A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)

“That’s not something you see, period,” I muttered, my skin crawling.

There was something off about it. My instincts flared with giant warning signs, and I kept my eyes glued to the light. I squinted, trying to get a better look as it got even bigger. It seemed to be the size of a hot air balloon, more or less, bright white and perfectly round.

“It’s definitely not a shooting star,” Heron replied.

“No, it’s moving in a specific motion,” I said. “A repeating zig-zag pattern.”

He nodded, watching it.

“Where do you think it’s headed?” he asked.

It took me a minute to realize, but, despite its evasive maneuvers, it soon became obvious. My lips parted and my stomach dropped as the conclusion kicked in.

“It’s coming straight toward us.” I gasped, then shot off the balcony and into the hallway.

I ran fast, with Heron right behind me. We rushed into the banquet hall, dodging servants with food trays and glasses, and hundreds of wedding guests across the massive dancefloor. I had to warn Draven and the others.





Fiona





(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)





I returned to my table after Bijarki politely took Shen aside for a quick work-related talk—or so he’d said. Shen didn’t seem all that happy to part with me, but I had to admit I’d had a little too much of his incubus nature already. With a light head and soft knees, I rested my elbows on the table. Dad poured me another glass of peppered blood. Of all the varieties I’d tasted so far, the spicy one was definitely my favorite.

“I must say, you look gorgeous, honey.” Mom smiled at me as she leaned against Dad’s shoulder. I glanced down at my dress and shrugged. I’d opted for a black sequined pencil dress that covered my knees, with spaghetti straps and a deep cut at the back for mobility, and black pumps with heels high enough to make me comfortably taller.

“Thank you, Mom.” I smiled back with a wink. “You’re not looking bad yourself!”

Indeed, my mom had gone for a soft red cocktail dress, with diamond earrings and a matching necklace that made her resemble a 1950s starlet. Dad gazed lovingly at her, his hand covering hers on the table.

“And she always makes it look so effortless,” he said.

Mom laughed lightly, her eyelids fluttering as she took a sip from her glass of blood. She’d settled for the plain one, without spices.

Field and Aida came to our table, laughing. Their cheeks were red, as they’d just finished a fast-paced number on the dancefloor.

“Mind if we join you for a minute?” Field asked, pointing at Avril and Scarlett’s empty seats next to mine.

“Of course not!” I beamed at them.

They both sat down, pouring themselves tall glasses of spiced rosewater and gulping down half in one go. Dad stifled a laugh as he sipped from his.

“I’m guessing all that dancing got you two thirsty,” he said.

“Yeah, though I’m not sure it would be wise to drink spiced rosewater so fast.” Aida grinned. “But hey, my brother just got married, I’ve got a bun in the oven, and the man of my dreams is with me. I think we’re okay to enjoy this exotic treat tonight. It’s harmless during pregnancy anyway!”

“Congratulations again, sweetie,” Mom replied with a warm smile. “I can’t wait to see the bump!”

Field put his arm around Aida’s shoulders and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her temple. Aida sighed and relaxed into him, resting her head against his chest. She looked tired, and I had a feeling she’d soon be gently carried off to dreamland.

“Me too,” she said, stifling a yawn. “Although the bun is already eating into my energy. I’m sleeping more each day! Not to mention the morning sickness… I heard that kind of goes away in the second trimester, though.”

“It did for me.” Mom nodded. “Fiona was a good baby, too. Barely kicked toward the end of the third trimester.”

“I had to sometimes tap Yelena’s belly just to make sure Fiona was still in there.” Dad chuckled, brushing his knuckles against my cheek.

They all looked at me with soft smiles, as if I were still a baby, and it felt cute and awkward at the same time because I was still reeling from the physical attraction that Shen had fired up inside me. I got busy with my glass of spiced blood, unable to formulate any coherent thoughts—I noticed Shen gazing at me from across the dancefloor. Even from that distance, the incubus was brazen and unabashed in expressing his desire for me.

I didn’t want to respond to his attention, though—at least, not until tomorrow. Avril and I had agreed not to take what the incubi made us feel seriously until after they were away from us, and we were out of their reach. Otherwise, it would just be us naturally responding to their influence, and I wasn’t interested in a purely physical relationship. I wanted something pure and strong, like what my parents had.

“So, what was the deal with all the training and screening the other day?” I asked Field, changing the subject to avoid any additional baby talk. Not that I disliked it, but I had a feeling my parents had more examples from my infancy that I wasn’t comfortable actually hearing.

“We’re just selecting top candidates for a mission on Tenebris,” Field replied, pouring himself another glass of spiced rosewater.

“What mission?” I asked, instantly curious and eager to find out whether I’d made the cut.

“There’s a resistance movement happening there. The incubi once loyal to Azazel are rejecting Druid lordship,” he explained briefly. “We’ve tried negotiating with them, but they’ve gotten violent, and innocent lives are caught in the middle. It’s time for an intervention to separate the extremists from the rest of the people, because they’re keeping a low profile and hiding in the big cities.”

I nodded slowly, wondering how we would approach this as GASP. Surely, we’d have support from the agents and soldiers already on the ground there, but we’d most likely be doing recon and covert investigation to uncover and imprison the dark cells. I didn’t know much about the planet itself, but, from what I’d heard, its waters were deep, dark, and treacherous, and so were its thick jungles. It sounded like a challenge for what would officially be my first mission.

“Did I make the cut?” I grinned.

Field winked at me.

I held my breath, trying not to squeal from the sudden rush of excitement, but I nearly jumped out of my seat.

“You’re serious?” I croaked.

He nodded, giving me a broad smile as a “yes”.

“Thank you so much! I won’t let you down! I promise, I will—” My voice trailed off as I saw Avril and Heron rushing across the dancefloor, concern darkening their faces. They reached Draven and Serena, and were already both talking fast and looking up. Draven lost the color in his cheeks. “Something’s wrong,” I murmured.

Field, Aida, and my parents followed my gaze. They noticed Avril and Heron with Draven and Serena. Derek joined them, and he, too, put on a very serious face. I focused beyond the distance between us and expanded my senses.