“It’s all in your head, Ava,” I say aloud. I’m barely talking to myself at this point. I’m wasting time, fighting the inevitable. Going back to the manor means going to bed, and I’m not ready for that. I’m not ready to sleep. When I close my eyes, I see his, and I’m not prepared for another encounter.
Snow blankets the earth, sending a rush of energy through me. I don’t feel the cold, but my mind knows no better. I remember what it was like to be human—to feel the cold, the heat. Strangely, my senses are heightened, but only in certain ways. In other ways, I’m hardened to the elements.
Maybe that’s why I’m struggling to connect with my magic. If it is a culmination of spirit, which is the ultimate elemental control, then I need to harness what it means to be human, to be mortal.
I exhale slowly and then let a quick burst of air fill my lungs. Tapping into the elements seems like an easy task—after all, I’m surrounded by nature. Air is everywhere and in everything. With earth, I can create fire. With fire, I can melt snow into water. With the four elements accounted for, I turn to spirit.
I don’t miss the irony in my most innate element causing me the most trouble. Before my transition, I enjoyed tapping into spirit. I would venture to the astral plane and relish in dreams of the future. Never once did I see my death or what awaits me after it claimed my soul. I didn’t foresee losing my family or turning to the vampires for help.
Now when I think of spirit, I think of visions so terrifyingly real, I can barely close my eyes long enough to blink.
I kick at the ground, sending a spray of fresh snow cascading before me. It’s not easy taking out my frustration on such a yielding subject. Sometimes I wonder if rogues are psychic. They always seem to avoid me during the hunts when I can really use a distraction.
Just as I consider turning back and calling it a night, something catches my attention. It’s brief in time, a quick flash of danger that alerts my senses to his presence. He’s too far to touch, but a sensation in my gut grows. It gnaws at me, warning me that I am not alone.
Something else is stalking these woods tonight.
I take a few steps closer, squinting through my frozen lashes. I need to draw closer, if only to ensure there really is cause to worry. Am I being hunted, or am I so distracted by my predicament that I can’t think clearly?
The wind rustles dead brush, and with it, the howling sound of air scraping against wood permeates around me. It’s distracting, and my gaze darts to the snow-covered mound before me.
Quickly, I leap over it, landing several feet on the other side. The moment my weight slams down, the ground grunts its protest. The crunch of snow radiates through my boots. My knees ache at the impact, and I run my fingertips along the snow as I crouch down.
I can feel him. The snow speaks to me, sending shock waves to my fingers every time he moves. The beauty of the elements is its connection. Everything meets, and with that connection, the world speaks to me as a hunter. It makes being a predator much easier, and on a night when the sun is soon to rise, I’ll take every advantage I can get.
He jostles behind a tree, poking his head out from the shadows to find me. I’ve already spotted him. His crimson irises invite me in, and I smile.
I’m running before I’ve formed a plan, and I reach his side in record speed. I spin around the tree, hoping to catch him off guard, but the moment I loop around, he plants two fists firmly at my chest. I’m catapulted away, landing several feet from my intended target. Plopping squarely on my butt, I’m having training session flashbacks. Malik was right. I should have been focused today.
I stare up at him from where I sit, and my blood runs cold. A screech erupts from my chest but stops short of reaching my lips. Instead, I choke on it.
This isn’t real. He can’t be here!
“Hello, Ava,” the vampire says.
“Will,” I whisper, remembering his name from my earlier nightmare.
I jump to my heels, prepared to strike back, but he takes several steps backward, throwing his arms up in defense.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” he says.
Unbelieving, I quickly withdraw my weapon—a simple dagger with a black-threaded handle—and slice it through the air between us. I want him to know I’m familiar with this weapon, even if it’s not my trusty stake, and fully prepared to end his life if needed. I may be absolutely terrified right now, but if only one of us is making it home tonight, I’ll make sure it’s me.
“Don’t you think I would have attacked by now if I wanted to hurt you?” he asks. “I’ve been following you for at least an hour.”
I inhale sharply. That long?
“Yes, that long,” Will says with a smile. I hate that he knows me this well. I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions, and I never cared when my family knew what I was thinking without me speaking my mind. But it’s different when my enemy uses this against me. He shouldn’t know what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling.
“What are you doing here? What do you want with me?” I shout, maintaining my hold over my weapon. I refuse to lower it—not until I feel safe enough to turn my back on him. And I don’t foresee that happening anytime soon.
“I came looking for you,” he says. “I thought I made that fairly clear.” He makes a pointed face, and it irritates me.
“What do you want with me?” I ask, afraid of his honesty. A new vampire has come to town vying for my attention. And he has it.
A thought occurs to me. This vampire has made it pretty clear that he’s been hunting me—and not just tonight. He found a way into my dreams, into the astral plane. Will just happens to find me in Darkhaven, and my former best friend goes missing? If I’ve learned nothing else from becoming a vampire, I have learned there is no such thing as coincidences.
I decide to be direct. I haven’t the time for dishonesty. “What have you done with Liv?”
He arches a brow, a confident glow of confusion crossing his face. “Who?”
“Liv. Where is she?” I ask, repeating myself.
My voice is forceful. I need him to believe he’s made some mistake. We can do this one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way. If he believes I know more than I do, he might just admit his wrongdoing, and there might be enough time to save her.
He frowns, his floppy brown hair blowing when the breeze picks up. His skin is pale, his eyes two glowing red rubies. His polished skin creases where his forehead betrays his concern.
“I have no idea who that is. I’m here for you.” He adjusts the lapels of his jacket, a cocky confidence in his demeanor that makes my blood boil.
“So I’m supposed to believe it’s a coincidence that you come to town the very day she goes missing?”
“Liv is missing?” he asks, both clarifying my accusation and confusing me in the same breath.
“I— Yes, she’s missing.” I relax, my shoulders in knots. His confusion is settling over me, and I’m starting to believe he really didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance, which means there’s yet another vampire in town looking for payback. Will this ever end?
“Who is she?” Will asks.
“She is…was…my best friend.”
Will sucks air through his teeth, and the hissing noise splits my brain. “Sounds like things ended badly.”
“Well, you know…vampire now,” I say, pointing at my core as if that’s where my vampire powers reside, as if my situation is not painfully obvious by my crimson irises, fangs, and pale skin.
“Ah, now we’re getting to the juicy stuff,” Will says. “Liv is a witch.”
I hesitate before answering but ultimately confirm. After all, he says he’s been looking for me, for special vampires, so he must know that I was once not only mortal but a witch.
He nods. “I can see how you might think I am responsible for her disappearance, but trust me, I’m only here for you.”
“That really doesn’t make me feel better about this situation,” I admit.
He laughs
. “I suspect it doesn’t.”
“Who are you?” I ask, utterly confused by our total encounter.
He smiles. “Well, I could tell you, or I could show you…”
I don’t respond, so he must take my silence as my willingness to continue this odd exchange. I hate to admit that I might have been wrong about him. He truly doesn’t seem interested in harming me, which only leaves one question.
What does Will want with me?
He answers my question without even speaking.
With the flick of his wrist, a fireball sparks to life, floating within his grasp but never fully touching his skin. He bounces it a little, toying with the scorching heat that’s mere feet before me. With one quick snap, he could end my life, yet I don’t feel threatened. In fact, I feel so completely mesmerized by his magic trick, I’m walking toward him, as if my legs are powered by my emotions, not by my brain.
When I’ve closed the space between us, I reach for the small ball of fire, running my fingertips along its edge. I’m not confident enough to actually touch it, but I need to feel it. I don’t feel the heat of the flame, but I do feel the power of his magic. I’ve only felt this kind of raw, pure strength from one other vampire: Amicia.
I tear my gaze from the fireball and glance up at Will. He’s smiling down at me. The space between us is almost nonexistent. I didn’t realize how close we became, but now that I’m just a breath from his skin, I’m nervous. His eyes sparkle, the flame of his magic dancing across his skin, before he quickly extinguishes it. Still, even without the heat of the flame lighting our faces, I stare up at him, not daring to be the first to look away.
“You’re like me,” I whisper. I speak low, soft, but he hears my whisper and the desperation in my voice. I’ve longed for someone like me for what feels like forever, and finally, I found him.
He nods, jaw clenched. He swallows, and his throat bobs. I’m so close, I can see the vein in his neck and the lighter strands of brown in his hair. His crimson irises are swirling with color and life and power. Utterly mesmerized, I can’t look away.
“Why didn’t you come sooner?” I ask.
“I had to find you first.”
“But last night… You found me then. Why wait until now?” I ask.
“I needed to wait until you left your nest,” Will says.
I frown. “But the others—”
“I have no concern for them.”
“They’re my family,” I say, hurt by his confession.
“Just because they made you doesn’t mean you’re indebted to them. Leave with me.” He trails his fingers along my jawline, rubs his thumb gently in the divot of my chin, and angles my head toward his.
Time seems to slow as he waits for my response, but I’ve fallen mute. I don’t want to leave the vampires, but something inside me needs Will to stay. I yearn for him in ways I don’t desire Jasik. Will can offer me something my sire cannot: answers.
Chapter Eight
Witches are strange creatures. Blinded by an unspoken camaraderie, they protect each other, even if they aren’t part of the same coven, even if they don’t understand what’s right, what’s wrong. Being stubborn and headstrong, I succeeded in that life. Prejudice was instilled at birth, and I asked no questions. I believed everything I was told. It’s taken everything I have to break free from the beliefs rooted deep within my soul.
I’ve liberated myself from all save one—my desire to protect those who cannot protect themselves. When I transitioned, I promised myself I would not hurt a mortal. I would not drink from humans, and I would protect Darkhaven from vampires far more terrifying than anything the witches could conjure.
I thought the moment I consciously chose to forsake my upbringing and choose my vampire allies over those who gave me my life’s blood would be earth-shattering.
It wasn’t.
It was just another day. The sun rose, the sun set, and now those very witches I actively protected from the fiends they fear are forcing me to choose yet again.
I sense their approach, and from the twitch in Will’s eye, he does too. Frozen in time, I listen as they chant, knowing full well how powerful a coven can be.
I blink, and everything changes.
I’m assaulted by a force so powerful, I’m thrown backward. No longer staring into Will’s eyes, silently begging him to stay a little longer, I’m watching the world fly by in a blur. I slam against a tree, my head smacking the thick, frozen trunk. Stars dance in my head, and my neck burns at the impact. The thick, slow ooze of blood seeps down the back of my skull, and I fall to a heap at the base of the tree.
The smell of blood—my blood—clouds my judgment. It coats the air in its tantalizing fragrance and makes my stomach grumble. I lick my lips and blink away the pain. My vision is blurred, so I wipe at my eyes.
As several figures approach, I ignore the trickling of blood that tickles the back of my neck. It’s harder to ignore my splitting headache. My body is shrieking at me, screaming in agony.
I grunt, struggling to stand, and I am forced back down again by the invisible magic. These are air witches. Air might be one of the weaker elements—compared to fire—but it is useful at keeping targets distracted.
The force pinning me down is strong, and I worry it’s far stronger than me. I fight against it, pushing to stand. My legs burn, and their magic pushes me down harder.
I sink into the frozen earth. An ache works its way through my muscles, settling deep into my bones. Finally, exhausted and gasping for breath, I relent. No longer fighting, I sit back, resting my head against the tree. The bark is jagged and cold. I wince when it scrapes against my wound.
Four witches stand before me, forming a half circle around me and using their magic to pin me to the tree and the ground. I don’t know their faces, but that doesn’t matter. My war against my former coven is now theirs to bear. The irony of this pointless feud is the loss of so many innocent lives—which the witches claim to protect.
I glance past them and stare into the distance. More witches emerge from the shadows, and all fight Will. My heart races as he dodges a fireball. Blasts of air like daggers in the wind shred through his torso, and he cries out in agony.
I call to him, and the witches cocooning me lash out. When I’m silent and obedient, they halt their attack, as if they aren’t truly interested in me at all. It is clear that their target is Will, and unfortunately for them, he’s my only key to the puzzle that is my entire existence.
If they want him dead, they’ll have to go through me first.
A one-on-one fight against a witch isn’t troubling, but a four-to-one fight is. It will take my full strength and tapping into my questionable magic to evade my captors and aid my newfound ally.
The moment I make the decision to end their lives, I feel…different. It’s freeing to abolish that connection to my former life, but more so, it’s empowering. With the link severed, I can jump into the abyss.
Unfortunately for them, embracing my dark side is going to cost them their lives.
My magic swirls in me. It’s a fire pit of energy, a blazing inferno of power and strength that the witches couldn’t even hope to harness.
I ball my hands into fists at my sides, squeezing so hard I’m sure I’ll crack bone. My knuckles ache, and I scrape them against the frozen earth. The ice shards covering the land aren’t strong enough to break skin, but it dulls the pain. It’s a welcome distraction from what’s boiling inside.
My magic is sparking to life, igniting within the deepest parts of me. It’s desperate to be released. It feels as if it has a mind of its own, and I don’t fear its ulterior motives. Instead, I yield to it, knowing this darkness will be the only thing to save us.
I dig my fingernails into my palms. I clench my muscles, my arms twitching, until my elbow aches. My magic is bubbling within, and it’s only a matter of time before I burst.
I feel it rising in my chest. It burns in my heart and fills my lungs. It works its way up my throat and
into my mouth, forcing its way out.
I scream, and when I do, the buildup of magic escapes through my lips. It blasts outward from my mouth, shooting erratically.
No longer in control, I sit as a bystander as my magic thrusts outward and slams into the four witches entombing me. They are flung backward, soaring through the air as they are hit by a blast of energy far stronger than their combined magic.
The witches scream, relinquishing their hold on their own air magic, and crumble to the ground several yards away. They claw at the ground, fighting to stand, to protect themselves, but it is no use. My magic has already stretched from within me and is creeping toward them like heavy fog on a dark day.
When it reaches my victims, it wraps endlessly around their frail frames, encasing them in a fiery tornado. It takes only seconds for the witches to succumb to my power, and like a staked vampire, their mortal bodies combust into ash, with nothing to remember them by but their cremains in the wind.
With my captors eliminated, I stand. My legs are wobbly, and I teeter as I move forward. Exhausted from using such powerful magic, I take breaths in quick bursts. In shimmering iridescent waves, my power flows all around me. It stretches outward, never straying too far, always connecting to me in some way. After all, I am its host.
The other witches are surprised by my escape, and some weep for their fallen sisters. I ignore them and trudge forward. My legs are heavy, my arms weak. My stomach burns from hunger. Every second I use this magic, my energy depletes. I’m not sure how long I have before I’m too weak to summon it at all.
Two witches attempt to corner me, blocking me from reaching Will. Angry, I throw out my arms before me. The fire in my heart spills from my palms, lashing forward at my attackers. Morphing from a soft, shimmery iridescent glow, it becomes a violent and blinding orange. It breaks through skin, leaving behind gashes in flesh.
One of the witches cries out when I pass her, but I ignore her fear. Instead, I search for Will. I call to him, seeing him battling his own demons. He’s wounded and frightened. The anger in his eyes shoots ice down my spine. I suppose this isn’t the best welcome to Darkhaven he could have received.
Dark Promise Page 7
