Blood Tithe (The Lost Cove Darklings Book 2) Read online

  “Reveal to us new vampires born

  Hidden behind these magical wards.

  Reveal to us new vampires born

  Hidden behind these magical wards.”

  Chanting over and over again, the warmth in her chest spread outward on either side of her heart, traveling down both arms and through her hands. Her palms heated.

  She squeezed her eyes against the growing warmth, forcing the chant. But the heat blazed until she felt like she had just stuck her hand through flames. She unleashed a cry of pain when, out of nowhere, the fire cooled.

  She was considering what that meant when a ripple of magic coursed through the wards like a squall, sucking her in, then spewing her out. Fire exploded through Felicity’s body as she flew through the air and crashed to the ground with a body jarring jolt. Too weak to move, she blinked her eyes, vaguely aware that Tristen was sprinting toward her from at least a few yards away.

  “Felicity?” His voice was filled with worry as he slid to his knees beside her. “Felicity, talk to me. Are you okay?”

  Staring beyond him at the still rippling wards, which glowed gold in her vision, she unleashed a bitter laugh. “Those are some powerful wards.”

  Then, everything started spinning. Felicity laughed and laughed until the world disappeared.

  Chapter 15

  Raven had never wanted to risk public humiliation for skipping school so badly in her life. But Dante had talked her off the ledge when she had suggested they spend the day searching for her best friend.

  Felicity had left at some point during the night but never come home. Raven had dressed for school and interrogated Nan, who only told her she had been summoned to the castle on “royal business.”

  “And that doesn’t worry you?” Raven had asked.

  “Of course, it worries me, but until Fhaescratch is ready to release her, there’s nothing we can do.”

  Raven was wise enough to know Nan was right, but still, something was off. Felicity had been summoned by King Fhaescratch before, and it had never taken all night. Maybe Felicity had found a way to sneak into Prince Hottie’s private chambers for some steamy one-on-one time.

  But Felicity hadn’t been at school, either.

  Now, Raven leaned into Dante’s arm as they rested their backs against a bale of hay that decorated the town square for the upcoming Halloween celebrations. School had crept by with agonizing slowness, but now that it was over, she didn’t know where to start or what to do. If Felicity was inside the Laltog castle, humans weren’t admitted without prior approval. There was no way in—at least no way that wouldn’t result in bloodshed or some other form of punishment.

  “She’ll be okay,” Dante said. Then, lowering his voice, he added, “I know we’re not supposed to talk about it, but just based on observation the past few weeks, I don’t think Prince Tristen is going to let anything bad happen to Felicity.”

  He was right. Raven knew Tristen had some strong feelings for her BFF, but that didn’t mean his family loyalties weren’t stronger. It was the story of her life. A guy wanted to date her, or a girl wanted to invite her to a party, but their families dismissed Raven as unsuitable friend or more-than-friends material—first, because of her mother’s reputation, second, because she was a foster kid, and third, because she just wasn’t white enough. Raven had learned early on that she could only trust herself—and Felicity. So she’d be damned if she’d sit by and just hope the Laltog Prince who stood to inherit his father’s tiny kingdom would intervene on Felicity’s behalf.

  What bothered her more than anything was the timing. Tristen had come to get Felicity only a few hours after Raven and Dante had confided in them.

  “Do you think it has something to do with what we heard in the woods yesterday?” she asked. “I mean, Luca and Tristen weren’t at school today, either. That can’t be a coincidence.”

  Dante squeezed her close and looked down with a concerned expression. “Something’s definitely up. I’m not denying that. What I am saying is that maybe we shouldn’t panic until there’s a reason to.”

  He shifted his weight and stood, holding his hand out to her. “Walk with me?”

  Raven glared up at him.

  “Come on, you know you want to.” He smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth and those damn sexy dimples. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “Fine.” She took his hand. “But we are not going back in the woods.”

  “Yeah, not making that mistake again.”

  The late October sun was starting its descent behind the mountains, spreading the harsh orange glow of sunset across the Cove, nearly blinding them when they looked toward the west. But Raven loved the cool breeze that blew against her skin, which was a perfect foil to the warmth of Dante’s body close to hers. Nothing was perfect in Lost Cove, but she had been happier in the last two weeks than she had ever been in the human realm. It wasn’t just Dante. It was the isolation from the real world, from the ugliness of the people there. While some of the humans were still wary of her due to her association with Felicity, she had never experienced the outright hate and undisguised animosity in Lost Cove she had felt every day of her life until now.

  Dante Zamora was a definite perk, however. She pushed aside her worry for a moment to enjoy the way his fingers laced through hers. A perfect fit.

  When he stopped short, Raven ran into him, her face colliding with his shoulder. Nose throbbing, she followed the direction of his stare, squinting against the light. Elder Conlan and Kyla were racing away from the castle, avoiding the main path until they disappeared into the forest. They were heading in the same direction where Raven and Dante had heard the terrifying creature the day before.

  “Are you going to tell me that’s a coincidence?” Raven asked.

  Dante shook his head, his brows furrowing. “What are they up to?”

  “Hell if I know, but with Felicity MIA, I’m going to find out.”

  The irony that she was, in fact, making a beeline for the same woods she had just sworn off wasn’t lost on her. But this was about Felicity. So, Raven ignored the warning that tugged at her mind and hustled toward the tree line, pulling Dante behind her.

  “Raven, this is probably a terrible idea,” he said. “I don’t exactly know what happens to humans in Lost Cove who butt in where they’re not welcome, but I doubt it’s anything good. The people here have survived for so long because they live their lives and mind their own business.”

  “And people who never stand up for anything wind up allowing the people they love to be hurt or worse.”

  Raven had been mistreated in almost every way imaginable since she was ten years old and became a ward of the state; from that time on, she’d done what she’d had to in order to succeed, even if it meant keeping her head down and her mouth shut. But she’d die before she let anyone hurt Felicity.

  As the trees swallowed them, Raven pushed away her mounting fear and urged her legs faster. After a time, she caught sight of Kyla and Elder Conlan. Several yards ahead of the community’s graveyard, they stopped abruptly. Kyla flattened her palm against some kind of invisible shield that rippled at her touch like a rock skipping water. Then, as if a curtain were dropping, the transparent veil fell away, revealing a massive barn surrounded by what appeared to be humans fighting with each other.

  “What the…?” Raven whispered.

  “I think we should go back,” Dante said, low in her ear. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

  “What if Felicity is in there?” Raven fired back.

  “What if she’s not?” he challenged.

  Even if she wasn’t, the answers they needed about what was going on in the forest were right in front of them. They couldn’t turn back now.

  Before Dante could protest again, Raven darted forward, quietly moving beyond the boundary. With a groan, he followed on her heels, slipping inside just before the barrier closed. When the boundary was restored, electricity crackled in the air, raising the hairs on her a
rms. Ducking behind a tree, she scanned the forbidden area.

  It was just like the day she and Felicity had first entered Lost Cove. Like a tiny realm within a realm, she was now inside some sort of hidden community. She peered around the trunk, watching Kyla and Elder Conlan stop to talk to another Laltog—a female wearing dark leather pants and a snugly fitting tank made from the same material. Her dark hair coiled at the nape of her neck in a thick braid that reminded Raven of how female military officers wore their hair. Before she had time to consider what was going on, a series of low growls erupted in the distance, causing chills to race up her spine. She followed the noise with her eyes.

  Several yards beyond the huge dilapidated barn, she saw them.

  Red eyes. Sharp fangs. Pale complexions of varying skin tones that reflected a variety of races.

  “Oh, my God,” Raven whispered.

  They were Laltogs. Hundreds of them.

  The majority of them stood in four different groups, lined up in neat rows, responding obediently as another Laltog “officer” barked commands. The dozen or so that had made the terrifying sounds, however, were all over the place. Some stumbled along, moving like zombies. Others crawled, reaching out with long-nailed fingers as if they had no control over their actions. Writhing and jerking, they hissed and growled, making feral sounds from deep in their throats. Raven knew without a doubt, these creatures were responsible for what they had heard the day before in the forest. Maybe one of them had escaped and wandered through the forest.

  A leather clad male paced back and forth in front of them, yelling for them to stand. The creatures hissed and bared their fangs, as if to defend themselves, when he stepped close to them. Laughing, the Laltog pulled a long rod from his belt that Raven thought at first was a nightstick. But then, the Laltog officer thrust it out, zapping them, one after another, into compliance.

  He was using a fucking cattle prod.

  “Are you seeing this shit?” Raven whispered. “Why are they hurting members of their own coven?”

  Dante had grown still behind her. When she turned to look at him, his expression was grave, angry. “I don’t think those are coven members. I don’t even think those are Laltogs.”

  Dante’s words connected with the scene before her. He was right. Raven conjured up a conversation she’d had with Felicity several days ago. Laltogs were born. Vampires were made.

  These weren’t Laltogs. They were humans that had been turned.

  Vampires.

  A twig snapped behind them, pulling Raven from her realization.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Kyla’s doll-like face twisted in front of her. “If it isn’t Felicity’s little sidekick and her brave defender.”

  Raven fought to keep from shrinking away. She had heard enough warnings from Felicity and Nan about keeping her distance from Kyla to know that Tristen’s fiancé was totally lethal. And psychotic. But showing fear would only make a bad situation worse. Before she could react, though, Dante angled himself in front of Raven, putting himself between them.

  Kyla tossed her hair back and laughed. “Your girlfriend would barely make a snack. You, on the other hand, are tempting.”

  She traced a line down Dante’s chest with a sharp black fingernail. Raven wanted to rip her eyes out and stuff them down her throat. Kyla snarled, baring her fangs, as the hatred rolled from Raven, charging the energy. Before Raven could respond, hot breath tickled the back of her neck. Dread swam through her veins like cold water. Slowly, she turned. Elder Conlan’s lethal fangs were only inches from her throat.

  Her heart sprinted forward, thrumming like a hunted rabbit.

  “What’s the problem?” Conlan asked.

  “The problem is that these two foolish blood bags grew a little too curious,” Kyla hissed. “And now they’ve seen our entire operation.”

  When Conlan tsked behind Raven, Kyla smiled, exposing her fangs.

  “What should we do with them?” Conlan asked.

  He grazed Raven’s throat with his nose. Before she could register what was happening, Dante was between them, shoving Elder Conlan with all his strength. The Laltog Elder landed hard on his ass, brows raising in shock. After several seconds, he met Kyla’s eyes and began to laugh.

  “Isn’t he the courageous defender?” Conlan said, amusement dripping from his voice. “And strong, too.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” Kyla said. “And we can’t allow them to leave.”

  “What do you propose?” Conlan asked.

  “Well, I was planning to simply kill them, but now? Now, I’m starting to think they might be useful.”

  With a sinister smile, Kyla raised her hand and snapped. In a matter of seconds, one of the Laltog officers approached.

  “Take them with the others,” she barked.

  With a curt nod, the Laltog grabbed Raven by her hair, pulling her effortlessly from Dante’s grip, and dragged her toward the barn. As Raven kicked and screamed, her body jerking and scraping across the ground, another guard closed in on Dante.

  His scream echoed through her ears, cancelling out her pain.

  Chapter 16

  Lyric paced inside the throne room of the Unseelie Castle, as their small group waited on Magi Josiah to arrive. Ardan would receive the strongest human glamour the Old Magic could offer before infiltrating Lost Cove.

  “You are to remain hidden as much as possible,” Lochlan was telling him. “This is a small community where everyone is familiar with one another. A strange human no one knows is sure to raise suspicion.”

  “As always, Lochlan, your faith in my intelligence is flattering.” Ardan gave him an even stare that caused Ivy to smirk.

  Even after seventeen years, Lochlan and Ardan still loved to hate one another, as Felicity would say.

  “And once I get there, I’m to find Felicity or Nan, reveal myself to them, and try to find out what is happening and who is responsible. I’m not as genuinely stupid as you believe.”

  Lochlan raised his brows, eliciting a giggle from Ivy. She smiled at Ardan, leaning in to kiss him. Lyric’s heart warmed. It was good to see her daughter so happy.

  Padraic burst through the door without warning. Two Magi trailed him—Alasdair and Josiah. Lyric hadn’t seen them since the night they had cast the glamour on Felicity. Though the Magi wore dark cloaks that hid their faces, as well as their gender, she recognized the two Elder Magi by the more silken fabric of their robes, which indicated their position. They were outranked only by Eirinn, the eldest of the Magi, who had been created in the Beginning.

  But when Lyric took in Padraic’s expression, her stomach twisted. His brows were a heavy line over his eyes, which had brightened from the deepest black to pure gold, which alerted them all to his powerful emotion.

  “Magi Eirinn is gone,” he said.

  “What?” Ivy stood to her feet, her signature glass scepter hanging from the belt on her waist, glowing bright blue with Winter magic. “How could this have happened? Why was I not informed?”

  The Magi rarely left the confines of the Winter Castle, where they had dwelt for centuries. But some of the Magi, Eirinn, in particular, disappeared for days at a time into one of the remote caverns beneath in order to meditate and determine the will of the ancestors.

  “You know how Eirinn often retreats for long periods to pray and connect with the ancestors. Magi Josiah informed me that she had been gone for two weeks and had not yet returned. I wanted her to do the glamour, so I demanded her presence, regardless of her current spiritual retreat. She is nowhere to be found.”

  “But that’s impossible,” Lyric said. “Magi Eirinn is the most powerful Magi ever to be. They are bound to remain in the Winter Castle. How could she simply be gone?”

  “That is precisely what I wish to know,” Padraic said.

  Magi Josiah and Magi Alasdair were more than capable of working a powerful glamour spell, but Eirinn’s disappearance was bizarre. The most powerful Magi in the histories wouldn’t
have left the home she had known her entire life, and no creature in any realm could have been powerful enough to take her.

  Had she allowed herself to be taken? And if so, to what end?

  Ardan’s mission had just become far more deadly and twice as difficult. Not only was he tasked with finding out what King Fhaescratch was planning, but now, he had to locate a missing Magi—something that had never happened in the history of Faerie.

  “Do you think it was Fhaescratch?” Lyric asked.

  Padraic shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s ambitious even for him. I just don’t understand. He has been quiet for nearly two decades. By all accounts, he has his own kingdom, which is what he has always wanted. Now, he also has the Seelie King’s daughter, which ensures his safety. Why would he need a Magi?”

  “He wouldn’t,” Lochlan said. “Not even if he really is turning humans to build an army. What if…? Well, maybe Eirinn left of her own accord.”

  It was possible. Anything was possible. But as far as Lyric knew, Eirinn had no reason, no motive, to ever want to leave Winter, let alone Faerie.

  Padraic shrugged, his expression somewhere between confusion and rage. “It’s not impossible, but I think it would be foolish to ignore the very real likelihood that she has been taken somehow.”

  “Or allowed herself to be taken,” Ivy pointed out. “The Magi have access to magic and knowledge none of us can even fathom. Perhaps this was something foretold, and Eirinn knew she had a role in it. Maybe she knew it would happen and simply didn’t fight it.”

  No one in the room spoke. Ivy was right. There was no way anyone could abduct Eirinn without her seeing it long before their arrival. Gradually, all eyes fell on the two Magi who stood silently hooded in the corner of the room.

  “Magi Josiah, I’m sure King Padraic already questioned you, but can you think of anything that might explain this?” Lyric asked. To her embarrassment, she had almost forgotten they had accompanied Padraic. They were so silent and immobile that it was always surprising to look up and see them looming in a corner or against a wall.