by Shana Vernon
“Of course, sister. I was waiting for your response about where you’ve been taking the hybrids.”
I opened my mouth to answer when Luka beat me to it. “We have them in a safe place. That’s all you need to know for now.”
I elbowed his side and narrowed my eyes at him for speaking for me.
“I’m surprised, Prince. I didn’t know you royals cared enough to help out hybrids. That’s certainly new.”
Luka stilled next to me. “What do you mean, that’s new?”
“We’ve sent emissaries to your mother on multiple occasions, begging her for aid.”
The ponytail female cut in. “I was part of one of those missions and can confirm what he said. She claimed that hybrids aren’t real vampires and were therefore not under her jurisdiction.”
I could see the genuine shock on Luka’s face at their words. Words that meant his mother was knowingly allowing innocent hybrids to be slaughtered and doing nothing to stop it. He was definitely not okay with it.
I rubbed a hand on his back, and he leaned into my touch, his muscles relaxing under my fingers. I turned to Zander. “We have been saving the hybrids from assassins and bringing them to safe houses. If you can put together real proof about your city, we can bring it to them and see what they say. That’s the best I can offer you for now.”
Zander bobbed his head and told the red head to get on it. “Understood.” He met my gaze, suddenly looking unsure of himself. “Would it be alright if we met again? Under different circumstances obviously. You can pick the location. I’d really like to get to know you, Lenna.”
Warmth blossomed in my chest. “I’d like that too.”
The car was silent as Luka drove us back to the safe house, my mind still on what just happened. I had a brother! Luka was a prince! My head spun with all of the information I’d learned. Not only was my mother alive and well, but she was established and was leading a secret society of hybrids. It was almost too much to handle.
I took Zander’s number, plugging it into Luka’s phone, since mine had been crushed by Summer, the ponytail girl. She at least had the mind to look sheepish when I called her out about it.
I hoped, wished, and prayed that Zander was a good guy. My entire life I wanted more siblings, or family of any kind. While it was nice to speak with Evelyn, I just knew it wouldn’t be the same thing as a sibling bond. At least not from what I could tell from books. The one thing I could count on was our joint interest in protecting the hybrids.
“Lenna?” Luka asked, bringing me back to reality. I pried my cheek off the glass of the car and faced him. “I am truly sorry for not telling you about my identity. There are very few humans who know.” His hand twitched on the gear shift between us. “My mother prefers to keep the humans out of our politics. She likes them to believe that we are weaker and less organized than we are.”
I rested my hand on his fidgeting one. “Don’t worry about it. I understand all about keeping secrets. You are one of eight people who know my real identity, so believe me I understand.” He squeezed my hand in thanks. “Actually, after tonight, I don’t know how many people will know about it.”
With everything that had been going on, I wasn’t sure if I’d told Zander not to spread the word about who I really was. I grabbed Luka’s phone and sent him a quick message with a not so subtle threat. Then something occurred to me. “Luka! You aren’t supposed to be out of the apartment! What if you got caught?”
He scoffed. “You didn’t honestly expect me to sit on the couch twiddling my thumbs, hoping you’d come home in one piece?”
“If it ensures you aren’t caught, then yes!”
“Don’t be absurd, I’ll always protect you.” Luka replied.
“Why?”
He hesitated a moment before answering, “Because you’re my friend, and that’s what friends do.”
As much as that warmed my heart, I couldn’t help but feel like he was still hiding something from me. I leaned back against the window, watching the houses zoom by, tracing smiley faces on the glass. I wanted to know more, but I knew more than anyone that I couldn't push him. He had to be willing to confide in me.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot and Luka turned off the engine, swiveling around to face me. “Are you still down for movie night? I’ll even watch the animated one without complaining.”
I chuckled. “How selfless of you.”
Chapter 24
The rays of sunlight hit my face, warming my skin and a smile passed over my features. I kept my eyes shut as I was too content to bother opening them. I hadn’t slept that well in months. The only issue was that I was hot, excruciatingly hot. I tried to get off my bed to take a shower when something stopped me. Something hard. My eyes flew open as I began to panic, worried something had happened to me when I remembered where I was.
I was laying down on the couch, Luka’s muscular arms restricting as they wrapped around my waist, the heat emanating off of him stifling. I relaxed and the wisps of light that had begun twirling around my body with my distress, dissipated into the rays of sunshine peeking through the curtains.
We must have fallen asleep after watching the movie. I’d wanted to ask him all about being a prince and what his Court was like, but another larger part of me just wanted a simple, non-dramatic night. He’d seemed to understand that and didn’t bring up what’d happened. Instead, we’d chatted about light, normal topics while the movie played in the background.
I hadn’t expected to fall asleep in Luka’s arms, that’s for sure. I squeezed my hand out from underneath his body and tapped his shoulder. “Luka.”
“Mhmm,” he grumbled, his voice thick and rough in the morning as he tightened his arms around my waist.
I tapped him again. “Luka, I need to get back to the compound for training.”
He finally seemed to join the living and opened his warm, honey eyes and shifted his weight off of me. He stretched, a yawn escaping from his mouth, and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to be sorry for. I actually slept really well.” Again, I marveled at how true those words were. It must have been the first night I slept all the way through without a single nightmare getting in the way. I was lighter than I’d felt in weeks. Months even.
“We need to talk,” I said out of the corner of my mouth to Sofia, waiting until I saw her nod of confirmation before I continued throwing daggers at the target on the wall. It’d been almost a year of training and I stopped holding myself back so much. The sight of the weapons sinking in exactly where I wanted them to go was nice. Really nice, and I’d allowed myself to let loose.
I saw Cade and Ryder fighting with swords out of the corner of my eye, while Quinn adjusting Brielle’s grip on a dagger. Sofia and Ekon were fighting with blades as well, Sofia with her sai, and Ekon with a single katana.
I longed to feel it between my fingers, but that was the one weapon I never used in Master Abbott’s presence. I’d told him how I’d created a katana with light energy, but he never saw me use it. My technique wasn’t similar to Papa’s, it mimicked his. I hoped to use that to my advantage when we finally went head to head.
I heard Master Abbott’s command to switch weapons and I exchanged with Axel, handing him the daggers, and accepting the bow and arrow from his hands. “You’ve improved significantly since your arrival, Lenna. And I see you in our sparring sessions. You are easily becoming one of the best initiates on our team.”
My face flushed at the unexpected compliment. “Thanks, Axel.” The same could be said for all of the initiates. Brielle had gained a lot of muscle mass, she was no longer the thin, wispy girl who’d entered. Axel was already lethal, but his techniques became honed and more refined.
Ekon had adapted the grace of his tiger into his human fighting methods; his eyesight, hearing, and smell becoming stronger as well. Sofia improved with her sai that’d become part of her body, always strapped to her thighs as if they were always me
ant to be there. When she’d arrived, she had skill, but it’d been rudimentary. Now, she combined her speed with her skill and vision, making it almost impossible to best her.
They had all advanced significantly and it made me wonder how many initiates had come through the compound doors, becoming lethal killing machines, and then being released to wreak havoc on innocent vampires. Nausea crept into my body as my mind came up with terrible possibilities.
“Bishop! Stop standing there staring at the wall. Use that bow!” Master Abbott yelled.
I forced my thoughts away and adjusted my stance, putting my feet shoulder-width apart, angling toward the target. I relaxed my grip on the handle of the bow and nocked an arrow, turning the bow so it was horizontal. The arrow faced upwards as it rested on the shelf of the arrow rest. I brought the bow vertical again and positioned my fingers on the string and pulled using the muscles on my back.
Once the string touched my lips, I inhaled, freeing my mind from all thoughts, my gaze fixated on the middle of the target. I exhaled and released the string, the arrow shooting forward as quick as a bullet, and impaled the target dead-center.
I smiled.
After showering, I checked for Sofia to tell her about Zander and the other hybrids, but I couldn’t find her. Or any of the other members of the BBBB, which was concerning. I walked around the compound, looking through the training rooms and the cafeteria and coming up empty. I was officially worried. I ended up outside, scouring the lawn, brushing my fingertips through the sunflower stalks, when Joe glided down through the darkness, landing on my shoulder.
“Hey buddy,” I said, giving him a little scratch on his head. He closed his eyes and nuzzled my neck before holding out a leg which had a note strapped to it. I unwrapped the note and rolled it open, immediately recognizing Max’s distinctive, swirling handwriting scrawled on the paper.
Dearest Solnyshka,
I have something urgent I would like to speak with you about. Would you mind meeting me at the penthouse as soon as you can?
Looking forward to seeing you. - M.
My mind raced with possibilities of what that could mean. What could possibly be urgent, but not so much that he still posed it as a question? Even somewhat like an invitation. It didn’t really matter; I was going no matter how urgent it was. When Max asked for me, I’d go, just like I knew would be the same the other way around.
I glanced at my surroundings, confirming that I was alone, but pushing my cooling sensation through my body and making my way to my car before quietly getting in and driving off. I released the invisibility once I was out of the compounds general vicinity. I didn’t want people freaking out that a car was driving down the streets of Boston without a driver.
I crammed my key into the lock and turned the handle, pushing the door open as quickly as I could. The apartment was dark and silent. I couldn’t believe Luka went out again. I was going to kill him for being so reckless.
“Max?” I called. Nothing.
I put my hand to the wall, feeling around for the light switch and flipped it, the living room suddenly bathed in light. Several beings jumped out at me as the light flooded the room and they all screamed “Happy birthday!”
I stood there, my mouth hanging open as I took in the area. Sofia, Ekon, Ryder, Quinn, Luka, Nikita, Trey, and Max were all there, wishing me a happy birthday. Banners covered the walls, with the same blessings printed on them in swirling letters. The wonderful aroma of cheese and tomato sauce hit my nose seconds before I saw the stacks of pizza and drinks on a table that was pushed away to the side.
My heart felt like it would burst through my ribcage any moment. It felt full and warm for the first time in almost a year. Papa had left for his mission soon after my twenty-second birthday, never to come home. A twinge of pain hit my chest and I rubbed it, a burning sensation popping up in the back of my eyes.
Family. That’s what they were to me.
A tear slid from my eye and Max quickly enveloped me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. “Oh Solnyshka. I wish he could be here with us,” he whispered, somehow knowing exactly how I was feeling in that moment.
I backed out of his arms long enough to narrow my eyes at him. “I supposed you’re to blame for this?” I hadn’t told anyone my birthday was approaching, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. A part of me didn’t want to celebrate if Papa couldn’t be there with me. Birthdays were our thing. It was the one day each year Papa never worked. As I got older, he began taking me out for birthdays and we always did something special.
“Yup,” Sofia said, pulling me into her arms. “He sent Joe with a note for me. I think he’s warming up to me now. Joe that is, not Max. We’re already buddies.”
I raised a brow. “Is that so?”
She nodded. “I wanted to go to a club and get shit-faced, but Max said something about not wanting a repeat of your nineteenth birthday, whatever that means”
I laughed. “Max!”
Ekon took that moment to sweep me up into one of his bone-crushing embraces.
“Can’t. Breathe,” I choked out, using what little air I had left in my lungs.
He placed me back down with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “So dramatic.”
Sofia pulled me and Ekon to either side of her and snapped a selfie of the three of us, barely giving us enough time to smile.
“What happened on your nineteenth birthday?” Luka asked, placing an arm around my waist, and squeezing gently, murmuring, “Happy birthday, little assassin,” into my ear.
Max chuckled and I narrowed my eyes, punching him in the shoulder.
“Hey! No need for violence.” He said, his grinned still planted on his face as he rubbed the bruised appendage.
I stuck my tongue out at him in response.
“Very mature Solnyshka.”
I turned back to Luka. “There is a chance I might have abused a fake ID and had one too many drinks.”
“I think the greenery outside that club will never recover from all the alcohol she threw up,” Max added with a grin.
Luka laughed. “Who knew our little assassin goes from being a pit-fighter in the evenings, to party-girl at night.”
“Now, that was a party. Next time I want to fight,” Sofia said smiling in her mischievous way.
“Don’t you get enough violence out of your system when we fight?” Ekon said with a wink.
She rubbed a hand down his arm. “Oh honey, that’s playing, not fighting.”
“I don’t think I want to know,” I said and turned to the rest of the gang, who were all getting comfortable on the couch and armchairs, digging into the food.
“I have a slice for you over here,” Nikita exclaimed, patting the cushion between her and Ryder, who smiled and kissed my cheek before offering his congratulations.
I flopped into the seat and was handed a piece of pizza, which I promptly shoved into my mouth. “Mhmm, that hits the spot.”
A throat cleared and I looked up into Luka’s honey gaze, which was almost gleaming as he watched me eat. And moan. I lowered my eyes, quickly finishing the rest of the slice in silence and heard him chuckle.
Looking around the room, I marvelled at how different my life had become over the course of the past year. While nothing would ever take away the near constant ache in my chest that Papa had left, I finally had people in my life who knew who I was and didn’t want to kill me for it. If anything, it made no difference to them.
I lifted my feet and rested them over Ryder’s legs, who was deep in conversation with Quinn and Trey about weapons. Sofia and Ekon had turned the TV on and started a karaoke contest, sneaking not so shy kisses while they danced around each other. The rest of the group spread out around the room and I leaned into Nikita’s shoulder, closing my eyes for a moment, and breathing in.
I smiled as I felt the shredded sections of my heart slowly pulling themselves back together. This was my family.
Chapter 25
The rich aroma of coffee
hit my nostrils and I opened my eyes to see that I had once again fallen asleep on the couch. This time I was surrounded by Nikita and Ryder’s bodies, their limbs spread out on either side of me.
It’s a good thing this couch is so massive.
I checked my phone and saw a few messages. The top one from Maximus, which read:
Good morning, Solnyshka.
I apologize for not being able to stay through the night, but my presence was required at work.
Enjoy your day. -M.
I smiled and slipped out from between their sleeping forms, my feet padding on the floor as I went in search of the delicious scent. Quinn and Trey sat at the island in the kitchen, both sipping on cups of coffee as they read the newspaper.
I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of the unlikely sight. A vampire warrior and Guild assassin drinking and reading news articles together. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass.
Trey glanced up as I was slipping my phone back in my pocket.
“Good morning, Lenna,” he said, getting up to pour me a mug of the dark, steamy goodness. “Did you have a fun evening?”
I grinned up at him, getting momentarily lost in his captivating emerald eyes. “I did, thanks for coming.” Sipping from my mug, I nudged Quinn’s arm, and he finally looked away from his paper. “Hey, love! How’d you sleep?”
I glanced back into the living room, where Nikita and Ryder were cuddled up together as if I’d never been there. “Had to share the space with those two and let me tell you that Nikita kicks in her sleep. You’d think it would be Ryder, but nope.”
Quinn chuckled and looked over my head. “Good morning, Luka.”
Luka grunted and shuffled over to the coffee pot, pouring himself a mug before turning around, stopping only to kiss my forehead and walk back out.
“Well, that was interesting,” Trey said.
“Yeah. Guess fang man isn’t a morning person.”