by J. L. Myers
~
The following night I stumbled into my dark bedroom and fell back onto the cloud of purple linen on my bed. It was midnight, and after the funeral, vision, and all the flights and driving to get home, I was bone-deep exhausted. Even the static in my body had receded. Rolling sideways I wriggled out of the slip dress. Then I lay back and peeled off the first full-arm glove. As I peeled off the second, something unstuck from my skin and fell onto the duvet.
I sat up straight as a board and my bedroom door swung open. The chandelier beamed to life, sending glossy rays across my wall of motorbike posters. Kendrick rushed forward and I snatched the duvet up to cover my black lace undies and bra. “Warning would be nice.”
“I’ve seen plenty more than that.” There was no comedy to his voice. Not even apology. All he saw was the small folded piece of paper with my name on the outside. “From Caius, I bet.”
Kendrick plucked the note from my bed.
“No.” I snatched it from his hands. The time for letting everyone protect me was far-gone. Time to toughen up. “I want to read it.”
Ignoring my thumping heart and my shaking hands, I unfolded the note. A single message was scribbled across the paper. No name or signature. Still there was no doubt who had sent it. I knew my ex-uncles handwriting.
‘I will not stop until I claim the power that is rightfully mine. You cannot hide.’
“Oh. My. God.” My head became light and I leaned back on my arm. The hand holding the note kept the duvet covering my chest. A not so long ago memory teased the edges of my subconscious. The time I had slipped from the reality of Caius’s office and seen Marcus compel my best friend to poison me. When I’d come to there had been a split second look of surprise on Caius’s face. Because he’d seen my eyes change—blood-red whites and silvery irises—without tapping a vein. “Caius knows I have The Sight.”
Before Kendrick could utter a word, Dorian shot into my bedroom. “I’ll put you on speaker,” he spoke into his mobile.
Kendrick slumped onto my bed, watching my brother. “What’s going on?”
“My hard-working alchemist has figured something out,” Dorian said, pushing a button on his mobile.
“My?” I asked. Had I heard him right?
Dorian flushed. A sight I’d never seen in my life. “Ours, Ty’s…whatever.” He shook his head. “Go ahead Vanessa. You’re on.”
“Okay, so after you lit up like a Christmas tree with that lightning strike, I went searching. My grandfather has some seriously old texts.” In the background I could hear the slice of turning pages. “I’d seen the symbol years ago, but it was just a myth. I didn’t even think about it when you asked. Not until two days ago.”
Keeping covered, I snatched the phone from Dorian. “What symbol?”
“The one Caius used in his ritual when he drained your blood,” Dorian answered. Judging from his answer and the look on his face, he knew what Vanessa was on about.
Kendrick went to place his hand on my shoulder but stopped. Blue sparks were dancing across my shoulders and down my arms. Instead he asked, “You know what it means?”
“Well you already know what part of the symbol means. The circle with a crossed through line is meant to take something,” Vanessa recapped. “And the rest was the thing he was trying to steal.”
My throat felt tight, my lungs punctured all over by spikes. There wasn’t enough air. “The stepping stone he needed to save them.” My voice emerged small as I remembered the jagged bolt centering the symbol. How could I not have puzzled this together before now? “Caius meant to steal my electric ability, before I even had it.”
Dorian’s voice was grim. “That means he knew you would get it.”
Kendrick let a small spark shoot from my shoulder into his finger. “And that his experiments are probably the cause.”
“Thanks Vanessa.” I hung up and handed Dorian the phone. “So does he need to steal my visions or my electricity?”
Resounding silence filled my purple room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
When my eyelids cracked open I knew I’d woken in a dreamscape. The air was clean and crisp, blowing gently inside and curling the black curtains that framed an open window. Minimal light came from a ballooning moon beyond the wall of this room I’d never seen before. I turned to find Ty rising off the end of a king-sized bed that was swathed in black satin. “Missed you, beautiful.”
It was the first time we’d seen each other since I’d shocked him with my new curse. Except Ty had never used this location before. I took a step closer but kept my distance, letting my curiosity override my battling nerves. “Where are we?”
Ty frowned at the space separating us. Then his lips curved seductively. “My bedroom.”
“This is your room?” A long desk took up one wall. Topping it was a laptop and masses of stacked folders and books. The mantle above sported all his swimming trophies and medals. The opposite wall opened into a walk-in closet and personal bathroom. The remaining wall space was filled with objects and color. Weapons hung in a deadly collage in one area. The rest was taken up with pinned newspaper clippings, scribbled notes, and photographs.
I edged closer then froze. My heart skipped a beat. Near a clipping on unusual murders in Anchorage was a photograph. Pictured was a girl being led by a guy from a dark but multicolored area. There was another of the same girl, pinning the solid guy against a brick wall. Then a third of her, crouched and crying crimson tears. The desolation and self-loathing that gripped her face was heartbreaking. I gulped, throat grating like sandpaper. The girl was me. And this is what Ty had seen that night. This is why he’d let me live.
“We usually take photos before making any moves.”
I jumped at Ty’s voice and spun. He was right behind me, and as usual I hadn’t even heard him move. I went to speak, but I didn’t know what to say.
Ty’s honey-glazed eyes stared into mine, cautious and guarded. “It’s a precaution. In case your council has an issue with…” He stopped speaking and glanced away.
“With you killing one of theirs.” I went to touch Ty, and paused. Ty had been honest with everything he did and was trained to do. And I accepted him. All of him. “I guess it makes sense. I wouldn’t want to be on The Council’s bad side, either.”
Ty’s brows arched in surprise. Then he smiled. “I knew you’d understand. And for the record, I kept those photos because I didn’t want to forget you, even when I didn’t know who you were.” He stretched his arms to wrap around me.
Alarm spiked my heart and I backed away until I hit the wall. Something sharp jabbed into my shoulder blade, cutting skin. But I didn’t let up. The last time I’d touched someone, Kendrick had been reduced to a convulsing lump. I didn’t want to see what effect my power could have on Ty. “I can’t control it,” I whispered. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Ty paused for a split second then took another step forward, then another. “I know you would never intentionally hurt me.” That smile transformed his lips, making my toes tingle. “Amelia, you can’t hurt me here. This is a dream.”
All the alarm in me melted away like ice thawing after a frigid winter. Despite it all, the funeral, Marcus, being hunted, and Caius, I smiled. Ty was right. In a dreamscape I wasn’t really in his room with him. I was asleep, at home. So any physical interaction was more like a seriously real figment rather than actual reality. I thought back to when I’d almost given myself to Ty while stuck at the Armaya. Heat dyed my face and neck. That encounter, imprinted on my heart and body, proved his words.
Unrestricted, I leaned into Ty, stretching on my toes to join our lips. Ty’s were fiery and hungry, and his arms folded around my body. I melted into him, loving the familiarity of his scent, taste, and touch as warmth within me grew. It started at my core like a lit match. A ball of adolescent hormones ready to take over. Then it grew, snaking out in powerful streams that dominated every internal inch of my body. I kissed Ty harder, the warmth moving from within
to coat my skin with the heat of the sun.
“Ouch!” Ty jolted away from me.
With my lids closed I hadn’t seen the reason behind his kneejerk reaction. But I felt it. What I thought was volcanic desire wasn’t. Well not entirely. The warmth had shot without warning from my body to every inch of my cold skin. Rippled shockwaves had erupted to connect with every place Ty had been touching me. His fingers and hands pressed into my back. His arm encasing me. His chest against my own. And his lips and tongue lapping over mine. They had all caught the blow.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” I went to touch him but restrained myself. “I didn’t think…”
“I’m alright.” Ty shook off the static. Then he peered up, his smile weak and filled with shattering realization. “I know you didn’t mean to. And I don’t know how…I mean, you shouldn’t be able to.”
I slumped onto Ty’s bed, staring down at the receding blue sparks. “How could this happen?”
Ty dropped beside me, leaving almost a foot of air space separating us. My heart sank at the empty space and everything it meant. Reality or not, Ty couldn’t touch me. And if I couldn’t control this stupid power, he’d never touch or kiss me again.
“I don’t know,” Ty said, answering my question. “But I do know one thing. Your power isn’t restricted by space.”
I was about to ask what his words meant when I felt an uncontrollable pull from within. Ty and his room bled away from sight in a swirling blur, a spindle of black chaos that swallowed me like a sinkhole.
I fought the falling current, but it was no use. Everything was cold. Everything was dark. No shadow. No gray. No depth.
Without warning everything slowed. No longer in a dreamscape, it was clear I was far away from anywhere or anyone I knew. There was a damp, stale stink, and no air movement. Firelight grew around me, burning bright from metal fire pits with carved flame edges. My heart almost stopped. Uneven walls caged me, made of rock and compacted dirt. I was underground in an enormous cavern.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
Standing before me was a league of damned vampires. They stood in uniform rows, crimson eyes staring at…me.
My first instinct was to run, to somehow get the hell out of dodge. And if that option failed, to fight. With everything I had.
Problem was my body refused to obey. Instead, I paced back and forth in front of soldier lines of horrifying creatures. Each glowing set of red eyes followed my every movement. But they didn’t advance. They were watching, waiting for something.
Then a voice emerged from my throat. It was dagger sharp, and lacked human emotion. It wasn’t my voice, but one that sounded so unnervingly familiar. “The time is fast approaching for our plans to take effect. Our numbers must grow if we are to succeed.”
The voice was male, deep and commanding, but still young. It struck fear through my heart. This voice wasn’t Caius’s. If only the vision would swing around so I could see his face.
“Why are you all still standing there!” he screamed at the damned. “You have your orders. Now go!”
He raised his hand, revealing a scar across his wrist as he pointed his index finger away. The same scar I’d seen on Lord Vladimir’s murderer. The scar that belonged to a living vampire.
Feeling the challenge pouring from the eyes I saw from, every damned averted their glowing gaze and scurried away. At least forty of them disappeared into the darkness beyond the fire pits.
~
Sudden blackness enveloped me and invisible cold hands held me down. One covered my mouth, muffling my scream. The damned had come and they were here to silence me. Terror clawed my soul, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.
I thrashed against the force before thrusting my hands forward. Blinded, I felt rather than saw the thick blue bolts streaming from my palms into my attacker. They flew off me, colliding with a crunch across the room.
And then I was right there with them. No longer fearful, hunger squeezed my insides as the smell of spilled blood soared. Hands pushed me back and words I couldn’t register hung in the air.
My live-wire body captured my prey and diffused their fight with shock after shock. As their lean body went limp, my fangs sunk in deep, stealing what I needed.
Sudden pain sliced through me, setting my veins on fire. It was the same pain I’d experienced when Caius had drained me. Except this wasn’t my pain. With continued voltage crippling his body and voice, it sure as hell didn’t belong to a damned. And neither did the stolen blood flooding my mouth. Both belonged to Kendrick.
My lids flung open and my fangs broke free. I scrambled back, letting Kendrick’s body drop in a heap.
Drywall debris littered the carpet around him, having cracked from the wall above where his body had collided. He was still convulsing, eyes and lips pinned shut, and wearing nothing but boxers.
“Kendrick!” I rushed to his side in panic. After experiencing the force of my new power on inanimate objects, I knew I’d hit him with enough spark to break something. If not blast him to pieces on the inside.
Kendrick struggled through the quakes, propping himself against the wall. He groaned as I reached out to touch him. “D-d-don’t t-touch me.”
I pulled back feeling rejected, which I deserved a thousand times over. I’d almost blasted my best friend to kingdom come, and tapped his vein like a junkie. “What can I do?” Shit. “Are you okay?”
Through the bond I felt his pain. Every muscle in his body was seizing, and every movement was pure agony. But he wasn’t hurt beyond repair. “I’ll b-be okay. I’m j-just glad I’m not a p-pillow, or—”
My bedroom door swung open and my mom glided in, cotton and lace PJs and all. She glanced from me to Kendrick, her neat bun bouncing as her head twisted. The worry on her face morphed into suspicion. Then she registered the body-slam dent in the drywall and the scarlet staining Kendrick’s neck. “What in God’s name is going on?”
I backed up as she came forward, not wanting to touch her. The risk of electrocuting her was too great. And she had no idea about my power. On top of that I could smell her blood. “It was an accident.”
“What was?” She paused, studying me. Then she frowned. “Kendrick, why are you in Amelia’s room at this hour?”
I realized that although it looked like I’d just played a round of WWF on Kendrick, Mom was concerned about something else entirely. She actually thought something was going on between us.
“You think…” My brain flipped a does-not-compute. Mom had always been easy going whenever Kendrick had slept over in the past. She hadn’t even had a problem with him sleeping in my bed after Ty and I broke up. “It’s not like that. And since when do you care?”
It’s not that ridiculous, Kendrick’s voice echoed in my mind. Or do I repulse you that much?
I blinked and took a deep breath. You know that’s not what I meant.
“You’re not children anymore,” Mom answered. “Plus I’ve noticed a change in your friendship since you got back from the Armaya. You’re closer to each other than before. Due to that we’ll need to discuss house rules.”
Dorian appeared through the door in nothing but flannel bottoms. He held up two bottles of blood. “Guessing you both need this.” He handed a bottle to Kendrick. Then he threw one to me.
I fumbled with it, expecting the glass to shatter with a bolt of lightning. Except nothing happened. Not even a dance of blue down my arm. I carefully emptied the bottle while looking at my brother. “How’d you know?”
“Powers of deduction,” Dorian said with a shrug, meaning he’d heard the ruckus and guessed.
“Will someone explain to me what is going on here?” Mom planted her hands on her hips. “Amelia?”
I needed to tell her something. And after what I’d seen, keeping this secret was no longer an option. The Council needed to be warned. I kicked at the drywall debris with my bare feet. “I had a vision.”
Mom didn’t flinch. Her face didn’t show any sign of shock or
surprise. Her mouth parted, hanging open for a moment before she spoke. “It was probably a bad dream.”
“They’re not dreams,” Dorian said. “I’ve seen it.”
“So have I,” Kendrick added, his gaze narrowing at my mom. “And how would that be possible, Ms. Lamont? Aren’t royals the only vampires who can develop elemental powers?”
My mom froze, her gaze averting and hand moving over her heart. A second later her control returned. “You are right, Kendrick. Only royals can have these gifts.”
“So how can we have them?” Dorian asked.
“We?” Mom’s eyes became glassy and a tear rolled down her cheek. “You have one, too?”
Dorian nodded and lifted a finger towards our mom’s face, not quite touching her. The tear that was at her jawline pulled free, floating to connect with Dorian’s extended finger. He shrugged. “Water.”
Mom’s face turned blank and her voice was a whisper. “When did this all happen?”
Instead of telling her about the many visions I’d had before knowing what they were, I settled for the one that was most shocking and relevant. “I had a vision after Caius took you to that council meeting last week.” It was a partial lie. And I wasn’t about to tell her it’d happened while I was spying on that council meeting. “I saw Lord Vladimir and his family…slaughtered.”
Mom’s face turned grim and her knees gave out before she caught herself and slid down the wall. “Oh no.” Her voice was so quiet, so distraught as her tearing eyes peered up. “Amelia, all those lives lost. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I did!” I blurted.
“She called Marcus straight away,” Kendrick said, now able to get to his feet. “But he couldn’t get hold of Lord Vladimir. Then when he arrived in Russia it was already too late.”
Mom shook her head in her hands. “Marcus must be so distraught. I knew he found them, all of them. But to have known about the threat beforehand…”
