“But he’s okay?”
“For now.”
Harper sat back down on the bed.
“I’ll find you better accommodations. I couldn’t tell the soldiers who you were. They would’ve alerted the military. You would’ve been put to death. So I’m trying to keep the fact that you’re here under wraps.”
“So that’s why you shot the plane down, huh?” She said, crossing her arms.
“We knew we were going to be able to get you before the plane crashed. We’ve done it numerous times before when we didn’t want the vampire population knowing of outsiders trying to crash our party.”
Harper shook her head. “Y’all have a strange way of doing things, that’s for sure.“
He walked over to her and offered her his hand. “Forgive me, Harper. I didn’t want things to happen this way. I told you not to come.”
“Well, let me see Bryce and I’ll go back.”
He said nothing. She refused his hand and stood up on her own accord.
“I don’t understand why you can’t let me see him.”
“He’s sick. He needs time to recover.”
“If he’s so sick, then how did he connect with my through that psychic vision last night?”
Roman shrugged. “It could’ve just been in your mind.”
“It wasn’t,” she spat. “It was as real as this. I know it was really him.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll have some of the lady’s maids come attend to you.”
“And then I can see Bryce?” She said hopefully.
He shook his head.
“Roman, I hope you understand that I can’t trust you. Especially not now. The fact that he got sick…it seems very suspicious, don’t you think?”
He glared at her. “How very presumptuous of you, Harper. Bryce and I have rarely seen eye-to-eye, but I’d never hurt him. Even if he wasn’t fully my cousin.”
“There you go with your conspiracy theory. You really think he’s some type of fraud?”
“I’m just following the trail of evidence. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“So if he’s not truly the prince, then it must mean that you’re next in line, right?”
Roman said nothing for a moment. He turned to look out the window. “We’ll see. Things can turn out in any number of ways.”
They heard a knocking at the door. Harper turned to Roman. “Who is it?”
He turned to her and started speaking hurriedly. “I’m going to cloak you. It will last about eight hours and then I’ll have to do it again.” He stretched his arm out and close his eyes, concentrating intently. Harper felt her body shimmer momentarily - a pleasing yet alien sensation.
“There.” He said. “You’ll pass for now.”
Roman walked over and opened the door and motioned for two women to walk in. They were dressed in head-to-toe black. They both wore similar sleeveless dresses that hugged their curves in a filmy, black sparkly fabric. Leather gloves went all the way up their arms. Their black hair was pulled back into tight ponytails.
“I am Lady Talia.” Said the taller one. She wore black lipstick and smiled softly, exposing her fangs. She curtsied before Harper.
“And I am Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne.” Said the other, curtsying more deeply than the other, trying to outdo the other servant.
“Make sure she is well taken care of. We will have a feast for Princess Harper later this evening to celebrate her arrival.” Roman turned and walked out of the room.
Princess Harper? Her mind was reeling. What exactly did Roman mean. Suddenly, his voice flooded her mind:
I am telling people that you’re from American vampire colony. They have several prominent black families that are extremely insular. Not much is known about them, so most vampires here will not question your origins if it comes from me.
She sighed. Another lie.
Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne snapped her fingers as a young white man, perhaps twenty-years old wearing a tuxedo, pushed in a rack of clothing.
“We’ll find you something splendid for the festivities tonight.”
“I’m thinking a dusky maroon would look lovely on her.” Lady Talia said.
“No, a deep navy.” Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne barked back.
“Dusky maroon!” Lady Talia said a little louder.
“Deep navy. To make her lovely chocolate brown eyes pop.” Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne screamed back.
“Don’t I get any choice in the matter?” Harper said with a smile.
“Yes, of course, your ladyship.” They both said in unison, curtsying.
Harper tried to appease them both, selecting a gown that had elements of both ‘dusky maroon’ and ‘deep navy.’ The dress looked like something someone would wear in the 17th century - big, swooshing skirts. A tight bodice that she felt was squeezing the air out of her. And then a very low-cut front, exposing her cleavage for all to see.
“Are you sure this is okay?” Harper asked, turning around, examining herself in the mirror.
“This will complete the look.” An overweight but pleasant looking man said, walking into the room with a platinum-blonde wig.
“I don’t know if I can make that color work.” Harper said indecisively. “I never thought of myself as as blonde.”
“It’s the trend, your highness.” The man said. He smiled as he guided her down into a chair in front of a mirror and put a wig cap over her head and then put the wig on. He combed it back into a large bun.
“I don’t even think Rihanna would try to pull this look off.” Harper said with a sigh.
“Who?” Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne askeed.
“Never mind. Take it off, please.”
The man seemed disappointed but Harper didn’t care. She had to look good if she were to see Bryce. She didn’t want to change who she was just to appease these crazy vampires that she’d hopefully never have to see again.
“Let us show you to your chambers, your highness.” Lady Talia said.
She followed them through elaborately decorated corridors until they opened a massive golden door that led into an exquisite suite.
“Your bedchambers are to the left.” Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne motioned with a sweeping motion of her hand. “This is the sitting room. To the right is an entertainment room.”
“Great. Now would you tell me where I can find Bryce?”
“Prince Bryce?” Lady Talia said with a worried expression on her face.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t know his location.” Lady Elizabeth-Rosanne added quickly. “You’ll have to take that up with Lord Roman.”
“Fine.” Harper said coldly.
The two women curtsied and left her alone.
Harper flung herself down onto the small elegant couch, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.
She hadn’t felt so alone in a long time. And to think that Bryce was here, too. But where was he?
She’d have to find him.
But this place was so unfamiliar to her.
She was told she had a power. Something she inherited from her African ancestor. If she could use some sort of special ability, now would be the time.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated. She envisioned Bryce’s face. His deep voice. She imagined walking up to him, standing there before her. Touching him. Kissing him.
She felt as though she was filling up with some type of energy. It was something that she hadn’t felt before until recently - the time when Bryce made love to her, just the night before. It was that same feeling. Of fulfillment. Desired that had been quenched but still burned like the ember of a fire, just needing a bit of oxygen to reach its previous fiery heights from before.
Harper decided to trust whatever it was that she was feeling inside. She walked to the door and opened it slightly, sticking her head out to peer around the corner to make sure no one observed her leaving.
Pulling her skirts up slightly to avoid making any noise that the dress would make if she let it trai
l on the ground, she followed her heart as it guided her down the left, then down a flight of marble stairs. Rich tapestries and portraits hung on the walls, illuminated by candlelight from the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
She felt she was getting closer. But she paused momentarily as she stood in front of a iron grey door. It was intimidating. Chains were wrapped across the entire doorframe. There was no way she’d be able to get through. But that was where she was being moved to go.
“My Lord Jesus,” she prayed silently in her mind. “I know I am in a dangerous land, but please give me the strength to get through this.”
She withheld a gasp as she heard footsteps approaching.
I need to hurry, she thought to herself as she studied the lock. She was an attorney, not a locksmith. There was no way she was getting through this.
But as the footsteps got closer, she instinctively closed her eyes and put her hand on the lock.
She opened her eyes when she heard a soft click as the padlock opened up.
“Thank God.” She whispered as she discreetly opened the door and closed it tight behind her.
She stood at the top of a flight of stairs that seemed to go down endlessly. The air smelled fresh yet cool, almost as if she were outside.
Starting down the stairs, she picked up the pace.
“He must be down here.” She thought. “But why would they keep him underground?”
At the bottom of the stairs, the floor was hard-packed earth. The landing had many hallways leading from it, going in different directions.
She quickly chose one and raced down it.
“Bryce? Bryce, are you in here?” She said in a hushed voice. “If you hear me, say something. I know you’re sick. I know they did something to you.”
Everything got darker as she proceeded down the hallway. But then in front of her, about fifty feet, were flickering lights that seemed to be coming from a room.
She walked as quickly as she could and shivered as she looked in, seeing only a wooden casket on the ground.
No one, or nothing else, was there. Just a few candles in a candelabra on a makeshift wooden table off to the left.
Putting her hand on top of the casket, she suddenly felt all the emotions in her come out.
“No…” she cried. “You can’t be dead. You can’t. We barely know each other. But I know I love you. I just know it deep in my heart.”
She rested her head on the wooden surface, letting the tears flow. She had never felt so alone in all her life.
But she gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked up.
She saw that face that she had come to love. That smile. Those bewitching blue eyes.
It was Bryce.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Oh my God.” She said in relief as he pulled her into her arms. Her held her tight as she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the comfort of the man she loved.
“It’s okay, Harper. It’s okay.” He said, soothing her like a baby. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“I was so worried. I knew they were up to no good, but when I saw the coffin I…thought you were gone.”
“When our people get sick, they think being in the earth is healing to us. The unmated need the sustenance that its energy can bring. But what they don’t know is that I already have a mate. She is the one who healed me.”
Harper pulled back, looking deeply into her eyes. She felt a feeling of shock in her chest. A pang of jealously. Did he have another woman? Was he saying that another woman healed him?
“It’s you, Harper. You’re the one who healed me. When we made love, it gave me all the strength I needed to rid myself of the poison.”
An immediate feeling of relief poured through her body as she once again let him take her in his strong arms. He rested his chin on top of her head, breathing deeply, enjoying the intimacy.
“Bryce, I think they’re trying to bring you down.” She said in a soft murmur. She hated to ruin the reunion they were sharing, but she had to tell him the news. “Roman wants to rule. He wants to push you from the throne.”
“That’s what I’ve been suspecting.”
“You have to fight him. You can’t let him do what he wants to do — enslave the humans. Rule over them. That’s wrong.”
“I know, my love. But I’m not strong enough yet. I would have to fight him to the death, as protocol requires.”
“To the death? Is that really necessary?”
He nodded mournfully. “Our people are ruled by ancient laws. Ones that we must uphold.”
“But this is the 21st century. Can’t you bend them just a little? I mean, sure Roman is a bit confused about what he wants, but is it really necessary to kill him?”
“It’s what my father would want if he knew that Roman was trying to get my side of the family off the throne.”
“There’s got to be another way.” She said, more to herself than anyone else.
“If I were to fight him now, I’d lose. I’m still recovering. The love we made was healing, but some of the toxic blood still remains in my system.”
“How can you rid yourself of it?” She asked in a breathy voice.
“I would need to feed on my life-mate.” He said as he looked down at her.
“You mean…me?”
He nodded.
She took a deep breath. Her life had changed so radically, she was surprised that she wasn’t more freaked out by the fact that he was insinuating that he’d need to drink her blood.
But she wanted him to. Needed him too.
She cocked her head at him, smiling at him mischievously as she angled her neck at him just so.
“I insist.” She said softly.
“Harper, once you do this, you can’t go back.”
“You mean I’ll be…converted?”
“It’s likely that you will. You’ll become one of us. A vampire.”
Her mind was a whirlwind of indecision. She didn’t know whether or not to let him do it. But if it meant that he’d be able to defeat the man who was plotting to overthrow his family.
And he had marked her. As his life-mate. And in her mind, she couldn’t see herself with anyone else.
She knew they were fated to be together. So why shouldn’t she be like him? But part of her resisted. She had to think it through. She wasn’t one to act on impulse, even though she felt like doing it right now.
“I’m afraid, Bryce.”
“I know. So I can’t let you do it.”
“But then you’ll be too weak. I can’t lose you. Not again. When you went away without telling me, it nearly ripped me apart. I didn’t fully realize how I felt about you until that moment.”
“I’m sorry. I had to come back.” He took her hand and kissed it gently.
“Roman said I have special powers. Can’t I give them to you or something so you can defeat Roman?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“How do you know?”
“We’ve studied you for a long time. We know how the powers work.”
Harper felt the adrenaline surge in her body as she felt another presence in her room.
“Maybe now’s a good time to find out how powerful she really is.” Roman said, standing there in the doorframe with a revolver pointed at Bryce.
“Roman, stop this at once.” Harper cried out. “This has gone too far. You need to resolve these issues you have.”
“My cousin wants to let them know about us. He wants us to live peacefully with the humans. We’ve tried that before and it only led to many of us dying. They hunted us, taking advantage of our weaknesses. Coming at us during the day, when we were asleep. They knew the sunlight killed most of us, only the strongest of us able to survive the damned rays of sun.”
“Things have changed.” Harper said. “We’re not like that anymore. We’re more tolerant of differences.”
“So you say.” Roman said, getting closer, the gun still traine
d on Bryce. “But deep inside, you’re all animals. Afraid of what’s different. Wanting to destroy what you don’t understand.”
ROMANCE: His Ebony Blood Jewel - A Novel (BWWM, Paranormal, Vampire, Billionaire New Adult Romance) Page 12
