Queen of the Vampires: Snow White Reimagined with Vampires and Dragons (Seven Magics Academy Book 3)

by RaShelle Workman

  “Except you’re here. You chose to be with Devoran over me. What made you leave me?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were hooded, like she didn’t want me to see something in them.

  “Mom?” I asked.

  “I’m bait,” she finally said.

  “Bait?” I sat back in the chair, trying to wrap my head around all she was saying. “Help me understand.”

  She brushed her hands down the front of her pants. “Snow, I’m so sorry, but the truth is my father wants you here so he can use you to help him destroy the vampire queen. He wants to rule all magical creatures. He craves power just as badly as, if not more than, Sharra. And he knew someday you would come… for me.”

  “What the hell?” I stood, gulping down confused fury. What was it about individuals and power? Once they’re given a little, they craved more. A lot more. I exhaled heavily. “It seems that if you live long enough, you become evil. Right?” I walked over to the fire. Did Abernathy want me killed too? Was that why he brought me here? “I’ve had enough. I’m tired.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll take you to your room.”

  “Oh, I’m not staying. I’m getting my friends and we’re leaving.” I moved to the hallway, but my mother grabbed my arm.

  “He won’t let you. Now that you’re here, my father will stop at nothing to make you do what he wants.”

  I twisted out of her grasp. “For one thing, I have a dragon. There is very little doubt he can leave whenever he wants.” Once we were safely back home, I would ask Abernathy why he brought me to Mizu when he knew my grandfather wanted me dead. “And another thing, Devoran has no say in the matter. I’ll leave when damn good and ready. I’m not a pawn. I won’t be doing his bidding any more than I intend to do Sharra’s.” I paused and studied the woman who gave me life. “I’m disappointed in you, Mother. You’re as big a coward as Dad.”

  I wondered what that made me. If I was the product of my parents and my upbringing, did that mean I was a coward too? My thoughts turned to my stepmother. The way she was always such a bitch. It seemed she might’ve helped me more than I realized.

  “I don’t think you understand,” my mother started, and I noticed her bottom lip quivering. “This city won’t allow you to leave unless Devoran commands it.”

  I snorted. “We’ll see about that.”

  Chapter 13

  Burning ferocity coursed through my veins and I felt the power of the Seal ignite. The palms of my hands radiated red. Was this truly what Devoran intended when he gave his eternal sight to Silindra? He said he thought everything through. Did he know I’d come for him one day? It seemed highly unlikely. Maybe he didn’t realize the power would become part of me. Or maybe it was because a few thousand years passed, and he forgot the details.

  Abernathy knew what I would become. Though the dragon had a lot of explaining to do, I felt certain he brought me here for a reason and it was most likely because he knew what I was capable of.

  That knowledge and the fact that I still trusted him shocked me. Whether that was a good idea or not remained to be seen. If he brought me, surely, he could help me escape.

  I glared at my mother. “I don’t think you understand, and neither does Devoran. Maybe he hasn’t heard what happened to Oberon, the chayot leader, when he tried to take the Seal from me.” I was sure they didn’t know that I burned Sharra when she tried to kill me those many months ago. “No one will tell me what to do. I make my own choices.”

  “Your skin,” my mother began, her breath caught in her throat. “Your eyes. You’re glowing.”

  I blinked, glancing at my hands. “I’m angry, Mother. And sad. And more let down than you can possibly imagine.”

  She started to cry. It didn’t look right coming from the woman in front of me. Everything about her said she was hard and unfeeling, but the tears leaving her eyes were big. “I didn’t want any of this to happen. I believed my father when he said he would make sure you were never bitten, that you would be kept safe, and away from all of this. I should have listened to the Unknowns.” She covered her mouth with a hand, trying to push down the sobs racking her body.

  “It looks like you believed in the wrong person,” I said, my voice stiff, though my mind grabbed hold of the word she used. Unknowns. I thought of those beings floating around Sharra and Silindra when they were little.

  She sucked in a large gulp of air and blew it out slowly. “You’re right.” She went back to the couch and even though I still wanted to leave, I found myself trailing after her. Because despite everything, she was my mother and I wasn’t ready to never see her again.

  “I don’t know if this will make sense to you.” She turned to me and smiled sadly. “But I thought Devoran felt bad about the way he treated me when I was younger. At least, that’s what I wanted to believe. See, he was embarrassed that I look this way.” She pointed at her very human form. “He and my mom weren’t the most loving of parents.”

  I sighed and sat next to her. How many years had she been harboring this pain? She could’ve been eight or nine hundred years old. When I was five, I hadn’t cared. My father said she died when she was thirty-five, but she didn’t look a day over twenty to me “Abernathy told me what happened. The way your… they treated you,” I said softly. As I spoke, the power of the Seal faded, and my skin stopped shimmering.

  My mother blinked back tears. “I’m sure it was nothing compared to what you’ve had to go through.”

  I doubted that was true. Even though she wasn’t around, I had others—Professor Pops, the brothers, Cindy.

  She went on. “Growing up must’ve been so hard on you, but there’s no denying you’re incredible. I don’t think I could’ve helped you become any more amazing than you already are.”

  “Really?” My insides fluttered as a surge of emotions rose to the surface. For so long, I needed to hear her say those words.

  “Oh, yes. You radiate power—everything beautiful and glorious as well as evil and terrifying. But there’s still so much humanity in you. Truly spectacular.” A worried expression pressed her brows together.

  What did she mean? I wondered if her words were true or if she was trying to make me feel better. “Thank you,” I said softly.

  My mother leaned away as though really taking me in. I immediately missed her nearness.

  “I’m really…” I began but stopped. I wasn’t sure how to express all the feelings bottled up inside. Disappointment filtered into longing for my mom.

  She sniffed. “May I hug you?”

  The question seemed out of place with all of her gear on, but I nodded.

  She moved closer so our knees were touching. Then she wrapped her arms around me. Her cheek pressed against mine. We stayed like that for several seconds, until I finally hugged her back, tentative at first, but then I pulled her closer. Tears clouded my vision and my heart swelled with sympathy, care, and… love? Yes, I loved her. So, so much. And I missed her. Holding her in my arms filled me with joy. For a brief moment I was happy. In the next I understood why Abernathy brought me into a city where the ruler wanted to either kill me or use me. He wanted to give me back my mother.

  “Mom,” I whispered, hugging her tighter. I breathed in her scent, like wild flowers. And the feel of her soft skin against my cheek. The way her fingers tightened against my back.

  After several more minutes she began to pull back. As she did, she whispered in my ear. “I’ll do what I can to help you and your friends leave. The Unknowns were right all along.”

  She smiled, and it was radiant. A surge of affection cut through my heart, leaving it raw and tender. I wouldn’t be used, but I wanted to be with her, too. “You’re coming with us, right?”

  A look, one I couldn’t read, crossed her features and vanished immediately. “If that’s what you want,” she said.

  Until she asked, I hadn’t known my real feelings. “It is.”

  She nodded. “Then I’ll come with you.”


  Chapter 14

  We stood together. She grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed.

  “I’ll take you to your friends,” she said.

  I expected her to move toward the hall we went down before. Instead she went to a set of what looked like elevator doors. “Where are you going?”

  “This is the way to your friends.”

  I felt my heartrate pick up. “But I saw them go down that way.” I pointed down the hall.

  “True, but I had my guards take them out of here and someplace else. Someplace safe.”

  I wanted to believe her. “Okay.”

  The doors slid open and she stepped inside. “It’s fine,” she said.

  I stepped in with her. Immediately, the doors closed. With a jolt, the elevator moved upward, and then started moving sideways. After a few seconds it began to slant downward.

  “What is this thing?” I asked, hoping to ease the tension I was feeling.

  “Basically, it’s a multi-directional elevator.” She smiled. “You might as well settle in. We’ll be inside a while.”

  “It reminds me of rollercoaster, only not as bumpy.”

  “Yeah, like that one at Coney Island,” she said and smiled.

  The memory flooded through me, but we didn’t have time to reminisce. Something kept niggling at me. “You’ve mentioned the Unknowns twice now. What are they?” I thought I knew but wanted to verify.

  My mother appeared startled. She glanced down, brushing her hands over her slick black clothing. “The Unknowns are what we call Sharra and Silindra’s parents.”

  “Oh?” I was right. They didn’t seem real, more like ghosts or apparitions.

  “No one knows what exactly they are, so we call them the Unknowns. Kind of a silly name for them, I guess.” She shrugged.

  “But you saw them? Like, with your own two eyes.”

  She studied me a moment before responding. “A couple of times. They came to me right before you were born, and again a few days ago.” She sucked in a deep breath. “They’re a little creepy.”

  I nodded. I wanted to say more but didn’t know how to explain the link Silindra and I possessed. Before I could decide what to tell her, she spoke.

  “What’s it like to be a vampire?” she asked, changing the subject.

  I blinked, unable to answer. The question was so surprising. Her lips danced as though she was fighting back a laugh, but that didn’t make sense. She flinched when she heard Abernathy call me that.

  “It’s… fine,” I answered, wondering how much she knew about vampires.

  Her face grew serious. “How far along are you in the process?”

  I bit down on my lip. “What do you mean?”

  “Have you fallen in love? Did you drink your true love’s blood? You’re eighteen. You must be relatively close.”

  I blushed. “Um…”

  “Talk to me.” She crossed her arms, seemingly uncomfortable. “I know you don’t know me—not any more. But I’d love to hear what’s going on with you.”

  “There is someone,” I said, and my face burned with heat.

  “And you love him?” she asked. “Who is he?”

  I glanced at my feet, uselessly studying the tips of my Converse. It wasn’t that I felt defensive, but I was nervous. “His name is Christopher Charming. He’s got… had hazel eyes, but now they’re sort of a silvery violet color, and hair the color of a soft, sandy beach. He’s tall and really nice. He…” I thought about what word to use to describe Christopher. Sure, he was completely gorgeous, caring, and utterly kissable, but he was so much more.

  “He what?” my mother asked.

  “He gets me,” I finished. That was it. More than anyone, he and I were the alike. He understood my craving for blood, what changing was like. He accepted every part of me.

  “I see,” she said, her lips tight. “And have you drunk from him?”

  My face got hotter. If I became any more embarrassed, I might turn into fire.

  “Well?” she asked, her voice concerned.

  “Yes, but it’s no big deal,” I responded. It was crazy that I hadn’t seen her in thirteen years, but she was still able to make me feel like a little girl. “He and I are—” I paused. I didn’t want to say made for each other. That was just too cheesy. Cliché. But it felt true.

  “Have you kissed him?” There seemed to be some hope in her voice. And I remembered Professor Pops said if I kissed my true love I would be changed back. Become a human again. I nodded. “Yes, we’ve kissed.” I touched a hand to my burning cheek.

  Her eyebrows lifted. “But you’re still a vampire.”

  “Probably because of the Seal or, I don’t know.” It was all so complicated. The whole idea of kissing my true love. Drinking his blood. I kissed Christopher before I was the Seal, and nothing happened. If anything, I craved blood, his blood, more. At first, I didn’t love him, only lusted. Now I knew it was love, though not true love. “I care deeply for Christopher. The whole true love thing is a moot point because I’ve become the Seal.” I spoke with pretend confidence, hoping she couldn’t see through my charade.

  Did I even want to be human again? Go back to the girl I was before?

  “You’re probably right,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “You’ll never be human again.”

  And there it was, the truth I was trying to avoid, spoken aloud. I don’t know why, but her words made me angry and I lashed out. “Yeah, but I was never wholly human anyway, so no biggie.”

  She sighed, leaning her hands against the rail in the elevator. “I’m sorry,” she said, her words heavy with regret.

  I released the tension in my shoulders. “I’m sorry too, but it doesn’t matter anyway. Sharra doesn’t want my body anymore. She’s set her sights on another marked.”

  “Really?” She didn’t look convinced. “I would think now more than ever she would want your body. With the Seal, she could become the most powerful being in the world.”

  I thought of that, but she couldn’t get in. The last time she touched me, the Seal burned her.

  “All that’s left is for you to drink your true love’s blood. As soon as that happens, you’ll become the next vampire queen.”

  “My body will be a part of the vampire queen, but it won’t be me.” What would happen to me? My consciousness? I didn’t know. And I wondered if anyone knew.

  “Perhaps.” She moved toward me. “Do you want to be the vampire queen?” she asked quietly.

  What kind of question was that? Of course not. I wanted to be me. Snow White. I had no desire for power or to be anything else. “No.” I shook my head.

  “But you know you’ll never be just a girl ever again. Besides, you were destined to be more from the moment you were born. So why not be the vampire queen?” There was something about her questions and the way she spoke that didn’t add up.

  “Do you want Sharra to take over my body?” She made it sound like I should become the next vampire queen. Was she okay with everything but the body of her daughter being gone?

  Chapter 15

  “That’s the thing,” she began, her voice soft against my ear. “With the power of the Seal, I don’t think Sharra will be able to push you out. And when you destroy her, someone will need to rule in her place. You must be resolved to rule, Snow. It’s your destiny.”

  “Do you know this for a fact?”

  “No.”

  I snorted, crossing my arms against my body. “I think destiny is just another word people use to force others to do what they want.” I studied her, wondering if it was a good idea to trust her.

  “You’re wrong,” she said, turning away. “Destiny happens in spite of your choices. One day you’ll understand.”

  There was no point arguing, but I was sick of the word—destiny—and the others that went with it.

  The elevator stopped. A bright rectangle of light pulsed on the other side of the opening. I remembered how Silindra journeyed by light to get to Crystal City, the original home of
the elves. Silindra hadn’t liked it.

  “Are we going somewhere by light?” I asked, pointing.

  “Yes, it’s how elves travel, and this is the only way to reach your friends.” I started to speak, but she quickly continued, “Travelling by light doesn’t hurt. I promise.”

  I snorted. “That’s not what Silindra said.”

  She made a noise like a gasping fish. “How would you even know that?”

  I leaned my shoulder against hers. “I spent some time with her.”

  My mom’s eyes widened. “That. Isn’t. Possible.” She enunciated each word as though that would help me comprehend that what I said was a lie.

  “It may seem that way, but it happened.” I decided to tell her the truth. “I was with Silindra when the Seal was created. I went with her to see your father in Crystal City. She went by light. And it didn’t tickle, that’s for sure.” I eyed her, waiting for her to come clean, but she was still stuck on the fact that I supposedly was with Silindra

  “Silindra died seven thousand years ago. Last I checked, you’re barely eighteen.” My mother gave me a pointed look.

  Should I tell her the rest, explain how, after the Seal killed the chayot, Oberon, its power connected me to Silindra and took me back in time? That I helped Silindra create the Seal, that I witnessed her death? That would take more time than we had. “Believe me when I say it’s possible, it happened, and the events I witnessed while with the vampire queen’s twin sister won’t be easily forgotten.”

  She smiled nervously. “That’s a story I’m anxious to hear.” She tucked a piece of wayward hair behind my ears. “Let’s get your friends and get out of here.” She pointed toward the sheet of light. “Ready?”

  I forced back a shudder. “Not really.”

  My mother grasped one of my hands in hers. “Let’s do it together.”