Vampire Legacy (Book 4 of the Dragon Heat series)

Vampire Legacy

Book Four of The Dragon Heat Series

By Ella J Phoenix

Copyright © 2015 by Ella J Phoenix

AllRomanceEbooks Edition

All rights reserved

What others are saying about Ella J Phoenix’s romances.

“Dragon Heat (Book 1)”

3rd Place Winner, Best Paranormal Romance Novel,

2013 PRG Reviewer's Choice Awards

“Magic, Dragons, Vampires, and more! A Paranormal Fan's Delight.”

“Loved the heat! (It) had some amazing world building and mythology. It was magical and unique.”

“Sexy and delicious. Awesome book!”

“An almost Romeo and Juliet story featuring the Draconian (dragons) and Vampires!”

“Vampire Thirst (Book 2 of the Dragon Heat series)”

“And the story continues with more Dragons, Vampires, Shifters, and now Werewolves – oh my!”

“Phoenix does it again!”

“Awesome! Any fan of the genre will fully enjoy Vampires Thirst!

“An amazing addition to the Dragon Heat series!”

“Wolf Hunger (Book 3 of the Dragon Heat series)”

2nd Place Winner, Best Paranormal Romance Novel - Shifter Category, 2014 PRG Reviewer's Choice Awards

“This series is a must read for anyone who loves paranormal romances. Every book leaves you wanting more!”

“Awesome book three in the series. It just keeps getting better!” “The battle against evil continues to rage in this intriguing paranormal world that is thrilling and mesmerizing.”

“This series is my form of crack! Ella J. Phoenix has repeatedly hijacked my attention, emotions, and imagination with her spellbinding creativity.”

“Raven’s Awakening”
(previously known as Manataka)

“A sweet romance built on a mystery based in American Indian folklore with elements of paranormal, Indian magic, and a backstory that pulls in the belief of reincarnation – everything I could desire in a story.”

“Kudos to Ms. Phoenix for a unique story.”

“This is a great read. It was full of steamy sex scenes and, I have to say, Phoenix is one of my favourite fighting-scene writers.”

Dedication

To my amazing mother, who is always my first and most avid reader. To my patient husband, who never complains when I lock myself for hours at the office on a sunny weekend. To my loving family, who are always there for me no matter how many crazy manuscripts I write. Thank you for your unconditional support.

And to my awesome fans and readers – without you, I would be just another crazy woman with millions of stories in my head.

Love you all,

Ella

Glossary

Apa Dobrý
– group of five gods, creators of life on Earth and the Universe

Apa Sâmbetei
– the Land of the Souls, the afterlife

Calathor
– someone who can cross to the Land of the Souls and return unharmed

Draco or Draconian
– a dragon in human form

Hiad
– the Underworld

Inmã
– the soul

Konec
– God of Death, Keeper of the gates of Hiad

Razbians
– lizard people known for their lack of intelligence

Soartas
– the three witches of Destiny

Sujha
– a non-pure being, offspring of the union between two different races

Terhem Viahta
– the Land of the Living, the Earth

Ucidhere
– God of Death, lord of the Land of the Souls

Zmyzel
– Goddess of Life

Previously in the Dragon Heat Series

Zoricah, the draconian demigoddess, has finally given into her heart’s call and accepted Tardieh, the Vampire King, as her husband. Their wedding is attended by the most powerful dignitaries of the supernatural world, the leaders of the Sons of Apa Sambetêi, as they are called. Little did she know that the oldest reason for wedlock had befallen her. She is with child. Well aware that only humans were able to give birth to cross-species offspring, Zoricah turns to one of her best friends for help – Yara. For that, the water witch must return to the very place she vowed never to set foot into again, her home land.

She returns with more than just miracle herbs though. Naiah, her fraternity sister, finds her way into the busy vampire castle’s life, and straight into Dyam’s heart.

In a less-charming side of New York State, Rafe, the lone wolf, tries to carry on with his life but it’s simply impossible. Not only because he’s unable to get his mind off the water witch but because Balaur, the dragon lord, is on his back, pushing him to pay his pack’s debts. He blackmails Rafe into following Yara and reporting back, hoping to get word about the last box of atomic bullets which can vanquish a vampire in seconds. Rafe accepts the mission, but decides to keep it to himself that he is the one who stole the box from under everyone’s nose. He just can’t wait to see the saucy water witch again and have a taste of her sweet juice. Just a taste, no strings attached.

The Soartas had other plans for them though. In an unexpected turn on events, Yara is gravely hurt, igniting Rafe’s protective canine nature. He just needs to figure out a way of telling her that he is not the virtuous hero she thinks he is.

In a mighty battle, that shakes the spirits, Arthur, Tardieh’s long-standing butler, and young Naiah, Yara’s sister and Dyam’s love, find themselves crossing the Rivers of Apa Sâmbetei.

Chapter One

New York City, Present day

Tardieh turned the knob and let the door creak open. He had dreaded this moment and had avoided it for as long as he could, but the time had come. The dim light from the corridor washed over the large chamber, giving it an even deeper sense of emptiness. The space was filled by simple yet practical furnishings – a single bed with a matching side table, a tall mirror, a wardrobe, a dresser and a narrow chest. That was all, no lavish fittings, no expensive decor, just the minimum necessary of practical value. Just like its former owner.

Tardieh took a deep breath and stepped inside the room. Arthur’s room.

Arthur had been his loyal chaperone, his valet, his butler, and for a very long time, the only person Tardieh trusted. His old friend had helped him survive the end of the bloody war between his kind and the dragons in the late eighteenth century. His unobtrusive yet sharp guidance kept Tardieh sane and pushed him to go further, to strive as the new king after the assassination of his father. The entire Vampire sovereignty was suddenly in his inexperienced hands and without Arthur, not only Tardieh, but his family’s legacy would have been lost. His most trusted steward had always been there for him.

Until now. Until he was savagely butchered for protecting his king.

Tardieh’s fists clenched at his sides and his jaw popped with the painful memory of Arthur’s head lying on the kitchen floor, severed from his lifeless body, a moment before the divine fire consumed it, turning it to ashes. Tardieh had chased the truth and discovered that a Draconian Lord had bribed Rene, Arthur’s very nephew, to spy on the royal family. Arthur had found the kid out and confronted his nephew, only to lose his head.

It hurt too much to think about how cruel the Soartas were for electing this fate for his old friend. No one deserved to be betrayed that way—by your own family—and yet, apparently history was full of them. Tardieh had hunted the kid down, blinded by his thirst for revenge but Phillip, a Draconian spy, had beaten him to it. Now Tardieh had to take solace in the knowledge that the very hands who paid him to spy on Tardieh had forced Rene to watch his first and last sunrise. He wasn’t one to celebrate death but this time around, he had. Deep inside though, he blamed himself for not having seen it coming. He was an old vampire and a well-versed king with many unraveled plots of betrayals under his belt. He should have suspected someone on the inside was feeding Phillip information, but he hadn’t, and now Arthur had paid the ultimate price.

He closed his eyes for a moment and let the sadness settle in his heart. The only thing left for him to do was to honor his friend by doing the inventory of his belongings himself. Zoricah, his beloved wife, had offered to help out but he declined. Yes, he could have asked one of his household staff to do it, but it felt like blasphemy. A few people knew how far back his relationship with Arthur went, but only his closest friends knew that his old chamberlain had been the father Tardieh had never had. He’d had a father alright, but Arthur had been the figure he had looked up to, the one to teach him tolerance, discipline, perseverance, the one to teach him what it really meant to be a king.

He let his gaze roam around the room. It was intact, as if Arthur had just left and would come back at any time now. But he wouldn’t. Just like Tardieh’s father never had.

He exhaled a long breath and opened the wardrobe. Arthur’s distinctive scent of fresh hay invaded his nose. Inside the tall cabinet, he found a selection of perfectly ironed white shirts, black suits, socks, black jocks and formal shoes. All matching, all the same, and all for practical use. A small chuckle reverberated in Tardieh’s chest. How many times had he tried to offer Arthur better clothes, more comfortable furniture, more luxury? Many occasions, and at each attempt, Arthur’s reply had been the same, “My old bones won’t know the difference.”

He brushed his hand over the impeccably organized shirts and suits hanging in the closet. His chest constricted at every beat of his heart.

His eyes spotted a small trunk hidden on the far end of the dark wardrobe. It carried his family’s royal coat of arms on the top.

Tardieh frowned. He’d seen that old trunk before, a long time ago, in his father’s chambers. How odd. He had been told that all of his family’s belongings had burnt down when his castle in Romania went up in flames after his father’s assassination. Unable to stop himself, Tardieh crouched low and picked up the dusty box. It looked like it hadn’t been touched for a very long time.

Strange. Why would Arthur have kept such an old relic? And more to the point, why hadn’t he mentioned it to Tardieh? He liked to think there were no secrets between them, but now an uncomfortable uneasiness settled in his heart.

With many questions going through his mind, he sat on the bed and opened the trunk. Several pieces of old memorabilia lay inside—a small watercolor canvas of Tardieh as a child, his archery medals from the Open Games, his mother’s famous diamond ring, and many more items. By Apa Dobrý, Arthur had managed to salvage the last remaining memories of Tardieh’s family. He’d also kept them for over two hundred years without a word.

When the war broke out between dragons and vampires in the eighteenth century, his home land, Romania, was squeezed between Draconians and the Daemons from the Dry Lands. Back then, Tardieh had been a full-grown man who refused to grow up. His relationship with his father had been far from heartfelt and when he reached adulthood, it only got worse. His father, the almighty King Stephan Petran, had wanted his son to follow his footsteps but Tardieh had other plans, which didn’t include becoming his father’s shadow. Then, he got imprisoned by the enemy, and his life changed forever. Forced to see the real world, he discovered how blinded he had been by arrogance born from a self-indulged, sheltered life. What a spoilt brat he was.

A sad chuckle tingled at his chest. That was exactly what his father had called him the very last time they spoke to each other. And King Petran had been right. Those horrible months incarcerated finally forced Tardieh to grow into a man. When finally released, by none other than Zoricah, he had only one thing in his mind—to apologize to his father and become a worthy suitor to the throne. The latter happened earlier than he had imagined, while the former would never come to pass. After Zoricah rescued him, he went straight to the royal castle in Wallachia, the southern principality of Romania. He was weak from months of torture, and craving to see his family, only to find blood and carnage. Everyone, the servants, his family members, all massacred, even the children had been murdered. And his father had met the same fate. 

Even after so many centuries, those memories still cut him deep—an unbearable pain brought on by the cruel reality when you realize you hadn’t done enough to save your loved ones.

Tardieh took a deep breath and continued rummaging through Arthur’s box then something caught his eye. The diamond ring, which had belonged to his mother, lay on top of a yellowed out envelope.
Why in Hiad had Arthur kept this from him
?

He took the ring into his hands as a deeper frown wrinkled his brow. His mind was going at many miles per hour, trying to find a simple answer to this mystery when his eyes landed on the envelope. It had only one word written on it—Arthur. Even under those circumstances, Tardieh hesitated before opening it, and he wouldn’t have, if it weren’t for the familiar handwriting.

He slowly lifted the delicate paper flap and pulled out a worn out letter. His breath caught in his throat when his suspicions came true. It was a letter from his father. Unable to stop himself, he skimmed through the first pages.

“My dear Arthur,

If you are reading this letter, it’s because my worst fears had ensued and I have fallen in the hands of our enemy.

I pray to thee not to let grief prevent you from doing what is right. You must protect my son. You must find him and take him away. I have a small chalet in the new world, a land called America. The dragons’ deceit has not yet reached its shores. I beg thee, my dear friend, take my boy and protect him, help him become the king I know he can be.

I apologize in advance for burdening you with such a task, old friend, but I have no one else to turn to. My enemy has ears and eyes that reach far afield. My house has become my very tomb. Nonetheless, I envisage the means to aid you in your quest.

And for that, I must tell you the truth.

I am not known for my fluency in written form, so you must forgive the lack of finesse in my choice of words. I will try to be as clear as possible, giving you all the tools and ammunition to help my son in the future, to be the father I can no longer be. Tardieh has always looked up to you, my friend, more than to me. It pains me to admit that you have become the father I could never have been. I say these words not with jealousy, for I am glad and thankful for having met you and brought you under my protection so many centuries ago. I write these words with regret. If I had known what I know now, if I had known that this would be my end, I would have done it differently. But as a wise druid once said—reality looks much clearer in hindsight than in foresight.

Yes, I endeavor to convey the facts to you, the ones not only owned by my memories but by others who have professed them to me. Time is not on my side, and I find myself unsure of where to start.

I should thus commence not from the very beginning but from where I consider the moment my end truly began, when the Soartas introduced me to my fate. I’ll start this story from the moment I first saw her.”

As Tardieh’s eyes studied his father’s last words, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering.