Royals and Realms (Vampires of Crescent Cape Book 4)

by L. Danvers

  Grace and I exchanged knowing looks before going our separate ways.

  Grace

  We had literally no idea where we were going. Julian pointed left, so we went left. I only hoped we could find our way back. Worst case, I could use a tracking spell so that we could locate the others if we got lost.

  “That mirror trick was pretty cool,” Xander admitted as he caught up with me. Ben was a few paces behind.

  I thought about quipping back, but instead smiled and said, “Thanks.” I didn’t have the energy to engage in silly banter. I was at the end of my rope. Who would have guessed it would have taken being transported to a faerie world for reality to set in? I had spent some of my most formative years being held captive in a vampire kingdom. With Danielle leaving, I was going to be all alone. I didn’t know how to be an adult. Where was I going to live? How was I going to get around?

  “You okay, Grace?” Xander asked, his mouth twisted in concern.

  “Yeah,” I said, hugging my arms around my waist, pretending to be cold even though the weather was perfectly pleasant.

  “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. If you’re worried about Danielle, don’t be. Julian’s going to take good care of her.”

  “She can take care of herself.”

  “True,” he smirked. “So, what’s the problem?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Come on. Don’t make me compel it out of you.”

  I stopped short. “Do you really want to know?”

  “Yes!” Three birds startled at his voice and promptly flew away while Ben shushed us.

  “Fine,” I said, lowering my voice as I started to walk again. “I’m freaking out. Yes, I have this vendetta against my dad, but I don’t know where to even begin. And then, let’s say I do manage to stop him from carrying out whatever future reckless plans he has swirling around in that deranged head of his. Then what? Do I return to normal life like nothing happened? Get a job in a coffee shop or go off to college?” I was good at putting on a brave face, but my coping mechanisms were maxed out. I was starting to crack. “How do you pay taxes? Do you have to pay for someone to come and collect your trash, or is that free?” Xander started to chuckle, which only heightened my anxiety. “What about getting married one day? Do I need to disclose to every guy that I date that I’m a witch? Is it better to be alone?”

  Xander came to an abrupt stop and took hold of my shoulders, spinning me around so that I was facing him. He pressed his index finger against my lips to shush me.

  I blinked, thrown off by the heat I suddenly felt blossoming in my chest at his touch.

  You drank his blood earlier, I reminded myself. A lot of it. These feelings aren’t real.

  “First of all, Grace, you are never going to be alone. I promise you that. I’ll cover your expenses—whatever you need—and help you as much as you’ll let me.” He slowly pulled his finger away, and a shudder rushed through me. “I can’t tell you what to do with your life when this is all said and done, but you’re going to need a clear head if you’re going to take down Reed Carlisle.”

  I swallowed hard. My brain was now clouded by the unexpected surge of feelings brought about by his touch.

  Get it together, Grace.

  Forcing those feelings aside, I said, “You’re right.” I let out a heavy exhale. “I need to figure out what to do about my dad.”

  We walked for another five minutes or so in silence. By now, Ben had moved ahead of us, scanning the area for any signs of faeries. Something told me that we were off of the main path and this wasn’t a spot frequented by them. We’d seen birds, rabbits, squirrels and butterflies. But nothing more.

  Xander kept silent, but stayed by my side, which I found strangely comforting.

  Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop my mind from racing. I was busy having imaginary arguments with Reed when I confronted him. And thinking about how such a confrontation would play out.

  He’d threatened me. He’d threatened the Blood Heirs and Julian. He’d put countless lives in danger. He wasn’t ever going to stop. And if he wasn’t going to stop on his own, then I’d have to be the one to stop him. No matter what.

  I knew how it’d likely play out—with one of us dead. Because I confronted him and things didn’t go well, he wasn’t going to just let it slide. And he’d already threatened me.

  Maybe I was cocky for thinking I could take him on. He was much older and stronger than I was.

  “What if I can’t do it?” I asked, hating myself for how pitifully meek I sounded. I looked over at Xander, hoping for reassurance. “What if I can’t stop him without killing him?”

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets, frowning. “Maybe there’s another way.”

  “What?”

  “Hear me out,” he said, tilting his head toward me as we walked. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I didn’t want to say anything until we were done with all of this,” he said, waving a hand around in a vague gesture. “Remember the spell he used on me?”

  I didn’t mean to give him a look that implied that he was a complete idiot for asking, but I did. How could I forget what it was like to see him under Reed’s control? My flesh prickled at the thought.

  “Anyway,” he said, rolling his eyes, “what if you used the same spell on him?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “The same spell,” he stated again, raising his finger to make a point, “but, like, a happier version. What if you cast a spell on him to make him a better person?”

  I scrunched my nose. “I can do that?”

  He shrugged. “Why not?”

  “Ughh,” I moaned. “Can’t you compel him to be nice?”

  “I mean, it’s basically the same idea. I don’t know how I’d get close enough to him, though. You, on the other hand, have an in.”

  “My brother,” I said knowingly. Part of me was worried Nick would say no, but he’d done so much for me, risked so much for me already. He wanted Reed to be a better person. I knew it. “I’m going to have to drag him into this, aren’t I?”

  Danielle

  “Why didn’t we think to ask Grace to turn your mirror into a compass?” Charlotte muttered to me, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she spoke. She was unraveling by the minute.

  “Would knowing whether we were walking north or south make a difference?” I asked. “That wouldn’t tell us anything.”

  Her gaze slid toward me, but she held her tongue.

  “Maybe we should have stayed by the garden,” Keo offered.

  He had a point. Aurora had happened to be there when we first portaled over to this realm. At least we knew the faeries visited the garden to gather herbs. But out here? We were wandering through an empty forest. Sure, we’d seen some interesting creatures along the way. But there were no signs of faeries anywhere.

  If we were going to be lost somewhere, though, this wasn’t all that bad of a place to be stuck in. It was like, when they designed this place, they took the most magnificent parts of the human world and put them on steroids.

  We’d ventured into a deeper part of the forest now, away from the flowers and grand willow trees. This part was less bright and cheerful, yet somehow just as serene.

  Hundreds of trees towered above us, their foliage-filled branches tangling overhead. Winding roots jutted out from the soil, making the perfect spots for critters of every kind to hide and play. The soothing sound of a flowing stream filled our ears—I spotted it, far to our right side. The water rushed around the moss-covered rocks and boulders, and I could have sworn I saw swirls of glitter whooshing above the water. “Hey,” I said to the others, gesturing with the lift of my chin. “Maybe we should check over there.”

  The others agreed. It wasn’t like going the way we were going was getting us anywhere.

  Just as we started veering that way, I felt a magical surge of energy emitting from the compact. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened it. “Grace,” I said.

  “
Hey. We wanted to check in with you. Find anything yet?”

  I shook my head. “No, but we might have a lead. There’s some sparkly stuff floating around the stream up ahead. Might be faerie dust or something. We’re going to check it out. What about you?”

  “There’s nothing here.”

  I chewed my lower lip. “Well, keep us posted, okay?”

  “You, too.”

  We waved goodbye to each other, and I stuck the mirror back in my pocket. Without missing a beat, we continued on our way to investigate the sparkly stuff by the stream.

  The closer we got, the more my senses tingled. I found myself drawn to the water. Charlotte was walking faster now, too, and we were practically racing toward the stream, blocking out the fact that Keo and Julian were urging us to slow down.

  Upon reaching it, I knelt to scoop a handful of water into my palms. “Wait,” Keo said, abruptly jerking me back by the shoulder. He did the same to Charlotte. “I take it you’re not familiar with how intoxicating faeries can be to your kind?”

  We both reached again for the water, but his hold didn’t allow any give.

  “Faerie blood is addictive to vampires,” he explained. “And, from the looks of you two, I’m guessing faerie dust has the same effect.”

  I wondered how something so peaceful, so soothing, could possibly harm us. “What would happen if we drank it?”

  He furrowed his brow, silently chastising me for even asking such a thing. “At best, it’d make your head fuzzy. At worst...”

  “Best not to risk it,” Julian interjected.

  Something about hearing the calm assurance in his voice snapped me back into reality. I pressed my palm to my head, wondering what had come over me.

  Julian offered me a hand and helped me to my feet.

  Keo extended a hand to Charlotte, but she whirled around and reached for the water again. “Oh no, you don’t,” he huffed, and in one swoop he lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder, paying no mind to her as she beat against his back.

  He crossed the stream with her in tow, taking care not to slip on the mossy rocks jutting out of the water.

  Julian and I followed. As we neared the other side of the stream, I instinctively grabbed hold of his elbow.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  I gulped. “Is it just me, or does that look like blood?” My nostrils flared, and my senses went all tingly again. I blinked hard, fighting off the instinctual urges buried deep within my psyche.

  Julian’s eyes slid in the direction I was looking, and he, too, saw the bright red trail of dispersed blood in the blue water. He searched for its source. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed. “There.”

  Upstream was a home made from the materials found in this realm, surrounded by bushes bursting with pink roses. A pebble path stretched from the river to the circular wooden door, which had been left ajar. A trail of red flowed over the stones, seeping into the water.

  Cautiously, we drew nearer, and it took everything I had to focus on the scents of dirt and grass and stone instead of the powerful aroma that was as seductive as a siren’s call.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked the others. They shook their heads. But I could have sworn I heard something coming from inside the home. “I think someone’s still in there.”

  “This is a bad idea,” Keo said. “We should turn around while we still can.”

  “This is the first faerie we’ve encountered,” I said. “Maybe if we help them, they’ll help us find Aurora.”

  “Or maybe whatever did that,” he said, gesturing to the evidence of the attack seeping along the pathway, “is still in there.”

  “We’re two wolves, a vampire and a hybrid,” Julian assured him. “We can handle ourselves.”

  “Can you please put me down?” Charlotte groaned. She had gone slack now seeing as that her efforts to beat Keo into submission had failed.

  “No,” he said.

  Instead of waiting for them to sort out a plan, I decided to check things out for myself. Standing at the entrance of the home, I pushed the door open.

  Swirls of dirt and dust sparkled off the sunlight shining through the small window. Following the trail of blood, I walked down the hallway.

  Taking a left turn at the kitchen, I shrieked when I saw it.

  A monstrous beast in strangely fine clothing was sprawled across the floor in a pool of its own blood.

  I covered my mouth with my hand, appalled that the scent of this... this thing had seemed so appealing.

  I heard a growl and what sounded like SHE BIT ME!

  In a flash, Charlotte brushed me aside and was on her knees, dipping her fingers until they were covered in red and licking them. I turned around, wanting to yell at her, to stop her, but I felt like puking instead. My vampire side might have been lured by the smell, but I had enough humanity left in me to find the sight utterly revolting.

  Julian and Keo burst into the room and yelled for her to stop. And yet, despite how disgusted I was, I couldn’t deny that I felt drawn to drink, too.

  I had to get out of here.

  “What’s happening to her?” Julian cried out.

  Keo shook his head. “I... I don’t know.”

  Charlotte pressed her fingers to her temple and let out an agonizing scream. Suddenly, she fell silent. Her eyes glossed over, and she collapsed.

  I brushed past the guys and headed for the living room, needing a second to breathe. What was happening?

  Sitting on a tufted pink cushion atop a wooden chair, I buried my face in my hands. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was shaking like I’d had about fifteen too many coffees.

  I let out a heavy exhale, lips quivering all the while. I squeezed my eyes so tight that my lashes grew wet. I could hear Julian and Keo arguing in the other room, but I couldn’t concentrate on their words.

  Find a faerie, create a portal, be done with this forever.

  The words ran on repeat in my mind as if my subconscious was giving me a good ol’ slap in the face to snap me out of the spiral I was in.

  It took a few minutes more to convince myself to get up, but I did.

  I couldn’t bring myself to return to the kitchen yet, so I decided to take a look around the place. The inside of the home was nicer than you’d expect from the inside. Cozy, even. Rows and rows of books were piled throughout the inside—on top of the cupboards, end tables and even windowsills. And yet it didn’t feel cluttered.

  From the window, vines crawled along the walls, the twisted, leafy tendrils reaching all the way to the ceiling. From there, my eyes fell on the mantle. I stepped closer to get a better look.

  In a frame that had been decoupaged with pressed flowers was an image of two women—both had bright, violet eyes and silver hair. The taller one had her arms wrapped around the younger one. Sisters, perhaps?

  I inched closer. Was that...?

  Hmmm.

  I searched the room, rummaging through papers, photos, anything I could find. Aurora, Aurora, Aurora. A wave of relief washed over me.

  I hurried toward the kitchen, eager to share the news. “Hey,” I said, resting my palm on the door frame as I peeked inside. Julian was on the floor, cradling his sister’s head in his lap. “Is she...?” I started, afraid to finish the last part of that sentence.

  “She’s alive,” Julian said solemnly. “The faerie blood did something to her head. She’ll snap out of it eventually.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “She knew better.”

  “It’s not her fault. She couldn’t help it.” My nostrils twitched, and I buried down the same instincts Charlotte had succumbed to. My gaze dragged over toward the dead creature.

  “I guess,” Julian said. There was a distance in his voice, like his mind was in some far-off place. I could tell he was worried about her. He and his sister had always had a solid relationship. They accepted each other without judgment. And even though he hoped, or knew, that this state she was in was temporary, it didn’t m
ake it any easier to see her like this.

  “I have some news,” I offered. Both he and Keo turned to look at me. “I think I know whose home this is.”

  “Whose?”

  “Aurora’s.” I pulled a photograph from behind my back. “See? That’s her, isn’t it?”

  Keo’s eyes widened with horror, ping-ponging between the image and the creature on the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” I said as it dawned on me that this might not have been the great news I thought it was.

  He looked at Julian. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

  “Tell me what?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

  “If this is Aurora,” Julian said, handing the photograph back to me, “then this is Aurora.” He looked down at the body of the horrifying creature.

  I shook my head in disbelief. “What are you talking about? That’s not her.”

  “Glamour, Danielle,” Keo chimed in. “Faeries use glamour to make themselves appear more attractive to other species.”

  I covered my mouth with my hands. “That’s why you couldn’t reach her with your mind.” I took a step back as if to disappear. How could I have been so stupid?

  It all made sense now.

  We were completely and utterly doomed.

  Danielle

  “What are we going to do?” I asked, not bothering to veil the desperation in my voice. “Is there anyone else who can help us?”

  “Can? Yes,” Keo said. “Will? Doubtful.”

  That magical surge of energy pulsed again from the compact. I pulled it out of my pocket. “What should I tell Grace?” I asked before opening it.

  “Tell her them to meet us here,” Julian answered stoically. “We’ll figure something out.”

  I nodded and flipped open the mirror. “Hey.”

  “Just doing our thirty-minute check-in. How’s it going?”

  “We’re at Aurora’s. We need you to meet us here.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  I gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Um,” I gulped. “She’s dead.”