Matriarch and patriarch over the Novak dynasty. Mother and father of three incredible children. Grandparents and more. Friends of some of the most amazing creatures to have ever been born. Fighters and defenders of those who could not defend themselves. Humans. Vampires. Two people who’d fallen in love a long time ago, who’d been through all sorts of trouble, and who had yet to fall out of love. I doubted we ever would.
Thayen
The morning after our family dinner, I woke up with a smile on my face. It didn’t stem from anything specific. It was just an effect of my life in The Shade, I figured. Derek and Sofia deserved to take this break, and GASP could easily function without them. They needed more for themselves, and I completely understood.
Outside, it was always dark. I’d gotten used to it.
I wondered if my father, Acheron, would’ve gotten used to it, too. I’d often wondered if he would’ve chosen to be with us rather than against us back in Roano. Part of me believed he would’ve done the right thing, but most of the Aeternae I’d known on Visio, people I’d thought were good and kind, had turned on me and Unending. They’d chosen Spirit’s side out of foolish desperation.
My own mother had tried to kill me.
It was all so far away now that I could barely remember the details. The feelings remained, though. The heartbreak, the disappointment, the fear. Those never left me, but I refused to let them define me. I turned them into energy, the force that fueled me to become a better person than my birth parents would’ve been, while secretly hoping that maybe my dad wouldn’t have turned out to be a monster like my mom.
The only thing I had to remember my past by was the shard in my heart. Death had refused to take it out, stating that my heart had literally grown around it. The piece of Spirit’s soul was deeply embedded within the muscle and removing it would’ve killed me. There was no amount of magic of any kind to secure a safe separation. Death had also assured everyone that the Spirit Bender was gone forever, and that the shard was merely a remnant, a tiny crystal that had become a part of me. It ached, sometimes, but that was it. I’d become so used to it that the thought barely even crossed my mind.
I had a full life here, and I loved being part of such a humongous family. I was never bored, and by the stars, all the Novak and Blackhall boys were trouble—the good kind—much like Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore. They looked after me, and I looked after them. I was never alone, and it was exactly what I wanted. As an Aeternae child and prince, I’d known loneliness better than anyone.
I didn’t regret leaving Visio, either. Sometimes, I snuck through the portal just to look at it, just to admire its hills and stony mountains, its blue deserts and savage oceans. I often made official visits, too, catching up with Mira and Kemi. They were getting older, but they were happy. They’d seen enough. They’d had enough. I hoped I wouldn’t feel like them someday, but I had a hunch eternity wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Until then, however, I planned to make the most of it.
The Shade was my home. I had my own floor above Derek and Sofia’s original treehouse, like every other strapping twenty-eight-year-old vampire lad who wasn’t ready to get a separate treehouse away from his loving parents. It was a bit of a mess, but that was only because I didn’t spend much time in it. A big family came with lots of get-togethers and activities. I rummaged through the fridge for a small bottle of blood, chugging it all in one go before I slipped into my training clothes and rushed outside.
The GASP agent training sessions were important. I’d promised Mom I’d give it my best shot for as long as I was a member of the team, and that meant showing up at the practice hall at six in the morning to get my ass handed to me by Hansa. She was ruthless, but I loved her. One day, I’d manage to knock her down. She made me want to be a better fighter.
“Hey, Thayen, wait up!” Richard’s voice brought me to a sudden halt on the redwood forest path. I turned around to find him running from one of the nearby alleys, already out of breath.
“Rich, you’re tired?” I raised an eyebrow as he finally reached me.
“I ate too much last night. That venison was spectacular.” Richard ran a hand through his curly dark hair. He’d inherited his mother’s emerald eyes with specks of gold around the pupil—almost hypnotizing if I didn’t remember to look away.
“Come on, we’re going to be late.” I resumed my rushed walk toward the training hall. We still had about half a mile to cover through the forest. Richard kept up, though his panting made me smile.
After a while, he cleared his throat. “You know, Dad said Jax and Hansa haven’t started looking into adoption possibilities, but that they’re going with Elodie to visit a couple of orphanages. I’m not sure why they’re going if they’re not looking to adopt. Mom says Elodie is leading the visit with a couple of humans from the Vale.” I’d begun to enjoy the silence, so his remark caught me unprepared.
“So, maybe Jax and Hansa just want to see what options they would have if they did decide to adopt,” I replied. “Technically speaking, that’s not looking into adoption possibilities, since they’re not actively looking.”
“Oh, so, basically, they’re just browsing?” Richard chuckled. “Either way… I wonder if they’ll eventually settle for a human baby.”
Richard was twenty-two years old and pure Jovi in terms of his quick mouth and not-always-quick ability to pick up on social cues. Our rapport was rather boyish, if not a little childish sometimes—but I didn’t mind it one bit.
“Why do you care where they’ll adopt from, anyway?”
“Well, don’t you wonder where they’ll get their kid from?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really care, as long as they’re happy.”
“True, I feel the same way. I’m just trying to imagine what the kid will be like with parents like Jax and Hansa. I mean, one’s the master of brooding, and the other will crush your head with her thighs. I admit, I’m a little worried.” He laughed. “I’m not. I’m kidding.”
I shot him a sideways glance. “Or maybe not? How much thought have you put into this?”
“A few minutes in the day, that’s all.” His grin said otherwise. “Hansa’s my aunt. The kid will be my cousin, after all. I’m trying to make sure I get the right kind of ‘clay’ to mold into a fine young supernatural.”
In spite of his… “Joviality”, Richard was a force to be reckoned with in the training hall. He’d taken exquisite features from both parents, but it was his incubus nature that really made him dangerous. He could be very distracting for pretty much anyone who stood against him. I hoped it wouldn’t be my turn in today’s training session. We only had Jax and Hansa around for another week or so in this special course, and I had yet to spar with Jax.
I enjoyed play-fighting with my friends and cousins, but I sought whipping from the bosses. Hansa was a work in progress, and I hoped I’d get to at least surprise her before our last training session was over, but Richard… I hadn’t even had a chance with him yet. The stakes were high for this particular class, because the top recruits would get a chance to go on a field mission with one of our Reaper friends. I was eager to participate in a ghoul hunt.
“Listen, whatever they decide, we just need to be supportive,” I told Richard. “They’re like family to us. Well, they are family to you.”
“Yeah. I absolutely support them. But hear me out. I’m just going to suggest Neraka as a potential adoption pool,” Richard replied. “How cool would it be if they came back with a little daemon miscreant, huh?”
Ahead, the path narrowed, the shrubs rising and making it harder for us to see anything on either side. There were only wild animals around, but still… I didn’t like getting startled by a cougar. Or worse, by Hunter during one of his midday runs. Being one of the rare white wolves who could turn whenever he wanted, Hunter had made a habit of running through these woods when he thought nobody was around. More than once, I’d almost yelled after crossing paths with the massive white wolf.
“You
sound like a thirteen-year-old,” I said, amused.
“Hey, these are times of peace. I’m allowed to run my mouth and discuss hypotheticals. When it’s time to get serious, you know I’m down.”
That… I wholeheartedly agreed with. I’d seen Richard in “serious” mode.
“But honestly, think about it. A daemon raised by the Mara Lord and a badass succubus.” Richard glanced up at the treetops, practically daydreaming. “How amazing would it…” His voice trailed off as he stopped suddenly. “What’s that?” He looked somewhere to our right.
“What’s what?” I followed his gaze, but I didn’t see it right away.
He bolted, and I ended up running after him while quickly checking my watch. We were going to be late, and I could already hear Hansa snarling about discipline. But then I saw what had captured Richard’s eye, nestled between two sprawling bushes.
“Whoa…” I managed.
We both stopped, and I felt my mouth part as we stared at it for a while. I had never seen something like this—especially not in The Shade. It was a slender, iridescent gash suspended in the air. It pulsated softly from within, slowly rippling outward.
“Could this be one of those wild portals that Corrine mentioned during quantum magic class?” Richard asked, his eyes wide as he stepped closer to the shimmering slit.
He reached out his hand, likely to touch it like the curious fool that he sometimes was, but I slapped it away, drawing a gasp from him. “Okay, no. Remember, Corrine says that wild portals are exceptionally rare. She’s never seen one herself, and there certainly isn’t one in The Shade. She would know.”
“Okay. Ow.”
“Also, why touch something you know nothing about?” I added. “It could be lethal.”
“Does it look lethal to you?” he asked incredulously.
“No, but maybe don’t try it until Corrine or one of the witches analyzes it first.” I dragged him away and back onto the main path, then pressed the button on my earpiece. “Corrine, you around?”
“Yes. Thayen, darling, what’s up?” Her voice came through the communal channel a moment later.
“We’ve spotted an… anomaly, south of the training halls,” I said, while Richard sent her our GPS coordinates. “You should have a precise location in just a second,” I added, describing the shimmering glow.
“Hmm, I’ve got it,” Corrine replied slowly. “Curious. I’ll be there with Arwen ASAP… Wait, don’t you have training with Hansa and Jax?”
Richard and I exchanged knowing glances. “We’re on our way, yeah,” I said.
“You’re going to be late. Hansa doesn’t like that,” Corrine warned. “You get going, Thayen. I’ll handle the anomaly.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. Corrine was much better equipped at studying the shimmering gash than me. Richard, however, seemed hesitant. “Shouldn’t we stick around till Corrine gets here?”
I shrugged. “She said we should get going. It’s not like this thing is going anywhere.” I glanced again at the peculiar slit. “We’re in the middle of our redwood forest… So, come on. Hansa’s going to string us up by our you-know-whats if we’re more than fifteen minutes late.”
He wasn’t happy about leaving the luminous strangeness behind, but he did steal a glance at my watch. “How late are we now?”
“Thirteen minutes,” I replied.
As if his backside had suddenly been set on fire, Richard darted up the path. I had no choice but to run after him, ignoring his maniacal laughter. “Last one to the training hall has to eat whatever Jovi hunts in the woods tonight!”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” I muttered, letting my vampire nature take over.
Within seconds, I overtook him as we raced down the path. I wasn’t sure what was worse—being late for training with Hansa or eating what Jovi would bring back from his forest run. Both were awful enough to add that extra burst of speed to my run.
A new day had begun for me. A new day in The Shade. A weird day, but infinitely better than what might have been had Derek and Sofia not taken me in. My life was changed forever by their love for me.
ASOV 87: A Shade of Mystery
Dear Shaddict,
Thank you for reading A Break of Seals. I truly hope you enjoyed it!
The Shade continues with a new hero in ASOV 87: A Shade of Mystery—releasing March 22nd, 2020! We’ll be returning to The Shade, our beloved island, where everything began… and where everything, now, is not quite as it seems…
I’ve included 3 sneak peek bonus chapters at the end of this book — so keep turning the pages! I hope you love the cover as much as I do.
Pre-order your copy now and get it delivered automatically on release day:
Amazon US: Tap here
Amazon UK: Tap here
Amazon Australia: Tap here
Any other country: Tap here
Love,
Bella x
P.S. Join my VIP email list and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new book out. Visit here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com
(Your email will be kept 100% private and you can unsubscribe at any time.)
P.P.S. Follow The Shade on Instagram: @ashadeofvampire
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellaForrestAuthor
And Twitter: @ashadeofvampire
Chapter 1
Derek
The smell of fresh blood tickled my senses.
I woke up with a smile on my face. I’d been waking up with a smile on my face ever since we brought Thayen into our lives and our family. Twilight reigned over The Shade, and I could see the stars twinkling through one of the windows of our redwood treehouse. I had my Sun Room if I ever missed the daylight, but after what happened on Visio with Unending—when I lost my vampirism and got it back again—I was just happy with what I had. I gave up wanting more from my species. We were perfect just the way we’d been made.
I could hear Thayen’s footsteps padding across the floor. We’d added another level to our treehouse, which he’d converted into a studio of his own. Despite having all the amenities, he still enjoyed coming downstairs in the morning. It was a routine I’d grown accustomed to, especially on Sundays when Rose and Ben joined us, as well.
“Derek, is that you, honey?” Sofia asked from the kitchen below as I made my way down the spiral staircase.
“The sound of your voice is what gets me out of bed every morning,” I said. She set a pitcher of the fresh blood I’d smelled earlier on the round glass table of our breakfast room. Sofia looked like a postcard, the auburn hair flowing over her shoulders a subtle match with the red and white tiles of the open-plan kitchen behind her.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. She giggled against my lips when I refused to let her go. “You’re mighty chipper today!” she replied, tilting her head back so she could look me in the eyes.
“Did you know you hum the same song every morning when you make breakfast for us?”
Sofia frowned slightly. “I do?”
I hummed it, and she laughed before humming it again. I loved listening to her voice as I opened my eyes to each new and wonderful day.
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said, smiling and hoping she could feel my love with every breath she took. “It’s a nice tune to wake up to.”
Thayen’s voice made us step apart as he entered the breakfast room. “You should try something more grungy next time,” he said to Sofia. “I like a little bit of rock in the morning.”
“I’ll have you know this song had a rock version, too. About a hundred-and-fifty years ago, give or take,” Sofia replied.
Thayen gave us both a fake scowl. “Are you two done smooching? I’m famished.”
I patted him on the back, and he took his seat at the table. I joined him, exchanging devilish smirks with Sofia as she served breakfast. Sure, I still missed the pancakes and the maple syrup, but vampirism made up for my body’s refusal of food by giving me more time to be alive, to be with my loved ones, and to
see where this world was going. It was an honor and a privilege.
Thayen took a long sip from his glass, closing his eyes for a moment.
“Are you ready for today’s ghoul session?” I asked, and his confident grin told me everything I needed to know. He was looking forward to it.
Every time I looked at Thayen, I had to reconcile the eight-year-old Aeternae boy from Visio with the tall, handsome young man sharing his life with us. We’d brought him to The Shade as a Trakkian boy, a mortal, but shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Thayen had chosen to be turned. He’d had his fun growing up, then decided he wanted to be one of us more than anything.
There was very little of the young Thayen left in him, at least where his appearance was concerned. He’d taken many traits from his father, Acheron Nasani. His towering height, his broad shoulders, and lean, muscular frame reminded me of the late Lord Supreme. Thayen wasn’t big and bulky, but he was imposing in a different way. He kept his blond curls short, especially on the sides. His eyes were the most intense blue I’d ever come across, his gaze piercing one’s very soul. He had a slightly crooked smile that reminded me of Danika. Thayen was her legacy, too, and we’d all accepted that without trying to erase her contribution, despite the atrocities she committed in her service to the Darklings.
Character-wise, Thayen leaned more to his father’s side, though he did color outside the lines sometimes, too. Sofia and I eventually rejected any comparisons to his parents, firmly believing that Thayen was his own man, and that Acheron and Danika were mere threads of him, just like Sofia and I were. The only time I saw our son behaving more like a kid was when he and Richard hung out. If Jericho and Voss piled on top, then it would get raucous and all kinds of funny. Personally, I welcomed the youthful energy into The Shade. We needed more of it.
A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals Page 27