Enchantment's Trap (Vampire Magic Book 4)

by Sela Croft

The choice had been made for me when our enemies had infiltrated and begun to destroy us from within. “I won’t be foolhardy,” I said, looking around the room. “I am disheartened that my brother pays no heed to any advisor. He conducts a war of his own.”

  No one sought to disagree.

  “I’m obligated to protect what you beg me to protect…and that is all who reside in Shadowland,” I said. “I cannot allow us to be defeated by the guerilla tactics of the Fae. Such methods have seen too much success already.”

  All heads nodded, and Raulia gave me a look of approval.

  “It pains me to say so, but we must forego all attempts to get involved in my brothers raging battles,” I said. “I will ensure our efforts and our resources are allocated to our most pressing issue, protection of our people.”

  I left the meeting with my council united, each moving forward in accordance with my orders.

  But if I had any hope of protecting the city, I needed help. Upon leaving the meeting, I teleported to Natasha’s home. I found her tending her garden, as she so often was.

  “I can tell by your expression that you have come about a serious matter,” Natasha said. “Shall we sit?” She guided me to her parlor and I took a seat on the sofa across from her.

  “You are aware of the situation in our city?”

  The sadness in my sister’s eyes was my answer.

  “I’ve come to you for help,” I said. “Our beloved Crystal City and the villages that surround it are under siege.”

  “I’ve heard the reports, and the situation is very alarming.”

  My sister’s pale green eyes held much wisdom, and more knowledge of the future than she usually cared to share.

  “I trust that you will assist in my efforts to save our people and to support me in my duty,” I said.

  “I have information that I feel will help.” Natasha proceeded to relay the details of her recent visions. It was more than I’d anticipated. She’d been gifted with the knowledge of where and when the Fae would attack, along with pertinent details.

  “That is enough to ensure our success, not only in the interior of our realm, but the battles that Valter insists on waging.” I went to my sister and gave her a warm embrace. “Stay safe, Natasha. Your insight might have saved our kingdom. I will use all you’ve told me to protect us, one and all.”

  I could hardly believe my luck. With the intelligence my sister had provided, I knew enough to give the vampire armies the edge over our enemies. So often, she had withheld what she knew, for fear of altering the course of events—and not always for the better.

  I was grateful that she hadn’t feared the consequences, so had shared what she could. It might make all the difference. In fact, I was certain that it would.

  Forthwith, I met with the council and the vital information was relayed to the generals in the field—even to Valter. I was not at all surprised when the initial attacks against the Fae were successful.

  I monitored our progress and had cause for renewed hope that, ultimately, we’d come out victorious. But what should have encouraged me had the opposite effect.

  Over the coming days, battles were won. But in greater proportion than expected. Battles were successful without fail. What I witnessed was that every battle waged against the Fae was won. Our formidable enemy appeared easy to disarm and simple to overcome.

  That was not right. Even with the advance information, the fighting would not have always gone in our favor. It made no sense. Yet, each of our counter attacks met with success.

  My confidence turned to suspicion. Something was up, and it couldn’t be good.

  Miraculously, the Fae forces withdrew from the city and retreated toward the border. It was too much. I could not ignore such an unnatural event.

  I immediately consulted with Raulia and Natasha. After relaying the status of the campaign to protect our city, I anxiously anticipated their reaction.

  “My visions foretold where and when the battles would take place,” Natasha said. “But not that every single battle would be won. That is an omission that leads me to suspect my own insight. It is alarming that I’d be fed the first part, with no mention of the overwhelming victories in mass.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Raulia said. “There must be deception at work.”

  “My thoughts, precisely,” I said. “I perceive some outside influence. I shudder to think who or what is toying with destiny.”

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Raulia said.

  “I fear that it’s a setup.” With my suspicions further aroused, I sent word to the battlefield without delay. A message was delivered to Valter to pull back. I waited as the minutes ticked by, after teleporting my messenger to the battle line.

  I hoped that Valter would return to listen to this new intelligence. But my messenger returned alone. As usual, my brother chose to ignore me.

  The information was vital, too important to be brushed aside. Without a moment’s hesitation, I ordered Raulia to travel to the battle in progress with expediency. Then I teleported to the scene to meet her. We had to do something. I’d find a way to make Valter listen, before he was caught in an unseen trap.

  Chapter 37

  Rosamon

  Noah sat beside me and held my hand, while we silently watched the blood exchange. My father looked on from above, still frozen in his golden cage. I had no idea what to expect, but after the discussion about the potential dangers I was uneasy.

  It should have been me, exchanging blood with Noah. I regretted letting my sister take the risk, when I’d have been willing to do so instead. I reasoned that I had more familiarity with magic. After all, since my arrival at the prison I’d practiced every spare moment.

  It made sense that I’d acclimate better to the change. It was no light matter to become a vampire, and I was in shock that my sister had agreed. I wondered what she’d be like and how much she’d change. Of course, she would still be Callie.

  Yet she would be immortal. It dawned on me that she would outlive me. That I would get older and physically change, while my sister would be immortalized in her beauty as it was. If that was all, I would have been glad.

  But it couldn’t be that simple.

  Noah had confessed that he shouldn’t drink my blood, that he wouldn’t be able to stop without drinking it all. The same might be true of Logan. It hadn’t been put to the test. And I could see, as well as anyone, how he craved her.

  It was frightening, and butterflies fought in my stomach. The minutes ticked by and I wondered how it seemed for Callie. In her blood induced trance, did hours seem like minutes or the other way around?

  I stared at my sister, sharing her feeling. We’d always been able to sense each other’s innermost thoughts. But she seemed blocked from me, which I found disconcerting.

  At first, Callie looked calm except for her lust for Logan’s blood. She sucked with fervor as though imbibing on her favorite treat. It was even more than that. The way she sucked so compulsively, it was more of an addiction.

  Maybe Callie would drink all of Logan’s blood before she could be stopped. My sister’s mouth was over his wrist as she avidly sucked. It was a marvel to watch and I was spellbound.

  But something was going on. Callie shook and shuddered like a puppy having dreams. Then she whimpered and moaned. I glanced at Noah, but he showed no concern.

  I continued to watch, wanting to share the experience with my sister. But also, determined to keep an eye on her. I didn’t trust the process, and probably with good reason.

  Logan tensed then his jaw locked in place, while he drank Callie’s blood with gusto. He didn’t appear to have any awareness of his surroundings, so I assumed he was in a trance like my sister.

  Callie’s eyes were closed tight, as were Logan’s. I had no way to read their emotions by looking into their eyes. Yet their body language was telling.

  The shudders, tension, and periodic jump of their bodies was evidence of what was happening. It was an em
otional experience; that much was clear.

  The process seemed interminably long, and I grew anxious. I needed to know how Callie faired, and to be sure that nothing awful was happening.

  She still looked like my sister, but I sensed some other force within her. It alarmed me. And what would happen anyway when she turned into a vampire?

  I might have stayed out of it, except Callie shrieked and appeared terrified. It was more than I could endure. I had to pull her out of the trance to make sure that she was okay.

  I leaped to my feet. But before I could get to her, Callie’s body began to tremble so hard that I feared her heart might give out. “Stop, Callie!” I shouted as thought she might hear me and separate from Logan.

  It might have been the blood exchange or the energy coursing between Callie and Logan. I wasn’t sure. But I had to stop the bloodsucking, immediately.

  I gripped Callie’s arm to pull her away, then my father yelled from his cage. “Do not interrupt the blood exchange. You must not!”

  While trying to pull Callie away, I glanced at my father then called out, “If Logan and my sister die because of what they are doing, that’s not going to help anyone.”

  Callie gripped Logan’s arm so tightly that her nails drew blood from his skin. Her mouth was suctioned to his wrist, as she drank blood like she was dying of thirst. I tried to pull Logan’s arm away from her, but he was as solid as marble.

  “I can’t do it,” I said, but Noah had already raced to my side to help. Together we tried to break the pair apart. Adrenaline poured though my body, giving me strength that I needed. But the two of them were locked together, as though a spell had bound them for eternity.

  Noah grasped Logan by the waist and, using his vampire strength, pulled hard. But the two remained locked together.

  “You must not interrupt the exchange of blood,” my father called. “It is in progress. To stop the flow would be disaster.”

  Ignoring his warning, I pleaded with Callie, “Wake up, please.” I grasped Logan’s wrist to yank it away from my sister’s lips, but it wouldn’t budge.

  Whether my father was right or wrong, I had to get my sister back. I sensed that whatever force had her was immensely powerful, and I feared that she might be destroyed in its wake.

  “Try again,” I said to Noah. And he wrapped his arms around Logan’s shoulders to pull him away.

  Distracted by Callie’s reaction, I focused on getting her to cease sucking Logan’s blood. My sister was convulsing, so I feared the worst.

  Finally, Noah’s efforts and mine started to have some effect. We were unable to separate them with brute force. But pulling on them had begun to stir them from their trance-like state. The bloodsucking slowed, although their eyes remained closed.

  I sensed a change in Callie’s breathing. It was more ragged, and each breath seemed laced with some thought or emotion she was striving to express. Then Logan tilted his head a little to the side, as if he might release her.

  In the background, my father continued to shout and order us to stop. I didn’t trust him, or his commands, so didn’t listen. I was desperate to awaken my sister, and to yank her from the grasp of whatever had her.

  Then a force radiated from my sister; it was so sudden and powerful that it blew me back from her. Then Callie and Logan violently separated, causing me to gasp. Before my eyes, they fell back with their chests heaving, but apparently alive.

  My relief was mingled with trepidation. I teetered on the precipice of the unknown. I wondered what would happen next. Callie and Logan were on the cold stone floor, but at least they were separated. I noted that the puncture wounds on their wrists had healed.

  I knew that vampires healed rapidly, so that was my first clue that Callie had really and truly changed into an immortal. When I reached out to my sister, the floor rocked so hard that I was knocked over.

  The prison shook as hard as it ever had. The room felt like a children’s building block being tossed about. The mirrors rattled and the stone floor beneath rolled as if we were at sea. The rattle of the building boomed through the hallway outside and echoed so loudly it hurt my ears.

  Just when I thought the violence might abate long enough for me to get to my sister, the severity of the quake increased. The mirrors were tossed about the room and many of them shattered into a million pieces. Glass shards scattered across the stone floor.

  Noah and Logan were thrown against the opposite wall, and Callie was sent sliding toward the back of the room. Then the shaking calmed enough for me to crawl forward. The building still rumbled like a bear in hibernation, growling before waking up to terrorize any intruder.

  Carefully, I navigated the stone floor, trying not to get cut by the glass that was everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah clawing his way up to a sitting position. Logan was still out cold.

  As fast as I was able, I made my way over to Callie by crawling on my knees. When I reached her, I cradled her head in my lap. With tears in my eyes, I pleaded, “Wake up…please…wake up.”

  Callie groaned softly, then her eyes flew open. She stared at me as if trying to figure out who I was. Then she whispered, “Rosamon…”

  Chapter 38

  Callie

  When my eyes opened I saw Rosamon. She smiled at me through teary eyes. The sight of my sister and seeing that she was okay was reassuring.

  It took a moment for me to reorient. And to realize that I must be different. An inner strength that was unfamiliar surged inside me. I wondered how I would feel, how life would be, now that I was a vampire.

  Although, I still felt quite like myself, there was a significant change. My eyesight seemed improved, my breathing deeper, and even my confidence higher. Immortal or not, I was darned glad to see my sister.

  “How are you, Callie? I was so concerned. I couldn’t tell what was happening.”

  Rosamon’s distress was evident. It would take me a while to relay all that had transpired, if I ever could. But I wanted her to know that it hadn’t been as horrible as it might have appeared. After all, she’d watched me sucking vampire blood. How odd that must have been for her…

  “It was amazing,” I said. “But I’m unharmed and very much alive.” Then I pushed myself to my knees, finding it much easier than it should have been. I’d need to adapt to my new strength.

  My sister hugged me. “I’m so very glad. You have no idea how worried I was.”

  “It’s all fine now. I’m here.” I glanced across the room to see Noah assisting Logan. It looked like he was regaining consciousness.

  My head was spinning, and when I stood up I was dizzy. All sorts of thoughts and knowledge kept pouring into my head, making me realize how much I’d learned. Yet I had trouble making sense of it all. That would probably take some time.

  A craving nagged at me, and I realized that I would need to feed soon. Although, I seemed well enough, right then. When and how to feed would need to be worked out, as I had the opportunity. There was much to get used to. So far, the new state was good and in no way uncomfortable.

  Quite on the contrary, I hadn’t felt healthier or more vibrant. My mind was sharp and my body intact. A force deep within gave me the sense that I could accomplish most anything. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe it to that degree.

  But the self-assurance was nice. It would be great to test my physical strength too. I steeled myself not to rush things. Like a newborn, I had to figure things out, little by little. But I had no regrets.

  My father was frozen in his cage as I’d left him. But his eyes gleamed and I saw that he’d missed nothing.

  First things first, so I looked away from my father and went to Logan. He was standing now, so he wrapped me in his arms. I settled into his warm embrace, experiencing it in a new way, as I was with rest of my altered life.

  “Are you all right?” I whispered to Logan. He’d drunk freely of my sorceress blood, which I had no precedent for. He might be feeling as strange as I was.

  Logan
stroked my hair. “More than all right.” He pulled back to look in my eyes. “And what about you?”

  “Good, from what I can tell,” I said. “But don’t try pushing me around, as you might have met your match.”

  Logan laughed. “Yes, you’re bound to be much stronger with greater abilities. And you’ll need blood. But after the change, there is a stabilization period. The feeding can wait a bit, but we’ll see to it as soon as we can.”

  The knowledge flooding through my head began to gel. Instead of disjointed pieces, it settled into a semblance of understanding. It became mine, so could be used by my design.

  The solution to our problem was clear. I had all the elements, the tools of magic to take down the prison. It no longer bound me in like an unseen jailor. It was a building, and as such could be undone.

  The fact that it had been created by the combined efforts of numerous sorcerers was not a barrier. For once I had the code to unlock it; the structure would crumble.

  However, it wasn’t simple, even if doable. Admittedly, I had the knowledge for magic, and the blood it seemed. But I lacked experience. And any talent, unpracticed and unperfected was bound to be clumsy.

  Too much was at stake for me to botch our only chance. And I wasn’t too proud to ask for help. I’d become confident not arrogant.

  My father was a powerful sorcerer and benevolent enough to help us. I turned to him. “Your method worked. Logan’s vampire blood blended with my sorceress blood has transformed me. I have access to magic and power that previously was beyond me.”

  My father seemed pleased, although his expression was dark. But then he had every right to be gloomy after centuries of confinement. It was a miracle that he wasn’t stark raving mad.

  “I have the pieces but I’m unclear on how to put them together,” I said. “I see what magic I require and I’m certain that I can evoke it. I know the elements to take down the prison, but I have no idea what order they go in.”

  My father’s eyes gleamed, and I had a fleeting thought that it was a predatory look. I’d been a vampire for such a short time, so I was still trying to make sense of it all. Surely, I’d misjudged.