A Brush with Vampires

by Betsy Flak

  A Brush with Vampires (The Clan-Vampire Clash: Book One) by Betsy Flak

  Copyright © 2018 Elizabeth Flak

  For more about this author, please visit http://www.betsyflak.com

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at betsy@betsyflak.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Cover design by Melody Simmons.

  Sneak Peek.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

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  Get your free copy at https://www.betsyflak.com/offer

  The Impossible Adventure by Betsy Flak

  The Clan-Vampire Clash: Meet Your Misadventure #1

  After a deadly summer, you’re determined to make your junior year better than ever. Then two new kids join your class. For some reason, they hate your best friend. Will you survive long enough to discover why?

  The Impossible Adventure is the first entry in a series of interactive stories where you choose what happens. If you like sinister villains (and maybe becoming one), complicated superheroes (yup, you can become one of those too), and supernatural suspense mixed with high school drama, you’ll love The Impossible Adventure. Choose The Impossible Adventure today!

  Only available to members of Betsy Flak’s readers group. Limited time offer.

  To get started, go to https://www.betsyflak.com/offer

  A Brush with Vampires by Betsy Flak

  The Clan-Vampire Clash: Book One

  Blood. Magic. Boarding School.

  Escape from her imploding family. That’s all Lila Lee wants. When her best friend negotiates a last-second invitation for Lila to join her boarding school, Lila leaps at the chance. There she finds impossible classes, mean-girl frenemies, a frosty roommate, and a tongue-tying, mind-muddling crush.

  But someone—or something—lurks in the shadows. It stalks Lila’s icy roommate. And her crush. And Lila too. Can Lila unlock the deadly secret before it’s too late?

  A Brush with Vampires is the first installment in The Clan-Vampire Clash, a book series of YA paranormal fantasy novels. If you like strong female characters, sinister villains, and supernatural suspense mixed with high school drama, you’ll love this addictive new series. Find out what readers are calling “a must read,” “serious good vs. evil,” and “got me hooked” today!

  Author Note

  This is a free sneak peek of A Brush with Vampires (The Clan-Vampire Clash: Book One). It contains the prologue, chapter one, and part of chapter two. It is not the full book.

  Happy reading!

  Betsy

  Prologue

  Wednesday

  Duncan

  Rain slashed at the windows.

  Staring into a computer screen, Duncan plotted the annihilation of his eternal enemies. His plan—the result of well over a decade of gathering intelligence, recruiting his army, and growing the necessary funds—would begin tonight. It needed to be ready. No, more than ready, it needed to be perfect. They would get but a single shot. Failure meant certain death.

  Only after hours of double- and triple-checking was Duncan satisfied. His plan was as good as he could make it. The rest would be up to her.

  As if summoned by that thought, a slender woman entered his office. Her raven waves tickled the laces of a gown dyed silver to match her eyes. Long years ago, those eyes—sea blue back then instead of silver—had pulled him to her. Kane was his creation, the one that made everything possible.

  “Sire, I thought you may have need of me.” The scent of lavender followed Kane like a handmaiden.

  Shivers cascaded down Duncan’s spine. His fangs wore twin grooves into his lower lip. Blood-stained fields dotted with corpses instead of wildflowers filled his mind. Their future called to him.

  Duncan’s office door clicked shut.

  The sound shattered Duncan’s daydream. He slid his gnarled hands over the cool marble of his desk. Unnecessary breaths slowed unnecessary heartbeats.

  Beside the door the color of sun-bleached bone, Kane glanced at the windows behind Duncan.

  The tingles radiating along Duncan’s shoulders flared. Twisting in his chair, he faced three panels of floor-to-ceiling windows. Sure enough, the late afternoon sun peeked through clouds heavy with rain. The leaded glass protected Duncan from most of the sun’s danger, but not all.

  “Sire, you should be more careful.” Her bare feet padding against the tile floor, Kane strode to the windows overlooking the courtyard below. She snapped the black-out curtains shut in one fluid movement.

  For an instant, Duncan longed for the days when the sun had warmed his human body. “Thank you, my dear.”

  After a quick nod, Kane perched on one of the sleek chairs across from him.

  Duncan folded his hands on his desk. “As you may suspect, the moment to begin has at last arrived. I’d like you to lead the charge, Kane.”

  Kane’s chin dipped into another nod, confirming his implied request.

  But another, more important question loomed before Duncan. “Are the others prepared to take your place?”

  “Yes, Sire. Eight are available, two of which show promise.”

  Scarred fingers—the result of Duncan’s early encounter with Adara—steepled in front of his narrow nose. He couldn’t hope for another Kane, no matter how often he sent Adara on her fruitless searches. But eight of them should be enough to squash his troops’ rebellious instincts. Even one on its own could maintain the spells Kane had created. It just wouldn’t last long.

  But eight could last an entire year. If not, Adara could find more. And there was always brute force, although that never worked for long. But Duncan could no longer spare Kane for something so trivial.

  Kane angled forward in her chair, catching Duncan’s ebony eye. “And I will be but hours away should you need me. If all should fail.”

  Duncan’s lips twitched, threatening a rare smile. He had yet to disclose the pilot location, but his base sat in the mountainous middle of the country. Kane couldn’t help but be correct. Not that he would have hours if her replacements failed. “I daresay you will have your hands busy enough, my dear Kane, even if everything goes as planned.”

  Rustles emerged from the stables a courtyard away.

  Duncan’s thick-lashed gaze flicked toward a computer monitor. By now, the sun would be nearly set. Soon the clatter of battle would reign.

  “We have the eight replacements. We’ll just have to hope that they—and any additions Adara finds—will be good enough. It’s time to shift to our true purpose: destroying our eternal enemies. It’s no secret that their waves of mindless soldiers have suppressed us for centuries. Even our historic numbers cannot compare to theirs. No, at this moment, it would be useless to fight them directly. First, we must demolish those waiting in the wings. Only then can we fight them in earnest. Only then can we bring an end to this unfortunate chapter in our history.” Duncan leaned back in his chair, surveying the impact of his practiced speech.

  Kane’s face remained smooth as glass, but her torso tilted forward. Her hands lay clenched on her lap. Her toes dug into the el
ectric blue rug. Kane was excited, though she refused to show it.

  “Now, I have plans for battling them directly, but as I mentioned, first we must attack their backups, which is where you come in, Kane. This part of the plan is straightforward: we attack their young. As you know, our enemies keep their children tight and safe within those villages of theirs. They cannot be our targets, not yet. Instead…” Duncan’s obsidian eyes glittered as he stretched out the suspense. If only he could be the one…but no, he must remain here. He must focus on their long-term goals. “We’ll attack their trainees—those sequestered away in their boarding schools, far away from the action. Far away from meaningful assistance.”

  Kane’s coral lips pursed. “And how do you intend to do this, Sire?”

  “Ah, that, my dear Kane, is for you to unearth. You, Fang, and three of our best fighters will go. The five of you are to act as an independent nest. Once you have a detailed proposal for your attack, you’ll report back to me. Together, we’ll finalize it into something suitable for testing. If the test is successful, we’ll apply your plan to the entire country, maybe even the continent. Remember: whatever plan you create, we’ll use it to destroy each and every training Cell hiding in those boarding schools. Now, where is our first target, you may wonder?” Without waiting for a response, Duncan twisted the secondary monitor toward Kane. He extended a talon toward a crimson circle drawn over a satellite image. In the center was a cluster of brick buildings. “This…Eversfield Preparatory Academy.”

  Kane assessed the map, probably noting the acres and acres of uninterrupted forest separating Eversfield from any notable cities where the Clan’s regular Cells would hunt. Yes, Duncan had provided them with more than enough room for shelter—and for their other needs.

  “I presume I do not need to ask this, but what is the objective, Sire?”

  Duncan responded with a toothy grin a millimeter away from a snarl. “It’s simple: to kill them all.”

  The Clan-Vampire Clash

  Episode 1: A Brush with Vampires

  Lila’s Sophomore Year, First Semester

  August

  Chapter 1

  Saturday

  Lila

  Charcoal clouds raced across a dark sky. The wind whipped tree branches and clawed at their leaves.

  Goosebumps crawled over Lila’s arms. Of course she would flee one storm, only to enter another.

  “Here you go, honey.” Lila’s dad deposited a purple polka-dotted suitcase and matching duffel next to her flats. His brown eyes scrunched with concern.

  Lila turned away from him and toward a brick monstrosity. Two matching buildings peered around it as if all three stalked fresh prey. Jungle-green ivy climbed up the walls to press against rows of iron-framed windows. Bushes with thorns as long as Lila’s pinky guarded the cobblestone path leading from her sidewalk to an archway. In the arch’s center hung a bronze plaque engraved with “Eversfield Preparatory Academy.”

  A field mouse facing an adder, Lila wiped her clammy palms against her khakis. She demanded that her heartbeat slow, her breaths deepen, and her butterflies climb back into their cocoons. None listened.

  Lila dug her fingers into the straps of her backpack like it was the source of her dwindling courage.

  Stilettos clicked against the asphalt behind her.

  Lila’s insides clenched. Her spine stiffened. Her hands flew into the pockets of her ugly pants.

  Her mother planted a hand with glossy nails on Lila’s shoulder and squeezed. “Baby, it’s not too late. We can just pack you right back up in that car,” her mother whined in an overripe tone.

  It reminded Lila of all she’d learned about her mother in the past few months, none of it good. Lila’s voice hardened, becoming low, cold steel. A force to be reckoned with. “No, I’m sure. This is the right thing for me.” Lila almost added “for us,” but guilt stopped her. Both her parents had taken an entire day off work to prepare her for Eversfield.

  Her mother released her shoulder. “If that’s what you want, baby. And you’re sure you don’t want to come home during the fall break in a couple months? We, er, one of us can pick you up.”

  Lila’s frizzy braid lurched from side to side as she shook her head. They’d discussed that very point at least five times in the last twenty-four hours, ever since they’d found out about her last-second admittance to Eversfield. “No, I told you. I’ll have too much studying to do.”

  Her mother turned her head to stare at the pine trees flanking the lonely road leading to Eversfield. A ruby nail brushed a tear away from the corner of her lined eye. A single, elegant tear…that was all for show.

  Squashing her frown, Lila shifted to her dad and spread her arms wide. He—unlike her mother—yielded and smothered her in a bear hug. He lifted her off the ground and swung her side to side like she was five years old again. Lila buried her face in his neck, swallowing the tears. His salt and pepper goatee nibbled at her forehead. Lila was sad—no, devastated—to leave him. But sometimes you hurt the ones you loved to save yourself.

  As he set Lila down, he murmured, “You sure you don’t want one of us to come in with you?”

  Lila drew a shaky breath. “No, it’s okay. We just had breakfast with the headmaster and the sophomore grade leads. I want to do this on my own. I need to do this on my own.”

  Her dad didn’t press the issue. For that, Lila was grateful. She wasn’t sure she could have denied him twice.

  “And besides, this isn’t goodbye, right? We’re doing dinner tonight?” Lila inwardly shuddered at the forced brightness of her voice. And then did shudder when her mother—her makeup crystal clear despite a “crying” episode—swooped in.

  “Yes, darling, we are. I have a restaurant picked out and everything. No expense spared for my Lila!”

  “Mom, I really don’t think we should be—”

  “Nonsense. Now come here and give me a hug.” Her mother cast a pointed glare at her dad.

  Lila’s hackles rose, but she obeyed. With something closer to a polite grimace than a frown, Lila fell into her mother’s outspread arms. She stayed there for the two seconds etiquette required. Then Lila pulled away.

  “I’m gonna be late if I’m not careful, Mom.” Lie. Lila had fifteen minutes before she was due in the main office, but her mother didn’t know that.

  Still, she didn’t let Lila go. No, she held Lila out at an arm’s length with her fingertips digging into Lila’s biceps.

  Lila stared at a gilded earring darting this way and that instead of meeting her mother’s moss-green eyes, the ones that Lila shared.

  “Oh, my dear, darling Delilah,” her mother gushed.

  Lila cringed at the use of her full name. Her mother knew she hated it yet insisted on using it.

  “I thought I had years before this day would arrive. And even then, I was sure I could convince you to go to a college just down the road!” Her mother’s shiny lips spread into a grin that didn’t reach her mascaraed eyes. She extended her arms again.

  With her own chapped lips clenched together, Lila allowed her mother one final hug.

  After what seemed like an eternity, her mother released her. Shielding her disgust with a raised shoulder, Lila hurried back to her bags. There, her dad waited with the suitcase’s handle already extended.

  While he settled the duffel bag’s strap over Lila’s shoulder, he whispered, “She can’t help it, Lila, she’s going through something. She’ll get through it, and then she’ll be right back to her old self.”

  Without conviction, Lila nodded. He’d been telling her that lie for nearly a year now. Lila was done believing it. If he wanted to play the fool, so be it. That didn’t mean she had to watch.

  “Okay, we’ll see you for dinner, Lila. Just let us know when you’re free?”

  “Sure, Dad, see you then.”

  Conflict crumpled his broad features. Lila would have given anything to run to him and ask—no, beg—him to make it b
etter. But he couldn’t fix their family. He’d been trying to and failing to for ages. Instead, they each plastered on a fake smile and exchanged half-hearted waves. Then her dad descended into the passenger seat of her mother’s cardinal red convertible, a car they couldn’t afford.

  As her parents disappeared down the road winding through the forest, Lila turned toward her new home. She’d escaped. Now it was time to learn what she’d escaped to.

  A pebble beneath a boulder, Lila studied that front building—the Administration Building according to her crumpled map—once more. Dizziness threatened as she gazed up, up, up. Three rows of windows reflected an antlike silhouette alone in front of a deserted parking lot.

  Lila’s fingers tore through her hair until the tight braid stopped them. Her breath stalled in her chest. What had she done?

  A blast of wind pushed Lila toward that archway. She used the momentum to place one foot in front of the other. Her free hand skimmed over the waist-high shrubs lining the cobblestone path. She focused on avoiding their inches-long thorns.

  Too soon, Lila hefted open a wooden door emblazoned with another “Eversfield Preparatory Academy.” Its groan sounded more like a scream.

  Too soon, she rolled her suitcase down the immaculate hallway. Walls and floor alike glistened in the recessed lighting.

  Too soon, Lila found the main office, a fish bowl of a room with a wall of spotless windows in eggshell frames.

  Too soon, she shoved her swollen luggage through the final door.

  Too soon, she stood in front of a U-shaped desk, staring at a bent gray head with an impeccable—if severe—bun. A floral scent with a hint of vanilla crept up her nose.

  “May I help you?” a voice creaked from behind the desk. The woman did not glance up or pause her click-clack typing.

  “Um, I’m new?”