It felt as if the Elder was swallowing up any glimmer of hope for redemption I had been trying to kindle in a small corner of my soul. He was pulling me down into the pit of night I was trying to clamber out of.
My ears picked up a clinking of keys in the distance, then the thudding of dozens of footsteps. I had lost all track of time, but our three days must have been up. Either that, or the hawks had decided to come for us earlier.
“Keep a close eye on them.” Arron’s voice sounded out. “Most of them are weak by now, but desperation has a way of giving strength. I’m going to see to my slave first.”
Arron unlocked the witch’s cell and pulled her out. A dozen other hawks entered my line of vision and began unlocking gates. With us in the shadows, they didn’t even notice our faces until it was too late.
I lunged forward with strength I didn’t know my body still possessed. All vampires struck at once, taking the hawks by surprise. Before he had a chance to fight back, I bit into a guard’s neck, tearing out his throat with my fangs and finishing the job with my claws.
I whirled around to see the prison in instant chaos: vampires and hawks flailing as they battled against each other, screams and shrieks piercing the atmosphere.
Arron screeched. He let go of the witch and flew toward me. I rushed forward and when we clashed, I was surprised that my already broken body didn’t shatter to pieces. My claws lashed out, aiming for his eyes. He beat his wings and, gripping both of my hands in his talons, raised me into the air. Just as Arron poised himself to strike me with his sharp beak, the haze cleared from my eyes and the chill within my bones seeped out of me.
Arron looked at me with alarm. Without warning, he let go of me. I fell ten feet to the ground.
Across the prison, the female vampire who had not yet been inhabited now stood rigidly with her eyes rolling in their sockets. My father must have seen her in a more advantageous position.
As I lay aching on the floor, Arron’s servant took advantage of the pandemonium and darted toward the exit of the prison. I forced my wrecked body to stand up. Keeping close to the wall and moving as fast as I could, I stayed within the shadows and exited the prison after her. Once out in the fresh air, I turned back to check the entrance of the prison—a square windowless building made of wood. Like all the constructions in Aviary, it had been built in the treetops, hundreds of feet above the jungle undergrowth. I heaved a sigh of relief to see that nobody had followed me yet.
My ears picked up the crack of a branch. I ran to the edge of the platform as a dark blonde head disappeared beneath the thick canopy of leaves about ten meters below. I hurled myself over the railing, hoping I wouldn’t impale myself on a sharp branch.
On falling through the upper layer of leaves, my body made contact with a thick branch that I scrambled up on before tumbling down toward the jungle’s undergrowth. The witch was still scurrying down the tree as if she hadn’t noticed me. But she was slow, and limping.
“Wait!” I hissed.
I caught up with her and she let out a small scream. I placed a hand over her mouth to stifle it.
“I am not going to hurt you.”
“Stay away from me!”
She pulled my hand away from her face and continued climbing down the branches, wincing with every movement she made.
I dropped myself down directly beneath her, blocking her next step.
“Where are you going?” I asked. She attempted to push me out of the way, but I gripped her arms and held her in place. “Do you know a way out of here?”
She let out a dry laugh. “As if I would tell you!”
A shrill scream sounded overhead, and then a rustling of leaves, close to us. She looked at me, desperation clouding her better judgment.
“I need to get to my boat. I’m sure it’s still moored on the beach about a mile away from where I was caught.”
“Climb onto my back,” I ordered.
She narrowed her eyes on me. “Why would I do that?”
I considered just taking her by force rather than wasting time arguing, but I had a better chance of escaping with her cooperation.
“Listen, witch. You said you have a boat. If I don’t escape this place, I face death or worse. I’m not going to hurt you because I need you.”
I held out my hand, my eyes drilling into hers, urging her to take it. She hesitated, her dark blue irises filled with fear and uncertainty. But then her warm hand clasped mine. I turned around so that my back faced her. Her weight slid onto me and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I clenched my jaw against the pain of her body brushing against the open wounds Arron had slashed into my back, and hurried downward.
“Faster!” Her breath was hot against my ear.
When my feet hit the ground, she pointed to my right. “That way!”
I lurched forward and continued to follow her directions, dodging the giant snakes that writhed in the undergrowth. More screeches echoed down from above. We both looked around, but nobody appeared to be following us. The hawks and Elders must still be keeping each other busy.
Soon enough, the salty breeze blowing through the trees was unmistakable. When we emerged on a rocky shore, the sun hit me and my skin erupted in pain. But I had no choice but to keep moving forward. I ran for about half a mile before we found what she was looking for.
“Down there.” She pointed to an area enclosed by rocks where a small boat was moored. I was relieved to see that it had a roof over it. I jumped down the rocks and leapt into the boat. As soon as the witch slid off my back, I retreated to the shadiest spot I could find.
“Oh, no. My engine!” The witch walked to the edge of the boat and cast her eyes around the empty waters. Fully clothed, she dove into the sea.
She swam around, ducking her head beneath the water and making strange moaning sounds. Then she disappeared completely. When she showed no signs of emerging after two minutes, I began to consider diving in after her. But then her head bobbed up above the water, followed by two sea creatures. I blinked several times. They were two large blue dolphins.
She guided both of them to the front of the boat and strapped them into thick leather harnesses. Catching hold of the reins, she hauled herself back onto the boat, joining me beneath the roof.
“I knew they wouldn’t abandon me,” she muttered to herself.
She tugged on the reins and we lurched forward at such a speed that it was hard to breathe for a few moments. I turned to face her. Her eyes were forward, concentrating on the open sea ahead, as though strapping reins on dolphins was the most normal thing in the world.
“What’s your name, vampire?” she asked.
“Uh, Kiev Novalic. Yours?”
She kept her gaze ahead.
“Mona. Just Mona.”
Chapter 4: Kiev
The fabric of my torn shirt irritated my singed skin. I removed it and threw it overboard. I found a bucket in a corner of the boat and, dipping it into the ocean, emptied it over my head. The salt stung, but at least the water was cool.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“The nearest place I can get rid of you.”
Her tone grated on my nerves. I was still keenly aware of the throbbing in my arm and my throat was parched for blood. At that moment, it took all the willpower I had to not sink my fangs into her neck. My survival was still dependent on her cooperation, so I had no choice but to rein in my annoyance and maintain a civil tone.
Dripping wet, I sat down next to her on the small bench in the center of the boat and turned to face her. She kept her eyes on the ocean.
“And where might that be?” I asked.
“The Cove. It’s also where I left my ship and crew. About a day away, providing Kai and Evie keep up their current speed.”
We had just entered a particularly rough set of waves and sitting on the bench became uncomfortable. I moved to the floor and looked up at her, now closer to her line of vision.
“What’s The Cove?”
“H
ome of the merfolk.”
Her answer was interesting to me on many levels. I was curious about the world outside of Aviary. I had lived on Earth for the majority of my life, at The Blood Keep—the Elder’s castle. Only recently had I travelled through the portal into this strange parallel realm of supernaturals. Even my experience of Aviary, the country of hawks, was limited—not to speak of all the other hundreds of territories ruled by different supernatural races.
“I wouldn’t expect a hearty welcome from them,” the witch continued. “In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a single race that embraces the spawn of the Elders with open arms.”
“Will I be any better off there than in Aviary?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the case, it’s your problem.”
I breathed deeply.
“But is there shade there? You need to at least leave me somewhere I can find shelter from the sun.”
“I’ll drop you near a cave,” was all the assurance she gave me.
A particularly violent wave slammed my back against the side of the boat. I groaned, cursing the witch in my head for being unable to heal me with magic.
“That serum won’t be in your blood forever. I suspect it’ll be gone within a day. Just get some sleep. You’re going to need it.” She gave me a sour smile. “And I could do without your voice in my ears for a few hours.”
I didn’t know how I managed to fall asleep in that cramped corner of the boat, with the ocean knocking me about. But eventually, my body gave in to slumber.
Chapter 5: Kiev
My stunning human captive stood in my bathroom, undressed from the waist up. On seeing me enter, she reached for a towel and clutched it against her chest. I walked over and stood behind her, slipping my hands beneath her towel and running them along her skin. I shivered as I drew warmth from her pregnant body.
“Please, Kiev,” she choked, flinching at my touch. “Let me go. I can’t survive this without my husband.”
On mention of Derek Novak, I stopped caressing her and settled my hands over her protruding stomach.
“I told you to forget that man.”
“I can’t. I won’t.”
I gripped her abdomen tighter, applying pressure with my fingers.
“If you want your twins to be born alive,” I whispered into her ear. “I suggest you heed my warnings.”
“Please. If you let me escape this place, I’ll do anything…willingly.”
The anguish in her voice made me take a step back. My gaze roamed the length of her body before meeting her glistening green eyes. Her beauty made me ache inside.
Anything? I began to mull over all the things I wanted to do with her at that moment. The possibilities were endless…
I was shocked when she took my hand and pulled me into the bedroom, toward the bed. She lay between the sheets and looked up at me with a determined expression on her face even while tears brimmed in her eyes.
“If this is what you want from me,” she whispered. “I’ll give it to you.”
If you don’t take her now, I thought to myself. You’re going to regret it forever.
Brushing aside her long auburn hair, I pulled myself over her and leaned toward her neck. I breathed in her intoxicating scent before running my tongue along her bite marks, licking away the dried blood. It felt like no matter how much of her blood I drank, I would never be satiated.
Standing up, I looked into her eyes again for a reaction. They looked docile. Jaded. For as long as I had known her, Sofia Claremont had never given into my demands without a fight. Now, her surrender to my darkness unnerved me.
“You don’t want me,” I muttered after several minutes. “You’re just desperate.”
She looked up at me, her eyes widening. Perhaps she believed it to be an act of mercy. If only she had known that what I had planned for her was the furthest thing from merciful.
I woke up in a sweat. Night had fallen and the boat had stopped moving. I sat up, noticing that the pain in my body had subsided. I ran my hands along my skin. It felt smooth. Mona had been right. The sleep had done my body good. How long I had been sleeping, I could only guess.
I stood up and looked around the empty deck.
“Witch?” I called.
Splashing came from the waters nearby. Over the edge of the boat, two shiny heads bobbed above the waves. And the witch. She sat with her legs on either side of one of the dolphins, her wet dress hiked up her toned thighs, blood around her lips, nimbly picking apart a fish with her bare hands.
“They needed to stop for dinner,” she said.
I was ravenous. Even the sight of fish blood made my stomach grumble. I slid into the cool waters.
“How do you catch those things without a net?” I asked, swimming toward her.
“Kai might be able to spare you one, if you ask him nicely.” She patted the dolphin on the head. It lifted its shiny face from the water, opening its mouth to reveal several squished fish.
The smell made me feel nauseous. Ignoring her insult, I turned away and ducked beneath the waves. I opened my eyes, and immediately felt like a fool. The salt stung my eyeballs. Clearly it’s been too long since I’ve swum in seawater.
I had no choice but to rely on my sharp sense of hearing. I held my breath and ducked down again. A school of fish swam about ten feet away from me. I kicked hard and pushed myself downward, my claws outstretched.
I resurfaced with nothing.
Mona eyed me. Unwilling to let her watch me make a spectacle out of myself, I swam to the other side of the boat where I was out of her view. I took a deep breath and dove deep once again. I continued failing. After several more attempts, I gave up.
As I returned, Mona looked at me, a hint of amusement in the corners of her lips. She strapped what appeared to be a set of waterproof glasses over her eyes. I had no idea how she would have gotten hold of such an object. Withdrawing a thin dagger from her belt, she pressed her heels against the dolphin’s body and they both disappeared beneath the waves. Several moments later, they resurfaced, three large fish pierced through with Mona’s dagger. She handed the blade to me and I was too hungry to refuse out of pride. I dug my fangs into the fish.
“That’s about as far as my hospitality goes,” she muttered, watching me drink.
Once I’d finished, I dipped my head in the water to clean my mouth. Looking at her still eating, I was keenly aware of how much tastier a morsel she would have been. Thinking it wise to distance myself from the temptation, I swam back to the boat and lifted myself up onto its edge.
“Why do you live like this?” I asked, staring at her.
“Huh?”
“Why don’t you live with your kind in The Sanctuary?”
She averted her eyes to the water. A few moments passed before she cleared her throat, wiping blood away from her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I prefer freedom over comfort,” she said.
“Have you always lived this way?”
“For a long time.”
Although she appeared to be in her early twenties, her eyes told a different story. Something about them told me that she had undergone more suffering than any twenty-year-old should have. They were jaded. Fearful. Untrusting.
She finished her fish, guided the dolphins back into their harnesses and pulled herself onto the boat. I joined her on the bench where she grabbed the reins and urged her pets forward. As the wind caught her long hair, it brushed against my face.
“You’ve asked me questions,” she said. “And since we’ve still got some journey ahead of us, I suppose it’s my turn. So tell me, who are you?”
Who am I?
I could think of many descriptions for myself, for my life that had thus far been defined by my father. Murderer was the first word that came to mind, but clearly not the wisest choice of answer given the circumstances.
“Just a man who had the misfortune of bumping into a hungry vampire,” I found myself saying.
I was sure that Arron w
ouldn’t have had any reason to discuss my history with a slave. There was no way she could have known that I was putting on an act.
There was no way she could have known that, in reality, I was an unpredictable monster who could have blackouts at any moment. Who could regress into uncontrollable states of violence that were still very much a part of my being, thanks to my father’s long reign over me. I recalled my last night with Natalie. She had tried to make me remember what we used to have. And her attempts to appeal to my humanity had made me break down and lose myself completely.
I’d tortured her to death.
No, there was no way Mona could have known that I was a bomb with a faulty fuse.
Besides, I would be gone from her life soon, and she would never see me again.
“How come you ended up in Aviary?” Her eyes turned on me suspiciously.
“I’d been a prisoner at the hawks’ headquarters in the human realm while Arron was visiting. He brought me back to Aviary along with a dozen other vampires,” I said.
I felt confused as to why exactly, but I didn’t want her to know that I was a coward. I wasn’t proud of stealing a newborn from his helpless mother, knowing that he would be of value to Arron.
I had supposed that the only place I would be safe from my father was in the realm of his fiercest adversaries. So desperate was I to escape his clutches, I hadn’t given any thought to the quality of life I might have there. Any place away from the Elder’s reach would give my soul a gasp of air, no matter how toxic that air might be.
“So you’ve been a victim of Arron too, huh,” she muttered darkly, gazing back out at the ocean.
I didn’t need any imagination to guess the type of things he would have tried to get Mona to do. Because I wasn’t any less wicked a man than Arron.
“Why did he list you as one of the vampires I shouldn’t give a last meal of blood to? What did you do to betray him?”