“Maybe I’m just angry.” She squeezes the heart hard, digging her ethereal fingers into the soft tissue – a tortured scream from Jackie.
“Or maybe, Jackie, you have gone. Too. Far.”
Jackie’s eyes roll back in her head. Her tongue swells and protrudes from her mouth. Whatever fighting, snarling, and screaming… whatever sounds not absorbed by either Carmina’s voice or the charged atmosphere, stop. Liam watches his wife in admiration and awe.
“I still believe in Light. I still believe in love, family and honor and loyalty. I don’t believe you deserve your birthright. I am sorry Jackie Azzara, of the Lynx House. I am truly sorry.”
Carmina’s soul-body jerks hard, and Jackie lands on her knees, tilting forward, clutching at her chest. Carmina is holding the animal heart in both her hands. She turns her back on the lynx girl whose body is slumping on the ground. Carmina walks towards the Ancients, of which Liam is the only witness.
Standing in front of the Lynx animals of Joseph and Maria, she says sweetly, clearly and sincerely: “You deserve a worthy House member.”
As Carmina walks, a fire goes up behind her, trailing her path across the courtyard floor. The precious Lynx heart is beating in her palms, steadily. The soul-body walks towards Raina, who’s hurt beyond recognition and covered in blood. Raina opens her mouth when she feels the heat, and Carmina strokes against her hair. The blonde turns to a snowy white.
“She will be the gipsy Ancient. It is her time.” Carmina painlessly lowers the Lynx heart over the blond girl’s sporadically beating heart, stroking it into place and shaping it until they match perfectly.
Liquid fire, cold as ice, darts across the ground, clearing the mist and with it, taking the blood and the broken bodies with it.
Liam’s eyes do not leave the entity moving towards her own body but not before she kisses his cheek. “I hate you, Wolf boy. I am done here.”
A dark shape of a kiss welts bright red, then pitch black against Liam’s cheek for all to see, and vanishes out of existence.
The courtyard is covered in sand. The gentle rain starts falling, washing away the last evidence that there was any form of confrontation.
Liam closes his eyes, sharing the memory by way of gathering witness with those that link with him.
Carmina Moretti is not ‘just’ human.
A short distance off, Margarith Nightshade is moving from one clan member to another, instructing them on the next course of action. Those who are injured and in need of medical attention are escorted to get themselves seen to. Those who are able to assist do so and the rest are to go home and check on their children. Thankfully, in the short battle with the Gello’Des coven, the Fire Clan has come up virtually unscathed. The originals, the dark warriors, are seeking out the shadows, waiting and guarding the courtyard battlefield, listening for any sign, any indication of renewed attacks or escapees.
The Ancients have shifted back to their human shapes, visiting with each family of the clan to share a view of the final moments of the battle. They leave Liam with his wife in the courtyard.
“Carmina…” Liam’s voice is soft but urgent. When her eyes focus on him without recognition, fear chokes a new color into his otherwise golden brown eyes.
“My Rockflower?” He tries again but the hazel-sparked orbs are now looking through him as if he does not exist. Carmina’s head tilts to the side, void of any thoughts – at least none that he can read.
There was no warning. There was no reason to consider a threat. In the distance, the moon catches on a silver palm sized crossbow. The moon-glinted warning came too late. Carmina’s body topples over onto her husband.
The dark warrior shadow retreats and one lone call to Liam Moretti: “She was Gello’Des.”
Liam’s world comes to a standstill. He sees the silver arrowhead protruding from Carmina’s chest. It did not explode, but…he hears her heart slow with every beat and he screams for help.
By the time anyone could reach him, there was no denying it…
Carmina Moretti’s heart had stopped. Her links to the houses had been severed. This time, there was no arguing the fact that she is no longer with them.
The fiber of her tie to them fades – leaving a hollow empty thread through the three Ancient Houses where once there was a vibrant human link.
---- End ---
Comments from Beta Readers:
Danine Fourie, Photographer, New Zealand:
My first thought was oh no, not another vampire saga and boy, was I pleasantly surprised from the word go! I connected immediately, devoured every sentence and I want more. Absolutely the best and most satisfying read I've had for a very long time. I will dare anyone, before they've read to the end, to put this book down once you've started reading it. It's impossible...
Linus Cornelius, GIS Fibre optic planner, South Africa
It’s a stunningly written easy read, where the writer captures your imagination with creative descriptions of characters and scenes. Captivating creative and fresh!
Magda Cornelius, Mother, Interior Designer, South Africa
I Love the book!!!!
Ingvild Berglund, Nurse, Norway
It wasn't hard to see where the writer got her inspiration at first, but the twist and plots just grows in to... more! I love how the book makes me have to think, to be angry, sad and happy. Sometimes all at once. I couldn’t read it fast enough, and yet at the end I wanted more.
Landi Louw Farmer Safety officer, South Africa.
Started to read, it does captivate you right from the start. Love the subtle twist and turns. A very intelligent written story and most definitely a book series I will recommend to avid readers.
References:
Rocky Road to Dublin – Lyrics used from the High-Kings Folk band’s website
http://www.thehighkings.com/lyrics/
Story of Ambrogio and Selene:
http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/selene-the-moon-goddess.html
1000 Years, song Lyrics, Christina Perri.
http://lyrics.wikia.com/Christina_Perri:A_Thousand_Years
Of course, I have to give Google Search a special mention too, I practically lived on it for information.
Various references to Myth and Mythology was drawn from
http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/selene-the-moon-goddess.html
The Mysterious Scriptures of Delphi - http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/scriptures-of-delphi.html
Wolves in folklore, religion and mythology -
Gello - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gello
Lynx Mythology - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_28mythology29
Nekhbet - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nekhbet
https://www.facebook.com/Mamarazzi.Nina
Hidden Carmina Page 42
