Andvari moved toward me and my thoughts slowly began to realign. Emotion slammed into my body and I blinked heavily, absorbing what I'd done.
“No...” I lifted a trembling hand to my blood-soaked lips, the metallic taste of my entire village flooding my tongue.
“Gather,” Andvari commanded and my friends moved towards us, their eyes haunted as they awakened from the bloodlust. They were the same people I'd known my entire life and yet, they weren't. Their beauty was startling, their features enhanced and any blemishes in their skin smoothed out.
Clarice reached me first and she gazed at me in horror before eyeing her own bloodied clothes. “What's happened to us?”
“You are undead creatures of the night,” Andvari announced, looking between the four of us. “Immortal beings who feast on the blood of the living and cannot stray into sunlight.”
“We're not alive?” Miles asked, resting a hand on his heart as if to check.
My own hand moved to my chest and no reassuring thump came in response. Shock rattled through me and a searing pain started to take me hostage. My mother...my father...my sister...Kyla. They were all dead.
“You will be frozen in time, living but not alive. Dead but never at peace. Everything about you is designed to tempt humans and you will always hunger for their blood. This is your curse in payment of your parents' crime against me,” Andvari snarled, dark flames flaring in his eyes.
Fabian clawed at his long hair. “No! No you bastard. Take it back!”
“That, I cannot do. But I will give you a single way to break the curse.”
“How?” Clarice demanded, her hands shaking as she gazed across our devastated village.
I was on the verge of breaking, of going mad with the horror of what we'd done.
The full moon was rising in the evening sky, gazing down on us with its watchful eye, judging the monstrosities Andvari had caused.
The god started chanting a riddle and the air seemed to pulse with the power of his words.
“A warrior born but monster made,
Changes fates of souls enslaved.
Twins of sun and moon will rise,
When one has lived a thousand lives.
A circle of gold shall join two souls,
And a debt paid rights wrongs of old.
In a holy mountain the earth will heal,
Then the dead shall live and the curse will keel.”
Andvari fell quiet, but the words echoed on in my mind, making no sense at all.
“What does it mean?” I demanded.
“The answer lies within the riddle,” Andvari chuckled. “If you decipher it you shall return to your human forms.”
“How? It doesn't make any sense!” Fabian cried, his shoulders trembling and his hands curling into fists.
Andvari turned, ignoring him as a snarl twisted his features into a demonic glare. “Idun! I know you're here!”
From the smoke winding its way through the village, a beautiful woman emerged with golden skin and fiery eyes. She was clad in a silken white dress which seemed to float around her willowy body. Her golden hair fanned out behind in her a wind that wasn't there.
Idun, goddess of immortality. A deity I knew from the tales of old. Her gaze was unnaturally probing and slid over all of us, her fury evident.
“What have you done?” she spoke softly to Andvari, but her tone held a strength in it that made the air shudder.
“I have borrowed your power to avenge myself,” Andvari growled.
Idun’s face contorted with rage. “I have hunted for you, Andvari, and now I found you have done the unspeakable with the fruit of my immortal tree. I will never forgive this.”
Her eyes fell on me and a power slid through my body like vines curling around my heart. I crumpled to my knees, clawing at the dirt as my organs squeezed.
“You cannot kill them,” Andvari spat. “They have your gift now.”
“Undo it,” Idun commanded, her voice causing a breath of warm air that blew out the fires devouring the houses around us.
“They are bound by the curse, nothing can undo this but the answer to my prophecy.” Andvari stepped toward her and lifted his palms. Fire scorched the earth between them in a wide line, warning her off.
Idun opened her mouth and sharp teeth were revealed. “You are altering nature for your games, Andvari. Take back what you have done.”
“I cannot!” Andvari bellowed and a tremor rocked the ground beneath me.
I eyed the others and they gave me a desperate look. We had to run. We had to get away from these monsters.
“Then I shall destroy what you have made,” Idun whispered, but she didn't come for us as I expected. Instead, she turned and disappeared into the smoke.
Andvari's form rippled as he faced us once more. “If you do not break the curse, blood will be your payment. You will hunger for every human you meet until the sun bakes the earth and you are turned to dust.”
He vanished and all that remained was the hollowness of my soul, the smoke weaving its way around our broken home, and the metallic taste of my family's blood on my tongue. A taste I knew I would never be rid of.
Erik Belvedere, a royal Count of the New Empire, had kissed me.
And I’d kissed him back.
I stayed awake late into the night thinking over what that meant. Of why I’d reacted the way I had. Why had he kissed me at all?
He was a damn vampire. An undead monster. How could I be attracted to him? And why on earth was he attracted to me? Someone who was supposed to be his food source!
The more I dwelled on it, the more doubts I had. What if this was a trick? Another way to try and get me to play along with his plan. He needed me to spy on his brother, perhaps he thought toying with my feelings was a good way to keep me on his side. But it hadn’t felt like that…
All I knew was that Count Erik was either one-percent less of an asshole than I’d previously thought, or ten times more of one.
When birds called beyond the window and I sensed morning was closing in, my thoughts turned to what he’d told me about Fabian. That he ruled the Realms. That he was the one responsible for the conditions I’d lived in my whole life. How could I flirt with him now I knew that? It was nauseating. And yet, it was the only choice I had. Erik would free Dad from the blood bank and pardon Callie of her crimes if she was caught. That was what I had to focus on. And knowing I had at least a little more faith in Erik now, I found sleep coming for me at last, guiding me away on silent wings.
A storm was rising in me. A burning need. A single cause.
“We have to get them out.”
Callie’s voice.
I tried to reach for her and the more I focused, the clearer the world became around me. An overturned carriage. My hands bound in chains, bashing against a barred window.
The vision shuddered and I was in the arms of a powerful man with long hair hanging around his face. His eyes captivated me the most. His face was just inches from mine. The moonlight shimmered around us and something felt so incredibly right about the closeness of him.
“-sir you really must hire a professional stylist, I'm just a maid!”
I jerked awake, sitting up with blurry vision as Erik strode into the room dragging Nancy behind him. The dream fell away from me and the soothing company of the stranger dissolved with it.
My aching eyes told me I couldn’t have gotten more than a couple of hours sleep. And that was definitely going to make this day a whole lot harder.
“You just got promoted,” Erik announced and Nancy shook her head. I blinked heavily, taking in his crisp white shirt and the fine trousers which hung from his slim hips. His eyes were brighter today than I’d ever seen them, seeming more like molten silver than the harsh iron tones I remembered.
“Please, sir, I really must insist-”
“Enough.” He took Nancy’s shoulders, angling her toward me. “See all the hair sticking up on top of this girl's head?”
“Yes,”
she stuttered and I grumbled my annoyance.
“Tame it,” he commanded. “And make that squinting face fit for royalty.”
“Erik?” I croaked as my vocal chords tried to warm up.
“Yes, Rebel?” he answered formally.
“Stop being an ass.” I reverted to my usual tone, figuring it was best to pretend nothing had ever happened between us. He’d told me to forget about it anyway, so I was more than happy to oblige. Especially if it helped me move on from that kiss.
“Noted,” he muttered with a smirk. Something fluttered inside me but as a smile tugged at my lips in response, I battled it away.
Erik was a vampire. And no matter what I’d felt toward him in that fleeting moment of foolishness, it didn’t matter. Because humans didn’t fall for bloodsuckers. Even if he did seem different than the rest of them...
Erik gazed over me, seeming anxious to say something more. Instead, he turned to Nancy and murmured, “Good luck,” then headed out of the room.
The tension in the air disbanded and I soaked in the relief at being apart from him again. He was too intoxicating up close and I really didn’t want to be distracted. I needed to focus on getting through my day with Fabian. Nothing else. Especially not midnight kisses and late-night heart-to-hearts.
Nancy sighed dramatically then moved forward and ripped my covers back. “Up, up, up,” she prompted and I slid out of bed, yawning broadly.
My sleep had been muddled with strange dreams so the few hours of rest I had managed to get hadn’t been the most refreshing. The only thing positive about it was that my dreams had been of Callie living a free life with a strange warrior who she seemed to trust. I hoped it was true. And at the very least, the dreams had given me some comfort that it was possible.
“Come on. Sit down. Chop chop,” Nancy urged.
“I need to pee.” I headed toward the en-suite as she nodded, looking embarrassed.
Shutting the door to the bathroom, I released a slow breath. I needed a moment alone to gather my wits, to mentally prepare myself for my time with Fabian.
I washed my face in the cream basin then pinched my cheeks like always before gazing at myself in the silver-rimmed mirror. My eyes were heavy with dark circles and my lips were overly pale. I grazed my fingers across them and my heart thumped with irrational glee at the memory of that world-shattering kiss. Shaking my head, I mentally swore at myself and stared directly into my earthy brown eyes.
Just suck it up today, Montana. Be the best spy Erik could have hoped for so he simply has to help Dad and Callie. Forget about everything else. Don’t let him get under your skin.
When I felt ready for whatever came my way today, I headed back to the bedroom. A renewed fire blazed in my heart as I dropped down onto the seat in front of the dresser and Nancy started combing my hair.
Nearly an hour later, I was primed for Fabian with my face painted to perfection and my hair coiling down my spine in loose waves. There was no trace of the tiredness around my eyes and I had to marvel at Nancy’s skill with a makeup brush.
“Lovely,” she announced, threading her fingers through my hair as she arranged it over my shoulders. “It’s so good to see you smile, Montana.”
I glanced at myself in the mirror in surprise, discovering that she was right. I was smiling. I hadn’t even noticed. What the hell had gotten into me?
When I didn’t reply, Nancy gave me a knowing look which brought heat to my cheeks. “Count Erik is quite the catch.”
“Is he? I hadn’t noticed,” I said, forcing my lips to fall flat. “He’s not really my type, being a hungry blood-sucking demon and all.”
Nancy’s soft features skewed with hurt. “We’re not all bad,” she said gently, moving away.
I caught her wrist, an urge to apologise filling me though I didn’t know why. For the life of me, I couldn’t force out the words. I wasn’t going to say sorry to a creature who would happily drink a cup of my blood if I handed it to her.
I quickly changed lanes. “Thanks for this.” I circled a finger around my face. “I don’t look like the undead now.”
She laughed softly, squeezing my hand before I released her. “Actually, I’d say the opposite. The undead are very attractive in the New Empire.” She headed across the room and I allowed myself a grin at her words when she wasn’t looking.
What’s gotten into you?!
Nancy searched my closet, looking through the dresses before picking out a long green gown the colour of General Wolfe’s robes.
“Not that one,” I begged and she frowned.
“Fine. You pick one,” she said, planting her hands on her hips.
I headed to the closet, rifling through the dresses, wondering what the best option was for today. I had to 'seduce' Fabian so looking appealing was high on my priority list. My fingers halted on an ebony gown with lace sleeves and a slightly low-cut neckline. Something drew me to it instinctively. I’d never cared about the clothes I wore back in the Realm, not beyond choosing whatever was most practical. But with the options I faced here, I started to see why the vampires liked their finery. It felt good to wear beautiful things just for the sake of it.
I took a slow breath, making my decision as I plucked it from the rack.
Nancy helped me into it then stood back, admiring the flowing gown which felt like a soft cloud hugging my body. “Does it look okay?” I asked.
Her eyes sparkled. “See for yourself.” She guided me toward the large, dark-edged mirror on the wall and I nearly froze as I spotted my reflection.
I barely recognised myself. I looked...radiant. Nancy had applied a rose colour to my cheeks over a soft powder which seemed to make my skin glow; I only really noticed it now that my painted face was paired with this incredible outfit. The dress was bordering on a little much. But it was striking and even made my meagre cleavage look fuller. This was definitely the one.
I turned to Nancy with another smile. I must have smiled more this morning than I had in weeks. “Thank you.”
She bowed her head then hurried to exit the room, leaving me to my thoughts.
I’ll bring Fabian to his knees for what he’s done to humans. I won’t let him get away with it. And if I have to dress up and play nice to achieve it, then bring it on.
Nerves pooled in my belly as I waited, the minutes ticking by as I expected Fabian to come for me. But the next person to step through the door was Erik.
“I just wanted to check you hadn't decided to dress in rags.” His eyes slid from my head to my toes and I felt suddenly exposed. Heat sparked at the base of my spine as I awaited his conclusion.
“Are these rags alright?” I asked and he seemed to jolt out of some reverie.
Erik cleared his throat and his voice was slightly strained when he spoke. “Yes. Passable.”
I rolled my eyes and he chuckled softly.
“Very agreeable,” he said with a dark smile.
I became overly aware of us being alone again just feet from where he’d kissed me last night.
My heart thundered in my chest and I suddenly wasn't sure where to look. “Um, so...”
“Fabian,” Erik took the reins of the conversation and I relaxed in a wave. “Do as he asks today, but feel free to tease him in your usual way. I suspect he will fall for it hook, line and sinker.”
“Did you want me to ask him anything specific?” I inquired, shifting from foot to foot.
Oh my god. I'm actually going to do this.
“Not today. You must earn his trust first.” He stepped closer and offered me his arm. “I'll walk you to his room.”
I nodded, dipping my head as I took it. Tension knotted my belly. I wanted to look up at him, but something stopped me. My cheeks were flaring like they were on fire. Why did Erik always take my body hostage? I couldn't seem to control anything it did around him. My thoughts however, I could wrangle. So they were what I focused on.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked as he led me from the room. “Oh, wait. Do you
even sleep?” I'd heard so many rumours about vampires in my lifetime, I didn't know what was true and what wasn't.
“Yes, I sleep. But only every few days. We don't need as much as humans.”
I nodded and we drifted along a bright corridor with beautiful paintings of the garden hanging on the walls. All I could hear was my pulse thrumming musically in my ears.
“How did you sleep?” Erik asked.
“Er...not great actually. I keep having strange dreams. I saw my sister...”
“The fugitive?” he asked and I nodded, fighting a scowl at the word. “I ordered my men to bring her here when she's found.”
I stopped walking, gazing up at him in utter relief. Not that this castle was a great place to be, but it was better than dead. My nails dug into his arm as desperation filled me. “Here?”
“Yes.” Erik nodded stiffly, his gaze glittering with a promise I hoped he’d keep.
His hand pressed into the base of my spine, causing a ruffle of feathers in my stomach. I stood inches from him, taking in the sharp line of his brow, the day old stubble on his jaw that never seemed to grow thicker. His throat bobbed. My hand twitched where it lay against his arm.
“Let's not keep my brother waiting,” Erik murmured, though he made no move to continue walking.
I nodded but still we stood there, a thousand unspoken words seeming to thicken the air between us.
Erik released a slow breath then encouraged me along the corridor. As we walked, hope expanded like a balloon and floated in the centre of my chest. Dad would be saved soon. And I might be reunited with Callie too, though a small part of me hoped she'd continue to evade the vampires. If anyone could survive out in the harsh world beyond the Realms, it was my sister.
Erik tugged me to a halt again as we arrived outside a black wooden door. He lowered his head, talking into my ear as all the vampires seemed to do when they didn't want to be overheard. Although this time, it felt more intimate than convenient.
“Only kiss him if you have to, Rebel.” His breath floated over my neck and I shivered, fighting away the urge to reach out to him. My thoughts tangled as I tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. Why was he saying that to me? Because he was jealous? Or was it simply a tip on how to attract Fabian?
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 25
