Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising [A Vampires Realm Novel]

by F. E. Heaton

  "All the more reason to feed. Come,” he said and held her hand, bringing her to him.

  Venturi frowned when Prophecy stepped into Valentine's arms. He didn't want to watch as she wrapped her arms around the Aurorea and held him, sinking her teeth into his neck, but he couldn't help himself.

  He wished that she were in his arms, feeding from him. He could sense how hungry she was and could see her fingers tightly holding Valentine. He was older than the Aurorea. His blood was stronger, rich enough to sustain her in the upcoming battle.

  He almost laughed at himself for thinking such things. Valentine would never allow Prophecy to feed from himself, especially not now they were bonded to each other.

  The sight and sound of her feeding from Valentine turned his stomach, but he still couldn't look away. He found Valentine staring at him when his gaze did move from Prophecy. He was surprised when the Aurorea pushed her away, forcing her to stop when she was evidently still hungry.

  He could see it in her eyes when she looked at him, could feel it in her signature.

  "I need my strength, but you need more blood to regain yours,” Valentine said to Prophecy with an air of regret.

  Venturi stepped forwards. “I shall hunt. There is time."

  "There is not time.” Valentine shook his head. “Besides, animal blood would be useless. She needs strong blood."

  Venturi frowned, not quite understanding what Valentine was trying to say. He watched as the Aurorea caught Prophecy around her shoulders, turning her completely so she was facing him. She looked as confused as he felt.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Valentine. The air seemed to grow heavy with anticipation and he waited, wanting to see what was going to happen and not daring to believe the one conclusion he'd drawn.

  Valentine pushed her forwards a little, and it seemed to Venturi that he was encouraging Prophecy to go to him. She still looked uneasy.

  "Just this once,” Valentine said and then met his gaze. “This is about her, and only her. She needs her strength. Understand?"

  The cold tone of his voice made Venturi nod. He understood completely. This wasn't about feelings. If he showed the slightest hint that he was making it that way, Valentine would probably kill him.

  Feeling suddenly nervous and not quite sure how to proceed, or if any of this was really happening, he stared at Prophecy.

  She looked more apprehensive than him, if that was possible.

  He hesitated a moment when she moved towards him, and then drew a claw down his throat, cutting it. It was probably the wisest move he'd ever made. She wouldn't have to bite him to drink and Valentine couldn't kill him out of jealousy.

  Venturi was too nervous to look at her when she finally reached him. He kept his eyes fixed on Valentine's, feeling the intensity of the Aurorea's gaze and the tremendous pressure this was placing on himself. How could he not take pleasure from this moment? He'd dreamt of it for so long and had never thought it would happen. Now that it was, it seemed impossible not to react to her.

  He told himself that he had to maintain his distance and think of this as only sharing blood. There were no feelings involved. None on his side, and definitely none on hers.

  He couldn't stop his eyes from closing when her tongue swept along the length of the cut on his throat. He swallowed hard, his body buzzing with anticipation and burning with hunger.

  His teeth itched to descend and he struggled to keep himself from holding her.

  She placed her hands against his shoulders and his skin tingled where she touched, making his desire for her worsen.

  His body jerked involuntarily when she sunk her fangs into him. It was the last thing he'd been expecting and it drove all self-control out of the window. He clenched his fists in an attempt to stop himself from touching her and kept his eyes closed when she took the first, slow pull on his blood.

  He could feel Valentine watching them.

  Elation swept through him like an inferno when she began to drink, her nails digging into his shoulders and a quiet moan humming in her throat as she gulped down his blood. His body stirred, desire flooding him and making everything disappear as his focus finally settled on Prophecy.

  Her touch was electric and the feel of her teeth in him, her tongue laving the puncture marks, was divine. He silently begged her not to stop, pleaded her to bite him harder. He wanted to feel the pain, wanted to feel her strength and how hungry she was for him. As though she'd heard him, she bit down harder, plunging her lower teeth into his neck and gripping him tighter.

  He winced and stiffened, gritting his teeth to cope with the exquisite pain and the overwhelming pleasure. His fangs sunk into his lip, the heady taste of his blood only adding to the delight of the moment. He felt delirious, a split second away from grabbing hold of her and returning her bite, when she pulled away, licking the wound and bringing him back to Earth.

  Prophecy stepped back, away from Venturi. She kept eye contact with him while she cleaned her mouth, tasting both his blood and Valentine's on her lips. Venturi looked at her with black eyes, the twin spots of blood on his lower lip telling her without words how much he'd enjoyed their moment. She swallowed hard and backed towards Valentine, trying to shake the feeling inside of her and the vision she'd seen in Venturi's blood.

  Her imagination was playing tricks on her. It was just that. It hadn't been a vision. She wasn't going to kiss him in the future. His eyes faded back to blue and she still couldn't tear hers away. She could see in them that he knew something was wrong. He was searching hers, trying to see down into the depths of her heart. She frowned, trying to make sense of what she'd seen and trying to convince herself that it wasn't going to happen, but she couldn't shake the vision of kissing him.

  She turned away, stepping into Valentine's waiting arms and resting her head against his chest, giving her body time to digest what she'd drank from him and Venturi. The combination of their rich blood made her feel a little giddy, but she felt strong again.

  She felt strong enough to face Elena.

  Breaking free of Valentine's embrace, she walked to the door and then stopped and looked back at him and Venturi. Both men were watching her with dark, hungry eyes. She placed her hand on her sword.

  "It's time to go."

  Chapter 27

  The sky was red, making the halo shine like a ring dropped in a pool of blood. The sight of it set Prophecy's nerves alight and brought her power to the surface. It was constantly weaving around her fingers, dipping in and out of the amulet as she stood staring at the eclipse. The torchlight obscured her vision, but not enough to hide the strange halo.

  Dragging her eyes away, she brought them first to Venturi and his commanders. A few more Tenebrae had surfaced. They had probably run when Elena's zombies had attacked. The female commander, Venturi's child, was glaring at his neck. Prophecy looked there too, seeing the prominent marks on his throat where she'd bitten him. Bringing her gaze up, she found he was staring straight at her. The flickering torch Piotr was holding threw warm light on Venturi's face, making his eyes look black. They were dark, but full of affection. She averted her gaze, a little unnerved by the vision she'd seen in his blood and still unsure about how to act around him.

  Her attention shifted to Valentine. He was standing close to her and she could feel his emotions without having to look into his eyes for confirmation. He was thinking about her, and judging by his feelings, they were tender thoughts, but ones laced with concern.

  She smiled, trying to alleviate the worry she could see in his eyes now that she was looking into them. They'd make it through this.

  His gaze moved away from her and she turned, looking over her shoulder at Hyperion. She nodded and Hyperion returned the gesture before looking back at Valentine. It had taken her almost ten minutes to get Valentine to believe that Hyperion was helping them. Thankfully, the lord of Validus had arrived at that point and proven that he was on their side. After that, Hyperion had had a long conversation with Valentine while
she was talking tactics with Tiberius, Piotr, Dmitri and Xavier. She wondered what they'd spoken about.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mia move closer to Dmitri. She gave the Venia a warm, reassuring look and walked over to her.

  "Stay close to Hyperion and his men. They will protect you,” she said to Mia, placing a hand on her shoulder, and then turned to face the group.

  Walking back to Valentine, she surveyed the army she would lead into war. It was bigger than she'd expected. The additional Watchmen would tip the balance in her favour. She could feel the strength coming off them. Most of them felt as old as Venturi, if not older. She'd tried to thank Hyperion for placing the future of his family at risk for her, but she hadn't been able to find adequate words. She knew that the men standing before her were most of his bloodline. A simple ‘thank you’ couldn't possibly convey the depth of what she was feeling. She was awed and honoured by the sacrifice he was willing to make in order to aid her.

  Maybe he didn't see this as a sacrifice. Was he that confident that all of his men would survive and she would succeed?

  She realised that everyone was waiting and took a deep breath.

  "Our army will be split into three parties. The Aurorea and Caelestis guards will lead the way. We will be focused on breaking through Elena's army as swiftly as possible. Our target will be Elena. Our concern will not be disposing of the zombies and any other demons she has employed. That task will fall to the werewolves, the Tenebrae and the Validus."

  She looked at Dmitri, Venturi and Hyperion in turn. They all nodded in understanding.

  "Any demons or zombies that are not caught by this group will be dealt with by the remaining Aurorea and Caelestis. This party will be led by Xavier and Tiberius."

  Stepping forwards, she straightened up and tried to look as confident as she could.

  "Many of us will not return from this fight, but those who fall will not be forgotten and their lives will not be given in vain. I will defeat this witch. I will stop her from unleashing Hell. Know that by your death, you give others life.” She hesitated, wondering if she should say anything else. They all stared at her, waiting.

  "Prepare yourself. We move out before the hour has passed!” Valentine said, stepping up beside her.

  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, thankful that he'd helped her out. She hadn't known what else to say. The group disbanded and she went with Valentine back into the inn. She stopped when Tiberius called her and turned to see him carrying her armour.

  The sight of it made her stomach turn over. It was really happening. She'd never had to wear armour before and in her mind it meant one thing—this fight was serious, dangerous, and many weren't going to survive.

  Taking the armour, she stared at it, unsure what to do. Valentine took her arm, leading her back up the stairs to the room. She raised her head and found that Venturi was already there, and was getting changed. She tried to drag her eyes away from the subtle planes of chest and stomach as he slipped the tight-fitting top on and tucked it into his trousers, but she were transfixed.

  Both garments left nothing to the imagination.

  Turning away, she saw that Valentine had laid her armour out on the bed next to his. He handed her a top and trousers similar to the black ones that Venturi now wore. She supposed that she couldn't wear her combats under armour. She'd never thought about it before.

  Feeling self-conscious and aware of the two men's eyes on her, she fingered the clothes, not quite knowing whether she should be changing or waiting for Venturi to leave. The metal of his armour clattered when he put his other boot on.

  "Turn around,” Valentine said in a dark tone of voice.

  She raised her eyes to see Venturi smirk and then do as he was told. Keeping one eye on him, she slipped out of her combats and top and into the clothes that Valentine had given her. She stood still while he put the armour on her, and then tightened the straps herself while he dressed.

  When he and Venturi were done, she couldn't help admiring them. They looked incredible in their armour. Her eyes roamed over Valentine, taking in the ornate breastplate and the high neck of the armour he wore. The rich silver metal of it was all beautifully decorated; the shoulders, arms, legs and boots. He was holding his helmet under one arm and slid his sword into its sheath with his other.

  When he looked at her with fiery eyes, she wondered what she looked like. For once, she wished she could see her reflection. Both men were hungrily looking at her and she was sure that the sight of her in armour had something to do with it.

  She tugged on the chest plate, feeling a little self-conscious in it. It was moulded to allow room for her breasts but they didn't actually fill it. She didn't disappoint the men staring at her by mentioning that fact though.

  Valentine held her sword out to her.

  Taking it with steady hands, she slid it into the sheath at her side and looked at the helmet that Venturi offered.

  She was sure it wasn't going to suit her, but it was better than leaving her head open to attack.

  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and closed her eyes when Venturi placed the helmet on for her. It was heavy and a snug fit. She rolled her shoulders and moved her head side to side to get used to the feeling of the armour. She didn't know how people could fight in so much metal. It restricted her movements and her peripheral vision.

  Her gaze dropped to her right, gloveless hand. The magic swirled around the stone of the amulet. Apprehension twisted her stomach and she repeatedly told herself that everything was going to be fine. The magic faded from purple to red, picking up her anxiety about Valentine.

  Her eyes widened when his hand appeared in view and he placed it over hers, hiding the stone of her amulet. The magic threaded around his fingers, entwining his hand with hers and giving her a moment of peace and calm. Whenever they were connected like this, she felt as though nothing else mattered.

  He shattered her calm by speaking.

  "We must leave now. The moment we teleported, Elena would have sent her zombies after us."

  She nodded, watching his hand slip from hers. The magic became purple again and she frowned when it turned almost black.

  Lowering her hand, she kept her thoughts calm, not letting her emotions control the magic. Valentine would be safe.

  She led the way down the stairs and out into the open air. Everyone was waiting, most wearing armour and all brandishing weapons. Hyperion and his Watchmen looked most impressive, rivalled only by the Tenebrae. Most of the Caelestis and Aurorea were unprotected, with only the guards wearing armour.

  The werewolves were all transforming, filling the air with cracking noises and growls as their bones shifted.

  She watched Dmitri change and realised that her previous thoughts had been right. He was more frightening in human form. As a werewolf, the top of his head was a fraction higher than Mia's waist, and he was impressively built. She looked closely and smiled when she found she could see the scar that darted across his right eye.

  Without a word, she turned on the spot and started down the slope towards the castle.

  "The zombies do not move too quickly, slower than us, but they would have made it a good way from the castle by now, at least to the juncture of the two valleys.” Valentine fell into step beside her.

  She smiled with the memory of what had happened above that valley. When Valentine had kissed her there, everything had felt as though it was drawing to a close and their future together had been about to begin. Little had they known what dangers had been ahead of them and who their true enemy was.

  She wasn't as confident this time. Fighting the lord of a bloodline was infinitely easier than battling against an ancient necromancer. Vampires she could handle, magic was a different matter. She had tasted the strength of Elena's power, as had Valentine. If anyone knew the true depth of Elena's power, it was him.

  Valentine met Prophecy's gaze when she looked across at him. He searched her face for the reason behind her
concerned expression. He could sense the curiosity in her and could feel the questions. She was always full of questions.

  "Nervous?” he said in a teasing way. She felt anything but nervous to him.

  She shook her head resolutely.

  He glanced at the distant castle and the blood-red sky, and then looked along the line of the army. To his right were Mia and Dmitri, flanked by Hyperion and his Watchmen. On his left walked Prophecy, Venturi, Serenity and Cornelius. The head guards followed behind, along with the rest of their forces.

  He could almost see what would happen when they reached the split in the valley. Hyperion and Venturi would drop back, along with Mia and Dmitri. Prophecy would remain with him, and the guards of Aurorea and Caelestis would join them. It was a good plan, and one that he felt could work. If himself and Prophecy focused on reaching Elena rather than fighting her minions, there was a chance many lives could be spared. The Watchmen, Dmitri's werewolves and the Tenebrae were all far more experienced in battle. It was best they were left to deal with the zombies and any other demons that Elena might have convinced to join her.

  Lowering his hand, he brushed the back of it against Prophecy's. She immediately slipped hers into it, locking fingers with his, and he felt the magic seeping into him, tickling his skin as it passed through. He smiled at the sight of her in her armour. Some of it was too big for her, he'd noticed that when putting it on her, but it would do a good job of protecting her. She didn't look at all comfortable with the helmet. Since they'd started down the hill, she'd adjusted it no less then six times.

  They left the safety of the tree-line behind and walked towards the mountains. Her fingers tightened around his and he could feel how nervous she was now they were approaching the castle. He squeezed her hand, silently reassuring her, and kept up his own confidence, not letting the thoughts at the back of his mind sway him. They could do this, and there was no way he was going to lose her. They'd been through Hell and back over the past few weeks. They were going to defeat Elena and be together.