A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(46)

She walked around, and I followed her bare feet in the tall grass, the white linen dress brushing against her thighs. As I took the whole sight of her in, I began to wonder what it was about her that had me so entranced. There was this invisible string tying my heart to hers, in a connection that transcended time and space. But I could never tell what she was thinking or feeling, no matter how much I tried. The mind-meld I attempted didn’t work. She hadn’t even felt my attempts to sneak into her mind, as if she were impervious to my sentry abilities. And yet I depended on her presence. Even more strange was the fact the she seemed to mirror my various states. If I was tired, she yawned; if I passed out, she passed out as well. I couldn’t help but wonder how deep this connection really was.

She started picking wildflowers, putting together a colorful bouquet of purples and yellows, occasionally glancing at me. Each time my heart thudded.

I sighed and relaxed against the tree. Its bark dug into my back. After what felt like a quarter of an hour, my vision started to become blurry, but I didn’t move. It was as if my mind was slowly detaching itself from the material world.

The view in front of me started to change. At first, it was so subtle I didn’t even realize what was happening. It was as though a clear film had been lowered on top of the original image. There was the mansion, the tall grass and bright sun, the summery breeze blowing through the pink magnolia trees, and the wildflowers lazily stretching outward from rounded bushes.

But the Daughter wasn’t the Daughter anymore. I recognized Elissa in her stead, walking toward the edge of the protective shield while picking flowers. She had her back to me, occasionally looking over her shoulder to give me a reassuring smile. Her dark hair was combed back in a loose bun, and I caught a glimpse of some of the black runes on her wrists. Her marks were permanent, but she didn’t seem to mind. She had her eyesight and was grateful enough for that much.

My eyes burned, and my vision went blurry again, but I could still see her in the distance. I tried to shake off the uneasiness of watching her so close to the shield. With each step she took, my concern amplified.

Before I could say anything, she turned and blew a kiss in my direction. My cheeks felt warm. I didn’t feel like I belonged in that picture.

Was that for me?

A slight movement to my right drew my attention. Almus, Draven’s father, sat next to me, watching her. His gaze softened, and he smiled at her, pretending to catch the kiss she’d sent his way.

I was experiencing a vision of the past all by myself, with no herbal catalyst. I could feel myself beaming with pride as I turned my attention back to Elissa. My heart stopped once I saw her go past the protective shield, the invisible membrane glimmering slightly as she walked through it. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t safe, but my words refused to come out.

The closer she got to the swamp, the more alarmed I got, to the point where I stood up and started walking toward her. The image before me trembled, and I saw Elissa fading away like a colorful mist.

I froze when I saw the Daughter standing outside the protective shield. She held the flowers to her chest and smiled at me. Shadows moved through the trees behind her, where the jungle began. My stomach tightened as the prospect of shape-shifters came crashing into me.

“Come back here!” I shouted after her, grateful to have my voice back.

Her smile faded, and she frowned at me, as if I’d upset her. She didn’t know the danger that lurked behind her. I started rushing toward her, my heart thumping violently.

“It’s not safe. Get back here now!”

The Daughter was still, watching as I ran to her. The confusion on her face only added to my aggravation. A clock ticked in the back of my head, as if counting down an unknown number of seconds before a shape-shifter would come out of the woods and attack her.

Not a second later, I saw one rushing from beneath a thick green shrub, ugly and livid and foaming at the mouth. It growled and jumped at her, its claws out as it slashed at her back. She screamed, and I stumbled to my knees, floored by a sharp pain in my back as if something had cut clean through my skin.

I watched helplessly as she fell forward, her flowers scattering all around. The shape-shifter morphed into her, hissing and circling her like a predator enjoying the sight of its weakened prey.

I reached around my back to identify the source of the searing pain, and I felt three long diagonal cuts through my shirt. My fingers ran over the wet fabric, and I pulled my hand back to find a worrying amount of blood smeared all over it.

It dawned on me that my connection to the Daughter was far stronger than I had originally assumed. My pulse raced as I struggled to stand. The pain in my back was so intense that it made it difficult for me to move without panting. I needed to get to her, and I was too weak to send out a barrier using my mental power. I tried to push one out, but barely a whiff emerged.

The beast jumped at the Daughter, going for the kill, and I shouted out in desperation.

An arrow whistled past my head. Its end was adorned with red and black feathers. It shot through the air and pierced the shape-shifter’s neck mid-jump. The creature fell backward and writhed in pain, its shrill sending shivers down my spine and scaring the nearby birds away from the trees.

I then saw Anjani run past me, crossbow in her hand. She sprinted across the grass and reached the Daughter beyond the shield. She shot another arrow through the tormented beast, killing it. She helped the Daughter up and dragged her back inside the safe zone.