I should be doing all of these things. But I won’t. None of that will happen tonight.
What transpired replays on a never-ending loop in my mind. I don’t make eye contact with Jasik as we trudge closer to home, but I’m certain he’s just as worried as I am. I crave peace and answers and solace. I’m sure he does too.
I’m a vampire. I relinquished my control over magic the moment I drank Jasik’s blood. I exchanged light for dark, food for blood, mortality for immortality, and time for eternity.
But I was born a witch, and I know magic. Everything inside me is convincing me that the energy I harnessed to eliminate the rogue vampires is rooted in magic, but that can’t be true. Has there ever been a vampire who could access magic? Is it even possible? What would that make me?
Such a creature certainly wouldn’t be labeled something as simple as vampire. Today’s events make me…something more. Something better. Something to bridge the gap between vampires and witches. I’ve given up hope that I’ll ever be able to return home, but maybe this changes things.
I’ve never heard of a mixed creature, one that can access the characteristics of both species. Of course, Hollywood has, but this isn’t a movie. This is the real world, and until I figure out what happened and learn to harness that energy for good, I am risking the lives of everyone around me.
After being forsaken by my former witch coven and offered refuge by the vampires, I can’t bring them harm. If it weren’t for them, I would have succumbed to my blood lust weeks ago, and I would have become one of the rogue vampires we hunt at night.
It’s been six weeks since rogues attacked my coven.
It’s been six weeks since I was murdered and brought back to life by Jasik. He sired me and risked his own neck in the process. I won’t be the reason he risks his life again.
I kick at the sticks by my feet as we walk and grumble under my breath. It’s frustrating that just as I was finally getting used to being a vampire and falling into my new life with the undead, something as potentially earth-shattering as this happens. I’m tired of lacking control, of being too weak.
The trees open to a small clearing. The brush has been compacted into the earth after far too many years of regular foot traffic. The soil beneath my foot transforms into hard stone, and I navigate the cobbled pathway with conditioned ease.
As I approach the short black wrought-iron fence that surrounds our home, I keep my gaze focused on the seemingly endless row of tiny crosses that tops each iron. The sharp slabs of metal bring all-too-familiar emotions, and I think of the silver cross necklace Papá gave me before he was killed by rogue vampires so many years ago. It’s all I have left of my heritage, and I can’t touch it. I can’t embrace the cool metal and cry myself to sleep at night when the world is too hard and I just miss my family.
The moment I pass the threshold and can no longer stare at the crosses without craning my neck, I feel at ease. There’s something about being home, knowing I’m safe and understanding any rogues who venture this far into the woods won’t be escaping with their heads intact. The fear and confusion from earlier stops clouding my mind. I’m still worried about what this means, but I’m not as fearful of the answers. I glance at Jasik and know we will figure it out together.
Before me, the timeless Victorian manor we call home is three stories tall, with startling overhangs, sharp edges, and stained-glass windows. Jeremiah is settled on the wraparound front porch, and I pat one of the entry gargoyles on the head like I would greet a dog as I approach him.
The front stairs lead to French-style double doors, but I bypass the entry and beeline straight for Jeremiah’s side. I plop down beside him and watch as he sharpens the blade of his weapon. Every time he swipes the metal sharpener across the length of the dagger, an ear-piercing crunching noise echoes in my mind. I shiver internally and try to break the silence by distracting myself with the view. Jeremiah has always been a man of few words, so I don’t bother striking up a conversation.
I stare out at the dying grass lawn, careful not to make eye contact with Jasik, who has followed me over to where I now sit. In the distance, I hear the crashing waves against a wall of rocks. Darkhaven is bordered by the forest on three sides and the sea on another. We’re lucky to be close enough to listen as the water comes alive. I inhale deeply and smell the air, which is heavy with mist. I may have been born a spirit witch, but I certainly favor the water element. Something about being near water makes me feel awakened, rejuvenated, alive.
A fog rolls over the land, slowly creeping upon us. It will reach us before we go inside. Something about it, about this night in particular, is too ominous for my comfort. All that’s missing is an old cemetery and an eerie keeper of graves. As I watch the fog’s slow but steadfast approach, I can’t help but feel a pang of dread. It envelops my happy-go-lucky self and mocks my earlier comfort. Even though I’m trying to stay positive, I’m not naïve to the fact that a heavy threat hangs over me like the salty thick air that stings my lungs with each inhalation.
When I was just a witch fighting for my cause, back before I met Jasik and the vampires who now trust me with their lives, I knew something was going to happen. I was a spirit witch, which meant my powers were rooted in my psyche. I foresaw a horrific act, but I didn’t know spirit was warning me of my own demise.
I had no idea I was going to die during our full moon ritual, but I knew danger was coming to Darkhaven, the place I’ve called home since birth. Sadly, no one believed me. Mamá brushed off my concerns and called me a novice spirit user. In the end, her inability to believe I could foresee something she couldn’t cost me my life.
Tonight, I feel those very same warnings deep within my soul. As I watch the fog spread closer and closer, something aches within me. I feel restless, uneasy, and completely alert.
I fear something new, something dark, has come to Darkhaven, and it craves my life. This dark magic within my very being may be our only answer.
Jeremiah scrapes his blade against the sharpening rock and looks up at me. He furrows his brow, a look of confusion piercing his usually pristine face.
“Everything okay?” he asks. His dark skin is ashen in the moonlight, and I remind myself to search for the herbs I need for his skin elixir. I may not be a practicing witch anymore, but I can make one heck of a cream for his dry skin. I plan to surprise him with it, which is why I keep forgetting to gather the necessary ingredients. There aren’t too many days when I’m left alone long enough to gather herbs and create an elixir.
Even now, Jasik is with me, keeping watch over the land…and me. Usually I don’t mind, but today I wonder if it’s because of what happened earlier. Is he worried I’ll lash out and his friends will combust?
I’m distracted by the vampires who’ve just exited the manor and are making their way toward me. When they approach, the man gives me a sharp nod. They continue walking past until they disappear around the corner.
The front porch wraps around the length of the side of the house and ends at a hanging swing. I’m sure that’s where they plan to rest until daybreak, when we’re all cast back into the shadows until the moon graces us once again.
I’ve been here for six weeks, and I feel no closer to making any real friends. I know this has a little to do with my witchy upbringing, but it’s mainly because Jasik broke the rules when he changed me.
Vampires aren’t solitary creatures. They tend to live in nests with other vampires who have all been sired by the same vampire. In our case, that vampire is Amicia. I liken her to the high priestess of this vampire coven—if we can even be called that. I’m the only vampire living here she hasn’t sired. Unfortunately, that means when I arrived, a target was on my back.
Slowly, over the past few weeks, Amicia has started to accept that I’m not going anywhere and have no intention of endangering her vampires, so it’s about time her vampires welcome me too. The only friends I’ve made are the other hunters—Jasik, his brother Malik, Jeremiah, and Hikari. To
gether, we protect Amicia’s vampires and kill rogues, who endanger everyone. Rogues are careless and kill without remorse. Sure, we survive on human blood too, but we’re smart. Our existence goes unnoticed. Rogues would kill someone in a crowded room in broad daylight just for the heck of it if they could. If we don’t stop them, humans will discover our existence, and life would become much harder for us.
Jeremiah clears his throat, breaking my concentration. I realize he has been staring at me. His crimson eyes glow beside his black skin.
“Hmm?” I ask.
“You okay?”
I nod, wondering how much information I should share. I glance at Jasik, who is stiff beside me, and I make the mental declaration that it needs to be Jasik who shares the events of today. Maybe if this revelation comes from him, as an onlooker to the massacre, it won’t sound like I’ve been secretly planning something awful the whole time. Maybe they’ll actually believe me when I tell them this was news to me too.
“Jer, gather the hunters, Amicia,” Jasik says, breaking the silence.
Jeremiah arches a brow. “The hunt was that bad, huh?”
“There were…complications,” I admit.
Jeremiah sits straighter. His interest has definitely piqued, but I’m not sure how much I should say without Amicia present. I’m sure she’ll be annoyed if she’s not at least present the first time I explain the magic outburst, and the last thing I need is to anger the only person keeping a roof over my head when the sun is up.
“What kind of complications?” Jeremiah asks, urging us to continue.
“Wait until we get inside,” Jasik says.
He scans our surroundings, and I follow his gaze. I see nothing but darkness and a quiet forest. The fog is almost upon us now. Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed with the urge to get inside the manor. We’re careful on our hunts. We track rogues quietly and attack at the perfect moment, but when we return home, we’re far less concerned with onlookers or stalkers.
What if someone followed us home?
Someone could be watching us right now. They could easily be hiding behind a tree or within the fog. They may overhear what happened and spread the news of a vampire with access to witch magic.
They may have seen me in the woods.
“But you’re both okay?” Jeremiah asks, still pressing for answers.
“Tell everyone we convene in five minutes,” Jasik replies. This time, he’s more forceful. His tone is harsh, abrupt, and Jeremiah gets the message. He nods sharply. He saunters inside, weapon and metal sharpener in hand, and disappears into the darkness, leaving Jasik and me to our thoughts.
I consider his question. Are we okay? I don’t even understand the definition of okay at this point. I’m not even sure if I’m okay, let alone if Jasik and I will find a way through this. After all, I nearly killed him too. If I’d held on to that magic even a second longer, the fire might have spread far enough to… I shake my head. I can’t think this way. We survived. That’s all that matters.
Unfortunately, when I’m not worrying about my relationship with my sire or fearing Amicia’s reaction to tonight’s events, I’m thinking about one dreadful thing.
“I’m scared to tell her,” I whisper to Jasik. I lean against him, finding comfort in his proximity. I glance down. The fog has spread through the air and coats the space around us in a thick white haze.
He shakes his head, brow furrowed. “Not here.” He pulls away from me, and I feel empty without him near.
He places his index finger to his lips to silence my protest and points to the house and then to his ears. The vampires inside should have no issue eavesdropping. Their senses are just as heightened as ours. Of course, I know this, but I don’t care.
“But if she thinks I’m a threat…” I stop speaking. Not because Jasik is pleading with his eyes for me to be quiet but because I can’t say the words aloud. If Amicia thinks I’m too risky to have around, she’ll cast me out. She made that promise the first night I arrived. The last thing I need is to be forsaken by two families.
It turns out, our gathering space for meetings—also known as Amicia’s office—is just her bedroom with a corner desk. I’m uncomfortable invading her personal space, especially since we’re sharing upsetting news. My arms dangle at my sides, and I scratch my nails against my palms. Malik eyes me curiously, so I unclench my fists and try to put off less strenuous vibes.
I glance around Amicia’s room, trying not to look as nosy as I feel. Everything is bathed in purple. Her hardwood floors are stained dark, and the walls are the color of jam. Her bedspread is stitched with a deep-wine thread, with the pillars of the frame extending almost to the ceiling. A sheer, lacy canopy encloses the bed, but it too is a shade of purple. I’m surprised the space doesn’t have an overwhelming feeling. The purple theme is a bit excessive for my taste, but the room has been attractively decorated.
Amicia clears her throat in a pointed manner. She’s tired of waiting, Jasik is stalling, and I’m just snooping at this point. I glance at Jasik, noticing the crease around his eyes. He’s nervous. Or perhaps he’s trying to find the right words to explain what even I can’t. I consider how I’d reveal today’s events.
Amicia, I used magic.
Maybe I shouldn’t admit to anything. The last thing I want her to believe is that I planned this all along. After all, we were once mortal enemies.
Amicia, is it possible for a vampire to access witch magic?
Maybe I shouldn’t phrase it so pointedly. That’s basically a confession.
Amicia, have you ever heard of a mixed creature?
That might be too vague.
I groan internally and focus on our tireless leader. Her black hair is shiny and sleek. It’s slicked back and doesn’t move even when she does. Her ebony skin is soft against the harsh shine of her leather attire. Her crimson irises are focused solely on me. I’m sure she knows the reason behind this unscheduled meeting has something to do with the hunt tonight, which I was part of.
I swallow hard and offer a bleak smile. I mumble incoherently and make some sort of soft snort. Everyone in the room is staring at me now, and I just want to die. There’s something about Amicia that makes me want to confess my sins and offer my life to her. Jasik explained it’s because of her age. The older the vampire, the more powerful the vampire. Amicia is the oldest vampire I’ve ever encountered, and I whimper under her stare. It’s really annoying, actually. She has a mysterious power over newborn vampires—and those she sires—and I hate that feeling of attachment. I’m not good at losing control.
“Someone speak,” Amicia says plainly. She emphasizes each word, and a combined shiver courses through the room. It’s as if we all felt that order.
I inhale dramatically, preparing myself to admit my faults and pack my bags. Thankfully, I’m not given the chance.
“Something happened on our hunt tonight,” Jasik says, saving me from my inevitable damning confession.
“I assumed as much. Stop stalling,” Amicia says. She waits for Jasik to continue.
“We were ambushed. There had to be nearly two dozen rogue vampires,” he says.
Hikari gasps and Malik frowns. I’ve been training with Malik for six weeks now. I know that look. He’s replaying battle plans in his mind, trying to find one that explains how we survived. I’m confident he won’t figure it out.
“That many? So close to home?” Amicia asks. Her voice is laced with her concern, but her face doesn’t betray her fear. I suppose time has helped her perfect her poker face.
Jasik nods and crosses his arms. His T-shirt strains against his muscles. “We stayed in the woods, not even venturing into town. They were waiting for us.”
“Why?” Amicia asks.
“Because of her,” Jasik responds, looking at me. The others follow suit, and I whimper under their stares. I’m also not good at being the center of everyone’s attention. I’ve always preferred the solace I’ve found in the night. It’s as if I was created to become a vampire.
“What do they want with you?” This time, Amicia is speaking to me, not Jasik.
I exhale slowly, preparing myself for my confession and silently wondering how much information she cares to know. I decide to tell her everything.
“Just before the full moon ritual, I went patrolling with Liv, a friend from another coven. We survived, but I was weakened. I didn’t see that there was another vampire hiding, watching. He cornered us, and I knew I wasn’t strong enough to fight him off too. Liv was new to patrolling, and I wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to battle him alone.”
I glance at Jasik, who nods. That’s the confirmation I need to continue. It occurs to me that I’ve never told him this story either.
“In the end, this vampire left without a fight, but he threatened he’d be back. I brushed it off. That wasn’t the first time I’d been threatened by a vampire. Sometimes they did come back, but I was always prepared.”
Instinctively, I reach for my stake. I run my hand over the cool silver. The other vampires’ gazes zone in on my movement. They all know what’s hidden there. I’m not sure how they feel about it, but already it’s saved my life. As long as I’m hunting rogues, I’ll never relinquish my favored weapon.
“This is the vampire who attacked my coven at the full moon ritual. He was the one who bit me just before you saved me.”
I’m looking at Jasik, who furrows his brow, no doubt trying to replay his recollection of that night in his mind. I never knew what happened to that vampire after Jasik and his friends showed up. I was too busy dying to really see much. I know the vampire was taken by surprise, because I could see that in his eyes. I also know Jasik ripped him off me before he could complete his promise. Everything else has kind of faded away. I’m grateful I don’t have many memories from that night. I see it in bits and pieces, and honestly, that’s enough. It’s bad enough that I remember their screams.
Dark Magic (Darkhaven Saga Book 2) Page 2
