Vampire's Crucible by Yvette Bostic

Author:Yvette Bostic [Bostic, Yvette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-15T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Kellen led the way to the rooms that used to belong to my mother. Logan and I fell in line behind the prince. My heart raced as we traversed the winding staircase and stopped in front of the double wooden doors. So much happened behind those doors. My entire life changed in so many ways. We fought my mother and won, releasing the mages from her grasp. Logan revealed the truth of our bonding, creating an unhealable rift between me and Kellen. I glanced at my vampire. He’d also give me his friendship and love, something I’d never had before.

My partner pulled open the left-hand door and waited for us to enter. My feet wouldn’t move. I hadn’t been in there since we fought my mother and her mage-vampires. Had Kellen cleaned up our mess? Did he replace the broken furniture? I had to assume so or he wouldn’t have offered the room to the prince. Logan gently pushed me forward, and I crossed the threshold.

A smile slid across my face once I entered. The gaudy pink wallpaper was gone, replaced by a soft sand-colored paint. Hardwood floors ran the length of the room and two dark leather sofas faced each other beneath the undressed windows. Paintings of green meadows and waterfalls hung on each of the walls, adding splashes of color to the room. Everything was now a reflection of Kellen.

“Please have a seat,” Kellen said, motioning to the sofas. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Wine would be wonderful,” Thomas replied. “Red, if you have it.”

Kellen nodded. “AJ? Logan?”

“Water is fine,” I replied, appreciating his efforts to protect Logan.

“Whiskey,” Logan answered. “You know my favorite.”

I sat on the sofa facing the door, and Logan joined me. Thomas sat opposite of us, a frown marring his pointed features.

“What’s on your mind, Your Highness?” I asked.

“Please just call me Thomas,” he replied. “I’m not my father.”

“Fair enough. I’m AJ.”

A faint smile replaced his frown, but only for a moment. “We’ve heard so many rumors about you and Kellen,” he said. “Then the talk of last night’s battle.” He looked out the window at the fading light. “I don’t know what to believe. Does your elemental really talk to you?”

“They both do,” I replied. “But I’m beginning to think I’m an exception and not in a good way. Kellen would argue differently, but only because I haven’t shared with him everything that’s happened. The more I learn, the more I realize that some higher being controls every part of my life.”

Kellen handed out drinks and took the space next to Thomas. “Please share, AJ. I’m all ears,” he said, painting on that impassive expression that seemed to become his norm. Before my mother’s death, I got to see his smile frequently.

I sighed but couldn’t be mad at his resentment. “When that ogre attacked Logan and I the other day, it became obvious I wasn’t equipped to handle what was coming. Not just the physical fight but the strategic one as well.

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