The Revolution: Book 3 of The Bloodmoon Wars (A Paranormal Shifter Series Prequel to Luna Rising)

by Sara Snow

  Still, now that I had this information, I knew my instincts were right. He was scum and deserved to be treated that way.

  “Are you ready to go back now?” she asked.

  “Okay,” I answered, and the room around us fell away.

  I woke up with a loud gasp and saw Faelen on her hands and knees, panting beside me. She was glowing with pale blue light, and looking down at myself, I noticed I was, too. It was the same blue I’d turned when I touched the weeping willow in the Dragon Territory.

  “Does she have divinity?” When Faelen nodded, Levi stepped forward, waved his hand, and the candles went out. “Good. The pack’s evacuation can now begin. But the entire pack can't be moved at all at once if you want the location to remain secure. It will have to be done quietly and over a week’s time.”

  He turned to me. “Elinor?” My chest was still rising and falling rapidly as I slipped on a robe my mother had ready for me. “You’ll be going to a separate location.”

  I refrained from looking at Faelen, but I'd never forget her warnings about his obsession with power, nor the information about his secret experiments on Enchanteds.

  “No.” My mother stepped forward. “Elinor needs to stay with us. Why do you want her to go to a separate location? The test proved she has divinity. She can learn to control her powers as easily with us as she can anywhere else.”

  “Easily” was a stretch, but I remained quiet. Levi didn’t look like he would budge on this, and I wasn’t going to object to going. No doubt he’d suggest he be at the same location with me . . . and that would allow me to take him down should he try anything.

  If I had to be the bait, so be it. The Council had been created to protect our kind, not experiment on and kill us for their benefit.

  “This isn’t up for debate. Elinor’s safety is now a top priority. She’ll be hunted from all sides when this gets out. If she falls into the enemy’s hands, we’re going to have more trouble than we can handle.”

  My mother made a sound of annoyance at the back of her throat and turned to my father, but he made no move to object. Then she looked at me, and I held my hand out to her.

  “If I’m going to practice controlling this new power I’ve gained, I can’t do that around the pack, especially while we’re in hiding. It’s okay, Mother. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “If I may?” Skye interrupted. “I’d like to accompany Elinor. I’ve been studying to become a pack doctor. If I’m there, I’ll be able to help Elinor if she injures herself.” Levi looked contemplative for a minute and then nodded.

  Suddenly, a portal appeared in the room. My father acted immediately, positioning himself in front of my mother, Skye, and me. Levi only turned to face the portal, his eyes turning black to prepare for a fight, and I couldn’t help wondering how skilled he actually was.

  A foot appeared from the portal, and my father’s warning growl was loud and bone-chilling. When I saw the person who stepped out, I rushed out from behind my father, Skye by my side.

  “Saleem!”

  Scarlet was carrying the old woman in her arms and both of them were covered in blood. Their clothes were almost shredded, and they looked as if they had been attacked by an animal.

  Scarlet staggered, then fell to her knees. “Help her.”

  12

  Elinor

  “It’s okay, Father. I know them!”

  Scarlet lowered Saleem to the ground, and Faelen and Skye immediately began to check her wounds.

  “You need help as well,” I told Scarlet, but her teary eyes were on Saleem, now lying on the ground, her heartbeat faint.

  “I’m fine. Just please, save her.”

  “Who are these people?” Levi asked.

  “They helped us find Skye,” I answered without looking his way.

  I knew that if anything happened to Saleem, Cyrus would spiral. First, he’d lost Ms. Clementine, and now it looked like Saleem might not make it.

  “Grayson, she needs help. Let’s take her to Nurse Hilary. She’ll know what to do,” my mother suggested. My father nodded, then carefully lifted the wounded witch.

  Saleem was unconscious, and blood gushed from a deep wound on her head. I prayed to the Goddess that she’d be alright. I watched them leave, nodding at Skye before she ran off with them. And that left me alone with my mother . . . and Levi.

  “So now there are witches and more demons in wolf territory,” Levi said, and I turned to stare at him, licking my lips.

  I couldn’t believe he’d actually said that, not now, not when we faced such a grave threat. But I decided not to call him on it. I was starting to realize that Levi’s self-directed purpose in life was to get a rise out of everyone. So I turned and walked away, my mother by my side.

  “You may remain here if you wish, Council Member Levi,” my mother called over her shoulder. “Our cook will prepare anything you want. My husband will return shortly, and you can discuss your departure with him.”

  “Of course, Luna Clarice. And Elinor’s departure as well.”

  My mother growled as we finally exited the room. “I’ve never wanted to rip a man’s throat out as much as I do right now.”

  “Wow, Mother, I’m impressed. He can hear you, you know.”

  “I don’t care,” she said, and I grinned. “As for you, I haven’t forgiven you yet for leaving. And for avoiding me since you’ve come back.”

  My smile fell away as we hurried through the house and then took the path outside leading to Nurse Hilary’s place. “I haven’t been avoiding you, truly.” I sighed. “But I knew you and Father would have stopped me from leaving, and I had to go.”

  “I know,” she mumbled. “Did your father speak to you about Elijah?”

  “He did. But honestly, I would’ve called off everything myself, if he hadn’t.”

  “You’ve changed.” Her voice was low and filled with a sadness that stopped me in my tracks. “I’m not sure what you saw out there, but it was nothing good. I can see it in your eyes. You were always eager to see the world. But whatever you saw out there made you grow up a lot in a short amount of time.”

  I looked down, at a loss for words.

  She chuckled. “Sadly, you’re also even more outspoken.”

  I couldn’t help laughing at that, and she took my hand into hers. She gazed at me with so much love tangled up tightly with sadness that neither of us said anything. My eyes burned, and I hung my head and inhaled deeply to stop the tears from forming.

  “After the tragic events of the Guard exam, your spunk seemed to disappear. I was getting really worried. But you’re back now, and I’m proud of you. You’ve always stood up for yourself, and now you can stand up for others, too.”

  I wiped at my eyes. “Thanks, Mother, for everything. I love you.”

  She kissed the palm of my hand, and we continued on our way to Hilary’s. Bolstered by my mother’s love, I made a vow to myself. I wouldn’t let my fire go out again. No matter what happened.

  Elinor

  Scarlet took a sip of her tea and continued her story. “Saleem and I had gathered about fifteen others—witches and demons alike—and we went to the location Arden told us about. There, we found over thirty supernaturals, already branded and resurrected.”

  “Goddess,” Skye murmured under her breath as she looked at Cyrus.

  She looked a little more like herself now, thank the Goddess. Her eyes weren’t as sunken and the patch of hair she’d lost was growing back faster as well. Both she and Cyrus had been locked away in her house while she healed, and he didn’t look nearly as pale now. Obviously, they’d been helping each other.

  Cyrus hunched forward, his elbows on his knees, as he listened to Scarlet speak. My father, Skye, and Faelen had stayed while Hilary treated Saleem, and Levi had come later. With Skye and Faelen's assistance, Hilary had treated Saleem's wounds and was now applying her bandages. Witches were fast healers, but not as fast as werewolves. It would take some time for the older woman to recover . . . but
she would, thank the Goddess. Only after Saleem was treated did Scarlet allow Skye to tend to her wounds. As a succubus, Scarlet would heal up in no time.

  “What happened?” Cyrus asked, and Scarlet shook her head.

  “We were outnumbered, but of course, we anticipated that. We had planned our assault carefully, and we were ready for greater numbers. But we didn’t stand a chance when the real danger showed himself—a vampire general.”

  My eyes widened, and Cyrus and I looked at each other. “A vampire general?”

  Although Scarlet knew what that meant to me, she kept it to herself in front of Levi. “Yes. He massacred the others. Saleem and I barely got away. She made a portal to the bar, but when we got there, more reanimated supernaturals were already waiting for us.” She closed her eyes and leaned forward. “I’ve lived at that bar for years. It’s all gone now.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Levi said, his words clipped. “But this vampire general . . . Did you see him? Was he branded like the other supernaturals?”

  “He was commanding them.”

  Though I tried, I couldn't swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. Vampires . . . Vampires were behind this, after all. I smoothed my brows out with a finger and dropped my gaze to avoid anyone catching sight of the confusion and panic within it. No, Will couldn’t be involved. I wouldn’t allow myself to even think that. But . . . he was heading home to see his mother. What if she already knew of his involvement, of his relationship with me?

  “How would vampires be able to resurrect other supernaturals? They don’t have that power, do they?” I asked, looking for any other answer.

  “Remember what Saleem said, Elinor? Anyone can access and wield black magic.” Cyrus reclined in his chair, a grim expression on his face.

  I knew what he was thinking. He was wondering if Will had been playing us.

  “But we can’t go after the Vampire Queen just yet,” I said.

  “The hell we can’t!” Scarlet yelled. “One of her generals killed fifteen people.”

  “And more will die if we act without proper planning,” Cyrus added. “Even if every werewolf pack came together, as well as all the witches, we still wouldn’t be strong enough to wage war on the Vampire Queen. We’ll need allies, other supernaturals.”

  “We’ll also need more proof that the Queen behind this,” my father added. “A general may have been there, but we can’t storm Vampire Territory with only that information. We have very little information on vampires to begin with. Who knows what they're truly capable of? Walking in blind is a good way to get a lot of people killed, Scarlet.”

  “The general had some kind of unusual ability,” she mumbled. “Before they were killed, a few demons and witches were caught in some kind of spell, frozen where they stood, screaming as if they were being murdered.”

  “There are rumors of some vampires possessing abilities, yes.” Levi touched his chin thoughtfully, and I caught Skye staring at me. “With that factor to consider, we definitely can’t act blindly. We have to get eyes inside the Queen’s castle. But that won’t be easy.”

  “What if we could get a spy inside, and we confirmed the Queen was behind all of this? What then?” I asked Levi, though I was looking at my father.

  He knew I was speaking about my friend. I wasn’t going to tell Levi about Will—ever. I already knew how he would react. He would only accuse Will of being involved, of being sent out by the Queen to gain our trust—my trust.

  “If this spy could provide useful information on the vampires, their defenses and abilities . . . We’d be able to end the vampire race, once and for all.”

  “We don’t have the time to get a spy, not when two more packs were just attacked,” Cyrus said. “They are targeting wolves because werewolves are a vampire’s greatest threat, their natural rival. The more wolves they kill or abduct, the less there will be to fight against them when the time comes.”

  Cyrus has a point.

  “And after what Elinor did, they’ll definitely want to take out the werewolves first,” my father added. “We need to hurry. And we should start by getting the other species on board, letting them know what's coming for them. If we don't come together and present a united front, they'll pick us off one by one.”

  “I’ll head back to Romania and notify the rest of the Council,” Levi said. “Faelen, you can remain behind. That way I’ll be able to easily relay any messages I might have. Alpha Grayson, I trust you’ll reach out to other packs in the meantime, telling them to prepare themselves for an attack. Women and children unable to fight should all be sent to secure locations.”

  “We’ll do that,” my father confirmed.

  Levi turned to me. “Elinor, you will still have to be moved.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think that was going to change,” I answered absentmindedly.

  A clap of thunder rumbled outside, and I sank in my chair.

  William.

  Will

  There were no birds, no animals, no life. The land was vast but dead, and the creatures that had lived here had polluted the earth with their deaths over the years. Vampire Territory was nothing but death and darkness. The skies were blackened out continuously by clouds with the help of my mother’s dark witches. Anyone turned by the Queen was guaranteed to gain an ability, but from time to time, a witch, a fae, or any other supernatural who had magic that was strong enough, would usually retain some of their magic when turned.

  That was how my mother now had three Enchanted Seers who kept her updated on world events. Thanks to a spell I hired a dark witch to perform for me a few centuries ago, I was shielded from her Seer’s eyes.

  Other vampires who retained their abilities were accepted and integrated into vampire society without question. Yet because my abilities were radically different than any other vampire and included walking in the sun, I was treated as an outcast, even by those who had also retained some of their abilities. The hypocrisy of it all hadn't escaped me.

  Up ahead, between several black rotten trees, stood my mother’s castle, a dark, looming structure designed to strike fear into anyone that saw it.

  Bleeders—the mindless vampires I detested so much—lingered in the forest outside the castle. They'd followed me from a discreet distance for the last two hours, probably out of curiosity. I left my carriage five miles back because the starving beasts would’ve only attacked and eaten my orthros, my two-headed wild dog. The small towns that once occupied the land had been wiped out centuries ago. Whenever food was delivered to the castle, the bodies were then given to the Bleeders.

  Rarely would a Skin like myself eat their prey. Newborns unable to control their hunger were more likely to do that, but Bleeders ate everything—skin, flesh, and bones. Sometimes they even attacked each other, feasting on the weak among them.

  With my cloak removed, the castle guards could see me approaching, and they opened the looming steel gates. The castle was quiet except for the sound of soft chatter that died when I entered the court. Only vampires from my mother’s Council and their covens lived within the castle itself, along with all the guards and Bleeders. Scattered across the land were other covens that lived separately, like those who chose to be closer to humans.

  I ignored the whispers that drifted to me, murmurs from newly turned vampires who had only heard of me and those who hadn’t seen me in a while. But I wasn’t bothered by any of it as I made my way through the castle. The less time I spent here, the better.

  The halls were dark and depressing, the walls covered with paintings of the royal family and elders long past. There was a time when I'd walked these halls with the swagger of a king, drunk with the power I had, the respect and fear I commanded. Now, this place felt like a prison.

  Sometimes the hunger inside me missed the savagery, the screams of the dying, and the taste of blood tainted with fear. But because all things release chemicals—depending on their moods—I’d found a prey’s blood tainted with ecstasy or bliss was a th
ousand times better than fear. To me, at least.

  “Will, you’re back.”

  I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the vampire who spoke. A woman, a past lover I detested, was grinning at me with her pet fae walking on all fours beside her. The small fae woman was plump and clearly well-fed, but she was also only food.

  She clung to Levia's side, both out of fear that other vampires would kill her if she was separated from her master and out of sick, twisted devotion. There was a time when I had a pet, multiple pets even. But now, even the thought sickened me.

  “Levia, how are you?”

  She stepped forward and placed a hand on my chest. “I’ve missed you, Will. Why do you insist on living elsewhere? You’re a general. You belong here.”

  “No thanks to you. Now, remove your hand.”

  She smirked and flicked her brown curls over her shoulder, flashing her pale neck. “Don’t be like that, Will. What happened between us is in the past. I never meant to betray—”

  I grabbed a chunk of her hair, and my eyes changed to red.

  A deep crease of pain emerged between her brows. “Wi—”

  “Say my name again, and I’ll rip your throat out.”

  Her mouth clamped shut, and her pet by her feet whimpered. I inhaled the scent of her fear, and the beast I tried to keep in chains stirred inside me. I pushed her away, and she fell to the ground, hatred filling her eyes. She’d sided with most of the Council during a petition to have me removed as a general. I’d never forgive her for that.

  Of course, my mother’s word was law. So when the Queen killed the vampire who’d started the petition and warned the others against ever doing it again, the matter had been put to rest. In a way, they'd done me favor—at least now I knew who my enemies were.