“The princess was my cousin. We were very athletic and loved to play sports. In fact, we could outrun every male in the land. In those days, it was illegal for any girl to play so we had to do so in secret. Because of the severity of the punishment, we would disguise ourselves and hold competitions in the woods. We never lost.”
Pain flashed across Earadessa’s face. “One day in particular, we’d won a competition against a group of guys, and their leader was enraged that they’d lost, again. He chased us to the other side of the woods, almost outside of the kingdom and beat Clarissa.” She wiped at a lone tear. “Once her hair fell out of its wrap, he lost it.”
Everyone gasped. Tanya sat on the edge of her seat anticipating the horrible news she knew was coming.
“To make a long story short, he beat her to death and took me before the king. Her death was blamed on me.” Earadessa blinked away the wetness. “Punishment for my crime was to be taken out into the heart of the forest, beaten, and left for dead.”
Beating a person, especially a girl, for winning a sport? How sick is that?
Her emerald eyes softened. “That’s when I met Lazarith. I had been beaten, my legs broken, and both of my eyes were swollen shut. He’d heard my cries and came to my rescue. That was the day that my life truly began. He took me to his kingdom on the other side of the forest and awakened me. His generosity saved my life.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Listening to Earadessa talk about her early life with Lazarith, surprisingly didn’t make Tanya sad. It warmed her heart. He’d treated Earadessa much like he had the five of them, with love and compassion. “Here you go.” The waitress held out a couple of Styrofoam boxes for their leftover food. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
Not waiting for the others to reply, Earadessa accepted the boxes. “No thank you.” She discreetly handed the waitresses a tip.
Judging by the young woman’s intake of breath after she’d turned to leave and opened her palm, Earadessa had given her a nice sum of money.
When she’d disappeared through the kitchen doors, Dannika asked, “Do you think she heard any of that?”
“No, I don’t.” Earadessa tapped her ear with her forefinger. “I wasn’t speaking loud enough for human ears.”
The moment had finally arrived. The moment Tanya dreaded. After boxing up the last of their leftovers, she followed Earadessa through the restaurant toward the front doors. They were just a few feet from the doors when Dannika grabbed her arm in a death grip. “What’s the matter, Dannie?”
Everyone stopped to hear what she had to say though they already knew the answer.
“He’s here.” Panic set in, and Dannika’s eyes widened in fear. “He’s standing right next to our car.”
“This is it, ladies. Now’s the time to play our cards,” Earadessa said. “As soon as we get to my house, I’ll fill you all in on who he is and why he’s here. What I need you to do is walk out to your car as if you’re clueless, and I’ll take care of him.”
Dannika’s hand remained on Tanya’s arm as they exited Pancake House. As they rounded the corner and saw their enemy leaning on the hood of their car, her grip tightened. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can.” Earadessa stopped and turned to look her in the eye. “We have to do this now.”
Shaking and on the verge of tears, Dannika closed her eyes tight. “No, I can’t. He’s very angry, and he’s prepared to start attacking once we’re close enough.”
“That’s good to know.” Earadessa touched Dannika’s arm. “You can trust me, Dannika. I will not let this monster hurt you or your sisters.” Turning her gaze to Tanya, she motioned toward Dannika. “Take her by the hand, and help her to the car.”
Tanya nodded and threaded her fingers with her cousin’s to keep her close and help guide her. Dannika was on the verge of hyperventilating and Tanya feared her cousin would lock up and refuse to move.
Facing their enemy, Earadessa assured the others. “I’ll use my powers to hold him back. While he’s down, you guys run to the safety of your car.”
Upon seeing them, the other vampire pushed himself off the car, a malevolent grin plastered on his face. “Well, if it isn’t the coveted princesses.”
“On the count of three, run,” Earadessa yelled. Lifting her hand, palm facing their opponent, she widened her stance. “One.” Out of curiosity, Tanya studied their newfound family member. The color of Earadessa’s eyes changed from their normal vampire emerald to a deep shade of purple. “Two.”
The male vampire fell to his knees. A gut-wrenching scream tore from his throat.
“Three.”
Tightening her grip on Dannika, Tanya made a mad dash across the parking lot, pulling her cousin along behind her. The man was now lying on the ground, writhing in pain. Tossing the car keys to Regina, Tanya helped an almost catatonic Dannika into the backseat.
It was a tight fit, but Serienna, Makinzee, Dannika, and Tanya crammed into the backseat. Once everyone was in and the doors were closed, Regina backed up next to Earadessa. “Hey, you coming with?”
Eyes never leaving their enemy, Earadessa nodded then knelt next to him. “Listen to me, Marcus, because I will not repeat myself.”
Unable to speak, he blinked.
“If you ever come near me or these girls,” lifting his chin, she forced him to look at her, “or anyone in my family for that matter, I will make these images that you see right now a reality.”
Sweat poured from his forehead, soaking his shirt.
“I want you to remember this pain.” The purple of her eyes darkened. “The next time anyone mentions my family’s name to you, I expect you to turn the other way. If you don’t, I will hunt you down like the dog that you are and make this come to pass. If that day comes, you’ll be begging me to end your suffering.”
His upper lip curled in a snarl.
“Am I clear?” She narrowed her eyes at him, lowering her hand just a fraction.
His convulsing eased enough for him to spit out a reply. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Remember, if we meet again under these circumstances, I will not have mercy on your pathetic soul.” The purple in her eyes began to fade, and she let her hand drop to her side. “You may go.”
Like a bolt of lightning, he fled. Talk about fast. The only thing Tanya saw was a line of gray where he had run.
Serienna jerked her thumb toward where Marcus had been. “That…that speed.” She swallowed. “I’ve seen it before. The man at the bookstore…he ran like that.”
Dannika glanced over at Serienna then back to Tanya.
“The man that attacked me at the bookstore.” Serienna’s breathing hitched, and Tanya was afraid that she may hyperventilate. Looking at Earadessa when she claimed the passenger seat, Serienna’s eyes widened in understanding. “He was a vampire. His eyes did that same weird purple thing that hers did.”
Tanya’s mouth opened and closed several times, all words lost. Even before they had ever been awakened into this nightlife, their enemies had been working to end them.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The drive to Earadessa’s took less than two minutes. Her house was elegant, yet it didn’t stand out from the rest of the neighborhood homes. Birds flocked to the birdhouse in the front yard. This surprised Tanya. With the weather turning cold, she figured they would have started to fly somewhere warmer.
Earadessa pressed a few buttons on her smartphone, and the garage door opened. “Go ahead and pull up next to my Jeep.” With another press of a button, the door shut behind them.
The garage door led to the laundry room. Off in the left corner she had a double set of stackable washers and dryers. Across from them was a beautiful floating shelf for folding her laundry.
The laundry room opened to the kitchen. It’s spacious beaut
y surprised Tanya and she loved the two islands it contained. One of them had a round sink and stove top. The other stretched about five feet with barstools on both sides.
“Follow me.” Earadessa turned down a very long hallway.
Like Lazarith’s mansion, she had pictures hanging on both sides of the hallway. Tanya slowed to examine them. She covered her mouth with her hand. “These are the exact same pictures that Lazarith has hanging on the top floor of the house.”
Just like before, as soon as she looked at the eyes of that first picture, she felt it reaching out. The eyes of all the pictures followed her every move. Yeah, that’s not creepy at all. She was beginning to think they were possessed. That or she’d watched way too many horror flicks, and now she’s freaking herself out. That’s totally possible too.
A hand waved in front of her face and she blinked. Her cousin stood next to her with her hands on her hips. Dannika pursed her lips. “Hello, Earth to Tanya.”
She shook her head to clear the remaining fog. “I spaced, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did.” Dannika looked at the picture Tanya had been staring at. “Hey, it’s dad’s picture.”
“Dad?” Tanya found it strange Dannika would refer to him as dad. To her, he was still that sexy guy she wanted to strip naked on Halloween night. To think of him as a father was just weird.
A smirk turned up one side of Dannika’s mouth. “Well, he is our dad. I mean, he created us as his children, right?” That smirk transformed into a prideful smile.
Though he had created them and called them children, Tanya never saw him as a dad. “Yes, you’re correct. I just haven’t thought of him as our dad. It’s just a little weird for me.” There was no way she would reveal her attraction to the guy who sired them. Her cousin didn’t need to know that tidbit.
“Well, sis, you better start thinking of him that way.” Dannika touched his picture. “He has been a better father than any of us have ever had.”
That was an understatement. “I know.” For the first time, Tanya noticed they were alone. The others were nowhere in sight. “We better find the rest of the gang before they decide to start without us.”
Gazing toward the end of the hallway, Dannika motioned for her cousin to go ahead of her. “After you.”
The very last picture caught Tanya’s eye. She’d seen it before, at the mansion, but it was now that she recognized it. It was a photo of Earadessa.
When she noticed that Tanya had stopped following her, Dannika turned to see what had her cousin’s attention. Glancing up at the picture on the wall, she asked. “Hey, isn’t that the same picture as the one at the mansion?”
“Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, all of them are identical to the ones at dad’s.” There, she’d finally said it. It still felt strange to call him dad. “Look closely.” Dannika stepped closer. “Don’t you see who it is?”
A frown formed on her face. “She looks vaguely familiar.” A few minutes passed and Dannika shook her head. “I have no idea.”
“Come on, Dannie. Look harder. Don’t you recognize her?”
Dannika shook her head. “No, sorry.”
“It’s Earadessa.” Tanya gave her cousin a playful slap on the arm.
Her eyes lit up when she finally recognized the woman in the photo. “Oh, my gosh. It is.” A warm glow warmed Dannika’s cheeks. “It’s so nice to be able to finally know some of our new family.”
“I agree.” Tanya shoved her toward the end of the hall. “But if we don’t hurry up, then we’ll end up missing out on the history lesson.”
“Crap.” Dannika took off in a jog.
The hallway ended with a room on either side and one large room at the very end. Voices came from directly in front of them, so they ventured in. No words could adequately describe the room. It was so much more than a sitting room, and to call it awesome didn’t do it any justice. Tanya instantly fell in love with it.
The room was enormous, and the three outer walls were nothing more than glass. Just like the walls, the ceiling was all glass with the sky as the grand view. There were no lamps or light fixtures, candles lit the room.
“Grab a pillow and make yourself comfy.” Earadessa pointed toward a variety of pillows lining the wall. That’s when Tanya noticed this room held zero furniture. Large pillows took the place of chairs.
“Wow, Earadessa.” Makinzee surveyed the room with wonder, and a bit of envy in her eyes. “What made you think of a room like this? It’s fabulous. I love it.”
The laugh that escaped Earadessa was almost musical. “First off, you guys can call me Dessa if you like. Most people do.” Turning her focus to Makinzee, she explained. “I’m a moon and stars kind of girl.” She stretched her arm above her head and waved skyward. “So, when I had this house built, I designed this room so that I could enjoy the night sky with comfort.”
“It’s just so dang gorgeous.” Makinzee scanned every inch of the room, as if memorizing its layout. “Would you hate me if I copied it and made one of my own?”
“Not at all.” Earadessa fluffed a pillow then sat. “I think every vampiress should have one of their own. It works wonders for unwinding or when you just need a tranquil place to think. There’s just something very relaxing about being under the night sky.” She pointed at the ceiling window as she said night sky. “Want to hear something cool?”
Everyone nodded.
“All these windows are bullet proof.” One side of Earadessa’s mouth turned upward. “Oh, and my favorite feature is that all of them are one-way glass.”
Holding up a hand to halt Earadessa, Dannika asked, “Whoa, what do you mean by one-way glass?”
“Okay, Dannika, imagine if you will, those television shows where the cops take the suspect into the interrogation room. One of those walls has a large mirror on it, but it’s never just a mirror. Other officers are standing on the other side watching.” Earadessa explained that her windows are much the same. The night sky and everything beyond her home is visible to her, but from the outside looking in, it’s nothing more than a reflective glass.
“Nice.” Tossing a pillow next to Earadessa, Dannika sat and patted the spot next to her for Tanya.
“I do love my privacy,” Earadessa said. “Not to mention, being who we are, we don’t want to leave ourselves vulnerable to our enemies. Which brings us to why you’re here. Do you have any questions before I begin our history?”
“Yes.” Since Regina had used her ability on humans back at the club, Dannika had been curious about one thing. “Do our powers work on vampires as well as humans?”
“Yes, honey, they work on both humans and vampires alike.” Earadessa made a point to eye each one of them. “You should be careful when using your powers on humans. It tends to mess with their minds, leaving them disoriented.” She paused. “It can even cause amnesia if you’re not careful.”
“Oh.” Regina shifted uncomfortably.
“If you should become exposed, do not hesitate to erase anyone’s memory. The quicker it’s erased, the better.”
Confusion must have been apparent on their faces because Earadessa went on to explain that humans have been taught to believe vampires are myth and folklore. On occasion, there will be one that is in tune with the supernatural world around them.
“So, if you are ever in a dilemma and you think that your secret may have been exposed, then it is very important to erase that whole memory from their minds. Having our secret exposed could cause a worldwide war between us and them.”
When no one said anything further, Earadessa crisscrossed her legs underneath her. “I know you girls are anxious to learn more about Lazarith and your new extended family. So, unless you have more questions, we’ll begin.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Two thousand years ago, Lazarith was a nineteen-year-old, next in lin
e to take over his father’s throne. His mother had passed away when he was only thirteen years of age and his father didn’t care enough to bother with marrying another.
King Harold was not a hateful man, but he had an extremely violent temper when he was pushed to his max. Being a king, he wanted the appearance of being an upstanding man in front of the masses. Due to the amount of stress he endured, he usually took his frustrations out on his only son behind closed doors.
There soon came a point when Lazarith walked away from his beatings and found comfort in what is known today as yoga. This gave him a way of calming his mind and spirit, allowing him a small reprieve from the pain that his father unleashed upon him.
Soon, yoga was not enough. His own rising anger toward his father needed releasing. During the late-night hours, he’d escape to the forest and release his pent-up energy. It took him a while, but eventually, he taught himself martial arts.
The day came when he became the world’s greatest fighter, eventually training others in this fine art.
Lazarith didn’t just resent his father. He loathed him. As much as it shamed him, there were times when he wished his father dead. Only then would he be free of the man that marred his body.
The day came when King Harold had to leave and travel to a nearby kingdom, in hopes of making allies. During his departure, Lazarith left for his daily hike. Venturing away from his usual trail, he hiked to the side of the mountain no one had ever dared visit. It was rumored to have spirits guarding it.
The mountain was rocky and very dangerous. While climbing up this steep mountain, he noticed a large rock. Interest piqued, he took a step toward it, only to stop. Was it safe? Was there wildlife lying in wait to catch their prey?
After a few moments of hesitation, he proceeded forth. What he discovered was a cave. Entering, he was astonished at the beauty that lied within. The top of this cave opened to the night sky, and crystals lined the walls, illuminating the inside.
Princesses of the Night (Royal Blood Book 1) Page 10
