Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (57 page)

“We both know you are very knowledgeable in the subject. It seems silly to have you take it, especially now, with finals just around the corner.”

“Oh, well, thank you, I suppose.” I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I had no problem taking the test, it seemed only fair, but I was also a little relieved not to have to deal with it at all. Mainly since finals were the following week. As was Christmas. Oh, and my boyfriend was in the wrong body.

Ugh!

Would Oliver actually be spending our first Christmas away from me and with Kiera’s family? That would seriously break my heart. Our first Christmas together, and we wouldn’t actually be together. I had a quick image of me crying all day. I really hoped Felix was making progress on how to fix our “little” problem.

Pulling myself together, I spent some time
with Amber going over the books she’d set out. In more detail, she explained some of the topics that she had taught in class. She even gave me some bits of interesting information that she told me was usually kept very hush-hush. It was pretty exciting info, and it was even more exciting that she had shared it with me.

Time passed quickly, as it usually did when I was learning from Amber. Another one of her classes would soon be starting, and it was time for her to head back to her astronomy classroom. I stayed in her apartment while she was gone.

It was weird to be alone in her place. Before she left, she told me not to open the door, for anyone. Not that there was anyone scheduled to stop by, she just wanted to make sure I stayed safe while I was alone.

For a long while, nobody came. It was just the books, that out-of-place Spartan statue, the fancy antique-looking furniture, and me in the quiet of Amber’s home that always had a subtle hint of vanilla.

I flipped through a book on dragons for a moment, but I was distracted. That Spartan statue was weighing heavily on my mind. I got up to take a closer look at the statue that stood on the table against the wall behind the couch. It was worn and had a bronzed look to it. It was just so out of place in Amber’s elegant home.

Amber had told us that the statue reminded her of a warrior from Sparta
—someone she had met long ago—but she wasn’t direct about who this Spartan was.

But it didn’t take a genius to figure this one out. Added with the conversation we’d had a few days prior, it was only one more piece of the puzzle
was compiling.

I wandered around her home a little more, not getting into anything, but
just checking out the place.

Unlike the rest of the world, there was no Christmas décor in Amber’s place. I wondered if maybe she didn’t celebrate the holiday. And if not, why?

I crept down the hall. The back part of the apartment was dark, and I didn’t go around flipping on all the lights so I could see the rest of her place. I tried peering into the dark room down the hall, but we’re talking it was
very
dark back there, which made it creepy.

I planted my butt back on the pale blue couch and reminded myself that Amber had trusted me to be left alone in her home. I didn’t want to lose that trust.

I traded the dragon book for one of the journals and flipped through it, reading sections here and there.

Amber had observed and studied every creature imaginable. This particular entry was on forest creatures of North America. It seemed liked pure fiction as I read an entry that listed cactus cats, mimic dogs, trolls, leprechauns, and Sasquatch. I had lived in a pretty heavily wooded area in North America my entire life, and to my knowledge, I had never encountered such creatures.
Hell, I didn’t even know what half of those creatures were!

I closed the journal and set it aside. As I reached for a book about mermaids, I noticed the tattered spine of a journal in the middle of one of the
other stacks. I pulled it free and opened to the first page.

I recognized Amber’s writing. The page was dated so long ago that it made Amber well over a thousand years old
… Which meant Felix and Levi were even older… Holy. Shit.

After my initial shock, I continued reading.

Corbin arrived today… He brings word from my beloved brother! Levingston, Draven, and Felix will soon be joining me! I am looking forward to seeing the three of them once again. Their travels have kept them away far too long.

Corbin tells me that my brother and his companions have encountered a grand kingdom whose prince is destined to bring balance and peace to our worlds. Corbin
says this means we will no longer have to hide who we truly are. He says that we will soon be able to stop lurking in the darkness. Could it be true? Can this prince truly unite the realms? Perhaps this future king will help us find the hope which we have lost.

I do look forward to meeting this future king, the one who is destined for greatness.

Corbin will not say, but I believe my brother is coming for me, to take me back with them. Perhaps my betrothed has found a place for us to settle. Perhaps this grand kingdom will be our home. Perhaps my betrothed is once again ready to complete our union… Oh, I do hope so! I have waited far too long to be called his wife, and his mate… Far too long.

It is getting late. I must tend to Freydin before the sun sets and he is gone hunting for the night.

Ambrose Genevieve Everstar SaVan

I sat there a moment, possibly stunned, as I soaked in what
I’d just read.
Draven?
There was just no way… Right? I mean, my father had an unusual name, but he also wasn’t from America. Maybe his name was common wherever he was from. And why the hell didn’t I know where he was from? Shouldn’t I know this kind of thing about my own father? I knew my mother was from Phoenix… Come to think of it, I didn’t know much more than that. I knew how old my mother was when she married my father, how old she was when I was born, and how old she was when she died. Other than that, I didn’t know much more.

I had no idea how old my father was. I knew he was older than my mom, but I couldn’t imagine by m
uch. I’d seen the wedding photos…

The date Amber had written… If I was doing the math correctly, these people (vampires) were at least fifteen-hundred years old. At least! Again, holy shit.

I turned the page, eager to read more. The next entry was dated only a few days later.

I was correct! My brother has come for me! He has told me all about the kingdom
where he is taking me, and more about this future king whom he has placed his hope. I want to believe what my brother and the others are saying. They all say this prince will soon bring balance to the worlds. However, I fear it has been too long. Bringing peace to the worlds, to have peace between every realm, seems too good to be true…

Nevertheless, I will go forth and make this trip with my beloved brother and his companions. It is sure to be better than being cooped
up in this stuffy old castle for another century.

As for my betrothed, I fear he does not welcome my company on this journey. I am greatly saddened by this thought. However,
Alexander
Draven (even after all of these years, it is still difficult to forget who my dear friend truly is)… As I was saying, Draven has reassured me that this shall be a wonderful adventure, for all of us. I do so miss our adventures together…

I moved on to the next entry.

Lady Josephine grows restless with talk of us leaving. She will not say why. I suspect it is due to the fact she would like to join us, but Draven has told her she cannot. He has told his mother that she is to stay and see to it that the palace is kept in order. He is leaving her in charge as acting regent. This troubles her. I hear her sobbing in the night. With her visions, I truly believe she has seen her son’s final demise. Or, perhaps, she is merely putting on a show in the hopes that Draven will allow her to join us. Either way, I will trust Draven’s decision. I always have. I always will.

Fully engrossed, I flipped the page to read the next entry. Before I could even get started, I heard a key in Amber’s door. I quickly stuffed the book back where I had found it. I jerked the mermaid book from the other stack and opened to a random page as I sat back and pretended to read.

I knew my heart was beating too rapidly, and I knew she would hear it. There was nothing I could do rather than act surprised. And surprised I was when Felix was the one to come through the front door.

“Oh, hello, Delaney,” he said as he closed the door behind
him. “I was unaware you would be here.”

I took my chance to cover up the speeding of my heart. “Yeah, you surprised me too.”

“I can hear that,” he said, a one-dimpled smile appearing. “I just came by to pick up some books Ambrose left out for me.” He came forward and bent over to examine the stacks of books that were on the coffee table. “Ah,” he said, “I believe these would the ones.” He took the stack with the journal I’d just been reading and tucked the books under his huge arm and wished me happy reading. Then he and the journal were gone.

Holy crap! Was I not supposed to be looking in that stack?

I nervously awaited Amber’s return, hardly comprehending anything as I flipped the pages of the mermaid book. Had I just uncovered a major clue into my own life? Was the Draven that Amber spoke of my dad? She’d accidently referred to him as Alexander, which was my last name. Could it be that my father had once gone by our last name? Maybe many, many, many years ago? Even before that journal entry? Had he changed his name to hide who he truly was? Amber knew, she said so in her entry…

And was this Josephine my grandmother? Was my middle name after her? Could I ask Amber? Could I ask Felix? He seemed to know a little too much about me, and my family…more than I did, anyway.

What if Amber got upset with me for looking at that journal? But shouldn’t I be the one with the right to get upset? Did everyone around me know who my father was? Did Oliver? Had he been himself, I would’ve called him and told him to come and get me. Then I’d confront him about it.

Wait
… Was this one of those things he’d been sworn to secrecy about? Were they all bound by magical contracts and could not tell me even if they wanted to? Maybe Amber had left the journal on purpose, so I would find it… Did she want me to have the answers?

And Amber, how the hell could she be so old? She hardly looked much older than me! Felix and Levi looked like they were in their mid-thirties. Did this mean they were a lot older than
she was?

Wait…D.

Holy…crap.

Oliver.
On a handful of occasions, he had referred to the coven leader as D. He’d also once told me that Felix, Levi, and their coven leader had been close, that they had, the three of them, along with Amber, been a part of history… What the hell?

My mind was spinning. If this Draven and my father were the same man…
Phoenix.
Holy crap! Was he my brother? He was the son of the coven leader. His mother had died when he was born… He was two years younger than me… I was two when my mom had died…

No,
it can’t be true. It was all a coincidence. It made no sense. Why would they want to keep Phoenix and me apart? Why would my father keep Phoenix and ship me off?

But…why would Phen be so concerned about my wellbeing? It couldn’t be that he cared about Oliver so much that he was concerned for me. No, then he
would’ve just asked Oliver if I was okay after the Zane incident. Not specifically ask to speak to me…

I couldn’t think about it anymore. It was making my brain hurt. It just couldn’t be true. Could it?

I mentally stored away this information. I tried to clear my head and focus on the mermaid book. It wasn’t working. My eyes fell on the door of Amber’s home. Another question popped into my mind. Why the hell did Felix have a key to Amber’s apartment?

Unable to focus, I pondered all of the information I had uncovered and that I had suspected for some time. I planned to ask Amber.

However, when Amber returned, I found that when face to face with her, I could not ask.

There were reasons for my father’s secrecy. I needed to believe that what he did, what he was doing, was for the best.

Like my mother’s ghost had told me when she’d paid me a visit on Halloween, she didn’t agree with my father’s choices, but she trusted him. Even in her afterlife, she trusted him. I needed to do the same. Plus, this may all have been a coincidence. Amber’s Draven might not even be the same Draven. Maybe it was a popular name somewhere. Maybe…

That night I left Amber’s feeling overwhelmed, emotional, and lonely. I wanted my Oliver back. I wanted to curl up in his lap, feel his strong arms holding me, and his cool lips on mine.

I wanted to know the truth about my dad. But most of all, I wanted Oliver and Carter back to themselves, and at that very moment.

Well, that, and maybe a chocolate milkshake.

Kiera was fine
. She didn’t appear to be mad at me (Carter) at all, and I wondered if it was a trick. For as little as she was, she was slightly frightening. She was also unpredictable, and without my ability, I was on edge when she was near. I wondered if this was why Carter often felt the same way. If so, it was no way to live.