Indulge - Warm Delicacy_Book 2 - Megan Duncan

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. Al rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced 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/book.html

Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter_1 It wasn’t the sound of Arrick’s feet treading 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, unwil ing to let my heavy lids rise. “Not sure exactly. Somewhere in the outskirts. I’ve been driving non-stop al 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 smal , but helpful nudge from Arrick and climbed back, pul ing shut thick black curtains nestled into hidden compartments framing the windows. We walked in the forest in comfortable silence until the soothing bubbling of a smal creek made me smile in excitement. Arrick laughed at my amusement and sprinted after me as I charged for the water that was waiting not far in front of me. It felt good to stretch my muscles even though they were stil sore and weak. I could feel them repairing and by

the rumble of hunger in my stomach, my smal snack had not been enough to completely revive me. I smirked at the thought of considering Arrick a smal snack. “What are you smiling about?” he questioned. “Just excited to final y 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 protested the flirtation, though, not my heart at least I thought so. This damn connection 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 stil a girl and creepy crawlers wil never be less scary. “It’s safe now,” I cal ed out, dipping myself 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 human and with every bit I washed away my stomach settled more and more. I took extra care to clean around my already healing wounds. Thick scabs were beginning to form and though stil tender, my bruises were now yel owing. I tentatively traced my finger along the cut on my face, distinctly recal ing 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 remind me of that night. Though that was a foolish thought. I would never forget it. As I sloshed my way back to shore, a robust 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 watching him try to work and keep his back to me at the same time. “Are you going to stand there al 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 dropping to my knees near the duffel bag. I rummaged through and found a pair of jeans and a few shirts, al with the price tags stil on. I didn’t bother asking him where he got them and was just relieved that they looked like they might actual y fit. I dug deeper in hopes that he might have also snagged me some panties too and I wasn’t disappointed. They were stil packaged, and I pul ed 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 pul ed on the clothes and smiled at how wel they fit. Flannel never felt so good in al my life. I unhooked my bra and pul ed it out through my sleeve. There was no way I was going to wear a wet bra al night. I walked to the smal 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 hopeful y dry it and not catch it on fire.

Arrick rol ed 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 erratical y in the firelight. Arrick considered it for a bit before answering. “For a little while, and then we have to get going. But first you need to eat.” He tossed me a smal plastic bottle fil ed with 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 comment. 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 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 hypnotic and relaxing. Closing my eyes, letting the night fil my ears, I al owed them to draw me in. I could smel the burning wood, the freshness of the running water, dry earth and rotting leaves. I delved deeper into my senses, al owing 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. 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 al , 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 changing me in more ways than I expected. Hopeful y, they would al be good changes. I smiled inwardly at the thought and continued 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 smal accomplishment, awareness 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 confidence. What if it was Ana? What if she came back to finish what she started? 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 another being so in-touch with my thoughts and feelings. “I’m worried that Ana wil come after us.”

I waited for him to laugh at me, but he simply nodded his head. “I would be surprised 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 much as I want to kil her for what she did to you I wil say this. Ana is not stupid. She wil not lash out at you again quickly. She wil plan it out meticulously and take her time. She is as vengeful a vampire as I have ever seen and she wil not want to fail again.” He was right. Ana failed in her first attempt at kil ing me, but this time she wil 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 real y doesn’t make me feel any better. Do you think Luka survived?” If I kil ed 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 vampire’s nervous system. As much as I’d like to see him dead as wel , it might actual y be an advantage for us if he survives,” Arrick said. He reached forward and adjusted a burning log with his boot. “How? She’s going to want to tear my spine out for kil ing him!” I cried. Suddenly my throat was dry. I wanted to ask more, but that was al I could manage. Saying the word “kil ” out loud disturbed me. It didn’t seem real. Was I real y capable of such a thing? Al I

did was hit him in the head. How could that have kil ed him? Arrick fixed me with a concerned look and got up to retrieve the duffel bag. “Wel , if Luka is alive it’l buy us some time; Ana wil focus on him first. It is nearly impossible to separate a vampire from a wounded mate. But… if he is dead…” Arrick shrugged, withdrawing 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 kil ed him. Although I highly doubted I did accomplish such a feat. He was Dmitry’s brother after al , and I knew it would hurt him deeply. I never wanted to cause Dmitry any pain. “How could I have kil ed him?” Arrick looked at me with a grimace. “What’s that?” I pointed at the bottle Arrick carried, quickly changing the subject. Maybe I wasn’t ready to hear al the gruesome 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. “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 wil make sure you get the proper nourishment.” He waved the bottle in my face once more. Rol ing 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, fol owed 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 muscular face. I chose to obey and took girlish sips while I contemplated our situation. I had been attacked to near death, may or may not have kil ed my almost boyfriend’s brother, and now I was escaping to another region with 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 relaxed, not drunk.” Arrick snatched the bottle and stowed it

away, grinning. “Ya know, I’ve never been camping before.” 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 actual y quite peaceful here.” “That’s just the wine talking,” Arrick said. I didn’t agree, but decided not to harass him. I real y did like it in the woods and started to realize how much bigger the world real y was. So much bigger than my smal human dreams of living next door to my best friend and growing old with our husbands and kids. My world now was endlessly changing and I would live to see it al . Hopeful y. Arrick had pul ed a phone from his back pocket, and was now pointing it hopeful y at the sky, silently praying for a signal. “Who are you trying to cal ?” 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 cal ed me daughter, but my real parents. “We should tel 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 ful 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 fol owed Arrick easily back through the woods as our feet crunched against the dry forest floor. “No, it’s not that at al , Claire,” he said calmly as he adjusted the duffle bag to rest on his shoulders. “They wil be very happy to see you. It is just the wrath of Noire that they won’t be happy about.” “The wrath of Noire? You mean Nicolae?” I stil 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 stil think he is good, Claire, and…” He hesitated, trying to find the words.

“And what?” My mind rebel ed 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 understand. He wil do anything… anything to accomplish what he sees as right. That is what makes him different. That is what makes him evil. He wil commit a wicked act to prevent one.” Arrick rested his hands on my shoulders and I looked into his eyes. Our connection immediately locked as our emotions intertwined. “I’ve watched over you al your life, Claire. I wil 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 final y 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.

I fol owed 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 beyond 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 pul 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 rol ed down the window and stuck my head out to look behind us. “You felt that right? What was it?” Arrick pressed a button rol ing up the window after I sat back down. “Yeah I felt it.” 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.” 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 stomach grew queasy at the thought, but I was determined 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 excited 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 hiding for eighteen years in a different region. “I don’t know real y. I’m not sure I feel like I real y have a home right now.” How could I be excited? With my current track record something was bound to rip me from this new home soon enough. “Don’t let it get to you, Claire. You wil love it in Naos.” He gripped the shifter, adjusting 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.” 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. “Al the cities of the region are named after constel ations and stars, right?” “Yes, in honor of the goddess. In the ancient tongue it means, ‘dwel ing of a God’. In a mythical tale, the goddess sailed down from the sky on the moonlight in a ship cal ed Naos. That is how the city it got its name.” “Tel 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 is so clear that the moon reflects off it and lights the entire city.” “Sounds pretty. You real y 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 cal 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 hel out of me. Focusing intently on Arrick, whose brow was furrowed, I tried to pick up on the conversation. 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 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. “Wel ? What did they say?” “They got my message.” I hated that I had to pul every bit of information out of him. “Yeah, so… are we al owed 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 clarifying, “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?”

“Her name is Ione. You look so much like her.” “I do?” I flipped down the sun visor and opened the smal compartment on the back that revealed a smal mirror il uminated in a slight yel ow 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 real y hard? I looked to Arrick, whose expression made my heart pound heavily in my chest. His feelings for me hit me head on, yet I did not feel the same. A smal 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 verbal y expressed them. Perhaps I was reading the signals wrong? Maybe I was mistaking his devotion to his duty of protecting me for eighteen years, for love. “We wil 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 stil for very long. “That long; we are stil about a day away, and you can’t exactly strol through town mid-day now, can you?”

“No.” “Sunset tomorrow wil be perfect, Claire. You wil see Naos in its finest.” “Can I cal on Robin when we get there?” Arrick’s muscles tightened at that, and I continued 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.” “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 cal 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 wil ask the King.” I swirled in my seat and beamed at Arrick. I could tel he wasn’t happy about giving in but he attempted a weak smile anyway.

“I only promised to ask, so don’t get too excited. I don’t remember him being very lenient, 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 accident didn’t need to another one of them. The thought of getting to talk to Robin again fil ed 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 drinking 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. 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 bal . Wow, I real y was in trouble. My feelings for Dmitry were stronger than I let myself believe. 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.” Technical y 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, 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 wil be a little fuzzy, but you might be able to get some stations.” I could tel 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 surprised 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 purpose. Before I was assigned to you I was an ironworker. I dreamed of joining the Blood Guard. Then you were born and the entire region rejoiced at the miracle. Humans,

vampires and Blood Mates from al over came to Naos to offer themselves into service. 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 tel my comment came off as snotty when Arrick failed holding in a growl. “Must you always look at things so one dimensional y? It is not playing favorites,” he said, his tone rising in pitch. “It’s her granting the faithful a gift, so that they may live a ful life even with such a great sacrifice.” “What great sacrifice is there for someone who wil live forever?” Softer now, Arrick said simply, “Family.” I had hit a sensitive nerve with this subject 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. Wel , 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 smal way I guess that explained why he had me kidnapped. Only the Zakarians could have children. I should hate him for what he 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 Arrick wouldn’t start giving me the birds and bees talk, but I was curious. It couldn’t possibly work the same as it did for humans. Arrick smiled, “It is a bit of a mystery actual y. A vampire can be pregnant for decades or even centuries before she wil even start showing, if it even happens at al .” I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be pregnant for that long. I recal ed a girl in school who had got knocked up at sixteen and how much she whined about how terrible it was. That had to be nothing compared to years upon years of it. “So… Ione carried me for decades?”

“Yes. Or longer. There is no way to tel 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 stil don’t understand how it’s even possible. I mean… vampires aren’t human.” Arrick laughed loudly, which only frustrated me. Why was it that everyone found my limited knowledge of Vampires so entertaining? Irately, I raised my eyebrows and folded my arms at him. “Sorry. You just sounded like those human protestors who think vampires are some sort of undead, soul ess being.” I sighed heavily. I did worry that I was soul ess. That someday the animal inside me would consume what was left of the Claire I used to be. Sensing the emotions of my thoughts, Arrick grabbed hold of my hand. “You’re not, Claire,” he said reassuringly. “How do you know?” Hot tears of frustration 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 rol ed my tear-fil ed eyes. “I might not be a vampire, but I’ve been around them a very, very long time. If you were soul ess 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 stil haven’t answered my question though.” “I know I haven’t.” He looked at me and smiled softly, even when I raised my eyebrows defiantly. I hated it when things weren’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 swel . Arrick wanted family and valued it as much as me. It was heart-warming to know we had that in common. Maybe we real y 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 entering. This would be my last day’s sleep

before we arrived at Naos. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I prayed to Nyx that it would be a better home than the last one. Then I prayed that Nyx could even hear my prayers during the day, before fal ing into a deep dreamless sleep.

Chapter_3 The sound of the Mercedes door slamming shut startled me awake. I shoved the curtains away from the windows to see nothing but darkness through the dark tint. Just as I began to expand my senses to find where Arrick was, he pul ed open the car door swiftly and poked his head in, an excited smile planted firmly on his chiseled face. “You look awful y happy,” I said sleepily as I rubbed my eyes. “Very. Is there something wrong with that?” Arrick offered his hand to help me pul my cramped body out of the back seat. “No.” I rol ed my eyes, not wanting to have another debate with him. Final y free of the Mercedes, I stretched my arms and legs, al owing my muscles to flex. His excitement confirmed we had arrived, 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 hil there.” He pointed with a shake of his head and slammed the

trunk shut. “Okay…” I looked toward the hil that was aglow with the brightness of the moon. I couldn’t recal 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 outside 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 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 smal concrete path that led up the smal hil 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 exhaled 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 before me took my breath away. The city hugged the rocky coast, al owing the ful

moon’s light to reflect off the crashing waves of the shore. It was bathed in its beauty. The buildings were tal 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. Al were lined with roof tiles that seemed to sparkle in the night like a bil ion stars. “Wow.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. The city of Naos real y 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, 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. Al 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. “Wel , it’s amazing. I don’t real y know what I was

expecting, but this… this is real y indescribable.” “Wait til you are in the middle of it. It is like another world compared to…” Arrick caught himself, but I stil 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 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 ful 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.

I looked up at him, raising my eyebrows, but he obviously didn’t get what I was hinting at. “Which way do we go?” I asked. “Do we have to take back al eys?” I wasn’t sure if I could be seen in the city streets. A kil er 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’l see. Vampires, humans and Blood Guards are al equals here.” The al ey spil ed out into the city’s busy marketplace. Dozens of vendors had elaborate booths to sel their goods as people flowed every which way. Some carried recent purchases, others chatted with friends, and even more just appeared to be walking casual y, 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 smal , tear drop shaped vial fil ed 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, pul ing 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 smel instantly hit me. Lavender. I loved lavender. Wrist poised in front of my nose, I breathed the scent more deeply. The merchant lady grinned. “It’s lovely,” I managed to say after probably too many seconds of sniffing. The lady beamed widely and happiness expel ed from her with incredible force. If the entire market hadn’t already been so ful 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. I looked down at the smal 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 recal ed 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 stil 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, remembering the pasta I had in the kitchen with Robin. The scent made me miss her and my heart ached. Arrick quickly noticed I had fal en behind, but I waved off his questioning expression 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 discussion, so I hoped he wouldn’t pry. “That there is,” he sighed with satisfaction. “You stil

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 jealous 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 vampire named Dmitry. “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 determination set firmly on his hairy face. “I’l 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 chivalrously changed the subject, the smile gone from his face as wel . “Like I said before, you stil haven’t seen the best part yet.” “Oh yeah?” We broke through the seemingly endless crowd and

now found ourselves in a residential area. In the entryway of one of the 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 upward climb through the streets, toward the Château that lay somewhere beyond. I knew I should be more excited about final y being home, but it was hard having never known this home before. Not to mention that the last place I cal ed home, I was almost murdered in. But Ana didn’t win, and I stil had the fire alight inside me that was determined to make her pay for what she did. That much I was sure of. 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 regal y amongst its surroundings, as beautiful or more so, than the city itself. 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 watchful guardian than just a building. The thought made me smile. I inspected it meticulously in the moonlight 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. 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 tal 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 al neatly trimmed to line pathways or seemingly float over flowerbeds 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 hedges. In fact, maybe some night I might do just that. “I knew you’d like it.” After so long in silence, Arrick’s voice almost startled me. I had been lost in my thoughts and almost forgot he was even there. “I love it.” I ran my fingers across the leaves, al owing the sense of nature to relax me. This night was just about to begin and I needed to be calm and col ected. I was meeting my real parents tonight. There was no excitement, no nerves; was this what real peace was like? After tonight I might final y be whole and fil the missing void that has lingered inside me for eighteen years. Tal iron doors glowed from the entrance of the Château, the frosted glass al owing the interior lights to flow through. I didn’t al ow myself to hesitate as I watched Arrick grasp the cold metal and pul the doors open toward me. I stepped in first, the orange radiance of candle light hugging my skin as it covered me. I walked confidently further into the entry. Candelabras stood along the wal s 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 moment 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 usual y always in there first thing in the evening to get al the day’s reports.” It made sense, but I was a little disappointed and pissed that I wasn’t getting the homecoming I was secretly hoping for. Kidnapped as a baby, their daughter was final y returning home after al these years, and they weren’t waiting at the front door on pins and needles? Was that real y too much to expect? Apparently so. “Wel , 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 col ect myself and glanced around the entry once more before fol owing in his footsteps. I had not taken but three steps before I sensed someone nearby and a fragmented moment of shock that had coursed through Arrick. My vampire instincts kicked in instantly and I flew to Arrick’s side.

It felt exhilarating 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 backward, fal ing 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 final y dissipated. He focused on my face, 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 dol , 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! Especial y 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 pul ed her hood from her head. My mouth fel open in shock and guilt swiftly cut into my gut. She was just a young, human girl. Al owing myself 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 al 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 fil ed with concern, but my body stil tensed as he approached me. “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 stil angry about what happened with Ana. Sometimes it can take weeks before the rage wil completely die down.” He put his arm around me, causing 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 kil ed 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. “I’m not angry with you, okay?” He tried to reassure me. “You are stil a young vampire, and it wil take time to learn to control your instincts. Besides, I should have warned you.” “Warned me about what? That I’m a monster?” 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 cal 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 attention. So, technical y, it’s my fault.” Arrick smiled at me and I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing him, pul ing his firm body into a solid hug. He stood stil , surprised for only a moment 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 hal way 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 al 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 confident than I felt. Arrick let me hug him as long as I needed. When I final y released him, Arrick continued to guide us, me perched beneath his arm, until we came to an ivory doorway. It 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 wal s. 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 al 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 physical y, I mean?” My body froze as he approached me, sliding his finger across the faintly visible scar across my jaw. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. Every emotion in my body was clawing frantical y to gain control. I was ful of savage hunger to kil 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. Al 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 excitement. I could see in his eyes that he felt the same. Heat began to build between us and I sighed heavily with anticipation. Arrick grabbed me fiercely, but it only made our fire stronger. His lips pressed to mine as his fingers tangled in my hair. He lifted 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 pul ed me off him. I smiled, doe-eyed, my body and senses completely enthral ed in the rapture of pleasure, but his expression immediately extinguished it. “What’s wrong?” He released me, covering 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 pul ed away. “This!” He threw his hands up, frustration dripping from his voice. “We can’t do this. I can’t do this.” “Oh…” I bit my lip, my fangs nearly piercing the skin. The rejection hit me hard, but just as tears threatened to

fal , anger replaced it with intensity. “I get it. Perfect, Arrick. Always fol ows the rules, doesn’t want to get his hands dirty with a monster of a princess. I’l save you the trouble and say it for the both of us. Forget this ever happened. Let’s just cal it a lapse in judgment, shal 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 final y be clean and soothe the last aches of my wounds away under the water. 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 anywhere near me.

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 real y upset because he rejected me or because 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 stil holding onto Dmitry. I felt like I belonged in some ridiculous day-time movie. A girl torn between two lovers. Okay, they weren’t exactly my lovers, but I did care deeply for both of them, just in different ways. How could I ever choose between the two? Especial y 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 al ow my stomach to flutter the next time he touched me. At least I hoped it would. I braided my hair after partial y combing the knots out and wrapped myself in a thick towel. Before I opened the bathroom door I decided to pul on a

robe as wel . I didn’t want Arrick to see any part of me. The more coverage the better. I smiled smugly as I exited into the bedroom in a cloud of steam. Arrick was nowhere to be seen. 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 pul ed 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 rol ed 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, but it creeped me out that someone had entered nonetheless. Up close the dress was more attractive than I had original y thought. It appeared to contain the same sparkling gold that I had seen so many other places

in Naos. The fabric wasn’t the usual heavy kind like I had in my closet at Nicolae’s palace. This was light and airy, yet somehow stil 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 real y do the dress justice. Nor did I want to meet my parents looking like a slob. 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 pul ed out my braid and al owed 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 reflection. I was looking less and

less like my old self, and more and more like a real vampire princess. I had a new confidence about myself and I liked it. I smiled widely to admire my fangs. They real y were impressive. I looked so much like a ful grown vampire with them. I felt powerful and I final y decided I was going to ful y embrace that power. I’d been acting like a wimpy human girl for long enough. I was a ful grown, vampire princess. Like Arrick had said, there had never been a vampire 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 al by myself. I pul ed 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 stil 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. For a few seconds he gawked, inarticulate, until I final y broke the silence. “Did you need something?” Arrick blinked repeatedly before pul ing 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 infuriated me. Neither my attitude, nor my new confidence were having any further effect on him. “Aren’t you going to change?” I asked, noticing he was stil wearing last night’s clothes. He considered himself, frowning. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” “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. Especial y when he continued to be pleasant and polite, no matter how rude I was. “I don’t know.” It was the truth. I stil hadn’t quite sorted out my feelings. Maybe when I actual y met them, I

would know what I real y felt. “I can’t imagine what it must feel like, but I know they wil love you. They already do.” 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 stil 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 owed me wherever I went. I was a cursed monster, but hopeful y not for long. I planned to embrace al my abilities, make my parents proud and take my life into my own hands. No one else but me was going to decide 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. “Wel … this is it.”

He placed his hand on my arm, but it didn’t contain any of the passion we had previously shared. “Don’t sound so sad. You should be happy.” He smiled reassuringly and I returned it, against my previous refusal. It was real y 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, al owing a whoosh of air to fly over me. 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 fol owing a few steps behind me. The right side of the throne room was open to a lengthy balcony that covered the entire wal , like the room I had changed in. Thick velvety gold curtains were pul ed 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. My mother and I locked eyes, and time seemed to freeze. She inhaled quickly, causing 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 dol , 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 chandelier’s light. Her hand rose to her mouth. Hot tears built in my eyes. Seeing our resemblance 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 moment not al owing my feet to carry me further. Ione rose from her seat, closing the gap between us hesitantly. I could clearly see the wet tracks of tears fal ing steadily down her face, which only made me lose my restraint 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 tearful y, 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 fil ing 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. 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 ful grown fangs might ruin the moment, so I kept my lips together and returned the smile as best I could. Movement caught my attention. Standing behind my mother was my father. A mountainous 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 al 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 powerful. He looked more amazing than anything I could have ever envisioned.

He was the one thing I had dreamed of al my life, and there 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 fel 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 smel and lavender. My dad smel ed like lavender and I loved it. I wondered if it was his favorite scent, just like it was mine. “Our daughter is final y home,” I heard my mother say as she rose to her feet. Emotion stil 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 mind at the thought of al I had missed. Nicolae 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 al 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 before me, looking into my eyes. “There is nothing in this world we have ever

wanted more in al our long years than to have you home,” he said. My mother walked to his side and they laced fingers, both of their faces fil ed 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 wil change that. What matters now is that you are home.” I nodded at his words as emotion took over me again and eased the anger away. “I’m glad to be home.” I real y was. “And, Arrick,” Cathair said, cal ing 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 magnitude 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 wel .

“Now,” Cathair said, removing his arm from my shoulder, “you must tel 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 tal and masculine, but seeing them walk alongside each other, I thought otherwise. 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 smal teenage boy beside him. I could feel my lips pul 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. There were many possibilities, but al of them seemed grim and led to one conclusion. My kidnapping, Ana and Luka trying to kil me, and Arrick stealing me away in the night during an attack on Palace Noire, al 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 al because of me.

Chapter_5 “She said what?” Shock rattled my voice. After Arrick informed my father of the events at Palace Noire, they cal ed a meeting and we al 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 recognize 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 fol ow you wherever you stood in the room. It was just darn creepy. I’m sure that wasn’t the goal of whoever designed the room, but that was definitely 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 seventies. My jaw fel open when they entered and they returned my shocked expression with kind smiles. The other four were members of what Arrick cal ed the ‘Blood Guard’. They were exactly like Blood Mates, except here they weren’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 immortal life just so they could be the best artist or cook. My mom interrupted our conversation and explained that those who were considered masters in their field achieved great respect and to become skil ed at something was a goal nearly every citizen of the region desired. “It is one of the most shared goals of our society. We al desire to do our part in making our region the very best it can be. Someday you wil find your heart’s desire and you wil 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. Hopeful y I could bring Robin here someday, and maybe even Liz. Maybe we could stil have the life we had always hoped for. Al 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.”

The room broke out in frantic whispers. I didn’t know what that meant, but it obviously 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 al ow 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 swal owed 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. “She tried to kil 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 al ow such atrocities to go on any longer. They wil 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, Jarvan,” he said. The man nodded, appreciative for the recognition. “I do not believe that inaction wil prevent a war this time and the stakes are too great. I wil not al ow them to take my daughter again.” His eyes flashed to me and my heart surged with happiness. My father wasn’t going to let anyone take me ever again. “No matter what decision we make, I believe Nicolae wil 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?” Jarvan, 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 another dark age.” I could sense Arrick’s frustration with Jarvan’s words. “They tried to murder her!” Arrick shouted. He stood, slamming his hands on the table. “I’ve watched over her for eighteen years. Silently seeing her live a life that was never meant to be hers. I saw a child 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 fil ed.” Sadness fil ed 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 ceremony; Arrick knew me. He real y, 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,” she said, her eyes flashing to Jarvan with sweltering anger. “If there are vampires in Nicolae’s region that are fol owing 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 stil 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 amplified my voice as I did during my coronation bal . I didn’t want there to be any doubt in the sincerity of my words. “I wil go

back if I have to. If that means it wil keep your way of life safe then I wil do it.” Jarvan nodded in agreement, and anger flared inside me. I knew this region was al about peace and avoiding war, but to me, he seemed like a coward. “No, you won’t,” Arrick retorted. “Yes, I wil . They want me. Nicolae wil 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 because 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 vampire,” Leona spoke up. “If you were to return, you would be a target. Nicolae would continue to use you to help maintain his authority of the throne. Especial y if he knows that there are traitors among his family that are fol owing a dark path. The risk wil be much greater than before. Sending you back wil only buy us time. It wil not prevent a war.” 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 wil 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 al . 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. “There has to be something else we can do. Can’t we send someone to talk to Nicolae? 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 wel that Nicolae wil 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 wil bring it to us. He wil claim that you were stolen from his palace in the night and al the vampires in his region wil ral y to take back their princess from us.”

“What if his throne was no longer threatened? Then he wouldn’t need me anymore, right?” I hesitated as my father approached, a look of interest on his face. He had been listening. “Go on.” “Wel … 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 Nicolae. 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 pierce his lips. “Maybe we can avoid a war after al .” 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 kil ing Ana. Not to mention discovering who was behind her evil deeds. I voiced my suspicion 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. Especial y 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 vampires who kil ed al living things created a kind of sect or religion that they cal ed The Dark. They were consumed with lust for kil ing and the power they felt when draining human life. The Dark wanted complete control over al regions, to be feared and worshipped by al , kil ing anything that stood in their way. My mother said she always feared that there were stil fol owers 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 kil ing their own kind they evolved into something else. Something 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. “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 fol ow in his footsteps and become a master at vampire history. It reminded 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 vampires don’t understand what it could truly be like. You don’t know what true evil looks like.” I swal owed 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 remembered what it felt like to have my blood sucked from my body. To be on the edge of death. “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 stil 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 probably rush to me with incredible Vampire speed. He smiled weakly; his old fangs were a slight shade of gray. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. “Sometimes 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. Especial y 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 al I think sometimes. He wil say whatever pops into his old head without even the slightest thought beforehand.” She smiled reassuringly. “As I was trying to explain, 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 blood is infused with a tear from the Goddess.” A giant question mark sprung onto my face and Leona laughed whimsical y. “Not an actual tear. Of course, the priests would never admit that.” Her smile was as mischievous as a young girl who knew a secret. “It’s real y just water that the priests bless.” “Oh.” I was a little disappointed with the revealed information. Sure, I knew it was incredibly 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 al owing her to see my face ful y. “Remember, it is the intent behind the act. The priests bless the water because they fol ow Nyx; the Blood Guard, or Blood Mate in your case, drink the blood because they want to serve Nyx and her creations and the vampires offer their blood so that others may fol ow Nyx as they choose. Do you understand?” It was confusing, but made sense al 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, fol ow and teach of Nyx, no one would know about her?” I hated always mixing up his title and

decided 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 stil see the hurt and anger in your eyes. Ana may be a young vampire, but she stil is quite old and you defeated her. In fact you held your ground 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. “Arrick 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 pul ed me into a smal hug and guided me out of the room. Arrick and Leona fol owing behind in whispered conversation. “You proved to her that you wil 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 encouragement 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 dining room. “Starving.” We seated ourselves and my father, fol owed by the Blood Guard, quickly joined us. The conversation was much lighter now, everyone talking about the customs of the region, or locations in the city with exceptional beauty that I should visit immediately. “You must take her to the temple, Arrick. She wil 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 dinner. My meals at Palace Noire were al served in little silver goblets, but what sat before me made a smal gasp escape me. A petite porcelain 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 never 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 hungrily 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 gril ed 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 disappointed. My father rose first, everyone else fol owing his lead. I stood up last, unsure of what was going on. We al 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 traditional, 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 toward me, smiles on their faces. Yet the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on 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 final y where I belonged, surrounded by my family. Nothing in my life had ever been this right before.

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; tel ing 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, wel , 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 patient. News that I was not longer at the palace must have definitely broke by now. Al 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. Al 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 al in big trouble. “I’l go. I know the city and the palace layout,” 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 wil be a walking target, Arrick. Just because the city is running normal y, doesn’t mean every vampire in that region isn’t aware of what’s going on. It wil only take one of them to see you. Just one!” Jarvan shouted. “No one wil 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 myself to my ful height. “He has experience in the region and I trust him. Arrick wil be the one to go. If you must” I looked to Jarvan with anger boiling inside me, “then

someone wil go with him.” My father’s smile peeked from within his beard, but quickly vanished when Jarvan turned his way. “We must handle this delicately, your majesty,” he said. “If anything goes wrong, we could turn the eye of evil unto 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. “Arrick wil go and get as much information as he can.” A few heads in the room nodded in agreement. 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 Jarvan 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 hel I would let anyone 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.” Something about him had changed since we had been in Naos. Being back home had made him more confident, more focused, making him al the more attractive. I imagined 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 expect him to get there, investigate and return 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 fel 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 fol ow after him. There was one simple request 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 Jarvan. I’m proud of you.” He lowered to my height to look into my eyes. “Always speak 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 smal giggle escape me. I stil couldn’t believe I was final y home. “Someday you wil 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 hal way in the direction Arrick had gone. Hopeful y, 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 unless 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 final y found Arrick after almost an hour. He was sitting in one of the smal prayer rooms within the Château. So far I had found two such rooms, 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 al night?” he asked, glancing up at me. “I wasn’t planning on it.” I replied entering 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’l 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 stil . “What’s got your panties al in a bunch?” he asked. Then, after a final look at the statue, he turned to leave. “You coming?” I sighed heavily and fol owed 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 sister 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 father’s advice I came right out with it. No reason to dance around the truth. “I wanted to ask you a favor while you are back in Nicolae’s region.” Arrick winced, but I continued 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 message, but he always refused. I didn’t have the guts to be asking anything of my parents, especial y 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 dumbfounded, and he turned on his heel and marched swiftly down the hal way. Seeing him walk away made my heart ache. I couldn’t let him leave like this. “Arrick!” 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 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 connection, I couldn’t sense how he felt. “I know how I feel about you.” My heart skipped a beat. Did I real y want to know? “Then why are you acting like this?” He shifted his weight, considering his answer before he spoke. “I’l try. I can’t promise I’l come back with any information on them, but if I see them I wil let you know.” He smiled slightly. I could tel it was fake, but I stepped aside and let him continue on down the hal way. He stopped and turned to face me. My heart fluttered hopeful y. “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 relaxed when I met up with Arrick later. Hearing the crashing waves, so close was

incredibly 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 texture 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 inside 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 al my family too in a way. They were al as dear to me as Ione and Cathair and even 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 al safe. The stars twinkled at my words and I smiled. Maybe Nyx could real y 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 surroundings. 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 standing atop a cliff, high above me. I stood frozen, staring at it, trying to push my abilities 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 stil very visible. Even with a sliver of moon in the sky, I could easily see the silhouette of a person. I took another step, the figure becoming the tiniest bit clearer. They were hooded, a tal 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 missing piece we needed to keep The Dark from stealing the throne from Nicolae. I sprang - and the figure threw something at their feet. A cloud of purple smoke enveloped them. I propel ed my body faster. My muscles were warming up to the task, the rocks providing easy leverage to climb upward 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.

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 watching me or was it someone else? A member of the The Dark spying, keeping tabs on me? I knew I should probably tel someone, but what could I real y 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 vampires 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 affecting his duties. I quickly washed my face and ran a comb through my hair before heading for the gardens to meet Arrick. Almost as an afterthought I splashed some of the lavender perfume he had bought me and headed out the door. I knew I was probably late to meet him, but hopeful y he would stil 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 grateful y. “I wouldn’t miss it.” I tried to sound excited in hopes to ease his nerves. “Where are you taking me?” His face lit up and I could feel his body relaxing 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 emotions. 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 tel him. It would only distract him from what he had to do if he was constantly worried about my safety. Besides, what could I say? I saw some creepy person at the beach and when I

chased them down they disappeared 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 total y 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 mountain 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 footfal s and resonate in the night. Their meaning weighting them down heavily. 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 emotions 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 intently focused on our path, either to be certain 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 comforting 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 smal of my back as he pointed with the other to a fork in our path. It zigzagged upward on the smal mountainside. I looked up to see were they led, but I could spot only a smal 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. Arrick was as intent on our path as he was before,

but there was a smal smirk on his lips, too. He had felt the smal flicker of passion 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 stil lingering on his voice. He knew I was deliberately trying to change the subject. I was actual y 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 anything any knew couple could ever imagine. Stil , there was something new and exciting and magnetic about him. No matter how hard I fought it, I would always get pul ed 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 celebrated for weeks after I had been born. “It’s weird to think you’ve known me that long.” “Geesh, thanks.” He rol ed his eyes and smiled at me. “You know what I mean!” I replied exasperatedly. “Not creepy weird. I mean, you’re 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 ful y. “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 al .” Arrick pretended to be hurt and sauntered off. I laughed al 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 another level. Sure, we were eternal y bonded, drawn together like two magnets, but knowing 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 al endlessly interesting to me. It made our connection

that much more intimate and less like it was based solely on our bond. But that didn’t happen, because the temple final y came into view and stole my breath away. I had wanted to know more, but the colossal ivory columns circling around the temple and its domed roof, cleared my mind of al 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 tal 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 support, walking with my head permanently tilted upward. The temple seemed to grow tal er the closer we were. “It’s huge!” I exclaimed. I fol owed Arrick up the stone steps leading into the temple. The columns swal owed us in darkness, the outside world disappearing with every step inward. “You haven’t even seen the best part yet.” He tugged me along behind him, my attention locked on the building around me. My vampire eyes quickly adjusted, only magnifying 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 connection with Nyx,” he said knowingly. I felt as close to her as I did the night I was turned, only without the pain. This sensation was definitely preferable. Inside the temple, the columns continued lining the wal s. There were huge candles flickering in the night air yet stil maintaining their flames. Baskets of flowers, cheeses, breads, intricate fabrics weaved with golden fibers, scented oils and an endless assortment of other items lined our path. Offerings to the Goddess Nyx. When word got out about The Dark I imagined these wal s would carry many more offerings. I hadn’t realized we had stopped until Arrick pul ed 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 capture a softness in her expression

that traveled to her eyes like limitless pools of love and respect. Her body was curvy and 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, pul ing 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 pul ed 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 structural y sound. If it were any tal er it would col ide with the stars. The domed ceiling was completely glass, open to the night sky and al its splendor. I took three steps further, my knees wobbling 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 enraptured 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 affectionate gaze, her left arm lowered as if she 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 offering help to a fal en comrade? Was the artist trying to depict that Nyx would always fight and be there for us, offering her hand? Al 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 smal of my back. He guided me closer toward the statue. It stood in the center of a pool of simmering water, much like the liquid that was used during a Blood Mate ceremony. “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 stil 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 emotions 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 focused every ounce of my being into my prayer. 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 ful of love and devotion it was hard to know where it began or ended. It was hard to tel through our connection 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 innocent, 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 confusing 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 al . Disappointment quickly coiled around me. “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 recal ed 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 emotions hit me ful on. I shuddered. “But you don’t want me,” I whimpered, surprising myself and bit my lip. I hadn’t meant to say that aloud. 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 describe his feelings. “Then why did you turn me down?” I broke the silence between us, his eyes flickering in almost panic. I had never seen him like this before. He was always so calm and col ected. “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 for Dmitry. I felt ashamed, embarrassed and confused al at once. “I…” I couldn’t think of what to say. He was right. I did stil have feelings for Dmitry. He was my first real crush and I fel quick and hard for him. It wouldn’t just disappear. Al 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 swal owed hard like the word was bitter, then finished, “Kissed.”

“I don’t mean to,” I pleaded apologetical y. “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 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 ful 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 loyal to her and their bond. She had found a way to make things work between her, Nicolae and Fox. Why couldn’t I do that with Arrick and Dmitry? I scooted closer to Arrick, hoping that closing the gap would give him some comfort and cool his anger. “I care about you, Arrick. More than I want to admit to myself sometimes. Every good thing I have ever had in my life has been torn away from me. Sometimes I think I am more afraid of a good thing than a bad thing. Does that make sense?”

He nodded, but stil 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 ful y. “I know it wil 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 ful of emotion as words came spil ing out. “I try to remind 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.” “I’m not just starting to, Arrick. I feel what you do, so in a way I can sense the emotions you’ve always had. I feel like we’ve always 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 final y 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 silently swore I would control my thoughts of Dmitry when I was around Arrick. It wasn’t 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 real y ready to fight in a vampire war? Al 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. We picked up our pace this time, having to race against the sun. It was kind of thril 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 stil exciting to race beside him and laugh al the way. At the main entrance to the Château I entered less hesitantly than the first time. The curtains were al

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 fil ing every pore of my being. “Sweet dreams.” He leaned in and his urge to kiss me wrapped around my body like a warm, comforting blanket. I welcomed it. My mind was fil ed with nothing but contentment. But he hesitated, and instead planted a firm kiss on my forehead. I was a little disappointed 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 hal way and disappear before heading to my room.

Chapter_8 The Château was unusual y quiet and I made my way back to my room without seeing 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 al 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, letting the light of the few candles dance across the wal s. Since coming home, the hole in my heart had been fil ed, but nothing in my life had become less complicated. A war was brewing on the horizon, Ana was out there somewhere planning how to kil me, a mystery figure was watching me in the darkness and Arrick was… wel after tonight I knew I wouldn’t be fighting

my feelings for him any longer. When I awoke the next evening, the worries of the night were stil heavy in my mind. I snuggled deeper into my covers, not wanting to face the night. I wondered if Arrick had left yet. We should at least say goodbye to each other. I rol ed over to face the door, trying to talk myself out of getting out of bed when something caught my eye. Lying atop the thick, white down comforter on my bed was black spot. I sighed thinking 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 al owed it to sparkle on its surface. 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 emanated 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. 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 al thought they were. I flew through the open doors of my father’s strategy room. He, my mother and Jarvan were deep in conversation, al 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 the whole time. My vision swirled for a moment before coming back into focus. “What’s wrong?” my mother asked concern 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 fel down into a seat, realizing the effects of the stone stil plagued me. Fear stil squeezed my insides, but the sight of my parents was slowly overcoming 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. “Tel 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 normal 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 recal ed 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 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 tol 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 fil ed my nostrils as she walked by and my eyes flashed open. She sat across from me again, her eyes closed and her head 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 fel 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 tel myself he would be back soon to keep from crying. I didn’t like this new emotional side that the stone had pul ed out of me. I felt like I was fal ing apart. Final y, a long time later, a loud noise startled my mother and I awake. We must have fal en 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 wrapped around the ebony wood in a seemingly endless scene of misery. Recal ing 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 stil red, but anger and dread were clearly visible. The stone had the same effect on him. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved 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 fel back into his seat. “Al the stars in the heavens,” she said, her chest rising and fal ing 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 pleading anyone to speak up and confirm what my instincts were tel ing 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 al my life.” Jarvan nodded, clearly agreeing that he knew that same feeling wel . I sensed that this wasn’t his first encounter of a dark stone. Maybe that was why he was so cal ous and hard. I couldn’t imagine ever having to 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 unbelievably powerful objects. They take incredible power to make and require the ultimate sacrifice to make. The stronger the stone is, the greater the sacrifice was to create it.” Tears threatened to fal 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 release, wanting revenge on the bringer of this stone. I felt like the only thing my vampire instincts wanted was revenge. Like there were 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 becoming a vampire, that was pretty much al 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 unwil ing 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 spel that amplifies the feelings of the soul trapped inside.” My mouth fel open in shock. “So, what I felt… that was what someone else felt?” My heart screamed in sadness for the anguished soul trapped inside the stone. What had they died for? So, that The Dark could use it as their cal ing 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, 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 suspicious character. He looked battle worn. He had seen the Dark Ages first hand and it very clearly stil affected him. I guess an experience 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 return, when we could not even prove there were any left? If we had done so, it would have given them a victory in some smal 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. His brow creased and he went back to rubbing 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 wil lose who you are.” “Members of The Dark fol ow 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 person’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 eyes. Was the soul of someone Jarvan had loved, kil ed 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 almost 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 option. 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 wil 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 Robin, wearing their feelings openly, no hiding 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 question. 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 handsome. 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 just a gathering of the Blood Guard. We were preparing for an attack.

Renek nodded, not the slightest bit affected by the order. I guessed a captain would have to be prepared for anything. I certainly wasn’t. I could stil feel my nerves tingling inside me. I watched Renek march out of the room fol owed 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 tel were vampires, and others I wasn’t quite sure. They wore long capes, like the human servants of the house, except they had crests sewn onto the breast. “Who are they?” I whispered to my mother. She was watching everyone conversing, their hushed tones echoing throughout the room. And why did they need to whisper? We al knew what was happening. “They are members of the guard.” I looked back at the people and was shocked. There were two older men wel 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. “Real y?” 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 al of the guard is composed of soldiers. Being a member of the guard doesn’t mean you just guard the city; it also means safeguarding its values, traditions and skil s. Like the older man there, with the golden crest,” she said, pointing, “You see how he has an anvil embroidered with flames blazing behind it?” 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 skil s makes then invaluable. They must be informed of the situation, so they can help us to prepare.” I hadn’t real y 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 al these people, al 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 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 al 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’l 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 letting me do something. I knew I wasn’t helpless. There had never been a vampire like me 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 pul ed my shoulders back, standing as tal 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. Besides, you don’t want to leave her defenseless, 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 referred 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 al for it. Final y, something myself and the kil er 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 wel . You wil 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 cal ed. My stomach flip-flopped at the sight of him. He was nearly six feet tal 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 real y have to train with this guy? His neck was as thick as my thigh. But he certainly 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. “I am Eli. I wil train you. It wil not be easy, but you must do as I say and you wil 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 evil y at me, wagging his finger. “You are stronger than I thought. She wil do wel ,” 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 hoping I could rest before we started, but Eli didn’t have the face of someone who would al ow whining, especial y 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 real y gone. Deep down I 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 al . I was surprised by how disappointed 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 progress at the temple. Arrick and I were going to be bonded for al 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. I headed for the dining hal 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 real y did have a bigger impression 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 skil ed fighter. I hesitated at my bedroom door, fearful that a lingering sensation of the stone might stil be locked inside, but when I opened the door I was met with only a cool night breeze. My balcony had been ful y 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 hel 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 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 bal s or fancy dresses. Okay, wel maybe bal s; 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. Ful y 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 wil look for your friends and ensure their safety, but you must promise me you wil stay safe as wel . I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. Yours, Arrick I definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Arrick did care for me after al . I hadn’t imagined 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.

Chapter_9 My plan to push my body to its ful potential was apparently Eli’s plan as wel . I couldn’t say that I thought he would real y take it a little easy on me, but the first night of training was a lot harder than I had expected. There were no warm-ups or stretches. We just got right down to business. “What is the first rule of fighting a vampire?” 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 fel onto the rug at my feet and clutched my stomach. Waves of nausea hit me, but I pushed them back. I rol ed over, putting al my weight on my feet and stood up. I could do this.

My fangs pierced my lower lip as I grimaced 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 toward my head. I knew he was right. I tried to clear my thoughts. “Now fight!” Eli hissed at me and jumped away from me. He twirled in the air and landed across the room, his arms raised preparing for my attack. My breath quickened as I focused. I al owed myself to just touch the surface and connect with my vampire instincts. I watched him, listened to his breathing, fol owed 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 kil er instincts inside me. 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 inside 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 final y 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 cal ed 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 real y al that tired. At least not from the fighting. If morning wasn’t coming, I probably would have been able to keep going. There was another feeling that was 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 wil teach how to land more devastating blows. A vampire can evade attacks easily without becoming 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 al 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 living quarters and I waited for two Blood Guards to pass by before I continued. “Wel , 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 skil s 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. When Eli final y 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 letter 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 real y 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 pul 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 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 real y 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 hal way, 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 they stil 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 hal way, 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 al ; 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 hal way, my feet squeaking on the floor. A Blood Guard eyed me wearily as I approached the 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 wil want me in there.” My tone grew annoyed. “He said no one. No even the Queen was al owed to enter.” My eyes widened in surprise. “Real y? Where is she then?” “I believe she is in the dining hal , Princess.” 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 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 rol ed my eyes and turned away to head toward the dining hal . That Blood Guard was super annoying, but I couldn’t blame him for fol owing orders. Especial y 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 al owed loose strands to fal 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 yel ow rose petal with hints of pink floated atop the surface. I could tel she hadn’t touched it. “Are you okay?” I was concerned for her. Seeing such a powerful vampire look so sul en and defeated wasn’t a good sign. I needed her to be strong. Not only for her, but for me too. “I’l 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 shel 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 rol ed 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 ever had. The rose petal gave it a sweet, earthy taste. Next family dinner I was definitely going to request it. “So, shal 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 wel 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 ful y displayed. We squeezed hands and bolted out of the dining hal 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 pul ed the pins from her hair. It fel 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 daughter, 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 was, I did not doubt for a second that she could look very intimidating if she wanted to. As I fol owed behind her I could feel the power emanating from her. She was a focused 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 fil ed with several Vampires and Blood Guards, but there were only four seats fil ed, 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 judging eyes piercing in my direction. I sighed inwardly. I real y 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 immediately got up and left, but when my father waved toward Renek he nodded and continued. “Very wel . As I was saying, the city has been secured. We have notified al 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?” Jarvan interrupted. “I did,” Renek said clearly annoyed. I would be too if I were him. Sometimes I thought Jarvan thought he was the one cal ing 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 al the major cities with precise instructions. I know first-hand the severity of contact with dark stones.” He glared at Jarvan, his scared forehead wrinkling. I was real y 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 yel owed edges and brown spots. Robin and her family would probably love to see them. They loved any form of history. Goddess, I missed them. For a time, everyone was silent - then my father looked up and dismissed the gathering. “You can go. That’s al for now.” The room al rose, col ecting their things and exiting. “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 real y disappointed that we had missed nearly the entirety of the meeting. Stil 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 weren’t invited to.” I wasn’t sure if he was seriously annoyed or joking with us. I glanced at my mother for 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 tel when you’re being sarcastic.” I looked to my father, relief fil ing me. I real y 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. The heaviness of his emotions was temporarily gone from his handsome face. “Come, child,” he said, patting the chair to his immediate right. “Tel 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 triumphantly. 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. “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 tel 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 playful y jabbed at me and I blocked him swiftly, causing a deep laugh to rol 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 anything to make things how I wanted them, to maintain my throne and reign of power? In a way, I guess I could say I was. Before Ana tried to kil me I felt wil ing to do anything to protect Nicolae and the rest of Palace Noire. Even now, I was wil ing to do anything to protect the ones I loved from The Dark. But would I be wil ing to do anything to stop them? I could only imagine how horrific things could

end up, and I how far I was wil ing to go to protect the ones I loved. What real y frightened me was that deep down I knew the answer. I would do anything. My thirst for revenge stil 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 al I could do.

Chapter_10 I wasn’t sure how long I had sat there lost in my thoughts, but it was nice that my parents let me think without interruption. At least until the sound of Renek’s armor clanking from the end of the hal way grabbed my attention. I looked up to see him enter the room and I smiled. I was getting better at focusing 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 prying? 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 valuable information. Maybe I could discover 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 before, 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 remained 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. I looked to Renek one last time before leaving. His eyes were softer than before and I hoped he accepted my apology. Hopeful y, he would think I

was just a curious new vampire, testing out my abilities. And that was the truth, technical y. 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. “Final y decided to join us?” Eli asked. “Sorry, I got wrapped up talking…” Eli cut me off. “I don’t care what you were doing. Just don’t be late again.” Great. That’s al 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 real y excited about tonight’s training. 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 tonight. 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 attack, but you also need to learn how to weaken your enemy when the opportunity presents itself. You won’t get many chances, especial y 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 pupils in this area. His percentage rate for landing 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 rol to the right and spring into action, diving over him as he lunged at me. He groaned in frustration. Apparently he thought I was going 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 attack me. I flipped backward to avoid his long leg as he propel ed 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 ful -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 the last second and readied my stance to jump upward, al owing 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 incredible force. I hadn’t expected it and the attack caught me off guard. I slammed onto my back, the weight of his body fal ing 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 al ow that anger to take over me. Who knew what could happen. 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 real y be beating Eli’s best fighter? I couldn’t help but let a smal 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 stil 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. 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, stepping on the mat. “Now you know the most vital area to defend.” He approached me and lifted my head. Tears of rage fel down my face, my mouth stil clenched in frustration. “Relax,” he said patting my chin. Eli surveyed my neck, but I ignored him as I watched Bennett fal into a chair. His pale face was stil 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 stil thoroughly pissed he beat me. Doing his best to avoid my gaze he squirted water on a smal 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 wel .” “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 contain myself if he did. Apparently, I was a very sore loser. I had never realized how 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 al owed him to continue

his exam. “Listen to me,” Eli grabbed me chin forceful y, 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 al . 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 fil ed 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 real y 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 connected 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, al ten of your digits in-between each other.” 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 curious about what I could do. “Alright. Break time is over. Claire, I want you to try and land the same strike on Bennett. This time he wil try to evade. Understand?” I nodded and focused my senses, tapping into my core. The last hours of training were spent with Bennett and me taking turns landing different attacks on each other. Aside from the throat, I learned other nervous system points in the body. The throat proved most effective, but the others were stil useful. There was

one along the spine, near the base of the skul ; 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 incredibly useful skil . I could have used that training when I was fighting Ana and Luka. I used to think it was sheer luck that I beat them 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 hal way before Bennett cal ed out to me. “Hey, Claire!” Trying to ignore him I quickened my pace, rol ing 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.” “Nice job tonight.” Did he seriously want to do this? “Yeah, thanks.” I tried not to wrinkle my nose when the smel 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. “Wel , 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 hal way. Bennett trotted up next to me. “Maybe we can train together sometime?” Was he hitting on me? I real y hoped he wasn’t. “I can teach you some moves that Eli doesn’t teach in class.” But whether or not he was hitting on me, that definitely piqued my interest. “Real y?” He laughed. “I thought that would get your attention. How about after training tomorrow 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 hal way. I was glad to final y 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 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 final y had an excuse. It was definitely secluded enough that I would have plenty of privacy. I dressed quickly and pul ed 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 al 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 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. Al 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 smel ed, except for the ones I didn’t know of course, but I stil 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 stil didn’t quite understand it. To me it sounded like a miracle from Nyx. “Nyx blesses the Vampire, al owing a tiny bit of their humanity to filter out of their being 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 conversation 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 fel into a deep depression. 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 stil so very kind and loving that I didn’t think Nyx had taken too much of her humanity. Besides, what would be the point of al owing a vampire the miracle of child birth, if you were going to take al their humanity to do it and create a monster? It didn’t make sense and would total y 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 regions?” 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 impossible 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.” 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 stil kind of felt like a science experiment, 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 special. 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. Sometimes I see so much of myself in you. I don’t feel like I sacrificed anything at al because it is alive in you.” As I recal ed the memories I reached the eastern edge of the gardens and hopped the hedge with the smal est of effort. I was real y starting to enjoy this new power and used al my efforts to focus my connection. With practice, I hoped the connection would come natural y 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 further, stretching as far as I could, and nothing. 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 lighthouse. From up close, it was much tal er than I had thought. The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore below traveled upward noisily, fil ing 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. I walked in and closed the door behind me. A smal living area was arranged before massive metal stairs that swirled upward. There were two couches covered in cloth along with a smal table. A stone fireplace sat empty between two tiny windows, a smal 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 final y reached the last step I was in complete awe. The view was unbelievable. I rushed to the edge of the glass and looked out onto the Château. Focusing 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 window, 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 recal ed 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 anymore. 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 symbol of Nyx’s arrival. Wouldn’t lighting it give 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 below 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 al 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 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 kalidespoed downward, giving me the sensation that I was flying toward it. I wasn’t. I was stil 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 propel ing them back 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, sadness, joy, excitement. Every mood bolted into 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 tel which direction it was coming from, but I knew what it was. I knew what it was al too wel . Anger. 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 tel who and where this person was. This could al 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 fel backward, my head cracking against the lantern behind me. I could feel hot blood pouring from the wound, but al I could think of was that I failed. I was so close, but I couldn’t hold on any longer. I rol ed 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 blushful pink. The sun was rising. 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 pul ed 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. Final y reaching the bottom, I used the last of my energy to crawl under one of the sheet covered couches and col apse. Sleep came quickly, but fitful y. 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 dreamless sleep. 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 al . I didn’t want to think about how stupid I had been and what a failure I was. I tried to use my powers - al my powers - and I knew it nearly kil ed me.

Chapter_11 Dusk final y arrived after what felt like an eternity. I lifted the edge of the sheet cautiously. 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 bil owed 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 fingers 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 pul ed my hood over my head. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the night. The warmth of the day stil 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 apse on my way… wel , 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 Arrick was back. If he were here I would sit here on the ground and cal 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. Physical y 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 tonight? I didn’t think I even had enough energy 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 entrance, my feet heavy and thick with mud.

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 tel 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 al . You know Eli, he’s a strict teacher.” I forced a smile and continued on down the hal way as natural y 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 tel 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 al day. I made my way up to my room as quick as I could and tried to avoid al 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 final y 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 myself. That’s al . I won’t push myself so hard next time. Slow and steady wins the race, right? I walked to the bathroom and rested my body against the counter. My legs were growing 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 real y 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 pul ed 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 rapidly. Three swal ows later, the tal glass was empty and I licked my lips. The maid stared 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 al 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 never said more than a few words to her, but her feelings were strong. “Please don’t tel 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 me so long ago? No, I’d never tried that before and I didn’t want to use any abilities until I could rest. “You shouldn’t sneak off with him, princess.” Sneak off with whom? What was she talking 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 hal way.

He tries to act, so innocent with al 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. Especial y 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 believed me, because she let out a sigh of relief and nodded. “Could you bring me more please?” I was tired of talking to her and just wanted to clean myself up. When she final y nodded and walked away I al but slammed the door behind her. Final y. Peace and quiet. The shower was ecstasy. The hot water soothed my aching body and warmed my muscles. I was stil showering 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 real y didn’t feel like talking. She left silently, 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.

I knew training would come al too quickly, so I didn’t even bother getting dressed. I stayed wrapped up in my robe and curled into a bal on my bed. The thick comforter felt like a giant pil ow and I fel 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 vampire 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 avoid the subject altogether if I got her talking about something else. “I’ve got to get ready for training,” I cal ed 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 bathroom door. “It was good. Eli had me training with Bennett. I didn’t make it easy for him.” I was stil 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 pul ed shirt over my head, my voice muffled. I heard my mother sigh loudly. It was more sad than anything. “I know you are worried about Arrick, but he wil 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 wil 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 before leaving. I was stil 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 tel her. What parent would want to know their child had almost kil ed themselves by being so careless? Practicing abilities they knew nothing 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 al wel 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, because you wil 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 al and had none left after 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 going to actual y 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. Predicting their movements. 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 going 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 bil owing 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, al owing my bound arm to face away from Bennett. He would think I was trying to protect it. I wasn’t. I was making him do what I wanted him to do. I ran at him, raising my good arm like I was going to swing at him, but he jumped. Summersaulting 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 untied my arm. I shrugged. “I don’t know. It just came to me.” I flashed my fangy smile toward Bennett. Hopeful y 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. Eli was so impressed with my performance 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 tel 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 hal with my mother, Renek and a host of other familiar faces fil ing 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 stil in my sweaty training clothes. “I hear you have been training with Eli.” I nodded and scooted into my seat. A servant 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 energy in battle?” I shook my head again. “That’s enough, Jarvan.” Leona hissed. “You should be honored with the fact that your princess desires to fight with you and not hide away in some southern city.” Jarvan just rol ed 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 ignored it. “So, al 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. “That’s enough!” my father shouted, bolting 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 accidental y de-pantsed her training partner. To this day she said she’d never seen a vampire so angry in al 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 al the more. I wondered if Dmitry and Robin were okay. Would

Arrick real y bring back word on them? Or maybe he would actual y 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 matter 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 another one of the great mysteries he and I were going have to discuss when he returned. My mind lingered back to my friends as I left the dining hal 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 imagine what he was feeling. The image of his face twisted in sadness pul ed at my heart. I missed him more than I realized. Could I have kil ed 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 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 real y 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 real y 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 stil couldn’t picture him as the evil Vampire King that everyone said he was. Did I just have a soft spot for him, or was there good

in him that only I could see? What had he real y done that was so evil? Okay, he had me kidnapped. Sure, that was real y messed up, but was it evil? He did it to protect his throne, to protect his region from The Dark. They were clearly an unimaginable, formidable evil. I couldn’t blame him for acting in fear. Could I? As always my vampire instincts disagreed, but my heart held out hope. Was it the bit of humanity I was born with from my mother, or was it the blood of Nicolae that made me a vampire? I guessed I would never truly know.

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 immediately after I opened the door. “Yeah, just a minute.” I left the door open just a crack, hoping that he would stay in the hal way. 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 al night, but with so much security around, al 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 pul ed on my sneakers and tugged snuggly on the

laces. Did I real y want to tel 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 tel me what you’re going to be teaching me first.” “It’s better if I show you.” Was he trying to be macho, or was he flirting 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’l admit, he was an excel ent 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 bedroom door behind us and we walked down the hal way. I hoped the maid wouldn’t see us. I didn’t need her getting al worried about me being around Bennett. I could handle myself around him, that much I was certain of. “You could say that. Real y the only person that would be pissed is Eli. He thinks higher level fighting skil s 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.” “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 real y 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.” “Al 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.” “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 al 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 al doom and gloom, but Bennett real y was right. He was building

his own little army, training al the newer fighters as best he could. It was kind of noble what he was doing, making sure everyone was capable of defending 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. “I never said that.” I stil wasn’t sure I wanted to tel 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 real y 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 stil damn impressive. I plan on

teaching it to the other students. If you don’t mind?” I smirked. “Nope. I don’t mind at al . Just make sure you let them know who taught it to you.” “You got it, smartass. In al seriousness though, it might save someone’s life. You never know.” “Can I ask you something?” Al of Bennett’s openness about the war real y made me think. “Do you real y think The Dark is coming? I’ve been in some of the meetings and some people don’t real y 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.” “Hel yeah. That stone left in your room is their cal ing card. Trust me. We are deep in the shit.” “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 ower 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 original y 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. Half-way up the hil , 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 tonight. Now that I knew how to tap into al my power and so easily connect with it, I wasn’t sure I knew how to access just parts of it anymore. 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 recal ing the thick layer of dust inside. “Adventurous little princess, aren’t you?” Bennett said, clearly enjoying the revelation. “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 altercation I had with Jarvan. At least someone else around here appreciated that I was trying to help. I wasn’t going to let vampires, Blood Guard or humans die to protect me or this region unless I was wil ing to do it myself. And I was, except I was determined that The Dark would be the ones doing the dying part. “Not al 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. “I know.” Bennett became quieter than usual and I got the feeling like there was something he wasn’t tel ing me. I sensed his feeling of loss without real y 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 smal room. I fol owed after him, taking two steps at a time. “Come here often?” Bennett asked, taking in the view of the city.

“Only once,” I groaned. I real y hoped he wouldn’t ask what I had done here because I didn’t want to tel him. “Should we get started?” He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, 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 knocked on the windowed wal s 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 fil ed 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 skil s he taught me were stil 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. “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 rol ed 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 prepared as possible. As soon as we get word on what’s happening in the Noire region… who knows what could happen.” I stil held out hope that things at the Palace were stil in order, but the outlook was poor. “My guess is, if they haven’t heard ‘nothin yet, than that’s our answer.” He pul ed 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 behind the bottle. “I forgot. You two are… what do they cal 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. “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 narrowed my vision. Electricity was firing inside my body. Bennett halted to a wobbly stop beside me. “What the hel 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. Literal y. “Damnit! You sound like everyone else. If you want to stand around and watch everyone die then that’s your problem.” He rocketed past me with a throaty growl. He was going to get himself kil ed. I knew it. No matter how great a fighter he was, there was always someone better.

I fol owed after him, not al owing my fear or anger to consume me. This was it. The moment we had al 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 final y had them in my life. I pushed myself harder, the connection inside me sparking. I didn’t care anymore how hard I exerted myself, how much it hurt to feel the power burning through me. I was going to save them if it kil ed me. 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 vampire like me before. My abilities could be endless. My fangy smile gleamed in the night as I ran. I crashed into the wal of heat surrounding the Château. The entire eastern side -where al the meeting hal s, 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. “Fol ow 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. “I’m going to save my parents and kil every member of The Dark that I see.” The word kil felt alien in my mouth and was wrapped in malice and rage. Until becoming a vampire I had never wanted to kil 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. We ran in the direction of the screams to find a servant lying on the floor of a hal way, blood pooling

around her. She was cowering in fear as her life pul ed 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 floors, clutching the railing to propel us even faster upward. On the landing of the second floor, I could see the doors of the bal room 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 al like I had imagined. No nightmare could have prepared me for the evil before my eyes. They were close to seven feet tal , with thick muscled bodies and dark graying skin like flawless yet decaying flesh. Their mouths were an entire row of fangs and their eyes were bright red. Their hideousness only urged my desire to kil them even more. Vampires and Blood Guards fought savagely in the bal room. Their movements were swift and fluid, but they were outnumbered. I looked to Bennett for one solid instant before we bolted into the fray. A younger vampire lay on the floor, growling under a beast. Her stomach was a soggy, bloody mess. I knew the beast was going to land a kil ing blow on her, and so did she. The girl screamed in rage, accepting her fate like a true warrior. I swal owed 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 al . Al I needed was to taste their blood just once. 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 fingers, but stil I held on. It toppled backward, swaying unsteadily. Brightness began to seep from his skin like a 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 kil 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 bal room floor, it only further empowered the 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 dol . Even though I hadn’t recognized them, my heart stil ached and my taste for revenge grew greater. A clang of metal fol owed by a mighty bel ow 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 stil 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 predict their moves. A significant difference became instantly apparent. The Dark fought in 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 al . I breathed deep and focused my

wil as I weaved a fiery ribbon 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 understand, 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 fel 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?” 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 bal room. 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 tal er and I slapped him on the back. “Come on!” Everyone fol owed my advance as we charged at the confused members of The 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 fel over the bal room. The moans of the injured and dying fil ed 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 al owing the ribbon to fade, I ran from the bal room. I stil needed to find my parents. With any luck, I wasn’t too late. “What was that thing you did?” Bennett cal ed after me. I didn’t have time to explain it to him. Al I could do was run and fight.

Chapter_13 Bennett fol owed 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 al , and I couldn’t imagine another place in al 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 lifeless 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 al . 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 bigger than what was in the bal room. 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 bal room and almost twice as thick, were posted at the doors to the throne room. I was right. This was definitely their target and I’l 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, knowing they would take us out, we quickened our pace and dove under them as they leaped toward 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. Together 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 floor. It was a hideous sight. I felt

like a savage animal, yet a heroic heroine al at the same time. I would save my parents. I knew I would. I was ready for a gruesome sight as Bennett shoved the throne room doors open. I was ready for the pain of seeing my parents lying dead from their attackers. Maybe preparing myself for the worst would make whatever was about to happen be more bearable. 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 shadowed 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 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-chil ing 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 forward defiantly and yanked my arm away as Bennett tried to hold me back.

The tal est 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. But for a fleeting moment my father seemed to focus his eyes on me, registering my presence - and then he gurgled. It was al 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 thinking I would have to wait al night.” My eyes flicked rapidly to the beast sitting on the throne. I hadn’t even noticed him sitting there. He fil ed 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. “What do you want?” I stepped forward again. Bennett didn’t fol ow 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 fal backward in surprise. “Didn’t you know I was coming?” He walked casual y, 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 al regions 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. “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 irritation. Maybe they didn’t like being cal ed The Dark? “Your lovely mother here was just tel ing me you didn’t exist. Weren’t you, darling?” He purred at her and I saw her recoil. 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 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 real y 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 propel ed to my side again, but I held my ground this time. He pressed his sweaty face against mine. His rancid breath fil ed my nose as he whispered in my ear. “I have wanted to see this city burn for centuries. Al these pathetic excuses for vampires, wasting their potential on a mythic Goddess! Where is she now?” He 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 stardust and save the day. I knew it would be up to us to save ourselves. Baal walked steadily over to my mother, pul ing 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 kil him for hurting her, but what he said next stopped me dead in my tracks. “What if I were to kil 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 fol owers?” “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 wal s 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. One of them moved and I stopped, lowering my body, readying for their attack. But it didn’t come. Instead, the figure lifted their hood and my mouth fel 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 final y be mine. Just steps before I was within her reach she pul ed 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 wal . 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 heavier and heavier. My mind screamed in agony. My heart burned in sorrow. The sounds of Bennett’s screams were echoing in my mind. Somehow they seemed distant. Was I fading away or was he? Slowly al 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 spel on me and I col apsed 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 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 suffering 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 the hooded figure’s gut and slammed our tangled bodies onto the hard floor. I blinked in surprise, realizing that this stone was different. 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 specifical y 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 col ected 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 hel out of here. I knew I couldn’t defeat Baal, but I could at least escape his clutches. For now. Bennett sprung to my side, anguish stil lingered in his eyes but I could tel 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 al 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 unnatural y across his face. Baal’s eyes rol ed back into his head, only the whites showing through as he raised his hands to the ceiling. Unintel igible words came from his mouth, and he clicked his nails together. Was he going to cast a spel on me? I could only imagine that he was going to kil me in some horrific manner and trap my soul inside a stone. I couldn’t al ow that to happen. I yanked on Bennett’s arm, pul ing him with me as I swirled around running toward the beast holding my mother. I focused al 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 flying toward us. They definitely wanted a fight, sadly for them I had the exact stone to prevent 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 pul ed my parents toward the back of the throne room. There was only one door there and I 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 fel into my stomach like a lead weight. I could feel the air being pul ed from the room as his horde of minions marched toward us. The smoke was pul ing away and col ecting into a swirling black portal behind Baal. He laughed maniacal y, 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 final y, a seductive smile on his lips - and then he was gone. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Did he real y 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 kil ing her. No. There was no way I would let them get away with this. “Take her!” I shouted to Bennett. He rushed to my side, pul ing my mother into his arms. “What are you doing?” His eyes were watery and fil ed 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 princess. 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 chal enge 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 tonight, at least I would die knowing I did something right.

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 real y 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 kil 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, hooking 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 swal owing hard and pul ing it around my neck. My idea might have been crazy, but at this point, crazy was al 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 al be one step closer to getting the revenge we so deeply desired. The second stone burned hotter, answering my cal . 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 real y good at evading 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 could see them clearly in my mind’s eye. The father I had dreamed of al 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, al owing 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 wil as its own. My strength and the souls of 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 fil ed with confused shock. A tal , muscular minion landed a solid blow to my spine, sending me flying to the floor. The stones

around my neck clattered like glass. I rol ed over just in time to evade his claw-like hand flying toward my throat. A stone stil dangled from his neck. Al I needed to do was grab it and my power would consume him. 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 kil ing his victims before 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 skil ed of al the minions. If I could beat them, this could al be over. She flashed to his side, rage in her bleached eyes, yet stil 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 ready to fight her again? The fire for revenge burned within me, but the shadow of doubt stil 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. Something 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 bel owed without even realizing. I wanted to get this over with. He barreled toward me as Ana sprung into the air. How could I handle two skil ed attackers 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 was a fight to the death and hopeful y they would be the ones doing the dying. I stood my ground as long as I could, trying to predict how they would attack. Knowing my enemy had worked for me so far. At the last second I cartwheeled to my left, narrowly 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 steadied 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 desperate 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 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 bal room wal and used the thick, velvet curtains to pul myself up. The silvery glow of the moonlight mixed with the heavy candlelight of the room. Despite the circumstances, it was eerily beautiful. He looked down at Ana, clearly disappointed that I had pinned her, and then roared with rage. He clenched his fists, tightening al the muscles in his body, then turned his ghost-like eyes on me. He barreled toward me again like a mindless brute. Did he real y 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. I waited until the last minute again and then dove out of the way. Only this time, something latched onto my leg, pul ing me violently backward. His grip crushed

the bones in my ankle and their sound echoed through the room. I twisted around as he pul ed me toward him, turning myself over and slamming my free foot hard into his face. Blood instantly fil ed 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 released, yet the sensation stil lingered on my skin. I pul ed 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. I pul ed 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 coming, 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, demanding me to. I was swal owed by an overpowering urge to obey them. I rol ed onto my side, pain throbbing in my skul 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 unknown purpose driving her as she pul ed herself up to her ful height and shuddered. The bones in her body cracked, fil ing the air like a twig snapping in a quiet forest. With one last glance at me, she took off at ful 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 counting on me, I growled through the pain and stood up. Forcing myself to ignore the pain, I ran after her, gaining speed with every excruciating 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 spel and I couldn’t decide if it would be better to just kil her or try to break the spel 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 tel me anything at al ? 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 fel 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 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 possible. 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 al my strength, pul ing her away. The action seemed to have stirred a memory inside her. Recognition flashing fleetingly and fading just as fast, her face fil ed 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 if I could handle the weight of another tortured 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 pul ed toward the portal, the power of it was drawing it in, cal ing to it, sending a shiver up my spine. Something on the other side of that portal wanted that stone to return, or did it want its owner to return too? I looked down at Ana as she reached desperately to pluck the necklace from my grasp. I raised my hand, holding it further away from her, much like a bul y teasing a smal child and planted my foot on her chest, forcing 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. Just as I laced the chain around my neck I heard someone cal ing my name. The voice was familiar and I flung my head in the direction 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. I didn’t understand why she was so much more connected to this stone than the other members of The Dark had been. They al 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 relied on the one thing I was becoming real y good at. Fighting. I snatched her by her boney wrists and flung her onto her back as I rol ed 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 shel . 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 stil couldn’t let her get away. Whether it was me, the Captain of the Guard or my father, one way or another we would get answers from Ana. I pul ed 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 defender. As the body fel 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 frustration and she didn’t respond in the slightest. Her eyes were content to stay locked on my neck, at the stone she frantical y desired. The sound of bones cracking made the decision for me. The dark vampire kicked Bennett in his ribs, sending him rol ing across the ground growling in pain. Stil , 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 trusted 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 Bennett’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. The Dark vampire hadn’t even seen me coming. Al

his attention was on my dying friend at his feet, kicking him and slicing at him for his own amusement. It could have easily kil ed 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 al my weight I forced the blade backward, snapping the monster’s arms and driving the edge into the center of its back. I fel to ground as it tried to swipe at me, but its limp arms hung lamely at its sides. Stil he wobbled to me, unwil ing to give up. This monster didn’t want to fail its mission, but neither did I. I rol ed 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 al . It had to end now. The horizon was growing threateningly brighter. He took another step toward me, the blade stil 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 kil ed the last invader who threatened those I cared for would be burned into my heart and mind forever. I would 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 together with the same goal. To kil Baal, and destroy the members of The Dark for al eternity. I had tasted revenge and the blood of my enemies and I liked it.

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’l be fine,” he said, trying to sit up. “You came back for me?” “Wel , yeah. I couldn’t let you have al 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 fel back again. For the moment I had completely forgotten 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 fel out of my shirt and hung at eye level. His mouth fel open and he stared at them and then at me. He reached out to touch them and hesitated, 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 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 stil haunting him. I remembered the feeling and a shiver gal oped 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 real y care. These stones saved our lives.” I ran my finger across the stones lovingly. The connection with them was stil there. They were al 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, 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, merciful y, he shook his head. “Would I have kil ed 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 fascination 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 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 piercing 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 eternity, but it had to have been only seconds. Someone hunched over me. For an instant, I thought it was Bennett, but as my vision focused I saw the startling white-blonde hair of Ana. She was frantical y 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 swel . 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 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 stil bil owed powerful y on the hil side. 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 stil 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 hil side, but I prayed he would be safe. I prayed they would al be safe. 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 hil side and crash into the rocks below. I may be a vampire, but I was fairly certain I wouldn’t survive a

fal like that. I held my breath and made the final leap into the portal. Complete darkness consumed me and my body thrashed violently. I couldn’t tel what direction I was going, yet the sheer pressure of the speed felt like it was breaking every bone in my body. Screams echoed al around me in the endless darkness. 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 platter. How could I be so stupid? The disorientation was making me nauseous. It was so dark I couldn’t tel if my eyes 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 ful 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 attacked at Palace Noire and I could stil be dancing on the bal room floor with Dmitry.

My life was nothing like what I had thought it would be and as regret and sadness tore through my remaining strength, the darkness was devoured by unyielding, 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 smel of coppery blood answered my question. 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 rol ed over to my side, my joints cracking and popping. The smel of ash fil ed 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 area I sat in, and for a moment I didn’t understand. 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 stil 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 beautiful y, 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. Al I needed was some place out of 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 figures 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 adrenaline 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 my feet, glimpsing a huge dark figure standing massively before. It was just yards away. I crawled on al fours, unable to stand upright. Dirt fil ed my nails as I frantical y clawed at the earth. I dove into the shadows of the colossal figure, feeling only minute relief from the sun’s rays. The grass was stil cool in this shady place and it soothed my burning skin. Tears fil ed 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 al owed 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. “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 pul ed myself toward the trunk. Toward the smal semblance of safety I had. I had to keep tel ing 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 smel . 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? When I opened my eyes, I saw another shadowy figure some way off. The brightness was stil enough to inhibit my sight. Maybe it wasn’t a figure; maybe it was just a tal bush blowing in the wind. Was it windy? I couldn’t tel . The trees branches didn’t seem to be moving, but then again the ringing in my ears seemed to be canceling out al sounds of the world around me. The emotion that had hit me stil 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 possessed. 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 emotion that stil clung to me. It was familiar, but somehow alien. The shadowy figure was growing closer, but stil too bathed in sunlight for me to recognize. My ears rung

louder and louder, making me want to scream. I hugged myself tight, wanting to melt into the tree and hide forever when the ringing final y 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 al I wanted to do. “I found her!” a voice screamed out. Stil 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 spil ed out in a powerful torrent. Hot tears streamed down my face and I sobbed uncontrol ably as I laid my eyes on the beautiful y handsome face that ran toward me. It was ful of love and concern, and in that moment I knew it would be okay. Whether Arrick had found me or I had found him, I didn’t know - but either way, I could die happy.

Chapter_16 “Dear Goddess, Claire!” Arrick ran to my side, tears threatening to fal 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 ful 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 tel 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 wil ed 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 stil running, voices were shouting al 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. 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 fil ed my body, traveling, seeping through every vein, and stil I lay motionless, staring at him. He was fading away, yet his eyes were stil clear, stil 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 beyond 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 moments of true happiness I had found in my short life. Finding my true parents, having amazing friendships with Liz and Robin, being able to experience young love as my heart swel ed 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 smal slits. Soft candlelight glowed warmly, and my eyelashes broke it apart. The light seemed brighter than it real y 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 Arrick. 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 save me. I could only imagine the great amount of blood I would have needed. I let out a smal breath and a familiar rumble reacted from the foot of the bed. Louie. He cried out in concerned meows, running onto my chest to begin an immediate job of padding and head rubbing. “Louie,” I breathed tearful y. “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 smal 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 fal ing on my face. He let out a relieved sigh. His smile was ful 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 tel me. I was here at the palace and suddenly our connection slammed into me like a bul et. I felt how close you were and the pain you were in.” He swal owed hard, his grasp on my hand growing 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 questions. “I don’t know the extent of the damage, but I know my parents made it. I saved them.” Tears soared through my eyes again as my words released the depth of my emotions like a wound that wouldn’t heal. “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 fil ed 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 information we needed to discover when and if - The Dark would attack. I wasn’t convinced that Nicolae, or anyone for that matter could be trusted.” “I don’t think…” I began, but another raise of Arrick’s finger silenced me once more. I wanted to tel 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 was certainly something he didn’t want to do. In fact, I guessed he was quite the opposite. He wanted to take al the power. From everyone. “On the third night the palace was attacked. At first, I thought it was another raid by protestors until I saw them. I’ve never seen anything like them.” He trailed off, fixated on the image of evil he had witnessed that stil 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.” “There was such chaos. There was fighting and screaming everywhere.” He shook his head, stil not believing what had happened. I sighed. “Yeah.” Regretful y, 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. Swal owing 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 col ar around Louie’s neck. I dared to take one quick glance at Arrick’s face and the sadness I found made instant fear cripple me, “Robin?” “I couldn’t save them al , 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 wal s were burned and blackened. Furniture lay in splintered ruins. There were no fresh cut flowers to fil the chamber with their fragrant aroma. I walked on unsteady legs with a breaking heart and kicked a silver goblet that lay on the floor. It rung a metal twang in the air and rol ed in a circle, spinning. Movement caught my eye from the balcony as Robin came bursting through the curtains. Her tear stained face barreling toward me, her curls bouncing along the way. A broken, sad laugh choked out of me. We clutched each other in our arms and fel 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 imagine my world without her in it. “You’re alive!” She pul ed 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. 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 real y would be or not, but those were the only two words I could manage. The Dark hadn’t kil ed us al . There had to stil be some hope left for us. At least, I hoped there was. “What happened to you, Claire? That night at the coronation bal ? No one wil 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 al , but I couldn’t lie to her. She deserved the truth. “What did they tel you?” “First they said you ran away, but I knew that wasn’t true. You wouldn’t leave Louie behind and you wouldn’t have left without tel ing 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 tel Robin, Arrick just wouldn’t let me. “Then they said that the protestors attacked your room and kil ed 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 tel me anything and I knew they were lying to me.” “So, Luka is dead then?” “Wel … yeah, I think so. That’s what Fox told me, but I never saw the body or anything. 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 kil ed his brother then 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 pitiful y to console Robin as she uncharacteristical y 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 kil ed in the process.” She looked at me confused and I continued before she could unload more questions or curse herself further. “The attack on the palace was a set up. Ana and her family set it up, so that they could kil me without anyone knowing it was them.” Saying it aloud to her made the pain of that night return ful force, but I pushed back the tears and continued. “They tried to kil me and I kil ed 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 wal and al owing my tears to spil freely. “I didn’t mean to. I was only protecting myself.” My words were almost unintel igible through my snotty tears. Robin pul ed away and looked back toward the balcony. I spotted another figure, which walked slowly, hesitantly forward. Dmitry.

His once flawless face was now marred by three thick scars that traced from the side of his skul 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 stil 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 tel me I was a liar? Then, without even thinking, my body acted on its own and took the last few steps between us and fel 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. “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 beautiful y disheveled hair was gone. No longer did he look like the playful, curious Dmitry I remembered. He was a whole new vampire and like Robin, I could tel , he was forever changed by the events that had happened. Just as I was. We stared at each other somewhat awkwardly,

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 al sat down and I told them everything. From the moment I arrived at Naos to the instant I jumped into the portal 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 pul ed 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 curiously. “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 swal owed hard and continued. “No one has ever lived to talk about it. At least not that I know of.” Dmitry nodded as she spoke. 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 polish. It was dusty, its edges marred and darkened, but it was stil sturdy. Stil 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 stil hold my ground if I needed to. “What does he want with you?” Arrick asked. “I don’t know, but he seems to know something I don’t.” I hated the idea that another 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 bastard 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 immediately directing my eyes to the floor not wanting 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. “You guys didn’t see her. I don’t know what Baal did to her, but she’s not Ana anymore. She didn’t even recognize me. I know I should hate her and want her dead. Part of me stil does, but something is just off.” Arrick began to pace back and forth across the room and Dmitry crouched at the fireplace, poking at the smal embers, encouraging them to grow. “Where is everyone else?” I didn’t real y direct the question toward anyone, hoping that someone would answer. Dmitry immediately 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 fil ed her eyes, clinging precariously 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 al gone.” My jaw dropped in shock. I couldn’t believe it. “Everyone?” I looked to Dmitry for an answer as Robin fel 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 sorrow 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 kil ing 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 al .” A question mark formed in my expression and he exhaled heavily. “The bodies.” “Oh.” Robin’s body stiffened and I squeezed her against me. “Wel , that doesn’t mean they can’t stil 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?” “I do.” I wanted to believe that as much as she did. Until we found proof otherwise, we had to believe they were stil alive. Al of them. “Baal was definitely after me. He could have taken people in to question my whereabouts when he couldn’t find me here.” I hated to admit that I was the reason for another 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 al 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 realized it.” “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 direction 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 swal owed 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.” “And you said Ana jumped in before you did?” I nodded. “Then where the hel is she?” Arrick asked in frustration. “My guess.” Dmitry announced and we al looked to him. “Those portals take you where you want to go. Claire wanted to be here. Obviously.” 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 recal ed 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 revealed he knew what I was feeling. I wanted 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 anywhere they want?” Robin sounded exasperated, 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. “Al 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’l know what to do.” “Who is going to defend the city if we leave?” Dmitry questioned. “Wel , we need to find out if the High Council is stil in-tact. That’s a good place to start,” I offered.

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 wil need to be contacted. 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 wel as some servants. They are al scouring the palace and the entire grounds,” she replied mechanical y. “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.” 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 sadness 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 darkness of the night from my balcony. This is where I had first seen him. On a beautiful y 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, wel my human mom I mean and bring them to Naos with us.” I turned to leave and tel 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 yel , but the anger in his expression didn’t reach his voice. “You’ve encountered these monsters. You’ve seen Baal. Do you real y think they would leave thousands upon thousands of humans alive?” After he had put it like that I had started to doubt my answer. “Wel , what reason would they have then?” “Food,” Dmitry said with disgust from behind me,

making me jump. “They kept them alive for food. They are going to wipe every vampire from the planet that opposes them and then they are going to hunt down humans 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 kil . With us gone and the power of al the regions they can do as they please and live as the Gods they think they are.” “They were supposed to have al 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 proud of Nicolae and the vampires of our history and how they fought against the savage animals that shared our bloodline. Now, it felt more like they were a completely different 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 kil ing The Dark vampires. I had started 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 kil them al ,” Dmitry said cool y. “I just don’t get it,” Robin huffed and slapped her hands onto the stone railing of the balcony. “How could she do it?” Her voice shrieked in frustration. “How could who, do what?” Dmitry asked. “Nyx! How could she al ow things like them to even exist? How could she let them kil 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 fitful y. “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 al owed this. There was something newly affectionate about his touch. Then he saw me staring and his hand retreated. Surprisingly, I wasn’t jealous at al .

“Do you real y believe Nyx had a hand in making them? They created themselves. Products of their own monstrous nature.” “He’s right,” Arrick chimed in. “They fol ow 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 wil 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 real y a God?” “Yes,” Dmitry said quizzical y. I could almost 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. “How?” Robin asked. “Kil him,” Arrick and Dmitry said in unison. “Okay, wel how are we going to do that?” “Something tel s 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. 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 fol owers below, lifting them up to fight beside her. Closing my eyes, I prayed, mental y offering 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.