Captive 0f The Vampires (Bonfire Falls Paranormal Romance Book 4)

by Liv Brywood

  Let time bend.

  Let the past be now.

  Let the future be forgotten.

  As I weave the very fabric of the universe together, Eleonore goes through her last series of motions in reverse. I scramble her personal timeline until she’s lying stunned on the ground. Her eyes are closed; her hands are clasped. I hold her in the space between worlds until I’m ready.

  When I allow her time to rejoin the current timeline, I’m standing right in front of her, silver tipped spear at the ready. I allow her personal timeline to start again. She opens her eyes in time to see me shove the silver tip right into her black heart.

  Sticky blood oozes from the wound in her chest. She staggers forward, clawing at me with her sharpened nails, but she can’t move quickly enough anymore.

  “What...did…you…do?” she sputters.

  I grab a handful of her hair and hold her in place. Her eyes are mad and wild. I slash the silver across her throat. Eleonore stumbles to the floor, unable to hold herself up anymore. My own magic wanes and fizzles. I sink to my knees beside her. I can do nothing but watch the ancient life drain out of her until there’s nothing left. She evaporates into a cloud of sooty smoke.

  It’s over.

  Bastian, Cobalt, and Kael appear at my side as I lose the strength to keep myself upright.

  “Are you all right?” Bastian asks.

  “I’m fine. Very drained. Not hurt.” I can only say two words at a time.

  “Keep an eye on her,” Kael orders the other two. “I’m going to finish off Eleonore’s horde.”

  He presses a kiss into my forehead before heading back into battle.

  Cobalt is on his feet, taking out any vampires that come too close. Bastian sits behind me, holding me up so I can cast meager fire spells wherever they’re needed.

  Without Eleonore, the vampire horde loses its organization. They grow weaker by the second. I wonder if the vampire queen’s death has sapped their will to fight because some vamps simply fall to their knees and crumble into dust.

  “I killed her,” I rasp.

  “I know. We all saw.” Bastian runs his hand up and down my arm. That little bit of contact is enough to create a spark of energy. I’m rejuvenated enough to sit up on my own.

  “Are you hurt?” I ask.

  “A few bumps and scrapes, nothing more,” he shrugs it off. I now notice a deep gash on his cheek. It’s likely to scar.

  “Come here.” I bring my palm to his cheek and deliver a minor healing spell to the wound.

  “Thank you. Will you be all right if I offer aid to the others?” he asks.

  “Go,” I urge him.

  Soon, all of Eleonore’s forces lay dead or dying in the grand foyer. After a few moments, I get to my feet. Her pile of ashes sits in the center of the room. I can’t risk leaving even a trace of her magic, so I search the foyer for something to contain her remains. I find a vase crusted over with grime and filth. It’ll do.

  I gingerly scoop up her ashes and place them inside the container. I’ll find a place to bury it on the night of a full moon. The lunar energy will dispel any remaining negativity.

  As I move through the foyer, looking for a safe place to temporarily stash the vase, I step over a dead vampire.

  “Azealia,” a voice rasps.

  I’m so startled I nearly drop the vase. I look down at the vampire and gasp.

  “Adrian?” Though his face is bloody and sooty, I still recognize the lover who betrayed me all those years ago. “You’re a vampire?” I set the vase down and kneel beside him. He struggles to lift one hand. I grasp it.

  “No.” His body shifts. Suddenly, he’s a crow with broken wings. He shifts back to a man with a wince. “I don’t know what I am anymore. Year ago, I flew to Europe to get as far away from Bonfire Falls as I could. Eleonore captured me when I landed near her once. She couldn’t lift the curse, but she kept me alive for centuries anyway. She tried to cast a second transformation spell, but she never turned me into a vampire.”

  “Why didn’t she kill you?”

  “Because I was useful to her.” He flickers between his crow form and his human form three times. I realize it’s involuntary. With Eleonore gone, he’s losing control over whatever gifts she gave him. “I told her about you, about where to find you… and how to kill you. She waited. For years, she waited. And then suddenly, she decided it was the right time to attack.”

  His words land like blows.

  “I wanted revenge for what you did to me,” he continues. “But I was wrong. If I’d been the good and decent person you’ve always deserved, none of this would’ve happened. It’s my fault.”

  “It’s in the past,” I say gently. I see death in his eyes. He doesn’t have much time left. Despite everything he did to me, and all the pain he caused to the men I love, he deserves to enter the next life in peace.

  “I will pay the price for my actions,” he vows.

  “Go forward with my forgiveness and my blessing.” I move closer to him and take his head into my lap. I run my fingers through his blood-soaked hair. His eyes show only sadness. The pain of betrayal is gone now. So is the love I once felt for him.

  “What’s going to happen to me when I leave this earth and this body?” he asks.

  “I don’t know.” I can’t bring myself to lie to him. “Even I can’t answer those questions. But wherever you go next, I hope it will be filled with light and peace. The moon will guide you on your journey into the world beyond ours.”

  “Thank you,” he whispers. One last breath rattles through his chest. His eyes close.

  He’s gone now.

  A tether snaps somewhere within me. Though it’s not the joyous occasion I always imagined it to be, I’m free now. Free to love the men worthy of my love.

  Chapter 21

  Azealia

  “Is it bad that I like this place?” I ask as I pick my way across the grand foyer. Last night, I killed Eleonore in this exact spot. After the battle we disposed of the bodies, including Adrian’s, but the carpet is still stained with the blood of her fallen soldiers.

  “Bad? I wouldn’t say that,” Bastian says.

  “Weird? Most definitely,” Cobalt says.

  “What’s to like about it?” Kael wrinkles his nose as a cloud of dust explodes underfoot. “That probably wasn’t regular old dust, was it?”

  “Probably not,” I chuckle. “And despite the horrors that were unleashed here recently, this place has good bones. Overall, the history of this place is happy. Last night, all I could feel was the evil lurking here, but it was all Eleonore’s doing. She probably left traces of evil all over Europe.”

  “Maybe someone will come along and make this a happy place again,” Bastian says.

  “I think it should be us,” I say.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Kael snorts.

  “I’m serious. This land belongs to someone somewhere. They clearly don’t want it. If this house sits in disrepair for too long, it’ll be unsalvageable.”

  “That information’s probably at City Hall. It wouldn’t take too long to find out,” Cobalt says.

  “You’re encouraging this?” Kael blinks in surprise.

  Cobalt shrugs. “If it’s what she wants, then I’m going to make sure she gets it. Besides, she killed Eleonore. She should get a reward for that.”

  “Exactly,” I beam.

  “What would you even do with a place like this?” Kael asks.

  “Make it a resort?” I shrug. “Cobalt could open a second location here. It’ll be a huge hit year-round. Can you imagine this place all covered in snow?”

  “The snow will cover the carpet if you don’t fix that hole in the ceiling.” Bastian points. Sure enough, there’s a huge gap in the dome ceiling.

  “We’ll deal with that later.” I say as I wave my hand dismissively. “But first, I want to make sure it’s been properly cleansed.”

  “My pack checked the rooms last night,” Kael says.

  “I
gave the place a once over as well. It was clear then,” Cobalt says.

  “I want to verify it myself,” I reply. “It’s not that I don’t trust you guys. It’s just that an extra layer of caution wouldn’t hurt. If there are any other nasty things in here, I’ll find them.”

  “She makes a good point,” Bastian says.

  It takes a few hours before I’m completely satisfied that dark energy isn’t lingering anywhere in the massive building.

  “You should charge for your services. That was a lot of work,” Bastian says.

  “I’ll ask them to take a few thousand off the selling price.” I grin.

  “If it’s for sale,” Kael grumbles.

  “It’ll be for sale,” I say.

  “You sound awfully sure of that. Are you planning on using your tricky witchy magic to make them sell it to you?” Cobalt asks.

  “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll use my wiles.” I wink. “It’s seemed to work out for me so far.”

  “Let’s get you and your wiles back to the cottage,” Kael says. His eyes hunger for something only I can give him.

  “Can I fly with you, Cobalt?”

  “Of course,” he agrees with a smile.

  “Thanks. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do anything without looking over my shoulder.”

  “It’s nice being able to split up without the threat of death,” he says.

  “I’m not sure I like splitting up,” I say thoughtfully. “I like it better when we’re all together.”

  “I think we’re all in agreement there,” Bastian says as the three of us leave the building.

  Cobalt shifts fluidly into his dragon form. I gingerly run a fingertip over the iridescent membrane covering his wings. He shudders in pleasure.

  I climb on with as much grace as I can muster. Riding dragons isn’t part of my skill set, but I’m sure Cobalt will give me flying lessons if I ask. I loop my arms around his neck and flatten my belly against his back. His scales dig into my skin, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s rather nice. I give him a pat to let him know I’m ready for take-off.

  “See you back at the cottage.” I call to Kael and Bastian right before Cobalt launches into the air. I let out a squeal of pure delight.

  Below me, the other two men shift into their beast forms and take off into the forest. I’m sure they’re racing to see who can get home first. They’re pretty evenly matched so I don’t know who will win, but it’s fun to watch them try to outrun each other. It’s playful competitiveness, and I’m glad they’re finally getting along.

  Once Cobalt levels out, I loosen my grip on his neck. As I take a deep breath, crisp, clean air fills my lungs. From this vantage point, it’s as if the mountains are cradling the forest in a timeless embrace. The tallest peaks are capped with snow that never melts, and rivers flow down through verdant valleys. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and with any luck, it will stay that way forever.

  As Cobalt zooms down toward my cottage, I open my palm and wave it to dispel the protective barrier around my home. I won’t need it anymore. I’ll never need to hide again. I’m sure that, in time, the people of Bonfire Falls will come to know who I really am. Not an evil, fairytale witch, but a woman who’d been hurt, and who found a way to heal herself.

  Maybe I’ll even start a small magic school. That’d be a good use for the new house. I know Kael’s not entirely on board, but once we fix it up, I’m sure he’ll love it.

  As we land gracefully at the door to my cottage, Kael and Bastian burst through the tree line. They’re neck and neck with each other. Kael transforms midstride which gives Bastian an advantage in their race. He pushes a burly bear paw against the door before shifting back.

  “I won,” he pants.

  “No way. I was half a pace in front of you the whole time,” Kael says.

  “That doesn’t matter. I touched the door before you did.”

  “We didn’t specify the winner had to touch the door.”

  “It goes without saying. It’s a race. That’s how races work.”

  I laugh into my palm and shake my head.

  “Technically, Cobalt and I won,” I say.

  “You weren’t part of the race,” Kael says.

  “You didn’t ask if I was. You assumed I wasn’t.”

  “I think we should all consider ourselves winners,” Cobalt says as he folds his wings against his side and shifts back into his human form.

  “That takes the fun out of it,” Kael says.

  “We all defeated an ancient vampire army and their blood-crazed queen. That’s a much larger victory,” I say.

  “That wasn’t a competition. That was doing the right thing,” Kael says.

  “Boys!” I put my hands on my hips and sigh. “You’re all my winners. What else matters?”

  “Nothing.” Kael’s scowl turns into a grin. “You’re the greatest prize I can imagine.”

  “Let’s go inside. I’ll make some tea.”

  When I open the door to my cottage, it smells like home. I put on a kettle and bring the water to a boil. By the time I’ve finished making the tea, the guys have changed back into normal clothing. Too bad because I’d rather having them walk around naked. I grin.

  Each man gets a special tea filled with herbs hand selected from my pantry.

  “Amazing,” Cobalt sighs after his first sip.

  “I want to drink this tea every day for the rest of my life.” Bastian’s already drained his cup. I refill it for him.

  “Why don’t you?” I ask.

  “I…” Bastian hesitates. “I don’t know. I wasn’t sure if things would go back to how they used to be before Eleonore tried to destroy us all.”

  “Things can never go back to how they were before.” I reach across the table and take his hand in mine. “We’re bonded now. All of us. That can’t be undone. What we have is stronger than any spell.”

  “You’re right,” he says as he slips his hand into mine.

  “I love you, Bastian. I love all three of you so much. Sometimes my heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest because it’s so full of love.”

  “I love you too, Azealia.” Cobalt takes my other hand. Kael comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.

  “As long as you want us, we’ll be here,” he says.

  “So…everyone’s okay with the way things are?” I hold my breath as all three men glance at each other.

  “Yes,” Kael answers.

  When Bastian and Cobalt echo his sentiments, tears well up in my eyes. One slips down my cheek. Bastian wipes it away with his thumb.

  “There is one little problem,” he says.

  “What?” The color drains from my face.

  “There’s only one bed here. A twin bed.”

  “Oh.” I laugh. “I can take care of that. Follow me.”

  I lead my men into the bedroom. Despite the small size of my bed, the room is quite large.

  “Watch this.” I wink at the guys.

  I harness the magic within me and use it to manifest an orb of light. As I add more energy to the spell, the orb surrounds the bed. The mattress and frame levitate and start to morph. The brilliant glow generated by the spell is so bright that the three men have to cover their eyes. I don’t. I’m used to it.

  “Open your eyes,” I say.

  “Wow,” Kael says.

  “Impressive,” Bastian says.

  “That’s exactly what we need,” Cobalt says.

  Instead of my small twin bed, there’s now an elegant sleigh bed big enough to fit all four of us.

  “Try it out,” I urge them.

  Kael leaps onto the mattress.

  “It’s like a cloud. I approve.” He pulls me onto the bed with him. I lean in for a kiss. The delicious heat from his body warms mine where we touch.

  The bed moves as Cobalt and Bastian climb on with us. Bastian’s hand strokes my leg.

  “I think we need to take our new bed for a test drive,” I say between kisses.


  “Agreed,” Cobalt hums against my neck.

  “Come here,” I purr.

  Their hands, and mouths, and tongues are everywhere at once. In a tangle of flailing limbs, we manage to undress. Locked in the most intimate of embraces, the men make love to me, and I love them in return.

  As we crash into ecstasy together, I release a blast of magic which rains down on us, blessing each of us with boundless energy.

  “I could get used to this,” Kael says as he cuddles my back against his chest.

  “Me too,” Bastian says as lays facing me, stroking my hip.

  “Let’s stay like this forever,” Cobalt says.

  “So mote it be,” I whisper.

  I don’t know what I did to deserve these wonderful men, but I’m not about to question it. Now that I have them, I’ll never let them go. I’d go to the ends of the earth for each one of them, and I know in my heart they’d do the same for me. We’re bound together by love and we’ll be together for eternity.

  No woman has ever been this lucky.

  * * *

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  USA Today bestselling author Liv Brywood writes paranormal romance. Her scorching hot shifters love curvy women and aren’t afraid to show it. They’re loyal, brave, honorable, and above all — sexy. Liv’s stories are filled with passion, hope, and everlasting love.