|
The Warder's Vampire Excerpt |
||
| Main Page |
The Warder's Vampire - Book 4 of the Warder's series. Serafina Zenecar is a dhampir, and she is having a bad Hallowe'en. Her sister has asked her to fill in at the Realm Repository of Magical Artifacts on All Hallows Eve. She has no choice but to comply. While warding the building and standing watch over the history of Realm, she stumbles across an angry vampire, is possessed and attacks her family. She is definitely not having a good hallowe'en.
Prologue
“C’mon Mitzy, what do you need? You know I’m
nocturnal.” Serafina Zenecar rubbed her eyes as her sister fidgeted
with a teacup across from her. Her eyes were sensitive to daylight, it
was just easier to do her work and socializing after the sun went
down.
“I am so sorry to wake you, Sera, but I need your help.”
She put her teacup down with a clatter that startled her half-sister
into gripping her hand to steady her.
“What is it? You know that I would do anything for you, but
what do you need from me that Mom or Symon can’t do?”
Mitzy took a shuddering breath and blurted, “I need you to
take my shift at the Repository this All Hallows Eve.”
Sera blinked in astonishment. It was Mitzy’s source of pride
that she had been the Warder chosen to guard the Repository of Magical
Artifacts in Realm for the last five years. She wouldn’t give it up
unless… “How pregnant are you?”
“Three months. I haven’t told mother yet. I was waiting
until Thanksgiving.” She sighed deeply and looked over at her
half-sister, so different from the rest of the family.
Serafina had always been pale, a creamy ivory that set of her
deep chestnut hair and pine green eyes. It was her pointed teeth and
slightly pointed ears that gave a hint as to her father’s nature.
That, plus her sensitivity to sunlight.
The story that their mother told was that a stranger named
Zenecar had seduced her at a Yule celebration, and left her with
child. The Warders and the councils of Realm determined that the
father had been a vampire, leaving poor Serafina to be the only
Dhampir to be female in eight hundred years. The half-vamps were male
as a rule.
Zenecar’s appearance in Realm was itself unusual. The vamps
left when the wolves did. Sure that they could make their own way in
the human world without the interference of councils, they locked
themselves out of Realm with blood and salt.
“Wow, a grandkid. Definitely something to be thankful for.”
She smiled brightly, showing her fangs, “Hey, I am going to be an
Aunty! C’mere you.”
She surged to her feet and moved with unnatural speed to hug
her sister in a firm but delicate embrace. She had learned years ago
that she could be hard on people if she was careless.
She pulled away and held her sister at arm’s length. “Wait.
Who is the father?”
The blush that had been building earlier flared into full
bloom. “Well, you know the band Goblin Rulz?”
“Yep.”
“The lead singer, Haruki. He is delighted, but I haven’t
been able to tell Mom or Dad yet. They aren’t that fond of
goblins.”
Sera thought of her step-father’s stringent attitudes towards
other magical species and winced. “Especially ones that can’t pass
for human.”
“Exactly.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I didn’t even
tell them we were dating.”
“Symon should know that you had to mate with a non-human. It
is one of the Warder bindings. We can’t get out of it.”
“Yes, well. He has been trying to make connections for me in
the Magus guild. Dad wanted me to make a ‘proper’ match with a
magus or wizard of his choosing.” Mitzy blushed again. “He thinks
that because Mom had you, the curse was satisfied for this
generation.”
“Oh, come on, Mittens. You know it doesn’t work that
way.”
“I don’t think he believed it himself, but he has the
normal prejudice towards the non-human races.”
“Normal for the Magus guild, you mean.”
“Well yeah.” Mitzy hesitated for a moment. “Can you tell
me what it is?”
“What what is?”
“The baby, whether it is a boy or girl?” Her eyes filled
with entreaty, and Sera sighed heavily.
“Are you sure? I can’t take it back once you know.”
“I’m sure. Haruki wants a little girl, and given the Warder
birthrate, I know that it is an eighty percent chance, but I still
want to know for sure.”
“Alright. Give me a moment.” Serafina closed her eyes for a
moment and when she opened them her green orbs had changed into her
hunting eyes. Slitted red pupils were ensconced in amber irises. Her
teeth extended as her mouth opened and magic crackled around her. ... To read more... Viola Grace Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved |
