by Raven Steele
The citrus taste in my mouth turned to acid, and I almost spit out the water. That's when I realized my mistake.
I turned back around to face the tree and shot my hand forward, catching the cold throat of a slender woman who had camouflaged herself to the trunk. I jerked her from it, and her skin returned to normal, the color of warm milk. She practically glowed in the moonlight. Her blond hair flowed to her waist and parted down the center, the long tendrils covering her shoulders and bare breasts. She only wore a tattered, short green skirt. Not even shoes. It made me wonder how old she was to not care about clothing. Fae could live for thousands of years.
I let go of her throat and apologized.
"I let you touch me," she said in a sultry voice that warmed my insides. She stepped toward me and ran her fingertips from my stomach up to my chest, leaving my flesh tingling in their wake.
"Leave him alone, Sasha," Samira said.
Sasha ignored her and collapsed the space between us. I began to feel lightheaded as I stared into her luminescent blue eyes.
"We will be powerful together, you and I," she purred.
I inhaled her sweet breath becoming further intoxicated. She rubbed me again on the chest, a heated touch, and yet her arms remained at her side. I tried to form words, but all rational thought had left me.
"Get away from him," Samira said again and shoved Sasha hard. “You’re breaking the rules. This test is about Aris, not you.”
I expected her to fall to the ground, but her body dissipated and came together on the other side of the open space.
"I will not forget this insult," she snapped at Samira.
"And I won't forget that you're a whore," Samira countered.
Sasha stepped back and seemed to melt into the wall until she disappeared altogether.
"As you just saw," Samira said, as she walked toward me, "Fae are nasty little creatures. They are extremely manipulative."
I ran my hands through my hair scraping my scalp with my nails. The Fae's magic still clung to my skin, and I wanted to scratch it off me. "There doesn’t seem to be any love lost between you two."
"You noticed?" She grabbed a wooden torch leaning against the wall.
"Do you consider them friend or foe?" I asked. I stretched my muscles already feeling more clearheaded.
"It is hard to trust them, because of their natural tendencies to manipulate everything and everyone around them. They can create illusions, making the world appear different than what you know." Samira struck a match against a stone wall and touched the burning flame to the top of the torch. Fire engulfed it. "I know a few who are trustworthy should I ever need their talents. Unfortunately, Sasha is considered one of the good ones."
Samira handed me the torch. "You have one last task to complete. You must find a witch hidden in these shadows using the fourth element of magic - fire."
I gripped it tightly and stared into the glowing flames. I knew very little about witches. I had read about them plenty, but meeting them was a different story. They tended to blend in with humans more so than any other species. Because of that, they were difficult to locate. They had been perfecting the art of blending in for thousands of years.
"This will be more challenging than you think," Samira said. "Focus on the fire."
Doing as she asked, I concentrated on the flames as I walked through the ruined castle halls. Now and then, the fire would jump, but each time it was only because of a slight shift in the air.
I grew increasingly frustrated as the seconds ticked past. I needed to find this witch. If I didn't pass all these tests, then I would not be allowed back to Coast City. And I had to return. I had to seek vengeance on Victor for killing Kristen. She had been my only family member, and he had murdered her right in front of me. I would see his blood drained from his body as soon as possible.
I turned left, watching the flames swell then lower again. Shadow danced against the stones, but there was nothing to lead me in the right direction. A deep-seated anger grew inside me, and I growled in frustration. Picking up my pace, I resorted to looking in every crack and crevice unable to trust the flames licking at the wind.
Samira appeared at the other end of the long room I was in and clicked her tongue.
I shook my head. "I just need a little more time! I'm close."
"Ah, but you've ignored the flames for the last five minutes. You are looking only out of anger now."
I roared and tossed the torch into the air, nearly extinguishing the flames. It came down and landed in the dirt near her feet. The fire instantly roared to life as if it was burning the dirt. The flames spread outward almost six feet. I frowned at the oddity and looked up at Samira. She smiled a slow, deliberate grin. I didn't think I'd ever seen her smile.
That’s when I realized my error. She wasn’t Samira at all.
"Witch," I accused.
She chuckled and smoothed her hair, turning the black color to a bright red. "Hello, Aris. I've heard much about you."
I looked all around for the real Samira. "What does this mean? Did I pass?"
Samira appeared next to the witch. "You have failed."
"This is bullshit! I can't stay here any longer."
"You have done well today, Aris," Samira said, her voice gentle in an attempt to placate my growing anger. "In fact, you've done far better than anyone else has in your same situation. It can take months to learn to find just one element, but you found three. You are far stronger than I would have guessed, which I attribute to having Elizabeth's blood in you. It has made you very powerful. But it also makes you dangerous. She had an uncontrollable bloodlust. I worry what will happen when you truly tap into her power.”
"It doesn't matter now anyway,” I grumbled, only half paying attention to what she had said. “It's going be another several months before I leave this place and by then Victor may have torn my city apart.”
"Normally,” she began, holding my gaze, “I would not let you go. You’re not ready. These tests proved it, but recent events prevent me from keeping you here.”
My blood turned cold, and my pulse raced. “What’s happened?”
"The Principes Noctis has taken over Coast City. You must return right away and save what you can before it's too late."
Chapter 3
As if an invisible band had been cut, my chest felt lighter. I was going home. Finally, I could seek my revenge. I just wish it was under different circumstances.
"I notified Roman. He’s gathering your belongings as we speak." Samira turned and walked away, dipping beneath a brick archway leading to a hayfield outside. “Had you missed one other element, we would be having a different conversation right now.”
I followed her making my way through long blades of grass that shimmered in silvery light beneath the full moon. "Why didn’t someone let me know sooner?”
She didn't stop or even look at me as she walked forward. “Your city fell faster than we anticipated. You’re their only hope now."
I darted in front of her fast enough to make my head spin. I still had to get used to the speed of a vampire. "Stop, please. I need to know more.”
She looked annoyed and glanced past me. "Vampires are everywhere. Human authority no longer exists. Even travel in and out of the city is monitored."
"How is this allowed?”
"Who is to stop them? The government? Half of them are corrupt themselves." She began walking again, barely making a sound. "Besides, very few know the depth of the depravity going on there. Information is not easily leaving the city. All media is controlled."
“And I’m sure Victor is right in the thick of it, enjoying every second.” I practically spat the words.
"He works with them like Jonas did."
“I have to get back,” I said aloud, thinking suddenly of Emma. What if something had happened? Victor knew how I felt about her. Would he hurt her?
Samira had not allowed me to phone anyone during my training, but Roman had checked in a couple of times with Oz
. Oz had reported nothing amiss, but had that been deliberate to keep me from returning home? Especially now knowing how dangerous the city had become. Everyone probably knew that if I had even a hint Emma’s life could be in danger, nothing could’ve kept me here.
"You will leave as soon as we return,” she said. “But I warn you, when you go to your city, you must not let revenge fuel your anger. This will be difficult given that you have Elisabeth’s vampire blood in you. She was unable to control her rage and let it consume her. Her bloodlust became insatiable." Samira stopped walking, and I nearly ran into her. "If you choose to go down that dark path, just like Elizabeth, you will feel the sting of my blade. I will show no mercy."
I nodded my head, swallowing hard. I would do my best not to lose control, but already I could tell that would be a challenge. Every night since leaving Coast City, I had thought about killing Victor and all those associated with him. If I discovered anything had happened to Emma, there would be no end to my wrath. I would see the city streets run with their blood. I no longer cared about preserving life, good or bad, like I once had. I understood the cruel truth now: sometimes only a monster can rid the world of evil.
An hour later, we returned to Rouen. The Louisiana city near the coast had a charm and beauty to it I had not encountered anywhere else. Its rich history dated back to the sixteenth century when sailors from Spain had first established it as a fort. When it failed to flourish due to a lack of women, the Queen shipped dozens of girls from small villages to help colonize it. They brought with them their mystical culture and magic became a strong presence in the city. That presence remained to this day, and many supernatural species flocked here because of it. It was one of the few places in the world where they felt like they belonged.
Somehow sensing my arrival, despite his blindness, Roman greeted me outside of the stone mansion where the Amis de la Terra housed and trained different Supernaturals. He wore a dark robe, and his long black hair had been tied back in a ponytail. His all-white eyes seemed to stare right through me. He bowed toward Samira in respect and straightened.
"How did it go?" he asked, his muscles tense as if he was afraid of the answer.
"Not too bad. Aris detected three of the four elemental creatures. If circumstances were different, I would keep him for further training."
"I understand, and should anything change, we will return to complete it."
"And has this place also helped you, my dear friend?" Samira asked.
I frowned and looked from Roman and back to Samira. I was surprised to hear her use a term of endearment. I didn't think she had it in her.
"I have, but like Aris, I could use more training. One day, I hope to settle here and spend the rest of my days with the Ames de la Terre."
"You would be a welcome addition," she agreed.
A black stretched limo pulled up to the curb next to Samira. "Our driver will take you to an airstrip not far from here, where a plane awaits to fly you to Coast City. A special friend of mine will be there to greet you. She has been assisting your man—you call him Oz?—watch over the city and trying to keep the violence from growing out of control."
"Who is this woman?" I asked.
"Her name is Rebecca. You will know her when you see her." She drilled her finger into my chest. "If you do anything to harm her, you will answer to me."
I resisted the urge to push her away. "Why would I hurt her?"
Samira didn't answer. She opened the rear passenger door and waited for us to get inside. I slid onto the leather seat followed by Roman. Before she closed the door, she peered inside and said, "May God be with you."
Again, I was surprised. I had no idea she was religious. I'd spent the last six months with her and felt I barely knew her.
We rode in silence for a long time. I stared at Roman sitting across from me and his all-white eyes. I wondered if he could feel me watching him. I had seen very little of him during our time on the Bisou Islands. He was always training with a couple of witches, learning different kinds of elemental magic. I watched him once when he had mentally picked up a rock, as if with an invisible hand, and tossed it across a meadow. He'd grown so much during our short time, but so had I.
Not only had I grown in strength and speed, but my senses had also become more heightened, like sight, smell, and hearing. There was something else too. A power that hadn't been there before I turned, but I had yet to unlock it. Samira said this strength belonged to Elizabeth and may one day reveal itself slowly or in one big rush.
I wondered what traits I might have inherited from my vampire mother. I’d studied what I could about her, but only found all the horrible things she had done. Many of the hundreds of women who had come under her employ were never seen from again, yet she was always able to find more servants to stay at her home. Many believed she was incredibly good at compelling humans, a gift all vampires had on some level, but typically any pain or shock to a human’s emotions would often erase a vampire’s compulsion. That didn’t seem to be the case with Elizabeth.
I had tried to compel a willing human a few times but had yet to master it. It was a skill that took much focus. I hoped to learn it soon because I had a feeling I would need all the power I could get. I was only one vampire, after all, against many. The only thing I had going for me was the element of surprise, but that would only last so long.
"What troubles you?" Roman asked, speaking for the first time in over an hour.
"Coast City," I said. "I fear what has become of it."
"It is,” he hesitated, “different, but what has been done can be undone in time."
I drew my brows together. "So you knew what was happening and didn’t tell me?"
"I gave you the information you needed to help you best. Had we revealed everything, we feared you would have left your training too soon."
I drove my fist into the seat, nearly tearing the leather. "First, you let me believe my father was some kind of a superhero for years, and now this? How can I trust you?"
"It is you who cannot be trusted yet. You are in a volatile state and must be handled with care."
I lunged forward, punching the glass partition behind him. A web-like crack exploded across its surface. The driver jumped and swerved the vehicle in surprise. Roman didn't flinch in the least, and I don't think it was because he couldn’t see me.
Leaning toward him, I said, "I am volatile because people I think I can trust are keeping secrets." I breathed heavy looking for something else to smash. "And who cares if I would’ve left my training early? I could’ve killed Victor and stopped the rest from destroying the city. Or at least tried! That would’ve been better than letting everyone suffer."
Roman’s voice softened. "As a new vampire, you are still a threat to humans. Are you willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent people so you may seek your revenge?"
I said nothing and turned toward the window, staring up into the dark sky. He attempted to talk to me again, but I remained silent. I didn't know what awaited me back at Coast City, but I did know I was tired of lies and deceit. This thought gave me pause. I had kept secrets from Emma to keep her safe. Was that much different from what Roman had done to me? Even though I knew the answer, I hung onto my hate, letting it keep me cold.
We arrived at the small airport and exited the limo. The crunching of our footsteps across gravel was the only sound that broke the stillness of the night. We walked into the lit-up hangar; the only one illuminated this late.
A man with a full beard wearing jeans and a flannel shirt approached us. He held out his hand. "I'm Lance. I hear you two fellas need a ride to Coast City?"
Roman handed him an envelope; no doubt it was filled with money. "Yes, and we appreciate your discretion."
"That's my middle name. Come aboard." He opened the door of the plane, and we climbed in the small four-seater Cessna. "If the noise bothers you, you can wear headsets. They're under your seat."
Roman quickly obtained his and pulled them onto his e
ars. The Ames de la Terre had shown him some techniques he could use to protect his sensitive hearing that often gave him massive headaches, but it took a lot of concentration. He only used them when necessary.
"Have you been to Coast City recently?" I asked Lance.
He chuckled. "No way. People who go there haven't been coming out. At least that's what I hear. I'd rather not take my chances."
"What about Wildemoor?” Roman asked, his voice louder than usual because of his headset.
"It's not as bad, but crime is on the rise there also. I think a lot of the violence from Coast City has spilled over to there."
I had only been to Wildemoor a few times, and that had been several years ago. It was slightly smaller than Coast City, but because it was our closest neighbor, we shared many similarities. I had learned recently that it was one of the biggest homes to shifters. Maybe that's why the city held a distinct odor, almost sage-y. I had never liked it.
It took a few hours to reach Coast City. The dark sky was beginning to gray, the promise of a spectacular sunrise. I would need to find shelter soon. Before I turned, the sun would just irritate my skin, but since becoming a vampire, its light literally made my flesh burn within a few seconds. I avoided it as much as possible, even confining myself to the darkest, tightest spot I could find during the day. I understood now why vampires preferred to sleep in coffins.
Lance drove the airplane into a hangar and whistled low. "Looks like your rides here. I wouldn't mind having her drive me around."
I attempted to look out the small window, but couldn't see who he was referring to until I opened the door and stepped out. A tall, thin woman stood in front of a black Sedan. Her wavy red hair spilled across her bare shoulders, and the green tank top she was wearing made the auburn color pop. She was gorgeous, but something else stood out far more than her beauty—her body odor. It accosted my nose, and I grimaced. Not because it was unpleasant, but because the aroma irritated my nostrils much the same way a potent chemical would. She smelled like brown sugar that had been overcooked too long in butter. Pungent, yet sweet. A shifter smell.