by Weil, J. L.
Two wardens were stationed at every entrance. The fault with my brother’s security was the windows, but who would be dumb enough to scale a two, three, or even four-story structure? Me. My quarters were on the third floor, but being a witch had its perks.
“Wait,” I whispered, swinging an arm in front of Liam to stop him.
He arched a brow.
“We can’t just go strolling through the front door. The other wardens will notify Colin of our late-hour arrival.”
“I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Mister-I-never-broke-a-rule-in-my-life, except for maybe sleeping with me, Liam was a stickler for order and laws. His world was black and white, where I lived mine in giant patches of grey. “Stand still and don’t make a sound.” Summoning the power of my ancestries, I waved my hand over his forearm, marking him with a rune of invisibility. Then I activated the one I had tattooed on the inside of my wrist.
The frown lines on Liam’s forehead deepened. “You know I hate it when you mark me with your voodoo.”
“This only works if you keep your big mouth shut.” And if we didn’t bump into another witch, such as Colin. Considering the time of night, I liked our odds.
Liam and I slipped passed the two wardens and into the front circular hall. He assumed we would take the stairs to my room, but I headed toward the back of the first floor, to the kitchen. It had been hours since I’d eaten, and I was starved.
Once the door swung shut behind us, I flipped my hood off my head and turned around laughing. The kitchen was blissfully empty, so I dropped the enchantment. “That was exhilarating. Didn’t it get your blood flowing?”
Liam propped a hip against the counter. “Which part? Finding you missing? The vampire looking for a baby mama? Or having to sneak into the compound using forbidden magic?”
I grinned, poking him in the chest. “All the above.”
He shook his head, his lips thinning. “You need to get your head checked.”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a roll from the bread box and broke off a chunk, popping it into my mouth.
“It’s time for you to get some rest, Skylar.” Liam sighed. “And this time, you’re going to stay there all night, even if I have to tie you to the bed.”
I lifted a single brow. “Are you getting kinky on me?”
Tired lines crinkled at the corner of his eyes, making him appear older than twenty-five. “Enough with the games.” He dipped, lifting me over his shoulder and taking me by surprise.
“Dammit, Liam. Put me down,” I growled. My hands fisted at his back, a waterfall of auburn hair blocking my vision.
He smacked my butt. “It’s been a long night, Sky. Do us both of favor, and don’t make this harder than it has to be. Or we could stay in the kitchen and talk about what you were really doing outside the walls.”
That was the last thing I wanted to do, and Liam knew it. Humiliation colored my cheeks, and I clamped my teeth shut. After tonight, he was going to be watching me like a hawk. I’d never have two minutes to myself, and sneaking out of Silent Bend was going to be twice as hard.
Shit.
Chapter 2
Fog blanketed the dark churning waters, lapping against rocks and the sandy shore. A boat rocked outside the harbor, trying to seek refuge from the storm, fighting against the waves to reach the soft glow of a lighthouse deep in the mist. The blow of a horn sounded through the night, but quickly turned into a bloodcurdling scream as the earth began to shake. Magic trembled through the vaporous haze, and the chanting of Rift witches drowned out the roar of the sea.
I bolted upright in bed, a sheen of sweat on my brow and my heart racing like a herd of wild horses. For a second, like a beat of a hummingbird’s wings, I scented the sea, heard the soft voices lift in a chant as old as time, and felt the mist upon my face as the water crashed against the cliffs. Fog seeped into the open balcony door and grew, climbing up the bed like a snake.
I blinked, unable to remember if I’d left the door open before falling asleep. The room smelled of rain and vanilla, the candle long since burned out or possibly doused by a gust of air.
The fog and the howling wind reminded me of the dream that had woken me. It was one I had often since my mother’s death, and one I would likely have for many, many nights to come.
The vision of before the Rift plagued me, waking or sleeping, especially on nights when I was vulnerable or upset, when my defenses were low. It was through my blood I was able to see what my mother had done, what she had been a part of so many years ago. Fifty years it had been, and there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of her, didn’t miss her.
She had been taken from me when a young girl had needed her mother most, and for that, I would never forgive the Berkano vampires. She had been robbed of watching her little girl grow into a woman, and I had been refused the comfort of a mother’s arms. I often wondered if she would approve of the woman I’d become. Raised mostly by Colin, I hadn’t exactly had a typical childhood. Where other girls dressed up dolls, learned to cook, or braided each other’s hair, I played with swords and daggers, and always had my nose in a spell book.
Magic existed. It was everywhere, all around us, in the vibrant colors of a rainbow after a summer storm, in the song of the sea, and the glitter of a million stars on a cloudless night. The world was filled with wonders big and small, even after the Rift.
Some said the greatest magic was love, such a simple and extraordinary part of life.
I said that was bullshit. I didn’t want love. I wanted sweet, blissful revenge. And one day soon, it would be mine, and there was nothing Colin or Liam could do to stop me.
My bloodline was old. My power was ancient. And my responsibility to the craft was demanding, a legacy handed down through the generations. The power of Glenn of the Gaelics ran in my blood, derived from Braywen the sorceress, my mother. Legends of her sorcery was still whispered from one end of the valley to the other, deep in the shadows and always in secret, for the craft must be protected.
From the time I could walk, I understood that such a gift came with a price. Magic was to be respected, or pay the cost twofold, but not everyone agreed with my mindset. Take my brother. Colin was a witch, but he never used his magic, not even in battle. He tolerated my hobby, but only in secret.
I had taught myself how to use my gift, honed it from the books my mother had kept hidden in her rooms. They were mine now, and I treasured them, the last bit of her that remained. It was my homage to her, learning and protecting the gift she had given me.
The fire in the hearth had flickered down to a few sparks of glowing embers, and the howling wind chased through the brightly colored room. I liked bold things. A chair sat in the corner next to the fireplace, hand-woven pillows on the seat. The floor was wood that had seen better days, worn and scraped. A pretty rug of deep burgundy peeked out from under the bed. It might not be a palace, but it had been mine since I was little.
Wrapping a blanket over my shoulders, I padded to the wide arched opening that led to the balcony. Plop. Plip. Plop. Drops of rain hit the glass and the side of the stone compound in a chorus of a sad song, as if it felt my pain. Thunder cracked across the sky, shaking the air. I pressed my cheek to the window, gazing into the dreary fog. It was the rain that made me think of her. The lash of it battered against the windows, drummed the rooftop, and blew its icy breath underneath the wooden doors.
I’d never lived in the world prior to the Rift, but the feel of jeans on my thighs was so vivid, as was the liveliness of San Francisco.
The hooded robe that cloaked my body wasn’t silk or pretty. It was practical and boring. Not that I needed pretty things, but seeing the visions that came more frequently of late made me yearn for the world before it went to shit.
Frisco Bay. It wasn’t glamorous or high tech. It survived the Rift, after the hard work and determination of those who had the will to carry on, but it still had a long way to go. And my brother was the leader people tur
ned to. He was someone my parents would have been proud of.
A deep ache took up residency in my bones, a combination of the fight from last night and an emotional scar that had yet to heal. Humans might have found a way to live with the bloodsuckers, but I didn’t trust the vampires. And if the humans were smart, neither should they.
The walls of my room had become a prison I had to break free from. The cliffs of Silent Bend were at the edge of the far back corner of the compound, where the ground dropped to the dark waters of the sea. It was there I sought sanctuary when the world was too much for me to handle. And it was there I snuck to under the disguise of magic. Liam would have to get over it.
I left my room, and slipped out of the compound, invisible to the eye. My feet glided through the fog, my red cloak dancing behind with the wind. At the peak of Silent Bend, the water raged below the cliff and lightning struck blue in the black sky. The wind shrieked like a banshee, whipping my hair, sending it into a tangle of ribbons.
On the brink of the bluff, high above the sea, I stood fearless in the eye of the storm as death flew in with the fog. I could feel its hot breath on my face. For below, in secret, an army of vampires gathered, plotted, and lurked. I couldn’t explain how I knew any more than I could explain the power of magic. I just knew.
Rain swept in from the sea in a thick curtain, jagged spears of lightning hurling down from the sky. I screamed, railing against all the pain and rage that consumed me night and day, for there was also a storm within me, as dark and vicious as the one that took the Bay by surprise.
Grief. Anger. Power.
The cocktail was a dangerous potion, and it flashed in my eyes, bold and blue like the violent spears of light shooting across the sky. There was something about storms that called to my blood, the power and recklessness of nature. It could never be contained or controlled.
“My mother might have started this with her magic, but it will end with mine,” I vowed.
Throat dry and burning, I turned back toward the manor. Fog blanketed everything—the houses below, the cliffs, the sea, even the overgrown thicket of woods bordering Frisco Bay. In the shadows of the storm-tossed trees, in the hiss of the violent winds, I sensed death.
After the Rift, the vampires had scattered to the caves, rebuilding their clan as we rebuilt the fallen city. Lilith, the most feared and ruthless vampire in the Bay, ruled the Bitten. The vampires’ hunger for blood no longer held them sway. Older, more powerful vampires like Lilith were released from their bonds to the night. Vampires had evolved, and were searching for new methods to grow their clans.
The fog made life in the Bay difficult, but it was the Berkano vampires who destroyed our world. They threatened the fabric of our foundation.
* * *
Soaked to the bone, I dripped into the bathroom and let the heavy cloak fall in a sodden heap on the floor. We had strict water restrictions, among other things, but I didn’t care. I needed to warm my body, chase the chill of the rain and the foreboding of death I was sure to come.
Under the hot spray, I washed away the stain of darkness, let the water cleanse my soul with a bit of help from the enchanted soap I made myself. It cleared the mind, refreshed the body, and renewed energy.
Finally clean and feeling half human, I met my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were aqua, a feature I’d inherited from my mother. I favored her in looks, but my temperament was all my father. He had passed a year after the vampires had taken my mother, changing my life forever.
The man who had seemed invincible had died of a broken heart. I never blamed him for giving up. It was hard living with grief, but my desire for revenge kept me going.
And Colin needed me.
The door to my room burst inward, and my brother, a fierce frown marring his normally handsome features, stormed in. We shared the same eyes, but his hair was a lighter shade than mine, lacking the red highlights. “Where have you been?” he demanded.
I sent my brother a look of annoyance. “Have you forgotten how to knock?”
His lips thinned, and the muscle in his jaw ticked in aggravation. “You didn’t answer the question.”
I rolled my eyes, turning my back. “Out. I needed to clear my head.”
“You know you’re not allowed to leave the compound without Liam,” he stated, sounding like a broken record. I’d heard this statement countless times. It was tiresome.
“I went to the cliffs. I had another dream,” I replied, knowing how to diffuse Colin’s temper.
As predicted, his eyes softened. “Sky, you have got to let it go. You can’t bring them back. How can I protect you if you constantly disobey the rules?”
“Your rules suck.”
“This was the last time. Do you hear me?”
“How can I not? You’re yelling.” So much for diffusing the situation. Colin had a temper, but I had one to match.
He exhaled, roughly raking a hand through his light brown hair. “Sky, you need to be protected. Every day I hear more reports of vampires scouring the villages for witches. Do you know what they would do to you if they found you?”
I coughed. Did I ever. Best not to tell Colin how close I’d come to possibly siring a vampire baby. He’d never let me leave the compound again. “I know the dangers out there. I’m not a child to be coddled, Colin.”
I could argue with him until I was purple in the face. When Colin made up his mind about something, there was nothing anyone could do or say that would change his mind. He’d inherited my father’s stubbornness.
“We’re changing the guards. You have two minutes to get downstairs to meet your new assignment.”
“Isn’t that a bit extreme? Liam has been my warden for years.”
“And that’s the problem. He cares too much for you, and he allows you too many liberties. I’m putting an end to it. What personal relationship you two have is your own business, but you need a warden you can’t manipulate with your body.”
So much for thinking the relationship was a secret. Apparently, we hadn’t been fooling anyone but ourselves, not that it mattered overly much to me. I cared for Liam, but I didn’t love him. When our fling began, I knew it would have to end sooner or later. Besides, Liam had become a tad too affectionate for my liking. Although, it had never been my intention to break my brother’s best friend’s heart.
“As you wish, Commander.” Colin hated when I called him that. To him, he was just my brother. Yet to me, he was more like a warden.
He sighed, and then stormed out much like how he had stampeded in, with purpose and force. That was Colin.
I walked down to the main hall where my brother stood with his wardens, the stone steps echoing under my boots. A mix of humans and witches, the wardens were men who showed physical strength, a sharp mind, and impressive combat skills, but most of all loyalty to Frisco Bay. There was a treaty with the vampires, but it needed to be enforced, and that was what the wardens did.
Liam’s gaze flickered to my face when I came to stand beside Colin. I could see the muscle ticking in his jaw. Liam wasn’t happy. He must know Colin had decided to remove him as my personal guard. But if I had my way, I wouldn’t have a warden following me at all.
Colin went into one of his long-winded speeches. I immediately checked out until he said my name. “Liam will no longer be Skylar’s warden, but will now oversee the training of the guards.”
Visibly gritting his teeth, Liam nodded. “If you feel it is best.” He stepped back. No one else would have noticed, but I knew Liam well, and there was no mistaking the hurt that had flickered briefly in his green eyes. He would take being removed as my warden personally.
My heart went out to him. Liam had done nothing wrong. It was my fault he was being transferred to the training grounds. I would apologize to him later, once I figured out a way to ditch my new babysitter.
“Zavier,” Colin said, summoning one of the men.
I waited with a lack of interest to see which one of the chumps my brother had c
hosen. In a way, I felt sorry for him. He didn’t know what he was in for when it came to keeping track of me. It wasn’t easy containing a witch, particularly one as powerful as I was.
My lips twitched in amusement, but the small smile died when I got my first glimpse of my newly assigned warden.
The man who stepped out of the line was tall, a few inches more so than the others, with a lean and angular face and slashing cheekbones. His eyes were as silver as starlight, deep and filled with secrets. The contrast of that black hair, those dark brows, and his wild smoky eyes added to his sex appeal. But it was his lips that captured my wandering gaze. God…those lips were perfect.
For one mad moment, I saw myself tangled with him, naked under the sheets with moonlight bathing my skin. His hungry lips devoured mine. Then his hands were in my hair, sweeping it back from my face in a gesture of urgency that left me shuddering in desire. His mouth left mine to roam over my face, to find that throbbing pulse at my throat. I arched into his lips, felt myself drowning in him.
Holy crap. Get a hold of yourself.
A hot flush stole over my cheeks, spreading to certain points in my body. I blinked, dispelling the vision or fantasy—whatever it had been—from my head. The shadow of fate had wrapped its coils of darkness around Zavier and me, but I didn’t know why. What did this warden have to do with me? Would he stand in the way of what I had vowed to do?
I’d like to see him try.
Colin put a hand on the silver-eyed warden. “Zavier Cross, this is my sister Skylar. Don’t be fooled by her innocent looks. She is trouble.”
Trouble.
The word echoed in my head. If anyone was going to cause trouble, it was Zavier Cross. Loads of it.
Chapter 3
“I think I can handle her.” He winked, staring at me as if he could tell what was going on in my head.