Age of Vampires- The Complete Series

by Caroline Peckham

  When I'd had enough and the man was woozy, I dropped him to the ground. He scrambled back into the arms of his people, clutching the wound on his neck.

  Two men stepped forward to intercept me, but I'd gotten what I'd come for. I turned, sprinting back into the trees, leaving their shouts of anger far behind me.

  I remained in the forest, heading west under the cover of the canopy. If the slayers were close, they would have been alerted by the noise of the townsmen. And while they charted a path there, I was going to slip right under their noses into the night.

  A grin pulled at my mouth for my victory. I was well-fed and now I could spend my next days heading further inland to hunt down a new town. Perhaps this time I could convince them to trust me. To keep my secret from the slayers. So long as I protected their home in return, there was a chance I could find a similar life to the one I'd had before.

  The thought alone sent a spurt of energy into my limbs as I quickened my pace.

  Lightning struck the earth ahead of me and I hit the ground before I realised what had happened. I sprang upright, hunting the trees surrounding me. Perhaps it was a coincidence but I'd seen too much of the gods in my life to believe in that. The slayers were near. I just prayed there weren't too many of them.

  When no warriors emerged from the trees, I took a sharp left and headed deeper into the forest. I sensed eyes on me and my skin tingled. I was being followed. But I was faster. I could outpace the slayers. And I damn-well would.

  Another spear of lightning brought a tree down before me and I crashed into it, falling over the burning trunk onto the damp ground beyond it.

  I bared my fangs, rolling onto my back as I waited for my attacker to appear. “Show yourself!” I roared, rising to my feet once more.

  “I only wish to talk!” a female voice came in answer.

  I hunted the shadows between the trees, backing up from the blazing fire before me. The rain slowly put it out so darkness reigned again. The woodland was quiet as animals scattered from the scene of devastation.

  I turned to run but thunder boomed overhead and another fork of lightning ripped the ground in two before me. I backed up, sure I was being penned in.

  Adrenaline surged through my veins as I prepared for a fight.

  She wanted to talk did she? Then why was she trying to burn me alive with the storm's power?

  “Stop!” she commanded and I wheeled toward the sound of her voice. She appeared from the shadows dressed in a silky blue dress that clung to her lithe figure; it was near-transparent from the rain that soaked it and I quickly dragged my gaze up from the sight. Her face was a picture of beauty, her dark hair spilling down one side of her neck in a braid. In her hand was a golden sword.

  I snarled, running to intercept her, but a harsh wind pushed me back, so fierce I had to dig my heels into the soft earth to stop myself from falling.

  “Erik Belvedere?” she asked, a smile pulling up her lips.

  “Yes and who are you?” I growled, battling against the wind, desperate to rip her heart out before more of her clan arrived.

  “I am Valentina Torbrook. Magnar Elioson's betrothed.”

  I stilled and the wind eased a fraction as I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why am I not dead yet?”

  Her smile fell and she drifted a little closer. “Because I have been scorned by my husband-to-be. I am tired of his games. And I am tired of seeking his comfort and receiving the back of his hand instead.”

  I frowned at her words. So the great Earl Magnar beat his intended bride did he? An ounce of pity found me despite the fact she was a slayer. For all I knew, this could be a trick. But if it was, this woman was playing a long game. She could have sliced me in two with her sword by now with the aid of her storm powers to hold me down.

  “And what does that have to do with me?” I snarled, baring my fangs.

  She didn't react to my display of aggression, only seeming keener to close the gap between us. “I have spoken with the gods. They tell me of your family's great calling. That you are to be kings and queen one day.”

  My eyes sharpened to slits. “And what god tells you such a thing? I have been fooled by them too before, but if you hadn't noticed I'm waist-deep in a shitty life here, trying to scrape by. I am hardly a king.”

  “Yes...but I think you might be. One day.” Her earthy eyes glimmered and I had the strangest feeling she was admiring me. “I have news,” she went on. “A gift of knowledge that could allow you and your kind to defeat the slayers once and for all.”

  My mouth opened and closed. “Liar,” I hissed eventually. “You must think me a fool if you expect me to trust a slayer.”

  She raised her hands in innocence. “I'm not just a slayer. I am a woman. Human. And I need more in my life than the empty existence my betrothed offers me. My clan disregard me, mock me. And I am tired of living that way. Why should I protect the people who show me no love?” Her voice cracked and a tear slid down her cheek.

  If she was lying to me, she was damn good at it. Perhaps she was waiting for her clansmen to arrive and finish me. Perhaps she feared she couldn't do it herself. But I'd seen her wield the heavens; she was more than a match for me if she wanted to be.

  “What is it you want from me?” I growled.

  Slowly, she dropped to her knees, bowing her head. “I'll be your faithful follower. I'll help you ascend to power over the whole land. And I will offer you information that will assist you in ending the slayers. All I want in return is to have a place at your side.”

  My mind spun at the strange display from her. The wind still kept me from attacking her, but I could feel it easing as if she was about to place her life in my hands.

  I bit down on the inside of my cheek, assessing her. “What information?”

  A small smile crept back onto her face. “The prophets have foreseen a great war between the slayers and the vampires. They have told us that you and your kin are going into hiding for a hundred years to try and wait out our deaths.”

  My mouth parted in horror at such news. Could we hide nothing from these vagrants? Were the gods so intent on having us fight them?

  A feral noise rolled from my throat and Valentina winced, increasing the press of the wind again.

  “So? You will all be dead by then,” I snarled. “Will you train your children and your children's children just so you can have your damn war?”

  Valentina bowed her head, her dark hair falling around her beautiful face. “I can stop Magnar's descendants ever being in that war...I will kill him and his brother to rid you of their plight.”

  My brows pulled together and I released a bitter laugh. “And why would you do that?”

  Her eyes twinkled with tears as she looked up at me. “I am hurt and broken by Magnar. I would see him dead as you would.”

  I surveyed her, unsure if I could really place my faith in her.

  She went on, “I wouldn't have come to you if I wasn't desperate. But I have quietly admired your bravery in facing us. I know it was the god Andvari who placed this curse on you. I know you didn't choose it.”

  My heart softened at her words and I felt the urge to trust her. After so long without company, I couldn't deny it was a relief to speak with someone at last. But Magnar's betrothed? The chances of her truly being on my side seemed ludicrous. And yet I could see candor in her eyes. I could see the hurt he'd caused her. And it stoked a rage in me that begged to be appeased.

  Valentina eyed me hopefully, evidently sensing my altered mood. “So perhaps I can stay with you tonight? The clans won’t miss me before dawn. They remain south of here for now. And I can guide you away from them to ensure you don't cross paths.”

  I gritted my teeth, unsure how to respond. Taking the company of a slayer seemed like a bad idea. But she had offered me a vital piece of information. And if it was true, then she really was betraying them.

  “Why come to me?” I asked again. “Why not run from them and start a new life elsewhere? There is no need to t
ake up with your enemies.”

  “I cannot abandon my vow. But like I said...the gods have spoken of you rising to power. I believe Idun will release me from it eventually. And I am willing to put all of my grievances aside to follow their righteous path.”

  My brow creased. “I don't do what the gods say.”

  “We all must, whether we want to or not is irrelevant. Each step we take is designed by them. So if they wish for you to rise to power, you will.”

  I wrestled with that possibility. I didn't care much for power. But I did care for a peaceful life. One me and my family could exist in without the fear of being hunted.

  “Get up,” I commanded and Valentina rose from the mud, releasing the pressure of the wind. She lifted her blade and I readied myself for an attack, but it didn't come. She slammed her sword into the muddy ground in a fierce gesture.

  “I pledge myself to you,” she said, taking hold of the straps of her dress and pulling them down her shoulders.

  My face twisted in confusion as she dropped the dress to the ground, stepping out of it as thunder cracked over head. A lump lodged in my throat as she moved toward me, completely bare with her hands outstretched.

  “How long has it been since you had the company of a woman?” she asked, her eyes glittering as lightning arced through the clouds above us.

  I backed up, certain she was just trying to get close enough to rip out my heart.

  “Don't fear me,” she begged and I couldn't stop my eyes from roaming across her naked flesh, a new kind of hunger growing in me. I had yearned for the touch of a human woman for so many years. But this wasn't just any woman. She was a slayer. And Magnar's betrothed.

  Although...the idea of taking something like that from him sparked a heated lust in me.

  I cleared my throat, backing away. “I don't know what games you're playing, slayer, but I am not going to fall for them.”

  “No games.” She raised her hand, pressing her finger to a tattoo on the skin above her heart. “Magnar has branded me as his. But he has bedded many woman in all our years of betrothal and humiliated me. Now I am taking my destiny into my own hands. The gods wish me to have a powerful husband, so I am choosing another one for myself.”

  “Husband?” I murmured, backing up again and my spine collided with a tree.

  She sauntered toward me, her hips swaying seductively as she approached. I bared my fangs, stepping forward but she pressed a warm hand to my chest, pushing me back against the trunk. My eyes roamed to her breasts and I cursed myself for my weakness as she moved closer, the scent of her delicious skin rolling beneath my nose.

  “I can be everything you've ever dreamed of,” she purred, placing a finger under my chin and lifting her mouth towards mine. She was obviously unarmed but I still expected her to turn on me at any second. My muscles coiled as I prepared to intercept the attack she was about to unleash on me.

  It never came. Her mouth captured mine in the first kiss I'd had since I'd been turned. She molded her body against mine, sliding a hand around the back of my neck as she arched into me.

  I was torn between a thousand conflicting emotions as she slid her palm down my chest and took hold of my waistband.

  Fear rose inside as I recalled Andvari's words. That we could have children with humans.

  “No,” I growled, removing her hand. “We cannot do this. There's too much at risk.” I pushed her back and she stumbled, her eyebrows pinching together.

  She ran her hand to a coiling rune above her pubic bone. “I can't bear children out of wedlock, vampire. If that is what concerns you.”

  My throat constricted at her words and she closed the distance between us again, her eyes lighting with hunger. “Have me,” she commanded, placing my hands on her waist.

  My resolve weakened. I'd been so alone for so long. And despite the terrible repercussions this was probably going to cause, in that moment, I wanted her. I longed to desire someone again. I needed a woman's flesh against mine. I wanted to remember what it was like to feel again.

  Her hand snaked beneath my waistband and I sucked in air. I lost myself, a slave to this single moment in time.

  I spun her around, flinging her against the tree and giving myself to her tender skin. She moaned my name and sometimes she moaned Magnar's which only spurred me on to make her forget all about him.

  I knew I was going to regret this. But fuck it. I was going to take Magnar's betrothed and damn the consequences.

  Laughing with my sister felt like the sun shining on my back. Everything was alright. We weren't broken. We were entirely whole. And even better than that, we were all actually happy. I was standing amongst the slayers with no desire to hurt them. The scent of their blood floated around me, but I didn't care. It was easy enough to ignore it, and I had just known that would be the case.

  I pulled Callie into my arms as our mirth died away.

  I spotted Julius elbowing Magnar in the corner of my eye. “They're gonna kiss, I can sense it.”

  “You are so disgusting,” Callie turned to him and I planted my hands on my hips, raising my brows at him.

  “Why don't you kiss Magnar?” I suggested and the brothers frowned at each other. “Exactly.”

  “It's not the same,” Julius implored and I rolled my eyes, unable to fight a grin.

  “Erik!” I heard Clarice calling outside and tension built in my chest at her frantic tone.

  The slayers stiffened as I headed out of the door into the dreary daylight, spotting Clarice running down the lawn towards Erik.

  I joined him and the slayers exited the cottage a moment later with their weapons in hand. They gathered behind me as Clarice arrived. She darted around the silver porsche we’d driven down here and came to an abrupt halt before her brother. Her gaze strayed to the group behind me with a flicker of fear.

  “It's fine. They won't attack you,” Erik insisted. “What's wrong?”

  Clarice dragged her eyes back to her brother. “Wolfe's been sighted right near Realm A. He was with Valentina. I think she's planning an attack on the humans,” she said, looking desperate. “We have to go. I've called for back-up, but if we hurry, we'll get there first to intercept her and the Biters.”

  Erik clawed a hand into his hair, looking to me. “You can stay here with-”

  “No,” I said immediately and the word was echoed behind me from the slayers.

  I turned to them in surprise and spotted Magnar unsheathing one of his large blades. “We'll go with you. Her death is mine.”

  “Erik...” Clarice said cautiously. “We can't take them, it's madness.”

  “No...wait. It's fucking genius,” Erik announced. “She won't expect them. And they're a force to be reckoned with.”

  “You should know,” Julius said with a smirk.

  Erik ignored him, pointing back up the hill to direct Clarice. “Let's move. They can ride in the van out of sight.”

  Clarice stood her ground, shaking her head. “I'm not fighting beside a bunch of slayers.”

  “I don't exactly want to fight next to you and your parasite friends either, but we want Valentina dead as much as you do,” Julius snarled.

  “She has betrayed us all,” Magnar said, surprising me by being the voice of reason. “Whether you agree or not, we're going.”

  “Erik,” Clarice begged. “I can't bear it.”

  “Well you can stay here then,” Julius said, setting off at a fierce pace up the hill.

  Erik shrugged at his sister, jogging past her and I ran to keep pace with him. He threw me a look as if he was fascinated by me and I smiled widely back at him.

  “You haven't been trained to fight,” he said with an anxious frown.

  “I'll have you guys there and I'm strong enough to do something. Besides, I have Nightmare.”

  He nodded firmly as we crested the hill and started sprinting along the path that led to the house. Clarice tore past us, speeding up the track and racing by Julius. I heard him shouting swear words at her
and wondered if the slayers and Erik’s family were ever truly going to see eye to eye. The hate between them had given way to an alliance for now. But if our common cause ever went away, I wondered how quickly they would descend into battle again.

  Callie hurried to my side and fear crashed into me as I realised something.

  “Wait.” I grabbed Erik's arm to stop him and Callie halted with us.

  “Fabian's at the house,” I announced, looking at my sister with anxiety bubbling inside me.

  Magnar pulled up beside us, gritting his teeth.

  “He'll join us against Valentina,” Erik said. “We need the numbers. I can't leave him out of this.”

  Callie glanced at Magnar. “It's okay, I have the ring. He can't affect me.”

  He brushed a lock of hair from her neck with a gentle caress. “I know...but I'm not sure I can restrain myself around that parasite.”

  “You have to,” Callie urged and I nodded my agreement. The last thing we needed was another fight breaking out between us. We needed to unite now more than ever.

  Erik glanced up the path to where Julius and Clarice were heading out of sight. “We don't have time to discuss it. Fabian's coming. You can ride with me so you don't have to face him.”

  “So long as he stays away from her too,” Magnar demanded and the tension ran out of my shoulders as Erik nodded his agreement.

  We started running again and I pushed my muscles to their limits as the air whipped through my hair. Despite being undead, I felt more alive than I ever had. I'd never thought being a vampire could feel so good. The curse was so easily disguised as a gift. Without the thirst, perhaps it could have been. But so long as the desire for blood lived in me, I knew I would never stop trying to solve the prophecy. No immortality, no strength and no unceasing energy would ever be enough to change my mind on that.

  Erik and I reached the house before Callie and Magnar and we halted beside his van. Julius stood next to it, but Clarice had walked over to a shiny black car on the other side of the driveway. Fabian stared out of the window, looking over our shoulders in the direction my sister was coming from.