United. (Book 5 of the Lupus Antiqua Series)

A few days earlier, in another part of the country...

Cadee Conway

“Cadee Bronwyn Conway.” She looks around, searching for that deeper than life voice that seems to keep calling her name. It whispers to her in a wicked way, full of darkness, blood, and death. It's terrifying. It's compelling. It's utterly irresistible.

She wanders hallways and rooms unfamiliar to her. There are no actual lights here, just dark rooms cast in a reddish glow that pulse as if there is a heartbeat, unheard, but no less present for its silence.

She wants to call out, to ask who was calling for her. But she can't speak past the fear in her throat. She wanders the hallways, and rooms, down and down further into the bowels of the place she is in, until finally, she comes to a ragged stone staircase leading into a malevolent watchful darkness, so full of rage and hatred that it makes her heart beat faster.

Panting now, she takes the steps one at a time, her footsteps seeming to echo through the darkness.

‘Boom.’ Another step.

‘Boom.’ When she's finally at the bottom, she finds herself in front of a solid door. It opens for her of its own accord. It opens silently, which is more alarming than if it made some noise. From within the blackened room, two red eyes stare out at her.

“Cadee...” That deep voice rumbles.

She wakes instantly, jumping up into a sitting position; covered in cold sweat and hyperventilating. The dream always goes the same. She’s been having it every night for as long as she can remember.

“You’d think I’d be used to this by now.” She mutters, hating how breathless she sounds. She throws back her covers and stands up. She sways there for a moment and then her equilibrium takes effect, and she autopilots through her morning routine; attending to the necessary, washing her face and brushing her teeth. She keeps the light off because her eyes are so sensitive.

When Cadee looks up to check her reflection, for just a split second she sees a huge figure behind her; staring down at her with red eyes, reaching for her shoulder. She gasps and whirls around only to find that she's alone. She leans against the counter and takes a few deep breaths to steady herself.

“Get a grip Cadee.” She mutters. She brushes her white blond hair and pulls on some jeans and a T-shirt, making her way downstairs.

“Morning Cadee wadey.”

“Uncle Connor when will you stop calling me Cadee Wadey?”

“When you stop being adorable.” He ruffles her hair and winks at her before walking out of the kitchen.

“Mom, control your brother!” Cadee’s mom, Annie turns to look at her daughter with amusement in her eyes, which quickly changes to concern as she takes in Cadee’s tired appearance.

“Are you okay sweetie?” She walks over and moves a piece of hair out of Cadee’s face.

“I’m okay mom. Had the dream again and it transferred into reality for a second. It’s nothing. I probably wasn’t awake enough.”

“Or it’s...”

“No. No, it can’t be.” Cadee says, her agitation evident.

“Sweetheart, denying it will not make it untrue.”

“What does dad say?”

“He knows what I did. He wasn’t happy about it, but he understands that fate is fate. Ramaah can protect you, sweetheart.”

“So can Dad! He’s the toughest Enforcer there is.”

“We have talked about this. Your father is powerful, but not even he can take a Nephilim alone let alone all of them. You will reach your eighteenth birthday today, and the enchantment we had put on you will wear off. They will come for you.”

“Then we get another True Witch to renew the enchantment.” Cadee counters.

“Don’t you think I have reached out to them? They agreed to do it when you were a baby because I appealed to them that you should have a childhood outside of the influence of the Nephilim. They will not fool with your destiny again. It is against their laws.” Cadee sighs and sits down at the kitchen table in defeat.

“Why can’t I pick my fate just like everyone else?”

“Because you aren’t like everyone else baby. You were born half pureblood vampire. You may be mostly human, but you will stop aging, and you will live an immortal life. Just because you do not use the powers you have doesn’t mean they are not there. What you see, you see because Ramaah is reaching out to you, not because you imagine things.”

“Why can’t you let me live in denial?”

“Because I love you. Do you remember our motto?” Cadee sighs.

“Honesty above all else, even when it hurts.”

“Exactly.”

“Where is dad anyhow?”

“He’s on a mission for Prince Vairos. He’ll be back in a few days.” Cadee swallows down her dread.

“He’ll be back to take me to that place?”

“Yes, baby.”

“You want me to free him?”

“I want you to do what you want to do. I made a promise to that creature that I would make sure you showed up at the Society one day. What you do from there is your decision. You don’t have to release him if you do not want to. But I have raised you to be your own woman Cadee. Your choices are your own, and I will love and support you no matter what.”

“Thank you, mom.”

Her day drags on from there. She goes through the motions of her last day in High School before graduation. She signs yearbooks and smiles for selfies.

She hugs people she doesn't even know and promises to stay in touch with people she’ll never see again. When the last bell rings signaling the day’s end, she wanders the deserted hallways soaking in her memories.

High school hasn’t always been the best, but it holds many fond memories for her. Every hallway, the way the lockers look, the classrooms and the computer labs. She commits them all to memory one last time.

The whole day has a pall of darkness over it. She checks her cell phone. In approximately three hours and forty-five minutes, she will be eighteen years old, and the enchantment will wear off.

Her father will come for her and take her to the society where she will meet with Ramaah for the first time. Hell of a graduation present.

She regrets never having a boyfriend. It’s not that she hasn't wanted one. No one ever asked her out, and she’d been too bashful to take the initiative and ask. Cadee is and has always been very shy. With one last look back at the familiar hallways, she goes outside, making her way home; Stopping occasionally to talk to friends she hadn’t caught at school.

“What is your name child?” She freezes and turns around. A man stands behind her, wearing an expensive looking suit. His hair is ice blonde, and his eyes a cold blue. Power pours from him in waves. He is frightening. Everything in her tells her he's bad.

“I don’t give out my name to strangers sir.” She says, her voice shy and quiet. He cocks his head.

“Forgive me. Your beauty stunned me out of my manners.” He bows a little at the waist like an old-timey gentleman making her blush furiously. Her reaction seems to please him because he smiles at her. It's probably meant to be reassuring, but it's predatory, and it scares her.

“Well, I need to go. Have a nice day.” She turns and begins walking away, checking her watch again. Why had she decided to walk home, and meander around the school? She shouldn’t have let herself get caught up talking to friends on the way home either.

Very soon it will be six thirty. She has three minutes left. When six thirty hits, she will no longer be seventeen, and no longer protected.

The man behind her, watching her run away is not human. In fact, she's fairly sure he's a Nephilim. She’s never met one. But she had met Prince Vairos, and this creature feels more powerful. That can only mean one thing.

She can see her house now, just down the block. Glancing at her watch, she panics. She has fifteen seconds left. She hits the sidewalk in front of her house when she runs out of time.

The man she’d left behind is suddenly in front of her, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape as he looks at her with new knowledge. He stops her momentum with his hands to her shoulders.

“You...” She sighs, adjusting her book bag over her shoulder more securely.

“Me.” She murmurs.

“Finally.” He says reverently. He bows to one knee before her, shocking her. She looks around frantically hoping no one is looking out their windows.

“Please get up.” She whispers. “Please.” He stands immediately.

“You are the Queen.” She flushes.

“I’m no queen. I’m just a girl.”

“No. You are the Queen. You were foretold.”

“My mother told me.” She says sadly.

“You do not wish to be Queen?” He sounds genuinely confused.

“I just want to be normal.” She admits shyly, expecting recrimination from him.

“Why would you want to be normal? You will be the most powerful woman ever to exist. Your future is greater than just normal.” She looks him in the eye. He makes it sound so excellent.

“And the world will pay the price for my ascension.” She says sadly. That's what gets to her the most. She's destined to bring on the apocalypse. No life pressure right? Bullshit.

“No. The world will pay the price for what they have done to the King. Your rewards will be great for righting the wrongs your mother’s people have done him.”

“It wasn’t humans who imprisoned him.”

“It was. Humans, and Fallen.”

“Surely the entire human race isn’t responsible for the actions of a few?” He cocks his head at her.

“That is something you should discuss with the King. I would tend to agree with you. But he is not as forgiving as I.” She sighs, making him smile. He reaches out and touches her cheek. Her eyes widen as he does so. “You have a pure heart.” Desire blazes to life in his cold eyes, scaring her. All of a sudden her vision is overcome in red, and a mind not her own lashes out through her eyes.

The Nephilim before her drops to the ground, clutching his arm. The fit passes in a few seconds, and her vision returns to normal. She gasps and kneels beside him, reaching out to help him.

“Do not!” She halts.

“What can I do?” After a minute he sits up.

“I should not have touched you with desire in my heart. You belong to Ramaah.”

“What...was that him?”

“You did not feel his presence?”

“I sure felt something.” She mutters.

“I was punished. And rightfully so.” They both stand up again. “I will take you to him.”

“No! I mean no thank you. My father is coming to take me. I want to go with my family.” He considers her for a moment.

“You’re mother told you everything?”

“Yes. She told me of the deal she made with Ramaah. She wants to hold up her end of the bargain.”

“Your mother is honorable.”

“Always.” He nods.

“Should you need aid, I will not be far from you.”

“What is your name?”

“Asmodeus.” She wrinkles her nose at him.

“Isn’t that the name of a demon?” he smirks at her.

“Wildly misrepresented I assure you.” And then he's gone, leaving her alone to walk into the house. She sees her mother has been watching the exchange from the kitchen window, worry in her eyes.