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  NIGHT’S DECEIT

  Vampire Magic – Book 2

  By

  Sela Croft

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1A

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 1A

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  Chapter 1

  Callie

  Terror filled the air, and seeped into the mist floating around us.

  The feeling of freedom when swept up into Noah’s magic, and transported from my regal holding cell, had evaporated. He’d lost control of his ability.

  The initial feeling of exhilaration was replaced by one of sheer panic. I searched Noah’s face for an answer. Through the mist, I could sense him, read him, feel him. Yet all I found in my search was despair.

  “Noah,” I said, wanting to pull away from him but unable to. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve completely lost control.”

  His words—his thoughts—hovered in the mist around me. They penetrated my being and sent shivers running through me. In the distance, the shadow-covered mountains continued to grow closer. Below us, the lights of Crystal City were beginning to wane. A chill filled the air.

  “How is that possible?”

  “I have no idea.” Noah tone was tense, his words laced with worry.

  “Why are you so afraid?” I asked the question, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.

  “This hasn’t happened before. I haven’t lost control like this.”

  It sounded to me like he was trying to make sense of the situation, and thinking out loud as he worked to discover the root of the problem. He continued to mumble, his words drifting into the air around us and disappearing, swept away by the wind.

  “What’s causing this?”

  Noah didn’t look at me. “Something—a force unlike any I have encountered before—took over. It happened the second…” his words drifted off. “It happened when you mentioned your sister.”

  A shiver rippled through me. This time, it wasn’t fear but concern that gripped at my chest. Thinking of my sister, alone, lost, and helpless in this world of magic and vampires and light and dark made my stomach turn and my heart ache.

  I could sense Noah’s gaze on me. He examined me for a long time. At least, it felt like a long time. Confusion swirled around us. It came from him. He was trying to figure something out about me.

  Noah’s stare gave me a feeling of overwhelming guilt. I didn’t know where the feeling came from. All I knew was that it was strong.

  “This is my fault,” I whispered.

  Noah turned his attention away from me, focusing on the horizon, and the mountains growing closer. Freed from his glare, I didn’t feel any sense of relief. Instead, my emotions turned on me, making me face accusations I couldn’t understand, and arguments I couldn’t make sense of.

  “As I said, this hasn’t happened before,” Noah said. “Even when I’ve carried others with me, no one has overpowered me.”

  “It has to be me.”

  “It has to be you.”

  It didn’t make sense. How could I be doing that? How could I overpower a vampire? I was stubborn, but surely my force of will was nothing compared to the resolve that came so innately to the immortal beings.

  “How badly do you need to be reunited with Rosamon?”

  “More than anything,” I said. “Is that what’s doing this? Is my desire to find my sister what caused all of this?”

  Could it be that my connection to her, my love for her, was strong enough to take control of Noah’s powers?

  “I don’t know,” Noah said. “But where we’re going isn’t going to lead us to her.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I don’t know, Callie. All I know is that we’re heading straight for Fae territory. We won’t stand a chance there. If that’s where Rosamon is, we won’t be able to find her—not alone, at least. It is the most dangerous place we could possibly go.”

  The most dangerous place we could go? And if my sister was in there? My thoughts began to fly in a million different directions. My anxiety rose, and my longing to be reunited with her escalated. As I allowed my emotions to overwhelm me, the ground beneath us began to fly by quicker. With each second of panic and each heart-breaking realization that I needed to be with her again, we began to move faster and faster toward the world of danger.

  Noah spoke calmly. “Callie, you need to relax.”

  “How can I?”

  My words caught in my throat and tears were burning my eyes. Everything around me became blurry and my head spun. He was afraid of the Fae territory. Noah was terrified of where we were going. He tightened his hold on my hand, partially trying to reassure me, partially searching for some comfort from my presence.

  If that realm was as dangerous as he claimed, and if it was as horrible and terrifying as he made it seem, then going there could mean death—for both of us. If something happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to save my sister. I had to relax. It wasn’t for my own good, but for Rosamon’s.

  I was my sister’s only chance. Yet if I endangered myself, I wouldn’t be doing either of us any favors.

  I had to think clearly.

  “If I’m doing this,” I said, “then I can stop it, right?”

  I still didn’t believe it completely. How could I have taken control of Noah’s powers? I didn’t know how vampire magic worked. I didn’t know how anything in the realm worked. But it was our only chance.

  “It’s worth a shot,” Noah said.

  I could hear doubt in his voice. But I worked to calm myself, to think of life back in Oregon and lazy summer days by the river, games of hide-and-seek, and staying up late with my sister talking about our petty high-school grievances. Then my pulse slowed. And with it, we did too.

  The ground below us came into view, clearer now through the mist. The air rushing by us no longer swirled about crazily. It was an easy, relaxed breeze.

  With one more deep breath, I felt my feet touch solid ground. Noah let out an audible sigh and threw his arms around me.

  “You did it!”

  I nodded and pulled back from him, taking in our surroundings. The mist hovering about us began to evaporate. Tiny spots of light became v
isible. As the fog cleared and my vision cleared, I spun around, still trying to figure out where we were.

  “I don’t recognize…”

  Noah set a firm, shaking hand on my shoulder. I turned to see fear in his face.

  “Noah, where are we?”

  Chapter 2

  Callie

  The spots of light floating around us seemed to be coming from nowhere and everywhere, at the same time. All around us, trees sprung from the earth, reaching up above our heads and covering us with a canopy of…

  I squinted to get a better view, then pulled back.

  They weren’t trees at all. They were mushrooms—or, at least, they looked like mushrooms. They were enormous, and their roots bulged from the ground, with their tops umbrellaed out over us, hiding the sky and encasing us amongst their thick, fleshy trunks. Lines of light slithered through them, with trails of red, purple, orange, yellow.

  I gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  “No,” Noah said.

  His hand was still resting on my shoulder. His hold on me tightened, and he pulled me back toward him. His actions were defensive and frightened. They weren’t the fluid movements of a vampire, but were quick and jolting.

  “This is a place to be feared, Callie.”

  Before I could ask or reply, his hand fell to mine and he took off. His feet moved fast and I struggled to keep up. I had to leap into the air on multiple occasions to keep from tripping over the roots under the thick layer of dirt around our feet.

  Panting, I said, “Noah, what’s going on?”

  My lungs were beginning to ache from the exertion of keeping up with him. I knew he was moving slowly—I had seen him move with a speed that left me speechless before.

  As I urged my legs to continue forward, trying desperately to keep up with his abrupt but agile movements, I fought to make sense of the situation. I was torn about trusting Noah. I had forgiven him for lying to me, yet couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

  I needed to focus on the dangerous situation, even though I didn’t understand it.

  “We crossed the line,” Noah said, looking back but not slowing his pace. “We’re in Fae territory.”

  The way he spoke told me everything I needed to know. He was terrified. And that terrified me. Thinking about what could scare a vampire only made me, a human, feel defenseless and vulnerable.

  Seeing Noah made the situation worse. Back in Oregon, he’d been in control. Not much had bothered or worried him. Why would it? He’d been the alpha being in that environment, but not in this one.

  I allowed his fear to consume me. I allowed myself to accept the situation for what it was—very bad. Using that fear to fuel me, I pushed past the burning in my legs, finding my second wind, and plunged forward into the illuminated darkness with as much speed as I could muster.

  As we moved, the lights around us began to move. They darted back and forth, moving sporadically. I looked around, ripping my gaze from the ground for a second, to find that the air had filled with glowing insects.

  They weren’t lightening bugs, like those from warm summer nights in the woods, chasing fireflies with my sister. That was when times were simple, and my only concern had been fitting in at school.

  That was before I had been ripped away from everything I’d known, then plunged into a world and life I was unsure about.

  No, these were not fireflies. These were something else—something I hadn’t seen before. Their wings buzzed about their heads, glowing bright blue. Their bodies were long and delicate, and emitted a soft light.

  They were beautiful.

  I focused on that. I focused on the light and the dark; the glow and the backdrop. Light and dark; good and evil.

  “Call one side good; call the other evil, but be careful how you use those terms. Sometimes, good breeds evil, and evil breeds good.” I remembered Noah’s words. They bounced around in my head as my feet slammed against the soft earth.

  Good and evil; Vampires and Fae; Logan and…

  I stopped myself. My thoughts shouldn’t be going to him—not now. I should be focused on my situation and the danger that was lurking around me.

  I wished that Logan was there to sweep me away from all the danger. I wanted to be back in his floating palace and safe in his care.

  I hadn’t considered myself safe there, before. But things were different. As I raced through the canopy-covered forest, I knew what it was to be afraid in that realm. I knew what Logan had meant, when he’d warned me to stay put.

  We reached the edge of the forest and Noah slowed. I ran up behind him then came to a halt. My legs trembled, and I fought to stay upright. I rested my hands on my knees and gasped for breath.

  Noah paced back and forth, not winded but clearly disturbed.

  “Are we safe now?”

  “No.” He shook his head and walked a little faster.

  I couldn’t imagine walking then, certainly not with the agility he did. All I wanted to do was collapse on the ground and catch my breath. I waited for him to relax, unable to speak between my quick, sharp breaths. My lungs hurt, and my body needed the break.

  Noah stopped pacing and looked off in the distance. He turned to look at me, a smile on his face. “We’re not far,” he said, pointing in the distance.

  Still resting my weight on my knees, I turned to look in the direction he’d pointed. I could see a dull glow, a light cascading over the treetops.

  Were they really trees? It was hard to tell what anything was in this world, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to be back in the world of light.

  Noah patted my shoulder, nearly knocking me to the ground. “We should keep going.”

  There was a natural ease between us. I smiled at him and straightened up, my legs shaking slightly. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to deal with exhaustion. I am human, remember?”

  “Of course, I do,” Noah said, “which is precisely why I want to get you back into the city, as soon as possible.”

  I inhaled deeply and nodded. “Fine,” I said, then took a few, shaky steps forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Noah prepared to take off again, and I mustered up every ounce of energy that I had. With my weight on the balls of my feet, I prepared to push myself forward.

  I stopped, when a loud shriek erupted from the forest behind us. Nearly toppling to the ground, I spun around and sprang back, then froze at the unearthly sound. It was a cacophony of high-pitched whines.

  “What was that?”

  “Caith Sidhe,” Noah said.

  “Caith what?”

  “Let’s hope you don’t find out,” Noah said, and took hold of my hand to urge me forward again. “If we’re lucky, they haven’t detected that we’re here.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. When are we ever lucky?

  Chapter 3

  Callie

  We raced toward the light in the distance. No matter how much ground we covered, it felt like Crystal City continued to loom, too far away. The shrieks resonated from the forest behind us.

  My feet hit the ground, and the grass tickled my ankles. I glanced down to see that it glowed upon contact. It was hard to think that a place with this kind of beauty—unique and mesmerizing—could be filled with evil. But the ghastly sounds coming from behind me assured me that that was.

  “What are we running from?”

  “The Caith Sidhe,” Noah said.

  “Right, and what is that, exactly?”

  Noah looked back at me, as if he suddenly realized my ignorance of the situation. Turning his attention forward, he shouted back over his shoulder. “They’re a species of Fae feline.”

  “Like a cat?”

  “Like a black cat,” he said. “Only much larger and much more temperamental. They can grow to be larger than the bears in Oregon. They can and will kill.”

  “Large cats,” I said, not wanting to focus too much on the last part of his statement. “Is everything in Fae world large? Large mushrooms, large cats, lar
ge people…”

  “Well, if Caith Sidhe are around, then it’s very likely that Redcaps are with them. They are the dwarves of the Fae world. Don’t let their size fool you, though. Their strength is impressive and not to be taken lightly. They can kill a vampire with ease.”

  “Oh, that’s lovely,” I said and willed my legs to move faster.

  I could see the lights of Crystal City growing closer in the distance, lifting my spirits. We raced for safety. But the feeling of hope came crashing down, when the shrieks behind us rang out, louder than before.

  They were gaining on us.

  Tears pushed at the back of my eyes. It wasn’t only fear that caused the reaction, but exhaustion and the guilt, as well. I’d brought us into danger, since I’d been the one who’d wanted to leave the safety of Logan’s home.

  Again, my thoughts went to Logan, and I pushed back the tears. If he was there, he would know what to do. He would fight, and he would win. He would protect me. My chest heaved, and I swallowed back a sob.

  I dared to look back, a decision I regretted.

  There in the distance, I could see the glowing forest and the swarms of flying insects. Among them and growing steadily nearer, were four red points of light—two sets of eyes. They glistened with rage, floating through the darkness. Encased in black, sleek cat bodies, they pursued us.

  It seemed as if they sped up, fueled by my fear, and hungry for the blood coursing through my veins.

  “Keep going!” Noah shouted. He held my hand tightly, and encouraged me to move as quickly as possible. We left the field and found our way to a path.

  All around us, trees lined the path. They were enormous, reminding me of the giant sequoias in Oregon. We had gone to see the fabled trees at Grant Grove, when I’d been younger. It had been the first trip Rosamon and I had taken with our adoptive parents. It was the first time I’d felt any real connection to them.

  It had been a day filled with laughter and happiness.

  The trees around me were as large as any of the sequoias I’d seen that day, but didn’t bring a feeling of comfort. They were imposing and ominous. Their branches, high above our heads, seemed to stretch down, reaching for us with grisly, wooden fingers.

  Up ahead, I could see the city of light shimmering with hope. My heart fluttered in my chest, and I imagined entering that land to be reunited with Logan.