Tattoos and Cupcakes (Amulet of Queens Book 1)

by Everly Taylor

  A large dumpster sat against one wall with a pile of pallets next to it. Large crates lined the other side of the alley, stacked against the brick wall. It looked safe enough out here, I was hoping it wasn’t something I had to worry about anyway, and that my power just did what it was supposed to.

  They all stepped toward the middle of the alley, forming a semi-circle around me. I took a few steps back, distancing myself from them a bit just to be safe. I didn’t want to take any chances of any of them getting hurt accidentally.

  “Alright Lena, show us what mysterious power you have hidden away in that pretty little body of yours,” Sam called out, making me roll my eyes at her.

  I looked between their expectant faces, please let this work, and I closed my eyes and sent up a prayer to whatever gods were listening. Focusing, I remembered the tingle across my skin and the buzz in the air as the power moved through me.

  Picturing the globes forming in my hands, I let the magic rush through me. The sharp intake of breath told me that it had worked. I opened my eyes and looked down, as the magic sparked along my arms and the rolled in my hands. The now familiar purple and red ball glowed in my hands, bright and powerful.

  “Holy shit Lena!” Sam exclaimed, watching me wide-eyed.

  “Selena this is unheard of, how are you doing this?” Valentina asked, watching me in awe, and touching the amulet at her chest.

  “The power is within me and strong enough where I don’t have to use the amulet to amplify or channel it.” I let the sparks dissipate, and the balls of energy disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, dropping my hands back to my sides.

  “This is why I was sent to the Well, so I could learn to focus my energy and use it to protect the clan, to protect all of you,” I informed them.

  “So do you know how to actually use it?” Damien inquired.

  “I don’t think it’s too hard. Create balls of energy and throw them at shit.” I shrugged.

  “Do you think that you can even hit anything with it?” Damien pressed, skeptical that even though I had the use of my magic now, I would be unable to use it as a measure of protection.

  This time I quickly conjured the energy to me, and little flickers sparked along my skin as it moved through my arms, before I sent it spiraling out of my hands toward the stack of pallets against the side of the building. The pallets blasted apart, splinters rocketing into the sky, while the ones that were left unscathed scattered as they landed back on the pavement.

  “Well Damien, I think that about covers that one,” Adrien commented, running over and spinning me in a circle as he planted a kiss on my lips.

  “It sure does,” Damien said, grinning as Adrien put me back on the ground.

  “Glad you’re in our corner princess, that’s some pretty intense shit,” Aldrich praised.

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” I said. “So now that we know I can control it in this world, and can aim,” I stuck my tongue out at Damien, mocking him, “where do we go from here?”

  “We need to make a—” Valentina was stopped short as a loud crash came from somewhere inside the club.

  Another huge boom reverberated through the walls, making us all race for the entrance to see what was happening. Not sure what we would find, we raced through the door, unprepared for what was waiting for us inside.

  Light poured in from the upper level where the doors had been knocked down, and vampires I didn’t recognize poured through. Our own clan was coming out to meet them, hearing the commotion as we had.

  I stood next to Valentina in the middle of the club, with the guys surrounding us. From the lower level we watched a tall figure approach the railing of the balcony. As he stepped closer, the backlight from the missing door no longer hid his features from us, and revealed who our intruder was.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised at who stepped forward, grasping the rail. It just surprised me that he was now moving unassisted and more agile than when I had last seen him. Sylred placed his hands on the beautiful ironwork that I had once admired, sneering down at us. Behind him, Cristian and Kyra stepped to the sides of him, flanking him as more of his clan moved in to join the, surrounding us on the upper level.

  “What, no one to greet us?” he asked, the rasp to his voice no longer noticeable. Something was definitely off here. “Valentina, you really have lost your manners.” He tsk’d at her.

  “Forgive me, but I don’t extend invitations to people who blow my fucking doors off,” she stated, shocking me with her language. He’d really gone and pissed her off now.

  “Oh that? No one answered so we let ourselves in,” he goaded, as he started making his way solo to the stairs. “I came to talk to you and Selena of course. I have heard some very interesting things about our mutual interest and have come to make an offer.” He turned, stepping down the stairs, and that was the moment I realized what was different about him.

  The darkness had become a part of him. This was no longer the same Sylred who had kidnapped Sam and I, though that Sylred had been bad enough. I was looking at a completely different person, this one was overtaken by something powerful and dark, the ancient magic palatable in the air. I was sure he knew he was a pawn and reveled in the fact that he was a vessel for so much power.

  His once dull and thinning grey hair was now a deep, rich black, thick and full, hanging in waves over his ears. The gaunt frame that could barely support him only days ago, even with the assistance of a cane, was now full and healthy, filling out his tailored suit to perfection. Agilely, he headed toward us from the stairs, stopping opposite Valentina and I.

  That was the minute I noticed the biggest change in him, also a confirmation that I was right about the darkness now residing within him. Sylred’s eyes were no longer the same hue they had been previously, with their red irises forming a ring around them. Instead they were completely black, no difference between his iris and pupil, just large, vacant black orbs staring back at me.

  “We have nothing to discuss with you Sylred,” Valentina said next to me.

  “Oh, I think this one might want to hear it,” he countered, turning to me.

  “I have nothing to say to you, and there is nothing I want to hear from you either,” I told him.

  “We could make a great team, you and I,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I saw your power the day you were with me, and it was fascinating. Just imagine the things we could accomplish together if we combined our power,” he mused hungrily.

  If he found out exactly how much power I could harness he would be chomping at the bit. I intended to keep that knowledge close to me as long as possible.

  “There will never be anything that you and I will accomplish together, Sylred. It’ll never even be a consideration, so you might as well leave now,” I declared flatly.

  “I’m afraid you have made the wrong choice my dear,” he intoned, flicking his wrist, a signal to the rest of his clan.

  Cristian and Kyra were the first to jump over the balcony rail, surprising me when they cleared it without effort and hit the ground without even batting an eye. I guess I did still have a lot to learn about vampires and their capabilities. The rest of his clan followed them, pouring over the banister like a giant wave, a force ready to take us out.

  Sylred went for Valentina, his speed astounding, and I moved to intervene, but before I could step forward Kyra was lunging for me, slamming me back against the bar, the force rocking through me. Strength I didn’t know I had coursed through me as I pushed with my hands and sprung upward to my feet.

  She ran at me with bloodred irises, descended fangs, and a feral expression. Determined, she leaped for me, and this time I barely avoided her, swinging around at the last minute as she ran past me, skidding to a stop on the slick floor.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw the men fiercely taking on several of the other clan at once, dispatching them as quickly as they attacked. There were so many that the onslaught seemed endless.

  Kyra distracte
d me again, speeding at me and swinging a fist toward my face. I jerked to the side, and she missed, her hand breezing through my hair instead. She growled in frustration, spinning around to face me again.

  “Little pet, I don’t like it when you play games with me,” she taunted, the irritation clear in her voice.

  “That’s nice, guess it’s a good thing I’m not your pet then, huh?” I gibed, fighting back the power within me. I knew it was too soon to reveal what I could do, and this bitch was not that much of a threat. When she swung at me this time I was ready and grabbed her fist, twisting it to the side, her arm bending at an unnatural angle. A normal person would have cried out as their arm broke, but Kyra was apparently not just an average person, or vampire. Using the momentum of me twisting her broken arm she flipped over, landing on her feet. She used the surprise against me and yanked her arm free, dropping low and with a swift kick of her leg, she knocked my feet out from under me.

  I fell to the floor awkwardly and scrambled to get back up before she could gain any ground. Circling around I searched for her, finding her crouched directly behind me, low and ready to strike again. “Ready to play nice, pet?” she spat out.

  “It’s like talking to a fucking brick wall with you, isn’t it?” I scoffed, shaking my head.

  Whirling around she aimed a high kick at my torso, I blocked it with my arm, the pain of her shin hitting against my bone jarring me. I pushed the pain aside and this time I immediately swung for her with a punch of my own, connecting with her midsection. She was sent flying backwards, crashing through a row of tables and chairs. I assumed this extra power came from the adrenaline rush of my vampire side, though I couldn’t be sure, I was just grateful for it.

  I followed after her, passing Cristian, Sam, and Jordan as I went. They looked to have it handled, which honestly surprised me. The two battled Cristian fiercely and effortlessly together. Seeing Kyra still trying to pull herself free from the chairs, I took a second glance at the battle my friend was in. It appeared that Cristian was taking it easy on them, pulling his punches at the last minute to avoid hurting either one of them. Why would he be doing something like that? It didn't make any sense to me when they knew they had to win something like this.

  Not having time to watch any further, I pushed the thought from my mind and turned to face a really pissed off Kyra as she rushed at me. I was over her bullshit and ready to end this with her. The magic raced across my skin, but I reined it in, determined not to end a life if I didn’t have to, yet ready to teach this bitch a lesson.

  She continued to run at me and I swung my arm toward her, an arc trailing its wave of purple energy through the air. She stopped short in her tracks but it was too late, the magic already blasting from my hand. Spiraling through the air, my magic hit its target squarely in the chest, sending her soaring across the bar. Kyra slammed against one of the marble pillars, a crack forming where she had landed.

  Seeing that she remained motionless and slumped over where she had fallen, I turned away from her and scanned the room for Valentina and Sylred. I knew that was where my help would be needed most. The guys and the rest of the clan could take care of everyone else, who were basically just a bunch of piss ants distracting us from the real problem here.

  Finally, finding the two locked in combat on the landing of the stairs, I started to race toward them. The amulet seemed to struggle to protect Valentina, as small bursts of red light shot out toward Sylred in a futile effort to guard her. They only dissipated in the air around him as he laughed at her.

  I reached the bottom stair just as a flash of impossibly black light erupted from Sylred, heading toward Valentina. Everything moved in slow motion as I unleashed my power toward him, giving it everything I had. It was so forceful it seemed to split the very air around it as it pulsed after him.

  The red and purple swirled together, bright and blinding, hitting him with a force that was audible and sent him over the balcony, and flying through the wall behind him. I was too late though and the light hit Valentina directly, and she tumbled backward from the landing back to the main floor of the club.

  For a split second I was torn between chasing after Sylred and checking on Valentina. I considered what she would want me to do though, and ultimately the safety of the clan would be her first concern.

  I climbed over the rubble that was once the wall to the club, bricks in tumbled heaps laying everywhere. My eyes adjusted as I stumbled into the bright light, ready to take him on again. The street was clear of people, and I was on guard searching for any sign of attack, but none came.

  Suddenly his clan members came pouring out of the club as quickly as they had rushed in. They exited through any entrance they could find—the front door that had been annihilated, the hole made by Sylred’s form, even the alley entrances. It was like they couldn’t escape fast enough.

  After it looked like the last one had clamored through the hole, I picked my way back through the rubble and into the destroyed club. Everyone stood around in a state of stunned shock. We had expected some sort of battle, but we had not been anywhere near prepared for what we had just gone up against.

  I ran down the stairs taking two at a time, eager to see if Valentina was okay. As I reached the main floor Aldrich yanked me against his chest, holding me tight. “Holy shit Lena, you’re okay. I didn’t see you when everyone started running out and I assumed the worst,” he breathed out.

  “I’m okay Aldrich,” I said against his torso. “We need to check on Valentina,” I urged, pulling back and rushing to the place I had seen her fall. “She was hit badly by Sylred, he was using crazy magic. I don’t know how, but it was stronger than the amulet and made it look like nothing.”

  I reached the side of the landing where she should have been when she fell. Searching for her I didn’t see her form anywhere. Even if she had been flung a distance, there was nowhere that she could have remained where we couldn’t spot her.

  “Valentina,” I called out, hoping for some sort of response.

  The other two came up beside Aldrich and I. “Have either of you seen Valentina?” I asked, still looking around frantically. I had to find her, she had been hit hard and I needed to save her. I had just reconnected with her. I was just getting to know her.

  “The last I saw her she was still battling Sylred,” Damien said. “I was trying to reach her, there were just too many of them.”

  I walked back to the landing, trying for a different vantage point. Maybe if I viewed it from where she had fallen I would see her.

  Looking toward the bar I knew I had spotted her, but it was not in the condition I wanted to find her. Glinting in the middle of a pile of ash was the amulet, glowing red as it called to me to take it back.

  Bending my head I refused to accept what had happened. There was no way she was gone, no way that Sylred had killed my mother. Tears ran down my cheeks. Sad, angry tears that I had failed at protecting those I had set out to keep safe.

  Lifting my head, I looked around me at the chaos that had unfolded. I had to do something, there was no turning back now.

  A familiar weight settled on my neck. Glancing down, the amulet now sat nestled between my breasts once more. It had returned of its own accord, declaring me the queen of these people, the ruler and protector.

  I would not fail them.

  Epilogue

  I lay in bed unable to sleep, thinking about all the things we needed to do to rebuild. The guys had insisted that I rest, even though I wanted to remain downstairs to help clean up and see to everyone’s injuries.

  They knew I was physically and emotionally spent after expending so much power trying to save Valentina. I still couldn’t believe she was gone. I had only just started to get to know her and she was taken from me, from all of us, so fast.

  I had been so shocked after being told who she was, and I wasn’t able to bring myself to spend time with her. Now I had lost anytime I had to get to know who she was, to get to understand where I had come f
rom.

  I was warned about the darkness, warned that it encroached quickly on us. Stubbornly I had thought we had more time. Time to form a plan or outsmart it somehow, but that wasn’t the case and now we all suffered for it.

  As a result, we had suffered the loss of a great and beloved leader, someone who I, at the very least, had started to grow fond of.

  Thankfully our clan had already been prepared for me to serve as their future queen, so the transition had been made easier, considering the sudden loss. Several had also seen how readily I had fought to protect our own, so that made them that much more eager to fight alongside me.

  The loss of Valentina only made me more determined to defeat this darkness. Her death could not be for nothing. Somehow I knew that this was not the last we would see of Sylred or the darkness, it was only the beginning. I needed to find answers and there was only one place I could get them.

  Closing my eyes I thought of the altar at the front of the sanctuary. I needed to bring myself to their world, there was more they knew and weren’t telling me.

  The change in light against my eyelids told me that I had arrived as intended, and opening them confirmed it. Lamia and Calledora stood in front of me with weak smiles on their faces.

  “We knew you could do it,” Lamia said.

  “Yeah, but at what fucking cost?” I snarled, trying not to yell.

  “All things come with a price, Selena,” Calledora stated in her cryptic manner.

  “Enough of the games you two, I know there’s more you’re not telling me and I need answers. After everything, I deserve answers,” I demanded.

  They glanced at each other briefly and seemed to come to a conclusion. “You’re right, you do, and it’s time we gave some of them to you,” Lamia agreed. “The amulet that you wear was not always whole, at one time it was divided into three. Each clan had been given its own piece to be worn by their queen, its intention to bring peace to the clans. A way to unite them through the shared magic of the amulet, if you will,” she started.