My hair was tied
in a tight ponytail. I was ready to go.
Heading out of my room, a piece of paper
fluttering in the breeze on my bedroom door
made my heart stop. I hadn’t sensed anyone
in my room while I was changing. I knew I
hadn’t. I made sure to keep my senses aware
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of my surroundings. There was no way I
would let anyone sneak around me again. I
was a vampire, damn it, and I was going to
start acting like one. No more relaxing
around the Château or on the beach, no more
balls or fancy dresses. Okay, well maybe
balls; I did love to dance, but that would
have to wait for later. After I kicked some
serious evil vampire butt.
I snatched the paper from the door, it
crinkled in my hands. Without hesitation I
opened it. Fully prepared for some sort of
warning from The Dark about their evil
plans, but what I found nearly tore through
the fabric of my newly found confidence. It
was a note from Arrick.
You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to
wake you. I promise I will look for your
friends and ensure their safety, but you must
promise me you will stay safe as well. I
couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.
Yours, Arrick
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I definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Ar-
rick did care for me after all. I hadn’t ima-
gined it. And I could promise him I would be
safe. Tonight I started my training with Eli
and I planned to push my body to its limits.
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Chapter_9
My plan to push my body to its full poten-
tial was apparently Eli’s plan as well. I
couldn’t say that I thought he would really
take it a little easy on me, but the first night
of training was a lot harder than I had expec-
ted. There were no warm-ups or stretches.
We just got right down to business.
“What is the first rule of fighting a vam-
pire?” Eli asked. He circled me, eyeing my
stance, then kicked at me feet so they’d
spread further.
“Um…” I knew he had told me this a
dozen times already. If I got it wrong again
he promised I would pay with more severe
training the next night. “To watch them.”
“Very good, and why must you watch
them?”
Geez, I thought I was going to learn how
to fight and not take a memory test. My eyes
flashed back and forth as I tried to remember
how he had explained it. My time had run
out and Eli flashed to me, landing a solid,
meaty fist into my gut.
I fell onto the rug at my feet and clutched
my stomach. Waves of nausea hit me, but I
pushed them back. I rolled over, putting all
my weight on my feet and stood up. I could
do this.
My fangs pierced my lower lip as I grim-
aced and readied my stance again. Eli raised
his eyebrows at me and growled. “If you had
been paying attention, I would not have been
able to strike. You live too much in your
head, Claire. Too much in here.” He tapped
me hard on the chest and then pointed to-
ward my head. I knew he was right. I tried to
clear my thoughts.
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“Now fight!” Eli hissed at me and jumped
away from me. He twirled in the air and
landed across the room, his arms raised pre-
paring for my attack.
My breath quickened as I focused. I al-
lowed myself to just touch the surface and
connect with my vampire instincts. I
watched him, listened to his breathing, fol-
lowed his eye movements, trying to predict if
he would make the first move. He did.
Eli jumped in the air with ease, like he
was light as a feather. I felt the urge to lunge
out of the way, but stopped myself. I saw his
eyes flick to the right; no, he was predicting
me to do that. A hiss erupted from me and I
dove forward, to where he stood before. As
he landed, I struck him in back, hard. The
force behind the blow came easily and I
savored the power of the connection with the
killer instincts inside me.
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He only faltered a step, but I had landed a
hit. “Yes!” he shouted in a growling tone. It
sounded animalistic and it struck a chord in-
side me. The dance was about to begin.
Eli and I lunged and jumped, striking and
missing each other’s blows for what felt like
days. I had never felt so in touch with my
vampire nature than ever before and I loved
it. I finally was starting to understand. This
was what I was meant to do. It felt right. It
felt natural. I was a fighter.
When the approach of the dawn began to
lighten the night sky Eli called it a night. He
tossed a fresh towel toward me and I caught
it instantly. “How do you feel?” he asked as
we exited the training room.
At first I wanted to say exhausted, but I
wasn’t really all that tired. At least not from
the fighting. If morning wasn’t coming, I
probably would have been able to keep go-
ing. There was another feeling that was
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commanding my attention at the moment. “I
feel amazing.”
Eli nodded. “You are connecting with your
power. That’s good.” He retrieved two sports
bottles, handing one to me. “Tomorrow I will
teach how to land more devastating blows. A
vampire can evade attacks easily without be-
coming very tired, but an accurate and
crushing attack can stagger your enemy
enough for you to defeat them.”
“Do you train the Blood Guards?” I hadn’t
realized I was wondering until the question
blurted from my lips.
“Yes.”
“So, you know all of their strengths and
weaknesses?”
He eyed me suspiciously. “I do. Why are
you asking?”
We rounded another corner as we neared
the part of the Château that contained the
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living quarters and I waited for two Blood
Guards to pass by before I continued. “Well,
I’ve been thinking. There has never been a
vampire like me before. You know, born to a
vampire, turned by a vampire, and bonded
with a Blood Mate… Blood Guard, I mean,” I
corrected. Geez, I sounded like a science
experiment.
“You want to know what you can do?” Eli
said knowingly. I nodded. “The only way to
know this is to test your abilities, Claire. But
now is not the time. Right now you need to
focus on honing your skills as best as you
can. Defending yourself and eliminating your
enemy are our main focus. We can worry
about the fancy stuff later.”
His voice was stern so I agreed to his
terms, even though I knew curiosity was
likely to get the best of me. I had never been
very patient.
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When Eli finally escorted me to my room
and reconfirmed our training for the next
night I made my way to the shower as fast as
I could. I didn’t want to go to bed covered in
sweat, but I was also anxious to read the let-
ter from Arrick one last time before I went to
sleep. It was two days before he was back,
and I could only hope the time would pass
swiftly.
The next morning I was relieved to find
no stone in my bed. Not that I really believed
there could be. Security at the Château had
been fired up almost quicker than I could
blink.
I woke up refreshed and French-braided
my hair. The night before, Eli, had managed
to pull it a few times as he would fly past me
for an attack. I took it as a signal I needed to
confine my tresses.
A memory of yanking on Ana’s hair
flashed in my mind. The sound of her scream
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as I slammed her to the floor. Bile rose up in
my throat as the painful memory unleashed
the anger I had buried inside. I closed my
eyes and focused my thoughts. I couldn’t let
it consume me. I needed to keep hold of the
power I had connected with during training.
The seemingly endless fisher of strength I
had inside me. I guessed that was what made
me different. The question was, what else
was inside me? How far could I go and what
could I really do? After training I planned to
do my first test. There was no time to waste,
not with a war showing its ugly face on the
horizon. I just needed to be sure I didn’t get
caught.
The palace was busier this evening than it
had ever been. The population within the
Château seemed to have doubled in size.
Blood Guards stood at nearly every hallway,
and maids and servants ran busily through
the corridors. I’d noticed their faces weren’t
as bright and cheery as they had been, yet
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they still smiled kindly at me as I passed. I
guessed they must have been informed of the
situation.
Would every citizen of the region be
warned? It could cause mass panic, but they
deserved to know. Didn’t they? I decided to
take a detour and walk past the strategy
room. I was certain that it would be buzzing
with activity.
Unfortunately, as I turned down the long
hallway, I could see that the doors were
firmly shut. A glow leaked from the edges of
the door. They must be holding a meeting.
Could I sneak in? I was the princess, after all;
I should be kept up-to-date on everything.
Besides, I was curious to know if anything
had been heard from Arrick yet. I knew it
wasn’t likely, but there was always a chance.
I walked with purpose down the hallway,
my feet squeaking on the floor. A Blood
Guard eyed me wearily as I approached the
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door. I tried to ignore his presence and not
look like I was worried he might stop me. I
failed. As soon as I reached for the handle he
slapped his hand on my arm and shook his
head.
“I’m sorry, princess. The King asked not
to be disturbed.”
I shook my hand free. “I’m sure that
doesn’t include me. He will want me in
there.” My tone grew annoyed.
“He said no one. No even the Queen was
allowed to enter.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Really?
Where is she then?”
“I believe she is in the dining hall, Prin-
cess.” He straightened his posture like he
was preparing himself for my refusal. Like I
would barge into a secret meeting that my
father didn’t want disturbed. What kind of
princess or daughter did he think I was? Sure
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I guess compared to most Princesses I was a
bit of a rebel and questioned everything, but
I wasn’t that bad. Was I?
I rolled my eyes and turned away to head
toward the dining hall. That Blood Guard
was super annoying, but I couldn’t blame
him for following orders. Especially not now.
I had no doubt that everyone was probably
on edge tonight.
I found my mother right where the guard
said she would be. Lines of worry creased her
face and her hair was done up in a feathery
bun that allowed loose strands to fall around
her face. She looked surprisingly older than I
had ever seen her.
Her face brightened only faintly as she
saw me approach. A bowl of blood sat before
her in the standard gold rimmed china. A
yellow rose petal with hints of pink floated
atop the surface. I could tell she hadn’t
touched it.
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“Are you okay?” I was concerned for her.
Seeing such a powerful vampire look so sul-
len and defeated wasn’t a good sign. I needed
her to be strong. Not only for her, but for me
too.
“I’ll be fine, Claire.”
“Are you upset because you couldn’t get
into the meeting?” She smiled at me and I
smiled back. I wanted to crack the shell of
sadness around her. “’Cuz I sure am.”
“Oh, my darling daughter. I didn’t realize
how much I missed having another girl
around. It’s about time your father was
outnumbered.”
We both laughed until tears rolled down
our cheeks. I was growing so easily close to
her, it was almost like we had never been
apart.
I finished my meal as fast as I could. I
think this was the best infused blood I had
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ever had. The rose petal gave it a sweet,
earthy taste. Next family dinner I was defin-
itely going to request it.
“So, shall we crash this meeting?” I asked
as we finished eating.
Color had returned to her face. “I think we
must,” she said in a playful commanding
tone. Her chair scooted backward causing a
screeching echo to vibrate through the room.
I refrained from licking my bowl and
watched my mother as she futilely tried to
push back the stray strands around her face
in a nearby hanging mirror. “You might as
well give up,” I giggled at her.
She smiled at me through the mirror.
“And why is that?”
“Because,” I said, getting up and grabbing
her hand. “We don’t want to keep father
waiting.” I smiled at her with my most evil
grin, my fangs fully displayed.
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We squeezed hands and bolted out of the
dining hall toward the strategy room where
my father was holding some secret meeting. I
couldn’t contain my laughter as we raced to
see who would make it there first.
She beat me, but just barely.
“I haven’t run like that in years.” She
breathed heavily and pulled the pins from
her hair. It fell in soft waves down her back.
The Blood Guard stationed was looking at
us like we were mad, which only made us
turn to each other and smile wickedly. But
we were merely just a mother and her daugh-
ter, making up for lost time and enjoying
each other’s company.
Taking the lead, my mother marched to
the door with superiority. I didn’t see the
look she gave the guard, but by his wide-eyed
and shocked expression, I could only guess it
was frightening. As beautiful as my mother
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was, I did not doubt for a second that she
could look very intimidating if she wanted to.
As I followed behind her I could feel the
power emanating from her. She was a fo-
cused and determined vampire Queen.
Someday I hoped to be the very same thing.
She opened the doors without resistance,
marching into the room like she had never
been told she couldn’t be there. I shadowed
her movements close behind and spied my
father’s expression briefly. He didn’t seem
the slightest bit surprised and if I didn’t
know any better maybe even amused. A tiny
twinkle sparkled in his dark eyes.
I expected the room to be filled with sev-
eral Vampires and Blood Guards, but there
were only four seats filled, aside from my
father. The strategy room could have easily
seated twenty or more.
A throat cleared loudly and my eyes
traveled over to my left. There sat Jarvan, his
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judging eyes piercing in my direction. I
sighed inwardly. I really didn’t like that guy
even though I was starting to understand
him.
Everyone remained quiet as we entered
the room and took seats near my father. I
wouldn’t have been surprised if everyone im-
mediately got up and left, but when my fath-
er waved toward Renek he nodded and
continued.
“Very well. As I was saying, the city has
been secured. We have notified all city heads
about the situation and they are strategizing
efforts to ensure security in their cities.”
“Did you instruct them on the appropriate
protocol to handle the event of a stone?” Jar-
van interrupted.
“I did,” Renek said clearly annoyed. I
would be too if I were him. Sometimes I
thought Jarvan thought he was the one
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calling the shots. Someday I’d like to be the
one to knock him off his high horse.
Renek directed his attention back to my
father. “Black boxes have been sent to all the
major cities with precise instructions. I know
first-hand the severity of contact with dark
stones.” He glared at Jarvan, his scared fore-
head wrinkling.
I was really starting to like this Captain
Renek.
“Good.” My father nodded as he flipped
through papers and parchment on the table
before him. Some of the documents looked
incredibly aged and I wondered what was on
them. How old were they? They looked like
they could have been from the Dark Ages,
with their yellowed edges and brown spots.
Robin and her family would probably love
to see them. They loved any form of history.
Goddess, I missed them.
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For a time, everyone was silent - then my
father looked up and dismissed the gather-
ing. “You can go. That’s all for now.” The
room all rose, collecting their things and ex-
iting. “Renek, check back with me before
night’s end.”
Renek nodded and bowed, then marched
out of the room.
When the room was empty, aside from
myself, my mother and father, I sighed
aloud. I couldn’t help myself. I was really dis-
appointed that we had missed nearly the en-
tirety of the meeting.
Still looking down at the documents in
front of him, my father cleared his throat and
I snapped to attention. “I suppose I should
have known better than to think I could keep
you two from coming to a meeting you wer-
en’t invited to.”
I wasn’t sure if he was seriously annoyed
or joking with us. I glanced at my mother for
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some clue, but she had ignored him. Her
eyes were fixated on some papers that were
left behind by an older man who had been
seated across from her.
I bit my lip. What could I say? What’s the
worst he could do, ground me?
“Nothing to say for yourselves?” My father
raised his head and laced his fingers together
in a large fist on the table.
“Cathair!” my mother cried exasperatedly.
The papers crinkled loudly as she shuffled
them together. “You’re going to make her
fear you if you aren’t careful. You know that
no one can tell when you’re being sarcastic.”
I looked to my father, relief filling me. I
really didn’t want him to be upset with me.
Our eyes met and for a long moment we
stared at each other. It was almost like a
staring contest, when suddenly he smiled.
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The heaviness of his emotions was tem-
porarily gone from his handsome face.
“Come, child,” he said, patting the chair to
his immediate right. “Tell me how your first
night of training went. Did you show Eli
what a true Zakarian princess can do?”
My cheeks blushed. He was every bit the
father I had always dreamed of. Right down
to the cheesy comments.
“I did land a few good strikes,” I said tri-
umphantly. I wasn’t above bragging. Besides,
I was damn proud of myself.
“That’s my girl!” He squeezed me into his
arms, his bright fangy grin lighting up his
face. “You hear that, Ione? Our daughter is a
warrior!”
“Not quite,” I said. Sure I was proud of
myself, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying I
was a warrior. At least not quite yet.
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“You can be anything you want, Claire.
There has never been anyone like you before.
The possibilities for you are limitless.
Besides, you’re my daughter and I can
already tell you take after me.” She smiled at
me and then winked at my father.
“Now, now! Don’t you start. She has
Zakarian blood in her. Just look at her, she’s
a natural fighter.” He playfully jabbed at me
and I blocked him swiftly, causing a deep
laugh to roll through his husky voice.
My mother waved him off and the levity in
the room quickly evaporated. I couldn’t help
but think that it wasn’t just Zakarian blood I
had anymore. I had Noire blood too. I wasn’t
sure anymore what affect it would have on
me. Would it change me somehow? Would I
become like Nicolae, desperate to do any-
thing to make things how I wanted them, to
maintain my throne and reign of power?
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In a way, I guess I could say I was. Before
Ana tried to kill me I felt willing to do any-
thing to protect Nicolae and the rest of
Palace Noire. Even now, I was willing to do
anything to protect the ones I loved from The
Dark. But would I be willing to do anything
to stop them? I could only imagine how hor-
rific things could end up, and I how far I was
willing to go to protect the ones I loved.
What really frightened me was that deep
down I knew the answer. I would do any-
thing. My thirst for revenge still bubbled
deep inside me and I gave it another push
back. I didn’t know how much longer I could
keep it at bay, but for now that was all I
could do.
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Chapter_10
I wasn’t sure how long I had sat there lost
in my thoughts, but it was nice that my par-
ents let me think without interruption. At
least until the sound of Renek’s armor clank-
ing from the end of the hallway grabbed my
attention. I looked up to see him enter the
room and I smiled. I was getting better at fo-
cusing on my surroundings.
Renek’s expression was emotionless, his
brow beaded with sweat. I tried to sneak in
and get a sense of his feelings. He was most
likely bringing my father his report and I
would have to leave for training any minute.
I didn’t want to miss any details.
His eyes flicked toward my direction and I
quickly looked away. Did he sense my pry-
ing? Of course he did. He was the Captain of
the Blood Guard. No doubt he had been
trained to sense a vampire searching his
mind and emotions.
His attention stayed locked on me as he
took a seat next to my father and handed
him a long printed document. I didn’t want
to meet his gaze, but I knew I had to. Having
Renek suspicious of me or not liking me
wasn’t something I wanted. I needed as
many people on my side as possible.
If I tried to apologize then, my parents
would know what I had done. I wasn’t sure
how they would feel about it. Society here
didn’t express their emotions the same way
they did at Palace Noire. I hadn’t weaved a
single ribbon of emotion or sensed anything
from anyone since I had been here. Everyone
had been so open there was no need to.
That gave me an idea. If no one in Naos
did this, then maybe I could find some valu-
able information. Maybe I could discover
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some secrets and clues that no one else
could.
My heart fluttered with excitement,
pumping in my chest like a hummingbird.
There had never been a vampire like me be-
fore, so maybe I could do things with this
ability that had never been done before.
I stepped out of my seat, trying my best
not to cause the legs of the chair to screech
across the floor. My parent’s attention re-
mained on the reports that Renek had
brought in, so I looked eyes with Renek.
I did my best to connect with him and
convey the sincerity in my words. “I’m
sorry.”
“What’s wrong, Claire?” my mother asked,
only half paying attention.
Renek’s gaze stayed fixed on me. “I was
just excusing myself to go to training,” I
answered. She only nodded in response.
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I looked to Renek one last time before
leaving. His eyes were softer than before and
I hoped he accepted my apology. Hopefully,
he would think I was just a curious new vam-
pire, testing out my abilities. And that was
the truth, technically. Mostly.
It was bad enough that Eli was waiting for
me when I arrived in the training room, but
he also wasn’t alone. He was talking to a thin
guy, who standing next to Eli, looked like a
toothpick. He had stark white hair that was
cut close to his scalp.
The guy smiled at me as I entered the
room, his mouth crowded with teeth. Set
deep behind his pointy nose were the lightest
blue eyes I had ever seen, giving him a
ghostly appearance.
“Finally decided to join us?” Eli asked.
“Sorry, I got wrapped up talking…”
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Eli cut me off. “I don’t care what you were
doing. Just don’t be late again.”
Great. That’s all I needed was to piss him
off.
I took my stance on the mat as instructed
and waited for Eli to begin training. Tonight
I was going to learn how to land debilitating
blows to my enemy. It may sound demented,
but I was really excited about tonight’s train-
ing. The next time I faced an enemy, I didn’t
want them to get away. Not again.
“Claire, this is Bennett,” Eli said, pointing
a thumb. Bennett took a stance on the mat
across from me and gave a crooked smirk.
“He is going to be your sparring partner to-
night. As I said last night, you are going to
learn how to land an attack on any enemy.
You are already capable of avoiding an at-
tack, but you also need to learn how to weak-
en your enemy when the opportunity
presents itself. You won’t get many chances,
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especially if you are fighting someone more
advanced, so you need to make every one
count.”
“Why aren’t I training with you?” I asked.
Bennett’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “No
offense or anything,” I said to him. He just
shrugged in response.
“Bennett is one of my most talented pu-
pils in this area. His percentage rate for land-
ing attacks is leagues higher than any of my
other students.” I saw Bennett’s chest puff
up in pride. He didn’t look like much, but I
guess I would see how good he was. “Now,
let’s get started. Bennett is going to first
show you one of the most effective strikes.”
Bennett nodded to Eli and then focused
his ghostly eyes on me. A shiver danced
across my skin and I prepared my body for
the inevitable attack. My breath was steady
and my senses focused. I saw him jump and
roll to the right and spring into action, diving
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over him as he lunged at me. He groaned in
frustration. Apparently he thought I was go-
ing to be easy; sadly for him that just made
me try that much harder.
We swung and dove, twisted and turned,
narrowly missing each other as he tried to at-
tack me. I flipped backward to avoid his long
leg as he propelled it toward my stomach
with swift force. The tip of his sneaker grazed
my thigh as I landed on my hands and
turned myself upward. Eli would critique our
movement as we bounded across the mat.
Bennett’s frustration grew more and more
the longer it took for him to catch me. I
smiled widely at him, displaying my fangs
and egging him on. It wasn’t my fault he
wasn’t as bad ass as he thought he was.
Screaming in frustration, he ran full-pelt
at me. I watched him steadily, confident that
he was going to make a forward attack.
Could he be any more obvious? I waited to
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the last second and readied my stance to
jump upward, allowing him to fly right under
me, only he predicted it.
As I launched myself upward, Bennett
widened his gait and jumped right on top of
me, sending us crashing to the floor with in-
credible force. I hadn’t expected it and the
attack caught me off guard. I slammed onto
my back, the weight of his body falling like a
mountain on top of me. For a skinny guy, he
weighed a ton.
He attempted to swipe at my face, but I
flung my arm in front of me and blocked it.
My right hand was latched around his left,
pinning it to the mat with as much force as I
could. A vision of breaking Ana’s arm flashed
in my mind, but I pushed it back. I couldn’t
afford the distraction nor could I allow that
anger to take over me. Who knew what could
happen.
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Bennett smiled, thinking he had won. His
long legs, tried wrapping around me. I knew
he was trying to pin me to the mat, so he
could make his final strike. I couldn’t let him
win. I twisted and elbowed him in the face.
As his head jerked from the blow I then lifted
my legs, wrapping them around his head. I
locked my ankles and straightened, pressing
me thighs together with as much force as I
could.
His bright, white head quickly turned red.
I smiled triumphantly, waiting for him to tap
out. He wasn’t going to beat me and he
needed to realize it. I was in total control and
I relished in it. I was indulging in the power
and loving every second of it.
“Regain control, Bennett!” Eli shouted
from the sidelines.
I could feel Bennett’s body tighten on top
of me. Was he ready to give up? Could I
really be beating Eli’s best fighter? I couldn’t
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help but let a small laugh escape me, a fangy
smile stretched across me sweaty face, stray
strands of hair plastered on my cheeks.
I was celebrating too early. Bennett
stretched his long legs and pushed himself
upward. I could feel him rising. I tried to
press him back downward, but I had no
leverage. He lifted himself higher, starting to
stand and was taking me with him. My back
was lifting from the mat and I growled aloud.
I still had a tight grip around his neck and I
didn’t want to give it up.
“Nice recovery!” Eli encouraged Bennett
from the sidelines. Whose side was he on,
anyway?
Bennett’s red-faced smile pissed me off. I
released my grip on his head, putting my
weight on my hands and flipping back into a
standing position. He was closer than I had
expected and couldn’t deflect his hand as it
landed firmly on my throat.
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I gripped his wrists and hissed through
clenched teeth as my neck was crushed in his
hand. Arrick had performed the very same
move on me before when we first arrived at
the Château, except it was nothing compared
to what I was feeling now. Bennett’s grip
tightened and my vision began to swirl as he
lifted me off the ground, my feet dangling in
the air.
“Congratulations, Claire. You’ve just been
defeated,” Bennett said, his eyes swirling
with victory.
Placing me back on my feet, he released
me. I chocked as I regained my breath and
shoved him hard in the chest when he tried
to pat my back.
“Get away from me,” I wheezed.
“You put up a good fight, but you’ve
learned an important lesson,” Eli said, step-
ping on the mat. “Now you know the most vi-
tal area to defend.” He approached me and
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lifted my head. Tears of rage fell down my
face, my mouth still clenched in frustration.
“Relax,” he said patting my chin.
Eli surveyed my neck, but I ignored him
as I watched Bennett fall into a chair. His
pale face was still slightly red and sweat
dripped from his head in large beads. At
least I hadn’t made it as he easy for him as he
had expected, but I was still thoroughly
pissed he beat me. Doing his best to avoid
my gaze he squirted water on a small towel
and laid it on his face as he tilted his head
backward.
A growl rippled through my chest and Eli
clenched my shoulders. “Calm down. You did
well.”
“No, I didn’t. He beat me.” I tried not to
say it too loud. I didn’t need to see Bennett
gloating. I probably wouldn’t be able to con-
tain myself if he did. Apparently, I was a very
sore loser. I had never realized how
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competitive I was before, yet I’d also never
wanted to be as good at something as I did
right now.
“Of course he did.” Eli pressed his fingers
against my throat and I winced, but allowed
him to continue his exam.
“Listen to me,” Eli grabbed me chin force-
fully, making me have to meet his gaze. “You
can never be good at anything, unless you
have been defeated. Do you understand?”
I shook my head. That didn’t make any
sense to me at all. Eli sighed. “What are you
thinking right now? What is your sole focus
this very second?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded.
“I want a rematch,” I said, glaring at
Bennett.
“There’s your answer.” Eli walked off the
mat and handed me a plastic bottle filled
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with blood. “Do you know why the neck is
the weakest part of a vampire?”
I shook my head and popped open the top
of bottle. I brought it to my lips and drank
greedily. Fighting really did work up my
appetite.
“There are nerves on each side of the
throat,” Eli took his fingers and pointed to a
specific spot on either side of my neck. The
area was sensitive, but already less so, since
he was examining it. “The nerves are connec-
ted to your fangs and your central nervous
system. As you are turned into a vampire,
these nerves grow rapidly throughout your
body. Which is why your senses are so
heightened. For example.” He grabbed my
hand and spread my fingers apart. “Imagine
your fingers represent the nervous system of
a human. Now place your other hand on top,
all ten of your digits in-between each other.”
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I did as instructed and looked at my
hands.
“So, a vampire’s nervous system is two
times a humans?”
“Even more so. That’s a crude analogy,
but you get the point.”
I nodded. “And a Blood Guard?”
“Considerably more than that,” Eli said.
I raised my eyebrows in shock. No one
had ever explained it to me like that before
and it made me a thousand times more curi-
ous about what I could do.
“Alright. Break time is over. Claire, I want
you to try and land the same strike on Ben-
nett. This time he will try to evade.
Understand?”
I nodded and focused my senses, tapping
into my core.
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The last hours of training were spent with
Bennett and me taking turns landing differ-
ent attacks on each other. Aside from the
throat, I learned other nervous system points
in the body. The throat proved most effect-
ive, but the others were still useful. There
was one along the spine, near the base of the
skull; another in the chest just under the rib
cage and the last one was in the armpit. I
didn’t much like that one, nor did I enjoy
having to stick my fingers in Bennett’s hairy,
sweaty pits, but that nerve temporarily
numbed the arm like it was asleep.
I was glad for training to be over and
rushed out of the room when Eli dismissed
me. I wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow’s
training. He said I would learn how to fight
with an injury, which I wasn’t so happy to
hear about. But I knew it would be an incred-
ibly useful skill. I could have used that train-
ing when I was fighting Ana and Luka. I used
to think it was sheer luck that I beat them
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that night, but after tonight I thought that
maybe it wasn’t. Maybe I tapped into the
core of my power without even realizing it.
The more I connected with it, the more I
focused my senses, the stronger I felt. I
didn’t want to lose this power and I didn’t
want to feel weak ever again.
I made it to the end of the hallway before
Bennett called out to me. “Hey, Claire!”
Trying to ignore him I quickened my pace,
rolling my eyes. I didn’t know what he could
possibly want to talk about nor did I care. I
had things I wanted to do tonight before the
sun came up and talking to him wasn’t one of
them.
I rounded the corner, planning to rush to
my room with vampire speed before he could
catch up with me but he caught up with me.
“Hey,” he greeted me.
“Hey.”
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“Nice job tonight.”
Did he seriously want to do this? “Yeah,
thanks.” I tried not to wrinkle my nose when
the smell of his sweat wafted in the air.
“It’s been a long time since I had that hard
a time pinning someone. I can’t believe
you’ve never had any formal training before.”
I didn’t say anything and Bennett heaved a
heavy sigh. “Well, I just wanted to say nice
job.”
I stopped and turned to him. He sounded
like a pitiful dog, so I decided to throw him a
bone. “Yeah, you too.” I gave him a half smile
and continued my march down the hallway.
Bennett trotted up next to me. “Maybe we
can train together sometime?” Was he hit-
ting on me? I really hoped he wasn’t. “I can
teach you some moves that Eli doesn’t teach
in class.”
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But whether or not he was hitting on me,
that definitely piqued my interest. “Really?”
He laughed. “I thought that would get
your attention. How about after training to-
morrow night?”
“Yeah, sure.” I didn’t know what he could
teach me, but it obviously wasn’t fighting
moves that were class appropriate.
“Cool. Alright, see you later.” He smiled,
flashing his crooked-toothed grin and turned
around, dashing down the hallway.
I was glad to finally be rid of him, but he
was proving to be more useful than just a
pain in the ass training partner. What moves
could he teach me? Being Eli’s star pupil, I
guessed he had to know something good. He
couldn’t have gotten that far otherwise.
I took the fastest shower in the history of
my life and tried to think of a good place to
conduct my first experiment. I needed some
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place secluded. If I got caught I could either
get in a lot of trouble or most likely hurt
someone.
The more I thought about it, the more I
realized there was only one place I could go.
The lighthouse. I had been wanted to explore
it since I first arrived in Naos, and now I fi-
nally had an excuse. It was definitely se-
cluded enough that I would have plenty of
privacy.
I dressed quickly and pulled on a hooded
sweater before dashing outside. I knew it
would be possible to leave unnoticed so I
headed in the direction of the garden first. If
anyone asked I could say I wanted some
peace and quiet. My mother did it all the
time, so I knew they wouldn’t find the excuse
unusual.
I made it to the garden in minutes and
passed the guard with ease. I had expected to
be questioned more, but as soon as I told
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him, he simply told me to carry on and
warned me that the sun would be up soon.
Like I didn’t already know.
I jogged at a steady pace through the
garden, toward the eastern edge. All I had to
do was hop the hedge and I could dash
through the open field toward the lighthouse
without anyone noticing.
My feet squished against the soggy earth
and the scent of dampened plants hung in
the air. They must have just been watered. It
was strange how water seemed to amplify
the scents of flowers and foliage. I sniffed the
air and could name almost every flower I
smelled, except for the ones I didn’t know of
course, but I still remembered the aroma
from the time my mother and I spent here
talking.
She told me about my birth and how it
was possible for a vampire to have a child. I
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still didn’t quite understand it. To me it
sounded like a miracle from Nyx.
“Nyx blesses the Vampire, allowing a tiny
bit of their humanity to filter out of their be-
ing and create new life. It is one of the
greatest of her miracles. I could not think of
a greater miracle in the world than to have a
child. To have you.” I remembered the con-
versation as my mother poured her heart
out. The emotions inside her were so fresh
and raw.
She had struggled immensely when I was
taken from her and fell into a deep depres-
sion. She admitted that the only thing that
got her buy were Arrick’s reports on me.
Knowing that I was safe was the only thing
that had kept her sane.
I’d wanted to ask her about losing a piece
of her humanity. To me, that sounded like a
high price to pay, to have a child. But my
mother was still so very kind and loving that
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I didn’t think Nyx had taken too much of her
humanity. Besides, what would be the point
of allowing a vampire the miracle of child
birth, if you were going to take all their hu-
manity to do it and create a monster? It
didn’t make sense and would totally defeat
the purpose.
“How many have been born like me?”
“In our region, you are the first.”
“So, there are others like me in other re-
gions?” I wasn’t sure whether or not I was
happy about that. As selfish as it sounded, I
liked being one of a kind.
“Most regions keep it a secret, so it is im-
possible to know for sure, but we trust that
Nyx chooses wisely. She would not choose a
vampire that did not have enough humanity
to sacrifice.”
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I was glad to hear that. “And that’s why I
was born human? Because your humanity
was used to create me?”
She nodded with a smile and kissed my
forehead. I still kind of felt like a science ex-
periment, but I couldn’t ignore the awe I felt.
Nyx herself had a hand in my creation. That
had to mean I was meant for something spe-
cial. Right?
“Thanks for having enough humanity to
spare,” I said smiling up at my mom like a
little girl.
A happy little laugh escaped her. “I
wouldn’t have had it any other way. Some-
times I see so much of myself in you. I don’t
feel like I sacrificed anything at all because it
is alive in you.”
As I recalled the memories I reached the
eastern edge of the gardens and hopped the
hedge with the smallest of effort. I was really
starting to enjoy this new power and used all
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my efforts to focus my connection. With
practice, I hoped the connection would come
naturally and I wouldn’t even have to try
anymore.
I squatted down on the outside edge of the
gardens and surveyed my surroundings. I
didn’t see anything, but that wasn’t good
enough. I wanted to be certain. I closed my
eyes and slowed my breathing, pushing my
consciousness outward.
I stopped at the first sign of life. The
guard at the garden entrance. I pushed fur-
ther, stretching as far as I could, and noth-
ing. I was in the clear. I smiled and sprinted
toward the lighthouse. It was only about a
mile away and would only take me minutes
to get there, giving me plenty of time to do
some experimenting before I needed to head
back inside.
The ground became rocky and I slowed
my stride as I approached the towering
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lighthouse. From up close, it was much taller
than I had thought. The sounds of the waves
crashing on the shore below traveled upward
noisily, filling the air like a thick fog of noise
and mist. I could barely hear myself think,
but at least I knew I could make some noise
if needed and no one would hear me. Yet
again, that could also be a bad thing.
A thick wooden door with a curved top
was wedged tightly in its frame. Years of
moist air and earth had warped it into place.
I yanked hard, placing my foot on the frame
for leverage. The door popped open and a
cloud of dust flew into my face.
By the state of the inside, I was without a
doubt that no one had been in here for a very
long time. A heavy layer of dust covered
everything, giving the building a deceased
look. The lighthouse had been forgotten. I
definitely wasn’t going to be disturbed.
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I walked in and closed the door behind
me. A small living area was arranged before
massive metal stairs that swirled upward.
There were two couches covered in cloth
along with a small table. A stone fireplace sat
empty between two tiny windows, a small
pot hanging idly in the center above a thick
pile of ash. They didn’t even bother to clean
the place before closing it up.
I walked through the room toward the
stairs, trying not to disturb anything. I didn’t
need any more dust flying up into my face
and clogging my nose. I grabbed the railing
of the stairs and gave it firm shake. It didn’t
budge. At least one thing in this place was
sturdy.
Taking the steps one at a time, I looked
upward as I ascended into the top of the
lighthouse. When I finally reached the last
step I was in complete awe. The view was un-
believable. I rushed to the edge of the glass
and looked out onto the Château. Focusing
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my vision, I was able to see people walking
the ground - and looking closer, I and could
even see in the windows. Two maids were
talking, their faces concerned and worried. I
didn’t need to guess what they talking about.
Suddenly, one maid looked out the win-
dow, suspicion in her eyes. She was looking
directly toward me. Could she see me? No,
that was impossible, but she was definitely
looking toward the lighthouse. Maybe she
could sense someone watching her. I recalled
having the same eerie sensation and looked
away. I hated that feeling.
The massive lantern drew my attention
and I studied it. It had an eerily beautiful
vibe, and I wondered why no one used it any-
more. I supposed that people didn’t sail
ships, so the light house had lost its purpose,
but at one time it had stood for something.
In Naos legend, Nyx was said to have sailed
to the city. I imagined that it once was a sym-
bol of Nyx’s arrival. Wouldn’t lighting it give
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the people hope in a time like this? Next time
I spoke with my father I would mention it to
him, although I’d have to work out some way
of doing so without letting on I’d been here.
I decided to settle on an area between that
lantern and the glass. I folded my legs and
focused my eyes on the country side. Far be-
low me, along the coast was Naos. It
sparkled in golden hues, twinkling like the
night sky. It was beautiful.
Making the city the focus in my mind’s
eye, I closed my eyes and steadied my
breathing. I wasn’t sure how I was going to
test my abilities, but centering my power had
to be a good start. I embraced my power and
dug deeper. I knew if this was going to work,
I would have to embrace all of me. Even that
dark and vengeful part that I tried to keep
locked up.
Electricity shot through my nerves and
my entire body tingled. My fangs began to
243/396
burn with energy. I did it. I was tapped in. I
could feel the power flowing through me like
hot lava. The pain was both excruciating and
magnificent. I delighted in the pure power of
it, indulging in the moment.
My eyes flew open and I locked onto Naos
like a targeted weapon. My vision kal-
idespoed downward, giving me the sensation
that I was flying toward it. I wasn’t. I was
still sitting in the lighthouse, but the city
grew closer and closer.
I wanted more. I didn’t want to just see, I
wanted to hear. There had to be someone in
that town that knew something. I flew my
senses and emotions outward, connecting
with my power, giving my vision purpose. It
quickened, bonding with my urgency and
thirst for information.
My power rocketed through the streets of
Naos like a ghost. It was examining every
emotion in the city and propelling them back
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to me. They slammed into me and I held my
breath at the intensity. I wasn’t prepared for
this. Feeling the sensations of thousands of
people was overwhelming. Their fear, sad-
ness, joy, excitement. Every mood bolted in-
to my being and I thought I would explode.
I didn’t want to give up. If I found
something in the end, the pain would be
worth it. I was sure of it.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into
my flesh. The pleasure of the power burning
through me began to fade and only the pain
grew hotter and more commanding. I didn’t
know how much more I could take.
Suddenly, my vision halted and my body
swayed to a stop. A different emotion was
tickling my senses and my nerves prickled. I
couldn’t tell which direction it was coming
from, but I knew what it was. I knew what it
was all too well. Anger.
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My body grew hotter and my breath was
raged, but I couldn’t stop now. I could do
this. Just a little bit longer and I would be
able to tell who and where this person was.
This could all be over. I could stop the war
before it even began if I could just hold on.
My connection began to flicker. The link
was fading and I desperately tried to cling
on, but it was a losing battle. I fell backward,
my head cracking against the lantern behind
me. I could feel hot blood pouring from the
wound, but all I could think of was that I
failed. I was so close, but I couldn’t hold on
any longer.
I rolled over onto my side and screamed
in frustration. I battled my arms and legs,
puffing swirls of dust into the air. As the
nausea faded and the world around me came
back into focus, I caught a glimpse of light.
The horizon was transforming to soft blush-
ful pink. The sun was rising.
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Panic coursed through me. I’d never been
out during daylight since being turned and
now wasn’t the time to test that theory.
I reached for the cold metal of the railing
and pulled my heavy body to the stairs. The
thousands of emotions had left my body, but
the weight of them remained. My descent
was slow going, lowering myself down one
step at a time. The circling sensation of the
spiral
stairs
only
amplified
my
disorientation.
Finally reaching the bottom, I used the
last of my energy to crawl under one of the
sheet covered couches and collapse. Sleep
came quickly, but fitfully. When the nausea
subsided, hunger grew in its place. I should
have brought blood, but I didn’t think I
would have drained myself so greatly. I was
being so careless. I cursed myself for being
so stupid before passing into another dream-
less sleep.
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Sleeping and waking repeatedly, the day
seemed to drag endlessly. I was so angry at
myself. For the first instance of my life, the
more I time I spent awake and alone with my
thoughts, the more I hated it. The more I
didn’t want to think at all. I didn’t want to
think about how stupid I had been and what
a failure I was. I tried to use my powers - all
my powers - and I knew it nearly killed me.
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Chapter_11
Dusk finally arrived after what felt like an
eternity. I lifted the edge of the sheet cau-
tiously. When I was certain the last rays of
the sun had disappeared behind the nearby
mountains, I flung the dust covered sheet
over the back of the couch.
Clouds of grey billowed up into my face
and I coughed violently. My chest burned,
but at least I was alive.
Aside from getting back to the Château, I
had one other thing on my mind. Blood. I
needed to eat as soon as possible. I’d never
been this hungry before and I didn’t want to
know what could happen. I wouldn’t be able
to forgive myself if I attacked a human. Then
again, I doubted I had the strength to do it
even if I wanted to.
Other than being covered in a thin layer of
dust, I didn’t think I looked too disheveled.
Maybe no one would even notice.
The back of my head ached and my fin-
gers flew to my wound. My head was crusted
and stiff with dried blood. At least it had
stopped bleeding.
I tugged my hair to one side, trying to
sweep it over the injury, and pulled my hood
over my head. Taking a deep breath, I
stepped out into the night. The warmth of
the day still clung to the air and sweat began
to bead on my forehead.
I wasn’t looking forward to the walk back
to my room. I didn’t dare try to run there. I
had no idea how much strength I had left
and didn’t want to waste it. If I were to col-
lapse on my way… well, I didn’t want to
think what would happen.
The lights in the Château flickered on as I
made my long walk back. I wished that
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Arrick was back. If he were here I would sit
here on the ground and call him to me. He
would take care of me like he did the night
Ana and Luka attacked me. I felt almost as
weak as I did then, but in a different way.
Physically I had no injuries other than my
head. No, this hurt was inside. I felt empty.
Drained.
Crickets began to chirp in time with the
waves and I tried to focus on the sounds of
nature instead of the voice in my head. I
needed to relax. I wanted to ask Eli for the
night off, but I knew what his answer would
be. How would I make it through training to-
night? I didn’t think I even had enough en-
ergy to shower. Blood would help though. I
just better make sure I drink a lot.
When I got near the Château I didn’t
bother trying to sneak through the gardens.
It would take too much time and I was too
tired. So, I walked into the northeast en-
trance, my feet heavy and thick with mud.
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A Blood Guard flashed to my side before I
even set one foot inside the Château.
“Princess!”
“I’m fine.” I pushed him away.
“You look injured. Are you injured?” Panic
coursed through his voice.
I had to think of something to tell him. I
didn’t need him tattling on me. “I woke up
early to get some practice in before training
and got a little carried away. That’s all. You
know Eli, he’s a strict teacher.” I forced a
smile and continued on down the hallway as
naturally as I could. The guard looked after
me, worry creasing his face. “Do me a favor
though, would you?”
“Of course, Princess. Anything.”
“Have a servant bring me some blood. I’m
starving.” I figured giving him something to
do would not only keep him busy, but also
buy me some time. Chances are he would tell
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someone about my appearance and word
would get around quickly. If I could clean
myself up fast enough and eat, then maybe I
could think up a good story for why I was
outside and looking like such a mess. I would
just have to hope no one noticed I wasn’t in
bed all day.
I made my way up to my room as quick as
I could and tried to avoid all of the worried
and questioning glances. I didn’t have time
to explain myself to anyone.
My room looked untouched and I sighed
in relief. I just might get away with this. I
hated to be sneaky but I didn’t want anyone
worrying about me. I finally got them to take
me seriously. I didn’t want to be coddled like
some delicate princess. I wanted to be the
warrior my father thought I was.
Last night, I just got a little ahead of my-
self. That’s all. I won’t push myself so hard
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next time. Slow and steady wins the race,
right?
I walked to the bathroom and rested my
body against the counter. My legs were grow-
ing steadily heavier. I avoided the mirror as
best I could. I probably looked terrible. And
if I saw just how terrible, then maybe I would
realize how close I really came to the edge
last night. No, I wouldn’t look. I didn’t want
anything to stop me from trying again.
By the time I had undressed, there was a
knock at my door. Please let it be blood. I
pulled on a robe and headed for the door. A
young maid poked her head and smiled until
her eyes met my face. The platter in her
hands trembled. I ignored her reaction and
grabbed the glass greedily.
The warm blood gave instant relief. I
could feel it traveling through my body rap-
idly. Three swallows later, the tall glass was
empty and I licked my lips. The maid stared
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at me, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging
open. “Are you okay?” Her voice was like the
squeak of a mouse. I set the glass back on the
tray. “You weren’t in your room all day.
Where did you sleep?”
She knew I was gone. What could I say to
her? Would she even understand? No, I
couldn’t explain it to her. She was so young,
probably a couple years younger than me.
Yet, her face was deep with concern and I
could sense she was truly worried. I had nev-
er said more than a few words to her, but her
feelings were strong.
“Please don’t tell anyone. I’m okay. Could
you just bring me more?”
I grabbed the tray with my fingers and
pushed it toward her, urging her to leave
without saying it. Her eyebrows narrowed
down to her eyes. She wasn’t going to budge
and I didn’t have the strength to force her.
Could I glamour her, like Dmitry had done to
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me so long ago? No, I’d never tried that be-
fore and I didn’t want to use any abilities un-
til I could rest.
“You shouldn’t sneak off with him,
princess.”
Sneak off with whom? What was she talk-
ing about? “I’m sorry?” It might not have
been the best lie, but I’d rather people think I
snuck off with a guy than the truth. Maybe.
“I saw the two of you last night, talking in
the hallway. He tries to act, so innocent with
all the girls, but… he’s not.”
Who was she talking about? I racked my
brains as to who I’d spoken to last night -
and then it came to me. “Bennett?” The maid
nodded. Okay, maybe people thinking I
snuck off with a guy wasn’t a better option.
Especially when it was Bennett. The guy
made my skin crawl. “I didn’t sneak off with
him,” I reassured her. Fortunately, I must
have said it strongly enough that she
256/396
believed me, because she let out a sigh of re-
lief and nodded. “Could you bring me more
please?” I was tired of talking to her and just
wanted to clean myself up.
When she finally nodded and walked
away I all but slammed the door behind her.
Finally. Peace and quiet. The shower was ec-
stasy. The hot water soothed my aching body
and warmed my muscles. I was still shower-
ing when the maid returned with a second,
larger, glass and I snatched it from around
the shower curtain. I didn’t want to get out.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” It was nice she was worried,
but I really didn’t feel like talking. She left si-
lently, shutting the door behind her, and a
twinge of guilt hit me. I was kind of being a
bitch. She was just trying to be nice. I’d have
to apologize later, but right now I just
wanted to lie in bed.
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I knew training would come all too
quickly, so I didn’t even bother getting
dressed. I stayed wrapped up in my robe and
curled into a ball on my bed. The thick com-
forter felt like a giant pillow and I fell to
sleep almost instantly.
Light flickered on my face, waking me.
The candle on my bedside table had been lit,
but I distinctly remember it being completely
dark in my room when I had climbed into
bed. Fear swiftly flew through me.
“It’s okay, Claire.” It was my mother’s
voice. Fear transformed into relief. I hadn’t
even noticed her sitting there. “I came to
check on you. It is very unusual for a vam-
pire to sleep so late.”
I looked away. I knew I couldn’t hide the
guilt on my face and if she asked I wouldn’t
be able to lie to her. I jumped out of bed and
apologized for being lazy. Maybe I could
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avoid the subject altogether if I got her talk-
ing about something else.
“I’ve got to get ready for training,” I called
back over my shoulder as I grabbed clothes
and rushed to the bathroom. I felt like I
could sleep for days, but I felt better than I
did earlier.
“How was your night?” Her voice was
closer now. She was standing by the bath-
room door.
“It was good. Eli had me training with
Bennett. I didn’t make it easy for him.” I was
still proud of the fact even though I did lose
in the end.
“Is everything alright, Claire?”
Geez, was it mother’s intuition or could
she just sense I was hiding something?
“Yeah.” I pulled shirt over my head, my voice
muffled.
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I heard my mother sigh loudly. It was
more sad than anything. “I know you are
worried about Arrick, but he will be fine. He
is a strong and brave warrior. You should
have faith in his abilities.”
I hadn’t been worried about Arrick, but
now I was. Had news arrived about him? I
opened the door and leaned against the
frame. “When will he be back?”
“I don’t know. Tonight has only been the
third night, so perhaps soon.” She smiled,
but it was forced and hugged me. “Now get
going or you’re going to be late. Eli doesn’t
like tardiness. Trust me, I know.”
I gazed up at her for a long moment be-
fore leaving. I was still pretty sure she knew I
was hiding something, but was glad she
didn’t push. Maybe she didn’t want to know
the truth as much as I didn’t want to tell her.
What parent would want to know their child
had almost killed themselves by being so
260/396
careless? Practicing abilities they knew noth-
ing about with power that was more than
they could handle?
I was lucky. I got to the training room just
seconds before Bennett. Showing up before
the star pupil had to win me some points. I
hoped. Then I remembered what was in
store for training today and my stomach
clenched.
“I hope you are all well rested,” Eli began.
“Tonight we are doing a crash course on
fighting with an injury. Claire, I’m going to
have you sit this first match out so you can
watch our movements. Study them close, be-
cause you will be next. Do you understand?”
I nodded and sighed in relief. Nyx was
smiling on me tonight. I took a seat on the
edge of the mat and grabbed a bottle of
blood. I drank it hungrily. I’d probably be
sad I drank it all and had none left after
261/396
training, but I was feeling better and better
the more I drank.
Eli had Bennett bind one of his arms with
thick, silvery rope. Thank Nyx he wasn’t go-
ing to actually injure anyone. I don’t know
why I had envisioned Eli breaking my arm,
so I could learn to fight with an injury.
Maybe my imagination was twisted. This
scenario was much better.
Eli’s movements were so fluid and smooth
that even without the use of his arm, Bennett
had a hard time landing an attack. I noticed
that Bennett continued to target Eli’s good
arm; and that was his weakness. It made him
predictable.
I was learning the key. It was never about
whether you could fight injured or evade
every strike. Fighting was about knowing
what your enemy was going to do next. Pre-
dicting their movements.
262/396
When it became my turn to fight Bennett,
I was ready. Eli bound my arm and I focused
my breathing. I knew exactly what I was go-
ing to do. Bennett would never see it coming
in.
We circled each other around the mat,
waiting for the other to make the first move.
I knew he would grow impatient. He would
think I was nervous. He would think I didn’t
know how to fight injured.
His confidence would be his weakness.
Bennett lunged at me, a growl billowing
from his throat. I flinched, on purpose. I
wanted to him think I was afraid, so I
jumped back to dodge his attack. The smile
on his face confirmed my suspicions. I was
ready.
I turned my body, allowing my bound arm
to face away from Bennett. He would think I
was trying to protect it. I wasn’t. I was mak-
ing him do what I wanted him to do. I ran at
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him, raising my good arm like I was going to
swing at him, but he jumped. Summersault-
ing over me. Too bad for him; I knew he
would do that.
With my arm raised, I twisted on my feet
lowering myself to the ground in an instant.
When I was facing Bennett, his eyes flashed
with surprise and I shot upward, landing my
hand onto his throat. I shrieked in victory
and slammed him down onto the mat.
“You lose!” I growled into his face.
“Flawless,” Eli said as he clapped. “Where
did you learn that move?” he asked as he un-
tied my arm.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It just came to
me.” I flashed my fangy smile toward Ben-
nett. Hopefully now I’d knocked him down a
notch or two. He wouldn’t be the star pupil
much longer. Not if I had anything to do with
it.
264/396
Eli was so impressed with my perform-
ance that we spent the rest of class perfecting
my attack. He named the move, ‘Snake’. It
was fitting. I coiled my body in a tight low
turn and sprung upward just like a snake
would, attacking its prey from below.
I couldn’t wait to tell my father. This day
had turned out better than I had thought.
The only thing that could make it better was
to hear good news from Arrick. Perhaps my
luck was changing.
For the first time in nights, my father
wasn’t in the strategy room. He was in the
dining hall with my mother, Renek and a
host of other familiar faces filling the seats. It
wasn’t often that everyone ate together and I
was happy for the change. Maybe it was a
night of good news.
Leona patted an empty seat next to her. I
hoped she didn’t mind I was still in my
265/396
sweaty training clothes. “I hear you have
been training with Eli.”
I nodded and scooted into my seat. A ser-
vant quickly brought me a meal and I tried
not to slurp it down too hungrily. “Yeah,
three nights now. It’s a crash course, but
every little bit helps.”
She nodded. “Indeed. It is better than not
knowing anything. We wouldn’t want you
flailing around like a fish out of water.” Her
old voice cracked, but there was a twinkle in
her eye.
“And what have you learned so far? Do
you know how to escape a throat attack or
evade more than one enemy?” I shook my
head. “Do you know how to sustain your en-
ergy in battle?”
I shook my head again.
“That’s enough, Jarvan.” Leona hissed.
“You should be honored with the fact that
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your princess desires to fight with you and
not hide away in some southern city.”
Jarvan just rolled his eyes and shoved his
bowl away from him. Apparently he had lost
his appetite. What a jerk.
“Why do you hate me so much?”
The question came from my mouth louder
than I had meant it to. Everyone at the table
was suddenly frozen in silence, their eyes
locked on me. But I was focused on Jarvan.
He hadn’t liked me since day one and made
it crystal clear.
His eyes were wide in shock and then
lowered in an angry grimace. “I don’t hate
you. I just think you’re a liability.”
A growl erupted from my father but I ig-
nored it. “So, all I am is dead weight you
have to carry around? Is that it?”
Leona clutched the tightened fist at my
side, trying to calm me down.
267/396
“That’s enough!” my father shouted, bolt-
ing up from his seat. “I won’t have the two of
you at each other’s throats. There is too
much at stake for your petty arguments.”
His severe stare dropped me into my seat.
Our petty arguments? Jarvan was always the
one that started it.
After a brief moment of quiet, everyone
continued on with their conversations and
Leona tried cheering me up with stories of
her first training classes. One time she
accidentally de-pantsed her training partner.
To this day she said she’d never seen a vam-
pire so angry in all her life.
I couldn’t help but laugh aloud. I liked
Leona and was grateful to have her on my
side, but her friendliness only made me miss
my own friends all the more. I wondered if
Dmitry and Robin were okay. Would Arrick
really bring back word on them? Or maybe
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he would actually bring them here, and
Louie. My heart fluttered with hope.
Maybe I was getting a little too far ahead
of myself with that one, but if Arrick had the
opportunity to bring my friends back I hoped
he would. In fact, I knew he would. No mat-
ter what was going on - or not going on -
between us, I knew that he would not leave
someone behind that needed his help. Not if
he could save them. His sense of duty was
too strong.
An idea popped into my head like the flip
of a switch. Maybe that’s what Arrick had
been struggling with. Was his sense of duty
to protect me interfering with his feelings for
me? It made sense, sort of. Evilyn had told
me that it wasn’t uncommon for vampires
and their Blood Mates to be together, so why
was Arrick so apprehensive? It was just an-
other one of the great mysteries he and I
were going have to discuss when he
returned.
269/396
My mind lingered back to my friends as I
left the dining hall and headed back to my
room. What had happened after I left the
palace? Was Dmitry blamed for my escape?
He was the last to see me. I could only ima-
gine what he was feeling. The image of his
face twisted in sadness pulled at my heart. I
missed him more than I realized.
Could I have killed Luka with that blow to
the head? I most definitely rattled his
nervous system, which would explain why he
didn’t get up. Maybe I put him in some kind
of vampire coma? The question was, what
happened when he woke up? Would he say I
attacked him? Would he admit to what he
did to me? Or would he run and avoid
everything?
And there was another burning question,
one even larger than the rest; where was
Ana? There hadn’t been a whisper of her
whereabouts. I had suspected that she was
the mysterious figure that I had felt watching
270/396
me on the cliff and the eerie sensation when
Arrick and I were in the woods, but it just
didn’t fit. Ana had me alone on that beach. If
it were really her she would have attacked
me. I was sure of it.
No, Ana definitely had something else
drawing her attention. Or someone else. If
she really was in league with The Dark, then
I was sure to be seeing more of her again.
I made it to my room and walked directly
to the balcony without even thinking about
it. I was drawn to the beauty of it but also by
the memory of the night before. My vision
had traveled through the streets, sensing
every emotion, every feeling. I knew there
was something wrong, something evil, but I
just didn’t know where it was.
I thought of Nicolae, and still couldn’t pic-
ture him as the evil Vampire King that every-
one said he was. Did I just have a soft spot
for him, or was there good in him that only I
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could see? What had he really done that was
so evil? Okay, he had me kidnapped. Sure,
that was really messed up, but was it evil? He
did it to protect his throne, to protect his re-
gion from The Dark. They were clearly an
unimaginable, formidable evil. I couldn’t
blame him for acting in fear. Could I? As al-
ways my vampire instincts disagreed, but my
heart held out hope. Was it the bit of human-
ity I was born with from my mother, or was
it the blood of Nicolae that made me a vam-
pire? I guessed I would never truly know.
272/396
Chapter_12
I had completely forgotten that I agreed to
meet Bennett after training. When he came
knocking at my bedroom door, I couldn’t
hide my disappointment.
Even though I had enjoyed my victory
during training, the desire to gloat further
did not interest me. I had been deep in
thought trying to decide whether or not I
wanted to go the lighthouse, and holding out
hope that Arrick would show up sometime
before sunrise. But there were only a few
hours remaining, so I knew that was
unlikely.
“Hey, you ready?” Bennett asked immedi-
ately after I opened the door.
“Yeah, just a minute.” I left the door open
just a crack, hoping that he would stay in the
hallway. Sadly, he took it as an invitation to
come in. “So, where are we going?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to think of a
place we could go all night, but with so much
security around, all my usual spots aren’t
so…” I got his point. There weren’t many
places left in the Château or Naos where
there wasn’t a watchful eye present. But that
was a good thing.
He looked at me curiously. “You got any
ideas?”
I pulled on my sneakers and tugged snug-
gly on the laces. Did I really want to tell him
about the lighthouse? I didn’t see what harm
it could do. I wanted to keep it my little
secret, but we needed some place to go. We
couldn’t just practice in the training room.
Someone would definitely see or hear us. “It
depends. Why don’t you tell me what you’re
going to be teaching me first.”
“It’s better if I show you.”
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Was he trying to be macho, or was he flirt-
ing with me? The expression on the maids
face when she mentioned she thought he and
I were together, made me have second
thoughts about how I felt about him. I’ll ad-
mit, he was an excellent fighter. Sadly, that
was the only nice thing I could say about
him.
“Let me guess, you or both of us could get
in trouble for this?” I asked as I shut my bed-
room door behind us and we walked down
the hallway. I hoped the maid wouldn’t see
us. I didn’t need her getting all worried about
me being around Bennett. I could handle
myself around him, that much I was certain
of.
“You could say that. Really the only per-
son that would be pissed is Eli. He thinks
higher level fighting skills should be taught
to higher level fighters as they progress. Like
you have to earn it or something. It’s stupid
if you ask me.”
275/396
“Yeah, that doesn’t make sense. But he
seems to know what he’s doing and he
wouldn’t be our trainer if he didn’t.” Eli was
tough and really hard on me a lot of the time,
but I respected him. He was an extremely
talented fighter and I wanted to be that too
someday. I just didn’t have the patience and
apparently neither did Bennett.
“Don’t get me wrong. Eli is bad ass, but in
times like these you can’t hold your students
back, ya know? Everyone needs to be able to
do as much as they can, and I’m not the only
one that thinks so.”
“All the other students train in private
too?”
“Yeah. No one wants to be defenseless if
The Dark comes knocking on the front door,
ya know?”
Yeah, I knew. I just wished he would stop
saying it. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
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“And that’s why I asked if you wanted to
train. I could see it in your eyes.”
“See what?”
“That you’re a fighter. We’re going to need
all the help we can get.”
“You sound like you’re preparing for war.”
“Isn’t everyone? It’s going to come one
way or the other.”
“You’re right.” He might have sounded all
doom and gloom, but Bennett really was
right. He was building his own little army,
training all the newer fighters as best he
could. It was kind of noble what he was do-
ing, making sure everyone was capable of de-
fending themselves as best they could.
Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought he was.
“So, where we headed?” he asked as we
stepped outside the Château into the cool
night air. “I know you know a place.” He
smiled at me mischievously.
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“I never said that.” I still wasn’t sure I
wanted to tell him about the lighthouse yet.
“You’re the one who has been doing this
already. Why don’t we go to one of your
places?”
“Because, when I train people we do it at
their house. Away from the Château.” He
pointed his thumb behind him.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “Let’s go.” I made my
way back toward the garden to take the same
route I had taken the night before.
“That really was a nice move you had
earlier. The sssnake,” he said.
“It doesn’t sound so cool when you say it
like that.” I wrinkled my nose. “Besides, you
looked pretty pissed off to be beaten by a
girl.”
“Your being a girl had nothing to do with
it. I just don’t like losing, but it was still
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damn impressive. I plan on teaching it to the
other students. If you don’t mind?”
I smirked. “Nope. I don’t mind at all. Just
make sure you let them know who taught it
to you.”
“You got it, smartass. In all seriousness
though, it might save someone’s life. You
never know.”
“Can I ask you something?” All of Ben-
nett’s openness about the war really made
me think. “Do you really think The Dark is
coming? I’ve been in some of the meetings
and some people don’t really believe it and
others think it’s the beginning of the end. It’s
hard to know what to think or believe. Either
way though, everyone seems to agree on one
thing, if it is true we’re in serious trouble.”
“Hell yeah. That stone left in your room is
their calling card. Trust me. We are deep in
the shit.”
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“How do you know someone just didn’t
put it there to scare us? Make us think The
Dark was coming?” I was thinking that Ana
could be a prime suspect. She and her whole
family seemed to be power hungry. Maybe
that was their angle. To scare everyone into
thinking this horrible evil was coming.
“It doesn’t work like that. Only a true fol-
lower of The Dark can handle one of those
stones and not be affected by it. It was in
your room; you know how it felt.” I nodded,
clearly remembering the dread. “You think
whoever put it there could have gotten far if
they had felt those effects?”
“No.”
Bennett turned out to be less of a meat-
head than I had originally thought. He
seemed to know a little about a lot of things,
and unlike most everyone I met he didn’t
hold anything back. He gave me the cold,
hard truth and it was refreshing.
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Half-way up the hill, the lighthouse came
into view and I gazed up at it, a sick feeling
building in my gut. At least I knew I wouldn’t
be exerting any of my special abilities to-
night. Now that I knew how to tap into all my
power and so easily connect with it, I wasn’t
sure I knew how to access just parts of it any-
more. It was like learning how to ride a bike,
then trying to get yourself to forget you
learned it in the first place. It couldn’t be
done. Once the connection was made, that
was it.
“Not bad,” he said, wiping sweat from his
brow. “I don’t think this thing has been lit in
decades.”
“Looked to me like it has been longer than
that,” I said recalling the thick layer of dust
inside.
“Adventurous little princess, aren’t you?”
Bennett said, clearly enjoying the revelation.
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“Your point? And I’m not little,” I said
hotly. We might have been getting along, but
I didn’t like him that much.
Bennett raised his hands up in surrender.
“Calm down, spunky. I didn’t mean anything
by it. It’s just nice to see a royal that doesn’t
mind getting their hands dirty, ya know?”
I just nodded, remembering the earlier al-
tercation I had with Jarvan. At least
someone else around here appreciated that I
was trying to help. I wasn’t going to let vam-
pires, Blood Guard or humans die to protect
me or this region unless I was willing to do it
myself. And I was, except I was determined
that The Dark would be the ones doing the
dying part.
“Not all of them plan on hiding in the
Château while everyone else fights in the
streets,” I retorted, opening the door to the
lighthouse. It wasn’t as resistant as it was the
first time.
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“I know.” Bennett became quieter than
usual and I got the feeling like there was
something he wasn’t telling me. I sensed his
feeling of loss without really even trying. I
shot him with a questioning look, but he
quickly turned away and up the spiraling
stairs, the sounds of his footsteps echoing
throughout the small room.
I followed after him, taking two steps at a
time. “Come here often?” Bennett asked, tak-
ing in the view of the city.
“Only once,” I groaned. I really hoped he
wouldn’t ask what I had done here because I
didn’t want to tell him. “Should we get
started?”
He seemed to be lost in thought for a mo-
ment, staring out at the sparkling city below.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. We probably won’t have
enough room up here though. Don’t need
one of us flying through this glass.” He
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knocked on the windowed walls of the top of
the lighthouse.
“You’re probably right.”
We headed back to the ground floor and
moved the furniture around to make room.
The room filled with clouds of dust and dirt,
so I propped the door open with a heavy
rock.
The secret training with Bennett didn’t
turn out to be as interesting as I thought it
would be, though the skills he taught me
were still useful. The first thing he wanted to
teach me was how to escape capture.
Holding me in different positions, he told
me how to contort my body to escape or to
remove the opportunity for the enemy to
strike. I hadn’t known I was so flexible,
bending my body in unnatural ways.
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“Say you are grabbed like this.” Bennett
came up behind me and wrapped his arm
around my neck. “How would you escape?”
I easily remembered the maneuver he
taught me and latched my hands onto his
forearm as firmly as I could. Using every leg
muscle in my body, I stepped back, then
hooked my ankle around his. I forced his leg
forward and my entire body backward,
crushing him to the ground. Landing on the
hard concrete floor, a grunt escaped him.
“Not bad.”
I rolled over and offered my hand. “We
should have brought a mat.”
“Nah, no point. We aren’t going to have
one when the real time comes are we?”
“Have you tried talking to Eli? I’m sure he
would agree that everyone should be as pre-
pared as possible. As soon as we get word on
what’s happening in the Noire region… who
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knows what could happen.” I still held out
hope that things at the Palace were still in or-
der, but the outlook was poor.
“My guess is, if they haven’t heard ‘nothin
yet, than that’s our answer.” He pulled two
sports bottles out of his pack and threw me
one. At least one of us was prepared. “I’m
sure that messenger or whatever ain’t even
coming back.” He brought the bottle to his
lips and chugged.
“He’s coming back,” I growled.
Bennett’s eyes widened in shock from be-
hind the bottle. “I forgot. You two are… what
do they call it over there? Blood Mates?”
I crossed my arms. “Got a problem with
that?”
“No, it’s just weird. But whatever.” He
shrugged and threw his bottle back into his
pack.
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“Yeah, whatever. We should probably
start heading back.” I looked out the window
to see if dawn was approaching and my heart
tightened in my chest. “Fire!”
“What?” Bennett ran to my side, ramming
me with his shoulder. We both stared at the
Château in complete shock. It was nearly
completely ablaze.
I shoved Bennett out of the way and ran
outside as fast as I could. I stopped a good
hundred yards from the lighthouse and nar-
rowed my vision. Electricity was firing inside
my body.
Bennett halted to a wobbly stop beside
me. “What the hell are you waiting for?”
“We can’t just rush in. We need to see
what’s going on.” I was trying to be smart
about this. If we just went storming in, we’d
likely get our fangs handed to us. Literally.
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“Damnit! You sound like everyone else. If
you want to stand around and watch every-
one die then that’s your problem.” He rock-
eted past me with a throaty growl. He was
going to get himself killed. I knew it. No mat-
ter how great a fighter he was, there was al-
ways someone better.
I followed after him, not allowing my fear
or anger to consume me. This was it. The
moment we had all been dreading and trying
to prepare for - only it was happening a lot
faster than anyone had suspected.
I thought about my parents. I didn’t want
to lose them. Not now. Not when I had just
finally had them in my life. I pushed myself
harder, the connection inside me sparking. I
didn’t care anymore how hard I exerted my-
self, how much it hurt to feel the power
burning through me. I was going to save
them if it killed me.
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I pumped my legs faster and flew past
Bennett in seconds. He grunted from behind
me as he tried to keep up - but he didn’t
stand a chance. There had never been a vam-
pire like me before. My abilities could be
endless. My fangy smile gleamed in the night
as I ran.
I crashed into the wall of heat surround-
ing the Château. The entire eastern side -
where all the meeting halls, training rooms
and so on were located - was consumed with
flames.
This late at night, most everyone would be
in bed. Or so I hoped.
“Follow me!” I shouted to Bennett, and
took off just as soon as he caught up with me.
Through the roar of the fire I could hear
shouting, screaming and growling. The Dark
was definitely here.
“What’s the plan?” Bennett asked.
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“I’m going to save my parents and kill
every member of The Dark that I see.” The
word kill felt alien in my mouth and was
wrapped in malice and rage. Until becoming
a vampire I had never wanted to kill anyone
or anything - but right here, right now, it felt
right.
“Sounds good to me.”
We sped to the front entrance and burst
through the doors. It was eerily quiet. Smoke
hung in the air. I remembered the first night
I had walked into the Château and how I felt
like an intruder. Now I was defending it as
my home.
The echo of screams close by rattled in
our ears, and I could see Bennett’s body
tense. I never would have imagined that he
would be the one to stand by my side when
the war came crashing down on us, but I was
grateful to know that he could handle
himself.
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We ran in the direction of the screams to
find a servant lying on the floor of a hallway,
blood pooling around her. She was cowering
in fear as her life pulled away. She stared
blankly at the ceiling as Bennett knelt over
her, feeling her pulse. I recognized her face.
She was the maid I had scared the first night
I had come to Naos. I had always meant to
apologize to her and never had the time.
Now I never would.
“It’s too late for her,” he said, looking up
at me, blood soaking his knees.
I growled, baring my fangs in rage. “There
has to be something we can do for her.”
Bennett stood up and clutched my
shoulders with incredible force. “We need to
focus on the ones we can help.”
I grunted and took off for the upper
floors. I didn’t know where to go first, so I
just let my instincts lead me. We ran up two
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floors, clutching the railing to propel us even
faster upward.
On the landing of the second floor, I could
see the doors of the ballroom had been
yanked from their hinges. Movement inside
caught my eye and I signaled to Bennett.
“I see it. You ready?”
“I’m ready,” I said. There was no doubt in
my voice.
The intensity of the fighting, nor the pools
of blood that reflected the golden décor of
the room weren’t what surprised me. I
pushed back the sensation of shock and only
a sharp breath escaped. The members of The
Dark didn’t look at all like I had imagined.
No nightmare could have prepared me for
the evil before my eyes.
They were close to seven feet tall, with
thick muscled bodies and dark graying skin
like flawless yet decaying flesh. Their mouths
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were an entire row of fangs and their eyes
were bright red. Their hideousness only
urged my desire to kill them even more.
Vampires and Blood Guards fought sav-
agely in the ball room. Their movements
were swift and fluid, but they were out-
numbered. I looked to Bennett for one solid
instant before we bolted into the fray.
A younger vampire lay on the floor, growl-
ing under a beast. Her stomach was a soggy,
bloody mess. I knew the beast was going to
land a killing blow on her, and so did she.
The girl screamed in rage, accepting her fate
like a true warrior.
I swallowed hard and made my move.
This was my chance. This moment would
define the rest of the night for me. If I could
take this one monster down, then I could
take them all. All I needed was to taste their
blood just once.
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The beast raised its hand to strike her
down. A glint of silver flashed. A thick blade
was clutched fiercely in his grasp. I knew I
couldn’t go for his weapon. There was no
way I could take it away. So, I had to do the
only thing I could think of.
The girl’s eyes flashed in fear for the first
time when she saw me rushing toward the
beast. Her head shook in warning, trying
desperately to make me turn back. For me,
that wasn’t an option. His back facing me,
his attention on her, I jumped upward. A
scream of rage bubbled out of me, foaming
my mouth.
I slammed my hands onto the sides of the
beast’s head, and with my body completely
connected to my power I unleashed it into
him. Searing heat burned the flesh of my fin-
gers, but still I held on.
It toppled backward, swaying unsteadily.
Brightness began to seep from his skin like a
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hand covering the bulb of a flashlight. It
screeched a sharp cry and my lips upturned
in a victorious grimace as the animal inside
me was freed. With my fangs barred and
power burning through me, I snapped the
beast’s neck, dropping him to the floor.
I didn’t even give the body another look
before running to the injured vampire girl.
“Get out of here!” I ordered.
I turned back to the fight and saw that
Bennett had taken a member of The Dark
too. Just a few more and the fight would be
more even. I didn’t know what I had done to
the first one, but somehow using my power
to kill him didn’t consume my energy like it
had when I was in the lighthouse. In fact, I
felt even more powerful. I wasn’t sure what
that meant, but I didn’t have time to figure it
out.
With two of The Dark lifeless on the ball-
room floor, it only further empowered the
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ones who remained. Their shrieks stabbed
through the air like daggers of sound.
Bennett and I teamed up, heading to take
down another beast. This time, thought, we
weren’t quick enough; it threw the limp body
of a vampire across the room like a rag doll.
Even though I hadn’t recognized them, my
heart still ached and my taste for revenge
grew greater.
A clang of metal followed by a mighty bel-
low drew my attention. It was Renek, in the
middle of a circle of The Dark. Blood covered
his face and his armor was slashed viciously,
but still he fought on. Not the slightest hint
of fear was on his face.
I froze for a single moment taking in the
scene again, scanning the bodies and battles
just like Eli had taught me. I needed to learn
my enemy, understand them so I could pre-
dict their moves. A significant difference be-
came instantly apparent. The Dark fought in
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packs like rabid wolves, but the vampires
and Blood Guard did not. They were beating
us by sheer numbers, and singling us out.
Bennett and I weren’t enough. I needed to
think of a way to unite us all. I breathed deep
and focused my will as I weaved a fiery rib-
bon of rage, power and courage. I hadn’t
used this power of emotion since coming to
Naos and I wasn’t sure if anyone would un-
derstand, but I had to try. As soon as they
connected with it they would be empowered,
or at least I hoped they would.
Bennett was struck in the face, and he fell
backwards, sliding across the room. Racing
now, I finished the ribbon as I watched him
lift himself. Blood poured from his mouth. I
held onto the ribbon, wrapping its invisible
power around me like a shield, and ran to
him.
“Are you okay?”
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He shook me off. “I’m fine. He’s just going
to be sorry he did that.” He readied his
stance to leap toward the beast, but I held
him back. Bennett looked at my hand around
his arm, clearly surprised by my effortless
strength.
“Watch this!” Heat burned anew within
me as I ripped the ribbon into a dozen pieces
and blasted them through the room. Glinting
ghost-like and with sheer power, the pieces
rocketed to every vampire and Blood Guard
in the ballroom.
I watched as each one simultaneously
closed their eyes. A second later they opened
them and a sparkle of my power twinkled
within. I could feel each of them, connected
to me like tendrils.
Bennett’s body beside me stood taller and
I slapped him on the back. “Come on!”
Everyone followed my advance as we
charged at the confused members of The
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Dark. We leapt onto our enemies, ignoring
their shrieks and tore at their throats. No
longer were they fighting for their lives, but
for everyone’s.
As the last beast was vanquished, an eerie
calm fell over the ballroom. The moans of
the injured and dying filled my ears, but I
couldn’t stop here. This was not the end.
I looked toward Renek, our eyes locking.
He knew what had to be done and nodded. I
knew I could count on him to get everyone
out to safety and secure the area.
Breaking my connection and allowing the
ribbon to fade, I ran from the ballroom. I still
needed to find my parents. With any luck, I
wasn’t too late.
“What was that thing you did?” Bennett
called after me.
I didn’t have time to explain it to him. All
I could do was run and fight.
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Chapter_13
Bennett followed behind me without a
word and we took down enemies as we
headed for the throne room. It was a symbol
of power in the Château. The members of
The Dark would most definitely be headed
there. That’s what they wanted most of all,
and I couldn’t imagine another place in all of
Naos where they would think to find it other
than to take the thrones from the King and
Queen.
A member of The Dark flew up behind
Bennett, catching him by surprise. I turned
back to look at him. I wanted to stop and
help, but I didn’t want to take any longer
finding my parents.
He saw the struggle in my eyes and
smiled. Bennett spun inside the beast’s grasp
and drew his body low to the floor, only to
pop back up and latch onto the monster’s
throat. Moments later he slammed the life-
less beast to the floor.
“Told you it might save someone’s life,”
Bennett said as he ran to my side. I couldn’t
help but smile. The Snake had turned out to
be an incredible move after all.
As we ran, I prepared myself for what was
to come. I could only imagine that the force
inside the throne room would be much big-
ger than what was in the ballroom. They
would probably have sent their best fighters
there too, to ensure victory. That’s what I
would do.
I was ready to fight. Ready to hear their
shrieks rip through my head and to see the
blood of my loved ones gleaming on the
throne room floor.
Two guards, bigger than the members of
The Dark in the ballroom and almost twice
as thick, were posted at the doors to the
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throne room. I was right. This was definitely
their target and I’ll be damned if I would let
them capture it.
Roaring in unison, we hurtled for them,
eyes locked ahead. We wanted them to think
that, to be confident that they knew what we
would do. When we saw them smile, know-
ing they would take us out, we quickened our
pace and dove under them as they leaped to-
ward us.
It took a few steps for them to slow their
pace, realizing their swings had missed our
heads. That was the chance we needed. To-
gether we jumped on their backs. Bennett
stabilized our weight, placing his hand on my
back to balance us as I slammed my hands
on top of the two guards’ heads.
My power beamed through them like it
had the first beast and when I was sure it had
done its damaged we snapped their necks,
letting them crash onto the ornate rug on the
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floor. It was a hideous sight. I felt like a sav-
age animal, yet a heroic heroine all at the
same time. I would save my parents. I knew I
would.
I was ready for a gruesome sight as Ben-
nett shoved the throne room doors open. I
was ready for the pain of seeing my parents
lying dead from their attackers. Maybe pre-
paring myself for the worst would make
whatever was about to happen be more bear-
able. Or at least I hoped. As always, my life
as a vampire, was never what it seemed and
never gave me what I expected.
Five colossal members of The Dark shad-
owed the room from its dim candlelight.
Their gray bodies pulsed with muscles as
they turned to face us. There, dangling in the
death-like grip of one of them, was my
mother.
Blood was dripping down her dress and
hitting the marble floor with a heart breaking
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echo. A painful rage was plastered on her
flushed face.
The beast that held her turned his evil
gaze onto me. His dark, wiry hair was soaked
in sweat. A bone-chilling smile crossed each
of their faces, but to their surprise I smiled
right back.
“Let her go!” I growled. My voice grew
deep and menacing. I could feel my vocal
chords vibrate with the sound. I stepped for-
ward defiantly and yanked my arm away as
Bennett tried to hold me back.
The tallest of the beasts stepped aside to
reveal my father hidden behind his meaty
legs. He was lying on his side, a lifeless look
in his eyes. I narrowed my vision to him and
searched for signs of life. If he was dead,
there would be no coming back from this. I
would completely unleash the beast within
me and tear every one of these monsters to
pieces.
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But for a fleeting moment my father
seemed to focus his eyes on me, registering
my presence - and then he gurgled. It was all
the confirmation I needed. He was alive and
I was going to make these beasts pay for
what they did to him.
“It’s about time you arrived. I was think-
ing I would have to wait all night.”
My eyes flicked rapidly to the beast sitting
on the throne. I hadn’t even noticed him sit-
ting there. He filled my father’s massive
throne completely. His long dark hair, hung
in waves around him. I knew instantly this
was their leader. He wasn’t bigger than the
rest, but there was something in his eyes that
the others did not have. His gray skin was
marbled with shades of red, and black veins
pulsed beneath his flesh. The anger I felt
wasn’t enough to keep fear from coming. I
could feel tiny cracks breaking inside me.
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“What do you want?” I stepped forward
again. Bennett didn’t follow me this time.
The leader of The Dark laughed deeply. It
echoed throughout the room and sent
shivers across my skin. “I want you, of
course.” He smiled widely, flashing his rows
of pointed fangs, blood dripping from his lip.
He flew to a stop in front me before I
could even blink, causing me to fall back-
ward in surprise. “Didn’t you know I was
coming?” He walked casually, eyeing my
mother as she dangled in the grasp of her
captor. With a single pointed nail, he
caressed her cheek.
What did he mean he was coming for me?
This didn’t make any sense. I thought they
wanted to gain territory, to control all re-
gions and make vampires the dominating
and fearful predators that they once were.
He saw the questioning look in my eyes
and raised his bushy black eye brows.
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“Interesting. I suppose you have no idea who
I am?” His words seemed to hiss in the air.
“You’re the leader of The Dark.”
“My name is Baal,” his voice boomed in ir-
ritation. Maybe they didn’t like being called
The Dark? “Your lovely mother here was just
telling me you didn’t exist. Weren’t you,
darling?” He purred at her and I saw her re-
coil. She looked like she was going to puke.
“But here you are!” He sounded almost
amused and it both enraged and scared me.
What could I possibly do to stop him?
“Yeah, here I am.” I tried to push away my
fear by focusing on the sight of my parents.
My father, whom I had longed for my whole
life and only just found, and the mother I
never knew, but instantly felt connected to. I
didn’t want to let them down. No matter how
afraid I was, I would do whatever it took. “If
you’ve come here to claim Naos as yours, you
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can forget it. Go back to whatever cave you
crawled out of.”
“Stupid girl. Tsk, tsk.” He waged a pointed
nail at me. I bit my lip. I didn’t like the way
he was looking at me. “Do you really think I
came here just to take your precious Naos?
Had you not fled from Palace Noire I might
have let this poor excuse for a city live a few
years longer in peace.”
I looked toward my mother. Did she know
what he was talking about? I needed to know
his angle, what his plan was, if I were ever
going to defeat him.
“Who am I kidding?” Baal propelled to my
side again, but I held my ground this time.
He pressed his sweaty face against mine. His
rancid breath filled my nose as he whispered
in my ear. “I have wanted to see this city
burn for centuries. All these pathetic excuses
for vampires, wasting their potential on a
mythic Goddess! Where is she now?” He
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looked at me waiting for an answer I couldn’t
give him. “Nothing to say?”
What could I say? I didn’t know much
about Nyx, but somehow I knew she
wouldn’t just materialize in a poof of star-
dust and save the day. I knew it would be up
to us to save ourselves.
Baal walked steadily over to my mother,
pulling something from his pocket and held
it against her chest. She howled in pain and I
ran for her, my instincts taking over my
body. I wanted to kill him for hurting her,
but what he said next stopped me dead in my
tracks.
“What if I were to kill your mother?” he
asked. “The special vampire who was blessed
with the miracle -” he emphasized the word
like it would make him vomit - “of a child.
Wouldn’t you think Nyx would come down
and protect her chosen followers?”
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“Don’t listen to him, Claire!” Bennett
shouted from behind me. I had forgotten he
was there, but somehow his voice comforted
me. I wished that Arrick was here too. He
would know what to do.
“Enough of your stupid games, Baal. Let
my parents go!”
Alarms crackled through my nerves and I
immediately turned to face Bennett as a
hooded figure clamped its claw-like hands
around his neck. He shoved Bennett forward.
Fear widened the whites of his eyes. I had to
do something. I was losing this battle before
it had even begun.
Several hooded figures entered the room,
circling around me. The walls started to close
in on me and I felt my mind spinning out of
control.
“What do you want?” I screamed at the
figures, frustration tearing at my voice.
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One of them moved and I stopped, lower-
ing my body, readying for their attack. But it
didn’t come. Instead, the figure lifted their
hood and my mouth fell open. It was Ana.
My body exploded in heat at the sight of
her face. I ran for her, my mouth open and
my fangs ready to pierce her neck. Revenge
would finally be mine.
Just steps before I was within her reach
she pulled a long, thick golden chain from
within her cloak. It dangled from her fingers,
swinging like a pendulum. Attached at the
end was a cloudy black stone. The instant I
locked eyes on it, my mind felt a crushing
blow of pain and misery like it was a solid
brick wall. My legs bolted in place on the
marble floor as if I had taken on the form of
a statue. I couldn’t move. My body got heav-
ier and heavier. My mind screamed in agony.
My heart burned in sorrow.
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The sounds of Bennett’s screams were
echoing in my mind. Somehow they seemed
distant. Was I fading away or was he? Slowly
all I could see was Ana’s face. There was
something different about her. There was
something missing. The question twirled
around in my mind like a loose coin.
Then it came to me. I had pushed back my
anger and my pain and I truly saw it. Her
eyes were completely white. There was no
emotion in her face. I knew Ana and if this
were her, she would have wanted me dead,
as much as I wanted her dead.
The realization broke the stone’s spell on
me and I collapsed to the floor. Ana stared
blankly at me. She hadn’t even flinched. Did
she even know what was going on?
“What did you do to her?” I gasped.
“Nothing she didn’t deserve. Her orders
were to bring you to me, but she got greedy
just like the rest of them,” said Baal, his voice
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dripping in hate. “Now she’s much more
obedient.” Baal stroked Ana’s bright blonde
hair. She stayed motionless. I almost felt
sorry for her. Almost.
“Let her go!” Bennett wheezed from
across the room, the figure holding onto him
tightly. I saw a stone hanging from their neck
and realized it was affecting him too. Pain
and hopelessness were plainly written on his
ghostly face. Everyone around me was suf-
fering and there wasn’t anything I could do
about it.
I wished there was a way I could use the
stones against them, but Bennett had said
only a member of The Dark could harness
their power. What if he was wrong? There
had never been a vampire like me before.
What if I could do it? I had to try.
I bolted for the hooded figure holding
Bennett, making it to him quicker than I
thought I would. I rammed my shoulder into
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the hooded figure’s gut and slammed our
tangled bodies onto the hard floor. I blinked
in surprise, realizing that this stone was dif-
ferent. I didn’t feel the dread and fear like I
had before. No, this stone made me feel like
a failure, like I could never beat anyone. I
could never win any fight. Was this stone
created specifically to contain Bennett? If I
had to guess, these would be some of his
greatest fears.
I grasped the stone as it clattered on the
stone floor and yanked it from the figure’s
neck. Without even thinking I draped the
chain around my neck. It hung heavily. Its
energy no longer pounded against me, but
stay collected around the stone. I grasped it
in my hands, it was burning hot. I couldn’t
think about how I had just mastered what I
had been told was impossible. I didn’t have
time to revel in this victory. I had to free my
parents and get us the hell out of here. I
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knew I couldn’t defeat Baal, but I could at
least escape his clutches. For now.
Bennett sprung to my side, anguish still
lingered in his eyes but I could tell he was
trying to hide it. I grabbed his hand hoping
to connect him with some of my power as I
prepared for the attack from Baal, who I now
glared at, fangs glinting, hissing like an angry
cat.
But all he did was stare.
Somehow I got the feeling he was going to
do something far worse than attack me. An
evil, crooked smile spread unnaturally across
his face. Baal’s eyes rolled back into his head,
only the whites showing through as he raised
his hands to the ceiling. Unintelligible words
came from his mouth, and he clicked his
nails together. Was he going to cast a spell
on me? I could only imagine that he was go-
ing to kill me in some horrific manner and
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trap my soul inside a stone. I couldn’t allow
that to happen.
I yanked on Bennett’s arm, pulling him
with me as I swirled around running toward
the beast holding my mother. I focused all
my energy and forced it out through the
stone, he dropped her instantly. Her body
crashed to the floor, her head cracking
against it.
The other members of The Dark came fly-
ing toward us. They definitely wanted a fight,
sadly for them I had the exact stone to pre-
vent that. They dropped like flies as the
power of the stone hit them. I smiled
wickedly at them. Defeating members of The
Dark was becoming strangely intoxicating
and I felt the urge to devour them one by
one.
I looked to Baal as Bennett and I pulled
my parents toward the back of the throne
room. There was only one door there and I
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didn’t know where it led, but anywhere was
better than here.
Black smoke was swirling around Baal
and his circle of white eyed minions. Their
eyes slowly turned toward my direction one
by one. Each of them holding the chains on
their neck. Each with a swirling black stone.
My heart fell into my stomach like a lead
weight.
I could feel the air being pulled from the
room as his horde of minions marched to-
ward us. The smoke was pulling away and
collecting into a swirling black portal behind
Baal. He laughed maniacally, watching them
advance and stepped back into the portal.
The smoke consumed his body and deflated
into a pile of ash as he disappeared.
“You are very impressive,” he said finally,
a seductive smile on his lips - and then he
was gone.
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I couldn’t believe my eyes. Did he really
just leave? It didn’t make any sense. Where
did that portal lead to? It looked like the
portal the figure on the beach used.
“Claire, let’s go!” Bennett shouted from
behind me as the minions quickened their
pace.
I looked to him as he hefted my father’s
body through the doorway and signaled for
me to hurry up. I wanted to escape. I wanted
to know my family was safe, but there was
another emotion taking control of me. It was
consuming me. There was just no way I was
going to let Baal escape too.
My mother’s unconscious body lay on the
floor at my feet. I could see the damage they
had done to her was killing her. No. There
was no way I would let them get away with
this.
“Take her!” I shouted to Bennett.
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He rushed to my side, pulling my mother
into his arms. “What are you doing?” His
eyes were watery and filled with concern. I
knew I had found a friend in him I had never
expected to.
I trusted Bennett completely and I was
going to give him my first order as a prin-
cess. The most important order I would ever
give. “Go! Keep them safe!”
I shoved him toward the door. He opened
his mouth to protest, but the challenge in my
eyes was clear. As the footsteps of the horde
grew close, Bennett nodded in silence and
carried my mother through the doorway,
slamming it behind him. I didn’t know if I
would ever see them again, but at least I
knew they would be okay. I had saved them,
just like I had promised I would. If I died to-
night, at least I would die knowing I did
something right.
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Chapter_14
The first of the white-eyed minions
jumped into the air. It flew at me, gaining
more altitude than I thought possible. I knew
the power of their stone would slam into me
soon enough. How many of the stones could
I really overcome? How much power was left
in my stone?
As I stared into the milky pools of my first
attacker. I couldn’t help but think of whose
soul was trapped in the stone around my
neck. Whoever it was, I prayed with every
fiber of my being that they wanted to kill
every one of these minions as much as I did.
The stone grew hotter as I prayed silently
and I took that as its answer.
I dove to my left to avoid the plummeting
assault, then hurled myself at the figure. I
slammed my hand onto their neck and
doused their body in the power of the stone
around my neck before theirs even had the
chance to affect me.
I tossed the body across the room, hook-
ing my finger around the chain and tearing it
from their neck as they flew away. I dodged
the attacks of three more minions, the waves
of their powers washing over me briefly. I
was starting to understand how the stones
worked more and more. They had a range.
Maybe if I could stay out of it, I could stand a
chance.
I gave the second stone in my hand a brief
glance before swallowing hard and pulling it
around my neck. My idea might have been
crazy, but at this point, crazy was all I had. I
was banking on every one of these stones
wanting revenge on Baal. If they could help
me win this fight, then we would all be one
step closer to getting the revenge we so
deeply desired.
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The second stone burned hotter, answer-
ing my call. I felt united in their energy, their
powers weaving together with my own. The
vampire inside me was in ecstasy, completely
enjoying every ounce of my new power. I
hated to admit it, but I was too.
I could do this. I was really good at evad-
ing attacks, but the pounding of the stones’
powers was getting stronger every time a
minion got closer to me. One wrong step and
I would be in serious trouble. I knew it. I
tried flinging the intensity of my two stones
at my attackers but it had no effect. A stone
against a stone seemed to cancel each other
out.
Crushing guilt and visions of my father’s
motionless body exploded into my mind as a
wiry minion with caramel skin swiped at me.
He was quick and matched my movements
almost perfectly. Strangely the visions only
further powered my rage, reminding me of
what Baal tried to take away from me. I
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could see them clearly in my mind’s eye. The
father I had dreamed of all my life lying in a
pool of blood on the marble floor, his eyes
vacant, and my mother dangling in the air,
blood and tears dripping from her body.
I snatched the minion’s stick-like arm,
twisting it like a blade of grass. Heat burned
through, my eyes searing with rage. I latched
onto his throat, silencing his screams of pain
and drank heavily. The blood seemed to cool
my insides, allowing the flame of revenge to
burn anew.
The other minions paused for a moment
in shock. They obviously had never been met
with such opposition before. I smiled widely,
blood dripping from my fangs and dropped
the guy’s body to the floor, but not before
yanking the dark stone necklace from him.
This time I didn’t hesitate before lacing it
around my neck to join the others. It quickly
joined its power with mine, accepting my will
as its own. My strength and the souls of
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powerful beings were connecting into one
powerhouse.
This time, the minions attacked in waves,
three and four at a time. Their stones had no
effect on me, canceling each other out. My
movements were as fluid as a dance. I
swerved and weaved between blows. I ripped
the stones from their hands, disconnecting
them from the enchantment Baal had placed
on them. Each defeated minion hit the floor
like solid rock. Their faces were filled with
confused shock.
A tall, muscular minion landed a solid
blow to my spine, sending me flying to the
floor. The stones around my neck clattered
like glass. I rolled over just in time to evade
his claw-like hand flying toward my throat. A
stone still dangled from his neck. All I
needed to do was grab it and my power
would consume him.
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I somersaulted backward, landing in a
fighter’s stance, waiting for him to make his
move. He was confident, certain that he
would be the one to turn the battle back into
their favor. His chocolaty hair hung in thick
dreads down his back and his skin was as
black as the stone. I guessed that he was a
very good fighter. Incredibly stealthy, lurking
in the shadows before killing his victims be-
fore they even knew he was there.
And then, as I saw a streak of golden hair
in the background, déjà vu hit me. Ana. I had
forgotten about her. These were the last two
left. The most skilled of all the minions. If I
could beat them, this could all be over.
She flashed to his side, rage in her
bleached eyes, yet still not the same crazed
anger I had seen before. The Ana I knew was
trapped inside; this monster before me was
something else entirely. If I took her stone
would she return to normal like the rest of
them, sitting in a daze on the floor? Was I
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ready to fight her again? The fire for revenge
burned within me, but the shadow of doubt
still hung in the air. She had broken
something inside me that day. This might be
my only chance to fix it.
Ana laughed silently, but it wasn’t the
same evil sound that had haunted my
dreams. They looked to each other, smiling,
fangs bared, certain they could stop me. So-
mething in their glance reminded me of how
she and Luka had looked at each other while
I lie on the floor, death tugging at my body.
“Come on!” I bellowed without even real-
izing. I wanted to get this over with.
He barreled toward me as Ana sprung in-
to the air. How could I handle two skilled at-
tackers at the same time? Jarvan’s words of
doubt rattled in my ears. This is the exact
moment he thought I couldn’t handle it. And
I wasn’t sure I could handle it now that I was
in it, but there was no way to avoid it. This
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was a fight to the death and hopefully they
would be the ones doing the dying.
I stood my ground as long as I could, try-
ing to predict how they would attack. Know-
ing my enemy had worked for me so far. At
the last second I cartwheeled to my left, nar-
rowly missing the man’s grasp.
Ana caught on quicker and popped back
into the air after landing, springing to my
direction. She was like a jack rabbit. I stead-
ied my weight and kicked my foot up to her
chest just as she reached me. I grabbed onto
her arms and flung her backward sending us
tumbling across the room. The stone around
her neck dangled in my face and I wanted
desperately to grab it, but I couldn’t let go of
her arms. She hissed in rage, her fangs des-
perate to latch onto my neck.
I pinned her to the ground as we came to
a stop. Her stone laying there for me to take.
I jammed her arm under my knee and
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reached for the stone, but the other minion
slammed into me with incredible force. The
air was knocked from my lungs and my mind
rattled.
I slid to a stop against the ballroom wall
and used the thick, velvet curtains to pull
myself up. The silvery glow of the moonlight
mixed with the heavy candlelight of the
room. Despite the circumstances, it was eer-
ily beautiful.
He looked down at Ana, clearly disappoin-
ted that I had pinned her, and then roared
with rage. He clenched his fists, tightening
all the muscles in his body, then turned his
ghost-like eyes on me. He barreled toward
me again like a mindless brute. Did he really
think the same move would work? He might
have been strong, but he was obviously not
very agile. At least I had that much going for
me.
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I waited until the last minute again and
then dove out of the way. Only this time,
something latched onto my leg, pulling me
violently backward. His grip crushed the
bones in my ankle and their sound echoed
through the room.
I twisted around as he pulled me toward
him, turning myself over and slamming my
free foot hard into his face. Blood instantly
filled his mouth, dribbling down his chin.
His grip remained on my ankle as he spit
onto the floor. I saw the dazed look on his
face so I kicked him again and his fingers re-
leased, yet the sensation still lingered on my
skin.
I pulled myself up, the pain of my ankle
shooting through my body like a knife. He
lurched forward, spitting, and I hopped
back.. A single fang tumbled to my foot like a
die and a smile crept on my face. Fangs were
connected to a vampire’s central nervous
system. I knew exactly what I had to do.
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I pulled my foot back to kick him again
when Ana flew toward me like a bat, sending
us crashing through the large window and
four stories down to the ground below. Our
bodies slammed onto the earth like cement.
Every bone in my body felt like it had
broken. My vision was blurring and the
starry sky above me was fading to light.
Was this it? I was going to burn to death
in the sun’s light? But at least I had saved
them. I could die in peace, couldn’t I? I was
ready to embrace the death I knew was com-
ing, but an odd sensation tickled at my mind
until I realized what it was. Heat. Burning
heat was searing my chest and I flung my
hand to it.
The black stones weren’t going to let me
give up. They were driving me to get up, de-
manding me to. I was swallowed by an over-
powering urge to obey them.
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I rolled onto my side, pain throbbing in
my skull as the glowing eyes of Ana sent a
shock bolting throw me. She was crawling
away, dragging her body along the muddy
ground. Dirt and blood smeared her face. I
couldn’t let her get away. I sat up, my limbs
protesting every move.
She was advancing more quickly, an un-
known purpose driving her as she pulled
herself up to her full height and shuddered.
The bones in her body cracked, filling the air
like a twig snapping in a quiet forest.
With one last glance at me, she took off at
full speed and I knew exactly where she was
headed. The lighthouse. She had to have
been the figure that had been watching me.
She had to have been who I saw that night on
the beach. Only this time, she wouldn’t get
away.
Thinking about everyone who was count-
ing on me, I growled through the pain and
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stood up. Forcing myself to ignore the pain, I
ran after her, gaining speed with every ex-
cruciating stride until I saw her standing on
the cliff by the lighthouse, staring out at the
brightening horizon.
Unconsciously, I abruptly halted, “Ana!” I
screamed in a ragged breath, but she didn’t
respond. I knew she was under some kind of
spell and I couldn’t decide if it would be bet-
ter to just kill her or try to break the spell
and get information out of her. I knew I
didn’t have time to interrogate her and how
would I know if she would even tell me any-
thing at all? I would have to rely on myself to
find the answers I needed. Could I find
them? The conflicting urges battled inside
me as I slowly approached her.
Ana’s hood fell from her head as she
turned into the wind and threw something
onto the ground. It shattered at her feet and
sent a smokey purple cloud twirling before
her as it danced with the ocean breeze. I had
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seen this cloud before and I quickened my
pace. I could only think of one thing that it
could be, but I didn’t know how it was pos-
sible. It had to be some kind of portal. She
had used it before and so had Baal. I could
never forgive myself if I let her escape again.
Her white blonde hair whipped violently
in the wind as she stepped toward her hazy
escape, and that was just the advantage I
needed. I lunged just as her foot was about to
pass through and yanked her back with all
my strength, pulling her away.
The action seemed to have stirred a
memory inside her. Recognition flashing
fleetingly and fading just as fast, her face
filled with sweltering rage as she looked at
me from the ground by my feet.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I ordered.
She snapped at me as I tore the pendant
from her neck. For a second I considered
throwing it through the portal. I wasn’t sure
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if I could handle the weight of another tor-
tured soul around my neck. Sure, the power
had helped me get this far, but I could feel
myself relying on it more and more as my
own reserves dwindled to nothing.
I gripped the chain in my fist and the
stone pulled toward the portal, the power of
it was drawing it in, calling to it, sending a
shiver up my spine. Something on the other
side of that portal wanted that stone to re-
turn, or did it want its owner to return too? I
looked down at Ana as she reached desper-
ately to pluck the necklace from my grasp.
I raised my hand, holding it further away
from her, much like a bully teasing a small
child and planted my foot on her chest, for-
cing her to the ground. Ana wanted it,
something inside that portal wanted it. That
was reason enough for me. I would just have
to somehow find the strength to carry the
burden of another stone, for now at least.
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Just as I laced the chain around my neck I
heard someone calling my name. The voice
was familiar and I flung my head in the dir-
ection just in time to miss a deadly blow
from the dark vampire whose fang I had
kicked out. His glinting thick blade whizzed
past my face by a mere inch. He stood on
wavering legs, hoisting his blade for another
strike. Sweat poured down his face, every
ounce of his energy was being used to make
this final attack against me. I knew he
wouldn’t last long. Or at least I hoped he
wouldn’t.
I readied my stance to evade his next
swing when a clang of metal rung through
the night. I stepped back to avoid the fray
and tripped over Ana as she clawed at my
legs. The hard earth slammed into my back,
driving the air from my lungs. Instantly, Ana
was on top of me, snarling like a dog and
scratching at my chest for the stones.
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I didn’t understand why she was so much
more connected to this stone than the other
members of The Dark had been. They all laid
motionless and dazed after I took their
stones, but not Ana. Her hunger for the stone
intensified the longer she was without it.
How was her connection different? Was she
connected to the soul inside the stone?
Warm blood pooled between my breasts
as Ana slashed at me. I couldn’t focus on her,
or block her swings; I was too focused on my
mysterious defender as he battled the dark
vampire just yards away from me. I could
hear their growls tickling the air, the heat of
rage blowing in their wake.
Ana’s elbow snapped into my cheekbone
and hot tears flew freely from my eyes. I had
to focus. I tried to push out the energy of the
stones, trying to slam every ounce of their
power into Ana, but nothing happened. I
didn’t have time to try and figure it out, so I
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relied on the one thing I was becoming really
good at. Fighting.
I snatched her by her boney wrists and
flung her onto her back as I rolled with her. I
gazed into her crazed eyes and for the first
time I felt sorry for her. There was nothing
left of the Ana I knew inside this broken
shell. There was no recognition of who I was
or our past.
Clasping my fingers around her cold
throat, I found the pressure points I was
looking for. As much as I had always
dreamed of getting my revenge on Ana, this
just didn’t seem right. This creature might
have looked like Ana, but it wasn’t her. She
was just another victim of Baal in my eyes
now and my thirst for her blood began to
fade.
I knew I still couldn’t let her get away.
Whether it was me, the Captain of the Guard
or my father, one way or another we would
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get answers from Ana. I pulled her up from
the ground, my fingers digging deep into her
neck, and dragged her limp form further
from the portal. She hung from my grasp like
a cat being snatched at the nape of their
neck. As long as I kept my grip she would be
under my control.
The scent of fresh blood sparked my
body’s attention quicker than the scream
that accompanied it. The dark vampire
jerked its blade from the chest of my defend-
er. As the body fell to the earth, it caught the
soft glow of the morning light and revealed
his face. It was Bennett. He had come back
for me.
A howl rumbled in my chest as I watched
Bennett struggle to rise. His ghostly eyes
pleaded with me to run, but there was no
way I was going to leave him. I looked from
Ana, to Bennett and back again. Going after
Bennett meant I would have to let Ana go. I
squeezed
her
throat
even
harder
in
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frustration and she didn’t respond in the
slightest. Her eyes were content to stay
locked on my neck, at the stone she frantic-
ally desired.
The sound of bones cracking made the de-
cision for me. The dark vampire kicked Ben-
nett in his ribs, sending him rolling across
the ground growling in pain. Still, he was
struggling to stand, blood pouring from his
wound. I had to save him. I loved Bennett.
Not like a lover, but as a dear friend. I trus-
ted him with my life and he needed to know
he could trust me with his.
I slammed Ana to the ground and ran for
the dark vampire with as much severe speed
and rage I could muster. Fear burned in Ben-
nett’s eyes as I screamed in a frenzied fury.
He shouted something at me, but I couldn’t
understand. I had one focus, one goal, one
target - and I wasn’t going to fail.
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The Dark vampire hadn’t even seen me
coming. All his attention was on my dying
friend at his feet, kicking him and slicing at
him for his own amusement. It could have
easily killed him at any moment, but the
monster was enjoying torturing Bennett.
Sadly it was Bennett’s extended agony
that gave me the time I needed.
As it raised its blade for a final blow, an
idea sparked into my mind. Sailing through
the air, I landed on the vampire’s back and
latched onto the blade. With all my weight I
forced the blade backward, snapping the
monster’s arms and driving the edge into the
center of its back.
I fell to ground as it tried to swipe at me,
but its limp arms hung lamely at its sides.
Still he wobbled to me, unwilling to give up.
This monster didn’t want to fail its mission,
but neither did I.
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I rolled myself into a crouch and waited
for him to come for me. Just a few more
steps and he would be in range. My muscles
ached and tensed, my fangs burned as they
pierced my lips. I was ready to end this night
once and for all. It had to end now. The hori-
zon was growing threateningly brighter.
He took another step toward me, the
blade still protruding from his back, and
growled. Blood dripped from the missing
fang in his mouth.
He was close enough. I sprung up like a
Jack in the Box and crashed my fist into his
jaw. The bones cracked as blood sprayed
from his mouth, showering my face with
crimson droplets, but not washing away the
evil smile that grew there.
This night had changed me forever.
Knowing I had killed the last invader who
threatened those I cared for would be burned
into my heart and mind forever. I would
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never be just Claire anymore. I would never
be the unsure, naïve and trusting person I
once was. No, this night had released the
vengeful, powerful vampire that had always
been hiding inside me. From here on out we
were joined as one. No longer two desires
fighting each other, but two bonding togeth-
er with the same goal. To kill Baal, and des-
troy the members of The Dark for all etern-
ity. I had tasted revenge and the blood of my
enemies and I liked it.
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Chapter_15
As the dark vampire’s body crashed limply
to the earth, I ran to Bennett’s side. Lifting
his head into my lap, I ripped a strip of fabric
from my shirt and wiped at his face. He
winced at the pressure, yet a weak smile
broke onto his lips.
“You didn’t have to do that, I had him.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “I know
you did.” I looked him over, assessing his
injuries.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, trying to sit up.
“You came back for me?”
“Well, yeah. I couldn’t let you have all the
fun.” His usual cocky tone returned and I
couldn’t stop myself from hugging him. He
gasped in pain, but hugged me back. I had
found an unexpected friend in Bennett and I
would be forever grateful to him.
“Where are my parents?” I released him
and helped him sit up.
“They’re safe, don’t worry,” he reassured
me, placing a calming hand on my shoulder.
“We need to get you out of here, before the
sun completely rises.” Bennett tried to stand
up, but fell back again.
For the moment I had completely forgot-
ten that it wasn’t dark out and panic quickly
washed over me. I stood up and offered my
hand to help Bennett up. The stones fell out
of my shirt and hung at eye level. His mouth
fell open and he stared at them and then at
me.
He reached out to touch them and hesit-
ated, looking at me to see if I would stop
him. I squatted into a crouch and lifted them
into my palm. “You can control the stones?”
Bennett stared at me wide-eyed, his finger
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hovering just above one of the stones. I could
sense he was afraid to touch it, the misery
and pain of his last encounter was obviously
still haunting him. I remembered the feeling
and a shiver galloped up my spine. It was an
eerie thought to think that which gave me so
much fear was now dangling around my neck
freely.
I shrugged, not wanting to reveal my true
thoughts. “Apparently.”
“Do you know what this means?” Surprise
freckled his voice.
“No, and right now I don’t really care.
These stones saved our lives.” I ran my finger
across the stones lovingly. The connection
with them was still there. They were all
black, yet swirling inside, like smoke was
captured within them. Minute flecks of color
flickered differently in each one. Somehow,
these stones were my own personal army of
souls. They may have been horrific weapons,
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but they were on my side. They were once
people and their need for revenge on Baal
matched my own.
“If you can control the stones, then
you’re…”
“Don’t be stupid, Bennett! Do I look like a
member of The Dark to you?” He looked me
over as if he had never seen me before - then,
mercifully, he shook his head. “Would I have
killed them, protected this Château and
saved your life if I were one of them?” He
shook his head again.
“There has to be some explanation for it.
No one has ever been able to control the
stones before.” His voice turned to mere fas-
cination as I helped him to his feet.
“You sound like Dmitry.” I smiled at him.
“Who’s Dmitry?”
“Just someone I used to know.” I lied.
Dmitry was more than that, but there wasn’t
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time to explain. Yet, even if there was, I
wouldn’t want to. Not to Bennett and maybe
not to anyone. Dmitry was my first crush and
after what happened the last time I saw him,
I didn’t know what we were to each other
anymore.
I let Bennett rest his weight on me, and
tucked my body under his arm for support,
both of us hobbling to maintain balance.
Before I even knew what happened, I was
being yanked away from Bennett and pier-
cing pain was screaming through my neck as
someone bit into me. I barely had time to
scream as the world around me swirled and I
reached for Bennett’s terrified face as I flew
further and further away.
I blacked out for what seemed like etern-
ity, but it had to have been only seconds.
Someone hunched over me. For an instant, I
thought it was Bennett, but as my vision fo-
cused I saw the startling white-blonde hair of
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Ana. She was frantically searching through
the stones around my neck until she found
the right one.
She lifted it gently, as if it were a baby,
caressing and cooing at it. I moved to sit up
and her expression shifted into incredible
malice. The chain snapped from around my
neck as she yanked it away and stood up.
I clamped a hand around my neck and sat
up, searching for Bennett. Blood pulsed
freely between my fingertips.
He was on the ground not far from me,
trying desperately to crawl over to me. Pain
wrecked his face, but his fear for me pushed
him forward. His desperation to fight by my
side and protect me made my heart swell. It
was almost like he was, in some way, my
Blood Guard.
At that thought, Arrick popped into my
mind, as did my longing for him. He had
been gone and I didn’t know when or if he
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was coming back. Maybe if he had been here
during the attack things would have ended
differently.
Suddenly, Ana took off at a sprint toward
the portal that still billowed powerfully on
the hillside. She was going to get away and
my instincts were screaming through me to
stop her. Wild-eyed, I looked to Bennett, our
eyes connecting for an instant. I tried to say
good-bye, but the words wouldn’t come. I
couldn’t have accomplished everything I had
this night if it weren’t for him. I knew I
would never be able to pay him back.
“Claire! No!”
I bolted upright, my hand still clasped
around my neck and ran after Ana. Bennett’s
scream ripped through the air after me, but I
wouldn’t turn back. Tears stung my eyes,
knowing I was abandoning him on the hill-
side, but I prayed he would be safe. I prayed
they would all be safe.
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Ana leaped through the portal in a single
bound and I was hot on her heels. It began to
close and I quickened my pace. If it closed on
me and I didn’t make it through I would fly
over the edge of the hillside and crash into
the rocks below. I may be a vampire, but I
was fairly certain I wouldn’t survive a fall like
that.
I held my breath and made the final leap
into the portal. Complete darkness con-
sumed me and my body thrashed violently. I
couldn’t tell what direction I was going, yet
the sheer pressure of the speed felt like it was
breaking every bone in my body. Screams
echoed all around me in the endless dark-
ness. Had I made the wrong choice? What if
I wasn’t able to travel through the portals? I
could be heading right for Baal’s lair, giving
him exactly what he wanted on a silver plat-
ter. How could I be so stupid?
The disorientation was making me naus-
eous. It was so dark I couldn’t tell if my eyes
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were opened or closed. Fear hurtled through
me. How much longer would this go on?
I wrapped my arms around myself and
thought of my parents. The image of their
broken bodies came to me, but I pushed it
away, focusing instead on when I’d first laid
eyes on them, their faces so full of love. I
thought of Robin and her angelic face, of my
old friend Liz, and then of Dmitry and
Arrick.
I cared for them both deeply and despite
everything that had happened I prayed I
would see them again. I wished that Arrick
would have been in Naos when everything
happened. I wished that I had never been at-
tacked at Palace Noire and I could still be
dancing on the ballroom floor with Dmitry.
My life was nothing like what I had
thought it would be and as regret and sad-
ness tore through my remaining strength,
the darkness was devoured by unyielding,
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burning light. I was blinded by the searing
heat of it as I slammed onto something hard.
I thought I heard something crack, and the
smell of coppery blood answered my ques-
tion. I didn’t know for sure, but I was certain
it was my blood. Whether from my neck or
from whatever I had hit my head on, I was
definitely bleeding.
I tried to open my eyes, but my vision was
blurry. It was bright and cloudy figures
moved swiftly in the distance. Where was I? I
couldn’t stay here. “Get up,” I told myself in
a whisper. I rolled over to my side, my joints
cracking and popping. The smell of ash filled
my senses. I blinked widely trying to clear
my vision. I looked at my hand and focus
hard. Soft, pale flesh surrounded by black. I
brought my hand to my face and inspected
the blackness that covered it.
I sat up, and the brittle ground crunched
beneath me. Puffs of ash floated into the air
as I stirred. The black ground circled the
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area I sat in, and for a moment I didn’t un-
derstand. Could the portal have done this? It
burned a large circle into the ground around
me. The power of those portals must have
been stronger than I thought. I could still
feel the heat of it seeping into every pore of
my body.
I didn’t understand why I was so warm
until I was able to focus on what was outside
my circle of blackened earth. It was green.
Lush, green grass. The drops of morning dew
sparkled in the rays of the morning sun.
Never had I seen something so beautifully,
horrifying in my entire life.
I didn’t know what exactly would happen
if I was out in sunlight for too long, but I
didn’t want to find out. I held back the urge
to vomit as images of my body burning alive
flashed through my head. I didn’t know
where I would go, but anywhere was better
than here. All I needed was some place out of
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direct sunlight. That would be the best I
could do for now.
I began running as fast as my legs could
carry me in no specific direction what-so-
ever. I just began to run. The shadowy fig-
ures in the distance were growing closer but
no clearer. I knew I should be wary of others.
What if they were members of The Dark? No
burning warning came from the stones at my
chest, but I kept running nonetheless.
I dared to glance at my arms and saw that
they were covered in black. Was it from the
burnt earth I landed on or was my flesh
burning off my body? My heart beat harder.
Wilder with every step. Adrenaline. My ad-
renaline had to be kicking in. My body’s last
resort to keep me going. No part of me
wanted for this to be the end.
A powerful emotion slammed into me,
knocking me into the ground as my ragged
breath flew from my lungs. I scrambled to
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my feet, glimpsing a huge dark figure stand-
ing massively before. It was just yards away.
I crawled on all fours, unable to stand up-
right. Dirt filled my nails as I frantically
clawed at the earth.
I dove into the shadows of the colossal fig-
ure, feeling only minute relief from the sun’s
rays. The grass was still cool in this shady
place and it soothed my burning skin. Tears
filled my eyes, seeming to wash the smear
from my vision, and I stared upward at the
darkness above me.
I was under a tree. The biggest tree I had
ever seen. Its thick, leafy branches allowed
very little light to penetrate its lush canopy.
If I felt I could move I would have hugged
that tree right then, but instead I laid at its
roots and stared upward at it. Nyx might
have been the Goddess of Night, but this tree
had to have been a gift from her.
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“Thank you, Nyx,” I wheezed through my
burning throat. I was in so much pain, I was
so tired and I was so very hungry. If only Nyx
had made this tree edible. Perhaps it had sap
made of blood.
I laughed widly, I was becoming delirious.
My ears were ringing, but I ignored it. Using
the roots of the tree as handholds, I pulled
myself toward the trunk. Toward the small
semblance of safety I had. I had to keep
telling myself that everything was going to be
okay. I was going to survive. Somehow, I was
going to survive. I had to.
Resting my back against the hard bark of
my tree – yes, I had decided that from here
on out, this would be my tree – and closing
my eyes, I breathed in its earthy smell. In
some way it calmed me. Reminding me of
happier memories. If I didn’t make it, at least
I would die in peace. That had to bring me
some comfort. Right?
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When I opened my eyes, I saw another
shadowy figure some way off. The brightness
was still enough to inhibit my sight. Maybe it
wasn’t a figure; maybe it was just a tall bush
blowing in the wind. Was it windy? I couldn’t
tell. The trees branches didn’t seem to be
moving, but then again the ringing in my
ears seemed to be canceling out all sounds of
the world around me.
The emotion that had hit me still lingered
within and I clutched at my chest. I grabbed
at the stones that rested between my breasts,
but it wasn’t them. They were cold against
my skin, having lost the heat they once pos-
sessed. I realized, somehow these stones
were connected to me and if I didn’t make it,
neither would they. My heart ached, for them
and everyone I thought I was letting down.
Yet that ache didn’t compare to the emo-
tion that still clung to me. It was familiar, but
somehow alien. The shadowy figure was
growing closer, but still too bathed in
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sunlight for me to recognize. My ears rung
louder and louder, making me want to
scream.
I hugged myself tight, wanting to melt in-
to the tree and hide forever when the ringing
finally stopped. I sighed into my knees. A
twig snapped, but I didn’t look up. I felt like I
could sleep now and that’s all I wanted to do.
“I found her!” a voice screamed out.
Still I didn’t move. I desperately tried to
embrace the sleep that seemed so sweet - but
that voice. I knew that voice.
With pain, I drew up my head, and every
emotion I had fought to withhold spilled out
in a powerful torrent. Hot tears streamed
down my face and I sobbed uncontrollably as
I laid my eyes on the beautifully handsome
face that ran toward me. It was full of love
and concern, and in that moment I knew it
would be okay. Whether Arrick had found
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me or I had found him, I didn’t know - but
either way, I could die happy.
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Chapter_16
“Dear Goddess, Claire!” Arrick ran to my
side, tears threatening to fall down his strong
features. I could feel his desire to hold me,
but also the fear he felt just from the sight of
me. I didn’t want to know what I looked like.
Twice now he had run to my side as I
hovered on the edge of life and death.
“Where am I? How did you find me?”
“I felt you, Claire. I knew you were nearby
and that you needed me. What happened to
you?” His questions were full of worry and
concern. I watched as he yanked off his shirt
and laid it over me. I didn’t feel like I had the
strength to answer, so I just smiled weakly
up at him. “Stay with me. Don’t close your
eyes, okay?”
I wanted to nod at him and tell him I
would stay with him forever, but I wasn’t
sure if I was able to perform the actions as
much as I wanted to. I willed my body to
reply, but I don’t think it responded. I felt
like I was in a dream and only slightly awake.
Before I knew it I was wrapped in a thick
blanket and Arrick was running. I was in his
arms and I felt like I was flying. Did the
portal bring me to Arrick? Could I control
the portal like I could control the stones?
That was a scary thought. I had so many
questions, but I had no strength to ask them.
We were inside a building, Arrick still
running, voices were shouting all around me,
but my eyes only saw Arrick.
He placed me on something soft and
shouted orders at the people around him,
but I couldn’t understand him. Was I going
deaf? Maybe this is what death truly felt like.
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It wasn’t painful or scary. It was just peaceful
fading.
Phantom sensations of hands touching
my entire body lingered on the edge of my
consciousness. Warm heat filled my body,
traveling, seeping through every vein, and
still I lay motionless, staring at him. He was
fading away, yet his eyes were still clear, still
bright.
His eyes would be the last thing I saw on
this earth. They were beautiful and revealed
the strength within his soul. I silently prayed
that I could hold onto that feeling even bey-
ond the grave. I had never put much thought
into what happened when a person died, but
if I could take one thing with me it would be
that I hoped I could hold onto the few mo-
ments of true happiness I had found in my
short life.
Finding my true parents, having amazing
friendships with Liz and Robin, being able to
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experience young love as my heart swelled
for Arrick more than it ever had before.
These were the memories I wanted to take
with me and I held onto them as dearly as I
could, as the rest of the world seemed to wilt
away.
My eyes fluttered open to small slits. Soft
candlelight glowed warmly, and my eye-
lashes broke it apart. The light seemed
brighter than it really was. My vision was no
longer fading and immediately adjusted to
my surroundings. I knew this place.
I was in my room, in my bed. Not at the
Château but at the Palace.
My eyes searched the room and found Ar-
rick. His body was slumped in a chair beside
my bed. His breath was steady. Sweat
beaded his brow. Fresh, pink scars stretched
across his wrists, and I understood. He had
fed me. I knew how close to death I had
been. He must have sacrificed so much to
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save me. I could only imagine the great
amount of blood I would have needed.
I let out a small breath and a familiar
rumble reacted from the foot of the bed.
Louie.
He cried out in concerned meows, run-
ning onto my chest to begin an immediate
job of padding and head rubbing.
“Louie,” I breathed tearfully. “My big boy.
I’m so glad you’re safe.” I rubbed his dirty fur
affectionately. Other than a few patches of
sizzled hair, he wasn’t much worse for the
wear. I sent a silent prayer up to Nyx for this
small miracle and turned my eyes toward my
sleeping Blood Mate.
“Oh, Arrick,” I whispered, placing my
hand softly on his. Louie growled at having
to share my attention.
He roused in sudden surprise, his eyes
immediately falling on my face. He let out a
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relieved sigh. His smile was full of utter joy
and pain. “You’re alive.”
I smiled back at him. “Thanks to you.” I
pointed to his wrists. “What happened?”
He leaned forward, grabbing my hand in
his and stroking it with his thumbs. “I was
hoping you could tell me. I was here at the
palace
and
suddenly
our
connection
slammed into me like a bullet. I felt how
close you were and the pain you were in.” He
swallowed hard, his grasp on my hand grow-
ing tighter. “What happened to you?”
“We were attacked by The Dark. They
came sooner than we thought. We weren’t
prepared, Arrick.” His eyes fixated on my
mine and I felt his mind swirling with ques-
tions. “I don’t know the extent of the dam-
age, but I know my parents made it. I saved
them.” Tears soared through my eyes again
as my words released the depth of my emo-
tions like a wound that wouldn’t heal.
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“What else?” Worry twinged in his voice
as he sensed I was holding back.
“I met him. Baal.” The name tasted bitter
in mouth.
Arrick nodded like he already knew the
answer. “Yes, he was here too.” I shuddered
in shock and panic filled me. I opened my
mouth to ask what happened, but Arrick rose
his finger to silence me. “When I got here I
watched in the shadows, trying to get the in-
formation we needed to discover when - and
if - The Dark would attack. I wasn’t con-
vinced that Nicolae, or anyone for that mat-
ter could be trusted.”
“I don’t think…” I began, but another raise
of Arrick’s finger silenced me once more. I
wanted to tell him that I didn’t think Nicolae
was in league with the leader of The Dark.
Nicolae might have been a bad guy, but Baal
definitely wasn’t the type to want a partner.
That would mean sharing power and that
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was certainly something he didn’t want to
do. In fact, I guessed he was quite the oppos-
ite. He wanted to take all the power. From
everyone.
“On the third night the palace was at-
tacked. At first, I thought it was another raid
by protestors until I saw them. I’ve never
seen anything like them.” He trailed off, fix-
ated on the image of evil he had witnessed
that still haunted his mind. It haunted mine
too. “My first instinct was to run back to
Cathair and warn them, but I had made you
a promise and I couldn’t just leave knowing
they were in danger. And now I know there
would have been losses either way. There
was no right choice.”
“No, there was. You saved lives, Arrick.
So, you did make the right choice.” I wanted
to comfort him. “I had wished you were there
with me during the attack countless times,
but knowing you were here, it means a lot.
Even just saving one life was worth it.”
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“There was such chaos. There was fighting
and screaming everywhere.” He shook his
head, still not believing what had happened.
I sighed. “Yeah.”
Regretfully, I knew exactly what he was
talking about. I knew no matter how long I
lived I would never forget the screams. I
would always remember the pain of shear
panic that ripped through my chest and the
burning rage mixed with fear that I felt when
I saw my parent’s in Baal’s clutches.
Swallowing a painful lump in my throat I
asked the question I feared most. “Who
made it?”
Arrick leaned back in his chair, tilting the
legs up off the ground as he dragged his
hands through his hair. I felt his emotions
tense, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet his
eyes. I was too much of a coward, so I kept
my gaze locked on the frayed collar around
Louie’s neck.
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I dared to take one quick glance at Ar-
rick’s face and the sadness I found made in-
stant fear cripple me, “Robin?”
“I couldn’t save them all, Claire,” he
whispered. An immediate flare of pain
coursed through me. “I tried,” he pleaded.
I refused to accept what he was saying and
I threw the blankets off me with reckless
abandon. “Where are they?” I flung my legs
over the bed and tried to stand. They were
wobbly at first, but my determination pushed
through and I walked heavily to the doorway,
resting my weight on the frame, Louie
promptly at my feet.
My room had lost so much of its former
beauty.
The
walls
were
burned
and
blackened. Furniture lay in splintered ruins.
There were no fresh cut flowers to fill the
chamber with their fragrant aroma.
I walked on unsteady legs with a breaking
heart and kicked a silver goblet that lay on
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the floor. It rung a metal twang in the air and
rolled in a circle, spinning.
Movement caught my eye from the bal-
cony as Robin came bursting through the
curtains. Her tear stained face barreling to-
ward me, her curls bouncing along the way.
A broken, sad laugh choked out of me. We
clutched each other in our arms and fell to
the ground in sobs. Words couldn’t explain
the joy I felt. Robin was more than my
friend; she was like my sister. I couldn’t ima-
gine my world without her in it.
“You’re alive!” She pulled me from her
and squeezed my face in her hands.
I nodded back at her. “So are you. I
thought you were dead.”
Her angelic face shadowed into pain. The
playful innocence about her was nearly gone.
I could see it in her eyes. “I almost was.
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Arrick saved me. We didn’t even know they
were coming, Claire. We couldn’t…”
I shushed her; I already knew what she
would say. “It’s okay.” I didn’t know if it
really would be or not, but those were the
only two words I could manage. The Dark
hadn’t killed us all. There had to still be some
hope left for us. At least, I hoped there was.
“What happened to you, Claire? That
night at the coronation ball? No one will give
me a straight answer.” Robin looked at me,
her expression much like a sad puppy.
“Uh…” I wasn’t sure where to begin.
Everything was already so ominous, the story
of what happened wouldn’t brighten her
mood at all, but I couldn’t lie to her. She de-
served the truth.
“What did they tell you?”
“First they said you ran away, but I knew
that wasn’t true. You wouldn’t leave Louie
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behind and you wouldn’t have left without
telling me. At least I didn’t think you would.”
“I would never,” I admitted. Although I
did kind of run away, I had wanted to tell
Robin, Arrick just wouldn’t let me.
“Then they said that the protestors at-
tacked your room and killed Luka. And you
and Ana were both missing.” She took a
breath as she talked rapidly. “But I knew you
two wouldn’t go anywhere together. No one
would tell me anything and I knew they were
lying to me.”
“So, Luka is dead then?”
“Well… yeah, I think so. That’s what Fox
told me, but I never saw the body or any-
thing. I asked Dmitry, but he refused to talk
about it.”
I cringed at the memory of what had
happened and the pain Dmitry must have
felt knowing I killed his brother then
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disappeared with my Blood Mate without a
word. I felt like a horrible person.
“Protestors didn’t attack my room.”
“They didn’t? Then what happened? I’ve
been feeling so guilty for not being there for
you and blaming myself and everyone else in
the world. They attacked the library and I
ran to help my parents. I mean, there are
hundreds of years of history in there and we
couldn’t let some hateful humans destroy it.”
I eyed Arrick as he walked hesitantly into
the room obviously not wanting to interrupt
our tearful reunion. I tried pitifully to con-
sole Robin as she uncharacteristically cursed
in frustration. “I should have gone to check
on you first instead of some stupid books.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. There is nothing
you could have done and you would have
probably just gotten yourself killed in the
process.” She looked at me confused and I
continued before she could unload more
373/396
questions or curse herself further. “The at-
tack on the palace was a set up. Ana and her
family set it up, so that they could kill me
without anyone knowing it was them.”
Saying it aloud to her made the pain of
that night return full force, but I pushed back
the tears and continued. “They tried to kill
me and I killed Luka, but Ana got away and
now she’s working for Baal.”
Her only answer was to drop her jaw in
shock and grab me in her fiercest bear hug,
which only resulted in crushing my wall and
allowing my tears to spill freely.
“I didn’t mean to. I was only protecting
myself.” My words were almost unintelligible
through my snotty tears.
Robin pulled away and looked back to-
ward the balcony. I spotted another figure,
which walked slowly, hesitantly forward.
Dmitry.
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His once flawless face was now marred by
three thick scars that traced from the side of
his skull down his neck. Being a vampire
they should have healed, but something told
me that wounds from The Dark don’t heal
very easily whether physical or emotional. I
almost didn’t recognize him, but his broken
smile still carried a fractured piece of the
vampire he once was.
For a moment I stared in complete shock.
Did he hear my tearful confession to Robin?
Would he lash out at me at any moment?
Would he tell me I was a liar?
Then, without even thinking, my body ac-
ted on its own and took the last few steps
between us and fell into his arms. I hugged
him as tight as I could, like I was worried he
would disappear. I hadn’t realized how much
I missed him until this very moment.
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“What happened to you?” I looked up at
his pained face and traced my fingers along
his fresh scars.
“I got a haircut.” He gave a fake smile and
ran his hand across his shaved head. His
once beautifully disheveled hair was gone.
No longer did he look like the playful, curi-
ous Dmitry I remembered. He was a whole
new vampire and like Robin, I could tell, he
was forever changed by the events that had
happened. Just as I was.
We stared at each other somewhat awk-
wardly, neither of us knowing what to say. I
could sense Arrick’s anguish as he watched
our embrace, so I gave Dmitry once last
squeeze and let him go. Sadly, some part of
me felt like that might be the last hug I
would ever give him.
We all sat down and I told them
everything. From the moment I arrived at
Naos to the instant I jumped into the portal
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after Ana and accepted death as I lay dying
under the large tree. They each sat silently,
listening as I told my story.
“So, you can control dark stones?” Dmitry
asked, his curious nature slightly returning.
“It looks like it.” I had pulled them out
from under my shirt and displayed them in
my palm.
“I have read very little about these. No
one seems to know anything about them.
Only myths and legends,” Robin said curi-
ously. “Nobody ever lived to…” She stopped
herself. Her eyebrows arced up in shock.
“Say it,” I commanded. “We can’t figure
any of this out if we are too afraid to even
talk about it.”
She swallowed hard and continued. “No
one has ever lived to talk about it. At least
not that I know of.” Dmitry nodded as she
spoke.
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I stuffed the stones back under my shirt. I
could feel how uncomfortable they were
making everyone feel and I wasn’t sure I
wanted to see any of them looking at me the
way Bennett had. Like I was some sort of
monster. Like I would somehow turn into a
member of The Dark.
Robin and I sat close to each other on my
old antique couch. The fabric no longer
glistened with the rich threaded designs and
the wood no longer gleamed from fresh pol-
ish. It was dusty, its edges marred and
darkened, but it was still sturdy. Still strong
enough to hold our weight. I found myself
thinking that I felt very much the same way.
I was beaten and broken. I might look frail,
but I could still hold my ground if I needed
to.
“What does he want with you?” Arrick
asked.
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“I don’t know, but he seems to know
something I don’t.” I hated the idea that an-
other secret was being kept from me. Story of
my life. Was everything I knew a lie?
Arrick feeling my frustration tried to
sooth me. “That doesn’t mean anyone is
keeping anything from you. He’s an evil bas-
tard and I have no doubt that he has spies
everywhere.”
Dmitry nodded in agreement. “Like Ana.”
His words seemed to make the air in the
room thicker and I found myself immedi-
ately directing my eyes to the floor not want-
ing to talk about it. I had enough problems
on my hands that I didn’t need to add her
back to the mix. I wasn’t even sure she was
Ana anymore.
“He’s right,” Arrick said.
“Mhm,” Robin agreed.
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“You guys didn’t see her. I don’t know
what Baal did to her, but she’s not Ana any-
more. She didn’t even recognize me. I know I
should hate her and want her dead. Part of
me still does, but something is just off.”
Arrick began to pace back and forth across
the room and Dmitry crouched at the fire-
place, poking at the small embers, encour-
aging them to grow.
“Where is everyone else?” I didn’t really
direct the question toward anyone, hoping
that someone would answer. Dmitry imme-
diately averted his eyes when I looked at him
and Robin’s body tensed. “I need to know.”
Robin looked at me like she was going to
speak, but tears filled her eyes, clinging pre-
cariously on the edge of her lashes. I had
never seen my dear friend look so defeated
and scared.
Her answer was no more than a whisper.
“They are all gone.”
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My jaw dropped in shock. I couldn’t be-
lieve it. “Everyone?” I looked to Dmitry for
an answer as Robin fell into my shoulder in
sobs.
He stood, his eyes shifting across the
room like an answer was hidden somewhere
for him. As he turned, the growing fire
danced across his new features. I felt like I
had lost the Dmitry I once knew - and in a
way I had. This vampire who stood with sor-
row in his eyes before me, looked like a
stranger. I had so many things I wanted to
talk to him about, but it didn’t feel right.
Would this Dmitry forgive me for fleeing the
Palace without a word? Would he forgive me
for killing his brother? I was just defending
myself; he had to have known that.
Dmitry cleared his throat, kicking me out
of my thoughts. “We haven’t found them all.”
A question mark formed in my expression
and he exhaled heavily. “The bodies.”
381/396
“Oh.” Robin’s body stiffened and I
squeezed her against me. “Well, that doesn’t
mean they can’t still be alive.”
“Claire…” I could see in Dmitry’s eyes that
he wanted to protest, but he didn’t have it in
him, so he sat heavily on the ground and
stared into the orange flames.
“I survived, didn’t I? I doubt Nicolae, and
Evilyn would go down without a fight - and
definitely not Fox! If they didn’t make it -” I
hated the thought, “then there would be piles
of Dark vampires lying in their wake.” My
words convinced even myself and steadied
my breathing. I had to believe there was
hope. If I, or we, gave up even a little we
would lose before the true battle even
started.
“You think so?” Robin asked. There was a
hesitant rise of hope in her voice. I nodded in
response. “We haven’t found my parents. Do
you think they made it?”
382/396
“I do.” I wanted to believe that as much as
she did. Until we found proof otherwise, we
had to believe they were still alive. All of
them.
“Baal was definitely after me. He could
have taken people in to question my where-
abouts when he couldn’t find me here.” I
hated to admit that I was the reason for an-
other catastrophe. “He seemed to know
something…” I said again remembering the
glint in his eyes and I shuddered.
“They attacked on the same night,” Arrick
blurted matter-of-factly, and we all looked to
him in confusion. He had said so little since I
had told my story I was beginning to worry
about what was going on in his head.
“Yeah, so?” Robin’s voice croaked from
my shoulder.
“I don’t know what it means. I just real-
ized it.”
383/396
“Do you think we were the only two places
that were attacked?” I regretted asking the
question as soon as it left my lips. It was a
terrifying thought and I wasn’t sure I wanted
to know the answer, but my friends’ faces
mirrored by fears.
“How could they be in so many places at
once?” Robin sat up wiping her eyes. I was
glad to see that she wasn’t crying anymore,
but our conversation wasn’t headed in a dir-
ection that would make any of us feel any
better.
“I think there are a lot more of them then
we think there are,” Dmitry announced
without emotion. I knew in my gut that he
was probably right.
“It’s not just that.” I swallowed hard. “But
they can do things that we can’t. They can get
places a lot quicker then we can. I don’t
know how those portal things work, but they
are obviously a method of transportation.”
384/396
“And you said Ana jumped in before you
did?”
I nodded.
“Then where the hell is she?” Arrick asked
in frustration.
“My guess.” Dmitry announced and we all
looked to him. “Those portals take you where
you want to go. Claire wanted to be here. Ob-
viously.” He looked to Arrick. “And Ana
wanted to be somewhere else. Most likely
some hideout of theirs or something.”
“So, you think that portal felt where I
wanted to be and took me there?”
“If you can control them, then yeah, that’s
what I think.”
I recalled the thoughts I had while I
traveled in that endless dark void. I had
wanted to be with Arrick. It had brought me
to him. I met his gaze and his expression re-
vealed he knew what I was feeling. I wanted
385/396
to be with him and that made him incredibly
happy.
“So there are more of them than we can
count and they can use portals to travel any-
where they want?” Robin sounded exasper-
ated, breaking the warm gaze that connected
Arrick and I.
“I don’t know, Robin.” My tone grew
sharp even though I hadn’t meant it to. “All I
know is that we shouldn’t stay here. If there
is no one left here,” I winched at my words
even though I spoke the truth, “Then are
only option is to go back to Naos. My parents
are there, they’ll know what to do.”
“Who is going to defend the city if we
leave?” Dmitry questioned.
“Well, we need to find out if the High
Council is still in-tact. That’s a good place to
start,” I offered.
386/396
Dmitry nodded. “If they were just after
you then there may be a good chance that the
other cities in the region were untouched.
Those vampire lords will need to be contac-
ted. There has to be some sort of protocol for
situations like this.”
I watched Dmitry walk about the room
strategizing as he talked to himself. We had
to get some kind of plan together. We
couldn’t just flounder around helplessly.
“Who is directing the search party?” I
asked Robin.
“Some of Fox’s guards survived the attack
as well as some servants. They are all scour-
ing the palace and the entire grounds,” she
replied mechanically.
“Okay, that’s good. We need to know the
areas they have covered and widen our
search if needed. And maybe even recheck
some areas just to be thorough.”
387/396
I grabbed onto her shoulder with she
didn’t reply. “Okay?”
She nodded.
I held back a sigh. “Can you do this for
me, Robin?” I thought giving her something
to keep her busy would help her grief.
“Yes.” Her smile broke through the sad-
ness on her face and she rose to join in on
Dmitry’s strategizing.
I rose to speak with Arrick in private and
caught him as he stared out into the dark-
ness of the night from my balcony. This is
where I had first seen him. On a beautifully
starry night, much like this one, but also so
very different.
“Was the city attacked?” I held my breath,
waiting for him to answer.
“No.”
I sighed in relief and smiled. “Then we can
get Liz and my mom, well my human mom I
388/396
mean and bring them to Naos with us.” I
turned to leave and tell Robin and Dmitry
my plan when I felt a lingering dread within
Arrick, “Hey, are you okay?”
“They didn’t attack the city.”
“Yeah, that’s a good thing.”
He shook his head. “Not entirely.”
“What do you mean?”
“Claire…,” Arrick looked at me as if he
were going to yell, but the anger in his ex-
pression didn’t reach his voice. “You’ve en-
countered these monsters. You’ve seen Baal.
Do you really think they would leave thou-
sands upon thousands of humans alive?”
After he had put it like that I had started
to doubt my answer. “Well, what reason
would they have then?”
“Food,” Dmitry said with disgust from be-
hind me, making me jump. “They kept them
alive for food. They are going to wipe every
389/396
vampire from the planet that opposes them
and then they are going to hunt down hu-
mans as they did in the Dark Ages.”
“Wolves after lambs,” Arrick sighed into
the night and Dmitry nodded. “They enjoy
the hunt, the torture and the kill. With us
gone and the power of all the regions they
can do as they please and live as the Gods
they think they are.”
“They were supposed to have all died out
in the Dark Ages,” Robin added, joining us
on the balcony. “I know the story of the Dark
Ages. Nicolae fought against them. When the
last of their kind died, he brought peace to
the world and divided the land into regions
and gifting them to the vampire warlords
who fought beside him.”
I remembered how Robin had told me
some of the story of the Dark Ages the night I
met Arrick and was bonded to him as my
Blood Mate. That night, she sounded so
390/396
proud of Nicolae and the vampires of our
history and how they fought against the sav-
age animals that shared our bloodline. Now,
it felt more like they were a completely dif-
ferent creature. It was scary to think we
shared anything with them, but they were
once like us. The glory of battle, the taste of
blood and the deliciousness of victory proved
to be too sweet for them. It had darkened
their souls and mutated them into something
else.
Could that happen to me? I had started to
enjoy killing The Dark vampires. I had star-
ted to embrace the vicious nature that
sweltered inside me. Did this mean that I
could change into one of them? Is that why I
could control the stones?
“They obviously didn’t kill them all,”
Dmitry said coolly.
“I just don’t get it,” Robin huffed and
slapped her hands onto the stone railing of
391/396
the balcony. “How could she do it?” Her
voice shrieked in frustration.
“How could who, do what?” Dmitry asked.
“Nyx! How could she allow things like
them to even exist? How could she let them
kill our families, my parents?” I rushed to
console her, but she pushed me away, “No! I
know they are gone. I can feel it. I feel
empty.” She sobbed fitfully. “How could she
make them so powerful and give us nothing
to defend ourselves?”
“They are not creatures of Nyx, Robin.
You should know that.” Dmitry laid a hand
on her shoulder. Whereas she pushed me
away, she allowed this. There was something
newly affectionate about his touch. Then he
saw me staring and his hand retreated. Sur-
prisingly, I wasn’t jealous at all.
“Do you really believe Nyx had a hand in
making them? They created themselves.
Products of their own monstrous nature.”
392/396
“He’s right,” Arrick chimed in. “They fol-
low another belief. Another God.”
“Baal,” Robin said blankly. “How can we
go against a God? Even if we do go back to
Naos and join with Claire’s parents, what
good will that do? What chance does any
vampire have against a God?”
I felt a little hurt by Robin’s words, but I
knew she had reached her breaking point.
“There’s always a chance. I survived, didn’t
I? And how do we even know Baal is really a
God?”
“Yes,” Dmitry said quizzically. I could al-
most see the wheels spinning in his head.
“She has a point.”
“What proof do we have that he is? Other
than that he says he is.”
“There is only one way to find out,” Arrick
chimed in, feeling the hope that our idea was
breeding.
393/396
“How?” Robin asked.
“Kill him,” Arrick and Dmitry said in
unison.
“Okay, well how are we going to do that?”
“Something tells me Nyx didn’t leave us
defenseless.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She did give us you, didn’t she?” Dmitry
said. “You are Nyx’s weapon against Baal.”
He sounded almost like an evil scientist, his
eyes wild.
Each of my three friends’ eyes locked onto
me in complete shock as realization hit them.
I could control dark stones, I could travel
through evil’s portals, and I had survived an
encounter with Baal. There had never been a
vampire like me before. The extent of my
abilities could be limitless.
In that instant I knew one thing.
394/396
It was me against the army of The Dark.
The stone statue of Nyx flashed in my
mind, her sword pointed fiercely into the
night sky and her hand outstretched to her
followers below, lifting them up to fight be-
side her.
Closing my eyes, I prayed, mentally offer-
ing my hand to hers. I knew I couldn’t fight
this battle alone and I needed to be strong.
War was looming on the horizon and it was
time to fight.
395/396
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