by Raven Steele
Mateo nodded, giving my hip a squeeze before he settled in the corner of the room.
I did as she asked, removing my jacket as I did so. The room felt chilly for being filled with hundreds of tiny flames.
Cassandra met me at the center and eyed me up and down. “You suffered a loss tonight.”
The knot at my throat bobbed up and down.
“Did you try to kill Korin?”
I nodded.
She huffed impatiently. “I really wish I would get consulted on such important decisions.”
“Aren’t you working with him?”
“Am I?”
“I don’t know what you’re doing, honestly. No one does.”
She smiled slyly. “Then I’m doing my job. Sit.”
I lowered onto the floor. She did the same, sitting across from me. “Do you have it with you?”
I reached into my pant pocket and removed the vial of my blood. I set it between us.
She didn’t reach for it. “Then you were serious about taking it.”
“I am. It’s the only way to win against Korin.”
“Just like I told you it was.”
I stared into her eyes, not responding. She had been right, but it was not her decision to make. It was mine, and I had to come to it in my own way.
“So you want to go to the other side?” she asked.
“Yes. Just for a few a minutes.”
“May I ask why?”
“There’s someone I want to see. Two someones.”
She tilted her head. “I can’t guarantee you will find who you are looking for. That part will be all on you.”
“How do I do it?” I asked. I hated the sound of desperation in my voice, but this was something I had to do before I allowed the darkness back into me.
“You focus on the person. Think of them. Imagine them. Picture them in your mind. Their voice, smell, everything.”
“I can do that.”
Cassandra glanced at each of her nieces. “Then let’s begin. Close your eyes.”
I did as she asked, thinking immediately of Faithe. I thought of the first time I saw her in Africa, my heart tearing apart when I had to leave her there, assured, wrongly, that she would be safe. I closed off those thoughts, and focused on the good ones. We’d spent a lot of time together, in between running from Korin. Traveling to my home land of Croatia, I’d shown her all the beautiful inlets, introduced her to their simple way of living. She’d been dazzled by the friendliness of my people.
While memories flashed in my mind, my body began to feel warm and tingle, much the same way it did when I turned invisible. I didn’t dare open my eyes to see if that was what was actually happening.
In slightly distorted voices, I could hear Cassandra and the other witches chanting. It was a dull, monotone sound, words they repeated over and over. With their words came a sort of fog to my mind and it became harder to stay focused on my thoughts of Faithe. I dug deeper. Remembering how she’d played with her hair, twirling the long blond strands over and over around her finger, especially when she was excited about something. This made me think of the time we’d gone to France and visited a baker who cooked with blood. The most succulent bread, rolls, and cakes I’d ever tasted. Faithe had eaten so many, she’d gotten a stomach ache, something rare for a vampire.
The fog that had been crowding my mind now swirled around me. This is when I realized my eyes were open, but I wasn’t in the room with the candles anymore. I was back in the land of fog and shadows. A cold dampness chilled me to my bones, and for a brief moment, fear pierced me as I remembered how I’d gotten lost before.
But I brushed it away. I was with Mateo, Cassandra, and the witches. They would not let me lose myself.
I began walking, still thinking of Faithe. It lasted for what felt like a very long time. Not once did I let my thoughts wonder, even though my body began to slowly warm, reminding me of the heat on the other side.
“Mother?”
My breath hitched and I whirled around, searching for Faithe in the swirling darkness around me. “I’m here!” A dark form began to take shape into the beautiful human I’d made into my daughter. I gasped a mangled cry. “Faithe! You’re here.”
* * *
She looked all around. “But how am I here? And where is here?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much time to explain.” Even as said the words, I felt my body growing hotter and hotter. “But I had to see you.”
She smiled, jumping forward, trying to hug me. Even though her arms went right through me, she still stayed like that, and I wrapped my arms around empty air, hugging her back.
She stepped back, still smiling. “I’m glad you did. I’ve missed you.”
“Are you in a good place?”
“I am. I truly am.” Peace and happiness shined in her pale eyes, something she didn’t have when she lived.
Emotions crowded my chest and spilled into all my veins. I touched my heart. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I’ve been so worried about you.”
She stepped close to me. “Don’t be. You set me free, Mother.”
A sob racked my shoulders. “I’m so sorry I didn’t help you sooner. I failed you.”
“Don’t say that. You didn’t know.” She touched me lightly on the arm. I couldn’t feel her touch, only a slight variation in the air. “I understand so much more. You did everything you could for me, including giving me a better life than when I was a human. And it was a better life. I enjoyed being with you as a vampire.”
Tears spilled onto my cheeks, and I laughed through those hot tears.
“Something’s different about you.” She narrowed her eyes. “The Kiss of Eternal Night. It’s gone?”
I smiled sadly. “Only for a short time. I wanted to see you before it returned so you could feel and see my love for you. I couldn’t always express it before.”
“I know that too, but even with the Kiss, I never doubted your love for me.”
We stared at each for a long moment until I winced in pain. The burning began to singe my flesh.
“You can’t stay long, can you?” she asked me.
I shook my head, the ache in my heart growing. “I wish I could.”
“Me too.”
“Have you seen Teddy?” I asked hopefully.
She laughed out loud, a sound that didn’t sound right in this dark place. “He showed up not long ago! It was so wonderful to see a familiar face.”
I laughed and cried again, peace warming my heart at the thought of them together. “Maybe I’ll join you soon.”
Her face grew serious. “No, Mother. You can’t. You are too important for the world. Do not fear your destiny.”
I lifted my eyebrows. “You speak of the prophecy?”
“It was written to give people hope.”
My brow furrowed. “But it speaks of death.”
“Then maybe you are not seeing the whole picture.”
Hot pain shot through me, and I doubled over, grunting in frustration. “I’m sorry.”
“Do not be sorry. Be happy. I am in a good place. But you must go. I fear you’ve been here too long.”
Raw pain ripped through me again, and I cried out. I didn’t want to go. “I love you so much.”
“And I you. Remember your destiny.” She reached up and lightly pressed her finger to my forehead.
A loud whooshing sound filled my ears, and I tumbled through what felt like space and time. Over and over, through a dark expanse of bitter cold. I landed hard back into my body and screamed. Flames licked at my skin and bones. My eyes flew open, and I gasped for air, tears burning my eyes.
I was back in Cassandra’s home surrounded by candles. My teeth clenched tight, and I wrapped myself into a ball against the marbled floor as if I could shelter myself from the heat burning every part of me.
“It will only last a minute,” Cassandra said, void of emotion.
A cool sensation touched my leg. I dropped my gaze
. Winter knelt near my legs running her hands back and forth through the air several inches above me. With the motion, the feeling of being burned was replaced by a welcoming cold. I didn’t see the other sisters.
Eventually, like Cassandra said, the pain ceased, leaving me with only the memory of it, which was enough.
I stretched my legs. Winter scooted back, her hands resting in her lap.
“Did you get what you wanted?” Cassandra asked.
I sucked in a hitched breath, remembering Faithe, and nodded.
“Good. Now take this.” She shoved the vial toward me. It scraped against the floor, the sound hurting my ears.
I picked it up and stood. “I will, but I have one last thing I need to do first.”
“You better not go back on your promise.” Her clipped words held a note of bitterness.
“I always keep my promises.”
She snorted. “That’s what they all say.”
I stared down at her, wondering about the people in her life who had made her so cold and bitter. I didn’t know much about her, but I’d heard she had to fight for the position she had, not only on the Ministry, but as the wife of a Morgan. Always fighting, but why?
“You can go now,” she snapped, shifting her weight under my probing gaze.
I turned to Winter. “Thank you.”
She bowed her head slightly, but didn’t say anything.
“Are you ready to go?” Mateo asked, moving toward me, his hand out. I nodded, taking it.
He nodded. “Let’s go then. We will talk about it later.”
We needed to hurry. We would not return to Fire Ridge, but to a cabin in the woods, where I would take the Kiss again. We wanted to be away from Rouen, away from putting anyone in danger, in case the Kiss was too strong.
I wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but I feared once the Kiss was back inside me, it would roar awake, a lion hungry for blood and violence.
Chapter 30
Rolling the vial between my fingers, I faced Mateo. We’d spent the last of the night in each other’s arms, making love until the sun rose, before retiring to a coffin built for two. When we woke, we talked about Faithe and her words about my destiny. About how happy she was now. We’d held each other close, kissing. He’d kissed me, deeply, with longing and hope and devotion, his lips moving all over my body, entering me again. Taking me, making love to me softly, then moving inside me harshly, commanding me with his lips, his tongue, his fingers, to give myself to him again.
And I did, because I wanted to give him everything, in this moment, and for the rest of my life.
Then we showered and ate. Now, we sat at a wooden picnic table outside the cabin. The air was slightly cool, and the leaves around us were beginning to turn into bright reds and oranges. Moonlight captured all the colors in its silvery grasp.
We faced each other on the bench, my legs thrown over his so that I was almost straddling him. His lips were so close, brushing against mine softly as we spoke, kissing me every so often. As if he didn’t want to let go of this moment, didn’t want the night to grow darker.
We both knew things were going to change. I would be someone new, and I was afraid his love wouldn’t be enough. I did not say it out loud, but I didn’t need to. It reverberated in the bond.
I stared into his eyes, showing my love for him through my gaze. I didn’t want to let him go, let the bond between us go. He leaned down, his lips pressing against mine, his tongue darting out to taste my lips softly, his hand clasping my jaw.
“My anima gemella. I will save you, I promise.” His eyes, fierce, intense, reassuring, stared into mine. He had the ultimate confidence in me, in us, together. He always had.
“I know.” I swallowed the suffocating, choking sensation in my throat. His hand slid to my waist, squeezing it gently. I lifted the vial into the air and stared at its contents. Moonlight behind it illuminated the crimson color. I shivered.
“You can change your mind, if you wish.” Mateo’s gaze held no judgement.
I shook my head and slowly lowered it back down, thinking of my destiny. I didn’t used to believe in such a thing, but after all I’d seen and experienced, maybe some of us did have a predestined role we had to fulfill. For lives to be saved, I needed the Kiss of Eternal Night.
I popped off the top and brought the glass edge to my lips. It hovered there, my hand shaking. My eyes found Mateo’s.
“I have you,” he said, his hand moving to my wrist, holding it steady. “From now until eternity.”
That’s all I needed to hear. I tipped the vial and let the blood and all its dark contents spill into me.
Warm blood coated the dark corridor of my throat, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation in its wake. I felt every particle of it race through my body, giving life to my bones, my muscles, my organs. The Kiss rooted itself deep inside me, and I swore I heard it sigh in contentment, the way someone might after returning home from a long vacation.
I wished this was all I would experience, but I knew this was just the beginning. This was the pleasant part.
Mateo searched my eyes. “How do you feel?”
I pursed my lips, fear gripping me as pressure built in my muscles and veins. “It’s coming.”
“What?” he asked.
“The darkness. Don’t let me go!”
“Never.”
The beast inside me grew, then stretched, long tendrils unfolding from its center. This was the part where it made a home out of me.
The Kiss’s darkness snaked its way through me, searching for my heart and mind, the things that gave it life. I gripped Mateo’s hand, terror making it difficult to breathe.
The sliver of Hell reached my heart and pierced it with sharp claws and teeth. My mind came next. It dug through those sensitive organs, sucking memories and emotions. In their place came rage, bloodlust, and a desire for violence. Anything to make me feel. I fought against it, grasping on to Mateo’s love, the feeling of his gaze on me, his whispered words of devotion. Heat warmed my chest.
Then pure, undiluted pain shot through me, far hotter than any fire, far more powerful than any lightning strike. Agony claimed my body, the Kiss shredding me into pieces. My head snapped back, and I screamed. Over and over until my throat was raw. If Mateo was there, I couldn’t feel him. All I could feel was my mind and heart being ripped to shreds. I writhed, fighting against the pain as it poured into my stomach, my arms and legs. Tears streamed down my face; I was still screaming. My throat was coarse, my voice scratchy.
Finally, the pain began to subside. The transformation seemed to last an eternity. When the process was complete, every part of me went slack. Not just on the outside, but the inside, too. I opened my eyes and met Mateo’s worried gaze.
“Mio amore?”
The sound of his voice did nothing to me. No love leapt inside me at his close proximity. No warm feelings filled me when he caressed my cheek.
But what I did feel was hunger. So powerful and overwhelming it took my breath away.
“Samira?” he asked again, his eyes darkening.
“I’m hungry.” Leaping from the bench, I came to my feet, studying the trees.
“Samira?” Mateo jumped to his feet, his hand on my arms.
“I need blood.”
He hurried into the kitchen. “I have several blood bags.”
“No.” I turned around, walking away. Mateo called my name.
Before he could follow, I darted into the night in search of warm, life-giving blood straight from the vein. It was the only thing that would satisfy the pains twisting in my gut.
I darted through the forest, far faster than I had as an older vampire. Much faster than Mateo would be able to run. I laughed, remembering how weak I had been only an hour ago. How had I gone this long without the Kiss? The power coursing through me was intoxicating.
To my left, I sensed a deer, a few of them. I wrinkled my nose. Not what I wanted.
I stopped in the center of a clearing and focus
ed on the sounds and scents around me. Nocturnal animals of all kinds scampered through the trees and underbrush. I was interested in none of them. I expanded my senses further, searching for the one thing I craved.
Inhaling deeply, my nose caught a faint whiff of what I sought. Over a mile away, maybe further. I shot through the darkness in its direction, excitement growing inside of me. My eye teeth began to ache in anticipation.
I thought of nothing else as I ran except my goal. All thoughts of Mateo, my friends, and even Korin were gone. All that remained was the faint voice at the back of my mind urging me to stop, but right now, my instincts overrode everything else.
In the distance, a faint light through the trees drew me. Where there was light, there were humans with warm blood pumping through their veins.
When a small cabin came into view, I slowed and took in everything about it. The SUV parked in the gravel driveway. The kid bike leaning against a porch rail. By the smells surrounding the home, three people lived here. One of them a child. This small fact did nothing to deter me.
I walked past the lit up windows and peered inside. A woman with long curly hair stood in the kitchen making popcorn. I saw no one else, but I heard laughter from somewhere in a basement.
After circling the house, I soundlessly walked up the stairs. Only the screen door was shut. Any monster could just walk in unannounced.
That’s exactly what I did.
“Honey?” the woman said and came out of the kitchen. When she saw me, someone she wasn’t expecting, she brought her hand to her mouth. “Oh! You scared me. Can I help you with something?”
She glanced nervously to the basement. Her husband was probably down there.
“I need blood.” I stepped toward her. She backed up like good little prey, the scent of her fear perfuming the air. I grinned. She would require little effort to kill, but her blood smelled delectable. I inhaled it deeply, then sighed loud and long. “Come here.”
She continued to step back, her eyes wide, pulse beating loudly in the small kitchen.
I appeared in front of her and stared deeply into her eyes. “You will not move. You will not scream.”
