Embrace The Dawning (The Covenant Series Book 1) (28 page)

Chapter 21

Danika and her remaining nine coven vampires were spread out in the basement of an old dilapidated building they had sought refuge in. She looked around at the rustic metal pillars holding up the ceiling above them. Cobwebs stretched and entangled every visible corner, glistening against the few oil lamps they had burning. Abandoned construction materials had turned to piles of trash cluttering the area around them.

Danika angrily tossed the cot in front of her across the room. “Now we’ve been reduced to living in squalor. This is unacceptable!” Her bellowing echoed through the large vacant basement, causing every vampire to fidget uncomfortably.

Reece moved toward her and then backed up as uncontrollable rage stirred within her. He stood firmly in his place.

“It’s temporary. Come nightfall, we’ll find another place.”

Her golden eyes glistened brightly with a new idea. She smiled wide, revealing the gleam of her white fangs.

“
Actually
, this place may suit us perfectly. No one will miss it if it burns to the ground with a few old vampires in it. Max!” she shouted. A military-like vampire stepped out of the group, awaiting her orders. “The dynamite we have stored in the warehouse. How soon can you set it up in this building?”

“As soon as the sun drops,” he assured her.

“Do you think we can still take them? There used to be twenty-five of us. Now there are only ten of us left,” Kenneth asked her. His broad shoulders were slumped and his head down.

Marcus spoke up as well. “Adrian and Vladimir killed six members of our coven when they came for that girl. They took them down like they were pups against wolves.”

Danika maintained her calm to ensure she didn’t lose their loyalty. “My darlings, if we set the trap right, we won’t have to fight them at all.”

***

Kayci awoke to a little bit of drool saturating her pillow. She couldn’t recall having that deep of a sleep in ages. She brushed her hair out of her face and tossed her comforter away, then stepped down off her bed. She was relieved to feel refreshed. Nothing hurt, throbbed, pounded, or ached. She took a quick shower, got dressed, and then headed downstairs, hoping Elise felt better as well. As she came downstairs, Elise was awake and walking around.

“Oh, Kayc, it worked! Look at my legs! They’re as smooth as silk.” Elise leaned down and rubbed her hands over her skin. “Touch ’em. They’re so soft.”

Kayci smiled at her enthusiasm. Her best friend was back to her usual perky self. She obliged Elise’s request and rubbed her fingers across where the wounds used to be and was equally amazed at how soft the skin felt.

“It’s freaking amazing, and I feel great! I even had the best sleep I’ve had in months.”

“I slept pretty well myself. I think more out of pure exhaustion than relaxation though.”

Kayci strolled into the kitchen, noticed through the window that the day had turned to evening, but wanted eggs and ham anyway. Elise followed and plopped down on one of the kitchen table chairs as Kayci cracked four eggs into a frying pan.

“Your gift is really amazing, Kayc. I appreciate you healing all those wounds, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you burn the vampire that kidnapped me, with your hands. Your skills are pretty incredible.”

“It’s the least I could do for you, Elise, after dragging you into all this. I’m just glad it worked.” Kayci lifted out another pan for ham and then tossed several slices into it. They immediately started sizzling. “It’s strange, but doing that spell felt natural. Like it’s something I should have been doing all along.”

“
See
, my friend does have superpowers. We should come up with a nickname for you. Like…”

“Oh no, no, no. No nicknames.”

She turned off the stove top and grabbed two plates to put their breakfast/dinner on. After filling each plate with two eggs and a couple ham slices, Kayci brought the plates to the table. She ignored Elise’s pouty expression.

“Did you see Thorne come downstairs?”

“Yeah, I thought I saw him slip out a little bit ago. Maybe he needs his breakfast too.”

Kayci looked out the kitchen window at the gray-blue color that came shortly after the sun went down. Without intention, she had begun living a more vampire-like lifestyle—she’d been staying up during the night and sleeping well into the day. Today being the latest she’d slept.

“I suppose so. Makes me a little nervous though, with the Covenant and all. I’m worried they’ll find out he is back and staying with me. I’m not sure they’ve completely accepted me at this point. I hope that Eva can convince them to leave me alone, but I’m worried that if Eva is no longer the leader, they may decide my existence is a problem.”

“Why wouldn’t she be the leader of the Covenant?”

“Eva hinted during my meeting that she wants to embrace the Dawning.” Kayci quickly caught herself. “She’s lived for thousands of years. She doesn’t want to be a vampire anymore.”

“Yeah, I guess you do have a reason to be worried. Maybe you and Thorne should meet with Eva and spend more time with her. Find out where the Covenant is on things. She’d probably be happy to see her brother after all these years.”

“It’s not a bad idea. Adrian could probably arrange it. I also need to work something out with Thorne. I just realized he can’t get back in the house without me here to let him in.”

“If you need to go anywhere, I can stay here and make sure that Thorne can get back in. I was thinking of asking him to escort me home anyway. Apparently, being an old vampire makes you pretty strong and your da—Thorne is pretty old.”

Kayci caught Elise’s correction and smiled.

“I asked him the same thing, how old he is. Can you imagine living through so many societal, cultural, and political changes? I wonder what era was his favorite. Although modern toilets and showers may take the cake.”

While finishing her breakfast food, Elise’s eyes got wide, and she enthusiastically nodded.

“Definitely,” she said after swallowing.

Kayci chuckled.

“The only plan I had today was to spend time with Adrian, you, and Thorne. Whenever he gets back.”

Chapter 22

“Eva.”

Eva thought she recognized the male voice behind her but it had been so long since she heard it she wasn’t sure. She turned around to see who she hoped it might be.

“Brother.” The word escaped her lips softly.

Thorne came to her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her body near for a familial embrace.

“I feared you were dead.”

Thorne released his sister and smiled at the eruption of love and relief he felt emanating from her.

“I had to stay hidden in order to keep you and Kayci safe. As long as we were assumed dead, the Covenant had no need to seek retribution.”

“What made you return?” she asked.

“I’m bound to my daughter through our blood. I can sense her no matter the distance. Katriana saw to this. I sensed the danger she was in several nights ago. I came as quickly as I could travel. I came just in time, it appears. Kayci informed me Danika Panetierre has returned.”

“She means to bring down the Covenant and take our place. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

Eva turned away from her brother, facing the window. She gazed out over the glistening lights.

Her voice lowered, sounding solemn. “I searched for you for many years. I secretly hired witches, vampire hunters, and even a few Lycan to locate you. I’m sure you can imagine how that fared. The Lycan kind are not easily persuaded to work with us.”

Thorne glanced at the long, coarse scar across her shoulder blade. He pushed aside the memories when Eva spoke again.

“Eventually I gave up the search. I thought you truly dead.” Her voice trailed off.

Thorne could feel the pain and remorse spreading like wildfire. She looked back at him briefly. He saw a glimpse of grief on her stark face.

Her tone was reticent. “I wished to be with you wherever you were. I began craving the Dawning. Dreaming of what came after. I admit, even now I still do.”

Eva turned back to Thorne. He watched her regain her usual steadfast composure in an attempt to conceal her internal turmoil.

“The Covenant hasn’t been the same with your absence. I find myself continually battling their defiance. I’m losing my rule over them, Thorne. They are splitting apart. It’s the perfect time for Danika to strike. Especially if I were gone.”

She held her head high. “Perhaps the time
has
come for new leadership. Perhaps it is your daughter that should take my place.”

Thorne could feel the muscles in his jaw tense. His shoulders went back, and his stance became rigid.

“Eva, is this what you planned? To put my daughter in your place? She is too young and too new to this world. You would sign her death sentence. Do you realize this?” His tone sounded grim, but he held his voice so not to rile other vampires that were near.

Eva held her ground. “She is made from witch
and
vampire. She’s stronger and more powerful than you realize. You’re clouded by your duty to protect her. Brother, it is her birthright. Just as it was ours.”

“It is foolish! None of the Covenant members would accept her. They fear what she is and what she can do. Eva, I endured twenty-five years rotting in a wretched crypt that I substantially paid a shaman to conceal all to keep her identity a secret, and now that I’ve returned, I find that you have paraded her in front of the whole Covenant and wish to put her in the very seat that will destroy her!”

“Not destroy her. Liberate her! She belongs with us. She can change the tide that wishes to drown us. Vampires all over the world are clawing at the opportunity to reveal our secret and take control of all others species, not just humankind. The world has changed a great deal since you’ve been away! There are more vampires than ever before. They are forging numerous rebellions all over the world. Danika Panetierre is just a foretaste of what is to come.”

Thorne sighed. “The world is always changing, Eva. Vampire rebellions are nothing new. You should know the way by now. Build your army and crush the rebellion.”

“Those were my plans exactly, brother. Danika is a leader amongst the rebels. To take her down would be the example we need for all the rest. Your daughter can help me accomplish this end.”

Thorne’s eyes narrowed. “How so?”

“We kill her.”

“Have you gone mad, Eva?!” Thorne couldn’t believe the words that had just filled his ears.

Eva’s tone became unyielding. “
Listen
, brother. We turn her into one of us. She’ll become a force to be reckoned with once she has power over her vampire abilities. She was born from
your
blood, after all. Combine that with the skills descended from her mother, and we have complete control over our enemies.”

“What I’m hearing is foolishness. You wish to use my daughter as a weapon. I won’t support it. She deserves to choose what her life will be.”

“You know I’m right, brother.” Eva half smiled, as if he’d already been conquered. “She is fragile in her human form. Either we turn her and prepare her, or you risk the chance of losing her altogether. Is that what Katriana would want?”

“Do not speak of her as if you understand what she would desire! Her leading concern was our daughter’s safety. I’ll see to it that Kayci stays safe, even if I have to take her away from here.”

Eva softened her tone, making an effort to be more considerate. “You can’t keep running and hiding her from the world she belongs in. She’s a woman now, not a child. The decision is hers.”

Thorne remained silent, jaw tensed, expression sullen.

Eva continued. “My intuition tells me that the decision won’t be difficult for her. Are you aware of how much Adrian and your daughter care for one another? They remind me a great deal of you and Katriana. I imagine you recall what a formidable force the both of you were.”

Thorne didn’t have a chance to respond. His body tensed the moment he heard the footsteps of a vampire approaching.

The door of Eva’s room opened seconds later. Florence stood in the threshold, astonished to see Thorne standing before him. His eyes quickly transitioned to a bold gold color, and his fangs swiftly extracted.

“So the traitor to his own kind has returned.” Florence spoke the last word between gritted teeth.

“Traitor?” Thorne made a sound of snapping his gums. “The only traitor I see is the one standing in front of me. You and the other fools forced me to leave when you condemned my family to death!”

Florence’s accent came out bolder with his increasing aggravation. “You broke the rules that
we
all decided upon together, remember? How could we enforce these rules upon others when one of our own Covenant members wouldn’t abide by them? You undermined our authority just by being alive.”

Thorne grimaced. He had to admit there was truth in Florence’s statement, yet he wouldn’t be overcome.

“Our rules lost their value to me because I finally had something to live for. What’s more, we had it in our power to change the rules. If you remember, I advocated for such changes and was swiftly disregarded. The Covenant was put together as a mechanism to control our population and to protect our species. My wife and daughter were not and are not a danger to our species.”

Florence scowled. “That is yet to be determined.”

Thorne glanced back toward Eva with an expression of exasperation and disappointment, then returned his gaze toward Florence and the exit. As Thorne approached Florence, Thorne stretched out to his full height, a few inches taller than Florence.

“Looking back now, perhaps my actions were an excuse for you to overthrow the leadership of the Covenant. Perhaps you and Orrick thought one of you were more befitting for the role. Hunting and killing me and my family eliminated us as a threat altogether. Conceivably, we were never a real danger to the Covenant.”

“Watch your words, traitor. I’m still debating why I should let you walk out of this room.”

“By all means, Florence, do as you will.” A wicked smile appeared on Thorne’s face, welcoming Florence’s challenge.

Florence wasted no time and immediately attacked Thorne, fangs bared. Thorne used his speed to help combat Florence’s strength. Thorne swiftly ducked a hard blow aimed for his face. The force of the swing brought Florence forward a couple steps. Thorne whipped around Florence’s flank, placing him in view of Florence’s back. Thorne clawed at Florence’s neck, shoulder, and spine. The flesh split apart like worn fabric. Florence groaned from the pain as the blood gushed down his back, but refused to yield. He quickly rotated his body and grabbed Thorne’s arm. With an unshakeable grip, he pulled Thorne forward and with immense force kicked Thorne’s abdomen.

Thorne lifted off the ground and flew back several feet. He cleared the threshold but landed on a decorative wooden stand in the hallway. Thorne recovered quickly and grabbed a large chunk of wood splintered off from the broken stand. He rushed through the threshold and lunged at Florence. The sharp chunk of wood tore through Florence’s chest, breaking apart flesh, muscle, and tissue. Thorne knew he pierced Florence’s heart when Florence immediately dropped to the floor, grasping his chest.

Thorne leaned down next to Florence and spoke sternly. “Consider yourself fortunate. I only wanted to wound you. Not kill you. In spite of everything, I still have loyalty toward my Covenant brethren. More than I can say for you.”

Florence’s head drooped. His lips trembled. The wound began to heal around the chunk of wood. Florence unsteadily gripped the outer part of the splintered wooden stake and pried it from his chest. As the wound reopened, blood poured out onto Florence’s hand, wrist, and chest. Florence gasped from the release of pressure.

Thorne matched Eva’s stare. “I won’t be running any longer. I’m here to stay. But you must know…”

Thorne reached his hand down for Florence to accept it. Florence glared at Thorne, then reluctantly took his hand as support and stood himself up. The gaping hole in his chest was quickly reducing in size.

“If any of you consider harming my daughter, I’ll be inclined to change my position in regards to my loyalty.”

Thorne made eye contact with both Eva and Florence to ensure their understanding, then took his leave before more vampires joined them.