The Revolution: Book 3 of The Bloodmoon Wars (A Paranormal Shifter Series Prequel to Luna Rising)

by Sara Snow

  Or so I had thought.

  I understood their jealousy, as even I coveted his gifts. Some vampires, young ones, could remember what it had been like to walk in the sun before they were turned, but not me. Born in and to the darkness, I would forever dwell in it—unless I discovered how to gain William's ability. And it wasn't like I hadn't tried over the years. After many failed experiments where I consumed his blood and my body promptly rejected it, I was forced to admit defeat on that front.

  But despite my failure to improve my own personal abilities, I still had high hopes for the future evolution of our kind—hopes that rested with William. Perhaps I'd never walk in the sun, but if I succeeded in making it so my people could, I'd be remembered forever as a legend—the Queen who brought about a new era of vampire domination. For if vampires could roam freely, day or night, we would dominate the world.

  Maybe that was the difference between the other vampires and myself—how we saw William. For them, he was a constant reminder of all they'd lost from their former lives. For me, he represented hope and possibilities. A new beginning. My legacy.

  So when Cain devised his new plan as a way to control the supernaturals, I'd happily agreed to it. It fit right into my ultimate plans for William and our new beginning for all vampire-kind. Humans and supernaturals had governed the earth long enough. Why should I be satisfied with the small box they’d shoved us into?

  There was a time when we’d lived as free as they were now, when we weren’t starving. I wanted to walk the earth again and smell the fear flowing from everyone I passed. I stepped onto my balcony and looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. This land had died long ago, and the air, rank with blood and death, was more beautiful to me than a forest filled with trees. Darkness, endless darkness, was all I’d ever known. If I was forced to live in it forever, then everyone else would share the same fate.

  I’d see to that.

  I remained where I was on the balcony as my guards returned with a human and a fae. I inhaled deeply, smelling their fear—reveling in it. Drinking it in like a fine glass of wine. As the adrenaline coursed through their bodies and caused their panicked hearts to beat ever faster, I wouldn't be surprised if they died from the fear alone.

  This was the way things should be.

  Striking fear into the hearts of others was real power. I gazed down at my hands as black veins appeared beneath my pale skin. Walking back into the room, I removed my dress, leaving myself bare before the guards and the two captives.

  My guards stared at me with lust and awe while the human woman and male fae continued to shiver with fear.

  “Shhh,” I hushed them as I walked forward. “Guards, leave us.”

  The guards turned and left the room as my skin returned to its normal pale color and my fangs vanished. I caressed the woman’s freshly washed blonde hair as I admired the green eyes of the fae. They were both naked and had been bathed before being brought here. There was nothing better than making my prey truly mine, feasting on their blood when they were filled with ecstasy and then rolling in that blood, suddenly tainted with fear, as I slaughtered them.

  Three hours with my lovely pets passed in the blink of an eye for me, though I recognized it was probably not so for them. Time meant nothing to me the way it did to the now-dead human and the fae male lying beside me in bed. Killing the human had been easy, but I’d wanted to keep the fae alive a little longer.

  I rolled onto my side and threw a leg over his naked torso as blood continued to flow from wounds covering his body. I trailed kisses up his shoulder and chest before climbing on top of him, blood dripping from my hair with every movement.

  “Do you want me to kill you?”

  Nodding his head apparently took effort, and he began coughing, causing blood to splatter over his lips.

  “I hadn’t planned on ripping your tongue out. That was an accident. I got a little . . . overzealous. You are a most enticing treat. I want you to know that.”

  More tears slipped from his beautiful eyes, and I pouted as I leaned forward to rest my weight on his chest.

  “Oh, I know. I know it hurts, but I like your eyes, and I’ve always enjoyed the taste of fae blood.” I sighed. “There was someone I spent moments like this with often, but that was so long ago.”

  He began coughing again, and I covered his mouth with my hand. “Do you have children? I do. I have two sons who are incredible men, but the one I used to enjoy moments like this with has lost his way.”

  I sat up, my core gently rubbing against his stomach. “He’ll find his way back, though. So I think I’ll have you healed until then. He’ll enjoy you, too.”

  A knock came at the door, and my hair fanned out around me like a thousand snakes. “What?”

  The door opened slowly, and a guard poked his head instead. “Your Majesty, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have important news. There’s been a sighting of . . . a white wolf.”

  My body went stiff at the mention of a white wolf—my only real weakness. I hadn’t thought they still existed.

  “Come in.” I climbed off the bed, the fae beneath me temporarily forgotten, and the guard entered the room, his head bowed in respect. “Tell me.”

  “Your resurrected army attacked several wolf packs, but one pack was under the protection of a white wolf, a young girl named Elinor. From the report I received, she can command lightning. She killed all the supernaturals we sent.”

  I turned my back to hide my reaction. I couldn’t allow him to see my fear.

  “I thought they didn’t exist anymore,” I muttered to myself. “Are you certain she was a white wolf?”

  “Yes, my Queen. She, along with two demons, attacked a facility holding the abducted supernaturals as well, forcing them to relocate.”

  White wolves were the only creatures strong enough to kill a vampire with royal blood, but they were rare now—almost mythical. A white wolf was responsible for the deaths of my parents and all the royals before them. Without the ability to give birth, the royal bloodline would end with me, but I was fine with that. A new age was coming under William’s rule, and who knew what could happen?

  My jaw clenched as I walked away, leaving a trail of blood on the floor in my wake. Still, I wasn’t planning on dying any time soon.

  It had been centuries since I last saw a white wolf, or even heard of one existing.

  Just then, Cain entered the room, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “You didn’t tell me that someone found a facility. That’s why you suggested attacking werewolf packs instead of using the same method we’d been using for months! You knew of this white wolf and said nothing to me!”

  Cain’s eyes slid to the guard.

  “Do not think of punishing him. He was right to come to me. You may leave.” The guard hurried from the room, and I vanished from where I stood, reappearing in front of Cain seconds later. The slap I gave him across the face echoed through the room. “You knew of a white wolf, and you thought to keep it a secret from me? Explain yourself!”

  “I wanted to find her and bring her to you, my Queen, that’s all. I didn’t want to worry you until I had the situation under control.”

  “Worry me?” I yelled. “Do you think a vampire as powerful as I am should be worried about a little wolf?”

  He lowered his head. “I only meant that a white wolf is the only creature alive that could actually kill you. I didn’t want you to be concerned about it until I had the wolf in my possession.” He looked up at me. “She’d be an asset if turned, I’m sure.”

  I walked away and grabbed the leg of the fae, pulling him to the edge of the bed. My fangs buried themselves in his neck, emptying him of the last of his blood before allowing him to fall to the floor.

  Enchanteds were useful when turned—because of their divinity, their powers remained, though they were typically diminished. White wolves possessed much more divinity than Enchanteds. This Elinor would undoubtedly keep most, if not all, of her power after turning.

  I alread
y had William. What would happen if I could turn this wolf and make her mine as well? She’d make him an ideal wife and rule by his side. I thought of the union—and hopefully the children being born to it—and smiled.

  Power, so much power!

  I had originally intended to order Cain to find and kill her, but now I saw what a mistake that would have been. “Find her,” I told him, my excitement returning quickly. “Take her alive and with minimal harm. We’re going to make a few changes to our plans.”

  Cyrus

  Everyone was silent. I looked around at the people I loved and could see the shock on their faces. Their expressions were probably not far from what mine had been when my mother had told me about my connection to the Vampire Queen. I could see the slow realization on Elinor’s face soon morph into uncertainty and then panic. If a being with divinity—and enough of it—was the only one capable of killing the Queen, then Elinor was the only one among us strong enough to take on the task.

  Now we knew the truth—this was her real purpose.

  “I can’t believe she’s your great-grandniece,” Skye whispered beside me, and I shook my head in response.

  “She’s nothing to me, Skye. Nothing.”

  Luna Clarice looked worried, and her hands clenched on her lap while Alpha Grayson looked contemplative. But I could see that it worried him, too. Any parent would be worried if their child had just been given the burden Elinor now had to bear. A great responsibility rested on her shoulders, but she wouldn’t be alone. She'd need all the help she could get from us to get her to the Queen.

  Levi had contacted Faelen, confirming that the Council approved launching an attack on the Queen, but Elinor would have to work harder to get control of her power. He also insisted that the only way we could move forward with that attack was if we could rally the other races first.

  At least that bought us some time.

  The last members of the pack would leave soon, followed by the Alpha and Luna, and Elinor would go to a secure location with Skye and Darian. Theanos hadn’t returned, but if the dragons agreed to help us—which was unlikely, but possible—we’d have a considerable advantage over the vampires. Even one dragon would be good.

  “Elinor? You understand, don’t you?” Clarice leaned forward.

  Elinor looked at her mother and nodded. “Yes,” she answered, taking a deep breath. “You all believe I am the only one who can do this.”

  “If the Goddess intervened to give you these powers, she must have believed it too,” Faelen said.

  Elinor pressed a finger to her temple. Then she suddenly blurted out, “But I can’t do it. I can’t.” She got up and walked away, running a hand through her hair.

  “I understand how you must feel, Elinor, but—”

  Elinor spun on her heel, her eyes flashing white, and Faelen froze. “I’m sorry, Faelen, but do you really? Do any of you understand what you’re asking of me? I’ve never been the kind of girl who sat on the sidelines, but this is something else. You’re telling me I, specifically, have to be the one to kill the Vampire Queen.” She shook her head, obviously still in shock.

  “And why not you?” Faelen argued. “In war, anything can happen. If the Goddess willed it, even a human could end the Queen.” She walked over to Elinor and said softly, “What if the circumstances were as we first thought, and anyone could kill the Queen? What would you have done if you’d found yourself in the position to deliver the final blow? You’d have had no choice but to act. So why does knowing for certain that you’re the one who has to do it change things for you?”

  “Because now everyone will expect me to get it done. If I fail, it’ll be on me! If I die and she lives, I will have doomed us all.”

  “You won’t be doing this alone, Elinor,” Alpha Grayson said, and Elinor’s eyes returned to their natural color. “You won’t be going to the Vampire Territory alone. We’ll all be there, fighting alongside you, helping to put you in the position you need to be in to fulfill your duty.”

  She took a deep breath but remained standing, her face red as her eyes darted from one person to the next. No one spoke for a moment, and in my mind, I could hear my mother’s words repeating that this wasn’t my fight. I was still the son of the Demon King and a Sin. Even without divinity needed to kill the Queen, I could still fight beside Elinor and have her back.

  “You’re doing it again,” I said to her. “Doubting yourself. You need to have faith in your power and trust that everyone will do everything they can to get you to the Queen. You just can’t be hesitant about this.”

  “I think, right now, I need to be, Cyrus.”

  I shook my head. “No. Right now, you need to trust your power. You fear it, fear hurting one of us or someone else you care about. But if you keep thinking like that, you’ll never learn control. I feared my power for a time, but I realized it wasn’t going anywhere, and if I didn’t learn to control it, it would control me. I’m still learning—” Blue flames appeared at my fingertips. “—but I’m open to it.”

  “We also don’t know when the Queen will release all the supernaturals she’s resurrected. Heck, we don’t even know how many there are,” Skye pointed out, and Elinor sat back down. “We need to act . . . before she does.”

  Reports were coming in of attacks on other species from the resurrected supernaturals, though the goal appeared to be capturing more supernaturals over killing them. The Queen was obviously still building her army. We also didn’t know what her end goal was. Before we lost more people, we needed to talk the other supernaturals into joining forces. Now that we had someone strong enough to take out the Queen, it should be easier to do.

  “Darian will be with you when you leave,” Alpha Grayson said to Elinor. “He’ll be able to teach you and quickly.” Elinor made a face, and her father crossed his arms over his chest. “I know, he’s not your favorite teacher, but he’s the only one you’ve got.”

  “It’s just a lot to process,” Elinor grumbled to herself. “I might have divinity, but I don’t have the time to learn the control I’m going to need.”

  “Then trust the Goddess,” Faelen replied. “Pray to her and ask for strength and guidance. She’ll give it to you. She already has.”

  “You’ve been eager to become a Guard, eager to protect the pack. And now, you’ve got the opportunity.” Alpha Grayson leaned forward, his voice low but filled with finality. “I’m sorry you don’t have any choice about this. It’s just the way things are. So ground yourself, accept what is . . . and end this. For all of us.”

  Elinor’s eyes hardened, her father’s words apparently getting through to her, and she nodded her head firmly. I understood that she felt she wasn’t ready. It was the same way I felt about becoming the next Sin, Lust. I didn’t have a choice either.

  Her eyes rimmed red with tears, Luna Clarice abruptly stood and left the room. Alpha Grayson sighed, then got up and followed his wife. “I’ll talk to her.”

  When he left, Elinor placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward, obviously trying to think her way through this. “I’ll ask Will how to get into the Queen’s castle. That’ll save some time. Then all I’ll have to do is find her. Hopefully, she won’t join the fight, and I’ll be able to corner her in a room somewhere.”

  “Wait, hold on.” Skye sent a hesitant look Faelen’s way, then glanced back at Elinor.

  “She knows about him. It’s fine,” Elinor clarified.

  “Yes, I know about the vampire. And while that’s a good idea, Elinor, I believe you need to speak to Will first. We still don’t know if we can trust him.”

  Elinor sat up, but her eyes remained on the floor. Faelen was right, but I doubted Elinor needed to be told that again. I could tell she felt very conflicted about Will right now, and I felt for her. It must have been horrible caring for Will while, at the same time, not feeling totally convinced she could trust him.

  “I also think it would be wise if we all leave tomorrow night,” Faelen added. “The last group of wolv
es will head out then, and we need to do the same. Especially you, Elinor. News about your powers will have traveled fast. Somehow, I doubt the Queen is unaware that a white wolf has the power to kill her. When she finds out you exist, she’ll be coming for you.”

  Skye stood up to leave, and I did the same. “If only we could do something now, so we’d have the element of surprise working in our favor.”

  “Yeah,” Elinor drawled.

  Skye walked over to her. “You can do this,” she said, holding her hands out.

  Elinor slid her hands into Skye’s, and they both inhaled and exhaled at the same time. The bond between them was beautiful. They fed each other strength when it was needed. Although Theanos and I were close, we weren’t that close, and a part of me wished that hadn’t been that way.

  Opening up to my family just wasn’t easy for me. Not even with Theanos.

  17

  Elinor

  I was happy to be back in a Guard’s uniform. This one had been created just for me, so it fit me like a glove. I ran a hand down the twisting black line on my arm signifying the pack I was from and smiled. While I wasn’t an official Guard, when I gazed down at the ring on my left middle finger, I couldn’t help feeling proud.

  I didn’t smile for long, though. The reality of the situation was hitting me hard. Although I’d fought for so long to be considered a warrior, now I had no choice.

  Maybe I was weird, but for me, that changed things.

  The last of the wolves left before sunset, leaving only a few Guards behind to travel with my parents and Faelen as their protective detail. Saleem and Scarlet left as well, saying they needed to return to the Black Souls Market to prepare for the coming battle. Many of their friends had died. I vowed the Queen was going to pay for that.

  Jackson tried not to cry when he’d learned he’d be leaving with Connor and not staying behind with our mother and father to see me off tomorrow morning. I almost cried myself when he told me he’d try to be as brave as I was.