Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising [A Vampires Realm Novel]

by F. E. Heaton

She skidded on the floor and her heart clenched when she looked up and saw Valentine lying on the ground. The second she reached him, she knelt beside him and moved his head onto her knees. She touched his cheek and quickly drew her hand away when she felt heat coming off him. Tentatively wiping her fingers across his brow, she gathered the tiny beads of sweat that had accumulated there and frowned at the wetness on her fingers.

  He trembled against her and muttered jumbled words under his breath. She cradled his head, staring down at his face as tears began to blur her vision. Her fingers shook as the magic filled them, both of her hands this time. It pulsed through her body unfocused and she saw the threads of it twisting around her fingers. It was almost black.

  Flinging her head back, she roared at the ceiling, her teeth extending as her eyes switched to their green state. Her roar turned into a cry and she raised her hands. The thunder and lightning shook the earth as it crashed down around them, and the smell of wet mud filled the air. Her whole body hummed with magic. It sent her senses into disarray, confusing them and making her head spin.

  "I swear I will kill you, Elena!” she screamed at the ceiling. “I know you can hear me."

  An echo of laughter sent a chill down her spine but she roared in response to it, not letting her fear get the better of her. She used it to drive her on, and the angrier she got, the stronger the magic felt inside of her.

  "I will find you ... and when I do, Hell will seem a paradise in comparison."

  She dropped her eyes to Valentine when he muttered her name. Brushing her fingers across his cheek, she furrowed her brows at the way the magic tried to switch to red but every attempt it made saw it quickly fade back to dark purple.

  When someone approached her, she instinctively growled at them. Their boots seemed familiar and she raised her eyes to see Venturi standing before her. He looked sorry for a moment and then something else filled his eyes.

  She frowned when the magic sparked through her again, running uncontrolled along her veins. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and every bone in her body ached deeply.

  "I think we should get you away from these people,” he said in a slow, measured tone.

  She saw his gaze flicker to her hands and then come back to her eyes. She could see the fear in his and she knew it wasn't Valentine's condition making him scared.

  "What is it?” she whispered, her fear fighting with the magic for control of her body. She knew it was bad. She felt so different, so full of rage, and it wasn't her anger. It was the magic's.

  She let Venturi take hold of her arm and reluctantly laid Valentine's head down on the floor. Her legs trembled beneath her as though she had no energy left. She felt as though she'd been walking for days. Her knees buckled but Venturi's strong grip stopped her from falling.

  "Breathe deep now. Calm yourself. We will find a way to fix this."

  She wondered why he was trying so hard to calm her down. She'd seen him lost in the violence. She'd thought he'd welcome the fact that she was the same as him inside.

  Or maybe she wasn't the same as him.

  Maybe she was darker.

  She turned her hand over and stared at the stone of the amulet. It was a swirling dark purple maelstrom with flickers of red in its depths. Cold crept into her veins, chilling her blood.

  "What's wrong?” She looked at him and then went to look at the room but he stopped her.

  He held her cheek in his hand and she could feel him shaking.

  "It would be better they did not see."

  Her eyes widened at his words.

  "It is taking enough for me to keep looking at you when your eyes are like swirling purple pools of darkness.” He tried a smile but she could see the corners of his lips twitching as he struggled to hold it.

  Immediately taking deep breaths, she kept her eyes fixed on his, trying to calm herself enough that the magic's hold over her would begin to fade. Venturi was right. Valentine would be fine. They would find a way to save him.

  "I have to get him somewhere comfortable.” She hated the fact that she had her back to Valentine but if she turned around, the whole of the two houses would see her eyes and would never trust her again. She could sense Valentine's pain and discomfort, and she wanted to help him, wanted to take it all away and save him from whatever Elena had planned. “I ... I can't carry him ... I'm too ... the magic drains me."

  "Lead the way,” Venturi said and moved around her.

  She listened to him pick Valentine up and then walked towards the door, keeping her eyes downcast the whole time.

  When she neared Tiberius and Xavier, she paused. She stared at Tiberius’ boots, not wanting him to see her eyes in case he didn't understand either.

  "What's happening?” Xavier's voice was demanding and tears filled her eyes when she realised that she didn't have an answer for him.

  "I don't know. I don't ... but I will.” She took a deep breath and looked down at her dress. “Tiberius, please post guards around the grounds. Xavier, have your men guard below my window and follow me with two more. Your men may patrol with my own. Tiberius will see to it that they know where to go in order to protect Valentine."

  She bit her lip as it trembled and when she blinked, her tears tumbled down her cheeks. She saw them fall, watched them soak into the dark material of her skirt, and then found a little strength when the mark over her heart pulsed. She looked at her hand to see the magic lightening, but it showed no sign of going away. She couldn't risk looking at the two guards, not without having confirmation that her eyes were back to normal.

  Walking past them, she went out into the corridor and reached out with her senses. She was thankful to Venturi when he came up beside her and was surprised to see that he hadn't slung Valentine over his shoulder as she had expected him to. He was cradling Valentine in his arms. She stared at Valentine's ashen face and frowned at the same time he did.

  "Do you know of any drug that could do this?” she said to Venturi.

  He shook his head solemnly. “None in my knowledge."

  "Not even the hunter's dart had this kind of effect on me.” She watched another bead of sweat roll down Valentine's cheek. “He's feverish and everything he said back in the ballroom made no sense."

  "I do not think this is the work of a drug."

  She froze when it occurred to her that Venturi could be right. Elena wouldn't resort to using a drug when she could use a spell just as easily, and could probably do more damage. She didn't want to think about that. If it was a drug then Valentine would recover given time. If it was a spell, then there could be nothing she could do.

  When they reached her room, she pushed the door open and walked in. She held it for Venturi and leaned against it for support while she watched him carry Valentine to the bed. Her heart felt heavy when Venturi laid Valentine down on the bed and stepped away. He looked at her with eyes that spoke of regret and she knew that he wished he could do something to help her.

  He moved across the room to her and she hesitated for a moment before touching his hand and giving him a smile.

  "Would you like me to ask Serenity to come?” he said and she didn't stop him when he brushed the hair from her face.

  She nodded.

  He held her gaze for a moment and then gave her a slight smile. “Your eyes are normal again."

  With that, he was walking down the hallway. She watched him until he was out of sight and then closed the door. The sense of calm she felt disappeared when she turned and looked at Valentine. He was writhing on the bed, tugging at his jacket. She hurried across to him and pressed her hands into his shoulders to restrain him.

  "Still ... be still.” She was surprised when he slumped into the bed, his face suddenly calm and peaceful. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the red magic working its way around her hand. It was threading itself along the lines of the star on the back of the amulet.

  She looked at Valentine and noticed that he wasn't breathing. He wasn't moving at all.


  Had she done that?

  She watched him closely, thought about attempting to allow him to move again and then decided against it. Pressing her hand to his forehead, she frowned at how hot he was. Her fingers moved to the buttons of his jacket and she carefully undid them. Pulling him up into a sitting position, she peeled the jacket from his sweat soaked back and removed his shirt. She pressed kisses to his cheeks and rested her forehead against his, holding him for a moment before laying him back down on the black bedspread. She adjusted the pillows behind his head so he'd be more comfortable and then sat back.

  Holding her hand over his heart, she waited until the magic had turned red and then took a deep breath.

  "Move,” she said but nothing happened. She stared at her hand, willing the magic to come and obey her. Something stirred inside of her and she frowned as a word flitted across her mind. She swallowed and took hold of the word that came into her head. “Motion."

  Valentine gasped for air and shot up on the bed. He was shaking violently and she wrapped her arms about him, holding him until the tremors racking his body subsided.

  "Shh...” she whispered against his neck. She told herself to be calm so she didn't alarm him. Losing her head would solve nothing and although the fear that was eating away at her heart wanted her to panic, she wasn't going to. She was confident that she would find a way to cure him of whatever it was that was making him sick.

  "So tired,” he croaked the word out, his voice hoarse and quiet.

  "Don't give up. We'll find a cure.” She drew back and smoothed the sweat-slicked hair from his face.

  He smiled ruefully. She got the feeling he was trying to tell her that she wouldn't.

  "You have to fight this, Valentine, for me. Please? She can't take you away from me again. I can't bear it.” She cupped his cheek and trembled when she pressed a kiss to his lips. She tasted something.

  Her marks burned in unison, sending sparks of pain arcing along her nerves. She gritted her teeth and steeled herself against it.

  "Elena did that,” he said in a voice that was barely there.

  She looked at him. His usually bright green eyes were glassy and dull, speaking of his pain as clearly as his trembling body did.

  "She breathed fire into me."

  He collapsed back onto the bed and her brows furrowed when she took hold of his hand. She toyed with his fingers, stroking them and wanting nothing more than to be close to him in the hope that he could feel it and it would comfort him.

  Running her fingers across his brow, she kept her eyes fixed on his face and smiled. Tears filled her eyes. Her heart ached with her fear and her love for him. His lips twisted in pain, his brows meeting heavily.

  "Still.” She felt the magic leave her and sighed when he was still again, his face soft with slumber. “I won't give up on you, so don't you give up either."

  She looked across the room at her desk and the book that was sitting on it.

  There was a high chance it contained the answers she needed. This wasn't a drug she was dealing with; it was a spell. Surely all spells had counters?

  Her mother's words came back to her and she looked at Valentine.

  "I will save you, just as you saved me."

  Chapter 11

  Prophecy paced the length of the room. She could feel the sun outside taunting her. Everything felt as though it was taunting her.

  She stared at Valentine as she walked back towards him. He was still sleeping soundly, but she'd had to renew the spell several times. Whatever magic was affecting him, it couldn't do it while he was awake. Maybe her sleep spell was more than just sleep. She'd never used it before last night. Maybe Elena's spell required Valentine to be conscious in order for it to work its will and her own spell rendered him unconscious. The command was ‘still’ after all. That word spoke of more than just slumber but there were still times when he moved, usually when her spell was wearing off.

  He mumbled something and she went to him, pressing her hand against his cheek. He was freezing cold. Grabbing the blanket from underneath his feet at the bottom of the bed, she placed it over him. Her fingers idly smoothed the creases out of the warm material while she looked at him. He was still pale. His lips were almost as white as his skin, which was a stark contrast against his raven hair and the black sheets. She wondered what kind of battle was being waged inside of him and what the outcome of the spell would be if she couldn't stop it. If Elena had wanted him dead, she would have simply killed him, not gone to lengths as elaborate as this. This was something else, and Prophecy got the distinct impression she didn't want to find out exactly what Elena's plan for Valentine was.

  She glanced at the book again. So far her patience had held and she'd managed to control her anger where the tome was concerned. Several attempts to open the book had ended with her breaking down in tears, but it didn't take her long to recover and get back on her feet again, thinking of another way to get into it to see if it contained the cure she needed so badly.

  The air in the room felt stale. The more time she spent in it, the more the walls began to feel as though they were closing in again. She wished that she could let some air in, but with the sun still up, she couldn't risk it. Even changing out of her ball gown hadn't improved how she felt. The dress lay over the back of the armchair on the other side of her desk. The loose fitting combats and black camisole top she now wore had made it easier for her to pace the room and her heavy boots had given her a rhythmic sound to focus on, but they had done nothing to improve her outlook. She'd washed her face countless times in an attempt to freshen up, but she still felt groggy and bewildered.

  Serenity had left her shortly after dawn to attend to their new arrivals. During the night, Venturi's men had arrived. She'd heard reports that there were two-dozen of them. She didn't know who they were as she hadn't attended to them.

  Apparently neither had Venturi.

  She closed her eyes and reached out with her senses. He was still where he had been for most of the night—standing sentinel outside her door. It was a clever move on his part. He was so close to her, but far enough away that she didn't feel crowded. If she wanted him at any given moment, she only had to move a few feet and open a door. A single look would be all it would take to tell him he was needed.

  His proximity had another affect too. It soothed her. She knew he was only there because he felt compelled to be close by in case she needed him. He probably didn't realise the comfort it gave her to just have him there waiting. All she had to do was extend her senses a fraction and she could feel him. His constant presence and steadfastness was more calming than any words he could have said to her.

  She looked at Valentine. He was still her pillar of strength, still everything she needed in order to win this war and fulfil the prophecy, but she couldn't draw on his strength right now. Valentine needed all his strength for himself so Venturi had taken his place, becoming the stalwart one that she relied on to guide her when she couldn't deal with something.

  She couldn't deal with this.

  She knew that locking herself away in her room wasn't the right way of dealing with it, but she couldn't face her family or Valentine's right now. She'd heard Xavier speaking to Venturi throughout the night and it seemed that what little progress had been made at the dance, had been undone when Valentine had become sick. Without him to command them, there was a chance that the Aurorea would revolt against him. She had to somehow retain control of them as well as her own bloodline.

  Was she strong enough to do that?

  Opening the door, her eyes settled at first on Venturi. He immediately turned around to look at her. His face reflected how tired he was and she wished that he would sleep, but she didn't ask him to. Her heart told her that he would refuse. It was best she let him do as he pleased and didn't push him. Besides, she wanted him to remain close in case anything happened.

  Her gaze moved to Xavier. His hand was on the hilt of his sword. Each time she'd emerged from her room during the night an
d day, he'd always looked the same—a dark look on his face and his hand on his sword. It had told her everything she needed to know about him. He had accepted Valentine's command of their bloodline and he would defend his new lord to the death. The other guards had a similar look whenever she'd chanced a glance at them.

  "There is no improvement and it is getting harder to make him sleep. I don't think we should send the Aurorea home, but I'm sure they're becoming restless. If they wish to hunt tonight, let them, but warn them that they must return here.” She leaned against the doorframe as tiredness swept through her. The sun was starting to sink but its power over her was still strong enough to lure her to sleep. She fought against it, telling herself that she had to maintain a constant vigil over Valentine and find the cure. Any wasted seconds could mean she lost more than time.

  "They will return here without the need to warn them. They are not pleased to be trapped in the house of Caelestis, but they are not fools enough to think they're safe at our family's mansion. They saw what happened to Lord Valentine. They know a similar fate awaits those who stray too far from you.” Xavier smiled and held his hand up. One of the guards moved away from the wall and came to him. “Gather the patrols and our family. Tell them that those wishing to hunt will have to do so as a group. They will be escorted by any of the guards that we can spare. Send word to those left at the mansion to be on alert. This witch we encountered last night is powerful. She is not to be trusted."

  "Or fought,” Prophecy added. “Tell them not to fight her. Flee if they meet her. Get word back here. I will deal with her."

  The guard nodded and turned away from her. She gave one more glace to Venturi and saw he was still watching her, and then went back into her room. Closing the door again, she looked at Valentine and then went over to the book.

  She traced her fingers over the patterned front, wishing it would give up its secrets and open for her. Her eyes closed when she felt the power in it. It seemed to move between her amulet and the book, ebbing through her body as though she was only a conduit for the magic inside of her and it was communicating with the magic inside the book. She wished she knew what it was saying.