Obsidian Horizon

by Heather Renee

  Eyeing the window, I realized he was right. Dusk was upon us, and I didn’t want to ruin his surprise. I raced to clean up a bit and, when I was done, Jameson led me from the room. We ended up in a small dining room on the other side of the estate that I had never seen before. As we entered, I heard a yelp, and I was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug from a bouncing, curly-haired, blonde little girl.

  “Nia!” Nettie squealed as I lifted her and twirled around once.

  “Hi, sweet girl,” I greeted, glancing around at the others gathered in the small room.

  Henry and Alice were seated at the table and beaming at me, while Nathan was sitting on the other side with an empty seat next to him—likely reserved for Nettie. Two more chairs were set together with glasses of red liquid. My lips fell, my smile faltering as I took in the two glasses of blood, but then I gave my head a little shake. These were our friends—no, they were more like family—who had accepted Jameson when they first found out he was a vampire, and now they were accepting me, too.

  It was a heartfelt gesture that hadn’t gone unnoticed. Alice and I shared a smile that told me she knew how I was feeling and it was all right. Nathan called for Nettie to take her seat, so Jameson and I did the same. Once everyone was situated, the food was served, and Jameson leaned closer to me.

  “Try the blood after you’ve eaten. It will help with the taste. Plus, I added some wine to sweeten it.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and I appreciated his discretion. He knew I would have a hard time mentally with my first taste.

  After finishing my food, I did as he suggested and was surprised when it actually worked.

  The liquid was thick but went down easily. The hardest part had been the temperature. The blood was warm, which I hadn’t expected since it wasn’t fresh from the source. When I was done, nobody stared at me in disgust, and Jameson held my hand under the table in support. Even though it wasn’t the most appetizing taste, the animal blood had satisfied the hunger I had been feeling, and I was thankful to the others for helping me through it.

  The rest of the evening was spent having fun conversation and listening to Nettie chatter animatedly about her time with Humphrey earlier in the day.

  As the night was winding down, Jameson’s hand found mine once more, and he grinned my favorite smile that showed off his dimples. Sitting there with our friends and ignoring everything that would become our reality tomorrow, I was content for the first time since leaving our room that morning. I wasn’t going to waste the energy dwelling on what needed to be done the next day.

  I swallowed thickly as I faced the door that led into Maggie’s room. The morning had not gone as planned, and it was making everything harder. We had planned to spend time with the children, easing Maggie into what I needed to try, but that never happened.

  Nettie had accidentally bumped into Timothy when they were coming out for breakfast, and he had stumbled down the stairs. He scraped his knee and cried like any little boy would, but Maggie got upset. Before she could act on her emotions, Jameson carried her to her room, and Nettie ran to get me, visibly distraught.

  After calming her down and leaving her with Nathan, I went to Maggie’s room and found myself standing at the door, just staring at it. I had said that I would use my compulsion power to try to help Maggie, but I was having serious doubts. Showing up uninvited, Evander leaned against the wall, just down the hall.

  I glared at him before returning my attention to the door I wanted to run from so badly. Unexpectedly, the darkness within me burst to life, causing my whole body to tense. My hands found their way to the door frame, and I braced myself, taking back control. A few deep breaths later, I focused on the swirling power and tried to coax it into submission. I knew I couldn’t shove it back into its hiding place if I was going to help Maggie, though. Closing my eyes, I began to do something I never thought I’d do.

  Whatever you are inside me, I need you to behave. There is a little girl on the other side of this door who needs our help.

  The darkness moved in response but began to calm. Maybe Evander had been more right than I thought, and I just needed to accept what was part of me.

  Please, don’t make me regret this.

  Finally, I opened my eyes and turned toward Evander. Nodding my head at him, I turned the doorknob. It was time to face my fears. I would either help Maggie, or it would hurt her. If the latter happened, I would kill Evander for pressuring me into doing something so reckless, something I hadn’t truly wanted to do.

  Just before I entered the room, floor boards creaked further down the hallway, and a scent I could barely pick up told me that Solomon was also in attendance. Whether to watch or to help if I failed, I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t decide which was better.

  After another deep breath, I opened the door and stepped inside to find Jameson standing next to the wall, observing Maggie.

  She was sitting on the small bed, and the moment I walked in, her blood-red eyes trained on me. If I hadn’t been around vampires so often in the past several months, her stare would have been disconcerting. I took a moment to gather myself, but before I could, she lunged toward me with arms outstretched. I sidestepped her and then clamped my arms around her, tossing her back toward the bed, and doing everything possible not to hurt her.

  She bounced off the mattress onto the floor, and the screeching sound of her scream echoed off the walls. Blocking the sound, I dug deep, reaching for the part of me that fueled the darkness inside. It swirled in answer, thrilled that I was willing to seek it. Quickly, it rose through me until I could feel it thrumming just under my skin, ready to be used.

  Maggie had gathered herself again and was about to lunge for me while I was distracted by the feeling of the stirring darkness, but Jameson grabbed her before she could. Taking several steps forward, I placed my hands on the side of Maggie’s face.

  “I’m trying to help you, but I need you to calm down. Please, Maggie. For Timothy.”

  Her eyes glazed over, and I could tell I was getting through to her. I wanted her as calm as possible to reduce the risk of anything going wrong. It seemed like I would get my wish until Evander opened the door.

  She snarled and bucked under Jameson’s grip, and I lost my hold on her face. Maggie’s hand got loose, and she scratched her nails down Jameson’s face, causing him to let go. She lunged for Evander, likely remembering him from when their ship was attacked and she was turned.

  He glanced to me and raised a brow, silently asking if I was going to do anything to stop her from attacking him. Damn him.

  Channeling all of my strength and willpower, I begged the darkness one last time not to hurt Maggie or make me do something I would later regret. Then, I let go of my control.

  “Maggie, stop,” I spoke forcefully, the power of my words reverberating off the walls.

  Maggie froze in place, her red eyes going wide in surprise, before they rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed.

  Crying out, I lunged for her, gathering her up in my arms before she could hit the floor, and then smoothed her hair away from her face. At my cry, Solomon smashed through the door followed by Alice and Henry.

  Tears streaked down my face as I waited for Maggie to do something, anything that would tell me she was still with us and that I hadn’t hurt her.

  My heart broke as she lay limp in my arms.

  Chapter Five

  After what seemed like a small eternity, Maggie’s eyes finally opened. My thumb stroked her cheek, and her eyes met mine. I couldn’t decipher the emotions that I saw within them; nevertheless, they broke my heart.

  My ears picked up the sound of Nathan calling after Timothy, and I braced for his arrival, glad he hadn’t been present five minutes sooner. Maggie groaned in my arms as she reached for her head.

  “What happened?” she asked groggily.

  “You were upset, and I needed to do something. I had hoped to ask your permission to do it first, but the morning hasn’t worked out the way we wante
d.”

  Pushing herself up, she backed away from me. “What did you do to me?”

  Watching her emotions rise, I waited for the inevitable fit that would follow, but it never came, suggesting my compulsion had worked. Though, I wasn’t sure how well, and I wanted to do it again when she wasn’t so distraught, just to be sure we wouldn’t have issues later.

  “Do you remember being upset a moment ago?” I asked.

  She glanced around the room and her body tensed when she laid eyes on Evander again. “He frightened me, and I was going to hurt him before he could do to Timothy what his friend did to me.”

  My fingers gently grasped her chin, bringing her attention back to me. “Yes, and I stopped you.”

  “How did you do that?”

  “You know how some vampires can do special things?” Her head nodded. “Well, sometimes when I ask people to do something, they have to do it even if they don’t want to.”

  “You can control people?” Her eyes went wide, almost fearful.

  I cringed. I didn’t exactly like what I could do, and explaining it to a child was even harder.

  “Essentially. It’s not something I plan to use often, but you were going to get yourself hurt, and I needed to keep you safe.” I paused for a moment, considering my next words carefully. “If I could take away the hurt your feeling inside, would you like me to try again?”

  Before she could answer, Timothy pushed his way into the room and rushed to kneel down at his sister’s side. He took her hand in his as she turned to look at her brother. My attention remained on her eyes; they seemed to clear for the first time in a long time, and I let out a sigh of relief. The compulsion had been the right thing to do, even if it hadn’t gone as planned.

  “Are you all right, Maggie?” Timothy asked in his sweet voice.

  She glanced toward me before answering, and I nodded, encouraging her.

  “Yes, I think I am. Lavinia made me better.”

  Turning to me, he stood and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Thank you.”

  The room suddenly blurred when tears welled in my eyes. I had never known a sibling bond like theirs, and I made myself a promise right then to make sure nothing would ever tear them apart.

  Alice stepped forward, grasping his shoulder. “Timothy, we need to let Lavinia finish with Maggie, to make sure she is all better. Can you come stand with me and Henry?”

  He peeked to Maggie for permission to step away, and she gave him a gentle nudge toward Alice.

  When they were a safe distance away, I took Maggie’s hands in mine. “I’m going to tell you a few things, and you need to listen to me. The things I say are only going to help make you better until we can figure out another way. Is that fine with you?”

  “Is it going to hurt?” Her voice trembled.

  “Did it hurt when I stopped you from attacking Evander?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t breathe for a moment, and then I fell asleep, but it didn’t hurt.”

  “Then, this should be similar, but hopefully, you won’t go to sleep.” I smiled at her, waiting for one last confirmation that she was willing to let me try again.

  “Go ahead. I want to be like the other kids again.”

  My heart broke all over again. I would do anything to give her that wish.

  Without saying anything else or acknowledging our audience, I placed my hands on Maggie’s face and kept my eyes locked on hers. Reaching for the power within, I grasped on to the darkness and pushed it forward until I felt it was ready.

  “You are no longer afraid that someone on the island will hurt Timothy.” I spoke to Maggie in slow, calm tones as a haze settled over her eyes. “The two of you are safe here with the rest of us, but most of all, with Alice and Henry. You know it is wrong to bite, hit, or use your vampire abilities on anyone else around you, even if they upset you. When you feel angry, you will come directly to one of us. You will not hurt humans, and you will only drink the animal blood that is provided for you.”

  My heart raced the longer I used the compulsion, but I kept my focus on Maggie until I saw the fog lift from her eyes and could trust everything had worked. When I let go, she sucked in a deep breath, and tears fell freely from her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” she cried.

  Alice moved in before I could, and I backed away. Henry and Timothy followed while the rest of us left the room. I had done all I could for Maggie, and even though I had been terrified of it before, I felt energized now that it was done.

  When we were out in the hallway, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, trying to take it all in. The darkness was alive within me, but it wasn’t fighting back any longer. I realized it hadn’t been trying to control me; it had been trying to push me. I still had a long way to go before I would feel completely comfortable with it, but today had been a good step forward for me.

  Warmth pressed against my side, causing me to turn my head and open my eyes. When I did, I realized nobody else was present except for Jameson.

  “Where did the others go?” I hadn’t heard them leave, but that didn’t surprise me, considering what was happening on the inside. I was a bit distracted.

  “I asked Evander to give you a moment. We can speak with him when you’re ready.” His hand reached up to my cheek. “You did really good in there. You likely saved her life, maybe even the life of another by calming her down.”

  Giving in to his touch, I nodded. “I was afraid it would be hard, but it was almost too easy. I’m grateful that everything went well for Maggie’s sake, but I still don’t want compulsion to be something I use on a regular basis. Only when it’s absolutely necessary.”

  His expression softened. “And that’s why I know you’ll never turn evil. Your heart is too pure for that to happen.”

  Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me close, and I burrowed my face into his chest, savoring the moment. My energy leveled, and the darkness settled since I didn’t need it for the time being.

  After a few quiet moments, Jameson pulled back. “Why don’t we get something to eat, and then find Evander and Solomon? I told them we would meet them in an hour.”

  Grasping his hand, we walked back upstairs and entered the kitchen to find Nettie enjoying the biggest pancake I had ever seen.

  Jameson’s steps resounded on the wooden floors as he paced the length of the office, while Evander continued to talk in circles about the blood of the sea. We were all a little frustrated, but I tried to remain calm, knowing Evander had the upper hand as long as he had the information we needed.

  “What do you mean we already possess what we need?” Jameson snarled.

  Evander tsked. “Don’t get angry with me. I’m not the one that got you into this situation. I’m only trying to help.”

  “Well, you’re doing an awful job at it.” Jameson took his seat next to me, finally done with trying to deal with the rogue vampire.

  “What Jameson means to say is that it’s been a long couple of weeks, and Lavinia has done as you asked of her. It’s time you held up your end of the agreement,” Solomon added from the end of the table.

  Evander leaned back in his chair. “Very well. You already know that the Sea Witch created the first vampire, but she did not create them with the intention that they would harm humans. They were supposed to be protectors, except they became greedy. Only those who remained pure contain the original power bestowed by the witch.”

  “Which is?” I asked before he could further irritate Jameson.

  He raised a brow at me like it should have been obvious. “The blood of the sea.”

  “Are you saying that our blood is the key to locating the Sea Witch?” Solomon asked.

  “Yes. If you combine pure vampire blood with a bonded dagger, then it should possess enough magic to lead you to the Obsidian Caves.”

  “How do you know this for sure?” Jameson asked.

  “Because Prime spent years trying to be more than what he was meant to be. I stood by his sid
e, watched him experiment with daggers, hunters, and newly-turned vampires. He was never successful at combining the two, but I believe the Sea Witch didn’t want him to be. She plays a bigger role in this than any of us realize.”

  Gone was the smirk I had come to associate with Evander since he had been with us. He always seemed to enjoy the knowledge he had over us, but he appeared sincere. My instinct told me he was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to right all of the wrongs he had done over the years.

  “How do we combine our blood with the dagger?” I asked.

  “That part you will have to figure out on your own. Like I said, Prime was never successful. He tried drops of blood, blood sacrifices, and more, but nothing worked. I would suggest starting small and working your way up.”

  Turning toward Jameson and Solomon, I opened my mouth, but Solomon cut me off before I could speak.

  “You’re not going to be the one to do this. I won’t risk losing you.”

  That hadn’t been what I was going to say, but his words stirred something inside me. Sometime soon, I would need to confront our past and deal with who we had become to each other, but right then was not the time.

  Though, he was wrong about me not being the one to use my blood.

  “There’s a reason the Sea Witch came to me and nobody else. Maybe Evander is right about why none of Prime’s experiments worked. She didn’t want to be found. Now, she has asked me to find these caves, and if someone else is looking, it’s likely they won’t be able to complete the task.”

  Jameson sighed. “As much as I don’t like it, she has a point. We need to let her do this.”

  “I would recommend connecting with your vampire side more before attempting to channel that kind of power,” Evander suggested. “I have no idea what those daggers are truly capable of, but you don’t want to be unprepared if its stronger than you think.”

  Eyeing Evander, I tried not to let my skepticism show. For as much as he liked to aggravate me since joining our team, he was now showing us a side of him that I hadn’t seen since we were on Prime’s ship. I had assumed he’d been pretending to be my friend back then, but maybe there was still a lot more I didn’t know about him.