Blood of the Sea Omnibus

by Heather Renee

  “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 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 5

  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 wanted.”

  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 side, 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.

  “My physical strength is fine, but I won’t deny that I need to work on bonding with my vampire side. I really appreciate your input today, Evander. Thank you.”

  Pushing his chair back, he stood from the table. “I know some of you find it hard to believe, but I am on your side. Since the day my mother died, I have lived a life I wasn’t proud of. I have every intention of making things right before Prime can grow more powerful.”

  Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room. I had already assumed that was how Evander felt about this life, yet I waited to see what Jameson and Solomon thought about the revelations.

  “Do you believe him?” Jameson asked me.

  “I do. Though, I also think his motivations might be selfish, even though he wants to do the right thing. He has tried to do it since the day we met him. He may have killed me at one point, but when he discovered I was still alive, I knew he hadn’t meant to do so.”

  Glancing at Solomon, I was curious as to what he thought of Evander. His fingers steepled beneath his chin as he moved his stare between Jameson and me.

  “Lavinia is right, and because of that, we still need to be cautious. Even though he wants to do the right thing now, it doesn’t mean we will always agree on what that is.”

  “So, what do we do now?” I asked.

  “Today is supposed to be a training day for the crew, and we need to stick with that schedule for as long as possible,” Solomon replied. “Jameson, I will need you with me. Lavinia, you should heed Evander’s advice on bonding with your vampire side.” His gaze focused on me. “You have far exceeded our expectations in combat training, but if there is still fear within you, then none of that will be any good to you.”

  For a man who hadn’t known the woman I had grown to be, he was too good at reading me. I didn’t bother arguing his point; I had already come to that conclusion myself. Nevertheless, hearing him speak the words out loud felt like a slap to the face. After all I had accomplished, knowing I still had more to overcome was painful, to say the least.

  Solomon stood from the table and Jameson followed, but I remained seated as I tried to sort out how I was supposed to truly connect with my vampire side.

  The sound of Jameson clearing his throat forced my eyes to meet his, then he turned toward Solomon. “Can I have a few minutes with Lavinia?”

  “I’ll meet you in the back fields.”

  Walking around to my side of the table, Jameson tugged me up from my chair and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t let fear hold you back from greatness. I didn’t have the same darkness within me that you speak of, but I still had a moment when I was forced to accept what I truly was.”

  “When was that?” I asked.

  “When I thought Dom was going to kill you. I needed to embrace all that I was, if I had any chance of beating him to save you. I know you don’t have that kind of motivation right at this moment, but it’s not just about motivation, it’s about acceptance. You have struggled with who you are for a long time now, been afraid that people won’t love you if you’re a monster, but you’re not, nor could you ever be a monster. When you truly believe that being a vampire doesn’t have to be a bad thing, that is when I think you’ll be ready.”

  Tears pricked at my eyes. There was a lot of truth in his words, and I couldn’t argue any of it. Constant doubt plagued my mind. From the moment I realized I was different, I feared no longer being accepted by those I cared about the most. The feeling intensified when I learned Prime was my birth father, and even more so when Solomon told us of two possibilities for my future.

  Jameson lifted my chin before placing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Take today
for you. I’ll be here waiting when you are done.”

  His lips found mine in a chaste kiss, and before I knew it, he had disappeared out the door. I stood in the office, unsure of where I was supposed to go from there. Doubt trickled in, and I wasn’t sure if I could do what everyone was asking of me.

  I wasn’t certain I could accept all of who I was supposed to be.

  Chapter 6

  After going back to our room to change into my training clothes, I made my way to the opposite side of the island—where I was least likely to encounter any other hunters or vampires. I tried to focus on myself and find a balance for the force inside me, but before I realized it, the day was more than half over and I hadn’t made nearly as much progress as I had hoped.

  My feet sank into the soft, wet sand, while I strode along the beach for over an hour—engulfed in self-reflection. Though, the longer I did so, the more my doubts creeped in. Connecting with the darkness had gotten easier, and I had even learned how to keep the power latent without feeling overwhelmed, but I still held back, and I didn’t know how to break through my hesitation.

  I couldn’t be certain why I faltered. The darkness wasn’t bad. I knew that now. It was a gift given by the Sea Witch to all vampires, in the form of the venom currently pumping through my veins. It was a part of me. I had accepted that what Evander said was true.

  My steps slowed when I found a spot in the sand to rest—just far enough from the water that the waves couldn’t reach me—and I sat there, ready to lay myself bare, so I could find the answers I sought.

  There were two distinct things that I needed to decipher, and ignoring them hadn’t worked so far. It was up to me to figure out what I needed to do, which was simpler said than done.

  Everyone that I cared about trusted me even though I had expected them to shun me, like my aunt and uncle had. I had some deep-rooted issues when it came to others accepting me. I could trace it back to the years of knowing I was unwanted and would never belong in that house or in my uncle’s heart. My aunt had done her best, and I knew she loved me, but she was an old-fashioned woman and, at the end of the day, always did as her husband wanted.