A Monster's Birth: Aris Crow Vampire Legend, #2

By Raven Steele

"The only monster you need to be afraid of is the one inside of me."  

 

Aris Crow returns to Coast City not as a hero, but as a powerful vampire determined to kill the dark creatures who destroyed all that mattered to him. But, as a monster himself, he'll have to conquer his own demons and also unite with old enemies if he has any chance of saving his city.  

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Steele
• Release date: Dec 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393679974

Book preview

Chapter 1

Icaught the blade in my hand. Its sharp edge dug into my palm, but I held it firm.

Do something, Aris! Samira growled, her white fangs flashing in the moonlight. She pressed harder onto the sword nearly cutting through my hand.

I hated these training sessions. This one, for some reason, was far more intense than any of our others.

I'm starving! I growled right back. It had been ten days since I was given blood and no one, including Roman, would tell me why. I'd found that being cryptic was a common trait of the Ames de la Terre.

She kicked at my chest, her long black ponytail whipping through the darkness. I fell to the ground, nursing my bloodied hand.

I need some damn blood! I don't get how they expected me to fight a centuries-old vampire when I was hungry.

Blood had been the only thing on my mind for the last five days. The sweet taste of the crimson liquid as it coated my tongue and poured down my throat, filling me with incredible warmth. Without it, I was left cold with a continuous gnawing in my gut as if a rat was eating me from the inside out.

Just a little, I said, my voice softer. Please.

Samira reached up and removed her glasses, muttering under her breath a language I'd never heard. She folded them and placed them on a windowsill. Shit. I'd pissed her off.

Since I met you six months, four days, and seven hours ago, I've had to tell you three times not to yell at me. Have you already forgotten what I did to you the other three times?

I pulled myself onto all fours, my head down. This was really going to suck, especially since I was so hungry. I thought about not fighting back, but I had already tried that once and had my ass kicked.

I looked up at her. Can I beg for your forgiveness?

If you can say sorry before I reach you, then I'll consider it.

I'm—

Her knee slammed into my jaw, flipping me several feet into the air. I twisted my body so I could land on my feet. I ducked when she swung and spun away. I had to focus if I stood a chance. I couldn't think about things that usually plagued my mind since leaving Coast City, like how desperate I was to return so I could kill Victor for having my aunt murdered in front of me. But no one would let me leave. Not until they felt I was ready and no longer a threat to the outside world. So this is me, jumping through their hoops.

Samira darted for me, faster than any human eye could track, but I moved away just as quick and grabbed hold of her in passing. I tossed her into the old stone wall of Autry Manor, a partially ruined structure on the west side of the Bisou Islands. It was the perfect place to train: dirt floors, open spaces mixed in with maze-like corridors, and only the night sky as our roof.

She grunted and fell to the ground. It was my turn to rush her, but when I reached where she had been lying on the floor, she was gone. I turned around just as her foot smashed into my face. I stumbled back, reaching for the scimitar blade in the sheath around my waist. As soon as I removed it, my blade collided with hers.

Around the great hall, we danced, lunging, spinning and leaping, metal clashing together the only sounds in the night. And yet, with all this movement, our footsteps would never be heard. That was not in a vampire's nature. We were like a strong wind breathing across the land, ghosts cutting through shadows. Only the clanking of our blades gave us away.

The full moon tracked across the night sky, and still we fought. I wasn't given a moment to rest or to allow my wounds to heal before Samira landed her next blows. I was so focused on trying not to die by her hand that I had forgotten about everything else, even my hunger.

Being the oldest, living vampire I had ever heard of, Samira knew everything there was about vampirism. Same with elemental magic. I’d seen her use all four elements expertly, but it was rare. She preferred to be as she was. A tiger should not pretend to be a dog, she’d said once when I’d asked her why she didn’t use magic more. I admit I didn’t understand the analogy, but in a way, I respected her for being true to herself.

It is enough, she said, stopping her sword from crashing against mine again.

And just like that our fight was over.

I dropped to my knees sucking in air. My legs felt like the bones had melted inside them, but I refused to sink even further into the earth. I attempted to swallow, but my throat was too dry, reminding me again of how hungry I was. The empty pain filling my gut had spread to the rest of my body, and I flexed my muscles at the sensation.

May I please have a drink now?

She regarded me steadily. You may.

I looked up at her hopefully. I expected her to walk away to retrieve a blood bag, the only thing I had been given since turning into a vampire, but instead she nodded her head toward the darkness. I followed her gaze. Shadows hiding inside stepped forward.

Two vampires each held the hand of a small child with short dark hair. He had big brown eyes and thin lips with an upturned nose. He couldn’t have been more than eight years old.

My stomach lurched at the sight of him, in a hungry way. I glanced back at Samira, panicked. What is this?

You said you were thirsty. Drink.

From a child? I cried, appalled.

I looked back at him. There was no fear in his eyes, only a blank expression, and I suspected he had been compelled, a power I was still learning. As the boy drew closer, the smell of his perfect and pure blood reached my senses, and my whole body began to tingle with anticipation. Children were the worst to be around. Their blood had yet to become polluted by fats and sodium. I’d heard young blood was like drinking whole milk compared to skim. By the difference in the sweet smell, I’d say the comparison was accurate.

My nails dug into the earth. Get him away from me.

Is that what you really want, Aris? Samira asked. Look at that child’s veins. Do you not see how they pulse for you?

My head snapped back to the boy, my gaze focusing on his neck. I crawled over to him slowly, unable to stop myself. His scent was intoxicating and grew stronger until I could practically taste it on the back of my tongue.

I stared at that vein in his neck pulsing strongly, wondering what it would feel like to sink my teeth into his pink flesh. My fangs grew in my mouth at the thought. I moved closer, my breathing quickening. My hands came up and grabbed his arms, more for support than anything else. The pain in my stomach had reached a whole new level. I would welcome a blade to my gut over this sharp sting.

My face inched toward him until my fangs grazed his skin. He jumped and yelped at the same time. I flinched, and for the first time, gazed into his dark eyes. The image reflecting in the glossy surface was enough to make me forget my hunger. I hissed and leaped backward. Get him away from me!

I lowered my head to the ground concentrating hard on ignoring his scent that hung stubbornly in the air.

Arrrghh! I yelled and pounded the earth. I was angered by how close I had come to tasting him. Had I not seen my true self in his gaze, my predatory eyes and extended fangs, I feared what might have happened.

It was at that moment I had finally realized the truth—I had become a monster.

Chapter 2

T ake the child away, Samira ordered.

The vampires did as she asked and only when I could no longer smell the boy did I sit back on my knees and inhale the crisp air. Hunger pains still burned inside me, but they had been tempered.

Samira looked down at me. The pain you feel right now should be the worst it will ever get. You could go a month without eating and experience no further side effects. You have passed my second test.

What was the first?

You survived a fight with me. She circled me with the quiet grace of a deadly panther.

What happens if I pass all of them this time? She was always testing me for something. The sessions could sometimes last for hours. The reward? A hot bath, if I was lucky.

She stopped moving and cast her eyes downward. You return to Coast City.

I jumped to my feet, my pulse racing. Are you serious? You think I'm ready?

It does not matter what I think. The blood in you is pure and strong and comes from a powerful vampire, Elizabeth Bathory. She was turned into a vampire by an Original, a man I pray you never meet. She paused, and I swore she shivered, the moonlight just barely catching the small vibration of her body. I can sense Elizabeth’s strength in the way you fight. Her blood will give you much power if you can tap into it.

Wasn't she crazy and evil? I tempered my excitement at the thought of returning to Ironwood. To Emma. But why now?

You only have her blood, not her mental state, thank goodness. But you will have her bloodlust if you're not careful. She stepped to the stone windowsill and picked up her glasses. She slid them back onto the slender bridge of her nose. That woman was insane.

You met her?

There was a gleam in her eye, when she said, Who do you think killed her?

How old are you? I asked as I stretched my arms high into the sky. I thought about asking for blood, but knowing the pains in my gut wouldn’t worse, I figured I could wait.

I'm old enough to know that you should never ask a lady that question. She walked to the center of the great hall, stepping over patches of grass that had been trampled down from our earlier fight. Come back to center.

I crossed the room to stand in front of her.

You have one more test, she said. Hidden within these ruins are three Supernaturals. I want you to hunt them down using your sixth sense.

I haven't had much training using elemental magic.

She tsked me. You may be younger and more inexperienced than most vampires who attempt this, but with the powerful blood pulsing through your veins, you should not have a problem.

I glanced around the massive, ruined structure. Shadows hid in nearly every corner, moonlight only revealing so much. This would prove difficult.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled a few deep breaths to calm my mind and heart. Elemental magic required effort on both my body's most important organs.

I lowered to the ground and plunged my fingers into the cold earth, pressing inward until they were covered. I focused on my breathing: inhaling in and out feeling chilly air dry my throat. With each breath, I expanded my consciousness into the molecules of the dirt until I became connected with the earth. This was an easy task for me as I had spent two days buried during my transition. I had been given both life and death within this nutrient-rich soil.

Something unnatural disrupted the earth's flow. I snapped my head up and peered into the darkness. My night vision detected no creature, but my senses told me otherwise. I mentally pushed outward expanding my connection into the guts of the earth. She whispered back to me the location of the parasite.

I reached into my boot and withdrew a small dagger. Rising tall, I flipped my hand forward, and the blade spiraled downward through the air. It drove into the earth and pierced someone who had buried themselves. The person howled and jumped from their hiding place, dirt misting the air.

Good, Samira said. You have found a vampire. It does not surprise me you found him first. It's easy to sense your own kind.

The smaller vampire hissed at me and ran into the night.

Now you must find the shifter, she said.

I had only just learned about the other dark creatures of the world a few months ago. I had suspected them many times in my life, but Roman never confirmed one way or the other. Many of them, I discovered, were part of the Principes Noctis, the Rulers of the Night, a secretive order of Supernaturals controlled by a leadership of nine, the Ministry. They believed humans to be on the same level as animals and longed for a world where they ruled over the species.

The Supernaturals who weren't part of the Principes Noctis either kept to themselves or came to the Bisou Islands just outside of Rouen, Louisiana to join the Ames de la Terre, a group of supernaturals created to combat the Principes Noctis. They hoped to rid the world of the secretive group. Humans should be protected not destroyed.

I lifted my face to the sky. Because of their distinct scent, bitter like sagebrush, shifters could often be detected in the wind, the second source of elemental magic. One shouldn't be too difficult to sniff out.

I crouched low and jumped high to a wall where I could feel the wind stronger. I stretched tall on the narrow perch and looked out over the ruins of Autry Manor. At one point in time, this estate must have been grand, but anything fancy about it had disappeared long ago. The place, however, still held a dark beauty to it.

I scanned its many broken walls and caved in floors. There were dozens of possible hiding places. I lifted my chin and sniffed the air. All kinds of scents accosted my nostrils. There were animals in these forests full of blood pumping through their small bodies. Part of me wanted to leap from the wall and hunt them, but then I remembered my test.

In my mind, I separated the many scents, putting them into the correct category of what was important and what wasn't. On my third inhale, I caught a faint hint of sage in the wind and jerked my head to the left where part of a roof had collapsed. It would make an excellent hiding spot.

I leaped to the ground and tracked the odor. In passing, I grabbed a rock on the side of a ledge and gripped it tightly. As soon as I was sure, I winged the rock upward. It met its mark, and a man with long dark hair dropped from the ceiling, a cut above his eye. He growled, and his eyes flashed yellow. He was a werewolf. I nodded my head at him in acknowledgment, but he flipped me the bird and walked away.

Samira appeared behind me. Excellent. Now you must find a fae. They are of the water, the third element of magic.

Of all the supernatural creatures, they were the ones I knew the least about. Their species was rare, but they could be incredibly powerful and manipulative. Their kind had helped shape major world events and not always for the better.

I walked the old castle searching for a water source. The only way I would find a fae was to use the magical properties located within the clear liquid. Water could be quite powerful if one were strong and smart enough to wield it. Few Supernaturals were.

I was about to declare that there was no water around, but then I spotted a tiny trail seeping out one of the rock walls. It was a section built against a small hill. There must be an underwater spring on the other side. Where it was a natural source, I should be able to use it to find the fae.

Slipping my finger into the trickle of water, I directed it into my palm. When I had a quarter size of liquid, I tossed it into my mouth and let the coolness wet my warm tongue. There were many flavors in that water. I could taste each molecule, surprised that each one gave off a distinct taste. Some tasted like the fruit grown on the other side of the island, while other parts tasted like nuts and trees. I searched for the one I was familiar with, having already attempted this before. It was the fae’s tangy flavor of their magical essence that coated just about everything on the island. Even though fae could leave the island, many preferred not to. There weren’t many of them left.

I swished the water in my mouth as I continued along the rocky path of the old estate. When I turned a corner, the water instantly tasted like citrus. I kept moving forward, the taste of lemon growing stronger. I searched all around passing by the trunk of an old tree that had grown within what could've been the kitchen centuries ago. I had failed this test nearly a month ago, but I couldn't fail now. My return to Coast City depended upon it.

The citrus taste in my mouth turned to acid, and I almost spit out the water. That's when I realized my mistake.

I turned back around to face the tree and shot my hand forward, catching the cold throat of a slender woman who had camouflaged herself to the trunk. I jerked her from it, and her skin returned to normal, the color of warm milk. She practically glowed in the moonlight. Her blond hair flowed to her waist and parted down the center, the long tendrils covering her shoulders and bare breasts. She only wore a tattered, short green skirt. Not even shoes. It made me wonder how old she was to not care about clothing. Fae could live for thousands of years.

I let go of her throat and apologized.

I let you touch me, she said in a sultry voice that warmed my insides. She stepped toward me and ran her fingertips from my stomach up to my chest, leaving my flesh tingling in their wake.

Leave him alone, Sasha, Samira said.

Sasha ignored her and collapsed the space between us. I began to feel lightheaded as I stared into her luminescent blue eyes.

We will be powerful together, you and I, she purred.

I inhaled her sweet breath becoming further intoxicated. She rubbed me again on the chest, a heated touch, and yet her arms remained at her side. I tried to form words, but all rational thought had left me.

Get away from him, Samira said again and shoved Sasha hard. You’re breaking the rules. This test is about Aris, not you.

I expected her to fall to the ground, but her body dissipated and came together on the other side of the open space.

I will not forget this insult, she snapped at Samira.

And I won't forget that you're a whore, Samira countered.

Sasha stepped back and seemed to melt into the wall until she disappeared altogether.

As you just saw, Samira said, as she walked toward me, Fae are nasty little creatures. They are extremely manipulative.

I ran my hands through my hair scraping my scalp with my nails. The Fae's magic still clung to my skin, and I wanted to scratch it off me. There doesn’t seem to be any love lost between you two.

You noticed? She grabbed a wooden torch leaning against the wall.

Do you consider them friend or foe? I asked. I stretched my muscles already feeling more clearheaded.

It is hard to trust them, because of their natural tendencies to manipulate everything and everyone around them. They can create illusions, making the world appear different than what you know. Samira struck a match against a stone wall and touched the burning flame to the top of the torch. Fire engulfed it. I know a few who are trustworthy should I ever need their talents. Unfortunately, Sasha is considered one of the good ones.

Samira handed me the torch. You have one last task to complete. You must find a witch hidden in these shadows using the fourth element of magic - fire.

I gripped it tightly and stared into the glowing flames. I knew very little about witches. I had read about them plenty, but meeting them was a different story. They tended to blend in with humans more so than any other species. Because of that, they were difficult to locate. They had been perfecting the art of blending in for thousands of years.

This will be more challenging than you think, Samira said. Focus on the fire.

Doing as she asked, I concentrated on the flames as I walked through the ruined castle halls. Now and then, the fire would jump, but each time it was only because of a slight shift in the air.

I grew increasingly frustrated as the seconds ticked past. I needed to find this witch. If I didn't pass all these tests, then I would not be allowed back to Coast City. And I had to return. I had to seek vengeance on Victor for killing Kristen. She had been my only family member, and he had murdered her right in front of me. I would see his blood drained from his body as soon as possible.

I turned left, watching the flames swell then lower again. Shadow danced against the stones, but there was nothing to lead me in the right direction. A deep-seated anger grew inside me, and I growled in frustration. Picking up my pace, I resorted to looking in every crack and crevice unable to trust the flames licking at the wind.

Samira appeared at the other end of the long room I was in and clicked her tongue.

I shook my head. I just need a little more time! I'm close.

Ah, but you've ignored the flames for the last five minutes. You are looking only out of anger now.

I roared and tossed the torch into the air, nearly extinguishing the flames. It came down and landed in the dirt near her feet. The fire instantly roared to life as if it was burning the dirt. The flames spread outward almost six feet. I frowned at the oddity and looked up at Samira. She smiled a slow, deliberate grin. I didn't think I'd ever seen her smile.

That’s when I realized my error. She wasn’t Samira at all.

Witch, I accused.

She chuckled and smoothed her hair, turning the black color to a bright red. Hello, Aris. I've heard much about you.

I looked all around for the real Samira. What does this mean? Did I pass?

Samira appeared next to the witch. You have failed.

This is bullshit! I can't stay here any longer.

You have done well today, Aris, Samira said, her voice gentle in an attempt to placate my growing anger. In fact, you've done far better than anyone else has in your same situation. It can take months to learn to find just one element, but you found three. You are far stronger than I would have guessed, which I attribute to having Elizabeth's blood in you. It has made you very powerful. But it also makes you dangerous. She had an uncontrollable bloodlust. I worry what will happen when you truly tap into her power.

It doesn't matter now anyway, I grumbled, only half paying attention to what she had said. It's going be another several months before I leave this place and by then Victor may have torn my city apart.

Normally, she began, holding my gaze, I would not let you go. You’re not ready. These tests proved it, but recent events prevent me from keeping you here.

My blood turned cold, and my pulse raced. What’s happened?

The Principes Noctis has taken over Coast City. You must return right away and save what you can before it's too late.

Chapter 3

As if an invisible band had been cut, my chest felt lighter. I was going home. Finally, I could seek my revenge. I just wish it was under different circumstances.

I notified Roman. He’s gathering your belongings as we speak. Samira turned and walked away, dipping beneath a brick archway leading to a hayfield outside. Had you missed one other element, we would be having a different conversation right now.

I followed her making my way through long blades of grass that shimmered in silvery light beneath the full moon. Why didn’t someone let me know sooner?

She didn't stop or even look at me as she walked forward. Your city fell faster than we anticipated. You’re their only hope now.

I darted in front of her fast enough to make my head spin. I still had to get used to the speed of a vampire. Stop, please. I need to know more.

She looked annoyed and glanced past me. Vampires are everywhere. Human authority no longer exists. Even travel in and out of the city is monitored.

How is this allowed?

Who is to stop them? The government? Half of them are corrupt themselves. She began walking again, barely making a sound. Besides, very few know the depth of the depravity going on there. Information is not easily leaving the city. All media is controlled.

And I’m sure Victor is right in the thick of it, enjoying every second. I practically spat the words.

He works with them like Jonas did.

I have to get back,