Nevermore, the Complete Series

by K. A. Poe

  “You expect us to believe a couple of vampires?” Mikael asked, raising his crossbow—I was somewhat surprised to see that this method of slaying was used here, too.

  “Stop!” I shouted and ran in between the feuding vampires and hunters. “Please…”

  “Alex?” Camellia spoke and I instantly felt overwhelmed with grief. This wasn’t the time to tell her, it would have to wait.

  “She’s my sister-in-law…yes, I know, she’s a vampire…but please, you have to trust us.”

  Mikael lowered his weapon and whistled. The rest of the Vanatori emerged from the shadows, each of them wielding a weapon held at their sides. Remus stood in the back, shrouding himself behind the others.

  “There is so much I need to explain to you all, could we just go back to my place and talk?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement though I could still see the tension on the hunter’s faces. Before we began to walk I noticed Ezra’s hand clasped onto Hannah’s. Salem did not appear to see this and bounded over to his younger sister, giving her a huge hug which she hesitantly returned. I caught a glimpse of Hannah’s face over Salem’s shoulder and could have sworn she was glaring at me. I tried to ignore it the best I could, turned, and began to lead the group to my tiny home.

  I felt immediately cramped inside the studio apartment. It had definitely not been constructed to hold eight people. Hannah and Ezra sat at the small kitchen table, Mikael and Camellia sat on the couch, Sebastian made himself comfortable on the carpet, Remus scooted into the corner, while Luca and Nicolai stood in the center of the room.

  Leaving Salem to explain to them in great detail about his past, my own, and Hannah’s, I took Camellia out onto the front porch to tell with her what happened at their hideout.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as I placed my hands unsteadily on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes.

  “There was an accident at the headquarters…” that was all it took for her to know something happened to Octavian.

  “Is he okay?!”

  I shook my head and pulled her tightly against me. “He’s gone, Camellia…I am so sorry…there was nothing we could have done to save him.”

  Her body quaked as she cried hysterically onto my shoulder, and I felt helpless. After what felt like a long while, she pulled away and I saw a look of pure anger in her eyes.

  “Why didn’t you tell me!” she screeched as the tears began streaming again. She lifted her hand in the air and for a brief moment I thought she was going to hit me but instead collapsed back into my embrace.

  “His last words were to tell you that he loves you,” I whispered, and her sobbing amplified. Without any further word she pulled away and began to run off, undoubtedly heading for Octavian.

  As I entered the house, everyone questioned Camellia’s absence and were shocked by my response.

  “Do you know who did it?” Luca asked.

  “No…whoever it was, they were gone by the time we showed up.”

  “We have come to a decision that we shall trust these two, so long as they continue their lack of feasting on human blood,” Mikael explained, showing mild grief at the loss of Octavian—I noticed he was one to get straight to business, but he still had a heart, he felt remorse for the loss of his friend.

  “There is more that I need to tell you all,” I said and slumped down onto the sofa beside the Vanatori leader. “Malik…claimed me as his Queen.”

  “We should have seen this coming,” Nicolai grumbled. “The bastard is a Manipulator, don’t blame yourself.”

  “A Manipulator?”

  “A vampire capable of control over others, he can make most people do whatever he wants—within reason.”

  I nodded in understanding. “There is more. He has a Seer. I’ve heard them talking…talking about me.”

  “You must fall into some sort of plan of theirs,” Sebastian stated. “Whatever it is, we need to be wary. It is up to you if you wish to continue working under his roof and keeping tabs on him, as it has become a matter of risking your safety…but I advise that we keep him under our watch.”

  “I will stay…there is nothing I want more right now than his death.”

  “Then, it is settled…we shall leave these two alone, and Alexis will remain employed at the restaurant, gathering information.”

  “Just how much information does she need?” Salem butted in, obviously upset I had come to this decision without his approval.

  “We need to discover his weakness.”

  “I am his weakness,” I muttered.

  “Then we must use this to our advantage somehow. Learn who the Seer is, make Malik feel safe around you, and in due time, he shall be ours.”

  “And this Seer…is…is everything he says true?” I asked.

  Remus, who had been quiet up to this point, answered. “Whether what he says is the same as what he sees is a better question. There is a path for all of us, Alexis. A Destiny of grand design. Do not fear the future, for there is nothing any of us can do to change it.”

  15. REUNITED

  After the Vanatori left to mourn their departed friend, Hannah and Ezra got comfortable on the sofa. I tried my hardest to avoid getting too close to my sister-in-law, knowing that she would easily detect my pregnancy and go off about how the unborn child was evil. With my back turned to them, I fondly ran my hand across my abdomen, smiling to myself. Although unexpected, I knew that I would be a mother eventually…now may not have been the ideal time, but I was happy nonetheless.

  “What have the two of you been doing?” Salem asked, constantly eying the couple.

  “We’ve spent some time getting to know each other, realizing we have a lot in common…and then like,” Hannah stopped and thought for a second, “two weeks ago? We eloped.”

  The look on Salem’s face was priceless and I stifled a laugh. I had to wonder how they got away with wedding when she was physically in the body of a sixteen year old, whereas he was in his twenties…but she had a way of getting through those sorts of things. She was beyond clever- that was for sure.

  “…eloped…” Salem muttered and stared, bewildered, at his little sister. “Why did you not say anything? How…how could you do this?”

  “It was pretty easy. It’s amazing what you can get away with with a little stolen money.” She smirked. “And I knew how you would react, Salem,” she replied and displayed her best imitation of him, “’You are far too young to be getting married, Hannah! You barely even know him! What are you thinking! Blah, blah, blah!’ When are you going to realize I am not your little sister anymore?”

  “Never,” he answered. “You will always be my little sister.”

  “I assure you that I only have good intentions, Salem,” Ezra spoke up. “We have both been lonely for far too long, and we quickly bonded and found comfort in the presence of one another.”

  “You’re not the first man she’s found comfort with…” Salem lashed out unexpectedly.

  “Salem! This is real. I’m not trying to get something from Ezra…this is REAL…like it or not.”

  Salem nodded slowly, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his sister was a wife. I approached him and gently put an arm around him reassuringly. “She made a good choice, Salem. Ezra is a fine gentleman, and we both know he will take good care of her. Just be happy he isn’t anything like that Erik guy.”

  He grimaced at the memory of Erik. “For that, I am thankful.”

  Hannah smiled and wiggled her left hand to display the gold ring on her finger. There was one big diamond in the center that was a perfect reflection of her greed. The two of them seemed genuinely happy, and I had to admit that they made a good couple—both of them needed companionship, though I wondered how much about Hannah Ezra truly knew.

  “Where will you be staying?” I asked, keeping my distance still.

  “There’s a motel not far from here. The closer we are to you, the better. If anything happens at that restaurant, I will be there,”
Hannah said. “My sole purpose in being here is to protect you and to kick this bastard’s ass. I know you don’t believe me but I don’t want anything to happen to you…either of you.”

  “I know, Hannah.” I smiled at her but it was not returned. I knew that under her exterior she did truly love us.

  “Besides, you two were supposed to be on a nice relaxing honeymoon, right? Hard to have fun when lord ass-hat is hanging over your head.” I couldn’t help but laugh at her zeal.

  “I could not agree more,” Salem said with a sigh. “This was supposed to be a fun vacation…now look at what has become of it.”

  “What if…we just go home,” I managed to say, holding back my strong desire to stay and finish what I intended to do.

  “We both know you don’t really mean that. I understand, it is in your blood to hunt the undead, and I won’t step in the way of you doing what you feel you are destined to do. Besides, if Malik has a Seer he could most likely track you down. We couldn’t risk leading him to our home…our real home.”

  I smiled toward Salem, comforted by his words, yet saddened at the fact that I knew this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted nothing more than an ordinary life, back home in our beautiful house. We could be preparing one of the bedrooms as a nursery for our unexpected child. There was so much that had been restricted from him for so long, and here he was…stuck in a tiny apartment, waiting on me to get close enough to kill a vampire that wanted me to be his bride. This was not the life he deserved…

  “Maybe you should go home, and I’ll stay here…”

  Hannah burst out laughing at Salem’s incredulous stare.

  “Oh yeah, Alexis...he’ll do that! Hello, have you met Salem?” she said between laughter. “You know he’d be going completely insane in Willowshire while you risked your life over here.”

  “I would never leave you alone, Alex.”

  “But I’m keeping you from the normal, human life you wanted.”

  He shook his hand and took my hand, holding it firmly. “You are all I need and want in this world, and I will be at your side through it all. If you want to hunt, I will not stop you, as I have already told you.”

  “I feel guilty,” I confessed and eyed the carpet. “This will be the end of my hunting, I promise. Once Malik is out of the picture…I will set aside my crossbow and be done with this for good.”

  “You don’t have-“

  “I want to.”

  Salem prepared a meal of chicken parmesan for the two of us while Hannah and Ezra went hunting for game. It was nice to have someone around that I was familiar with, although I was plenty happy with just Salem’s company. My only wish was that Jason could be here. This was a time in which I needed the comfort and security of my closest friends and relatives.

  “I’m going to the store after we eat,” I said after swallowing a mouthful of chicken slathered in pasta sauce. “I considered asking you to summon a test, but that just seemed awkward…not to mention it could be wrong or something, being ‘magical’ and all.”

  “That is precisely why I didn’t offer to do so. We need to know for sure,” he replied. “If a Seer foresaw your pregnancy, there is no doubt in my mind that you are…but I would still like to see solid evidence, and I know you would as well.”

  Salem accompanied me to the store to ensure my safety; neither of us were feeling very safe after the incident with the Vanatori. The reminder that whoever murdered Octavian was still out there was enough to give me chills, and wonder who could have found a headquarters that had been undiscovered for years…unless it was the Seer.

  When we returned home, I ran to the bathroom and tried to ignore the thoughts that continued to swarm through my head. Why would the Seer want to kill the people I was close to—or, even people that I scarcely knew? I sat on the toilet seat anxiously waiting the result on the pregnancy test and tried to make a connection between the Seer and anyone I had previously met here.

  Could it possibly have been one of the members of the Vanatori, working for Malik? That seemed unlikely, they’d been friends for years and they had a tight bond between them. Nicolai was the only one that struck me as dangerous, but I couldn’t base that solely on his attitude—there could have been many reasons behind that. He had a troubled past from what I could tell, but I don’t think he was a murderer.

  Only one other person came to mind—someone that I trusted and thought of nearly as family. Had Salem been right all along…was Cassius really the enemy? It couldn’t be Cassius though, he was human. He had tan, warm skin…and I had never seen him partake of the blood at the restaurant.

  The alarm on my cell phone went off, signaling that it was time to check the test. My thoughts were immediately erased when I read the results. Salem came running in when he heard the beeping from the alarm and stared down at the white stick in my hand.

  “…what does it mean?” he asked, staring at the blue plus sign.

  “It means we’re going to have a baby,” I croaked.

  He held me close and kissed me lightly on the forehead. This was more than just a child to him; it was also a gift of living that had previously been stolen from him. “You should share the news with Desmond, and Jason…and your aunt and grandfather.”

  “You’re right…” I muttered, dreading the idea of making so many phone calls and worrying about some of the reactions I would no doubt receive. The phone call I was most uncomfortable making was the one to Jason, knowing how he felt about me…how would he react to me having a child with Salem? I decided I would call him last.

  Making myself comfortable on the couch, I selected Desmond’s name in my contact list and waited as the phone dialed. My heart rate sped up quickly with each ring, and I was almost positive it stopped when I heard my foster father’s voice.

  “Alex? Hello?”

  “H-hi,” I stuttered and wiped sweat from my brow. This shouldn’t be so difficult! “How is China?”

  “It’s wonderful. Mel and I walked along the Wall of China and it was exhilarating! How are you? Did you change your mind? It’s still not too late Alex, we’ve decided to stay longer than we had-”

  “No…that’s not it…” I said, cutting him off. “I’m so glad you guys are having fun over there. I…I just have some news to share with you.”

  “What is it, dear? Is everything okay?”

  “I just found out…” I paused and rapped my fingers anxiously on the arm of the couch. “Salem and I…ugh, this went so much easier in my head!”

  “Let me guess,” he said with a hint of laughter, “Mel was right, wasn’t she? You’re pregnant.”

  “I-what?”

  “She kept telling me you were. I was hoping she was wrong, but don’t take that the wrong way. I am happy for you; I just wish that it was under different circumstances. It was one thing having my daughter get married at the young age of nineteen, but now I am going to be a grandfather? I’m way too young for that!” He laughed. “Have you been to a hospital, do you know the due date, how far along are you?”

  My head was pounding. There were so many answers that I didn’t have and things I was unprepared for. “I just found out, dad.”

  “Right. I apologize. Make sure to get those things taken care of, and get back in touch with me as soon as you know. Do you need us to come back?”

  “No, no…I’ll be okay. Enjoy your trip, and I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Sure,” he said, sounding a little disappointed.

  “This went a lot differently than I expected.”

  “Imagine if you were announcing this to Paul and not me,” he said and sighed. “Excuse me for that…I only mean that he would have been a lot harsher, knowing him.”

  “I know,” I replied sadly. “Thanks for being so understanding.”

  “Get some rest and take care of yourself and the little one, I’m going to share the news with Melissa.”

  I thought about waiting a little while before calling anyone in Colorado as I knew it was still a little ea
rly in the day on that side of the world. I did some quick math in my head and figured it was probably seven or so in the morning there. My aunt and grandfather would definitely be up already so my small plan to procrastinate their calls came to a quick end.

  The call to my aunt went really well. She was ecstatic and somehow unsurprised at the news—she couldn’t wait for me to get back to Willowshire so she could shower me and the future baby in presents. My grandpa on the other hand wasn’t quite as understanding—he reacted similarly to how I imagined Paul would have. He was disappointed and said that I should have been more careful, that I was in no place to have a child and I was still a child myself. Our conversation didn’t end well, and I tried to hold back my annoyance when I made a quick call to Mr. and Mrs. Williams. It wasn’t surprising that they didn’t answer. They were both probably working or something. Even though I knew it wasn’t the ideal way to let them know, I left a voicemail telling them I was pregnant. I left my number in hopes they would call back.

  The phone lay limply in my hand as I stared at Jason’s number. I yearned to hear his familiar cheery voice, but I knew that it would quickly become a dreary sound of disappointment. I kept telling myself it was way too early to call him, trying to make any legitimate excuse to postpone the inevitable. Sure, my aunt and grandpa had been up…but Jason was a lot younger than both and liked to sleep in late. Or that is how it had used to be. I felt sad when I thought of just how little about Jason’s last few years I truly knew. It used to be that we talked every day. He, Karen, and I knew everything that happened to one another. Now, aside from the few run-ins, a call here and there, and Karen’s funeral…we had barely spoken. I wondered how he could still hold on to this crush on me after all that.

  It was settled. Whether the conversation went good or not, I needed to talk to my friend again. As I finally pressed the button to dial his number, I heard the door open as Hannah and Ezra returned. Salem swore he wouldn’t say anything to them until I was ready, but I knew it would be difficult for him to refrain from mentioning it. I definitely did not want Hannah to find out this way—overhearing my conversation with Jason.