Two hours later, we were at the Braxton’s farm, sparring on the front lawn as we waited for the Lexingtons to arrive. I was still reeling from what my dad said at the hotel. Not only was Eben Blackborn real, but he was right here in Angel’s Pass, training with Gavin Jackson. Alyiah Jackson’s father. My grandfather.
I grunted when my feet were knocked out from under me and I landed hard on my backside, Trey standing over me with the tip of a sword to my throat. “You’re making this way to easy today, cuz. You need to get your head in the game.”
Moving fast as lightening, I was off the ground, had the sword from his hands, and he was now the one looking up at me in surprise with the tip of it in his face. “You were saying?”
He grinned, accepting the hand I held out to pull him to his feet. “Point taken, Bel.”
I stiffened suddenly, motioning for my team to come together in a group behind me as I handed Trey back his sword. The siblings were here, I could sense them near. I watched them stride from the tree line, Royal in front with Court and Lianne flanking him. He looked large and imposing, as if he was on a mission. I waited patiently until they stopped in front of us, aware that Dad, Trey, Skye, and Ethan were fanned out behind me, all holding swords we’d just been practicing with. Ben and Alisha Braxton were in the house with their daughter, where I’d told them to stay during our meeting. I wanted them safe, and I didn’t want to be distracted, worrying about them when I needed to concentrate on the three vamps in front of me.
“Princess,” Royal said, lowering his head slightly toward me.
“Royal, thank you for coming.”
“I said we would.”
“Yes,” I nodded, bracing my legs apart, holding my sword in one hand, the other resting on my hip. “You have a decision to make tonight.” I let my gaze take in Court and Lianne as well. “All of you do.”
“There is no decision,” Royal said gruffly, before falling to one knee in front of me. “We would like to pledge our loyalty to you, Princess Bellame, if you will have us. We will fight for you, against Aldric and whomever else might threaten the crown.”
I stepped forward, laying my hand on the top of his head. I had spoken to my team already, and we’d voted that we would accept the Lexingtons, but only after I read one, with or without their knowledge. I refused to feel guilty as I closed my eyes and opened my mind up to his, my brow furrowing when there was nothing, not even a whisper of a thought from him.
Then, Court’s voice reached me. I hope she doesn’t think she’s going to touch me like that. I’m all for fighting for her and getting rid of her evil uncle, but that doesn’t mean she gets to touch me.
I bit my lip, stepping back from Royal and opening my mind up more, realizing that was the only way I was going to get the answers I needed. Thoughts from everyone near started hitting me at once, and I had to sift through them quickly before each one faded away.
If any of them makes one wrong move, it will be the last thing they do. Vamp or no vamp, I’m taking them down. It was Ethan, and he had a lot of volatile rage in him. Not necessarily at the Lexingtons, but at anyone who was a threat to his family, and to the rest of us now that he was a part of our team.
Bellame has exactly two minutes to tell us if these people are good to go. If not, they’re gone, I don’t care who they are or that they say they hunt rogues already. Trey, my best friend, always looking out for me.
I really hope she lets us join them. I’m so tired of fighting these demons alone. It would be a lot safer in a group. I’ve almost lost my brothers several times. I don’t know what I would do without them. Lianne’s fear for her brothers was a thick, acrid scent in the air, her nervousness visibly noticeable as they waited for my reply.
Do I get up, or stay on my knees until she either accepts or denies us? I hate bowing down to anyone, but this is too important. There was Royal. I had no idea why I couldn’t hear him before, but now his thoughts rang out loud and clear. If she doesn’t accept us, I will continue to fight on my own. I will not let that monster take over. I will fight for our people, for my family, with or without the princess.
The last thought was what swayed my decision. It was obvious all three were here to take a stand, and to fight with me against my uncle. I needed the help, and they were going to fight, with or without us, anyway.
“First, we need to learn to fight as a team,” I said, glancing over at Trey and my dad, giving them a nod. “We will train, and while we train, we will make plans.”
“Plans for what, Princess?” Royal asked as he rose to his feet.
“First, to rescue the King, Queen, and Prince Alexander.”
“Wait, rescue them?” Lianne interrupted. “They’re alive?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?” Court demanded, his eyes darkening in anger as he took a step toward me.
I held up a hand when Trey moved to block him. It’s okay. He’s not threatening me. He’s upset because he thought they were all dead. His anger isn’t directed at me personally.
Trey backed off, but not by much. “She just does,” he said, glaring at Court.
“I have certain,” I paused, wondering how to say it, and then decided to just come right out with it. They are going to be a part of my team, they needed to know the things I was figuring out that I could do. “I have gifts, for lack of a better word.”
“Like being able to talk to me telepathically,” Royal stated.
“Yes, like that,” I agreed, looking over at the shocked gazes of Court and Lianne.
“No way,” Court breathed, before punching his brother in the arm. “Hey, why didn’t you tell us?”
Royal shrugged, looking away. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.” Right then and there, I decided that I could trust him. He’d known this entire time what I could do, but never told anyone, not even his own brother and sister. That was loyalty.
“I can also connect with people in my dreams.”
“Like in the movies?” Lianne asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to understand what I meant.
“I’ve read where people can do stuff like that,” Court said, looking at me in awe. “Dreamwalkers is what they are called in books.”
I nodded. “Yes, basically.”
“She saved my life after connecting with me a few days ago,” Skye said, stepping up beside me. “I was being held by two rogue vampires, along with a couple of little boys. Somehow, she slipped into my mind when she was dreaming and knew I needed help. She and her dad and cousin tracked me down. They saved my life. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.” It was a warning, one I saw each Lexington understood as they nodded slowly at her.
“That’s amazing,” Lianne whispered, her eyes wide as she stared at me. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”
“I connected with the prince and his parents,” I told them, looking at each one individually, gauging their reactions to all that we were telling them. “They are still alive, and are being held as prisoners in the cells in the bottom level of the castle. Starved of blood and beaten down, they still have hope that someone will save them.”
“No way!” Lianne breathed, shaking her head in denial. “Even Evil Aldric wouldn’t do something like that, would he?”
“He can and he is,” I told her, smiling when a not so nice word drifted my way from her mind. “We are going to rescue them, but we have to come up with a plan.”
“We also need to train,” my father cut in, his eyes hard as he looked at us. “You are not ready to go up against a league of vampires.”
“You’re right, Dad, we do need to train,” I agreed, sending him a secretive smile, “but we aren’t going up against the royal guard just yet.”
“No?”
“No, this first mission is to sneak in, get the royal family, and sneak out without being caught.”
“That’s going to be hard to do, Bellame. Your team will need to work as one. You have to be cohesive and trust one another. There can be no break in that trust, or your plan will go to hell quickly.”
“That’s why we will train together first and build that trust with each other.”
“Stealing the royal family from Aldric will start a war,” Court said, folding his arms over his chest.
“My uncle already started the war, my friend,” I replied, flashing my fangs at them. “We are just going to finish it.”
Court watched me silently for a moment before a slow grin crossed his face. “I stand by you, Princess. I will fight for you, I will go to war with you.” Kneeling in front of me, he finished, “I pledge my allegiance to you.”
Lianne was beside him within seconds, Royal kneeling down once again, and the rest of them followed suit. Trey, Skye, Ethan, and lastly, my dad. They all vowed their allegiance to me, stating they would fight for me, die for me. It felt as if a vice was squeezing my chest tightly as I stared at them, feeling their trust, their loyalty.
When they finally stood, I walked into the middle of them, and waited as they formed a circle around me. Holding my head high, I raised my sword to the sky. “I will fight for you. I will fight for everyone, vampires and humans alike. I will bring Aldric’s reign of terror to an end, no matter the cost.”
As they cheered, I met my dad’s gaze. His was full of pride, but I also saw the worry in his eyes. Worry for me, his daughter, who had just vowed to save everyone. Now, I needed to figure out how to make that happen, because royalty always followed through on a promise.