by Jenna Bernel
*****
TASTE FOR BLOOD
SIMMER
Nephil-Vamp Series, Book 3
By Jenna Bernel
*****
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: Sunset
Chapter 2: Block the Light
Chapter 3: No Escape from Pancakes
Chapter 4: Unwelcome Keepsake
Chapter 5: The Lighthouse
Chapter 6: Ghosts of Caliontre
Chapter 7: No Control
Chapter 8: Daddy?
Chapter 9: The Other Way to Turn
Chapter 10: Nephil Training
Chapter 10: Surprise
Chapter 12: Where to Now?
Chapter 13: Enough Chitchat
Chapter 14: For My Own Good?
Chapter 15: Now or Never
Chapter 16: Back to School
Chapter 17: His Turn
Chapter 18: Besties Have X-Ray Vision
Chapter 19: One Small Hitch
Chapter 20: Time is Out
Chapter 21: The Red Trance
Chapter 22: The Real Her
Chapter 23: Make it Stop
Chapter 24: Shattered
TASTE FOR BLOOD
SIMMER
Nephil-Vamp Series, Book 3
By Jenna Bernel
Copyright © 2016 by Jenna Bernel
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events or locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events locales or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The author holds all rights to this work. It is illegal to produce this novel without the written consent of the author herself.
For information:
http://jennabernel.com
Cover Photos by istockphoto.com
Cover Design by J.R. Nelson
Prologue
I step through the portal and darkness shrouds me. An ethereal glimmer skips across the inky horizon as the glow begins to blanket the stars. The glittering rays dance above me, turning the onyx sky into a swelling light more breathtaking then I ever dreamed possible. The beams of heat lick my skin and elicit a warmth from within. I feel enchanted by this light, yet the cold still bites at my fingertips, reminding me the frost is ever prevalent amongst the flaming haze. In that moment, as the precious confetti of diamonds simmer over my skin, time stands still. I may have seen a glimpse of heaven while peering through the iced window of this unbreakable steel door, but I'm sure I'll never get there. Still, though, I can feel it, something out of my reach just below the surface—a voice, the voice of an angel perhaps, sounding like a sweet melody of pure light as I soak in the words. And I finally understand. I can never forget what I want, never forget who I am, and most importantly, never forget why I'm here. In that single second, I am at peace.
Chapter 1: Sunset
My breath wheezes as I struggle to open my eyes, feeling like fishhooks are forced through my lids, violently keeping them shut. I can't feel my fingertips, I can't feel my face, I can't even feel my heart. Am I dead?! I'm dead! Where am I? I can't see. I can't see?! I take in one haggard breath after another but no oxygen stimulates my heart to beat.
The cold ensconces me, consuming me from the inside out. It feels like I am drowning. The icicles curl down my throat, choking me, solidifying my insides as I turn into a monumental frozen sculpture, but there is nothing exquisite about it. This is it. I have died and landed right where I always knew I would: trapped in my own dark head, imprisoned in my personal hell.
I have always known this day would come, although a small, ignorant part of me actually believed it wouldn't be this soon.
A searing grip encircles my wrist, yanking me forward as my cheek crushes into a wall. The barrier feels furiously hot against my face, and it moves up and down rapidly, mimicking my desperate attempt to take in air teasingly out of reach.
"Breathe. That's it. Breathe. Just breathe with my rhythm, baby. I promise you're all right," Alec's soothing, silky voice repeats those words again and again. I realize it isn’t a wall, just his thick chest spreading heat over my cheek, melting the icicles in my throat just enough for me to choke out a hard, ragged lungful until finally the vise gripping my heart loosens just enough and it begins to beat.
I am blind, blind to everything but the rise and fall of his breath. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I follow his strained instructions, focusing inward, mustering all of my strength to match his rhythm and concentrate on my weakened heartbeat. He responds instantly, pulling me tighter as he strokes my hair and whispers those words, the sweet melody of salvation into my ear, slowing his inhalation, taking me with him.
A sense of calm returns as I stave off the intrusive ice water cascading through my veins with an aggressive warlike mission to invade my heart. I burrow deeper into his comforting arms, temporarily ignoring that I'd vowed to never fall into these arms again. I let the warmth sink into my bones and I begin to match his rhythm. The minutes tick by and finally I can breathe normally.
I dare to blink once, twice, realizing the fishhook pain has slowly subsided. My blinks turn to a reflexive flutter, adjusting to the light now flooding my senses. My eyes begin to focus and I blink out the tears on the verge of escape, blurring the picture before me as the scenery comes into view.
I should have no need for breath. I feel dark, more like a vampire then I ever have before, but it doesn’t make any sense because I haven’t turned. I am still in my human form—or my Nephilim form, I should say—since I transported here through the glass window of the hotel suite after our homecoming dance. I was supposed to go to where the Nephilim lived, so why do I feel like I am being sucked into the seventh circle of hell instead?
I didn’t imagine landing here would be such a scary ride. In fact, I still don't understand how I even got here. I left behind all of my friends and Evan to party the night away, and for what? Henry told me to trust him, but how can I explain my sudden disappearance from the party? How will I ever get back without being frozen from the inside out? I knew in that moment what my death would feel like, and that I had only barely escaped from it.
My breathing picks up again as the anxiety sets in. I am feeling so overwhelmed, and it is about to get much, much worse. Sensing my agitated breathing, Alec untangles his face from my hair as I lean away to meet his gaze. What I see is indescribable, the purest form of endearment I have ever seen in someone's eyes. He is the most baffling man—I mean, Nephil…vampire—I have ever encountered. Suddenly, I have no thoughts of death and no flood of questions for what just happened because all I can see are his eyes. They Trance me, yet there is no dark magic at play as he takes in my features.
Alec quirks up one side of his perfect upturned lips until they curl into what I dub as his signature smirk when he realizes his effect on me, and I promptly scowl at him. I have fully returned from the depths of oblivion to reality—whatever twisted, nonsensical, ridiculous teenage Nephil-vamp reality that may be.
Alec cups my cheek as I try to understand the expression brewing behind his cocky grin like a veiled threat, as if it takes every ounce in him not to crush his lips against mine. I veer away from his touch, but he holds his other hand to my cheek, essentially locking me in his gaze. He holds my stare with absolute admiration in his stormy ocean-blue eyes and I am suddenly fixated on him. It is as though he is seeing me for the first time, and for a split second I see him, really see him.
"Ahem." The interruption abruptly pulls me from Alec's attention before I can fully absorb our strange mome
nt of peace. I turn to find Henry fidgeting uncomfortably, and he won’t look directly at me, as if he is embarrassed. His blond, curly hair looks brighter somehow, almost sparkling as it hangs over his big blue eyes, and I cock my head to one side, perplexed by this as I try to dissect his features, picking out what else seems to have changed since I last saw him only weeks ago.
"Are you all right?" Henry asks meekly but with deep concern, still not meeting my eyes.
"I think so." I quickly scramble out of Alec's arms to look over myself for injuries, but find nothing out of the ordinary except that I am still done up and in my spectacular homecoming gown. It glitters wildly against the light of the setting sun. It feels like the masquerade ball was lifetimes ago even though no time has passed at all; at least, I don't think so. I have no idea how time works here. I suddenly feel like an out-of-place amateur in this Nephil world.
"You should have told us she was this bad! Forget Christoph, I am the one who will claim your head for this," Roman barks, commanding my attention with his sudden outburst and stepping into view. I hadn't even realized he was here.
"And what?! As if you could've made any difference?! I told you she does what she pleases. This is the only way. I am your only choice!" Alec yells, stepping past me to get in Roman's face.
"Did you see what just happened?! Are you that blind, or just that big a fool?! She is lucky to have crossed the realm at all at this point. You are more useless than I ever imagined!" Roman counters, stepping into Alec’s personal space, not at all intimidated by his strong vamp instincts that are fiercely protective of me. And why is that? Again, I don't know.
Roman turned Alec as he did me. I am as much his prodigy as Alec is, yet they are so openly hostile whenever in each other's presence that it is reminiscent of bullies in a school yard trying to claim their territory over the shiny new swing set. I look to Henry for answers but he just shrugs, turning his face to one side as he shakes his head in disappointment at their juvenile behavior.
"It was your job to protect her, and look what you've done!" Roman yells, his voice cracking with such unexpected torrid emotion, seemingly impossible for a vampire, that I step back in surprise. What is that supposed to mean? I look over myself, now feeling self-conscious, but there isn't a scratch on me.
"You—"
"Stop! Enough!" I cut Alec off from his rebuke to Roman and pull on his wrist. "You're both useless if neither of you can tell me what the hell is going on. Why am I here? What is happening to me?!" The edge in my voice is borderline shrill as I look at Alec with pleading eyes.
This isn’t about their pissing contest; this is about me. I need to understand this place, Caliontre. I need to know how I fit into all of this, and most of all I just need to feel real and alive again. I can’t bear this for much longer. I know as a vampire my heart doesn't beat, but even in this moment, feeling my heart pound violently against my chest, I don’t feel right anymore, and it is getting worse every day. I am a shell, already a ghost of my former self. What will become of me by morning?
"You're right, my dear. I'm sorry. How confusing this all must be for you," Roman says with unexpected sincerity.
He steps forward and holds out his hand for me to take. I release my grip on Alec's wrist and gingerly place my hand in Roman's, only to find that I feel colder than him, a Vampire without a beating heart. Our eyes both widen in shock from this revelation and I sharply pull my hand back, looking warily up at Alec. He looks at Roman, who closes his eyes as he shakes his head, as if the sight of me causes him great pain.
Alec quickly scoops up my hand. Normally I would rip it away from him, not wanting to encourage this typical line-crossing behavior of his, but I feel a tug of relief when the warmth of his touch spreads slowly up my arm and over the rest of me. It reminds me once more that I am not in fact dead, so I reluctantly allow this semi-uncomfortable gesture.
"Come on, Dani, let's go for a walk. We have a lot to talk about," Alec says in almost a whisper, and when he swallows audibly, my heartrate instantly spikes. He's nervous. Maybe I'm not ready to hear this after all. Suddenly I dread whatever information is about to be revealed and have the urge to run away.
"Christoph wants to see her now, and it should come from him," Roman warns, pursing his lips with disapproval.
"As much as you detest it, I am a part of this. Meeting her birth father will be enough of a shock; she needs to hear this from someone she trusts," Alec states with finality.
"I don't trust you!" I blurt out automatically and with much more harshness than intended. Alec whips his head to look down at me and his face crumples with a wounded expression much more human than vampire. My stomach sinks. I don't know how to move past the anger even though just moments ago he once again saved me from myself. I don't know if I can ever move on after what he did to Eli. I'm not even sure if he's still alive.
How can I ever forgive Alec if my partner, my friend, is gone? My insides turn with anguish at the thought of Eli and what has possibly become of him. I feel a pang of regret that I've said this out loud and in front of Roman, who might as well be his archnemesis from what I can tell.
"I-I mean, I'm just overwhelmed— I'm trying to process what's going on," I stutter in an ill attempt to recover from my outburst. Roman's expression changes to smug satisfaction and I glower at him. He is no help. And I only said that because my darkened heart is on autopilot. I know deep down, past all the pain and anger, that I trust Alec in a way that I can never really admit aloud.
Alec drops my hand in defeat and my skin erupts in goosebumps as the cold spreads back over my arm. How does he do that? Oh, I wish Evan were here. He'd wrap me up in his strong arms and make me laugh and happy and human again like he always does. I recall the soft, sweet kiss we shared moments before I left. This is really not how I hoped my senior Homecoming night would end, not even close.
I sigh, regretting leaving Evan at the after party all alone. No! He won't be alone. Harper will be dateless as well now that Alec is here with me. My boyfriend and his manipulative witch of an ex-girlfriend alone together until who knows when I’ll return. Oh God, what have I done? I shudder and try to shake off the unpleasant scenarios running through my mind, but they take over, distracting me from the present.
"Whatever you want, Dani. Let's go see your father," Alec finally says sullenly, bringing me back from my unhappy thoughts of Harper trying her best to screw Evan just to spite me. Alec tries to hide the ache in his voice but fails to hide it from me; I know him too well now.
I sag, embarrassed by my sudden lack of filter—not that it was great to begin with. I used to be a more compassionate person—at least, I hope. I roll the F-word around in my head. My father? I'm about to go see my birth father, whom I didn't even know existed a week ago, and he'll reveal some core-shaking truths about my life?! A nauseating wave of panic washes over me and bile rises to my throat.
"No. No way! That man is not my father, and he hasn't given a shit about me in seventeen years. I'll be damned if I'm going to sit there quietly and let him dictate my future!" I spit the words with bitter disdain and Roman gasps.
"Daniella, that's absurd! What have you been telling her?!" Roman closes the gap between him and Alec and presses an accusatory finger into his chest. The red heat in his eyes starts sparking outward from his black pupils like fireworks, and for the first time ever I find myself intimidated by this vampire, feeling the full force of his Infinity power emanating off him.
"Kindly remove that finger before I rip it clean off your body. I have my orders and I won't break them again, at least not for you." Alec's voice is quiet, too quiet, scary quiet as his own Infinity vamp power radiates from every cell inside him, washing over his being like a cloudy glow ready to smother Roman. I have never stood in the presence of such Infinity power before, even in a room full of vamps. I swallow hard as I ponder how that can be possible.
Henry looks at me nervously, like he's unsure of what to do. He was clearly sent to get me becau
se I trust him implicitly, but he too is very new to this world. His curly hair shines in the golden-pink sky as he swings it back and forth, cautiously watching the two vampires before him. He looks so young and innocent and completely out of his league that I feel an unexpected tug of emotion. My protective instincts for my turned take over.
"Shut up! Both of you shut up!" I command, and Roman drops his finger from Alec's chest and turns to look at me with shock at my anger. Somehow my own Infinity power seeps through, even though I am out of vamp form. I reach up and grab Roman's chin with one hand and Alec's with the other, pinching hard with my thumb and index finger, forcing their chins to tilt down until they're looking me in the eye.
"As suspected, you are both, in fact, useless. Now Henry and I are going to go get me cleaned up, and if either of you dare follow me, I swear I will rip your deaf ears right off your empty heads." I don't yell, but the threat is a low rumble in my throat that scares even me. I grab Henry's hand, anxious to get him away from these menacing vamps before it gets any uglier and they lose control of their instincts.
I notice Roman's mouth as he gapes, and his eyes turn to slits. For the first time his anger focuses on me. Alec twitches his lip in an almost imperceptible proud smirk at my outburst, like I had just proven his point to Roman. Well, he's right, not that I'll ever tell him. He'd like it too much. I do what I want, when I want, and on my timeline. They may have gotten me here, but I've had enough for one night. I'll go see this "father" when I'm good and ready. Screw all these people trying to control my life.
"You do not speak to your maker with such—"
"Shut it, Roman! Come on, Henry."
Alec chokes out a laugh that he tries to pass off as a sudden coughing fit. I can feel Roman's onyx eyes boring into my back as I pull tighter on Henry's hand, beginning to walk in the other direction away from them. I use Henry's shoulder to steady myself as I slip off my high heels. I’m having trouble pulling off storming out huffily when I'm sinking into the sand.
