Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (7 page)
Read Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) Online
Authors: Isabelle Gallo
“Is that a challenge?”
Without another word, he took me to the nearest empty room. This was a challenge more than I bargained for. Caspian and Amelia were not the only ones that would have a completed Ceremony by the end of the night.
“We shouldn’t be doing this. Not here, not now.”
“You brought it up.”
“But this should be Caspian and Amelia’s day. If they found us here-,”
“Who cares?” Fitzray grumbled, loosening the collar of his shirt.
“No one will find us. No one will even suspect that we’re missing.”
“I guess you’re right. I’m just…a little nervous.”
“That’s perfectly normal. May you be mine forever,” he said, pressing his lips to my throat.
There was no time to speak, no time to think. By the time a drop of blood hit my lips, there came a pounding at the door.
“Open up! I know you’re in there Chenille.”
“It’s Zaire,” I whispered frantically. “How did he find me? What do we do?”
“Stay quiet.”
How typical for big brother to show up now at my inconvenience. If Fitzray hadn’t been holding me so tight, I would have opened the door and throttled him.
“Chenille if you don’t open this door-,” he yelled, pounding on the door so violently that I held my breath.
When he finally managed to open it, Zaire only stared at us, his face glowing crimson.
“You are coming home with me right
now
,” he growled.
The silence hung over us for a moment, for I was too afraid to speak. My only thought revolved around the possibility that Caspian lingered nearby.
“Get up Chenille or I’ll drag you home by your hair,” my brother spat, his growing anger adding an edge to his voice.
Fitzray moved away from me unwillingly, creating enough space for me to sit upright. Zaire caught his breath, probably noticing the blood on my neck.
“Zaire, it’s not what you think-,” I started instinctually, trying to cover up his suspicion.
“Is this
him
, the one responsible for turning you into a vampire?”
Every one of my brother’s muscles tensed so quickly that I thought he would launch at Fitzray at that moment and rip him to shreds.
“No,” Fitzray answered for me.
“Y
ou
stay away from her,” he growled, probably suspecting that Fitzray was lying.
“Leave him alone Zaire.”
His eyes settled back on me. “I’ve heard enough from you.”
That was the last straw. I scrambled off the bed and pushed my brother aside to escape.
Without another word, I left the festivities behind me and traveled out into the woods. Alone for now, I knew Fitzray and Zaire were not far behind. Regardless, I ventured on, away from them both to seek some answers in solitude.
T
he Bridge of Secrecy, isolated, suspended between the two worlds, served as a refuge where I could be alone. The stars glittered endlessly, poking holes into the black blanket of the universe overhead. The air remained stiff and cold as it usually was here. I had no intentions to cross the Bridge, at least not tonight. For a while, I could mull over my thoughts while Fitzray and Zaire continued on their path to find me.
With a start, I caught a glimpse of a figure in my peripheral vision. The figure’s dark cape gave me the impression that they had materialized out of the darkness.
“I didn’t see you there.”
His words hung in the air for a while. I could have said the same to him. He approached me slowly, cautiously, giving me a few quiet seconds to study his bold, captivating face.
His black hair swept over to one side, framing his intensive eyes, innocent among his darker features. He resembled the stranger in my nightmare.
“Who did this to you?” It took me a moment to register how close he was and that his hand nonchalantly rested on the side of my neck. “Who bit you?”
“I…I don’t know,” I stuttered, “I mean, my friend…my friend did it.”
“So much of a friend he is,” the figure replied with a coy smile, revealing two pearly fangs. “Was this done on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” He dropped his hand slowly.
“Why do you care?”
“Why shouldn’t I care Chenille?” My name slipped off his tongue so beautifully that it did not concern me how he knew it in the first place.
“You know my name.”
“Yes, I do. Why wouldn’t I know your name?”
“I don’t know
you
.”
“My name is Pete.” His words flowed together seamlessly, sending me in a daze for a brief moment as he spoke. He blinked slowly, tilting his head with interest. “I’m surprised you don’t remember me.”
“I’ve met you before?”
Pete laughed humorlessly. I felt myself shrink back, suspecting he was already thinking less of me.
“Well, you should know who I am,” he said impatiently.
In silence, he removed a knife from under his cape and sliced his hand. Black blood spilled out of the wound and black blood, I knew, belonged to powerful immortals. Pete was the leader as King of the vampires – King of Catastrophe.
“I’m sorry I…I didn’t know,” I stammered, about to curtsey when he grabbed my shoulder with his bloody hand.
“That is no excuse. You should know your Eternal Mate.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
“Chenille!”
I stumbled back, away from the King, my Eternal Mate, my eyes locking on Fitzray. Moonscale ran alongside him. Without thinking, I ran to him, nearly colliding into him once I reached him.
“It’s him,” I cried, on the verge of tears, “it’s the King. He claims that he’s…he’s my,” my voice trailed off. I clutched his shirt in desperation, hoping he would wake me up from another nightmare.
“The two of us need to finish what we started,” Fitzray said softly, gazing in Pete’s direction.
“No, you don’t have to finish anything. Just forget him and take me away from here,” I begged frantically.
“I don’t have much of a choice.”
“You can’t go. He’s too strong. His blood runs black in his veins Fitzray!” I cried, holding him tighter, willing him not to leave.
“I won’t die Chenille,” he said calmly, giving me a nervous smile. He took my hands in his, prying them from his shirt. “I’ll be fine.” I knew he was lying.
P
ete slowly made his way toward Fitzray.
“I haven’t seen you in the longest time, brother.”
“That’s right. You see, we were all good friends once. I was born a vampire and Fitzray was not. He was just a mortal, like you, until our father turned him into a vampire. When he met you, he claimed you as his own, while I killed the previous leader of the vampires – our father. And
you
, I wanted you just the same. So I bit you and made you mine before Fitzray could. I knew you would run from your home and Fitzray would have to go and find you. But you are mine now,
my
Eternal Mate, and I have complete permission to rid him from these planets once and for all.” Pete glared at his brother; his hands were fists at his sides.
“You can’t do this!”
“I can do anything I want.”
“What is all this quarreling about?” Taj’ called, slithering up to us.
“Taj’ what are you doing here?”
“Pearl said she foresaw a fight here, on the Bridge. Let’s not be starting anything now. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Taj’ said softly.
“We’re not starting anything,” Pete said.
I clutched onto Fitzray’s cape. “Don’t do this. He’s too strong.”
“Let’s end this now Pete.”
Fitzray grabbed the knife from his belt and threw it as hard as he could before I could stop him. Pete moved, but not quick enough and the cruel blade sliced his shoulder.
Just as Fitzray walked up to him to do further damage, a man made his way toward us. It was Zaire.
It was my brother in the flesh, with a face like my own. It brought tears to my eyes at the very sight of him, though my heart sank as he looked me over with hardly any interest. My big brother was finally here to rescue me, I thought – I hoped.
“I’m ashamed of you Chenille. When you came to me nearly a year ago, I thought you had the potential to change. When Dad realized there was nothing that could change you, he wanted you killed. Your dragon’s kidnapping was a plot to your demise. But I
let you
get away…I couldn’t kill you – my only sister.”
“What…what in the world are you talking about?”
“You were turned into one of
them
.
They
are the cause of this. They will
pay
for what they’ve done.”
“Pay?”
“Chenille, look at me. I am your brother, your blood, and a part of the pack whether you’d like to believe it or not. So please understand…what I do is out of love – for your own good.” His gaze turned to rest on Fitzray. “This is your fault.”
“No Zaire, he’s not my-,”
My brother’s body transformed to resemble that of a large charcoal black wolf. He was a wolf. According to him, my family members were all wolves. They were a pack. And I was not a part of it.
He launched, nails extended, teeth exposed. Just as the wolf sunk his claws into Fitzray’s chest, Taj’ wrapped his tail around the wolf’s body and flung him over the side of the Bridge in one swift movement. My brother’s howl rang out as he plunged down into the oblivion of the universe.
There was no time to mourn my brother. Fitzray was nearly dead at my feet, blood pooled around him, his eyes half-closed. I fell to my knees, ran my hands over his ripped shirt where the wounds spilled blood at an alarming rate. I was sure the wounds were deep enough to pierce his heart, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Fitzray say something…please.”
“I’m sorry…Chenille.”
Tears spilled over onto my face. “Are you…you’re not going to die are you?” He didn’t answer. “Oh please, please don’t leave me.”
“I will be reincarnated in another life.”
“Are you sure?” Pete asked, his voice sounding almost as heartbroken as my own. He bent down to gaze over his brother and shook his head. His eyes flicked up and he slowly lifted his brother up into his arms. “I’m sorry to disappoint you then.”
“PETE, NO!”
Moonscale lifted off as Pete threw his Master over the side of the Bridge. Pete grabbed his knife and slashed it through the dragon’s wing. The dragon uttered a cry and he fell, spiraling down with his Master.
“You will pay, malevolent creature! The mortals will murder you once I drag you over the Bridge in my mouth! You will not be able to hide! For your own kind shall rebel against you! You will pay! We will show no mercy!” Taj’ screamed.
Pete reached down and pulled me upright, forcing me to stand. I tried to keep my distance from him, but I was too distraught to fight him and wept against him since he was the closest thing to weep on.
“Chenille belongs to me now. You kill me and she will go down with me, I promise you.”
And like the daisy, the flower of death, shall all cower and plea for mercy in its presence, as I had in Pete’s arms during the night of the last eclipse.
* * * * *
“W
here am I?” Sitting up, I found myself surrounded by darkness, all except for the pulsing glow of black poison on my hands.
“I’m glad you are awake.” A voice said from the darkness.
“Who are you? Who am I? Where am I?”
“I am Pete, your Eternal Mate. And you are Chenille East,” the voice replied.
“Where am I?”
“What does that matter?”
“I don’t remember anything.”
“You don’t have to remember.”
I shook my head. Something was wrong.
“How long has this happened?”
“What?”
“How long have I been so forgetful? Have I always been so forgetful?”
“Yes, but don’t worry, I’m here to guide you.”
“What is an Eternal Mate?”
“An Eternal Mate is the one who turned you into a vampire.”
“Vampire? I am a vampire!”
“Must we go through this every day?”
“I am a vampire?”
“Yes, and you will always be mine.”
And the vampire kissed me, my head becoming fuzzy and I forgot my name - again.
I recalled days like those when I could remember nothing, but my memory slowly surfaced. I still knew nothing of my life. Pete never told me anything. Whenever a familiar face or name popped in my head and I told him, he only laughed and said I shouldn’t be concerned.
I trotted beside Pete, stumbled over the volcanic-like rocks, and breathed in the cold clean air.
“I saw a man with green eyes in my dream last night.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell to me,” Pete mumbled.
“Well, I remember the dream. It felt so real.”
“You shouldn’t overreact, it was just a dream.”
“But it
meant
something, I’m sure of it.”
“It was nothing, trust me.”
“But Pete-,”
“
Trust
me.”
“I do.”
“Good, now let’s go inside, it is getting late.”
* * * * *
