A Shade of Kiev 2

by Bella Forrest

  I never loved you. We were childhood friends, and all you ever did was take advantage of that history we shared.

  I shivered as he slid his hands around my waist and breathed against the nape of my neck.

  “I can make this nightmare disappear,” he whispered into my ear.

  You are the nightmare.

  “I can give you back your powers. Give you back your life. Nobody you care about needs to be harmed again. All I’m asking you is to come back with me. Come home, my queen.”

  I didn’t know that I had a choice anymore.

  I don’t know anything anymore.

  In that moment, I felt weaker than I’d ever felt in my life. All my resolve disintegrated as his strong hands enveloped mine.

  I felt exhausted from resisting what seemed destined to be. I’d tried to live apart from him. God knew, I’d tried. It had only ever ended in disaster—harming those around me I loved most. My parents. My sisters. Brothers. Cousins. My entire family… and then that vampire.

  There was no way to save my family, but maybe, if I gave myself up now, Kiev would still survive. Maybe he wasn’t dead already. Maybe it wasn’t too late to save him.

  Rhys always did speak of sacrifice for the greater good of our kind.

  I’d not accepted until today that maybe it was time to surrender.

  Perhaps it’s just time to accept that I am that sacrifice.

  Chapter 13: Kiev

  A few hours later, my front door opened and shut. I climbed out of bed to see Celice walking toward me, wearing a silk nightgown. Her dark hair hung down to her shoulders.

  “Shh,” she said, raising a finger to her lips. “It’s quiet in the castle now. Almost everyone is in bed. We could leave now. Nobody would know.”

  I stared into her determined brown eyes. She was right. I could take her now. We’d disappear into the night. I thought about what a difference she would make to Matteo and everyone else’s lives at their island. No more watching over the walls. No more living on edge, in fear of Elders deciding to come for them. No more attacks. No more living underground to hide from the sun in those filthy tunnels. After everything I’d put him through, I couldn’t let him down.

  “Just say the word,” she whispered, approaching me closer and standing on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around me. “I’ll make us disappear.”

  I didn’t know how my siblings would react if I told them that I was in alliance with Matteo. That I’d sworn to lead their island to sanctuary. And part of this was that they needed a witch.

  They’re your siblings, Kiev. Even if they are enemies with Matteo, they should grant you this request because you’re their brother.

  I detached her hands from my neck and placed them by her sides.

  “Not yet,” I said.

  “Why not?” she said, crossing her arms across her chest and stamping her foot on the ground.

  “I need to speak to my brother and sister. I can’t just leave with you without gaining their permission.”

  “They don’t control me,” she seethed. “I don’t need their permission for anything.”

  I rolled my eyes at her indignation.

  “All right, not permission. Blessing. They’re my siblings. I’ve just found them after hundreds of years. I can’t do this behind their backs.”

  “But—”

  “Celice,” I said, gripping her arm and glaring at her. “I will take you away from here. I promise you that. I just need some time. I’ll speak to them as soon as they wake.”

  She glared back at me, then reluctantly nodded.

  She turned to leave, but just before she did, she looked back at me and said, “You’d better keep that promise, Kiev.”

  Now that’s two promises I’ve made.

  I have to do this.

  As soon as she left, I too left the room. I headed upstairs to see if I could hear any noises coming from either my sister’s or my brother’s rooms. As it turned out, Helina’s door was ajar.

  I knocked.

  “Who is it?” she called.

  “Kiev.”

  She swung the door wide open and pulled me inside. She stood in her dressing gown as she shut the door behind us.

  “Take a seat.”

  I didn’t sit. Instead I paced up and down the lounge. She looked at me, hands on her hips, frowning.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “Is Erik awake yet?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Can you bring him here?”

  “All right, but what is the matter?”

  “Just bring him here.”

  She hurried out of the room and returned a few minutes later with my brother, who was also sporting a black velvet dressing gown. He sat on the sofa in front of me. Helina sat beside him.

  “I lied to you about what brought me to this island,” I said, sighing.

  They both raised their eyebrows in surprise.

  “I came to steal away a witch from you. Celice has already agreed to come with me.”

  Helina’s eyes widened. Erik leaned forward in his chair.

  “Why?” Helina asked.

  “I’m in alliance with Matteo Borgia. He took me in after I escaped from Aviary. I came because I needed a witch to protect that island. They suffer every day from not having a protective spell over them, and I promised Matteo that I would do all within my power to help him… I, I owe him more than I can ever repay in so many different ways…”

  I trailed off, thoughts of the night I’d murdered Natalie flashing through my mind’s eye. That too was an episode of my life that I had avoided including in my story to them.

  I had also omitted Mona from the story, for I saw no relevance. And it was—if truth be told—painful to talk about her.

  Silence took over the room for several moments.

  “Can I have a private word with Helina?” Erik asked.

  I was taken aback by their request for privacy. I was their older brother. What couldn’t they discuss in front of me? Still, I nodded.

  They got up and left the room. They must have gone far away, because although I tried to pick up on their conversation, I couldn’t hear any of it.

  They returned several minutes later and resumed their seats.

  “Matteo’s clan and our coven have been enemies for a while. Honestly, we can’t stand him. But of course, if Celice wants to go with you, we’re not going to stop you taking her. We understand.” Erik placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “But Kiev,” Helina interjected. “What on earth makes you think you can keep her there even if she does agree to go? She’s a fickle little thing. You say you told her you’ll be with her…”

  “I know. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to stand her for more than a few days. But I owe Matteo this. I’ll stay there with Celice and figure out a way to wean her onto someone else. There are plenty of vampires and werewolves on that island who would happily keep her busy. More importantly, she’d be the only witch there. Independent of her sisters. She’d have free rein to be with whomever she wanted to be. Hell, we’d make her queen if it meant getting her protection. Matteo would do anything to get her to stay.”

  Erik and Helina looked dubiously at each other, as though they doubted even that could keep Celice from fidgeting.

  “Look,” I said, “Even if she does want to come back to her sisters after a few weeks, I still have to try.”

  They both looked me in the eye and nodded.

  “We see that you feel very strongly for Matteo and his people,” Erik said. “He’s done well to gain your loyalty, that you’d do all this just to help him out.”

  “In that case,” I said, getting to my feet, “I promised that I’d return as soon as possible—”

  “We’ll come with you, Kiev,” Helina said. “All of us. We’ll take the ship and drop you off there.”

  “What? Why?”

  She looked at me and smiled.

  “A friend of our bro
ther should be a friend of all of us. Clearly, Matteo has treated you very well. We owe him our thanks for that. And an apology… Maybe this will be a good way to resolve things with him.”

  I stared at my siblings.

  I still didn’t know what caused Matteo to speak so harshly against them, but whatever it was seemed to have been unwarranted. They seemed to be cool-headed and reasonable.

  “All right,” I said, a smile forming on my lips. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 14: Mona

  Home.

  That was what I was supposed to call this place now. This tiny island north of The Sanctuary. I shivered as we approached the castle. When I hesitated, Rhys turned back to look at me.

  “What’s wrong, Mona? Are you scared?”

  I shook my head and followed him. He withdrew the key to the door from his cloak. Before he opened the door he turned round to face me.

  “Efren and Isolde don’t know that I went to get you. Just keep your calm if they are… surprised to see you.”

  Mention of their names made the knots in my stomach tighten.

  He gripped my hand and led me inside. The castle was exactly how I’d remembered it—cold and gloomy. The floors were bare in all communal areas, as were the stone walls.

  The entrance hall was empty, for which I was grateful, but as we exited it and started walking around the dim corridors we came across a number of witches and warlocks. I recognized most of them, and they all looked shocked to see me. But seeing that I was by Rhys’ side, they didn’t stop to talk to me.

  We walked until we reached a dark red door on the highest floor of the castle. A door I knew far too well. I held my breath. It creaked open to reveal two figures sitting at a circular table. Rows of shelves containing heavy books and countless bottles of potions were fixed to the walls of the high-ceilinged chamber.

  Efren and Isolde.

  Efren was a tall, wiry red-haired man, and Isolde was a plump older woman with purple eyes and grey-streaked black hair.

  They never had taken a liking to me even when I was a part of this coven. But now they looked at me with unmasked hatred. Especially Isolde.

  She stood up, her mouth hanging open, and stared at me. “You brought her back?”

  Rhys’ arm around my shoulder pulled him closer to him.

  “Yes, she’s seen sense. She wants to rejoin the Cause.”

  “After she betrayed you twice? Are you insane?” Efren also stood up, staring at Rhys.

  Rhys glared at the two.

  “Mona is resuming her role in service with us,” he said firmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us…”

  Rhys led me out of the room and closed the door behind us. He took a sharp right turn down a corridor and I knew instantly where we were headed to. Rhys’ quarters. My quarters.

  I shivered as we approached his front door. The feeling of deja vu was overwhelming. The interiors were exactly the same as when I had left them. Barely anything had changed—even the bookshelf had barely been touched.

  We entered into the sitting area, which contained a tall bookcase and a large black couch. The marble floors were covered with thick fur carpets. We entered the room next door. A bedroom. The smaller bedroom of the two contained within this apartment.

  He gestured that I enter it. I did as he requested.

  “You know how this works. We remain separate until you’ve been initiated.” He approached me from behind, squeezing my shoulders and breathing heavily down my neck. “You know I’d rather it wasn’t this way. But we must abide by the rules.”

  I breathed out a sigh of relief that I’d not have to share his room that night, which he seemed to read as me responding with pleasure to his touch. His lips pressed against my cheek. I shuddered.

  “Stay here, maybe get some rest. I’ll come for you when it’s time.” He turned to leave and was about to close the door. Then he opened it again, “And when I say stay here, I mean stay here.”

  I waited for him to leave, then got off the soft velvet bed and walked around the small room. Everything about it brought back a flood of unwanted memories. The sapphire pendant. The carved wooden cup. The deep scratch marks on the wall behind the oval mirror. The room had been left untouched.

  He’s been waiting for me to return. All this time. He knew I would give in and run back to him. Like I always do sooner or later.

  I sat back down on my bed and lay back. I pulled the thick dust-covered blanket over me and buried my head beneath it. I closed my eyes.

  My thoughts drifted back to my little home in the middle of that beautiful, tranquil lake. Tears swelled beneath my eyelids as I wondered what might have happened to it. Who might have been living in it since I left, and whether they would take care of the water lilies the way I did. My little sanctuary in the water. I regretted every time in the past when I’d complained to myself about loneliness, or yearned for more than the peace I already had in that little house, away from everybody. Away from danger.

  I tried to imagine how things would have turned out if that red-eyed vampire hadn’t showed up at the island. It was hard to stomach the fact that I might still be there now, rather than in this soul-destroying place.

  The front door unlatched. I breathed out, preparing myself for Rhys to enter the room.

  But when my bedroom door opened and I looked up, a short red-haired woman, barely older than myself, stood in the doorway. She had a look of outrage in her eyes. I groaned as I recognized her as Efren’s sister. Tiarni.

  Of all the witches in this place, I could always count on her to give me the most grief.

  “Leave me alone, Tiarni.” I rolled back over on my side, not willing to give her the time of day.

  “Traitor!” she hissed.

  She gripped my side and turned me over to face her. I scrambled up to the headboard, kicking her away from me.

  “You betrayed Rhys. You betrayed all of us. I’m not having it. I’ve had enough of you playing with his affections and putting all that we have worked for in jeopardy. I swore that I’d finish you if I ever saw you again. Even if Rhys kills me for it. You don’t deserve to be in our company.”

  Her words came from a place of jealousy. She’d made it no secret over the years that she was attracted to Rhys. He’d ignored her advances, and she resented me for it. Even though I would have paid any price to have Rhys’ attraction to me transferred over to her.

  She screamed a curse at me. I found myself being lifted out of bed and slammed against the stone wall. I crashed to the floor. The full effect of the damage she’d just done coursed through my body. I reached for the back of my head and felt blood trickling from an open wound.

  She jumped onto the bed, preparing for another attack. I ducked underneath the bed and pulled myself out the other side. I raced out of the door and down the corridor. But I was slow due to my injury. She caught up with me and, gripping my neck, pinned me against the wall.

  Her hands grew hotter and hotter until my skin burned. The pain was unbearable. I screamed and tried to lash out at her, but I was growing weaker by the moment.

  Just as I started losing consciousness from the pain, she released me. I fell to the floor, clutching my neck.

  Rhys wrestled her to the ground. His tall, muscular frame dwarfed her as he gripped her neck.

  “Coward!” he hissed. “You know she has no powers to fight back.”

  She choked. I sat up. Rhys performed the same spell on her, his hands growing hot and choking her on the ground, the smell of burning flesh filling the corridor.

  Her brother Efren came rushing toward Rhys, attempting to pull him off her. Rhys knocked him away.

  “No, Efren. She needs to learn this lesson once and for all. For too long she’s held a grudge against Mona.”

  “And can you blame her?” Efren yelled. “Mona’s run away from you so many times, how can we ever trust her again? Hell, I don’t trust her. Now damn you, Rhys. Let go of my sister!”

  Finally, Rhys stood up, still glaring down
at Tiarni.

  “Lay a finger on her again, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

  Rhys bent down to my level and placed a hand around my neck. I winced as he examined the damage. Then he muttered beneath his breath and I felt my charred skin grow smooth again. Kissing my throat, he picked me up in his arms and carried me back to his quarters.

  “I told you not to go wandering about,” he said. “It’s not safe right now. You’ve only just returned.”

  I felt too weak to explain that I hadn’t been wandering.

  Tiarni sobbed in the distance as he shut the door behind us. I expected him to lay me back down in my bed, but instead this time he brought me into his large bedroom. The warm orange glow of his bedside lantern soothed to my eyes.

  He laid me down on his bed and sat down beside me, caressing my forehead with his fingers. I closed my eyes, tensing beneath his touch.

  “You can sleep here tonight. I have matters to attend to.” He stopped touching me, and got up to leave. Before he left the room, he turned round to face me, his eyes boring into mine, and said, “Efren is right. You have a lot to prove. More than ever before. Don’t break the rules again. Or you know what I’ll have to do.”

  Chapter 15: Kiev

  The moment we left the boundaries of The Shade, my migraine returned full force. And soon after, I was coughing blood again. I should have expected it. I would have had to be dense to not conclude by now that it had something to do with the spell the witches had placed over The Shade.

  I tried to hide my symptoms as best as I could from my siblings. We had more important matters to focus on. I tried to distract myself from it as best as a man could distract himself from the feeling of heavy clubs beating against his skull.

  We arrived at Matteo’s island the next evening. Since all three witches came with us, we didn’t need to travel by ship. We all gathered in the courtyard and they used their magic to transport us there.

  I ran to the main gate as soon as we appeared on the beach. As soon as the watchmen at the wall noticed us, they would put the whole island on red alert.