A Shade of Vampire 79: A Game of Death Read online

  A Shade of Vampire 79: A Game of Death

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Also by Bella Forrest

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  Family tree

  1. Derek

  2. Esme

  3. Nethissis

  4. Nethissis

  5. Kelara

  6. Lumi

  7. Esme

  8. Tristan

  9. Tristan

  10. Sofia

  11. Esme

  12. Esme

  13. Tristan

  14. Nethissis

  15. Nethissis

  16. Lumi

  17. Amal

  18. Esme

  19. Tristan

  20. Esme

  21. Esme

  22. Tristan

  23. Esme

  24. Nethissis

  25. Nethissis

  26. Nethissis

  27. Tristan

  28. Esme

  29. Esme

  30. Esme

  31. Tristan

  32. Nethissis

  33. Kelara

  34. Esme

  35. Lumi

  What’s next?

  Darklight Chapter 1

  Darklight Chapter 2

  Darklight Chapter 3

  ASOV 80: A Veil of Dark

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Also by Bella Forrest

  DARKLIGHT

  (NEW! Supernatural romance)

  Darklight

  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)

  Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)

  Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)

  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 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)

  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)

  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)

  Season 10: An Origin of Vampires

  An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)

  A Game of Death (Book 79)

  A Veil of Dark (Book 80)

  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
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  A Shade of Kiev 2

  A Shade of Kiev 3

  A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY

  (Contemporary romance)

  A Love that Endures

  A Love that Endures 2

  A Love that Endures 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

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  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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  Family tree

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

  Derek

  Where would we draw the line?

  I’d repeatedly asked myself this question while waiting for Acheron and Danika to join us in the throne room. They’d already been summoned, and I’d made it clear that this was an emergency. Amal had the tracking spell ingredients ready, and Esme had already briefed GASP on the latest developments.

  Before we could even consider the possibility of getting involved in the Aeternae’s Darkling issue, we had to get our Nethissis back. Frankly, as the minutes had gone by since I’d first been told of her absence, I’d gradually renounced the idea of helping the Aeternae with anything—at least until we found our swamp witch.

  Yes, we needed their help and hospitality, but we also needed to look after ourselves. I knew I personally wouldn’t leave this place until I had a day-walking cure. It was too important for me to leave behind. I had struggled with the darkness before coming to terms with it… and I felt guilty for being the only vampire who could walk in the light. It had haunted me since I’d first set foot on Sun Beach. However, I didn’t want to get my people hurt in the process. My motives might be pure, but they weren’t worth the safety of my crew. My stomach hurt, the concern for Nethissis’s wellbeing swelling like a malignant cloud. Once we found her, I knew I’d have to reconsider our options here.

  “If anything happened to her, I swear…” Esme’s voice trailed off. She dared not complete her sentence, but I understood her emotions. We were all worried sick, having been unable to reach Nethissis since earlier this morning.

  The golden guards by the door straightened their backs as the sound of heels clicking across the marble echoed through the room. Acheron and Danika finally emerged from the gilded side door, wearing dark red silks with golden threads and bejeweled crowns. In a way, they were a sight for sore eyes, beautiful creatures that glided toward their thrones.

  “Good morning, Derek, Sofia.” Acheron saluted us. I could sense the tension in his voice. He’d definitely been told about the purpose of this emergency meeting.

  “Your Graces,” I said, bowing politely before them. “Thank you for making yourselves available on such short notice.”

  “Of course. I understand one of your people is missing?” Acheron asked, looking genuinely concerned as he leaned back into his ornate chair.

  The more time I spent on Visio, the more dazzled I was by its hazy skies, its superb architecture, and the artistic attention to detail. It was truly a unique world, predating vampires and Earth itself, and there were layers of mystery that begged for us to discover more.

  Despite its beauty, however, Visio also harbored dark and terrible secrets. They did not want anyone to come poking around, but since one of our own was now missing, there was no other way. Chances were we’d have to stick our noses where they didn’t belong, whether the Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio liked it or not.

  “Nethissis, our swamp witch,” Sofia replied. “We haven’t seen her since last night, and we haven’t been able to get in touch with her, either.”

  “Are you sure she’s missing? Perhaps she’s still wandering through the city,” Danika suggested, seemingly not as worried about this as Acheron. “It’s a big place with many gorgeous sights. Even I lose track of time, sometimes.”

  “We’re connected through a spell,” I said. “It allows us to communicate when our equipment fails or isn’t available. She would’ve responded by now, and she hasn’t. It is not like Nethissis to do such things. We would have known, Your Grace.”

  Danika sighed deeply, her brow furrowing.

  The doors behind us opened, and in walked Zoltan Shatal, Petra Visentis, and Corbin Crimson. I figured that Danika and Acheron had summoned them to participate in this mission, since the Lord and Lady Supreme certainly weren’t going to personally help us conduct a search of the palace and its surrounding grounds.

  The three looked sullen, as if they had better things to do with their time.

  Zoltan’s tone, in particular, irritated me. “What is this about?” he asked. “I heard something with regards to your witch, but would you care to clarify?”

  “Nethissis is missing,” I replied, the uneasiness tugging at my nerves. “Our swamp witch. Surely you remember her.”

  He nodded. “I do, yes. Are you sure she’s missing? What if she’s—”

  “We’ve already gone over this!” Esme cut him off, rolling her eyes. “She’s not out for a stroll. She didn’t get lost in the city. She’s not wandering around. She’s missing, okay? Missing.”

  “Forgive my sister,” Tristan interjected when Zoltan scowled at Esme in response. “She’s on edge, much like the rest of us. This is truly a serious and worrying situation. We have strict protocols on our team, and Nethissis would never break them unless… unless something happened to her.”

  Petra offered a sympathetic smile. “I’m truly sorry,” she said. “Whatever we can do to help, please, don’t hesitate to ask.” She briefly looked at Zoltan. “The chief councilor has good intentions. It’s his tongue that gets ahead of him sometimes.”

  “I’ll have the golden guards scour the palace and the gardens,” Corbin replied.

  His gold-plated armor shimmered in the soft amber light of the overhead chandeliers, and I could make out the mythical beasts immortalized on the torso of his uniform—a lion-like creature wrestling a dragon of sorts, their bodies furiously tangled, their eyes made of precious gemstones and their fangs encrusted with mother-of-pearl.

  “Thank you, but we have a better and faster solution,” I said, drawing a glare from Zoltan. “A tracking spell.”

  “And you couldn’t do that for yourselves?” he shot back.

  “Councilor!” Petra exclaimed, downright annoyed.

  “We only remarked upon her absence less than twenty minutes ago,” I said, my blood simmering. His attitude irked me. “We felt it was necessary that the Lord and Lady Supreme should be notified, as well.”

  Amal placed a copper bowl on the marble floor, kneeling as she filled it with herbs and powders from Nethissis’s backpac
k. She added one of the swamp witch’s bracelets on top before setting it on fire.

  Silence settled over the great room as the green flame swallowed the contents of the bowl and gradually morphed into a bright emerald spark that elevated itself. Amal looked at us. “Get ready to run,” she said.

  The spark crackled and flashed furiously, then bolted away from us and through the double doors. I gave Acheron and Danika a brief nod. “If you’ll excuse us,” I breathed and ran after the spell.

  Sofia, Amal, Esme, and Tristan joined us as we ran past the guards and through the double doors. Kalon and Valaine were on their way in but quickly turned around and followed us, instead—likely curious as to what it was that we were up to. Nethissis’s disappearance had affected everyone, not just our group. We followed the green spark as it flew above and ahead. It made sharp and unexpected turns, left and right, through the wide hallways, but it maintained a steady speed.

  Light on my feet, while my heart thundered anxiously, I led the group as we made it outside through the garden doors.

  “What the hell are we doing?” Kalon asked from behind.

  “Finding Nethissis!” Esme replied.

  Kalon said something else, but I didn’t register his words clearly, my attention focused on the green spark. It dashed across the hedge maze and sprawling flower and orchard patches and stopped inside a blossoming bush. A thin line of smoke was left in its wake, and my chest tightened. It didn’t feel right.

  If Nethissis was there, why couldn’t we see her?

  “Over there!” I said, pointing ahead.

  We moved fast, like shadows across the garden. Sofia, Esme, and Tristan quickly pulled up their hoods, before the sun could hurt them, even through the dim reddish haze. Every time I stepped outside, unbothered by the light, I was reminded of how fortunate I was, but also of why it was so important for me to get the day-walking cure from Visio.