Chapter Thirty
Marlon closes the door behind us as we step outside. Lanterns are hung throughout the yard, mingling with the moonlight and casting a soft glow over everything. It”s a beautiful night, and I can hear crickets chirping in the distance.
Sage and Marina have decorated the patio with flowers and candles, and there”s a large table set up with goblets and chalices, and if it wasn”t for the blood inside, one could mistake this for a wedding instead of a changing. The ceremony is simple but elegant, and it makes me smile to see them take so much care with it.
Simon leads the way to the center of the yard, where a circle has been drawn in the grass. There are five large torches surrounding the circle, their flames dancing in the darkness. The atmosphere is both eerie and exciting.
Sage begins the ceremony by lighting a bundle of sage and walking around each of us, chanting in a language I don”t understand. When she”s finished, she nods to Marina, who raises her arms and begins to sing. Her voice is angelic, filling the night air with the sound of her song. It”s so beautiful that I feel tears springing to my eyes.
I look over at Lola and see that her eyes are glistening with unshed tears. I reach out and take her hand, giving it a squeeze. She looks over at me and smiles, and I feel my heart swell with love and pride. She”s radiant in a gown of flowing black silk that shimmers in the moonlight.
”You look stunning,” I whisper, unable to tear my gaze away from her.
She smiles, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. ”Thank you.”
The music stops, and Marina steps forward again, holding a goblet in her hands. She lifts it up to the sky, her voice rising above the quiet.
”We are here to welcome our sister, Lola, into the fold of our family. She has chosen to join us, and we are honored to call her one of our own. Will all present raise their glasses and toast to Lola?”
Everyone raises their glasses, and I nod my approval.
”To Lola,” everyone chants.
Marina lowers the goblet and takes a sip of the blood inside. She walks over to Lola and kisses her on the cheek. ”It”s your turn, my friend.”
Lola looks at me, then at the glass. ”What do I do? Do I drink it?”
”Just repeat after me,” Marina says. ”I, Lola, do solemnly swear to uphold the laws of the vampire race, and to protect our secret and our existence to the best of my ability.”
Lola repeats the words, her voice clear and confident.
Marina turns to me and says, ”Repeat after me. I, Drake, do solemnly swear to aide my queen in her quest to protect our secrets and our existence to the best of my ability.”
I repeat the words, my voice strong and sure.
Sage steps forward holding a small silver dagger in her hand. She kneels before us, offering the dagger to Lola.
”Lola, do you accept this dagger as a symbol of your commitment to Drake?” she asks.
”I do.”
”And do you, Drake, accept this dagger as a symbol of your commitment to Lola?”
I nod. ”I do.”
”Present your hands.” We do as she asks, and the witch lifts the knife and, in one swift motion, slices open our palms, letting our blood mingle together on the blade of the dagger. She then takes the dagger and presses it against Lola”s chest, just above her heart.
”Lola, do you swear to honor and cherish Drake, to stand by his side through joy and sorrow, through life and death?” Sage asks.
”I swear,” Lola replies, her voice trembling slightly.
Sage turns to me, repeating the question. ”Drake, do you swear to honor and cherish Lola, to stand by her side through joy and sorrow, through life and death?”
I nod again. ”I swear.”
”Then by the power vested in me by the Ancients, I declare you bound together in love and devotion. May their union be blessed by the gods, and may their love endure for all eternity.”
As Sage finishes her incantation, a gust of wind sweeps through the yard, causing the candles to flicker and dance. The flames on the torches rise high into the air, then fall back to their normal height, casting an eerie glow over the clearing.
I take Lola”s face in my hands, extend my fangs and bite into my bottom lip before leaning down and kissing her. My blood seeps into her mouth, and I feel her body tense as the transformation begins.
I hold her in my arms as her body convulses, her eyes turning red and her teeth elongating. She cries out in pain, her hands clutching at her chest. I do my best to comfort her, whispering soft words of reassurance in her ear.
Marina and Sage move closer to us, laying a hand on each of us.
”It”ll be over soon,” they assure me.
I watch as Lola”s skin begins to pale, and her veins become more prominent. Her fingernails grow longer and sharper, and her hair takes on a darker hue. When she opens her eyes, they”re glowing red, and I can see the hunger inside them.
”It”s time,” Marina says.
We move into the circle, each taking a goblet of blood. Lola looks at me, her eyes wide with fear. I smile and nod, encouraging her.
”Drink,” I say.
She lifts the goblet to her lips and takes a tentative sip, her eyes never leaving mine. As soon as the blood hits her tongue, she lets out a small gasp, and her eyes close. I watch as she takes another drink, savoring the taste.
”It”s good, isn”t it?” I ask.
She nods, her eyes opening again. ”Yes. It”s... incredible.”
”Our queen is born,” I announce, raising my goblet to the sky.
Everyone drinks from their cups, then throws them to the ground. We gather around Lola, and I take her hand.
”Welcome, Lola,” I say.
The others step forward and kneel before us. ”Welcome, my queen,” they say in unison.
”Now,” Simon starts, presenting the vial from Genevieve”s crypt on to her on a silver platter. ”The time has come for you to drink from the vial. After this, you”ll not just be our queen, but queen of all vampire-kind.”
Lola takes the vial and uncorks it, her eyes never leaving mine. She lifts it to her lips and takes a small sip, then closes her eyes and swallows. Her body stiffens, and she lets out a small gasp. The vial slips from her fingers and shatters on the ground.
”What”s happening to her?” I demand, taking her in my arms.
”She”s becoming one with the magic,” Sage replies.
Lola”s eyes open, and they”re glowing red. She bares her fangs and hisses at me, her fingernails digging into my skin.
”Stay calm,” Sage says. ”She won”t hurt you.”
I try to keep my fear under control, but it”s hard when Lola is looking at me like she wants to rip my throat out. Her body is shaking, and she looks like she”s in pain.
”Lola,” I whisper, my voice trembling. ”It”s me. It”s Drake.”
She blinks, her eyes clearing for a moment. ”Drake?”
”Yes, it”s me,” I say, taking her hand.
Her eyes roll back in her head, and she collapses against me. I hold her tight, cradling her against my chest. I look around, my fear turning to rage.
”What”s wrong with her?” I growl.
Marina steps forward and lays a hand on Lola”s forehead. ”It”s just the final stage. Her inner-witch is merging with the magic of the vial. Once she comes around, she”ll be stronger than ever.”
I let out a sigh of relief and stroke Lola”s hair. She begins to stir, her eyelids fluttering.
”Drake?” she whispers.
”I”m here, love,” I reply.
Her eyes open, and I can see the change in them. They”re brighter than before, and there”s a new kind of power emanating from them. She sits up and looks around, taking everything in.
”How do you feel?” I ask.
She turns to me and smiles. ”I feel... powerful.”
”That”s because you are,” Sage replies. ”You”re now the most powerful witch and vampire in the world. No one can stand in your way.”
Lola stands up, her gown flowing around her in the breeze. She raises her arms, and I watch as the candles in the lanterns flare to life. She brings her hands down, and they dim again.
”Whoa,” she says, looking at me with a grin.
”That”s just the beginning,” Marina says. ”You”ll be able to do much more.”
Lola laughs, and it”s a joyous sound. She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me. I can taste her excitement, and I can”t help but smile, too.
”We”re going to be unstoppable,” she whispers against my lips.
I hold her tight, not wanting to let her go. ”Yes, we are.”
Everyone gathers around us, their faces filled with joy and hope. They kneel before us again, their voices raised in a chorus of praise.
”Hail, Lola! Hail, Drake! Long live the king and queen!”
”Long live the king and queen!” everyone repeats.
We stand there, holding each other, basking in the glow of our success. With Lola leading our kind, we will finally have peace. Other clans who have rebelled against the law will no longer be a threat.
The future is looking brighter than ever.
But even as I hold my mate, my queen, in my arms, I know not everything will be easy. There will those who still resist her authority, and there will be challenges that come our way. Those like Adrian and his followers who want nothing but to destroy us. They will come for her, and they will try to take her away from me. Some will believe they can steal her power and make it their own. But they will fail. Because I will do whatever it takes to protect my love. I will kill anyone who dares to harm her, and I will make sure no one ever tries to take her from me again.
And I won”t have to do it alone. We will face those challenges together, as a clan, as we always have. As king and queen of the vampire race, we will protect our people and lead them into a new age of prosperity.
I look into Lola”s eyes, and I see everything I”ve ever wanted and more. A life of love and happiness, a future full of possibilities. With her by my side, I feel invincible. I know that no matter what comes our way, we will face it together, and we will conquer it.
I smile down at her, and she smiles back at me, a twinkle in her eye. ”What are you thinking about?” she asks.
I pull her close and kiss her, letting my lips linger on hers. She tastes like blood and magic and forever. ”You,” I say. ”Always you.”
”And what were you thinking about me?” she asks.
I smile again and shake my head. ”I was thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life. And how much I love you.”
”I love you, too,” she says.
I take her hand in mine and look out at our family. The vampires who have stood by us through everything, who have risked their lives for us. I feel nothing but gratitude and love for them. Our clan. Our family. Our people.
When I raise our joined hands in the air, everyone around us erupt in cheers. ”Let the celebration begin!”
Music fills the air, and the patio comes to life as the vampires join in the revelry. It”s time to let loose and celebrate. It”s time to welcome the dawn of a new era.
It”s time to live.