A Shade of Vampire 81: A Bringer of Night Read online

  A Shade of Vampire 81: A Bringer of Night

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Also by Bella Forrest

  Problems reading?

  Family tree

  1. Seeley

  2. Tristan

  3. Esme

  4. Esme

  5. Sofia

  6. Derek

  7. Nethissis

  8. Tristan

  9. Tristan

  10. Nethissis

  11. Kelara

  12. Derek

  13. Esme

  14. Esme

  15. Esme

  16. Tristan

  17. Nethissis

  18. Lumi

  19. Esme

  20. Kelara

  21. Nethissis

  22. Esme

  23. Esme

  24. Tristan

  25. Esme

  26. Kelara

  27. Kelara

  28. Nethissis

  29. Tristan

  30. Derek

  31. Nethissis

  32. Esme

  33. Tristan

  34. Amal

  35. Kelara

  36. Derek

  ASOV 82: A Circle of Nine

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Also by Bella Forrest

  DARKLIGHT

  (BRAND NEW! Paranormal romance)

  Darklight (Book 1)

  Darkthirst (Book 2)

  HARLEY MERLIN

  (Fantasy/romance/adventure)

  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)

  Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)

  Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)

  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)

  HOTBLOODS

  (Supernatural romance/adventure. 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)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  (Supernatural romance/adventure)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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)

  Series 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 Bringer of Night (Book 81)

  A Circle of Nine (Book 82)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

&nb
sp; 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

  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

  Join Bella’s VIP email list and be the first to know when her new books release. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

  Copyright © 2019

  Nightlight Press

  Cover design by 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

  Seeley

  We took a few minutes’ worth of respite on the side of the coastal road. Everything had happened so fast, parts of it so unexpectedly, that we all needed a break. Tristan and Valaine had paused as well, their golden guards allowing the Vision horses to cross the narrow plain where a stream snaked along the tall grass. The animals needed water and grazing if they were to go any farther.

  Once Tristan and Valaine’s troops were ready to continue, we let them take the lead. All of us agreed it would work to our advantage if they went after the Darklings first. Our hope was that they might at least decimate the faction, while we kept our sights set on Zoltan and whomever else might lead us to their superiors.

  “Death, can you hear me?” I tried to open a telepathic connection with her.

  Now knowing that the gradual removal of seals gave Death a better reach—enough for her to sense my emotions—I figured I might as well try to talk to her, despite Sidyan’s request not to. I convinced him not to fight me on this anymore, since I had a gazillion questions to ask. The biggest one was why Nethissis had been unwittingly able to hide her presence from the scythes, along with why she was able to cast death magic with a Reaper’s weapon, despite being only a spirit. I didn’t quite understand how that worked or what made her ghostly form so special. I’d even considered the Word’s involvement as a possibility, given its strong bond to its disciples. Or maybe it was more Death-related? Either way, it had served as a great advantage. As expected, the moment she’d taken a scythe in her hand, she’d become visible to all the living and beyond.

  I watched her as she spoke with Lumi, both of them standing at the edge of the pasture. Sidyan kept an eye on Maya and Rudolph. The ghouls seemed to get along very well and were chasing each other around, keeping their distance from the Aeternae’s Visions. Sidyan had to occasionally shout to get Maya and Rudolph away—the temptation of flesh was strong, especially for Rudolph, who was still working on his self-control. It broke my heart to see him like this, and I had no idea what his fate would be.

  “I know you can feel me, but can you hear me, as well?” I asked, my mind focused on Death. “Please… reach out.” My left hand rested on the loaner scythe’s leather-wrapped handle, my fingertips yearning for the feel of my own weapon, which was still in Zoltan’s possession. I’d get it back soon. I’d put the other blade away, since strutting around with two scythes had always felt like overkill. I could hand it off to Nethissis if she needed it.

  Maya and Rudolph vanished into a patch of trees somewhere to our left. Sidyan turned around and gave me a shrug. He couldn’t exactly stop them from hunting if they were hungry. I only hoped they’d understood not to touch the horses. There were plenty of wild animals in this area for the ghouls to feast on.

  Nethissis looked sad, lowering her head as Lumi raised a hand to touch her. She withdrew it, pressing her lips tight as she realized she could no longer do that. Visio had already taken so much from her, from me—from everyone who knew Nethissis, for that matter—not to mention Nethissis herself.

  “Death, please. I am free, and we clearly need to talk. You’ve probably guessed by now that Sidyan and Lumi got me out. I’m part of their team now, so you have to talk to me. No more secrets.”

  “Seeley…” Her voice came through, but it was faded and crackling. It was as if we were talking through a ham radio. The frequency was weak, and her words were broken, but a connection had been made, and my heart was already racing.

  “I’m here. I’m here!” I said. A chill rushed through me, unsettling my stomach. It was Death, trying to strengthen our bond across entire dimensions. Once more seals came down, we’d be able to hear each other a lot better. Until then, we had to make do with the little that we had.

  “Seeley… I’m glad… you’re… okay,” Death managed.

  “What is going on here?” I asked. “The Aeternae have Reaper scythes and death magic! They’re capturing Reapers. Forcing them to turn into ghouls… They’ve got an entire network of operatives. It’s insane!”

  “You know… Spirit.”

  “Yeah, of course I know. Well, now I know!” I snapped. “You didn’t mention that earlier!”

  “I had… suspicions. It wasn’t enough.”

  “Screw that! Suspicions could’ve worked, too. I would’ve been better prepared,” I replied, getting up from the rounded rock I’d settled on. I turned to face the ocean, finding a sliver of tranquility in its deep blue ripples. “I spent entire days in chains, at the mercy of those maniacs! They could’ve destroyed me! They could’ve turned me into a ghoul!”

  Clouds gathered in the distance, black and gray masses tumbling toward one another. A storm was coming, and the ocean trembled.

  “I’m sorry, Seeley… I didn’t know how deep… the poison ran…” Death said.

  “What about Nethissis? What do I do with her?” I asked. “She was killed by one of their ghouls. They’re keeping ghouls as pets, for Pete’s sake!”

  “Her… body… where is it?”

  “Lumi says it’s back at the palace, preserved under a swamp witch spell. The Faulty twins don’t know as much Word magic as the swamp witches, but they were able to keep her body safe,” I said.

  “As… long as… body… safe… still a chance.” The connection was breaking.

  “Why is Nethissis able to hide from anyone holding a scythe? When Amelia picked up Yamani’s blade, she could see the spirits on Mortis. Even Nethissis, when she was alive and held his scythe, she could see the spirits. What changed here? How come she can do death magic?”

  “Protect Nethissis,” Death replied. “She’s…” The words became garbled, fading and bursting back incomplete. “Special. She’s… not a regular… soul.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said, frustration pressing hard against my temples.

  “Special…” Death’s voice fizzled away.

  “Death? No, come back!” My
whole being felt suddenly cold and utterly lonely.

  There would be no answer. Not for now, anyway. I’d gotten as much as I could out of Death. It wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing. Of course, the idea of Nethissis being special brought all sorts of theories to mind. She could be becoming a Reaper, and the thought made my heart sing, because it meant she wouldn’t have to move on. It meant I wouldn’t lose her. Another theory involved the Word’s influence, given the unnatural circumstances of her death. Maybe it wanted her brought back to life, which would explain why Death wanted her body kept safe. Then again, had it not been for Lumi’s imprisonment on Neraka, the swamp witches would’ve gone extinct on Eritopia during Azazel’s reign. There was no way of knowing for sure, but it beat bumbling through the darkness.

  I got up as Sidyan approached me. Behind him, Maya and Rudolph were busy devouring a deer carcass. It hadn’t taken them long to return from their hunt. I assumed they were faster and more efficient together.

  “What did she say?” Sidyan asked, his brow furrowed. I understood his concern, given he’d asked me to hold back from speaking to Death. However, he knew there were too many things we didn’t understand, and that she was the only one with the answers.

  “If you’re worried about yourself, stop,” I said. “She didn’t sound like she cared. Besides, I bombarded her with questions as soon as I caught a telepathic link. I doubt she had time to fuss over your decision to save me. Hell, I bet she’s pleased.”

  “Okay. Good. That’s good to hear.” He sighed, genuine relief lighting his expression.

  “I couldn’t get much out of her, though,” I replied. “The connection is terrible. I think we need more seals to come down before we can have a proper conversation this far away from each other.”