The Vampire War (Dark World: The Vampire Wish Book 5)

by Michelle Madow

Much to my relief, Mary was making an exception to our oath and allowing me to share what I knew with Prince Alexander. The possibility of his taking charge was the only chance the vampires in the Vale had to get out of this mess, and she didn’t want them to die any more than I did.

  Before bringing him to the meeting room, she provided me with the Haven’s white uniform to change into and had my suitcase brought to “my cabin.” I still hadn’t seen my new accommodation yet—I supposed that would wait until after my meeting with the prince. But judging from the fact that everyone in the Haven wore the same white outfit, I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be getting much more use of the clothes I’d brought with me.

  I was pacing around the brightly colored tearoom when Prince Alexander arrived.

  “Camelia.” He stood in the doorframe when he said my name, looking at me as if I were a stranger. “What has the Haven done to you to convince you to abandon the Vale?”

  “The Haven didn’t do anything to me,” I said calmly. “I chose to come here.”

  “Why?”

  “Have a seat.” I patted the cushion next to me. “I have a lot to tell you, and not much time.”

  He glared at the seat, not moving. “Scott is furious,” he said. “He ordered me to bring you back to the Vale.”

  “I’m not coming back.” I leveled my gaze with his, and he gave a short nod, as if he’d already figured that out. We both knew that if I went back there, Prince Scott—I refused to acknowledge him as king, even in my own mind—would take away the few privileges I had left.

  I would be nothing more than a slave.

  Alexander finally gave in and took a seat, as I knew he would.

  “I’m with child,” I said, my hand drifting to my stomach.

  “What?” His eyes widened in shock. “How?”

  “You’ve been alive for long enough to know how these things work.” I chuckled.

  He cracked a small smile. “You know what I mean,” he said. “With vampires unable to reproduce, no male witches in the Vale, and given that you’ve never left the Vale until now… it means the father of your child is a blood slave.”

  “He is not.” I crinkled my nose at the thought of reproducing with a filthy blood slave. “The father of my child is a powerful man.”

  “Then tell me, Camelia.” Alexander leaned forward and placed his hands in his lap. “Why did you run from the Vale?”

  “I didn’t run,” I said, despite the fact that I sort of did. “I came to the Haven because it was the surest way to keep myself and my child safe.”

  “I can understand that.” His response surprised me. “But you’re keeping yourself and your child safe at the expense of everyone living in the Vale. We need you, Camelia. Without you upholding the boundary, we’re more vulnerable than ever.”

  “I’ve left five witches in charge of upholding the boundary,” I said, although my voice wavered, since their powers combined weren’t even half as strong as mine.

  “I know the five,” he replied. “They’re inexperienced, and the wolves have a powerful witch at their disposal. The moment the wolves realize you’re gone…”

  “They’ll attack,” I said. “I’m well aware. They won’t retreat until all the vampires are dead. It’s the only way for their Savior to rise.”

  “What?” Alexander flinched—I’d caught him by surprise, just like I’d intended. “What do you know that you’re not telling me?”

  “I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been in the Haven,” I said.

  From there, I told him all I knew about the wolves, their visions, and their Savior—the Savior that had promised to give everything to the wolves once the wolves destroyed the vampires.

  Camelia

  “So there’s no hope in convincing the wolves to stand down,” Alexander said once I’d told him everything. “They’re determined to slaughter us.”

  “They’re determined to get the vampires off their land,” I corrected him. “That can happen without bloodshed.”

  He was silent for a few seconds—I hoped he was seriously considering his options.

  “You heard Scott and Stephenie,” he finally said. “They won’t retreat. The land is rightfully ours in accordance to the treaty with the wolves. If we leave and allow the wolves to have it, we’ll lose the respect of all the other kingdoms.”

  “If you leave, you’ll be alive.” My voice was sharp—I was determined to drive this point home. “Scott’s pride won’t let him realize that he’ll lose the war, but you’re smarter than that. We both know the facts. Our numbers are tiny in comparison to the wolves, and the majority of our citizens are untrained fighters. Yes, they’re naturally strong as vampires, but that means nothing without proper training. If Jacen had made an alliance with one of the other kingdoms, we might have had a shot, but he blew it by falling for the Nephilim girl from a false kingdom.”

  “And there’s no way of tracking them?” Alexander asked. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” I huffed. “They’re either protected by a powerful cloaking spell or are in a location with a barrier against tracking. Maybe both. Either way, they’re impossible to find.”

  “So Geneva’s ring is lost to us.” For the first time since he’d arrived, fear flashed in Alexander’s eyes.

  “Until they reveal themselves, that’s correct. We can’t track the ring if we can’t track them.”

  “There has to be some way…” He trailed off, glancing around the room as if searching for an answer in its walls.

  “There is,” I said. “You can step up and be truthful with the citizens of the Vale about everything you know, and that includes letting them know about Queen Laila’s death. Evacuate before it’s too late. The wolves don’t want the vampires dead—they just want you off the land that they consider theirs.”

  “The land that they signed away to us,” he said.

  “With their Savior ready to rise, they don’t see it that way anymore,” I said. “And there’s so much empty land down south in America that isn’t already claimed by shifters. Lead the people there and find a place to settle down. Be the ruler that they need. Sure, it won’t be as luxurious as the Vale at first, but at least you’ll be alive to turn it into something magnificent.”

  He was silent for a few seconds—Prince Alexander always thought before he spoke. “It’s tempting when you say it like that,” he said. “Except that they won’t follow me. They won’t leave their homes behind.”

  “You can’t know that unless you try.”

  “And what about what you said before?” he asked. “About how the kingdom needs an original vampire to lead them—not a prince?”

  “What the people need is a leader who will protect them—not one who will leave them ignorant in a land where they’ll surely die,” I said. “Prove to them that you’re that leader. Do that, and you’ll have their loyalty.”

  “What about the other kingdoms?” he asked. “They’re all led by original vampires. If I do this—and that’s a big if—will they accept my new kingdom as legitimate?”

  “I can’t say,” I said. “It’ll likely be an issue you’ll have to address in the future. But at least if you get that far, you’ll have a future.”

  He laid his hands in his lap and looked off to the side, appearing deep in concentration. I could practically see the wheels whirring in his brain.

  “Scott and Stephenie aren’t going to like this,” he finally said, his eyes meeting mine once more.

  “Scott and Stephenie are your equals,” I said. “You can’t cater to them and stay silent any more. Too much is at stake here.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “I can try. But if I do—and if I succeed—will you consider joining us as the witch of the new kingdom?”

  I sat back in surprise, wanting to say absolutely not.

  At the Haven, there was a chance that my baby could be protected from being taken by Prince Devyn once he or she came of age. But I wasn’t comfortable sharing that information w
ith Alexander yet.

  So I decided to stick with my other reason—it was solid enough as it was.

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot,” I started, making sure to stay steady as I spoke. “As you know, maintaining a boundary as strong as the one around the Vale is meant to be a task required of multiple witches. I’m strong enough to do it on my own, but it cost me years of my life. I don’t know how much longer I have left. I’ll likely die young, like my mother and all my ancestors before her. Which is why I still plan on being turned into a vampire—after the baby is born, of course. I hope you can understand.”

  “I understand.” He nodded. “But I had to at least ask.”

  “The witches who are currently maintaining the boundary have high aptitude,” I told him. “With enough practice, they’ll be able to uphold a boundary as strong as the one I was able to hold on my own. Also, they’re not warriors by any means, so they’re terrified of the possibility of an attack. Convince them to come with you. I know them well enough to believe they will.”

  “But if they come with me, there won’t be any witches protecting the Vale,” he said. “Our home will be open to an attack.”

  “Which is why it’s imperative that everyone listen to you and evacuate.”

  “All right.” He sat straighter—I could tell he’d made up his mind. “This new information has made what I need to do clear. Call in the witch who brought me here and tell her that I’m ready to return to the Vale.”

  Karina

  After the travel day—days—I just had, I was really missing the convenience of being teleported by a witch. Bad weather had resulted in plane delays and cancellations like I couldn’t believe, and it had taken over twenty-four hours for me to get from Ireland to western Canada.

  It was night when I arrived at the wolves’ camp—late enough that minus the guards on shift, they were all asleep. The guard on duty recognized me and instantly let me inside.

  Once there, I hurried to Noah’s tent.

  He jumped out of bed when I let myself inside, on guard and ready for a fight. His hair was messed up from sleeping, and his shirt was off, displaying his rock solid abs. He was so frustratingly gorgeous that I wanted to jump into his arms then and there.

  “Relax,” I said with a smile. “It’s me.”

  “Karina.” He breathed out my name in relief. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again…”

  I couldn’t resist for a moment longer—I closed the space between us and pressed my lips to his.

  He leaned into me, his taste spicy and woodsy, and I smiled at how he’d apparently wanted me as much as I wanted him.

  “Wait.” He pulled away, his eyes a mix of emotions. “What happened with Peter?”

  “With who?” I reached for his hands, not wanting to break contact with him after having just showing him how I felt.

  “Peter,” he repeated. “The man who you love. Your soul mate.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I frowned, insulted that he was ruining this moment by being so confusing. “You’re the one I want to be with. I trust you with my life. I know it’s crazy—I would have thought it was crazy if someone had told me weeks ago that I was going to care so much for a wolf—but it’s true.”

  My cheeks heated, and I turned my eyes down, embarrassed for confessing so much. The Carpathian Kingdom taught us to always hide our emotions—to treat them like weaknesses. But I didn’t want to do it anymore. And with war coming… well, I didn’t want to think about the worst, but how could I not?

  I needed Noah to know how I felt about him before it was too late.

  “I think I’m falling for you.” I lifted my eyes to meet his confused gaze, my hands still clasped in his. “Actually, it’s more than that. I have fallen for you.”

  “No.” He yanked his hands out of mine and stepped back, glaring at me.

  My heart slammed to the floor at his rejection.

  “Something must have happened to you at the Haven.” He shook his head, his dark hair falling over his forehead. “Do you truly not remember Peter?”

  “I have no idea who Peter is.” Tears prickled my eyes—frustration. And hurt at how after putting all my emotions out there for Noah to see, he was barely even acknowledging what I’d said to him. “You keep saying his name, but I’ve never met him!”

  “All right.” He took a deep breath, his eyes shining with what I swore was reluctance. “I think we both need to sit down.”

  I went over to sit on his bed, and he took the chair across from me. My heart fell again—I’d hoped he would sit next to me.

  There was only one explanation for the way he was distancing himself—he didn’t return my feelings.

  I was an idiot for being so open about how I felt. This was why I usually kept my feelings to myself. If I kept them to myself, then I couldn’t get hurt.

  “You told me everything about Peter,” Noah started, his voice slightly shaky as he spoke. “You met him on a trip you took—a ship that went from Europe to America.”

  “I did go on a transatlantic voyage a long time ago,” I said. “On the Olympic. However, I don’t recall meeting anyone by the name of Peter.”

  “You met him on the deck while the ship was setting sail.” Noah was speaking frantically now, as if begging me to remember this man who didn’t exist. “You spent the entire trip with him. At the end of the journey, he proposed. But he didn’t know you were a vampire, so you told him and gave him two options. He could either turn into one as well, or to allow you to compel away his knowledge of the supernatural—and of you. He chose to become a vampire. You turned him, and the two of you got married. You were in love and happy… until he was killed by wolves during the Great War. That’s why you’ve been determined to get your hands on Geneva’s sapphire ring—you wanted to wish for Peter to come back.”

  Noah sounded so convinced that I believed he thought all of this was true. He had no reason to make up such a detailed story.

  But when the Olympic had set sail from Europe, I’d stood on the deck by myself. I’d spent a lot of time by myself on that trip, or with the vampire chaperone who had accompanied me, since it was unheard of for a lady to travel alone in that era. And above all else, I was most certain that no one had proposed to me on board. Surely I would remember such a thing.

  No one had proposed to me, ever.

  Over a century of living, and I had yet to experience love.

  Maybe my feelings for Noah weren’t love after all.

  Maybe I was just longing for something I’d never had.

  “Are you remembering?” Noah watched me with so much hope in his eyes, as if everything in the world depended on me remembering this Peter.

  “It’s a lovely story,” I told him sadly. “But it’s not real, even though you seem convinced that it is. Perhaps…” I twisted my fingers around themselves, feeling bad for what I was about to say.

  “Perhaps what?” he asked.

  “Could this be one of your visions from the Savior?” I asked. “Could you be mistaking a vision for reality?”

  “These aren’t visions.” His voice was hard and confident. “You told me all of this yourself. The memories must be there somewhere. You have to at least try to remember them.”

  He watched me with so much hope that I couldn’t say no.

  And so, despite knowing it would be hopeless, I tried.

  Karina

  I tried and was met with nothing.

  “The story you told me never happened.” I moved to get up, feeling more frustrated than ever. “It’s just that—a story. And I didn’t come to you to be bombarded by a make believe past. I came to you because I don’t know why I went to the Haven, or why I called for the fae. I was hoping you would be able to help me fill in the gaps, but all you want to do is talk about this ‘Peter’ who doesn’t even exist.”

  “The fae?” He tilted his head, clearly caught off guard by my mention of them. “Why did you call for the fae?”

 
“I don’t know!” I knitted my hands in my hair, since I’d already told him that I didn’t know. “The fae girl was already waiting for me—she knew I was going to come. We talked, but I don’t remember what we talked about. One moment she was there, then she was gone, and I was standing there alone, clueless about why I’d gone there in the first place.”

  Realization—mixed with possibly pity—crossed his gaze, and he walked over to sit with me on the bed. He left space between us, making sure not to touch me.

  I drew inward, hating that he was treating me like a leper.

  “The fae are known for driving hard bargains,” he said slowly, his gaze locked on mine. “They’re also apparently fond of collecting memories.”

  “What are you saying?” I asked. “Do you think the fae girl took my memories?”

  It would certainly explain why I was so confused about why I’d sought out the fae at all.

  “All I know of the fae are the legends told by my people,” he said. “The shifters refuse to interact with them. We know that if you make a deal with the fae, you always give more than you bargained for.”

  “Okay.” I sat back, thinking. “Since the shifters refuse to interact with the fae, could I have gone to them on your behalf?” I asked. “Is there something you needed that you could only get from them? Something I would have gone to them for without telling you?”

  “No,” he said. “Now that the packs have come together, we far outnumber the vampires. We’re going to win this war. All we need is a way to get past the boundary.”

  “Maybe that’s what I bargained for,” I said. “A way to get past the boundary.”

  “You didn’t,” he said simply. “You were determined to get Peter back, no matter what. That’s what you went to the fae for.”

  “To raise him from the dead?” I raised an eyebrow. “That’s insane.”

  “Insane or not, that was your goal,” Noah said.

  “But no one’s ever returned from the Beyond.” I shook my head in disbelief. “It’s not possible.”