Rising Son (The Juliana Lucio Series)

The Juliana Lucio Series:

Rising Son

Book Two

L.C. DeCarlo

Dedicated to:

My family, with thanks and gratitude.

For without them this would not have been possible.

Thank you for your belief in me, and for pushing me to

continue.

“And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stolen out of holy writ;
And seem a saint,
when most I play the devil.”
--
William Shakespeare,
Richard III

Chapter One

The basement. I was back in the damn basement. I had woken here before, and it was just as unpleasant this time around as it was previously. My name is Juliana Lucio, and the first time I woke here was a few nights after I had been turned into a vampire. Then the night before faking my death I woke in this same bed covered in dried blood, from self-inflicted wounds. Yeah, I definitely hated this room. Especially, because this time I was waking up here not knowing if my Sire, and lover had just betrayed me, and possibly cost my son his life in the process.

The basement is completely bare aside from the bed, and a chair in the corner. The walls are red brick and slightly cracked in places from age, there’s no light, but then again we’re vampires, so it isn’t really an issue.

Besides, I try to stay out of this room when at all possible.

My mind was scrambling trying to figure out what was going on. Last night I went to
rescue my son from a powerful master v
ampire,
Nathaniel,
and with the help
of
my lover William and his best friend—My Sire, Ana, I ended up killing the bastard
Nathaniel
in the process. We made it home just before sunrise, when I conveniently passed out, but not before I discovered William and A
na are part of a group called, t
he Council. They have the power to very possibly force me to turn my own son, or kill us both for my refusal; simply because Christian was witness to vampirekind, and now knows I’m alive.

                                       
* * *

There was a soft knocking on the basement door creating a slight echo in the bare room, making the sound seem more ominous than it probably was.

“Jules. Can I come in?”

William was outside the door, if I was being held prisoner I wondered why he even bothered asking. I frantically started looking for a weapon of any kind, but of course, there was nothing.

“Just a sec!”

I took a look at what I was wearing and saw I still had everything on from my leathers to my shoes from the fight last night. That might mean I still had my knife. I had concealed it in a waist band holster, making it almost completely unnoticeable; with sunrise already here when they moved me they most likely didn’t have time to search me. I made my way toward the door, feeling for the knife through my shirt, I wouldn’t pull it out unless I absolutely needed it. I didn’t want to reveal my only weapon.

“Come in.” I tried to sound forceful, but found I could hardly stand I felt so weak.

William opened the door, and came in slowly, keeping his hands visible, I wasn’t sure if it was intentional on his part or not. William was a tall, lean, and sexy vampire. I often called him my half-demon half-angel because of his mix of devilish good looks and angel like manners.  As he came into the room his dirty blond hair fell forward, slightly covering his dark brown eyes, it always seemed to be perpetually messy. William had always been there for me, until now.

“Jules, you look terrible, are you feeling okay?”

“You always did know just what to say to me, didn’t you William” I replied snidely.

He at least had the decency to look apologetic, “It’s not like that Jules, you know that isn’t what I meant.  You were weak last night too; it’s obvious you need to feed. Using that much compulsion is going to take more time to learn, and harness, it was too much, too soon.”

“Really. Well, I feel just fine. Tell me where Christian is and we’ll both be out of here. Tell the rest of your Council I can and will make him forget. So there is no need for any of you, to go after either of us.”

“We aren’t going after anyone, and you don’t have to leave.” He started to reach out for me, but I took a step back from him and he lowered his hand.

It was hard being on opposite sides from William, but what was I supposed to do, he and Ana both betrayed me when they kept the secret that they were pa
rt of the law keeping society, t
he Council.

“What have you done with my son?”

“Christian’s at the hospital, he’s going to be fine. You and Ana did a great job on him. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

“Which hospital is he at? I’ll swing by, erase his memory and be done with it.”

I moved toward the door, stumbling a little as I went. William quickly reached out to steady me before I fell.

“Do not touch me,” I growled at him, jerking my arm free.

I kept my gaze straight ahead. I couldn’t look at him, I didn’t think I could hold up to the betrayal I’d find in his deep brown eyes, the ones I had mistakenly thought I was starting to see love in. He slowly lowered his hand from where it had been on my arm and turned, forcing me to face him.

“Jules, please . . . let me explain. It isn’t what you think,” he said pleadingly.

“What I think is I was sleeping with the enemy this entire time, and never even knew it. Did you and Ana get a good laugh at my expense, seeing me lose my mind over my son? What I don’t understand is why you ever did it in the first place.”

I didn’t really expect an answer nor did I want to stay in the basement another minute longer, so I continued toward the door. My vision was getting blurry, and I could feel my fangs lengthening. I really needed blood and quickly.

“Jules . . .”

“You don’t get to call me that anymore!”

I fled from the room making my way up the stairs; I’d find Christian on my own. He was most likely at the
closest hospital to here anyway
. As I ran from William and up the stairs I made my way to the library, it was one that rivaled any public library I’ve ever seen. It had a huge fireplace covering half of an entire wall and one of my most recent discoveries, secret rooms full of weapons and underground tunnels to help aid in escape from both the sun and enemies.

I said a silent prayer as I came into the room that I wouldn’t run into Ana. I didn’t want another confrontation or for them to stop me from leaving altogether.  I needed blood and to find Christian as quickly as possible, in that order. I could sense William coming up behind me even in my weakened condition.

“Are you going to stop me from leaving?” I asked him before he had a chance to reach me.

“No, but we--”

“Then leave me alone.”

I made it out the back door and into the yard, the only problem I
faced
now was how I was going to get out. In the past if I wasn’t driving William’s Audi R8 or riding on the back of his BMW with him, I’d just jump over the wrought-iron fence; given I could hardly walk I didn’t think I could make the seven foot jump.

“Juliana, you’re being ridiculous! It is too dangerous for you to be out alone like this, let me help you.”

“Right, just like you were ‘helping’ me before. I don’t think so.”

I had made it around the house and was staring at the fence. I had to hold myself against the tree for support.
How in the hell was I going to get out of here?

I looked over at William, “Fine. You want to help me? Open the gate so I can get out of here.”

“Let me go with you so I can explain. I told you before I would explain everything once we were finished with Nathaniel, let me do that!”

“No William, I know enough. You and Ana are part of
t
he Council, the ones who will kill both my son and I, if we don’t do exactly as you say. What more is there to know? Now, if you will please open the gate so I can leave.”

He didn’t say anything else, just reached behind the tree I was leaning on, and pressed a small catch opening the gate.

“Of course, another fucking secret,” I mumbled walking through the gate.

“Jules, you don’t cuss.”

“Yeah, well
apparently
things change, and I told you not to call me that anymore.”