Sentinel (Vampire Conclave: Book 2)

by S. J. West

  “We can only lead people to do what we want, not forget specific memories. It’s possible I can compel them not to tell anyone else what they learn, but they will still retain the knowledge of what’s going on.”

  “I guess that’s better than nothing.”

  “All right,” Helen says as she walks over to the table with a plateful of pancakes, “enough talk about matters we can’t control right now. Why don’t we let these men eat their breakfast before we do anything else?”

  “Please, eat up,” Julian urges Gage and Nathaniel. “I should probably go …”

  When Julian doesn’t end his sentence, I immediately know something is wrong. Both he and Petru quickly jump out of their chairs.

  “Everyone get down!” Julian yells as he lunges toward me, just as Petru does the same to Nathaniel. The actions throw us both backwards in our chairs and onto the floor. Julian cradles the back of my head with one of his hands to prevent it from slamming against the tile.

  I instantly think that the souls inside the pair of vampires are controlling their actions, until I hear the glass in at least one of the French doors shatter from being hit by a great force only a second later.

  The two guards Nadia left outside to protect the house can be heard yelling to one another about a shot being fired and guessing what direction it came from.

  Julian pulls my body off the chair until I’m lying flat on my back, looking up at him.

  “Remain on the floor until it’s safe,” he orders me. “Petru, stay here and protect them!”

  Before I can ask Julian where it is he’s going, another shot is fired into the room. It strikes the wall directly behind me, shattering the bottom edge of the wooden frame around a painting of a garden landscape.

  Julian quickly stands and dashes toward the French doors in a blur of motion. He opens them and runs out into the backyard, yelling for the alfar guards to go inside the house and protect me. That’s all I hear or see of Julian for what seems like forever. One of the alfar men takes a crouched position just inside the doorway with his pistol at the ready, while the other one makes his way to my side.

  “Have you been shot, Your Highness?” the guard asks me, sweeping my body with his gaze to make a cursory inspection.

  I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

  Viktor snuggles up against my side, and I welcome the comfort of his warmth.

  Nadia enters the room, only clad in a silky black bra and matching panties. She kneels down by the entryway of the room with her arms stretched out in front of her, holding her gun steady toward the open doors.

  “Is the princess safe?” she barks, keeping her gaze on the back of the house.

  “The princess is secure,” the guard beside me answers. “Her vampire ran out into the woods behind the house.”

  “Let’s hope he finds the bastard,” Nadia growls, having already deduced that Julian is going after the assailant.

  I had come to the same conclusion and almost pitied the person who fired the shots. Julian will not be in the mood to talk nicely, but I hope he retains his common sense and brings the culprit in for questioning.

  Who was the shooter targeting? It could be anyone in the room, for all we know, but since both Petru and Julian can’t be killed by a single gunshot, it’s highly unlikely they were the targets, at least not directly. Killing either me or Nathaniel would work if either vampire were the true objective. I’m not familiar enough with Gage’s personal affairs to know if someone would want to murder him, but surely if he had been the target, the shooter would have chosen a time when he was alone and not inside a house with two vampires. Only Helen was left as a potential victim, but again, why wouldn’t the perpetrator wait until she was out shopping and more vulnerable?

  The most likely targets were either me or Nathaniel. Neither of us left our vampire’s side for very long, so the sniper may have thought he could get away with killing one or both of us to end Julian’s and Petru’s lives before they could find him or her.

  A few minutes pass before we’re able to learn the fate of our would-be assassin.

  Julian walks back into the kitchen dragging a man by the back of his shirt clothed in camouflage. Seeing people dressed in camo is almost an everyday occurrence in the South, whether it’s hunting season or not. I know some people who don’t even hunt but love to wear the print as a personal fashion statement.

  “You can all stand up now. He’s dead,” Julian tells us as he lets go of the man. The lifeless body lays on the floor, unnervingly still.

  The alfar guard beside me stands first and lends me a helping hand up off the floor. I turn around and look at Julian.

  “Did you kill him?” I ask, wondering why he would do such a rash thing.

  “No,” he replies with a small shake of his head. “He shot himself in the head before I could stop him.”

  Nadia walks over to the corpse while asking, “Do you recognize him? Was he after you?”

  “I know who he is,” Julian says, looking down at the corpse. “I saw him at Mira’s party.”

  “Who is he?” I ask.

  “He’s part of Damien’s pack in New Orleans. He’s the same werewolf who threw the tree limb into my chest.”

  “But I thought he was trying to kill Mira, not you,” I say, remembering the results of that incident quite clearly.

  “Maybe I was wrong,” Julian answers, continuing to glare at the werewolf’s body with a disconcerted expression on his face. “Maybe I was his target all along.”

  We all stare at the corpse lying on the kitchen floor. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a dead body. Since my parents were burned in the fire, we had a closed casket memorial for them, and the Hughes never made me go to a funeral of any of their friends or family members who passed away during the years I lived in their home. They didn’t want me to have to relive the trauma of losing my own parents by experiencing the sadness usually exhibited by loved ones of the deceased at services. I was always thankful for that small kindness, because for me the mourning of others would have been too much for me to handle. Kaylee’s parents still don’t know I’m an empath, but even without that knowledge, they’ve always understood how sensitive I am to the feelings of those around me.

  “I don’t understand,” Helen says hesitantly, seeming unable to take her eyes off the dead body lying on the floor. “Why would a werewolf want to kill you? We’ve never had problems with them before.”

  “I don’t know,” Julian replies, his features subtly shifting from confusion to anger. “But I’m sure as hell going to find out.”

  “How?” I ask.

  Julian drags his gaze away from the body to look at me. The determination and rage on his face frightens me a little. I’ve never seen him this mad before.

  “He’s a part of Damien’s pack,” he replies tersely, not angry at me but at the situation, “and Damien is a part of Mira’s Council of Elders in New Orleans. He’ll be held accountable for his subordinate’s actions.”

  “Then I suppose we’re going to New Orleans,” I say without having to ask if that will be our next move. My gaze returns to the body. “What are we going to do with him?”

  “Take him with us,” Julian answers. “Damien will want the body back, and it’s definitive proof of what we’re accusing him and his pack of.”

  “Maybe this man is a rogue wolf,” Nadia suggests. “It could be that when he tried to kill you at the party that Damien exiled him from the pack. This could have been his way to get revenge for having that done to him.”

  “Possibly,” Julian concedes. However, Nadia’s logic doesn’t seem to be enough to make him relinquish the tight hold he has on his anger. “But it doesn’t really matter what his reason for trying to kill me was. Jeopardizing my life places Sarah’s life in danger as well. I think we can both agree that we need to put an end to whatever type of vendetta this is once and for all. He killed himself before I could interrogate him for more information. No one kills themselves unless they p
refer death to what awaits them with the living. We need to figure out what frightened him enough to end his own life, so we can make sure this isn’t something that will continue to haunt us.”

  Nadia glances in my direction briefly before saying, “Agreed. The princess’s safety takes top priority.”

  “Well, if we’re planning to go to New Orleans to confront Damien and his pack, it might be a good idea if you put some clothes on,” I suggest to my alfar guardian.

  “I don’t know,” Petru says, his lips stretching into an appreciative grin as he gazes at Nadia’s half-naked form. Women may not be his preference, but I suppose he can still recognize physical beauty when he sees it. “She looks quite fetching as she is, if you ask me. What do you think, Gage?”

  Gage clears his throat nervously as he shifts his eyes away from Nadia, looking guilt-ridden for staring at her.

  “I’m sure she would look nice in anything she chooses to wear,” he replies diplomatically.

  Nadia’s expression remains impassive, not looking the slightest bit pleased or displeased by either man’s compliment. She simply doesn’t care what others think about her. It’s an impressive quality, actually. To not care what the people around you think about how you look or how you act is something I think most people strive for but rarely achieve during their lives. It makes me wonder what Nadia’s Achilles’ heel might be. What weakens her? We all have our pressure points—those little things in life that cause us to react strictly on emotion. I’m curious to know what would make Nadia give in to her feelings and not remain so stoic all the time. Considering the fact that she will be a constant presence in my life, I’m sure the mystery will eventually reveal itself to me.

  “How are we going to get the body to New Orleans?” I ask.

  “We’ll need to take your car,” Julian tells me. “Mine doesn’t have a trunk large enough to accommodate him.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Gage asks us.

  “The best thing you can do for us is find a witch or warlock who can contact our spirits so we can talk to them,” Julian tells him.

  “Do you want Nathaniel and me to come with you to New Orleans?” Petru asks.

  “I think Sarah and I can handle things down there,” Julian tells him. “Why don’t the two of you return to your rental house and bring your belongings back here, since you’ll be staying with us for the foreseeable future?”

  “And I will try to find someone in town who can replace the glass in the doors while you’re gone,” Helen says.

  “If you can wait on that,” Nathaniel tells her, “I’m pretty handy. I think I can fix it for you.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful,” Helen says. “I always hate bringing strangers into our home.”

  “Can your guards stay here at the house until we get back?” Julian asks Nadia. “I would rather not leave Helen unprotected. We have no way of knowing if this man has an accomplice who might try to attack the house again.”

  “Yes, the guards can stay here for as long as we need them to,” Nadia confirms.

  “Good,” Julian says, looking relieved. “I guess I should call Mira now and let her know we’re coming and why.”

  Speaking of calling sisters …

  “I need to call Kaylee before we go,” I tell Julian.

  “Do it now,” he tells me. “I want to leave as soon as possible to get this handled and out of our way.”

  I nod, understanding his desire to resume our lives as quickly as possible.

  I go up to my bedroom and rummage through my purse to find my phone. Right after I dial Kaylee’s number, I suddenly feel nervous. Normally when I talk to Kaylee, I tell her everything that’s happened since I last spoke with her, but now, there’s very little I can tell her about my life anymore. How am I going to explain that I started yesterday out with Gage but ended up with Julian by that evening?

  I sigh, realizing my life has gotten way more complicated than I ever thought possible.

  Thankfully, Kaylee starts the conversation off by talking about herself and how awesome her doting husband is to her. It gives me a small window of time to think about what I should and shouldn’t mention to her about the events of the previous day.

  “So how did your day at the beach with Gage go?” she asks, making my heart sink with her innocent question. I decide honesty is the best policy and tell her as much of the truth as I can.

  “We had fun,” I begin. “He took me out to Ship Island for a picnic lunch.”

  “That was so nice of him!” she says enthusiastically. “It sounds like he provided you with just the distraction you were looking for. And how are things going on the Julian front?”

  “Well, we kind of had a breakthrough last night. He finally told me that he loves me.”

  “I knew it!” Kaylee practically screams in triumph. “I told Ben that I bet the old green-eyed snake of jealousy would bite Julian in the butt after he found out about your date with Gage.”

  “I guess it did the trick,” I say vaguely. “Listen, I’m calling to let you know that Julian and I will be going to New Orleans to see his sister today. I wanted to make sure you don’t need anything.”

  “Oh please, as if Ben would let me want for anything.” She giggles happily. “Plus, Mom said she was going to make Dad deal with the real estate business until after I have the baby. She obviously wants to make sure her granddaughter doesn’t come earlier than expected. So don’t worry about me, okay? I’m fine. Enjoy your own happiness for once, Sarah. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you,” I say, feeling as if a small portion of my self-imposed guilt has been washed away with her words of encouragement. “If you need me for anything, just call. I’ll make sure I have my cell phone with me this time.”

  “All I want you to do is enjoy being with your man,” Kaylee says. I don’t even have to see her face to know she’s smiling with happiness for me. “You’ve waited so long to find someone like him, Sarah. Just enjoy the newness of it all and have fun! Maybe by this time next year, you’ll be having a little Em of your own.”

  My heart flutters at the thought of a missed opportunity for Julian and me. My future doesn’t hold the possibility of children of my own in it. At least, not until we find a way to end Julian’s curse and free him from being a vampire. I can’t exactly tell Kaylee all of this, though. I’m slightly surprised at myself for actually finding the idea of a childless life gloomy. I never really thought I was the mothering type, but apparently, having the option taken away has caused me to reevaluate my priorities. If I was able to share this bit of self-discovery with Kaylee, she would probably be so happy she could fly to the moon and back on joy alone. It’s just another missed opportunity in my life caused by circumstances beyond my control.

  “I wouldn’t count on that happening,” I tell her regrettably.

  “I know, I know. I’m trying to rush things,” she says with a giggle. “Well, maybe you’ll at least be getting married before your next birthday. That would be so awesome, Sarah.”

  “It’s a possibility,” I tell her. “But everything is still new between Julian and me, Kaylee. I don’t want to rush into anything without thinking through all the consequences first.”

  “You’re right,” she begrudgingly agrees. “But I have a really good feeling about Julian. I just know in my heart that he’s the one for you.”

  I know it too.

  “I’ll try to call you tomorrow,” I promise. “Just relax and watch some TV.”

  “I already have my Netflix queued and ready to go,” she tells me. “Have fun in New Orleans for me!”

  “I will. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Fun isn’t exactly what I plan to have in New Orleans, but as long as Kaylee believes Julian and I are there for a quick romantic getaway, she’ll be less likely to worry about me.

  I grab my purse and head back downstairs to join the others. Julian is just coming back inside the house, through the front door, as I walk down.

&nb
sp; “Got our luggage packed?” I joke, obviously referring to the dead body and trying to make light of a situation that is anything but.

  “Safely locked away in your trunk,” he informs me, closing the front door behind him.

  Without even pausing at the bottom of the stairs, I walk straight toward Julian and into his arms. I rest my cheek against his chest and sigh as a sense of being safe in his arms washes over me.

  “I wish I could spare you the darker parts of my world,” he says, holding me so tightly I’m not sure he ever intends to let me go again, or breathe for that matter. “Not everything involves life-or-death situations. Parts of it are quite beautiful.”

  “You’ll get to show me those parts one day,” I say with certainty.

  “How can you say that and feel so confident in the words?” he asks.

  “Because I believe in them, and I believe in us. We’re destined to have a life of our choosing. No matter what might happen, we’ll make the best of the circumstances and find a way to be happy. Even though things are dark right now, I can honestly say that having you hold and love me makes it all worth it.”

  “I feel a little guilty for feeling so happy when I’m with you,” Julian confesses.

  I pull back from him slightly so I can look into his eyes and ask, “Why would you feel guilty about that?”

  “There’s so much that’s uncertain in our lives right now, but the one thing I know I can count on is the love I feel for you. Until I sensed your love for me, I had forgotten how good loving someone else can feel. I hope you never experience the despair of going through life feeling apathetic toward everything around you. I lost my ability to enjoy life, but you’ve given that back to me. You make me want to fight for our happiness. I promise you that I will do everything within my power to make sure your life is filled with joy and that you know how much you’re loved until the day we die.”

  “Let’s not talk about dying right now,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his neck and lean up on the tips of my toes. “I would much rather talk about our plans for the future, especially our imminent future together between the sheets of a bed … any bed … anytime … anywhere.”