by L. Danvers
Unfortunately, a lot. When it came to magic, at least.
I pounded my fist against the armrest, mad at myself for letting him get to me. I wanted to scream. So, because I was alone, I did. Face reddening, I yelled as loud as I could. For as long as I could until my throat grew hoarse.
But I still didn’t feel any better.
The castle was now in sight, and I’d spent the entire drive having imaginary arguments with Reed in my head. And losing every one of them.
The utter revulsion I felt from knowing I shared blood with that man gave me a burning sensation in my throat. He was a miserable, dreadful excuse for a human being. His stately appearance and freakishly bright smile were all a façade. Just as vampires hid the evil that dwelled within them so well, so did Reed. You’d never guess the type of man he was by looking at him... There was something undeniably magnetic about him. I guess that was to be expected of a leader of a coven of witches.
I was stupid.
Stupid for expecting, hoping, for him to be anything other than exactly what he was.
What I didn’t know, though, was what to do about Nick.
He was nice enough. He’d given me his number. Even promised to help me figure out what Reed did to Xander.
And yet, I couldn’t get Reed’s prophecy out of my head.
You’re destined to be enemies.
Was it true? I had no reason to believe that man. And honestly, neither did Nick after Reed kept my existence hidden from him for so long.
But still... if he was telling the truth...
I let the thought go.
I wouldn’t let him get to me. That’s what he wanted. To keep us apart.
And even if he was telling the truth, I had too many other things going on in my life right now to waste time worrying about whether my twin and I were going to turn on each other one day. For now, my gut told me that I could trust him. And that was good enough for me.
As I neared the castle, I called Julian’s cell, hoping to talk to Danielle. But it went straight to voicemail.
I didn’t bother leaving a message.
I turned the radio down before nearing the bridge. My eyes flicked up toward the grand castle, my focus settling on the stained-glass window depicting the Scarlet Queen’s cape billowing in the breeze. I forced myself to swallow.
Attention back on the road, I drove over the stone bridge, bumping along with each separation between the rocks.
When I reached the stretch of road that led to the castle’s entrance, I pulled over, parking right in front of the steps that led to the grand oak doors. Deciding not to put any weight into Reed’s bizarre prophecy, I texted my brother so that he’d have my number, too. Well, Xander’s number. But I wasn’t about to hand over his phone until he was himself again, and who knew when that would be...
I got out of the car and squinted. Strange... I’d assumed guards would be standing out front.
Where was everybody?
I gave the key fob a couple of clicks, making the car beep twice as I locked it. Shoving the keys into my back pocket, I approached the steps, unable to sink the unnerving feeling swelling inside my chest.
A gravelly caw echoed off the castle walls, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a crow perched atop a spire. Ignoring the tingles shimmying down the back of my neck, I ascended the staircase.
But when I reached the double-doors, no one opened them for me. I wasn’t sure what the proper protocol was. Should I knock? Let myself in?
I shook my head. Screw protocol.
Having to use more strength than I’d expected, I pulled one of the doors open and stepped inside.
My jaw fell open as a sight more horrific than any nightmare I’d ever had took shape in front of me.
Heart thrashing, I stepped forward, taking it all in. The phone vibrated in my back pocket, but I didn’t dare check it.
I clenched my fists, prepared to summon the magic pulsing through my veins at a moment’s notice.
My eyes dragged from one body to another. Guards. So many guards. And servants, too.
Dead.
Some looked like their necks had been snapped. Others had been staked. Fragments of wood from things around the castle—chair and table legs, mostly—stood plunged into their chests.
The place looked like a freaking war zone.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, afraid to so much as breathe.
I had to find Evanna and Charlotte.
Where are they? Please let them be alive. Please. Please. Please.
Downstairs, I reminded myself. They were downstairs guarding Xander.
Maybe they’d escaped from whoever had caused all of this. Reed had said something about vampires not being an issue much longer. Could he have done this? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. While he couldn’t have beaten me back to the castle, perhaps one of his minions had been here while I was gone.
I never should have gone to see him. I should have been here. To help.
Part of me—a very large part—resented vampires for all of the pain they had caused me. And yet, even they weren’t as cruel as my own father. Drinking my blood in order to survive paled in comparison to purposefully abandoning me and not showing an ounce of remorse—and then rejecting me all over again. It was all relative, I supposed.
Chewing my bottom lip, I squeezed my fists harder.
Senses on high alert, I hurried for the staircase. Afraid to make too much noise, not knowing if whoever had done all of this was still here, I slinked downstairs.
Flickering sconces cast shadows that danced along the wall, only adding to my growing unease. Another step, and the heel of my shoe skidded out from under me. I would have slipped and cracked my skull had I not been holding onto the rail.
I let out a breath, trying to calm the pounding in my chest. When I glanced down, I realized what I’d slipped on...
A trail of blood was dripping all the way from the top of the staircase. Blegh.
I swallowed down the bile collecting in the back of my throat.
My thoughts wouldn’t stop racing.
What if the person who did this was still in the castle? What if I was next?
I could handle it, I told myself. I’d lived through a hell of a lot already, and I was still here. I’d survived. And I could survive this, too.
A few more steps along a dark stretch, and I finally reached the bottom.
Dust and dirt from the cells swirled throughout the room, glittering in the faint light coming through the barred windows.
One more step, and I nearly tripped again. Steadying myself, I whirled around and covered my mouth in horror. “Evanna! Charlotte!”
Danielle
Julian had booked the first flight out of New York. Even with my abilities to compel people, pulling off an international flight was challenging. I didn’t have identification. Or a passport. But thanks to Julian discreetly guiding me with what to say, I pulled it off. I had to admit that the power of compulsion was a nice perk of being a hybrid.
Nearly nine hours later, we landed in Lisbon. Portugal was, in a word, stunning. Had we been there for any other reason, I could have spent days admiring the fascinating architecture and awe-inspiring geography.
But this was no vacation.
We were here for one purpose, and one purpose only: to get our hands on Silverleaf saplings.
After a bumpy cab ride, we arrived at a marina in the late afternoon, where, thanks to Keo, a young man named Miguel was waiting for us.
Keo had explained to us over the phone that Miguel owned a tour company. He was a werewolf who had left the Kingdom of the Silver Seas. He’d wanted a simpler life. Now, for the most part, he offered run-of-the-mill cave tours to tourists. But, upon request by his former pack members in the Kingdom of the Silver Seas, he also provided transport into and out of the magically veiled realm.
Cupping his hands over his eyes to shield himself from the blazing sun, Julian approached the bronze-skinned guide who was sitting on the
dock, toes dipped in the cerulean water, near a white speedboat with sea-foam green accents.
“Miguel?” Julian called out as we approached the man, keeping his hand firm on the small of my back as we walked.
The young man lifted his chiseled chin. “Julian and Danielle, I presume?”
We nodded.
He stood to greet us, offering us his hand. His dark eyes locked in with Julian’s. “Keo spoke highly of you.”
Julian dipped his head in appreciation. “And of you.”
Miguel’s eyes drifted over to me. “I must ask before we go: are you sure this is what you want to do? If the king and queen were to find out you were—”
Julian dismissed him with a wave. “We’re sure.”
“We don’t have any other choice,” I added.
It was true. The only way to get our hands on Silverleaf saplings was to come here. We had initially thought that we could steal one from Reed, but apparently Phoebe hadn’t yet delivered one to him. And anyway, we needed two if we were going to save both Xander and Victoria. Three if there was a chance that the same counter-spell could be used to break the sire bond between me and Aiden.
And then, after this seemingly never-ending string of bad luck was finally behind us, Julian and I would work out a plan to take down Crescent Cape.
We hadn’t talked about it again since the initial deal I’d made with him. But I had meant it when I made him promise to help me. What vampires did to innocent humans wasn’t right. There had to be another way.
I’d try to change things peacefully... But if it came down to it, if I had to overthrow Crescent Cape the hard way, I’d do it. I might be a hybrid now, but I hadn’t lost touch with my humanity. I remembered every ounce of pain. Of hurt. Of fear. And I refused to be a part of a kingdom that inflicted that torment on others.
Miguel studied me for a moment as if trying to uncover my motives, but then the gestured for us to follow him aboard his vessel. I admired his bravery. It must be hard pretending to be a human all day. It was hard to imagine a werewolf interacting with mortals, hiding in plain sight. I supposed it was all well enough as long as he didn’t give moonlit tours—unlike Julian, an immortal werewolf, most werewolves’ transformations still aligned with full moons.
Thankfully, with much practice, Julian had taught me how to shift at will, too. I guess I got that ability from him...
Considering how I’d despised vampires for so long, it was strange that the vampire half of me felt so much more natural than the werewolf half. I didn’t talk about it much with Julian. It seemed to have hurt him the one time I’d mentioned it.
I could see his perspective, though. Because the other half that I found myself more drawn to, my vampire half, had come from his brother.
We listened intently while Miguel rattled off interesting facts about his ship and told us about some of the sights we would see on our way to the cave. The cave was all that separated us from the Kingdom of the Silver Seas. It was still hard to wrap my head around the whole boundary thing...
Soon, he had to switch his attention to navigating. So, I asked Julian if he’d like to join me on the sundeck.
He shrugged. “Sure.”
We sat down, and I reclined, enjoying every moment of being here. I’d never been to this part of the world. It felt like I was in a dream. I noticed Julian’s cheeks dimpling while he watched me. I shifted in my seat. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You fascinate me.”
“Um. Okay... What’s so fascinating about me?”
“You have this child-like wonder about you.”
“Don’t you want to check out the views? I mean, how many opportunities will we get to sail along a coastline as magnificent as this?”
He reached his hand over and took mine, gently squeezing it. “We have an eternity to look forward to. We can see as many coastlines as you’d like.”
I forced a smile, yet my stomach dropped. The whole eternity concept made me woozy. I’d only lived for eighteen years. I couldn’t conceptualize a hundred years, let alone a thousand... or more.
That’s why I was determined to use this time I’d been given for good. If I was going to live forever, I wanted to build a legacy along the way. That’s the only way the never-ending years would serve any purpose. Have any meaning.
We propped ourselves up on our elbows as the rays of the warm sun enveloped us. We bobbed up and down as the water grew choppier, splashing us with a cool spray as it splashed against the side of the boat.
I leaned back, now reclining fully, and closed my eyes, trying to memorize every detail of this moment before we broached the boundary of an enemy kingdom to steal a rare species of plant saplings. I clenched my jaw, aware of how ridiculous-sounding my inner thoughts had become in recent months. I wondered if this supernatural life would ever feel normal. I turned my head to the side, shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked at Julian. “How do you do it?”
“Excuse me?”
“How do you stay so grounded after all this time?”
He erupted in laughter. “Danielle, maybe the heat’s starting to get to you...”
“I mean it. The thought of eternity... it makes me sick to my stomach. How has being alive for so long not driven you into complete madness?”
He arched his eyebrow, giving me a devilish grin. “Who says it hasn’t?”
I swatted his arm, fully aware of how rock-solid his biceps were. “I’m being serious.”
“Why do you think I’ve never laid a finger on my siblings? Even after they locked me up. Even after years of treating me as second-best?”
I shrugged.
“The thought of being alone, utterly alone in this world, terrifies me.”
I gulped, surprised by how frankly he was speaking.
“Why do you think we’re so fiercely protective over one another? We fight and bicker like all siblings do—more so, as our history goes back so very far—but deep down, we know we need each other. Otherwise, what’s left for any of us to live for? We’ve seen the world. We’ve had adventures. We’ve loved and lost and watched hundreds upon hundreds of people we’ve cared about move on into the afterlife.” He trailed his finger along my cheekbone, tickling my skin. “I’d almost forgotten how lonely I was until you came along.”
I studied him for a moment, unsure if I should ask him what was on my mind. Maybe it was too sensitive of a topic...
But being in a relationship with someone meant being vulnerable with them. Asking the hard questions. Even if it was uncomfortable. So, I did. “What was the point of the Choosing Ceremony?” It wasn’t something we spoke about often. I knew how much guilt he felt over the whole thing. And yet, I needed to know.
He didn’t have to think about it. “Power.”
I stared at him dead-on. “And now you don’t want that power anymore?”
He leaned in close, his warm breath tickling my lips. “You make me want to be a better person, Danielle. With you, I don’t feel so alone in this world.”
I released a breath. “You’re not alone, Julian.”
He leaned in closer, his lips trailing along my jaw line as he kissed me. Gently. Purposefully. Until I couldn’t resist him any longer. Fingers tangling in his ginger-brown hair, my lips found his.
I could get used to an eternity of this.
THE FIRST STRETCH OF our travels felt more like sightseeing than preparing to infiltrate enemy territory. In order to keep up appearances as we neared the first open-mouthed cave, Miguel began reciting his script of fascinating facts that he would share with tourists. Ever mindful of what he was risking by taking us to the veiled kingdom—the possibility of exposing the supernatural world to someone who should know nothing of it—he treated our time aboard his vessel as if we were paying customers. We didn’t mind one bit, though. He made for a great guide.
As we navigated past the cliff faces and caves, the water surrounding us grew rough. Waves crashed a
gainst the sides of our boat, making my stomach somersault. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d swam. I was only a child. I supposed it was a silly thing for a hybrid to fret over. I was immortal now. But did that mean I was immune to the effects of drowning?
Julian kept a steady hold of me as our boat rocked. I nestled against his chest, allowing him to protect me. Technically, I was stronger than he was, being a hybrid and all. But his touch had a steadying effect on me. Like with him by my side, I could get through anything.
“We’re close,” Miguel announced as we slowed to a stop, staring out upon the water.
“How much longer?” Julian asked.
“We’ll have to wait until the area clears.” Miguel checked his watch. “The sun should be setting soon. Once the other tours wrap up, we’ll continue on our way.”
I scrunched my eyebrows, scanning the area. “Where is the boundary, exactly?”
Miguel lifted his chin, gesturing with his head. “You see that cave? The empty one.”
“Yeah.”
“That will lead us to the boundary. The entrance to the cave is spelled so that anyone who looks upon it will see nothing but jagged rocks and harsh waves. The locals think the area’s cursed, like the Bermuda Triangle or something.” He let out an uneasy laugh. “If only they knew...”
Danielle
Twilight came and went, and after Miguel was certain beyond all doubt that no one else was around, we made our way into the spelled cavern.
The bright light from Miguel’s boat illuminated the black abyss, giving the water directly ahead of us a yellow hue. My stomach lurched when I saw a seemingly never-ending spread of sharp rocks jutting out from the water, so much so that I caught myself digging my fingernails into Julian’s hand. He gave me a squeeze and whispered in my ear, “It’s magic, remember?”
Tell that to my eyes, I thought to myself. Logically, I knew the rocks weren’t actually there. But my brain had a hard time wrapping my head around that fact. Because, frankly, it looked as if we were sailing into certain death.
“Close your eyes,” Julian whispered. “Think of something happy.”