Vampire Princess Rising by Jami Brumfield
The elevator opened to an underground bunker, kind of like what one would expect a hidden military base to look like. The floors were concrete, stairs were metal mesh. The walls were painted gray with numbers for designation. Each door had a keypad lock. Maverick led them to the center atrium. There were multiple labs with open windows for people to see what was going on around them. Savannah could practically see shadows of humans and supernaturals disguised as humans working in lab coats and walking the halls.
She walked toward one of the windows. It opened up to a room that had multiple clear tanks that once held fluid and embryos. She could see them as though she was watching it on a television screen. The only indication that it wasn’t real was that the images were almost see-through.
The image of her mother and father in their twenties caught her attention. They were both happy as they worked with the other lab personnel testing slides, mixing solutions, examining and recording information on embryos in the tank, and whatever else a genetic lab would be doing. The images filled her with a mixture of disgust and happiness. Her parents looked so happy. Everyone looked happy. The emotions were so unexpected that she almost didn’t notice the development of her new supernatural power.
“That is the room you were conceived in.” Her father came up behind her and offered a weak smile. “Your mother and I were so happy when the gene manipulation finally worked and you and Rebecca were growing as viable embryos.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You know?” Maverick asked.
“I can see it…I mean you and her. I can see all of them.” Savannah turned from the image and zeroed her vision on her father. “Why couldn’t you have children?”
He looked down at the ground, ran his hand through his black hair and returned his eyes to hers before answering, all indications that he was uncomfortable with the question. “My family has demon blood. Conceiving children of mixed species is difficult and for most impossible.” Savannah looked at Lucky, who nodded his head in agreement. “Your mother is from a pure witch line and my family line was tainted. It was my fault we couldn’t conceive naturally. But the Convent gave us a solution to our problem.”
Savannah nodded her head to show understanding, but she felt there was more to the story so she remained silent while he continued on. “After trying for years I finally convinced her to try this solution. She was happy when it worked. I promise you.”
“Like I told you I can see that.”
“That must be your new power coming in. You have the ability to see whispers of the past.” Lucky offered. He looked impressed. “That’s a rare gift.”
Savannah shrugged. “I guess so.” She assumed her gift was hearing an irritating compass talking in her ear or maybe telepathy since Viktor could message her in her mind, but now she knew it was the whisper past thingy.
“Psychometry! That’s a wonderful gift,” Maverick said with a smile. “A water witch vampire with the power to see the past energies connected to items and people. I never would have guessed that’s what we would get for a daughter when we were creating you.” He tried to touch her hand, but she pulled away.
“Creating? You sound like you were playing God,” she told him, tired of the entire situation.
“Hardly. We were simply using science to manipulate our fate. People use different things to manipulate many situations. There is very little difference. Except our work with the Convent of Souls gave us you, Hunter, and Rebecca.”
Chapter Thirty
Rebecca
Rebecca needed a run before her training session with Lucky. Last night Gabriel sent her soaring into the clouds with each kiss and touch. He weakened her resolve. She couldn’t let it happen again. She broke up with both of them for a reason—Savvy. She needed her sister back at her side more than she needed any man.
She felt guilty allowing herself to be tempted when her main focus should be helping Savannah and now that her witch powers had been unlocked she might have more tools than she ever thought to help her succeed.
Savannah had always taken care of Rebecca, now it was her turn to do the same. There was power in the air, she felt it all around her. With each step of her run she felt lighter and more freedom than she ever felt before. She felt so free she decided to run an extra mile, taking her closer to the property line than she’d ventured before. It was like she was walking—no, running on air and instinct told her it was linked to her powers.
Since the incident Rebecca had moved her training sessions to Saturday and Sunday with Lucky. It worked perfectly today because tonight was her eighteenth birthday party. She just hoped Savannah softened enough to come. Grandmother would be ecstatic to see her.
“There you are.” Jackson met her on the way back from her run. He must have decided to get in some morning exercise too.
Rebecca stopped and felt the race of her pulse as she started to cool off. “Hey, are you going out or in?”
“Just finishing.” He grinned and looked down at the ground uncomfortably. “Becks, I’m sorry about—”
Rebecca shook her head and wiped the perspiration from her forehead as she tried to steady her breath. “No need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. It’s your dad that needs to apologize to you.” She grinned as she felt her body continue the cool down process. Every cell, nerve, and fiber of her body was electrified, pulsating with energy from the adrenaline that pumped in her veins. There was nothing like the natural high a person got after running, any exercise for that matter. When she ran she felt exhilarated, pain didn’t exist. But when she stopped her body let her know just how much it appreciated and didn’t appreciate how hard she pushed it.
His grin showed his gratitude. “Ready to head back?”
“Sure.” Rebecca jogged back to the main house with Jackson. They shared stories from their childhood. He wished her a happy birthday and hoped Savannah would make the party. The conversation was light and easy, the way it used to be before all the supernatural drama entered her life.
When they reached the front door she stopped him for a moment. She didn’t want to change the subject back to their crazy reality, but she had to. “Georgie is still here. Will you take her under your wing and help her feel safe and comfortable here?”
Jackson nodded. “Of course, you didn’t even have to ask.”
Rebecca looked seriously at him for a moment. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit she scared me a little. Could you imagine what someone like her, with power over animals, could do in the wrong hands?”
Jackson tilted his head as he chewed over her words. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. She’s someone we need as an ally not an enemy.”
Rebecca felt better knowing that he understood the importance of what she was asking him. “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “So I’ll see you tonight at Grandma’s house?”
“A pack of wild wolves couldn’t keep me away.” He laughed at his pun. Rebecca rolled her eyes and opened the door to the house. She needed to freshen up, grab her keys and head over to Lucky’s house.
The warmth hit her skin first, blowing her hair back. She didn’t think, she just reacted as she raised her hand and squeezed the oxygen out of the room. The fire ball that was heading her direction disappeared inches before her face as everyone in the room, including her brother Hunter collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
Jackson was behind her, unaffected by the spell she unwittingly cast. She started gasping for air as her knees gave out.
“Release your hand, Rebecca.” Jackson urged her. She barely heard his voice but was thankful when it reached her oxygen deprived brain. It made sense, she released her clenched hand and a rush of air entered the room, revitalizing everyone in the process.
“Shoot, Becks!” Hunter coughed. “I’m so sorry. I lost control of it.” He ran to help Natalia up, who was only a few feet away from him.
“What happened?” Natalia asked in a raspy voice. She re-adjusted her black cat glasses on her
Gabriel came down the stairs quickly, skipping multiple steps with each jump down. His eyes were huge with fear.
“Everything’s fine.” Rebecca croaked, trying to catch her own breath again.
“I smell blood,” Gabriel stated as he checked Rebecca from head to toe and found no injuries.
Hunter checked Natalia and they found the source. She was bleeding from the back of her head. “Gods, Nat we need to get you to a doctor.”
“No, I’ll be fine. I just need a place to clean it and your help with mixing some herbs.” Natalia smiled. Hunter nodded as he started to help her up the stairs.
“Hey, Hunt, was that you?” Rebecca asked, her hands crossed over her chest and irritation vibrating from her eyes. She knew the answer but needed to address it, especially since there were others present. Always the leader, even when she didn’t like what she had to do.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I lost control and the door distracted me and I…well, I almost fried my sister and her best friend.” He looked so sorry it was hard to stay mad at him.
“No more fireballs in the house,” she told him, finding it difficult to keep a straight angry face when she wanted to chuckle at the ridiculous situation.
“Did you use air magic to kill the flame?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t know what happened.” Rebecca had a hard time believing she was the cause of the air being sucked out of the room. But she couldn’t argue with the logic of the events. She reacted, the air was sucked out, and when she released her hand it returned. It had to be her.
“You know what happened, Rebecca. You were threatened by magic and your own magic responded.” Jackson grinned, and turned to Hunter. “I guess that un-binding spell worked like a charm.”
“Yeah, which is great. I can’t wait to see what powers Savvy got.”
“Hopefully we’ll see tonight at the party. Are you guys good?” Rebecca asked.
“Yes.” Natalia smiled weakly. “Hunter will be able to fix me up nicely.” They continued up the stairs.
Rebecca paused for a moment, unsure if she should stay or go.
“Go. I’ll make sure they’re okay.” Jackson smiled as he followed them.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around Rebecca’s waist and pulled her against his body. “You were just attacked by a fireball?” His eyes were still huge, the emerald green color darkened the same way it always did when he was close to her. She felt the tattoo tingle, a stark reminder that she was close to her intended mate. “You sucked the air out of the room and almost killed three people and yourself.” He shook his head. “By the Gods, woman, you frighten me.”
Before she could say another word he kissed her. It wasn’t an innocent kiss. It was deep and urgent. Rebecca had no intention of starting this again but the moment he deepened the kiss, the moment she felt his worry and concern, was the moment she knew. Fighting him was not an option. She was his and he was hers.
He broke the kiss and stared in her eyes. The intensity was unbearable. “It’s like you constantly put yourself in danger just to see me get protective.”
Rebecca placed a gentle hand on his cheek. Swept up in the moment, lost in confusion, desire and need. “I don’t seek out danger.” She offered a tender look of compassion, she felt sorry for him. Sorry and guilty that he would be spending the rest of his life worrying about her. But comforted a little in knowing they would eventually be together.
“No, it just finds you. I can’t lose you, Rebecca.” He buried his head in her shoulder, gently nipping his mark on her neck. “I won’t lose you.” Revealing his neck to her, his scent was intoxicating.
“You won’t.” She reassured him. “Speaking of losing me, I have to get to training with Lucky.”
His arms tightened around her for the briefest of moments. Then he pulled back. “I’ll take you.”
“I can go—”
“I need to get some stuff in town for your party tonight.” He smiled. ‘You won’t win this argument, so you might as well let me take you.’ He reinforced his stance in her mind.
“Fine.” She gave in and he laced his fingers with hers and pulled her out the door.
So much for trying to freshen up!
Chapter Thirty-One
Savannah
Savannah watched as Gabriel pulled up to Lucky’s house with Rebecca on the back of his motorcycle. They did look like a great couple. She found herself hoping her sister would find happiness with him. She also found herself feeling a little guilty about the stolen moments she and Lucky shared at the underground Convent bunker. She couldn’t help feeling a little jilted since he hasn’t mentioned or even come close to touching her since those romantic moments. She had to remind herself that she put an end to those moments not him. He offered to discuss them further and she had a sneaking suspicion it would have to be her to bring them up.
There was so much she had to tell Rebecca but didn’t know how to fix the mess that was their relationship. If she really let herself think about it she’d admit she missed her sister.
‘Of course you miss her. She’s your other half,’ the compass responded to her thoughts.
“Are you saying she’s my soul mate?” Savannah whispered. The idea made her heart drop to her feet. Wouldn’t that be perfect? She officially hated her soul mate.
‘No, she’s your twin flame,’ the compass answered.
“What, in all that is holy, is a twin flame?” Savannah asked a little bit louder than she intended.
‘Each soul has a second half. Most of the time one half stays in the afterlife waiting room while the other half is reborn. The half that stays up above becomes a sort of guardian angel during the other half’s life on Earth. Both halves of the soul learn the lessons from that life and then the process is started over again only in reverse. Sometimes both halves choose to be reborn together during the same lifetime. That’s what happened this time.’
“So are all twins like that?”
‘No, most of the time the two halves are born on separate continents and never see each other until they meet again in the Akashic records to be reborn or ascend. You two are lucky…or maybe what you both have to learn can only be learned from the other person.’
Savannah tried to process what the moral compass was telling her. She was having a difficult time dealing with the vampire and werewolf issue, but now reincarnation, twin flames? “So what happens when Rebecca dies and I continue on as a vampire? Kind of messes up the process, don’t you think?”
‘The members of the supernatural world don’t play by the same rules. It has to do with the fact that they’re all descendants of gods,’ the compass answered simply.
“What god do vampires come from?”
‘Hades, silly.’
“The lord of the underworld?” Savannah didn’t like to admit that she had the king of the underworld’s DNA running through her body.
‘The underworld is not all bad. Part of it contains the Elysian Fields. Which is a heavenly plain.’
That made her feel a little better. “What about witches?”
‘Demeter.’
“And werewolves?”
‘Artemis created most of the shifters. Not all, but most…’
“Wow, that’s a lot to process.” Savannah watched as Lucky went to talk to Rebecca and Gabriel. He motioned for her to come join them so she slowly made her way across the front walkway. She continued to talk into her phone, a disguise she used when talking to the compass. “I think we’ll have to table this conversation for a while,” she said as she clicked her phone off right before she caught up to Lucky. He gave her a warm smile and she felt herself calm down. She didn’t even know she was agitated until she relaxed.
“Savannah is going to join us for training today. Gabe, do you think you can stay and be a sparring partner for Rebecca?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Sure, I have nothing planned until tonight.” He
“Does this mean you’re coming to the party tonight, Savannah?” Rebecca asked, hope clear in her eyes.
Savannah looked at Lucky. She still doubted this was a good idea, but the compass continued to urge her to go.
“Yes, she is.” Lucky grinned after answering for her.
Savannah pushed down the urge to punch him. How dare he speak for her? She hated that. “I suppose I can make it to the party tonight. And Celestia wanted me to tell you she is relinquishing her claim on the shelter so you may want to get your group in there before someone else takes over.”
Rebecca’s face lighted with excitement. “That’s great news on both counts.” She picked up her phone and quickly dialed Madison’s number. “Mads, get a rotation detail on the shelter today, please.” The conversation continued for a minute or so and the rest of the group started toward the house.
Rebecca turned toward the rest of the group and started running to catch up to them after hanging up the phone. “Hold up, everyone. Lucky, I wanted to see if you have a status update on Brick? Oomph!”
Just as Savannah and the rest of them turned around a black van pulled up next to Rebecca and grabbed her from behind. Savannah’s heart leapt as all three of them headed toward her, but they were too late. She was being thrown into the back of the vehicle which was already peeling off the curb. Gabriel and Lucky both climbed on their bikes to follow.
“We’ll get her back, Savvy.” Lucky promised as he sped off behind Gabriel who was already down the block.
Savannah watched them speed away on their black bikes. Two supernatural hunks chasing after her twin sister once again. She sighed heavily inward. Then she picked up her phone and called Celestia. “What have you done?” She blasted her sire before she could even finish saying hello.