Happily Never After Could Happen to Us

Kegan

“What have you done,” I half hissed at her. Maddie was curled up into a ball in the middle of her bedroom floor. Her skin was glowing as if she was on fire, but there were no flames. I ignored the unfamiliar scent of the girl beside Leo as I rushed to Maddie’s side.

Her facial features were tightening as if she was having a face lift, her lips were becoming full and soft, and the luster that her pale skin and dark hair used to hold was returning slowly under the glow. I realized that she had talked to Zora, and that’s probably why I was still alive. I took a breath and smelt the strong scent of burning blood, Maddie, and a bittersweet scent, the girl. I glanced at her and her eyes where all I needed to see before I realized what she was.

“Why is there a Cambridge in my home,” I asked hoarsely as my throat began to dry out with the bloodlust. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer without going temporarily insane, but I also knew that would give me the edge to get my answers over Leo.

“She’s mine. Sophie bought her for me,” he answered almost shyly. Maddie let out a small groan of pain.

“Do you know what she is,” I asked in that quiet calm way of mine.

“She is a simple human,” Leo stated a little more bravely.

“No, she isn’t!”

The Cambridge name tried to take over the throne more than once before Vincent met Johanna and he came to his untimely demise. The Cambridge family was also known as Timbiriche, it’s a Spanish term, but I’m not familiar with its meaning. I knew their power all too well though. They were powerful beyond belief, but they had the temper of a teenager.

A Timbiriche could control any object he or she wanted. They could also wipe out a single race of beings with certain Latin prayers. I knew because John Cambridge, the heir to the throne when I was to inherit tried more than once to kill me. Luckily the throne hadn’t had any force behind it in centuries.

“How would you know,” Leo growled at me. My son actually growled at me.

“I would know the scent of the people that tortured me, who made me who I am today, without a second breath. I could never forget that sickening Cambridge odor,” I hissed at him. The girl’s eyes grew wide as she glanced at Maddie.

I realized that she was awake now, and she wasn’t in pain anymore. Her blood wasn’t boiling, but she was thirsty, and she was a new vampire. She couldn’t hold her senses back like I could. I looked into the Cambridge’s eyes before I whispered one word. “Run!”

Before she had the chance to follow my instructions Maddie was lunging at her. The girl waved a hand before Maddie’s face and suddenly she was frozen in mid air. The girl stepped to the other side of Leo before she released her hold on Maddie.

“Cassie,” Leo whispered. She looked at him as if he was insane, and then a small smile that was barely noticeable crossed her features. In her moment of not paying attention Maddie had circled her, and was getting ready to pounce.

“Madeline,” I hissed. She paused for a moment and ‘Cassie’ moved from her path of attack. Maddie instead pounced on me without sinking her fangs into my neck.

“Drink this,” Leo said as he handed her a foam cup. Maddie gulped it down, but there was still something in her eyes. She knew Cassie wasn’t human, but she didn’t know that Cassie’s blood would kill her.