Not violently. It wasn’t a crime scene, like on one of those investigation shows. CSI: Plant edition. There wasn’t chlorophyll splattered all over the walls or anything. No chalk outline on the floor.

  It just grew. And it grew a lot.

  The plant went from five inches high to five feet high in an instant.

  I stared at it in awe. It was glowing, pure white. I could see colors inside the white moving along the glowing leaves, almost like a pulse. Those were its thoughts. Its feelings.

  I had just created a higher life form.

  Slow clapping came from behind me. Caleb stiffened as Maxim’s voice echoed in the room.

  “Well done, Princess.”

  “Uh, thanks. I think.”

  Caleb wasn’t psyched that Maxim had walked in on this. I knew he wanted to keep some of my more unusual abilities under wraps. But he shrugged, tilting his head to the side.

  “Fascinating.”

  I squinched up my nose, leaning towards the plant. It wiggled a bit, clearly happy to see me.

  See? It’s a plant, Soph. No eyeballs. It couldn’t really see, could it?

  Oddly enough, I felt like it could.

  “What is it, exactly?”

  “I’m not sure. The only creatures with power over the living like this are Fae. But nothing like this is recorded in any book I’ve ever read.”

  I stared at Caleb, my heart racing in my chest. He’d been reading everything he could get his hands on for a very, very long time. And this was, what, a new thing?

  “There were once Green Fae, who could grow things, and of course, their famed healers. Both could manipulate living tissue. But nothing like this has happened, not for a millenia. Maybe not ever.”

  “And Angels.”

  We both turned to look at Maxim. My jaw was open. What was he talkng about???

  “Wait. Angels are real?”

  He shrugged.

  “Of course. Where do you think Fae came from?”

  I threw up my hands in exasperation.

  “I don’t know.”

  He grinned at me, leaning against the doorway nonchalantly.

  “The original Fae were the children of humans and Angels. Only the most beautiful, artistic and intelligent humans could attract an Angel of course, which is why even the few Fae remaining now are so lovely.”

  I stared at him. So Dylan was half-angel? Or at least, the extremely watered down version of that.

  He was .0000075 angel.

  For a second, I gave myself a mental high five. I’d scored an Angel.

  Not bad for a first boyfriend, Soph.

  Then I deflated. Dylan was my ex-boyfriend. There weren’t a lot of hot Fae guys waiting to date vamps.

  Basically, my love life had peaked early. Great.

  “Vampires are the natural enemy of Angels. I have never heard of one of our kind who could give life to something. We only bring death.”

  “Perhaps she can do that as well.”

  “What?”

  “Perhaps it’s a matter of intention.”

  I looked at Caleb, shaking my head.

  “Oh no. I’m not harming something living. I’m actually thinking of going vegetarian.”

  “What about the poor tomatoes you like so much?”

  I scowled, making Maxim chucke. He earned a severe frown from Caleb. I cocked my hand on my hip, glaring at him.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You drink blood.”

  “Fine! Not vegetarian then. I’m thinking of going… humanarian!”

  Maxim doubled over in laughter. Even Caleb lifted a brow. I sounded ridiculous, but I didn’t care. I was over meat. If I could feel a houseplant’s emotions, did I really want to see what was going on inside a cow and then eat it?

  I was starting to realize that everything around me had a secret life of its own.

  “I’m not murdering houseplants for sport.”

  “Why not?”

  “I told you. They are alive. I don’t want to hurt them.”

  “Fine. But we will have to try this at some point.”

  “Find me a rabid dog or a murderer and I will suck the life out of it.”

  He nodded his head once, a perfect bow in miniature.

  I exhaled, relieved he was not going to force the issue.

  “Do any of these plants have flowers? That would be fun.”

  Twenty minutes later the dining room looked like a florist’s boutique. Only way, way more overgrown and wild. It was like a secret garden. Riotous flowers spilled over every surface.

  Caleb had even brought lilies, which had grown so large they looked like something from another planet.

  I laughed with pure joy, turning in a circle to stare at my creations.

  Maxim perched on the edge of the dining room table, still as a statue. Vampires didn’t fidget the way humans, and half-humans did. He watched me, a warm look on his face.

  “They are beautiful.”

  I reached out to touch an enormous flower and it pulsed bright purple and pink in response. It seemed to love me, if that made any sense. Maybe it saw me as it’s mother.

  “They won’t get any light in here.”

  “Try to create light.”

  “You think I can create… the sun?”

  He shrugged.

  “Give it a try.”

  “That’s nuts.”

  He looked around, gesturing to the plants.

  “If someone had told me that you could do this a year ago, I would not have believed it.” He gave me an encouraging nod. “You have nothing to lose.”

  I gave him an exasperated look, thinking he was crazy. But I gave in, holding my palms out. I focused, imagining a ray of light from above.

  A hiss and a curse. I heard Maxim knock a chair over as he vacated the dining room at top speed.

  I opened my eyes, realizing the dining room was full of light. Bright, blinding light.

  “Sasha, stop!”

  I doused the light immediately. I could feel pain, but it was not my own. I ran to the living room, full of horror at what I had done. I knew before I saw him what I could find.

  Maxim was on the floor, writhing in pain. One side of his face was black and charred, and his body looked no better.

  No. No no no no no.

  Somehow I’d done the unthinkable. I’d burnt him with my light.

  I could feel his agony, washing over me in waves of razor blades. It cut me, deep where it is hard to heal. I had done this.

  I had murdered my friend.

  “Here, drink me.”

  Bernard grabbed my wrist as I offered it to Maxim.

  “No, Highness.”

  “But I hurt him. Let me help him!”

  “You cannot. If you give him your blood, you will form a bond so strong you will be helpless against it. You will complete the circle.”

  I shook my head, backing away. Maxim had stopped moving. I could not feel his presence any more. I could not feel his pain.

  “We have to help him. He could die.”

  “We will. He might heal.”

  Caleb brought it a blood bag and handed it to Bernard. I watched as he knelt, lifting Maxim’s head so he could drink. I didn’t breathe until I saw the healing begin.

  It started slowly, with the black bits of skin starting to smoke and flake away. He’d sank in on himself slightly, making him look like a husk of his former self. His cheeks and shoulders filled out as I watched.

  Then his skin began to appear.

  But it was not enough. His flesh was scorched in places beyond recognition. He was still in pain. The light had been too bright, as if he had stood too close to the sun. He was burned so badly, it would take more than a bag of blood to heal him.

  Without thought I moved forward and knelt beside him. My hands reached out, hovering over his body. Instinctively, I thought about the opposite of sun. I thought about darkness.

  Then I summoned the power of night.

  I had never done it before.

  I didn’t know if I could do it.

  I didn’t know if anyone could do it.

  But I did.

  A silky, smoky darkness swirled out from my palms. It covered Maxim before spilling out over the floor, until the entire room was pitch black.

  I sat there in the dark, feeling the weight of it, the complete absence of all light. And then I heard him whisper.

  “Princess…”

  I lifted my hands, pressing them together. Just like that, the darkness was gone. Bernard was staring at me, shock written all over his face. Caleb’s face was expressionless.

  I knew he was surprised.

  Nightfall, how could he not be?

  But it was Maxim whose eyes burned the brightest. They were white again, with the dark pupils and thick lashes. His skin was smooth. His clothes had suffered but other than that, he looked perfect.

  Maybe even healthier than he’d been before.

  He smiled at me and I felt a warmth open up inside me. I’d saved him. I’d undone the damage. It was my fault he was injured, but he would live.

  I’d summoned pure night.

  “I’m so sorry, Maxim. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never—”

  “No.”

  He cut me off and took my hand, squeezing it with his smooth, hard fingers.

  “Do not be sorry, Princess.”

  “I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t think. I never imagined…”

  “Hush. That does not matter. This is a good thing.”

  “It is?”

  He smiled tenderly. There was a look in his eyes, almost like awe. I didn’t know what to do with that look, or the feelings he was sending my way.

  He didn’t just like me. Maxim loved me. And maybe more than that.

  What I felt… it was almost as if he idolized me.

  “Yes. Think of what you can do. Think of what a weapon you have. And what a shield.”

  I closed my eyes, fighting back tears. To weild such a power against other Vampires… it would turn the tide of the way. And yet, it was a horrific power to have. Burning my enemies to dust with a flick of my hands almost seemed like too much power.

  But I knew in my heart that Maxim was right.

  No Vampire could stand against my light.

  Chapter 13

  In the morning I had three bags of blood. Maxim was too weak for me to drink from, and as the day wore on, I started to feel the pain of thirst constantly, instead of just a nagging hunger.

  I paced back and forth in Caleb’s office while Bernard watched. It was daylight, but neither of them were resting.

  They were too afraid for me.

  Around eleven I drank another bag. Then another. Caleb read, Bernard watched and I paced.

  I could feel the thirst inside my veins. Inside my very cells. It was like a thousand tiny knives were carving me up from the inside out.

  “Sasha.”

  I was in the kitchen, nursing yet another blood bag as Bernard made me lunch. Rare steak and eggs. He hadn’t taken my threat to go vegetarian seriously apparently.

  “You are supposed to call me Sophie, remember”

  “Sophie. Your arm.”

  Bernard was staring at me, a look of alarm on his face. I looked down and saw the veins beneath my skin turning black. Worse than that, I was scratching at my flesh, tearing my skin without even noticing.

  I’d gone deep enough to break the skin, and more. My am was a gaping wound.

  Ew, gross.

  Basically I looked like an extra on Walking Dead.

  The pain continued to grow along with the hunger. It hit me all at once, overwhelming in its intensity. I fell to the floor, screaming in agony.

  “Caleb!”

  But Caleb didn’t need to be called. He was already there. He lifted me up and carried me swiftly to the basement. Then he did something I never expected in a million years.

  He chained me.

  “What are you doing to her?”

  Maxim was standing in the doorway with Bernard. He must have been awake by our bond, because Nightfall knew it was hard to wake a vamp during daylight hours. They both looked horrified as Caleb chained my ankles. I was too distraught to protest.

  “I’m taking precautions. Why are you up?”

  “I could feel her. She needs my blood.”

  “You might not survive it.”

  “I would gladly die for her.”

  I would have been touched if I could think beyond the pain.

  “Fine. But we need another solution.”

  I was curled in a ball, staring hungrily at Maxim as he came forward. I could barely remember my name, but I heard Caleb tell me I couldn’t have too much.

  Just a bit. A little bit now and a little bit later.

  And then I drank.

  I heard them talking while I drank from Maxim’s wrist. I could hear, but it wasn’t until much later that the words registered.

  “The chains won’t hold her. The entire foundation of the house could come down if she decides to smash it.”

  “The house could fall, but the chains will hold.”

  They were wrapped around me, I realized. Not just holding me to the wall, where I could tear them free. I was literally swaddled in heavy iron chains.

  “How?”

  Caleb gently touched my forehead, guiding me away from Maxim’s wrist. Then he brushed my hair away from my face.

  “The chains are spelled. They are a thousand years old.”

  He helped Maxim back to his cot to sleep.

  “They are Fae.”

  “Where did you get them? Why?”

  “I’ve been collecting items to help us defeat the New Leaders since…” He cleared his throat. “Since this all began.”

  “Are you alright, Princess?”

  I nodded, so grateful to Maxim it overwhelmed everything else.

  “Are you sure?”

  My voice was a hoarse whisper. The pain was gone but the hunger was still there. Needy and insistent beneath my skin. I knew it was a matter of time before I lost control of myself.

  Before I went feral.

  “What, Highness?”

  “Are you sure they will hold?”

  Caleb’s face softened in pity. He knew I did not want to hurt anyone, let alone risk our exposure.

  “Yes, they will hold.”

  I stared down at my bound wrists and ankles, and wrapped around my waist. I pulled at them slightly, but they held me firm. I sighed in relief.

  I felt some of my terror slip away. No matter how bad I got, I wouldn’t get free. I wouldn’t kill anyone.

  No one would die because of me.

  Then again, I might need to be chained up for the rest of eternity. Not exactly a charming thought.

  Maxim lay down on his bed again and turned to stare at me from across the room.

  “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I tried to smile at him, but it was strained.

  I held up my wrists and grimaced.

  “Neither am I.”

  Chapter 14

  I watched the centipede crawl along the floor towards me. It had what looked like a thousand legs, all moving at their own pace in an undulating wave. It was kind of cute, if you could get past the ick factor.

  Besides, who was I to talk about ick? I hadn’t showered in days. I scratched at my hair, wincing at the sandy feeling of my scalp.

  I was gross.

  I leaned my head back against the cold cement wall and moaned. I tossed away the blankets covering my legs in annoyance. I had books and pillows and they brought me food and blood. I wasn’t really a prisoner since I agreed with the decision to lock me up.

  But it still wasn’t very cozy down here, even with the creature comforts (ha ha). And there was no end in sight. My thirst was still growing and the spelled chains were the only thing that could hold me.

  This sucked.

  It was day three of living like a monster in a horror movie. Or a kidnapping victim. Or someone trying to escape nuclear fallout. Or all three.

  The basement was no fun, even if it looked exciting in scary movies.

  I reached out a finger towards the centipede, right before Bernard’s foot came crashing down on it. It splattered making me twist up my face in disgust.

  “Ew.”

  “Try not to touch the creepie crawlies, Sophie. Remember what you did to the plants.”

  My eyes went wide as I considered the squashed insect in the puddle of goo. If I had supersized that, it would not have been pretty.

  I stared at my fingers, wondering if I could supersize that. Or anything that wasn’t a complex life form. I wondered if I was going to have to wear gloves for the rest of my life.

  That’s if I ever got out of the freaking basement.

  Yeah, no. I was definitely not going to touch anything anytime soon. Then again, I could always send an army of giant centipedes and spiders after my enemies.

  Or just release a couple into Janelle’s room…

  Yeah, even now, chained up in a basement, I still had girl drama. My nemesis hadn’t let up on me, even after cheerleading season was over. I’d stuck it out through football and basketball, willing myself not to tear her limb from limb on a daily basis.

  But a giant spider tearing into her would be hard to pin on me…

  I smiled grimly.

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Highness.”

  “What do you want, B?”

  “B?”

  “Well, you rejected my first choice in nicknames. I could still go back to Nardo if you would prefer.”

  Yeah, okay, I was being surly. But I was gross and dirty and even with the chains and Maxim’s blood, I was still freaking thirsty enough to drink a swimming pool’s worth of the red stuff!

  I felt my veins pulse and moaned, balling my hands into fists.

  “Are you alright?”

  “No. It’s—”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s happening again!”

  I hissed in pain as my veins all seemed to contract at once. They were grasping, pulsing with need. I had to drink.

  Now.

  “I’ll get you something, hold on!”

  Bernard raced away to get a blood bag. But Maxim was quicker. He appeared beside me, coming to my aid the moment he’d felt my pain.

 

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