by Megan Duncan
My planned attire was definitely on mark. I regarded myself in the mirror: fangy smile, black yoga pants, a black tank top, and black sneakers splashed with red. My hair was tied in a tight ponytail. I was ready to go.
Heading out of my room, a piece of paper fluttering in the breeze on my bedroom door made my heart stop. I hadn’t sensed anyone in my room while I was changing. I knew I hadn’t. I made sure to keep my senses aware of my surroundings. There was no way I would let anyone sneak around me again. I was a vampire, damn it, and I was going to start acting like one. No more relaxing around the Château or on the beach, no more balls or fancy dresses. Okay, well maybe balls; I did love to dance, but that would have to wait for later. After I kicked some serious evil vampire butt.
I snatched the paper from the door, it crinkled in my hands. Without hesitation I opened it. Fully prepared for some sort of warning from The Dark about their evil plans, but what I found nearly tore through the fabric of my newly found confidence. It was a note from Arrick.
You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake you. I promise I will look for your friends and ensure their safety, but you must promise me you will stay safe as well. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. Yours, Arrick
I definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Arrick did care for me after all. I hadn’t imagined it. And I could promise him I would be safe. Tonight I started my training with Eli and I planned to push my body to its limits.
Chapter_9
My plan to push my body to its full potential was apparently Eli’s plan as well. I couldn’t say that I thought he would really take it a little easy on me, but the first night of training was a lot harder than I had expected. There were no warm-ups or stretches. We just got right down to business.
“What is the first rule of fighting a vampire?” Eli asked. He circled me, eyeing my stance, then kicked at me feet so they’d spread further.
“Um…” I knew he had told me this a dozen times already. If I got it wrong again he promised I would pay with more severe training the next night. “To watch them.”
“Very good, and why must you watch them?”
Geez, I thought I was going to learn how to fight and not take a memory test. My eyes flashed back and forth as I tried to remember how he had explained it. My time had run out and Eli flashed to me, landing a solid, meaty fist into my gut.
I fell onto the rug at my feet and clutched my stomach. Waves of nausea hit me, but I pushed them back. I rolled over, putting all my weight on my feet and stood up. I could do this.
My fangs pierced my lower lip as I grimaced and readied my stance again. Eli raised his eyebrows at me and growled. “If you had been paying attention, I would not have been able to strike. You live too much in your head, Claire. Too much in here.” He tapped me hard on the chest and then pointed toward my head. I knew he was right. I tried to clear my thoughts.
“Now fight!” Eli hissed at me and jumped away from me. He twirled in the air and landed across the room, his arms raised preparing for my attack.
My breath quickened as I focused. I allowed myself to just touch the surface and connect with my vampire instincts. I watched him, listened to his breathing, followed his eye movements, trying to predict if he would make the first move. He did.
Eli jumped in the air with ease, like he was light as a feather. I felt the urge to lunge out of the way, but stopped myself. I saw his eyes flick to the right; no, he was predicting me to do that. A hiss erupted from me and I dove forward, to where he stood before. As he landed, I struck him in back, hard. The force behind the blow came easily and I savored the power of the connection with the killer instincts inside me.
He only faltered a step, but I had landed a hit. “Yes!” he shouted in a growling tone. It sounded animalistic and it struck a chord inside me. The dance was about to begin.
Eli and I lunged and jumped, striking and missing each other’s blows for what felt like days. I had never felt so in touch with my vampire nature than ever before and I loved it. I finally was starting to understand. This was what I was meant to do. It felt right. It felt natural. I was a fighter.
When the approach of the dawn began to lighten the night sky Eli called it a night. He tossed a fresh towel toward me and I caught it instantly. “How do you feel?” he asked as we exited the training room.
At first I wanted to say exhausted, but I wasn’t really all that tired. At least not from the fighting. If morning wasn’t coming, I probably would have been able to keep going. There was another feeling that was commanding my attention at the moment. “I feel amazing.”
Eli nodded. “You are connecting with your power. That’s good.” He retrieved two sports bottles, handing one to me. “Tomorrow I will teach how to land more devastating blows. A vampire can evade attacks easily without becoming very tired, but an accurate and crushing attack can stagger your enemy enough for you to defeat them.”
“Do you train the Blood Guards?” I hadn’t realized I was wondering until the question blurted from my lips.
“Yes.”
“So, you know all of their strengths and weaknesses?”
He eyed me suspiciously. “I do. Why are you asking?”
We rounded another corner as we neared the part of the Château that contained the living quarters and I waited for two Blood Guards to pass by before I continued. “Well, I’ve been thinking. There has never been a vampire like me before. You know, born to a vampire, turned by a vampire, and bonded with a Blood Mate… Blood Guard, I mean,” I corrected. Geez, I sounded like a science experiment.
“You want to know what you can do?” Eli said knowingly. I nodded. “The only way to know this is to test your abilities, Claire. But now is not the time. Right now you need to focus on honing your skills as best as you can. Defending yourself and eliminating your enemy are our main focus. We can worry about the fancy stuff later.”
His voice was stern so I agreed to his terms, even though I knew curiosity was likely to get the best of me. I had never been very patient.
When Eli finally escorted me to my room and reconfirmed our training for the next night I made my way to the shower as fast as I could. I didn’t want to go to bed covered in sweat, but I was also anxious to read the letter from Arrick one last time before I went to sleep. It was two days before he was back, and I could only hope the time would pass swiftly.
The next morning I was relieved to find no stone in my bed. Not that I really believed there could be. Security at the Château had been fired up almost quicker than I could blink.
I woke up refreshed and French-braided my hair. The night before, Eli, had managed to pull it a few times as he would fly past me for an attack. I took it as a signal I needed to confine my tresses.
A memory of yanking on Ana’s hair flashed in my mind. The sound of her scream as I slammed her to the floor. Bile rose up in my throat as the painful memory unleashed the anger I had buried inside. I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts. I couldn’t let it consume me. I needed to keep hold of the power I had connected with during training. The seemingly endless fisher of strength I had inside me. I guessed that was what made me different. The question was, what else was inside me? How far could I go and what could I really do? After training I planned to do my first test. There was no time to waste, not with a war showing its ugly face on the horizon. I just needed to be sure I didn’t get caught.
The palace was busier this evening than it had ever been. The population within the Château seemed to have doubled in size. Blood Guards stood at nearly every hallway, and maids and servants ran busily through the corridors. I’d noticed their faces weren’t as bright and cheery as they had been, yet they still smiled kindly at me as I passed. I guessed they must have been informed of the situation.
Would every citizen of the region be warned? It could cause mass panic, but they deserved to know. Didn’t they? I decided to take a detour and walk past the strategy room. I was certain that it would be buzzing with activity.
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nbsp; Unfortunately, as I turned down the long hallway, I could see that the doors were firmly shut. A glow leaked from the edges of the door. They must be holding a meeting. Could I sneak in? I was the princess, after all; I should be kept up-to-date on everything. Besides, I was curious to know if anything had been heard from Arrick yet. I knew it wasn’t likely, but there was always a chance.
I walked with purpose down the hallway, my feet squeaking on the floor. A Blood Guard eyed me wearily as I approached the door. I tried to ignore his presence and not look like I was worried he might stop me. I failed. As soon as I reached for the handle he slapped his hand on my arm and shook his head.
“I’m sorry, princess. The King asked not to be disturbed.”
I shook my hand free. “I’m sure that doesn’t include me. He will want me in there.” My tone grew annoyed.
“He said no one. No even the Queen was allowed to enter.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Where is she then?”
“I believe she is in the dining hall, Princess.” He straightened his posture like he was preparing himself for my refusal. Like I would barge into a secret meeting that my father didn’t want disturbed. What kind of princess or daughter did he think I was? Sure I guess compared to most Princesses I was a bit of a rebel and questioned everything, but I wasn’t that bad. Was I?
I rolled my eyes and turned away to head toward the dining hall. That Blood Guard was super annoying, but I couldn’t blame him for following orders. Especially not now. I had no doubt that everyone was probably on edge tonight.
I found my mother right where the guard said she would be. Lines of worry creased her face and her hair was done up in a feathery bun that allowed loose strands to fall around her face. She looked surprisingly older than I had ever seen her.
Her face brightened only faintly as she saw me approach. A bowl of blood sat before her in the standard gold rimmed china. A yellow rose petal with hints of pink floated atop the surface. I could tell she hadn’t touched it.
“Are you okay?” I was concerned for her. Seeing such a powerful vampire look so sullen and defeated wasn’t a good sign. I needed her to be strong. Not only for her, but for me too.
“I’ll be fine, Claire.”
“Are you upset because you couldn’t get into the meeting?” She smiled at me and I smiled back. I wanted to crack the shell of sadness around her. “’Cuz I sure am.”
“Oh, my darling daughter. I didn’t realize how much I missed having another girl around. It’s about time your father was outnumbered.”
We both laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks. I was growing so easily close to her, it was almost like we had never been apart.
I finished my meal as fast as I could. I think this was the best infused blood I had ever had. The rose petal gave it a sweet, earthy taste. Next family dinner I was definitely going to request it.
“So, shall we crash this meeting?” I asked as we finished eating.
Color had returned to her face. “I think we must,” she said in a playful commanding tone. Her chair scooted backward causing a screeching echo to vibrate through the room.
I refrained from licking my bowl and watched my mother as she futilely tried to push back the stray strands around her face in a nearby hanging mirror. “You might as well give up,” I giggled at her.
She smiled at me through the mirror. “And why is that?”
“Because,” I said, getting up and grabbing her hand. “We don’t want to keep father waiting.” I smiled at her with my most evil grin, my fangs fully displayed.
We squeezed hands and bolted out of the dining hall toward the strategy room where my father was holding some secret meeting. I couldn’t contain my laughter as we raced to see who would make it there first.
She beat me, but just barely.
“I haven’t run like that in years.” She breathed heavily and pulled the pins from her hair. It fell in soft waves down her back.
The Blood Guard stationed was looking at us like we were mad, which only made us turn to each other and smile wickedly. But we were merely just a mother and her daughter, making up for lost time and enjoying each other’s company.
Taking the lead, my mother marched to the door with superiority. I didn’t see the look she gave the guard, but by his wide-eyed and shocked expression, I could only guess it was frightening. As beautiful as my mother was, I did not doubt for a second that she could look very intimidating if she wanted to.
As I followed behind her I could feel the power emanating from her. She was a focused and determined vampire Queen. Someday I hoped to be the very same thing.
She opened the doors without resistance, marching into the room like she had never been told she couldn’t be there. I shadowed her movements close behind and spied my father’s expression briefly. He didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised and if I didn’t know any better maybe even amused. A tiny twinkle sparkled in his dark eyes.
I expected the room to be filled with several Vampires and Blood Guards, but there were only four seats filled, aside from my father. The strategy room could have easily seated twenty or more.
A throat cleared loudly and my eyes traveled over to my left. There sat Jarvan, his judging eyes piercing in my direction. I sighed inwardly. I really didn’t like that guy even though I was starting to understand him.
Everyone remained quiet as we entered the room and took seats near my father. I wouldn’t have been surprised if everyone immediately got up and left, but when my father waved toward Renek he nodded and continued.
“Very well. As I was saying, the city has been secured. We have notified all city heads about the situation and they are strategizing efforts to ensure security in their cities.”
“Did you instruct them on the appropriate protocol to handle the event of a stone?” Jarvan interrupted.
“I did,” Renek said clearly annoyed. I would be too if I were him. Sometimes I thought Jarvan thought he was the one calling the shots. Someday I’d like to be the one to knock him off his high horse.
Renek directed his attention back to my father. “Black boxes have been sent to all the major cities with precise instructions. I know first-hand the severity of contact with dark stones.” He glared at Jarvan, his scared forehead wrinkling.
I was really starting to like this Captain Renek.
“Good.” My father nodded as he flipped through papers and parchment on the table before him. Some of the documents looked incredibly aged and I wondered what was on them. How old were they? They looked like they could have been from the Dark Ages, with their yellowed edges and brown spots.
Robin and her family would probably love to see them. They loved any form of history. Goddess, I missed them.
For a time, everyone was silent - then my father looked up and dismissed the gathering. “You can go. That’s all for now.” The room all rose, collecting their things and exiting. “Renek, check back with me before night’s end.”
Renek nodded and bowed, then marched out of the room.
When the room was empty, aside from myself, my mother and father, I sighed aloud. I couldn’t help myself. I was really disappointed that we had missed nearly the entirety of the meeting.
Still looking down at the documents in front of him, my father cleared his throat and I snapped to attention. “I suppose I should have known better than to think I could keep you two from coming to a meeting you weren’t invited to.”
I wasn’t sure if he was seriously annoyed or joking with us. I glanced at my mother for some clue, but she had ignored him. Her eyes were fixated on some papers that were left behind by an older man who had been seated across from her.
I bit my lip. What could I say? What’s the worst he could do, ground me?
“Nothing to say for yourselves?” My father raised his head and laced his fingers together in a large fist on the table.
“Cathair!” my mother cried exasperatedly. The papers crinkled loudly as she shuffled them together. “You’
re going to make her fear you if you aren’t careful. You know that no one can tell when you’re being sarcastic.”
I looked to my father, relief filling me. I really didn’t want him to be upset with me. Our eyes met and for a long moment we stared at each other. It was almost like a staring contest, when suddenly he smiled.
The heaviness of his emotions was temporarily gone from his handsome face. “Come, child,” he said, patting the chair to his immediate right. “Tell me how your first night of training went. Did you show Eli what a true Zakarian princess can do?”
My cheeks blushed. He was every bit the father I had always dreamed of. Right down to the cheesy comments.
“I did land a few good strikes,” I said triumphantly. I wasn’t above bragging. Besides, I was damn proud of myself.
“That’s my girl!” He squeezed me into his arms, his bright fangy grin lighting up his face. “You hear that, Ione? Our daughter is a warrior!”
“Not quite,” I said. Sure I was proud of myself, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying I was a warrior. At least not quite yet.
“You can be anything you want, Claire. There has never been anyone like you before. The possibilities for you are limitless. Besides, you’re my daughter and I can already tell you take after me.” She smiled at me and then winked at my father.
“Now, now! Don’t you start. She has Zakarian blood in her. Just look at her, she’s a natural fighter.” He playfully jabbed at me and I blocked him swiftly, causing a deep laugh to roll through his husky voice.
My mother waved him off and the levity in the room quickly evaporated. I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t just Zakarian blood I had anymore. I had Noire blood too. I wasn’t sure anymore what affect it would have on me. Would it change me somehow? Would I become like Nicolae, desperate to do anything to make things how I wanted them, to maintain my throne and reign of power?