Dark Fates: The Vampire Prophecy Book 1

by G. K. DeRosa

  “Please!” I’d wanted some for the past hour, but I didn’t want him to think I was weak. Now that we’d be spending an extra day here, I needed to conserve every bit of water I could.

  He untied the canvas tarp and handed me a bottle of water then uncapped the synth for himself. I chugged a few mouthfuls and groaned in pleasure. A low growl reverberated from Kaige’s throat. I glanced up. His fangs had popped out and silver shown in his eyes as he drank the synth.

  He finally noticed I was staring and put the bottle down, an uncomfortable smile curling his lips. “Sorry. That happens sometimes when I’m really hungry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  He lay out the tarp in front of us, and the aevitas berries rolled around. “You should probably eat some.”

  My stomach let out a loud growl.

  He laughed and offered me a handful. “They’re more savory than sweet. Kind of bitter actually.”

  I popped a few in my mouth. The sharp acidity made my teeth chatter, and I grimaced. “I can’t believe this is what they use to make synth out of.”

  “Yeah. It’s a pretty crappy substitute for the real thing.” His eyes narrowed in on my neck. He raked his hands over his face and let out a long breath. “I mean from what I imagine the real thing tastes like.”

  Goose bumps sprang up over my arms. His eyes were smoldering silver again and burning desire scorched through the bond. I jumped up, completely forgetting we were supposed to be hiding. “We should probably keep going.”

  He chugged down the rest of the synth and folded up the tarp. “We should.”

  We trudged along for what felt like forever. Even with Kaige’s strong hand holding me up, I was quickly losing the battle. I hadn’t had a real meal in days and the night in the dungeon didn’t really count as quality sleep time. I gritted my teeth and forced my legs to keep moving. Each step felt like a hundred knives stabbing my feet. Even my comfy, worn in Converse were no match for this terrain.

  “There!” Kaige pointed down the river, and I squinted to see what had gotten him so excited. “It’s another bridge.”

  The little cement structure was much smaller than the one we’d passed a few hours ago. There was no way a car could fit; it was just wide enough for a person to cross over.

  As we neared, I realized it wasn’t a bridge at all—at least not one meant for people to traverse. It was an aqueduct, running an iron pipe from one side to the other.

  “You want us to cross this?”

  Kaige’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the bridge. “It should hold us.”

  Parts of the cement structure had disintegrated, revealing the rusty pipe underneath. The pillars seemed to be intact, but what did I know? I wasn’t an engineer.

  “What if it doesn’t?” I stared down into the white-capped rushing water. It was at least fifty feet across and murky and brown. A chill scurried up my spine.

  “We can keep walking, but it’s just taking us further out of the way. There must be a real bridge further along, but there’s no guarantee it’ll be in better condition than the first one.”

  My feet screamed out a big “No!” at the idea of more walking.

  “I can go first,” Kaige offered. “If it holds me, it’ll definitely hold you.”

  I gulped. “Okay.”

  He released my hand, and I followed him up to the aqueduct. He put one foot on the ledge and pushed his weight down on it. “Seems okay.” He slowly lifted his other foot and bounced up and down. It held.

  “Be careful.” My stomach tightened. If anything happened to him…

  “I’m going to go slowly so that I can be sure it’ll hold you, okay?”

  I nodded. “You can swim right?”

  He shot me a wink. “Of course I can, but just so you know, nocturnes hate water.”

  Good to know. I vaguely recalled some old vampire myth I’d read about that.

  I chewed on my lower lip as he took the first few steps, his arms held out for balance. It’s not like he needed it; he was as graceful as a tightrope walker. I held my breath for the next few seconds anyway. He leapt off the edge and landed on the other side in a cat-like crouch, and I released the breath I’d been holding. Was there anything nocturnes weren’t good at?

  “You’re turn.” Kaige shot me a grin.

  Of course, he’d made it look so easy. I climbed up onto the cement structure and peered down over the edge. Rushing brown water whooshed underneath me, the sound of lapping waves rolling across my eardrums. A part of me wanted to crawl across, but I refused to look that stupid.

  I took a step, planting my foot in the center of the two-foot span of concrete. The rushing water had splashed across it, leaving sections slick. Other parts had crumbled away to reveal rusty metal piping underneath. I tried to avoid stepping on those. The concrete I trusted, the pipe not so much.

  Every muscle in my body was tense as I traversed the narrow bridge. My calves burned from the strain, my feet shrieking in protest from the blisters.

  “You’re almost there.”

  I lifted my gaze to Kaige’s. He leaned over the wall, his navy eyes intent on mine. I took another step, and the concrete crumbled underneath my foot. My leg shot out to the side, the worn treads of my Converse no match for the slippery walkway. I splayed out my arms but caught onto nothing but air.

  Freezing water cocooned me in its icy embrace. My lungs contracted, and a scream tore out of my lips. I gagged as brackish water filled my mouth. I kicked and thrashed trying to pull myself to the surface, but the current was too strong. I broke through the white caps just long enough to see the murky sky above and inhale a quick breath, then I was sucked under again. My legs felt like deadweights dragging me down. Hot pokers stabbed at my lungs, the burning sensation suffocating me.

  Darkness blanketed my vision, and I stopped thrashing.

  Strong arms wrapped around my body and yanked me out of the icy water. I coughed and spluttered, spitting out a small pool of brownish liquid. Bleh. My head felt like it was still underwater. My vision and hearing were hazy, like I was in a bubble. Dark navy eyes filled my line of sight, and my heart rate doubled. The burning in my lungs subsided, and I inhaled a deep breath. I lay on the ground, gripping the hard earth on either side of me. My teeth chattered.

  “Solaris! Are you okay?”

  From the panicked look on Kaige’s face, I realized he’d been shouting my name for a while now.

  My throat was raw. “Yes. I’m okay,” I croaked.

  He pulled me into his arms and squeezed. I buried my face into his chest, trying to absorb his warmth. My body trembled; an icy chill had invaded every inch of me and wasn’t letting go.

  Kaige ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the ends. “Gods, Solaris. You could have died! You have to be more careful.”

  And just like that I snapped out of the fog. “Excuse me?” I pushed out of his embrace. “It’s not like I tried to drown. Swimming in frigid water isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”

  He curled his fingers into a fist. “I know. I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s just…if anything happened to you.”

  Raging silver pupils raked over me, and he pulled me back into his arms, pressing me against his body. A fire ignited in my belly and for a second I wasn’t so cold anymore.

  “We have to get you out of these clothes.”

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes.

  He rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “I don’t want you to freeze to death after all of this.” He scanned the area and I followed his line of sight. Nothing but crumbling buildings and metal wreckage as far as the eye could see.

  Kaige scooped me into his arms and sped toward a rundown building a few yards away.

  “Where are we going?”

  He ticked his head toward the dilapidated structure. “I need to get you warm. I can build a fire, and we can rest there for a few hours while your clothes dry.”

  “What am I going to wear in the meantime?”

  He grinned m
ischievously. “Don’t worry about that.”

  The cityscape zipped by my periphery in a blur. Seconds later, Kaige pushed through a door and lowered me to the ground. We were in a small nook with cement floor and three walls surrounding us. The fourth wall had been blown out, letting in a bit of light. I looked up at the cracked façade and frowned.

  “Are you sure this is safe?”

  “These buildings have been here for a hundred years. I doubt they’re just going to decide to collapse on us today.”

  The way my luck had been lately, I wouldn’t discount the possibility. I carefully leaned back against the cool cement.

  Kaige pulled his shirt up over his head, and I popped back up. Smooth muscle covered his torso, his abs finely sculpted. He was even more perfect than I remembered.

  His lip curled up into a grin as he regarded my ogling. Hanging his shirt on an exposed nail, he pointed at my top. “You have to take that off.”

  “What am I going to wear?” I couldn’t just hang out with my top half exposed like he was.

  He bent down and unwrapped the tarp then dumped the berries and bottles on the floor. He handed it to me with a smirk. “How about this?”

  I stared at the dirty, worn material which would cover half of my torso at best. “Seriously?”

  “It’s the only thing we’ve got.” He turned toward what used to be the entrance of the building and stared into the nothingness. “Stay here. I’m going to try to find something to get a fire going.”

  I skimmed the perimeter; there wasn’t a tree in sight. What was he going to use as kindling? “Okay,” I muttered.

  As soon as he was out of the building, I tugged off the clingy wet top and wrapped myself in the tarp. My gaze trailed his finely muscled body as he walked away. His gait was smooth and fluid, almost hypnotic. My head bobbed, my eyelids straining to stay open. I leaned back and brushed the hard wall, my arms wrapped tightly around my midsection. Before long, my lids gave up the fight and blissful darkness fell over me.

  Chapter 27

  Kaige

  My hands trembled, but it wasn’t from the cold air nipping at my bare skin. It was Solaris. I’d almost kissed her. Twice. What the hell was wrong with me? This wasn’t like me at all. I let her drink from me again, and it wasn’t only to heal her wounds. I’d wanted to feel that connection again.

  I’d felt it all right and then some. The bond between us was buzzing with life. What was going to happen when I left her in Imera? Would the bond really just fade into nothing? Smoke drifting on air?

  It was for the best. We’d already tempted fate too much. The prophecy was like a thousand-pound weight hanging over us, ready to drop the moment we got too close.

  We were already too close.

  I shook my head, trying to ignore the knots fisting in my chest. This needed to happen. I had to leave her. She’d be safe back in Imera.

  My head tilted to the murky sky, taking a deep, calming breath. I was supposed to be gathering stuff for a fire, not brooding over my feelings.

  I trekked down the craggy asphalt, stepping over debris. This part of the Shadow Lands looked like an abandoned war zone, littered with chunks of metal and brick mixed with cement. Shards of glass glinted against the gray rubble while some of it had been ground down to bits of sand. The wind blew, bringing with it decay and rot as if the old ruins were slowly decomposing back into the earth like a corpse.

  A shiver rippled down my spine, and I halted, my gaze peering through the brick and mortar relics. It felt as if eyes were on me, watching my every step. I swallowed hard, my ears perking up.

  Nothing but silence stretched through the Shadow Lands.

  I rolled my shoulders and continued on, ignoring the goose bumps prickling my skin. Solaris was probably freezing. I needed to gather what I could and hurry back. A dry rustling caught my attention, and I ducked into a building. A stack of yellowing paper was wedged beneath a fallen pillar. The edges were curled from previous moisture, but they were dry enough now to burn nicely.

  I tucked them under my arm and dived deeper into the skeletal remains. I needed more, but I didn’t want to travel too far from Solaris. The image of her curled up alone and shivering put more fire in my steps.

  A couple of scraps of cardboard poked out from a pile of rubble. I snatched those and added them to my collection of kindling. That should be enough to keep us warm for a while. I grabbed two stones to ignite a fire with, shoving them in my pocket.

  As my head tilted up, a large shadow moved down the street.

  My pulse jumped. Without a second thought, I darted out of the building. Another shadow appeared, drifting through two dilapidated columns.

  I cursed and sped after it, the papers rustling in my arms. By the time my shoulder brushed the crumbling structure, the shadow was gone.

  What the hell is going on?

  A cold trickle of sweat ran down my nape. The stories I was told as a kid about monsters rushed through my mind. Could there have been some truth to those myths? Were creatures lurking in the Shadow Lands?

  Ice suddenly hemorrhaged through my veins. Solaris. I left her alone.

  I bolted, sprinting down the street. My chest constricted until it felt as if I was sucking air through a tiny straw. I’d already put Solaris in harm’s way by turning her in. If something out there got to her…

  The hollow building I’d left her in came into view. Two dark shadows stretched across the rubble.

  Oh gods.

  My legs picked up speed, and I zipped into the building. My little human was curled up against the wall, her head drooped. I released the kindling and crashed on my knees beside her. “Solaris. Solaris!”

  Her lids popped open, finding me inches from her face. “What? What’s wrong?” She shifted, wincing at the sudden movement.

  “Did you see that?”

  “See what?” She wrapped her arms around herself to keep the tarp from slipping off.

  My head swiveled around, searching through the decrepit structure and the street beyond. “Just now as I was approaching the building, I saw something. A figure, or maybe even two, sped away in a blur. I thought they’d gotten to you.”

  She shook her head and rubbed her face. “I didn’t hear anything. I fell asleep as soon as you left.”

  “I’ve only been gone for five minutes.” My voice was frantic, and my body still shook with adrenaline. My eyes lingered over Solaris, looking for any sign of injury.

  “It seemed longer.” Her lip trembled.

  My eyes locked onto her mouth. “You’re freezing.”

  “Yeah, a little.” Her teeth chattered.

  My hand brushed against her cheek, my chest finally loosening. Nothing had gotten her. She was safe. Cold but safe. “I’ll get you warm soon.” I inched forward, seconds away from dropping a kiss on her forehead.

  I quickly shifted back. Thankfully she hadn’t noticed.

  I arranged the kindling in a pile close to her and pulled the stones from my pocket. I smacked them together with such force sparks flew, igniting the scraps of paper and cardboard. In seconds, a decent fire crackled in front of us.

  “That was pretty amazing,” she said, leaning toward the flames.

  I shrugged and sat next to her, scooting closer. “All part of my training.” I handed her a few of the aevitas fruit and threw some into the fire. “Little known fact: aevitas juice is highly flammable.”

  “Good to know.”

  The sharp smell of the burning fruit wafted up to my nostrils as the heat began to spread. I wrapped my arm around Solaris’s shoulders, and her body curled into mine, settling against me as if she were made to fit.

  She was just cold. She only did it out of necessity. Nothing else.

  “Get some rest. I’ll keep watch,” I murmured as her eyes drooped again.

  Her head tilted to meet my gaze. “Do you really think there’s someone else out here?”

  Horrifying creatures flashed through my mind, and my arm tightened around
Solaris. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to risk finding out.”

  Chapter 28

  Solaris

  The fifty-foot wall protecting Imera loomed over us, the towering structure the physical symbol of the insurmountable rift between our two nations. It stretched over two thousand miles, built a century ago in the aftermath of the prophecy. The moon peeked over the edge, bathing Kaige’s face in soft light. He stared up at the imposing barrier, his jaw slack.

  “It’s bigger than I’d imagined it.”

  “Umhmm.” Somehow it looked taller from this side to me too.

  “So how do we get to the other side?”

  “Gavin told me about a secret entrance. It hasn’t been used in decades and is supposed to be unmanned.”

  “And you trust this guy?”

  “Absolutely. He’s my best friend.”

  The bond pulsed, and a pang of jealousy rushed through. I took Kaige’s hand and turned him to face me, placing my hand on his chest. His heartbeat thrummed loudly against my palm.

  “I can get through by myself, Kaige. You don’t have to come the rest of the way.”

  He covered my hand with his own, squeezing it against his chest. “We’re not having this conversation again. Once you’re safely on the other side of that wall, I’ll go.”

  I pressed my lips together. More emotions were flowing through the bond, and they were a mishmash of both of ours. Sadness, longing, regret, and fear all pummeled into my chest.

  Kaige must have felt it too because he staggered back a step, his fingers still firmly entangled with mine. He ground his teeth and lowered his gaze to mine. “Let’s go.”

  I nodded and led the way along the shadow of the towering wall. According to Gavin, it shouldn’t have been far. A heavy silence hung over us as we marched, much like the past few hours had been. The crunch of leaves underfoot filled the void. The first sign we were nearing Imera was the sudden spurt of greenery. Imera might not have been the most thriving in terms of vegetation, but compared to the Shadow Lands it was a veritable oasis.