We left that same night after a stop to try and get the Lexington siblings’ grandmother to come with. She refused, saying she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything kick her out of her home. I could tell the siblings wanted to stay with her, but she told them they needed to come with us and protect the royal family. In the end, they ended up piling into Elizabeth’s car with her while the rest of us split up between Trey’s Mustang and Ethan’s dad’s four-door truck.
A week later, tears filled my eyes as we pulled up in front of the house I grew up in. It was dark, but the porch light was on, along with the yard light. It was wonderful to be home.
The front door flew open, and my mother ran out, straight into my father’s arms when he stepped out of the car. I slid out from behind him, waiting my turn, and soon those arms wrapped around me, holding me close as she told me how much she loved and missed me. I let her hold me for a couple of minutes before I finally stepped back. “I love you, too, Mom.”
She smiled through her tears, cupping my cheeks in her hands before kissing me on the forehead, right where the pearl connected to the crown. “My princess.”
I grinned, my gaze going from her to the woman at the top of the stairs. She was looking straight at me, ignoring everyone else who was getting out of the other vehicles. Her hand clung to her daughter’s, and she was visibly shaking. Taking a step forward, she asked in a trembling voice, “Did you see him, Princess? Did you see my Darius?”
I heard her fear; fear of the unknown. A deep fear that I never wanted her to feel again, even though I knew it was inevitable. Because when I went back to Angel’s Pass to take back the crown from my uncle, Darius was coming with me. But for now, I could give her the peace she so desperately needed.
“Of course, she saw Daddy, Mommy. A princess always keeps her word. You said so yourself.”
I smiled at Twila, nodding. “You better believe it!”
Suddenly, the little girl’s eyes widened, and she tore her hand from her mother’s as she squealed, “Daddy! Daddy!”
“Oh, my Goddess!” Salena gasped, her hand going to her throat as Darius rushed past me to scoop up the child who was racing across the yard to him. “Darius!”
Holding Twila, Darius closed the distance between him and Salena, lowering his head to kiss her gently. “The princess kept her word, darling. Not only did she save me, but she saved the royal family as well.”
“What?” Salena gasped, her wide eyes going to me again, even as she clutched her husband tightly. Then they went past me and she cried out, “You’re alive! All of you!”
I glanced back to where my grandparents and the prince stood in the shadows, motioning them forward. I hadn’t had any time alone with any of them on the long drive. We’d driven throughout each night, but had to stop during the day for the other vampires who couldn’t handle being in the sun. It was slow going at first because the queen’s health was so precarious. It wasn’t until the third night after taking blood four different times, that she finally started to show some improvement. She was still pale and very shaky on her feet, but she was going to make it.
“Mom,” I said, when the royal family finally stepped out of the shadows, “this is,” I paused, unsure how to introduce them.
“I know your father and your grandparents, sweetheart,” my mother interjected, laying a gentle hand on my arm. “Remember, your father was our friend. He gave you to us to raise and protect.”
“That’s right,” I whispered, still feeling awkward about the whole situation.
My mother saved me by inviting everyone into the house, and then ushered them quickly up the stairs. It wasn’t until they were all inside that I realized I was still standing out in the driveway, and I wasn’t alone. The prince stood quietly behind me, as if waiting for something. Sighing, knowing he wanted to speak to me, I walked over and sat down on the front steps. I’d avoided any chance I had of being alone with him on the way home, not ready for a discussion.
Slowly, the prince walked over and lowered himself onto the step beside me, then stared quietly out into the yard. We sat like that for several minutes before he finally said, “I’m sorry, Bellame.”
I knew what he meant. I could read his thoughts loud and clear. He was sorry for leaving me, for not choosing to raise me himself. For not leaving his family and taking me with him somewhere no one would ever find us. Sorry for not protecting me like a father should.
“You did protect me,” I said softly.
“What?”
When he looked at me strangely, I shrugged, glancing down at the ground. “I know what you were thinking,” I admitted, picking at a stray piece of lint on my jeans. “It’s just this ability I have. Sometimes, I can tell what others are thinking.”
“That’s a very rare gift,” he said after a few moments.
“Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say. It might be rare, but it was mine now, and something I was still learning to deal with.
“I wanted to keep you with me, Bellame. I came to see you as much as I could, but it just wasn’t safe.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“Bellame?”
“Yeah?”
“I hate having you involved in all of this. You may have found a way to free us, but you still aren’t safe.”
“I know.”
“I want you stay here when I go back to confront my brother.”
“I can’t do that,” I said quietly.
“Yes, you can. I promise you, I will make sure you are safe. And once this is all over, I will take you to your mother and sister.”
I sighed, shaking my head as I turned to look at him. He was watching me intently, his face full of determination. “It doesn’t work like that.” When he frowned, I reached down and pulled up the long sleeve of my dark navy blue shirt, showing him the dragon tattoo etched into my skin. “Not only am I a princess, but I’m also a huntress, just like I suspect my sister is. Neither of us are going to back down. This is our fight. Our destiny.”
“No,” he breathed, reaching over to lightly touch my arm.
“Yes,” I replied, sliding the sleeve back down. “I’m not running, Prince Alexander. I will stand, and I will fight. For my family, for my people.” I stood, looking down at him, before saying, “I will train with my team, and when we are ready, we will go back to Angel’s Pass.”
He stood, his gaze once again going out over the darkness in front of us, as if searching for something. “You really haven’t seen your mother, yet?”
“My mother is in that house right now making dinner for all of the people inside.” When he glanced over at me, I shrugged. “Well, she is. If you are asking about Alyiah Jackson, no, I haven’t seen her. Nor have I seen Blayke. But I will be looking for them once we go back.”
“I know the vicinity of where the house is,” Alex said, his hands going to rest on his hips, “but a powerful sorceress put a spell around it, so I wasn’t able to find it the last few times I went back.”
“A witch?” I asked, my eyes widening at the thought. I hadn’t actually met a real witch, yet.
He nodded, a small smile appearing. “Your grandmother. Gwen Jackson. One of the most powerful sorceresses I’ve ever heard of.”
“Wow,” I whispered, my mind churning with thoughts. “You mean, I’m a vampire, a huntress, and a witch?”
The prince actually laughed out loud this time, shaking his head at me. “Hard to believe, huh?”
I nodded numbly, slowly walking up the stairs as I thought about it. Was I really a witch? Could I do spells and stuff? Maybe I could turn Trey into a toad when he made me mad.