A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)

A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)

Bella Forrest





Vita



“It means the last Daughter of Eritopia is about to wake up.”

Draven’s words echoed in my head as I tried to process the information. My mind felt clouded, like someone had pressed the pause button on the flow of time.

Phoenix had plunged a knife into his chest beneath the magnolia tree.

The earth had swallowed him whole.

The magnolia blossoms were swollen red, making the tree’s crown look bigger and creepily beautiful.

And we all stood there, half of us exhausted from trying to dig Phoenix from the impossible ground, and all of us stunned at the sight of the tree.

My heart broke for Serena, who was using her True Sight to look for Phoenix underground. Judging by her wide, glimmering eyes and gaping mouth, she saw something down there.

“What do you mean she’s about to wake up?” I asked, trying to regain some control over my shattered senses.

“The magnolia tree is like a lifeline. It connects the Daughter in her chrysalis state to Eritopia itself, to nature,” Draven explained. “According to little-known lore, a blood sacrifice can be made to summon a Daughter. And based on everything you’ve told me about what Phoenix did and the color of the magnolia blossoms, there is no other explanation. She’s going to wake up soon. She’s been summoned.”

“I can see him,” Serena wheezed. “He’s down there with her.”

“Is he okay?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I…I’m not sure,” Serena replied, squinting. “He’s inside a shell, curled up next to the Daughter. There are these red veins lining the inside of the shell. They pulsate with light in regular intervals, like a heartbeat. But Phoenix isn’t moving.”

“That shell does more than just host the Daughter,” Draven said.

“I don’t care about the stupid shell right now, Draven. I care about my brother,” Serena snapped. “I can see him. I can see his chest move! He’s alive! But I don’t know how to get to him. We need to get him out of there!”

“It’s out of our hands now, Serena.” Draven maintained his composure.

I tried to mirror Draven, taking comfort in the fact that Phoenix was still alive, according to Serena. I stood unsteadily. My knees quivered, but I managed to keep myself upright. Aida joined me.

I felt weak, my soul tattered and worn out. I took deep breaths and attempted to focus on something, anything that would keep me standing. I looked around and found Bijarki’s steely blue gaze fixed on me.

I held it, and the view before me came into full focus.

The incubus seemed to be a sort of anchor for my shattered concentration. I tried to clear my mind, while his silver-blue irises held me steady.

He didn’t have to say anything. He didn’t even have to move. All I needed was his gaze attached to mine, and I found that I could again form a coherent thought and step away from the verge of collapse.





Serena





Hansa’s groans at the sight of her dead sisters still rang in my ears. I could still see the succubus nurse ending the misery of the last scout, before the Destroyers’ poison forced her to die a more painful death.

Despite all that, I’d returned to the mansion with a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth, still tasting Draven’s lips on mine after our kiss, and still seeing snippets of life through his eyes from our mind-meld.

Now, however, all of that felt like a thousand years ago as I probed the ground under the magnolia tree with my True Sight and watched my brother. My stomach twisted in knots, and my eyes burned from all the tears I’d shed. My hands hurt from the shovel I’d used to try to dig him out. The earth didn’t want to let go of him.

He lay inside a shell of a most peculiar pearlescent pink, crossed by red veins that thickened and glowed, as if the Daughter drew some kind of energy from the magnolia tree through its roots. Phoenix was curled up in a fetal position. His chest rose slowly with each breath. He was still alive.

Whatever he’s doing down there can be fixed. I can get him back.

I was transfixed by the scene, because, if not dead, Phoenix seemed to be sleeping next to the last Daughter of Eritopia. Her hand rested on his chest, and her skin was so pale it was almost white. Her long, flowing hair was a violent reddish pink.

“Draven,” I said, “these red veins from the shell, they seem to converge into her back. I’m guessing she’s being fed through the spine?”

Everyone else was silent around us. I couldn’t look at anyone. All I could do was focus on my brother and not let him out of my True Sight. My heart thumped in my chest. Adrenaline still rushed through me.

The frustration with not being able to do more ate away at me and gnawed at my heart. Anger bubbled up.

“The shell is her egg. It’s how the Daughters come to life. I reckon the veins are like feeding tubes for her, connecting her directly to Eritopia. Is she moving?” Draven asked.

“No. She seems to be asleep. Same with Phoenix. What do we do?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay even.

“Digging obviously doesn’t work,” Field interjected. “Do we wait?”

“Wait for what?” My tone was sharper than I’d intended.