Scion's Avalon [House of Dracul 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)
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House of Dracul 2
Scion’s Avalon
Three years have passed since vampire princess Cassy Daniels, Scion of the House of Dracul, gave up her title to turn and marry David Ashe. Together, they live in exile with the Council of Crones, a group of elder witches. Isolated from the world, they found bliss. However, vampire politics soon intrude. Born vampire women are being kidnapped, and Cassy’s next on the list.
After a failed attempt to take Cassy from the Council of Crones estate, magical portals lead back to the missing women. Cassy and David are tasked with bringing them home. David is sent after Elisabeta, Cassy’s sister-in-law, who is still on Earth. Cassy, however, has what it takes to enter the elf-kingdom of Avalon and retrieve the other three vampires.
Can Cassy and David hold on to their bliss, or will Avalon’s magic lure her from home?
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 52,569 words
SCION’S AVALON
House of Dracul 2
J. Annas Walker
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
SCION’S AVALON
Copyright © 2013 by J. Annas Walker
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-882-3
First E-book Publication: May 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
Thanks to my cheering section. You guys are the greatest.
A special round of applause goes out to my cousin Susie. Thank you so much for taking time to help me mend the errors of my ways.
SCION’S AVALON
House of Dracul 2
J. ANNAS WALKER
Copyright © 2013
Chapter 1
“Breathe. Focus. Stay calm,” Cassy reminded herself.
She panted from all her efforts to prevent being pinned down. She needed to stay on her feet. If she were dropped to the ground, she would have been at a disadvantage.
An arm came out of nowhere, coiling around her neck and squeezing like a python. A huff of breath filled her ear from behind. She took as deep a breath as she could before her supply was cut off and held it. Grabbing her right wrist with her left hand, she rammed her elbow into her assailant’s ribs. There was a satisfying crunch and a whoosh of air from rapidly compressed lungs.
The arm loosened enough to allow her head to move. Giving a hard toss, Cassy threw her head back. She heard the snap and felt the give of a broken nose. Hot blood poured down the back of her neck. She worked hard to control her bloodlust, to ignore her instincts. The coppery scent enticed the lust, but she needed to get into a dominant position.
The damage she inflicted caused the arm around her neck to lose strength. It slacked enough now to reach over her shoulder and grab a fist full of shirt. Using herself as a fulcrum, she heaved the man over her shoulder. A flying body in a white martial arts uniform dropped to the ground in front of her with a light bounce on the gymnasium mat.
“Damn it, Cassy! You weren’t supposed to do real damage!” David exclaimed. He reached down to help the bleeding man to his feet. The metallic scent caused his fangs to drop into place, also.
Two middle-aged women in flowing, white gossamer gowns with bright-red cloaks rushed forward. One dabbed a thick yellow-green liquid onto Mills’s bruises and cuts. The other touched his ribs and nose, all the while whispering words Cassy did not understand. Mills’s nose straightened, and his ribs reformed into their proper alignment. The blood on his face disappeared with the wave of a practiced hand.
“Thanks, ladies. You’ve set things as right as the rain,” Mills said, feeling his nose. The two witches nodded in silent unison and retreated to the sidelines.
Cassy did her best to sound contrite. “I’m sorry, Mills. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I tried to hold back. It just wasn’t enough. Forgive me?” Her fangs retracted as she calmed down. She bit at her bottom lip, nervous the former officer would still be angry with her.
His scowl softened. The lines around his eyes smoothed out as he relaxed. A playful smile replaced the frown. He ran a hand through his shoulder-length, dark-blond hair. He grew it out after leaving the New Atlanta police force three years ago.
“Okay,” he agreed. He extended his hand to her. She took it only to find herself flipped and looking up into his still smirking face. “Now, you’re forgiven. Never underestimate the situation, never feel sorry for your opponent, and never let your guard down.” The smirk turned into a jovial laugh.
Cassy laughed with him. Over the last three years, she and Mills had become close friends. He and her husband, David, worked together for a number of years before Cassy turned David into a vampire. Mills had even been the best man at the wedding. Now he helped her as a sparring partner and trained young witches in martial arts. Together with David, he was head of security for the Asheville coven’s compound.
David found the magical bond that tied him and Cassy gave away too many clues as t
o the other’s next moves. Being able to predict the attacks so easily made teaching Cassy self-defense difficult. The magic also allowed them to be aware of the other’s pain, making them hesitate. After the first few days, David entrusted Cassy’s lessons to Mills.
As a male witch, Mills did not possess magical powers. None of the males did, but as a creature of magical heritage, he took Cassy’s blows better than a human. Plus, as a witch, he lived on the grounds of the reclusive coven’s vast estate.
David lifted Cassy up with almost no effort. “That last throw was a little hard, don’t you think?” He cradled her face against his chest. He was nearly six feet tall to her five foot six inches.
She listened to the sound of his heart beat in time with hers. The magical bond created one soul in two bodies. She sighed with contentment and looked up to his silver-gray eyes. They matched hers. The color was odd for a made vampire. Made vampires eyes changed to a steel-gray. Silver-gray was a trait only born vampires had. His half-elf status gave him the benefits of a born vampire after his transformation.
“She’s fine. I’m the one who needed medical spells and potions,” Mills protested with mock outrage. He pointed to his healed ribs. “If this is your idea of holding back, I don’t want to be on the receiving end of the real thing! We haven’t covered throws yet. Where did you learn that one?”
“Erica gave me the basics, but the outcome would have been different. She would have suggested I eat you while you were down. “‘You might as well have a good meal,’ she used to say,” Cassy quoted.
A wave of sadness came over her. Erica had been her bodyguard and best friend for over two hundred years before her murder. David was the detective assigned to the case. Cassy missed her friend, even if Erica’s murder did bring her the love of her eternal life. Cassy tried to rein in the emotions. She knew David felt them through their magical link.
“Don’t be sad, Princess. You still have me,” David offered. He rubbed her back. The effect was soothing, and the sadness lifted. His love gave her the strength to get past Erica’s death and made each night worth living.
“I’m not a princess anymore, remember?” Cassy brushed several wayward curls of chocolate-brown hair out of her face. The excursions of sparring had pulled strands out of her thick, waist-length braid.
“You’ll always be my princess,” David responded, kissing her forehead. A trickle of power tickled her head around the spot where his lips touched. A tendril of energy threaded down and caressed her cheek as if it were his finger. She closed her eyes and melted into the moment.
From the gym’s entry doors, someone cleared their throat. A woman in a floor-length lavender gossamer gown stood watching. The fabric flowed around her as if a light wind were moving it. A hooded, pale-pink cape in the same nearly-sheer gossamer covered her hair and draped over her shoulders. With hands clasped in front of her and wearing her usual smooth contented expression, the gatekeeper waited to be acknowledged.
Cassy turned to the woman, giving her a nod and a polite smile. “Maiden, what brings you here this evening?”
The gatekeeper returned the nod and smile. “Two men are at the gate requesting an audience,” she stated.
“An audience? Wouldn’t Lady Helena or Lady Ursula be the ones to ask? They are the head of the Council of Crones, after all.”
The Council of Crones ruled all the covens in the witching world. They had given Cassy and David sanctuary from the outside world when Cassy’s father, High Prince Vlad Dracul IV, stripped her of her title and banished her from vampire society. While the elder witches always treated the happy couple as members of their coven, Cassy remained very aware of her and David’s statuses as guests.
“No, Cassandra, they asked to see you. I did not wish to permit them entrance without your approval. As they are vampires, their intentions are heavily guarded, but I was able to pick up something. They seem to have questions in need of answers. I believe they are seeking your help. What is your desire?” The gatekeeper waited patiently for a reply. Her ice-blue eyes never left Cassy. Her contentment never seemed to reach her eyes. She always watched like a predator on the hunt.
“Did they say who sent them?” David asked. He took Cassy’s hand. It gave her a moment of comfort to know she was not alone with the wolves at the door.
“They are members of the High Prince’s security force, according to their paperwork,” the gatekeeper answered. She kept her matter-of-fact tone, the same calm tone she always used. Cassy had never seen her truly upset. As gatekeepers possessed great power. Cassy was also sure she never wanted to see her pushed to that point.
Mills moved closer to Cassy and David. “Did they say why they were sent or if they were on official business?”
“I gleaned from them the knowledge that they were sent by their commander. This does not, however, mean the High Prince knows of their visit.” The Maiden retained her stiff posture throughout the conversation, but the serene contentment never left her face.
“Let them in,” Cassy said. She tensed up, unsure of what she could do for them. She and David had made a life with the witches, and were thrilled with it. They had friends and a social life not possible in the outside world. She was too recognizable as the former Scion of the House of Dracul.
“As you wish, Lady Cassandra,” the gatekeeper said. As she spoke, the light winds that swirled constantly around her picked up. She became a fine light-blue mist the color of her icy eyes. The mist lifted into the air, condensed into a tight, spherical form, and faded into nothingness. The gatekeeper returned to her post.
Mills broke the silence left in her wake. “Well, boys and girls, I guess we need to change clothes and get ready for company.”
He strode toward the exit without looking back. Cassy heard him muttering. “This should be interesting.”
David gave Cassy’s hand another little squeeze. “It’s going to be all right. Mills and I will be right here. Nobody is going to make you do anything you don’t want to.” He pulled her in for a hug.
She wrapped her arms around him, took a deep breath, and let go of the tension. “Í guess I really should change into some normal clothes. I wouldn’t want it getting back to my father that I lounge around all day. He may not think I’m being punished and wish to correct the oversight,” Cassy said in jest.
The truth was she was not really being punished at all. The witches gave her a job teaching high school. Lady Helena thought someone with firsthand accounts of the world from 1831 to the present would make an excellent history teacher. Cassy took to the task with enthusiasm, and the students loved hearing personal stories to go with their lessons.
Cassy stepped away from David but did not release his hand. They left the gym and went straight to their room. It looked the same as it did when the witches bought the former museum fully furnished after The Fall.
Crushed red velvet draped the bedroom. The same heavy, dark canopy bed covered by a bedspread of red velvet with gold trim crowned the jewel-toned Persian rug. Dark, masculine furniture filled the room. An ornate fireplace mantel and its surrounding marble tiles and corbels cradled a warm, glowing fire. As vampires, they did not need the heat, but the effect on long winter nights was relaxing.
Off to the left of the bed a door led to the bath. In its day, it was top of the line, as baths went, having both hot and cold water on tap. The deep, porcelain tub was large enough for both of them to use at once. A framed mirror placed strategically by the door allowed them to see the room without the room’s occupants seeing them.
The Council’s staff had laid out fresh towels and cleaned the room already. A warm decanter with fresh whole blood and two crystal glasses waited for them on a wide table with a pie-crust edge. The curtains pulled themselves back, giving the night sky an elaborate frame. The bright, white moon just peaked above the horizon, looking larger than life. Black-shadowed trees pressed against its pale surface. A thin crescent of black lined the left edge. The silvered orb would be full in a matter o
f days. The whole house practically buzzed with excitement at the approaching full moon. Tonight, however, it was just an accessory to their window.
David went to the closet and pulled out a pair of khakis and a black polo shirt. Dropping his workout garb, he quickly dressed. Between his short black hair and the dark-colored shirt, his pale skin almost glowed. He tugged the pants up his long legs, stopping when he caught her watching him.
She knew she was busted but could not stop looking at his body. The broad shoulders tapered down to tight abs and a narrow waist. Even though the shirt now covered his torso, she knew how every muscle looked as he shifted and moved.
“What? Is something wrong?” He looked puzzled but finished his task.
Cassy closed her eyes and smiled. She imagined running her hands along that perfect stomach, nibbling his neck, and kissing his lips. Her fangs dropped into place. The ever-present bloodlust was mixing with her lust for him. She could feel his desires touch off a wall of heat rolling across her. The bond ebbed and flowed with their sparked passions.
She slithered out of her workout gear quickly and gracefully. Her heart rate increased, and she knew his was pounding in time with it. She took a large stride toward him, but a knock at the door interrupted her next move.
“Lady Cassandra? Lord David? The visitors are here to see you. Lady Ursula is entertaining them in the library. They await you there,” a young witch timidly stated through the closed door. Cassy heard the girl scurry away without waiting for a reply.