“We live in dangerous times, you and I, my dear. I’ve been around for centuries and as such, I am aware of those who seek to do us harm. Joining the Elusti, an organization that takes the law into its own hands, was my way of keeping a close eye on my enemy. Outwardly, its rules may be seen to assist the law; covertly, they hunt those who are different. Those who have power, they crave more than money. Your husband doesn’t know this, but he knows enough, and called on the duke for his assistance with you. You see—you are quite a problem. An errant wife, who will not comply, who has secret liaisons with the Roma. One, I might add, who has magic in her veins. But you spurned me, and I dislike being disrespected by a mere woman. You only have yourself to blame, really. In delivering you, I ensure the vampires continue to thrive unnoticed. It is called survival, my dear.”
Rage erupted through her veins and filled her with an energy she lacked these last several days. “You bastard. You’re a traitor—I could expose you for what you are.”
He flew from the wall and gripped her throat, digging his sharp nails in her flesh. “Do you imagine they would believe a single word you say, my dear? My talents go way beyond my speed. I can make them forget in the blink of an eye. Remove thoughts from their puny minds or introduce notions they never had while draining them of blood. I detest humans, but unfortunately this planet is overflowing with them. I wanted you because you’re unique. But, alas, you’re far too stubborn to control. I cannot gain your compliance like the humans, and I fear you’re too much trouble.”
Gabriel released her and stepped back, eyeing the door. “I wish it could be another way, but if I’m right—we’ll meet again.”
The vampire had been as guilty as Sir Charles, her husband at the time, for her death and that of the Roma, Raven. Memories of her previous life as Lady Elizabeth swirled around. In 1815, she took her marriage vows, unaware of her rising magic. She had no clue of her heritage, but it was different now.
When a foul stench rose around her, the ghosts from the past disappeared, and blood-curdling screams brought her back to the present.
Ella spun around, facing a bloody battle scene. Chaos surrounded her and for a moment, she froze, unsure what to do. Marcus was at the edge of the beach, fighting several monsters, and the cats from the island were jumping on the creatures’ backs and clawing at them, only to be tossed aside. Ghostly skeletal and sinewy figures swarmed the wedding party like ants, wielding swords and brandishing axes and slicing down those in their way. The creatures dragged thick swirls of mist from the ocean, making visibility patchy at best. The moans and yells grew louder.
When a one-armed corpse hollered and lunged at her with his silver blade held high above his mottled head, Ella launched into action. Luckily, with her attacker’s reduced eyesight, his aim sucked, and he missed, giving her time to duck out of the way. The sudden movement ripped the delicate seam of her dress, revealing her stash of weapons strapped to her legs. Grabbing her knife from the holster secured around her thigh, she twisted around, ready to fight back, but hesitated for a second, unsure where to stick her weapon into the boney carcass to cause maximum damage. A silver breastplate covered the creature’s chest.
Cries and roars surrounded her. Ella couldn’t believe the chaos and plunged the knife into the monster’s side, where pink muscle and torn flesh hung loose. The creature wailed but managed to grab her throat and squeezed it tight. His sharp skeletal bones tightened, shutting off her air supply, stealing her breath. Blinking to stay awake, she watched as a blurry figure grabbed the decomposing form. In one fluid motion, he snapped the creature’s neck and ripped the head off, dropping it to the ground. Heaving in a lungful of oxygen, she didn’t have time to respond as Roman, the prince of vampires, whisked her off the ground to stand next to Isabella on the wedding dais. The vampire pulled her in close and hugged her tight.
“I should’ve known…” she said, still catching her breath. “I detected a foul scent earlier. It smelled like a dead body,” Ella said. Being a soul-shifter, one of her talents was to detect other creatures by their scents. She crouched low with her small blade out in front, backed against Roman, Isabella, and several vamps as the fog swirled around them.
“That monster would’ve killed you, Ella. How the hell did they get through the wards?” Isabella asked.
“I would like to know the answer to that,” Roman yelled.
“The wards were set up so no one would get inside…” Isabella shrieked.
“Well, the undead are definitely here and they weren’t on my guest list. These creatures don’t abide by normal rules. They are deadly assassins who’ll keep coming until they have achieved their goal. The only way to kill them is to sever the head. Nothing else will work. But for us to do that, we need to be able to see them. Now would be a good time to use your unique gifts to get rid of this infernal mist!” Roman hollered.
“You think I haven’t already tried?” Isabella replied.
The prince switched his gaze between the women and the battlefield, obviously weighing up the odds. Ella tilted her head, calling out for the spirits to help to disperse the fog that blanketed the ground.
“You need to leave. There’s too many of them,” Roman shouted. He nodded at one of his guards. The vampire grabbed hold of Isabella’s arm, but she struggled in protest.
“I’m not leaving. You can’t ask me to, Roman. This is my
