by L. Danvers
For some reason, the man was bent on making my life a living hell.
It was mind-boggling to think that Grace, of all people, could be his daughter. Now that I thought about it, her features did favor his. But she was the antithesis of everything Reed stood for.
I had hoped to get a chance to talk to her about it last night, but after we made sure Xander was secure, she had told us she was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. I couldn’t blame her. Her best friend was now being hunted by the same vampire who had saved her own life... after I’d nearly killed her.
I shivered.
The fact that I felt so disconnected from the darker side of myself was disconcerting. Somehow, my mind was able to compartmentalize my two selves. It was a matter of survival, I supposed. If I spent too long thinking about what I did... what’d I’d become... well, I might spiral out of control all over again.
Sometimes, I questioned which side was my true self. It had been so long since I’d turned. It was hard to remember what being a human felt like. I thought I had been a good one... Sure, I’d made mistakes, and I was far from perfect. But I’d never wished anyone harm.
And yet, that version of myself seemed so far gone...
Part of me longed to be a human again. I never said it out loud, but I think even my siblings knew.
Immortality sounded like the one perk of vampirism back when I first transitioned. But over the centuries, after countless losses, life lost its meaning. What was the point of it all if it never ended? What did any of it matter?
It was a complicated enough question when your time on earth was finite. You had a set number of years on this planet, and at the end, you hoped you would have something good to show for it.
But now, life felt like a never-ending thread, tugging at and unraveling the very kingdom my family had ruled over for so long.
I reached over and took Victoria’s hand in mine. She had drifted to sleep while keeping watch with me. I glanced down and noticed her entire left hand was now translucent.
I blinked, my chin beginning to tremble.
Forget the kingdom unraveling... Victoria was slipping away right before my eyes.
I straightened my posture at the sound of footsteps pattering down the hall. Clearing my throat, I greeted my sister. “Charlotte.”
She finished tying her long blonde tresses into a ponytail. “Ready to switch? You look like you could use some rest.” She followed my gaze and noticed Victoria’s hand. Her skin went pale. “That doesn’t look good.”
“I’m worried about her. I know I should be looking after Xander, but,” I said, blinking a few times before looking back over at my sister, “I can’t lose her again.”
She nodded. “You should do what you set out to do last night: take her to the Book Slayers. Find a way to save her.”
“But I know that Xander needs—”
“I can handle Xander,” she said confidently. “And Evanna and Uncle Ben are here, too.”
“Actually, Uncle Ben went home. He came down here a little while ago. Said he was going to look through his collection of magical objects for something that could help Xander.”
Charlotte smirked. “Well, let’s be honest, it’s not like he would be of that much help here anyway.” She flicked her hand. “Anyway, the servants and staff are here, too. We can manage without you for a while. Go save your girl.” She winked.
“Thank you,” I said, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “I mean it, Charlotte. Thank you.”
So, with Charlotte’s blessing, I carried a sleeping Victoria outside to the car, her delicate frame fitting perfectly in my hold. A servant opened the door for me, and I gently placed her in the passenger seat and buckled her in.
Within a few short minutes, I was driving up the mountain that bordered Crescent Cape, the love of my life sleeping like an angel beside me, with the most glorious sunrise I’d ever laid eyes upon lighting my path.
She will be okay, I told myself over and over. She had to be.
Aiden
Five hours had passed by the time Victoria stretched her arms, awakening from her slumber. The humming of the car engine had kept her in a deep sleep. But now, her eyelashes fluttered, and she straightened, looking frazzled as a car honked ahead of us. “Where are we?”
“Connecticut.” I gestured toward the red and blue interstate shield sign as we sped past it.
Victoria squinted, trying to see through the raindrops racing down the window. Deciding it was futile, she sat back, staring dazedly at the windshield wipers as they slid from left to right. “What?” she asked, rubbing her forehead in confusion. “Why are we in Connecticut?”
“We’re heading to Charleston,” I said in a calming tone, hoping it would encourage her to relax. Her body was going through enough as it was. I didn’t want to put any more stress on her. “We’re going to track down the Book Slayers and find a way to save you.”
Her eyes turned into half-moons, and she reached over the arm rest and squeezed my hand. “But what about your brother?”
“Charlotte and the others will look after him. And honestly, the Book Slayers may have answers about how to remedy Xander’s condition. Another perk of visiting them.”
She scrunched her nose. “Couldn’t we have called them?”
“I’m afraid not. It’s not like they’re in the phone book.”
Victoria cocked her head to the side, not understanding the reference.
A small chuckle escaped me—half amusement at her utter bewilderment by the world around her and half despair that she had missed out on so much over the years. “I’m not sure where they are exactly. I know they’re in Charleston. And I know they were once librarians. So, I’m figuring we’ll check with the public library and see if we can track them down from there.”
“It seems like an awfully big leap of faith to waste so much time traveling when we’re not even sure if we’ll be able to find them.”
“We’ll find them.” I wasn’t sure how, but I’d find a way.
“And you think they’ll help us?”
“Xander’s the one who turned them. They’re sired to him. They won’t refuse.”
She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed it. “Aiden,” she said weakly.
“Yes?”
“What if there isn’t a way to stop... whatever this is?” she said, gesturing to her hand, which was looking more ghostlike by the second.
“Don’t talk like that. We’ll find a way.”
“But what if we don’t?” she pressed. My eyes flicked in her direction. Her expression was somber. Firm.
“What are you saying, exactly?”
She let out a breath. “If we can’t stop this... if I die or am to live out eternity as a ghost or spirit... will you be alright?”
My jaw twitched as I clenched it. I wanted to tell her that I would. That I’d find a way to stay strong. But how could I make a promise like that after what I’d done? Losing Natalie to death and Danielle to Julian had changed something in me. And after so many years of holding it together, I’d unleashed the beast within. So, how—how could I look Victoria in the eyes, the woman I’d never stopped loving, and tell her I would be alright if I lost her all over again? I wouldn’t.
“Aiden?” she pressed.
I swallowed hard. “There’s nothing to worry about, Victoria. You’re going to be fine.”
Grace
I pulled over onto the side of the road and zoomed in on the smartphone’s map. I had a general idea of where I could find the Carlisle coven’s compound, but the trees were all starting to look the same. And with the constant curves in the road, I wasn’t convinced that I hadn’t been driving in circles for the past two hours.
I let out a grunt when the map zoomed in the wrong direction. I was a bit rusty with phones. I didn’t have one of my own, but I’d had the foresight to swipe Xander’s from his pocket when we took him down to the dungeon.
My face twisted into a grimace at the memory of that cold, dark
room.
I honestly didn’t know how the Blood Heirs put up with this never-ending drama. Did all vampires have to deal with this kind of nonsense? What an exhausting existence.
I reset the map and zoomed more carefully this time, trying to get my bearings. Part of me—a very strong part—was tempted to go through the rest of his phone. Read his texts. Check his email. See what he was hiding under all that obnoxious charm. But right now, I had bigger things to focus on. Like tracking down my dad.
Yes, he was the same Reed Carlisle who might very well be the reason Xander was trying to kill my best friend. But at the same, if he was my dad, I had to meet him.
I shook my head. Of all the scenarios that had played out in my head over the years, not once did I ever consider that my dad would be the leader of a coven of witches...
Granted, until a couple of years ago, I didn’t even know magic existed. Because like, well, basically every other human on the planet, I had been completely ignorant to the fact that supernatural beings were real. I cringed at the memory of thirteen-year-old-me staying up late reading Twilight. The real vampires were nothing like the ones I’d read about. If I’d known what they were like in real life...
I shuddered.
And yet, as much as I despised their kind for all the horrors they’d caused, I wasn’t much better. Because I was the daughter of a man who liked to play puppet master. Toying with the lives of vampires—to what end, I wasn’t sure. The thought of sharing blood with that man was overwhelming in and of itself. What’s more, I didn’t know what I was expecting from this meeting. I hadn’t thought it through when I’d “borrowed” Xander’s car. I had acted on impulse, taking advantage of the opportunity in front of me. But maybe if I talked to Reed—er, my dad—I could get through to him. Get him to lift the spell off of Xander.
Even though Xander was currently obsessing over ways to murder Danielle, he was the same man who had saved my life not long ago. He could have let me die. It would have been easy. He could have walked away. Could have stopped Aiden sooner. Could have blamed his brother for my death, and that would have been that.
But he didn’t.
He chose to save me. And maybe, maybe, I could return the favor.
I had to try. I owed him that much.
That is—assuming my dad wanted anything to do with me. After all, I had no idea why I was given up in the first place. Or who my mother was, for that matter.
It was strange... the book Danielle had found listed, presumably, every member of the coven, including the twin I apparently had. But there was no mention of who had birthed us.
I turned over possible explanations in my mind, losing myself in my thoughts when I was supposed to be figuring out where the heck the compound was...
Maybe she was a human he’d had an affair with.
Maybe she was a witch whose past was so dark that her memory had been erased from all records.
Or maybe...
I startled at the sound of someone banging on my window. My heart thumped as I cautiously pressed the button to lower it—only ever so slightly. I wasn’t a complete idiot.
My jaw fell open. And the expression of the young man standing before me wavered between shock and horror.
Our resemblance was uncanny.
The same bright blonde hair. The same thin noses. And our eyes...
Scratching the back of his neck, he stammered. “I... uh... I was heading home and saw you pulled over on the side of the road. I thought you might... need some help.” The way his brilliant blue eyes flicked back and forth suggested he noticed the resemblance, too.
My thin eyebrows lifted. There was so much I wanted to say, but I choked on the words as they settled in my throat. All I could muster was a strangely timid-sounding, “Are you Nicholas Carlisle?”
Warily, he nodded, eyeing me with suspicion.
Rain pummeled from the sky, each drop slamming against the blue convertible’s hood. The young man brushed his damp hair away from his forehead, the raindrops sliding down his cheeks all the while. “Nick,” he corrected. He cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
“I suppose we knew each other once, many years ago.”
His forehead crinkled.
“This is going to sound weird, Nick, but, uh, do you mind sitting with me for a minute?” I asked, patting the passenger seat. “We need to talk.”
He stood there for a minute or two, letting the rain beat down upon him, while he considered my offer. By the way his eyes widened every time they passed over me, I suspected that he already knew. Whether that was because he was already aware that I existed or because of our striking resemblance, I wasn’t sure.
His jaw hardened, forming harsh lines in his cheeks. “Yeah,” he said. “We do.”
Grace
Nick slid into the passenger seat and removed his soaked jacket from his athletic shoulders. The fabric let out a little gush as it plopped onto the leather seat and dripped onto the floorboard.
I couldn’t help but stare at him.
I was trying not to be weird about it, but I couldn’t stop. My whole life, I’d longed to find my family. And now, my own flesh and blood was sitting across from me.
My brother.
“You clearly know who I am,” he said, cutting straight to the chase, “but now it’s your turn to tell me who you are.”
I gulped. Where to begin? How did you explain to someone that you were their long-lost relative? What if he didn’t take it well? What if he thought I was lying?
“Well?” he pressed.
Wringing my hands, I decided to spill everything. I was here. Now was my chance to let him know who I was. I might not ever get this opportunity again. “My name is Grace,” I said, the rush of nerves coursing inside of me making me talk faster than usual. “And, if the Carlisle coven’s records are correct, I’m your sister. Your twin, to be exact.”
He cleared his throat and then let out a nervous laugh. “You’re joking.”
I shook my head. “I’m not.”
“No,” he asserted, his voice low and deep. “That’s impossible.” He spoke so firmly, and with such conviction, that my bones rattled.
But I wasn’t giving up that easily.
“You are Reed Carlisle’s son, aren’t you?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah...”
“Look at me,” I said, my voice steady as I held his gaze. I needed him to trust me. To believe me. His eyes darted away for a split second, but then they met mine again. The hardness in his face softened—slightly, but definitively. “You have to know in your gut that it’s true. We’re spitting images of one another.”
Indeed, it was eerie how much we favored each other—to think that another part of me had lived all of these years with our father, not knowing I ever existed... He hadn’t outright said it, but given his shock, it wasn’t all that hard to put it together.
My heart hitched as the thought took hold: why had I been kept a secret from him?
My throat bobbed. I swallowed fast and hard, regretting ever seeking the Carlisles out. What was I thinking? I shouldn’t have come here. Reed obviously wanted nothing to do with me. He hadn’t even told Nick that he had a twin sister...
I felt both hot and numb at the same time. “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I thought... I hoped... that you’d know who I was. This was a mistake,” I said, shaking my head, mortified. “I didn’t realize... I’m sorry.”
Nick pressed his fingers to his temple as if he had a headache. “No. I mean... I don’t know. This is a lot to take in.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“You mentioned the Carlisle coven,” he said, chin raised, his lightning blue eyes now matching my gaze. “How did you find out about us?”
I told him. I told him about being taken as a blood slave a couple of years ago, and I told him about the Choosing Ceremony and Danielle. It was utter word vomit. But I couldn’t stop myself. I told him about Princess Bianca and the hybrids
and Natalie. And about Aiden spiraling out of control—which, of course, came as no surprise to him.
He drilled me with questions, and I answered them to the best of my ability.
I didn’t mind the interrogation. The truth was that, even though we shared the same blood, we knew nothing about each other. He had every right to question me.
And yet, even as I spoke, I weighed the pros and cons of what I was doing, what I was risking, by confiding him. He was Reed’s child, had been raised by Reed, and for all I knew, he, too, might be conspiring against the Kingdom of Crescent Cape. In fact, that was probably a given. But I couldn’t help myself. He was the first family member I’d ever met, and something about being in his presence made me feel like we already knew each other. That we could trust each other.
It was stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
If the roles were switched, and Danielle was telling me that she trusted some brother that she’d just met, who happened to also be the son of Crescent Cape’s resident magical lunatic, I’d tell her she was being stupid.
And yet... here I was, telling my twin everything.
His expression was like stone, not faltering for a second. Nothing I said surprised him. Nothing I said particularly intrigued him. It was like he’d already known it all—except for the part about me being his twin, that is.
He shook his head. “Why would Dad have kept this from me?”
My shoulders relaxed. He believed me. I knew that was a lot to ask of him. I didn’t even know him, and here I was, sitting on the side of the road in a torrential downpour, dropping this bomb on him. I couldn’t imagine what must be going through his head right now...
Gritting his teeth, Nick’s hand curled into a fist, and he banged it against the passenger door, making me flinch. “How could he—?” He stopped mid-sentence, running his fingers through his hair. “Why? Why would he have separated us?”
Even though I knew I may not like the answer, I dared to ask him anyway. “What about our mother?” His eyes flicked my way, and the way the corners of them crinkled told me everything I needed to know. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
