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But Myst didn’t die. Myst didn’t die, and she didn’t respond to Geoffrey as her sire, as one of the yummanii would.
Instead, she began to heal. And her healing was fast and furious. As she returned to life, she changed. She rose from her deathbed, dark and terrible with black eyes filled with stars. Her skin took on a cerulean glow. And her powers were greater than the sum of both her heritage and Geoffrey’s.
Myst rose from her deathbed and fed on the vampires keeping watch over her—draining them dry of both blood and energy. And then she turned those of her own kind, and so the Indigo Court was born, and the war between the vampires and the Indigo Court took hold.
But the Vampiric Fae had one up on the true vampires: They could breed. And the first child born to Myst was a daughter named Cherish.
And Cherish…was me.
Fast-forward to centuries later. A new land—one uninhabited except by a tribal culture who could not fight those of us belonging to the Indigo Court.
I was out for a morning walk when I smelled fresh prey on the wind. Summer grass and apples, oak moss and sunlight…and so I pounced. But my prey—a gorgeous young Cambyra prince named Shy—caught hold of me by the heart. A bond formed almost immediately, one we could neither explain nor deny. And so we ran away together, but our people followed, both sides furious. They hunted us down, and at the end, before they could kill us, we drank a potion to bind our souls and reunite us in a future life. We died in each other’s arms.
And so, here we are. Brought together by a love forged long, long ago.
But Myst is rising to power. And behind her swarm the Shadow Hunters—the Vampiric Fae of the Indigo Court. We’ve slaughtered hundreds of them, but they are regrouping. They flock to their mistress, monstrous creatures who turn into ravaging beasts, who bite to the bone, chewing muscle and gristle, reveling in the blood of the fallen, siphoning the life force away from all they capture.
Maybe this time around, Grieve and I can put an end to it. Maybe we can have our happy ending, and help out the world, too. At least, that’s the plan.
“We need to sleep, love.” Grieve stroked my face. “You promised to help Luna and Peyton up at the house tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Give me a few minutes, would you? I want to take a moment by myself.”
“Be careful, then. I will wait for you by the Barrow.” Grieve kissed the top of my hand, then took off. I waited till he rounded the curve in the path before turning toward the Twin Oaks that formed the portal leading to the outer world.
A noise behind me made me stop, and I quickly spun around to find myself facing Check, one of the guards assigned to keeping an eye on me. I recognized him from when we routed the Shadow Hunters from the Barrow.
“Your Highness, please, don’t go out there alone.” He moved to my side and gazed down at me, a soft smile playing on his lips. All the men in Lainule’s service were gorgeous—and his eyes were the same cornflower blue that Grieve’s had once been. He was wearing leather armor, and a long sword by his side glistened with silver trim.
I paused, not wanting to cause him distress. “Check, you know that I’m not full-blooded Cambyra. Does that bother you? Do you mind that I’ll be taking the throne?”
He frowned, then cocked his head. “No, Your Ladyship. I think…the days are over when the Cambyra can hide from the world. And someone who is born to both worlds might just be the way to forge that merger.”
“Then, as you state, since I am not entirely from the Cambyra world, things will change. And one thing that has to change is that I won’t live my life locked away in a tower. I’ll take on the robes, I’ll move to the Barrow, I’ll lead the people in the best way that I can, but I won’t be a prisoner. I’ll be cautious.” I stopped and smiled at him. “I’ll be good. I won’t try to ditch the guards. But I come from the world out there. And I need to come and go as I please. Do you understand?”
He cracked another smile. “I think I do, my Lady. But understand my sacred duty—I cannot let you go alone, not and mind my conscience. Please forgive me, but I plan on escorting you, and Fearless as well.”
His companion stepped from behind a nearby tree. Fearless was as good as his name. Grieve had told me that he was paired with Check because Check always kept him in balance. They were both brave, and true to the Court of Rivers and Rushes. If anybody was going to protect me, I knew they would.
“The former Regent still walks abroad, and it is the night, when he will be waking,” Check whispered, leaning closer.
That decided me. This was as far as I could sanely push the matter. Either they went with me, or I went back to the Barrow, because even though I chafed at the restraints, the truth was—Geoffrey and Leo were out to wreak havoc on us. And Myst was out to kill us. And I couldn’t count on any place being truly safe at this point.
“Thanks, Check. I’d…appreciate the company.” I led the way to the portal, although when we got there, Check slipped in front of me and insisted on going through first. I gratefully stepped back and let him.
The energy of the portal was like a brilliant, sparkling vortex, and I was slowly getting used to it. As I emerged from the net of magic between the Twin Oaks, I saw that Check was kneeling on the ground about ten yards ahead, examining the snow. The look on his face was one of worry.
Shivering, I realized that in my hurry, I’d forgotten to bring my coat. Once out of the realm of Summer, Myst’s fury and vengeance had returned.
As I breathed in a lungful of cold air, Check stood, his face blank and stern. “We must return to the Barrow, Your Highness. Now.”
“What’s going on? What is it?” I hurried over to his side and leaned down. There, against the pale snow, was a patch of blood and bone, staining it pink. The size of my fist, the bone was fresh, and the blood on it still fluid and red.
Quickly, I pulled out my dagger.
Ulean, what do you sense? What’s out there?”
She swept around me, agitated. Cicely, get back into the realm of Summer. Now. There are dangers here.
