A Shade of Vampire 77: A Fate of Time Read online

  A Shade of Vampire 77: A Fate of Time

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Also by Bella Forrest

  Problems reading?

  Main Cast List

  Family tree

  1. Taeral

  2. Amelia

  3. Eva

  4. Vesta

  5. River

  6. Harper

  7. Sofia

  8. Nuriya

  9. Taeral

  10. Taeral

  11. Kelara

  12. Kelara

  13. Taeral

  14. Amelia

  15. Eva

  16. Taeral

  17. Kelara

  18. Kelara

  19. Zeriel

  20. Vesta

  21. Taeral

  22. Taeral

  23. Amelia

  24. Vesta

  25. Sofia

  26. Taeral

  27. Riza

  28. Taeral

  29. Taeral

  30. Taeral

  31. Zeriel

  32. Nuriya

  33. Taeral

  34. Amelia

  35. Zeriel

  36. Harper

  37. Taeral

  38. Amelia

  39. Varga

  40. Derek

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Also by Bella Forrest

  A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

  (New! Contemporary romance)

  A Love that Endures

  A Love that Endures 2

  A Love that Endures 3

  HARLEY MERLIN

  (Fantasy/romance/adventure series)

  Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

  Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

  Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

  Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

  Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

  Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

  Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)

  Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)

  Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)

  HOTBLOODS

  (Supernatural romance. Completed series.)

  Hotbloods (Book 1)

  Coldbloods (Book 2)

  Renegades (Book 3)

  Venturers (Book 4)

  Traitors (Book 5)

  Allies (Book 6)

  Invaders (Book 7)

  Stargazers (Book 8)

  THE CHILD THIEF

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Child Thief (Book 1)

  Deep Shadows (Book 2)

  Thin Lines (Book 3)

  Little Lies (Book 4)

  Ghost Towns (Book 5)

  Zero Hour (Book 6)

  THE GENDER GAME

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Gender Game (Book 1)

  The Gender Secret (Book 2)

  The Gender Lie (Book 3)

  The Gender War (Book 4)

  The Gender Fall (Book 5)

  The Gender Plan (Book 6)

  The Gender End (Book 7)

  THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

  The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

  The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

  The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

  The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

  The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

  The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  (Supernatural romance)

  Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

  A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

  A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

  A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

  A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

  A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

  A Gate of Night (Book 6)

  A Break of Day (Book 7)

  Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

  A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

  A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

  A Spell of Time (Book 10)

  A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

  A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

  A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

  A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

  A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

  An End of Night (Book 16)

  Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

  A Wind of Change (Book 17)

  A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

  A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

  A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

  A Vial of Life (Book 21)

  A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

  A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

  A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

  Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

  A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

  A World of New (Book 26)

  A Web of Lies (Book 27)

  A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

  An Hour of Need (Book 29)

  A Game of Risk (Book 30)

  A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

  A Day of Glory (Book 32)

  Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

  A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

  A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

  A Race of Trials (Book 35)

  A King of Shadow (Book 36)

  An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

  A Power of Old (Book 38)

  A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

  A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

  A Tide of War (Book 41)

  Season 6: A Gift of Three

  A Gift of Three (Book 42)

  A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

  A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

  A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

  A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

  A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

  A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

  A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

  A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

  Season 7: A Call of Vampires

  A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

  A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

  A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

  A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

  A City of Lies (Book 55)

  A League of Exiles (Book 56)

  A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

  A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

  A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

  Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

  A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

  A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

  A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

  A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

  A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

  A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

  An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

  A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

  A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

  Season 9: A Birth of Fire

  A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

  A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

  A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

  A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)

  A Search for Death (Book 73)

  A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)

  A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)

  A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)

  A Fate of Time (Book 77)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

  A Shade of Dragon 1

  A Shade of Dragon 2

  A Shade of Dragon 3

  A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

  A Shade of Kiev 1

  A Shade of Kiev 2

  A Shade of Kiev 3

  THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

  (Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

  The Secret of Spellshadow Manor
(Book 1)

  The Breaker (Book 2)

  The Chain (Book 3)

  The Keep (Book 4)

  The Test (Book 5)

  The Spell (Book 6)

  BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

  (Supernatural romance)

  Beautiful Monster 1

  Beautiful Monster 2

  DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

  (Adult thriller/mystery)

  Lights, Camera, GONE

  Write, Edit, KILL

  For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

  Join Bella’s VIP email list and she’ll send you an email reminder as soon as her next book is out. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

  Copyright © 2019

  Nightlight Press

  Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Main Cast List

  Amelia (daughter of Erik and Abby Novalik – vampire)

  Eva (daughter of Azazel and Tamara – druid/lamia/vampire)

  Herakles (creation of Ta’Zan – Faulty)

  Raphael (creation of Ta’Zan – Perfect)

  Riza (daughter of Horatio and Aisha Drizan– jinni)

  Taeral (son of Sherus and Nuriya – fae-jinni)

  Varga (son of Ashbik and Ruby Goode – vampire-sentry)

  Family tree

  If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree

  Taeral

  "Where could she have gone?"

  It was the question I'd asked repeatedly for the past twenty minutes. A question that had been on everyone's lips from the moment we'd reached the double doors of Death's palace on Mortis.

  I'd left my father in The Shade, still dead. They should've taken him back to Calliope, with the other fae. With the threat of the Hermessi's ritual nearing completion, it would've been the sensible thing to do. But none of us, not even Derek and Sofia—not to mention my mother or me—could bring ourselves to do it.

  There was one aspect of his location and condition that had offered a sense of comfort. The Hermessi had influence over the Supernatural Dimension and the In-Between. Whatever their ritual entailed, the odds that my father's body would be used as a weapon in The Shade were minimal. At best, he'd be just one of the five million the elementals needed to bring about the end of days where they were the most powerful—like a battery lost somewhere far away, still powering their principal apparatus.

  I knew Corrine and Ibrahim would've sealed Sherus’s glass house with all the magic they knew, just to make sure it would be safe for the rest of The Shade. And that wasn't even the worst part of this entire situation. Hell, the sanctuaries being up in the air and humming with energy wasn't the worst part, either. No, the worst part was that I had chosen to bring Thieron back to Death, here on Mortis, so she could put an end to it all. And Death was nowhere to be found.

  "What's the word from The Shade?" Raphael asked Amelia, who'd just gotten off the comms line with Derek and Sofia.

  She shook her head slowly. "So far, nothing. The Hermessi children are safe. The ones who remain loyal to Brendel are secured and restrained. The portal is on lockdown. And Sherus… he's okay, for now. He knows you had to do this," she said, looking at me.

  I'd yet to find the courage to speak to my mother about this. To make her and my father understand my decision. With Brendel and her Hermessi so close to us, and with only a sliver of Phyla power for Phantom to use upon her release, coming to Mortis to finish this quest had seemed like the more reasonable choice. Every fiber in my body had urged me to use Phyla to revive my father instead, but it would've meant taking the long way back to Mortis afterward, and that would've been a recipe for disaster.

  We were already just yards away from the finish line, and Brendel was ready to do absolutely everything to stop us. It was a risk I hadn’t been able to take, despite my unending love for my father.

  "What about the sanctuaries? Any progress?" I asked, my voice fading, as I leaned back against the palace doors. No one was coming to answer. No one would open them. Judging by the heavy silence around us, this place was abandoned.

  "They're still up in the air, hovering and buzzing weirdly," Amelia said. "They've tried getting closer, repeatedly, but the Hermessi just keep everyone out. GASP is focusing on evacuating the areas surrounding them. Trying to get as many people away as possible."

  Herakles crouched, letting a deep sigh out. I could certainly understand his frustration. We were all feeling it. "Nowhere will be safe unless we stop the ritual. If the Hermessi finish it, our people will be dead. We'll all be dead."

  Except Lumi, Eira, and me, but I didn't dare say that out loud. It was the least of my worries. "What about the GASP officers?" I replied, looking at Amelia. "Will they stay on or fall back to The Shade?"

  She blinked several times, as if struggling to understand this one part of the federation's protocol that everyone seemed to have forgotten about. Since the Hermessi incident had become a clear threat to the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension, new rules had been put into place. Knowing that those dimensions were in the Hermessi's crosshairs, and that Earth was still safe—at least for a while—GASP had decided unilaterally that all of its agents could retreat to The Shade if they wanted. I'd have understood if they'd chosen to stay and die with their people, too.

  "The purpose of going back to The Shade is to protect it and Earth from the Hermessi once they decide to breach that dimension," I explained. "They'll have enough power to come through if the ritual is completed. I hate thinking about it as much as you do, but I'm pretty sure Derek and Sofia have already discussed it."

  "Have you lost hope, then?" Varga asked me, his brow furrowed.

  "No. But it looks as though Death has gone missing," I replied, tension building up in my throat. "I have to consider all the possibilities. I gave up on saving my own father to be here and… she's out."

  Seeley cleared his throat. "I don't think she was planning for it. I would've heard something. She would've told me. I was always meant to escort you all back to Mortis once you got Thieron."

  "Then where the hell is she?!" I snapped, too close to succumbing to despair, for my own sake. Eira squeezed my wrist, demanding my attention.

  "It's not over yet," she murmured. "We still have a little bit of time."

  Lumi walked over to the edge of the platform. "Can anyone see the spirits that used to haunt these woods?"

  Amelia shook her head. “Not since the Reapers intervened after our first visit here,” she said, looking at Seeley. “Do you see anything?”

  “No,” he replied, his concern obvious. Last time we'd been here, this entire area had been riddled with ghosts, spirits that Death had wanted to keep close. Whether for comfort or just a whim of solitude, I didn't know, but at least we'd felt like there were others around.

  "You might’ve taken away our ability to spot them with a scythe, but you should at least be able to sense them. Do you? This place feels… empty, different from the last time we were here." Lumi surveyed the thick bamboo woods that guarded the waterfall platform. The thing with spirits was that we couldn’t feel them ourselves, but their presence had still made a slight difference in how we’d seen this place—as if we’d known, deep down, at least faintly, that we were being watched, that we weren’t exactly alone. Lumi was right. It felt lonely and barren, this time around.

  "So, t
here’s nothing?" Amelia asked Seeley, as if to make sure, her eyes wide with disbelief.

  "Nothing at all. Not a single spirit, Reaper… nothing," Seeley said.

  "Just as I thought." Lumi turned to face us. "It's not just Death who went away. I think Mortis is quite literally empty."

  I glanced at Phantom, Soul, and Widow, the three of them finally reunited after all those years. Seeley stood quietly next to them, his expression darkened by concern. "What do you make of this?"

  Phantom shrugged. "Not much, if I'm honest. Like Seeley, I can't feel Death here."

  "Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Eira replied. "You said it yourselves, Brendel is coming for us."

  Something thundered above us. We’d been so drawn into Mortis’s tomb-like silence that we’d not even noticed Kabbah coming down from the sky, his body glowing emerald-green. My pulse quickened at the sight of him.

  “Took you long enough,” Eira muttered, prompting me to look at her in surprise.

  “You knew he would find us here?” I asked her, as Kabbah landed smoothly in front of us, his back to the palace. The glow dimmed, leaving his hands alight, and his eyes burning green.

  “Given our increase in strength, as Hermessi, per the ritual, I’m able to reach out to Eira, much like I would any of my brethren,” Kabbah said. I’d almost forgotten that the hostiles’ power wasn’t the only one growing. The rebels were reaching new levels of strength, as well.

  “He sounded like a whisper in the back of my head,” Eira said. “He sort of already knew where we were going after what happened on Aledras, so… I just confirmed it.”