“The rogues wanting to continue raining terror on unsuspecting souls, to gain free and easy access to their blood. They live for the hunt, the kill and chasing their prey, and relish in the torn flesh and empty vessels that they leave behind.”
“No more!” a brash young vampire yells.
“They are truly barbarians in a world that has evolved. An age that has access to our lifeblood in so many other ways, but yet, the thrill of instilling fear in their victims is still what these bloodsuckers want.”
“No more!” yells an entire group of vampires, pumped up and ready to take to arms before even being selected or given a sword.
“We’ve managed to stave off their deadly attack, but this last one was worse than all others combined. They came close to tearing our dynasty apart, to gaining access to the secrets we keep so far below ground. The vampire masters and lords must regroup to ensure nothing like their assault and infiltration of our covens never happens again.”
I pause for emphasis, gazing out onto into the white Italian marble floor, barely visible through the vampires in suits and tuxes with their vampiresses who wear long gowns that trail and almost completely adorn the floor. But there’s only one who my eyes search out. The purple- haired beauty in a short low cut dress of solid black, with strappy heels that I plan to have around my neck in short order tonight. She feels my eyes on her and sends me a wink but I can feel the sorrow in her heart. She wants to be up there too, where she so rightfully belongs.
“You have each been asked to attend tonight after careful consideration of all who have applied. There is no higher honor than the work you have been asked to consider.”
The room erupts into a clapping response. I adjust my cuff links and wait until the crowd has quieted. “We will be reviewing scores from the tests you were all asked to complete in short order. Between now and then, please be sure to hone your sword fighting skills. If you are lucky enough to be selected, you will undergo strenuous exercises to test your combat readiness. Good luck to you all.”
I walk down the stairs of the makeshift stage placed in my great room earlier in the day. Overmaster Descallia meets me halfway through the crowded room. “Excellent speech,” he says. Quite an honor for our usually quiet overmaster. “Thank you, sir.”
Lucianna walks toward us, closing the gap quickly. Something is wrong, I can already sense it, my eyes tracking the room, my senses honing in on the smell of my sexy little vampiress who is no longer standing in the corner of the room. “Where’s Embry?”
She nods. “That’s what I was going to say. She’s gone. One minute she was there and the next she wasn’t anywhere to be found.”
I know the reason, but this time I have no fucking clue where she went. All I know is that when I find her, that paddling I warned her about, she’s going over my knee and next time she pulls this disappearing act she’s going to think about the worry she causes.
Lucianna’s eyes begin to glow so bright. “Find her please, Corvinus. I had a vision, just as you were talking. Isala and Lucas were with the witches at the academy. I think Embry shared the vision. All of a sudden, she was gone.”
My chest constricts, because this is far worse than a little disappearing act to blow off some steam and get her feelings right. My first thought goes to her weapons. She would have gone to get her trusty sword, the one she never battles without.
Descallia looks toward his queen, and her eyes glow a dark green hue that spills out over the floor. The man will not deny her a thing, and with that I know my job will be to find Embry and not return until I’ve brought her safely home again.
“I’ll leave as quickly as I can and keep you apprised. The witches, were you able to console Devora? I’m sure she’s still mad as hell that she hasn’t gotten the shadow books back. Will they be halfway friendly or will Devora have worked them up into a frenzy again?”
His dark eyes meet mine. “I have no doubt you are about to find out, Corvinus. We’ll get the test sessions set up while you’re gone. We can still keep our momentum here until you return to the skills set.”
I don’t waste time replying, far too worried about Embry and what she could have seen in that vision, and what she could be running into if she journeyed back to the Mystic Forest. I search the closet by the front door for her sword, which is gone. I hasten up the stairs to change, and strewn on the bed is her black dress, heels, and a white folded note.
I open it with my heart in my throat.
Dear Vampire,
The shadow books finally make sense. We know where Isala and Lucas are and what they may be up to. It’s my chance to make a difference. Stay and put the warriors together. I can take care of myself. You will see. I will make you proud. And then, I’ll even let you give me that spanking that about right now you probably think I so aptly deserve. I need to do this, for myself, for my gramma, for the vampire community, but most of all, I have to take the thing back that they took from me. Give me the space to do that, vampire. And then I will be yours. Love, Embry.
I read it for the second time with a tightened jaw, and a third before making up my mind. She may want to do this herself, and I may let her take the lead, do everything she can to best themboth, but she’s sure as hell not doing it alone. I quickly change into dark pants and a black sweater and lace up my sturdy black boots before heading downstairs to gather my weapons. I pause before transporting, sending a text to both Romano and Descallia, letting them know that we know exactly where she’s at.
The last time I found her at the cavern in the Mystic Forest, but she was lured there, and she won’t be easily fooled again. I also know when she gets there she’ll need to recover from the journey before trying to battle. I transport, making the long exhausting journey to Romania landing right in the middle of the Mystic Forest. Because I know one smart ass bird who knows this forest and everything about everyone who travels through it better than anyone else.
That’s where Embry will go to recover and to garner support for her battle against the witches, Isala, and Lucas.
Chapter 7
Embry
The minute I’m on the floor of the Mystic Forest, I make my way slowly toward the land of division between the vampires and witches, being careful not to disrupt anyone sleeping while trying to tread over the dried brush of the tender decaying branches and twigs which have fallen over the years.
The shadow book passage we came across right before the gathering of the potential warriors was insightful and was there all the time. How we overlooked it for so very long is unbelievable. No wonder my great great great gramma couldn’t bring them together. The no-good witches prevented it, just like every century and decade they do, with their Halloween rituals every ten years, their cauldron parties meant to brew up new tricks and potions to keep the vampires on their toes, and their secrets buried in the hills.
We’re too close to the truth and it has something to do with that little cavern. Maybe they really did not lure me there and instead my gramma really did because everything points to her living there so very long ago. The humans thought she was a witch, so it was only fitting that maybe she lived in what was deemed a witch’s home back in the day. At least for a while, untilthe witches turned against her too. But I don’t venture too close to the cavern knowing that the witches will have watchful eyes on the territory they want to call their own, but that I now have very good reason to believe, as they have for centuries, belongs to the vampires.
I need proof though. After reading those passages in the shadow books and putting it together with what the Vade Mecum says, it all makes sense. Exactly as Corvinus said, the truth is somewhere in the middle, but also strongly suggests that Gramma was helping the vampires hide valuable assets and afterward was stricken powerless by those crafty-ass witches.
