Shade of Mystery

Bella Forrest

Description

The Spirit Bender is destroyed forever, vanished into nothingness by Death herself, never to return again. But Thayen, now a grown man, has discovered a peculiar ability thanks to the soul shard still lodged in his heart. When a mysterious and shocking event occurs on the island, Thayen wonders if he is somehow responsible... but that doesn't explain the strange, shimmering gash that was spotted in the redwood forest. Or the fact that the Reapers confirmed absolutely no death magic is at play.A new mystery lurks beneath the surface...

Informations

• Publié par: Distributed by eBookpartnership
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798626570564
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 2020
Hot Pancakes Ltd
www.hotpcakes.com
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
NEW GENERATION LIST
Thayen - Adoptive son of Derek and Sofia
Richard - Son of Jovi and Anjani (Wolf-Incubus Hybrid)
Astra - Daughter of Phoenix and Viola (Daughter-Sentry Hybrid)
Isabelle - Daughter of Serena and Draven (Sentry-Druid Hybrid)
Jericho - Son of Caia and Blaze (Fae-Fire Dragon Hybrid)
Voss - Son of Aida and Field (Wolf-Hawk Hybrid)
Dafne - Daughter of Lethe and Elodie (Ice Dragon-Human Hybrid)
DEREK
T he smell of fresh blood tickled my senses.
I woke up with a smile on my face. I’d been waking up with a smile on my face ever since we brought Thayen into our lives and our family. Twilight reigned over The Shade, and I could see the stars twinkling through one of the windows of our redwood treehouse. I had my Sun Room if I ever missed the daylight, but after what happened on Visio with Unending-when I lost my vampirism and got it back again-I was just happy with what I had. I gave up wanting more from my species. We were perfect just the way we’d been made. I could hear Thayen’s footsteps padding across the floor. We’d added another level to our treehouse, which he’d converted into a studio of his own. Despite having all the amenities, he still enjoyed coming downstairs in the morning. It was a routine I’d grown accustomed to, especially on Sundays when Rose and Ben joined us, as well. “Derek, is that you, honey?” Sofia asked from the kitchen below as I made my way down the spiral staircase. “The sound of your voice is what gets me out of bed every morning,” I said. She set a pitcher of the fresh blood
I’d smelled earlier on the round glass table of our breakfast room. Sofia looked like a postcard, the auburn hair flowing over her shoulders a subtle match with the red and white tiles of the open-plan kitchen behind her.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. She giggled against my lips when I refused to let her go. “You’re mighty chipper today!” she replied, tilting her head back so she could look me in the eyes.
“Did you know you hum the same song every morning when you make breakfast for us?”
Sofia frowned slightly. “I do?”
I hummed it, and she laughed before humming it again. I loved listening to her voice as I opened my eyes to each new and wonderful day.
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said, smiling and hoping she could feel my love with every breath she took. “It’s a nice tune to wake up to.”
Thayen’s voice made us step apart as he entered the breakfast room. “You should try something more grungy next time,” he said to Sofia. “I like a little bit of rock in the morning.”
“I’ll have you know this song had a rock version, too. About a hundred-and-fifty years ago, give or take,” Sofia replied.
Thayen gave us both a fake scowl. “Are you two done smooching? I’m famished.”
I patted him on the back, and he took his seat at the table. I joined him, exchanging devilish smirks with Sofia as she served breakfast. Sure, I still missed the pancakes and the maple syrup, but vampirism made up for my body’s refusal of food by giving me more time to be alive, to be with my loved ones, and to see where this world was going. It was an honor and a privilege.
Thayen took a long sip from his glass, closing his eyes for a moment.
“Are you ready for today’s ghoul session?” I asked, and his confident grin told me everything I needed to know.
He was looking forward to it.
Every time I looked at Thayen, I had to reconcile the eight-year-old Aeternae boy from Visio with the tall, handsome young man sharing his life with us. We’d brought him to The Shade as a Trakkian boy, a mortal, but shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Thayen had chosen to be turned. He’d had his fun growing up, then decided he wanted to be one of us more than anything.
There was very little of the young Thayen left in him, at least where his appearance was concerned. He’d taken many traits from his father, Acheron Nasani. His towering height, his broad shoulders, and lean, muscular frame reminded me of the late Lord Supreme. Thayen wasn’t big and bulky, but he was imposing in a different way. He kept his blond curls short, especially on the sides. His eyes were the most intense blue I’d ever come across, his gaze piercing one’s very soul. He had a slightly crooked smile that reminded me of Danika. Thayen was her legacy, too, and we’d all accepted that without trying to erase her contribution, despite the atrocities she committed in her service to the Darklings.
Character-wise, Thayen leaned more to his father’s side, though he did color outside the lines sometimes, too. Sofia and I eventually rejected any comparisons to his parents, firmly believing that Thayen was his own man, and that Acheron and Danika were mere threads of him, just like Sofia and I were. The only time I saw our son behaving more like a kid was when he and Richard hung out. If Jericho and Voss piled on top, then it would get raucous and all kinds of funny. Personally, I welcomed the youthful energy into The Shade. We needed more of it.
“I can’t wait to have my first go at a ghoul,” Thayen said as he poured himself another glass of blood.
“Who’s going with you?” Sofia asked, and I could already see where she was going with this. Ever the caring mother-it was just one more reason to never stop loving her.
“Well, Seeley and Nethissis are teaching Richard and me for this session,” Thayen replied. “We’re the only ones who aced Hansa and Jax’s grueling training hours. Oh, and Rudolph will be assisting, of course.”
Sofia nodded. “What about Astra, Isabelle, and the others in your class?”
“They’ll just be spectators in a live demonstration early next week. Sidyan and Maya will handle that one. They’ll show them how to hunt a ghoul most effectively,” Thayen said. “But they won’t be participating directly the way Richard and I get to.”
“I see Rose and Caleb have really set the bar high for this new generation,” I mused, equal parts impressed and amused. Ever since Sofia and I had taken a step back from GASP’s day-to-day operations, I’d witnessed the federation’s evolution under the guidance of our children. I wasn’t disappointed. GASP agents adhered to upgraded protocols. We had classes teaching about all known forms of magic and anthropology courses that detailed all the supernatural species we’d encountered so far-allies or otherwise. We had rigorous training for field agents and intense academic programs for those who wanted to work in GASP’s intelligence and research departments.
We’d come a long way since GASP’s inception, and my heart filled with joy whenever I saw our son and daughter at the head of the table in the Great Dome for their executive meetings. I still offered the occasional word of advice, but both Ben and Rose, along with their partners and children, had gathered enough experience of their own to successfully lead the federation into a wonderful new era.
Twenty years of peace and prosperity had passed since Visio, but GASP continued to develop its defenses and diplomatic channels, anticipating any worst-case scenario that might come our way. And Thayen was part of the youngest generation of recruits. He was also at the top of his class, as were Astra, Jericho, and Richard.
“I don’t mind Rose and Caleb’s policies at all,” Thayen said. “Most of our GASP work is on the diplomatic front these days, anyway. It gives the rest of us more time and resources in the field.”
“Where will you be ghoul-hunting?” Sofia asked. Yes, she was definitely nervous about Thayen going off on this training mission. Her momma-bear instincts were as strong as ever, even if Thayen could easily watch his own six. I’d seen the young man fight. I trusted him on his own, let alone with Seeley, Nethissis, Rudolph, and Richard by his side.
“The Lubbock cemetery in Texas,” Thayen replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “It’s said to be haunted. We thought it was just local lore until Seeley analyzed the place a couple of weeks back after some reports of increased unnatural activity. Turns out they’ve registered at least five ghouls nesting there.”
“There were some recent burials there, so the dead bodies must’ve attracted the creatures. I read about it in one of the GASP reports.” I sighed. “Something about the expansion of the cemetery into a couple of neighboring plots, so they could resume burial services there. I understand it’s quite expensive, given the cemetery’s notoriety. It makes sense that there would be ghouls there, yeah. They’re bound to stick around for a morsel or two.”
“You know, they’d gain a lot more if they latched on to a mortuary instead,” Thayen said. “I mean, most of the people buried in the Lubbock cemetery died ages ago. It’s mostly a tourist attraction these days. There’s barely one funeral a week there now, even with the plot expansion. Humans are pretty superstitious when it comes to ghosts and stuff. Few would willingly choose to bury their loved ones in a place that is thought to be haunted.”
Sofia nodded slowly, refilling my glass. “I guess the ghouls are trying to keep a low profile. Reapers would likely check mortuaries and locations with high death tolls before anywhere else.” She paused, watching Thayen carefully for a moment. “Are you sure it’ll be safe for you and Richard? What do Jovi and Anjani think of this?”
“Mom, you are the sweetest,” Thayen chuckled softly, his gaze filled with love as he reached out and squeezed Sofia’s hand. “And your concern is adorable.”
“Hey, I have every right to be worried about the both of you. Richard is brilliant and fast, but ghouls are sneaky creatures. You do remember what we had to deal with on Visio, right?”
Thayen offered a conceding nod