Bound by Destiny

 

 

A Shohala Falls Novel

By

Elaine Pierson

Books by Elaine Pierson

Summer’s Curse

 

The Lacey Hannigan Series:

Growl

Change

Redemption

Sacrifice

 

Shohala Falls Series

Reading order:

Shohala Falls (prequel)

Bound by Secrets

Bound by Truth

Bound by Destiny

 

This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to real events, people or places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination.

Chapter One

 

Nolan

 

 

Pushing myself up from the bed, I leaned heavily on my side, using my elbow for support. Pain pulsed in my head from a torturous headache that felt like it was splitting my brain in half. I exhaled deeply to ease the tension in my aching body, then sat up on the edge of the bed.

     Resting my elbows on my knees, I dropped my head in my hands and applied pressure near my eyes in a circular motion. What the hell did I do last night to cause me to feel on the brink of death? Thinking back, I tried to figure out what I’d done before falling asleep, but my memory was fuzzy. All I recalled was bits and pieces of a fight at the castle.

     After sitting on the bed for several minutes in a pointless attempt to ease the headache, I lifted my head and glanced around the empty room. Hoping that Alyse might have some answers about last nights events, I forced myself to stand and go in search of my closest friend. Pausing at the six-inch thick wooden door in front of me that led into the valley of Menar outside the mountain, a sudden hollow feeling settled in my chest, making me gasp from an unknown fear that hit me out of nowhere.

     I took a deep breath and pulled the door open. As soon as I stepped outside, the blindingly bright sun caused pain to shoot from my eyes to the back of my head, instantly worsening my headache. I grimaced in agony, squeezed my eyes closed and held my hand up to block the light.

     “Nolan. You’re up.” An excited voice drifted in the air toward me.

     I opened my eyes into slits and saw Alyse coming toward me. The brunette Pixie - half my size – seemed cautious as she approached. “I was beginning to wonder when you were going to wake up.”

     Just the sound of her high-pitched voice grated on my nerves, increasing the pain in my head. “What the hell happened to me last night?” I grumbled and stumbled backwards. My balance seemed affected by my headache. Leaning back against the door I had just exited, my knees felt weak and I slid down to the ground in more of a fall than a controlled slide. “My head is killing me.”

     Alyse knelt down in front of me with her eyes searching my face like she was looking for something. “Nolan, are you okay?” Concern filled her voice.

     “Hell no, I’m not okay. Something is wrong. I don’t feel right” I growled with heavy breaths.

     “Lila! We need you” Alyse called over her shoulder.

     A few seconds later, an older Pixie woman hurried over to us. “What is it?” Lila asked and looked at me with an odd expression.

     “Nolan is in pain. His head hurts” Alyse said.

     The two women stared at each other with strange expressions and I got the feeling they knew something I didn’t. Before I could say anything, Lila stepped toward me and placed her hand on my forehead. Not wanting to be treated like a sickly child, I turned my head away from her.

     “Be still” she ordered and closed her eyes in concentration.

     I knew that she was trying to help by seeing if she could tell what was wrong with me, but I didn’t want to be touched…not even by a Healer.

     A minute later, Lila shook her head and dropped her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I can’t heal you.” A deep frown pulled down the corners of her mouth as she lowered her head. Sorrow flittered across her face before she covered it with a look of uncertainty.

     “What’s wrong with me” I asked.

     She hesitated to answer. “I don’t know.”

     I noticed Lila and Alyse exchanging worried glances.

     “You should go back to the room and lay down” Alyse said and reached for my arm to help me stand.

     Instinctively, I pushed her hand away and glared at her. “I don’t want to lay down. I want to know what the hell happened to me last night? Why can’t I remember?”

     Fear flashed in Alyse’s eyes a moment before she dropped her gaze to the ground. Her refusal to look at me as she spoke, made me question the validity of what she was about to say. “You took a pretty nasty blow to the head when we rescued Sara and Gary from the castle” Alyse said then shifted her gaze up to me briefly. “You do remember them, right?”

     “I have a headache, Alyse, not amnesia” I snapped as another pain sliced through my head like a blade of a kithu through the air. “Of course, I know who they are. They’re the humans you became friends with in the human world whom that bastard Drycus kidnapped.”

     “That’s right” Alyse agreed with a slow nod of her head.

     I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was definitely something off about the way Alyse was acting. She didn’t seem like her normal self.

     “Nolan, you need to rest” Lila said and motioned for Alyse to help her pull me to my feet despite the warning look I shot her.

     Between the two of them, their half-pint bodies were able to get me up without me having to put too much effort into standing on my own. The thought of being incapacitated even for a second gnawed at my pride, making me angry with myself.

     As a Lenoi warrior, it was ingrained in me from the time I was a young boy that I should be the one providing help, not receiving it. But knowing there was a good possibility I might not make it on my own if the pain worsened, I held my tongue against refusing their help and allowed them to take me back to the room I had woken up in.

     Alyse and Lila started toward the bed on the far side of the room against the wall, and I shook my head. “No. Just help me to the sofa.”

     They did as I asked without objection. I plopped down and tried to ignore the way they stared at me, but it was hard not to notice the sadness in their eyes. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why Alyse looked like she was on the verge of tears. I was the one in excruciating pain…not her.

     “Can I get you anything?” Alyse offered, her voice shook as she spoke.

     I glanced up at her with a raised brow and considered telling her to give me a big ass bottle of Motrin. Or a sledgehammer to beat my brains out with if the pain didn’t stop soon. Instead, I simply said “no.”

     “Well then, if there is nothing we can do to make you feel more comfortable, we should go and let you rest” Lila said and headed toward the door.

     When Alyse didn’t make a move to follow her, Lila clear her throat to get her attention. Alyse and I both, looked Lila’s way and she smiled. “Alyse, will you join me? There is something I need your help with.”

     She posed her sentence as a question but I couldn’t help but feel it was more of a demand. Especially with the tense way she glared at Alyse.

     “In a minute” Alyse responded before turning her attention back to me. “Are you going to be okay alone?” she asked.

     I laid back on the sofa and did my best to keep the agony I felt from seeping into my voice as I spoke, “I’ll be fine. Whatever is wrong, I’m sure it will go away soon.”

     The look Alyse gave me clearly said she doubted my assumption, but she kept her opinion to herself. A moment later, she followed Lila out of the room.

     Soon afterwards, I was out cold. I’m not sure whether I fell asleep on my own or the pain became too much to handle and my body shut down to protect itself. Either way, being unconscious did nothing to make me feel better. I was still in pain. Only now, it wasn’t just in my head…it consumed my entire body. Even my skin hurt.

     It wasn’t until a tiny light appeared in the darkness around me that the pain slowly started to ease a little.

     I forced my mind to focus on the light as it drew closer and became bigger. The shapeless light shifted into an image of a young girl with blindingly white hair and porcelain skin. She couldn’t have been more than a few years old…perhaps four or five. She was running through the woods. Smiling and laughing at something or someone behind her. Something about the child pulled at my subconscious mind, urging me to look at her.

     I was stunned to realize that the more I focused on the child, the less pain I felt. Eager to break completely free of the pain, I studied the girl carefully in an attempt to see who or what was behind her, but the dream-like image suddenly faded. A brief moment of total darkness filled my mind before another image appeared. It was the same young girl only she seemed a few years older. She was sitting alone in the dark on a bed, clenching a pillow in her arms as tears steadily streamed down her face.

     My heart ached as I watched her cry and scream out in agony. I wanted to go to her. I needed to go to her…to ease her pain. But as soon as the thought entered my mind, the image disappeared…leaving my subconscious totally alone in the dark again. This time, as soon as the light was gone, the pain in my head returned with a vengeance. A sudden, intense loneliness gripped my heart and made me feel like I was sinking into an endless pit of despair.

 

*****

 

Three days passed and I still suffered from a massive, unrelenting headache. Nothing I did made the pain go away. The only thing that gave me the slightest bit of relief was when I slept and dreamed of the young girl with white hair. I’d seen her a lot over the last few days.

     Each time I dreamed about her, she grew older. But every time the dreams ended, the pain returned and I woke up in a cold sweat as I clung desperately to the image of the girl and attempted to will her back into my mind. It never worked, but it was worth a shot.

     Sitting with Alyse and Adora under an apple tree in the farthest corner of the valley a little after noon, I carefully studied the Lenoi and Pixies as they talked and mingled with one another. I couldn’t put a finger on exactly what was wrong, but there was definitely something strange about all of them. They weren’t acting normal. Especially whenever I was around. I’d already caught several people watching me with concern in their eyes. Some even openly stared at me with pity…as if they felt sorry for me.

     The thought really pissed me off. I didn’t want or need anyone’s pity. I was learning not to show how much pain I was in. It was hard but not impossible to survive the days pretending I was doing better. But inside, I was much worse now than I’d been a few days ago. The pain that racked my body reached all the way down to my soul.

     Biting into a juicy red apple, I looked over at Adora. “Am I missing something?” I asked, attempting to sound casual.

     “What do you mean?” she replied and glanced nervously to Alyse.

     And there it was…the same look I had been getting from everyone since I woke up the day after the fight at the castle. It was starting to get on my nerves.

     “I’m talking about how everyone seems so damn nervous around me. Every time I come outside, I see people watching me but when I attempt to make eye contact, they look away.”

     “We’re all just worried about you, that’s all” Alyse said, unconvincingly.

     “Yeah” Adora agreed. “Everyone knows you haven’t been feeling well.”

     I studied them both. Whether they were telling the truth or not, I didn’t know. But I highly doubted it. Not wanting to start an argument by calling bullshit on their lame excuse when the sound of raised voices would only worsen the headache pounding my brain, I remained silent and glanced over to a group of Lenoi and Pixie children. They were playing a game of hide-n-seek. The sight of the blond-headed Lenoi girls reminded me of the girl I’d seen in my sleep and a tight feeling stirred in my chest.

     “Is there a young girl here with white hair and skin so pale that her veins are visible through her skin?” I asked out of curiosity. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew the girl in my dreams. But how? Had I seen her in the valley?

     Adora gasped. And Alyse’s eyes widened so big that I actually worried for a minute that they were going to pop out of her head. Neither of them offered a response.

     “Well, is there a girl like that here or not?” I asked after a few seconds of waiting for one of them to speak.

     “No” Alyse said quickly. “No one here like that. Why do you ask?”

     I thought about her question. I wanted to keep the dreams of the girl to myself. But I needed to find out who she was. I needed to know if she was real.

     Reluctantly, I answered her question. “I’ve been seeing a girl in my dreams…only they’re not really dreams. Just fleeting images of the same girl at different stages in her life. And I have a strong feeling that I know her.”

     Adora suddenly straightened her back and glanced over at Alyse before turning her attention to me. “If she’s not one of the girls you see here” she said and pointed to the children playing. “Then I’m sorry to say I don’t think she exists. She’s probably just a figment of your imagination.”

     Alyse dropped her eyes to the ground and didn’t offer to comment. But her silence and the sorrow written all over her face, said more than her words ever could. She knew the girl I described. I was certain of it.

     “Alyse, do you know who I’m talking about?” I asked and narrowed my gaze on her.

     Without looking my way, she jumped to her feet, suddenly in a rush to leave. “No. I don’t know her.” She paused and let out a deep breath. “I’ll talk to you later. I have a long list of chores that I need to get done.”
     Before I could challenge her statement about needing to do chores, Alyse hurried inside the mountain. When I looked back to Adora, she was also on her feet, ready to leave. “I guess you have chores to do too, huh?” I said sarcastically.

     “Yeah” Adora replied and hurried across the valley to where her warriors had gathered by the fire pit.

     And just like that, I was sitting under the apple tree completely alone.

     Thoughts of the girl from my dreams filled my mind. As soon as I saw her face, pain even worse than what was in my head - suddenly gripped my chest tightly - making me feel as if I was being ripped apart from the inside out.

     In order to keep the torturous scream building in my lungs from escaping and terrifying everyone in the valley, I jumped up and stormed back to my room. Once alone, I crumpled to the floor in a fetal position with my arms wrapped around myself and prayed the unbearable pain in my heart would soon stop. Or that death would take me and I’d finally be free.

 

*****

 

I awoke several hours later to someone trying to push open the door of the room that I was blocking with my body.

     “Nolan?” Alyse called out to me in a panic as she pushed against the door and squeezed her small body into the room.

     I met her shocked gaze as she dropped to her knees on the floor beside me. “Oh, Nolan” she gasped, her voice cracked like she was trying hard not to cry. “I’m so sorry you’re suffering” she whispered and placed a shaky hand on my shoulder as I pulled myself into a sitting position.

     “For what?” I asked weakly.

     “For not being able to help you. To make you feel better” she replied. Emotion dripped from every word she spoke.

     “My current situation isn’t your fault, Alyse. I just don’t know what’s happening to me. I’ve never felt this kind of pain before” I paused as the girl’s face flashed in my mind again. Only she wasn’t a little girl anymore. In the last image I saw of her, she was maybe eighteen or nineteen years old. I glanced over at Alyse. “Are you certain you don’t know the girl I asked you about earlier?”

     Her face instantly paled and I saw a visible change in her demeanor. Her body tensed and she refused to meet my eyes. Instead, she glanced over to the bed. Her lips quivered as she spoke, “I’m sure. I have no idea who you are talking about.”

     “Really?” I said doubtfully, as I got to my feet and glared down at her. She stood up and turned her back to me as she made her way over to the sofa. “Then why do I have a feeling you aren’t being honest with me?” I asked as I followed her.

     Alyse chuckled nervously and shook her head. It was clear to me that she was uncomfortable. “I don’t know why you feel that way. I’m not inside your head, Nolan.”

     I hesitated before speaking again. “That’s right…you’re not. But the white-haired woman is. I know she exists. I feel it. She’s real. Not a figment of my imagination like Adora said. And I think you know who she is and I want you to tell me.”

     Alyse stood from the sofa and started toward the door in a sudden hurry to leave. “I’m not having this conversation with you.” Her entire body shook as she spoke.

     I grabbed her arm as she passed me. “Why are you lying to me? Why won’t you talk to me about the woman? Why do you want me to believe she’s not real?”

     Alyse pulled her arm from my grasp and crossed her arms over her chest. “What does it matter if she’s real or not?” she snapped. “She’s not here. And you need to stop thinking about her.”

     “I can’t!” I bellowed with frustration. “She’s in my head and I can’t get her out! The only time in the last three days that I’ve felt at peace instead of like I’m losing my damn mind is when I think about her.” The white-haired beauty’s face flashed in my mind again as I spoke.

     A crippling pain in my head made me lose my balance. I stumbled backwards, fell to my knees and gripped my head with my hands before I leaned forward on all fours and squeezed my eyes closed. A barrage of images whipped through my head too swiftly for me to understand everything I saw.

     “Nolan, what are you doing? What’s wrong?” Alyse asked in a panicked rush. “You’re shaking and sweating like crazy.”

     Distracted by what was happening in my head, I didn’t respond. I put everything I had into focusing on the images. Almost instantly, I felt something inside me snap. A horrific throbbing seized my brain as the images of the woman alone changed to those of her being with a man whose face was blurred. They were laughing. Kissing. And holding each other on the very same sofa that I had fallen asleep on.

     My eyes shot to the sofa. “The woman…I do know her” I mumbled to myself in a strained voice. “I feel it. I just need to remember. Why can’t I remember?”

     “Nolan, stop! Just let it go! Stop thinking about her!” Alyse yelled and fell to her knees beside me.

     “I can’t!” I growled. “I feel her presence inside me. She’s in my head. My heart. Even in my bones. It’s like she’s a part of me.”
     I narrowed my concentration on the man I saw with the woman in the images that refused to leave my mind. The harder I fought to see his facial features, the more recognizable the faceless man became. A searing hot pain ricocheted through my head like it was trying to force me to abandon my thoughts. But I fought against it. My breathing grew labored as I struggled to see the man’s face clearly. All of a sudden, I broke through the pain and the barrier that had blurred my vision. And I saw the man’s face.

     I saw my face.

     The man with the woman was me.

     My heart stopped beating as shocked rippled through my body all the way down to my toes.

     I gasped out loud when a lifetime of memories with the white-haired woman rushed through my mind. With each memory that surfaced, the pain in my head lessened.

     Several long minutes passed as I made sense of what had happened. Then I threw my head back and yelled the woman’s name out loud until my lungs burned with the need to take a breath. “Kaia!”

     Once the reality of what had happened set in, I glared angrily at Alyse as murderous thoughts filled my head. “Where is she?” I growled in a deep voice that warned she better not lie to me.

     When Alyse didn’t answer, I jumped to me feet and grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up from the floor without any care of whether or not I hurt her. “Where is Kaia?!” I yelled and tightened my grip around her small arms.

     Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head from side to side. “I’m so sorry, Nolan. But she’s gone. She made us all promise to keep you from remembering her.”

     Without wasting another second of my time trying to figure out the details of what the hell was going on, I let go of Alyse and stormed from the room in search of Brin with the intention of forcing her if I had to, to make her open the shield surrounding Menar.

 

*****

 

     “Try again!” I yelled with venom in my voice as I stood near the shield preventing me from leaving.

     The young Lenoi girl flinched and took a shaky step away from me in an attempt to hide behind Adora – who seemed just as afraid and uncomfortable as the girl sneaking looks at me from behind her. I narrowed my eyes at Brin and she quickly resumed her hiding position behind Adora’s back.

     “Leave Brin alone. Yelling at her won’t do any good” Adora said. “Kaia used her magic to reinforce the shield so that no one could enter or leave. The incantation that we know to open it won’t work anymore. We’re trapped here until Kaia drops the shield.”

     “I told you this was pointless, Nolan” Alyse chimed in from a few feet away. “So just calm down.”

     I glared at her as rage rumbled like boiling water in my chest. “Calm down? Are you kidding me? How the hell am I supposed to calm down when Kaia is out there somewhere all alone? How could you let this happen, Alyse? After spending half a century of your life watching over and protecting Kaia, you just let her leave on her own. Why didn’t you stop her?!”

     “I tried to stop her!” Alyse screamed back at me. “But she wouldn’t listen. What did you want me to do? Knock her out and tie her up? Have you forgotten that she can disappear and reappear at will? What good would it have done to try and keep her here against her will?”

     Knowing that Alyse was right but still wanting to vent my anger, I brought my fists up to my head and pounded them against my forehead in frustration. “I don’t know…but you should have done something.” I paused to gather my thoughts. “We have to find a way to get through the shield. I have to find Kaia. I need to be near her.” My voice cracked as I thought about her hiding somewhere in the forest. All alone. Or worse. What if she wasn’t alone? What if she was with Drycus? What if he’d already corrupted her?

     The thought caused shockwaves of pain to crush my heart. Unable to stand there and do nothing, I pounded my fists against the invisible barrier that separated me from the woman I knew I couldn’t live one day of my life without. Just the thought of never seeing her again or of seeing her with pitch black eyes - made me wish for my own death.

Chapter Two

 

Kaia

 

 

Stepping outside the cave where I’d been staying in the dilapidated forest known as Torlan, I smiled at the sight of the two people who greeted me from their seats behind the small fire that lit up the dark night and offered their bodies warmth.

     Collin and Gabby.

     I was stunned and caught off guard when they showed up two days prior. I had mistakenly assumed that the caves Drycus had held my mother prisoner in so long ago were vacant. Turns out, they were sometimes used as a private place for some of the vampires to escape to when they needed a break from the demands of my father.

     Collin and Gabby had attacked me as soon as they saw me. And I used the opportunity to further test the theory that I could cure vampires the same way I had done with Darian -with the magic from my bite. I was extra careful not to leave permanent or life-threatening damage when I bit them. And now here they sat on the ground barely three feet away from me with huge smiles on their faces.

     Their solid white eyes reminded me of Mandy and the fact that I didn’t say goodbye to her before I left Menar. But their tall stature and pointy ears like mine and Nolan’s, let me know that before my new companions were turned into vampires, they had been Lenoi. And now…they were Bonded. To me. The same way Mandy and Darian were. I still wasn’t entirely sure what exactly that meant, but I also hadn’t made an attempt to fully understand it either.

     I felt the excitement of my newest friends as they looked up at my approach. Neither one of them seemed to remember their time as vampires and were quite confused when I told them that the castle now belonged to Drycus, instead of their queen; my grandmother, who they still believed was alive. It broke my heart to see the devastation in their eyes when I told them she had died a long time ago.

     “Good morning, Kaia” Collin and Gabby spoke in unison.

     “Good morning.” I did my best to keep my voice level so that they wouldn’t know how much pain I was still in from the black blood I had consumed when I bit them. I had been battling a horrible fever for the last two days and was only just now starting to feel better. I hated that the blood of other vampires poisoned my body the way it did, but consuming it was the only way I knew to cure them.

     I sat down beside Gabby and stared at the ground in front of me as the visions of the past that had invaded my mind last night replayed in my head. Ever since I stepped foot inside the caves three days ago, images of my mother’s time with Drycus had been assaulting me, relentlessly. Each time I saw her dazed, confused, naked and covered in her own blood, my heart broke all over again. And the hatred for my father overtook the desire I had to save him.

     Over the last two days, I had battled with myself constantly on what I should do about him. Cure him and give him the chance to change and be the father that a small part of me wished he would be…or kill him for everything he had done to my mother and the rest of the world. So far, I was still undecided.

     “When can we go stay with the other’s?” Collin asked and looked over at me for an answer. His sandy blond hair hung over his forehead just above his new white eyes. He appeared to be in his early twenties, but I knew that meant he was probably at least a century old.

     “I don’t know” I replied. “I can’t go back to Menar right now and I don’t want to send you there alone. Your presence there might frighten the others and cause unwanted questions to be asked.”

     I thought about Nolan and what he might think if two people suddenly appeared out of thin air right in front of him the way Amber had done with Alyse. Knowing him, he would freak out and demand to know what was happening. That was a risk I couldn’t take.

     “Then are we going to stay here permanently” Gabby asked.

     I took a minute to think. “No, not permanently. Just for a few more days. I’ve already put up a protective shield around us soon after you two showed up. Only the living can enter through it so you’ll be safe here until I come back.”

     “Come back? Where are you going?” Collin asked.

     Fear instantly emanated from him and Gabby. I could feel that they were afraid to be separated from me. But I didn’t have a choice. I had to leave. I had a huge amount of work ahead of me and a limited amount of time in which to complete it.

     There were dozens, if not hundreds of vampires at the castle that I needed to cure before my time ran out. And it wasn’t going to be possible to save them all if I waited for them to come after me one at a time.

     No.

     I was going to have to pursue them. And the only way to do that was to go home. To let my father believe I was ready to become the daughter he wanted me to be. It was the only way to get him to trust me enough so that I could put an end to his evil ways. One way or another.

     It was a huge risk going back to the castle and allowing myself to get pulled into the vampire lifestyle, but I was out of options. I had to make sure the Lenoi and Pixies would be safe and the only way to do that was to finish what I’d started.

     “I’m going to stay with Drycus and the others at the castle” I said and met Gabby and Collin’s horrified gazes.

     “What? Why?!” Gabby screeched.

     “You can’t do that. Drycus will destroy you” Collin said.

     Since both of them had been changed into vampires long before I was born and had no memory of their lives as vampires, neither of them knew who I was. They had no clue I was Drycus’ daughter or that I possessed magic stronger than that of any Lenoi who had ever lived. At least that’s what I had been told and what I’d read in the journals about my family.

     “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine” I said to ease their concerns.

     But I could tell my words meant little.

     They both stared at me with worried expressions. “Please be careful” Gabby said.

     “I will.” I reached over and squeezed her hand gently.

     Those were my last words before I stood and used my magic to take me to the castle.

 

*****

 

Standing outside the steel gates that surrounded the castle, I surveyed the outside as a shiver went down my spine. The darkness that cradled the castle like a loving embrace gave off a foreboding sense of danger. And death. I swallowed the fear that had inched its way into my mind despite the fact that I kept telling myself there was nothing to be afraid of. After all, I had already proven more than once that I was capable of taking care of myself.

     I let out a deep breath to calm my nerves and called out to my father. “Drycus!”

     Within seconds, the huge double doors of the castle slowly opened and Drycus stood in the doorway, dressed in black pants and a white button-down shirt that hugged his body perfectly. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

     If I didn’t know who and what he was, I would have thought he was the next person in line to grace the cover of a magazine as one of the worlds sexiest men alive. A sudden flutter of pride washed over me at the thought of him being my father. But the feeling disappeared as quickly as it came. There was nothing to be proud about in being the child of a sadistic killer. No matter how attractive he was.

     “Kaia, you’ve returned” Drycus said with caution, like he wasn’t sure what to make of my presence.

     He quickly closed the distance between us at a speed unimaginable for humans. His gaze shifted from me to the gate. He arched a questioning brow. “You know you are free to pass through anytime you want. This is your home after all.” He opened the gate and I joined him on the other side.

     “I must say I am surprised to see you again” Drycus continued, “You made it perfectly clear the last time you were here that you wanted nothing to do with me. I was afraid I would never see you again. The thought saddened me greatly.” He frowned, a little too dramatically.

     I fought against the urge to roll my eyes at the crap he spewed from his mouth and forced a small smile to my lips. “Now that my human friends are safe, I’ve decided that I want to get to know the people responsible for my existence. Especially my mother.” I glanced up at the window where I had seen her last. “I’d very much like to see her.”

     Drycus’ eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at me. It was clear from the look on his face that he doubted my intentions.

     “I’m willing to let the past stay in the past if you are” I said in hopes of getting him to loosen up a little. “We can start over and attempt to have a civilized relationship.”

     Despite the smile that was plastered on his face, there was nothing but distrust in his eyes as he glared at me. “I’d like that” Drycus said and motioned me forward as he bowed slightly.

     We walked side by side down the broken stone pathway that led to the castle doors. Black burn marks covered most of the ground and the outside walls of the castle. And large chunks of stone from the top of the castle littered the ground at one corner.

     I silently looked around and remembered the night I had used my magic and nearly killed them all. Including my own mother. I shuddered from the thought of knowing the kind of destruction I could cause if I wanted to. Nolan’s face entered my mind and I quickly forced the image away before I had a chance to wallow in the devastating heartbreak that had consumed me since the moment I left him unconscious on the bed back in Menar. I needed to be strong now and thinking about him made me feel weak and broken.

     Standing in the doorway of the castle, Drycus’ smile faded as he studied me. The eagerness he had displayed to be in my company the first time we met in the human world was no longer in his eyes. Now, his gaze held caution. And a trace of fear.

     “I do hope this isn’t some kind of joke or scheme, my child. While I am immensely impressed by you and your magic, my patience where you are concerned is wearing very thin. And I feel I must warn you that if you continue to deny my request for you to take your rightful place at my side, daughter or not, I will be forced to find a way to destroy you. I can’t have you using your magic against me any longer.”

     Respecting his honesty, I decided to follow his lead. Especially, since I was a horrible liar anyway. “Well then, I guess I should go ahead and let you know that I have no intention of ever joining you and allowing you to use my magic to hurt people. Now that we’ve both laid our cards out on the table, do you still want me to stay or would you prefer that I leave?” My brows lifted in expectation of his response as a sarcastic smile flowed across my lips.

     The corner of Drycus’ mouth lifted into a half-grin and he gave me a slow nod as if he approved of me challenging him. “I do like your tenacity, child. You’re stubborn and willful. It’s clear that once you set your mind to something, you stick with it. But in this case, you might want to reconsider your position. Because I am also very tenacious. And I don’t stop until I get what I want.”

     “Neither do I” I countered and held his gaze with unflinching determination. “Now we can fight about this if you want to, but we both know how that fight will end” I said and twirled a tiny ball of fire in the palm of my hand before bringing it to my lips and blowing it away. “Or we can agree to disagree and try to get along as best we can.”

     The muscles in Drycus’ jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together. He glared at me like he wished I was a weak human that he could force to bow down at his feet. But there was no way in hell that was ever going to happen. Not now. Not ever.

     “Very well. We’ll save the discussion of your future for a later date. For now, I will be content just to have you here” Drycus snarled and thrust his hand out to me.

     I stared at it like it could somehow do me harm. The thought of touching him terrified me. Even though, I desperately wanted to know more about him…about his past and how he was created…I was suddenly nervous about what I might see or feel if memories from his past reached out to me again through our physical contact. I wasn’t ready mentally to look into his mind again.

     After staring at his outstretched hand for several long seconds, I finally shook my head and he let it fall back to his side. We stepped inside the castle and the doors closed behind us. I glanced over my shoulder and saw two vampires scurrying off into the darkness of one of the side rooms.

     Drycus guided me passed the stairs, deep into the darkness of the castle where the light from the chandelier in the foyer didn’t reach.

     “Where are you taking me?” I asked.

     He glanced over at me with a hint of concern in his dark eyes. “You don’t look well, my child. I can tell you are in need of blood. And I’d like you to join me for lunch.”

     “Lunch” I said and nearly choked on the word. It had been a very long time since I’d eaten and I definitely wouldn’t consider the drinking of blood ‘lunch’.

     “I think I’ll pass, but thank you for the offer” I said as calmly as I could despite the jitteriness that my nerves caused throughout my body.

     “Nonsense, child” Drycus countered and stopped at the entrance to a massive dining room adorned in blood red and black decorations. The table that stretched out in front of us could easily accommodate at least twenty people, if not more. “I keep a steady blood supply here and will not miss the small amount it will take to satisfy your thirst.”

     Ignoring my protest, he urged me forward and pulled out a chair near the head of the table. He motioned with his hand for me to take a seat.

     I shook my head in refusal. “Really, I’m fine” I muttered half-heartedly as he rested his hand on my shoulder and pushed me down in the chair then took his seat at the end of the table, next to me.

     As soon as he touched me, I sucked in a sharp breath, expecting a reaction through our bond. Thankfully, nothing happened. Perhaps, it was because the brief contact wasn’t skin to skin. Instead, his hand had only touched the cloth of my shirt. Once he removed his hand from my shoulder, I let out a relieved breath.

     Drycus hissed low in his throat and a female vampire rushed into the room with a silver tray that held over a dozen wine glasses filled to the rim with blood. As soon as the intoxicating aroma hit my nose, my hunger attempted to fight through the magic I had been using to contain it. My entire body trembled as my eyes locked onto the tray when the vampire woman sat it down directly in front of me with a sadistic grin on her face.

     “Enjoy” she sneered near my ear before turning to leave.

     My instincts and thirst told me to down every glass on the tray, but my heart and head urged me to get up and run away as fast as possible. My mouth filled with saliva in anticipation of feeding as my vision zeroed in on the blood. I could feel my thirst getting stronger as my magic grew weaker.

     “Well, what are you waiting for, child?” Drycus asked as his eyes narrowed on me. “Stop the pain that I know you are enduring. Surely, you must be tired of hurting by now.”

     I forced my gaze away from the blood to glare at him. The smug grin on his face made me want to slap him. I ground my teeth together and put everything I had in to restraining my thirst long enough to get out of the unfortunate situation I had allowed myself to get into. Looking at the tray of blood once more, I used my magic to make it disappear.

     As soon as it was gone from my sight, I blew out a deep breath before turning my attention back to Drycus, who was staring at me like he wanted to knock me off of the chair. “Was that necessary?” he asked roughly.

     “Apparently, it was since you can’t take no for an answer” I replied dryly.

     The muscles in Drycus’ jaw clenched. “Why must you be so difficult?” he growled and brought his fist down on the table in a swift motion. The sound of the wood splitting down the center of the table pierced the silence of the room.

     My internal alarm warned me to leave, but there was no way I was going to give Drycus the satisfaction of seeing me cower to his anger. I put on a brave face and gave him a big smile. “Are you done with your little temper tantrum?” I asked sarcastically. “If you are, then perhaps we can attempt a conversation that doesn’t center around the unfortunate needs of my body. Since as you can see, my resistance is much stronger than you give me credit for.”

     If looks could kill, I swear I’d be dead by now with the way he stared at me. Luckily, I didn’t have to endure his hateful gaze for long. Barely a minute passed before his face softened and the struggle in his eyes calmed. “Very well, child, let’s talk” he said, then paused briefly like he was thinking about his next words. “Where is Darian?”

     The unexpected question surprised me, but I hid my discomfort well. I didn’t miss a beat as I responded, “He’s dead. Just like all the others you have sent against me.”

     Drycus’ nostrils flared as my words registered in his mind. “That is rather upsetting to me” he growled between clenched teeth. “Darian was one of the more tolerable of the imbeciles I’ve created. His loyalty to me was quite impressive.”

     I shrugged like I didn’t really care. The last thing I wanted was for Drycus to learn that Darian was still alive. Then he would know my secret…that I could heal vampires. “Darian was warned. And he chose to ignore the warning and he paid the price for his decision” I said coldly.

     “Is that the true reason why you’re here? Do you think you can kill me just as easily as my creations?” Drycus asked in a challenging tone.

     “Not at all” I responded. “I’m here to get to know you. I want to learn how you came to be. From what curse were you born? Most importantly, I want to know why I exist. How and why was I born?” I was surprised by my own honesty. I hadn’t intended to reveal my true motive for being there.

     “Well, then…I’m afraid you’re going to be very disappointed.”

     “Why is that?” I asked.

     “Because your questions about me have no answers” Drycus said without emotion. “As to why you are here…well, you should probably ask your mother that question. After all, it was her magic that gave you life.”

     “But there has to be an answer somewhere as to how you were created” I said with enthusiasm and leaned forward onto the table. “You didn’t just materialize out of thin air. If you weren’t born a vampire then someone must have created you. But how? Haven’t you ever wondered about your past?”

     “Why would I?” Drycus asked, as if the thought of learning about his past repulsed him. “I’ve already lived it once, why would I ever want to relive it?”

     Not wanting him to know that the key to his destruction was hidden within his past, I let the topic of our discussion fade. After a moment of total silence, I glanced over to the doorway. “When can I see my mother?” I asked to distract myself from the dangerous path my thoughts were going down.

     My hand trembled as I considered reaching out and touching Drycus’ arm in hopes of finding the answers to my questions somewhere in his mind. Not knowing what I would see or how it might affect me physically and mentally, I knew it would be a mistake to touch him when I wasn’t prepared to deal with the repercussions.

     Drycus stood from the table, pushing his chair back roughly across the floor. “Since being in my company seems to have bored you, I guess now would be a good time for you to visit with your mother” he said and stepped out of the dining room.

     I quietly followed him back to the foyer and up the stairs.

Chapter Three

 

Kaia

 

 

As soon as I laid eyes on my mother from the doorway of her room, I was once again in awe of her beauty. Her long white hair cradled her perfect face as she smiled. She stood from her vanity across the room and held her arms out to me. Without hesitation, I rushed into her embrace and held onto her as tears filled my eyes. She brushed a hand down the length of my hair as she held me against her chest.

     Her absence the night of the fight in the cellar had me concerned about her safety. I had been worried sick for the last couple of days that Drycus had done something bad to her.

     “My sweet, Kaia” she whispered. “It’s so good to see you. I feared I’d never get the chance to hold you again.”

     I lifted my head and looked at her. Tears filled her eyes as she smiled.

     Before I could respond, Drycus spoke from the doorway where I had left him standing all alone. “I’ll leave the two of you to visit with one another and perhaps I will be asked to stay the for the next visit.” His words were spoken with kindness but the anger in his eyes contrasted the sentiment he expressed.

     “Thank you, my love.”

     I stared at my mother in shock as her words to Drycus lingered in the air.

     He bowed slightly at the waist, his eyes never left my mother’s until he left the room.

     “What was that about? Why did you call him that?” I asked my mother as she took my hand in hers and led me over to a large white chaise lounge on the far side of the room.

     She smiled as we sat down. “I’m sure all of this seems quite odd to you, Kaia. But your father and I do care very much for one another.”

     Disbelief and shock radiated through my body. “What?! I don’t understand. When we met in the woods, I got the impression that you were terrified of him. In fact, I felt your fear.”

     “It wasn’t fear of your father and what he might to do me that you felt. It was the fear of what he would do to Adora and the others if he learned where they were hiding.”

     My brow furrowed. “But he already knows. He told me so. He’s always known where they are.”

     My mother placed her hands on top of each other in her lap. Her face softened as she glanced toward the door. “And yet he allowed them to live. I’m proud of him for his restraint.”
     I stared at her like she had lost her mind. “What?” I repeated and shook my head as confusion filled my mind in waves. “What is going on? You’re talking as if you actually love Drycus.”

     “I do love him.”

     Her response caused a rush of air to escape my lungs as I gasped. That was the last thing I would have expected her to say. I stared at her, dumbfounded. “But how? How could you love him after everything he’s done to you? After what he did to your mother? And our people?”

     A deep frown pulled down my mother’s mouth as she lowered her head. Shame filled her eyes when she looked up at me a moment later. “I know the horrors your father has committed. And a part of me does hate him for what he’s done. But for the last fifty years, he has loved and taken care of me. And during that time, I’ve seen a different side of him. He can be gentle and even kind when he tries. It’s that part of him that I have learned to love.”

     I remained silent and stared at my mom. There was so much I wanted to say to her. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that Drycus didn’t deserve her love or anyone else’s. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong for feeling anything other than pure hatred for him. But the words got stuck in my throat when my mother reached over and gently squeezed my hand. The sadness in her eyes made it impossible for me to release my anger on her. And the more I thought about it, the more I understood I didn’t have a right to judge how she felt.

     I had no idea what had happened in her life after I was sent away. All I knew was that my mother had spent five decades living with Drycus. And if she somehow developed feelings for him during that time, it was wrong of me to judge her for it…no matter how much I disliked the idea of them being together.

     I let out a deep breath before forcing myself to calm down. There was so much on my mind that I didn’t know how to proceed with our conversation. It took a moment for me to be able to think clear enough to speak again.

     “I met my brother” I said to change the subject. “Imagine my surprise when I realized I already knew him.” I paused to gauge her reaction. “If I remember correctly, you told me that he was born without magic. But I swear I saw him change from a young girl into himself. Vampires can’t change forms like that.”

     My mother released my hand and sighed heavily. “Lucas was born without magic. But because he was conceived when I was a Lenoi, he’s more susceptible to the effects of Lenoi magic. Whereas the rest of us only benefit from Lenoi magic by being allowed to withstand sunlight, Lucas can also use it to disguise his appearance.”

     “I don’t understand” I said with a shake of my head. “How are vampires using Lenoi magic?”

     She lifted her hand to her chest and touched what looked like an old coin that hung from a chain around her neck. “A long time ago, soon after I sent you away, your father had captured many Lenoi and forced them to use their magic to place a protection spell on this coin and several others. As long as we wear them, we are protected from the damaging effects the sun has on bodies.”

     “But Lucas’ coin does more than that, right? He can use the magic in the coins for other things?” My words were more of a statement than a question, because I already knew the answer. I’d seen it with my own eyes.

     My mother nodded, then dropped her gaze to the floor as if she was ashamed of something. “Your father told me what Lucas tried to do. I’m so sorry, Kaia. I’ve always known he holds resentment toward you, but I never imagined he would try to hurt you.”

     “Where were you? Why weren’t you there when we rescued my friends?”

     “I wanted to be. But your father locked me in here and had his men stand outside the door. He knew you would come back for the humans and since you thought Lucas was human, Drycus decided to use him to get close to you. I had no idea Lucas had befriended you in the human world or else I would have warned you about him the first time we spoke.”

     “So it was all a sham?” I asked. “Lucas only pretended that he was kidnapped along with Sara and Gary?”

     My mom met my eyes as she spoke, “When he left with Darian and the others to go to the human world in search of you, I had assumed his reason for going was because he thought if he was able to return you to your father, he would somehow earn Drycus’ respect. And love.” She sighed, “All Lucas has ever wanted is to be accepted by his father. And I’m afraid at times, he has gone to extreme lengths to achieve that acceptance.”

     “But Lucas didn’t just trick me into coming here to save him, Mom…he tried to kill me.”

     “I know” she said sadly. “And that is why Drycus has him chained up in the cellar for real this time. It turns out Lucas no longer seeks his father’s approval. I spoke with him yesterday about what happened with you and I was shocked to hear that his plan from the beginning had been to bring you home so that he could kill you in front of your father as retaliation for Drycus denying him his entire life.”

     I took a minute to soak in what my mother said, then I exhaled deeply. “And I thought I had daddy issues. It seems Lucas is a lot more screwed up than I am.”

     Instead of responding, my mother looked away from me. When she met my eyes again, there was a pleading tone in her voice as she spoke, “Did you study the sacred journals like I asked?”

     I nodded. “I did. I learned all about the Lenoi history and our family, but I’m not sure what it was exactly that you wanted me to find.”

    “I don’t know either. Your grandmother was convinced that the key to destroying Drycus was in the journals. And I had hoped you would find a way to save us. But instead, it seems that you found a way to kill us.” She paused and looked down to the floor, “Drycus informed me that he watched you kill seven of his men. He was quite upset over the loss of Darian.”

     “I didn’t have a choice. They overwhelmed us” I said defensively even though my excuse was only partly true. I’m not sure why I didn’t tell her that Darian was alive. Maybe it was because I wasn’t really sure where her loyalty laid…with me or with my father.

     “I don’t blame you for your actions, Kaia. I’m glad you did whatever you needed to in order to escape. But I had hoped there was something in the journals to help us.” My mother’s bottom lip began to quiver, “I’m tired of living this life. I should have died fifty years ago.” Sadness filled her voice.

     “But if you had, then Lucas wouldn’t exist” I said.

     A tear rolled down her face as she met my eyes steadily. “I know. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, Kaia…I do love my son very much. But he’s nothing like you. He was born of death and never had a chance at a normal life. I’ve had to watch hatred consume him and twist his mind from the moment he learned his father would never love him. Instead of losing one child…I’ve lost two. My heart shattered the day I had to say goodbye to you and I thought it would never heal. But when Lucas was born, the pain lessened. I was given a second chance at motherhood, but no matter how much I’ve loved him or how hard I’ve tried to teach him right from wrong, I can’t save him from the evil inside him.”

     The agony in my mother’s voice touched a nerve deep inside me. It took a minute for me to understand that it wasn’t her voice that instantly made me sad…it was her words.

     I can’t save him from the evil inside him.

     The truthfulness of her statement hit me hard because I felt the same way…no one could save me from the evil inside me either. No matter how hard the people I loved tried, they were never going to be able to save me. I had two options…kill to live or starve and die. And I had already made my choice.

     I closed my eyes against the wave of fear and devastation that twisted my insides when I thought about what was going to happen to me if I continued to deny my thirst. I usually tried not to think about dying, but seeing my mom so upset over losing Lucas, I was reminded that she was going to have to face losing me all over again. Only this time the loss would be permanent.

     I stared blankly into the air in front of me as I thought about how little time I had left. As weak as I felt, I didn’t believe my emaciated body would last longer than another week. I was literally nothing more than skin and bones. It was getting to the point that the magic I used to contain my thirst was starting to wane. I could feel it getting weaker. I wasn’t strong enough to use it at full force any more. It was only a matter of time before the thirst would become stronger than my magic.

     “Kaia” my mother’s gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

     I looked her way and hoped she didn’t see the torment in my eyes.

     “Why are you still here?” she asked softly. “You accomplished your task and saved your friends. And the sacred journals didn’t hold the answers I’d hoped you would find…so why are you still here? You should get as far away from this place as possible. Go back to the human world.” She placed her hand lovingly on the side of my face and blew out a heavy breath. “It’s obvious to me that you’re not well, Kaia. You’re sick. And I think I know why…you feel the thirst, don’t you?”

     I nodded my head as shame gripped my chest.

     “And you’re fighting against it?” my mother continued.

     “I have to” I said in a low voice and dropped my gaze to the floor. “If I don’t, I’ll become even more dangerous than Drycus.”

     “But if you don’t feed, you’ll die.”

     I looked over at my mother as her words repeated in my head. From the look on her face, it was obvious that she knew I didn’t plan on living much longer. There was an intense sadness in her eyes, but there was also understanding.

     “Are Nolan and Alyse aware of what’s happening to you?”

     “No. And I don’t want them to find out.”

     Confusion crumpled her face. “They are your protectors, Kaia. They should know that your health is deteriorating so they can help you.”

     “How, Mom? How are they supposed to help me? I’m dying because I refuse to kill others to survive. Do you know what would happen if Nolan and Alyse knew the truth about how little time I have left?”

     She didn’t respond to my question. Instead, she just looked down at her folded hands. But I didn’t need her to say anything. The look on her face said it all…she knew exactly what my friends would do to save me.

     After a long stretch of silence, I reached over and laid my hand on top of my mothers and pleaded with her to keep my secret. “Please, Mom, don’t tell anyone. My fate is sealed. But Nolan and Alyse still have long lives ahead of them…they can’t save me. No one can. I don’t want my friends to lose the goodness in their hearts to feed the darkness in mine.”

     When she looked away like she wasn’t going to respond, I squeezed her hand tight to get her attention. “Promise me, Mom. Promise me that no matter what happens to me or how weak I get that you won’t ever tell anyone.”

     She met my eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. “My sweet, Kaia.” She paused as a tortured look flashed across her face. “If that is your last wish from me, then I will honor it.”

     Before I could respond, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I swallowed past the huge lump in my throat as I returned her embrace. “Thank you, Mom.”

     It felt so good to be in her arms that the thought of leaving the castle without her was unbearable…and I knew what I had to do. “To answer your earlier question, I’m still here because I am going to save you” I whispered.

     I knew what I was about to do was going to change the plan I had walked into the castle with, but I couldn’t go another minute without releasing my mother from the curse Drycus had forced upon her. I needed to see her freed before my death.

     “How?” she asked and tried to pull back from me.

     But I wouldn’t let her. I closed my eyes and tightened my hold around her body so that she couldn’t move as my whispered words left my mouth. “The only way I know how to.”

     Without hesitation, I sank my fangs into her neck.

     She didn’t even attempt to fight me as I sucked her black blood into my mouth and forced it down my throat. After several large gulps, an agonizing pain gripped my stomach in protest. Unable to withstand the pain that radiated up into my throat, I released the hold around my mother and she fell from the chaise lounge onto the floor with a loud thud.

     “What did you do to me?” she gasped as her black eyes slowly clouded over to a dark shade of grey, then lightened to a pearl white color.

     I fell to the floor beside her with my arms wrapped tightly around my waist in a pointless attempt to ease the pain twisting my insides. “Just stay quiet” I whispered roughly and prayed that Drycus wouldn’t come rushing into the room. I needed a few minutes to try and catch my breath and get a grip on the agony that threatened to send me into unconsciousness. I could already feel my body heating up from the inside out as her blood poisoned me.

     My mother started making loud moaning noises as her body shook through the same transition I had witnessed Mandy go through. Fear consumed me at the thought of Drycus coming to investigate the sound. With great effort, I managed to get to my feet and focused on my magic enough to send my mother to Torlan. Once she was gone, I stumbled across the room to stand behind the door of the room. Unsure of my next move, I backed up against the wall just as Drycus burst into the room.

     Acting on pure instinct and not giving any thought at all to my actions, I came from behind the door he thrust open and leapt onto his back and bit into his neck, hoping to repeat what I’d done with my mom. The instant a drop of his blood touched my tongue, a barrage of images exploded in my mind like hundreds of fireworks going off all at once. I immediately lost focus on what I was doing and the distraction cost me. A lot.

     Drycus reached over his shoulder and grabbed my arm, then threw me across the room. My frail body slammed into the stone wall near the bed before falling to the hard floor. Drycus stared at me angrily with fire in his eyes as he stomped toward me.

     “What did you wish to accomplish by such a foolish act, child?” he snarled with his fangs bared and glanced around the room. “Where is your mother?” he asked as he glared at me, completely uncaring to the fact that blood was coming from my mouth and nose.

     “She’s gone” I gasped as unimaginable pain rippled throughout my body from my mother’s poisoned blood and possible broken bones.

     Drycus knelt to the floor beside me as I struggled with each breath that I took. He gripped my face so roughly in his hand that my teeth ached from the pressure he applied to my jaw. He forced me to look at him. “Where is Celeste?” he repeated. “What have you done with her?” The rage in his voice warned that I was in serious trouble. He didn’t look one bit concerned for my wellbeing.

     My eyes fell to the ruby red medallion around his neck as it fell free of its hiding spot under his shirt. It was identical to the sapphire medallion I had left with my belongings in Torlan. The only difference was the gemstone it contained. After studying the sacred journals, I knew how special the medallions were. Not only to the Lenoi but to me as well. Possessing them both would increase my magic.

     I forced myself to meet Drycus’ hateful gaze. “My mother is out of your reach.” The words had barely left my mouth when I used the last of my energy to snatch the medallion from his neck and vanished from his sight.

     I reappeared on the ground inside the shield around Torlan. Within seconds, I was staring up at the worried faces of Collin and Gabby. Their panicked voices melted together and I couldn’t understand anything they said as the pain in my body became too much and I welcomed the darkness that suddenly covered me.

Chapter Four

 

Nolan

 

 

 

“Try again!” the desperation in my voice boomed through the valley as I narrowed my eyes on the line of Lenoi standing in front of the opening to the shield that surrounded Menar.

     “We’re too tired, Nolan” Adora said with an exhausted breath. “We’ve been at this for two days straight. We all need to rest. You know that we don’t possess magic strong enough to open the shield and the incantations don’t work. Even all of us combining our magic…it’s just not enough.”

     “She’s right, Nolan” Alyse said.

     Frustrated, my nostrils flared as I glared at the Lenoi and Pixies all around me. I remembered growing up in Shohala Falls and being in awe of the magic the other Lenoi possessed. Not being blessed with any myself – aside from the ability to fight – I was always amazed at the things the other Lenoi could do. Looking at what was left of my species, it was truly shocking and disappointing to see how much their magic had dwindled through the years. Other than a Healer, a Cloaker and the Empath; Brin, no one else seemed to possess any sort of useful magic at all.

     “We’re going to keep trying” I said and focused my attention on Brin, “Take Crispin and Noah to help you bring out the rest of the sacred journals. There has to be something in them to help us lift this damn shield.”

     Brin shook her head. “I’ve already read the ones here. There is nothing in the journals that will tell us how to break a shield. Kaia took all the journals with incantations with her.”

     “Well, read them again!” I bellowed.

     “No! We’re done with this” Adora said with a tight voice. She stepped away from the others and approached me with her hands on her hips. “Kaia will come back if and when she’s ready to. The rest of us have lives that we need to get back to” she paused, “I’m sorry for what she’s going through. And I’m sorry for the pain you’re feeling. But Kaia knows what she’s doing. Have faith in her and trust that she’ll come back.”

     I glared angrily at Adora. Even though she was royalty…the daughter of the Queen I’d served and swore my life to protect, at that moment, I had no regard for her at all. “Don’t speak as if you actually know or care about Kaia. You’re the one who told her to leave. You couldn’t care less if she never came back.”

     “Is that what you think, Nolan? That I don’t care about her?”

     “What I think about your intentions doesn’t matter.” I turned my attention to Noah and Crispin as several of the Lenoi moved out of the line to sneak back to the valley. “Go with Brin now!” I growled and pointed to the two idiots that had managed to get on my bad side the very first time I’d met them.

     From the corner of my eye, I saw Adora make a hand gesture toward her favorite warriors. A second later, Noah and Crispin started toward me. At first, I thought they were on their way to do as I’d commanded, then I noticed the frightened, uncertain look in their eyes and I knew what was about to happen.

     I shook my head slightly, warning them not to test me in the mental state I was in, but it was a warning they didn’t heed. And in truth, I was glad they didn’t. I needed an opportunity to release some of the pent up rage inside me.

     “Don’t say I didn’t warn you idiots” I said and landed a quick punch to the side of Noah’s head after he swung at me and I ducked his attack.

     Crispin came at me from the side, catching me at the waist and knocking me to the ground. Before he had a chance to get on top of me, I was already back on my feet. I swung my leg out and kicked him in the side of the head before spinning around and landing a bone crunching jab to Noah’s ribs. He doubled over and I hit him in the back of the head with an elbow shot that sent him into unconsciousness before he hit the ground.

     Crispin made one last feeble attempt to hit me that I quickly dodged, then I laid him out right beside his buddy with a quick punch to the side of his head.

     “Anyone else?!” I shouted and glared at everyone staring at me with fear in their eyes. “Who wants to try their luck against me?!” I yelled and took a step toward the crowd.

     The Pixies quickly ran for safety within the mountain, while the Lenoi simply lowered their heads and refused to meet my eyes. Adora shot me a disapproving glare then retreated to her room where she had been keeping Darian hidden out of my sight for fear that I would kill him if I saw him.

     Within minutes, I was standing completely alone on the path in front of the shield. At least, I thought I was alone. It wasn’t until Alyse spoke, that I realized she was still there.

     “You’ve got to stop this, Nolan. This isn’t how Kaia would want you to be.”

     I glanced over my shoulder and saw Alyse standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest. I hadn’t noticed before but she looked really tired. Her eyes were red and puffy with dark bags underneath them. Without saying a word to her, I spun around and wrapped my arms around her tiny body and hugged her. I told myself it was to offer her comfort, but the truth was I needed to be comforted just as badly as she did. Alyse was the only connection I had with Kaia. We were both hurting.

 

*****

 

“Why did she do this?” I asked as a feeling of defeat settled in my chest. “I don’t understand. Why did Kaia erase my memory and leave us trapped here?” Sitting on the ground in front of the shield that separated us from the outside world, I looked to Alyse for a response. Neither of us had spoken a word in the last half an hour as we sat there just quietly thinking to ourselves.

     “She’s scared, Nolan. And confused” Alyse replied.

     “About what? Me? It can’t be a coincidence that she decides to disappear after learning that I’m her soulmate.”

     “It’s not just that” Alyse said from her seat next to me. She paused for a moment, “Let’s face it, none of us really know what she’s going through. I mean, she’s half vampire and half fairy, she’s bombarded with magic that she’s not ready for, she hungers for the blood of her friends, she’s burdened with the task of trying to save everyone she loves, all while trying to deal with visions of her own death. Who wouldn’t want to run away from a life like that?”

     “She’s been having visions of her death again?” I asked as Alyse’s last sentence stuck in my head, bringing back memories of the horrible visions Kaia had as a child that often left her screaming for hours.

     Alyse looked at me with sorrowful eyes and nodded. “She’s certain her death is coming soon and she wants to make sure Drycus is out of the picture before she dies.”

     “I won’t let it happen” I said with certainty and jumped to my feet with renewed purpose.

     “You won’t let what happen?”

     “I won’t let her die.” Before Alyse could say anything else, a sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through my body and I started punching the invisible barrier in front of me as hard as I could. While I couldn’t see it, I did feel it’s force as it repelled my hits.

     When my punches didn’t work to break the shield, I grabbed the arrows from my bow and began stabbing the tips of them into the shield. All the while, Kaia’s face was forefront in my mind and her name on my tongue as I yelled out for her with each strike I made into the shield.

Chapter Five

 

Kaia

 

 

 

 

The sound of my mother’s voice reached my ears through the darkness that filled my mind and kept me from opening my eyes. There was panic in her voice that made me concerned for her wellbeing, but no matter how hard I tried to move or open my eyes, I couldn’t. I was trapped inside my body…only it didn’t seem like my body that I was in. It felt foreign…unfamiliar.

     I drifted further away from my mother’s voice as the sound of laughter called out to me, begging for my attention. It took a minute, but I finally realized what was happening when the darkness slowly faded and a scene I had seen before replayed in my mind. Drycus’s memories were still in my head.

     I forced myself to focus on the images as they became clearer. Just like the last time I saw into his mind, I saw Drycus standing outside of an old barn with a little boy and a brunette woman holding an infant in her arms. The little boy laughed out loud as Drycus chased him around the woman. The sound of the child’s voice filled my chest with joy and happiness. It was like I knew him. And had a tremendous amount of love for him. But I didn’t know the boy. How could I love him?

     I shifted my attention from the boy to Drycus and quickly realized it wasn’t my love that I felt for the boy, it was his. Drycus loved the little boy. And the woman. I could see it in his eyes. They were his family. Shocked by the discovery, I immersed myself deeper into the memory. Or vision…whatever it was that had consumed my mind and paralyzed my body, making it impossible for me to wake up.

     The deeper I drifted into the darkness of my own mind, the more connected I felt to the feelings attached to the images I saw. After playing with the little boy, Drycus picked him up and carried him inside an old wooden cabin reminiscent of those of the early eighteenth century. A lantern sat in the window of the home, offering little light to the interior. I watched as Drycus kissed the boy on the forehead and put him to bed in a tiny room that held nothing but a cot half the size of a twin sized bed, then he joined the brunette woman in the attached room. The infant was asleep in a straw bassinette in the corner.

     I cringed inwardly as Drycus removed his clothes and slid into bed beside the woman. I felt his desire to be with her and quickly retreated from the image when he leaned forward and kissed her as his hand rubbed over her nightgown to caress her breast. I knew what was about to happen and had no desire to witness my father’s love life. I forced my mind to move on. As soon as that image faded, another one took its place.

     Drycus and his family were sitting in a pew at what appeared to be a very old church. He smiled at the woman I was certain had been his wife, as she sang in tune with the rest of the congregation, while cradling their baby in her arms. The little boy bounced around on Drycus’ lap as he attempted to keep up with the song.

     I was completely entranced with the normalcy of what I saw that I was totally unprepared for what happened next. The vision of the church suddenly vanished and darkness filled my mind again as horrendous screams echoed in my ears, causing my brain to pulse from the force of the sound. I searched through the darkness, looking for the source of the bloodcurdling yells.

     Then I saw him. I saw my father sitting on the ground outside the barn from the previous vision. It was dark outside and his facial features were only barely recognizable with the dim moonlight that shined down on him. He was screaming at the top of his lungs as tears rolled down his face.

     My heart felt like it had been ripped violently from my chest as his pain filtered into me as if it was my own. I forced my attention to the dark figures that laid in his lap and around his legs. It took a moment for me to realize what it was that I saw…when I did, I let out my own pain-filled screams to match those erupting from my father.

     I screamed so loud that my screams drowned out those from Drycus. And soon, I couldn’t hear his voice at all. The devastated feelings inside me, consumed me…filling me with rage and hatred, forcing even more screams from my lungs to ease the pain that made me wish for death.

     It wasn’t until voices I recognized forced their way into my mind, that I knew I was no longer locked in the vision. I focused on my mother’s voice as she called out to me. Her fear reached out to me, pulling me forward…toward the sound of her voice. The need to see her…to get as far away from the images in my head as possible urged me to fight through the darkness.

     “Kaia! Kaia! Open your eyes!”

     “Is she dead?”
     “Oh God. What did he do to her?”

     Several voices were all talking at once, barely registering in my mind. One in particular instantly touched my heart because it was a voice I thought I would never hear again. The sound of it, soothed and terrified me at the same time.

     I knew my body was safe in Torlan and that the people I heard and felt moving around me were my friends. I should have felt comforted and safe…but I didn’t. The image from the last vision was stuck in my head and the longer it lingered there, the more pain I was in. Despite my best effort not to scream anymore, the piercing sound continued to erupt from my lungs with unrelenting force.

     “She’s in pain!” someone yelled.

     “Do something! She’s dying” cried someone else.

     My body began shaking violently. At first, I thought I was convulsing. Then I felt a strong set of hands gripping my shoulders, shaking me. My eyes flew open and a disoriented feeling of being abruptly forced back into my own body and mind, clouded my head. All of the terror and pain I’d felt seconds ago instantly disappeared as an intense hollow feeling settled over me, making me feel so exhausted that I could barely hold my eyes open.

     Too tired to speak after the horrendous ordeal I’d just experienced, all I could do was offer a half smile to the person staring down at me with murder in his eyes. As I drifted back into unconsciousness - this time completely void of images or dreams – I got the feeling that I was floating away.

     Had I died? Did those horrific memories from Drycus steal away what was left of my life? A sense of flying through the air made me feel calm and at peace with myself for the first time in a very long time.

 

*****

 

I don’t know how long I was out, but as my body and mind struggled to rejoin the world of the living, I knew I wasn’t alone. Hushed voices and the sound of two hearts beating across the room alerted me to the presence of my mother…and Nolan. I could feel him nearby. I knew I should open my eyes and let them know that I was awake, but fear of seeing Nolan kept me from doing so.

     Clearly, the spell to erase his memory hadn’t worked the way I’d planned and there was no doubt in my mind that he was mad at me. I could already feel his anger. It was radiating off him like a bad odor. And I wasn’t ready to face him yet. Not after everything I’d been through. So I laid there, pretending to still be asleep and listened as Nolan and my mother talked.

     “Are you certain you don’t know what Drycus did to her?” Nolan asked.

     I heard my mom let out an exasperated sigh. “If I knew, Nolan, I would tell you. Don’t you think I want my daughter to be well?”

     “I know. It’s just…the way she screamed…I’ve heard those terrible sounds come from her before. It wasn’t something I ever wanted to hear again.” The pain in Nolan’s voice let me know he still struggled with the memories he carried with him of the nightmares I’d had as a child.

     “All that matters now is that Kaia is safe” my mother said, her voice cracked as she spoke.

     I wanted so badly to jump up and run to her and tell her that I was okay…that she didn’t need to cry for me, but the sound of someone else entering the room kept me in place on the bed.

     “Is she awake yet?” I heard Alyse ask.

     “No” was the only response Nolan gave.

     Silence filled the room for several long seconds before Alyse spoke again. “It’s been four days. Lila said that the poison in her body from the blood she consumed from Collin, Gabby and Celeste should be out of her system by now.”

     My mind stuck on her words. Four Days? I’d been out of it for four days? But it seemed like only hours ago that I was trapped in Drycus’ memories.

     “Perhaps she’s too weak to wake up. It’s been almost a week since she first left. She probably hasn’t had any blood since then” Alyse said.

     “Well, it’s not like we can force feed her” Nolan said harshly, “She has to wake up before Mandy can feed her.”

     I cringed inwardly at the thought of drinking from Mandy. There was no way that was going to happen.

     “I am absolutely astonished at everything I’ve learned in the last few days” My mother’s voice was full of awe as she spoke, “I can’t believe Kaia found a way to reverse the vampire curse. It’s a miracle. She truly can save us all.” She paused and I could hear the smile in her voice when she continued, “For the first time ever, I actually have hope for our future.”

     “Am I the only one here who doesn’t think all of this is going to be as easy as everyone thinks?” Alyse’s voice sounded uncertain. Scared.

     “What do you mean?” My mother asked.

     “I know both of you have noticed how sick Kaia is. Hell, it’s not even hard to see. She looks like she’s on the brink of death.”

     “Don’t say that!” Nolan’s tight voice snapped.

     “Well, it’s true and you know it” Alyse countered.

     “She’s just tired. That’s all. She just needs more time to heal.” Nolan’s words caused my chest to tighten. Did he really believe that? Did he truly believe I would get better with time? What would happen if instead of seeing me get better with time, he noticed me getting worse…weaker? What would he do to save me?

     The thought caused unwanted images of horrific things to fill my mind. There was nothing Nolan wouldn’t do to save me. Even if that meant turning himself into a monster and killing others to feed me. Disgusted with the images my mind conjured up, I quickly forced them away and promised that I would do a better job at hiding the truth from Nolan. No matter the cost.

     Focusing on my magic, I could still feel it restraining my thirst. Barely. Remembering one of the spells from my grandmother’s book, I recited it in my mind and hoped that it would work without having to be spoken out loud. When I opened my eyes a few minutes later and looked at my arms and hands, I knew that it had been successful.

     My cracked, dehydrated skin now appeared smoother and healthier. The bones in my hands no longer protruded through the skin, and my nails no longer looked like they were about to fall off my fingers. I wanted to see if the rest of my appearance had improved, but honestly, I didn’t need to see myself in a mirror to know that the spell had worked.

     To the world, I would appear healed. No one would know that what they saw when they looked at me was just an illusion. A mask of magic to cover the truth…I was dying. My body was giving out on me.

Chapter Six

 

Kaia

 

 

 

 

“Kaia! You’re awake!” Alyse beamed as she hurried over to the bed when she noticed me sitting up, looking at my hands.

     She was quickly followed by Nolan and my mother.

     “Wow. You look amazing” Alyse said as she plopped down on the bed next to me. “Doesn’t she look great?” she asked and looked across the bed to Nolan, who was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

     “Indeed, she does” my mother replied with an odd tone to her voice. She studied my face like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, then rested her hand to the side of my face. “How do you feel, Kaia?”

     I kept my eyes on her and avoided looking in Nolan’s direction. I could feel him staring at me like he was trying to see through me. “I’m okay” I said and smiled thinly.

     “What happened?” Alyse asked excitedly, “It’s like you found a fountain of youth or something in your sleep within the last few hours. I can’t believe how healthy you look.”

     As soon as the words left her mouth, it was like everyone suddenly had the same thought enter their heads. Nolan and Alyse’s eyes widened as they took in my new appearance. “Oh God. You didn’t…” Alyse’s words died off when Nolan made a noise deep in his throat.

     “What?” I asked, feeling a little confused. Barely a heartbeat passed before I understood what the terrified look on Alyse’s face meant. I jumped to defend myself. “If you’re wondering if I killed someone to fill my belly while I was unconscious – which by the way, I don’t even think something like that is possible - the answer is no.” I tried to keep the hurt I felt out of my voice but it was hard. Did my best friend really think I would kill someone?

     “That’s not what I meant” Alyse said sadly.

     I cocked my head at her. “Of course, it was. But it’s okay. You have good reason to be concerned.”

     Nolan’s heated gaze on me, made me feel uncomfortable. He still hadn’t spoken a word. And the mixed emotions I felt coming from him made me even more worried about what was going on inside his head.

     Needing to distract myself from him and the firestorm of emotion building in my chest, I turned to my mom, “How are you doing?” I asked and peered into the same white eyes that Mandy and Darian also shared.

     My mother’s hand shot up to her right eye. She touched the edge of it. “I’m still getting used to the white” she said with a timid smile. “But it does feel amazing to be able to eat real food again. And I don’t miss the thirst at all.”

     “What?” I asked and sat up straight in the bed. “You remember being a vampire?”

     She nodded.

     “How is that possible? The other’s claim not to remember anything.”

     “I don’t know” my mom replied and looked down at her hands in her lap. “Perhaps, I remember because I never really changed the way the others did. They all lost themselves when they were changed. They lost who they were. And I didn’t. I always knew who I was. The feelings I had in life carried over in death. At least…that’s what I think. But I could be wrong.”

     I thought about her theory. And the more I considered it, the more reasonable it sounded. “You remember everything?” I asked just to make sure. “Including Lucas.”

     “Yes. I remember my son.”

     I sat there quietly thinking about everything I’d learned while at the castle. I guess Nolan took my silence as a sign that I needed to be left alone for a while. When I finally snapped out of my thoughts, I saw him ushering my mom and Alyse toward the door. Just as I was about to ask them to stay, they stepped out of the room and Nolan closed the door.

     I watched silently as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the door. I knew I was in a lot of trouble with him. I stared at his back as he spread his hands out, bracing them against the door. I could hear his breaths from across the room, coming in heavy, controlled gusts. He was upset and I knew it took a lot for him to remain calm. The erratic beating of his heart made me want to go to him…to soothe him. But I resisted the urge and stayed where I was.

     After a few very long intense minutes, Nolan finally turned around to face me. As soon as his eyes met mine, I wished that he would turn back around so that I wouldn’t have to see the agony in his gaze. Nolan moved away from the door but kept his distance from the bed. He hovered near the sofa in the middle of the room, making me think he didn’t trust himself to come closer to me. Why? I wasn’t sure. But I had a feeling it had something to do with the rage I felt boiling inside him.

     He stood at the end of the sofa and crossed his arms over his broad chest and glared in my direction. “What did you think you were going to accomplish by erasing my memory and going out on your own?” he asked in a thick voice.

     He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he said, “Do you have any idea the kind of person you’re turning me into?”

     “Nolan, I’m sorry” I said in hopes of easing the dark shadows I saw in his eyes.

     “Don’t!” he growled. “I don’t want your apology. I want you to answer my question. Do you know what you’re doing to me?” He said each word slowly and carefully.

     I studied him for a moment then slowly nodded my head. “I hurt you, I know that.”

     “You did a hell-of-a-lot more than that, Kaia. In your crazy attempt to save me, you almost destroyed me. I have never been in so much pain before in my entire life. Every fiber of my body ached and I didn’t know why. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Pain is physical…it comes on strong but eventually passes with time.” He paused, never taking his eyes off me. “What you did is far worse than physical pain…you took away my soul. And almost brought about the destruction of everyone we know and care about.”

     Stunned by the accusation, I crawled to the foot of the bed then stood up. Barely five feet separated me from Nolan. “What are you talking about, Nolan? You still have your soul and I still have mine. I erased your memory, that’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

     He let out a deep sigh and dropped his arms to his side. “Over the last few days, I’ve learned a lot about myself. And my past. Why I was chosen by your grandmother to go with you into the human world. All this time, I thought I was sent there to protect you because of my fighting skills. I was the strongest warrior the Lenoi possessed. Turns out, there was a bit more to Izola’s decision to send me with you than what I was told.”

     Staring at him, I tried to make sense of what he said but I didn’t understand where he was going. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Nolan. How does your past have anything to do with you being angry at me for leaving?”

     “I had a really long talk with Adora yesterday while you were asleep. I remembered something she said about Izola being afraid of me that day in the valley soon after we arrived here and I questioned her about it. She was hesitant to talk to me at first but I got her to tell me the truth.”

     “The truth about what?” I asked, completely clueless as to where the conversation was headed.

     “Apparently, you aren’t the only one Meg used to have visions about. A few years before you were born, Meg told your grandmother that she’d had a vision about me. I wasn’t the same person back then that I am now, Kaia. I was filled with so much unbridled rage. And hatred for vampires. They had taken my father from me. And even though I kept myself distracted from the feelings that festered inside me by training and fighting, they were still there…growing stronger every day.”

     “What did Meg see?” I asked as understanding finally hit. Meg had seen something horrible in Nolan’s future.

     He lowered his eyes to the floor as he spoke. “She saw me spiraling downward into devastation and destruction. She saw me giving in to my hatred and becoming something even worse than the vampires. At least they kill for survival. Meg saw me killing for fun. She warned your grandmother that if I didn’t let go of my hatred for vampires that it would destroy me. She saw me living a life of hunting and slaughtering hundreds of vampires.”

     I looked at him with confusion. “But that doesn’t make sense. Vampires can’t be killed. All the bullshit we learned in the human world about wooden stakes, sunlight, crosses…none of that would ever kill a real vampire. So how did Meg see you killing them?”

     “Decapitation. Remember how I freed my father?” Nolan’s voice was tight with emotion as he lifted his eyes to mine. “Meg saw me decapitating vampires with some sort of specialized steel sword infused with magic.” He paused and I couldn’t help but think he was in pain as he thought about his next words. “Izola was concerned for my future. She feared she was going to lose me to the insanity of my hatred.”

     “That’s why she sent you away with me? To get you out of Shohala Falls and away from the vampires?”

     A muscle in Nolan’s jaw ticked and I could feel his anger intensifying…but it wasn’t directed at me. He was mad at himself. “Not exactly. When Meg had the vision about me, she saw someone else in it. Someone she didn’t know. Someone who didn’t exist at that time.”

     Nolan suddenly seemed nervous as he looked at me. “She saw a vampire girl with white hair and black eyes…she saw me kill the girl.” He stopped talking long enough for me to register what he said. The shocked look on my face must have confirmed to him that I understood.

     He continued, “After Meg told Izola about the vision, she never gave it a second thought…until you were born. After all, Izola wanted the vampires dead just as badly as I did. But once Meg saw you, she knew you were the girl I was going to kill. She warned Izola to keep me away from you, but instead of listening to her, your grandmother appointed me as your protector. She sent me to the human world with the hope that watching you grow up would somehow change how I felt about vampires. She hoped that you would be able to teach me how to love. And that you could cure the damage done to my soul…that you could rid me of the hatred I harbored. She sent me with you to save me from myself.”

     Looking at Nolan, I was too stunned to speak. Suddenly, everything I thought I knew myself…about him…came into question. If Meg’s vision was to be taken seriously, then she saw me as a true vampire with my father’s eyes, and Nolan was going to kill me. My heart fell to my feet as despair gripped my heart. Feeling lightheaded and dazed, I swayed on my feet.

     In an instant, Nolan was at my side, holding onto my arm to steady me. He looked at me with concern. “Are you all right?” he asked.

     “It can’t be true” I said weakly. “Tell me it’s not true” I pleaded.

     Nolan helped me to the bed where we both sat down. “It’s not. At least, not anymore. I could never hurt you, Kaia.”

     I looked at him with clouded eyes as confusion filled my head again. “Then why did you say I almost caused the destruction of everyone we love and care about? What did you mean by that?”
     Nolan closed his eyes for a moment and let out a deep breath before opening them again. When I locked eyes with him, I wished I hadn’t asked the question. A pained expression covered his face as he spoke, “I said that because the person I used to be is still here, Kaia. The anger that once consumed me still lives inside me. The only thing that has kept it contained all these years…is you.” He paused, “After you left and the spell you placed on me broke, all of that anger came tumbling out of me. Only it wasn’t aimed at vampires anymore. It was directed at anyone who stood in my way of getting to you.”

     Fear settled in my chest as I studied the regret that filled his eyes. My gaze fell to his hands. They were covered with fresh scars. Several of his fingers looked like they had been broken recently and were only just now healing. “What did you do, Nolan?” I asked, terrified of the answer.

     “It’s what I wanted to do that really scares me” he responded. “I could have killed every Lenoi and Pixie here…and I wouldn’t have cared one bit about their deaths. All that mattered to me was finding my way to you. If I hadn’t broken through the shield when I did…I know without a doubt I would have killed someone. I was literally going crazy without you to keep my mind straight.”

     I leaned my head against his shoulder as his confession repeated in my mind, making me regret what I’d done to him. “I did it to protect you…you have to know that. I didn’t leave to hurt you. I truly thought I was doing what was best by making you forget about me.”

     Nolan let out a long sigh and I felt the tension in his body ease as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His anger seemed to dissipate with just being near me. “I know, Kaia. But I do hope you’ve finally learned that nothing will ever keep me from you. Not even a magical shield. You’re my soulmate. We’re destined to be together. No matter where you go, I’ll always follow.” He placed a kiss on the top of my head and squeezed me closer to his side.

     “Does this mean I’m forgiven?” I asked and lifted my tired head from his shoulder to meet his gaze.

     “As long as you promise to never leave me again. For any reason” he clarified. “Sara and Gary are safe. Amber is safe. The two Lenoi we brought back with you, Gabby and Collin, have settled in nicely with the others. And your mother is now here with you and away from Drycus. There is no reason for you to ever leave me again.”

     How was I supposed to make a promise like that when I knew I was going to end up breaking it? When I didn’t respond right away, Nolan must have taken my silence as hesitance. He looked away and his body shuddered next to mine and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. I didn’t have to wait long to find out.

     “When I found you in Torlan…screaming like someone was killing you…the sight of you laying on the ground with your eyes closed…you looked dead. If it wasn’t for the screams that came from your mouth, I would have thought I’d already lost you. I can’t explain what I felt in that moment…but I will say that I never want to feel that way again. I need you, Kaia. The thought of living without you is unbearable. Please promise you won’t leave me again.”

     Tears filled my eyes despite my best efforts to keep them at bay. I knew I shouldn’t give him false hope, but I just wasn’t strong enough anymore to keep fighting battles that I didn’t have to fight. And this was one I didn’t have to fight. All I had to do was give him peace of mind and ease his fears. I could do that. Couldn’t I?

     “I promise.”

     As soon as I made the vow, guilt started eating away at my heart.

Chapter Seven

 

Kaia

 

 

 

After allowing Nolan to hold me for a few minutes, my hand instinctively went to my neck in search of my sapphire medallion. “Where is it?” I asked when I didn’t feel it against my skin.

     “Where is what?” Nolan asked.

     “My medallion. And the one I took from Drycus.”

     “Brin has them. As well as all the journals you took with you to Torlan. She’s been studying them, trying to come up with a way to use the medallions against Drycus now that we have them both.”

     “We don’t need the medallions to defeat Drycus. But they would be very useful in bringing this world back to life.” I started across the room only to be stopped by Nolan grabbing my arm.

     I looked at him as he spoke, “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, you look better than I’ve seen you in weeks but something doesn’t feel right. I still have a weird feeling here” he said and put his fisted hand over his heart. “Are we okay? You and I…do you still…” he paused, seeming unsure if he wanted to finish his sentence.

     “Do I still love you?” I finished for him. “You know I do.” I stepped into his arms, cradled his face with my hands and crushed my mouth to his in a kiss that I needed just as much as he did. I relaxed in his arms as he wrapped them tightly around my waist, pulling me against his warm body.

     After a moment, he lifted his hand and rested it against my face and stared into my eyes. “It truly is a miracle how much healthier you look. It’s good to see a bit of color back in your cheeks.”

     I smiled weakly and took a step back so that his hand would fall from my face. It was hard enough knowing that I was deceiving him with my magic to make myself look pretty, but it was just too much to hear him compliment me. “I need to talk to Brin and my mother.” Before he had a chance to stop me, I spun around and headed for the door.

     I knew he was right behind me, but I didn’t stop to look over my shoulder. When I got to Brin’s room, I didn’t even bother to knock. I simply pushed her door open and stepped inside. Brin was sitting on the floor reading one of the journals. My eyes went to the two medallions at her side.

     “Have you found anything useful?” I asked as I sat down on the floor beside her and picked up the medallions to inspect them.

     I glanced up as Nolan entered the room and shut the door behind him.

     “I’m glad you’re back” Brin’s sweet voice called my attention back to her. I looked over at her expecting to see a smile but was caught off guard by the deep frown that pulled down the corners of her mouth.

     “What’s going on?” I asked and pointed to the journal in her hands. “Something bad in there?”

     She shook her head and snapped the journal closed before leaning over and giving me a quick hug. “I was really worried about you” she whispered in a low voice. Then added, “and Nolan too.”

     When she pulled back from me, I noticed her glance over at Nolan with fear in her eyes. He sat on the arm of a chair about five feet away from us and avoided looking at Brin. Instead he stared at the floor, like he was ashamed of something. Then I remembered what he’d said back in our room about going crazy after I left. What had he done to cause Brin to be afraid of him? I made a mental note to ask her later.

     As I sat there in uncomfortable silence with Brin and Nolan, I had a bit of trouble remembering what exactly it was that made me want to go see her. I rested my head in my hand and rubbed my temples as the lightheadedness I’d felt earlier returned. Not wanting to call attention to myself, I forced my head up and did my best to look as strong as my fake appearance conveyed.

     “Have you fed since you woke up, Kaia?”

     I looked over at Brin in response to her question. I knew I couldn’t lie because Nolan had been with me since the moment I opened my eyes. I glanced over at him to see his reaction to her question. He seemed just as concerned as Brin when it came to me getting fed.

     “No” I answered honestly. “I haven’t had a chance to look for Mandy yet.”

     “I’ll go find her” Nolan said and headed for the door, without waiting for me to respond. In a matter of seconds, he was gone.

     As soon as the door shut behind him, Brin let out a deep breath and sagged forward a little.

     “Are you okay?” I asked and looked at her with raised brows.

     “I’m fine” she said without conviction. “It’s just things have been a little insane around here since you left.”

     “Yeah. Nolan told me about his um…temper tantrums.”

     “It was a bit more than that, Kaia. Nolan was able to break through the shield around Menar with nothing more than his own physical strength and the strength of his love for you. I never knew something like that was possible” Brin said then lowered her head and started picking at the hem of her blouse. “I’ve been having dream visions about him. You know the ones that sometimes happen to come true.”

     “Well, I’m back now so whatever dreams or visions you’ve had about Nolan, I’m sure they won’t come true now. There’s really nothing to worry about” I said to ease her concerns, even though I didn’t believe my words.

     “I’m sure you’re right” Brin said and smiled. It was a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but it was better than seeing her frown return.

     “So, have you found anything in the journals?” I asked, to change the subject.

     “Is there anything in particular you want me to find?” Brin asked.

     Against my better judgement, I thought back to the visions that had wreaked havoc on my mind after I bit my father and appeared in Torlan. I was certain that the visions were his memories that had been transferred to me through his blood when I bit him. Those memories were the key I had been hoping to find to discover how he was created.

     “Yeah. Is there anything in the journals about Drycus being human at one time. Is there any information about his wife and children? I know, there isn’t anything about him in my family’s journals, but what about the journals of the other families…when Shohala Falls was first created.”

     Brin’s eyes widened as if she was shocked by my question. “Drycus’ wife and children?” she asked with disbelief. “What makes you think he had a family?”

     “I saw them. He had a wife and two young kids.”

     Brin opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut when the door to the room opened and a group of people entered. Nolan, Alyse, Mandy, Sara, Adora and my mom filled all the empty floor space around the furniture of the room. The second Sara saw me, she squealed my name and hurried over to me. I had barely gotten to my feet before she threw her arms around my neck, throwing me off-balance.

     She squeezed me in a tight hug and I knew she was crying before she ever spoke a word. “I’m so happy to see you. I can’t believe everything that has happened. Thank you so much for rescuing me. And I’m so sorry about your Aunt Meg” she babbled one sentence after the next without even taking a breath.

     I chuckled to cover my discomfort. I had truly missed my friend and was very happy that she was safe, but seeing her…feeling her arms around me…hearing her say Meg’s name, it all just reminded me too much that the life I had before was gone. “It’s good to see you, Sara” I said and wiggled out of her arms to put distance between us. “And Gary? How is he doing?”

     Sara’s face blanched and she dropped her gaze to the floor as she spoke, “He’s not doing too good. His wounds have all healed, but mentally…it’s going to take a while for him to get better.”

     “I’m sorry to hear that. I tried to get to both of you as soon as I could. I’m sorry it took so long.”

     “You saved us, that’s all that matters.” Sara stepped back so that the others could have a chance to speak with me.

     Surprisingly, Adora was the one who spoke next. She took a timid step forward and instead of hugging me, she rested her hand on my upper arm. I guess given our history, she figured that was the safest action to take with me. “I’m glad you’re back. And looking good” she added as she took in my appearance.

     Being reminded of the magical mask I wore, I wondered what exactly everyone saw when they looked at me. Did they see me the way I had looked when we first arrived in Shohala Falls? Or did they see me the way I was in the human world?

     I put the questions out of my mind and smiled at Adora. “How’s Darian?” I asked, ignoring the look Nolan gave me. It was clear from his expression that he still didn’t like Darian.

     Adora beamed at the mention of his name. “He’s doing good. He’s a little weak – I guess from the changes he went through. But other than that, he’s just the way I remember him. Aside from the new eyes, that is. Thank you again, for bringing him back to me.”

     “It was no problem. I’m just glad my theory worked.”

     Adora’s smile disappeared. “You mean you weren’t sure it would work?”

     I shook my head slightly. “Not really. But it did and everything turned out okay.”

     Adora nodded in agreement, then said, “Darian doesn’t remember anything about you. He’d like to meet you and thank you for himself once he gets his strength back.”

     “That’s not going to happen.”

     Everyone in the room turned to look at Nolan as he continued to speak and make his way over to me. “That bastard isn’t coming anywhere near Kaia.” He narrowed his eyes on Adora, “We’ve already had this discussion once. Do we need to have it again?” There was an unmistakable threat in his voice that made everyone in the room nervous.

     “Maybe some other time” I said in response to Adora.

     Then I turned my attention to my mother, who seemed to have made herself comfortable on Brin’s couch. I smiled in her direction then looked to the last person I had yet to speak to. Mandy stayed at a distance behind the sofa. When I locked eyes with her, she offered a small smile but I could tell that she was uncomfortable.

     She knew as well as I did why she was there. She was expected to supply me with blood. But she also knew a secret that no one else knew…her blood didn’t sate my thirst. In fact, it did nothing to satisfy my hunger. It was a secret I’d asked her to keep to herself. And now, here she stood in a room full of people who expected her to fulfill her duty of feeding the vampire.

     Nolan noticed me staring at Mandy and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “If you want privacy, you and Mandy can go into the bathroom so you can feed.”

     Instead of offering a verbal response, I simply smiled and locked eyes with Mandy before nodding toward the bathroom door at the back of the room. She followed me and once we were both in the bathroom, I reached for the door to close it but paused when I noticed my mom staring at me from across the room. She quickly got to her feet and hurried to speak with me.

     “Kaia, what are you doing? I know that you’re not going to feed from that girl. I’ve heard the rumors that she’s been sustaining you with her blood, but that’s not true. Is it?” she asked in a whispered voice so no one else could hear.

     “Please, Mom…just let it go. As long as everyone believes that I’m feeding from Mandy, they won’t be worrying about me.”

     The look on her face was a mixture of sadness and disapproval of my decision to deceive my friends about my health. “How long do you think this charade of yours is going to last, Kaia? Your friends deserve to know the truth. Nolan deserves to know the truth. Despite the health that I see when I look at you, I can feel you slipping away.”

     Sorrow filled my eyes as I looked at her. “I know” I whispered. “But you promised, Mom. You promised you wouldn’t say anything. Please just let me do this my way.”

     She lowered her head and stared down at her feet. I knew the argument was over when she lifted her eyes to mine again. But thankfully, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she walked away as I eased the bathroom door closed.

     Barely a second passed before Mandy’s voice cut through my thoughts.

     “Are we really going to do this?” Mandy asked as I leaned back against the door and let out a deep sigh.

     I saw her hand move toward the back pocket of her jeans and quickly said, “No. We’re not.”

     “Then how long are we going to stay in here?”

     “As long as it takes to make them think you fed me” I said and slid down the door to sit on the floor. The devastated look I’d seen on my mother’s face filled my mind.

     Mandy sat down in front of me with her legs crossed. “You know we can’t keep this up forever. Eventually, they’re going to find out the truth.”

     “Not if you keep your mouth shut, they won’t” I said and leveled a pointed glare at her.

     After a few minutes of just looking at each other, Mandy spoke again. “What happened out there?”

     I didn’t need her to elaborate to know what she was asking. She wanted to know what happened at the castle. “I saved my mom…discovered that my brother hates me and wants me dead…and I found out that my father used to be human.”

     “Drycus was human!” Mandy screeched.

     The stunned look on her face showed that my news was the last thing she had expected to hear. Having already gotten used to the idea myself, I hoped everyone in the other room would find the discovery about my father just as interesting as I did.

Chapter Eight

 

Kaia

 

 

 

 

Almost an hour passed before Mandy and I emerged from the bathroom. I figured that was more than enough time for everyone to believe she had fed me and recovered from the blood loss. I looked around the room and noticed that Adora and Sara had already left. Only Alyse, Nolan, Brin and my mother remained. And they were all sitting on the floor going through the journals.

     When I heard Drycus’ name mentioned, it dawned on me that Brin must have told them about Drycus having a family and being human at one time. I made my way over to them and sat down between Brin and my mother – who reached over and placed her hand on top on mine and offered a heartwarming smile to comfort me. Alyse and Nolan sat across from us. And Mandy took a seat on the couch.

     “Have you found anything yet?” I asked and glanced over at Brin.

     “Nothing” she replied. “There is nothing at all about the possibility of Drycus being human or having a family.”

     From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother stiffen. I didn’t realize until that moment how difficult the conversation I needed to have with everyone would be for her. If she truly loved my father, then I imagined it would be upsetting for her to learn that he had loved another woman at some point in his life. I gave my mother’s hand a gentle squeeze.

     She smiled and nodded encouragingly. “What else did you see about your father?”

     I took a minute to collect my thoughts before speaking. “I saw him dressed in clothes maybe from the early eighteen-hundreds. He lived in an old wooden shack similar to what I’ve seen in western movies back in the human world. And he had a wife with shoulder length, wavy brown hair, and two small children. A boy who looked to be around two or three years old and an infant. I couldn’t tell if it was a boy or a girl.” I paused to really think about my next words because I knew not everyone present was going to agree with me. “They were his family. And he loved them. He loved them so much.”

     “How do you know that?” Alyse asked as she studied me with skepticism. “Even if what you saw was real, how can you be so sure that he actually cared from those people? I mean, this is Drycus we’re talking about. Excuse me if I don’t see him as the loving type.”

     “Because I felt his love for them” I said as the memory of the pain that had assaulted my mind resurfaced, causing a shudder to go down my spine.

     “Where are they? What happened to his family?” my mother’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

     I looked over at her as tears that I desperately wanted to keep to myself, quickly filled my eyes as the last image I saw from my father’s memories replayed in my mind, breaking my heart all over again. In Torlan, I had been unable to keep my pain to myself…or was it my father’s pain that had been echoed in my voice? I wasn’t completely sure. But I was determined not to scream out now. Not in front of people who had no way of knowing what it was that was hurting me.

     “They’re dead” I said, my voice cracked as the image of Drycus cradling the body of his dead wife in his arms, while his children laid covered in blood near his legs, stuck in my head. A thick lump lodged itself in my throat making it difficult to speak, “They were murdered.”

     “Are you sure it wasn’t Drycus who killed them?”

     I couldn’t even look in Nolan’s direction to answer his question. I knew he hated my father and had good reason to, but this was different. The man I saw in Drycus’ memories wasn’t the same man he was now. I knew without a doubt that the man I saw, loved his family more than anything.

     Looking down at my hands, I voiced my thoughts, “I’m certain that Drycus had nothing to do with the death of his family. They were his whole world. And their deaths destroyed him.” Feeling moisture on my cheek, I lifted my hand to wipe away my tears as they flowed down my face.

     When I lifted my head, I was greeted by four sets of eyes who seemed shocked and completely oblivious as to why I was crying. The only one who offered understanding was my mother. She leaned closer to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder to comfort me.

     “Being as strong an Empath as you are, Kaia, allows you to connect with others on a level that the rest of us can’t even begin to understand. Just remember, that the pain you feel isn’t your own. It Drycus’. You need to learn how to release yourself from the feelings connected with your visions. Or else, the feelings of others will destroy your mind.”

     Taking my mother’s advice, I closed my eyes and tried to distance myself from my father’s memories. After a few minutes, I was able to push them to the back of my mind. But the damage they’d caused was still there. My heart still ached from the excruciating pain I knew my father had endured.

     “Drycus’ memories? Is that what you were experiencing when I found you in Torlan?” Nolan asked in a tight voice, calling my attention to him.

     I nodded. “I saw everything so clearly. It was like I was there. One minute, he was happy, laughing and playing with his son. And the next, I saw the bodies…” I let my words die off, unwilling to relive what I’d seen again. It was just too horrible.

     As if we were totally alone in the room, Nolan leaned forward and pulled me across the short distance that separated us and onto his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around my body and cradled me to his chest. “I’m so sorry you had to endure that” he whispered near my ear, his warm breath brushed tenderly against my skin. “No one, not even Drycus deserves to endure the kind of pain I witnessed on your face back in Torlan.”

     Too choked up to speak, I nestled my face in his chest as he rubbed his hand down my back in a comforting motion. No one in the room spoke again until I was calmed down enough to raise my head from Nolan’s chest. When I did, I was surprised by the amount of emotion I saw and felt coming from my friends. Even though they all - except my mother – hated my father, they all had sympathy for the pain he had suffered.

     I let out several deep breaths to refocus on what I needed to do, then I moved from Nolan’s lap and sat next to him. I didn’t realize my mother was staring at us until she spoke, “I’m so happy to see the two of you together” she said and shifted her gaze between me and Nolan. A huge smile lit up her face as her eyes fell to our joined hands. “It was mine and my mother’s biggest hope that you two would learn to love each other.”

     I smiled and looked over at Nolan as he squeezed my hand.

     “Haven’t you heard, Princess Celeste” Brin spoke, “there is a lot more than simple love between Kaia and Nolan. They’re soulmates.”

     My mother gasped and her eyes shot to me. The fear in them was unmistakable. “Soulmates?” she asked. “Are you certain?”

     I shrugged like I wasn’t sure. But I knew it was true. I just still wasn’t ready to admit it to myself yet. “That’s what Brin says. And I suppose it could be true. Nolan and I do have a very strong bond.”

     My mother’s gaze shifted between Brin, Nolan and myself. There was caution in her eyes that she hid well as she addressed me, “Soulmates aren’t to be taken lightly, Kaia” she said in more of a warning than a statement.

     “So I’ve heard” I said and glanced over at Brin. She had already made sure that I understood the full scope of what it meant to find my soulmate. Both the good and the bad. Eager to change the subject, I dove into asking Brin some of the questions I had initially went to her room to ask. I felt my mother staring at me but I refused to look her way again. I knew what she was thinking, and her fear mirrored my own.

     “Is there anything in the journals that might help me to tap into Drycus’ memories again without being near him?” I asked.

     Brin’s eyes lit up as she thought about my question. “There could be. Especially since you already have a mental connection with him” she paused and glanced over at Alyse and I knew my best friend had once again opened her mouth about me, this time revealing the fact that I used to talk with Drycus in my dreams. Brin jumped up from the floor and ran over to the far wall and pulled several journals from the shelf.

     “What?” Nolan’s tense voice asked right beside me. I turned to look at him as he continued to speak, “Are you serious? You want to go through his memories again?”

     “I don’t have a choice, Nolan.” I paused to think before continuing, “It’s the only way to stop him.”

     No one knew about my failed attempt to change my father the same way I had changed my mom and Darian. I wasn’t sure how they were going to react when they learned that there didn’t seem to be any way to save or destroy Drycus. The memory of his thick black blood in my mouth triggered my gag reflex and my hand flew to my mouth as I bent forward with my arm wrapped around my middle to squash the sudden pains in my belly. I quickly pushed the memory away before it could wreak anymore havoc on my body.

     “Kaia, what’s wrong?” Nolan asked as he brushed my hair back to look at my face.

     I locked eyes with him as the severe magnitude of the situation hit me head on…I couldn’t save my friends from my father. My magic didn’t cure him the way it had the others. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what else to do.”
     His brows lowered over his silver eyes as he studied me. “Sorry about what?”

     “I can’t defeat my father” I said and met the eyes of everyone looking at me. “I tried. I tried to save him, but it didn’t work.”

     “What did you do, Kaia?” my mother asked.

     “I bit him…the same way I did with you. But nothing happened.”

     An intense, uncomfortable silence filled the room as everyone passed worried looks to each other. The sorrow and fear I felt coming from everyone assaulted my mind, reminding me not to let their feelings consume me. “But I’m not going to give up” I said and straightened my back, with a confidence I didn’t really feel. “There has to be something else…something we’ve missed. We just need to find it.”

     I pointed to the journals Brin had retrieved from the wall. “What about those? What do you think is in them?” I could feel Nolan’s heated stare on my face, but I kept my eyes on Brin, waiting for her to respond.

     Brin opened the journal and skimmed the pages until a small grin lifted her mouth. “Here” she said excitedly and pushed the journal toward me with her finger centered in the middle of the page. “With that spell, you should be able to strengthen the connection you already have with Drycus and see into his mind, deeper than you could before.”

     I took the journal and placed it in my lap and studied the spell, reciting it in my mind. I looked up at Brin, “This is it. I think it might work.”

     “Woah, I don’t think you delving into Drycus’ head is a good idea” Alyse said and looked at me with caution in her eyes. Her gaze shifted over to Nolan before settling on me again, “You’ve already been affected by his memories once, what if you see something even worse than what you’ve already seen? You might not be able to handle it…you might not be able to escape his mind next time.”
     I knew her concerns were legitimate. She had real reason to worry, as did everyone else, myself included…but it didn’t change my mind. Now that I knew for sure that I couldn’t save my father on my own, I was certain the key to helping him…or destroying him if need be, was somewhere in his head. I offered Alyse a small smile to ease her concerns even though I knew my action wouldn’t change how she felt. “It’ll be okay, Alyse.”

     Hearing movement behind me, I glanced over my shoulder toward the couch and saw Mandy walking toward the door. She looked over at me as she pulled it open. “If you’re really going to enter that monsters mind, then I can’t stay here and watch what it does to you” she said sadly. Her gaze moved to Nolan then back to me, “I saw the aftermath of what your pain did to Nolan…maybe you should think about the people who love you and what seeing you suffer will do to them. Trust me, it’s not a pretty sight. We love you, Kaia…and when you hurt, we all hurt.” Without giving me a chance to respond, she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

     I looked over at Nolan. He was staring at the floor in front of him, the muscles in his jaw were tight as he clenched his teeth together. With Mandy’s words fresh in my mind, I searched the faces of everyone in the room. I knew what she said was true, my pain did affect my friends…but I guess I never really understood just how much until that moment.

     With everyone doing their best to avoid making eye contact with me, I didn’t need to see the truth in their eyes…I felt it from their hearts. “I’m sorry.” The words left my mouth before I even realized I’d said them.

     “You don’t need to apologize to anyone, Kaia” my mother spoke gently. “I won’t lie…seeing you suffer in Torlan was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to watch. It was hard for us all” she said and glanced over at Nolan, then at Alyse, “But I know that the pain we endured watching you, was nothing compared to what you suffered. I, for one, applaud your bravery because I know every decision you make is intended to help the people you love. And while some of those decisions may be difficult for others to witness, I trust your judgement and will stand behind any decision you make.”

    I knew she wasn’t just referring to our current conversation and I was relieved to know that she was still willing to keep my secret.

     “I will stand by you as well” Brin said as her eyes began to water.

     I nodded my head slowly in acceptance of their approval and looked over at Nolan. The emotion on his face showed that he was conflicted, but when I locked eyes with him, he let out a deep sigh and gave me a quick nod. I knew then that he was behind me, even if he wasn’t happy about what I wanted to do.

     When I turned my attention to Alyse, she shook her head and jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t agree with you putting yourself in danger by going back into Drycus’ mind. And I can’t stay here and watch what it does to you.”

     “Alyse” I called her name as she spun on her heels and stomped across the room to the door.

     Pain seized my chest as she rushed out of the room and slammed the door in a display of her anger. I let out a deep breath to ease some of the pressure in my chest.

     Nolan leaned over and placed a tender kiss to the side of my head and said, “Don’t worry about Alyse. She’ll be okay.”

     Despite the fact I really wanted to run after my best friend, I stayed where I was on the floor and lifted the journal from my lap and said, “Okay. Let’s see if this works.”

Chapter Nine

 

Kaia

 

 

Nolan insisted that I laid down before attempting to connect with Drycus and I didn’t argue. With Nolan leaning back against the headboard of Brin’s bed for support, I laid down next to him with my head in his lap. I smiled up at him in hopes of easing some of the fear in his eyes, but my gesture didn’t seem to help. My mother and Brin sat down on the edge of the bed and offered encouragement with sorrowful smiles.

     “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon” I said, then closed my eyes and let out a relaxing breath before speaking the spell that I had already memorized. I waited several minutes for something to happen but nothing did.

     I opened my eyes and looked to Brin. “Did I say the spell right?”

     She looked down at the journal in her hands and nodded. “Yes. You said it perfectly.”

     “Then why didn’t it work?” I asked.

     “I don’t know” Brin responded. “There is already an open connection between you and Drycus…given the strength of your magic, the spell should have worked.”

     Brin’s words stuck in my head, reminding me of something. Open connection. I thought back to the night I’d blocked my father from being able to speak to me through our bond. In Torlan, his memories had filled my head through the blood I had consumed from him. But now, I needed a different way of connecting with him.

     I focused on opening my mind up to him again. As soon as I released the shield I had mentally placed to block him from speaking to me whenever he wanted, I was bombarded with the sound of his angry voice screaming and yelling my name. Horrific threats of what he was going to do to me if I didn’t return my mother to him came through our bond and echoed in my head. I grimaced from the sound of his hateful voice.

     “We’re connected now” I said and quickly closed my eyes and repeated the spell.

     Within seconds, I felt my mind being pulled down into darkness. A heavy, weighted feeling settled over me and I knew my body was unconscious. I searched through the darkness, looking for my father. It seemed like forever before voices finally sliced through the silence that filled the empty space. I followed the sounds and found myself standing outside the home I knew my father had lived in.

     The memory felt so real. I could even feel the heat from the sun as it shined down on my skin. Cries from inside the house urged me forward. One second, I was standing outside the house and the next, I was inside, in the room I’d seen my father share with his wife. I studied the scene before me and tried to make sense of it.

     The woman was on the bed with her knees raised, panting heavily as sweat poured down her face. And Drycus was positioned at her feet. He looked scared.

     “That’s it, Marianne. Just a few more pushes” Drycus’ voice drifted in the air, toward me.

     I watched in stunned silence as he helped his wife bring their son into the world. He held the tiny baby in his arms lovingly, cradling him to his chest. “He’s perfect” my father’s voice cracked as he smiled at his wife.

     I was suddenly yanked from the memory and dropped right in the middle of another one. Drycus was plowing a field near his home late into the night with nothing but the light of the moon to guide him. He looked tired, but determined to finish his task. Even the two horses that pulled the plow seemed ready to call it a night, but they trudged on.

     My mind had just settled into the memory when it vanished and was replaced by several others. The speed in which the memories flashed in my mind picked up and it became difficult to sort through them to understand what I saw. It wasn’t until I saw something I recognized that I was able to force my mind to stop on one memory in particular.

     Pain instantly assaulted me when I found myself locked in the awful memory of Drycus grieving over the loss of his family. I wanted to keep my distance…to stay as far away from the scene as possible, but my subconscious mind didn’t cooperate. I drifted closer to Drycus as his cries grew louder, filling the night air with his heartache.

     My heart fell to my feet as I stood over him and my eyes landed on the two children at his side. The lifeless eyes of the little boy stared up at the night sky as if pleading for someone to save him. But it was already too late. He was gone and so was his baby sister. Dried blood covered their tiny chests. A strangled cry built in my throat and just when I thought I couldn’t hold it in any longer, I saw something move at the end of the barn.

     I focused on the movement in the shadows, thankful to have something else to center my attention on. A figure emerged from the darkness and a rush of air escaped my lungs when I caught sight of her. I knew without a doubt that the woman I saw wasn’t human. She slowly approached my father from behind, walking with the kind of grace I had seen before…with my mother and grandmother.

     She announced her presence with a whispered “hello” and my father jumped up from the ground to face her. His entire body shook with fear as he wiped a shaky hand across his cheeks to remove his tears.

     “Who are you?” Drycus asked and stood between the woman and the bodies of his family in a protective stance. “What do you want?”

     The woman frowned and looked past him to the lifeless forms on the ground. “I’m just a woman. I’m not here to cause you harm…but I see that someone else has.”

     Drycus glanced over his shoulder to his wife’s body as more tears slid from his eyes. He refocused his attention on the strange woman. “Do you know who did this?” he asked in a pained voice.

     She nodded. “I do. I saw three men on horseback less than a mile from here. They seemed in a great hurry to put as much distance between your farm and themselves as possible.”

     “Why?!” Drycus bellowed. “Why would anyone do this to my family!” He fell to his knees. And I felt an intense sense of despair and rage wash over him. I wanted so badly to go to him and wrap my arms around him, but I couldn’t move. I was locked in place…an observer from the outside looking in.

     The woman knelt down in front of Drycus, her long black dress pooled around her feet. “My dear man, there is no rhyme nor reason for the acts of cruelty that are forced upon us. I should know…my beloved was also taken away from me. Trust that I know your pain.” She paused and a calculating look filled her eyes. In that moment, I saw the truth she didn’t want him to know. She was the one who had slaughtered his family. But why?

     The woman rested her hand on my father’s shoulder and he looked up at her as she spoke again, “Would you like to free yourself from the pain in your heart?”

     Drycus stared at her with a confused look. “What? How? How can I free myself?”

     Instead of answering him, the woman asked another question of her own. “What is it that you feel at this very moment?”

     Drycus looked over at his family as his chest heaved with heavy breaths. “I want to kill the ones responsible for taking away my family.”

     “Only the ones responsible?” the woman pressed as if she was hoping for a different response.

     Drycus met her eyes with a hard stare. “And anyone else who gets in my way” he growled and balled his hands into fists at his side.

     A joyous smile stretched across the woman’s face. “Then allow me to help you. And I give you my word that you will have your revenge on those who have hurt you.”

     I can’t explain how I knew, but everything inside me warned that what was about to happen was wrong. So very wrong. But I was powerless to do anything to stop it.

     Drycus got to his feet. “I’ll do whatever you say, just tell me what to do.”

     The woman took his hand in hers and led him into the barn where she motioned for him to sit down on a bale of hay. Unable to do anything but watch, I stood in the doorway with my eyes trained on the woman. Instant distrust for her erupted in my chest, making me wish I had a way to get her away from my father.

     Drycus looked up at her with fear and uncertainty. “What are you going to do to me?” he asked with a shaky voice.

     She moved to stand behind him then leaned her head down to his ear and whispered, “I’m going to free us both.”

Then she closed her eyes and recited a string of words in a language that I instantly recognized. Seconds later, a small blade materialized in her hand and she used it to slice a cut across her wrist.

     “Drink” she ordered and stuck her arm in front of Drycus’ face.

     His eyes widened in shock as he shook his head from side to side. “What? No!” he said in disgust and tried to stand up, but she placed her other hand on his shoulder and held him down.

     “Is revenge not what you seek?” she asked in a hard tone.

     “It is” Drycus stuttered, “But this…drinking your blood is insane.”

     “One drop is all it will take to free yourself. One drop and vengeance will be yours” the woman purred in a seductive voice, urging him to comply. “Think of your family. Think of the horrible things that were done to them.”

     Rage flashed in Drycus’ eyes and he grabbed the woman’s arm and brought it to his mouth. He paused only a moment as indecision flitted across his face, then he closed his eyes and took her blood into his mouth.

     The woman nodded her head slowly as a pleased look filled her eyes that he had obeyed. What happened next happened so fast that it took my mind a minute to catch up and actually understand what I saw. As Drycus drank her blood, the woman raised her hand that held the blade and plunged it down into his chest…directly into his heart.

     A short scream burst from his lungs, then his body sagged forward. He fell to the ground and the woman hurriedly knelt next to him. My mouth hung open in shock as I watched her pick up my father’s lifeless arm and bite down on it. Within seconds, his body started twitching. Then the woman placed her hand over the wound she had created in his chest and mumbled something I was too far away to hear.

     A loud gasp came from Drycus’ mouth as his eyes shot open and life poured back into him. He stared up at the woman a moment before he started screaming in agony. She quickly stood and moved away from him as he withered on the ground, his arms and legs flailed around wildly.

     “What did you do to me?” he shouted.

     “I gave you what you what you wanted” the woman responded. “The world is full of people who do nothing but cause harm to others, and I am tired…so very tired of getting rid of them on my own. I wish to be free of the never-ending pain that was caused by the loss of my one true love.” She paused and stared at Drycus, “But you…the rage inside you is so great that I know I can depend on you to continue my work. Destroy them. Destroy them all.”

     “No!” I shouted even though no one could hear my voice. My eyes rested on my father as he continued to cry out as his body flounced around. Tears filled my eyes and flowed down my cheeks as I bore witness to the moment he lost his humanity and became the monster everyone feared.

     I knew as soon as he jumped to his feet and glared at the woman, that the man he had been moments ago was gone. An evil hiss left his mouth as he lifted his upper lip and snarled. I caught sight of his fangs and covered my mouth with my hand to keep from crying out. The hazel color I had seen in his eyes when he laughed with his son was now replaced with a deep, dark black.

     Satisfied with her creation, the woman backed away from Drycus with a smile on her face. “As I promised, you are now free of your pain. My blood that now courses through your veins will fuel your need for vengeance. And it is by the consumption of blood that you will thrive. For eternity.” The words had barely left her mouth when she raised her hand and stabbed herself in the heart with the same blade she had used on Drycus. Her body fell to the ground at his feet and I watched as it vanished into thin air the same way Meg’s had done.

     That’s when I knew without a doubt that she had been a Lenoi.

     As I stared at the spot on the ground where the woman had fallen, I was hit by hatred and rage so strong that it nearly knocked me off my feet. I lifted my gaze to look at Drycus as he walked past me, out of the barn. He stood over the bodies of his family.

     The anger that assaulted my mind suddenly intensified to the point that it completely consumed me. I tried to fight it, but the more it washed over me, the more I wanted to embrace it. And claim it as my own.

 

Chapter Ten

 

Nolan

 

 

Rubbing my hand through Kaia’s soft hair, I looked over at Brin, “How much longer until she wakes up?” I asked, impatiently.

     Brin shrugged. “I don’t know. The spell she used was only supposed to last a few minutes. Ten to fifteen at the most.”

     “It’s been over two hours” I said as an uncomfortable feeling settled in my chest.

     Brin frowned, then looked over at Celeste. “I know. Something must be holding onto her mind.”

     “What do we do now?” I asked and looked down at Kaia’s face as she slept on my lap. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she meant everything to me. The thought of her never opening her eyes again terrified me so much that my heart clenched painfully.

     Celeste leaned over and placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “We wait, Nolan. And hope that Kaia is strong enough to fight against whatever is keeping her from returning to us.”

     I didn’t like the idea of waiting, in fact, I hated it. But that was the only thing we could do.

 

*****

 

I knew something was wrong as soon as Kaia started screaming. But I had no idea just how crazy things were about to become until she bolted from the bed and started destroying Brin’s room. Nothing in her path was spared as she picked up and tossed furniture around the room with a strength not even I knew she possessed.

     I leapt from the bed to restrain her, but she dodged every attempt I made to get my arms around her. “Kaia” I called her name several times but she didn’t seem to notice that I was there as she stared into space.

     “What’s wrong with her?” Brin yelled and hurried over to the corner of the room, as far away from Kaia as she could get.

     “I don’t know!” I hollered back and attempted to grab Kaia as she picked up a small chest of drawers and hurled it at my head. A sound, not quite a hiss or a growl, came from her throat as she grabbed two handfuls of her own hair and yanked.

     I managed to get my hand around her arm, but as soon as I made contact, she grabbed me and threw me into the wall. Pain sliced through my head when it hit the wall and my vision blurred. It took a minute for me to get back to my feet.

     “Nolan!” Celeste’s panicked voice called out to me from across the room as Kaia stalked toward her. “It’s not Kaia! Look at her eyes…it’s just her body! Her mind isn’t present!”

     “What the hell does that mean?” I bellowed and hurried to intercept Kaia from attacking her mother. I jumped in front of Celeste just in time to take the brunt force of Kaia’s attack. She grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me to the floor. When I looked up at her as she walked past me like I wasn’t laying mere inches from her feet, I noticed what Celeste meant about her eyes…a clouded film covered her emotionless eyes. There was no sign of consciousness in her gaze other than the fact her eyelids were open.

     “What’s happening to her?! Why is she doing this?!” I yelled over at Celeste as she cowered in the corner with Brin. The dining table flew across the room as Kaia crumpled to her knees and threw her head back and let out a horrendously agonizing scream.

     “It’s her connection with Drycus” Celeste responded. “Her body is reacting to his emotions as if they are her own. We need to break the connection she has with him. We have to free her from his emotions.”

     “How do we do that?” I asked and glared at Celeste, waiting for her to respond. The heartbreaking sound of Kaia’s screams filled the room, and threatened to rip my heart from my chest. The mountain we were encased in suddenly started shaking, large cracks rose from the stone floor and stretched across the walls, threatening the safety and stability of not only the room, but the entire mountain.

     Celeste’s gaze shifted from me to Kaia as she pounded her fists into the stone floor. Blood covered both of her hands but she didn’t seem to feel the pain.

     “ We can’t” Celeste shouted. “But you can, Nolan! Only a stronger connection than the one she has with her father can separate her mind from his. And there is no connection stronger than that of a soulmate.”

     I stared at Celeste, trying to figure out just what the hell I was supposed to do to break the connection between Kaia and Drycus. My frantic thoughts were interrupted when Brin called out to me, “Go to her, Nolan” she yelled. “Go to her and remind her who she is. Remind her of the love she has for you.”

     Without hesitation, I hurried over to Kaia. I stood over her for a moment, my eyes fell to the blood the covered the floor all around her from the open wounds on her hands. I fell to my knees behind her and slowly…gently…wrapped my arms around her. Within seconds, she stopped punching the floor and leaned her back into my chest.

     Taking that as a good sign, I tightened my hold around her waist slightly and lowered my mouth to her ear and whispered, “Come back to me, Kaia. Listen to my voice and come back to me. I need you here. I need you by my side to feel whole. I love you, Kaia.”

     As I spoke, I felt the rigidness in her body ease. And her screams quieted. Moments later, her head rolled to the side like she had lost all strength and was unable to hold it up any longer. Confident that she was no longer a danger, I moved around on the floor to cradle her upper body in my arms. Holding her head to my chest, I looked down at her eyes as the clouded film slowly disappeared. A sparkle of life took its place as a loud gasp escaped Kaia’s mouth as if she was taking a breath of air for the very first time.

     “Nolan” her hoarse voice said my name as she looked up at me with confusion and fear. Her lids drooped over her eyes like heavy curtains, threatening to block her sight.

     I placed my finger over her mouth. “Shh. Just rest” I said and lowered my head to place a tender kiss to her forehead. When I lifted my head, her eyes were already closed. I stared at her chest, carefully watching as it rose and fell with each slow, calming breath she took. Satisfied that she was finally sleeping peacefully, I let out a deep breath to ease the pressure in my chest and the tension in my body, then I looked up as Brin and Celeste came from their hiding spot across the room.

     “She’s okay now” Brin said as she stared at Kaia like she was trying to see into her head. “Her emotions are calm.”

     “I’ll help you carry her to the bed” Celeste said as she fell to her knees beside me and reached for Kaia’s legs.

     “I’ve got her” I said and positioned Kaia’s body in my arms so that I could stand up with her. The idea of anyone – even her mother - taking her from me at that moment wasn’t something I was willing to let happen. I needed to be near her. To have her all to myself.

     Once on my feet, I nodded toward the door. “Brin.” All I had to say was her name and she knew what I wanted. She rushed over and opened the door. As I was about to leave with Kaia nestled safely in my arms, I turned to Celeste and said, “I’m taking her to our room, if you will, warn everyone that I don’t want any visitors until I say differently. Kaia needs her rest.”

     “Of course” Celeste replied and rested her hand on Kaia’s arm. “Please take good care of her.”

     “I will” I said and walked out of the room.

Chapter Eleven

 

Kaia

 

 

I opened my eyes and grimaced from the pain that shot through my head, touching every nerve in my brain. It felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer. Repeatedly. I raised my hands to massage my temples and was surprised to see that they were both bandaged in white gauze.

     Confused, I glanced over and saw Nolan asleep on the bed next to me with his arm draped across my belly. Not wanting to wake him when he seemed so peaceful, I wiggled out from underneath his arm and scooted to the edge of the bed.

     “Where are you going?”

     I jumped at the sound of Nolan’s voice and glanced over my shoulder to see him wide awake and staring at me. “What happened?” I asked and held my hands up for him to see the gauze.

     Nolan propped himself up on the bed with his elbow. “Don’t you remember?” he asked.

     I turned around on the bed to face him. “If I did, I wouldn’t need to ask what happened, now would I?” I replied with a bit more sarcasm than I intended.

     “What’s the last thing you remember?”

     “I remember being with you, Brin and my mom in Brin’s room. I remember saying a spell to allow me to connect with Drycus’ memories” I paused and thought about what I’d seen. And learned. So much information now resided in my head, yet I had no idea how to use it to save my father. Or my friends.

     I locked eyes with Nolan and continued, “And I remember everything I saw in his mind.”

     “That’s it? That’s all you remember?” Nolan asked as he moved to sit beside me on the edge of the bed. “You don’t remember destroying Brin’s room and attacking me?”

     My eyes widened in disbelief. “What?” I asked, not entirely sure I had heard him correctly. “I attacked you?”

     “You did” Nolan said. “But you didn’t know what you were doing” he added quickly. “Your mom thinks you were reacting to the emotions you felt from Drycus.”

     Fear washed over me as I lowered my head in shame. “Did I hurt anyone?” I asked and silently prayed that he wouldn’t confirm that I had.

     “No.”

     I exhaled deeply as relief filled my chest. But I still didn’t want to look over at Nolan. Especially since I couldn’t remember anything other than what I’d seen while shifting through Drycus’ memories. “I’m sorry” I mumbled, then sighed heavily. “It’s seems I’m saying that a lot lately.”

     “Like I said, it wasn’t your fault” Nolan replied, then paused, “Do you want to talk about what you saw?”

     I thought about his question. I knew I needed to let him and everyone else know what I’d discovered because the fact was, I now had the missing piece to the puzzle. But at that moment, I didn’t want to talk about anything or see anyone. I just wanted to be held. I needed to feel loved. Just for a little while.

     Shaking my head, I laid back down on the bed and scooted close to Nolan. He eased his arm under my head and cradled me close to his chest. My father’s memories still lingered in my head and whether the feelings that assaulted me where from the agony of his past or the impending doom in my future, I desperately needed something positive to hold onto…to give me a reason to keep moving forward.

     “Just talk to me” I whispered. “Tell me something. Anything. I just need to hear the sound of your voice.”

     Nolan tightened his arm around my waist. “Are you sure you’re okay, Kaia?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

     No. The instant answer to his question popped into my head but I refused to say it out loud. Instead, I said a weak “yeah” and snuggled my back closer to him, in a spooning position. The truth was, I was so far from being okay that the word sounded alien to me. I didn’t think I would ever really be okay again.

     “Will you tell me what you see for us in the future?” I asked, even though I knew I was asking for heartache. But I desperately needed a glimpse of how Nolan saw our lives together. His vision of our future would be the only thing I would carry with me when my time came. It’s what I wanted to be able to focus on in the end.

     Nolan’s warm breath on the back of my neck sent goosebumps down my spine as he spoke, “I see us getting married…that is, if you’ll do me the honor of course, of being my wife” he paused, as if waiting for me to respond.

     I let a couple of seconds tick by before smiling and nodding my head. “And if I accept?” I said.

     I could hear the smile in his voice as he continued, “Then we’ll carve out a nice life for ourselves and start a family of our own. I’m thinking…two kids; a boy and a girl. Both of which, I hope look like you. And if they are half as mischievous as you were as a child, then I think I’ll appoint Noah and Crispin as their babysitters. I’m going to enjoy watching our children torture those two.”

     Pain sliced through my heart as I struggled to keep my emotions to myself. Hearing Nolan speak about the children I knew we would never have, hurt more than I could’ve possibly imagined. Up until that moment, I had never really thought about having children of my own. The thought of being someone’s mother had never entered my mind. But knowing that’s what Nolan wanted, made me now want that future as well.

     “What would you like to name them?” I asked through the tight lump in my throat. Tears slowly filled my eyes as I squeezed them shut to hide my pain. I was suddenly very thankful that Nolan couldn’t see my face. I don’t know why I tortured myself by continuing the conversation. Maybe it was because a small part of me hoped that if I knew what Nolan envisioned for our future, I could somehow make it happen. I don’t know.

     Nolan kissed the back of my neck before responding, “I haven’t had a chance to think about names yet. But I’m sure we’ll come up with great ones.”

     “Describe what it’ll be like when we get married.” The words left my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. My entire body began to tremble as sobs built in my chest. I mentally cussed at myself for not being able to keep my mouth shut.

     I felt Nolan’s weight shift on the bed behind me as he propped himself up on his elbow. A second later, he reached over and touched his hand to my chin to turn my face toward him. I resisted at first, but when he said my name with a heavy whisper, I allowed him to turn my face upwards to look at him.

     “Why are you crying?” he asked tenderly and searched my face intently, looking for the answer.

     I knew better than to tell him the truth. It would destroy him if I told him I was crying for the loss of the future we would never have. I forced myself to smile despite the torturous pain in my heart. “I’m just so happy to have you in my life. I love you so much, Nolan.”

     One corner of his mouth lifted into a half-grin as he looked down at me. “So those are tears of joy?” he asked.

     Instead of responding verbally, I nodded out of fear that he would hear the truth in my voice.

     Surprising me, Nolan lowered his head to mine and claimed my mouth in a heated kiss. I turned over onto my back as he lifted his body over mine and deepened the kiss. He kissed me with so much passion and tenderness that I found myself completely lost in the moment. All my senses were trained on him. His scent washed over me like a warm caress. The sound of his heartbeat echoed like a melodic tune in my ears. The touch of his skin was like silk beneath my fingers as I ran my hands down his bare back.

     When did he take off his shirt? The question flitted through my mind and quickly vanished from my thoughts as his mouth moved to my chin then down to my neck. A soft moan escaped my lips as he trailed kisses over the sensitive skin beneath my ear. Considering the insane amount of physical restraint he’d always had when it came to me, I half expected him to jump from the bed before things went any further.

     My heart raced wildly when instead of distancing himself from me, he reclaimed my mouth and kissed me in a way that he never had before…like every fiber of his body needed me. Just as badly as I needed him. I gasped when his hand touched my bare belly as he eased it under my shirt. My mind went completely blank for a few seconds as his tongue explored my mouth and his warm hand caressed my midriff then slowly moved upwards toward my breast. Right before he would have made contact with my bra, I felt his body stiffened above me and his hand stilled over my ribs a moment before he pulled it from beneath my shirt.

     He placed a gentle kiss to my lips before letting out a heavy breath and lowering his forehead to mine. “Why didn’t you stop me?” he asked, breathlessly.

     “Because I didn’t want you to stop” I said and locked eyes with him. The desire I saw reflected in his gaze as he looked down at me, caused a fire in my belly that quickly spread throughout my body. “We’re not children, Nolan. We’re allowed to express our love for each other.”

     “I know” he responded and moved to lay down beside me. “But I want our first time to be perfect. You’re going to be my Queen one day and I want to make every new experience you have special so that you never have any regrets.”

     “I’m not going to be queen, Nolan. If I’m not mistaken, Adora is next in line to become queen. The position was only going to be mine when you thought she was dead.”

     Nolan nodded. “Technically, that’s true. But I just don’t see Adora as the kind of leader our people need. There is still hope that she’ll refuse the position. Especially, considering her relationship with that bastard, Darian. It will be hard for her to maintain the respect and trust of our people as long as she remains with him. I’m not the only one who can’t forget about the things he’s done.”

     I could have continued the conversation by telling him that I didn’t want to be queen, but I knew that would lead to him asking more questions to figure out why, and I just didn’t want to talk anymore. All I wanted was for him to hold me so that I could have a few moments of peace, because the fact was I was going to have to reveal to everyone very soon what I’d learned from my most recent visit into my father’s mind. And I had no idea how to go about it.

Chapter Twelve

 

Kaia

 

 

 

The information in my head burned a hole in my brain as I struggled to come up with a way to deliver the news to the people who were all staring at me, waiting for me to speak. When I told Nolan that I needed to talk to my mom, Adora, Alyse, and Brin, I had no idea exactly what I was going to say when they got to the room. I’d hoped that the right words would come to me before they showed up. Unfortunately, they hadn’t and I was left completely tongue-tied as my gaze shifted over my friends.

     The fear and uncertainty of their reactions to my news made me nervous. I inhaled a deep breath to center myself and calm my nerves.

     “What did you need to speak with us about?” Adora asked, from her position on the couch beside my mother.

     I stood in front of them and glanced over at Alyse sitting in one of the chairs at the dining table, opposite of Nolan. They were both watching me with caution.

     Brin stood beside me. I locked eyes with her and I knew she was tapping into my feelings. She rested her hand on my arm and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. Whatever it is you need to say, we’re all here for you.”
     I smiled at the sincerity of her words, then opened my mouth to speak. “I’ve discovered something very important that you all should know.”

     “What is it?” my mother asked.

     I met each set of eyes that were trained on me for a brief second, then said, “I know how Drycus was created.”

     Several loud gasps filled the room as a wave of shock flowed through everyone present. Adora and Brin’s eyes widened in disbelief, Nolan stood from his chair and started toward at the same time Alyse said, “How?”

     Instead of answering her, my attention was on my mother and the whispered words she’d spoken so low that no one else in the room but me could hear. “Does that mean you can save him?” Her words were heartfelt and filled with pain.

     I already knew that she had loved him when she was a vampire, but I didn’t know if she still loved him now that she was free of his control…until that moment. The look in her eyes said it all. She did still love him. And she missed him.

     I knelt to one knee in front of the couch and took her hand in mine. Even though I truly didn’t understand her feelings for my father, I respected them. And her pain. “I don’t know if he can be saved, Mom. But if he can, I give you my word that I’ll do everything in my power to save him. For you.”

     She placed her other hand against my cheek tenderly as tears filled her eyes. “I believe you are the only one who can, my sweet, Kaia.”

     I stood and prepared myself for the barrage of questions that were quickly being hurled at me. I held my hand up to silence Adora, Alyse and Nolan - who were all trying to talk to me at once.

     “If you all will be patient, I’ll explain everything” I said and sat down on the chair across from the sofa. Nolan quickly took up residence next to me.

     “Do you really know how he was created?” he asked in a stunned voice.

     I looked over at him and nodded. “I do.”

     The room instantly grew quiet as everyone waited for me to relay the information that was begging to be released.

     After a few seconds to gather my thoughts, I said, “Some of you may not believe what I’m about to say…because honestly, I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around it either. It’s the last thing I ever expected, but I’m certain of what I saw.”

     “Just tell us, Kaia. Whatever it is, we can handle it” Adora said.

     My gaze shifted from her to my mother. I hoped she was right…that they could handle what I had to say. “Drycus was created by a Lenoi woman.”

     “What?!”

     “That’s not possible.”

     “That can’t be true.”

     The verbal responses from Alyse, Brin and Adora were nothing compared to the disbelief on Nolan’s face as he stared at me like he thought I’d lost my mind. I looked over at my mother expecting to see a similar reaction, only to find that she had no reaction at all. Her face was totally blank. That had me worried.

     “Mom, are you okay?” I asked.

     She looked up at me as I stood in front of her. “Are you sure, Kaia? Are you certain that a Lenoi is responsible for all of the destruction and suffering that your father has caused?”

     I nodded. “Yes. I saw exactly what the Lenoi woman did to him. I witnessed the moment he was killed and brought back as a vampire.”

     “Why? Why would a Lenoi turn him into such a destructive being? And how? How is something like this even possible? Lenoi are beings of light, we don’t possess evil magic.” My mother’s voice was slowly becoming more and more hysterical as she spoke. “Why would one of our own seek to destroy us like this? And you” she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, “My precious daughter, am I to believe that the suffering you’ve endured because of the circumstances of your birth is the fault of one of our ancestors.”

     “I’m afraid so, Mom.”

     She jumped to her feet. “Who?!” she yelled in a voice louder than I’d ever heard her use. “Who is responsible for destroying our world and our lives?”

     Everyone in the room suddenly grew quiet as my mother displayed the first hint of anger than any of us had ever seen from her.

     “I don’t know her name” I replied. “She never revealed it to Drycus. She was in and out of his life in less than ten minutes. That was all the time it took to steal his soul and damn him forever.”

     My mother stared at me as tears rolled down her face. A tidal wave of emotions crashed into me from her. I quickly reached out and grabbed her arm as she sank to the floor. As soon as my hand touched her skin, a mental connection opened between us and I saw into her mind. And I knew exactly why she was crumbling to pieces in front of me.

     Sobs racked her body as she thought back to the day she witnessed her mother slaughtered in front of her by the same man that she now loved. Then her memories shifted to the day she gave birth to me. The devastation she’d felt once she learned that I was more like my father than she had prayed I’d be, drifted through our connection and caused my chest to tighten painfully. Through her mind, I saw how hard she had tried to be a good mother to Lucas and I felt how desperate she’d been to save him…to prevent him from being like his father. Then I felt the immense pain that she had endured when she finally accepted that he would never love her. That he was incapable of feeling anything but hatred and rage. Just as I was about to break our connection and drop my hand from her arm, my mother thought about a more recent time…the night I took her from the castle.

     I saw her sitting on the chaise lounge talking with me. All of a sudden, pain so intense that I nearly cried out, filtered into my mind and I didn’t understand why she had been in such intense pain at that moment. Then I remembered what we had been talking about…that was the exact moment she realized she was going to lose me again. That was when she learned I refuse to feed.

     Not wanting to see or feel any more of the torment my mother carried around with her, I dropped my hand from her arm. She looked up at me with red eyes and said, “both of my children were doomed from the moment they were born…because of one of our own.”

     After seeing into her mind, I knew how devastating my discovery was to her and I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. She never expected that one of her own people was responsible for destroying not only her life, but the lives of everyone she had ever loved. My heart broke for her. The betrayal she felt was overwhelming.

     From the corner of my eye, I saw Nolan coming toward my mother. He helped her to her feet as she continued to sob quietly.

     “I’ll take you to your room, Princess Celeste. You should rest.”

     “I’ll go with her” Adora said as she eased her arm around my mother’s waist to help keep her steady.

     “I’ll be back in a minute so we can talk” Nolan whispered to me before he left the room with my mother and Adora.

     Once they were gone, the room was totally silent until Alyse spoke, “Well, that was one hell-of-a-bombshell you just dropped on us, Kaia. Anymore earth shattering news you want to share?”

     I glanced over at her and saw the shock on her face. I nodded in agreement of her statement then plopped down on the sofa and let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t think my mom was going to take it that hard.”

     Alyse sat down beside me and Brin sat across from me in the chair I had occupied.

     “You have to remember, Kaia, that your mother has lost everything she’s ever known or loved because of Drycus. And to learn that his creation was done by one of her own people…that is a lot to digest” Alyse said.

     “I know” I said sadly.

     “Will you tell us exactly what you saw? How was your father created?” Brin asked as she looked from me to Alyse.

     I took a minute to think about whether I wanted to continue the conversation without the others, and decided it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and tell them what I knew. “All I can tell you is what I saw. I don’t know how the Lenoi woman was able to do what she did and I couldn’t hear everything she said.”

     “Anything you can tell us should be helpful in trying to find a way to undo what she did” Brin said.

     “Okay” I agreed. “The woman was tall with dark hair. She looked like a Lenoi…only much darker…evil. She promised to take away the pain my father felt from the loss of his family. She told him that she could help him get revenge. When he agreed, she cut her arm and made him drink her blood. Then she stabbed him in the heart with a blade similar to a kithu. Once he stopped breathing, she bit his wrist and held her hand over the wound in his chest and healed him.”

     “She used magic to heal him?” Alyse asked in a stunned voice.

     “I think so. I know she was speaking the ancient Lenoi language, but I couldn’t hear exactly what she said. All I know is that he came back to life…but he was different. He was the man we know him as now.”

     After several long minutes of silence, Brin jumped to her feet. “We have to find out who the woman was…maybe if we know who she was we can figure out how to undo whatever she did to Drycus.”

     Without waiting for anyone to respond, Brin rushed out of the room, leaving Alyse and I alone. With nothing else to do but stare at each other in uncomfortable silence, we decided to follow Brin.

Chapter Thirteen

 

Kaia

 

 

After spending the last five hours helping Brin get her room back in order after my earlier rampage, and going through all the sacred journals of every family bloodline of the Lenoi, Nolan, Alyse, Brin and I were all exhausted.

     “This is pointless” Alyse mumbled and threw the journal in her hand across the floor of Brin’s room. “There’s nothing in these damn journals that’s going to help us.”

     “You don’t know that” Nolan growled and shoved another journal in her lap. “Keep reading.”

     “There has to be something about the woman” I said and flipped the page of the book I was going through. I looked up at the others, “I mean, if she existed then she’s in one of these journals, right? That’s what I’ve been told. Every Lenoi ever born, royalty or not, is in these journals.”

     “That’s correct” Brin said with a nod of her head. “But without any clues as to who we are looking for, I’m afraid we may never find out who she was.”

     I closed the journal I was reading and thought about the woman that I now hated with an intense passion for what she’d done to my father. There was nothing distinguishable about her appearance. Her face was flawless as was the rest of her. But pretty much all Lenoi shared that same trait. I tried to think of anything that stood out about her…about something she might have said. Then I remembered something I heard her say to Drycus.

     My eyes lit up. “She said that she had lost someone. Her one true love. She told my father that her love had been taken away from her. It’s not much to go on, but it’s a start, right?”

     “It is” Brin agreed.

     “Is there anything else you think might help us figure out who she was?” Nolan asked.

     I thought about it for a minute then shook my head. “No. That was it. Like I said before, she was only in his life for a few minutes, then she was gone.”

     “Where did she go?” Alyse asked.

     Alyse’s question reminded me that I didn’t tell them everything I saw because I was distracted by my mom’s breakdown. “The woman killed herself” I said and looked around at my friends. “Once she brought Drycus back from the dead, she stabbed herself in the heart.”

     “Then what’s the point of trying to figure out who she was?” Alyse asked. “If she’s dead, she can’t help us.”

     “I never said she could. But finding out who she was might be the only way to figure out what kind of magic she used to change Drycus into a vampire. Maybe he can be saved the same way he was damned. With magic.”

     Alyse opened her mouth to speak again and Brin interrupted her, “Kaia is right. And I think I might have something here” she said and buried her face in the journal she was reading. She was quiet for several seconds as we all waited for her to tell us what she’d found.

     “Well?” Nolan said as his patience started to wear thin.

     Brin looked up from the journal and locked eyes with me. She looked terrified as she held my gaze for several seconds. Her fear reached out to me.

     “What is it, Brin? What did you find?” I asked.

     “You said the woman admitted to losing her one true love, and that the time period was around the eighteenth century, and that she used dark magic to bring Drycus back to life.” Brin’s sentences were muttered almost incoherently.

     “Yes” I agreed. “Does all of that mean something?”

     “Unfortunately, it does” she said sadly. “Around that time, there was only one female Lenoi unaccounted for and she did possess dark magic.”

     “Who?” Nolan and Alyse asked in unison, then glared at each other.

     Brin looked at me as she answered them. “Natalia.”

     It took me a minute to remember where I had heard that name before. When it finally hit me, my eyes widened and I understood the fear that I’d felt on Brin and why it was aimed at me.

     “Who is Natalia?” Alyse asked.

     “The woman whose soulmate died?” I asked to clarify my assumption and looked to Brin for an answer.

     She nodded. “After her father and the other two elders disappeared while looking for her, she was never heard from again.” She paused, “she has to be the one you saw in Drycus’ memories. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

     Brin and I just stared at each other as the severity of our discovery and what it meant for me, really took hold. I could feel Nolan’s eyes on me, but I refused to look his way because I didn’t want him to see the total devastation I felt, displayed in my eyes.

     If Natalia - whose magic was nowhere near as strong as what mine was supposed to be - was able to create a being such as my father all because she lost her soulmate, I now knew that there was no way of knowing the extent of what I was capable of if I was to lose mine. If that was to ever happen, could I also be responsible for creating monsters of death and destruction, like my father? Mandy’s face flashed in my mind and brought with it an unwanted thought…what if I’d already created monsters?

     I still wasn’t certain of how or why I was able to save Mandy, Darian and my mother. What if there was more to them now than what I thought? Not wanting to face that possibility, I quickly forced the thought from my mind.

     “Kaia, what do you know about this Natalia woman?”

     I glanced over at Nolan and wished he hadn’t asked that question. My first thought was to lie…deny knowing anything about her. But there was no reason to. He would just force Brin to tell him about her.

     “Natalia was the only other Lenoi to ever find her soulmate” I responded.

     Nolan cocked his head to the side and studied me carefully. “Why do I get the impression that wasn’t a good thing?”

     “Because it wasn’t” Brin answered for me.

     Nolan lowered his brows in confusion and looked to me like he expected more of an answer than the one she gave.

     I decided to tell him the story that Brin had told me. “Natalia was a trouble woman who had more magic than she knew how to handle. Somehow she managed to find her soulmate, who turned out to be a human man. When he died, Natalia went insane and killed several Lenoi before ultimately disappearing back into the human world.” I paused as one of the things Brin had told me suddenly came back to me. I locked eyes with Nolan as my next words left my lips, “She had fire magic…just like me” I said sadly.

     Nolan’s face softened and he reached for my hand. “Kaia, you are nothing like that woman. You know that, right? So what if you have fire magic, you’re not going to end up like her.”

     Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about coming up with a response because the door to the room suddenly swung open and Adora rushed inside with Noah and Crispin right on her heels.

     “What’s going on?” Nolan asked.

     “It’s Celeste” Adora blurted out. “She’s gone. I only left her alone for a few minutes, but when I went back to check on her, she was gone. We’ve searched the entire valley.”

     “What?!” I yelled and quickly crossed the room to stand in front of Adora. “You lost my mother?!”

     “We didn’t lose her, Kaia” Adora said in her defense. “I believe she left on her own. But that’s not all.”

     “How much worse can it get?” Alyse asked as she stood beside me.

     Adora’s face paled as she tried to avoid making eye contact with me. “I think she took one of the medallions with her. It’s the only way she could have gotten through the shield.”

     “That’s not possible” Brin said. “I have them both. They’re right here.” She hurried over to the small table at the end of the sofa.

     I knew before she opened her mouth that something was wrong.

     “One of them is missing” Brin said in a disbelieving tone. She looked at me with wide eyes. “The ruby medallion is gone.”

     Too confused and stunned to speak, I just stood there while everyone around me continued to talk. It wasn’t until I felt someone’s warm hands on my face that I was able to think clearly again.

     “Kaia, are you all right?” Nolan’s tense voice forced itself through the haze that clouded my mind.

     I blinked several times then focused on his face. “Why?” my voice barely came out as a whisper. “Why would my mother leave me? Why would she betray me?”

     I could tell by the look on Nolan’s face that he had no idea how to respond. He was just as confused as I was. “Maybe it’s not how it looks. Maybe Drycus somehow found a way to get to her.” His answer was a weak attempt at trying to justify my mother’s actions.

     I shook my head in dispute. “No. Drycus can’t get through the shield. But with the medallion, my mother could get out.”

     I stepped back from Adora and eased down on one of the chairs at the dining table as reality of what happened hit me hard. “My mother left me to go back to Drycus.” The feeling of abandonment washed over me like an ice-cold shower, making my bones shiver.

     “We’ll get her back, Kaia. I promise.” Nolan’s words were sincere and determined, but they did little to ease the pain I felt of having my mother choose to leave me.

     Tuning out everyone in the room as they talked about their own theories of why she left, I focused on the connection I had with my father in hopes of being able to see if my mother was safe. The cry that erupted from my throat when I made contact with him and saw what he was doing to my mother, instantly silenced everyone in the room.

     I fell out of the chair and crumpled to the floor as an image of my mother chained to the wall in the cellar of the castle, refused to leave my head. Through Drycus’ eyes, I saw him bite her repeatedly while rubbing his fingers over her white eyes and demanding to know what had become of her. “What kind of abomination has our daughter turned you into, woman?”

     His words drifted through our bond, making my heart fall to my feet at the thought of my mom suffering because of me. All I ever wanted to do was save her. Instead, it seemed I had sentenced her to death. Tears filled my eyes as I watched my mother’s head fall forward.

     “No!” I screamed as loud as I could and jumped to my feet. As soon as the word left my mouth, I knew my father had heard me.

     “Kaia?” His voice was suddenly in my head . “What have you done, child?

     “You can hear me?” I asked and focused solely on my father’s voice.

     “Indeed, I can, child. Again, I ask, what have you to done to my dear Celeste?”

     “I freed her from you. Now let her go and I give you my word that I won’t come after you. But if you touch her one more time, I will destroy you.”

     The sound of his laughter, dark and sinister, filled my mind. “Destroy me, child? I take it that’s what you tried to do when you bit me? If that’s the case, you already know how that scenario turned out.”

     “Give my mother back to me!” I screamed as a dark feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. It quickly filled my chest, penetrating my heart and taking away my ability to feel anything good. The fear, pain and sadness I’d felt a moment earlier was instantly washed away as an intense rage took its place. I could feel my magic changing and I knew that I was too.

     “Give her back to me!” I repeated. Only this time, the voice that came from my lungs didn’t sound like my own. It was dark and evil.

     “Come and get her.”

     Just as I closed the connection between us, I caught a glimpse of Lucas through my father’s eyes. He was leaning against the cellar wall several feet from my mother with a smug look on his face. With no other option, I decided to reach out to him in hopes of getting him to help our mom.

     “Lucas. Lucas, can you hear me?” I had never tried to communicate with him before the way I’d done with Drycus and wasn’t sure if I even had a mental bond with him. “Lucas, if you can hear me, say something.”

     Not even a second passed before his voice was in my head. “Bitch.” The hissed word laced with hatred echoed in my mind. “Get out of my head!” he growled.

     A slither of hope flared in my chest. “Lucas, listen to me…please…please don’t let Drycus hurt our mother. You can help her escape.”

     A dark laugh filtered through our connection. “Now why would I do that?”

     “Because she’s your mother, you idiot!” I yelled.

     “I have no mother. And soon, neither will you.”

     The last thing I heard before something inside me snapped and I lost myself to the rage that slowly consumed me from the inside out, was the sound of Lucas laughing.

Chapter Fourteen

 

Nolan

 

 

 

“Kaia!”

     No matter how many times I called her name, she didn’t seem to hear me. Everyone in the room had tried to talk to her, but it was like she wasn’t even there with us. Her mind was somewhere else. She’d been having a one-sided conversation with someone for the last five minutes. Although I wasn’t completely certain, I was fairly confident that person was Drycus. And judging from the look on her face, I knew something bad was about to happen.

     I started toward her in an attempt to calm her, but stopped in my tracks when I noticed the silver of her eyes darken and turn black like they had twice before…when she killed Caleb and attacked the warrior in the valley.

     “Don’t come near me!” Kaia snarled and lifted her lip and bared her fangs at me.

     “Kaia, what’s wrong? Talk to me?”

     Instead of answering, she waved her hand in my direction and everyone and everything in the room was thrown away from her. The force behind the wind that suddenly filled the room and circled around her was so strong that it knocked Noah and Crispin through the closed, wooden door of the room. Alyse’s tiny body was thrown into the cabinets in the kitchen. And Brin, Adora and I were sent flying into the walls. Each of our bodies left dents in the stone before we crashed to the floor.

     Brin and Adora were knocked unconscious. And Alyse was barely moving a few feet away from where I laid. Every muscle in my body ached and my head spun so much that I could barely focus my eyes.

     “What’s happening to her?” Alyse asked in a strained voice as she struggled to breathe. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps a broken bone had punctured her lung or if she had internal bleeding.

     Gasping in pain, I turned over onto my stomach and crawled over to her as the speed of the wind in the room increased. “I think she’s changing” I said as I ran my hand over Alyse’s ribs.

     She grunted and pushed my hand away. “I’m fine” she said shakily and looked over at Kaia, who was standing in the middle of the room, staring out into space with a vacant expression in her black eyes. “Stop her. We can’t let her forget who she is” Alyse muttered then coughed up a mouthful of blood.

     “I know. Just don’t move” I said and struggled to get to my feet, but the wind forced me back to the floor. “Kaia!” I screamed her name in hopes of seeing some kind of recognition in her eyes.

     She looked my way and cocked her head to the side like she was trying to figure out who or maybe what I was.

     “That’s right, Kaia. It’s me…Nolan.” I paused to give her time to recognize me. “You need to calm down, Kaia. You’re upset. And you’re not yourself. Just calm down and we can talk about getting your mother back.”

     She stared at me for several seconds. Just when I thought that maybe I had gotten through to her, she screamed out loud and lifted her arms away from her body. Black flames sprouted from her hands and rolled over her arms and down the length of her body. Within seconds, she was completely engulfed flames. The floor at her feet caught fire and slowly began to inch outward.

     “Kaia! Stop this!” I yelled.

     Not getting any reaction at all from her, I knew I had to get the others to safety before she had a chance to hurt them even more than she already had. Ignoring the pain all over my body, I dragged Alyse, Adora and Brin out of the room. I left them in the hallway with Noah and Crispin, then reentered the room.

     “Kaia, please” I pleaded as I limped toward her. “Don’t do this. Don’t let evil win. Fight. Please fight it.”

     In response to my plea, Kaia’s body lifted several feet into the air as the fire continued to spread across the room. She floated toward me. The heat from the flames that covered her body, singed my skin as she closed the distance that separated us. The words she spoke and the voice that carried them as she glared at me with hateful eyes, ripped my heart from my chest.

     “I don’t want to fight it. I like it. I like the way this feels. You have no idea how wonderful it is to not care. There’s no more pain. No fear. No worrying” she hissed and rubbed a hand down her arm, intensifying the flames that covered it. “I’m free. Nothing can hurt me now.”

     Feeling as if I was losing her right then and there, I did the only thing I could think to do. I had to give her a reason to fight. A reason to live. Despite the agonizing pain that radiated up my arm as fire consumed it and burned my flesh, I reached out and placed my hand over Kaia’s heart and said, “If you’re giving up, then take me with you because you’re not just giving up on yourself. You’re giving up on everyone that loves you.”

     Kaia stared into my eyes as if she was trying to see into my soul. The minutes ticked by like hours as fire scorched my arm, but I refused to break eye contact with her or yell out in pain. “Please, Kaia. I love you.”

     A flicker of indecision flashed in her eyes a moment before she wrapped her arms around me and threw her head back and screamed. The last sound I heard before the entire room burst into flames all around us and I lost consciousness, was the sound of her voice. Not the dark, tainted voice she’d used earlier…but the sweet, kind voice that I loved. If I was going to die, it was her voice that I wanted to hear before I took my last breath.

Chapter Fifteen

 

Kaia

 

 

 

My head pounded with a massive headache as I opened my eyes to find that thick, black smoke filled the room – clouding my sight and scorching my lungs with every breath I took. The feel of someone warm in my arms, caught my attention and made me eager to see who I was holding onto. Using my hand to fan away the smoke that surrounded me, I was able to see an unmoving form next to me.

     My breath caught in my throat when my eyes landed on Nolan’s face. My heart raced frantically as I called out his name, but didn’t get a response. Unsure what had happened, I tried to use my magic to clear the room of smoke, but quickly found that I was too weak to summon the wind.

     Unable to do anything on my own and fearful for Nolan’s health, I did the only thing I could, I yelled for help. Within seconds, Adora and Noah appeared in the doorway of the room. Both of them looked like they had recently been through a battle and were barely able to stay on their feet.

    “Adora, help me” I pleaded and leaned over Nolan’s body to check for obvious wounds. “He’s hurt.”
     She looked hesitant to move from her place in the doorway. “Are you…you?” she asked in a dazed tone.

     Confused, I looked at her with raised brows. “What? Of course, I’m me. What are you talking about?”

     Adora glanced over at Noah. “Go get Lila and some of the others to help us.”

     Once Noah was gone, Adora limped into the room and knelt down next to Nolan. She seemed extremely nervous and unwilling to look at me. Her hands shook as she brushed Nolan’s hair back from his face.

     “What happened?” I asked as my gaze fell to Nolan’s right arm. It was covered with burns all the way up to his shoulder. The smell of burnt flesh hit my nose and made me gag. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand as tears filled my eyes. “What happened to him?”

     “Don’t you know?” Adora asked in an accusatory tone as she looked down at Nolan. Before I could answer, she continued, “You set the room on fire.”

     My eyes widened in disbelief as her words sunk in. “What? Are you saying I did this to him?” I asked with a shaky voice.

     Adora met my eyes and nodded. “Yes, Kaia, you did this to him. And you nearly killed the rest of us as well. Brin and Crispin are still unconscious. And I believe Alyse has several broken bones.”

     The force of the accusation in her eyes and voice knocked me backwards. I scooted away from Nolan as pain sliced through my heart like a sword through an apple. Guilt settled in my chest as my gaze shifted from Adora to Nolan, still unconscious on the floor. “I…I’m…I’m so sorry. I don’t remember. I’ll…I’ll heal him.”

     I quickly resumed my place next to Nolan and placed my hands over his body as tears streamed down my face. After several long seconds of focusing on my magic to heal him, I was devastated when nothing happened. Feeling completely exhausted, my body sagged forward. I stopped myself from hitting the floor by bracing my arms in front of me. I glanced up at Adora as devastation settled in my chest, “I can’t heal him.”

     Just then, Noah returned with Lila and a small group of Lenoi men. I scooted back across the floor so that Lila could work on Nolan, and tried to stay out of the way of everyone else. As I watched Alyse, Brin and Crispin being carried into the room and laid down next to Nolan, I slowly drifted into a hole of self-loathing and condemnation. I watched helplessly as Lila did her best to save my friends. Knowing that I almost killed the people I loved most made every fiber in my body ache.

     I’m not sure how much time passed as I sat there in a dazed state…hating myself. But as soon as I saw someone pick Nolan up and attempt to carry him out of the room, I suddenly came back to life. I didn’t realize who it was that was holding him, until the man turned around to face me. The sight of his white eyes instantly had me worried. If there was one thing I knew for sure about Nolan…it was that he absolutely hated Darian. And as far as I knew, the feeling was mutual.

     “Put him down, Darian” I said in warning as I got to my feet and started toward him. I lost my footing and stumbled several times. It seemed my body was much weaker than I thought. I could barely stay on my feet.

     Adora quickly came to Darian’s defense. She stepped between us to block him from my sight, “he’s just trying to help, Kaia. Lila wants Nolan taken to her room so she can take better care of him. The others have already been taken there.”

     I spared a brief glance in her direction before I looked past her to Darian. He hadn’t given me a reason not to trust him since I changed him and brought him to Menar, but then again, he hadn’t been given a chance to. Nolan had insisted he never come near me. I stared at him for a minute then said, “you can take him, but if you harm him in any way, I swear I will kill you.”

     Darian’s white eyes bored into mine. “I’ve been told of the kind of man I was before, and I offer you my most sincere apology for any wrongs I have done to you, Princess Kaia. And I also want to thank you for saving me. I give you my word that no further harm will come to Nolan.”

     Without waiting for me to respond, Darian bowed his head to me then quickly left the room with Nolan in his arms. Out of everything he’d said, the only thing that really struck a cord with me was the word ‘ further .’ No further harm would come to Nolan. The accusation in that one word nearly sent me back to my knees. I had hurt Nolan. And I had hurt him badly.

     “He’ll be okay” Adora said when she noticed me staring out the doorway.

     I looked over at her. When I opened my mouth to speak, an overwhelming fatigue washed over me and I felt myself falling.

     Adora caught me in her arms and looked at me with concern. “Kaia, what’s wrong? Why is your skin so cold?”

     “I’m just tired” I muttered in a low voice as she wrapped her arm around my waist, supporting my weight against her body and carried me out of the Brin’s burned up room.

     “I’ll take you to Lila’s room.”

     Barely able to shake my head, I said “No. Take me to my room.”

     “Are you sure? Nolan is going to want to see you when he wakes up.”

     “I’m sure” I replied with nothing more than a whisper. “I need to be alone.”

     Adora helped me to my room then left me alone to deal with the aftermath of the destruction I’d caused. As I laid there in bed, trying my best not to cry myself to sleep, for the first time in almost two weeks, hunger pains gripped by gut and my throat began to burn from thirst. As I attempted to will the pain away, I knew why I wasn’t strong enough to heal Nolan.

     Considering how weak my body was from lack of nutrition, my magic was already stretched too thinly. The use of constant magic to keep my hunger at bay and now to mask my appearance, there just wasn’t much left to do anything else. And whatever reserve of magic I did have must have been used to burn up Brin’s room.

     The fear of what might happen if the strength of my magic didn’t improve with a little rest brought fresh tears to my eyes because I honestly didn’t know if I could or if I would even want to resist the urge to feed if it was to hit me with full force.

     Right before my eyes fluttered closed, my mother’s face popped into my head, reminding me of why I had lost control of myself in the first place. The more I thought about her, the more certain I was that my time among the living was coming to an end because one way or another, I was going to get her back as soon as the new day began.

Chapter Sixteen

 

Kaia

 

 

 

Despite how tired I was, I couldn’t manage to sleep for more than a few hours before waking up covered in sweat. The hunger pains in my belly were growing stronger and the burning in my throat was ten times worse than it had been when I fell asleep. Rolling over onto my side, I wrapped my arms tightly around my middle as the awful cramping continued.

     The fact my hunger had returned was further proof I was weakening quickly. That meant, if I didn’t get my mother back soon…I never would. A knock at the door sent me into alarm mode. I sat bolt upright in the bed and stared at the door. I knew anyone with blood flowing through their veins would be in danger if they stepped foot into the room. If faced with the opportunity to feed, I wasn’t sure if I would be strong enough to deny my thirst.

     For the safety of whoever was on the other side of the door, I yelled, “Go away! I don’t want to see anyone right now!”

     “Kaia, it’s Mandy. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

     When I didn’t respond, she quickly added, “Kaia, please let me in. I have something you need to see.”
     Knowing that Mandy truly was safe from my hunger, I knew her presence wouldn’t be a threat to my self-control. And my curiosity to see whatever she had with her was too great to send her away. I unlocked the door and opened it for her to enter.

     She stood in the doorway with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She only spared a quick glance in my direction before she dropped her gaze to the floor. She was afraid of me. I felt her fear and the uncertainty she felt over whether or not she should have come to see me. Knowing that she now feared me the same way everyone else did, really hurt.

     After a brief moment of awkward silence, Mandy finally spoke again. “I thought you should know that Alyse and Nolan are both going to be okay. And so will the others. Lila was able to heal most of their superficial wounds, but the burns on Nolan’s arm are going to have to heal on their own. Lila isn’t strong enough to heal that kind of damage. She said he’ll probably be unconscious for a couple more hours because she had to give him some kind of concoction she made to control his pain” she added sadly.

     Pain twisted in my chest as she spoke about Nolan. I wanted so badly to go to him…to tell him how sorry I was…but what would be the point? My apologies meant nothing when the need to make them was recurring more and more frequently. It seemed every time I turned around, I was hurting someone that I loved.

     I lowered my head in shame as I spoke, “Thank you for the update, Mandy. If that’s all, I’d really like to be left alone.” Without waiting for her answer, I started to close the door.

     “Actually, that’s not really why I came to see you” Mandy said and held her arm out to stop me from closing the door.

     I met her eyes and waited for her to continue. I was so tired and depressed that I didn’t even want to speak. After a few seconds of just staring at her, Mandy pulled her hand from her back pocket and held it out to me. “I found this in your mother’s room.”

     I stared at the folded piece of paper, unsure if I wanted to touch it or not.

     Noticing my hesitance, Mandy let out a sigh and unfolded the paper. She held it up in front of me. “It’s from your mother” she said to get me to look at it.

     I glanced at the paper, then look away. I couldn’t even bring myself to read what she’d written. I was terrified of what I might do if I read something upsetting. I felt Mandy’s fear of me slowly vanish as annoyance flashed across her face.

     She shook her head at me and stepped into the room then closed the door behind her. “Look, I know you’re going through some stuff right now, Kaia. You’re hurt. And angry at yourself. I get it. But you need to know why your mother left.”

     “I already know. She left me to be with my father and now he’s torturing her for that decision” I said and turned my back to Mandy as my chest tightened painfully from the knowledge of what Drycus was doing to my mother.”

     “That’s not why she left” Mandy said and stepped around in front of me so that she could face me as she spoke, “Your mother left to save you.”

     “Me?” I asked. “What the hell are you talking about, Mandy? Why would she think she needs to save me from anything?”

     Regret instantly flashed in her eyes and I knew I wasn’t going to like what she said next.

     Mandy’s eyes darted round the room nervously before finally settling on me. “Shortly before your mother disappeared, I saw her outside of her room.” She paused and looked down at the floor, “She knows, Kaia. Your mother knows that you’re starving yourself to death.”

     Already aware of what my mother knew, I said, “What does that have to do with why she left?”

     “It’s all in the letter she left for you.” Many replied, “I’m sorry…I know it was meant for you, but I read it. Apparently, shortly before your grandmother’s death, she learned about the existence of a book of black magic that your great-grandfather, Braden, had confiscated from the home of Natalia’s mother. He had hidden it within the wall of one of the rooms in the castle to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Since the Lenoi don’t practice black magic, it wasn’t considered an important part of your history. But earlier, when you revealed how Drycus was created, your mother remembered the discovery of the book and thought it could somehow help us. Your grandmother had found it in the wall of her room a few days before Drycus attacked the castle. Once she realized what it was, she returned it to its hiding spot.”

     “And my mother went back to get it?” I asked.

     Mandy nodded. “She thinks that since it was black magic that created Drycus, then maybe black magic could also heal him. And you.”

     “But that’s insane. Why would she go back there on her own? She had to know that Drycus would capture her again.”

     Mandy looked away sadly before meeting my gaze again. “She did. That’s why she left you this note.” She held the letter up in her hand. “She knew Drycus would change her back into a vampire…she was willing to give up her chance at a new life in order to save you. Her plan was to convince your father that she returned to him because she wanted to be with him and then find a way to get the book out of the castle and into the forest for Adora to find.”

     Tears stung my eyes at the sacrifice my mom was willing to make in exchange for the small, almost non-existent chance she had of saving my life with the book of black magic. Sorrow washed over me like a steaming hot blanket and I slowly sank to the floor from the sense of loss that suddenly consumed me. “Drycus is going to kill my mother” I said with certainty as the image of her chained in the cellar flashed in my mind again. “He’s going to kill her…because of me.” My throat tightened, making my words sound strangled.

     “We don’t know that, Kaia” Mandy said to offer me comfort. She knelt down next to me and reached out to touch my arm. I flinched away from her.

     “Please go, Mandy.”

     She looked at me with sympathy then reluctantly walked out of the room.

     I knew she meant well, but her words were pointless. I knew the truth. I was never going to see my mother alive again. I stared at the floor in front of me as the events of the last two months flashed before my eyes like a bad movie. So much had happened in my life. And it was the decisions that I’d made that had placed me in the position I was now in. If just one of the many decisions I’d made over the last couple of weeks had been done differently, perhaps I wouldn’t be sitting on the floor of a cave hidden within a mountain in a secret world that no one even knew existed, wallowing in the knowledge that my mother was going to die because of her love for me.

     As I sat there berating myself for all the bad decisions I’d made that had led me to my current situation, a sudden clear thought that was more of a vision really - forced its way through the haze that clouded my mind. While the vision saddened me, it also freed me of the uncertainty and fear that I harbored of what laid ahead in the future for the people that I loved.

     A sense of absolute calm settled over me as I mentally accepted that my next decision would be my last. It was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes, allowing me to see clearly for the very first time. I saw everything in a different perspective. Fear of my own death no longer registered in my mind. All that mattered to me now was leaving behind a world that could survive without me.

     Feeling mentally stronger and more determined than I’d felt in a very long time, I got to my feet with renewed purpose and a new plan.

Chapter Seventeen

 

Kaia

 

 

 

I’d spent the last hour preparing myself for what I was about to do and I still wasn’t ready to face the man laying on a small bed in the corner of Lila’s room. As soon as he saw me, Nolan tried to get up but Lila pushed him back down.

     “I told you not to move” Lila chastised him with a shake of her finger as he continued to try to get up.

     Nolan locked eyes with me as I crossed the room toward him and I felt his need to be near me. He attempted to move again and I shook my head at him. “I’ll come to you” I said and did my best to ignore the way everyone in the room was staring at me.

     Nolan ignored my words and jumped from the bed with a grimace. He closed the distance between us with three long strides and wrapped his arms tightly around my body. With his mouth nestled near my ear, he exhaled deeply. His warm breath rolled over my skin, igniting a fire in my belly. “Kaia, I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

     I quickly pulled out of his embrace before I had a chance to get too comfortable in his arms. I met his eyes and my first instinct was to apologize for nearly killing him, but I held my tongue. I knew he was tired of hearing me say that I was sorry. “How’s your arm?” I asked and pointed to the white gauze that covered his hand and arm all the way up to his shoulder.

     Nolan shrugged like his injury was nothing. “It’s fine. No big deal. I’ll be back to normal in no time.” He reached for my hand and a shudder went down my spine when his strong grip wrapped around my shaking hand. His eyes widened as he looked at me. “Your hand is so cold” he said as he lifted our conjoined hands to his face and brushed the back of mine across his cheek. “Why are you shaking?”

     I gently pulled my hand from his grip and forced a small smile to my lips to ease his concern. There was no way I could tell him that the temperature of my skin and my inability to keep my body from shaking was because I was in the final hours of my life.

     I lifted my hand to the sapphire medallion that now hung from my neck and said a silent prayer that it would continue to mask my appearance and keep my hunger under control for a few more hours, since my own magic was no longer strong enough to keep up the charade I’d been portraying.

     After Mandy had left my room earlier, I knew I wouldn’t make it through the day without hurting someone if I didn’t find a way to restrain the hunger that was breaking through my magical hold on it. Thankfully, the sapphire medallion hadn’t been harmed in the fire I started in Brin’s room and its magic worked just as well as my own did before I became too weak to use it.

     Remembering that Nolan had asked me a question, I dropped my hand from the medallion and met his worried gaze. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”

     “About what” Nolan asked as he studied me carefully.

     I glanced across the room to where Darian, Adora and Alyse were sitting. They kept looking my way but neither of them made a move to join my conversation with Nolan. The fear I saw in Alyse’s eyes caused a tiny pain to shoot across my chest. I hated that she was afraid of me. My gaze fell to the bandages wrapped around her ribcage as shame filled my chest.

     “Kaia” Nolan called my name to get my attention. “What are you nervous about?”

     “I have a favor to ask you and everyone else here” I paused and glanced around the room to see that everyone was now watching me and listening to what I had to say. “You can all say no if you want to and I won’t be mad, but it would mean a lot to me if you all would help me.”

     “Help you do what?” Adora asked as she got up from her seat and started toward me with Darian right behind her.

     “Help me save my mother.” I tried to keep my voice strong but it came out cracked and broken as emotion filtered into it.

     Adora stopped in front of me and rested her hand on my shoulder. “Of course, we’ll help you, Kaia. We all want to see Celeste safely returned to us.”

     I looked past her and saw that Darian was nodding his head in agreement. “Whatever you need us to do, Princess Kaia, just let us know and it will be done.”

     “Thank you” I said in a low voice, then turned to face Nolan once more.

     He was standing next to me with an unreadable look on his face as he stared at me intently. I knew he could feel that something was wrong. Even though my appearance seemed healthy, our bond was strong enough that I worried he could see through the magic that shrouded me.

     “Kaia” Nolan’s voice was filled with deep emotion as he said my name. “What’s going on?”

     I looked at him with mock innocence as fear filled my chest that he knew the truth I desperately wanted to keep from him. “What do mean?”

     He narrowed his eyes at me. “I know you, Kaia…you’re keeping something from me.” He paused, “Are you upset about what happened earlier…with the fire? If you are, don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t control it.”

     Hearing him once again try to justify and make excuses for my inability to control my dark side, angered me more than it should. He was only trying to make me feel better about myself, but instead, I felt worse. I wanted him to be angry at me. I wanted him to yell and scream at me for nearly killing him. I wanted him to make me take responsibility for what I’d done and stop trying to protect me from myself.

     “It was my fault, Nolan. All of it. Everything that has happened to us from the moment I got sick in the human world and was unable to eat normal food…is all my fault. Meg is dead because of me. Mandy’s life was ruined because of me. Gary is nearly catatonic because of what my father did to him. And my mother is being tortured at the hands of my father because of me. Hell…you being in this place at all is my fault. You didn’t even want to come here. You wanted to stay in the human world.”

     “You’re right, I didn’t want to come back here” Nolan admitted. “But you didn’t force me to come. I came with you because I wanted to. Just like Meg chose to go to Darian’s that night, despite the fact she knew she was going to die. And Mandy…what happened to her had nothing to do with you. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You gave her back what had been taken from her. Her life. As for Sarah and Gary…what Drycus did to them should be on his conscious, not yours. No one else in this world or the next would have risked their life to come to their rescue the way you did. And don’t forget…you saved your mother and brought her here to safety and she chose to go back to Drycus. That was her choice…not yours. So stop blaming yourself for the actions of others. You can’t save everyone, Kaia.”

     “But I can try” I said as tears filled my eyes. “All I want is to make sure the people I love are safe. What’s so wrong about that?”

     Nolan’s face softened. “Nothing. There is nothing wrong with that, Kaia. You just can’t take on a burden that big all on your own.”

     “I know. That’s why I’m asking for your help…and everyone else’s.”

     Nolan pulled me to him and wrapped his uninjured arm around my back and held me close to his chest. “You don’t even have to ask. Everyone in Menar is here to serve you, my Queen.”

     I pulled back to look at his face. He knew what I was going to say before I even opened my mouth.

     “Adora has refused her birthright and declined her right to the throne…therefore, passing it down to you” Nolan said, then knelt on one knee in front of me.

     Before he could say anything else, I quickly shook my head. “My mother is the rightful Queen. She’s the eldest of our bloodline.”

     Nolan nodded in agreement. “She is…but she too, declined the position. She made her wishes known to both myself and Adora when we carried her to her room before she disappeared. She said it was your destiny to lead our people back to the greatness we once possessed.”

     Too stunned to speak, I just stared at Nolan as he took my hand in his and looked up at me with admiration as he spoke, “It will be my honor to serve under your rule, Queen Kaia.”

     A thick lump formed in my throat, preventing me from speaking. Even if I could talk, I didn’t know what I would say. Nolan’s words kept repeating in my mind. He believed I was destined to become Queen of the Lenoi…to lead our people to greatness. I too, believed that I was destined to save our people…just not the way Nolan thought I would.

     Eager to get away from our current conversation, I pulled on Nolan’s hand until he stood up. The thought of him kneeling before me or anyone else, bothered me tremendously. Once at his full height, I rested my hand on the side of his face and stared into his eyes as I said the words on the tip of my tongue that begged to be released. “I love you, Nolan. Never forget that.”

    A broad smile stretched across his face at my declaration of affection for him and I silently prayed that it wouldn’t be the last time I said those words to him.

Chapter Eighteen

 

Kaia

 

 

 

Standing in the middle of the valley of Menar, I looked out at the crowd of Lenoi and Pixies that had gathered to hear me speak. Over a hundred sets of eyes were on me, waiting for me to tell them why I’d called a meeting. Knowing that I didn’t have time to waste, I jumped right into discussing my plan of rescuing my mother.

     An hour later, I felt fairly confident that by the end of the day, my mom would once again be back in the safety of Menar. At least seventy Lenoi and Pixie males had agreed to go with me to the castle to assist in her rescue. I hoped that our numbers would be sufficient.

     As the large group in front of me dispersed to prepare for battle, I expected Nolan to join them. Instead, he stayed by my side. The entire time I was talking about the plan to rescue my mom, I felt Nolan’s eyes on me, watching me…hanging on to my every word. A few times, I tried to tap into his emotions to understand the tense look on his face, but with my body being as weak as it was, I was no longer able to sense how he felt.

     My medallion was useful in helping to control my hunger and disguise my appearance, but it did nothing to enhance my fading empath abilities. Needing a break from the scrutiny of Nolan’s attention, I decided to use the hour or so of time I had before leaving Menar to do something that I had wanted to do since the first day we arrived in Shohala Falls.

     I smiled at Nolan in hopes of easing the hard look in his eyes. “There is something I’d really love to do before we leave for the castle…will you go with me?” I asked.

     “Of course” Nolan responded.

     I could see the question in his eyes, but instead of responding to his unspoken words about where I wanted to go, I simply wrapped my hand around his and headed toward the path through the mountains that led to the entrance of the shield. Nolan was unusually quiet as he allowed me to lead him through the shield and into the barren forest that surrounded it.

     I stopped walking and looked at the thin path of bright green grass that I had inadvertently created the night Darian had chased us from the castle. The strip of grass stretched on for several hundred feet before disappearing beneath the dirt floor of the forest. And the trees that were near it and had also benefited from the magic I used that night now offered a bit of shade from the suns rays. The branches were now weighed down with beautiful green leaves. The twenty or so trees that had been brought back to life looked lonely and out of place in the middle of the desolate forest.

     As I looked back and forth between the living and dead tree’s, I was suddenly overwhelmed by how badly I wanted to see Shohala Falls the way my grandmother had seen it in her day. Alive and vibrant. Filled with beauty and magic.

     “What are you thinking?” Nolan’s soft spoken words pulled me from my thoughts.

     I looked over at him and smiled, then knelt down to the ground and spread my hands out over the earth. “I think its time to return this world to the way it was meant to be.”

     Without waiting for him to respond, I used the magic from my medallion to give life back to the forest. Within minutes, everything in my line of sight was beaming with life and color. Branches and leaves sprouted from the once-dead trees, the thin strip of grass spread to cover the entire forest floor as flowers sprung up in beautiful beds around the tree trunks.

     I glanced up at Nolan and saw a look of total awe that covered his face. “Should you be using so much magic considering what we’re about to do?” he asked when he met my eyes.

     “I owe it to my mother, grandmother, and everyone else here to restore this world to the greatness it once possessed, regardless of the cost.” My words were heartfelt, but the true reason I decided that now was the time to restore Shohala Falls was because I desperately wanted to see the world I came from the same way my grandmother had seen it in her time. I quickly stood and walked across the forest.

     The further I walked, the further the magic from the medallion spread. I didn’t need to see everything to know that life now encompassed all of Shohala Falls. I could feel it in my heart. It was like the entire world of the fairies had been reborn. Needing a moment to bask in the beauty all around me, I sat down on the ground and leaned back against one of the newly revived tree’s.

     “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” I asked and looked over at Nolan as he sat down next to me.

     “Indeed, it is, Kaia. But it isn’t half as breathtaking as the beauty in front of me.” He lifted his hand and placed it on the side of my face. “You are absolutely remarkable.”

     As I stared into his eyes, bits of a vision I had the last time I slept flashed in my mind. Blue glass. Shards of blue glass filled my vision. I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant, but the vision of shattered blue glass hung over me like a bad omen.

     “Hey…are you all right, Kaia?”

     I blinked several times to clear my mind, then focused on Nolan. “I’m fine. I think we should go back to Menar. I’m sure the others are waiting for us.” I attempted to stand and Nolan grabbed my arm to stop me.

     “What’s going on, Kaia? Why do I feel like you’re keeping something from me?”

     I gently pulled my arm from his grip and stood up, even though what I wanted to do was lay my head on his chest and let him hold me for the rest of my life – no matter how long that might be. “I just don’t want to wait any longer to save my mom. I’m ready for all of this to be over.”

     Nolan was quiet for several seconds, then he stood and looked away uncomfortably before meeting my eyes again. “We haven’t really talked about what’s been happening with you lately.” He paused and I could tell by the look on his face that the conversation he wanted to have wasn’t an easy one for him. “Your dark side…it’s getting stronger. Isn’t it?”

     Before I had a chance to respond, he continued, “Back in Brin’s room…before the fire…you said that you liked the way it felt. That you finally felt free. Did you mean that? Did embracing your dark side really wipe away your pain?”

     I was stunned by his questions and really didn’t want to answer them, but at the same time, he deserved to know the truth. “I don’t really know what happened in Brin’s room. It was like I blacked out and someone else took over my body…but I do remember feeling free of pain for a brief time. So I guess maybe embracing the evil inside me did free me of my pain.”

     Nolan nodded like he had expected my answer. “Do you still want to fight it?” The doubt and uncertainty in his voice ripped at my heart.

     “Of course, I still want to fight it, Nolan. I will fight the evil inside me until the day I die. Some battles may be harder than others, and I may not win them all, but I will never stop fighting.”

     Without saying a word, Nolan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight against his body. A rush of warm air brushed against my neck as he exhaled a deep breath. “You have no idea how badly I needed to hear you say that” he whispered near my ear. The tone of his voice let me know how scared he’d been of hearing a different answer.

     I allowed him to hold me for several minutes before I pulled back to put some distance between us. I loved him more than words could ever express, but in that moment, it hurt too much to be near him because I knew in a few short hours I would be leaving him forever. “We should go” I said, my voice cracked as I looked away from him in the direction of Menar.

     Nolan seemed reluctant to end our brief moment of privacy, but he took my hand in his and led the way back to the valley I would never see again after that day.

Chapter Nineteen

 

Kaia

 

 

 

Once back in Menar, we were greeted by an anxious group of Lenoi and Pixies who were waiting near the entrance to the shield.

     “Where did you two disappear to?” Adora asked as her gaze shifted from me to Nolan.

     I was about to tell her about the changes she was going to see as soon as she stepped through the shield, but my thoughts were interrupted by my father’s voice in my head.

     “My child, have you given up on your dear mother? She cries for you. She pleads for you to come for her. To save her” he taunted.

     All of my attention focused on his voice as I tapped into our connection using the magic from the medallion to see what he saw. “Shut up!” I yelled.

     My vision blurred then became clear as I saw through Drycus’ eyes. He was once again in the cellar with my mother. Only this time, she wasn’t chained to the wall. She was now laying naked on a mattress in the corner of her cell. The sight reminded me of the vision I’d had of her past and how badly she’d been treated when my father had imprisoned her long ago. A scream built in my throat, but I held it back, unwilling to let Drycus know how much his brutality of my mother affected me.

     “Let her go, Drycus. I don’t know why…but she loves you. Show me that there’s something inside of you worth saving. Just a slither of goodness…please, Father” I pleaded. I’m not sure why I used that word in reference to him. He sure as hell didn’t act like my father…but for some reason it felt right. Maybe a part of me hoped I could reach the man he used to be…the man I saw in his memories. The man who loved his children with his whole heart. Maybe I hoped that word would somehow make him love me. Regardless of why I called him father, it had no effect on him at all. 

     His deep throated laughter filled my mind. “Father? Since when did you decide to claim me as your sire? You’ve shown me nothing but disrespect and hatred. And now that I have something you want, you think you can play the role of my daughter. Well, I am long past the infatuation I had with you and your magic. I’ve come to realize there is only room for one of us in this world, and being ever the selfish bastard that I am, I choose me.”

     As his voice and the threat it carried lingered in my mind, I looked out at the crowd of Lenoi and Pixies around me. My eyes landed on Nolan. The concern on his face as he studied me like he was trying to figure out what was going on in my head, touched me in a way that nothing else could. I mouthed the words, “I’m fine” to him before resuming my conversation with Drycus.

     “And what about Lucas? Do you plan to rid the world of him as well? Or will he become your new pride and joy?”

     An angry hiss filtered through our bond. “The boy is nothing more than a pet. And I suppose when he ceases to be of use to me, then I will dispose of him as well.”

     “Did you hear that, brother?” I asked, and hoped that the three-way connection I tried to open had allowed Lucas to hear what Drycus said.

     The enraged bellow that ricocheted through my head let me know that it had worked. “We’ll see who gets disposed of, old man.” Lucas snarled, then spoke directly to me, “thanks for the heads up, Kaia, but it doesn’t change anything between us. One day, I will bathe in your blood and laugh while doing so.”

     “Yeah, well, I love you too” I said sarcastically, then closed the mental bond I had with Lucas so that I could speak only to my father.

     “Drycus, when this is all over and done, I want you to know something…I want you to know that I don’t blame you for the things you’ve done. I know your pain. But you have to be stopped, and that responsibility rests on my shoulders.”

     Instead of responding to anything I said, Drycus replied, “You have one hour to come for your mother before I slit her throat and drop her outside the shield around Menar.”

     With his final words fresh in my mind, I closed the mental connection I had with him and quickly opened one with mother. “Mom, if you can hear me…I want you to know I’m coming for you.”

     Without waiting to see if she would respond, I closed all mental connections and let out a deep breath to clear my mind. I turned my back to everyone staring at me and closed my eyes to get a brief moment of rest. Despite the fact that on the outside I appeared strong and healthy, my body was actually growing weaker by the minute. And it took every ounce of strength I had to remain on my feet.

     A warm hand gripped my shoulder. I lifted my head and looked over at Nolan as he stood beside me. “What did Drycus say to upset you so badly?” he asked.

     My gaze shifted over to Adora and Alyse as they joined us, with Brin, Noah and Crispin right behind them. “He said he’s going to kill my mother in one hour.”

     “Then we need to go now. With your magic, we can be there in seconds” Adora said and placed her hand over the daggers strapped to her hips.

     “He won’t be there. It’s totally vacant” I said in a voice that sounded void of emotion.

     “What do you mean? Where is he?” Nolan asked.

     I thought back to what I saw while in his head a moment ago. Not only was I speaking with him, I had also searched his mind and saw his plan. I don’t know why I chose to look to Adora as I spoke, maybe it was because I thought she would understand the significance of what I had to say better than the others would.

     “He’s waiting in Torlan. Now that the forest is restored, the trees will provide him the cover he needs for an ambush. He plans on attacking us before we even reach the castle.” I hoped that no one would bring up my magic again or the possibility of just instantly transporting our army to where Drycus and his men waited for us because I didn’t want to take the chance of extending the medallions magic so thinly that might stop working.

     “How do you know this?” Alyse asked as she looked up at me.

     “I saw his plan while speaking with him. He’s going to use my mother to lure us out in the open…into a large open field covered with thick green grass that stretches out over rolling hills in front of the castle. I saw it in the distance in his mind. And it was so beautiful…exactly the way I dreamed it would be.”

     “But that’s not possible, Kaia” Adora said with a shake of her head. “You’ve seen for yourself that nothing lives outside of Menar. The terrain you’re describing has been dead for decades.”

     “Not anymore” Nolan said solemnly as he locked eyes with me. “Kaia used her magic to restore our world to what it used to be.”

     A loud gasp filled the air and my attention shot to Adora as her eyes grew wide. She stared at me with fear and I knew then that she did understand what was going to happen within the next hour. “An open green field” she muttered, “With fairies and vampires fighting a war.”

     I pleaded with my eyes for her to stop talking, but she ignored me and looked to Nolan. “That’s exactly what Kaia saw in her vision.”

     “What vision?” Nolan asked as his gaze shifted between Adora and me.

     I shook my head, warning Adora to shut up but once again, she ignored me and grabbed Nolan’s arm forcefully. She squeezed his arm so tightly that the whites of her knuckles were visible. “The vision of her death, Nolan. She just described what she saw in her vision.” Adora spared a quick glance in my direction before turning her attention back to Nolan. “She can’t go out there. You have to make her stay here or she’ll die.” The urgency of her voice had everyone around us looking around with uncertainty and fear in their eyes.

     “Adora! You’re scaring your people” I yelled. “And we don’t have time for anyone to second guess our plan. My mother will die if we don’t go to her now.”

     “I’m sorry, Kaia” she said as she looked at me apologetically. “But I know my sister would rather sacrifice herself than her own daughter.”

     Before I could respond to Adora, Nolan spoke. “Is what she said true, Kaia?” The devastation in his voice made it impossible to look at anyone but him. “Did you just describe the vision you had as a child of your death?”

     Alyse, Brin, Darian, Adora and all of the other Lenoi and Pixies were all staring at me, waiting for my answer. A thick lump formed in my throat as I looked out over the group of people I had come to think of as friends…even if they did fear me. My eyes suddenly felt too heavy to hold open, but I forced them to meet Nolan’s as I spoke, “Yes” I said with a heavy breath.

     Alyse’s hands flew to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Several others, including Brin, lowered their heads in sorrow. And some, just refused to meet my eyes when I looked their way. But as expected, it was Nolan who had the strongest reaction to my confession.

     He grabbed my hand roughly and started hauling me through the crowd, toward the valley. “You’re not leaving Menar. I’ll go get your mother, but you are going to stay right here where you’re safe” he said as I pulled against him.

     “Nolan, let me go!” I yelled and jerked my hand from his grip as the crowd of Lenoi and Pixies parted around us.

     He spun around and tried to grab my hand again, but I wouldn’t let him. He narrowed his eyes at me and I was sure to everyone else he looked angry, but I saw through that and knew he wasn’t angry at me…he was scared. “Kaia, I’m not arguing with you about this. You are staying here and that’s final.”

     I lifted my head defiantly and nodded. “You’re right. We’re not going to argue about this. I’m going to save my mother and you’re not going to stop me.” I turned my back to him and started toward the shield.

     A split second later, Nolan was standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest, blocking my path. All I could think of at that moment was when did he get so fast…or when did I get so slow?

     “Kaia, you know I can’t let you go out there. Not now that I know everything matches the vision of your death. You can’t expect me to let you walk into a trap.”

     I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I responded. I knew my words were going to hurt him and just the thought of actually saying them ripped a hole in my heart, but I didn’t see where I had a choice. My mother’s life depended on me getting to her in time.

     I did my best to keep the agony I felt from seeping into my voice as I said the words I knew would make him relent. “That’s exactly what I expect you to do, Nolan…because as you said earlier, I’m your queen and as Queen of the Lenoi, I order you to get out of my way.”

     A pained expression flitted across Nolan’s face a moment before he dropped his arms to his side. Disbelief filled his eyes as he stared at me, then he lowered his head and dropped his gaze to the ground as he spoke, “You are indeed my Queen, Kaia.” He lifted his head to meet my eyes once more and continued, “And at any other time, I would obey any command that you give…but I will not now nor ever stand by and allow you to put yourself in danger. I will gladly accept any punishment you deem necessary for my disobedience…the only way you are leaving here is through me.”

     I sighed deeply as my plan to pull rank on him backfired in my face. Then I decided to try a different tactic.One I knew without a doubt would work. “Nolan” I said his name softly and laid my hand on his arm. “You know I can and will leave Menar any time I want to. All I have to do is use my magic…but I’m asking you as my friend…as my soulmate…not to make me do it that way. I’d prefer to face my father surrounded by my friends and loved ones, but if I have to, I will face him on my own.”

     The determination on Nolan’s face fell as he looked at me. I could almost hear the torrent of cuss words I had a feeling were swirling around in his head. His jaw clenched tightly as his chest heaved with angry breaths. “You really would face him and his clan all alone, wouldn’t you?”

     “I don’t want to” I admitted. “But I will if I have to.”

     Nolan looked upwards to the sky and blew out a heavy breath before turning his attention back to me. “Promise me that you’ll stay by my side at all times, no matter what happens.”

     I knew it was a promise I wouldn’t be able to keep, but to ease his fear, I agreed. “I promise. Now can we go…we’re running out of time.” I wasn’t just referring to the time limit we had to save my mom. My time was also running out.

     It was becoming increasingly more difficult to breathe normally. Each breath I took came with great effort. My lungs felt ready to give out on me and my heart was only beating half as fast as it normally did. The only good thing about my current situation was that my body was so weak that not even the evil inside me was strong enough to surface any more. So I didn’t have to worry about losing myself again and hurting the people I loved like I had before.

     “I don’t like this, Kaia” Nolan said with hesitance, “It doesn’t feel right. But I know I can’t stop you, so instead, I give you my word that I won’t let anything happen to you.”

     I lifted my hand to his cheek and caressed it tenderly. I wanted so badly to kiss him, but I feared I would break down in tears if I did. “We have to go now” I whispered. Without waiting for him to respond, I dropped my hand from his cheek and opened the shield that surrounded Menar.

Chapter Twenty

 

Kaia

 

 

 

As soon as we left Menar, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders because I knew the people we left behind would soon be free. Brin, Lila, Sara, Gary and all the others who chose not to join in the fight with my father would no longer have to hide in the mountains. The battle between the vampires and the fairies would soon end. Knowing that, gave me comfort despite the great price their freedom was going to cost me.

     I followed behind Nolan as he led our small army of Lenoi and Pixies through the forest toward our final destination. Adora and Alyse walked beside me on my right and Darian and Mandy were on my left, with everyone else behind us. I had tried to convince Mandy to stay in Menar but she insisted on being by my side until the end. My end. I glanced over at her and sent a silent ‘thank you’ for being my friend.

     As we neared the open field from my vision, an overwhelming sense of calm and peace washed over me. I probably should have been terrified considering I knew what was about to happen…but instead, I felt relieved that all of my worries were about to end.

     Nolan stopped abruptly and I nearly crashed into his back. “Stay back!” he growled in a tight voice and held the silver sword he’d traded his bow in for, up as if he was ready to fight. “They’re watching us. I can smell them.”

     I nodded in agreement. We were indeed being watched but I knew the vampires wouldn’t attack until we were out in the open. There was only a small patch of trees that separated us from the beautiful green field where my destiny would finally be fulfilled. A strangled whimper drifted in the air toward me and I knew my mother was nearby.

     I pushed past Nolan and rebuffed his attempts to pull me back. My only thought was of my mother and getting to her in time to save her. “Drycus!” I called out his name as I stepped from the trees with Nolan and our army right behind me.

     Just as expected, my father and his clan of vampires stepped from the tree line of Torlan on the opposite side of the open field that had only recently been brought back to life because of me. My gaze settled on my mother as she swayed on her feet next to Drycus. She looked dazed, confused and unable to stand on her own for much longer. Drycus’ arm was wrapped around her waist so that she couldn’t move from his side.

     Rage quickly filled my chest as the need for revenge burned in my veins. “Let her go, Drycus!” I yelled and took several steps onto the field. Nolan was right by my side…so closely that my hand would brush against his if I lifted it to the side only an inch.

     A cruel smile lifted the corners of Drycus’ mouth as he shook his head slowly from side to side. “As I said before…if you want her, come and get her.”

     “I had a feeling you would say that.” I looked to my right, then left, at the group of Lenoi and Pixies that were now lined up, ready to go into battle and I vowed to myself that I would do whatever possible to make sure they all made it back to their families. Then I wrapped my hand around the sapphire medallion that hung from my neck and concentrated on its magic to give me the strength I needed to keep my vow.

     A burst of adrenaline and magic flooded my body and I instantly took advantage of it. I darted across the field toward my father at the same time his men ran toward me and my friends. Instead of joining the battle, my father led my mother onto the field a short distance away from the fighting to watch.

     I wanted to go to her but I had to make sure my friends were safe first. Without even thinking about my actions or the consequences, I attacked one vampire after the next…biting into whatever body part was closest to my mouth. Whether it was a neck, an arm or a leg…it didn’t matter as I tore through battling bodies, helping my friends defeat their enemies. The only one who didn’t seem to need my help was Nolan. With his sword in hand, he moved like a seasoned warrior, quickly decapitating every vampire that came near him.

     Cries of war and screams of pain filled the air as the fairies and vampires fought. But it seemed no matter how many fell from my bite or Nolan’s sword, more continued to flood the field. As I surveyed what was happening all around me, I knew I needed to do more or I was going to lose someone that I cared about. There was already at least a dozen of my group dead.

     Their mangled bodies littered the ground as pools of red blood stained the beautiful green grass I had created. Their deaths saddened me but I was relieved that the people closest to my heart were still alive and fighting. Adora and Darian were fighting together against a group of at least six vampires, while Alyse and several Pixie males went up against a smaller group of four vampires. The others were all in separate battles of their own.

     From the corner of my eye, I saw someone dart toward the trees that we had exited then I heard someone scream. I ran toward the sound and found Mandy about to try and fight a vampire with a kithu in her hand that she could barely hold because she was shaking so badly. In less than a second, I ripped the vampires head from his shoulders and dropped it at her feet. She stared at me with wide, terrified eyes, but I didn’t have time to console her. I left her standing at the edge of the forest and returned to the fight.

     Piles of black dust were scattered over the grass from the vampires that were unfortunate enough not to survive my attack, whiles others laid on the ground in the fetal position, crying like babies as their eyes turned from black to white. I was so caught up in what I was doing that I didn’t even realize that everyone had stopped fighting until I heard someone yell my name.

     I released the vampire in my arms and wiped his black blood from my mouth with the back of my hand and looked out at the scene all around me. Over half of my people still stood, but there was only a handful of vampires left and they all cowered around my father a hundred yards away from where I stood. At least thirty of my father’s men were now like Darian while more double that number were nothing more than ashes.

     My eyes locked onto Drycus as he yelled my name again, in a voice laced with venom and hatred. “Kaia!” He stood behind my mother with one hand over her mouth and the other wrapped around her throat. The look on his face showed that the outcome of our battle was not what he had expected.

     Too exhausted to respond verbally, I started toward him. Now that I had a moment to take a deep breath, I realized the magic I’d borrowed from the medallion was starting to fade. As I neared my father, a loud hiss erupted from his throat and a new batch of vampires sprung from the trees. Nolan and the others quickly confronted them and a new fight began.

     Torn between helping my friends and freeing my mother from Drycus’ grip, I stood ten feet away from my parents and watched as my group fought on their own.

     “Surely, you didn’t think defeating me would be an easy task, child.” Drycus’ voice called my attention back to him and my mom.

     “Just let her go” I pleaded with hope that I could reason with him because I wasn’t sure if I could get to her before he slit her throat. All it would take was one move of his hand and she would be gone forever.

     “Take her place and I will” Drycus said in a cold, hard tone as his black eyes bored into mine, then shifted nervously to the many piles of ash that covered the ground behind me. For a second, I could have sworn I saw fear on his face but he quickly covered it with a look of indifference.

     I spared a quick glance in Nolan’s direction and saw that he was fighting against at least half a dozen vampires. He was outnumbered, as was the rest of my group. I knew if I didn’t end the fight soon, I would risk losing more of my people. It was a thought I couldn’t bear to even think about. With my mind made up, I bravely turned my attention back to my father with my head raised high and said, “Okay.”

     He looked shocked that I was willing to give in to him so easily, then he eased his hold on my mother and she fell to the ground at his feet. Finally able to speak, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Don’t, Kaia” she gasped and held her hand up to push me back. “Don’t surrender to him” she pleaded. “I was wrong…he can’t be saved.”

     I smiled down at her as my heart ached at seeing her so helpless. “It’s okay, Mom.” I tried to convey with my eyes for her not to worry…that I knew what I was doing, but she didn’t seem to understand. Instead, she cried out loud as if her whole world was about to end when Drycus stepped over her and grabbed my arm.

     I could have fought him if I wanted to, but I didn’t because I knew what was about to happen. It seemed so clear now…like the answer to the most important question in the world had been right in front of my face the whole time. And I didn’t see it…until that moment.

     I finally knew how to save my father.

Chapter Twenty-One

 

Kaia

 

 

 

It took a lot for me to resist the urge to fight back as Drycus pulled me to him and wrapped his arms tightly around my body so that I couldn’t move. A part of me was excited for what was about to happen…while another part of me was afraid.

     “You should have known it would end this way, child. Especially, after your failed attempt at destroying me with your bite” Drycus’ whispered voice was right near my ear. The sound of it caused a shudder to roll down my spine, making my body tremble. “You should have figured out then that I’m indestructible.”

     I pulled back from him enough to look him in the eye and said, “If there is one thing I’ve learned since you came into my life, it’s that no one is indestructible. Not me. Not you. No one.”

     Instead of responding, Drycus lifted his upper lip into a snarl, then quickly dropped his head to my neck and sank his fangs into my flesh. A warm sensation flowed outward from the puncture site to cover my entire neck and down into my shoulders. All I could think about as he greedily sucked my blood into his mouth was how good it felt to finally be embraced by my father. Even though his ice-cold arms around me weren’t gentle or loving, in my mind, I imagined that he was hugging me, instead of holding me prisoner. My mother’s cries barely registered in my mind as I let go of all thought and relaxed in his arms as the warmth from his bite vanished and coldness reached through my flesh and gripped my bones.

     I’m not sure how long Drycus held me, time seemed to slow down as he fed from my weakened body. Just when I had accepted the fact that he was going to completely drain my weakened body of blood, he suddenly released me and stumbled backwards. I swayed on my feet and struggled to find the strength to remain standing.

     A gurgled cry erupted from Drycus’ lungs as he wrapped his arms around his middle and glared at me hatefully. “What did you do to me?!” he bellowed.

     I looked at him as he fell to his knees on the ground in front of me. “As you said, Dad , my bite had no effect on you…however, my blood is much more powerful than my bite.”

     He growled, then swung his arm out toward my leg in an attempt to grab me but I stepped back out of his reach. Completely oblivious to the fighting that was still going on a couple hundred feet away, I stood over Drycus and watched as he tried to fight against the changes that my blood caused in his body. He screamed in agony several times then laid perfectly still on the ground with his face buried in the grass.

     When he looked up at me, I knew I had succeeded in fulfilling my destiny. No longer were my father’s eyes black with evil and hatred. And when he opened his mouth to let out a gentle cry, the fangs that had taken thousands of lives were no longer there. He was finally free of the curse Natalia had placed on him so long ago. I smiled weakly as he looked up at me with quivering lips and tears in his white eyes. “You’re free” I said in a soft voice.

     The words had barely left my mouth when Nolan’s voice shouted my name. I looked his way and saw him running toward me with his sword raised in the air. A look of absolute horror filled every inch of his face as he sliced his blade through the vampires that stood between us. Most of his body was covered in black blood…but it was the word that he screamed at me that I focused on the most. Run.

     I heard him, I just didn’t understand what he meant. Why should I run? As soon as the question popped into my mind, an excruciating pain filled my chest. It happened so fast that I didn’t even know what had happened until I caught sight of blue shards of glass flying away from my body and I looked down and saw that a blade was sticking out of my chest. It had pierced the sapphire medallion and shattered it to pieces. The world around me stood still as the reality of what had just happened set in and I looked over my shoulder to see who was standing behind me.

     Lucas’ cruel smile greeted me a moment before a sword flew by me and embedded into his throat, nearly decapitating him.

     Before my mind had a chance to fully comprehend what was going on, my knees gave out as what little blood I had left in my body flowed from the wound and covered my chest. A look of disbelief flitted across my face as I fell to the ground seconds before Nolan reached me. Never once had I thought that Lucas would be the one to end my life. In my heart, I had hoped despite the incredible odds against it, that he would somehow see that I would be a good sister to him if he’d give me a chance. I had hoped he could be saved. I was wrong.

     Nolan quickly jerked the blade from my back and threw it to the side, then cradled me in his arms as blood trickled from the corners of my mouth. As he looked down at me in shock and disbelief, I knew he saw me as I truly was. Now that the medallion had been destroyed there was nothing to mask my true appearance.

     “Kaia, what’s happening to you?” Nolan blurted as his eyes searched my face and he held his hand over the wound in my chest.

     I had no idea what he saw when he looked at me but I knew it wasn’t good. I had been on the brink of death for a while. As I stared up at him with tears in my eyes my body was suddenly so cold that I didn’t even feel the pain from the hole in my chest. “I’m sorry” I stuttered.

     Nolan looked at me confused. “Why aren’t you healing?” he asked with a shaky voice as he glanced down at the blood that now covered my chest and abdomen.

     We were suddenly surrounded by my mother, Alyse, Adora, Darian, Mandy and a few other survivors from our group. A brutal shiver went down my spine and my entire body jerked from the force of it. I opened my mouth to speak but I was shaking too badly to form words. I could feel my heart slowing as I struggled to suck air into my lungs.

     At the sound of my mother’s voice, I looked her way as tears spilled from my eyes.

     “She can’t heal herself, Nolan. She’s too weak” my mother cried as she knelt beside me and touched her hand to my face. “She’s dying.” She nearly choked on the sob that stuck in her throat as she spoke.

     “What?” Nolan gasped and shook his head in denial. “No…no” he struggled to come up with something to say as he looked down at me with watery eyes. “Even if her magic is too weak to save her, her vampire side should heal her wounds…right?” he asked and looked to my mother for a response. The uncertainty in his voice showed that he didn’t know what to believe.

     Everyone else around us was openly crying and too distraught to speak. It broke my heart to see them all so sad. To see them crying…for me.

     My mother nodded as she squeezed my cold hand and responded to Nolan’s question, “That part of her would have been able to heal her” she paused and swallowed hard, “if she hadn’t been starving herself all this time.”

     “What the hell are you talking about?” Nolan blurted out and narrowed his eyes at my mom as Mandy stepped forward and fell to the ground besides us, crying quietly.

     “My blood wasn’t sustaining her, so she stopped feeding a few weeks ago” Mandy whispered through her sobs as she locked eyes with me and mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”

     “What?!” Nolan’s body tensed around me and he looked like he wanted to attack Mandy.

     Feeling as if I only had a few seconds left, it took all the strength I had to lift my shaky hand to Nolan’s face as he cradled me near his chest. Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes as I looked up at him. When I opened my mouth to speak, he placed his finger over my mouth and shook his head as his own tears flowed.

     “I’m so sorry, Kaia” he cried, “I didn’t get to you in time.”

     As I laid there in his arms with his words repeating in my mind, a sense of déjà vu suddenly hit me. Those were the same words he’d spoken to me in the vision that had haunted me as a child. Then I realized that I was in his arms with my chest covered in blood the exact same way I was in the vision Meg had warned him about. It occurred to me then that both Meg and I had had the same vision…only from different points of view…but with the same ending.

     Resigned to my fate, I locked eyes with Nolan once more. My breath hitched on each word that I spoke as I struggled to make my lungs work just a moment longer. “Don’t…worry…I…forgive…you. You’re…my…prince. How…could…I…not?”

     Darkness rimmed my vision and before I had a chance to tell him that I loved him, I lost my fight to keep my eyes open.

Chapter Twenty-Two

 

Nolan

 

 

 

“Kaia! Kaia!” I called her name and shook her body, but nothing I did made her open her eyes. “Please, Kaia” I pleaded as my heart shattered. “Please don’t leave me.”

     “Nolan…she’s gone” Celeste cried and reached over to touch my arm. Her eyes were red and swollen as tears flowed down her cheeks.

     “No, she’s not!” I yelled and pushed her hand away. Celeste’s words didn’t make sense to me. Kaia couldn’t be gone. I could still feel her. Barely. My mind whirled a mile a minute as I tried to think of a way to save my world. My queen. “Blood!” I blurted and looked up at Adora in a panic. “Kaia needs blood! If she feeds, she’ll get stronger and be able to heal herself.” I knew I was grasping at straws, but I couldn’t just give up. I had to keep fighting for Kaia’s sake.

     The devastated look on Adora’s face really pissed me off as she shook her head at me. She was crying like she had already accepted Kaia’s death, and thought that I should too. When she didn’t make a move to go in search of the blood I knew Kaia needed, I yelled at her, “What the hell are you waiting for?!” I don’t know why I expected her to know where to find blood…it was a stupid and completely pointless assumption, it’s not like there was a blood bank nearby or anything…but I needed someone to take my frustration and anger out on.

     Adora flinched and hugged herself closer to Darian as he wrapped his arms protectively around her and she continued to cry. Sorrowful silence greeted me as I searched the faces of everyone around me. No one spoke a word as they looked at me with sympathy.

     An unexpected voice suddenly spoke from behind me and I was tempted to jump up and rip the person to pieces, but the thought of leaving Kaia’s side was so painful that I remained seated on the ground. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Drycus looking down at Kaia as she slowly faded away in my arms.

     “Even if you all sacrificed yourselves for her, it wouldn’t do any good. She’s too far gone.” Drycus paused and glanced over at Celeste. From the regret that flashed across his face when their eyes met, it was obvious that he remembered the things he’d done to her.

     “What the hell do you know about anything?” I spat and leveled a go-to-hell stare at him.

     Drycus shifted his gaze from Celeste to Kaia as he spoke, “I know a lot, actually. I know that you’re holding my dying daughter in your arms. And I know that my knowledge of blood and the different types of it is much better than yours or anyone else’s here.”

     “If you know how to save Kaia, you better start talking. Or so help me, I will kill you as slowly and painfully as possible” I snarled when he stopped speaking. I didn’t give a damn that his eyes were no longer black or that he didn’t seem to be a threat of any kind anymore. I still hated him and was just looking for a reason to slice him open from head to toe.

     Drycus nodded, acknowledging the threat and his willingness to cooperate. “There are many types of blood…but the strongest is pure blood. The blood of a virgin. It’s a hundred times stronger than normal blood, but the pure blood of a Lenoi is a thousand times stronger. It’s the strongest in existence.”

     As his words rolled around in my head, I noticed everyone looking at Alyse and Mandy as if they expected one of them to be a virgin…the only problem with that was neither of them was a Lenoi.

     Alyse cried softly as she shook her head. “I’m sorry…I would gladly give Kaia my blood…but I’m not pure.” The shame in her voice was undeniable.

     I saw the torment in her eyes as she realized her shenanigans in the human world had made it impossible for her to save her best friend when she needed her most. Everyone’s attention quickly turned to Mandy, but we all knew any hope of her saving Kaia was in vain. Her blood had done nothing for Kaia when she was still healthy, it sure as hell wasn’t going to save her now.

     As everyone began to talk amongst themselves, I tuned them all out and looked down at Kaia. She was my world. My everything. And she was dying in my arms. The pale, ashen, cold skin of her face and light blue tint that was starting to cover her lips warned that I was losing her. With my hand rested on her chest, I could feel that her heart was only beating once every ten to twenty seconds.

     The thought of life without her was too painful to contemplate. I knew what I had to do and it wasn’t even a hard decision. Kaia’s life was much more important than mine. After placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, I laid her down on the ground beside me, then pulled a kithu from the leather belt around my waist.

     I noticed Alyse watching me and I could tell by the horror-stricken look on her face that she knew what I was going to do. She screamed “Nolan, no!” and leapt toward me. But she was too late.

     I didn’t make a sound as I jammed the dagger straight into my heart. I was surprised by how little it hurt. Other than a strong burning sensation, I didn’t feel anything. Until I jerked the kithu out. That’s when the pain came. Within seconds, I was surrounded by people offering to help me, but I pushed them all away. “No” I growled and leaned over to pull Kaia back into my arms.

     “Nolan, what are doing?” Adora screeched.

     Instead of responding to her or any of the others who were all trying to speak to me, I ignored them and positioned Kaia’s head on my chest near the wound I’d created, and forced my blood into her mouth. “Drink, Kaia” I whispered as warmth spread throughout my chest.

     At first, there was no response at all from her. Then I used one of my hands to squeeze blood from my chest into her open mouth. It hurt. It hurt like hell…but it was all I could think of to save her. When I felt her mouth latch on to my skin, I knew there was a small part of her that was still fighting. “That’s it, Kaia, drink…take as much as you need.”

     After a few seconds, I felt the tug of her mouth against my chest grow stronger as she fed more forcefully. Unable to support both my weight and hers as my strength quickly faded, I fell backwards from my sitting position onto the soft grass, but I refused to relinquish my hold on Kaia. I held her head in place as she continued to feed, until I noticed that she was able to hold it up on her own. Then I released her and looked up at Celeste as she cried over me.

     I was so weak that I could barely speak, but I wanted my last words to be heard. “Tell Kaia that I love her.”

     Unable to keep my eyes open a moment longer, I welcomed the darkness knowing that with my sacrifice the woman I loved more than anything in the world, would live. And now that she had both of her parents in her life, she would find a way to be happy without me.

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Kaia

 

 

 

A euphoric feeling unlike anything I had ever experienced before filled my mind and body, pulling me out of the darkness that I thought I would be doomed to spend eternity in. I reveled in the ecstasy that touched every nerve of my being as warmth spread from my mouth, into my belly and eventually my entire body. As the feeling grew stronger, I became more aware and alert.

     Once I was able to think clearly, the taste of warm liquid in my mouth instantly sent me into a panic. My eyes flew open and I felt as if I had been thrust back into the world of the living. Confused as to what was going on, I looked to the dozen or so people who were circled around me as I pushed myself up from the ground. When I noticed that Alyse and several others were staring at the spot next to me as they cried, I followed their gazes.

     My newly revived heart fell to the bottom of my stomach when my eyes landed on Nolan’s motionless body. I immediately turned toward him and looked over at my mother as she knelt beside me. “What happened to him?” I gasped as my heart thundered violently against my ribs.

     “It was the only way, Kaia. It was the only way to save you.” My mother’s broken words confused me. She sobbed quietly as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

     I stared off into space, unable to comprehend what she’d said. Then her words finally registered in my mind and I jerked away from her. “What?! What are you saying?” I yelled and looked back to Nolan. His bare chest was covered with smeared blood. My eyes fell to the kithu that laid on the ground next to him. Feeling thick moisture on my face, I rubbed my hand over my mouth and chin. When I saw the blood that covered my fingers, I knew what had happened and it completely destroyed me.

     I threw my head back and screamed so loud that everyone around me covered their ears with pained expressions on their faces, and the ground beneath me began to shake. After several minutes, my lungs burned with the need to take a breath. I sagged forward, over Nolan’s chest as tears flowed from my eyes and despair gripped my heart. “I’m so sorry” I cried.

     As I laid over his body, a vision of what he had done to save me, played in my head. I saw the moment he plunged the kithu into his own chest and I saw him forcing his blood into my mouth. Unimaginable pain split my heart into pieces at the sacrifice he’d made because of his love for me. With each second that passed, the pain grew worse. And the horrible feelings inside me intensified. It was too much to contain. One moment, I desperately wanted to free myself from the agony that gripped my heart and soul, and the next, I wanted the whole world to feel my pain. I wanted everyone to hurt as much as I did.

     A dark, anger settled in my chest and I knew I was about to lose myself. I could feel the light inside me being overtaken by evil. The thought of living my life without Nolan to too much to accept. The pain was too great. So great…that I was willing to give up everything – the goodness I’d fought so hard to keep, my mother, my father, my friends…everything to be free of pain– all I wanted was to not feel anything anymore. The way I’d felt when I lost control in Brin’s room and set everything on fire. As my will to continue fighting waned, the darkness inside me grew even more.

     Just as I was about to lift my head from Nolan’s body and allow the dark feelings to consume me whole, I felt an arm wrap around me. I lifted my head and was shocked to see Nolan looking at me with eyes that now matched those of my mother and father. Unable to think clearly enough to understand exactly what was going on, I threw my arms around Nolan’s neck as he rose up into a sitting position and held onto him for dear life, afraid that if I let him go he would vanish before my eyes.

     The dark feelings that had begun to fester inside me subsided as overwhelming happiness filled my chest when Nolan tightened his arms around me, letting me know that he was real. And that he was alive.

     “Sshh. Don’t cry, Kaia” Nolan’s voice whispered in my ear, soothing away the heartache that had crippled my mind and soul only a few minutes ago.

     I raised my head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes as chaos broke out around us. Cheers of joy erupted from our friends as the reality of what the days events meant, settled in. We’d won. The Lenoi had defeated the vampires. As great a victory as it was, I couldn’t think about anything or anyone but Nolan. There were a lot of questions in my head that needed to be answered, but at that moment, none of them mattered.

     All I wanted was to be near the man I loved. As everyone around us celebrated our victory and the fact that we had both surprisingly survived our near death experiences, Nolan and I sat down on the ground and held each other. We didn’t need to talk to show how happy we were, we just needed to be together…to feel the warmth of the others body.

     When the noise around us became too loud and interrupted our private moment, I used my newly resurfaced magic to create a bubble of silence around us so that all we heard was the beating of our own hearts. As we stared into each other’s eyes, I felt stronger than I had ever felt in my entire life. I could feel that my magic as at full force. I knew without a doubt that I could do anything I wanted to do, with nothing more than just a thought. And even through the magical bubble I’d created around Nolan and I, I could still hear every heartbeat all the way into Menar. And I felt all the emotions of everyone around us as well as the hundred or so Lenoi and Pixie’s in the valley.

     I even felt the life of the earth itself. The trees and the wind spoke to me through a silent bond that I shared with them, letting me know that they were at my command. I don’t know what happened those few moments that I was gone, but it seemed that dying somehow made me much stronger.

     Glancing off in the distance, the castle was in sight. My mouth dropped open as I stared at the magnificence it now possessed. It was no longer the dilapidated, dark, creepy dungeon of death that had greeted me when I first arrived in Shohala Falls. It was once again the grand, majestic castle fit for royalty. Seeing it the way my grandmother had seen it, somehow connected me with her. While I had seen her before in visions, I had never felt her presence…until now.

     As I stared at the castle with joy in my heart, I felt her with me. And I heard her voice in my head, telling me how very proud she was of me. Tears stung my eyes at her praise as I yearned to see her in person.

     “Hey, what’s wrong?” Nolan asked with concern and wiped his thumb under my eye to remove a tear. “You did it. You saved your mother…and your dad. There’s no reason for you to be sad.”

     I tore my gaze away from the castle to look at him. “My grandmother wants me to tell you that she’s very proud of you. She said that she knew you would be a great man one day.” I paused to swallow past the lump in my throat as Izola’s regal voice continued to fill my mind. “She also said that she’s very happy our love found a way to save us both…and that she always knew it would.”

     Nolan stared at me in shock as his eyes watered. “Is she really talking to you?” he asked with a shaky voice.

     I nodded. “She is.”

     Nolan dropped to his knee in front of me and opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly stopped him and gave him a gift I knew he needed to be at peace with his past. I allowed my grandmother to speak to him through me. It wasn’t something I was even aware that I could do until that moment. It was an odd, intrusive feeling, but when I felt her presence inside me, I retreated into my mind and allowed Izola control of my body. It was the most unreal thing I had ever done…I could see myself talking to Nolan, but it was her voice that came from my mouth.

     “Rise, Warrior. For you shall never kneel before anyone ever again.”

     Nolan looked up with wide eyes and his mouth agape. “Your Majesty?” he asked with uncertainty.

     Izola bowed my head slightly. “You have done well, Nolan. You have proven that my faith in you was well deserved. You protected my granddaughter. More than that…you loved her. And for that, I will be eternally grateful. Kaia may have been the one who saved our people and destroyed the vampires…but it was you who saved her. Therefore, it was you who saved the world. She can relax now and finally know peace with you by her side. As long as she has you, the darkness can’t corrupt her. Continue to love her, Nolan. You are the light in her life that gives her the strength to fight the evil she was born with. Without you, she’s not whole…and she won’t survive. She needs you now more than ever. The two of you were meant to be together. And you have my blessing for a very long, happy life together.”

     A tear rolled down Nolan’s cheek as he stared at me, he appeared to stunned to speak.

     Izola reached a hand out and rested it on his shoulder. And I felt her presence change from being joyful to being more serious. Even though she was nothing more than a spirit inside me, I felt that she still worried about something. I was about to reclaim my body so that I could ask her about the feeling when she continued to speak. “You gave a great sacrifice to save Kaia…your life. And in return, she gave it back to you. As she fed from your body, her magic healed you and bonded you to her forever. As soulmates, your bond with her is stronger than anything in the world…and it is what will allow you to sustain her life for all eternity.”

     Nolan’s brow furrowed as he looked into my eyes but heard Izola’s voice from my mouth. “I don’t understand, Your Majesty, what are you saying? How can I sustain her life? I’m just like the other’s now. My blood will no longer give her what she needs.”

     “You are not like the other’s, Nolan. I don’t expect you to completely understand what I’m saying, just know that you are more than the others Kaia has bonded with…the lifeblood of her soulmate is what brought her back from the dead, but it was the pureness of it that will forever satisfy her thirst with only a few drops.”

     “Are you saying that Kaia can feed from me?” Nolan asked with disbelief.

     Izola nodded. “An ounce of your blood is stronger than the lifeblood of a hundred Lenoi. And now that your life force is bonded to Kaia’s, you will live for as long as she does.”

     “Hh..how do you know all this?” Nolan stuttered.

     Izola smiled. “There are many secrets that await the dead on the other side. Death has its advantages and we are allowed to see things that the living cannot. Unfortunately, my time here is coming to an end. Before I go, I want you to know how very proud I am of the man you grew up to be, Nolan. If there was ever a doubt in your heart, you should know that I have always loved you like a son, my warrior.”

     My grandmother’s parting words stuck in my head as I took over control of my body. The onslaught of information she provided us about my bond and future with Nolan set my mind at ease. I blinked several times as my eyes came into focus and I was once again able to see out of them. “Nolan” I said his name, pleased to hear my own voice come from my mouth. “Do you think it’s true?” I asked with hope. “I don’t have to worry anymore about my hunger?”

     He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to his chest and kissed my forehead. “Only time will tell” he whispered.

     I pulled back from him a bit and looked into his eyes as something he said to me a while back drifted through my mind. I smiled as I repeated his words back to him, “To some, time can be a curse. And to others, it can be a gift. It all depends on how you choose to view it.”

     A corner of Nolan’s mouth lifted into a grin as he looked at me. “So there are rare occasions when you do pay attention to what I say.” He laughed.

     “Sometimes” I replied. “And I think I know what you meant when you told me that…because time without you would most definitely be a curse. While, with you by my side for all eternity is the greatest gift I could ever receive.”

     “That’s not exactly what I was going for…but I like your interpretation better.” He hugged me to him again and I rested my heart over his heart and reveled in the sound of it beating at a strong, steady rate.

     When I looked to where our friends had been celebrating a little while ago, I noticed that only my mother and Drycus remained. Everyone else had returned to Menar to share the news of our victory. The sight of my parents standing side by side, both of them watching me with love in their eyes, reminded me that my work for the day wasn’t done. I needed to speak with my father.

     With my hand firmly grasped in Nolan’s, we started toward my parents.

Chapter Twenty-Four

 

Kaia

 

 

Back in my room in Menar, I looked at Drycus as he sat beside me on the sofa. His feelings of fear and nervousness reached out to me, covering me to the point that my body was tempted to start shaking as bad as he was. “Are you saying that you now remember everything from the moment Natalia changed you into a vampire?” I asked.

     “Unfortunately, I do” he said and cut his eyes over to my mother as regret and sadness filled his face.

     “But when you were a vampire, you didn’t remember how you were created. Why is that?”

     Drycus returned his gaze to me as he responded, “I’m not sure. Maybe I just didn’t want to remember.” He paused and looked down at the floor. “I wish that ignorance would claim me now because I don’t want to know the horrid things I’ve done. Or that I’ve seen.” His voice dropped as he lifted his eyes to mine. “It’s like I’m still there…like it just happened. Their faces are so fresh in my mind. And the pain…the pain is so great that I feel as if my heart has been ripped from my chest.” He gasped as a tear rolled down his cheek.

     I reached over and laid my hand on top of his as his pain and memories filled my head. I didn’t need him to elaborate to know what he was talking about. His mind was stuck in the past…to the day his family had been murdered. “I know” I whispered and sent out a surge of magic to heal whatever part of him I could. I knew I couldn’t fix his broken heart but I hoped I could at least heal his spirit. “What was done to you and your beautiful family was unfair…you deserved to be loved by your wife for a lifetime and you deserved to watch your children grow up. And I’m so sorry that was taken from you.” I paused as an unwanted image flashed in my mind. My heart clenched painfully at the knowledge not only had two children been taken from him, but also a third. “You’ve lost everything” I whispered more to myself than to Drycus.

     I closed my eyes and saw Lucas’ face. The hatred in his eyes that had greeted me when I saw him standing behind me with a smug grin on his face after he’d stabbed me, reminded me that there was nothing I could have done to save him…despite how badly I’d wanted to. But that didn’t make it any easier to know that he was now dead and my father had lost yet another child.

     Taking my moment of silent reflection as a sign I was distressed, Nolan stood from his seat in the chair across the room and started toward me at the same time my mom knelt by the end of the sofa and rested her hand on my arm to get my attention. I didn’t realize how upset I was or that I was crying until my mother spoke.

     “You’re right, Kaia, your father has lost much in his life. But he has not lost everything. He still has you.”

     I looked at her as my own fears swallowed me whole. Could my mother see through me enough to know that I was terrified my father’s feelings toward me hadn’t changed? That he still hated me as much now as he had when he was a vampire? All my life, I had dreamed of what it would be like to have my parents in my life and now I feared that reality wouldn’t live up to the fantasy I’d created in my mind. Despite how strong I was physically and magically, inside I felt like a scared a little girl who worried my father would never love me.

     I was lost in thought when Drycus’ gentle voice reached my ears. “Your mother is correct, Kaia.”

     I looked over at him and despite everything I knew about him and all the horrible things he’d done, my heart swelled with love for him. Not for the man who’d taken lives and laughed at the pain of others, or tortured my mother and done his best to destroy me…but for the man I saw in his eyes as he looked at me now. I no longer saw the monster who had haunted my dreams my entire life…instead, I saw the man I’d seen in his memories. The man who knew how to love. I saw a man who had a heart and I prayed that he would someday learn to love me.

     With Nolan standing behind the sofa with his hands braced gently on my shoulders to offer support and encouragement, I said the words I never thought I would hear myself say. “I love you, Daddy.”

     When Drycus leaned over and wrapped his arms around me in a gentle embrace, I completely lost it. His hold around me wasn’t restraining or meant to cause me harm…it was tender and reassuring. It was exactly what I always thought a father’s hug should feel like. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I tightened my arms around him, desperate to cling to him for as long as he would allow.

    “And I love you, Kaia.”

     Shocked by his words, I locked eyes with my father to see if there was truth to his statement. And I was surprised by what I saw. Before I had a chance to say anything, he continued to talk, “You may not believe me, but a part of me has always loved you from the moment I found out that you existed.” He paused to wipe away my tears. “But the evil inside me wouldn’t allow me to embrace the feeling. Instead, it suppressed my love for you, burying it so deep I couldn’t reach it…until you freed me.”

     Drycus looked to my mother, then to Nolan and finally back to me. “If you will allow me, I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never feel unloved again. You are my daughter and I am proud to be your father.”

     Too choked up to speak, I threw my arms around his neck and motioned for my mother and Nolan to join us in an embrace I hoped would wipe away all the pain of my past and help me look forward to an amazing future with the people I loved most in the world.

Prologue

 

Kaia

 

 

It was nearly two weeks ago that I led a small army into battle against my father, and things in Shohala Falls had changed drastically since our victory. It turned out my grandmother had been correct about me being able to feed from Nolan. It took very little of his blood to make me feel full for days before needing to feed again. It was a wonderful feeling to know that I would never again have to feel hunger or worry about hurting someone.

     Immediately after the battle with the vampires, I spent several days locked in my room with my mother and father, trying to get to know them as best I could. Once I was convinced I didn’t need to fear that one of them would leave me again, I finally decided it was time for the Lenoi to reclaim our rightful place. I was a bit timid at first to be the one everyone now looked to for guidance and decision-making, but once it was established by unanimous vote that I was the new reigning queen, I had no choice but to accept my title.

     I had fought hard to convince either my mother or Adora to accept the role as queen, but they both refused. My mother didn’t feel as if she had the confidence to lead, and Adora simply preferred being within the ranks of the warriors. She had grown accustomed to fighting over the last fifty years and no longer felt like royalty. As the last of my bloodline, it was left to me to rule our people. It was a task I wasn’t completely ready to take on, but it was also one I knew I couldn’t fail at.

     Once the Lenoi and Pixie’s had returned to the castle to live, I returned Amber – the young girl I saved from Drycus - back to her parents and sent my human friends, Sarah and Gary back their world. Gary was in such bad mental condition that I had no choice but to erase his memory of what had been done to him. However, Sarah had pleaded with me not to do the same to her. She wanted to remember. And I was thankful for that, because she was now my ally in the human world. She had taken it upon herself to start investigating deaths that seemed vampire related and reporting them to me with the expectation that I would do something to stop the murders.

     There was still work to be done in our world and the human world. While all the vampires in Shohala Falls had been destroyed or bonded to me, there were still many running free in the human world, slaughtering innocent people to satisfy their thirst. I had hoped that by saving my father, the changes he endured would somehow trickle down to those he’d created. But my hope was in vain. The vampires he’d created over the last century were still out there, destroying lives. And I saw it as my responsibility to stop them. Not only to save the humans, but to ease the pain I saw in my father’s eyes as news of more deaths in the human world reached us almost on a daily basis. He blames himself for each and every one of them. Every time I see devastation on his face, I’m reminded of why I can’t just settle into a nice, quiet little life with Nolan.

     It would be so easy for us to just forget about the rest of the world and go on with our lives and perhaps even have a family of our own – and one day, we will – but not right now. Having him at my side as my husband is enough for now. Our wedding three days ago, wasn’t a grand ceremony, in fact, most of our people don’t even know about it. Only my parents and Alyse were in attendance, but that is exactly how I wanted it to be.

     Now that my world is once again what it should be and I know the cure to vampirism, my destiny has changed. I no longer believe that I was born to destroy all vampires. Instead, I was born to save the ones that I can. To give them back the humanity that was stolen from them through no fault of their own.

     My bite. My blood…is the key. And with Nolan, Alyse, my parents and the Lenoi warriors at my side, a new journey will begin. A journey to save the human world just as my grandmother before me, had tried to do. I’m sure that the battles that await us won’t be easy, but now that I have total control over my magic and thirst, I don’t fear the outcome. Instead, I looked forward to the day the fighting will stop and peace will reside in all worlds.