Circle of Embers (Shadow Realms Series Book 2): A vampire hunter novel

by Kelly Carrero

  Family was everything to me—even those that didn’t share the same blood.

  The vampire lunged toward me, snarling and snapping like a rabid animal.

  Stay in control.

  Mason. Mom. Finn. Kade. Max. Mom… No, I couldn’t think about Mom. Those bastards had her and…

  I released a shuddered breath and backhanded the monster, knocking him into the wall as if he were a fly. I glanced over my shoulder at Nessa. “Guess you haven’t been feeding him.”

  “Only enough to keep it alive.”

  Trying to keep my mind off tearing the vampires throat out, I asked, “Aren’t you worried the demons will be able to find out where we are through this guy?” I gestured to the vamp.

  “Impossible. The wards we have placed over this land are impossible to penetrate—even by the likes of Orphelia.”

  Wrapping my hands around his throat, I picked up the unconscious monster and brought him to my lips, the desire to drain every ounce of blood from his body growing the closer his throat neared my mouth.

  My eyes glazed over as my lips brushed across his neck, and I gently pierced him with my fangs, careful not to rip through him in a ravenous rage.

  Blood spilled into my mouth, casting me into a euphoric state as I feasted on his evil soul, a warmth spreading through my veins, sending every nerve on edge, heightening all of my senses. It was nothing like the fresh blood of the vampire that had been waiting for me at my house, but it was still better than the potency of the blood I’d salvaged from him all these days later.

  Fresh was best.

  Nessa curled her hand over my shoulder and pulled me back a little. “That’s enough. You don’t want to kill him.”

  As much as I wanted to ignore her, I had to listen. I had to be smart.

  Taking one last sip, I released my grip on him, dropping him to the floor.

  I spun around to face Nessa, startling when I saw the look in her eyes. I swiped my hand across my mouth, wiping any remaining blood off me. “I guess it’s one thing to know what I do and another to actually see it.”

  “Uh, yeah,” she said, getting her shit together. “It may take a little getting used to.”

  “I’m as much of a monster as they are, but at least I’m fighting for the right side.”

  “You’re not a monster like them. You’re so much worse.” She winked, a smirk playing on her lips. “Or at least you will be when we’ve released your true powers.” She smiled as she leaned in closer to me. “I’m just glad you’re on our side.”

  I grinned. “That I am.”

  As we began the climb back up to the ground level I asked, “What will happen to the Society when all this is over?”

  She ran her hand over the railing as she took each step. “They will be decimated along with the demons.” She paused a couple of steps from the top. “I know not everyone in the Society is aware they are fighting on the wrong side, but when they find out, they will make their own choice and have to suffer the consequences of their decision.”

  If Kade, Finn, and Max hadn’t known, then I was assuming most of the others didn’t know either. But Lana?

  I bit my lip, accidentally drawing blood that strangely tasted a little too divine. Must’ve been the recent vampire blood mixing with my own. Shaking my thoughts away, I focused on the question looming in the back of my mind. “Do you think Lana knows?”

  “That her family is responsible for the rise of the vampires on Earth?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I think you need to accept there’s a very good chance she knew exactly what was going on. At her age, they would’ve brought her into the mix. I know you’ve had a friendship with her, but you can not hesitate to kill her if she gets in your way.” She continued up the steps, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my gut.

  Lana had been the one to take me in and give me a chance when no one else would. She was also the one who’d told me that I was going to give my body over to the huntress, and she’d said all that with barely any remorse.

  I just hoped it wouldn’t come to a showdown between her and me. I didn’t want to be the one to destroy her.

  Coming out of the dark into the bright light of the sun had me shielding my eyes as they slowly adjusted. Within seconds, I could see again—more so than I had when I’d gone down there.

  Fresh definitely was best.

  Finn and Kade strode up to me, packing weapons all over their bodies.

  “Time to get your accessories,” Kade said.

  Finn’s gaze darted to my mouth, that vein of his popping in his forehead again. “Come with us.” He took off to the right.

  Frowning, I leaned closer to Kade. “He has a problem with me, doesn’t he?”

  Kade slipped his arm around my waist and guided me to follow Finn. “He just has a little problem seeing his baby sister looking like the very thing we’re trying to kill.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You must be so glad you don’t have any siblings.”

  He stilled, his muscles tensing the moment the words left my mouth, telling me I had hit a major sore spot.

  24

  Slipping from under Kade’s arm, I spun around to face him. “I’m sorry for being so insensitive. I know nothing about your life or the people you left behind.”

  Kade stared off into the distance, and just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he said, “I didn’t leave anyone behind.” He swallowed hard. “My sister was killed by a vampire right in our own home, and I was hiding, watching every second the monster drained the life from her body, too scared to do anything to save her.”

  His gaze flicked to me. “I was young and powerless. I swore I would never be powerless again.”

  My heart broke seeing the sadness in his eyes. I couldn’t imagine going through what he had and still being able to smile and joke around. It just went to show how you couldn’t judge a book by its cover. It also made sense as to why he treated me the way he did. I was the sister he was protecting from the moment he first met me. Sure, I wasn’t his sister, but I was his best friend’s and he would never want Finn to go through what he had.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you. I don’t even understand how you can bear to look at me considering how much I look like them.”

  He placed his hand on my shoulder. “You have kindness in you that they will never have. You are not a monster. You are our—and every single person who has lost their lives—vengeance.” He slid his arm over my shoulder again and continued following Finn.

  I snaked my arm around his waist and rested my head against his shoulder for a moment. “I will get your revenge.”

  “I know you will.” He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time, I knew there was nothing more to that kiss than what it was. I was happy to add him to my list of siblings.

  We entered another container decked out in rows and rows of weapons. There were daggers, stakes, bows, and guns, plus a few weapons I didn’t recognize.

  All I needed were my trusty knives I had an affinity with.

  “Looking for these?” Max dumped a huge black bag at my feet.

  I kneeled and opened the zipper, my eyes going wide when I saw my babies, capable of gutting the evil creatures. I tilted my head back and looked up at Max, refraining from jumping on top of him and showing him just how thankful I was. “How did you get them?”

  “I never returned them when I found out you were sent to the cage. Something didn’t feel right. And when Finn told me what The Circle of Embers said, it all started making sense. There was no way I was going to let the Society keep your weapons.”

  I could’ve kissed him. Instead, I opted for something safer. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  With a grin on my face, I wrapped my hands around the cold metal of the hilt, a sense of peace and exhilaration flowing through me. It was a strange mix, but it worked.

  I stood, and Max helped me strap the sheath on my back,
his fingers grazing across my skin, making it nearly impossible to focus on my task. When he was done, I slipped the daggers into their sheaths. “Right. Now I’m ready to go.”

  “Not so fast,” Max said, catching my hand as I went to walk past him. And once again, I was left consumed with the heat that exuded from the touch of his skin against mine. I really needed time to talk to him—or kiss him, because that’s what I really wanted. But there wasn’t any time. We needed to move. The fate of the free world depended on it. As cliché as that sounded, it was true.

  I groaned internally, hating that life was getting in the way of what seemed to be the very best guy I had taken an interest in—ever. Someone who didn’t want me for a fun time, but actually cared about me—the person, not just the crazy, party girl façade.

  I licked my lips, realizing we’d just been staring at each other, neither of us saying a word for the last ten seconds. “What is it?”

  His gaze flicked between my eyes and my lips. Then he shook his thoughts away. “You need more accessories.”

  I tapped my babies behind me. “These are all I need.”

  “And what if you drop them?”

  “I won’t drop them.”

  He chuckled. “What if you lodge them in a vampire and can’t get them out in time before—?”

  “Never going to happen. You’ve seen me in action.”

  The corner of his lips tipped up, and his eyes swirled with a fondness that had been mostly absent since the day I first met him, only appearing a few times during my ass-kicking training sessions. “Let’s just say that maybe someone besides you might need an extra weapon, and because you will never lose yours, you can maybe save their lives by giving them one of your spares.” When I went to open my mouth, he placed his finger over my lips, shutting me up big time. “Humor me.”

  Oh, I wanted to do a whole lot more than humor him, but I conceded. “Fine. Do with me as you wish.”

  His eyes lit up with fire, and if it weren’t for the others in the room, I was sure he would’ve taken my invitation. Instead, he smirked and gave me a wink, sending my heart practically exploding in my chest.

  When Max went to a wall of daggers, Finn strode over to me. “Maybe you shouldn’t be so willing to offer up your body like that.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What I do with my body is none of your business. You better get it out of your head about any potential protective big brother bullshit, because whatever happens between Max and me is none of your business.”

  Finn chuckled and leaned in closer. “I’m more afraid for Max than you. All I was doing was trying to give you some advice. Max isn’t like the dropkicks you usually date.”

  I glared at him, then exposed my fangs and hissed just to piss him off. It worked. The smile dropped instantly from his face.

  “Everything okay here?” Kade asked, giving me a look that told me to put my damn fangs away.

  Obliging, I did my best to conceal them, but considering they were there to stay, the tips were just peaking over the bottom of my lip. “Everything’s fine.”

  “Good.” He patted Finn on his shoulder and steered him away. “Mason needs to see you before we leave,” he told Finn on their way out of the room.

  I was pretty sure Mason didn’t really need to see Finn, but it was a good excuse to separate the two of us.

  Max made his way back to me, carrying an assortment of knives and stakes. “Let’s get you fitted.”

  Five minutes later, I looked like a freaking assassin, ready to take out an army of vampires, but all I really needed were the two babies on my back. I was about to join the others outside when I saw Max slip a sheath around his waist. “What are you doing?”

  His amused gaze met mine. “Getting ready. What does it look like?”

  I placed my hand on his arm, stopping him from clipping it together. “You’re not ready. You need to heal.”

  His brow raised, and he smirked. “Don’t think for a second I’m letting you go out there without me.” He curled his hand around the nape of my neck, placed a quick peck on my lips, and left me standing there, my heart practically beating a hole through my chest, my fingers brushing over my tingling lips, wondering what the hell just happened, as he strode toward the door, putting his weapons on as he walked.

  He was not getting away with that so easily.

  25

  I raced over to him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face me. “You don’t get to do that and walk away.” The tension between us was palpable. I could almost taste his desire, and coupling it with mine was making it almost impossible to think about anything else. With the vampire blood running through my system, I took what I wanted.

  Well, that was my excuse, and I was sticking with it.

  Standing on the balls of my feet I curled my hands around his face and brought his lips down to mine. The moment we touched, time seemed to stand still. There were no vampires or demons. No war going on. It was just us in that moment. Our hearts and souls intertwining with every brush of his lips against mine.

  He wrapped his arm around my waist, spreading one hand over the small of my back and the other curling around the nape of my neck, pulling me tighter against him.

  I melted into his embrace, savoring the touch of his skin against mine, knowing we were on borrowed time. I wanted nothing more than to say “the hell with it, everyone could fend for themselves.” But I wasn’t that person anymore. And my mom… She was counting on me. No matter how much I wanted time to stop, I wanted her even more.

  Pulling back, I stared up into his eyes, my chest heaving with unspent energy and desire to pick things up where we left off.

  He brushed his thumb over my cheek. “Probably not how you imagined our first kiss.”

  I smiled. “I don’t know about that. I’ve been imagining it every second I’ve been with you since you first came to my rescue.”

  Max chuckled. “Guess there’s no time for romance in a world like this.” He placed one more kiss on my forehead.

  Unfortunately, that was the truth. And it was our job to make things right.

  He cocked his head toward the door. “We better get going before they send out a search party.”

  We headed outside, where every single person from our group was staring at us with knowing looks on their faces.

  Squaring my shoulders, I put on my best “I don’t give a shit” look and strode toward them with Max by my side, strapping on his weapons. My heart felt lighter, giving me a new sense of contentment. I could still taste Max on my lips and feared I might have accidentally bitten him and was tasting his blood, not his kiss.

  I rolled my eyes to the side, getting a quick glimpse of his lips, trying to find any sign of puncture wounds. There were none.

  His lips were just as perfect as ever.

  With relief in my soul, I stopped in front of the others. “What’s the plan?”

  Nessa opened the van nearest us and tossed a black duffle bag inside. “You’re coming with me, Parker, Joel, Finn, and Kade. Max can go with Liam and the others. We’ll also have another group scouting the edges in a couple of cars, blending in with the other humans.”

  I glanced at Max, who returned my worried look. I didn’t want to be separated from him, but I understood why Nessa had made that decision. Max had been injured, and right now, we needed everyone at the top of their game—especially anyone who rolled with me.

  I was the target. Not them. Which gave me the comfort I needed.

  When everyone dispersed, Kade stayed by Max and me. “I’ve got her back—always,” he said to Max then hopped into the van.

  Kade was everything I wanted in a brother, kind, caring, not a douchebag. I wished Finn would take a page out of his book.

  Max looked down at me, longing in his gaze. “Be careful, and trust no one from the Society.”

  I nodded. “Make sure you don’t get yourself killed.” I smiled.

  “You got it.” He winked then headed toward the van behind ours.


  Taking a deep breath, I focused on the task before me.

  Kill a few vampires and hunters from the Society, retrieve the key, unleash my true powers, and save the world.

  That wasn’t so hard.

  Yeah, right.

  I hopped into the van and took my seat between Kade and Finn, barely paying attention to the conversations that ensued. I had only one thing on my mind.

  Mom.

  I was lying.

  Max was on my mind as well, and no matter how much I tried to ignore the way my lips still tingled from his kiss, I couldn’t.

  I hadn’t felt that way about someone—ever.

  That would be fitting. I finally find someone and there was no guarantee of a future together.

  Scratch that shit. I was the guarantee, and I wasn’t going to let anyone down.

  The drive over to our neighborhood was less than exciting. I expected we’d have to rampage through hundreds of vampires that stood in our way, but the reality was much more boring. It was as if…

  I trailed off as the smell of vampires assaulted my senses, awakening my desire to spill blood.

  “Vampires.”

  26

  Everyone snapped their heads in my direction the moment they heard me whisper the word “vampires.” I could hear their hearts skip a beat and begin to pound at rapid speeds against their chests.

  All except mine.

  My heart remained steady as desire swirled through my soul, ready to feast on their evil flesh.

  “Where?” Nessa asked, her bluish tinged hands resting against her dagger.

  I tilted my head to the side, focusing on the sound of the monsters and demons screeching in the night that only I could hear. Snapping my head straight, I said, “They’re about half a mile away, and they’re not alone.”