A Shade of Vampire 9: A Bond of Blood (15 page)

A
fter Derek
and I had finished discussing the situation with Vivienne, Xavier and our closest companions, we called our new guests in to join us.

Goosebumps ran along my skin as Kiev entered the room. He took a seat at the opposite end of the table from me. Mona sat next to him.

I looked down at my hands. I still found it hard to hold his gaze.

Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Derek reached beneath the table and squeezed my thigh. Kiev’s two siblings, plus Matteo Borgia and Saira the werewolf, also entered the room and sat next to Kiev and Mona. It being daytime, Saira was in her human form—a short plump woman with grey eyes and bushy brown hair. These were apparently the leaders of their strange tribe.

Once they were seated, Derek stood up. I could see he too was on edge in Kiev’s presence. His body felt more tense next to me.

I still couldn’t believe we were trying to make an ally out of Kiev. It was chilling to realize how much we now needed them on the island. We’d already talked during our private meeting as to what other solution there could be, but the simple fact couldn’t be avoided: with Annora targeting us, we couldn’t survive without Mona.

Kiev. The man I once hoped to only see in nightmares… now a man I can’t live without.

Kiev drummed his fingers over the table as we all waited for Derek to begin.

I placed my hand over Derek’s as it rested on the table. He cleared his throat. I could see how torturous this was for him. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Failure to keep them on this island would mean the destruction of all of us. It was time to put aside our pride and prejudices and just do what was best for our people — which was our responsibility as king and queen of The Shade.

“I’ll cut to the chase,” Derek said, glowering at them. “You know we need Mona here on this island. We won’t survive without her… so we are all willing to come to certain compromises to make you stay here with us.”

The party at the end of the table exchanged glances, but neither responded yet.

“What is it that you are seeking?” Vivienne asked. “You claim that you found an open gate in the werewolf realm and entered the human realm, all to return Anna. So, what were you planning to do after that?”

It was Matteo who responded first, his liquid Italian accent filling the room. I was relieved that Matteo had taken it upon himself to bridge the gap between Kiev and Derek. Like Natalie, Matteo seemed to have diplomacy in his blood.

“Derek,” he said. “Let me also cut to the chase on behalf of all of us. The Shade is a legend among all creatures who inhabit the dark. Vampires not just in this realm, but even the supernatural realm speak of it as a legend. It’s described as some kind of heaven.” He paused, looking at his four companions. “Our original plan was to return Anna, perhaps stay a few days and then return to the supernatural realm to begin our search for a fixed residence. But I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we would be honored to make The Shade our home.”

I already felt that Matteo and Derek were going to get on well. After all, his sister had been good friends with Derek too.

Matteo looked at the others. Helina, Erik and Saira nodded. All eyes fell on Kiev and Mona. Mona had reached for Kiev’s arm as she looked to him for a reaction. She at least didn’t seem to object, but Kiev looked anything but honored. He kept a poker face as he looked steadily at Derek.

“Kiev?” Mona pressed.

His jaw twitched. He turned to look at her and his companions. Finally he gave a curt nod. “Yes,” he said slowly, his eyes falling on me again. “I believe I could make The Shade my home.”

I breathed out.

Now that they’d agreed in theory, it was time to nail down the details. First and foremost on my mind was how the werewolves and vampires fed. Especially the werewolves—creatures we were all quite inexperienced with. We couldn’t risk letting them out at night unless it was safe.

“We can section off a portion of the island for you,” I said, steeling myself for the bomb I was about to drop. “We’re willing to come to many compromises in order to make sure that you’re comfortable, but there are some things that we won’t put up with. One of those is feeding on human blood. Now, I don’t know what you wolves and vampires are used to feeding on, but no humans are harmed on this island.”

Surprisingly, they didn’t appear to be that fazed by this.

“Animal blood,” Matteo muttered. “Our vampires and wolves are used to living on this. Humans are a rare commodity in the realm of supernaturals, you see.”

I breathed out again in relief. “So your werewolves, are they safe around humans?”

Saira chuckled and looked fondly at Mona. “This witch wasn’t always as powerful as she is now. She used to be not much different than a regular human and she lived among us for years. So yes… we’re house-trained.”

This was turning out to be easier than either Derek or I had been expecting.

“What about that ogre of yours?” Vivienne asked. “He’s now lurking in one of the caves by the beach.”

“Oh, Brett.” Saira smirked. “He’s the least harmful of all of us. He was even kicked out by his own kind because he was too soft. He’s the last person you need to worry about. He’s also the easiest to feed. He’ll eat anything you put in front of him… as long as it’s not green vegetables.”

“Yes,” Matteo said. “He’s a gentle soul, old Brett. A decent cook, too. And if you ever need any woodwork done, he’s your man.”

We all fell silent as we stared at each other.

What we’d just come to an agreement about still felt so surreal, I found it a struggle to pay attention as more details were discussed. But I managed to pay attention to accommodation. Although Saira had claimed that they were all house-trained, I wanted them as far away from the human population as possible. It was decided that Kiev and his people would inhabit the forest in the far north-east of the island. That was the least densely populated area. Witches would build more penthouses in the trees for them. And since Brett’s accommodation of choice was a cave, there was no problem there. There were plenty scattered along our beaches.

Once we’d finished discussing details, we all stood up around the table. My eyes travelled from the Novalics at the opposite end of the table, to the Novaks next to me.

So that’s what this is… A bond of blood.

A
fter the meeting was over
, I followed Derek as he made his way over to the other side of the table to talk more with Matteo. Mona stood next to us, in conversation with Saira. I cast my eyes around for Kiev and spotted him making his way toward the exit.

Leaving Derek’s side, I held my breath and walked up to Kiev. I reached out and touched his arm. He stopped short and turned round, his eyebrows raising slightly as his eyes settled on me.

Wordlessly, I walked with him out of the Great Dome and into the clearing outside. We stopped by a cluster of trees.

His breathing became heavy as I stood next to him. I was thankful for the cool evening breeze drifting through our hair, making the silence feel a little less congested.

“What the hell happened to you, Kiev?” I blurted out.

He smirked, brushing his rough jaw with his thumb. “How much time do you have?”

W
e ended
up walking down to the Port together, away from everybody, so that our conversation wouldn’t be interrupted. We sat on the edge of the jetty. He was tall enough for his feet to graze the water.

I stared out at the dark ocean as he recounted everything that had happened to him since he’d been gone.

We must have been sitting alone for hours. And by the end, I was speechless. At least now I could finally justify how he could have changed.

“I still don’t understand how you knew to look in the werewolf realm for the gate,” I said.

“We have a map,” he replied.

“A map?”

“Mona managed to get hold of it. It lists gates that were created between this human realm and the world of the supernaturals. Gates that were originally opened by the Ancients. Of course, we’ve no way of knowing if it’s a conclusive list.”

I breathed out. This meant that the Ageless had lied when she’d said she’d closed the only gates. Even if they were hidden and little-known about, some gates had been left open.

“I want to see this map. Derek will too. We need to know where all these entrances are.” I paused, my mind whirring at this revelation.

I thought about the way he’d described the black witches.
Stronger than those of The Sanctuary and abiding by completely different rules. Trying to regain the sinister powers their Ancients once had and the modern witches of The Sanctuary had lost due to complacency.

I shivered at the few things he’d told me about them. They were ruthless and would stop at nothing for their cause even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.

I began to worry what would happen if more black witches came down into this realm to assist Annora. I wondered if Mona was powerful enough to resist them all.

We had to hope that she was. Or that The Shade wasn’t valuable enough to them to go to this trouble—but somehow I doubted that. Humans were valuable to them and they seemed to be in constant need of them. With us having such a huge stock of them, it would be too tempting.

As I voiced my concerns to Kiev, he looked down at me seriously. He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown out of the short cropped hairstyle I’d grown used to him having.

“I don’t know,” he said. “And I don’t think Mona knows either. These powers are still new to her, remember.”

I nodded, though his words hardly soothed my unease.

We both drifted off into our own thoughts.

We just have to do the best we can. And hope that Mona’s powers combined with the witches we already have will be enough to keep us safe.

Whatever the case was, we weren’t as alone as before.

I’d never thought the day would come when I’d draw comfort from Kiev Novalic. But now, as I sat next to him, his striking green eyes gazing at me, I did.

The Novaks and Novalics… We were stronger combined. Strong enough? Only time would tell.

Either way, as insane as it still seemed, we were all in this together now.

One force. One family.

I
made
a beeline for Matteo as soon as the meeting was over. Standing a few feet away from him, I was filled with melancholy. I saw so much of his sister in his warm brown eyes.

Casting my mind back to the centuries I’d known Natalie Borgia, I couldn’t remember her mentioning that she’d had a brother. I’d certainly never met him.

I shook hands with him. He seemed to be eyeing me just as closely as I was him.

“This place,” he said, gesturing around the room, “I still haven’t gotten over how surreal it is to be here.”

There was one question burning at the forefront of my mind. I hesitated, worried how he’d take it. He seemed to be the calm, level-headed type.

“Do you know about your sister’s death?”

His smile faded. He looked down at the floor, wetting his lower lip.

“Yes. I know.”

I led him toward the Dome’s exit, away from Mona and Kiev’s siblings. “Then I assume you know how she died?” I asked beneath my breath as we entered the clearing outside.

He looked up at me resolutely, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I know how Natalie died.”

I wondered if he really did.

“It’s just—”

“You’re wondering how I could have possibly forgiven Kiev.”

“Yes.”

He turned away from me and gazed out at the ocean in the distance.

“It hasn’t been easy,” he said, his eyes glazing over. “God knows, it hasn’t...”

“How could you even start to forgive him?”

Matteo rubbed a palm over his face, heaving a sigh. “Because, Derek, I saw myself in him. I too was once a child of the Elders. No matter how much I tried to hate him, I saw that he wasn’t a true creature of the darkness. Like many of us were, he was trapped in a life fashioned by the Elders.”

Natalie’s brother, a child of the Elders?
I wondered how on earth that ever came to be. Although I was filled with curiosity to learn about his history, I was still too confused by how Matteo could have pardoned Kiev. I hadn’t detected any malice from him toward Kiev as they’d both sat opposite me during the meeting.

“So, you… you’ve completely forgiven him?”

“Ah.” He held up a hand. “Forgiveness is a strong word. I’m not sure that I will ever be able to forgive him.” His eyes darkened as he shot a glance at me. “I believe that acceptance is a better way of describing where I am right now. Although he has given me no shortage of reasons to doubt him, I’ve come to accept that he is capable of remorse. That he mourns for Natalie as I do. That he’s trying to clean up his life.”

He looked conflicted as he spoke, as though a part of him was still fighting against accepting this.

“What is your opinion on Erik and Helina?” I asked. “Are they like him?”

A deep scowl lined his face. “Oh, my crew and I have ample reason to despise them too… But, as with Kiev, it’s hard to continue abhorring people when you see that they too have been lost, and are trying to find their way again.”

“Well, you’re a better man than I,” I said darkly. Even entertaining the idea that Kiev could be innocent was painful to me. I still felt the urge to punish him the way I’d never gotten a chance to. Even after he’d saved us from the dungeon and returned Anna, I still found my hands twitching to rip out his heart whenever he was in my presence. My bias against him was so deep-seated, the physical agitation he brought out in me was involuntary.

Matteo let out a dry laugh. “I doubt that. You just need to look harder… Beneath the monster, maybe you’ll see a man.”