Most humans couldn’t handle being turned into a monster.
“So you want to strengthen an alliance so we can work together to fight the wolves,” I realized. “Put them back into their place so they’re no longer a threat.”
“Smart boy,” she said. “I knew there was a reason why I turned you.”
“It makes sense,” I said, since it did. “But why me? Why not Stephenie?” I asked, referring to the vampire “sister” I still barely knew. She was too interested in jet setting with her friends or leading on her latest boy-toy to pay a newly turned prince any attention.
“According to our traditions, if Stephenie marries a vampire prince from another kingdom, she’ll move there to live with them,” Laila explained. “However, if you marry, your bride will come here, and her kingdom—whichever one she’s from—will have a more vested interest in assisting us with our wolf problem, since they’ll want her to live in peace and safety.”
From a political standpoint, it made sense. An alliance with another kingdom would keep the Vale protected.
But none of that changed the dread I felt at the possibility of marrying someone—being partners with them for an eternity—if I didn’t love them.
“Don’t look so glum,” Laila said. “Think of this as a wonderful opportunity! After all, I could have simply commanded you to wed Camelia, and that would be that. But I care about you, Jacen. I turned you. You’re like a son to me. Which is why I’m giving you this choice. And the vampire princesses from the other kingdom are some of the strongest, most intelligent, and beautiful women in the entire world. I would think you would be excited for this chance to meet them.”
“Meet them?” I raised an eyebrow at her insinuation. “I’m going to be able to leave the Vale?”
“No, no, no.” She shook her head. “You won’t be going anywhere. After all, you’re the prince. You’re the one they’ll be desperate to meet. So they’ll be coming to you. All of them at once. We’ll make a celebration of it. It’ll be the perfect distraction from the growing threat of the wolves. An event like this is exactly what this kingdom needs to boost morale. So, what do you think? The thought of a group of beautiful princesses vying for your heart must hold some appeal, does it not?”
“It sounds like a twisted harem.” I scowled. “Or a reality television show.”
“A show.” Her eyes lit up, her mouth opening in excitement. “What a wonderful idea! We’ll treat it as a show. Everyone always loves a good show. We’ll introduce all of the candidates—the princesses—and interview you all publicly about your dates and thoughts about each other. Perhaps elimination rounds as well? I’ve seen that done on many of those cheesy television shows that humans love so much.” Her eyes went far off, and I could tell her mind was whirling with ideas. “I’ll figure it all out,” she said. “It’ll be such fun.”
“Right.” I gave her a half smile, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Sounds like a blast.”
“That’s hardly the right attitude to have.” She pouted. “I’m giving you a wonderful opportunity to find love—like you wanted. You should be thanking me.”
“And if I don’t fall in love with any of the princesses?” I asked. “What then?”
“I don’t advise going into it with that attitude,” she said. “You’ll be choosing from the best of the best. Any vampire in the world would kill for this opportunity.”
“And I would gladly trade spots with them, if they so desired,” I said.
“That’s not possible.” She laughed, her pure joy making me want to cringe. “And remember, if none of the princesses are up to your standards, there’s always Camelia. I would happily bless a union with her, if you so desired.”
With that, she gave me one final smile, swept herself grandly off my bed, and left the room—leaving me feeling more trapped than ever.
Annika
I hurried around the corner, following Mike as quickly as possible. We passed by the streets frequented by vampires, then through the drab ones for humans, until finally reaching safety—an alley with barely any lighting. We were nearly invisible in the night, except for the light glow of the moon.
“Score.” Mike leaned against the wall, his breathing heavy, and he opened his bag. Inside was a large piece of cheese.
I brightened. Cheese had always been one of my favorite foods, but it was something I rarely got to eat anymore. The piece he’d stolen was a true prize.
It was amazing how much more value the most normal things started to have when they were suddenly scarce or forbidden.
“What’d you get?” he asked me.
“Just a few apples,” I replied.
A year ago, apples would have hardly gotten me excited. Now, I imagined the happy faces the others who worked at the Tavern would have when they saw them, and I held my bag closer, as if it contained treasure.
“Want a taste?” Mike broke off a small bit of the cheese and handed it to me.
I took it from him and nibbled at it, wanting to enjoy it as much as possible. It was delicious. Especially compared to the bland food we normally ate.
“Now that we’re here—alone—I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” Mike cleared his throat and looked down at me, suddenly serious. With his height, blonde hair, and chiseled jaw, he reminded me of the quarterback of my high school’s football team. I imagined he would have played high school football—if he hadn’t been born and raised in the Vale.
“Okay.” I swallowed the final bite of cheese and wrapped my hand around the strap of my bag. “What’s up?”
“Christmas is this month,” he said.
“It is.” I nodded, and my eyes filled with tears. “The first Christmas without my family.”
I remembered the last Christmas we’d spent together—how Dad had to run to the store last minute to get the turkey—like he did every year—and how the entire family had come over to celebrate. We’d opened presents under the tree and built gingerbread houses. My brother had refused to follow the instructions, and his came out like a complete mess. We’d joked about how it was a good thing he wanted to be a lawyer and not an engineer. Then he’d knocked my house over—which I’d built perfectly according to the directions—and we'd all eaten until our stomachs were about to burst.
After my time in the Vale, I’d forgotten what being that full felt like.
A tear slipped out, and I wiped it away, standing straighter. I needed to be strong—and I tried to be strong. But it was hard.
No one knew about all the nights when I hid under my covers after lights out and allowed the tears stream quietly from my eyes, as if letting them out could mend my shattered soul.
“I know.” Mike reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
I smiled at him and sniffed away the tears, grateful to have him for a friend. More than a friend—as family. He could never replace my brother, of course, but I think I would have broken completely if it hadn’t been for him.
“Every year on Christmas Eve, there’s a celebration at the village square,” he told me. “I was hoping…” He looked down at his feet, his cheeks reddening, and then turned his gaze back up to meet mine. “I was hoping you would go with me. As my date.”
I froze, the words sinking in.
A date?
Mike wanted to date me?
I had no idea what to think—or to say. Because Mike was awesome. He’d saved my life from that wolf when I first arrived to the Vale, he’d taught me how to get revenge on the vampires by stealing prohibited food, and he’d given me my job at the Tavern.
But I had no romantic feelings for him. And the way he was looking at me right now—with so much hope in his eyes—was breaking my heart.
I didn’t want to hurt him. But I needed to be honest with him. Not being honest now, in this moment when he was giving me the chance, would only hurt him more in the long run.
“Well?” he asked, sounding less confident than before. “I know you’ve been unhappy in the Vale�
�I understand that. I know you want to leave. When I was younger, I heard tales about the world outside the boundaries, and I used to want to leave too. But no one leaves the Vale alive. All we can do is make the best from what we’re given. And maybe everything here doesn’t have to be horrible. Maybe we can be happy—together.”
“Mike,” I said his name slowly, wanting to do this as kindly as possible. “I’m flattered. Truly, I am. But we’re friends. You’ve been like family to me since I got here.”
He took a deep breath, looking down at me in determination. “I want to see if there can be more between us.” He entwined his fingers in mine, as if he didn’t want to let me go. “I was hoping you felt the same.”
I untangled my hands from his and pulled away. “I don’t want to hurt you.” I shook my head sadly. “You’re my closest friend here. But I don’t feel the same way, and I don’t want to lead you on. I’m so sorry.”
His forehead creased—he looked crushed. I could see the pain shining in his eyes. I wanted so badly to say something—anything—that would make him feel better, but I had no idea what that could possibly be.
Then someone screamed from the street—a bloodcurdling shriek that made every hair on my body stand on end.
Mike bolted out of the alley to help, and I was right at his heels.
Annika
A wolf towered in the center of the square, hunched over the body of a young girl as it dug its teeth into her thigh. People ran and screamed, and one lady—who looked the same age as my mom—wailed and tried to force the wolf off the girl.
The wolf snapped its teeth at her and bit a chunk of flesh out of her neck. Blood gushed out of the wound, and the woman held a hand against it, falling to the ground.
I looked around, searching for any vampire guards to take care of the wolf. But this was a human street—so far removed from the vampires that guards didn’t bother to come here.
We were on our own. Powerless against a supernatural wolf.
It was yet another reminder of why I hated being so helpless. So human.
Most of the humans in the square had run for safety. But Mike reached for a nearby chair and smashed it against his thigh to break off one of the legs. He held it up, and I saw what he’d done—he’d created a weapon. A stake of sorts. It was brilliant.
Following his lead, I grabbed the destroyed chair and broke off another leg to make one for myself. I didn’t know what I was doing—I didn’t know how to fight. All I knew was how to run and how to climb. But I wasn’t leaving Mike here to fight that wolf alone. And if I died in this fight, then at least I’d have died trying to save the village from this monstrous creature.
The wolf was ahead—so involved in its meal that it didn’t look at anyone else, and I stared at the weapon in my hand, not knowing what to do with it.
“Get everyone nearby to safety.” Mike held the chair leg out in front of him—the pointy end facing out. “I’ll deal with the wolf.”
I was about to say no—that I wanted to help him fight—but then I noticed a girl standing behind the wolf. Her fingers were in her mouth as she stared at the wolf and cried. She must have been five years old, at the most. She needed to get out of there before the wolf spotted her and decided to make her its next course in its human feast.
I nodded at Mike and ran toward to the girl’s side, taking her hand in mine. “Come with me,” I told her, and I looked around, surveying what was left of the crowd. Most everyone had gotten out of the square by now.
She nodded, and not trusting her to run as fast as I could, I dropped my bag to the ground and pulled her onto my back.
“Hold on,” I told her. “Don’t let go.”
Once she was secured, I darted across the square. I jumped over abandoned delivery carts, landing smoothly and perfectly, not breaking my stride. When we reached the alley, I placed the girl down and glanced over my shoulder to see what was happening with the wolf.
Mike ran toward the wolf, ramming the pointy end into the creature’s back.
But it wasn’t enough to kill the wolf—it turned around, snarled at Mike, and charged at him.
“Run,” I told the girl, taking her hands in mine and pushing her toward the alley. “Run to the Tavern, and tell them Annika sent you.”
She turned around and sprinted into the darkness. Once sure she was safe, I hurried back to the square.
The wolf was now facing Mike, and the two of them circled around each other, like predator and prey. They were the only ones who remained in the area—minus the two corpses bleeding out on the ground.
Blood coated the fur around the wolf’s mouth, and it licked its lips, as if hungry for more human flesh. Then it bolted forward, and I grabbed the chair leg again, ready to provide backup even though I had no idea what I was doing.
But before I could get halfway there, Mike rammed the wood into the wolf’s chest and straight into its heart.
Annika
The animal’s eyes dimmed, it let out a long breath, and collapsed to the ground.
I stared at the dead animal, to Mike, and then at the two dead women lying in puddles of their own blood. How had this happened? From what I’d learned about the wolves in my year of living here, they had made a pact with the vampires centuries ago. As long as the vampires didn’t try to take any more of the wolves land, the wolves would respect the boundaries of the Vale.
The wolves never came into the Vale. It was forbidden. After all, us humans “belonged” to the vampires. They needed us for our blood. Wolves were only allowed to attack humans who crossed the boundary.
This wolf coming into the Vale and eating two humans was going to seriously piss the vampires off.
Suddenly, someone started clapping from nearby.
At first, the clapping was faint, but it got louder when the person responsible stepped out of a nearby building and under a streetlight.
She was young—I guessed around my age or maybe a few years older—and tall. Her hair was long, dark brown with a hint of red, her features sharp and serious. Her cheeks had a healthy flush—she was human. But her clothes looked fresh and new. Designer jeans, boots, and a leather jacket that probably cost more than humans in the Vale earned in a year.
“Who are you?” I asked, eying her suspiciously.
“Annika.” Mike said my name under his breath, reaching for my wrist to stop me from saying anything more. “That’s Camelia—advisor to Queen Laila herself.”
“But she’s human,” I pointed out.
“No, dear.” The woman—Camelia—smiled. She reminded me of a snake ready to pounce on its prey. “I’m not a human.”
“Then what are you?” I asked.
“I’m a witch.”
“Oh,” I said, and everything clicked into place. I’d always assumed the witch who upheld the boundary was old—around the age of a grandparent. It had never crossed my mind that she could be a few years older than me.
“It’s good you’re here.” Mike stepped forward, addressing Camelia. “This wolf just came in here and killed these two people. The vampires need to be alerted immediately.”
“I’m well aware of what just happened,” Camelia said slowly. “I watched the entire thing.”
“Oh.” Mike’s brow creased. “Are the vampires on their way?”
“Not quite.” She smiled—as if she had a secret she was about to let us in on. “They will be soon—after all, they’ll need to harvest whatever blood is left from the two humans so it doesn’t go to waste.” She glanced at the corpses in distaste, and my stomach twisted at the realization that of course the vampires would milk as much blood from them as possible. “But first, I have a proposition for you.”
“For us?” My voice hitched. What could a witch want with two blood slaves? And why had no one else returned to the scene of the crime? I glanced around, realizing for the first time since the attack that the square was still empty.
Now that the wolf was dead, wouldn’t other humans want to return and see wh
at had happened?
“I cast a small boundary spell around this square,” Camelia said with a wave of her hand, apparently noticing my confusion. “No one will wander here until we’ve finished our conversation.”
“Okay.” I stood straighter, unable to hide my curiosity. “What’s your proposition?”
She turned to Mike, her eyes hard. “I saw the way you fought off that wolf,” she said. “It was impressive—for a human. Therefore, my proposition is for you, and you alone.”
“Then why am I here?” I asked.
“As a witness.” She barely glanced my way before returning her focus to Mike.
I narrowed my eyes—this was sounding shadier by the second. “If you’re able to create a boundary spell to keep people from entering the square, then how did the wolf get into the Vale?” I asked. “Don’t you have a bigger version of the spell around the Vale to keep them from entering? Or does it not work with such a big area?”
“You’re a witness, not an inquisitor.” She rolled her eyes. “Shut up, and let me speak with your friend.”
“Answer her question,” Mike insisted. “Then I’ll hear you out.”
“Fine.” She huffed, her expression hard. “Yes, I do have a spell over the Vale to keep it hidden and to keep outsiders from entering. The wolves are the only ones who know the location of the Vale. Clearly, they’re working with a witch who was able to break through my shield.”
“But why would they do that?” I asked. “I thought the vampires and the wolves had a pact?”
“I promised to answer your one question, and I did,” Camelia said, and then she turned back to Mike. “Now, for my proposition.”
“Yes?” He lifted his chin, waiting for her to continue.
“I have a job I need to fill in the palace.”
“What kind of job?” he asked.
“I can’t give you the details right now,” she said. “But it’s a job that can only be completed by a strong, brave, young human like yourself. After watching you defeat that rogue wolf, I know that you’re perfect for the task.”
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 4
