Without me there to uphold the boundary, the Vale was more vulnerable than ever before.
There was only one thing I could think of that could protect it.
“Geneva’s sapphire ring,” I said. “Does Annika still have it?”
“Do you think the Nephilim would give up the ring so easily?” Mary raised an eyebrow, apparently amused by my question.
“No.” I chewed on my lower lip, trying to think of another solution for the Vale. “The vampires need to leave the Vale,” I said, the solution dawning on me instantly. I hadn’t seen it earlier because I hadn’t wanted to see it, but it was the only thing that made sense. “There needs to be a mass evacuation, and it must happen without delay. It’s the only way they’ll have a chance to live.”
“I agree.” Mary smiled, as if glad that I’d been the one to say it and not her. “But would their acting king support such a decision?”
“No.” I knew as well as anyone that “King” Scott was just as stubborn as Laila—he’d never back down from a fight. “But I know someone who might.”
“Who?” Mary watched me curiously.
“His brother,” I said. “Prince Alexander.”
Annika
“The Holy Grail.” I stared at the magnificent golden chalice in Emmanuel’s hand, unable to believe that I was looking at the mythical object itself.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “May I please borrow your sword?”
I removed my sword from its sheath and handed it over to the angel.
He used it to slice open his wrist. He didn’t even wince from the pain, and he handed the sword back to me as if nothing abnormal had just occurred.
I expected blood to emerge from the wound, but instead I saw liquid gold. It was the same consistency as blood, but it had a magical glow to it, like the aura of the angel himself.
Emmanuel lifted his wrist above the Grail and let his blood to flow into the chalice. Then he handed the chalice to me.
It was heavy, although with my new strength, I was able to hold it.
“Drink,” he said.
“Your blood?” I peered into the chalice, the outline of my reflection staring back at me in the golden liquid. It was the same color as Emmanuel’s eyes. “Why do you want me to drink your blood?”
The first time I’d drank Jacen’s blood—back when he was helping me escape the Vale—he’d let me know how it would affect me beforehand. I had no idea what would happen to me from drinking angel blood. Despite angels being holy creatures, the thought of drinking any type of blood without knowing what it would do to me made me squirm.
“I cannot tell you that,” he said. “To have the full support of the angels, you must have faith that we have your goodwill at heart. All I can ask is that you look inside yourself and do what feels right. Your angel instinct won’t help you here—this decision is meant to be yours, and yours alone.”
“Okay.” I nodded, still staring into the chalice, and looked back at everything that had led me up to this moment. After getting kidnapped to the Vale, all I’d wanted was to escape—and to become a vampire so I would never have to be a victim again. Then, after fate had chosen me to journey into the Crystal Cavern and retrieve Geneva’s sapphire ring, I’d realized that I couldn’t let all of that power go to waste. And so, I’d ventured into the palace in disguise with the lofty goal of killing Queen Laila and setting the blood slaves of the Vale free.
I’d thought that killing Queen Laila would be the ending… but little did I know that it was just the beginning. Not only were the blood slaves still not free, but the entire world was in danger from the demon that I’d accidentally unleashed from that sword.
Even though I hadn’t unleashed Samael on purpose, I still felt like it was my job to fix it. And one big lesson I’d learned along this journey was that great things—truly great things—weren’t accomplished alone. I wouldn’t be here without Jacen, Mary, Rosella, and even Geneva. Trusting them and accepting their help had made me stronger.
Now, an angel wanted to help me. A literal angel.
I would be a fool to say no.
And so, I lifted the Grail to my lips, and I drank.
Annika
Emmanuel’s blood traveled through my system, burning through every vein, from my head to my toes. It felt like my entire body combusted from the inside out.
It happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to scream. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, staring up at the never-ending sky.
Emmanuel stood before me, watching me. I had no idea where the Grail was—I must have dropped it when I fell.
“What did you do to me?” I asked, immediately assuming the worst.
What if he wasn’t truly an angel, but a demon? What if I’d been being tricked this entire time?
But no… my angel instinct recognized Emmanuel’s spirit. It was like a magnet, but instead of pulling me toward him, it gave me a feeling of warmth and safety.
“Stand up,” he commanded.
I did as he said. The pain was gone now—I felt stronger than ever.
From the intense way he was studying me, I had a feeling he was about to answer my question. So I just stood there, waiting.
“By drinking angel blood from the Holy Grail, you have become an angel,” he said simply.
“What?” I blinked a few times and flexed my hands, recalling the intense burst of pain that I’d experienced before hitting the ground. “Did you kill me?”
“Of course not,” he said. “Like I said earlier, those who die go to the Beyond—they don’t come to Heaven and become angels. Angels can only be created in one of two ways. The most common way is to be born of another angel in Heaven, although this happens rarely, because the more powerful a species is, the harder it is to reproduce. The second way is what just happened to you—a Nephilim drinking angel blood from the Holy Grail. The change is painful, but you survived it to become an angel.”
“What did you mean that I ‘survived’ the change?” I eyed him warily. “Was there a chance that I wouldn’t have survived?”
“There was a chance,” he said. “But that’s not what happened.”
“I trusted you!” I screamed—I couldn’t help it. “And you nearly killed me!”
“I didn’t kill you,” he said. “I turned you into an angel. You’re immortal now.”
My mouth dropped open. I was so not prepared for this.
“And you’re not just any angel—you’re an Earth angel,” he continued. “There hasn’t been an Earth angel for thousands of years. Not since the last one turned on Heaven and was killed for his sins. But with the Hell Gate ready to open, there was no other option except to create another. You are Earth’s only hope at having a chance to fight the demons.”
“What about you and the other angels in Heaven?” I clenched my fists, doing my best to rein in my instinct to panic. “Why can’t you stop the demons?”
“Angels born in Heaven are not meant to leave Heaven,” he said. “But you—an Earth-born Nephilim who was turned into an angel in Heaven, will be able to walk both Heaven and Earth. Thus, making you an Earth angel.”
My mind swam with all of this new information. I’d barely been getting used to being a Nephilim, and now I was an angel? An immortal?
It was too much to take in at once.
“Are there Earth demons as well?” The question sounded ridiculous, but I had to say something.
“No,” he said. “The demons would need the Holy Grail—or the demonic equivalent of the Holy Grail—to create an ‘Earth demon,’ and that doesn’t exist. Although, demons do have an equivalent to Nephilim. They’re more commonly known as shifters.”
“What?” I gasped. “The shifters are demons?”
“They have demon blood,” he said. “But unlike demons, they have a soul—which makes all the difference in the world. They’re constantly battling with their demonic side—their animal side—but they’re not evil like demons. In fact, like the tiger shifters h
ave shown by protecting the Haven, they’re quite capable of using their abilities for good. Never assume a shifter is an enemy just because they have demon blood. That would be a great disservice to their entire race.”
“Just like one can’t assume a Nephilim is good because of their angel blood,” I said, remembering the death and destruction that Mary had told me the previous generation of Nephilim had brought to the supernatural community.
“Exactly,” Emmanuel said. “It’s important that you remember that, always.”
“But in a way, the demons could be considered the wolves’ saviors, right?” I asked. “Since the shifters have demon blood.”
“No.” His eyes darkened. “Demons—true demons who were born in Hell—have no souls and don’t care about anyone but themselves. If the Hell Gate opens, they will come to Earth and slowly destroy it. You must stop them. As the last Nephilim—and the first Earth angel of this upcoming era of darkness—the world will depend on you.”
I took a step back—this was a lot more than I’d been prepared to handle. I’d thought my world saving would end with finding the Holy Grail.
But apparently, it was only just beginning.
“How am I supposed to stop the demons?” I asked. “I might be an Earth angel now, but a little over a year ago I was only a human. I’m not cut out for all of this.”
“Yes, you are,” he said. “Hand me your sword again.”
I did as he said, watching as he took my sword and dipped it into the cloud at our feet. I had no idea how the cloud knew to hold us up and let other objects through—it was one of those things I figured I just needed to accept as magic.
A golden glow surrounded the sword and vanished inside of it, as if embedding the sword with some kind of angelic magic.
“You need to use this sword to kill Samael,” Emmanuel said, handing it back to me. “The cloud is made of heavenly water, and dipping this sword in the heavenly water has infused it with magic. Only a weapon dipped in heavenly water can kill a demon. But Samael is more than just a regular demon—he’s a greater demon—a type of demon that can only be killed by someone with angelic blood. As the only one with ignited angel blood able to walk the Earth, you’re literally the only person alive who can defeat Samael. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” I gripped the sword tightly, the weight of the responsibility heavy upon my chest. “But isn’t Samael’s spirit inside of Marigold’s body?”
“It is.” Emmanuel nodded. “Her death is necessary to stop the uprising.”
I shook my head at the horror of killing an innocent person. I’d already killed the vampire guards who had brought me to see Laila in the throne room—not because they’d done anything to deserve it, but because they’d been acting under Camelia’s orders to attack me. Even though I’d had to kill them so I could live, I still hadn’t reconciled with their deaths. I didn’t think I ever would.
“There has to be another way,” I finally said. “Marigold didn’t ask to be possessed by Samael. This isn’t her fault.”
“But she must die for the greater good.” Emmanuel’s golden stare was cold and final. “You need to stop Samael from opening the Hell Gate—that means killing the witch. The world is counting on you to do what needs to be done. All you need to do is look into your soul, and you’ll realize what that is.”
With that, he flashed out, leaving me alone at the top of the cloud.
Camelia
Much to my relief, Mary was making an exception to our oath and allowing me to share what I knew with Prince Alexander. The possibility of his taking charge was the only chance the vampires in the Vale had to get out of this mess, and she didn’t want them to die any more than I did.
Before bringing him to the meeting room, she provided me with the Haven’s white uniform to change into and had my suitcase brought to “my cabin.” I still hadn’t seen my new accommodation yet—I supposed that would wait until after my meeting with the prince. But judging from the fact that everyone in the Haven wore the same white outfit, I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be getting much more use of the clothes I’d brought with me.
I was pacing around the brightly colored tearoom when Prince Alexander arrived.
“Camelia.” He stood in the doorframe when he said my name, looking at me as if I were a stranger. “What has the Haven done to you to convince you to abandon the Vale?”
“The Haven didn’t do anything to me,” I said calmly. “I chose to come here.”
“Why?”
“Have a seat.” I patted the cushion next to me. “I have a lot to tell you, and not much time.”
He glared at the seat, not moving. “Scott is furious,” he said. “He ordered me to bring you back to the Vale.”
“I’m not coming back.” I leveled my gaze with his, and he gave a short nod, as if he’d already figured that out. We both knew that if I went back there, Prince Scott—I refused to acknowledge him as king, even in my own mind—would take away the few privileges I had left.
I would be nothing more than a slave.
Alexander finally gave in and took a seat, as I knew he would.
“I’m with child,” I said, my hand drifting to my stomach.
“What?” His eyes widened in shock. “How?”
“You’ve been alive for long enough to know how these things work.” I chuckled.
He cracked a small smile. “You know what I mean,” he said. “With vampires unable to reproduce, no male witches in the Vale, and given that you’ve never left the Vale until now… it means the father of your child is a blood slave.”
“He is not.” I crinkled my nose at the thought of reproducing with a filthy blood slave. “The father of my child is a powerful man.”
“Then tell me, Camelia.” Alexander leaned forward and placed his hands in his lap. “Why did you run from the Vale?”
“I didn’t run,” I said, despite the fact that I sort of did. “I came to the Haven because it was the surest way to keep myself and my child safe.”
“I can understand that.” His response surprised me. “But you’re keeping yourself and your child safe at the expense of everyone living in the Vale. We need you, Camelia. Without you upholding the boundary, we’re more vulnerable than ever.”
“I’ve left five witches in charge of upholding the boundary,” I said, although my voice wavered, since their powers combined weren’t even half as strong as mine.
“I know the five,” he replied. “They’re inexperienced, and the wolves have a powerful witch at their disposal. The moment the wolves realize you’re gone…”
“They’ll attack,” I said. “I’m well aware. They won’t retreat until all the vampires are dead. It’s the only way for their Savior to rise.”
“What?” Alexander flinched—I’d caught him by surprise, just like I’d intended. “What do you know that you’re not telling me?”
“I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been in the Haven,” I said.
From there, I told him all I knew about the wolves, their visions, and their Savior—the Savior that had promised to give everything to the wolves once the wolves destroyed the vampires.
Camelia
“So there’s no hope in convincing the wolves to stand down,” Alexander said once I’d told him everything. “They’re determined to slaughter us.”
“They’re determined to get the vampires off their land,” I corrected him. “That can happen without bloodshed.”
He was silent for a few seconds—I hoped he was seriously considering his options.
“You heard Scott and Stephenie,” he finally said. “They won’t retreat. The land is rightfully ours in accordance to the treaty with the wolves. If we leave and allow the wolves to have it, we’ll lose the respect of all the other kingdoms.”
“If you leave, you’ll be alive.” My voice was sharp—I was determined to drive this point home. “Scott’s pride won’t let him realize that he’ll lose the war, but you’re smarter than that. We both k
now the facts. Our numbers are tiny in comparison to the wolves, and the majority of our citizens are untrained fighters. Yes, they’re naturally strong as vampires, but that means nothing without proper training. If Jacen had made an alliance with one of the other kingdoms, we might have had a shot, but he blew it by falling for the Nephilim girl from a false kingdom.”
“And there’s no way of tracking them?” Alexander asked. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I huffed. “They’re either protected by a powerful cloaking spell or are in a location with a barrier against tracking. Maybe both. Either way, they’re impossible to find.”
“So Geneva’s ring is lost to us.” For the first time since he’d arrived, fear flashed in Alexander’s eyes.
“Until they reveal themselves, that’s correct. We can’t track the ring if we can’t track them.”
“There has to be some way…” He trailed off, glancing around the room as if searching for an answer in its walls.
“There is,” I said. “You can step up and be truthful with the citizens of the Vale about everything you know, and that includes letting them know about Queen Laila’s death. Evacuate before it’s too late. The wolves don’t want the vampires dead—they just want you off the land that they consider theirs.”
“The land that they signed away to us,” he said.
“With their Savior ready to rise, they don’t see it that way anymore,” I said. “And there’s so much empty land down south in America that isn’t already claimed by shifters. Lead the people there and find a place to settle down. Be the ruler that they need. Sure, it won’t be as luxurious as the Vale at first, but at least you’ll be alive to turn it into something magnificent.”
He was silent for a few seconds—Prince Alexander always thought before he spoke. “It’s tempting when you say it like that,” he said. “Except that they won’t follow me. They won’t leave their homes behind.”
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 63
