by Jody Morse
“I need to see Caroline,” I said firmly.
“Ain’t nobody getting on this ship without a secret password,” the other man replied, shaking his head firmly.
“Look, you must not realize who I am. I’m Kade Stark, Prince of the Stark Coven. If you don’t let me see Caroline, things could get pretty ugly. If you gentlemen wish to live, I highly suggest that you let me see my aunt.”
“You know, Kade, threatening to kill members of my coven isn’t exactly the best way to get on my good graces,” Aunt Caroline’s familiar voice said from behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder to find her standing there. Although so many years had passed, she still looked very much the same.
The one thing that was different, however, was the way she looked at me. She was no longer the same adoring aunt she had once been. Her green-blue eyes were like icicles that pierced through mine.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Her voice finally sliced through the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air between us.
“I need to speak to you.”
“I’ve gathered that,” she replied, folding her arms over her chest. “What is it that you want?”
“I need to speak to you in private,” I rephrased.
“Very well.” She led me across the ship, her heels clicking against the wooden deck.
As she led me into the captain’s quarters, she motioned to a small table. “Have a seat. Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you,” I replied as I sat down. As much as I could have used a drink after the stressful day I’d had, I didn’t trust anything that my aunt could have given me. For all I knew, she wanted to poison me.
There was only one known poison to vampires: blood that had been extracted from a dead human.
You could generally tell, right away, if you were to consume blood from a human who had died. The blood lost all of its flavor. Sometimes, depending on how old it was, it even took on a rotten flavor.
There were ways around it, however. If the dead human blood was fresh, it could be mixed with blood from a living human, making it much harder to detect.
Regardless of how she could have potentially tried to poison me, the point was that I didn’t trust Caroline not to poison me.
“Okay, then. Why don’t we cut straight to the chase?” Caroline asked as she sat down across from me. “What made you come here?”
Damned if I knew.
“I need to know what your plans are,” I replied.
Her eyebrows shot up in question. “My plans?”
“Yes. What are your plans for taking over the castle?”
“Who says I have any plans beyond what you already know?” My aunt asked. “How do you know that I don’t just want what, according to the Stark Coven Doctrine, says rightfully belongs to me?”
“You can say that all you want, but I’m not buying it,” I replied, shaking my head. “If that were true, what made you wait until now? Why didn’t you try to reclaim it years ago?”
“Need I remind you that the only reason I can claim the castle as my own is because Charles abandoned the throne?”
“My father has been gone for years,” I pointed out.
Aunt Caroline shrugged. “Perhaps I’ve only just caught wind of it.”
“If that were true, then why did you spend time building up a 300-vampire army?” I pressed, leaning in closer to her. “It’s not like you’ve come alone. You’ve built a coven large enough to go to war with the Stark Coven—and probably win.”
Her eyes lingered on mine. “Your point?”
“My point is that I know you. There’s something you’re not telling us about what you plan to do with the Stark Coven once you become ruler.”
My aunt sighed. “Tell me something, Kade. Even if your suspicions are true, why would I share the information you’re looking for with you? The last time I checked, you were the enemy.”
“What if I’m less of an enemy than you think I am?” I asked. “What if I want to be on your side?”
“I wouldn’t believe you.” As Caroline shook her head, her auburn hair moved with it. “You’ve always been my most manipulative nephew. I’m certain that you’re trying to manipulate me right now.”
“Why don’t you give me a chance to prove myself?” I asked.
“Oh? And how do you intend to do that?”
“If I tell you this, I need it to stay between me and you. You can’t speak a word of it to anyone,” I told her.
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Fine. What is it, Kade?”
“Celia is staying at the palace. She’s decided to join Sebastian, to help him fight against you. She even came to warn him of what you were planning to do.”
“That traitorous wench!” Caroline spat, her eyes flashing with fury and anger rising to her fair cheeks. “How could she?”
“It sounds like she’s less loyal to you than even I,” I replied.
My aunt’s gaze shifted over to meet mine. “Go on. What is it you hope to achieve by siding with me?”
I shrugged. “I guess that all depends on what you hope to achieve. I will aid you in whatever way you can—even if it means going to war with the Stark Coven.”
She eyed me curiously. “You wish to aid the enemy in going to war with your own coven?”
“What can I say? I’m not happy with the way things are going as of late,” I replied, shrugging again. “Sebastian is about to marry Alessandra Allegro—”
“So I’ve heard,” my aunt interjected. “What a terrible decision on his behalf.”
“Wait until you hear what they’ve got planned.” I took a deep breath and then lied, “The only reason they’re getting married is so that they can form the most powerful coven. The two of them are planning to conquer the rest of the vampire world together.”
Technically, that was what I had planned with Alessandra—not Sebastian. But my aunt didn’t need to know that.
“I should have figured that there was an ulterior motive behind that engagement,” Caroline muttered under her breath. “Alessandra Allegro is trouble. She’s always got something up her sleeve.”
“I’ll say,” I muttered under my breath.
The truth was that I no longer wanted any part of Alessandra or her plans. As much as I wanted to conquer the vampire world, I didn’t want to do it with her by my side.
I had never believed I could hate someone as much as I hated my brother, but Alessandra had proved me wrong.
As far as I was concerned, Sebastian and Alessandra deserved one another.
Caroline glanced up at me. “Fine, Kade. You may be my ally, if that’s what you truly want.”
“It is,” I assured her. As much as I didn’t love the idea of being her ally, I knew it was my best option. Anything had to have been better than fighting alongside Alessandra and Sebastian.
“Right now, I believe you’ll be more useful as an informant—a go-between the Dezerea and Stark covens. You can report back to me about anything you learn. As you do this, you’ll gain my trust. Once you have proven yourself worthy, we’ll discuss my plans further,” Caroline said firmly. “Are you agreeable to that?”
I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”
“Perfect. Once you have an update for me, we’ll reevaluate and decide what our next move will be. I have a lot I need to do, so you may go for now,” she said, putting an end to our conversation.
“Okay,” I agreed as I rose to my feet. I had just about reached the door when Caroline called to me, “Oh, and Kade? The secret password is ‘Kill Sebastian’.” She shot a smile at me. “It’s very fitting, don’t you think?”
“Fitting how?”
“I’ll let you in on just a small part of my plan. My first goal is to kill Sebastian within one month, regardless of what happens.” She looked proud. “I’m letting him believe I’m willing to compromise with him, but the reality is that he doesn’t stand a chance.”
My stomach clenched. “Well, in that case, the pass
word does sound fitting.”
As I walked away from her, I was unable to ignore the incredible feeling of guilt that had washed over me. How could I betray my own brother for an aunt who I barely even knew? What would my father say if he knew?
A realization hit me. It wasn’t that I wanted to stay in Sebastian’s good graces. It was something more screwed up than that.
As much as I wanted Sebastian dead, I wanted to be the one to kill him, not Caroline.
I no longer wanted to be Caroline’s ally, but it was already too late. I had already given her too much information. If Sebastian found out I’d told Caroline about Celia, he never would have forgiven me. He would have accused me of treason, of aiding and abetting the enemy.
I had just unknowingly sold my soul to the devil.
Chapter 24
Lila
I SHIELDED MY EYES from the sun as I stared into Ty’s face.
“The reason your safety is so important to me is because your mother was a very good friend of mine,” Ty began.
“She was?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
A mixture of emotions washed over me as I allowed myself to absorb this information.
I was surprised, of course, but I was more excited than anything. Ty was the only link, the only connection, I’d ever had to my biological mother.
I’d never actually searched for my biological parents, but naturally I had been curious about them.
I met his gaze. “What is my mother’s name?”
“Her name was Rowena.”
“Rowena,” I repeated. It took me a moment to realize his choice of words. “Her name was Rowena? Do you mean she’s... gone?”
“I’m afraid so,” Ty replied quietly, a sad look filling his eyes.
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. Even if I had wanted to meet Rowena, it wasn’t a possibility. “When did that happen?”
“She died shortly after she gave birth to you.”
“Was it because of me?” I whispered.
Ty met my gaze sharply. “It wasn’t your fault, Lila. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that, not even for a second.”
“But if she died not long after having me, it must have been a complication of childbirth... wasn’t it?”
“No. Your mother’s death goes way beyond that. Trust me. She was the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”
“How did you know her, anyway?” I asked.
“It may come as a surprise to you, but we grew up together.” His eyes met mine, gauging them for my reaction.
It took me a moment to realize exactly what he was getting at. If he and my mom grew up together, then that meant...
“Wait. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
He nodded. “Yes. Your mother was a mermaid, Lila.”
My eyes widened. “But that doesn’t even make sense. If my mother was a mermaid, then how can I be human? Wouldn’t I be a mermaid, too?”
“In order to be a mermaid, you must have two mermaid parents. Your father wasn’t a mermaid.”
“So, my father was the human?” I asked.
“He was, but he wasn’t just any human. The circumstances are a little... complicated.” Ty sighed. “Has anyone told you about the prophecy yet?”
“Yes. ‘A girl by the name of Lila DeHaven will appear one day, and her existence will be essential to the vampire world. Her blood has the power to create the world’s strongest vampire, spark the first world war, and both destroy and fix everything’.” The prophecy had played through my mind so many times since I’d first learned of it that I could have probably recited it in my sleep.
“Do you understand the reason for the prophecy?” Ty asked.
“No. I don’t think anyone understands the reason for it, or if they do, they haven’t mentioned it,” I replied. “Do you?”
“It all has to do with your parents.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.
“I’ll start at the beginning. Let me get comfortable.” Laying down on his back, he rested his elbows in the sand and cradled his head in his hands. His blue fin lifted into the air. “Rowena had just turned eighteen when she met Christopher—your father.” He shot a sideways glance in my direction. “The two of them hit it off right away. They arranged regular meetings at the beach, and she came onto the island to visit him during the full moon.”
“When she had legs,” I pieced together.
He nodded. “Before I knew it, the two of them had fallen deeply in love. One day, she learned she was pregnant.”
“Are mermaid and human pregnancies rare?” I asked.
“Quite the contrary. They actually happen more often than you would think. Pirates and mermaids form relationships with one another all the time.”
My eyebrows shot up. “There are pirates in Deadwood?”
Ty chuckled. “You’ve met mermaids and vampires, and you’re surprised there are pirates?”
“Good point,” I agreed.
“Anyway, back to the story. All of the mermaids were excited for Rowena. There was going to be a half-Mer-baby! We were just ecstatic,” Ty went on. “But then something terrible happened.”
“What happened?” A knot tightened in my stomach. I was nervous to hear what came next.
“During the next full moon, Rowena went to tell Christopher the news. When she went to their usual meeting spot, he was there... but he wasn’t alone,” Ty continued, flapping his fin against the water.
“Who was he with?”
“The vampire who owned him.” His eyes flicked over to meet mine. “Since Christopher seemed like he was so...free... it had never occurred to Rowena that he was slave to a vampire, and he had never mentioned that important detail.”
“Then what happened?” I pressed.
“As it turned out, the vampire who owned him actually loved him. It broke her heart so much to learn that he had betrayed her that she drank all of his blood, right in front of Rowena.”
“How awful,” I whispered, swallowing hard. I couldn’t even imagine what pain she must have went through.
“That’s not all, either. The vampire promised Rowena that she would have a witch cast a spell on the unborn child, a spell that would haunt the child for the rest of its life. Once the child turned sixteen, the spell would make his or her blood smell so alluring that no vampire would ever be able to resist it. It was the punishment that she saw fit for Rowena being such a temptation to Christopher.” He glanced over at me, a sad look in his eyes. “And she promised her that spell would cause her to die immediately after she gave birth so that she wouldn’t even be around to protect you from the dangers you would face.
“But your mom wanted to make sure that you were protected, even though she knew you were going to die. She made us promise that we would get you to the human world. She knew there would still be risks for you there but that it would be far safer for you than Deadwood would ever be.”
“How did I get there?” I asked.
“My sister, Elle, traveled with you through a portal. She had a merwitch give her legs long enough for her to travel on land—just long enough for her to leave you at a human hospital.”
“Wow.” This had never been how I’d envisioned my adoption story. I’d known someone had dropped me off at a hospital, but I’d never in a million years would have thought that a mermaid had been the one to leave me there.
“This must be a lot for you to take in,” Ty said, glancing over at me.
“I’ll say.” I swallowed hard. “So, is that how the prophecy came to be? From the curse?”
“The prophecy came later on, and I don’t know all of the details or where the prophecy even originated from. All I do know is that the curse that was placed on you before you were born probably has a lot to do with the prophecy’s origins.”
I picked up some sand, balling it in my hands. After a few long moments, I said, “Ty? Who was the vampire who owned my father?”
“She never told Rowena
her name.” He paused for a long moment and then added, “But I do know the name of the witch who was responsible for the curse.”
I glanced over at him. “What was it?”
“Her name was Zenora. Zenora Blackwood.”
A knot tightened in my stomach.
Blackwood was Zoe’s last name.
Chapter 25
Sebastian
I HAD JUST HEADED DOWNSTAIRS to announce that I was going to leave for Ernesto’s island as soon as the sun went down when I heard the sound of the front door swing open. An anxious-looking Kade entered the room.
I turned to him. “What’s wrong, Kade?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he replied, not even bothering to look up at me.
“You sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Everything’s fine.” He continued to avoid my gaze.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You can say that all you want, but I know you’re lying. You won’t even look at me.”
“Why don’t you mind your own business for once, brother?” Kade glanced up at me sharply then. His sea-blue eyes could’ve burned fiery holes through mine. “Just because you’re next in line to rule our coven doesn’t make you God.”
“What has gotten into you?” I stared back at him, confused. My brother and I had never seen eye to eye on much. In fact, we rarely saw eye to eye on anything, if I was being completely honest. But, usually, something sparked our disagreements. As of right now, I didn’t even know what the disagreement was.
“Nothing.” He shook his head and then sighed. “Look. I’m sorry. I keep meaning to ask you... whatever happened to your slave? You know, the one who went running off into the woods during the engagement announcement.”
I had half a mind to admit the truth to my brother. I felt like I needed to spill my guts to someone besides Zoe. But I knew I couldn’t.
No one, besides Zoe, could know that Lila was still alive.
“Oh, Julia. She ran off into the woods. By the time I got there, the only thing that remained of her was her corpse,” I replied with the wave of a hand, trying to play it off nonchalantly—the same way I would have acted if any of my other slaves had died.
