by Nicki Ruth
“You knew my mother?” Davina asked slowly, her voice shaking. “How?” She was skeptical. She hadn't met anyone old enough to have known her family, and she hadn't mentioned her lineage to anyone.
“Tiamat and I were childhood friends. We played together, but our paths took us toward diverging destinies. You're the image of your mother, in more ways than one.” He moved closer, stopping directly in front of her, his eyes boring into hers. “Yes, you are her daughter.”
“How do you know my name?” Davina asked.
“I know many things. I’ve lived a long time and keep many secrets. My apologies, but I orchestrated our meeting with Clarisse,” Sandar said unabashedly. “I needed to meet you. I hope you won’t think poorly of me.”
“Why should I believe you? Tell me what you know about me, about my family,” Davina said.
What was his aim? If there was one thing Davina had learned at court in Zhar, it was that most conversations were about giving or gaining information to fulfill shrouded agendas.
“Well, I know I helped Tiamat escape to Earth. And I know why you dream of blood and fire.” Sandar’s dark eyes seemed to glow then, swirling with red and gold. Davina gasped.
“Davina!” Jason’s voice rang out from the distance. “Where are you?”
Sandar sighed. “Looks like our meeting is coming to an end. But we'll meet again soon. Come, Clarisse.” Sandar bent to retrieve the creature.
“Wait!” Davina couldn't let him leave without getting more information. “Do you know who killed my family? Or how I came to be here?”
He blinked at her, looking a bit surprised and confused by her questions, but he recovered quickly. “Tiamat’s loss devastated me, and I’ve tried to make sense of her death over the years. As for how you came to be here, I thought you knew. The powerful fae priestess secured your survival. Even now, she suffers greatly for her transgression.”
Shock rippled through Davina. Lexi? “What do you mean she suffers? Where is she?”
“Davina? Where did you go?” Jason’s voice sounded closer.
“Please, tell me!” Davina implored to Sandar, her eyes wide.
Sandar shrugged. “The fae priestess has been imprisoned, forgotten by her people and unable to tap into her power source, but she is kept alive so that she won’t be reincarnated. A terrible fate indeed.” Sadness and pity laced Sandar’s voice. “Mystics are often revered and despised at the same time.” His gaze drifted off for a moment.
“How do I find her?” Davina grabbed Sandar’s arm and she felt power rippling below the surface. She hissed and quickly let go. This man was more than he seemed.
He gave her a small smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t fuss, child. I will come to you again. I will help you. You are Tiamat’s daughter and heir. Now, let our encounter remain between you and me until the time is right. There is much to do, and the Dāmming approaches.” With that, Sandar and Clarisse disappeared into the night, leaving her alone with her questions.
“There you are! What are you doing?!” Jason stumbled through the brush toward her. “Are you all right?” He stilled and looked around, sniffing the air. “Who was here with you?” He frowned, his body tensing.
Still dazed by her surreptitious encounter with Sandar, she let herself fall into Jason’s arms. She shook, reeling from what she just heard. Was it true that Lexi was alive? That she’d been suffering all these years because of her? Davina didn’t want to believe it.
“What’s wrong? What’s upset you?” Jason asked softly, running his hands up and down her back. “Let’s go back to the house. The others will be worried.”
Davina buried her face in Jason’s chest, absorbing the comfort he provided. In that moment, she resolved she would do anything in her power to see Lexi again, even if it meant crossing over a few bodies to get to her. Lexi was alive! Her blood roiled at the thought.
Jason must have felt the shift in her because he took a cautious step back.
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Let’s go back to the party.” She walked ahead with a confused Jason trailing behind her.
∞∞∞
Alexios watched Davina and Jason enter the ballroom from the gardens and frowned. He hated his irrational resentment at what those two might have been up to. He refused to think it was jealousy and attributed it to stress. He cut his conversation with Lieutenant Farc short and headed in their direction. Lieutenant Farc had no useful information anyway. He'd kept steering the conversation to gossip about the massacre on Delta B, which Alexios pretended to know nothing about. Hopefully Marius was having better luck.
Alexios stepped abruptly in front of Davina and Jason, causing them to stop. “Where have you two been?” he demanded, unable to keep the edge from his voice. He was being unreasonable, he knew, but he was irritable.
“Father, Davina just needed some fresh air.” Jason said.
Davina cut him off. “I am not some child to be coddled, and I don’t need a babysitter. You seem to be forgetting your place! I shall go where I want, when I want. Do I make myself clear?”
Her gaze was like golden steel; the energy coming from her made him step back. Several people within earshot did the same. Jason looked unsure of what to do, his eyes darting between them. Alexios himself was caught off guard by her anger and wondered what had put her in this mood, but now was not the time for them to cause a scene.
“As you wish, Davina,” he said and bowed to her.
Her eyes flashed. Why was she angered? Had something happened between her and Jason?
“I would prefer to leave this place. Now,” Davina said coolly, her eyes never leaving his.
“Let’s go, then. The others can meet us at home later.” He motioned to Jason, then extended his arm for Davina, which she promptly ignored. She marched out without so much as a backward glance to see whether he followed.
Chapter 1
6
Davina lay on the bed, glaring at the ceiling above. Her encounter with Sandar had left her shaken. If what Sandar said was true, her friend Lexi had been suffering in prison for many, many years. Furthermore, Sandar claimed to have known her family and even helped them get to Earth. Why? What else did he know about her family? How did he know about her dreams? Did he also know about her increasing thirst, how she wanted to lose herself to her blood urges, like she had with Jason?
She groaned. Questions about Sandar would have to wait. First, she needed to help Lexi. And she only knew of one person, or maybe three people, who could help. She grumbled at the thought of Alexios. His heavy-handedness was becoming insufferable. She should be thankful to him for taking her in, but she would not allow him to rule her life.
She sat up and thought about her next steps. Lexi had run away from Paristan, her home realm, wanting a life unburdened by her powers. As a fae priestess, she would have had to spend her life in a temple. She had left to live her own life. Davina wanted the same: to be unburdened of royal life, duties, and responsibilities. She'd known Lexi had more power than she let on, but she never pried too much into Lexi’s past, knowing her friend preferred not to talk about it. In hindsight, they should have made plans to protect Lexi should she ever be found.
Davina had to talk to Alexios about Lexi. But how he would react when he found out she was going to Paristan?
∞∞∞
Alexios stood in his chamber looking out into the night. He needed to get his infatuation with Davina under control. He had hoped that keeping his distance would temper his ardor, but the fact that he wanted to tear into Jason when he saw them together tonight proved he was underestimating his feelings. He had already decided to send Davina to another location. He would have to hasten the arrangements.
“Alexios, can I speak with you?” Davina asked softly behind him.
He turned, surprised that she had come to see him. She was right to be angry with him. He was the one who had no right to be jealous over who Davina chose to spend her time with.
> “Of course. But first, please let me apologize for my behavior tonight. It was unacceptable.” He truly wanted her to be comfortable after all she had been through.
She waved her hand in dismissal. “It's fine. Really. You’ve become very protective of me, I see that. Just don’t make a habit of trying to control me.” She sat on the edge his bed. “I’ve come to talk with you on another matter. It has come to my attention that my friend Lexi has been imprisoned in Paristan, and I intend to go there to find her.” She watched him carefully, awaiting his response.
He hid his surprise at her intended plan. He remembered the one called Lexi, the strange, pink-haired fae who went with Davina everywhere. Clearly, she meant a lot to Davina, but under no circumstances would he allow Davina to put herself in danger, no matter what she said.
“I see,” he said slowly. “And may I ask where you heard this information?”
“It doesn't matter where I heard it,” Davina said placidly.
He raised an eyebrow. Someone must have told her this tidbit. Was it the unknown presence Jason had sensed in the garden? Jason had enhanced senses, and Alexios trusted Jason’s instincts. Jason had also said Davina was upset when he found her in the garden.
“Yes, it matters. This information could be false. Maybe someone is purposely misleading you.”
She pursed her lips. “Why would someone do that? As far as everyone knows, I’m just your young ward who attended her first party tonight.”
Alexios sat next to Davina on the bed. “Exactly. So why would someone mention Lexi to you, of all people?” He tugged at the hem of his sleeve. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but kept himself in check. “Davina, I want to help. You must know that. But my first duty is to keep you safe.”
“Even if this is just a rumor, I must know what has become of her. If she is suffering I . . . I would never forgive myself.”
He heard the emotion in her voice, and he knew then that he would be going to Paristan.
“Please, Alexios, you don't have to go with me,” she said. “Tell me how to get to Paristan and what you know of the place, and I’ll find my friend.”
He stared at her in the dim light. He admired her loyalty and determination, but with his sire loose on Damurios, he couldn’t trust the words of mysterious strangers lurking in the woods.
“I’ll go with you to Paristan, if you tell me who told you this information.” He wouldn't let her know he suspected she encountered someone in the garden. He wanted to see if she trusted him to volunteer the information.
She remained silent so long that Alexios began to think she wouldn’t divulge who it was. Finally, she said, “I encountered someone in the garden. This person seemed to know who I was and told me about Lexi. It was dark, and I didn't see them clearly, nor did I get a name.” She shrugged, looking away.
Alexios was pleased she told him about the stranger. “Would you recognize this person if you saw them again?”
“By voice, I suppose.” She shifted on the bed, wringing her hands in her lap and not meeting his gaze.
He wondered if she had told him everything, but he would accept this for now. He wasn't sure Lexi was still alive, but he would help Davina get the closure she needed. He would have to call in some favors to collect information on the fae domain. He hadn’t had much contact with fae and preferred it that way. They were a formidable people, notorious for their distrust of vampires.
“I'll make arrangements to visit Paristan and gather information on Lexi’s whereabouts. But we will do this my way and my way only. Fae are not generally friendly toward vampires. Do we have a deal?”
She beamed, smiling for the first time since she had entered his chamber. It warmed his heart; he always wanted to see her smiling.
“Thank you, Alexios,” she said.
He rose from the bed, but she placed her hand on his. The look in her eyes was haunting, wanting. His breath caught in his throat as her fangs descended. Her grip tightened on his hand, and he knew what she wanted.
She descended on him quickly, sinking her fangs into his neck hard and deep. He grunted from the incision but held her close to his chest. His body stirred, desire and a familiar yearning welling up within him. His own fangs descended, and the need to feel her life force on his tongue overtook him.
“Don’t, Alex.” He heard a voice nearby. Marius? He couldn’t seem to focus.
“Don’t take from her. Her blood is tainted.”
It was Marius, standing by the door. Alexios bared his fangs at him for daring to interrupt. He needed to feel her blood pulsing through him.
Ignoring his friend, Alexios struck into her neck as she gripped him tighter, urging him to take. Flavor exploded on his tongue, and his body lit up in a cascade of pleasure. They exchanged life in a fever of bloodlust. Alexios lost awareness of everything other than the euphoric pleasure coursing through his veins. He wanted—needed—Davina bonded to him. His body called for it, demanded a true merging of their blood. Davina continued to swallow copious amounts of his blood. Somewhere in the corner of his mind, he knew she needed to stop, but all he wanted was to keep her at his throat.
“Davina, that’s enough. Release him!”
Alexios retracted his fangs, sated, and leaned back in a daze while his body neared a climax from the intensity of their blood sharing.
“Davina! Enough!” the voice said, louder this time.
Marius? Was he still here? Alexios wasn’t sure; he was practically delirious. His body tingled, enveloped by an energy that left him lightheaded. He suddenly felt Davina remove her fangs from his neck. He reached out to draw her back to him, but his movement was sluggish, his mind hazy.
An all-too-familiar pain lashed at him, causing him to arch off the bed. He thrashed and groaned. This time he saw Davina covered in blood as flames leaped at her feet. She was crying and screaming. He needed to get to her, to comfort her. Bodies lay all around, impeding his way. Their soulless eyes peered at him, and he heard pitiful wails of anguish that tore at his soul.
Finally, he reached her and stretched his hands to touch her. She turned to him, tears streaming down her cheeks, carving streaks through the blood caked on her face.
“I need more. I need you,” Davina said before she leaped on him, her long fangs slicing through his neck.
∞∞∞
Alexios broke free of the vision and saw Marius holding onto him, frowning.
“Alex, are you OK? I told you it's not wise to drink from her. Her blood is tainted.” Marius wiped the sweat from Alexios’ brow.
“Where is she?” Alexios croaked. Davina was gone.
“You should rest. She took too much from you.”
Alexios sat up and pushed Marius away. “I’m fine. Stop fussing. Her memories that come to me are just more intense. Her blood is not tainted.”
Alexios tried to rise from the bed but swayed on his feet.Marius was right there beside him.
“Alex, there're things I have been meaning to tell you about Davina, but I wanted to be sure first. I believe the legends are true about House Zharim. Their blood is powerful, which is probably the reason it affects you so. The legend says that within the House of Zharim there will be one born who is more powerful than any other vampire, with an insatiable thirst. This being would have the ability to use all manner of bloodgifts. A being this powerful could only bring about fear and terror.
“Davina is powerful. You yourself told me that she was able to sense your sire when we could not. She can speak into my mind, when no vampire has been able to do that. She is unrestrained in her thirst, and you have experienced painful side-effects taking from her.” Marius stood in front of him, placing his hands on his friend’s shoulders. Alexios frowned and looked away.
“I’ve been pondering these things,” Marius continued, “and I have come to one conclusion. I think there was a reason Davina’s mother fled to Earth. She was pregnant when she left Damurios. I believe she knew who she carried and sought to protect her child—th
e child of the legend. On Earth, a vampire’s gifts are suppressed due to the yellow sun, and Davina’s powers would not have manifested in any grand way. Then, too, Davina escaped Earth and was preserved by powerful means. Who would go to such lengths to save her if she were not special somehow? And why –"
“Marius,” Alexios interrupted. “Where did you hear this tale about the Zharims? It’s a myth, nothing more.”
“I sought out the mystic, Sandar,” Marius said pointedly.
Alexios narrowed his eyes. He had tried several times to meet with Sandar with regard to finding his sire, but he had always been refused. “You obtained an audience with that elusive mystic? How?”
Marius shrugged. “I had something he wanted, something of sentimental value,” he said. “A dagger from an Athenian temple.”
Alexios frowned and walked over to the window. “So Sandar told you this? He knows about Davina?”
“I didn’t mention Davina, only that I wanted to know about the Zharims.”
“And you believe Davina is this powerful being that controls the bloodgifts of Damurios?” Alexios turned to him. “That is a huge assumption to make based on a couple of uncontrolled feedings, Marius. She has been in space for centuries. Of course, she would be thirsty and have problems drinking.”
Marius nodded and began pacing. “It’s a huge assumption but a logical one. She’s a Zharim, and you must agree that, based on what we know of her gifts so far, they are powerful. We should find out the extent of her power.”
“Can you gain another meeting with Sandar?” Alexios asked after a few rounds of Marius’ pacing.
“I can try. Would you speak to him about Davina? I'm not sure we want him to know about her.”
“I have many questions for him, Marius. What you’ve uncovered about the Zharims requires more attention.”
If Davina had powerful gifts then he needed to understand them. Was that why the visions he harvested from her were so bone-chilling? As for the other superstitions Marius mentioned, he wasn’t interested.
