by Lexi C. Foss
“And then they turned you after,” Travis says knowingly.
“Yup.” I nod.
“So this E.V.I.E. thing, it’s a vampire-slaying organization?” Ellie questions, scooting to the edge of her seat. The slight movement annoys Roscoe, who jumps off the couch and wanders into the kitchen like a grouchy old man.
“Pretty much.” I nod again.
Travis tips his head and leans forward onto his knees. “How’d you get involved in it? I assume they don’t know you’re one of us, right?”
“They don’t. Only two of my slayer sisters know, and they’ve been sworn to secrecy.” Not a complete lie. Both Aliya and Casti promised to keep their mouth’s shut. I’m not telling them about my mission, though. At least not all of it. “As for how I got involved, I was born into the E.V.I.E. legacy. Three generations of women in my family slayed for them. My grandmothers were great, but my mom? God, she was badass,” I laugh, remembering her fondly. “She was a witch, too, which gave her an advantage when she was out on a hunt.”
“Was?” Travis asks curiously, surprising me in the process. For the first time since I walked into my apartment, he doesn’t sound angry.
I nod forlornly. “She died… Well, she was murdered, really.”
Ellie gasps as Travis’ brows nearly shoot up to his hairline.
Nodding again, I continue. “When I was a kid, I dreamt of being something else, of doing something else with my life. It’s not that I didn’t want to follow in my family’s footsteps, I just didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Sound familiar,” Ellie chimes, tipping the corners of my lips in a small smile.
“The way I saw it was, yes, they were vampires, but they were still people, right? I knew some were bad, obviously, there’re bad eggs in all races. But what about the good ones? They didn’t deserve to be hunted and killed just because they were different. My mom used to tell me none of them were good, and perhaps she was right; Our kind is vicious and oftentimes vile, but back then, I didn’t believe it. I promised myself that, although not taking my mom’s place in E.V.I.E would break our family’s legacy, I wanted to help people. So I worked my ass off during high school and got into Harvard to pursue my Ph.D.”
“Harvard? Wow, that’s impressive,” Travis praises. “So, what happened? Why aren’t you there now?”
“My mom.” I shrug. “I completed two years with blood, sweat, and tears. During winter break of my third, I was coming home after a late night out with friends. Mom was still awake when I arrived, working on a protection spell for a friend. I blew her a kiss, not wanting to interrupt her, and went straight to my room to change out of my clothes. They reeked to high heaven of smoke and the beer some random douche spilled all over me. I was gone one minute, literally one whole minute, before I heard the slam downstairs. My mom always had me keep a stake in my nightstand drawer just in case, so I grabbed that, my can of mace, and my switchblade before quietly running down the stairs. What I walked in on proved to me vampires were only made of evil. There were no good ones like I thought as a kid.”
Both Travis and Ellie are too rapt in my storytelling to comment. They’re just watching me, waiting for me to go on. This is the hard part, though. I don’t like revisiting this moment in my life. It helped shape who I am today, and not in a positive way.
Inhaling a deep breath, will myself to relax and just take it slowly. “My mom was down on the ground with a beast of a man on top of her, trying his damnedest to incapacitate her. And he was, choking her out as he grit through his teeth about her being a murderer. I stood there at the threshold, not knowing what to do, what to say. All I knew was if I didn’t do something, he was going to kill her. I’d watched her throw stakes so many times, I was positive I could do it, too, if I concentrated enough. So I went for it. He was in the perfect position for me to nail him, too. But I missed. I didn’t throw it hard enough. The damn thing landed mere feet away from them, turning his attention on me almost immediately.”
“Do you know who he was?” Ellie asks, her eyes filled with emotion.
“I didn’t at first, no. I just thought he was your everyday, normal vampire. I didn’t even notice the royal garb until he was down.”
“Royal garb? Who was this dude?” Travis presses.
“The king of Shadowed Sanctum, better known as the Malefictums father. A few months prior, my mom found her way to their realm and took out his wife and their mother, the queen. No one at E.V.I.E had ever been able to find this place, and she was intent on being the one. I still remember the victory dance she did when she got back with her bloody stake and a satchel of the queen’s ashes. Anyway, after the deed was done, the king scoured every realm and back until he found my mom. He was out for revenge, an eye for an eye, so he tried turning her. Rather than rush me after trying to stake him, he sank his fangs in my mom’s neck, filling her veins with his venom. She kept screaming for me to leave, to find safety at E.V.I.E’s headquarters and tell the others. But I couldn’t leave her. I stood there, helpless, mute, watching this animal poison her. I didn’t scream until he took a bite into his wrist and forced his blood down her throat. That’s when it clicked for me, the moment I figured out what he was trying to do. Without an ounce of hesitation, I throttled my tiny little self toward him and sprayed him with my mace. It didn’t immobilize him as harshly as it would a mortal, but it was enough for my mom to gather what strength she had left and incapacitate him completely with her mind while I grabbed my stake off the ground and shoved it in his heart.”
“You did it, baby. You did it,” Momma wheezes not so far away.
I can’t even look at her, my stare trained on the beast beneath me. Hands firmly locked around the stake, I hold it there until I see his skin taking on that pale, gray color, and he begins hardening to stone.
He’ll be nothing but ashes soon, prompting me to roll off him and crawl over to my mom. Tears fill my eyes almost immediately as I take in the damage he did for the first time. There’s a pool of blood beneath her as it continues pouring from the deep puncture wounds in her neck. Her blue eyes are so dilated, there’s more black than that pale blue I love so much. She’s out of breath, shaking, weaker than I can possibly describe.
“Should I call Greta?” I ask softly, not knowing what else to do. Greta works for E.V.I.E, too.
My mom shakes her head as best she can and motions to the stake still in my grip. “No point, baby girl. There won’t be anything she or anyone else can do. If there were ever a time I needed you to be brave, now is it,” she croaks, brushing my hair from my face.
I’m almost afraid to ask, but… “Why?”
“Because I need you to put me out of my misery.”
Ellie’s sobs are what drops me back into the present. I literally jolt in my seat and all, my sights refocusing on the candlelit room. Travis rubs her back in consolation as she watches me, tears streaming down her face. I’ve never seen someone react like this to hearing my story. Then again, it’s not a story I share with many people. Like I said, I hate revisiting it.
“She had to do something similar to her mom,” Travis explains.
My eyes bulge in complete and utter shock. Of all the things either one of them could’ve said, that is not it. “What? What happened?”
“Our little house was ransacked by rabid vampires in the middle of the night. My papa always used to tell me that, if anything bad happened, to hide in the attic. When I heard all the noise, I sprung out of bed and did as I’d always been told. I watch them drag my parent’s lifeless bodies out to the backyard and bury them. Once I knew they were gone, I ran my fifteen-year-old self straight out there and dug my mama out. She awoke in my arms, knowing exactly what she was, and begged me to give her mercy.”
I cringe at the mental picture and rub at my chest. I might’ve had to do the same, but at least I wasn’t fifteen.
“Excuse me a minute,” Ellie says after a beat, rising off the couch. She makes a beeline for the bathroom, leaving me with Trav
is and an aching heart.
“I’m sorry,” his voice booms quietly, snapping my head toward him.
“Sorry for?”
“For assuming and accusing you.”
My head wants to rear back, but I manage not to and shrug like it’s no big deal instead, because, in retrospect, it is no big deal. I lied about who I was and what I did. Anyone would assume the worst upon discovering what they found. Sure, they had to break into my apartment to do that, but I had it coming. I should’ve been straight up from the jump so they knew who they were involving themselves with. Not that they know everything now, but they don’t need to know I want to die. “Don’t be sorry. I should’ve told you both right off the bat.”
Travis nods, but it doesn’t seem to be in agreement, at least not in correlation to what I’ve said. It’s almost like he’s psyching himself up as he rises to full height and walks around the table.
Craning my head back, I observe him as he sidles up beside me and holds out his hand. I’m struck stupid, unsure of what to do, my throat bobbing through a swallow. Something in his eyes is what urges me to place my hand in his and join him on my feet.
In one swift move, he yanks me toward him and engulfs me in his arms. “Can we call a truce now, or does that come after I admit I was a broody asshole who’s now in awe of you just like his wife awes him.”
There’s no keeping my guard up in his arms. I literally melt, fisting the back of his t-shirt as my heart swells. I don’t reply, content to just stand there and feel the previous waves of uncertainty ebb away.
“We’re going to help you, okay? We’ll help you find Shadowed Sanctum and end those motherfuckers. They’ll regret the day they put their hands on you,” Travis growls, hugging me tighter.
“It’s not going to be easy,” I warn, easing back to look him in the eye. “I’ve been searching for years and no luck.”
He hitches a shoulder and motions to the arsenal beside us. “We’ve got nothing but time. Once we find it, we’ll be ready.”
11
Giselle
I get it now—why Loey and I are so drawn to one another. We share a similar pain, one I wouldn’t wish on anyone else. Should I be mad that she kept some things a secret? Probably, but the way I see it is: everyone has secrets. I’m actually glad Trav and I stumbled upon it the way we did. At first, he was livid. He felt betrayed and somewhat vulnerable since she knew where we lived, but once we got into the nitty-gritty of the story, something clicked inside of Travis, and I swear to God I felt every last of resentment he felt toward her disappear into nothingness.
He wants to help her, I do too, and while it may not be the easiest feat, we’ll get it done.
We’ll free Loey of her demons….together.
Knock, knock!
It’s been about a week since the last time we saw her, which is why I’m on her doorstep, showing up unannounced. I wouldn’t doubt she’s sleeping, but she’s about to wake her cute little ass up. I’ll stand here and bang on the door if I have to.
Thankfully, I don’t have to. Less than two minutes later, the door’s swinging open with a half-asleep Loey and a curious Roscoe on the other side.
She looks adorable in nothing but a white t-shirt, and by adorable, I mean adorably sexy. If I wasn’t leaving today, I’d be all over her right now.
Chuckling, I smack a kiss on her cheek and slide past her. “Good morning, sunshines!” I greet Roscoe, too, giving him a scratch on the head.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, shutting the door with a soft click as I plop onto the couch.
Roscoe’s literally right behind me, bringing over one of his plush toys to share.
“I have something for you.” I grin, taking Roscoe’s offering and patting the empty space beside me. “It’s from Trav.”
Loey trudges over, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and falls into a heap just before Roscoe jumps up to make himself comfortable. He’s not amused with her taking his spot, harrumphing and all.
Reaching into one of my jacket’s chest pockets, I fish out the silver chain and hold up for her to see.
Her blues go straight for the pendant, nearly bulging from their sockets when she realizes what it is. “Is that…?”
“A daylight pendant? Yuuup.”
“How did you…”
“I told you...witches have evolved, Lo. One of Travis’ friends is married to a witch. Boom, daylight pendant,” I explain, twirling my finger for her to turn around.
“How, though? Don’t they need something of mine to bind the spell?” she questions, gathering her blonde locks to one side.
“I grabbed a few strands of your hair from your hairbrush the last time we were here.”
“That’s not creepy,” she laughs as I secure the clasp in place and wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into me.
“If I was collecting it for a voodoo doll, then yes,” my lips press to her neck, “it’d be creepy. I just wanted you to start living a normal life. Being bound to the night screws with your head more than you think.”
Loey hums in response and drops her head aside, granting me better access. I kiss her again, pecking a trail of kisses up to her ear, my fangs itching to latch on and taste her. “Now you don’t have to.”
“How do we know it works, though?”
My lips curl in a smirk against her skin. “Only one way to find out.”
“Ellie, don’t!” she protests, but I’ve already flashed to the curtains, yanking them open.
Sunlight pours into the room, touching every piece of furniture in her living room, including the couch. Loey’s curled in on herself, arms clenched around her knees. She’s right in the light, though, and she’s perfectly fine.
“Look up, babe. You’re fine,” I tell her.
Very slowly, she lifts her head and stretches her arms out before her. “Holy fuck. HOLY FUCK!” She’s on her feet in seconds, astonished expression painted on her features as she bounds up to me, trapping me in a death hug. “It worked...it really fucking worked!”
I’m elated to see her this happy, squeezing her back just as tightly. “Like I told you, it’s from Trav. You can thank him for that.”
“You guys are a packaged deal,” she grabs my face and plants a kiss to my lips, “so thank you. This changes everything for me, literally everything. I can sit outside with Roscoe and watch him play, I can go where I want when I want.”
“You can live a normal life,” I reiterate. “Now you don’t have an excuse to not come over anymore.”
Loey grins, cheeks blooming with color. “You’re right, I don’t, but I don’t need excuses anymore. I’m down to spend time with you guys.”
I definitely do not miss the “you guys” part. My heart swells. It swells so much, I’m almost positive I might burst. “I’m glad you said that ’cause now you can keep Travis some company while I’m gone.”
“Gone?” Her brow quirks in alarm. “For how long? Where are you going?”
“Eh, I’d say about a week or so. I know a powerful coven in Scotland who might have the answers we’re looking for.”
“And you’re going to go alone? Why don’t Trav and I come with you? It’s better to travel in—”
“I’ll be fine, baby girl, trust me.” I yank her closer by that white t-shirt, smoothing my palms down her lower back. “You, however, should go stay with Trav so he’s not all alone. He’s a big baby, hates sleeping alone.”
She’s not stupid; she knows exactly what I’m getting at. But this is the perfect opportunity for them to be around one another without me as a buffer. I know she’s not entirely against it, though, because her cheeks heat all over again. “We’ll see. I don’t like to leave the furbabies alone all night.”
“Malfoy will be fine. Cats enjoy alone time. You can take Roscoe with you if you want. He’ll have plenty of comfy couches to crash on.”
Loey chuckles and cuts her gaze to Roscoe who’s watching us with his head cocked aside. “Whatcha think, bud? W
anna go stay at Ellie’s house.”
Roscoe barks in approval, quirking the corners of my mouth. “When I should tell Trav to expect you?”
12
Loey
Two days after Giselle left town, I crossed the portal to Pale Province. Both Travis and Giselle had already told me not to jump alone anymore, but I can’t expect them to drop what they’re doing every time I find another clue that could possibly lead me to Shadowed Sanctum. Plus, I’ve done this alone for nearly four years; I think I can manage a few more jumps by myself. I didn’t intend to be there long anyway, certain that it would be another bust like always. But to my surprise, it was far from that.
The coven Persia told me about wasn’t hard to find. Their leader owns a metaphysical shop in what looked like their town square, and when I walked in, she told me she’d been expecting me. Evidently, Persia had sent a message to let her know I’d be on my way. She didn’t seem too inclined at first to share what she knew about Shadowed Sanctum, tensing up the moment I brought it up...until I pulled the pity card and regaled her with my story.
A dagger. A gold dagger is what I need to access their realm. That, and my blood. The problem? There’re a few daggers scattered throughout the world and all the other existing realms, and she, apparently, was none the wiser as to where any of them were nor how to find them. I did ask if she could locate them, but she advised me it would be impossible. Without anything tying her to the object, there’s no way she could do it.
That’s okay. I was elated regardless. After years of jumping realm to realm and coming up empty-handed, I finally found the answer I needed: How to find Shadowed Sanctum. All I need now is one of those daggers. Will it be easy? Probably not, but then again, nothing about this mission has been easy. I’ll find one in due time, don’t worry, even if it’s a year or two from now. I’ve come this far; I’m not about to give up because I have to put in a little more work. There’s another positive here, too. The information I can pass to Casti. Not my story to tell but, let’s just say she’s going to want to make her own trip to Pale Province...
