The Chosen Coven Series Box Set

by D L Blade

  He was right, but I didn’t care. Someone from my father’s clan was killing people because of me. At least, that’s what we thought. I refused to believe my own father was a murderer. He and Roland trained us to protect people, not harm them. Vampire or not, he knew right from wrong. They all did.

  On the other hand, we believed by now that every vampire alive knew I was reborn. If that were true, why wouldn’t he go looking for me? It would be a strange way to get my attention, but I couldn’t rule it out completely.

  I had a sinking feeling that another body would turn up again if I didn’t go to Alexander in my own flesh. He was my father, maybe he would just tell me if it was him, or if he knew who was doing it. When bodies showed up in East Greenwich last year, it was always to draw me out. The vampires feared I was on a rampage to kill them, so they tried to outsmart me. They thought if they saw me coming, they could capture me and bury me alive. Once we agreed to a treaty with them, the body count slowed down. Whoever did this didn’t get the memo, or there was something else at play.

  “Okay, I won’t be a part of this case,” I lied.

  Caleb grabbed his boxers and flannel pants, pulling them from under the towel, then dropped the towel once he was dressed. This time he watched me . . . watch him. A smile pulled on the side of his mouth, so I looked away.

  Stop it, Mercy. He’s enjoying this.

  “You’ll still be informed of what is going on. I just can’t have you going back to that club,” he explained.

  “Yeah, I get it,” I said too quickly.

  “You’re going to go there anyway, aren’t you?” he asked.

  Arguing with him was pointless. “We’ll talk about this later,” I said.

  I stood and stepped to walk past him, but he moved into my path, blocking me from the door. As he looked down at me, my heart pounded against my chest. He wasn’t just looking down at me, he was staring and examining every detail of my face.

  “Move, Caleb,” I demanded. “I don’t want to use my magic on you, but I will.”

  He laughed out loud. “Oh, Mercy. I have the rest of the coven backing me on this. We can use our magic to keep you here if we want.”

  I gulped and put my hands up. “Move,” I warned again. My powers slowly moved up my arms and to my fingertips, lighting up the tips above my nails. “He’s my father. He won’t hurt me.”

  He looked down to my fingers and back to me, as if he found my reaction to be an empty threat.

  It wasn’t.

  “No, Mercy. That’s where you’re wrong. He was your father. Not only is he not a part of your life in this century, but him turning into a vampire most likely changed how he feels about you.”

  “It didn’t with Roland or Abigail.”

  “They never ran a murderous vampire clan,” he said, raising his hand to touch me.

  I moved back. “Don’t,” I warned. The light still lingered on my fingers. Now he was pissing me off. “Stop, Caleb!” I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw, feeling the energy build up inside as my anger escalated. “You need to step away from me, Caleb. Now.”

  He didn’t move. He didn’t listen. In fact, he stepped closer.

  The feeling going through my body was like it had been in the autopsy suite. I’d always been able to control it. Always been able to turn it off if I wanted, but I couldn’t anymore.

  What is happening?

  My frustration only built as I lifted my hands. The energy that left my fingertips flung him across the room and out of my path, energy still lingering above my fingers. Now on the floor, he looked up at me in disbelief. His mouth fell open, and he shook his head at me.

  What did I just do?

  I didn’t speak. I didn’t apologize. I just ran.

  Caleb

  “Pick up, dammit,” I cursed. “Why is she ignoring me?”

  “She’s ignoring all of us, Caleb. What happened yesterday with you two?” Leah moved to my side and sat next to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. I brushed it away and stood up. “Okay, tough guy. You don’t need to be a jerk. We’re just trying to help. I’m not saying it’s your fault she ran away, but something did happen.”

  Yeah, it was my fault. I tried to stop her from leaving. What I’d learned about Mercy from this last year, was to never stop her from doing something she had set her mind to. She wasn’t the same girl she had been a year ago. Too many people got hurt last year and she blamed herself. She told me after the dust settled last year that she would do whatever it took to keep the ones she loved safe. Her stubborn nature was both sexy and infuriating.

  Simon joined us at the kitchen island and placed his plate of pasta down, turning to Leah. “Did you get Cami admitted?” Simon asked her.

  She nodded. “She’s all checked in. I have the best witch doctor working with her.”

  “Good,” Ezra said, now joining us for breakfast. “Now we just have to focus on getting Mercy back. You know she went back to that club, right?”

  I gripped my cell and slammed my fist on the table. I winced and outstretched my hand, feeling the muscles cramp up. I should have chased after her when she ran out of my room, but I let her go, and this morning she was gone. The coven never saw her come home last night.

  “Caleb!” Leah yelped. “Calm down. We don’t know that.” She glared at Ezra. “We don’t know that for sure, Ezra.”

  So help me, if she went into that club without backup, I’m going to drag her out by the hair. That girl makes me insane.

  We needed to get down there now, but if she were going under a different face again, I couldn’t risk exposing her stupid plan and getting her hurt. We needed to come up with something better than rolling in there, powers blazing.

  “Is Sarah missing, too?” Leah asked. “We need to know if we are looking for Mercy’s face, or another.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I’ll call her when we’re done here.”

  Simon, still chewing his food, said, “Well, we know she’s not dead. We can all still feel her connected to us.”

  “She can’t die anyway, you idiot,” Ezra said.

  “Stop. You’re acting like toddlers. Go to your rooms,” Leah scolded playfully, and the two of them laughed at her joke. I didn’t think it was funny.

  None of this was funny.

  I have to find her.

  I leaned over Bradley’s shoulder, looking at his computer while he typed. “Can’t you just hack into her cell phone server? I just need to access her GPS.”

  When Joel put that spell on her that shielded her blood from vampire senses, it also blocked him from casting any kind of location spell on her. Her complete presence was off the map to the supernatural world. It was both safe and dangerous. We knew it was dangerous to take her off the map, but we couldn’t risk her being found by our enemy.

  “Caleb, can I talk to you outside for a minute?” Lily asked. She’d been standing patiently in the corner of her office.

  I let out a frustrated sigh and followed her out. I wasn’t mad at her, just the situation. She seemed uneasy about us involving Bradley. For all he knew, this was just a regular missing person situation, and we knew once we located her, Bradley would go right back to being in the dark.

  “He won’t know anything,” I promised. “I just need her location, and I’ll leave,” I explained when we stepped out onto her front porch.

  She shook her head and fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. “The truth is, Caleb, I . . . want to tell him.”

  I should have seen this coming. She and Bradley had been dating for a while now. It was only a matter of time before she wanted him to know the real her.

  “Look, Lily. You’re an adult. It’s not up to me to give you permission. Only thing I ask is that you leave as much of it out as you can. He doesn’t need to know everything. Maybe leave out the part about the Chosen Ones.”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  When we rejoined Bradley, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face that reached his eyes. “
Found her.”

  My heartrate picked up. “Where?”

  “Okay, so her GPS was turned off, but I hacked into her phone and turned it back on. Once I did that, it showed her last location, about two hours ago.” He pointed to his computer. “The pin marks the corner of Parker and Addison Lane in downtown Providence,” he explained.

  “Just as I thought.” Bradley and Lily looked at me with confusion. “She’s at the club.”

  “The Black Horse?” Lily asked, panic rising in her voice. “Do you think she was taken again?”

  I shook my head. “No, she went on her own.”

  I cursed under my breath.

  Lily paced the kitchen and looked up at Bradley. “Honey, can you give Caleb and me another minute?”

  He smiled and walked out to the front porch. Once Bradley stepped outside and shut the door, my hands flew up. “That girl needs a GPS device injected into her arm.”

  Lily smiled and shook her head at me.

  “I’m not kidding, Lily. Whether she’s sacrificing herself to a clan of vampires or going under a different face, she didn’t really think this one through. I’ve heard the rumors about this clan. They won’t show her mercy.” I huffed. “We need Joel. Can you give him a call and have him meet us at Joe’s Bar and Grill? I don’t know what she’s up to, but we aren’t repeating what happened last year.”

  My fury kept me from filtering my mouth. What was she thinking? I taught Mercy everything she needed to know when it came to fighting. She could knock 215-pound me across a room with one kick. She also knew her powers better than I did at her age. She learned quickly, and all in a years’ time. But I couldn’t shut off my feelings for her or my natural instinct to always protect her.

  Bradley poked his head in, wiping the sweat from his nose and readjusting his glasses. “Everything okay? Should I call the police about Mercy?”

  “No, babe. Everything is fine. I’ll call you later, though. We’re meeting my brother for coffee so we can talk about what to do about the Mercy situation. I’ll see you tonight for dinner.”

  Bradley smiled and entered the kitchen to kiss Lily goodbye. He didn’t look at me. Instead, he waved his hand in the air and walked out to his car.

  Sarah informed us that she was not with Mercy, which meant she went there as herself. It was right before six when we met Joel and Derek at Joe’s Bar and Grill. Derek was getting drinks for us while Joel tapped his hands on the table, trying to muster up his thoughts. “We know she wasn’t taken, but we don’t really know if she’s in danger with Alexander. She might be careless, but she isn’t stupid. Let’s give her a little credit here. Maybe she has a plan.” Joel looked up and saw the look I gave him that showed I really didn’t think she had a plan, but I’ll go with this theory for now. He continued. “Do you think she walked up to her father and said, ‘Hi, I’m your long-lost, reincarnated daughter. Nice to see you again?’”

  I finally was able to laugh, because that did sound exactly like something she would do.

  I had my phone turned down but felt a vibration on my hip. “Excuse me.” I stood up, reached into my pocket, and looked down at my phone.

  Melissa: There’s been another body brought in. Same as last. Marks on the neck, and the tattoo. His name is Ned Parker. It’s right outside my jurisdiction, but like we’ve done in the past, I was able to get the body transferred here. Police said he’s a homeless man they’ve spotted a few times near Goddard Park.

  I closed my phone and walked back to the table. “I’m going to Providence to get her. Another body turned up near East Greenwich. I can’t just sit here and wait for her to come back.”

  Lily shifted in her seat and turned to Joel. “We’ll go with you.” She turned back to me while Joel stood, kissed Derek on the lips, and told him to head home without him.

  We climbed into my car, leaving Lily’s in the parking lot, and drove to The Black Horse.

  When we arrived at the club, all the shades were closed and the door was locked. I wasn’t sure if they slept here or not, but we were going to have to break in to find out. Lily placed her hand on the door lock, and we heard a click.

  Once we entered, we noticed that the top floor was empty, so we assumed they were down in the club beneath us. We walked to the back and down the hall until we reached the door to the club. It was unlocked, so we walked right in. In the corner of the room, sitting on a bench, was a vampire, who, when he spotted us, immediately stood to his feet and gestured toward the back as if he were expecting us.

  “We were wondering how long it would take you to get here,” he said. “They’re in the back.”

  I already had my hand out, ready to ignite a fireball, but I didn’t feel threatened by him, so I lowered my hand and looked back at Lily and Joel, who both had their hands out, ready to use their powers if we needed to.

  “I think we’re okay,” I said to them. They both lowered their hands.

  We slowly entered, and Mercy was sitting next to her father. They both turned their heads toward us.

  “I’m not leaving,” Mercy said before we fully entered the room, seemingly annoyed to see us. “I’m safe. I’m sorry I didn’t text you back. I should have.”

  Are you kidding me right now?

  “Caleb, nice to see you after all these years,” Alexander said while standing up and approaching me slowly. “I’m not going to hurt you, or her. Relax.” His voice was eerily calm.

  “I’ve just come here for Mercy.”

  Alexander smiled at me and looked at his daughter. “Mercy, do you want to leave?”

  She shook her head. “No. Thanks for checking on me, guys, but like I said, I’m safe.”

  Was she really dismissing us? Just like that? She sat next to a man who hadn’t seen her in centuries, and she already trusted him. For all she really knew, he could have been killing innocent humans to get to her. He ran a dangerous vampire clan, for crying out loud. I didn’t doubt for a second that he would snap the neck of an innocent victim without hesitation.

  No. She is not staying here.

  “Mercy, let’s go.” My voice came off more authoritative than I had wanted. I didn’t mean to upset her, but she wasn’t thinking clearly.

  She stood and walked up to me. “I’m not leaving.”

  I shook my head. “What has happened to you? You have a coven and a family who loves you.” I looked over at Alexander, who wore a stupid grin on his face. “If you weren’t over here playing house, you would have noticed that the body count hasn’t stopped rising. We need you. A homeless man turned up dead in Goddard Park. It was the same as the others. Bite marks and a tattoo, of your club.” I turned to Alexander again, seeing if he’d react to my accusation. He didn’t.

  He shook his head, walked up to me, and held out his wrist. “Feel that?”

  I grabbed his wrist, placing my fingers near the vein.

  Heartbeat.

  I let go of his wrist, glancing at Mercy, then back at him. “Mercy?”

  She placed her hand on my arm. “He isn’t the one killing people. I fed him my blood a few hours ago. He doesn’t want to be a vampire. He never has. For years, he ran this clan in order to keep the wicked vampires under control. He doesn’t kill people, Caleb, but he hasn’t always been in control of those in the clan who did. He is going to give it all up to help us.”

  Joel and Lily looked at each other and back at Alexander.

  “I’m Mercy’s uncle, and this is her Aunt Lily.” Joel reached out his hand. Alexander shook it and turned back to Mercy, wrapping his fingers around her arm. My body stiffened when he touched her.

  “We may be divided by the two different lives Mercy has lived, but we are all family,” Alexander said as he turned to Mercy. “I would never hurt my daughter. I knew she was alive, but I wasn’t ready to face her yet. I’m glad she came to me, and I’m also sorry about what happened at my club the other night. I would never have left anyone with Devon if I had known he would do something like that.”

  I
huffed and looked away.

  Mercy must have noticed my annoyance because she walked up to me and placed her hand on my chest, probably hoping it would help me relax. “My father is a powerful witch, Caleb. We could use his magic,” Mercy said, and I relaxed. Not because of what she said, but because she still hadn’t removed her hand from my chest, and her touch always helped me calm down. When my eyes met her gaze, she continued. “He’s agreed to help us find out who is killing in East Greenwich.” She turned and smiled at her father. “He can read minds.”

  Alexander’s smile made me feel uneasy, but I listened. “Which is why having me help is crucial,” he said. “If someone from my clan did this, I will know by reading their thoughts.”

  I wondered if that would work. Would they really allow a witch to get that close to them? They’d know right away he wasn’t a vampire anymore. They’d kill him.

  The vampire that had gestured for us to come in earlier entered the room. “I’m ready, Mercy.”

  He walked up to her and grabbed her wrist. She closed her eyes and his teeth reached for her skin.

  “Wait!” I screamed.

  “Caleb, it’s okay,” she said, holding up her hand.

  I halted but raised my hand, ready to ignite a flame.

  The vampire bit down, and Mercy winced, but relaxed as he drank from her. He drank for about ten seconds and let go. He crunched his nose and looked like he was about to throw up. “It’s okay. Try to hold it in.” He blinked a few times and took a heavy breath.

  “Wow.” He looked at her, and a tear formed in the corner of his eye, slowly dripping down his cheek. “Seven hundred and sixty-five years. That’s how long I’ve been undead.”

  “Do you feel it?” she asked him.

  He nodded with a smile.

  “I don’t know where your soul has been, I just know that whatever my blood can do, it somehow brings it back,” she explained.

  “Thank you,” he said as he turned to us. “I don’t know how to explain this feeling. It’s like a wave of water entered my body, while igniting every emotion, love, desire, and empathy that had been taken from me.” He looked up to Mercy. “Good luck to you.”