The Transformed Box Set: Books 1, 2, 3, 3.5

by Stacy Claflin

  Before she'd even had any kids, she had made it clear to me that she didn't want to have anything to do with becoming a vampire and she had even gone as far as making me swear to never turn her kids or grandkids. After Francine had kidnapped her, using her as bait against me, Natalie hated vampires. She wouldn't talk about them and told me never to bring the word up to her again or she would cut me out of her life for good.

  "Do you want stay in town for a while or go back to the castle?" Cliff asked, giving my shoulders a squeeze.

  "Let's stay a little while. I want to see my nieces and nephews for a little bit, since I can't talk with them."

  As I looked around, I was able to easily spot her children, despite not having seen them for many decades, not since they were teenagers. They were in their sixties now. My parents had been gone for a couple of decades and I had no relationship with any of Natalie's descendants.

  This would likely be my last visit to Delphic Cove, the place I had grown up. I had no more ties here; what friends I did have had been long out of my life. I had to stop seeing them too once they noticed that I wasn't aging. It was the curse for vampires who'd grown up with mortals. It was something every common vampire had to go through. If I would have grown up with my vampire family, it would have been a non-issue.

  I looked at Cliff and tried to smile. "Thanks for coming with me. You have the patience of a saint."

  He laughed. "There's nothing saintly about me. We're—"

  "Sure going to miss Natalie," I interrupted, afraid that he was going to say vampires.

  "Yes, we are," he said, grinning.

  My ears zoned in on a conversation across the Sanctuary. Natalie's oldest daughter, Heidi, was whispering to her brother about me. I watched them from the corner of my eye, pretending to look at a flower arrangement. It was strange to see them with graying hair and wrinkles. Aside from that, they looked exactly as I had remembered them.

  "I swear, Parker, that's Aunt Alexis," Heidi said, looking my way.

  "Aunt Alexis? Mom's older sister?" he asked. "You need to get home and rest. Losing Mom is really getting to you. That girl looks to be in high school."

  "Don't you remember when we were in junior high and I asked about Aunt Alexis looking so young? Mom freaked out and then we never saw her again. I swear to you, that's her. That's exactly what she looked like back then."

  "Maybe we'd better get going," I whispered to Cliff, pulling on his arm.

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  The Fielding

  Cliff ran at me, sword lifted high. I clenched my own sword, slicing it through the air, meeting his in between us. He stepped back, swinging from a different angle. I moved out of the way, and watched as his sword dug into the ground.

  "You're not going to get me." I ran away from him.

  Being equal in speed to me, he blocked my path. His sword was ready for action.

  I swung mine, hitting his with a loud jolt. Cliff took a step back, swinging again. I swung mine, hitting his mid-motion. We both took a step back, keeping our gazes on each other's eyes.

  A movement off to the side caught my attention. "Wait."

  He put his sword to his side, and we both turned to see who was coming our way.

  Alrekur was walking toward us, the dirt of the training ground crunching beneath his feet. He looked less arrogant than usual.

  I slid my sword into its place on my belt, and then brushed my hair out of my face. "What's going on?"

  "There's bad news, my Sonnast. I wasn't going to allow you to hear it from a servant, so I'm here to tell you myself."

  "What is it?" I studied his face, trying to see if I could read anything. All I could tell was that he appeared to be truly upset over the news, or at least at having to tell it to me. "It's not one of the kids, is it?" I turned to Cliff, giving him a worried look.

  "No. Your kids are fine. At least as far as I'm aware. Why don't we sit down?" He indicated toward the building which held the weaponry.

  Cliff took my hand and we followed Alrekur inside. He sat on a seat in front of a fireplace. What was it with him and fires? Cliff and I sat on a couch, and then looked at him expectantly.

  He was staring into the fireplace. I knew enough about him to know that he was taking a moment to prepare himself for whatever he had to say. My stomach twisted in knots. Whatever it was, it wasn't going be good.

  Squirming next to me, Cliff was obviously anxious to hear what he had to say also.

  Finally, Alrekur turned to us. He looked me in the eyes. "You're aware of the fieldings, correct?"

  I scowled. "The barbaric practice of the humans. They send people into a field to die from the elements once they reach a certain age."

  Alrekur nodded. "That's the one." He looked into my eyes, his face soft. "It pains me to tell you this. Your human parents have been sent for a fielding."

  The room shrunk around me. All I could see in front of me was Alrekur. I was aware of him saying something, although I couldn't hear anything. My parents had been sent for a fielding? Had so many years already passed that my dad would be deemed too old to live? When one spouse reached a certain age, both of them were sent to a field to die.

  "Are they still alive? Is there a chance I can save them?"

  "I don't know. Your witch friend is still living in Delphic Cove, and she sent word to the castle as soon as she heard."

  I stood, stumbling. "I have to get to them. I need to try to save them. I owe them that much." I had never returned to see them after leaving the pool party with Tobias. I had to stay at the castle as acting queen. I also had no way of explaining to them that I was a vampire. I had only visited Natalie a few times because she knew my secret.

  Cliff rose also. "We'll leave at once."

  "No. I need to do this myself."

  Alrekur jumped from his chair. "You can't do that. I won't allow it."

  I narrowed my eyes. "You won't allow it? I don't recall asking your permission. Last I checked, I'm still the queen."

  "And last I checked, I'm still the king. You're not walking into that alone. That would be a suicide mission."

  My eyes flashed red. Did he really think he could order me around?

  Cliff stepped forward. "I'll go with her."

  "Even the two of you going against all those humans wouldn't be wise. They guard those fieldings with all kinds of weaponry. It's the military."

  I clenched my fists. "The military? You're worried about the human leadership? They've destroyed everything. I don't know if you've been outside the enchanted forest the last few decades, but things have changed—and not for the better. Whatever they have, I can deal with it. We're wasting valuable time discussing this. My parents are probably starving, if not worse. Wild animals walk the broken streets. They rule areas like fields."

  "The other Fyrsturae are discussing our options. We all support you going to save them, but we—"

  "Great. I have your support. I'm going now." I walked for the door.

  Alrekur ran in front of me, blocking it. "You're not going anywhere by yourself."

  "They're my family, despite the long absence. I'm handling this myself. The Fyrsturae are welcome to provide backup, but I'm not arriving with my own troops."

  Cliff walked up to us, and then took my hand. "Let me go with you."

  I shook my head. "You need to stay with the kids."

  "They're with Mattie. They couldn't be in better hands."

  "You need to stay with them. They'll take my absence better if you're here. If we're both gone without warning, it'll be too much for them."

  "Most of them are plenty old enough to understand. They'll probably enjoy a break from us."

  "When will I ever be able to make decisions myself? I'm the queen, and yet, no one trusts me."

  Alrekur looked at me. "It's not that we don't trust. We want to make sure you're safe. I don't know what you're walking into. Most of us have been avoiding human contact, except t
o feed, for decades. We can't do a thing to help them."

  I could feel my eyes become redder. "This isn't up for debate. I'm leaving. Move aside."

  They didn't budge.

  "Could you two be more stubborn?"

  "You're the stubborn one, my Sonnast."

  "Stop calling her that. She's your nothing."

  Alrekur laughed. "She's my Sonnast. Once you two are done building her line, I'll win her over, and the prophecies will come to be at long last."

  "You keep telling yourself that."

  I took advantage of them arguing to run to the back corner of the building where there was another door. I didn't even bother opening it, I just ran through. Then I picked up speed once outside, changing my course often. With their vampire sense of smell, they would be able to track me too easily.

  I was running the opposite direction of Delphic Cove, so I would have to keep changing course anyway. It was probably for the best that I was going the wrong direction. They would know I would go straight there. I picked up my speed, knowing Cliff and Alrekur wouldn't be far behind. Alrekur was over three thousand years old, so he was bound to be faster than me. My only advantage was having had a head start.

  Soon, I would be out of the forest. I came near a group of unicorns. One recognized me and stayed put. The others ran off in various directions. I jumped on the back of the unicorn I had ridden many times. I tapped my heel, and then he took off. Riding him would not only help me to save my energy, but to confuse anyone tracking my scent.

  As we sped through the woods, I listened for Cliff and Alrekur. I couldn't hear them. Had I already lost them? Or had they decided to let me go, knowing that I wouldn't let them stop me? That was unlikely. I had to assume they would be on my trail, eager to stop me from trying to save my parents.

  Maybe this was my chance to explain to them why I left and never returned. I knew I had hurt them deeply. Having had kids of my own, I couldn't imagine what I would go through if one of them disappeared, never to give me an explanation. Perhaps I could even bring my parents back to the castle to live out their last days in peace.

  I tapped my heel against the unicorn again, hoping he would go faster. I had to get to them before the elements did. The sounds of a thunderstorm could be heard several miles away. Delphic Cove was further than that, but a storm could cover miles of land. It could even be worse closer to where they were.

  We were nearing the edge of the forest, so I tugged on the mane, indicating for the beast to slow down. He came to a stop, and then I hopped off and rubbed the mane over me to cover my scent. Then I ran out of the woods. I didn't know where the field was, but it wouldn't be too far from the town.

  My understanding of the fieldings was that they happened regularly, and most every town had their own. Some smaller towns did share fields, so it was possible that Delphic Cove didn't have their own. I ran into the pouring rain, ignoring the loud claps of thunder. I pushed through, keeping my parents' faces in mind. I had to get to them.

  Before long, I was close to town. I saw the wall that surrounded the town. It had been built shortly after the human war had been started. Delphic Cove had been one of the first places hit, and they had acted fast to protect themselves. That was one reason the town still stood, when many had been leveled over the course of the war.

  The rain was down to a sprinkle, and I slowed down, listening for any clue. I saw a sign that had something painted on it. When I got closer, I saw that it had an arrow and the word "Fieldings" on it. Had it turned into a sport? How could anyone support such a practice?

  I went in the direction the sign indicated. My senses were on high alert. Not only was I on the lookout for Cliff and Alrekur, but for humans as well. I could easily take on several of them, armed or not, but if there was a significant group, I might have trouble.

  Should I have let them come with me? No. I needed to do this on my own. Cliff needed to stay with our kids and Alrekur needed to rule the castle. I could take some humans.

  As I followed the mangled road, there were more painted signs leading the way. The rain stopped, and water dripped from me, splashing onto the ground. I could hear every drop land, but didn't have to worry about people hearing anything.

  Everything was quiet. Too quiet. If there was a fielding going on nearby, I would have expected some noise. Even if it was just some bored officials, forced to watch, waiting for the pitiful old couple to die. Although, I doubted that to be the case. From what I had heard, the human authorities took great pride in their fieldings. They would likely watch them as people had once watched sporting events, cheering and making bets.

  I came to a sign marked "Entrance" that matched the pitiful paintings of the other signs pointing toward the fieldings. My stomach twisted in knots. I wasn't too late, was I? Or had I actually gotten there before them? I had no idea how much time there was between the announcement of one and it actually beginning.

  Looking around, I saw no one. I couldn't smell anyone nearby, either. I came to the door, and the scent of death surrounded me. How many had been sent to die there? Even if their bodies had been removed, their deaths would linger. When someone died in such a horrible way, remnants had a way of staying around, as though crying out for justice.

  Humans could sense it too, but they often interpreted it as ghostly activity. They didn't understand that the dead didn't stay around to haunt. Supernatural creatures, like vampires, could sense the death and understand it.

  I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever I was about to encounter. I opened the door leading to the field. The sense of the many unjustified killings grew stronger, nearly choking me. Something had to be done. Someone had to avenge those people and put an end to the horrific practice.

  The door closed behind me, and I looked around, still dripping. Each drop that hit the ground brought the scent to life all the more. If my parents were there, I couldn't see them. Had they already died and been removed? Or had they yet to arrive? If I heard anyone approaching, I would have to find a place to hide.

  The only sound I could hear was that of the water drops falling from my long, thick hair and my clothes. And with that came the reminders of every death in the field.

  Something in the far corner of the field caught my attention. There was something at the bottom of a bush that didn't belong. I walked over, not sure what I would see. All I could make out was a jumbled mess.

  As I neared, I could tell there was at least one person, maybe two. It was hard to tell. I could have run over in a split-second, but I couldn't bring myself to. If my parents were dead, I wanted to hold onto the hope of them still being alive as long as possible.

  Please, let those be two other people. I took another deep breath, and slowed my pace even more. What would I do if those two people were my parents? I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. I would deal with it if I had to, but only when I knew for sure.

  I reached the people and couldn't tell who they were. They were wearing nondescript, dirty rags. My parents were used to many of the finer things in life, which had been why my sister had been given a new BMW at sixteen and I had been given a new Lexus at seventeen. How humiliating it would have been if these people at my feet were my parents.

  The two were wrapped in each other's arms, their faces buried into each other's necks. Whoever they had been, they had held onto each other until the end. What had finally killed them?

  I didn't want to move them, but knew I had to. I pulled the woman away, and both of them rolled onto their backs. Though gray sprinkled their hair and wrinkles covered their faces, I recognized my parents right away.

  Tears filled my eyes, and I fell to my knees. I covered my mouth to muffle the sobs that I couldn't control. Why couldn't I have heard about this sooner? I could have saved them if only I had known. I bent over, resting my head on my mom's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

  My tears soaked her dirty shirt. Finally, I stopped crying and sat up. I needed to do something with their bod
ies. They at least deserved a proper burial. I could either bury them myself or sneak them into the walls of Delphic Cove so that they could have a funeral in their home town. I couldn't leave them and let the so-called leaders decide what to do. They had already done enough damage.

  I stood, bumping into something behind me. I froze. There should have been nothing behind me for me to hit. Were my parents' killers watching me grieve? My fangs extended, and then I whipped around, my damp hair stinging my face as it hit.

  Cliff stood behind me. "I'm so sorry, Alexis."

  I threw myself into his arms, and he held me tight. "What do you want me to do?"

  "We need to move them. I want to take them back to Delphic Cove."

  He rubbed my back. "It's getting dark. We had better get moving before anyone comes back for them."

  Anger ran through me. "They're not touching my parents."

  "Then we need to get going. I don't see any other bodies, which tells me that they don't just leave them out here."

  I nodded. "Let's go." I bent down and picked my mom up. Cliff got my dad, and then we headed for the entrance. Before we had taken a dozen steps, I stopped. "Do you hear that?" I could hear footsteps. It sounded like several people were headed toward the field.

  "Someone's coming. Let's find another way out."

  We both scanned the area. Cliff tilted his head, indicating for us to head toward the back. I wasn't sure what he saw, but I readjusted my mom's weight in my arms and head that direction. He followed me, and after a few moments, voices could be heard. They were getting close to the field.

  When we got to the back, we were face to face with another wall.

  "How are we supposed to get out of here?"