It was almost like she was purposefully avoiding meeting us.
If she were, I couldn’t blame her. I was not happy with her after learning she’d used transformation potion to masquerade in my form and had my memories wiped against my will. I had no intention of pretending otherwise when we were finally face to face. I didn’t care that she was one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world. What she did to me wasn’t right.
She owed me an apology, at the least.
“The Earth Angel will also be at the banquet tonight,” Jacen said. “You’ll meet her there.”
“We came all this way on a quest that she gave to Noah, and she can’t bother greeting him on arrival?” Maybe I should have held back—after all, we were guests here—but I didn’t. The Earth Angel not being here to welcome us was insulting.
“She’s very busy.” Jacen held my gaze, his silver eyes warning me to stop pushing the matter. “Managing an island of supernaturals is no easy task. But she’s looking forward to greeting you tonight. Which is why she’s holding an entire banquet to celebrate your arrival.”
I couldn’t argue against a banquet. So I pressed my lips together, figuring I’d pushed it enough for now. Jacen and I had had a pretty good rapport so far. No need to mess that up during my first five minutes on Avalon.
I’d meet the Earth Angel soon enough.
“That’s very generous of her,” Thomas finally spoke up from where he was standing at the edge of the group. He was holding his cell phone, the screen lit up like he’d just been using it.
“It is.” Jacen nodded, looking pleased by Thomas’s acknowledgment. Then he glanced at the phone in Thomas’s hand. “There’s no reception on Avalon,” he said. “You’ll find that phones are rather useless here.”
“Not for me.” Thomas smirked as his screen lit up again. “I texted Mary to let her know we arrived safely. She just replied and said she was glad to hear from me. She wishes us the best on Avalon, and asked me to reach out again if we need anything from the Haven.”
“How…?” For the first time since I’d met him, Jacen looked thoroughly shocked.
“I’m a gifted vampire,” Thomas said. “My gift is with technology. I’ve always had a knack for it.”
“Apparently.” Jacen eyed up Thomas’s phone, looking impressed. “Avalon hasn’t been able to communicate with Earth through technology, and it’s been a bit of a hassle for us to teleport back and forth to send and receive messages. Your gift will be highly useful to us here.”
“Glad to help,” Thomas said.
“Glad to have you here.” Jacen nodded at him, then refocused on the rest of us. “As you can see, we’re in a tunnel system underneath the island. The stairs behind me lead straight up to the castle. That’s where all the main activity happens on Avalon. The mages have come with me to welcome you so they can bring you to the orientation rooms and start getting you adjusted to life here. The supernaturals will be following Dahlia, and Raven will follow Violet.”
“No.” Noah gripped my hand tighter and stepped closer to my side. “I go where Raven goes.” He stared fiercely at Jacen, daring the vampire prince to contradict him.
Dahlia stepped forward, meeting Noah’s eyes and giving him a small smile. “I’m afraid that’s not possible,” she said. “Supernaturals and humans have different orientation sessions to life on Avalon. This system has been in place since Avalon first opened up months ago. It exists to ensure your introductions to the island go as smoothly as possible.”
“My introduction to the island will go as smoothly as possible if I remain by Raven’s side.” Noah narrowed his eyes in warning.
I held my gaze with Dahlia’s as well, since I didn’t want to leave Noah’s side, either.
Why couldn’t we all be “introduced to the island” together?
“You either come with me and the rest of the supernaturals, or you can leave.” If Dahlia was affected by Noah’s intense attitude, she didn’t let it show. “Your choice.”
“You and Raven will see each other at the banquet tonight,” Violet chimed in. “Iris has incredible party planning skills. I’ll make sure she knows to seat you and Raven next to each other.”
All three of them—Dahlia, Violet, and Jacen—watched Noah and me expectantly. They clearly weren’t budging. And we were newcomers to their island. Who were we to demand they changed the way things worked around here just because Noah and I hadn’t left each other’s sides since he’d rescued me from the bunker? We couldn’t stay glued to each other forever.
I turned to Noah, resolved in my decision. “Avalon is the safest place on the planet,” I said. “We’ve risked everything to be here. If humans and supernaturals have different orientation sessions, maybe there’s a good reason for it.”
“Good.” Violet sighed. “At least one of you has sense.”
Noah’s eyes flicked back and forth between the mages and mine. Are you sure? he spoke to me through the imprint bond.
I’m sure. I gave his hand a small squeeze. They’re not budging, and we didn’t work this hard to get here to turn back now.
I wasn’t going to turn back. He watched me so intensely that it was like he could see straight into my soul. I was going to stand my ground until they gave in.
He was so stubborn. I supposed we were similar in that way.
It was probably why we’d butted heads so much when we’d first met.
We need to choose our battles carefully, I said. I’m sure the orientation sessions will be fine. And now we know I can communicate through the imprint bond through far distances. So if I need you before dinner, you’ll be the first to know. I promise.
Bella tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. “We all know you’re talking to each other through the imprint bond,” she said.
“Sorry.” My cheeks heated, and I faced the mages again. I wanted to tell them that Noah would be doing as they’d asked, but that was his decision to make. Not mine.
“We can’t stand here waiting forever,” Dahlia said, her gaze pinned on Noah. “What’ll it be?”
He continued staring her down, and my stomach flipped with panic that he was going to say no.
“I didn’t work this hard to get here to turn back now,” he finally said. “So please. Lead the way.”
3
Noah
As Jacen had said, the steps led up into the castle. Now we were in a grand hall, with plush rugs, carved wooden furniture, and colorful tapestries draped along the stone walls.
The mages fit right in, in their medieval styled dresses. The rest of us looked alien in the white cotton outfits we were wearing from the Haven.
“This is where we’ll split ways,” Dahlia said. “Raven, Violet will take you to your orientation. The rest of you, follow me.”
I pulled Raven into a hug, my lips close to her ear. “Good luck,” I said. “And remember, let me know if you need me.”
“You know it.” She smiled, looking radiant and confident that everything would be fine.
I wished I had that kind of optimism. But after everything I’d been through, I knew to keep my guard up everywhere.
Including Avalon.
“I’ll see you at dinner,” she said, pulling out of my embrace.
“Yeah,” I said. “See you then.”
“I’ll see all of you all at dinner as well,” Jacen said. “I have other business to attend to on Avalon until then. But you’re in the best hands with Violet and Dahlia. They’ll figure out what each of you can best contribute to the island. And tonight, we’ll celebrate.”
He zipped out of sight, leaving us alone with the mages.
Violet led Raven to the left, and Dahlia led the rest of us to the right. I didn’t stop glancing at Raven over my shoulder until she turned the corner.
The moment she was out of sight, every muscle in my body tensed. All my instincts urged me to turn around and run back to her side, where I could protect her.
“Relax,” Thomas said, glancing
at me from the corner of his eye. “She’ll be fine.”
“I know.”
“You sure about that?” he asked. “Because your racing pulse says otherwise.”
I glared at him and made a conscious effort to breathe slowly to get my pulse back at a normal speed. I didn’t say another word as we followed Dahlia to the end of the hall.
She opened a large wooden door, revealing a spiral stone staircase. “We’ll be taking the stairs all the way to the top,” she said. “And Thomas is right—you all need to relax. I’m taking you to orientation. Not to a prison cell.” She lifted her skirts and made her way up the stairs.
The top ended up being the fifth floor. Dahlia opened the door and led us into a circular room inside the castle tower. There was a round table in the middle, set for five, with a covered silver platter and a pitcher of water in the center. Each wall had windows, giving us a stunning view of Avalon’s luscious green mountains and bright blue lakes.
Dahlia clasped her hands in front of herself and smiled at each of us as we walked into the room. “Please, have a seat,” she said, gesturing toward the table.
I claimed my seat—the one facing the door. If anyone came in during our orientation, I wanted to be the first to know.
Thomas took the seat next to me, also facing the door. I supposed he had the same idea. Jessica and Bella sat at both of our sides. The only seat remaining—Dahlia’s—faced away from the door.
The blonde mage sat down, smoothed out her skirts, and smiled at us. “I imagine the four of you are hungry,” she said. “People always are, after coming through the simulation and arriving at Avalon.”
At the mention of food, my stomach rumbled. Audibly. A human might have missed it, but since everyone in the room had supernatural hearing, I knew they’d heard.
I could really go for a bacon cheeseburger right now. I doubted they had those on Avalon. But I could hope.
Dahlia reached forward and lifted the lid off the platter. Inside were strange white fruits I’d never seen before. There were enough pieces for a group more than twice our size. Each piece was perfectly round, and about the size of an orange.
And they had no smell.
Everything always had a smell. Especially fruit. But this white fruit in front of me smelled like nothing.
“Here you go,” Dahlia said with a smile. “Dig in.”
The mage must have lost her mind. Because this was not an actual meal.
“Fruit’s what my food eats,” I said. “Shifters need meat.”
“Taste it,” she said with a knowing smile. “I think you’ll be surprised.”
Thomas also looked suspicious. “Do you promise it’s safe?” he asked. “Because it has no scent to it.”
“The fruit’s safe,” she said. “Now, dig in. I know you’re hungry.” She glanced at me when she said that last part.
Cursed stomach betraying me by growling.
But no matter how hungry I was, I didn’t trust her—or her strange fruit—that easily. Luckily, we had a walking lie detector with us.
I turned to Jessica. “Is she telling the truth?” I asked.
“Yes,” Jessica said. “The fruit’s safe.”
“I’m guessing you’re gifted as well?” Dahlia asked Jessica.
“I am.” Jessica pressed her lips together and looked down at the table. “I can tell if people are lying or telling the truth.”
“Why do you sound so unsure of yourself?” Dahlia asked.
“Because that was my gift as a human,” Jessica said, meeting the mage’s eyes again. “Apparently, our powers amplify once we’re turned into vampires. But mine hasn’t done that yet.”
“Interesting,” Dahlia said. “I’m sure we’ll have it figured out for you soon enough.” She gave Jessica an encouraging smile and focused again on the rest of us. “Now, you heard the girl,” she said. “The fruit’s safe. So stop being so skeptical, and dig in.”
I still didn’t understand how she thought fruit was an entire meal. Maybe mages were all vegans or something. But it was all she was offering right now, and I was starving.
So I reached into the platter and plucked one of the strange white fruits out of it. It was smooth on the outside, like an apple. Not what I’d expected it to feel like. But oh well—nothing could be as bad as the meager squirrels I’d had to eat during a particularly rough winter in the Vale two years back.
“Here goes nothing,” I said, lifting it to my mouth and taking a bite.
4
Noah
A bacon cheeseburger.
That’s what the white fruit tasted like. It had the same texture as a bacon cheeseburger, and the same taste as a bacon cheeseburger. It was cooked exactly how I liked my meat—rare. It was even the perfect temperature.
I chewed and swallowed, looking at the fruit in amazement.
Dahlia was watching me, waiting anxiously for my reaction. So was everyone else at the table.
“Well?” Bella asked. “It looks like you liked it.”
“It tastes like a bacon cheeseburger,” I focused on Dahlia, resting an elbow on the table and holding the fruit up in front of me. “How’s that possible?”
“I’ll tell you soon,” she said. “But first, the rest of you should try a piece, too.”
Bella reached for the fruit and took a bite. Her eyes lit up as she chewed and swallowed. “Animal style fries from In N Out Burger,” she said. “That’s exactly what I was craving right now. My sisters and I eat so much In N Out Burger when we’re stressed.” She took another bite, looking just as amazed as I felt.
Thomas and Jessica were taking bites of the fruit, too. Thomas said his tasted like a rare rib eye, and Jessica said hers tasted like cookie dough ice cream.
I took another bite of mine, curious if the fruit changed taste with every bite. It was still bacon cheeseburger. Which I wasn’t complaining about, because that was exactly what I wanted right now.
I finished the rest of the fruit in a few quick bites, and reached for another. It also tasted like a bacon cheeseburger. Incredible.
The only one of us who wasn’t continuing to dig in was Thomas. He held the fruit a bit away from himself, like he didn’t trust it. He looked at Dahlia like he didn’t trust her, either.
“Why does the fruit taste different to each of us?” he asked.
“The fruit you’re eating grows only on Avalon,” she said. “It’s called mana.”
“Isn’t that what Moses and his followers ate in the desert after escaping Egypt?” Jessica asked.
“That’s manna, with two n’s,” Dahlia said. “It’s similar to the mana that grows on Avalon. This mana grows in abundance from our trees, no matter the season. It tastes like whatever food you’re craving at the moment. It can even taste like a food you’ve never tried before, if you’re feeling adventurous. And the best part is that it contains every nutrient you need to keep your body running at peak performance. Eating mana is part of the reason why no one ages on Avalon.”
“Hold up.” That last part got me to stop chowing down on the delicious bacon cheeseburger. Mana. Whatever. “You mean this stuff makes us immortal?”
“It does.” Dahlia nodded. “Everyone who comes to the island after the age of twenty-five stops aging while they’re here. Those who come when they’re younger will continue to age until they’re twenty-five, and then their body will freeze in that state. If they venture off Avalon and start living on regular food again, they’ll continue to age until returning to Avalon and eating the mana again.”
“That’s dangerous.” Thomas’s eyes darkened. “If anyone on Earth finds out about this, they’ll go to a lot of trouble to get their hands on the mana and bring it to Earth.”
“They might try,” Dahlia said. “But they won’t succeed. The mana disintegrates the moment it passes Avalon’s boundary. Only those worthy to live on Avalon are able to eat it.”
I nodded, still not fully processing the part about not aging if I continued eating this fr
uit. Shifters aged, as did witches and Nephilim. Vampires were the only supernaturals on Earth that were immortal.
I’d never thought immortality was a possibility for me until this moment. I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted or not.
It was too much to think about right now.
“What about Jessica?” I asked instead. “She’s what… fifteen years old?”
“Sixteen.” Jessica glared at me, like the year difference was massively offensive.
“Sixteen,” I repeated. “Same difference. Will she age until she’s twenty-five, now that she’s on Avalon and eating mana? Or will she remain sixteen, since she’s a vampire?”
“She’ll remain sixteen,” Dahlia said. “Vampires are frozen at the age they were when they were turned. Not even mana can change that.”
“All right.” Thomas still wasn’t relaxed, although he didn’t look as uptight as before, either. “So, mana tastes like whatever we want, and has every nutrient people need. But it didn’t make me feel less thirsty. And as I’m sure you know, vampires need more than food to survive. We need blood, too.”
Dahlia glanced at the silver pitcher next to the platter of mana. “Why don’t you have some of that?” she asked.
“That’s water,” I said. “I can smell it from here.”
“Water has a smell?” Bella’s eyebrows knit in confusion.
“It’s fresh and clean,” I said. “It’s hard to describe. But yes, it has a smell.”
“Strange.” She looked at me like I’d landed from another planet.
“Being able to smell water helps shifters survive in the outdoors,” I explained. “And I promise you—that’s water in the pitcher. Not blood.”
“Try it,” Dahlia repeated, motioning to the pitcher. “The water won’t harm you. I promise.”
Jessica reached for the pitcher, poured herself a glass of water, and took a sip.
Her eyes widened in amazement, and she quickly emptied the glass. Once done, she set it down on the table. “Oh my gosh,” she said, looking to Thomas. “You have to try it.”
The Angel Trials- The Complete Series Page 78
