A Shade of Vampire 71: A Sacrifice of Flames

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Also by Bella Forrest

  Problems reading?

  Main Cast List

  Family tree

  1. Taeral

  2. Lumi

  3. Amelia

  4. Sofia

  5. Taeral

  6. Varga

  7. Amelia

  8. Taeral

  9. Amelia

  10. Inalia

  11. Amelia

  12. Taeral

  13. Taeral

  14. Inalia

  15. Amelia

  16. Vesta

  17. Vesta

  18. Harper

  19. Harper

  20. Amelia

  21. Inalia

  22. Taeral

  23. Amelia

  24. Harper

  25. Vesta

  26. Vesta

  27. Lumi

  28. Taeral

  29. Inalia

  30. Herakles

  31. Amelia

  32. Taeral

  33. Lumi

  34. Varga

  35. Taeral

  36. Taeral

  37. Viola

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Also by Bella Forrest

  HARLEY MERLIN

  (New fantasy/romance/adventure series!)

  Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

  Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

  Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)

  Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)

  Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)

  Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)

  HOTBLOODS

  (Supernatural romance. Completed series.)

  Hotbloods (Book 1)

  Coldbloods (Book 2)

  Renegades (Book 3)

  Venturers (Book 4)

  Traitors (Book 5)

  Allies (Book 6)

  Invaders (Book 7)

  Stargazers (Book 8)

  THE CHILD THIEF

  (Action-adventure/romance.)

  The Child Thief (Book 1)

  Deep Shadows (Book 2)

  Thin Lines (Book 3)

  Little Lies (Book 4)

  Ghost Towns (Book 5)

  Zero Hour (Book 6)

  THE GENDER GAME

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Gender Game (Book 1)

  The Gender Secret (Book 2)

  The Gender Lie (Book 3)

  The Gender War (Book 4)

  The Gender Fall (Book 5)

  The Gender Plan (Book 6)

  The Gender End (Book 7)

  THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

  The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

  The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

  The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

  The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

  The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

  The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  (Supernatural romance)

  Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

  A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

  A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

  A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

  A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

  A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

  A Gate of Night (Book 6)

  A Break of Day (Book 7)

  Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

  A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

  A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

  A Spell of Time (Book 10)

  A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

  A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

  A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

  A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

  A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

  An End of Night (Book 16)

  Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

  A Wind of Change (Book 17)

  A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

  A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

  A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

  A Vial of Life (Book 21)

  A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

  A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

  A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

  Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

  A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

  A World of New (Book 26)

  A Web of Lies (Book 27)

  A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

  An Hour of Need (Book 29)

  A Game of Risk (Book 30)

  A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

  A Day of Glory (Book 32)

  Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

  A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

  A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

  A Race of Trials (Book 35)

  A King of Shadow (Book 36)

  An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

  A Power of Old (Book 38)

  A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

  A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

  A Tide of War (Book 41)

  Season 6: A Gift of Three

  A Gift of Three (Book 42)

  A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

  A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

  A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

  A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

  A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

  A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

  A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

  A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

  Season 7: A Call of Vampires

  A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

  A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

  A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

  A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

  A City of Lies (Book 55)

  A League of Exiles (Book 56)

  A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

  A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

  A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

  Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

  A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

  A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

  A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

  A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

  A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

  A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

  An Edge of Malice (Book 66)

  A Dome of Blood (Book 67)

  A Purge of Nature (Book 68)

  Season 9: A Birth of Fire

  A Birth of Fire (Book 69)

  A Breed of Elements (Book 70)

  A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

  A Shade of Dragon 1

  A Shade of Dragon 2

  A Shade of Dragon 3

  A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

  A Shade of Kiev 1

  A Shade of Kiev 2

  A Shade of Kiev 3

  THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

  (Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

  The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

  The Breaker (Book 2)

  The Chain (Book 3)

  The Keep (Book 4)

  The Test (Book 5)

  The Spell (Book 6)

  BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

  (Supernatural romance)

  Beautiful Monster 1

  Beautiful Monster 2

  DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

  (Adult thriller/mystery)

  Lights, Camera, GONE

  Write, Edit, KILL

  For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

  Join Bella’s VIP email list and she’ll send you an email reminder as soon as her next book is out. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

  Copyright © 2019

  Nightlight Press

  Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC

  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.

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  Main Cast List

  Amelia (daughter of Erik and Abby Novalik – vampire)

  Eva (daughter of Azazel and Tamara – druid/lamia/vampire)

  Herakles (creation of Ta’Zan – Faulty)

  Raphael (creation of Ta’Zan – Perfect)

  Riza (daughter of Horatio and Aisha Drizan– jinni)

  Taeral (son of Sherus and Nuriya – fae-jinni)

  Varga (son of Ashbik and Ruby Goode – vampire-sentry)

  Family tree

  If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree

  Taeral

  The planet Cerix was pretty much doomed.

  Its Fire Hermessi had been ruthlessly destroyed by the other natural elements because he’d messed with their ritual plans. Inalia, his daughter—and our ally and friend—was somehow expected to take over. We didn’t know what that entailed, but it couldn’t be anything good, since the Hermessi didn’t have bodies of their own. It stood to reason that the process would involve some
type of death for Inalia, and none of us were ready to even consider sacrificing her for this.

  There had to be another way—or so I kept telling myself as I paced the small garden that my team and I had claimed as refuge, somewhere on the outskirts of the Hadeen Domain. We couldn’t stay in one place for too long, given that the Hermessi were still after us. I had to take that as some sort of compliment. We were definitely doing something right, since they were so determined to kill us.

  Inalia was speechless, sitting in the short grass, surrounded by a variety of red and white flowers that reminded me of earthly hibiscus shrubs. Eira sat next to her, equally at a loss for words, both of them staring at their boots. Hadeen was a land comprised mostly of deserts with a couple of lush riverbanks, but it was bound to freeze over along with the rest of the planet unless we found a solution for its lack of fire.

  Plus, we still had our huge pile of problems back home. The Hermessi had found another way to use their dwindling cults, by sending them out to forcefully drag our fae under their influence. All it took was a small cut and a whispered spell. The Hermessi’s power had grown enough to allow them such ritualistic artifices. One way or another, nature itself was determined to complete its mission. One way or another, the Hermessi were going to finalize their ritual and wipe us all out. That had to be the endgame, according to what some of their cultists had shouted prior to getting themselves blown up by Brann.

  Vita, Vesta, Ben, and Grace were just some of the recent victims of this cut-and-spell strategy. There were reports of hundreds of fae having fallen into the same feverish, glowing state. However, for the time being, Cerix had become our priority. It had one, maybe two days before it froze over. To the local Hermessi, it wasn’t going to be that much of a waste. They could easily move to other worlds by riding stardust, much like Brann had done to warn us—only, they would do it to help destroy us.

  Millions of lives were at stake.

  “How do we tell the emperor that his planet is about to die?” Varga asked, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between us.

  “We’re not letting it die,” I replied, my tone clipped.

  “Then what do you suggest we do?” Inalia asked. Her voice was shaky, her eyes glimmering with tears. It broke my soul to see her like this. “You heard Acquis. And I heard the other Hermessi. I’m to take over… I have to sacrifice myself.”

  “No. Let’s not go there,” I said. “We can find another way. Or at least try.”

  “Time isn’t on our side,” Lumi replied, giving me a sympathetic half-smile.

  I sighed. “I know. But it’s worth a shot. Inalia’s been through enough already. She’s got a life. Why give these Hermessi bastards the satisfaction of snuffing it out? Haven’t they taken too much from us already?”

  Raphael cleared his throat, demanding our attention. “I must say, I kind of agree with Tae on this one. Call me sentimental, if you will, but I’m kinda fond of the redhead, and so are the rest of you.”

  “I think we could give it a shot. Chicken Wings here is right,” Herakles chimed in. “We keep playing the Hermessi’s game. Maybe we can stick it to them, for once.”

  “There’s also another reason as to why I, too, am uncertain about letting Inalia sacrifice herself to become the new Hermessi,” Amelia mused. “They destroyed Brann because he opposed them. Think of what they’ll do to Inalia if she goes down the same route. Say she does it. Say she gives up and becomes the new Fire Hermessi. Then, they’ll expect her to comply, to be a part of their mission for this end-of-days ritual.”

  Inalia went pale. The thought hadn’t crossed her mind, until now. Horror soon settled on her expression, her brown eyes wide and filled with fear as she looked at me. “Oh, no… I can’t… I would never work with them—”

  “You might not have a choice,” Amelia replied. “They would destroy you, too, like they did Brann.”

  “And then, we’d be back to square one,” Eva concluded, nodding slowly. “Cerix freezing to death, while the rest of them wander off to some other planet. They’ll win, either way.”

  Inalia shot to her feet. Above, the starry sky unraveled, but its dark shade of tourmaline felt cold this time. The moon and stars were bright, their light shining over the land with an ominous glow. As if even the sky knew what was happening down here. It was only a matter of time before the deadly chill set in. Soon enough, millions of innocent Cerixians would feel the absence of their Fire Hermessi.

  “Then how do we save my people?” Trap asked, giving Lumi a hopeful look. He’d been quiet until now, most likely processing everything that had happened. Inalia and Eira were more supernaturally-inclined than he was, and thus more capable of dealing with such sudden changes. Trap, on the other hand, was a much simpler creature. None of this was easy on him.

  “I am not sure yet,” Lumi replied, her voice low. She didn’t hide her concern. It didn’t take an expert psychologist to tell that she didn’t trust our odds much. “The logistics of a mass evacuation are insane, to say the least, and GASP’s resources are already stretched too thin. But we can’t take a break from fighting the Hermessi cults. Those catatonic states that our fae are gradually falling under are merely a symptom of something much worse.”

  “What if we find a nearby planet to evacuate to?” I suggested, my mind shifting into find-a-damn-solution mode. “Surely, it might be easier for you to concoct an interplanetary spell to move millions of Cerixians from here to, say, across the galaxy, than all the way back to Eritopia, for example. Right? I mean, a shorter distance might make a mass evacuation more feasible?”

  Lumi thought about it for a moment. “I wouldn’t dare promise anything in that respect. But I can try. I’d need to speak to the emperor first and see what swamp witch resources they have. And I would definitely need a serium transport from Strava.”

  “We’ve sent Cerixian soil samples to GASP already, for you to get here, so that shouldn’t be an issue, right?” Riza asked. “Plus, I could totally help with any magic you might need for the mass evacuation. I’ve studied the swamp witches’ triple tome from Calliope, and I’ve got my own mojo to work with.”

  Hope was a treacherous thing. I didn’t dare allow myself to feel it, and still… I had trouble resisting it. Maybe we could find a way to save Cerix without sacrificing Inalia.

  Herakles chuckled, though there was a tinge of bitterness in his tone. “You say you need to talk to Emperor Tulla like it’s going to be such a breeze.”

  “Oh, dear, Munchies has a point,” Raphael replied. I’d grown accustomed to their banter, ever-present and often injected into otherwise serious conversations. “We’re about to tell him his planet’s about to die and that his surefire option to save it is to let Inalia take Brann’s place. The evacuation avenue isn’t 100 percent sure, right now. Imagine what he’ll be tempted to do.”

  “Inalia…” Eira murmured. “He’ll expect Inalia to sacrifice herself. The sacrifice of one for the good of the many. Of the entire empire, for that matter.”

  The hits kept coming for Inalia. For a moment, I wondered what would happen if I just took her away. You know what will happen. Don’t be a selfish schmuck. I couldn’t bring myself to let a whole world collapse just so I could save Inalia. But I couldn’t let her take the fall for this, either. I figured she felt the same way. The torment was all too visible, rippling from her saddened gaze.

  Lumi exhaled sharply, then got up and crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think we’ll get much farther from here. We should at least go back to the palace and be truthful with Emperor Tulla. He’s been nothing but kind and gracious to us. He deserves to know everything, so he can make an informed decision.”

  “The Hermessi won’t be circling the palace again anytime soon,” Amelia replied, checking her tablet. “Chances are they’ll be homing in on us here, instead. I estimate we’ll have an hour or two over there, before they catch our scent again.”