Sentinel (Vampire Conclave: Book 2)

by S. J. West

  “And a lot of money to keep it all running too,” I note. “Who pays the bill?”

  “All of the houses chip in, but since Moonshade and Firestorm are the richest, they shoulder most of the cost.”

  “How exactly does House Moonshade make money?”

  “Various enterprises. We own several manufacturing plants and farms. Those are the main money makers. Our mages also provide services to whomever is willing to pay their fees, and a portion of their earnings go to the house’s coffers.”

  “Like an income tax?”

  “I suppose you could think of it like that, but none of them are obligated to give up any of their earnings, if they don’t want to. It’s strictly on a volunteer basis.”

  “Why would they give money to the house if they don’t have to?”

  “They do it because they know Shael is a responsible leader and would never waste their earnings on anything frivolous. Any money that is donated goes directly into a special fund that supports families who are experiencing hardships. Many of our elderly can’t take care of themselves and are provided for free of charge in a very nice retirement community. That’s one of the reasons people come to House Moonshade. They know that no matter what might happen in their lives, they’ll have someone there to either help them get back on their feet or take care of them when they no longer can. You don’t get that kind of guarantee in any other house here in Alfheim.”

  That definitely put things into perspective. I wondered why people loved it here so much. Shael was nice, but folks don’t normally entrust their lives and the welfare of their children to people just because they’re polite.

  When we step inside the academy, I immediately notice two grand stone staircases on either side of the entryway curving up to the second floor. Students are milling about when we first enter, but one by one, they begin to notice me within their midst. They look a lot like deer caught in the headlights—uncertain about how they should act in my presence.

  “Where are your manners?” Nadia demands of them. “Did they teach you nothing in royal etiquette class? You bow or curtsy when you encounter royalty!”

  Nadia’s oh-so-not-subtle prodding leads the students to remember their manners and do as she told them to. The only problem is … I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do in return. I decide to act regal and just stand there, nodding my head to them in greeting. It seems to be the correct response since Nadia doesn’t chastise me too.

  “Now, move along,” Nadia tells the children. “The princess is here for a visit, so don’t be surprised if you see her walking in the hallways or visiting your classrooms. Just remember your manners, or I’ll tell Professor Greentree that you all need to stay here over the weekend and take some extra lessons from her!”

  The threat seems to be one none of the students want Nadia to follow through with. They bow and curtsy again before leaving my presence.

  “Royal etiquette class?” I ask. “Is that something that’s actually taught here?”

  “Where else would they learn it?” Nadia questions. “A lot of these kids are from farming or manufacturing communities. Neither of them are environments conducive to learning how to act around royalty.”

  “So, how are the children from each house chosen to come here?” I ask as we make our way through the entryway and down a long hallway toward a pair of glass doors.

  “When children turn seven, they take a written and oral exam to estimate their intellectual acuity. They’re also subjected to various physical trials to see whether or not they can endure the training done here and to determine whether they have the proper strength and agility to handle combat. If they pass all of those, they’re allowed to take the final test.”

  I wait for Nadia to tell me what the final assessment is, but when she isn’t forthcoming with the information freely, I ask, “And what does the final test consist of?”

  Nadia glances in my direction, looking hesitant to answer. I don’t get the feeling she doesn’t want to tell me. It’s more like she just doesn’t want to say it for her own reasons.

  “They make the candidate face their worst fear,” she finally answers.

  “And how do they do that?” I’m almost afraid to ask.

  “Certain mages can enter your mind and make you believe you’re experiencing something when it’s really only your imagination at work.”

  “Well, that sounds scary,” I say with a slight shiver. There’s no way I would want someone playing around inside my head, forcing me to have experiences that aren’t real.

  “It’s not quite as bad as it sounds,” Nadia is quick to tell me. “Sometimes people need to relive certain experiences, and mind mages help them retrieve the memories. Anyway, the experience is meant to test whether or not a candidate can face their fear. You don’t have to solve the problem, just face it and not run away.”

  “And that’s how students who come here have always been chosen?”

  “For as long as anyone can remember,” Nadia confirms.

  By this time, we’ve made it to the glass doors. Nadia opens one for me so I can walk through to the other side. When I do, I immediately see Julian on the right side of the inner courtyard, which is divided into four sections by two intersecting pathways. He’s in the center of a circle of students who are watching him spar with two male students. All of them are holding a long wooden staff in their hands. It doesn’t take long for me to see that the pupils are hopelessly outmatched against Julian’s combat skills. He’s far too quick and strong for them to have a hope in hell of outmaneuvering him. Within five moves, he has them both down on the ground begging for mercy. Not that he hurt them much, but I’m sure the hits stung like the devil.

  Julian lends them both a hand up to show his good sportsmanship. From the smile on his face, I can tell he’s having fun.

  “If you ask me,” a strange male voice says behind us, “it doesn’t seem quite fair to pit inexperienced children against an ancient vampire.”

  Both Nadia and I look over our shoulders to see who spoke before turning to fully face him.

  I instantly recognize the man as being Aron Firestorm. I remember seeing him at the farewell ceremony the night before, but there was no time for introductions to be made then.

  “Do you think you can do better Firestorm?” Nadia taunts. “I would love to see you try.”

  “And get my clothes all dirty?” he questions, like being slightly disheveled is a crime against his good fashion sense. “I like smelling sweet for the ladies, Nadia. I believe that’s something you should remember quite well from your experiences with me.”

  “Oh, do you mean all those bad experiences that I’ve tried to expunge from my memory over the past few years?” she retorts.

  So Nadia and the heir to House Firestorm were intimate at one time. That’s interesting. Could he be the one Nadia still pines for? Eh, I’m thinking not. Aron seems a little to self-absorbed for Nadia to still be in love with him.

  Aron shifts his gaze away from Nadia to scrutinize me more closely.

  “You’re more beautiful than I expected,” he comments dryly, as he continues to examine me like a new fascination.

  “That sounded like an insult hidden behind a compliment,” I say. “What exactly were you expecting me to look like?”

  “Honestly? Plainer. I find that most humans lack the verve of us alfar, but it looks as if your father gave you just enough of his DNA to make you look like one of us.”

  “Is physical attractiveness that important to you?” I question. “For all you know, I could be a real bitch on the inside.”

  Aron smiles. “Then that would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it? I like my women with a little spirit. It makes it that much sweeter when I break them.”

  Oh … no … he … didn’t …

  Did he just imply—to my face no less—that he intends to bend me to his will?

  “Why are you here, Aron?” Nadia asks brusquely to deflect his attention away from me. I can
only suspect she feared what I might say to him after his comment. “Shouldn’t you be in your room preening yourself until the ball this evening? I know it normally takes you hours to look decent for special events.”

  “Ha ha,” Aron replies snidely. “I thought I would take a walk around our old alma mater while I was here. I have so many fond memories of this place.”

  “Like torturing underclassmen?” Nadia says incredulously. “That’s pretty much all I remember about you. I’m sorry to see you haven’t grown up yet.”

  Aron smiles tight-lipped at Nadia. “And I’m sorry to see no one has curbed that sharp tongue of yours yet. It doesn’t look like being in House Moonshade has helped your disposition any. Or could it be that you’ve been like this for the past seven years because of Jhann? Are you still pining for him in your itty-bitty heart? Or did he break what was left of your soul when he married Meredith?”

  “Are we having a problem here, ladies?” I hear Julian say as he comes to stand by my side.

  “There aren’t any problems here,” Aron replies. “I was just catching up …”

  Julian quickly interrupts him by saying, “Unless you’re actually a woman underneath those clothes, I don’t believe I was addressing you.” He looks pointedly at both Nadia and me. “Are the two of you all right?”

  I notice Julian seems more concerned about Nadia’s state of mind than mine, which is perfectly understandable. I can see out of the corner of my eye that she has her hands clenched into fists and looks ready to beat the heir to House Firestorm to within an inch of his life. I don’t want to see her make such a fatal mistake and ruin her reputation over this fool’s callous words.

  “I can’t speak for Nadia,” I say, “but I would love to see you fight again.”

  “Yeah,” Nadia replies, finally loosening her fists as she forces herself to turn her gaze away from Aron. “Why don’t we spar each other and teach the kids a thing or two about actual combat?”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Julian replies. “They could use the demonstration, and, I have to admit, I’m curious to see if you can beat me.”

  “Only one way to find out,” she retorts before forcing herself to look back at Aron. “Excuse us.”

  As a tight unit, we all turn our backs on Aron and walk toward the circle of students Julian was with when we first entered the courtyard.

  “You looked like you were about to kill him,” I whisper to Nadia.

  “Not kill,” she replies, “but he might not have left here with all his limbs or other dangly bits still attached.”

  After our encounter with Aron, I begin to wonder if all of the house rulers will be so difficult to deal with. If so, I’m in for one hell of a bumpy night at the ball.

  Nadia and Julian spend another thirty minutes giving the students tips about fighting against someone who is stronger and faster than them. The major lesson I take away from what they say is to watch your opponent carefully to discover their weaknesses. Apparently everyone has one, because Nadia finds Julian’s quite quickly. Knowing that he is superfast, she is able to use that to her advantage and anticipate his moves accordingly. She more often than not has her staff already striking the air where she anticipates him to be just a second afterwards. I have to admit I’m quite impressed with my future sentinel. Of course, she ends up losing the battle, but considering how quick and sure Julian is with each of his moves, I doubt there are many people in the world who can best him. It totally makes him even hotter to me, which isn’t good when you’re standing around a lot of hormonal teenagers. Having both Julian and Nadia display their bodies in such a way is causing quite the sexual frenzy among those around me. I end up having to shut off my empathic skill just to bring my own carnal tension under control.

  A series of chimes sound and echo against the walls of the courtyard. It seems to mark the end of the class period because the students walk up to Julian and Nadia to thank them for the lesson before making their way into the interior of the academy.

  “Do you think it’s too late for me to learn how to fight like the two of you?” I ask them when it’s just us. “Seeing these kids here today makes me realize how much I missed by not being raised on Alfheim. I’d probably already know how to fight and how I’m supposed to act as a royal. I feel … unprepared for the future.”

  “Listen,” Nadia tells me in her no-nonsense sort of way, “all the people here want is for you to be a just and fair ruler. You have a good heart, Sarah, and that’s something that can’t be taught. Look at Aron. He’s a total ass, but they’ll still entrust him to rule over House Firestorm one day. Plus, you don’t need to know how to fight. That’s my job.”

  “Has Aron always been the way he is?” I have to ask. “I have a hard time believing you would fall for a guy as egotistical and obnoxious as him.”

  Nadia sighs. “Believe it or not, he used to be the sweetest person I knew. After his mother died during the summer break before our junior year, he returned here acting like the pompous ass you saw before you today.”

  “Well, at least I don’t have to worry about him winning Sarah’s heart,” Julian says as a joke to me, but I can see his insecurity about such a thing happening.

  “I only have one heart to give, and I’ve already given it to you,” I tell him, earning a smile in return.

  “The two of you are so sweet together I feel a tooth ache coming on,” Nadia tells us, looking a little on the repulsed side.

  “When you’re in love, you’ll understand,” I tell her.

  Nadia averts her gaze from mine, and I know I’ll need to ask her about this Jhann that Aron mentioned. Was Nadia in love with a married man? I remember her making the comment once that a person can’t always control who they fall in love with. Can it be that Nadia is still yearning for a childhood sweetheart but can’t have him now because he married another? Now isn’t the time to ask her such questions, but I fully intend to learn all I can about the man Nadia had obviously loved at one time and still might.

  “Let me take you on a small tour of the rest of the school,” she tells us. “I think I have something special that you’re going to want to see, Sarah.”

  “Will this be a good surprise?” I ask.

  Nadia smiles. “Yeah. I think you’ll like it.”

  “Lead on,” I bid her.

  As we walk with Nadia through the rest of the school grounds, I wonder how different my life would be now if I had been raised in Alfheim. Would I already be friends with Nadia? She and I are either the same age or pretty darn close. We would have most definitely attended Valengard Academy around the same time.

  “Does every house ruler have a sentinel?” I ask Nadia as we walk down an empty hallway where she told us most of the classrooms are located.

  “No. Only the royalty of the ruling house has sentinels,” she tells me. “Once someone is made a sentinel, they are given a royal status and can even marry royalty if they want.”

  “So, for instance, if Shael wanted to marry Alden, she could?” I ask.

  Nadia nods. “Yes. He would have the stature required to marry her. Quite a few of your ancestors have married their sentinels over the years.”

  “Do you know who my father’s sentinel was?”

  “My father was his first one,” Nadia reveals.

  “First one? Does that mean he had more than one?”

  “When a sentinel decides to retire, he or she has full autonomy when choosing their replacement, as long as the royal they serve agrees on their choice.”

  “Then who was my father’s second sentinel?”

  Nadia looks over at me and replies, “Alden Highborn.”

  Well, that was interesting. I remember Alden making the remark that he had failed my father once. Could it be that Alden felt guilty for not being able to talk my dad out of rejecting his birthright and choosing to live a normal life on Earth with me and my mother? It seems highly probable. Although I don’t know why Alden would place any guilt on his own shoulders. My
father was extremely stubborn. I can’t imagine him taking anyone’s advice to heart, except for my mother’s.

  Once we pass through the long hallway where the classrooms are, Nadia begins to ascend a wide spiral stone staircase. We must go up three floors before we finally reach the top.

  “Is this the tower with the jewelry?” I ask Nadia.

  “No,” she says hesitantly before meeting my gaze. “This is where your father stayed while he attended the academy.”

  “Why didn’t he just stay at the castle? It’s not that far away.”

  “Everyone is required to live at the academy during the school week. The professors feel that it helps focus a student’s attention if they don’t have to worry about what’s going on at home and all the drama that can happen there with their parents and siblings. This tower is reserved for Moonshade royals. Since your father and Shael were the last ones to use it, nothing has been changed in their rooms.”

  “Are you telling me that my dad’s room is exactly as he left it when he graduated?”

  Nadia nods her head. “Yes. It’s like a time capsule that only someone with Moonshade blood can open.”

  “You don’t make that sound like a metaphor for something else,” I say, intrigued by the notion. “Am I going to have to bleed on something to enter the room?”

  “No. All you have to do is touch the doorknob. The room will recognize you as a Moonshade and allow you entry.”

  “Only me?”

  “If you want Julian and me to join you in there, you can verbally invite us in, but you might want to go in first and take a moment for yourself.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Julian agrees. “Go in and see if you can sense your dad in there.”

  “Please tell me you’re not saying his spirit is hanging around in the nooks and crannies of his room,” I say. I’m having a hard enough time dealing with one parent being in ghostlike form. I can’t even begin to imagine handling them both as spectral beings.