Blood Legacy: Adult Urban Fantasy (The V V Inn Book 5)

by C. J. Ellisson

  Justin blinks, taken off guard with my pretty words and request. “Do I have a choice?”

  I smile while rising from the table, thrilled he understands. “Not really.”

  “Are you done?” Jon calls from the front room. “I’m so ready to blow this popsicle stand.”

  Rafe strides into the kitchen and glances at Justin, then me. “I’d like a word with the wizard, if you and Jon don’t mind.”

  Intrigued, but willing to wait and see what he’s planning, I nod. “We’ll see you in the car.”

  “Sure,” Justin says, stretching out his long legs and lacing his arms behind his head, “don’t bother to ask the wizard. I’ll just sit here and mind my own business.”

  I smile as I pass my husband. “He’s all yours.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Rafe

  I pull back a kitchen chair and slide into the seat. Justin cocks an eyebrow, an insolent expression on his face.

  “What’s up, Rafe? You’ve got me all to yourself.”

  Unwilling to waste time, I jump right to the chase. “How much money do you make as a wizard?”

  He unlaces his hands and sits up straighter. “Uh—and why does that matter?”

  “Just answer the question. I want to make you a job offer, and wanted to know where to start.” At his look of surprise, I continue. “The exchange rate for the US dollar is really strong right now compared to the Argentine peso.”

  “The cost of living is different here, you know. It’s hard to compare what I earn to the US job market.”

  I smile, noting that he’s still not answering my question.

  “I do all right, man.” He looks around his small home, perhaps realizing the tiny dwelling doesn’t jive with his claims. “I put a lot into savings.”

  I dip my chin in acknowledgment. “Smart man. Saving is always a good thing.”

  The wizard fidgets in his seat. “Spell ingredients cost a lot, too.”

  “I bet.” I wait him out a bit longer, sure I’ve intrigued him now.

  “How much money are we talking—and what’s the job?”

  Bingo. I knew I wouldn’t have to wait too long. Know what inspires a man and you know how to entice him.

  “Five hundred thousand dollars. A one year contract. You’ll be required to move frequently.”

  Justin starts to cough before I can relay the rest of the information. “Holy shit,” he croaks, his voice rough and broken. “Think I just choked on my own spit.” He pounds his chest, then clears his throat. “Just what the hell do you expect me to do for that kind of money—kill someone?” His eyes bug out in worry. “Several someones?”

  “No.” I smooth my hand over the table, enjoying the texture of the polished wood. “You’ll be teaching me magic. Every day. Until you’ve taught me everything you know.”

  “Just you, no one else?” he asks.

  I nod.

  A lazy grin crosses Justin’s face. “Now that’s a deal I can handle.” He thrusts out his hand. “You’ve got yourself a magic teacher.”

  We shake on it and a huge smile splits my face. I can’t wait to see what Dria says to this idea. “Good. Go pack. We leave for Alaska in an hour.”

  Justin looks put out, but I know it’s an act. His excitement fills the air between us, more than likely he’s never had an opportunity like this offered to him before. This job will change his life, and he knows it.

  “Jesus, talk about short notice. All right then, looks like I better get packing.” He stands and heads upstairs, calling behind as he goes. “Grab a box from out back and pack my spell books, would ya? Wouldn’t want to make us late for the flight.”

  I snort at his audacity, and open the back door for a box. He’ll certainly be surprised when he discovers we own the plane. There’s no chance we’ll miss the flight.

  As the pilots finish their pre-flight check, I power up my laptop in the hangar’s back lounge, ignoring the tension coming off my wife. She wasn’t thrilled with me hiring Justin, but Jon’s enthusiastic acceptance of the plan softened her ire.

  I understand her fears and worries, probably better than she does. But I will not allow either of us to face an enemy so grossly unprepared. My solution makes sense, and it will give me peace of mind in case we run into anymore vampire wizards in our quest to find Dria’s turns. At least one of us will have the mojo to stop them before we walk into another mess unprepared.

  When Jon and Justin leave to load the bags onto the plane, she stirs from her position across the room, where she’s been sulking for the past twenty minutes or so, and walks toward me at the table where I’m working on the wizard’s employment contract. Silly man refused to get on the plane until everything is signed. I shake my head in disbelief. Like I’m not a man of my word and can’t be trusted or something.

  “I still don’t like it,” she says, a touch of a petulant whine in her tone.

  “I know.”

  “But do you truly understand why?” This time she sounds annoyed. I look up, eyebrows creeping up my forehead. “I don’t like the position you’ve put me in. It goes against promises I’ve made to you. I never want to violate your trust.”

  “I need to do this, Dria. It is for us, for our safety, that I want to learn what he has to teach.”

  “But you know—you agree—we cannot allow a vampire wizard to knowingly come into existence. The power is too great. And yet here you sit, blatantly flaunting that fear.” She runs both hands through her hair, uneasiness making her hands jerky, while staring toward the door where the two left a few minutes ago. Her voice sounds quieter now, filled with dread and angst. “I’ll be the one who will have to wipe the knowledge from your mind if you die and turn.”

  I stand and move closer to her, cupping her cheeks in my palms and tilting her beautiful face up to mine. “If, darling? There is no if, only when.” I lean down and kiss her gently. “And we will survive where other couples have not. I swear it to you.”

  “All right,” she relents, tension spilling out of her, but not the sadness. “We’ll try it your way. But you can’t practice mind manipulation like you have been.” A shudder runs through her, despite the warmth in the lounge. “It’s too dangerous. The darkness will have too many opportunities.”

  “Opportunities to do what?”

  “To drag you under.” Tears fill her eyes. “To own your soul.”

  I lean my forehead against hers, breathing deeply before replying. “I know you’ll never let that happen to me.”

  “No. No, I won’t.” The look in her eyes reveals a steely determination to face a task she loathes, and to do it to her own husband.

  I have no fear in me like she does. I trust her with my heart and my soul, what’s more to add my mind to the list?

  The door opens and we break apart, both of us unwilling to share what we’ve exchanged with the other two.

  Justin strides in, oblivious to the energy between us. “How’s that contract coming, Boss Man?”

  “Good. I just need your full name so I can print it out. Once we both sign it, and the flight attendant notarizes it, you’ll be a legal employee of the V V Inn.” I wink at him. “Complete with that fifty thousand dollar advance to your bank account I mentioned in the car.”

  “Sa-weet! Monson is my last name. Spelled M-O-N-S-O-N, not with a U like most people think. Justin A. Monson.”

  Dria and I both freeze, the name an all too familiar one. I cut my gaze to my wife, who stands with her mouth open in shock.

  Could it be the same family? I ask her telepathically. What the hell are the chances of that?

  She closes her mouth and stares at the wizard. Fate works in mysterious ways. And it’s never good to question her, she can be a fickle bitch.

  “What’s wrong?” Justin asks. “Did I miss something?”

  I enter his name into my laptop at the appropriate spot on the contract and hit print. “No, nothing at all. In fact, more things may be right than you think.”

  He l
ooks at me with a funny what-the-hell-does-that-mean expression on his face, while Dria hands him a pen.

  “Your life will never be the same when you arrive in Alaska,” she says with genuine happiness for him. “Of that, I guarantee.”

  ~*~

  Coming mid-April, 2015: A V V Inn "between the books" novella -- free only to newsletter subscribers.

  Three parts will be posted on www.cjellisson.com in mid April, May, and June, then available for purchase at retailers in late June.

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  A personal note from C.J.: If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on the product page where you purchased it. Reviews help readers discover new series and perhaps try an author they never heard of. Thank you!

  About the Author: C.J. Ellisson lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two children, and three dogs. She's battled severe chronic illness for years and is thrilled to report she’s finally approaching the end of treatment. She turned to writing when she could no longer work outside the home and claims the escape of penning contemporary erotic romance, urban fantasy, and erotica has helped save her sanity.

  Blood Legacy is the fourth full-length book in the V V Inn series, and the sixth title published. There are currently six full-length novels and four prequel & side story books planned, with more to be added if there is enough reader interest.

  Books in the V V Inn series, in reading order :

  Death’s Servant, Prequel Story

  Vampire Vacation, Book One

  The Hunt, Book Two

  Big Game, Book Three

  Death Times Two, Book 3.5

  Blood Legacy, Book Four

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  Acknowledgements

  I begin writing Blood Legacy alongside four eighth-graders in an after school NaNoWriMo club devoted to writing a novel in thirty days. It was a momentous occasion for me, as I hadn’t created anything new in over eight months. The students were incredibly enthusiastic and their energy was contagious, reminding me of why I love to write in the first place.

  All four reached their 30k-word goal by the last day of November 2014, while I still had plenty to write on my much larger manuscript. Addison Conner (my daughter), Shay Dylan, Dana Trace, and Dalia Medina will hopefully have their stories published by this summer, and I will gladly support them when they do. I couldn’t be prouder of these young ladies. They’ve accomplished something many adults will never be able to do in their lifetimes. Thank you, ladies, for all the write-ins and inspiration. You helped me find my writing mojo again.

  In addition to my students, I’d like to thank my alpha readers. These ladies read the chapters one at a time in a private Facebook group, offering feedback before the work went to my editor. They were invaluable with their observations, suggestions, and overall support. Big thank you to Michelle Chauvin-Archut, Lisa Errion, Sandy Schairer, Katrina Hough, Gwenda Bourgeois, Laura Ward, Lisa Moss, Kay Ramsey, Kim Engstrom, Carol-Jean Fierro, and Chelly Pazdan. You ladies rock!!

  I had two editors on this book who deserve a shout out: Tina Winograd, thanks for always being a voice of reason I can count on, and Taylor Law, w ho worked all hours of the night to help me reach my deadline. Thank you both for the hard work and time you put in.

  Thank you to the fabulous Readers who reach out online and via email. Your support and interest in my work is what keeps me writing on a day to day basis. Due to my health issues, I’ve been more of a homebody for the past six years than any other time in my life. Your kindness is both humbling and awe-inspiring. Thank you for being a part of this fantastic journey with me.

  And last, but never least, thank you to my supporting family. You’ve been incredible during the years of intense medical treatments, IVs that left me tired and sick, helping to cook meals I was too tired to prepare, and reminding me time and time again to slow down and focus on my health. I know, as do the doctors, if it wasn’t for all of you I wouldn’t be here. Thank you, Pete, Addison, and Jack—from the depths of my soul.

  Contributors

  The following individuals inspired names for characters appearing in this book. They either thought the name up, volunteered the use of their name, I stole their name because I liked it, or they supported me so much I wanted to thank them:

  Andy Lipshultz: It started as an April fool's joke, but then I twisted things and named a character after him (and basically stole his name, too).

  Asa Monson: My nephew, whom I based a character on and stole his name.

  Ashley Gonzalez: She suggested the old wizard’s name, Bartholomew, in a Facebook post on my author Page.

  Cy Whitfield, aka Michael Stern: My brother, whom I based a character on his Second Life persona, and named the character after him.

  Diane O’Neill-Mason: She volunteered to have her name used.

  Eric Monson: My nephew, whom I based a character on and stole his name.

  Elsa Cisneros: I named a character after her.

  George “GJ” Marko: I named a character after him.

  Jessie Patterson: She suggested the name Magdelena for the female alpha werewolf in this book.

  Justin Monson: The oldest nephew of the three. I based a character on him and stole his name.

  Patrick Larson: I gladly wrote him into the story, with his permission, so he and Eric could continue to have adventures together forever.

  Paul R. Ocker: I named a character after him.

  Michelle Pazdan: I named a character after her.

  Rolando Ray: He thought of the name Ivan (the villain from book one), which won in an online vote—and I stole his name.

  Romeo LoGiurato: I stole his name.

  Glossary of Terms and Characters

  Asa - fledgling vampire and the security and munitions expert at the V V Inn.

  Bartholomew - aka Bart. Old wizard in Buenos Aires who uses animal blood to work his spells.

  Blood Coffee - a mixture of half-blood and half-coffee, favored by undead everywhere.

  Blood Bond - a term used to describe the exchange of blood between either a human and a vampire, both ways, or a master vampire and a member of their seethe. It enables telepathic communication between them through the bond, if desired.

  Bonded Mate - a deeper connection than a servant, this bond allows the non-vampire to stop aging and share a significant amount of power associated with the bonded vampire. A complex ritual and exchange of large amounts of blood must take place for this bond to occur. The only way to break the bond is through death or a rare deep mind manipulation severing the link.

  Chelly - See Michelle.

  Companion - a human who has donated blood to a vampire and been accepted into the vampire's care for future feedings.

  Coraline - a member of the Inner Circle who cares for and guards the Tribunal of Ancients.

  Cy - Vivian's contact in New York, whom she turned when she discovered him close to death in an alley outside his bar over forty-five years ago.

  Diane - An employee on the resort. Dr. Cook’s
adult daughter and a witch.

  Donor - a human who donates blood to a vampire, willingly, with no connections.

  Drew - a one-hundred-and-fifty year old vampire, and newer member of Vivian’s seethe.

  Dria - the master vampire narrating part of the story, aka Vivian and Alexandria.

  Enforcer - a highly skilled vampire assassin, used as an instrument of justice by the tribunal.

  Emmanuel - bartender at Lupine Luna in Buenos Aires, aka Manny.

  Elsa - Romeo’s werewolf mate.

  Emiko - the rogue designated by the Tribunal to be hunted at the resort (book two).

  Eric - a new werewolf from Romeo’s pack.

  Fledgling - term used for a vampire under the age of five years.

  George - Security at the Tribunal of Ancients.

  Gwendolyn - a witch in Buenos Aires the trio turns to for answers.

  Hombre Gato - or Cat-man, is a legendary creature that possesses both feline and human features. This South American folk tale is particularly popular in Argentina, especially in rural and less populated areas.

  Invunche - In the Chilote folklore and Chilote mythology of the Chiloé Island in southern Chile, the imbunche or invunche (mapudungun ifünche: "deformed person", also "short person") is a legendary monster that protects the entrance to a warlock's cave.

  Joanna - a young vampire vacationing at the inn, and a member of Liam's seethe.

  Jonathan - Vivian's werewolf servant and the head groundskeeper on the property.