A shade of vampire 74 a.., p.1
A Shade of Vampire 74: A Piece of Scythe, page 1
A Shade of Vampire 74: A Piece of Scythe
Bella Forrest
Contents
Also by Bella Forrest
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Main Cast List
Family tree
1. Taeral
2. Eira
3. Amelia
4. Riza
5. Varga
6. Amelia
7. Harper
8. Harper
9. Vesta
10. Seeley
11. Taeral
12. Amelia
13. Herakles
14. Amelia
15. Taeral
16. Riza
17. Taeral
18. Taeral
19. Amelia
20. Raphael
21. Taeral
22. Herakles
23. Harper
24. Vesta
25. Taeral
26. Taeral
27. Amelia
28. Eva
29. Taeral
30. Amelia
31. Vesta
32. Taeral
33. Lumi
34. Taeral
35. Seeley
36. Amelia
37. Taeral
The next Shade book
Read more by Bella Forrest
Also by Bella Forrest
A LOVE THAT ENDURES
(New! Contemporary romance)
A Love that Endures
HARLEY MERLIN
(Fantasy/romance/adventure series)
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
HOTBLOODS
(Supernatural romance. Completed series.)
Hotbloods (Book 1)
Coldbloods (Book 2)
Renegades (Book 3)
Venturers (Book 4)
Traitors (Book 5)
Allies (Book 6)
Invaders (Book 7)
Stargazers (Book 8)
THE CHILD THIEF
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)
THE GENDER GAME
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
(Supernatural romance)
Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Season 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk (Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Season 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Season 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)
A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)
A Den of Tricks (Book 54)
A City of Lies (Book 55)
A League of Exiles (Book 56)
A Charge of Allies (Book 57)
A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)
A Battle of Souls (Book 59)
Season 8: A Voyage of Founders
A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)
A Land of Perfects (Book 61)
A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)
A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)
A Camp of Savages (Book 64)
A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)
An Edge of Malice (Book 66)
A Dome of Blood (Book 67)
A Purge of Nature (Book 68)
Season 9: A Birth of Fire
A Birth of Fire (Book 69)
A Breed of Elements (Book 70)
A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)
A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)
A Search for Death (Book 73)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
A Shade of Dragon 1
A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)
The Breaker (Book 2)
The Chain (Book 3)
The Keep (Book 4)
The Test (Book 5)
The Spell (Book 6)
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
(Supernatural romance)
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
DETECTIVE ERIN BOND
(Adult thriller/mystery)
Lights, Camera, GONE
Write, Edit, KILL
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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Copyright © 2019
Nightlight Press
Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Main Cast List
Amelia (daughter of Erik and Abby Novalik – vampire)
Eva (daughter of Azazel and Tamara – druid/lamia/vampire)
Herakles (creation of Ta’Zan – Faulty)
Raphael (creation of Ta’Zan – Perfect)
Riza (daughter of Horatio and Aisha Drizan– jinni)
Taeral (son of Sherus and Nuriya – fae-jinni)
Varga (son of Ashbik and Ruby Goode – vampire-sentry)
Family tree
If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree
Taeral
I’d never thought our connection to Cerix would run so deep. At first, I’d seen it as a wonderful coincidence—to have disco
Knowing that it was also the secret home of Eirexis, the first of three pieces that made up Thieron, Death’s scythe, managed to add more value to this planet and its civilization. We’d come a long way since we’d first set foot on Cerix, all the wiser in two weeks, give or take. I’d lost track of time, counting the days not by hours or minutes, but by the number of fae that continued to fall ill under the Hermessi’s influence.
We were dangerously close to four million, now, and five million was just around the corner. It would bring about the end of days, in a most literal sense. Thousands of worlds wiped out across the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension, maybe even beyond. Billions of lives, gone in the blink of an eye.
Time wasn’t on our side, and we’d made few and shaky alliances along the way. Brendel kept Hermessi children hostage on Yahwen, using them as leverage against the elementals who stood against the ritual. Among them, Kabbah, the oldest and most powerful, on equal footing with Brendel, had finally chosen his side—even though his daughter’s life was at stake, he’d helped us more than once, and chances were he’d do a lot more by the end of this fight. The few rogue Hermessi left scrambled to assist our cause in any way they could, but we’d lost Ramin and had no idea where or how to find the others. Death hadn’t made it any easier. She’d tasked us with finding and retrieving Thieron for her, the only weapon that would work against the Hermessi and put an end to all this.
Despite the adversities and the fact that our loved ones were in mortal peril—some worse than others, like my father and the Novak fae—my crew and I kept moving forward, relentless in our quest. We’d barely made it out alive after our last stop in Nevertide, and we were headed into even more dangerous territory.
As soon as we passed through the portal and set foot in The Shade, I felt as though I could breathe a little easier. Nothing had changed, but there was something about this place that offered clarity and peace, when everywhere else weighed down on me like a ton of rocks. Derek and Sofia came to greet us, spreading love and hugs to all the crew.
“I cannot express how relieved I am to see you all here in one piece,” Derek said, gripping my shoulders and smiling. “You’ve come farther than most of us would’ve, to be honest.”
“You flatter us,” I replied.
“This is bigger than anyone thought,” Sofia chimed in. “Derek is right. You were handpicked because of your abilities and your character, but mostly, you were chosen because of how well you work together.”
“We’ve served our time in the field, more than most,” Derek added. “It’s not my intention to flatter you, but rather to encourage you. The future is yours, Taeral, and I can’t think of anyone better to fight for it.”
“Thank you for having us,” Lumi said, offering a soft smile. “We do need to regroup and plan our next move.”
Derek and Sofia escorted us into the Great Hall, merely yards away from the portal. All around us, redwoods towered like quiet giants, the moonlight slipping through their thick crowns and casting its ethereal glow across the island. This was a haven, not just for supernaturals, but for all creatures who sought peace and comfort, who fled the horrors of war and hatred. No wonder it made me feel better.
Eira was still shaking next to me. She’d had no time to process our encounter with Death. It had gone from enlightening to deadly violent in minutes, since the Hermessi had come after us between worlds. I couldn’t think of a more devious and shameless attack strategy than to hunt us down through the blank white space between pink water caves. Fortunately, Amelia had encouraged the pink waters to take us to Nevertide, after the entrance to Persea had been compromised.
“We heard you had quite the welcoming committee on Nevertide, this time around,” Derek said. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sarcasm. He didn’t often serve up such stinging dollops, and I treasured each of them. They were part of what had made him such an iconic figure in GASP. “I’m glad Kabbah came through for you. Where is he now?”
“We’re not sure,” Amelia replied.
“He’s out there in the ether, rallying the rogue Hermessi. He’s looking to form a reliable crew of elementals, and fast,” Fallon replied. It came as a surprise to us, though not entirely unexpected, since he’d helped us twice already. Maybe he’d finally chosen his allegiance.
“How do you know?” Derek asked, eyeing Fallon carefully.
The vampire-fae frowned. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but there are residues of his thoughts in my head from his possession.”
“That’s interesting,” I replied, though a little concerned. “Would you be able to remember more?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know if there is much else left up here,” he said, pointing a finger at his temple. “I wouldn’t dare say yes. What I can confirm is that he had every intention of going full rebel after our encounter in Nevertide.”
“I take it he’s going to help us further down the line?” Sofia asked as we took our seats around the council table. I’d even missed the feel of its smooth glass surface, which Phoenix and Dmitri had recently outfitted with magi-tech to display images and workable keyboard buttons. It was like a giant, highly functioning glass tablet, powered by serium batteries, and I loved it. She moved to pull up an image of Cerix at the center of the table, complete with the most recent data. “He’s not just going to sit on the sidelines?”
Fallon nodded. “He’s out to sabotage the Hermessi children’s detention on Yahwen, first and foremost. He wants his daughter free and safe, and he knows that other rogues will feel empowered if they see him involved. That’s what I’m making out of these memory bits, anyway. I mean, I understand his reasoning.”
“I’m even inclined to assume he’s going to have a group of rebel Hermessi shadowing us along the way, too,” Lumi added. “That’s what I’d do if I were him. Or keep an eye on this crew, myself. Brendel’s become much more vicious now that she knows what we’re after. Our only advantage here is that, after she snatched Thieron and broke it into three pieces, she was no longer able to touch them. She can’t move them from wherever they are.”
“We know Eirexis is on Cerix, but it’s good to know that, wherever the other two are, she can’t lay a hand on them or move them,” Acantha said.
“It also means they’ll be waiting for us on Cerix.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I gave Eira a brief glance. She was pale, her breathing ragged, but she was gradually recovering. She’d been through enough already, much more than any other Cerixian—except, perhaps, Inalia.
Derek added a new profile to the Cerix display on the table. It highlighted a picture of a woman, seemingly middle-aged, with long, curly brown hair and green, foxlike eyes. I recognized her tunic uniform, as I’d seen it on Dellon Figgen before—the former prime minister of the Cerixian Empire, disgraced and imprisoned during our first visit.
“We sent a delegation over to Cerix shortly after you left, as you may recall,” he said. “They’ve been sending daily reports, not only on the Hermessi cult’s activities but also on the state of this diplomatic relationship we’re trying to build with the Cerixians. So far, so good, though there hasn’t been much progress in capturing more cult members.”
“Who’s that?” I asked, nodding at the curly-haired woman, though I pretty much knew the answer already. That tunic was unique to Figgen’s former role.
“The new prime minister, Medina Gahad,” Derek replied. “She’s been vetted and selected by Emperor Tulla himself. She served on the Defense Ministry prior to Figgen’s arrest.”
