The Tragedy of Knowledge, page 1
THE TRAGEDY OF KNOWLEDGE
RACHAEL WADE
ALSO BY RACHAEL WADE
Amaranth, The Resistance Trilogy, Book One
The Gates, The Resistance Trilogy , Book Two
The Tragedy of Knowledge, The Resistance Trilogy, Book Three
Preservation
Love and Relativity (December 12, 2012)
Repossession, The Keepers Trilogy, Book One (2013)
PRAISE FOR AMARANTH
“A beautifully written story about love, sacrifice, and friendship that has a lot of fun twists and turns.”
-Seeing Night Reviews
“As wonderful and enchanting as its beautiful cover…”
-Shadow Kisses Reviews
“…a new, exciting, and riveting tale of love and loss. The part that really stood out for me was that it is not just about fighting for your love, your soul mate, but it was about redemption of an entire clan so to speak.”
-Alchemy of Annes Anomalies Reviews
“...I was hooked from the first chapter. I just wanted to step into the dark, dangerous world of Amaranth.”
-Fiction Fascination Book Reviews
“A fantastic journey from beginning to end.”
-Gothic Angel Book Reviews
“…far from ‘just another vampire book.’ ”
-Live to Read Book Reviews
“Amaranth was in NO way a direction that my mind EVER would have gone. Talk about beautifully written, Rachael built a world that is absolutely stunning!”
-Taking it One Book at a Time Reviews
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2012 Rachael Wade
Rabbit Hole Press
Orlando, Florida
www.RachaelWade.com
Cover Design: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
Editor: Arlene Robinson
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012949313
ISBN: 978-0-9840208-5-0 (Paperback)
DEDICATION
To anyone looking for closure. Acceptance is powerful.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to:
Dave and Patricia, the best support system a girl could ever ask for. I’m blessed beyond comprehension to have you in my life.
God, for His beautiful creation, forgiveness, and limitless love.
Book blogger and reader friends, for your enthusiasm, passion, and friendship. I love you all to the moon. Thank you for your support.
PROLOGUE
1. AVOIDANCE
2. FIRESTARTER
3. PURPOSE
4. HAUNTED
5. IDENTITY
6. OWNERSHIP
7. FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
8. DUST TO DUST
9. DÉJÀ VU
10. SIREN
11. LOYALTY
12. OMEGA
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
Amaranth, In the Beginning
Samira
Fury.
It was all I knew when he turned his back to stroll out of the room, and immediately, I knew it would consume me. I did not have a free will where it was concerned. Much as we are told we have a choice—a choice to love, to forgive, to accept—when you are the subject of choice, when it is your emotions you are to control and harness, free will slips away and the monster takes over. Desire and ability are conflicted. Whether I had an opportunity to surrender to its pull or rise above its ferocity, it didn’t matter then, because fury’s hand had already struck and ensnared me in its grasp.
“You will pay!” The words burst from my lips, and they instantly sounded weak. Desperate. Pathetic. Unsatisfactory. And yet they were all I could manage. He smiled and hesitated, then turned on his heel and disappeared behind the throne room’s doors. My husband had not merely betrayed me with his selfish affair and trapped me here in this realm; he’d influenced and caused me to lose the one thing that meant more to me than any bond he and I shared.
Arianna.
As I stood there, staring down at Dali and Akim, I did not regret turning them to wolves. No. I’d reveled in the decision. It was the only one I truly had.
***
Everything was blurry, the throne room still and quiet, except for the sound of Erica’s soft whimpers. Her sobs had transformed from heavy, wailing cries of grief to agonized, disbelieving whispers. I swished my wrist and snapped my fingers, and her husband vanished before her eyes, the pools of his blood disappearing with him, causing her to gasp and reach out as if she could actually stop him from disappearing. She sat slumped on her knees at the throne steps, rocking back and forth while she clutched her chest. It pleased me to dispose of Sean. He might have kept his promise to help restore my city to obedience, but it was not without a price.
Gérard had caught wind of my failure to control the people, and I could not bear to look at Sean’s face—the face of my ex-lover’s best friend—any longer. In addition, Arianna had fled the exile for earth during the uprising.
I’d never see her again.
I blinked and steadied myself, fighting the blurriness that invaded my vision, waiting for it to pass. Each time I looked into Erica’s eyes, some vague, uncomfortable ache bloomed in my chest, and I detested it almost more than I detested the sorrow I felt for taking her husband away. There was something else there, something that resonated with me so deeply, on such a human level, I feared I was losing my edge.
I was a frozen soul. A witch. A hybrid … a queen. None of those titles bent a knee to empathy.
Floating down the throne steps to stand beside her, I lifted my chin and gazed down at her, curious, working to place my feeling of discomfort. Her hazy, distraught gaze drifted up to mine, and the answer was there, in her bright irises.
Maternal love.
She was not merely mourning the loss of her husband, but the loss of her son. After I murdered her, Gavin would be orphaned. What would he learn of his parents’ deaths? Would he have the luxury of closure? Would he know that his mother loved him? All of these questions were blaring loudly, right there in those pupils, and I couldn’t stand the noise.
Bending down farther, I lifted her by the chin, feeling her frame tremble beneath me, and brought her to full height next to me.
“You think you know things,” I whispered, “but you’re really just asleep.” Snapping my head to the side, I sank my fangs deep into the skin of her neck and let her drop to the ground, quickly reciting a chant over her body to prevent the venom from causing her to shrivel up and suck the life from her completely.
Her screams commenced, the burning from the transition evident. I motioned to the guards to seize her, and they lifted her off the stone floor and carried her to the prison tower, where I’d store her as my personal keepsake. Surely, she would remind me I wasn’t alone in my betrayal.
Perhaps, as time passed, I could afford her the same comfort.
1
AVOIDANCE
“Damn it, Gavin!”
“Don’t ‘damn it’ me, watch where the hell you’re moving, babe!” The edge of his dagger pinned me in the shoulder as he encased me against his chest, the retractable blade slamming tight against my skin, closing against the handle. “You’re losing focus. The second I come at you from this angle, you’re already two steps behind me. You should’ve taken me down like yesterday.” He pulled the blade from my shoulder and released my elbow, stepping back with a frustrated sigh.
“Hey, you need to cut a girl a break,” I said. “I’m still new to this, and you’re not exactly the best teacher.”
“I’m not?” He stifled a smile, looking wounded.
“No, you’re not.”
“Well, damn.” Narrowing his eyes, he placed his hands on his hips and scanned our surroundings, the wide-open field a lively green hue highlighted by the pink and orange sunset. We were attempting yet another combat training session, this one a few miles away from my little yellow Louisiana house I’d returned to after a three-month absence. For those three months, we lived in the realm of Amaranth, a place of exile for reformed vampires who’d been turned human again by Samira, the queen of the exiled. On the surface Amaranth sounded like a good thing for vampires—also known as frozen souls—who wanted their curses lifted. In reality, it was another curse. Once returned to human state, the frozen souls were kept there against their will to feed energy to Samira and her king, energy that kept them in power.
We’d returned to Amaranth with hopes of destroying Samira’s kingdom and setting the frozen souls and Amaranthians free. We’d ended up with another mess to sort out. So, here I was, finally getting the chance to learn how to fight with the frozen souls’ silver dagger weapons. The problem was, I seriously sucked.
Part of the problem was that Gavin was just too fast—and impatient—for me. The other problem was I couldn’t stop ogling him while he taught me the correct techniques with the practice blades. Between his lean, tight biceps and muscular neck flexing against me during contact, his disheveled mess of hair, and the sweaty and torn white t-shirt that made him look like a bad boy from a rough neighborhood, my opponent and trainer was a drool-worthy mess of a distra
It was all sorts of crazy. And a major disadvantage during training.
But I was getting used to my hypersensitive skin, the constant yearning to run long distances, and the desperate urge to launch into flight at every turn: a few of the new lifestyle traits that accompanied being a vampire. As for the twenty-four-seven crazed thirst for blood … that part, not so much. Gavin and his friend Gabe were still trying to help me get a handle on that one, and so far, were failing. Epically.
“All right. Look,” he said. “I’m going to come at you again from the same angle—when you’re not expecting it—and I want you to deflect my strike this time. All it takes is one stab of this silver, and you’re instantly slowed down, do you understand? It can mean the difference between living and dying. One strike will make it easier for your attacker to land another strike, and then another. Each one making you weaker. Which means seconds until you’re completely incapacitated. Then they can do whatever the hell they want to you. Think of it as paralyzing venom.”
“Gavin. I got it. We’ve been over this.” I pulled my hair tighter in a ponytail and wrapped it with an elastic tie, positioning myself in front of him again, knees bent, arms up, stance ready.
“Then get it together. I need you focused.”
“Did I mention I really don’t like your bossy side?”
“Did I mention I really hate that you don’t do as you’re told?”
He met my stance with an amused grin, rubbing his hands over his shoulders to push up his sleeves. My gaze caught the movement, zoning in on his defined arms. I swallowed, and managed, “Do as I’m told?”
“Uh huh.” He shuffled closer with slow, easy steps. “Out here, I’m not your husband. I’m not your lover. I’m your trainer. It’s my responsibility to show you how to defend yourself. And it’s your job to listen.”
“I am listening. You just make it difficult … to stay focused.”
“Oh, yeah?” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my forehead, letting his fingers trail slowly over my skin while he peered down at me, licking his lips. “Why do I make it difficult for you to stay focused, love? Are you having a hard time keeping up?” Pushing the hair back behind my ear, he leaned in farther, grazing his nose against my cheek, smirking when he heard me exhale a low, shaky breath.
Damn him. “You know why.”
“Do I?” His grin widened.
“You do. And I won’t give you the satisfaction of hearing it come out of my mouth.”
“Cam,” he dragged his lips across my cheekbone to the base of my ear, “I can feel it, too. You don’t have to say it, because I’m in tune with your body like never before. We’re on the same level now. All that pent-up energy, trying to claw its way out of you …” Nipping my earlobe, he let out a low chuckle and skimmed his hand underneath the hem of my shirt, tracing the waistband of my jeans with rough, teasing fingers. My entire body came alive at his touch, blood singing, knees quaking, mouth watering. His scent was divine and his lips called to me like some wicked, elemental magic.
He knew exactly what he was doing. The bastard.
More than willing to play along, I inhaled a sharp breath and reciprocated, dragging my fingers down his torso, then back up, stopping just above his navel. His mouth still near the base of my ear, his breath hitched against my skin at the contact. Encouraged, I headed south again, rubbing and teasing, feeling him grow beneath my fingers, tilting my head to the side to expose my neck. He moaned and grazed his teeth over my shoulder and down to my collarbone, dropping his blade to the ground with a loud thud.
“You make me crazy. Do you know that?” He gripped my hips and pressed me against him. “Do you feel what you do to me?”
“It’s too intense,” I whispered, my voice breathy. I was already panting when he moved to the other side of my neck, nudging my head to tilt it in the opposite direction.
“I warned you. You had a taste back in Amaranth, right after you changed.” He started on the buttons of my shirt.
“But the pull is even harder to fight now. When you touch me … I have no self-restraint. Sometimes I feel like … like I can’t handle all the extra energy. Like I’ll detonate if I don’t act.”
“That’s part of the fun.”
“Gav … we’re in an open field.”
“Hasn’t stopped you yet.” He popped two more buttons. “I know you want me. Just relax and let me make you feel good, baby. That panic lessens when you give it an outlet.”
Shutting my eyes tight, I leaned up on tiptoe and wrapped my arms around his neck to kiss him hard, then released him and slowly sashayed in the other direction, challenging him from underneath coy lashes, the need to run singing in my veins. “Fine. And I know you want me, but you’ll have to catch me first.”
His mouth fell open and his brows raised, a surprised smile pulling at the corner of his lips; he was ready to take the bait. I surged forward into a turbo-charged sprint, clear across the field toward the woods ahead, feeling him feet behind me, fast on my trail. I blew through the edge of the brush and into the thick marsh, lifting off my feet into flight, deeper and deeper into the bayou. This was what I loved: running full–speed, then transitioning into liftoff. The wind rushing over my sensitive skin, the way my body sailed over the ground below, with the speed of a bullet emerging from a rifle and a gazelle’s grace.
The new ability exhilarated, even as it brought a pang of regret, remembering how I came to have it. After striking an alliance with our sworn enemy, Samira, our group caught the portal between her world, Amaranth, and ours, while it was still open, and left with the resistance to return to Louisiana to make new preparations. The resistance, comprised of rebel frozen souls on earth, and vampires-turned-human in Amaranth, formed a secretive movement to resist the vampire lifestyle that accompanied their curse; they didn’t hunt or harm humans.
Our reluctant agreement with Samaria involved Gérard, Samira’s absent husband, after we learned Gérard had a hold on her, using his magic to protect Amaranth and uphold his power. The only way to destroy that hold was to destroy its source. Simply bringing down Samira’s reign wouldn’t be enough to accomplish our goal.
Samira claimed she didn’t believe it possible to destroy Gérard, and if she was privy to such information, she didn’t seem interested in offering it up to us just yet. So Gavin and I decided to return to earth to visit Vivienne again, hoping her knowledge of hoodoo could help us, maybe even help find out if there was indeed a way to kill him. And to destroy Samira—our original plan—we’d need to find a way, because Gérard’s magic didn’t just control her, it protected her.
But when Gavin and I found Vivienne dead in her conjure shop, and discovered the warning Gérard left us there, the odds of us breaking the curse and becoming human again suddenly seemed worse, much worse. I hated what I’d become, and Gavin hated he was the one to turn me, but I was determined to focus on the positives … like enjoying my superhuman abilities.
With a soft crunching, my feet hit the dirt between two majestic oaks nestled together on the side of the bayou bank. Before I had time to turn and scan my surroundings, Gavin landed behind me and forced me forward, flush with one tree’s trunk, his front to my back.
“Oh, Mrs. Devereaux, you know how I feel about your teasing.” His hot breath skimmed the back of my neck as he restrained me. Pulling my wrists together behind my back, he spun me around, bringing us face to face. He pinned my wrists above my head against the bark with one hand and unhooked my jeans button with the other.
“You gipped me out of a training session and went straight for seduction,” I said between heavy breaths. “You deserved it.”
He let out a low, husky laugh and yanked down my zipper. “Hate to break it to you love, but you making me work for it isn’t punishment at all.”
I squirmed against him, a moan escaping when he deftly dipped his fingers into my panties and inside of me. “Gav …”
