Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3)

by Frances Trilone

  “Are we lost?” I snapped, unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

  “I’m a wolf, Sienna. We don’t get lost.” He pushed aside the vines and entered what I assumed was a cave.

  I followed him, agitated I couldn’t see anything. Of course, Carter had no problem seeing, and it sounded like he’d opened a door. “What are you doing?”

  “Don’t freak out. I’m going to take your hand.” He took my hand as he’d said and led me into a room lit by a dim lamp. When he’d closed the door behind us, he pointed to the bed. “You can sit there.”

  I glanced around, not sure what to make of this tiny one room. No bathroom or kitchen. Not even a window to let in fresh air. Just modest furniture—wooden bed, nightstand with lamp, a bookcase filled with books, and a table with three chairs. “Why can’t I sit at the table?”

  “He’s afraid I might bite you,” a familiar voice said.

  I stumbled back into Carter, gasping and dropping Marie’s grimoire. “This is what you wanted to show me?”

  The table tucked into the corner had a fourth chair, which was hard to see because of the shadows in the room. The vampire from last night sat in this chair, covered in blood and with his arms and feet chained. He still wore the same black suit I’d seen him in.

  “Don’t be afraid.” Carter touched my shoulder. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

  I pushed his hand away, furious he hadn’t mentioned the vampire. He could have warned me. “What the hell is going on?”

  “My apologies, Sienna.” The vampire lifted his hands as if to show me the chains. “But your friend here doesn’t appear to trust me.”

  “He’s not my friend.” I glared at Carter. “What’s he doing here?”

  Carter’s calm demeanor turned to anger. “What do you think he’s doing here? You wanted answers, so I brought him here.”

  “Why is he bleeding?”

  “He wouldn’t talk, so I had to use a little persuasion.” Carter picked up Marie’s grimoire and tossed it onto the bed. “His name’s Devlin, and he claims he’s a royal vampire prince, whatever that means. He refused to say anything else except he needed to see you, and if I didn’t bring you, he’d hunt you down himself.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was here instead of springing it on me like that?” I asked, angry he’d put me in danger. “I could have brought potions and looked up spells to restrain a vampire.”

  “There’s no need for potions.” Devlin leaned back in the chair, his dark eyes watching Carter. “If you can trust this wolf, surely you can trust me.”

  “Who says I trust him?” I snapped, looking at Devlin. His short black hair was sweaty and messy, unlike last night.

  “You followed him here, didn’t you?” Devlin smirked.

  I sat on the bed and folded my arms. The vampire was right: I’d trusted Carter tonight. What the hell had I been thinking? Not only was I alone with a Kingsley wolf, but now also a vampire. Most likely a tatcho vampire.

  “How’s the other witch doing? The one this wolf had in his arms,” Devlin asked.

  “She’s fine, but one of the other witches is dead and another’s missing,” I replied.

  The smile disappeared from Devlin’s face. “Yes. I’m sorry about that. My goal was to save you. Not them.”

  “Do you know where she is?” I asked. “My friend who’s missing?”

  “She’s safe, and she’ll remain safe until Samhain.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Orla was still alive. “I need you to tell me where she is.”

  “Telling you would put your life in danger.” Devlin looked at Carter. “I need to talk to Sienna alone.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Carter grunted and bared his teeth.

  Devlin remained quiet for a few seconds while staring at me. “What did the High Council tell you about the prophecy?”

  I glanced at Carter, not sure if I wanted him to hear. “Devlin’s right. He and I should speak alone. He’s in chains, so he can’t hurt me.”

  “No.” Carter shook his head. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of me. I’ll hear it anyway unless you cast a blocking spell. I doubt you have fresh olden blood, and you’re not touching me.”

  Clenching my teeth, I turned my attention to Devlin. “They say I’m the Lost Raven from the prophecy. I was blessed by faes and born on a blue moon. I’m a Raven of Five, which means one day I’ll control all five elements and maybe become a High Council witch. They say I’ll be the one who brings the wolves to their knees and destroys them.”

  “What a bunch of crap.” Carter laughed. “They expect you to take down the wolves?”

  “Yes.” I shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable. Should I feel insulted he didn’t believe I’d fulfill this prophecy as everyone expected? I had taken him down during our last training session, but maybe he was right. Taking down a pack of wolves sounded impossible. “It’s all true. They say I’ll have an army when I slay a beast’s heart.”

  “I bet it was one of those vampires last night,” Carter said. He leaned against the wall, scratching the stubble on his chin.

  “The beast isn’t a vampire,” Devlin said. “It’s a wolf.”

  “You can’t know that,” I insisted, refusing to believe I’d have to slay a wolf. “Last night, you told me there are things I need to know. That I had traitors around me and couldn’t trust anyone on the High Council. Is this because of the prophecy?”

  “Yes.” Devlin nodded. “You’ve been lied to, and that’s why you’re in danger. Someone on the High Council is ensuring no one stops the real prophecy from coming true. They know if you find out the truth, you’ll refuse to accept it.”

  “I don’t understand,” I replied. “I thought all prophecies came true.”

  “No. Prophecies foretell possible future events, but nothing’s actually written in stone. Only you can stop the Dinescu Prophecy from happening. That’s what Marie told me,” Devlin said.

  “You knew Marie Dinescu?”

  “Of course. She was my contact at the Raven Coven when I needed the witches’ help. If she were here now, she’d be so proud of you.”

  “I don’t understand. You say I’ve been lied to about the prophecy, but that can’t be right. I saw the prophecy Marie wrote in the coven book.”

  “She only wrote down part of the prophecy. The missing part is about a demon named Vadoma. She’s determined to finish what she started a long time ago, but she can’t do it without a body from her bloodline. That’s what the Lost Raven is. A vessel for Vadoma.”

  Carter straightened, his face serious. “You’re talking about Vadoma, one of the old witches from Woodlake?”

  “You’ve heard of her?” I looked at Carter, wishing he hadn’t confirmed that Devlin might be telling the truth.

  “Yes, but they were stories made up by my grandfather, and she wasn’t a demon,” Carter said. “What he’s saying about you being a vessel is crazy. You can’t trust him.”

  “Why would I lie?” Devlin asked. “I’m bleeding and in chains. I didn’t have to turn up last night and save her.”

  “Who’s to say last night wasn’t a setup? You could’ve easily staged that attack to get Sienna to trust you,” Carter snapped. “She didn’t need your help. I was there.”

  “You think you could have taken down those vampires?” Devlin chuckled. “You against three vampires? They would have ripped you to shreds.”

  I jumped to my feet, blocking Carter as he moved toward Devlin. “Please, don’t.”

  Carter’s eyes softened before, surprisingly, he backed away and returned to leaning against the wall. “You can’t take his word for it.”

  “I know, but something tells me this vampire’s no fool.” I turned to face Devlin. “You wouldn’t have come all this way without proof. Where is it?”

  “The proof is right there.” He nudged his cuffed hands toward Marie’s grimoire on top of the bed. “Marie wrote the entire prophecy in her grimoire. Sh
e wanted you to know the truth, so you could prepare for what might happen one day.”

  “Her grimoire’s useless. It won’t prove anything.” I picked it up. “Every single page is blank. She put a protection spell on it before she died, and I haven’t been able to break it.”

  “That’s not true. She gave her grimoire to your father, Cyprian. He’s the one who put the protection spell on it,” Devlin said. “It belongs to you now.”

  “How do you know that?” I ran a hand over the wolf on the cover.

  “I was with Cyprian when he cast the spell. We came to an agreement. He did as I asked, and I promised to protect you when the time came. That’s why I came to Woodlake searching for you and why I’m here now. The warlock who sent me after you was Cyprian.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You’re a vampire. Why would he send you?”

  “He had no choice,” Devlin said. “He knew he wouldn’t be alive to see you as you are now. That’s why he came to me, offering a deal I couldn’t refuse.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I said. “He would’ve sent one of the Raven witches after me. Like Julius. They were best friends.”

  “I know nothing about Julius or why Cyprian didn’t trust the witches,” Devlin said. “He and I knew you’d have no reason to trust me. That’s why you need my blood to break the protection spell.”

  With a gasp, I dropped the grimoire onto the floor.

  Chapter 28

  “That can’t be.” I picked up the grimoire and stared at Devlin. Had Cyprian really trusted a vampire to protect me? I needed to know. I took a step toward him.

  “What are you doing?” Carter moved to stand in front of me. “He could be lying to get you to come closer. You can’t trust him.”

  “If he’s telling the truth, this will prove it,” I said.

  “Fine. I’ll get his blood; you sit down.” Carter took a wooden bowl from the bookcase and pulled up Devlin’s sleeve. “Fill it.”

  I looked away as Devlin opened his mouth and exposed his sharp fangs. The crunch as he bit into his arm made me cringe. Keeping my eyes averted, I sat on the bed and opened the grimoire to the page with the pentacle. I wasn’t sure how I felt. Did I want this to work? If Devlin was telling the truth, then I was related to a demon who was after me. It also meant someone on the High Council was lying, and I had no idea who.

  Grace had wanted to talk to me, but she’d never come by Hale House. Calandra had lied to me so many times I’d lost count, and I didn’t know what to think about Julius. He’d been nothing but helpful and friendly, but Cyprian hadn’t trusted him. If Ava hadn’t encouraged me to go to the county fair, I would have stayed at the coven. Then there was Boris, who I barely knew. He’d kept his distance, and he detested the wolves. It made sense he’d want to destroy them.

  “Sienna?” Carter stood in front of me, holding the wooden bowl.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled as I took the bowl. I dipped my index finger into Devlin’s blood and traced the pentacle, copying what Calandra had done with my mom’s blood.

  “Don’t you have to chant or something?” Carter asked, looking at the pentacle as Devlin’s blood seeped into the pages.

  “It doesn’t work that way. It’s supposed to—” I gasped as the pentacle turned red before completely disappearing. Black letters slowly appeared, one by one, until words filled the entire page. I turned the pages, shocked to see words and drawings on every single one. “It worked.”

  “Marie wrote the prophecy on the last page,” Devlin said as Carter sat next to me on the bed.

  I turned to the last page and read the entire prophecy. The second part was what Marie had written in the coven book, but the first part contained lines I didn’t understand. I reread it, this time aloud:

  “Beware the First on the Black Moon of Samhain.

  Five cursed alphas, thirteen pure witches

  The bloodline and bones of the First

  Evil will rise, marking a new dark era.

  Seek the Lost Raven, the Raven of Five

  Born on the blue moon and blessed by the Ursitori

  Forever bound by cursed blood.

  Follow the mark of the beast, the sign of greatness

  When the Raven consumes his heart, a powerful army rises

  The wolves will fall, one by one.

  It shall be then, when the deadly battle is upon us, two become one.”

  Carter looked just as confused as I felt. “That doesn’t mention a demon.”

  “It must be this.” I pointed to the word ‘First.’ “It’s capitalized, so it refers to someone or something.”

  “I knew you’d be smart enough to figure it out.” Devlin smiled. “The First is from an old tatcho legend. It’s the story about how the tatcho vampires were created. I’m thinking the wolves haven’t heard it.”

  “No,” Carter replied.

  “It’s true what he said about Vadoma. She was a witch who lived in Woodlake a long time ago. The wolves killed her mother, and Vadoma vowed revenge. When she gained her powers, she tried to kill all the wolf shapeshifters, but the five alphas worked together to capture her. They didn’t kill her right away, which was a mistake.”

  Devlin paused and glanced at Carter. “With little strength left, she used dark magic to turn herself into a demon-like creature with horns, red glowing eyes, fangs to kill, and razor-sharp claws. She was the first vampire-like demon ever, and the last. But she still couldn’t destroy the wolves, so she used her blood and dark magic to create an army of tatcho vampires. It would have worked, except one of the witches turned against Vadoma by teaming up with the wolf shapeshifters. They killed almost every single tatcho vampire. The ones who survived fled Woodlake, leaving Vadoma to fight alone. After killing her, they locked her in hell and scattered her bones, so she could never be brought back to earth.”

  “Why did they scatter her bones? Why not destroy them?” Carter asked.

  “They tried, but failed,” Devlin replied with a sigh.

  “Now someone’s trying to bring her back,” I said. “The prophecy says evil will rise.”

  “Yes. When Vadoma died, she left behind her grimoire. No one knew where it was until one of the covens found the book in their collection. It eventually made its way to the Raven Coven, where Cyprian got hold of it. The grimoire contains the spell to bring Vadoma back from hell. The High Council locked up the grimoire, not realizing how important it was. But Cyprian knew you’d get your powers one day, and you’d be in danger.”

  “He knew I was alive?” I asked.

  “Yes. He and Marie agreed to give you up to keep you safe,” Devlin said.

  “That explains why no one knew she was pregnant.” I glanced down at the prophecy again. “The Black Moon of Samhain. Five cursed alphas. Thirteen pure witches. Bloodline and bones of the First. That’s what they need to bring Vadoma back, right?”

  “Correct.” Devlin nodded. “I’m sure you’re aware the Black Moon of Samhain occurs this year. The five alphas needed are descendants of the original cursed wolves, the olden bloodlines the witch used to lock Vadoma in hell. Then, the bones of the First, and you, Sienna, the only living direct bloodline.”

  “You skipped the thirteen pure witches,” I said.

  “He skipped it on purpose,” Carter said. “That’s thirteen virgin witches to feed Vadoma after she rises. She’ll need fresh blood for strength.”

  No! I covered my mouth and gasped. “Is he right?”

  “I’m afraid so. Your friend is doomed unless you can stop Vadoma,” Devlin said.

  “Sienna has nothing to worry about,” Carter said. “There aren’t five cursed alphas anymore. Only four are alive. The wolves destroyed one of the bloodlines over sixty years ago.”

  “That’s not true,” Devlin said. “A few of those wolves survived. They’re hiding among another pack. Marie used to hear their voices in her head. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. The Romanies thought she was crazy. She wasn’t. She communicated with those wolves usi
ng transference.”

  Carter’s lips twisted. “There’s only one pack that takes in lone wolves.”

  “The Norwood pack,” I mumbled, thinking about Kaleb. Had he known about the wolves in his pack?

  “If Marie used transference with the wolves that would mean Sienna’s part of their bloodline.” Carter looked at me. “Did you hear any voices in your head when you lived in Woodlake?”

  “No,” I replied.

  “Marie was smart. I’m sure that when she had the fae cast the binding spell on Sienna, she had them block out any transference from the wolves.” Devlin shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable. “I hear you finally got your powers, which means the binding spell’s gone. I’m sure if you were in Woodlake, you’d hear the wolves, and you’d easily figure out who their alpha is. He needs to be warned. All of them do.”

  “I can’t go back. The Elders banished me from the community, and the Rocklin wolves have marked me.” I looked at Devlin, remembering the first time I’d seen him. “You were with another vampire in Woodlake. He tried to bite me, and he went after Kaleb my last night in town. What was his name?”

  Carter’s eyes flickered yellow at the mention of Kaleb’s name.

  “Why do you ask about him?” Devlin said, his tone no longer friendly. “He likes virgin blood. That’s why he tried to bite you. He’s got nothing to do with the prophecy or what’s happening.”

  “How do you know?” I closed the grimoire and placed it on my lap. “The vampires must be after me because they’re working with Vadoma to destroy the wolves. There has to be one vampire who’s in charge, and maybe it’s him. If I kill him, then—”

  “No.” Devlin’s eyes flickered red. “Lucas is a tatcho vampire like me. He might be reckless and stubborn, but he’d never go against our family. In the end, the tatcho vampires betrayed Vadoma. We have no reason to think she’ll forgive us if we bring her back. Likely she’d kill every single one of us after she kills the wolves.”