It was close to midnight when we pulled into the small town of Angel’s Pass. I looked around in interest, surprised to find how similar it was to the place I grew up in. One main road cut through the middle of the town. The courthouse stood tall in the middle of what we called the square at home, surrounded by numerous businesses. I saw a small café, an appliance store, and more than one bank. The post office was on one corner, Aileen’s Flower Shop right across from it, a hair salon by it. My mouth started watering at the sight of the pizza parlor next to it, but I sighed disappointedly when I saw it was already closed.
“Where are we going?” Trey asked as he drove in a slow loop around the town square.
“They have a bookstore,” Skye whispered, her eyes on a sign that read Reader’s Anonymous. Her hand went to rest on the cool glass of the window as Trey slowed to a stop beside the store when he came to a stop sign.
“You like to read?” I asked, smiling as I remembered the way my mother used to read to me every night before bed when I was younger. Her love for books had been passed down to me, and I spend hours lost in stories that spin around in my head like a movie playing on a big screen. Romance, thrillers, paranormal. It didn’t matter, as long as there was a good plot.
“I used to.” The words were spoken so softly, I almost missed them.
Without meaning to, I connected with Skye’s thoughts and emotions, fighting back tears as some of her memories flooded into me. Not only did she enjoy reading, but she was a beautiful poet who enjoyed putting pen to paper. She also loved tales with princes, princesses, and knights in shining armor. She used to dream of the day her own knight would appear, taking her to a far-off land where they would live happily ever after. That was all in the past. The day her family was murdered by a red-eyed monster with fangs was the day she stopped believing in fairytales and the nightmares began.
Not knowing what to say, I kept quiet. Skye didn’t need to know that I’d inadvertently invaded her mind. That I now knew how lost, alone, and terrified she really felt. I reached over and placed my hand on hers, trying to convey to her quietly that she wasn’t alone anymore. She glanced over at me, a sad smile on her face as she shrugged. “Maybe someday I’ll try it again.”
“Take a left,” Dad said, slipping his phone from his pocket. I watched as he sent someone a text, but was unable to see who it went to. “Take another left onto the highway up ahead. We are going to a farm a few miles on the other side of town.”
“Who’s there?” I asked, frowning when I felt a peculiar sensation wash over me.
“People I trust.”
We went a couple of miles in silence, that odd feeling still moving through me, making me squirm nervously in my seat. It was strange, ominous. As if something were about to happen, but I didn’t know what.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?” Dad said absently, as he motioned to a spot in front of us. “Turn down there, Trey. It’s just a mile or so down this road, and then another mile east.”
“Dad,” I whispered, more urgently. The mark on my arm was starting to burn, illuminating the back of the car as it did.
Dad glanced back at me, his eyes narrowing on the bright glow coming from my dragon tattoo. “Shit.”
“You need to stop the car, Trey.” When Trey’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, but he kept moving, I snapped, “Now, Treyton!”
“Do it,” Dad ordered, his gaze raking around the open fields surrounding us. He swore again as we rolled to a stop. “It’s the Braxton’s farm. It has to be. It’s the only place out here.”
“Vampires,” I gasped, my hand squeezing the seat I sat on. “Rogues.”
“We need to keep going,” Trey muttered, taking his foot off the brake. “We’ll get there faster by car.”
“No, let me out,” I growled, pushing against his seat. “Now! They won’t last long if you don’t.”
“She’s right. The rest of us may be faster by vehicle, but not Bellame.”
I ignored Trey’s grumbling as he put the car in park and opened his door. My eyes met Dad’s one last time, and I gave him a quick nod before leaping from the vehicle and heading at a full out dead sprint toward the place where I knew the rogues were at. My sword was a comforting presence at my back, my body covered in various knives and daggers, although I was a lethal weapon on my own.
It didn’t take me long. Soon, I had jumped a fence, cleared a dirt road, and entered a small grove of trees that surrounded the farm I was heading for. I took a moment to survey the scene before I broke through the last set of trees. There was a total of five rogues as far as I could tell. One held a man, fingers sporting large claws wrapped tightly around the poor guy’s throat, as he laughed at a woman who stood in front of him, brandishing a rifle in shaky hands.
There were two children in the hands of rogues a small distance away from their parents, one a teenage boy, the other a girl, no more than five or six. The boy was mad as hell, his eyes glaring daggers at the man who threatened his father as he stood there defiantly, held in the tight grip of a vampire. There was no fear, just anger. The girl was frightened, small whimpers coming from her as she struggled to get away from the hand that gripped her small arm painfully. Raw fury filled me at the sight of the tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks.
I broke through the last of the trees and crossed the huge yard, not stopping as I drew the sword from the sheath at my back and sliced out in one smooth motion, effectively removing the head of the rogue who had a tight hold on the little girl. Not stopping, I quickly scooped her up in one arm and raced toward her parents. I passed her to her mother in one smooth motion as I slammed into the vamp who was staring at me in shock, breaking his hold on the man. One of my daggers found its way into his heart, and then I swung my sword again, decapitating him to make sure he was dead before turning to face the three that were left.
“Who are you?” one of the rogues snarled, taking a step in my direction, baring his teeth at me, his eyes glowing a dark red.
I grinned, flashing my own fangs in his direction. “You think those puppy dog teeth scare me? I eat vamps like you for breakfast.”
“She has the mark of a huntress,” I heard the woman gasp, the same time my cousin’s car tore around the corner and into the driveway.
“She wears the Christoph crown,” the rogue holding the boy hissed, his hand on the teenager loosening in his confusion. Taking advantage of the situation, the boy slammed his elbow into the vamp’s gut hard, twisting out of the vamp’s grasp and racing over to his parents.
When the rogue made a move as if to follow, I grinned, shaking my head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Charles.”
“How do you know my name?”
It was a growl of rage, and I let my grin widen. “The same way I know the others.”
“You have no idea who I am,” the woman near him snapped.
She was young, in her early twenties or so, and very sure of herself. I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes as I said, “Of course, I do, princess. Oh, wait a second.” I paused for affect before I went on, “I forgot, that’s me! I’m the princess. Or did you think I just go around wearing this crown for fun?”
“There’s no way you’re a part of the royal family,” the third rogue sneered, sidling closer to me from behind. “We would know.”
Unfortunately for him, he moved a little too close, and he lost his head seconds later as I twirled around in a full circle, not stopping when my sword connected with his neck.
“Oh, my God,” the woman hissed, moving closer to Charles as if he could protect her. She was wrong. Nothing was going to keep me from ridding the world of either of them tonight.
I laughed, cocking my head to the side and raising an eyebrow. “As you were saying, Lucy?”
A strangled gasp slipped free, and then Lucy glared at me, her fangs peeking out over her lips. “You are not a princess. I have no idea how you came across a crown of the royal family’s, but you wear the mark of a hunter. You can’t be…”
Her voice trailed off when I took a step in her direction, my sword held out to my side, the Jackson mark glowing brightly for all to see. I ignored my father and cousin as they came up behind the rogues, weapons in hand, prepared to fight with me. Skye had gone immediately to the family, a dagger held tightly in each fist as she stood in front of them as if to protect them. My team. They had my back as any good team would. We were a small group, but powerful.
Bracing my legs apart, I slid a dagger from my pants and let my fangs elongate. “I am Princess Bellame, daughter of Prince Alexander Christoph.” I heard the soft cry from the woman behind me, but I ignored her. “I am granddaughter to King Alec Christoph and Queen Bronwyn Christoph.”
“No! You have the mark of a huntress!” Lucy insisted, her eyes on where the dragon seemed to be shooting flames in her direction.
I was suddenly aware of others slipping out of the trees, three of them. Two boys and a girl. They held weapons of their own as they made their way to us, but something told me they weren’t the enemy.
“I am a huntress,” I growled, as I began to slowly twirl my sword in my hand with a flick of my wrist. “A Jackson, daughter of Alyiah Jackson.”
“That can’t be,” Charles snarled, his nails growing into longer claws.
“As you can see, it is,” my father said calmly, taking a step back and motioning for Trey to do the same. Trey didn’t fight him, he just moved slightly over and back some. I knew what Dad was doing. I needed to show my dominance. Everyone there needed to know not only who I was, but what I was. Bellame Rose Jackson Christoph, both princess and huntress. Someone to not only be revered, but also feared.
“King Aldric is in charge now,” Lucy hissed, her eyes going a deep red. “He will kill you, slowly, just like he did his brother and his parents.”
“Aldric is no king,” one of the boys who had appeared just moments before said, and I stiffened when he and the other two scattered around us, taking up defensive positions near my dad and cousin, effectively blocking the two rogues in the middle. Even though I was pretty sure they were on our side, I didn’t like them so close to my family when I didn’t know who they were.
“He’s nothing but a murderer,” the girl spat, her bright blue eyes flashing in contempt.
“A killer,” the other boy snarled, and I could literally feel the rage pulsing from him in waves. “He takes innocent lives, and he deserves to be punished for it, just like any other rogue vampire.”
“He will be,” I vowed, gripping my sword tightly. “My uncle’s reign of terror is going to come to an end very soon.”
Fear filled Lucy’s eyes, and then it was replaced by a cunning look. Unlucky for her, I read her intention right before she made her move, and countered with my own after easily sidestepping her weak attempt to gut me with her claws. One of my daggers entered her heart just as my sword sliced through the soft skin of her neck. I turned to deal with Charles, only to find myself staring into the defiant, deep blue gaze of one of the boys as he stood over the dead rogue’s body. His blond hair was long, flowing loosely around his face, his fangs just barely visible over his bottom lip.
Who are you? Friend or enemy?
His words floated between us, unspoken, but still heard by me. Before I realized what I was doing, I had responded. That depends on you.
He froze, his eyes widening in surprise, and then narrowing on me in suspicion. Are you really Prince Alexander’s daughter?
I gave a short nod.
He stepped closer, inhaling deeply. After a moment, he swallowed hard, then lowered his head and dropped to a knee in front of me. “Princess.”
As if suddenly understanding that I really was royalty, everyone except Dad and Trey followed suit, dropping to their knees on the grass.
“Princess, thank you for saving our lives. We are forever in your debt.”
It was the father. He knelt next to his wife, his hand clasping hers tightly as he held his daughter close. Their son was next to him, but unlike them, his gaze wasn’t on the ground. He was looking directly at me, sizing me up.
“There is no debt,” I said, crossing over to them to place a hand gently on the man’s shoulder. He raised his head, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Come on. Let’s get everyone inside. We have a lot to talk about.”
“What?”
I heard the confusion in his voice, and I squatted down on my heels beside them. “My birth father is the prince.” I turned to smile at the woman. “But my dad is Marcus Rose.” I frowned, turning to my dad. “But that’s not your real last name, is it, Dad?”
He laughed, shaking his head as he came toward me. “It is now, sweetheart.”
“Marcus!” The woman rose quickly to her feet, running over to throw her arms around my father, then turning back to me excitedly. “Where’s Cassi? I’ve missed her so much!”
Dad’s face softened, and he hugged her close. “Cassi is just fine, Alisha. Home safe, where she belongs.”
I watched the family head inside with my father, then turned back to the others. “We need to burn the bodies.”
“Yes, Princess.”
The tall boy who I’d spoken telepathically to before stood silently off to the side while the others gathered up the rogues and put them in a pile. I looked over at him, shaking my head before I stalked over and grabbed Lucy’s body, dragging it to the others. I didn’t know who he was, but if he thought he was above the others, he better think again. I was going to help them, and as far as I knew, I outranked everyone there.
He watched for a moment, then walked over and picked up the body of another rogue, hefting it over his shoulder. Closing the distance between us, he tossed it into the fire my cousin had just started.
“You’re wrong,” he said quietly, his gaze meeting mine.
“About what?” I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at him.
“I don’t think I’m above everyone here. I’ve just been set apart from the world for so long, I’m trying to figure out how to interact.”
Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “And where exactly have you been?”
He shrugged, looking away. “Maybe I’ll tell you someday, when you’ve earned the right to know.”
He walked away before I could respond. I watched him go, my confusion warring with part of me that wanted to go and demand an answer from him. Sighing, I glanced over at the porch where the light shone brightly enough that I could just see his face, full of stubbornness and anger.
“Ignore my brother, Princess,” a soft voice said. I turned to the girl who stopped beside me, wiping her hands on her black cargo pants. “He’s been through a lot, and he’s looking for someone to strike out at. You’re an easy target right now.”
I nodded, my eyes wandering back to where he stood. “What’s his name?” I don’t know what made me ask. I could have just delved into his mind to get the answer, but I didn’t want to. It felt like a violation.
“Royal,” she said, amusement in her voice. “Fitting, since we are distant cousins to the royal family.”
“You’re my cousin?” I asked in surprise, my gaze swinging back to her.
“Kind of.” She laughed. “Well, we aren’t really related. Our dad married into the family after he already had us. So, not by blood. And, well, since his wife divorced his worthless butt a couple of years after they were married, I guess there isn’t any kind of real relationship there anymore. Except, Elizabeth didn’t divorce us, just our dad. She still loves us.”
“You talk too much, Lianne.”
Lianne stuck her tongue out at her other brother when he strode past, ignoring me after a quick onceover look. “You don’t talk enough, Court.”
“You’re kidding me,” I said, before I could stop myself. His name was Court?
Lianne shook with laughter, her eyes sparkling a pretty blue. “Nope. Royal and Court. Our mother was always infatuated with the idea of royalty.”
“How did you get by with Lianne?”
“Luck?”
I laughed, looping my arm through my cousin’s when he came over to us. “This is Trey.”
“Hi,” Lianne whispered, immediately becoming shy, her cheeks burning a deep red. I fought the urge to laugh, glancing up at Trey. He’d always had that affect on girls, making them tongue-tied and nervous.
“And this is Skye,” I said, quickly introducing my newest team member, trying to make Lianne feel more at ease again.
Lianne smiled shyly again, whispering a hello. I watched as the three of them began to talk quietly, my eyes going to the flames behind them that now engulfed the rogue vampires who wouldn’t be able to threaten anyone ever again. A sense of rightness hit me as I thought about the lives we’d saved tonight, and the new people it looked like we were about to bring into our small circle that was quickly growing as long as they could prove they could be trusted.
This was what I was born to do. Protect others. Fight against evil. Lead my people into a better future.