by Anna Santos
I nodded because she’d summed up the important events perfectly. “So the handsome guy is not my mate?” I asked, feeling sad about that. After dreaming one more time about him, I was missing him terribly.
“No, my uncle is not your mate. But he will help you with all this, and he needs to understand what’s going on.”
“I want to understand what’s going on, too. I want to know why that arrogant king had my family killed and why he kidnapped my cousin. I’d heard rumors that other children had been taken, but—now that I’ve seen Myra, I know I need to save her and her mate. I need to save the other kids.”
“I don’t think she wants to be saved. If you recall correctly, she attacked us and tried to kill Shane and me.”
“Yes, but she was protecting her life and the life of her mate. You know—that is very complicated.”
Our attention was drawn to the door opening. A young man with blond hair, wearing blue faded jeans, and a turquoise T-shirt entered. “So, are you coming out or not?”
“Kevin!” I screamed, happy to see him well and up-and-about. I ran over to him and jumped in his arms. “You look so healthy, and you are so gorgeous!”
He hugged me tight. “You look gorgeous, too, I was worried about you. You’re one crazy chick! Trying to burst into flames. Are you stupid or something? Do you want to get yourself killed?”
“I was mad, Kevin,” I said, pouting at his lecture. I loved him and Anna like they were my own family.
“No one will harm you now. We are here with you, and you are safe with us.”
“I know kiddo,” I said playfully, as I mussed his perfect blond hair. He growled, annoyed, but he didn’t pull back, instead, he hugged me tighter. “I’m all grown up now, Jessie,” he whispered naughtily in my ear, and I opened my eyes wide. What the hell was he implying?
“Hey, take your head out of the gutter! I’m not your witch!” I muttered as I pushed him away. “And you are not my vamp.” I shook my finger at him.
Kevin put on a disappointed face, and I was about to laugh, but my attention was taken by the tall blond man who appeared in the bedroom entrance, standing just behind Kevin. He wore an elegantly silver-grey business suit, white shirt, and a baby blue tie, matching his eyes.
Talk about a gorgeous man. This one looked like an angel, not my angel, but he was a walking temptation. Yet, he was definitely not my mate. I could understand that now. Sadly, he was not mine.
“So, are you sure you are not my mate?” I asked him, pushing Kevin aside and addressing him with an ‘I’m-your-future-number-one-fan’ type of smile. I could see where Anna and Kevin had gotten their angelic faces and stunning blue eyes.
“To my regret, no, I am not,” he replied with a nice smile of his own on his lips.
“I like the way you think,” I said, giggling. He grabbed my hand and took it to his lips. Such a gentleman!
“I’m Eric,” he whispered in his nice, sexy voice. “And we need to talk, milady,” he added gently as he let go of my hand and adopted a serious face. “I gave my word to my niece and nephew that I would protect you, but I need to understand what is going on.”
“Let’s talk,” I said but immediately regretted, because I was hungry. I went back over and picked up the tray of food. “How about let’s talk while I eat.” I led Eric out to the kitchen and sat on a stool where I explained my situation to the Vampire Prince, Anna, Kevin, and Shane.
* * *
The next day was pretty much uneventful. I had tried to rest and wait for Eric’s news about his conversation with Francesco. Since I couldn’t stay still for long in one place, Kevin had been kind enough to show me the town.
The town of Affinity had nearly a population of forty thousand. It was pretty big considering that the majority of those residents were supernatural. And it was growing because there were a lot of old buildings being renovated to accommodate more houses and apartments.
“Do you like it here? Aren’t you eager to get back to Chicago?” I wondered since Kevin always liked big cities. We were having coffee and pie in one of the small cafes near the Town Hall. A brick, stone and terracotta building with classical adornment and a distinguishable watch tower.
“It’s different. I’m bonding with my new found family, plus I made good friends here,” Kevin said, reclining in his seat.
“Do you feel different since you woke up from the coma?”
He shrugged and looked outside. “Do you want to see the local theater?”
I frowned, understanding that he was trying to change the subject. “Not really. I’m tired of walking.”
“It’s inside the Town Hall. There’s a 432-seat theater. It will host a small musical concert next week. Or I can take you to see where Shane works. The Police Station is just two blocks away.”
I tapped my fingers on the table. “Or we can talk about what happened to you.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled, lifting his right shoulder in a half shrug.
I grabbed my cup in both hands and took a sip. “Are you mad at me because I didn’t come to see you earlier?”
“You had other things to take care of. Besides, I’m fine for someone who came back from the dead.” He smirked mischievously while holding both hands under the table and leaning forward.
“You were in a coma, not dead!”
“We should go back home.”
I squinted my eyes, “You’ve been avoiding my questions since we left home. You are going to tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong, really. Anna is happy. Even Jason left for England to pursue my cousin. The group has fallen apart…” He sighed deeply. “I’m not sure if I like it here. I have fun, though. I made new friends and I’m glad that Anna has found someone to love. I’m happy to live in the palace with grandpa, but…it’s like I always feel like something is missing since I woke up from that coma.” Then, he looked from his cup to face me with a lopsided grin. “I’m fine.”
I rolled my eyes. Kevin never knew how to express his feelings. A lot like Anna. They’d rather conceal their pain and pretend everything's okay. “I’m here to find out what your tattoo means.”
“You mean my witch’s family emblem? She’s so possessive that she branded me. Do you know how hard it is to explain this?” He pointed at his tattoo.
I snorted. “It looks cool on you! But…it’s bigger than a normal emblem and it appeared in a rather visible spot. Normally emblems appear behind your neck, on your shoulder, or on your chest. It’s rare to appear somewhere else.”
He arched an eyebrow. “My mate’s emblem may be elsewhere than her forearm? Like her chest or back?” I nodded. “How am I supposed to find her then? Should I sleep with every witch that I find attractive?” I shrugged and he puckered his lips then grinned. “Interesting!”
I rolled my eyes once again.
“We should go home and see if you have the same emblem on a concealed part of your body, then,” he teased.
“That’s not going to happen,” I said, reaching out my arm and ruffling his hair. He growled and slapped my hand away. “Besides, my family’s emblem isn’t a bird looking like a Phoenix. It’s a fire rune encased in a circle.”
Kevin fixed his hair. “At least, my girl’s emblem is way cooler.”
I showed him my tongue and crossed my arms over my chest. Meanwhile, the teenage waitress approached us with a fresh pot of coffee.
“Do you want another refill?” She asked, smiling widely at Kevin and then at me.
He smiled back at her. “We’re good. Thank you, Tracy.”
The girl moved to wait on another table.
“Who is that?” I wondered. “She’s pretty.”
“Tracy is from Sebastien’s pack. Sometimes the guys come here to eat. On Fridays, they have karaoke nights. It’s cool.”
“Sebastien is the attractive Alpha that I saved and is now your best friend, right?”
He nodded. “You’ll meet him tonight. I want to take you to his land. We are having a b
arbecue to celebrate someone’s birthday. I think it’s Daren’s. It’ll be fun.”
“Sure, I need to clear my head and have some fun.”
“So, how can we find my witch?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Do you really want me to find her?”
“Yes.”
His serious expression surprised me.
“Well, first I need to have access to a witch book of emblems to identify the name of the family. Then I need to find the witch family’s tree and narrow it down to a place in the world where her relatives are, and if she still lives with them it will be easier to track her down.”
“What would you need for that?”
“I need a huge library with old witchcraft books. I may have to leave town again for that. Plus, I also need a dictionary to help me translating the first thirty pages of my family’s book of spells. So I guess I can work on both projects at the same time.” I placed a strand of blonde hair behind my ear and grabbed the fork to eat the final bite of pie. I resumed talking after swallowing my food. “But Anna doesn’t want me to leave town for the time being. Maybe there’s a library here that I can use, or a coven of witches with the information that I need.”
“Actually, you just need to use my grandfather’s library. It’s gigantic and I’ve seen a lot of old books there. We can ask Uncle Eric, but I’m sure that he won’t object with you using the library to help me and finish your little book project.”
“That would be awesome!”
“I should call him to see if he was able to reach King Francesco and stop another squad of deadly ninja girls from coming for you.”
I breathed out loudly, fighting not to roll my eyes at his attempt at a joke.
Chapter Four—Negotiations
JESSICA
Another night and another vivid, almost real, dream with my mate. We were in a ballroom and we were dancing and chatting with other important people. Vampires like us. I was happy. We talked about our lives, things I can no longer remember once I wake up. But there were whispers of memories in my brain, trying to get out, and I hoped to find out something else about my mate, something that allowed me to find him. I had journaled about my dreams. I learned to write down everything I remembered once I woke up. I had a book of information dealing with my dreams. And there was a lot more than sexy, detailed descriptions of our moments together. But since I had arrived at this town, there was something crawling inside my skin making me feel as if I needed to be somewhere important.
On that morning, I had a meeting with Eric at his home. Anna gave me a ride there, and she witnessed my shocked expression when I was faced with the breathtaking palace.
“What are you doing? The entrance is right there?” I asked, pointing my finger when she kept driving.
“Uncle’s house is in the west wing of the palace. I’m sure that he’ll show you the other wings once you’ve talked about King Francesco.”
I put my hands on the glass of the car window. “The garden is amazing!”
“There’s a lot more in the back, including hedge mazes and two courtyards.”
“I would love to see those! Why don’t you live here? I’m sure there’s a bedroom far enough away from the rest of your family so they won’t hear you and Shane having sex.”
I heard Anna softly growling and I smirked. It was easy to irritate her.
She followed the road that circled the four main buildings, then parked the car. I kept staring at the mesmerizing and beautiful gardens adorned with hedge-lined pathways, circular stone benches, and bronzed statues. Far behind, there was a montage of fruit trees, colorful annuals, and perennials. I was eager to look around and discover all the mysteries that might be hidden in those gardens.
“For your information, I have a bedroom here, but I would rather be with Shane in his house. Plus, it’s closer to town,” Anna said as I got out of the car and stretched my arms and legs.
I was still feeling sore and tired, but I knew that it was just a matter of time until I was fully recovered and was able to get my full powers back.
I rubbed my neck, then put my hand up to keep the sun out of my eyes to look at the west wing with curiosity. The thick, stone walls reminded me of a fortress and the large windows with the closed veils sent a vibe of solitude.
Anna pointed at the large wooden door glistening under the sun. “That’s the main entrance of the building. I’ll ring the bell to announce our arrival.”
It didn’t take long until Eric showed up at the door and gave us his best smile. He wore a long-sleeved gray top and denim jeans, and I was surprised when Anna shrieked his name and hugged him before leaving a kiss on his cheek. She only did that to the ones she loved, like me and Shane. Hugging her uncle was a good sign.
“Good morning, Jessica.” Eric held out his hand, and I shook it.
“Hello, Eric. You look tired,” I mumbled, analyzing his face.
He rubbed the back of his neck and smirked, with his eyes shining brightly. “I was up until late into the night, talking to King Francesco.”
“I hope you have good news,” Anna said with a worried expression.
“Let’s get inside and talk in my office. I’ll serve some tea and we’ll chat.” Eric stepped back to let us enter first and I followed Anna along the long corridors with marble floors and arched doorways to the other rooms.
* * *
Eric’s office was a huge room with shelves filled with books and an enormous Arabian carpet over the wooden floor. Eric’s dark wood desk was piled high with stacks of papers, drawings, and measurements for buildings and furniture. There were also art exhibit catalogs and art history books filled with pictures of famous paintings and painters. Next to them were files with light brown covers like the kind seen in television police stations; they even had a logo printed on their covers.
Eric sat on a comfy leather couch. Beside him was Anna. I sat across from him to listen to what he had to tell us about his conversation with King Francesco. He crossed his hands over his lap and began to talk smoothly with a sympathetic expression even though what he had to say was extremely serious.
“You need to understand that we don’t take trespassing lightly. Especially when it’s to attack someone in our territory.” I nodded. “The problem is that King Francesco didn’t think it was a big deal to attack you on our lands. He seemed a lot more interested in asking questions about you.”
“What sort of questions?” I wondered.
“He wanted to know how long you had belonged to us.”
“I don’t belong to you,” I reminded him, frowning.
“I may have adopted you for the time being so I could argue my case with him. He was led to believe that you are part of my clan as a subject and you work for us.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Anna intervened. “He said what was necessary to protect you.”
I eventually cocked my head to the right and shrugged. “Fine. It’s not like I’m able to beat an entire kingdom if he plans to send an army for me.”
Eric laughed. “Maybe half of an army.”
“Maybe.” I smirked.
“From what I have seen, you are really powerful. You would probably cause a huge hole in the ground if you couldn’t control your powers in time.”
“Yes, it would have been a shame to destroy Shane’s pretty cabin. I don’t think Anna would have ever forgiven me.”
“They like to live there rather than here. I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t mind the privacy either if I… I mean…” He smiled and cleared his throat. “Let’s get back to the problem at hand.”
“Did you ask him why he had my mother’s grimoire?” I leaned forward with my hands over my knees.
“I mentioned it. I even expressed to him that it was highly suspicious and that there wasn’t a plausible explanation why he would have the grimoire of a fallen coven that practiced white magic when his witches were a black magic coven. The fact he had the book would open an inquiry if I were to call the Vampire Council to sh
ine some light on this matter.”
“What did he say?”
“He demanded to talk to my father. He claimed that it wasn’t my duty to talk to him about trespassing since I wasn’t the king.”
“That’s a jerk move,” I muttered.
“I’m the acting king. My father leaves all decisions to me. Therefore, I have every right to call him and discuss the trespassing. You are my witch, consequently, any attempt on your life is a direct attack on all of us.”
“I feel like Helen of Troy! I don’t know if I should feel happy or scared.”
“Since Troy lost the war, you shouldn’t make those comparisons,” Anna said, with her head resting on her hand and her elbow on the arm of the couch.
“Summing up, he neither confessed nor denied the attack and he’s not sorry for trespassing to try to kill me.”
“Well,” Eric continued, “your coven was vastly respected among the supernatural community. No one ever discovered who ordered the attack. The grimoire is proof and I’m sure that even if he appears not to be concerned about this, he is. Summoning the High Council of Vampire Kings, which my father is a respected member, is the only judicial thing to do if Francesco fails to explain how he came to be in possession of your grimoire.”
“He stole it without a doubt…”
“He claims that you were the one who stole it.” He raised one hand before I could protest. “Well, you did steal it, but technically you can’t steal something that belongs to you. Once we alert the Council, they will take proper action to investigate and find more evidence against Francesco.”
“Is he going to leave me alone or is he planning to send more assassins after me?”
“Francesco is on another continent. That’s why he’s acting so cocky. He’s not afraid of us because he knows that we need to cross the ocean to face his troops.”
“Wait, what?”
