“This vampire was in the woods tonight?” Amicia asks.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t see him, but… I feel him.”
This time, Amicia gives me an astonished look. “What do you mean, you feel him?”
I shrug. “I think it’s just the predator in me. It doesn’t like being prey.”
I glance at Malik, who is fighting a grin. He said that very line to me during one of our training sessions. I was being overly stubborn, and he had to knock me down a few notches so I would benefit from the session.
“I know he sent those rogues. He’s testing me,” I say.
“It seems like he wants you dead,” Hikari interjects.
I nod. “He does. I’m sure he hopes he’ll be the one to do it, but obviously he doesn’t mind if one of his lackeys does it for him. If he cared, he wouldn’t keep sending them to do his dirty work.”
“That seems like a lot of trouble to go to just because of one grudge,” Hikari argues.
“He’s tried to kill me…what, four times now? He’s failed every single time. This isn’t a grudge. This is personal. He’s challenged me, and I continuously best him. I’m a threat to his pride and leadership.”
“He won’t stop until one of you is dead,” Jasik says.
“I know,” I say.
“Well, we’ll just have to make sure he’s the one who ends up dust,” Jeremiah says. He cracks his knuckles, and I smile.
“We can introduce more training sessions,” Malik suggests.
I nearly choke on my breath. The last thing I want to do right now is fight Malik. I can’t risk hurting him—or setting our house on fire.
“I’m not sure—” I begin but am interrupted by Amicia.
“You say there were nearly two dozen rogue vampires?”
Jasik nods. “That’s correct.”
“How did the two of you survive?” she asks. Her voice is void of emotion.
“At first, Ava and I worked together to eliminate a few, but then we were separated…” Jasik trails off.
“What happened then?” Amicia asks.
The room is silent for far too long. The echo of steady heartbeats—two of which are racing—bounces around my mind. I know this is it. Jasik is waiting for me to explain what he doesn’t understand.
“I fought off two attackers, and then I heard Jasik scream. By the time I reached him, he was surrounded by rogues. We were both injured, and I knew we couldn’t outrun that many vampires.”
Amicia nods, waiting for me to continue.
“Something happened,” I whisper.
“What happened?” I don’t miss the annoyance in Amicia’s tone. She’s been asking us to get to the point of this meeting and her patience is dwindling.
“I used magic,” I say. I may not understand what happened, but I’m confident magic was the source of that blast of energy.
The room erupts into shock. The gasps are so loud, I fear they may physically lash out at me. I wait for Amicia to respond, but she doesn’t. Instead, her vampires express her confusion for her.
“What?” Jeremiah says.
“How is that possible?” Hikari asks.
“I don’t know,” I say.
“Amicia, you don’t seem surprised,” Jasik says.
I watch her. She seems lost in thought as she processes my words. My sire is right. She doesn’t seem surprised. I may even be as bold as to say she was expecting this turn of events.
“You’re the first witch-turned-vampire I’ve ever met, Ava. Your heritage makes you special,” she says.
I want to thank her, but I don’t. While I appreciate her words, I have a feeling her definition of special isn’t the same as mine.
“What does this mean?” Jasik asks.
“What are you thinking?” Malik asks Amicia.
The two brothers speak in unison.
“I’m wondering if we should have anticipated this. Magic is inherently part of her. She was born this way, and perhaps even a vampire’s bite and blood cannot change that part of her,” Amicia says.
“But a mixed vampire? A…what? Hybrid creature? Is that even possible?” Hikari asks.
Amicia doesn’t respond. Instead, she closes the space between us and stands before me. She’s so close, we’re breathing the same air. I inhale each of her exhalations, and it’s oddly arousing. Unfortunately, Amicia doesn’t just radiate power. She permeates sex appeal too. I inhale deeply. She smells like coconut oil. The fragrance is delectable.
I do not break eye contact with her. I know she is not challenging me, but I can’t look away. I can’t submit to her dominance.
“Part vampire,” she whispers.
“Part witch,” I finish.
“I guess we should thank Jasik for saving her. If a half-breed is going to exist, we probably want her on our side,” Jeremiah says.
Hikari elbows him in his gut, to which he feigns overdramatic discomfort before winking at her. Hikari rolls her eyes.
“Holland,” Amicia says.
The room falls silent. Something is happening, and I break eye contact to glance at Jeremiah, who has paled so quickly, I’m actually concerned for his well-being. I almost ask if he’s okay, but I don’t bother. Everyone in the room is staring at him except for Amicia. She’s still looking at me. Even though I’ve broken eye contact, I feel her gaze on me. Her crimson irises are burning holes into the side of my head.
“Is that really necessary?” Jasik asks.
“We need to understand what’s happening here. Who better to ask than a witch?” Amicia asks.
“A witch?” I say, thoroughly confused. This time, I look at Amicia again. “Holland is a witch?”
She doesn’t respond. She turns on her heel to face the others and orders Jeremiah to contact Holland.
“Explain I request his steadfast return home. I expect him at nightfall.”
Jeremiah nods harshly before storming from the room. He doesn’t close the bedroom door, and I hear him stomp down the hallway toward our living quarters.
Of course I’m concerned. I don’t know what’s going on, and so far, no one is itching to fill me in. But I don’t worry about that now. I can only focus on Amicia’s words.
Holland.
A witch.
Come home.
Chapter Three
The next day, nightfall comes at an agonizing pace. The sun sets, the moon rises, and the mysterious Holland is still nowhere to be seen. I washed and dressed quickly because I didn’t want to miss his arrival. Part of me is excited because Amicia seems to think he’ll have answers, but mostly I’m crazy obsessed with the idea of being around a witch again. I barely slept last night, tossing and turning and watching the clock. I just about drove myself insane. I can still hear the slow, steady ticks of the second hand making its way around the clock face.
It’s no surprise I’m the first one up. I’m still getting used to my new sleep schedule, so I’m almost always the first one awake. I can feel when the sun sets—and when it will soon rise. I suppose that’s an essential perk of being a vampire, one who will literally burst into flames if I misread the clock hands and walk outside.
I inhale slowly and close my eyes, trying to ease my nerves. I’m so excited to meet Holland and spend time with someone who truly understands the witch in me, but at the same time, I’m terrified he won’t have an answer to my problem. I’m not sure how long everyone will risk having me around. I guess that’s why Amicia asked Holland, a witch, to come here. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Trying not to think about my situation, I listen to the manor. It’s quiet, with only the creaks of an old house to keep me company. I know everyone will soon rise, and I’ll miss this peace. But for now, I so desperately want it to be broken by the sound of the front door opening, signaling the arrival of Holland. Amicia says he’s powerful, and she trusts him with this issue. I just hope he’s experienced with my particular situation.
I exhale sharply and glance around the room. I�
��m sitting alone in the kitchen, slurping a mug of blood that’s already cooled back to room temperature. I consider nuking it again, but the rush of incoming footsteps distracts me. Someone is awake. I’m giddy with excitement. If the house is waking, that means Holland should soon be here. I’m so excited I nearly clap with glee.
I’m sitting at a kitchen table, which is directly across from the cream-colored cabinets and steel appliances. From where I’m seated, I can easily keep my eye on the door to the kitchen. No one can enter from the dining room without alerting me. I’m offering a wide, toothy grin before Hikari has even walked into the room. When she sees me, she eyes me curiously but says nothing.
The swinging kitchen door closes behind her as she makes her way to the refrigerator. It offers me a few glances of the empty butler’s pantry, which connects the kitchen to the dining room. From this, I discover Hikari is alone. Everyone else is probably slowly waking, but for now, we have privacy.
“You’re up early,” Hikari says. She yawns and stretches while cracking her back. Each crunch of her spine sends a shiver rushing through me.
I glance out the window and look into the backyard. I suppose it is early. The world is bathed in moonlight, and the stars sparkle and shine in the dark sky. I may still be adjusting to this new life, but I certainly can appreciate the darkness. I’ve always had an affinity for the moon. I turn back to face Hikari.
Shrugging, I opt for honesty when I say, “I guess I’m just—”
“Excited to meet Holland?” Hikari interrupts. She grins, her eyes brightening as if she’s reading my mind. She crosses her arms over her chest and watches my reaction. She’s giving me a knowing look, one that mimics the coy smiles boys would give their friend when the girl he likes enters the room.
“Is it that obvious?” I ask. I can’t help the hiccupped giggle that escapes my lips. I feel like I’m a kid again and tomorrow is Yule morning. I’m excited to see what presents are in store for me.
She nods and laughs. “Totally obvious.”
Holding back a smile, I watch her curiously. She’s dressed in dark clothing, and her dagger is strapped to her waist. Her jet-black hair is tied back into a thick ponytail, and her skin, usually the color of warm ivory, is pale. I wonder if it’s because she’s hungry or because she’s due to patrol the forest. After our meeting last night, it’s no secret that rogues are targeting us. She shouldn’t be patrolling alone.
I finger the coffee mug in front of me, spinning it round and round. It’s full of blood, and a little splashes over the side, and I wipe it clean with a nearby napkin. When I’m done, I bunch the dirty napkin into a ball in my hand and let it roll away from me toward the center of the table.
“Excited is good, but you don’t need to be nervous,” Hikari says as she joins me at the table. She’s holding her own mug of steaming blood. I lick my lips at the sight of it. Mine is still cold and murky. It lacks that extra something, that special life force that comes with that perfect temperature, the exact ninety-eight-point-six degrees. When it’s too hot, it takes like burnt milk, and when it’s too cold, it tastes like a melted Popsicle. When it’s not the right temperature to maintain proper consistency, it just doesn’t taste the same.
I glance at Hikari’s mug one more time. We’re drinking the same thing, but her breakfast looks so much better than mine. I glance back at mine and cringe. My stomach is queasy at the thought of finishing this as is, so I stand, walk to the microwave, and nuke my mug. While waiting, I face Hikari and lean against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I guess I’m just curious more than anything else. Amicia seems to think Holland has all the answers,” I say.
Hikari snorts and rolls her eyes. “Don’t get too excited. I’m not sure you should expect answers. Just… Don’t go into today thinking he’ll know what’s going on, because you might be setting yourself up for a major disappointment.” She slurps down a large swallow of blood, and my stomach grumbles.
“Why else would Amicia ask Holland to come here? He must know something,” I say. More than anything, I want to ask Hikari why a witch is on a vampire’s speed dial. I don’t know all the details surrounding Holland’s place in a vampire nest, and I know I’m not going to get answers from Jeremiah, Malik, or Jasik. Hikari is my only option. I just hope she’s in a sharing mood.
There is a long pause while Hikari takes a sip of her blood. From the cross look on her face, she’s considering my question and debating what she should share. Maybe the Holland situation is juicier than I originally thought.
“Before you, Holland was our only connection to the witches,” she says. “It makes sense for Amicia to reach out to him for help. Your…issue is clearly magical. Who better to help than another witch?”
I nod, noting how she is trying to avoid actually answering my question. “So who is he?”
Hikari exhales slowly, loudly, as if she was hoping I wouldn’t ask this. Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long for her response. “He’s Jeremiah’s ex.”
My eyes nearly bulge from their sockets. I’m not sure what I was expecting. After Jeremiah’s reaction to Amicia’s request to contact him, I assumed Holland left on bad terms, but I didn’t realize the two had been romantically involved. No wonder Jeremiah was adamant about not inviting him over. After our impromptu meeting ended, I heard Jeremiah arguing with Jasik. He downright refused to be the one to reach out.
It doesn’t take a spirit witch to foresee that things didn’t end well between them, and I’m sure that’s putting it mildly. In the end, Jasik convinced him to send Holland a text. As far as I know, Holland never replied, and now we’re all waiting to see if he actually comes.
“I hope he shows up,” I say. Suddenly, I’m overcome with worry. If things are still bad between Jeremiah and Holland, he might not come, and if he doesn’t come, I’m out of options. Who else will help a witch-turned-vampire with way too much magical baggage? We have some pretty specific requests that only experienced witches can help with.
“He will,” Hikari says. She speaks so matter-of-factly, my hopes actually rise. My heart flutters, and for a short time, I believe everything will be okay.
“How can you be so sure?” I ask. In my mind, I’m crossing my fingers that Hikari’s response doesn’t burden my lifted spirits.
“He owes us a favor,” Hikari says, and my interest is piqued. I arch a brow, silently begging Hikari to spill the beans. So far, she’s told me more than I could get out of anyone else; why stop now?
“What kind of favor?” I ask, leading her. I’ve never been an instigator, but my life and safety may literally be on the line here. And I just plain want the details. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I’m just regular Ava—the one post-death—and I’m gossiping with my friend about the drama in Darkhaven. A rush of regret washes over me as I realize it’s Hikari with me now, not Liv, my former best friend. Since she’s a witch and I’m a vampire, our friendship was severed the moment I drank Jasik’s blood.
“It’s nothing interesting.” Hikari shrugs. “Amicia saved his life once.” She takes another long chug from her mug and then licks her lips as some blood drips down her chin. She wipes it away with the napkin ball I left at the table.
The microwave dings, and I nearly trip over my feet as I spin around to remove my mug. Carefully, watching the rim to avoid spilling, I return to the table with Hikari. Soon, the house will be alive with noise, and the room will be full of hungry, eavesdropping vampires. If I want information, I need to act quickly.
“And she’s willing to cash in her favor for me?” I ask. Honestly, I’m not sure how that makes me feel. It’s as if she actually does consider me part of her family. Have I finally proven myself to her? When I first arrived here with Jasik and the other hunters, Amicia made it clear that she’s not giving me second chances. One mistake and I’m booted. I’d be lying if I said fear of being rejected by yet another family hasn’t caused a few restless nights. I’m tired of looking over my
shoulder and watching what I say. I don’t want to walk on eggshells anymore. It’s exhausting.
Hikari dismisses me with the wave of her hand. “Knowing Holland, he’ll call for another favor soon anyway. That’s pretty much how our relationship has been with him. After we met, he moved in and ended up falling for Jeremiah. When things ended there, he left but kept the same phone number for ‘emergency purposes.’” She uses air quotes to emphasize her words. “He’s not fooling anyone. They aren’t an item anymore, but he still cares for Jer. Sure, Holland said the number was for everyone, but I know the truth. They fell hard, fast, and those kinds of feelings don’t just go away after one stupid fight.”
“I suppose not,” I say. I find it interesting that Holland was even able to live here. After all, he is a witch. He’s not like me. He’s still alive. The vampires here didn’t take to me too well. I used to think that was because of my ancestry, but apparently they didn’t mind Holland living here. I guess they’re just nervous around me because Amicia isn’t my sire. Wondering if Jasik and I will ever be forgiven for events that were completely out of our control, I exhale sharply and take a sip of my blood. I thought I would have fewer questions after learning about Holland, not more.
“Stop stressing,” Hikari says, breaking through my thoughts. “Everything will be okay. Holland is a powerful witch. He’ll know what to do.”
“But that just makes me more confused. What powerful witch leaves his coven to live with vampires? He would be forsaken, like me. Living the rest of your days without family sounds awful,” I argue.
Hikari shrugs and chugs the rest of her blood. She walks it to the counter. After rinsing it and leaving it in the sink for someone else to wash, she dries her hands on a nearby hand towel and turns to me.
“Look, I’m not going to uncover any dirty secrets Holland wants buried. If he wants to talk about his past or what happened with Jeremiah, he’ll tell you himself. In the meantime, you need to focus on your own problems. And Ava, you have enough to keep your mind busy for a long time.”
Dark Magic (Darkhaven Saga Book 2) Page 3