Authors: Rachael Wade
Arianna’s face dropped, and she lowered her chin to look at the floor.
Is he crazy? They’re all lying to her. It’s so cruel.
Anxiety hitched in my throat and I struggled to take a deep breath, anticipating his next move.
“You can’t do any such thing,” Marie replied, quiet now.
“But I can, and I will. You have my word. We’ll protect both you and Joel from here on out.”
“What will I tell her?” She spoke louder now, still guarded. “I can’t go back to her empty-handed. At first she just wanted the girl for leverage, when she heard you’d broken her law. Wanted to make sure you’d uphold your part in the bargain you made, to serve her and restore peace in the city. But she’ll want her even more now that you’ve escaped—”
“You’ll tell her the truth. You won’t be empty-handed. Camille is going to Amaranth with us, straight to Samira. Tell her how we held you against your will, and we’ll take it from there.”
Marie stiffened, sat up straight, stopped crying, eyed Gavin with those cold, hard eyes. “What are you up to, boy…?”
“Samira won’t be able to touch us when we go to meet her.” Gavin glared back at her, his tone definite. “You won’t be harmed, and that’s all I can tell you. Do you understand?”
Marie’s eyes bounced away from Gavin and between Josh, Arianna, and me, suspicious. “I’ve no choice anyhow, do I?”
“Sure don’t, lady,” Josh said. Arianna reached across Marie and swatted him across the forehead.
“You know what Joel means to me, Marie.” Gavin looked at her, pleading and patient. “He’s like a brother to Gabe and me, I don’t need to tell you this. Know that I have his best interest in mind, and trust me.”
“Fine.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “But what will you do with me until the next crescent moon?”
“You’ll be staying with me for a while. I’m going to look after Camille’s house.”
Arianna breathed a sigh of relief, let her hands fall to her side, dagger still in her grip. “We’ll send you back when the time is right. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be.”
“Fools,” Marie mumbled. “I’ll need to hunt, you know that—”
“Already taken care of,” Josh turned to the fridge where he’d stocked some blood, poured a glass and held it up so she could see it.
“You’d better be right,” she said, turning to me now. “What have you done?” Her voice was barely a whisper, her glare slicing into me. I shivered, wondering the same thing myself.
Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we were ready to enter the portal under the first crescent moon since Gavin and I made our narrow escape. Arianna stayed behind at Josh’s cabin to hold Marie captive, and Gavin and I had met with Vivienne to go over final details. We were about to head to the bayou, where we’d meet the others.
Standing in my living room, I placed my hands on my hips and took another look around, taking in my slipcovered sofa, my rustic wooden coffee table, and my cherished bookshelves. I stared idly at my little but beloved library, wondering when or if I’d see it again, and recalling that my phone was flooded with messages from Carol, from classmates, and the police, and my mailbox overflowed. All would be left unanswered. Everything looked like it belonged to someone else now: a stranger I didn’t recognize. I’d fallen for Gavin so hard, so fast, and then plummeted into his world at lightning speed. Who knew someone could transform so quickly, change their desires, their goals, their dreams, all from the turn of a single event?
Gavin came from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “I’ve made you something to eat before we leave,” he said, then noted the solemn expression on his face. “Here, love, I want to give you something.”
I gave him a sad smile and let him take my hand.
“I want you to finish writing your novel. You’ll need something to write in while we’re in Amaranth. No technology there.” He sat at the kitchen table and slid a beautiful journal in front of me, of gorgeous, rich brown parchment, with a suede string attached for binding. “There are quotes inside from some of your favorite authors, including Flannery O’Connor,” he flipped a page and pointed to the header.
“You wrote them yourself?” I skimmed the pages, feeling my mood lighten.
“Figured you could use inspiration. You’ve already given up everything for me, but this is one thing I won’t let you lose. You’re talented, you should write. And we’ll have three months in the city before the rest of the resistance arrives for the final attack. So you’ll have some time on your hands.”
Three months
. I still couldn’t believe it. It was so long, so calculated, so … nerve-wracking. I smoothed my hand across the pages and sat across from him. “Thank you, Gavin. I don’t know what to say. I doubt I’ll be able to think about writing while I’m there, but that’s really thoughtful of you.”
He reached across and took my hand, kissed my knuckles. “I know this is scary. But Samira won’t dare touch us. Especially if she finds out we have Arianna. We’re going to make it through this, and your world and mine will be better, soon.”
“Three months is a long time to hold out on that secret.” A shiver ran down my back just imagining what would happen if Samira found out about our one and only piece of ammunition while we were confined to her city. “And what you told Marie is dangerous, Gav. Not to mention very mean.”
“We have to fight dirty right now, Cam. I hated lying to Marie, but it had to be done. Our lives depend on it, you have to understand that. We need to keep Marie calm and cooperative. When Samira sees that the Amaranthians are obeying her again, sees the city return to servitude, she won’t know what hit her when we attack. It’ll look like I’m following through with my promise to restore order in the city and bring the people back into submission. Everything is in place, Camille. I promise you.”
He stood and brought me a hot plate from the stove, his signature chicken parmesan. I had no appetite, but I couldn’t say no to his gesture. I took a bite and smiled, forced another bite down, thinking it might help ease my stomach.
“How will you eat while we’re there?” I wondered aloud, staring down at my plate.
“We have a rationed supply of blood to hold us over while we’re there. And I can get into the castle and sneak some from the reserve if it comes to that.”
“I hope you’re right,” I murmured, running my fingers over my new journal. If we made it out of this alive, I’d have one surefire bestseller on my hands.
“We better get going,” He stood and glanced out the kitchen window. I followed his gaze. Dusk was nearing, and a faint trace of the crescent moon had begun to poke through a hazy gathering of clouds amidst the pink and blue horizon. I swallowed one more bite of my meal, then stood, ready to greet the night.
4
INVINCIBLE
A dozen vampires met us at the familiar bayou, the crescent moon now fully visible against the inky sky. I didn’t recognize any of them except Josh and Scarlet, the curvaceous vixen that made my blood boil each time I saw her. She gave a cutesy-pie wave when she spotted me, then winked, her lips curled into a secretive grin, as though she was laughing at something. What was so funny? Was I missing something? I waved back half-heartedly, then turned my attention to Gavin.
“There are only thirteen of you? I thought this was going to be a
war,
” I whispered.
“We’re doing this in two phases, remember? This is part one.” He set down his bag, adjusted his combat boots. “The rest of the resistance will join us on the first day of the crescent moon cycle, in exactly three months. This is all we’ll need for now, just to have some manpower and a few extra pairs of eyes while we’re in the city. Don’t worry, we know what we’re doing,” he reached up and gently nudged my arm.
“Okay,” I mumbled, looked down at the watertight bag in my hands, which held my new journal, Vivienne’s text, and a few essentials. I didn’t really know what to expect, only making it as far as the castle last time. Everything past the gates was mysterious to me, unknown. Gavin had described the city as an old-world community made up of villages, all without technology, luxuries or running water. I figured a few toiletries couldn’t hurt.
Yeah, maybe they’ll make me feel right at home in my very own vampire hellhole.
The twelve vampires all joined together in a circle, waiting for Gavin’s direction, flashlights in hand, game faces on. Scarlet leaned back toward the magic oak, draped her arms across the rugged branch that held the key to our entry, sultry and comfortable in tight-fitting pants and a revealing halter top.
Hussy. Must’ve read the wrong dress code.
We weren’t headed for Studio 54, for crying out loud.
“As discussed, it’s imperative to keep your spell mojo bag on you, as close to your skin as possible, at all times. Camille, you’re human, so you’ll have to stay with at least one of us for the magic to keep you safe from our kind. The bags need to be kept out of sight and under your clothes. They also have to be fed, nurtured intermittently with the oils I gave you, or the spells will wear out. And we can’t have that.” Gavin spoke loud and authoritative. It was a tone I wasn’t used to hearing him take: one full of power, possession, and most of all, determination. He was such a leader. It was … hot. I smiled to myself, mesmerized as I watched him speak, dagger in hand, dressed in black jeans and a faded gray shirt, tousled brown hair as perfect as ever.
As I admired him, I noticed Scarlet staring intently, too, her eyes catching mine. There was a glint in them, an unspoken challenge that made me furious. Her coy smile made me even more agitated. Where was my jealousy coming from? It was so strong, so urgent, getting harder to contain by the second. Gavin had already assured me she was nothing to worry about. But something about her seared my skin, sank into my bones and settled there, leaving me on edge. I looked away, focusing again on Gavin’s pep talk.
“We’ve had an advantage, an extra defense against humans, against those who practice Hoodoo—the ability to be unaffected by their magic. And yet, we can use their magic among our own kind. Their magic isn’t limited to Samira and Gérard’s use, although they love for us to think that. An original conjurer, a good friend of ours, has gone out of her way to help create these protection spells for us. They are just as strong as Samira’s magic, and will keep us safe when we approach her. They’ll also give us copious amounts of energy to thrive.”
My thoughts trailed to Vivienne and her haint blue shop behind the pizzeria, her cautious eyes and generous heart. She really wanted to help us, even though she wasn’t sure what it would mean for her people, even though the frozen souls had disrespected her magic, her faith, for all these years. I smiled at the thought, thankful for the sweet, wise old woman.
Gavin began meandering around the inside of the circle, locking vision with each vampire. “Samira has no idea we have a conjurer’s help, and no idea we’ve acquired this amount of energy. Even if she doesn’t reveal it, she’ll be surprised that our magic is able to withstand her own. Stand strong, and stand tall. Do not falter, because the time is coming, and her kingdom will fall. Remember to be on guard within the villages. We don’t know for certain the conditions we face. We must gain the peoples’ trust, even as we show Samira that she can trust us to restore her order. Our obedience is the only thing that will keep her unaware until the rest of the resistance arrives to help us.”
“What if we don’t make it past the moat?” one of the twelve stammered, shaking in obvious fear.
Gavin stopped in the middle of the circle and turned to him. “The moat? We will make it through the
gates
. Of this, I am certain.”
The nervous vampire reluctantly shook his head, taking a deep breath.
Gavin gave the vampire a firm nod, then shouted, “To strong will and sweet freedom!” He waved his hands to encourage his people. Everyone took the cue, shouting in unison, repeating his words, chanting them. He stormed toward me, eyes blazing, his fiery gaze taking me by surprise. It made me melt, witnessing him take such control, but then I shivered as I felt the bayou’s temperature begin to drop, calling us toward the portal, tempting us to pull the branch and unlock the gateway.
“You’re really ready for this, aren’t you?” I asked him as he grabbed his bag.
“This is going to work. I know it. My parents will finally have peace.” He reached up and ran his fingers over his mother’s locket around my neck, then gave me a breathtaking smile and pulled me into his embrace, kissed me hard and desperately.
The group’s energy buzzed, everyone chattering and pumping one another up. When Gavin let go of me, I surveyed the bayou and swallowed, realizing this was it. I was no longer that book-nerd loner-girl from Louisiana, no longer the damaged girl from Seattle who once put up with so much abuse from men.
I was now Gavin’s support, love and future, and he was mine. Better yet, he encouraged my personal dreams despite his all-consuming lifestyle. He didn’t want me to give myself up, even though I was lost in all of his madness. My new path was suddenly tangible beneath my feet, although I couldn’t quite see it brick for brick yet. Hope bloomed in me, and the same energy that now possessed Gavin filled me too. I was ready for this, ready to do anything for this man, for these people, for our friends. I’d somehow managed to entangle myself in the beginning of a vampire war. Purpose panged my stomach and I was overwhelmed with the need for justice.