Dark Fates: The Vampire Prophecy Book 1

by G. K. DeRosa

  From my periphery, I saw Kaige’s jaw twitch. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, and the tension seeped through the bond.

  This was it. In a few short minutes, we’d have to say goodbye. We’d never see each other again. I wouldn’t even know if he won the trials or if he became king, at least not until I read about it in a textbook.

  A small wooden hatch caught my eye amid the overgrown shrubbery. I stopped, tugging Kaige back. “That’s it.” I pointed at the ground, my breath hitching.

  He crouched down next to it and wrapped his fingers around the rusted iron handle. He pulled, but it didn’t budge. “You’re sure this is it?”

  I nodded quickly. “It has to be.”

  He took hold with both hands, planting his feet firmly in the dirt. His biceps and shoulders strained, and he jerked back. The door and its hinges, along with Kaige, flying backward.

  He hit the ground with a thud, his butt dragging across the dirt.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He wiped his hands on his pants and joined me at the opening.

  A dark narrow shaft disappeared into the earth. A wave of musty air wafted up to my nose as I peered down the hole. I couldn’t make out the bottom. A ladder was built into the side of the wall—and it appeared to be the only way down.

  “After you,” said Kaige, holding his hand out.

  I made a move toward the edge, and he yanked me back.

  “I was kidding. Of course I’m going first.”

  Before I had time to argue, he gingerly stepped down onto the first rung. It held. He bounced up and down on it before lowering his other foot and repeating the exercise.

  “Seems stable.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s what you said about the aqueduct.”

  “Fine then. I’ll go all the way down by myself and report back.”

  I shook my head. “No way. What if there’s someone down there?”

  He pointed at the cobwebbed ladder. “Doubtful.”

  “Let’s just go together.”

  He nodded, but his lips were pressed together into a frown as he descended into the tunnel. I quickly followed behind him, testing out each rung before putting all my weight on it.

  After what seemed like forever, Kaige jumped down. The thud of his feet hitting solid ground accelerated my heartbeat and my descent. “Can you see anything down there?” I called out. I’d been climbing blind, relying on Kaige’s enhanced vampire vision.

  “I found this.”

  Candlelight flickered below my feet. I rushed down the last few rungs and landed in a small cave.

  Kaige held out a candle, turning in a circle to illuminate the space. It was about the size of my living room back home. A few chairs and a long table were positioned along the edge of the wall. An old cracked monitor and an ancient telephone sat atop the table. Everything was covered in dirt and more cobwebs.

  He moved to the far corner of the cavern, and the flame lit up a metal door. I rushed over. Mounted at its side on the wall was a scanner much like the one I’d seen at the AirComm base.

  “Now what?” asked Kaige.

  I fished Malcolm’s ID badge out of my pocket, hoping it was still intact after my impromptu swim. It was amazing it had survived this long. I swiped it against the reader and held my breath.

  The door clicked open.

  Kaige’s eyes widened.

  I slowly pushed the heavy door open, the rusted metal hinges creaking in protest. A hallway, complete with a tiled floor and whitewashed walls, stretched before us. Pale halogen lights lit up the long passageway, which led to another door at the far end. “This is it,” I whispered. “When I walk through that door, I’ll be back in Imera.”

  Kaige swallowed hard. Even I could hear the gulp with my plain old human hearing.

  “Okay. So, this is it,” he said echoing my words.

  “Will I still be able to feel you?” My hand moved to my chest as if it could stop the ache.

  “I don’t think so. I’m fairly certain the bond will fade with the distance and surely over time.”

  My heart rate skyrocketed. Butterflies took flight in my belly, and I thought I might throw up.

  The floodgates crashed open, and our wild emotions tumbled over each other. I gasped as the warring sensations filled my being. Kaige’s arms came around me, holding me together. He must have felt it too. I glanced up, and his navy eyes swirled molten silver.

  “Goodbye, Solaris,” he whispered. His warm breath tingled against my lips.

  I choked on the words. Why did this have to be over? That stupid prophecy had ruined everything. I steeled my nerves and met his gaze. My insides felt like a puddle of goo. “Goodbye, Kaige. Thank you for keeping your promise to get me home safe.”

  A rueful smile stretched across his face. “I wish I’d done a better job.”

  He leaned in, his wavy locks brushing my forehead. I breathed him in, the warm woodsy scent. I swallowed, my mouth dry, and I ran my tongue over my lips.

  A low growl reverberated in Kaige’s throat. He closed the distance between us, and his lips collided into mine. His fiery kisses seared my lips, branding my soul. He ran his hands over my spine, and I arched into him, my blood drawn to his. I reached up to his neck and curled my fingers into his hair. It was soft and silky just like I’d always imagined it. He deepened the kiss, practically swallowing me whole. I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t care. The blood bond thrummed with a life of its own.

  For a few blissful minutes, I was completely lost in Kaige. I didn’t care that I was a human and he was a nocturne or that we were putting both of our kinds in unspeakable risk by committing this forbidden act. I was just a girl and he was just a boy. And for that moment it was enough.

  Kaige pulled away too soon and reality came crashing in. He peered down at me, the silver completely consuming his dark pupils. “It was all absolutely worth it just to meet you, little human.” A shadow of a smile pulled at his lips.

  I stepped back and he released me, a chill settling where his arms had been. I nodded, chewing on my lower lip. Hot tears pricked at the back of my eyelids, and I didn’t want him to see them fall. “You too, Kaige,” I choked out.

  His eyes bored into mine, and a million emotions rushed the bond. He spun around and disappeared back into the tunnel.

  I tried to blink back the tears, but my knees buckled. I slid down to the floor with a smack. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. Again, I couldn’t tell if the overwhelming grief was his or mine or a gut-wrenching combination of both.

  After a few minutes, I picked myself up off the floor and shut the metal door behind him. My stomach churned. What if he didn’t make it back to the plane? What if the border patrol caught him?

  I shook my head out, clearing the terrible thoughts. Kaige was strong and smart. He’d make it back to the castle, beat his brother at the trials, and become the next king of Draconis. I knew he would. A small smile crossed my lips as I walked toward the door at the end of the hallway.

  I’d survived. I was the only human to have gone to Draconis in a hundred years and lived. I’d met the Prince and well… I’d survived.

  I stared up at the door home and took a long breath. I swiped Malcolm’s badge against the reader, and a green light flickered. My hand closed around the metal handle, and I pulled it open.

  Six rifles were trained at my face, an angry soldier at the end of each. I stared down the barrel of the nearest gun and straight into Turstan’s cold gray eyes.

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at Dark Divide, releasing in May 2018.

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  ~ G.K. & J.N.

  Dark Divide Sneak Peek

  Chapter 1

  Kaige

  I scanned the crowd of nocturnes, searching for my prey. My fangs descended, pulsing with the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  Hunt.

  The word held more meaning since my primal instincts had been dragged closer to the surface by that one decision. It had changed my life. Irrevocably.

  Correction, she changed my life.

  A rainbow of soft lights from ornate gas lamps flickered across the marble walls, highlighting the silver veins. The multicolored flames created by the alchemists were pretty and yet unnecessary like so many things in this club. Synth and sweat permeated the air, swirling with an array of perfumes and smoke.

  But his unique scent still lingered. I followed him through a back entrance, losing his thin form amongst the twisting bodies on the dance floor below.

  He was here somewhere.

  I slipped through the nobles drowning in opulence and luxury. They relaxed on velvet chaises and drank synth and wine from crystal goblets. Any one of them could be responsible for the human blood bags I sunk to the bottom of the lake.

  And maybe none of them at all. Were they just as clueless as I’d been a few days ago?

  Images of brilliant green eyes I couldn’t forget bombarded my mind. My lips burned with the memory of hers. Her scent. Her taste. All of her had been branded into my soul.

  When a Collective plane crashed near the border of Draconis, I had no idea my life would be turned upside down and shattered by the little human inside. I couldn’t know giving her my blood to save her would form a blood bond between us. There was no way to guess the feelings she would free from the usual hard exterior surrounding me.

  Those same feelings needed to disappear because if I let them consume me, it could trigger the prophecy that would kill every human and nocturne in New Isos.

  We didn’t know how or why. Just that it would be brought about by the love between a human and nocturne.

  I shook my mind clear, forcing her to the dark recesses where she was supposed to remain. I had to stay focused on the task at hand. I’d screwed up, and my only way back to normalcy was to capture this criminal.

  My back pressed against the cool wall on the second level, my body shrouded in shadows. No one noticed me. They’d stare if they had. I wasn’t one to frequent the club. This was Xander’s world. Not mine.

  Which was exactly why he thought he’d easily take down the thieving taranoi before I could. Xander didn’t shy away from the attention and was already announcing to every group of nobles he was looking for a wanted criminal. I was surprised not to hear his voice over the loudspeaker demanding the taranoi surrender.

  Hopefully that wouldn’t happen. I needed to be the one to bring the thief in.

  The king was furious I was MIA for two days. I spent those two days safely escorting my little human back to Imera where she belonged.

  A lump rose in my throat. Was she all right? Was she in trouble? Was she keeping her promise not to search for answers?

  Did she miss me?

  Gods. I was pathetic. Instead of forgetting the last few days, I was wallowing in the absence of something forbidden.

  The bond was still there, for now anyway. With the distance, I couldn’t sense her emotions. Only a low hum resonated in the background. Her presence. I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. Every second felt like a countdown to the moment this connection would finally sever.

  It was for the best.

  Those words had crossed my mind a dozen times since returning to Draconis. I’d read the prophecy over and over to remind myself of the danger just knowing Solaris posed.

  But why should I believe the two of us had anything to do with the prophecy? She was a human and I was a nocturne. So what? That didn’t automatically make us the ones the prophecy spoke of. I already kissed her, and our worlds didn’t implode.

  I dragged my fingers through my hair, pulling on the roots. Then again, could either of us really take that chance?

  The raucous laughter of two men caught my attention. One of them had spilled an entire bottle of synth. The taranoi serving them smiled and quickly began cleaning it up. I could see how much she hated them in the tightness of her jaw.

  The taranoi were given a certain amount of synthetic blood to live on as were nobles and royals. The difference was, nobles and royals could afford to buy plenty more sold in this club and other places in the city. Synth was expensive and taranoi didn’t make much money.

  Over a hundred years ago there was no such thing as synth. Like our vampire ancestors, nocturnes drank human blood back then.

  A shiver tattooed a trail down my spine as images of crimson filled bags flashed behind my eyes. The briny liquid had been as mesmerizing as it was terrifying.

  It shouldn’t have been on that plane in the first place. Drinking human blood had been outlawed after the prophecy was foretold, but someone had been expecting a massive shipment of it from Imera.

  They’d never get it.

  And I’d try my best to forget I’d ever seen it.

  An ache twisted my stomach, fearing my little human wouldn’t be able to forget it. She was too daring for her own good. Looking for answers to this secret could get her killed.

  A couple staggered toward the wall I was leaning against. I cursed and slinked further down. My brother came into view several feet away talking to Tessamia, a female noble who wanted nothing more than to be queen.

  This was the first time I’d seen my twin since saving Solaris from him. Searing heat bubbled through my chest like acid. My hands curled into tight fists, wanting nothing more than to crush every bone in his face. He drank her blood only a few days ago, but I could detect the little pep in his step it still gave him.

  Inside he was probably still burning for more.

  My fangs pulsed. He’d never get it.

  I crept along the wall, searching for disturbances in the crowd. Taranoi typically wore drab colors that could easily be spotted amongst the glittering nobles. This one had on gray pants and a dingy white shirt unlike the solid gray uniforms of the club workers. His blonde hair was also shaggy and unkempt, framing his face in greasy waves.

  He was spotted stealing synthetic blood from a truck making a delivery to a noble family’s home. He’d given the Royal Guards the slip. The king assigned his capture to Xander and then included me when I returned.

  It was a test under the guise of training. I’d only just returned when Anders called me into my father’s study. The king was furious at my disappearance. He was ready to chain me in the dungeons for it.

  Lies I’d practice during my flight across the Shadow Lands fell from my lips.

  I took the plane out for training and had engine trouble. The radio wasn’t working, and I had to land, nearly tearing a wing off in the process.

  The scrapes along the gray steel were proof something had happened.

  It took me a while to clear a spot for takeoff again. I returned as soon as possible.

  My father didn’t know what to think. I’d always been the perfect, obedient son. Why would I suddenly start rebelling now?

  This was his way of assessing my commitment to the trials. He’d already sent Xander to capture this criminal an hour ago, a task normally reserved for the guards. The winner would prove to be a better tracker, a better hunter.

  But much more was at stake than that.

  Even with Xander’s head start, if I failed, I’d slip from the king’s good graces. He wouldn’t excuse any more odd behavior, and he wouldn’t favor me over my twin.

  That couldn’t happen.

  If my brother thought for one second the king didn’t blindly trust my word, he would spill what I’d really been up to the past few days. He would tell the king I’d had a human in Draconis. With no
evidence I could deny it, but I’d be punished regardless. It wouldn’t be a simple slap on the hand either.

  A squeal echoed from the crowd dancing below. My pulse spiked as I finally caught sight of the taranoi.

  Unfortunately so did Xander.

  He dashed across the room and vaulted over the iron railing, landing on the bottom floor. Nocturnes clapped, and he took the time to bow, lapping up the attention.

  I rolled my eyes. He couldn’t keep a low profile. Not ever. It gave me an advantage though. While he put on a show, I was able to survey the taranoi and anticipate his actions. He made a mad dash for the employee door in the back and Xander followed.

  But before the taranoi slipped through, his eyes cast toward the very upper left of the building. Moonlight illuminated the outline of a window. That was his way out. He’d lead Xander through a maze in the back and then find his way up to the rafters.

  I melted into the shadows again, slinking against the wall. A commotion was unfolding downstairs, laughter and whistles resonating through the crowd. The young nobles thought this was funny.

  It left a sour taste in my mouth.

  When the window was directly above, my knees bent, and I jumped. My fingers clutched a hefty iron hook in the wall used to hold lights during special events. I swung myself up, grabbing onto a solid steel beam.

  My legs dangled, the air cooler in the darkness. I pulled myself up, my feet balancing on the flat edge. I was already several stories high despite the building only being two levels. A fall to the bottom would be long and end painfully. I leaped higher and pressed myself against the wall next to the window outside the shaft of moonlight streaming in. Not a soul could see me.

  The nobles continued partying as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Not like me.

  The phantom feel of gold silk slid through my fingers, and the scent of honey and jasmine saturated the air. Soft lips pressed against mine, hungry and terrified at the same time.

  My fists clenched and I fought the urge to punch a hole through the marble behind me. I had to stop thinking of her. I had to forget her name, forget everything.