A Shade of Vampire 87: A Shade of Mystery Read online

  A Shade of Vampire 87: A Shade of Mystery

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Problems reading?

  New Generation List

  Family tree

  1. Derek

  2. Thayen

  3. Thayen

  4. Sofia

  5. Tristan

  6. Thayen

  7. Astra

  8. Astra

  9. Serena

  10. Tristan

  11. Tristan

  12. Astra

  13. Thayen

  14. Thayen

  15. Tristan

  16. Tristan

  17. Astra

  18. Thayen

  19. Astra

  20. Thayen

  21. Astra

  22. Astra

  23. Thayen

  24. Tristan

  25. Astra

  26. Thayen

  27. Tristan

  ASOV 88: An Isle of Mirrors

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Copyright © 2020

  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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  New Generation List

  Thayen - Adoptive son of Derek and Sofia

  Richard – Son of Jovi and Anjani (Wolf-Incubus Hybrid)

  Astra – Daughter of Phoenix and Viola (Daughter-Sentry Hybrid)

  Isabelle – Daughter of Serena and Draven (Sentry-Druid Hybrid)

  Jericho – Son of Caia and Blaze (Fae-Fire Dragon Hybrid)

  Voss – Son of Aida and Field (Wolf-Hawk Hybrid)

  Dafne – Daughter of Lethe and Elodie (Ice Dragon-Human Hybrid)

  Family tree

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

  Derek

  The smell of fresh blood tickled my senses.

  I woke up with a smile on my face. I’d been waking up with a smile on my face ever since we brought Thayen into our lives and our family. Twilight reigned over The Shade, and I could see the stars twinkling through one of the windows of our redwood treehouse. I had my Sun Room if I ever missed the daylight, but after what happened on Visio with Unending—when I lost my vampirism and got it back again—I was just happy with what I had. I gave up wanting more from my species. We were perfect just the way we’d been made.

  I could hear Thayen’s footsteps padding across the floor. We’d added another level to our treehouse, which he’d converted into a studio of his own. Despite having all the amenities, he still enjoyed coming downstairs in the morning. It was a routine I’d grown accustomed to, especially on Sundays when Rose and Ben joined us, as well.

  “Derek, is that you, honey?” Sofia asked from the kitchen below as I made my way down the spiral staircase.

  “The sound of your voice is what gets me out of bed every morning,” I said. She set a pitcher of the fresh blood I’d smelled earlier on the round glass table of our breakfast room. Sofia looked like a postcard, the auburn hair flowing over her shoulders a subtle match with the red and white tiles of the open-plan kitchen behind her.

  I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. She giggled against my lips when I refused to let her go. “You’re mighty chipper today!” she replied, tilting her head back so she could look me in the eyes.

  “Did you know you hum the same song every morning when you make breakfast for us?”

  Sofia frowned slightly. “I do?”

  I hummed it, and she laughed before humming it again. I loved listening to her voice as I opened my eyes to each new and wonderful day.

  “Yeah, that’s it,” I said, smiling and hoping she could feel my love with every breath she took. “It’s a nice tune to wake up to.”

  Thayen’s voice made us step apart as he entered the breakfast room. “You should try something more grungy next time,” he said to Sofia. “I like a little bit of rock in the morning.”

  “I’ll have you know this song had a rock version, too. About a hundred-and-fifty years ago, give or take,” Sofia replied.

  Thayen gave us both a fake scowl. “Are you two done smooching? I’m famished.”

  I patted him on the back, and he took his seat at the table. I joined him, exchanging devilish smirks with Sofia as she served breakfast. Sure, I still missed the pancakes and the maple syrup, but vampirism made up for my body’s refusal of food by giving me more time to be alive, to be with my loved ones, and to see where this world was going. It was an honor and a privilege.

  Thayen took a long sip from his glass, closing his eyes for a moment.

  “Are you ready for today’s ghoul session?” I asked, and his confident grin told me everything I needed to know. He was looking forward to it.

  Every time I looked at Thayen, I had to reconcile the eight-year-old Aeternae boy from Visio with the tall, handsome young man sharing his life with us. We’d brought him to The Shade as a Trakkian boy, a mortal, but shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Thayen had chosen to be turned. He’d had his fun growing up, then decided he wanted to be one of us more than anything.

  There was very little of the young Thayen left in him, at least where his appearance was concerned. He’d taken many traits from his father, Acheron Nasani. His towering height, his broad shoulders, and lean, muscular frame reminded me of the late Lord Supreme. Thayen wasn’t big and bulky, but he was imposing in a different way. He kept his blond curls short, especially on the sides. His eyes were the most intense blue I’d ever come across, his gaze piercing one’s very soul. He had a slightly crooked smile that reminded me of Danika. Thayen was her legacy, too, and we’d all accepted that without trying to erase her contribution, despite the atrocities she committed in her service to the Darklings.

  Character-wise, Thayen leaned more to his father’s side, though he did color outside the lines sometimes, too. Sofia and I eventually rejected any comparisons to his parents, firmly believing that Thayen was his own man, and that Acheron and Danika were mere threads of him, just like Sofia and I were. The only time I saw our son behaving more like a kid was when he and Richard hung out. If Jericho and Voss piled on top, then it would get raucous and all kinds of funny. Personally, I welcomed the youthful energy into The Shade. We needed more of it.

  “I can’t wait to have my first go at a ghoul,” Thayen said as he poured himself another glass of blood.

  “Who’s going with you?” Sofia asked, and I could already see where she was going with this. Ever the caring mother—it was just one more reason to never stop loving her.

  “Well, Seeley and Nethissis are teaching Richard and me for this session,” Thayen replied. “We’re the only ones who aced Hansa and Jax’s grueling training hours. Oh, and Rudolph will be assisting, of course.”

  Sofia nodded. “What about Astra, Isabelle, and the others in your class?”

  “They’ll just be spectators in a live demonstration early next week. Sidyan and Maya will handle that one. They’ll show them how to hunt a ghoul most effectively,” Thayen said. “But they won’t be participating directly the way Richard and I get to.”

  “I see Rose and Caleb
have really set the bar high for this new generation,” I mused, equal parts impressed and amused. Ever since Sofia and I had taken a step back from GASP’s day-to-day operations, I’d witnessed the federation’s evolution under the guidance of our children. I wasn’t disappointed. GASP agents adhered to upgraded protocols. We had classes teaching about all known forms of magic and anthropology courses that detailed all the supernatural species we’d encountered so far—allies or otherwise. We had rigorous training for field agents and intense academic programs for those who wanted to work in GASP’s intelligence and research departments.

  We’d come a long way since GASP’s inception, and my heart filled with joy whenever I saw our son and daughter at the head of the table in the Great Dome for their executive meetings. I still offered the occasional word of advice, but both Ben and Rose, along with their partners and children, had gathered enough experience of their own to successfully lead the federation into a wonderful new era.

  Twenty years of peace and prosperity had passed since Visio, but GASP continued to develop its defenses and diplomatic channels, anticipating any worst-case scenario that might come our way. And Thayen was part of the youngest generation of recruits. He was also at the top of his class, as were Astra, Jericho, and Richard.

  “I don’t mind Rose and Caleb’s policies at all,” Thayen said. “Most of our GASP work is on the diplomatic front these days, anyway. It gives the rest of us more time and resources in the field.”

  “Where will you be ghoul-hunting?” Sofia asked. Yes, she was definitely nervous about Thayen going off on this training mission. Her momma-bear instincts were as strong as ever, even if Thayen could easily watch his own six. I’d seen the young man fight. I trusted him on his own, let alone with Seeley, Nethissis, Rudolph, and Richard by his side.

  “The Lubbock cemetery in Texas,” Thayen replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “It’s said to be haunted. We thought it was just local lore until Seeley analyzed the place a couple of weeks back after some reports of increased unnatural activity. Turns out they’ve registered at least five ghouls nesting there.”

  “There were some recent burials there, so the dead bodies must’ve attracted the creatures. I read about it in one of the GASP reports.” I sighed. “Something about the expansion of the cemetery into a couple of neighboring plots, so they could resume burial services there. I understand it’s quite expensive, given the cemetery’s notoriety. It makes sense that there would be ghouls there, yeah. They’re bound to stick around for a morsel or two.”

  “You know, they’d gain a lot more if they latched on to a mortuary instead,” Thayen said. “I mean, most of the people buried in the Lubbock cemetery died ages ago. It’s mostly a tourist attraction these days. There’s barely one funeral a week there now, even with the plot expansion. Humans are pretty superstitious when it comes to ghosts and stuff. Few would willingly choose to bury their loved ones in a place that is thought to be haunted.”

  Sofia nodded slowly, refilling my glass. “I guess the ghouls are trying to keep a low profile. Reapers would likely check mortuaries and locations with high death tolls before anywhere else.” She paused, watching Thayen carefully for a moment. “Are you sure it’ll be safe for you and Richard? What do Jovi and Anjani think of this?”

  “Mom, you are the sweetest,” Thayen chuckled softly, his gaze filled with love as he reached out and squeezed Sofia’s hand. “And your concern is adorable.”

  “Hey, I have every right to be worried about the both of you. Richard is brilliant and fast, but ghouls are sneaky creatures. You do remember what we had to deal with on Visio, right?”

  Thayen offered a conceding nod. “I most certainly do. However, Richard and I will only have secondary roles on this mission. We’re supposed to learn, not actively bag a ghoul. Seeley and Nethissis are the experts on this. I’m not at all worried. Besides, have you seen Rudolph lately? I don’t know what kind of meat they’re feeding him, but—”

  “Yeah, he’s gotten huge,” I replied, a tiny chill rushing down my spine as I remembered the last time I’d seen Rudolph during our annual dinner with the Reapers. I’d had to tilt my head back just to look him in the eyes. It wasn’t usual for a ghoul to grow in size, but from what Nethissis had told us, it depended on how the creature was fed and what kind of activities it took part in. With Seeley and her, Rudolph had gotten a huge amount of exercise. Combined with what was clearly a developmental predisposition, it only made sense for the ghoul to physically increase in height and girth.

  “Besides, it’s good for me to be in the field like this. It’s why Jax and Hansa offered us this opportunity as top graduates of their combat course,” Thayen added, growing more solemn. “Whatever I can do to make sure no one suffers because of ghouls—and death magic and the Spirit Bender, for that matter—I’ll do it. I know that, technically speaking, Lubbock has nothing to do with what we went through on Visio, but to me it’s all pretty much the same.”

  “I see,” Sofia murmured, lovingly gazing at him.

  “I just want to be a part of the effort. I want to make my mark, to forge my own path through this strange and vast universe,” Thayen said, then sighed. “And I feel like I’m ready.”

  Sofia raised her hands in defeat. “Okay. Well, I’m not going to nag you over this. You’re a grown man, and I won’t embarrass myself by being a helicopter parent to a twenty-eight-year-old.”

  “Yeah, that would be a bad look for you,” Thayen shot back with a grin.

  I loved that about him—the ability to stare life in the face and just go with the flow. I wasn’t sure if he’d picked that up from his father or from Sofia and me. It didn’t really matter. Thayen had guts, and I respected him for it. It made me feel like we’d done a good job of raising him.

  “On an unrelated note, I hear Hansa and Jax visited a couple of orphanages on Earth during their stay here,” Sofia said to me. “Do you think they’ve finally decided to adopt?”

  Thayen wrinkled his nose. “I doubt it. They visited those orphanages with Elodie and a human couple from the Vale. I think the humans were the ones looking to adopt. Hansa and Jax were more like companions. Elodie couldn’t take Lethe, since he had his regular training with Dafne, but Hansa and Jax had a few hours free. At least that’s what Jovi told us, anyway.”

  “Are you sure?” Sofia asked. “Why would Hansa and Jax go with the humans in the first place? Maybe they’re still considering it for themselves. They would make amazing parents.”

  “Hansa and Jax? Absolutely!” Corrine’s voice boomed across the breakfast table. We’d been so involved in our conversation that our vampire senses had completely failed to register her and Ibrahim’s arrival. “But they have repeatedly said they’re not ready to be parents yet. They’ve got their combat course going, which is insanely successful in all our GASP bases. They’re traveling a lot. There’s simply not enough time for a kid. I say give them another decade or so, and they’ll settle down.”

  Sofia shot up from her chair, beaming with joy. “Corrine, Ibrahim, I completely forgot you were coming over!” She bolted across the breakfast room and hugged the witch and warlock, while I pulled out a couple of extra chairs for them to join us. Moments later, Thayen brought out a plate of fresh fruits and some bread from the pantry—Sofia always kept it stocked in case we had non-vampire friends coming over.

  “She forgot you were coming this morning, but she did get fresh bread from the Vale yesterday,” Thayen said as we all sat back down at the table.

  Corrine and Ibrahim looked fantastic and quite tanned. They had also retired from GASP, having left the witchy reins to Arwen and Shayla, though Kailani had taken a significant lead of her own over the sanctuary.

  “How are my favorite vamps doing this wonderful Saturday morning?” Corrine asked, taking a piece of cheese bread from the woven basket, while Ibrahim filled her plate with fresh strawberries and sliced peaches.

  “Oh, we were just talking about Thayen’s ghoul hunting sessio
n before I brought up Jax and Hansa’s baby plans,” Sofia said. The shadow of concern fluttered across her face once more, but she kept it to herself.

  “Right! Seeley and Nethissis are taking you and Richard for a fun ride!” Ibrahim exclaimed, trying not to laugh. “You and Richard best watch your backs once you’re there. Don’t rely on Rudolph to be your bodyguard.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Thayen replied. “Seeley will be giving us a full pre-hunt training.”

  “Should I be more worried than usual?” Sofia asked, looking at Ibrahim. I could hear Thayen’s pulse racing. He’d only just managed to reassure his mother that everything would be fine.

  Ibrahim shook his head. “Nah, it’s cool. There have been whispers of a poltergeist that took residence in that Lubbock Cemetery, but it’s nothing to fear. With two seasoned Reapers like Seeley and Nethissis at the helm, Richard and Thayen are going to be fine.”

  “Hey, Corrine, any news about the shimmering… gash, for lack of a better word?” Thayen asked, shifting the focus away from Lubbock. I wasn’t sure if he’d done it on purpose but bringing up the sighting in the redwood forest was a good idea. I was curious about it, too.

  “You mean that thing you saw in the woods near the Great Dome?” Corrine asked, and Thayen nodded eagerly. “Nope. First of all, it wasn’t there anymore when Arwen and I went to check. Shayla tagged along too.”