Midnight Star (Vampire Girl #2)

by Karpov Kinrade

"Your father was High Fae. He was in line to be king. This was thousands of years ago, of course. Back when there were any royalty of our kind left. Back before the princes and their demon spawn destroyed everything, killing into near extinction our very race, wiping out the royal line entirely."

"When the demons came from the sky and slaughtered the High Fae, the Spirits left us." "Spirits?" "There are five, and they go by many names. We call them Riku, Wadu, Tauren, Zyra, and Yami. Riku is fire, passion, and the shaping of truth. Wadu is water, peace, and healing. Tauren is earth, strength, and life. Zyra is wind, knowledge, and wisdom. And Yami… Yami is all of them, and none of them. Yami is life. Death. Balance. Hope. He has more names than the others. One you may have heard… the Midnight Star."

He holds out his arm. "Would you like to see more of your current home? I believe you have a destiny to fulfill and Madrid and Durk are waiting."

I'm still disgusted by his betrayal.

There will be many pits of ash this night. Many new graves dotting the landscapes beyond, some marked, others not. Many empty homes and hearts that once were full. And in the end, there will be more war. This is what I have wrought. I am the Prince of War. I am the Prince of Death.

"I will find the princess," Asher says calmly.

Ugh. Two faced, lying, betrayer.

I hear Ace step closer. He speaks softly. "I know where you're going. And I know why. But consider this, before you act rashly. Your people have fallen. They need their prince. What will you choose, Prince of War?" He steps closer. "Who will you save?"

"All four Tribes have sent representatives for the presenting," Asher says. "Fire, Air, Earth and Water. They are all here to see the Midnight Star."

"I present to you, Princess Arianna, of the High Fae, returned to us at last. She has been chosen, and through her blood, has awakened the Wild Ones, the Old Ones, the Five Spirits. Rise, Fae of the Four Tribes, rise and greet your future Queen."

"Dum spiro spero." She blinks. "What does that mean?" "While I breathe, I hope."

Then I stand, my broken sword in hand, my tears drying and my grief turning to wrath. "How can you do this?" I ask, my voice icy cold. Deadly. "How can you destroy so much life?" Words form in my throat that are not mine alone. Something else speaks through me. "This is not why you were chosen." I step forward, all fear gone. All weakness and pain gone. "This is not your duty." I hold my sword up and point it at the Druid as all my illusions fall and I reveal myself as Fae. "You have failed your people. You have failed yourself. You…" Oren stumbles back. "Are…" He falls to his knees. "Not…" His fire fades. "Worthy."

Asher looks past me, his eyes faraway. "I remember the last battle, where the High Fae fell," he says softly. "We found a woman, dying amongst the corpses, and in her arms, a babe. She had given birth in the midst of battle, to a child born of war. But the babe was weak and near death. It made no sound. It barely breathed. And our mother, our mother took pity on the child. She gave it her blood and turned it into one of the Fallen. She said she would raise it as her own. And then the babe began to cry, and his Fae mother smiled, and passed from this world. Something left her body then. A Spirit on the wind. A white wolf. It licked the boy and vanished. Years later, when you found the wolf pup, I knew what it truly was. I knew the Spirit had taken form. And I knew you were its Keeper. You were the Earth Druid."