Bound by Truth

Prologue

––––––––

Someone once told me to be careful what I wish for because I just might get it. I should have listened. How was I supposed to know that demanding to know the truth about the secrets my family had kept from me would change my life forever and leave me questioning everything I thought I knew about myself and the world?

Learning the truth about who I am hasn’t been easy. It’s not every day that you learn you aren’t human. Deep down inside, I always knew I wasn’t normal, but I never in a million years would have guessed that I am actually a hybrid. A mixture of fairy and vampire.

It’s crazy, I know. But at least I now understand the craving for blood that has tortured me for the last two weeks and the magical energy inside me that sometimes makes me feel like I’m losing my mind. I’m learning new things about myself and my abilities every day. I’m not too thrilled about it, but there is really nothing I can do to stop it.

My mother was a Lenoi fairy. Princess of the Lenoi fairies, actually. And I’m sure she would have been an amazing mother to me if she’d been given the chance. Despite recent unfounded claims that she is still alive, I know she was killed long ago when I was just a baby. Even though she didn’t die in the manner I had been told, it doesn’t change the fact that she is still gone. I think it hurts even more to know the truth surrounding her death than it did when I thought she had died in a car accident.

Knowing that she gave her life to save mine by sending me away to live in the human world with three protectors to guide me through life, hurts on a level I can’t even begin to understand. I had always missed my mom, but now I ache for her and the sacrifice she made for me. I can only dream of possessing the kind of strength she had.

My father, who I had also been told was dead, is a vampire. And very much alive. If you can call him that. I’m still fuzzy on the details of how I came to be since vampires and fairies hate each other, but here I am. I guess I should be thankful that my parents somehow got together despite the hatred between the two species. But considering that the details of their relationship have been kept from me whenever I’ve asked about them, I have a feeling I’m not a product of a loving or possibly even willing relationship. The thought horrifies me.

The first time I saw my father, Drycus, was a little over a week ago. At first, I was highly intrigued by him despite the deadly aura that surrounded him. And for a moment I had allowed myself to think I might actually be able to have a relationship with him. I guess that says a lot about me, doesn’t it? That I wanted to get close to a blood-thirsty vampire, who I knew was a killer.

Contrary to the many times my friends, Alyse and Nolan have told me that I’m not crazy, I honestly think I am. I’d have to be to want Drycus in my life. But then again, he is my father. And I had spent my entire childhood pining for the parents I’d never gotten the chance to know.

I truly wanted to get to know him.

I wanted to love him.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to. My desire to be near him quickly vanished when one of his clan members killed my Aunt Meg right in front of me. I lost myself for a little while after it happened. Grief is a very powerful thing. And so is vengeance. I’m aware of what I did after her death but when I think about it, I don’t see myself killing Caleb. I see the woman my father wants me to be. Evil. Cruel. Heartless.

I still remember the taste of Caleb’s black blood in my mouth. It was so different from the blood that I crave. The blood that I need to survive. The rancid flavor had made me feel sick inside. Even now when I think about it, my stomach twists into horrible knots. It’s almost as if his blood had somehow made me sick. Thankfully, the pain didn’t last long. But it makes me wonder exactly what the blood of other vampires will do to me if I ever ingest it again.

When I refused my father’s offer to return home with him, he kidnapped three of my friends to lure me back to my birthplace. Shohala Falls. It was the worse day of my life and it still keeps repeating over and over in my head, fueling the rage deep down inside me. The need for revenge burns in my veins. No matter how much I tell myself that I can never be like my father, I fear that I can be...that one day I will be...exactly like him.

The hunger for blood that I inherited from him is all-consuming. It’s been at the forefront of my mind for days. Not being able to eat normal food anymore has limited my choices for sustenance. Blood is the only thing that will satisfy my hunger and it’s the one thing I won’t allow myself to have.

It’s bad enough I lost control of myself and fed from one of my friends who had been murdered by vampires and inadvertently brought her back to life. At least, in Mandy Hillis’ case, I didn’t take her life, I somehow gave it back to her. How it happened is a mystery. But I’m still afraid...afraid of losing control again and hurting someone.

Now that all the magical binds that were placed on me when I was born have broken, my Lenoi magic has returned. Along with it, is my ability to see things. Things I don’t want to see. Visions. And even though I’m still new at all this magic stuff, I know without a doubt that if I ever take an innocent life I will doom myself to becoming the same monster that my father is. I feel it in every fiber of my being. Restraint is what will save my soul, even if it doesn’t save my life.

I know goodness lives inside me, even if it is shadowed by darkness, it’s still there. And I will do everything in my power not to lose it. Because once it’s gone, once the light I inherited from my mother is extinguished, I will lose myself to the evil in my blood forever. And I would rather die than let that happen.

If the vision I had as a child of my impending death is correct, my suffering won’t last much longer anyway.

Even though I know my death will destroy the man I love with all my heart, sometimes I pray that it comes sooner rather than later. And that my pain will be gone. Our forbidden love was never meant to be in the first place. How could it? I’m an abomination...a creature who was never supposed to be born. But no matter how hard I’ve tried not to love Nolan, my heart just won’t cooperate.

My only hope is that when I do die, he will forgive me and be able to move on with his life without me. Nolan has been my protector since the day I was born and the love of my life for as long as I can remember. And all I want him to do is forget about me. For his sake.

So here lies my struggle: I’m a vampire/fairy hybrid with some serious daddy issues. I’m in love with a man I can’t have, even though he loves me too. And I suffer daily with a thirst for blood that I refuse to give in to because if I do, it will be the end of the world. The vision I had last night confirmed it.

I saw myself with the same pitch black eyes as my father as I stood in the middle of a field bathed in blood. Hundreds, if not thousands of corpses scattered the ground. The triumph I felt as I gazed over the bodies - my hunger still not sated - was absolutely terrifying. So many people were dead, but still I wanted more.

I craved more.

With the images from my latest nightmare – or should I say vision - still fresh in my mind, I knew I was making the right decision. It was the only decision I could make. Returning to my birthplace was the only way of saving the people that I cared about. My friends didn’t deserve to die at the hands of blood-thirsty vampires. And the more distance I put between myself and the human world, the better for their safety.

Forcing my legs not to buckle under the weight of the weapons and supplies in the backpack I was carrying, I led the way down the sandy beach of Pride Lake hoping that I was strong enough to fulfill my destiny.

The eradication of all vampires.

Including my father.

Chapter One

––––––––

Kaia, what are we doing here? Alyse asked as she followed behind me with Nolan and Mandy at her heels. I thought you said you knew how to get back to Shohala Falls?

I glanced over my shoulder to my friends. I was still trying to come to terms with their true identities. As well as my own. Both Alyse and Nolan had shed the magic-infused jewelry that had allowed them to blend in with the humans and now embraced their true selves, mainly because I was no longer in disguise. Not that I had a choice. When the magical binds on my magic broke, my appearance changed in ways that I’m still trying to accept.

Nolan is a Lenoi fairy like me and since our true look isn’t much different from humans his appearance was only slightly different. He was still tall, his hair held the same dark brown color with golden highlights. The only differences now were the color of his eyes - instead of being the blue they were when we were in hiding - they were now silver. And the shape and size of his ears - they were no longer small and rounded, instead they were now slightly elongated and crested with a pointy tip. I guess you could say he had a bit of an elfish appearance.

The two major differences between my appearance and Nolan’s is the fact that I have fangs and he doesn’t. And the translucent shade of my skin. I had always been pale, but now my skin was so white that it is almost see-through. Each and every blue vein in my body was visible. To me, I look more like someone out of a science fiction movie instead of a fairy princess.

Alyse’s changes were a little more drastic. I had never seen her true form as a Pixie until a few days ago. I was used to her being shorter than Nolan and I, but she was now barely four feet tall. Her ears were twice the size of mine and Nolan’s even though her head was much smaller. She had always had petite facial features and I was glad that hadn’t changed. To me, she still looked like my best friend. Only shorter with bigger ears.

Her size didn’t take away from the fierceness that radiated off of her. She was definitely not someone to be taken lightly.

My gaze fell to Mandy Hillis and a twinge of guilt twisted in my chest. Her solid white eyes reminded me of what I’d done to her. I still wasn’t sure how I did it, but somehow I brought her back from the dead after she was attacked by vampires and killed.

Maybe it was the bite I gave her dead body as I drank from it. Or perhaps it was my magic that brought her back. I don’t know. All I know for sure is that we are now connected in some way. It’s a connection that continues to grow and change as time passes. Sometimes I can even feel what she feels. It’s a new talent that I’m not exactly fond of. Dealing with my own messed-up feelings is hard enough without being bombarded with Mandy’s.

I focused my attention on answering Alyse’s question. If what Aunt Meg said in her letter is correct, then I do know the way home. Just follow me.

We continued down the beach until we reached the wooded patch of land at the bend in the lake. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon as the morning fog lifted above the tree tops. I noticed Nolan watching me as we made our way through the woods to the rock he had shown me a little over a week ago. I avoided meeting his gaze out of fear that I would lose my resolve to stay away from him.

Over the last few days as we gathered supplies and covered up our disappearances, I had thought a lot about us and the future I wish we could have. The connection that opened between us that had allowed me to see his memories of our past together had also allowed me to feel the love he has for me that he’s been keeping secret. Every time I think about it, my heart breaks all over again. Because no matter how much we love each other, it won’t change the future.

In the end, we won’t be together. One of us will be dead and the other will be left to deal with the loss. Life is cruel and unfair. But we each have to play the cards we were dealt. All I can do is accept my fate and try to lessen the pain that Nolan will endure when I’m gone. But that’s easier said than done.

The first step of my plan is to put as much distance between us as possible no matter how much it hurts me to do so. All my life he had pushed me away thinking it was the right thing to do, now it was my turn to push him away. It was the only way to ensure that in the end he will be able move on without me. The last thought caused a horrible pain in my heart.

As I stared at the rock centered between two large trees, in the middle of a lush flower bed, I couldn’t believe it had only been nine days since Nolan and I stood in that very same place. So much had happened in such an incredibly short amount of time. The thought stuck in my head, bringing back the awful memories of the last week.

What I wouldn’t give to go back to a time when I was ignorant of the horrors in the world. For as long as I can remember I had always hated being overly protected and watched like a hawk. Now I desperately wanted someone to protect me, to tell me that everything that happened was just a really bad nightmare. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. It was my turn to be the protector now. It was up to me to save my friends. Sara, Gary and Lucas were innocent pawns in this whole mess. They didn’t deserve to die because of me.

I knelt down beside the rock and pulled the book left to me by my grandmother from my backpack. I glanced to the red painted handprints on the rock and the names beneath them. I now remembered the day Nolan, Alyse and I had put them there. It was so long ago, but even back then when I was just a little girl, I knew my way home. I just didn’t realize it at the time.

I opened the book to the first page and read the small passage that was written by my grandmother. Queen Izola.

Kaia, the incantations in this book are written in the ancient Lenoi language. I have translated them into English for you so that you know what each spell is for. Study the translations and learn our language. The time will come when you will need to use these spells but they have to be spoken in the ancient language for them to work. The medallion is one of only two in existence. It was created using the magic and blood of our ancestors. You will need it to go home. It has the power to create protective shields, enhance your existing magic, and it will help you pass through barriers that have been created in Shohala Falls against vampires. Be careful and know that I’m always with you – Love, Izola.

I stared at the page and an image of an older woman wearing a long, flowing white silk dress flashed in my mind. I saw her staring out the window of a majestic stone castle. Dried tear streaks marred her perfect face. She looked down at a book in her hands and closed her eyes as more tears slid through her lids. It was the same book I now held in my hands.

I pushed the vision of my grandmother to the back of my mind and turned the page in the book. The first spell I saw was the one I needed to open the portal that I could feel was somewhere nearby. I studied the words carefully, repeating them over and over in my mind, trying to match the English words with the words of the Lenoi.

After a few minutes, I looked to my friends and sighed deeply. Let’s hope I don’t screw this up too much I said and tightened my fist around the blue sapphire medallion in my hand. I quickly recited the first spell, hoping that I pronounced the words correctly.

As soon as the last word left my mouth, I felt a disturbance in the air behind me. I didn’t even have to look to know that the door to Shohala Falls was now open. I could feel it. The connection to the other world was instant. It tugged at me, urging me to turn around and face it.

I can’t believe it. She actually did it Alyse said in a stunned voice as she and Nolan stared past me into what moments ago was just trees.

The wide-eyed, mesmerized look on their faces told me how homesick they were. I turned around to face the shimmering space behind me. I tried to see through it to the other side to get a glimpse of what awaited us, but I saw nothing but a ripple in the air between the two worlds. Indecision suddenly flared in my chest making me question whether or not I really wanted to go through with my plan.

So many questions popped into my head all at once and I ignored them all. I couldn’t allow myself to really think about what I was about to do. I couldn’t take the chance that I might chicken out and change my mind. Instead of paying attention to the warning bells going off in my head, I reached for Mandy’s hand then looked to Alyse and Nolan and said, Let’s go. I don’t know how long this thing is going to stay open.

Nolan seemed hesitant. Are you sure you want to do this? he asked and locked eyes with me. There was so much emotion behind his gaze. His attention shifted between me and the portal. I could see that he was torn between wanting to go home and wanting to keep me safe. You don’t have to do this now, Kaia. We can wait until you have more control over your magic. His voice was calm but there was a pleading tone to it.

We don’t have time to wait, Nolan. I frowned and thought about Sara – my human friend that was now in the clutches of my sadistic father. Our hesitance could cost my friends their lives. If they’re not already dead I said the last sentence in a low voice so that no one else could hear.

I didn’t want to think about the possibility but I knew there was a good chance Sara, Gary and Lucas were already gone. They were the prisoners of vampires. It would be insane for me to really believe they were safe and waiting for me to rescue them. The thought of never seeing Sara again caused a pain in my heart.

We don’t have time to second guess my decision. We need to go now I said and turned my back to Nolan and Alyse. I put the medallion in my backpack and looked to my right and saw Mandy staring straight ahead. Her eyes were just as cold and lifeless as they had been since she returned from the dead, but there was something different about her now. She looked scared. It was the first emotion I had seen on her face in days.

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze then we stepped forward, into Shohala Falls.

I’m not sure what I had expected to see when we crossed over. Maybe the castle from my dreams or the rolling green hills. Or maybe even the faces of dozens of hungry vampires. I don’t know. But I definitely didn’t expect to be standing in the middle of a barren forest. All the trees were either dying or already dead. Broken tree limbs and wilted vines scattered the ground.

I felt the air settle around me and knew the door back to the human world was closed. I looked over my shoulder to make sure Nolan and Alyse were behind me. They both met my gaze