by M. K. ROZE
I fell into his arms, knowing my fate was inevitable. “I
can’t believe that this is al in my hands. I’m scared, Bain. I
don’t want to die.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry, love. Indeed I am. I
wish I could have killed him many moons ago.”
I calmed my breathing. “Malign said when I was reborn,
I wouldn’t remember my past, but I’ve had many flashbacks
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of people from my realm. Like my father, Potent. How did
that happen?”
“I don’t think Malign knew how powerful you were
when he transferred your soul.”
“I have freaking powers?”
“Yes, you just need to learn how to use them and
control them.”
I looked away in denial. “I’m a wimp. There is no way I
have powers.”
“Yes, you do. Remember when Sara from school said
your eyes lit up? And when you tossed your father onto your
car? Or when you pushed the male nurse through a brick
wall? And when you burned the straps off your arms in the
ambulance?”
I faced him. “The fluorescent lights in the hall reflected
in my eyes, and the other stuff I did was from pure
adrenaline?” I looked at the burn marks on my wrists. “I
don’t remember me burning the straps off.”
“Well, you did.”
I didn’t want to believe I had powers, so I changed the
subject. “Did you know I was having all those flashbacks?”
“No, I wasn’t aware until you told me about the one you
had of your father when I was in Constin’s body.”
“I had another one with Potent when I was running
away from you and Savina at the park.”
“Did you?”
I nodded and sat on the beach Indian style, eager to
know everything. “Can you show me more? I want to know
what Paladin said to you about my realm.”
Bain sat in front of me.
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“Are you sure you can handle that much pain?” he asked
with a concerned look.
“Yeah, I’m a goddess, remember?”
He took a deep breath and placed his hot forehead
against mine. I closed my eyes, knowing it was going to be
painful.
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ain followed Paladin over to a gold bench that
was embedded with gems of all colors. They sat
next to each other. Paladin lifted his helmet, then
looked into Bain’s eyes. “I’m telling you this because I
believe you have great love for her. I trust you will tell her
the truth. I fear Malign may end my immortality before I get
a chance to see her beautiful smile again.”
Bain nodded.
“I will start from the beginning. Thousands of years ago,
Xeion, Divinity’s great grandfather from her father’s side,
was the founder and the first ruler of Realm of Divine. Xeion
was created by an unknown source who gave him an ancient
dagger called the Sicuro, then abandoned him for reasons he
never passed on to his children. After his daughter, Valeiah,
impaled herself with the Sicuro, Xeion willed his power over
to his wife, Smaron, and impaled himself with the Sicuro,
ending his immortality to be with his daughter in the
afterlife.”
Paladin stood, walked over to the gate, and turned
around. “Years later, Divinity’s grandfather, Voltrin, from
her father’s side, had two sons, Potent and Malign. When
Malign’s mother, Corith, and Divinity’s mother, Divine,
wouldn’t will him their powers, Malign killed them with the
Sicuro. He tried to flee with the dagger, but Potent and
Voltrin caught him and overpowered him. When Potent
tried to kill Malign with the Sicuro, Malign got away and fled
to another realm.”
Bain got up and looked up at the dark, rainbow-like sky
with clusters of larger than normal gold stars flickering.
Paladin continued. “Voltrin searched for years, but he
couldn’t find Malign. That’s when he made Potent king,
willed his power over to him, then took his immortality to
be with his family in the afterlife. When Malign found out
his father took his life, he returned and split this realm in
half, then named his side the Scourge.”
“Why didn’t Potent kill him?”
“Because he couldn’t break the shield Malign placed
around the Scourge. Only with permission from Malign,
would anyone be able to enter or leave the Scourge.”
“I see.” Bain glanced at the gold castle atop a hill.
Paladin resumed. “Malign knew that Potent would kill
him for what he had done, so he imprisoned the immortals
that were still on his side and turned them into creatures,
then sent them to retrieve the Sicuro. After Potent killed
each creature, Malign created Latore, then allowed him to go
to Earth and bring back mortals to feed on.”
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Bain faced him. “I know who Latore is. He’s the one
who turned me.”
Paladin lowered his head. “I’m sorry. Would you like me
to go on?”
Bain nodded.
“Soon after, Latore had Malign create Savina for a
partner. I need not repeat what Latore did after that.”
“Why didn’t Malign go to Earth himself and hunt down
Latore?”
“Before Potent died, he and someone else, I will not
mention at this time, placed a spell on Malign, preventing
him from going to any other planet or realm.”
Bain sighed. “Is there anything else she will want to
know?”
“When Divinity turns seventeen years of age in Earth
years, she will be seventeen-thousand in realm years, when,
and if, she decides to become immortal again.”
Bain’s eyes widened as he approached Paladin. “How
well did you know Divinity?”
“Well enough to know she will say yes to becoming an
immortal again, no matter what the circumstances are.
Divinity’s always been a fighter.”
“Why did she forget who she was?”
“Before any god visits any realm or planet, they must eat
a flower off The Tree of Atolza, which sits atop a hill in the
enchanted forest. If they don’t, they will keep their powers
but lose most of their memories as Divinity did for a short
period of time. Without a god’s memories, their powers are
worthless.”
“Did she know I was a vampire when I found her lying
on the forest floor?”
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“Yes.”
“How are you so certain?”
“As I said earlier, Divinity and I were close. When she
needed me, all she had to do was call upon me, and I would
answer. She told me many things about you before she was
killed, but I refuse to go into detail. Just know that she loved
you as much as she loved her father. You must go now. The
potion is wearing off.”
Bain stepped through the gate and peered over his
shoulder at Paladin. “Thank you for trusting
me.”
Paladin nodded.
As Bain walked away with the Sicuro in his hand,
everything turned to black.
“Viata!” Bain shouted as he touched my face.
My eyes opened, and I grabbed my scorching head.
“You’re burning up.” Bain picked me up and walked me
into the ocean until he was out waist-deep. He lowered me
into the water and kept wetting my face down.
“I’m freezing.” My teeth chattered every word.
“I’m sorry. I need to cool your body temperature down.
You got much too hot when I was showing you.”
After my body returned to normal, Bain carried me back
over to the beach and cradled me in his lap. He removed my
hair out of my face and smiled. “You scared me there for a
minute.”
I kissed him. “I’m sorry. I need to stand up. My head is
pounding.” I stood and faced the waves, still in disbelief.
“Are Zeus and the other Greek god’s real or is that just a
myth?”
“They are as real as you and me.”
I turned to him. “No way.”
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He nodded.
I thought of more questions. “If the Sicuro was created
to kill any immortal, then why didn’t you kill Latore and the
others with it?”
“I fear Latore will defeat me and take the dagger. Plus,
I’d rather end their immortality with my bare hands.”
“I see. Why do Savina and Latore speak with an Italian
accent?”
“I don’t have an answer for that, but I’m certain we will
find out.”
“If I’m a goddess, then how come I get hurt and don’t
heal fast like gods are said to?”
“You haven’t learned how to use your powers you have
buried in that intelligent brain of yours. Until you do, your
human form will act like any other mortal.”
I went silent, thinking of more questions to ask. “What
was all that growling I heard every night?”
“It was the Annialmorts Malign sent. Father,
grandfather and I killed them before they got to you.”
I gasped. “I saw a dog-like creature outside my window.
Its eyes were glowing. Was that one of them?”
“Yes, that was an Annialmort.”
“I didn’t tell you, but the day I saw the leopard in the
woods with my friends, a blue man-like creature with
chiseled teeth and orange eyes almost killed me until that
leopard killed it. Do you know what that thing was?”
“Yes. That was one of the Cravers.”
“Why didn’t Liam and Kaylee see it?”
“Only immortals can see them.”
“But I’m not immortal.”
“You still have X of an immortal in your blood.”
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“Are Cravers vampires?”
“No. They eat the brains and the livers of their victims.”
“Ew. At least I know what killed a lot of those people.
Why are these creatures after me?”
“Remember what Malign said about him wanting you to
be seventeen when I went to you?”
“Oh, I forgot. Why did you wait?”
“I didn’t think you were ready. This is when he sent the
Annialmorts and Cravers.”
“Were the creatures after me when you threw me off the
lighthouse?”
“Yes.”
“This is nuts. Are they gone?”
“For now, until Malign sends more.”
I took a minute, trying to absorb everything he told me.
“I can’t believe I was seventeen-thousand realm years of age
when I married you. Weren’t you grossed out after Paladin
told you?”
“I was a little shocked, but it didn’t gross me out as you
put it.”
Ew. I was robbing the cradle back then.
Bain smirked like he knew what I just thought.
“Can you read my mind like Malign did with you?”
“No, we can with others but just not with you.”
“Why?”
“Because your silver eyes prevent us vampires from
compelling or reading your mind.”
At that moment, I wanted to walk into the ocean and let
the waves carry me out to sea, where the sharks would eat
me. “I can’t become immortal. I want to live a normal life,
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graduate, go to college, and have kids like normal people do.
I didn’t ask for this.”
Bain cupped my face. “Viata, I believe that when, and
if, you become immortal, you will somehow remember
everything.”
I stared into his eyes. “I don’t want to lose my memories
and forget about you or my human family. There has to be
another way.”
“I’m afraid there isn’t. If you do decide to end my
immortality, please know I won’t fight you when you do.”
I couldn’t stand how calm he was about me killing him
and the rest of the vampires when I gained full power. “I
don’t want to think about this anymore for a while.”
He kissed my forehead. “Okay.”
A million more questions dashed through my head in
one single heartbeat. “I had a flashback of killing other
vampires. Was that true, or was I imagining it?”
His eyes met mine. “Yes. Back when you were one of
us, you wanted to hunt alone. I agreed, but I didn’t know you
were killing us off one by one until after you allowed me to
read your mind.”
“How many did I kill?”
“Thousands,” he mumbled.
I stepped away from him. “Seriously?”
He nodded.
“Why do you want to help me, knowing what I’ve
done?”
He gently grabbed my arm. “Because I love you, and I
can relate to the hate you had for us.”
I lowered my head. “I’m sorry.”
He pulled me back into him. “Don’t be.”
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“I’m confused. If Latore took the Sicuro after he
murdered my father, then how did I get the dagger back
when I killed all those vampires?”
Bain swallowed hard. “When you allowed me to read
your thoughts, I didn’t see you with the dagger. I saw you rip
their hearts out with your bare hands.”
“Huh. Maybe my flashback merged with the vampire
show I watched or something.”
His worried eyes met mine. “It must have.”
Why did you have me go to Muma?”
“After I tried to tell you many times who you once were,
I couldn’t handle the pain in my head. This is when I went
to Muma and took her food supply away until she would tell
you what I couldn’t.”
No wonder she hated me. “How are you able to tell me all
of this when Malign placed a spell on you?”
“Malign’s spell broke after you told me what had
happened to you when we were on the yacht.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on after I told
you? That would’ve been the perfect time instead of making
me feel like a dumb ass.”
“Viata, I didn’t want Latore and Savina finding out my
identity at that time. They were stalk
ing us like prey and
listening to every word. Trust me when I say I had my
reasons.”
I turned away from him, thinking about that night, and
remembered after we got off the boat, Bain looked up at
something. That must have been them. I wanted to hate him
for not telling me, but I’m sure he had his reasons. I thought
of more questions. “Why did the spell break after I told
you?”
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“I have no clue as to why it broke, but I’m glad it did.”
I wondered who broke it. “That wasn’t you that took
me to the psychic or Clay when he took me on a date, was
it?”
“No, it was Latore. Savina and him love to shapeshift.”
“Yeah, I found that out the hard way. Can you
shapeshift too?”
“We all can.”
“That’s scary. You never know who you’re talking to.”
“No, you don’t.”
“How do I know you’re not Latore or someone else
right now?”
He pulled me close to him. “I would have killed you
already.”
I went silent for a minute, trying to absorb everything
he told me. “Where did you really go after Kaylee died?”
“I was always near you. I didn’t want Latore and them
finding me out. I’m sorry. It was dreadful to see you in so
much pain.”
I sighed. “Why did Cujo, Liam’s dog hate me?”
“Dogs can sense our smell, and it makes them violent.”
“Oh. Enough about me. When did Latore turn you into
a vampire?”
He smiled. “I was waiting for you to ask me that. I’ll
start with my father.”
I placed my head on his chest.
“Before your father was killed, Latore and Savina came
to Earth and fed on many humans—making a coven. Latore
wanted to take over our castle, so he turned us, except for
my mother. He drained her dry. That’s when Latore became
an enemy of ours.”
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Bain paused and continued. “Father, grandfather, and I
joined Vlad the Impaler. Together, we killed off Latore’s
clan. Soon after, Latore and Savina compelled mortals to
start a war with us. Vlad impaled them, and we drank their