A Shade of Vampire 9: A Bond of Blood
Bella Forrest
Contents
Also by Bella Forrest
Copyright
1. Prologue: Caleb
2. Chapter 1: Sofia
3. Chapter 2: Rose
4. Chapter 3: Caleb
5. Chapter 4: Caleb
6. Chapter 5: Derek
7. Chapter 6: Sofia
8. Chapter 7: Caleb
9. Chapter 8: Sofia
10. Chapter 9: Caleb
11. Chapter 10: Rose
12. Chapter 11: Ben
13. Chapter 12: Rose
14. Chapter 13: Rose
15. Chapter 14: Rose
16. Chapter 15: Rose
17. Chapter 16: Caleb
18. Chapter 17: Sofia
19. Chapter 18: Sofia
20. Chapter 19: Sofia
21. Chapter 20: Ben
22. Chapter 21: Ben
23. Chapter 22: Ben
24. Chapter 23: Ben
25. Chapter 24: Corrine
26. Chapter 25: Corrine
27. Chapter 26: Ben
28. Chapter 27: Corrine
29. Chapter 28: Rose
30. Chapter 29: Rose
31. Chapter 30: Sofia
32. Chapter 31: Derek
33. Chapter 32: Sofia
34. Chapter 33: Rose
35. Chapter 34: Rose
36. Chapter 35: Rose
37. Chapter 36: Aiden
38. Chapter 37: Abby
39. Chapter 38: Sofia
40. Chapter 39: Sofia
41. Chapter 40: Derek
42. Chapter 41: Kiev
43. Chapter 42: Sofia
44. Epilogue: Annora
A Note About Kiev
Read More by Bella Forrest!
Also by Bella Forrest
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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Copyright © 2015 by Bella Forrest
Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Prologue: Caleb
My throat prickled as I gasped for air. I lifted my heavy eyelids, only to be met with more darkness. I reached out. My hands brushed against cold stone.
Where am I?
My breathing quickened as memories returned to me. Stellan injecting me with a needle. Throwing me into the submarine’s storage chamber and bolting the door.
My body was still weak from the drug. I groaned as I turned over onto my stomach in the narrow box. It was then that I realized I’d been stripped of my clothes. My head felt light, my lungs screaming for fresh air.
How long have I been trapped in here?
Stellan’s last words haunted me.
“This dosage should be enough to keep you unconscious for just over seven days.”
If the dosage indeed lasted seven days, now that I had woken up, I should be writhing in agony.
I knew what happened to vampires who thought they could escape Annora’s bond. I’d watched the whole process with my own eyes, from when the blood began to seep from every orifice, through to their flesh disintegrating as though some invisible demon skinned them alive.
I brushed the back of my hand against my nose, checking for blood. There was none. I ran a hand along my skin. It felt dry, but still intact. No signs of any lesions yet. I could only conclude that Stellan must have miscalculated the dosage and I’d woken up early.
Whatever the case, I didn’t have much time. If I didn’t find a way to escape this dark tomb and return to the island, it wouldn’t be long before I met with the same fate.
My palms spread flat against the dusty floor, I arched my back and raised myself until my spine touched the low stone ceiling. Summoning all the strength left in my muscles, I pushed upward as hard as I could. The rough stone grated against my skin and sent pain shooting through my spine.
But no matter how much pressure I applied, the stone didn’t budge. I lowered myself back down, now weaker than ever. I turned over on my back again and stared up at the ceiling.
Dread filled the pit of my stomach. I wished that Stellan had left a stake in here. I could have put an end to this quickly, before the torment began. But of course, he wouldn’t have done that. He wanted me to suffer.
Trying to steady my breathing, I closed my eyes.
Is this how it all ends? Lying here. Alone in the dark.
I thought of Rose. She at least was a memory I could cling to that would perhaps make this end less hellish…
A deafening crack broke through my thoughts. A shaft of light fell across my face.
I gasped as a flood of fresh air filled my nostrils. I sat up, squinting though a gap that had formed in the corner of the ceiling. I placed both palms against the stone and applied pressure again. This time it moved easily. I pushed until it slid off, out of sight. I sat up, the flood of light blinding me. It took several moments for my eyes to adjust.
My heart skipped a beat. Annora stood a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest, glowering at me. I looked around the small metal chamber and recognized it as the same storage room I’d been thrown in by Stellan.
“What’s going on?” I demanded, rubbing my eyes and climbing out of the rectangular container.
“I should be asking that of you,” Annora snapped.
I stared down at the stone tomb I’d been encaged in. Then my eyes fell on Stellan in the passageway outside. The sight of him lit my mind on fire. I lunged toward him, but the witch froze my limbs mid-air. She sent me crashing back against the wall.
I glared up at her. “So why am I not dead?” I spat.
Annora closed the distance between us and crouched down on the floor next to me. She gripped my jaw, her beautiful face a few inches away from mine.
“Because I intervened,” she hissed, her eyes darkening. “Now that you’ve become a traitor, the punishment Stellan had in mind for you wouldn’t have been enough.”
Chapter 1: Sofia
Derek and I stormed into the witch’s temple to find Rose sitting by Ben’s bed. They both looked up in surprise as we burst into the room.
“Anna’s missing,” Derek announced.
“What?” Ben gasped.
“Someone has taken her,” I said.
“Who?” Rose asked, color draining from her face.
“Nobody saw it,” Derek said, glaring at our daughter, “but there’s only one person who could have done this. Caleb.”
Rose inhaled sharply. “No. He… he can’t have done this.”
“Rose,” I said, walking up to her and gripping her shoulders. “There’s nobody else.”
She began shaking her head furiously. “No, you’re w
rong. I was with him the whole time he was here. I even watched him get into his submarine and leave. There’s no way he could have—”
“There’s no way you could have known that he really did leave,” Derek said impatiently, running a hand through his hair. “He could have resurfaced a few minutes later on another part of the island. It’s not difficult for a vampire to locate Anna. Her blood is a siren call to all of us.”
“But… he rescued me.” Her face contorted in confusion. “He never would have done something like this.”
I felt disturbed by the attachment she was displaying for this young man.
“Darling,” I said, clutching her hands in mine, “he used you. The only reason he returned you was to gain entrance onto this island.”
She opened her mouth to argue again, but Derek silenced her.
“Every second we remain here, the smaller our chances become of rescuing Anna.” He leaned over the bed, placing his palm on Ben’s forehead to check his temperature. “Your mother and I are leaving with Vivienne, Xavier and some others.”
“Where are you going?” Ben asked.
“Back to Caleb’s island,” I replied.
“And if you don’t find her?”
“We’ll return to Stellan’s island.”
“But aren’t those islands protected by a spell?”
I bent down and kissed his forehead. “Honey, don’t worry about us,” I said. “We’re bringing as many witches as this island can spare with us and they will try to help us penetrate the spell. You focus on getting yourself better while we’re gone, all right?”
My heart ached to see how weak he still was. I hoped that by the time we returned he would be back to his normal vibrant self.
“We need to leave now,” I said.
“But Mom…” Rose’s face was lined with distress.
“Don’t either of you go anywhere until we return.” Derek glared at the two of them. “Corrine will stay behind, and if you need anything, she will be here to help you.”
“But Dad—”
“We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
With that, Derek caught hold of my hand and pulled me out of the room. We exited the Sanctuary and raced across the courtyard, through the woods, until we reached the Port. Our hastily assembled army was already waiting for us in the submarines that bobbed either side of the jetty.
Derek and I boarded the largest one. “Start moving!” Derek bellowed, closing the hatch above us. The vessel lurched forward.
We hurried along the narrow passageway to the control room. Vivienne and Xavier sat in the front seats navigating the ship, while my father and Ibrahim sat behind them.
Every vampire on the island had been willing to put their lives on the line for Anna. We’d had so many volunteers, we didn’t have enough submarines to fit them all in. Derek, with the help of Xavier, had singled out only the most capable in battle. Anna’s husband Kyle had wanted to accompany us, but, being a human, he would have been more of a hindrance than a help. Besides, he had two children who depended on him now.
Anna was the heart of our island. She beat blood around for all of us to take advantage of. Without her, we would have been trapped as vampires forever and none of us would have the option of having children.
We all sat in silence as the submarine sped through the waters. I was sure that the same thought was plaguing all of us. What if we’re already too late?
Derek and I took seats behind Aiden and Ibrahim. I gripped Derek’s hand as he wrapped an arm around my waist. He drew me closer to him, placing a kiss on my forehead.
“We’re going to find and rescue her, Sofia,” he murmured, his eyes fixed on the dark waters rushing past us. “And I’m going to rip out that vampire’s heart with my bare hands.”
As I looked out of the window at the ocean, my mind drifted back to our daughter—the anxiety I’d seen in her eyes as she tried to defend her vampire captor. Her discomfort played on my mind as we sped faster and faster toward our destination.
Chapter 2: Rose
My hands trembled as my parents rushed out of the room, the words my mother had spoken still ringing in my ears.
“He used you.”
A hollow feeling welled in the pit of my stomach. Doubts began to assail my mind, even as I tried to brush them away. I found myself recalling the time I’d spent with Caleb, wondering if all along this had been his plan—to gain my trust enough that he’d be welcomed on this island and could roam around without suspicion.
Although so many things about my parents’ assumption seemed impossible, nothing could change the fact that Anna had disappeared just as Caleb had left the island.
I remembered how genuine his behavior toward me had seemed. The humanity I’d seen in him.
But I’d also seen with my own eyes how he and his comrades roamed the beaches kidnapping innocent girls for their blood and God knew what else. It was hardly beyond the realm of possibility that he could have taken pregnant Anna.
Maybe Caleb is just a good actor and he spent all that time leading me on. Just as he does with the girls he steals from the beaches.
I closed my eyes. My mind drifted back to the last moments I’d spent with him. The fire in his gaze, the strength of his kiss. The way his whole body had tensed with need… A very good actor indeed.
Maybe I’m just naive, like Kristal said.
Maybe I’ve just been a pawn in his game all along.
Pain gripped my chest. Kristal. Ben still hadn’t told me what had become of her or her brother. “What happened to Kristal and Jake?”
Ben closed his eyes, his face contorting. “They killed Kristal.” His voice cracked.
I stared at my brother, stunned. Shock turned to grief. Then to guilt.
Tears burned in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I staggered to Ben’s side and gripped his hand. “How?”
“A witch. She…” He paused, breathing heavily. “Rose, you don’t want to know.”
He was right. I didn’t want to know. But his mention of the witch sent fire through my veins. Annora. It must have been. Who else?
I didn’t think that I could have despised that witch more, but now my hatred toward her increased tenfold.
“And Jake?” I whispered, steeling myself for Ben’s answer.
“He was taken away,” Ben said grimly, “along with a bunch of other humans. I don’t know where to.”
I sank to the floor, my legs folding beneath me.
They were gone because of us. If we hadn’t gone behind our parents’ backs and made that stupid trip, none of this would have happened.
The thought weighed down on me so heavily, it was a struggle to breathe.
We’d both have to live with this guilt for the rest of our lives.
I looked at Ben again. He hadn’t shed tears, but the expression on his face was enough to reveal the grief consuming him.
“And what happened to you, Ben?” I whispered, placing a hand over his.
He still hadn’t told me. I’d asked him once before and he’d refused. Corrine had told me not to ask him again until he was fully recovered. Now I couldn’t help myself.
He frowned at me even as he propped himself up higher against his pillows.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice hoarse.
“I was kept in a dungeon,” he began, “along with dozens of other humans. It was dark. It was cold. They barely fed us. Nobody knew why we were being kept there. Every so often, a vampire came down and took some of us away. And the next day, their empty cells would be filled again with new humans. They’d sectioned me off from the other humans. I had my own cell. So I assumed they wanted me for something in particular.”
Ben paused, his eyes glazing over as they fixed on the opposite wall. I squeezed his hand, urging him to continue.
“The worst part about it all was just… not knowing. The vampires who came down to feed us refused to answer even the simplest of questions. Honestly
, Rose… I thought I would spend my last breath in that dungeon.”
“Then Stellan came to collect you?”
“Yes. He drugged me. Dumped me in a submarine. By the time I came to, Dad had already hijacked me.”
Silence fell between us.
My thoughts roamed back to Kristal and her brother.
There were no words of comfort that either of us could offer one another that would help to relieve our guilt. We just sat there staring at each other, mourning the loss of the two siblings who’d made the mistake of extending us their hospitality.
Chapter 3: Caleb
Annora summoned me to her study the moment we arrived back at the island. I was relieved that she hadn’t brought Stellan along too. I wasn’t sure that I would have been able to stand his presence without launching myself at his throat again.
Annora held out her palms. I sank to the floor. My limbs stretched out on the carpet, held down by invisible bonds.
“You know what we do to traitors,” the witch said, looming over me.
“I didn’t betray you, witch,” I said.
“Oh?” She scowled, narrowing her eyes on me. “Pray tell then, why did you lie to me about Stellan wanting you to take the girl instead of him? Why did you break his neck? Why did you return the girl to The Shade?”
“I thought you would have been smart enough to figure this out,” I retorted, my eyes never leaving hers.
She bent down and gripped my jaw. “Stop playing with me, Caleb. Whatever feeble excuses you have, now’s the time to spit them out. My patience wears thin.”
I knew she would detect even the slightest hesitation in my eyes, so I made sure I showed none. “This misunderstanding never would have arisen had Stellan not gotten to the immune before me,” I said coolly. “Why do you think I would have risked my life traveling to the Novaks’ island had it not been to collect her?” Annora raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to respond, but I bulldozed over her. “Stellan stole Anna off the back of my own hard work, then claimed the credit for himself.”