Royals and Realms (Vampires of Crescent Cape Book 4) Read online

  Royals and Realms

  Vampires of Crescent Cape

  Book 4

  L. Danvers

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Access Your Free Bonus Book

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Grace

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Aiden

  Danielle

  Julian

  Danielle

  Aiden

  Julian

  Keo

  Danielle

  Grace

  Danielle

  Julian

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Grace

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Danielle

  Grace

  Grace

  Grace

  Grace

  Grace

  Danielle

  Epilogue: | Grace

  More from L. Danvers

  About the Author

  Access Your Free Bonus Book

  Join L. Danvers’ Readers’ Group to claim your free copy of Blood Heirs, the bite-sized prequel to the Vampires of Crescent Cape series. Just CLICK HERE.

  Danielle

  We sat frozen in horror, our eyes glued to the blue-ish glow of the TV screen. I hugged my arms around my knees, pulling them closer to my chest. This was bad. So bad.

  It was funny how one phone call could change your life forever.

  Moments ago, things seemed as if they’d finally settled down. Thanks to Grace, Xander was back to normal, and I was no longer being hunted. I could finally breathe.

  Or so I thought...

  I should have known better. Somehow, chaos always seemed to find us in Crescent Cape.

  Grace had hardly finished the spell to save Victoria when Ben called, urging Aiden to turn on the news. I didn’t know exactly what Ben said to him, but I’d never seen the color drain from a person’s face so quickly.

  This should have been one of the happiest moments of Aiden’s life. He’d finally gotten everything he ever wanted. When Julian bit him, the vampirism curse lifted. He was human again. And now, thanks to Grace securing the leaf from the Silverleaf sapling and performing the counter-spell to her father’s cruel curse, Victoria was no longer slipping away.

  They could finally be together.

  Taking Victoria’s now permanently translucent hand in his, Aiden led her downstairs, shouting for the rest of us to follow.

  Victoria was frantic, begging Aiden to tell her what was wrong. But he couldn’t find the words.

  “Is it Uncle Ben?” she pressed. “Did something happen to him?”

  “No, he’s fine.” His tone was cold and sharp.

  “Then what is it?”

  Aiden swerved past the bottom of the staircase, marching straight for the living room. “You’ll see for yourself in a moment.”

  We hurried to catch up with him. His eyes were wide with absolute terror.

  I gulped. What one earth could make one of the most fearsome vampires in all of history look so horrified?

  With the press of a button, a hidden television set rose from what I had thought to be mere mahogany cabinetry. I exchanged a look with Grace. All this time in the castle and no one had mentioned to us that there was a TV? She suppressed a smile, reading my mind, but then refocused her attention on what Aiden was doing.

  He pulled a remote out of one of the drawers and pulled up the TV guide, scanning through the channels, knowing exactly what he was looking for. He settled on the national news.

  “What’s going on?” Julian pressed as he came up behind me, snaking his arm around my waist.

  “Oh, you know,” Aiden answered in a zombie-like voice, “the end of the world as we know it.”

  Julian straightened. “Very funny.”

  Aiden jerked his head toward the TV, encouraging us to pay attention to the newscast. A reporter stood on a street corner, the bright lights illuminating the otherwise dark sky behind him, and my eyes widened with recognition. I swallowed hard. I knew those buildings. I’d seen them before.

  He was reporting from downtown Quarter Square.

  As realization dawned on us, the room fell silent. Aiden turned up the volume.

  The salt-and-pepper-haired journalist continued with his report. “...mere hours ago, areas once hidden to the human eye were revealed through satellite imagery across the globe. Now, scientists and government officials alike are left scratching their heads as they question why no map, no satellite image, no GPS signal ever picked up on these places existing before. One of our sources told us that it defies logic.”

  Julian released his hold on me. “That’s impossible...”

  Aiden shook his head, his jaw line so sharp it could cut a knife. “The boundary is down.”

  Charlotte blinked. Then, turning around to face her brother, she said, “So, get it back up.”

  “The Albrights aren’t going to help us,” he snapped. “Evanna is dead. That’s the second witch from their coven who had died on our watch. And they didn’t even want her to come here.” His lips twitched, the loss of the witch weighing heavily on his heart. He lowered his voice. “They won’t even let us attend her funeral. There’s no way they’re going to help us.”

  I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Evanna had died earlier today. But so much had happened in the hours since that it felt like weeks had passed.

  Maybe it was the adrenaline, but her passing hadn’t even hit me yet. I hadn’t shed a tear.

  I was an awful person. Truly awful.

  How was I not mourning right now?

  When had I become so callous?

  No, I wasn’t particularly close to her. But she was a person. She mattered.

  Xander finished blowing his gum into a giant bubble and popped it. “Won’t do us any good now anyway,” he said, responding to Aiden. “Everyone knows something is here.” He gestured toward the TV screen, which now featured an image of Crescent Cape.

  My heart skipped. It was night, so the view wasn’t perfectly clear. But the massive structure on the left side of the screen was impossible to ignore.

  Charlotte stood abruptly. She pulled her emerald sweater tighter around herself. “The castle,” she said breathlessly. Her bright green eyes flashed to her brothers for guidance. “What are we going to do?”

  Aiden paced, rubbing his forehead all the while. Victoria came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. It seemed to help a little. He slowed to a stop. “We have to get out of here,” he said to no one in particular. I’d never heard him sound so somber. “It’s the only way.”

  Charlotte folded her arms across her chest. “Aiden, this is our home. We can’t leave.”

  “And what will become of us if we stay? Sure, we could fight off the first people who come looking. But more will come. Plus, there are cameras everywhere. It’s not safe here.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “This is the only home I’ve ever known. Our parents built this kingdom. This is their legacy. Our legacy.”

  “No offense,” Grace piped up, “but your legacy kind of sucks. You just corral innocent people in an undisclosed location and feed off of them.”

  Charlotte rolled her eyes, not acknowledging Grace at all. “Come on,” she said, now focusing her attention on Julian. “You don’t want to leave, do you? You’ve never been one to give up. You can’t tell me you’re really considering—”

  I held up my hand to silence her. �
�Do you hear that?”

  She scrunched her nose. “Hear what?”

  Julian jerked his head toward me. “Hybrid hearing,” he mouthed.

  I marched toward the window. Shoving the heavy maroon curtains aside, I cupped my hands against the cool glass, peering out into the darkness.

  I scanned the area, searching for the source of the sound.

  Exhaling, I calmed myself so I could sharpen my senses.

  There.

  Above the tree line, to the bottom right of the crescent moon, was the sound’s source.

  I narrowed my eyes, honing in on the buzzing object.

  It was some sort of flying contraption, but I had no idea what it was.

  The others came over to join me, pushing and shoving one another so that they could each get a good view.

  Grace’s mouth fell open when she spotted it. “They sent drones. They’re already watching.”

  “Who is?” I asked.

  “The news stations? The government? Who knows? But this isn’t good,” she said flatly. “Aiden’s right. We have to get out of here.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “How can we escape without them seeing us? We can’t walk out the front door.”

  Aiden sighed. “There’s an underground tunnel system that leads to Quarter Square. It won’t be a particularly pleasant journey, but it’s our best bet.”

  “No,” Julian announced. “Not yet. We can’t abandon the castle. It’s filled with portraits and photographs, journals and letters. How long do you think it would take for them to figure out who lived here?”

  “What are you suggesting?” Charlotte asked meekly.

  Julian stepped away from the window and picked up a decorative box from the side table. He handed it to his sister. “Put anything you want to keep in here. We’ll burn the rest.”

  Aiden’s throat bobbed. “Brother?” he started, taking a step closer.

  “I don’t like the idea any more than you do, but if we leave any evidence behind of who we are, they will come for us. Charlotte, Xander and I can use our powers to our advantage and buy ourselves some time. But you’re a human now. And you can’t honestly believe our photos won’t be plastered all over the news within minutes of them storming this place. And then what? The whole country, the whole world, will know our faces.” Aiden gave a reluctant nod. Meanwhile, Charlotte wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her hand. Lifting his chin, Julian said, “Better to destroy our legacy than to be destroyed.”

  Julian was right. There wasn’t time to come up with an alternative plan. So, as much as the siblings hated the idea, they knew what they had to do.

  Julian crossed the room and pulled a portrait of their mother from the wall. He stood there for a moment, holding it in front of the roaring fireplace, watching as the flames snapped and cracked behind it. Charlotte looked away as he placed it inside, watching the image of the Scarlet Queen slowly disintegrate into ashes.

  Still staring into the flames, Julian spoke. “Aiden—you and Victoria should head for the tunnels. You two are the most vulnerable, and you may need a head start.”

  Aiden and Victoria exchanged a glance before shaking their heads, knowing he was right again.

  And just like that, they left.

  Julian, Charlotte, Xander, Grace and I split up, scouring the castle for any potentially incriminating memorabilia we could find.

  There was so much stuff to go through. And as the minutes ticked by, it became apparent that this was going to take way more time than any of us anticipated—even with us using our supernatural abilities to move quickly.

  More sounds came from outside, and I rushed toward the window to get a look.

  A bright yellow searchlight swept past. Gasping, I swished the curtain closed and whirled around, trying to think.

  “Julian!” I shouted, rushing down the hall to find him. “It’s time to go. NOW!”

  Danielle

  That was the thing about Julian... he was good at playing the part of the leader. The fixer. The problem solver.

  He veiled his true emotions, priding himself on being able to do whatever needed to be done—especially when it came to protecting the people he cared about.

  But this... this was too much.

  There was no denying the inner torment he felt. It was radiating from every part of his being. And the sorrow clouding his eyes was a dead giveaway.

  I stood there in the hallway, face to face with him, utterly still. Watching as his ears perked up, no doubt picking up on the sounds of the helicopters flying on the other side of the castle walls. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the people out there must think. They must be wavering between wonder and terror.

  A shiver slinked down my spine. They had no idea. No clue that there were entire kingdoms filled with supernatural beings—vampires and witches and werewolves and hybrids, to name a few.

  And yet, all of the supernatural abilities in the world couldn’t save us from what was about to come. Crescent Cape’s location had been disclosed to everyone in the country, and undoubtedly the world, on television.

  All because the boundary was down.

  I had a funny feeling Grace’s dad was behind it. Silverleaf saplings were known to be used for undoing spells. Sure, they probably had a hundred other uses, too. But still... he received a sapling, and within a week, the entire boundary of this kingdom vanished. It couldn’t be a coincidence. And there was nothing I could do to make it better. There was nothing I could do to take Julian’s pain away. I wished I could offer him words of comfort. But they would be meaningless. Because for once, this wasn’t a situation he could scheme his way out of. No matter how brilliant he was, the world as he knew it, the world of supernatural beings, was unraveling.

  Even from across the hall, I could hear his heart racing, pounding and thrashing against his ribcage. He was helpless. Scared.

  My stomach plummeted. It killed me to see him in this position. “Julian...”

  He didn’t blink. He just stood there, thinking.

  I knew him. Knew he was trying to come up with some way to make this problem go away. But we didn’t have a second to spare. How long would it be before someone came pounding on the door? They could be here any second.

  We had to leave.

  “We’re out of time, Julian,” I said, walking slowly toward him. He pressed his lips together, his gaze falling toward my hand, which was reaching out for his. I slid my fingers between his and squeezed his hand.

  The corners of my lips quirked into a slight smile. And I think, deep down, we both knew in that instant that we’d get through this somehow. Together. Like we always did.

  “I...” he stammered. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Charlotte brushed past us carrying her box of things. Her appearance reflected the chaos she must have felt inside. Her hair was falling out of her loose ponytail, and her green sweater was sliding more and more off her shoulders with each hurried stride.

  Julian’s eyes turned into pitying half-moons as he watched his sister grow more frantic by the second. She slowed to a stop at the end of the hallway and spun around. “Have you seen Mother’s earrings? The ruby ones?”

  Julian shook his head.

  Charlotte cursed with frustration and stormed into the room on her left.

  Meanwhile, Grace’s voice carried throughout the castle. It was coming from downstairs. “Danielle?”

  “Coming!” I yelled. Hearing the panic in her voice, Julian and I rushed down the stairs. My heart seized as I ran. My senses were running on overdrive, and the way her voice shook made my veins tingle with nervous energy.

  Grace caught up with us in the stairwell, panting. “A helicopter landed outside,” she said, gasping for air between breaths.

  My mind raced, forming a plan faster than I could speak. I turned to Julian and placed my hands on his shoulders. “You need to get your sister out of here. Grace and I will handle the rest.”

  “What? No. I’m not leaving you t
wo.”

  “Julian,” I said, lowering my voice. “We can’t let those people out there find out who any of you are. And you’re nowhere near done clearing stuff out.”

  “So, what, you’re going to go all hybrid on them and rip anyone who comes through the door to shreds?”

  I shook my head and then gulped before stealing a glance from Grace. Instinctively, she shook her head and nodded.

  She was such a good friend. She had been from the very beginning. When we were thrust into the crazy competition Julian had concocted to select a bride for Aiden, we should have been enemies. But there was something so deeply good about her that it made it impossible for us not to get along.

  She was kind, even when she didn’t have to be. She was merciful, even when people didn’t deserve it. She was forgiving, even if anyone else in her shoes wouldn’t be.

  She’d forgiven Aiden. Forgiven Xander. Forgiven everyone who had ever wronged her. Not that she was stupid about it. She kept her guard up. But she was good.

  And here she was, blindly nodding along in agreement before I even asked.

  I tucked my hair behind my ear, my dark eyes growing heavy with sadness as I addressed Julian. “Get Charlotte and Xander out of here. We’ll make sure there’s nothing left for the humans to find.”

  Julian brushed his ginger-brown hair away from his forehead. His lower lip quivered ever-so-slightly before he bit it. “You’re going to have Grace start the fire,” he said knowingly.

  “Yes.” I bounced up on my tip-toes and kissed him. “Go. Get your siblings, and get out of here. We’ve got this.” I forced a smile at Grace. “Right?”

  She nodded without hesitation.

  “Alright then,” Julian said, nodding his head as if to assure himself that this was the best course of action. The fire had been his idea in the first place. But there was a difference between coming up with a plan and following through with it—especially when that meant destroying nearly everything you ever knew in the process. Squaring his shoulders, he charged up the stairs. “Charlotte! Time’s up.”

  Danielle

  Grace thumbed her ear. “Are you sure we should do this?”