Tanya wasn’t sure if the others had realized the truth last night. She sure hadn’t. They were the ones Ratri had spoken of? Is that why Lazarith thought they’d be so special?
Makinzee clutched the pillow she was holding, panic in her eyes. “Okay, but how are we supposed to do this? I don’t even have a power yet.” She had been so worried she would be the only one without an ability. On the verge of a panic attack, her breathing accelerated.
Feeling her panic as if it were her own, Tanya stroked her arm, willing her to calm down. “Come on, Makinzee. In through the nose, and out through the mouth.”
After a moment, Makinzee’s hold on the pillow relaxed, and color returned to her face.
“It’s true,” Earadessa said. “You do not have your power yet, but one is coming soon. For most vampires, it takes a couple of years to manifest our power, and there have been some that don’t manifest theirs until they’re in danger.”
“Great.” Makinzee shrugged her shoulders, sulking. “So, I’ll have to wait for danger before I get my power?”
“Maybe you will,” Earadessa smiled, encouragingly. “But the chances of that are slim.”
Makinzee blinked back tears.
“I do know this.” Earadessa passed her a box of tissues. “When you and your soul mates are united, you will all begin to discover new powers. The ten of you will ascend into the most powerful vamps we have ever known.”
Tanya couldn’t help the giddy smile that spread on her face, lighting up her eyes. Her, a poor, no-name girl from Spencer, Nebraska was going to be one of the most powerful vampires known on this earth. If only she could go back and rub it in the faces of those who had tormented her, the ones who had made fun of her cheap clothing and broken down jalopy of a car.
“Damion has learned of this prophecy.” Earadessa’s voice brought her back to the present. “This is the reason he has formed groups of vamps. He wants to stop you from meeting your soul mates, because once you are united and your powers merge, there will not be a vamp on this green earth that can stop you.”
The others looked as stunned as Tanya felt. Damion, the biological son of their sire, wanted them dead. Their lives were stranger than fiction.
“Now, ladies, I am more than willing to join you in your journey to help with your training.” When there was no response, Earadessa added, “That is, if you guys will have me.”
Was she kidding? Of course, Tanya wanted Earadessa to tag along. Having her there meant constant protection until they could learn to defend themselves. She sought confirmation from her sisters before saying yes. Without the slightest hesitation, they nodded in approval.
“Dessa.” Tanya took her by the hand. “We would love to have you join us. I would feel safer knowing we had you in our court.”
“That and you know your way around this continent.” Makinzee didn’t have a shy bone in her body. “I’m thinking that maybe we should head to Oklahoma. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
At the mention of Oklahoma, Tanya was reminded of the night they discussed their plans to leave Nebraska. She’d been drawn to Oklahoma then but said nothing to her friends. Makinzee voicing her thoughts on the state was just confirmation they were supposed to travel there.
“Yes, Oklahoma sounds great. We should head to Oklahoma City. It’s large, and we’ll be able to blend in there.” Earadessa began digging a large tote bag out of the closet. “Once we’ve had time to rest, we can move on to Okmulgee. Our family has a safe house down there.”
After everyone agreed to her plans, Earadessa suggested they pack and meet in the garage in fifteen minutes. The sooner they left, the sooner they could get to their safe haven.
On her way out of the room, Tanya felt a throbbing sensation on her right temple. In seconds, the throbbing turned into a strong drumming at the base of her skull. Doubling over in pain, she placed her hands on her knees for support. The intensity of the skull-cracking pain caused bile to rise in her throat.
Hands slid under her armpits in time to keep her from falling onto her face. “Tanya, are you okay? What happened?” Earadessa asked.
Unable to see, Tanya looked up at the spot where she assumed Earadessa stood. “I’m about to have a vision.” She covered her mouth in an act to hold back the nausea bubbling up her throat.
Being guided forward, Tanya instinctively held a hand out in front of her. When Earadessa stopped, so did Tanya. The hand Earadessa held was moved up until it met cold, hard sheetrock. “Will you be okay long enough for me to fetch you a pillow?”
“Yes.”
Footsteps raced across the room and back. After helping Tanya onto the pillow, she said, “Okay, sweetie, tell me what you see.”
Pictures flickered in her mind, just snippets of the future. “We’re in a big city…maybe Oklahoma City.” The pictures flashed like pages of a book flipping open in the wind. “We’re at a restaurant laughing and having fun.”
“Good. What else do you see?”
The pictures passed quicker, then slowed. “There are thirteen girls, no, vampires waiting for us at our car. They claim to have been looking for us.” Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. “The leader’s name is Serinity. She says that her and her friends are our sisters.”
The veins in Tanya’s head throbbed and she reached up to massage them only to feel that they’d popped out like water balloons. She heard Earadessa gasp then the sound of footsteps leaving and returning. “Press this to her forehead,” Earadessa said to whoever was in the room with them.
A cool wet rag was pressed to her forehead, and Tanya sighed at the comfort it offered. “It’s okay, Tay. It’ll pass soon.” Dannika’s voice brought a little peace to her heart.
While Dannika held the rag in place someone else rubbed circles on Tanya’s temples to help ease the pressure. It hurt yet felt amazing at the same time. Thank God for good friends.
“These girls act friendly, but they’ve come to kill us.” Tanya swallowed. “There’s a fight.”
“Very good, Tanya,” Earadessa cooed. “You’re doing great. What else is happening?”
“It’s a blur, the vision is coming too fast. The fight is major.” Furrowing her brows, Tanya tries to focus, but it’s in vain. “All I know is that one of us gets hurt. I can’t see who it is.” Like before, the vision slowed. “There’s more.”
The movements on her temples stopped. “What do you mean?” Earadessa asked.
“There are six other girls that show up to help us. That’s it, I can’t see anything else.”
The pressure in her head faded and once the haze cleared, Tanya noticed Makinzee standing in the doorway, ashen. By the looks of her, she’d overheard the part about one of them being injured.
With concerned eyes, Makinzee asked, “Dessa, what do we do now?”
“We are going to learn from this vision. We know what is about to take place and that we have allies coming to help.” Earadessa stood, brushing her hands on her jeans. “Please, don’t worry yourself with what you overheard. We’re going to use this vision to our advantage and start planning a defense. Besides, she didn’t see if any of us is killed, just injured. We must think positively, okie dokie?”
Makinzee’s body physically relaxed, and she nodded in agreement.
Tanya knew her friends would be worried sick, she certainly was. How were they supposed to fight so many people that have been brainwashed against them? A wave of understanding hit her, and everything Lazarith had said about them finally made sense.
All those times he told them they were the chosen ones and were special, he had known who they were. All his warnings and precautions now held a new meaning. To top it off, their enemies knew who they were and were on the hunt.
“Okay, now it’s time for me to sound like a mother.” Clapping her hands, Earadessa said, “Ándale, time to g
et our booties in gear.” Leading the way out of the room, she turned back. “Vámonos. Come on, let’s go.”
After she’d gathered her belongings, Tanya met Dannika in the living room. “Girl, I’m so glad that Dessa is coming with us. I think that we’ll all be very close.”
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.” Dannika shifted her weight to her left foot. “Hey, you know what I just thought of?”
It took effort to not roll her eyes. Her cousin was always thinking something. “What?”
Dannika leaned close to whisper. “Dessa has never mentioned whether she has found her soul mate.”
That was something Tanya had noticed as well. If she had found him, where was he? There were no pictures to prove Earadessa had found her soul mate. “I guess we’ll just have to ask her about that. I’m kind of curious.”
They ventured into the garage to wait for the others. Ten minutes later, their sisters arrived with bags in hand. Tanya was surprised at how quickly they’d freshened up. On a normal day, it would have taken them hours to change, apply makeup, and fix their hair. True divas.
Regina looked up and caught her staring. She pulled her makeup bag from her purse. “What?”
The corners of Tanya’s mouth lifted. “Nothing.”
Earadessa was the last to enter the garage. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my assistant, Sabastian.”
Stuffing bags into the back of the Jeep, he turned to greet them. “Hello. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“He will ride in the Mercedes with you girls. He knows the states as well as I do, so if we get separated he can easily guide you to the city.” Once they agreed, Earadessa asked, “Would any of you like to join me in the Jeep?”
“Yes.” Makinzee pointed to Regina and Serienna. “We would.”
Tired of being the one behind the wheel, Tanya tossed the keys to Dannika. Casting a glance at Sabastian, she cringed inwardly. The poor guy was about to experience firsthand how crazy Dannika’s lead foot and road rage could be.
Footsteps came up behind her, and Tanya turned to see Earadessa with a walkie-talkie outstretched. “They have excellent range. Just radio if you need anything.”
“Okay.” Tanya clipped it to her jeans.
Before loading in the vehicles, Earadessa gathered everyone in a circle to offer up a prayer to the goddess, Ratri, for safety and guidance. Sabastian skipped the prayer and tucked the luggage into the vehicles.
“Okay, Dannika, drive safely,” Regina said hugging her.
Ignoring the jab to her driving skills, Dannika returned the hug. “I will. You guys just try not to argue on the way. We don’t want you running Dessa off.”
Out of the side mirror, Tanya took note of Sabastian as he stood behind the Jeep with Earadessa to wish her a safe trip. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and Tanya found that movement peculiar for an assistant but refrained from saying anything.
Chapter Forty-One
Giving up on finding a radio station, Dannika caught Tanya’s eye and mouthed, “Let’s find out about his soul mate.”
Tanya couldn’t resist. She was a girl after all. If there was romance involved, she wanted to know. Turning around in her seat, she opened her mouth but closed it when she saw that he had his cell phone out, typing like a crazy man. Either he was surfing the internet or he was blowing up someone’s phone with texts.
He glanced up. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Worrying her bottom lip, she wondered if now was a good time. He did look busy. On the other hand, he did leave himself open for discussion. “I’m curious, Sabastian. How, exactly, do you know Dessa?”
Pushing one last button, he shut the screen off and tucked the phone into his back pocket. “Well, Tanya, I’ve known Earadessa for many years.”
She waited for him to continue, but he just sat back, staring at her with an amused expression. When it was clear he had no intention to elaborate, Tanya decided to push him for more information. “Okay. We kind of figured that much. What I want to know is how did the two of you meet?”
Stretching out in the backseat, he put his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, and Tanya thought that he was ignoring her but after a moment, he opened his eyes. “There’s no way for me to get out of this Q&A, is there?”
Dannika adjusted the rearview mirror to gaze at him. “Sorry, I’m afraid not. We need answers.”
Chuckling, he peered at the two of them. “Well, seeing how this is a very long drive, and there is no way that you two will leave me be on this one…” He tilted his head. “Here we go.”
The girls were pleased to have worn him down so easily.
Sabastian closed his eyes as he recalled his history with Earadessa.
***
After several years of training, both physical and vocational, Lazarith brought both Sabastian and Earadessa onto the council. Anytime there was a civil affair to deal with, Lazarith would call them into a private meeting to discuss matters.
This was not a life Sabastian was accustomed to. He was used to hard labor and hunting for food. To live in the palace and be waited on hand and foot was a shock to his system. Then there was this young woman he was forced to work with. She let it be known she hated him, and the feeling was mutual.
For nearly a year, they argued when forced to work closely with one another. Despite their quarreling, they did an amazing job dealing with the matters of the council. It didn’t matter how much they couldn’t stand each other, while working they flowed as one, like connecting pieces of a puzzle.
Months passed, and late one night, while examining evidence on a case, Sabastian found himself staring at Earadessa’s lips. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen them before, he had, but tonight they looked so plump and beautiful. More than anything, he wanted them pressed against his.
Pretending to need a better view of their papers, Sabastian scooted closer. While she was focused on the task before them, he stared at her. The way her eyes sparkled when she had an idea. The way her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips. Oh, how he longed to lick those luscious lips.
Even the way she raised her eyebrow while thinking was sexy. She drummed her fingernails on the table, and grunted in frustration. Turning around, she opened her mouth to say something but before she could get a word out, he wrapped his arms around her.
The gasp that left her lips turned his insides to lava. He brushed his lips against hers. When she opened in invitation, he deepened their kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair.
That was the night they discovered their love for one another.
***
Dannika wore an expression of shock. “You two didn’t like each other? That’s hard to imagine.” The two of them got along so well it was hard to believe there was ever a time they disliked each other.
“No, we didn’t,” Sabastian fetched his phone from his pocket when it buzzed. Quickly scanning the text, he replied then turned it off. “But Lazarith was right when he said that we’d end up growing fond of one another.”
His story left Tanya excited. They were soul mates. So why did they pretend to be boss and assistant?
He must have seen the confusion on her face because he explained that even though he and Earadessa are soul mates, they don’t openly share that information. The only ones blessed with that kind of knowledge are Lazarith and Aaliyah, and now them.
“You girls,” Sabastian added, “will soon learn that the fewer people that know who your soul mate is, the less likely you will be targeted. There is nothing worse than having your soul mate abducted and put in danger just so your enemy can pump information out of you.”
“What I don’t understand is why anyone would target you or Dessa in the first place. I know that we girls are very important, but why the two of you?” Tanya’s cheeks reddened as blood pum
ped into them. She felt stupid for saying such a thing. “Oh, jeez. Please don’t take that wrong. I’m not saying that we’re special and you guys are insignificant.”
He waved off her apology. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it, Tanya. There’s no need to apologize.”
Regardless, she still felt stupid for saying it.
He crossed his foot over his knee. “See, Dess and I always know how to find Lazarith and Aaliyah. They have only entrusted the two of us with that information. The problem is that everyone knows this, so if they are clueless as to the fact that we are soul mates then there is no way that they’ll use her to get to me and vice versa.”
The lightbulb turned on. That made sense to her now. What a brilliant idea. “I get it now.” Realizing that they’d been entrusted with fragile information, Tanya said, “I promise not to tell a soul.”
“Yeah, not even our sisters,” Dannika chimed in.
“No need to worry about them, they already know.” A grin graced his face at their perplexed expressions. “They must have been just as curious as you two. Dess has already told them our story.”
What? Confused, Tanya glanced over at Dannika then back to him.
“But…um…how on earth do you know that?” Dannika sounded as shocked as Tanya felt.
Was he a psychic? How could he possibly know what was being said in the other vehicle? Tanya knew vampires had super hearing, but Earadessa’s Jeep was a good two miles up the road.
Throwing his hands behind his head, he chuckled. Why would he chuckle at them? Tanya was not pleased by his reaction. This wasn’t funny.
Apologizing, he explained, “When soul mates unite, they have a psychic link to their partner’s mind. They can communicate telepathically and even feel the other’s emotions. It’s a soul mate principal.”
Princesses of the Night (Royal Blood Book 1) Page 14