A Shade of Vampire 83: A Bender of Spirit
Bella Forrest
Contents
Also by Bella Forrest
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Family tree
1. Esme
2. Tristan
3. Lumi
4. Lumi
5. Esme
6. Esme
7. Tristan
8. Tristan
9. Derek
10. Derek
11. Esme
12. Esme
13. Tristan
14. Tristan
15. Esme
16. Esme
17. Derek
18. Nethissis
19. Esme
20. Esme
21. Tristan
22. Nethissis
23. Nethissis
24. Esme
25. Esme
26. Esme
27. Tristan
28. Tristan
29. Derek
30. Esme
31. Esme
32. Tristan
33. Sofia
ASOV 84: A Memory of Time
Read more by Bella Forrest
Also by Bella Forrest
DARKLIGHT
(NEW! Vampire romance)
Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
HARLEY MERLIN
(Fantasy/romance/adventure)
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
THE GENDER GAME
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)
THE CHILD THIEF
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)
HOTBLOODS
(Supernatural romance/adventure. Completed series.)
Hotbloods (Book 1)
Coldbloods (Book 2)
Renegades (Book 3)
Venturers (Book 4)
Traitors (Book 5)
Allies (Book 6)
Invaders (Book 7)
Stargazers (Book 8)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
(Supernatural romance/adventure)
Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Series 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk (Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Series 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Series 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)
A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)
A Den of Tricks (Book 54)
A City of Lies (Book 55)
A League of Exiles (Book 56)
A Charge of Allies (Book 57)
A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)
A Battle of Souls (Book 59)
Series 8: A Voyage of Founders
A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)
A Land of Perfects (Book 61)
A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)
A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)
A Camp of Savages (Book 64)
A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)
An Edge of Malice (Book 66)
A Dome of Blood (Book 67)
A Purge of Nature (Book 68)
Season 9: A Birth of Fire
A Birth of Fire (Book 69)
A Breed of Elements (Book 70)
A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)
A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)
A Search for Death (Book 73)
A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)
A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)
A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)
A Fate of Time (Book 77)
Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
> A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
A Shade of Dragon 1
A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY
(Contemporary romance)
A Love that Endures
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3
THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)
The Breaker (Book 2)
The Chain (Book 3)
The Keep (Book 4)
The Test (Book 5)
The Spell (Book 6)
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
(Supernatural romance)
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
DETECTIVE ERIN BOND
(Adult thriller/mystery)
Lights, Camera, GONE
Write, Edit, KILL
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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Copyright © 2019
Nightlight Press
Cover design by Okay Creations LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Family tree
If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree
Esme
I thought Tristan and I’d had our hands full on Visio, but Seeley and Kelara’s crews had been quite busy as well. Not the good kind of busy, either. Combined with ours, their discoveries painted a troubling picture of this world. On top of that, we’d just learned that vampires did, in fact, descend from the Aeternae—courtesy of the Night Bringer’s misery and forced attachment to Cruor.
The knowledge itself was overwhelming, but the enlightenment that came with it put everything into perspective. It gave us an extensive timeline to work with, one that went back five million years. The Unending had given a form of immortality to the Aeternae, some of whom had ended up on Cruor, where they’d succumbed to the Night Bringer’s suffering and morphed into the Elders. The Unending was bound to Visio, and we didn’t know how to set her free. She was Valaine, but she’d been other Aeternae before. Her past lives and bodies had been destroyed to keep the Black Fever—a symptom of her distress, according to Night and Morning’s theory—at bay.
Yeah, it was a lot to take in, and there was so much we hadn’t figured out yet, but everything was connected. Every decision had led to action or inaction, which in turn had generated a reaction. In that sense, the universe had retained its properties. Everything else had been thrown out of balance by the Darklings and all the death magic they’d learned from the Spirit Bender.
“I wish we could bring Spirit back so we could kill him again,” Seeley said.
His words came after a very long and heavy silence. Here we were, a bunch of mismatched supernaturals and agents of Death, trying to untangle a mess of epic proportions bearing the Spirit Bender’s signature. Derek was Danika’s captive. Danika was a friggin’ Whip, like Petra. Worst of all, Corbin Crimson, Valaine’s father, had turned out to be the Master of Darkness. There was bitter irony in this last revelation, as we’d considered him an ally ever since the first attempt on his daughter’s life.
“I can’t believe it,” Valaine murmured, staring at her boots. “My own father…”
We were all seated around a small campfire, hidden by a temporary invisibility shield, thanks to Kailani. The nights had gotten colder—personally, I didn’t mind the chill, but there was nothing better than a crackling fire when the temperature drop turned my breath into white clouds in the night air.
“Not surprised you’re having a hard time processing that particular whammy,” I replied. “I’m sorry, Valaine.”
“It’s not something you need to be sorry for,” Valaine said. “He would’ve shown his true colors eventually. I’m just wondering if he would’ve done it while tearing my heart out or cutting my head off.”
Tristan sighed, his gaze perpetually fixed on her. “From what we’ve learned, it took him a while to approve your killing. He allowed Zoltan and the others to try to take you on, likely knowing they’d have a hard time. He could’ve ended you himself, but he probably couldn’t find the strength to kill his own daughter,” he said. “Until the courtroom incident, that is.”
“That must’ve been the turning point for Corbin,” Sofia chimed in, her green eyes slightly watery as she remembered the incident. I hadn’t been there myself, since Kalon had basically saved me from his mother, then kidnapped me, but Tristan had told me every gory detail. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that scene, especially since I’d witnessed Valaine’s dark side before, and it was much more pronounced than in other Aeternae. “He must’ve seen the signs, the final confirmation that you really were the Unending. The slap in the face, you could call it, that forced him to accept your fate.”
“It doesn’t make any of this easier,” Valaine replied. Tears streamed down her cheeks, slender lines of liquid crystal that shimmered over her pale skin. There was pain in those dark eyes. I could almost feel it.
“We obviously have our work cut out for us,” Night said, “but knowing who we’re dealing with helps us prepare for what comes next. Right now, Unending is trapped in this Aeternae vessel, and we must find a way to set her free.”
Tristan frowned. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, are we absolutely, positively, undoubtedly sure you don’t have the wrong person here? There is nothing in Valaine’s physiology to suggest she’s the Unending.”
“Aside from the death magic trace elements in her bloodstream, you mean?” Soul retorted, one eyebrow arched defiantly.
“Tristan is well within his rights to doubt this. As am I,” Valaine said. “Are we sure? Beyond the shadow of a doubt?”
Amal and Amane exchanged glances. “From a biological point of view, and without having had Reapers to… study, Valaine presents as a healthy Aeternae,” Amal replied, while Amane nodded her agreement. “Those death magic traces are literally the only thing that sets her apart.”
“That being said,” Amane continued, “if Valaine is some kind of vessel for the Unending, an Aeternae body for her to dwell in, then that would certainly explain the death magic trace elements.”
Night moved closer to Valaine and placed a hand on her knee. His touch made her quiver. She gave him a wary look, but Night didn’t let that deter him. He persisted, showing nothing but patience and kindness. “This is merely a version of you, Unending. A physical shell that you’re trapped in. It feels what you feel. It wants what you want, so don’t think for a second that there’s anything about you that isn’t real.”
“How… how do I get to the truth, then?” Valaine asked, her voice shaky.
“You’re stuck in some kind of cycle, matching the Black Fever,” Night said. “It proves the Darklings right, unfortunately, but it also gives us something to work with. They’ve been killing you every ten thousand years just to stop the curse from wiping out their entire species. My guess is that you went down swinging when Spirit got you.”
“I know you can reach into your past lives,” Morning added. “At the very bottom of this body and this version of yourself, you have access to the memories of all your previous experiences. We just need to help you dig deep, peeling away at the layers until we find the real you… because you’re in there. I can feel you.”
“We can all feel you,” Phantom said, smiling.
Valaine groaned softly. “I wish I could remember you. All of you. I wish I had answers, but… all I’ve got is sadness and despair and grief. My own father wants me dead!”
Soul scoffed. “Corbin Crimson is not your father. He might’ve helped make this version of you, but he is not your father. The sooner you distance yourself from him, the better you’ll feel about everything.”
Thayen raised a hand, politely demanding our attention. “I don’t mean to sound cruel, but with the Black Fever emerging so soon and violently now, wouldn’t it be better if we let the Darklings kill Valaine so the cycle can be reset? From what I understand, the Unending will still be here, right? I just… I’m not comfortable with the idea of so many of my people dying.”
“While your intentions are good, your approach is ill informed,” Phantom replied bluntly. “Killing Valaine will hold the Black Fever back, but then we’ll have to find Unending again. She’ll be a newborn, and we’ll have no way of identifying her. Whatever this cycle does to her, it also makes it difficult to pinpoint her as the source of the Black Fever. It takes your people thousands of years to identify her every time.”
“On top of that, the Darklings don’t want her released,” Widow said. “Spirit founded their faction to keep her down. So we’ll still be fighting the bastards. And last, but certainly not least, every minute that Unending spends in misery is a failure for us as her partners and her siblings. Death needs her, as well, in order to regain her own freedom. Spirit messed with all of us, one way or another, and we have to make it all stop. We have to fix this.”
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