“Same vampire who gave you that?” I pointed at her neck.
She flashed me a wicked smile and shook her head. “No, a different guy.”
“I’m sure you can find someone for the night in the realm.”
She wiggled her brows. “I sure hope so.”
“For twins, you two couldn’t be more different.”
Violet stood and nodded before turning on the television. “Tell me about it.”
She started down the hallway.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I can’t go to the realm looking like this. I at least have to comb my hair.”
“Fine.” I shook my head. “You’ve got two minutes.”
“Perfect,” she hollered over her shoulder. “And you have no idea about my sister. She’s such a goody-two-shoes.”
“Believe me, I got that already.” I wandered toward the kitchen and noticed a ticket to a nightclub I recognized in downtown Seattle. It was one of Decker’s favorites.
Something on the television caught my attention, and my body froze.
Two more women have been found dead. Their deaths are being investigated as possible vampire homicides.
“Shit.” I ran my fingers along my jaw and shook my head.
This wasn’t good. I watched the female news anchor bring up images from the last time there was a serial killer among us. It took vampires to catch her. The police hit dead end after dead end until we found the killer and disposed of her.
But this was different.
This was a setup, but why?
We weren’t the ones doing the killing.
I drew a deep breath and switched the channel, surprised to see the same story.
Lux must be furious. With this kind of publicity, the humans wouldn’t trust anything he had to say. The only payback was to eliminate the people who got in his way. He was losing his mind. His dream of ruling the mundanes, vampires, and the magical Nightfall Realm was slipping away.
To have him turn his back on me so quickly told me everything I needed to know. He’d been humoring me this entire time. He only wanted me for my connection to the prophecy . . . as if I had some control.
Violet broke my concentration.
“You know, she’s never even been with a man,” Violet blurted out. “The last time she was with a guy was like teenage stuff. I can’t imagine going that long.”
“You don’t say,” I whispered to myself.
“And she keeps her nose buried in a book every Friday night.” Violet chuckled to herself. “Can you imagine?”
I actually could.
“Anyway, she’s probably scared spitless being in the realm. I was so freaked out my first time in Raven Ward. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Raven Ward?”
“Yeah. Where else would I go?” She came back down the hall. “That’s where all the fun happens.”
I laughed. “If you say so.”
“Are you telling me that you don’t like Raven Ward?” she asked, stopping in front of me. “You’re the king of it all.”
I knew what Violet was doing, and I wanted no part of it. She had enough bite marks on her neck to last the rest of the year. “I’ve never given it much thought.”
I didn’t spend that much time in the Nightfall Realm. I know a lot of vampires who did, but I didn’t see the point.
“Okay. I’m ready.” She smiled and placed her hand on her hip.
Violet had obviously run a brush through her hair, put on makeup, and changed her clothes in a matter of minutes.
“Before I come with you, tell me why Lux sent vampires after my sister.”
She held out her hand. “Might as well let you lead.”
I gave a quick nod, clutched her small hand in mine, and called the realm to us.
Violet quickly looped her arm around my neck and whispered, “Pull me close.”
Her warm breath along my neck smelled of clover drink, and I knew she was in deep.
She could be the next one trying to get turned.
Within seconds, we’d landed in the middle of a field next to the Juniper Ward.
Violet slid down my body and collapsed in the grass.
I quickly knelt by her side and gently picked her head up.
“Violet, hey. It’s okay. We’re here.”
Her eyes slowly opened, but her eyes flew to the back of her head, and I realized it wasn’t just the clover drink I smelled.
“Oh, come on, Violet,” I muttered to myself. “What did you do? What did you do?”
I ran my finger along her throat until I found the slow beat of her heart.
“Way too slow.” I shook my head in disgust. Whoever she’d been with had drunk far too much from her, fed her clover drink, and turned her loose. Her body was on the verge of ruin.
“Not on my watch, Violet.” I shook my head and glanced toward the ward. “Not again.”
There were several apothecary shops in this ward alone, but I wasn’t sure we had that kind of time.
I watched Violet’s chest move slower, and I knew what I had to do.
“Damn it.” I moved her shirt down below her collarbone.
She needed my venom.
The thought turned my stomach and anger roared through me.
But it was Ivy’s sister. I had to do what I could.
I closed my eyes and bent down, sinking my teeth into her soft flesh.
Within a split second, I removed my fangs and sat back up without taking a drop of blood.
I glanced around the field and pulled up her shirt.
Her eyes fluttered, and she began coughing.
Relief spilled through me as I held her up.
“What happened?” she asked, her hand moving toward her wound.
“You let someone feed on you too much.” My jaw clenched as she shook her head. “Don’t lie to me, Violet. I know.”
Tears immediately streamed down her cheeks. “Please don’t tell my sister. Please. She already thinks I’m—”
“I won’t say anything about this, but you need to stop messing around in a world that doesn’t belong to you. All the women who try to turn just end up dying.”
Fury darted through her gaze. “That’s because you monsters won’t turn them.”
“Monsters?” I laughed. “Then why do you want to become one?”
She looked away and shrugged. “Just promise me you won’t tell my sister.”
“How about this?” I stood and held out my hands to her. “I won’t tell her if you stop trying to get turned.”
Her shoulders slouched, but she nodded slowly. “Fine. Where are we meeting my sister?”
“At the clock tower. Christy is with her.” I glanced around the empty field as we started toward the ward in front of us. “Hopefully, we won’t need to be here too long.”
“How do you know Lux won’t send his guys here?” she asked, following closely behind me.
“I’m sure he will, but Nightfall is our safest bet for now.”
“All magical people care about is keeping themselves out of trouble. If a bunch of fugitives are going to put them in danger . . .”
I turned to stare at her. “We aren’t fugitives, and you spend your time in Raven Ward. How would you know?”
She shrugged. “I’m just saying that I don’t think we’re any safer here than anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time here.”
I ignored her assessment of the situation.
“How long have you been coming to Nightfall?” I asked.
“Since I was eighteen. Grammy wouldn’t let me come sooner, but once I turned eighteen, she couldn’t stop me.”
I nodded. “What’s your fascination with it? With us?”
She was quiet for a few seconds as we made it closer to town.
“I guess that you can do anything you want without any repercussions. You can’t die.”
I laughed. “That’s such a simple answer.”
<
br /> “It was a pretty simple question.”
Ivy popped into my head, and I couldn’t believe how different these two sisters were. Whenever I thought about Ivy, softness wrapped around me as I thought about her smile and spark. She had no problem putting me in my place, but she did it with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
It felt pure.
She felt pure.
“I’m going to have to sneak off to Raven. There’s no way I’m staying in Juniper the whole time.”
“We’ll deal with it as it comes,” I muttered, staring at the colorful ward in front of us.
I felt absolutely nothing by being here.
I hated it.
Nightfall Realm was a place where time stopped, and I didn’t need my eternity to stretch any longer than it already had.
Chapter Eleven
Ivy
“Welcome to Nightfall,” Christy whispered as I opened my eyes to see a very surreal road in front of me.
Colorful buildings flanked both sides of a cobblestone road. A bright yellow shop snugged up close to a royal-blue stucco building, a mint-green building across the street stacked next to it, and a crimson red storefront all dazzled me into happiness. The sidewalks were flooded with fae, pixies, and sprites zipping through the crowds. The air buzzed with something I suddenly longed for.
I looked around as if I were seeing the world, my world, for the very first time. The air sparkled with a magic I never knew I’d craved. The skies radiated a seafoam mist as the sunshine shimmered against the buildings. Electricity ran through the air, but it contained something more.
I closed my eyes and began hearing the words of so many before me. It felt like I was experiencing many different lifetimes all in a passing second.
“You okay?” Christy whispered.
A warmth spread over me, coating me like my favorite blanket.
I never wanted to leave.
I blinked my eyes open, wondering if I’d still see the majestic sight surrounding me or if it were all a dream.
“Yeah.” I shook my head. “It’s just a lot. I don’t know why I’ve been so afraid to come here.”
Christy smiled. “You’re in Juniper Ward. It’s lovely, if I do say so myself.”
“Everywhere in the realm isn’t like this?”
Christy grimaced. “No, unfortunately.”
“I love it here.” I grinned, wondering where we would go first. “How many wards are there?”
“Five.” She narrowed her eyes on me. “You really don’t know much about here, do you?”
I shook my head.
“I kind of wondered if it had been an act.” She bit her lip and glanced toward the bustling town.
“Why would I act like I don’t know anything?” I asked, puzzled.
“Just downplaying your heritage, maybe.” She shrugged.
The truth was that I didn’t know much about my heritage. My grandma, my dad’s mom, raised us. My parents died in a car crash when we were too young to even have memories of them. I didn’t know anyone on my mom’s side. Her parents had died when she was young as well. From what I’d been told, my parents had a grand love affair that was cut short. As far as magic, my grandma didn’t go into it much.
I stared at Christy. “I don’t have a heritage. I don’t have a clue about what makes me me, which is probably why I’ve spent my life embracing the mundane and looking forward to a good story. Until now, I haven’t felt very magical at all.”
Christy looked thoughtful as she brought her gaze back to me. “Then let’s make up for some lost time. Shall we?”
She held out her hand, and I reached for it just as a woman bumped into me.
“Sorry,” her melodious voice hummed. “Wait, Agatha, is that you?”
I cocked my head in confusion, not recognizing the woman in front of me. Her golden blonde hair flowed into curls, and her bright blue eyes sparkled with mischief. She didn’t look a day over thirty in her tight black pants and billowing purple velvet jacket.
“No, I’m Agatha’s granddaughter, Ivy.” I smiled. “But thank you for that compliment. It means a lot.”
The woman’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a deep breath. “Ivy, you’re as beautiful as your mother and as charming as your father.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You knew my parents?”
The woman appeared baffled as she glanced at Christy, who dropped her gaze to the sidewalk.
“Knew?” the woman asked.
I nodded slowly. “My parents passed away when I was one.”
The woman’s expression fell, and she nodded. “Right. Sorry. I’m actually running late for an appointment. If you’re ever in Raven Ward, come and find me. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to all these years. You must be going on twenty or so by now.”
“Almost thirty,” I corrected, smiling.
She shuddered. “Where does the time go? Well, nice to bump into you.”
The woman disappeared into the crowd, and I stood, staring at Christy. “What was that all about?”
Christy pulled her brows into a frown. “I don’t know.”
“How could I even visit her if I don’t know her name?”
Christy smiled. “That’s the easy part.”
“What’s the hard part?”
“Entering Raven Ward.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “That is probably the precise place we don’t want to be.”
A shot of fear darted through me. “Is that where the vampires go?”
Christy smiled. “The wards aren’t based on types of magic, mortal and immortal. It’s based on . . .”
My brow arched.
“How do I put this nicely?”
I shook my head. “No clue.”
“The wards are based on our actions, on our pasts.”
“Are you saying that woman isn’t a very nice lady?”
Christy laughed. “She’s a sorceress, like you.”
“Would I wind up in Raven Ward?” I asked.
“I highly doubt it.” Christy chuckled. “Unless you’re up to some crazy shenanigans that I’m not aware of as your neighborhood cop.”
I smiled. “My idea of a frisky Friday night is putting extra butter on my popcorn.”
Christy grinned. “Which is why my hunch is that you’d wind up in the Dove Ward. It’s usually a little more peaceful there.”
“I like peace.” I nodded. “What are the other wards called?”
“There’s the Blood Ward and the Crystal Ward.”
“Where do you generally hang out?” I asked.
“Right here.” Christy grabbed my hand and pulled me down the street, but I couldn’t help but think about the sorceress.
Her words haunted me, and I didn’t know why.
“Okay, this is my all-time favorite place.” She pushed open a large wooden door which led us into a massive store filled from top to bottom with candy, chocolate, chips, and pop.
“I didn’t know you were a junk food addict,” I teased.
Christy let go of my hand and spun around. “Oh, you’re so in for a treat.” Her eyes glinted with mischief.
It no longer felt like I was going on thirty. The very act of stepping into Nightfall Realm had erased everything I understood about age. For the first time in forever, I felt free.
My grandma always told me I was an old soul, but that always felt like a burden. As if I’d had to carry around this knowledge that I was in a sense above it all.
But I didn’t want to be above anything. I’d yearned for Violet’s carefree ways.
“Here, try this.” Christy pushed a red gummy snack into my hand. “You won’t regret it.”
I smiled and popped the candy into my mouth and chewed.
It didn’t seem all that fabulous. The candy was like any other—
Rollercoaster.
The world spun. The store flipped.
Christy’s eyes looked ten times their normal size. Her laughter sounded like a xylophone. The smell of roses surr
ounded me. I inhaled the fragrance and closed my eyes as my Grammy ran over to me and hugged me.
For eternity.
Her strong arms holding me.
Until she wasn’t.
“Christy,” I whispered, “there’s something wrong with the candy.”
But she couldn’t hear me. She was over at the cash register, chatting away with the salesperson.
I crawled to a shelf where I found a can of grape soda. Tearing the tab off, I chugged it down quickly when Christy gasped.
Christy stumbled toward me.
“Not that. Oh, no. That will make your heart sick. Spit it out.”
There were three Christys in front of me as I swayed gently to music that I was pretty sure was only playing for me.
Too late! Already swallowed.
And then it hit.
There were people here who were not here.
Was I seeing ghosts?
Was I a ghost?
Was I dead?
How was this good candy? Who sells pop like that?
Christy opened her mouth to say something, but all I saw were tiny red rosebuds for teeth before I tumbled into the most magical garden I could possibly dream up. My Grammy’s favorite roses were lined up, their green leaves traded for brilliant gold and jewels replacing the petals.
Carter Voss stood in front of me, snatched one of the long stems, and got down on one knee, handing me a brilliant ruby atop the golden stem. My entire body warmed as his lavender eyes ran up and down my body. His lips came dangerously close to mine and a pool of heat seared into my core. He bit his lip, and all I could think about were those teeth, those lips.
“Okay, Ivy. I’ve got ya. You’ve had a bad reaction. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
I shook my head, trying to push her away. “No.”
I wasn’t done.
“You’ll be fine. You’re going to be okay.”
I clenched my eyes shut, reaching for Carter. I wasn’t ready for it to end.
Water trickled down my forehead, and my eyes blinked open as I groaned for Carter.
Christy’s eyes widened and she straightened. “Now that, I didn’t expect.”
I froze, feeling my cheeks turn scarlet. “What are you trying to do to me?”
I bolted from the floor. “What was that thing?”
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