Kristie Cook - Devotion

I blanched. She couldn't have known I could read her mind, so she simply thought words she couldn't bring herself to voice, but her fear of what Julia did to her alarmed me. She flipped her arm out and red indentions marked her skin in the crook of her elbow. I sucked in a breath. Bite marks. That was enough for me. I flicked my hand and, as she'd expected, the door slid open.

The girl sat motionless for a long moment, as if she wasn't sure what to do. I stood perfectly still, not wanting to frighten her. When she still didn't move, I took a step and crossed the threshold.

A high screech rented the air.

A blur of motion flew at me.

Her ears suddenly pointed up beyond the top of her head. Her eyes glowed pink. Her lips disappeared, exposing rows of pointed teeth filling her mouth. Hairy claws stretched out in front of her, aimed for my face. I noticed all this in a fraction of a second as she sailed toward me.

My hand flew up and an electric jolt shot at her, throwing her to the corner she came from. She flew at me again. But a force jerked me out of the cell, and the door slammed shut, her body crashing against the other side. She let out a feral wail, muffled by the stone. Strong arms engulfed me, trapping me against a hard body.

"Damn it, Alexis. Don't you listen?" Tristan growled. His voice was full of anger, but his hand gently stroked my hair.

"What was that?" I whispered. My heart still pounded against his abs.

He flashed us to the suite before answering. "Remember the potion Jordan and the witch created, the one that mixed the qualities of all the Daemoni creatures?"

I nodded.

"And you remember no one knew the exact recipe for it after his witch-lover died, but the Daemoni kept trying to recreate it?"

I nodded again.

"They've been experimenting all this time. For centuries. They finally came close with Lucas, but he was a grown man when he drank it. They thought giving the potion to a man and a woman before conception would allow them to create the strongest, most powerful warrior ever. And they did."

"You," I whispered.

"Yes, me. But Lucas and I were the two exceptions. Every other experiment has gone wrong, producing things of your worst nightmares."

"And that was one of them?" My voice came out hoarse, filled with horror.

"Over the years, the Amadis have found a few experiments, abandoned by their creators. They keep trying to see if they can ever get through to them, overcome the evil and find any humanity, possibly convert them. They haven't succeeded yet."

I dropped to the bed, my hand over my mouth.

"But why would Julia feed off of her?" I asked.

"Julia would never–"

"I saw the marks."

"You also saw what you thought was a harmless, young girl," he said softly.

I nodded with understanding. "Illusions. Deceit. She's still just Daemoni."

Was this the girl being hidden? Did the traitor have some kind of plan to use her against us?

Tristan sat next to me and folded me into his arms. "Do you remember, in the beginning, how I had to fight to keep control so I wouldn't kill you? That's why they created me, why they keep trying to create warriors–to hunt down and kill the Amadis. I had nearly twenty years of being Amadis before I met you, twenty years to learn control, and I still hadn't mastered it." He tightened his arms around me. "She would have killed you without a thought."

The day I'd been dreading for three months–the day of the coronation ceremony–dawned bright and beautiful, mocking my dark mood. Every time the ceremony had been brought up, my insides squirmed uncomfortably, but I tried not to think too much about all the attention it would bring. As if the curtsies and the head-bows weren't bad enough, the whole island would be paying tribute at once. I wanted to run away and hide. When Mom brought me the dress I was supposed to wear, I silently and profusely cussed at the fact that I couldn't flash off the island.

The dress looked very much like my traditional Amadis wedding dress, only it was lavender instead of white. The straps on the leather bodice were slightly different and amethysts, rather than diamonds, lined the band encircling my neck. The silk, A-line skirt was surely shorter, though, several inches above my knees. I loved the color and the stones–my favorites–but nothing else. And this time I'd be seen in it by more than family and a handful of strangers.

"So why do I have to wear this–" I flipped my hands at myself, particularly my boobs, which were about to fall out of the bodice "–and you get to wear that?" I asked Tristan when I saw him dressed and ready to go.

His outfit was comparatively simple–black dress pants and a black, silk, button-down shirt–though he looked especially stunning in it.

He eyed me appreciatively and grinned, the gold flecks in his eyes shining brightly. "Because I pulled some strings so I'd get to see you in something like that again."

I narrowed my eyes, but he was teasing. He shrugged unabashedly.

"So I had nothing to do with it," he admitted. "It is traditional. But if I did have any say, I'd definitely choose this for you."

I stuck my bottom lip out. "I thought you loved me."

"I do." He brushed his lips across my forehead. "And I love showing you off."

"This is so unfair," I muttered, tugging at the top of the bodice. As with every other part of me, the Ang'dora enhanced my boobs, and whoever made this dress must not have taken that into account.

We flashed to the little holding room in the Council Hall, where Solomon, Rina and Mom waited. The fact that Mom's and Rina's dresses were similar to mine–Mom's was a darker purple with both amethysts and diamonds around her neck and Rina's was a deep violet with large diamonds–didn't make me feel much better. They surely felt just as uncomfortable as I did, even if they didn't show it. Rina favored floor-length gowns and Mom was more casual, like me, though Mom preferred dressy jeans and blouses, while I believed life should be lived in shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. They both looked exquisite, of course, making me wonder how I could ever think I was now as beautiful as them. It simply wasn't possible.

Before we could go to the arena for the ceremony, we had to wait for all of the council to arrive. Many had been delayed because they'd been helping Martin with a situation in Italy. As I wondered–and wished–if they might cancel the ceremony, I noticed Rina's head cock slightly, and a second later I, too, picked up on the new mind signatures in the building.

"I will be back in a moment," Rina said. "Julia requires me."

With the mention of Julia's name, I identified the vampire's mind signature. She waited in the large, archaic meeting room with the round, wood table. Another mind signature hovered nearby as well, though Rina didn't mention anyone accompanying Julia. It was the same signature, with the same strange, almost-mage-like texture, as I'd heard the other night in the woods. Rina was gone before all of this registered. Should I warn her the traitor was there, too? I hadn't told her about the incident in the woods, and there was no time to explain now. So, I listened to see what I could learn.

Rina and Julia didn't speak aloud. Too many people had way-too-good of hearing, and I was sure neither of them wanted eavesdroppers. My impenetrable shield wouldn't allow me to listen to both of their thoughts at once, but since they "spoke" to each other, I didn't have to. I listened through Julia's mind–Rina would sense my presence in her head.

"What is so important it cannot wait until after the ceremony?" Rina asked.

"Many people are restless with Tristan here," Julia said. "Some of the council members, and others, demand that he leaves the island soon. Alexis and the boy, too. They want to know today when they'll be leaving."