Sentinel (Vampire Conclave: Book 2)

by S. J. West

  “Then hold onto him no matter what,” my father urges me. “True love is almost an impossibility to find in life. If you’re lucky enough to have found it, fight for it, and don’t let anyone take it away from you, Sarah.”

  “I won’t,” I promise. “I love you, Dad.”

  “And I know I will love you with all my heart …”

  My world goes black again until I’m snapped back into my reality.

  “Sarah!” I hear Julian call out frantically.

  I find myself standing in front of the desk, holding the picture of the room that my father left for me. I look down at the desktop and reach out to pick up the necklace before turning around to face the door.

  “How long was I gone?” I ask them.

  “Gone?” Nadia asks, looking confused. “You didn’t go anywhere. You’ve just been standing there motionless for the past ten minutes. I was about to go get Shael so she could let us in there to see what was wrong with you.”

  “I didn’t go anywhere?” I ask, finding that strange, but then again, I have no idea how time travel spells work. Up until a few minutes ago, I didn’t even know such things were possible.

  “Sarah,” Julian says anxiously, “would you please invite us inside?”

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, realizing just how worried Julian still is. I invite them both into the room, and within seconds, Julian has me in his arms.

  He pulls back long enough to look into my face and ask, “What happened when you touched the picture? What did you experience?”

  I go on to tell them both about my time-traveling excursion and spending precious moments with my father in his past.

  “I’ve heard about such spells,” Nadia says, looking worried, “but they’re strictly forbidden. If your dad found someone to do it for him, he put them both in a great deal of danger. King or not, he would have been put to death if anyone found out. I suggest we keep this information between the three of us for now.”

  “What about Shael and Alden?” I ask. “Shouldn’t we tell them?”

  “Well,” Nadia says, looking at the necklace in my hand, “I would rather not, but we’ll never be able to explain the necklace otherwise. I suppose we’ll have to tell them, but no one else must know. Your father already has a bad reputation among the alfar. I would hate to tarnish it any further by telling them he used a time-traveling spell so he could meet his daughter in the past.”

  “Why is it that my body remained here, but I was still completely solid in the past too? Well, at least until the spell began to fade. Then so did I.”

  “From what I’ve been told,” Nadia says, “your body doesn’t actually travel back in time. Only your mind does, and before you ask, I have no idea how that happens. All I do know is that in order for it to work, you have to be anchored to someone in the past, and they are the only one who can see, hear, or feel you.”

  I hold up the old photo and ask Nadia, “Can I use this spell again, or is it a onetime use sort of thing?”

  “As far as I know, a spell like that can only be used once when it’s bound to an object.”

  I feel my heart sink with undeniable disappointment.

  “He wouldn’t let me tell him much about his future.” I sigh regrettably.

  “Good,” Nadia replies, sounding relieved. “It would have just made matters worse than they already are. Tampering with the timeline is never a good idea. Certain things, good or bad, happen for a reason. If you change one little thing, you could cause a whole host of new problems to develop.”

  I hold up the necklace to Julian. “Would you put this on me, please? My dad said I should wear it until I can figure out what it’s for.”

  Julian takes the necklace from my hand. I turn around and lift my hair so he can place it around my neck. Strangely, the metal isn’t cold to the touch like I expected. It’s warm for some reason and brings me a degree of comfort. I feel a sense of security wearing it, but I’m sure that’s all psychological. Or maybe that’s the spell my dad had it imbued with. Perhaps he wanted me to feel safe in a world that was anything but that.

  I can’t imagine how hard it was for my dad to live with the secret of meeting me when he was younger. He may not have lived to see me grow up, but he always knew the woman I would mature into. I take one last look at my father’s room and feel thankful to whatever power allowed me to talk to him one more time, even if he didn’t know me.

  “Let’s go,” I tell Julian and Nadia, absently sliding the pendant back and forth along its chain. “I think I have everything I came in here for.”

  Nadia escorts us to the tower where all of the Moonshade crown jewels are stored. When we reach the base of the tower, Nadia stops and looks at me.

  “This door has the same spell on it that your father’s room did. Only someone with Moonshade blood can enter it.”

  “Can I invite the two of you inside?” I ask.

  “No,” Nadia answers definitively. “Only a Moonshade can enter or exit this tower. No one else. As I explained to you earlier, you can borrow any of the crowns inside, and once you are made queen, you’ll be able to design as many as you want for yourself. There are different sets of jewels on each level of the tower. The bottom floor has all the small jewelry, like necklaces, earrings, and rings. The second floor has scepters, and the third and fourth floors are where you’ll find the crowns.”

  “Okay. I think I can remember that. I’ll try not to let myself get too mesmerized by all the glitter and stay in there too long.”

  “Take your time,” Julian urges me. “This is a part of your family history. Don’t rush through it.”

  “I’ll try not to,” I promise.

  I turn the knob on the steel door and walk into the tower.

  I browse through all the jewels and do notice a few pieces that have moonlight stones embedded in them, just like my father said. I can easily see myself spending a whole day searching through everything that’s here, but what I really want to do is spend some time with Julian before the ball. Seeing my father again has drained me emotionally. All I want to do right now is curl up in Julian’s arms and draw on his strength so I can make it through this evening’s event with my sanity intact. I decide to head up to the top floor and choose one of those crowns. Surely, any of the ones there will do. I don’t need anything super special.

  When I make it to the fourth floor, I quickly scan the crowns I can see until one in particular catches my eye. It’s not the flashiest or even the prettiest crown, to be honest. Yet it calls to me as a reminder of the night before and the true meaning of why we were at the farewell ceremony.

  Most of the crown is covered with black pearls. There are two insets of four, clear, two-karat diamonds on either side of it and six round black diamonds that all look to be around three karats each. It is the number of these diamonds and their prominence within the headpiece that caught my eye. Six diamonds to commemorate the six souls who gave their lives for me. It seems like a fitting crown to wear to my first alfar ball.

  While we all walk back to the castle, I begin to feel the first flutters of nervousness tickle my stomach. By the time we reach my suite, the flutters have turned into golf-ball-sized pieces of hail battering my innards. I end up having to sit down on one of the couches just to catch my breath.

  “There’s nothing to be nervous about,” Julian assures me, not even having to ask what’s wrong with me. He can feel it.

  “I don’t know these people, Julian,” I tell him as I unconsciously wrap my arms around my waist and lean forward slightly. “How am I supposed to lead them when I don’t even know who they are?”

  “That’s what tonight is for,” Nadia says. “You’ll be introduced to the most influential people in Alfheim this evening.”

  “My memory is pretty good, but there’s no way I’ll remember everyone’s name.”

  “You don’t have to,” she assures me. “I know them, and I’ll help you remember. The only people you must know the names of are the rulers of the
other houses. You’ve already seen Galan and have talked to Aron, so House Firestorm can be checked off the list.”

  “Maybe if you tell me who the people in the other houses are, I won’t feel so unprepared.”

  “I can do better than that,” Nadia says enthusiastically as she begins to walk to her bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”

  Julian places a comforting hand on my back and begins to rub it in a soothing circular motion.

  “I’ve never seen you this nervous before,” he says to me, sounding concerned over my mental welfare. “What can I do to help?”

  “Just stay by my side tonight,” I say, reaching out a hand for him to take with his free one.

  “I won’t leave you,” he promises me. “Not unless you tell me to.”

  Nadia walks back into the sitting room with a silver tablet in her hands. She sits down on the other side of me on the couch and shows me a family portrait. There is a man sitting on what looks like a throne chair flanked by an older woman, presumably his wife, and a beautiful redheaded woman who looks to be in her early to mid-twenties.

  “This is House Draconid,” Nadia tells me with a rather ominous tone. “The man is Nasir. His wife is Lura, and their daughter’s name is Ireen. Nasir is harmless. All he’s interested in is enjoying the spoils of his house and riding as many of the ladies as he can before he dies. It’s Lura and Ireen you don’t want to turn your back on.”

  “Why? Would they stab me?” I joke. When Nadia doesn’t laugh at what I thought was a funny quip, I quickly understand that’s exactly what she’s warning me about.

  “They want the throne,” Nadia tells me flat out. “And they will use anything they can find on you to get it. So don’t give them any ammunition to use against you.”

  “Okay,” I say, quickly realizing that the rulers of House Draconid will never be my allies.

  Nadia slides her finger across the screen to bring up another picture. This time, the portrait looks rather causal. Maybe it’s because the three people in it are actually smiling as they stand out in a grove of blooming cherry trees. The expressions on their faces don’t look strained, like they’re pretending to be happy. They actually are happy and look completely natural in such a pose.

  “This is House Icefall,” Nadia tells me. “Walter Icefall was a close friend of my dad’s before he died.”

  “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I didn’t realize your father had passed away.”

  “It’s been a couple of years,” she replies, refusing to meet my eyes as she continues to stare at the picture on the screen. I can feel how sad she is thinking about her father’s passing, but she won’t show it outwardly. “Anyway, Walter is as good as they come, and his wife is probably the sweetest person I know. If House Firestorm wasn’t bribing their way to the top, Camille and Walter’s house would be second to Moonshade. Their son’s name is Wren. He’s sweet, but not really interested in ruling. He would rather concentrate on his art work.”

  Nadia begins to slide her finger across the screen, but I notice her hesitate for a split second before bringing up the next picture. The photo is of another happy-looking family. This time, the couple is young with a boy who looks to be around three years old.

  “This is House Nysas,” Nadia tells me. When she doesn’t continue right away, I look at her face and notice that she’s staring at the handsome man in the picture. Before she even says his name, I know who he is. “Their names are Morgan, Meredith, and … Jhann.”

  Bingo. This is the man who has captured the heart of one of the toughest women I know.

  “This is an old picture,” she informs me. “I should probably remind Jhann that he needs to take another one.”

  “Wives normally do reminders like that,” I say, wondering if Nadia would inadvertently be stepping over an imaginary line if she told another woman’s husband such a thing.

  “I’m sure Meredith would if she were here, but she died in an accident a couple of years ago.”

  “Oh,” I say, feeling stupid for trying to correct her. “Then I’m sure he would appreciate a reminder. Men rarely think about taking family pictures.”

  Nadia sets the tablet down beside her on the couch.

  “Those are the only people you really need to pay attention to this evening,” she says.

  “So basically, I have two houses (Draconid and Firestorm) who are my competitors, and two houses (Icefall and Nysas) who are my allies. Is that about the gist of it?”

  “Yes,” Nadia confirms. “That’s the way it is here. It’s been that way for as long as anyone can remember, actually.”

  “Great,” I say, feeling a great deal of exasperation. “Then I doubt it’s going to change anytime soon.”

  “Very doubtful,” Nadia agrees before she stands from the couch. “We have a couple of hours before you need to start getting ready for the ball. Is there anything else you would like to do?”

  “Eat,” I immediately respond.

  Nadia smiles and shakes her head at me. “I wish I had your metabolism. It must be nice to be able to eat anything you want and not gain an ounce of weight.”

  “Like the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Trust me, it’s not fun being almost constantly hungry.”

  “Hmm, no, I guess it wouldn’t be,” Nadia agrees. “I’ll go down to the kitchens and tell them to bring you up some food.”

  “Um, could you see if the queen is through frolicking with my cat too?” I say. “I’m kind of missing the little bugger.”

  “What is it about that thing that all of you like so much?” Nadia asks, sounding baffled. “Almost every royal just loves it to death.”

  “He has a unique quality,” I say vaguely.

  Nadia shrugs. “I’ll go fetch him for you on my way back up from the kitchens.”

  “Thank you.”

  After Nadia leaves, I take my shoes off and bend my knees before tossing my legs over Julian’s lap and scooting in close enough to lean my head against his shoulder. I close my eyes, but I immediately see a vision of my father from the past.

  “I assume you’re sad because of your dad,” Julian correctly deduces.

  I nod my head, because I’m afraid if I make a verbal reply, I’ll end up crying, and I would rather not go to the ball that evening with bloodshot eyes.

  “It’s okay to be sad, you know. It just shows how much you miss him.”

  “I don’t want to be sad about his life. I want to celebrate it,” I say.

  “Then do that tonight,” Julian encourages me. “Show these people that you are your father’s daughter and damn proud of it.”

  “A lot of them probably wouldn’t like that,” I note. “He abandoned them, remember?”

  “He did so to follow his heart,” Julian points out. “And he got an opportunity some parents never get. He was able to see you all grown up before you were even born.”

  “I can’t believe he never said anything about meeting me when he was younger. That must have been strange for him.”

  “I’m sure he counted it as a blessing, not something strange.”

  Perhaps Julian is right. Maybe that’s exactly how my dad viewed my journey through time. I know I feel blessed to have stolen a few precious moments to tell him how much I love him one last time. I can only hope he never regretted keeping me silent about the circumstances surrounding his and my mother’s deaths and that he made peace with his decision before that fateful night.

  Nadia keeps her word and returns with servants rolling in two carts of food and Viktor cradled in her arms.

  As she hands me my cat, she says, “I told the queen that you needed to speak with her. She has some things to attend to first, but she’s supposed to come here right before the ball to listen to your story.”

  “Thank you,” I tell Nadia.

  I hold Viktor up in front of me and look into his eyes.

  “Did you have fun last night?” I ask him.

  “Meow,” he replies, looking rather cocky. Uh, perhaps t
hat wasn’t the right word to use. Now I have unwanted visions flashing through my mind of Viktor and Shael in compromising positions.

  I place Viktor on the floor and walk over to the carts the servants roll into the room. I thank both of the ladies and wait for them to leave before I start eating. While I’m occupied with satiating my ravenous appetite, Nadia talks Julian into a sparring rematch out on the attached veranda.

  “But you don’t have any staffs,” I garble out, my mouth crammed with a spicy, meat-filled, sweet bread. If there is one thing I’ve noticed, my table manners have gone completely out the window since becoming a vampire companion. But how am I supposed to make time for politeness when a large portion of my day involves eating my weight in food?

  “You obviously haven’t seen my room,” Nadia tells me with a big smile on her face as she jogs in that direction. “I’ll be right back.”

  When Nadia returns, she’s carrying two black metal staffs with small half inch silver prongs jutting out on each end. The staffs look much deadlier than the practice ones they used at the academy.

  “What are the prongs for?” I ask her, not completely sure I want to know, but feel the need to ask anyway.

  Nadia smiles as she tosses one of the staffs to Julian. He, of course, catches it easily in midair with one hand. Show off. Nadia then grips the staff with both of her hands and twists it in the middle. I hear a click and a low hum just before the ends of her staff come alive with electricity that makes a blue arc from one prong to the other on each end.

  I swallow the food in my mouth and say, “It looks like a Taser.”

  “Basically, that’s what it is,” she says, “but this staff has three different settings. The first one will only give a little shock.”

  “And the second and third?” I ask apprehensively.

  “The second will jolt a person enough to knock them out for a couple of hours, and the third one is a kill setting.”