Daughter of an Angel: A Morira Novel

By Helene Krejsager

Gabrielle thought she was a normal teenager living a very normal life... until her parents are murdered in their home by vampires and she has to flee for her life. In the middle of all these life altering changes, where all she thought was true is in fact well designed lies and secrets, she need to choose: will she fight for those she love or do the easy thing... just give up and die.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781471762499

Book preview

Chapter 1

The pouring rain was cold in the dark night. I shivered and huddled closer to the white wall. I couldn’t believe what had happened.

Even though I had seen it all with my own two eyes and I had felt it on my very own body, I couldn’t believe it.

My life as I knew it was over. Closing my eyes, my tears mixed with the rain, as a shudder rocked through me. I was sobbing, my whole body was shaking, my fingers clenched in my wet shirt. Pictures flashed before my eyes as lightning struck somewhere.

My mom was standing in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner. Her laughter was sweet and happy as my father kissed her cheek – they had no idea what was about to happen.

Gabi, why don’t you come help your mother and I clean up? he called, his blue eyes brilliant in the kitchen light. My mother, Marilyn, shook her head.

Uriel, there’s no need. She needs to do her homework; leave her be.

I had been gnawing on my pen, deciding whether or not I could ignore my homework and join them, when the front door had been blown off its hinges. Several men entered, but I didn’t know any of them. I had frozen in shock, the pen forgotten in my hand.

Mom stiffened only for a second, horror etched into her face, before she drew a kitchen knife, slicing the throat of the first man. I screamed and jumped from my seat as he crumbled, but mom didn’t even look faced as she picked up another knife. God, she was fast, wielding the knife as a though she knew just how to… kill. I stood frozen, trembling, and didn’t know what to do as more entered; my hands shook, my breathing had all but stopped.

Bright white light blinded me and dad… he was shining! White chords of power rushed down his arms and went straight through one of the men. Three were lying on the kitchen floor, black blood pooling around them and as I looked closer, I knew, no matter how impossible it seemed… they were not human.

Shocked and sickened by what was happening, I stumbled away from the chair and suddenly one of them turned to me, ran for me and I screamed. But then mom was in front of me, knifes in both her hands, blood running down her arms, as she hissed a very non-human sound.

Don’t you dare touch my daughter! Get out of my house – you have nothing to do here. The man smiled coldly.

Morira, did you think you could turn your back on this life? She hissed again, scaring me as I backed away.

I am a human now – I have nothing to do with your world anymore. Leave! Or by God I swear I’ll kill you all.

He laughed a bone chilling laugh.

You’ve gone against nature, Morira. You can never go back from being a vampire… and now you’ve created something quite interesting. I can smell it on her. Mom stiffened, her hands clenching around the knifes.

GET OUT! She yelled, as she flew at him, but he was too fast. He hit her with something and she fell, blood pooling around her. I screamed again just as my father yelled for her, but mom couldn’t get up. She looked at me then, her eyes paling as did her cheeks.

Go to the church, Gabi! Go to the church… She wasn’t breathing. I cried out.

MOM! Oh God, mom wake up! I started to run toward her, but the monster jumped at me, flinging me to the floor. Landing hard on my back I couldn’t breathe as he leaned over me, his dark eyes burning into mine as his hand delved in my hair.

You smell just wonderful, Morira’s daughter… I started shaking uncontrollably as he grabbed my arm, suddenly biting into my wrist. My eyes widened as a pain I’d never believed possible rushed through me, as though every cell in my body burned. My back arched clear of the floor as I screamed and trashed under him, kicking and hitting him.

Suddenly he was off me and I curled into a ball, shaking and crying as I held my bleeding arm. Light enveloped the room and I blinked, looking up. The vampire that had bit me was gone, as in, he was completely gone. Only a scorch mark on the floor was left, no dust.

Dad crouched over me, bloodied and shining.

Gabrielle, get to the damn church right now! Don’t look back, hon – don’t come back. He lifted me to my feet and pushed me away from him, just as three of those creatures attacked him.

I didn’t look back. Panic burned in me as I ran from the house, through the garden and unto the road. Holding my wrist to my chest I ran like I’d never run before, my bare feet scraping off the asphalt. Tears blinded me as I ran; it was so dark and I couldn’t see anything, but I knew where the church was. I had a couple of miles to run.

Out of nowhere a shadow turned and twisted and I knew it was one of them. I picked up speed, but he lounged at me and caught me around the waist, smashing both of us into the asphalt. I cracked my head against the ground and was momentarily stunned. His laughter in my ear was enough to wake me from my stupor, though.

I kicked at him, but his weight held me down. I whimpered, as his fingers dug into my shoulders, holding me in place. He smiled at me and horror filled me; he was going to kill me, like they had… killed mom. I blinked back tears; she was gone. I couldn’t even comprehend that she was dead, but now I would soon follow.

His nails dug into my shoulder, drawing blood and I screamed, just as another shadow solidified above us. This guy was blonde and broad shouldered and he looked oddly familiar. He grabbed the vampire and flung him away from me.

I scrambled away from them as the blonde guy attacked the vampire and swiftly disposed of him. I turned my head at the sickening crunching sound.

Oh, shit… Gabi? Gabrielle? I lifted my head; his voice was like velvet and yet deadly cold. His black eyes looked me over and I shivered under his gaze. He reached for me, but stopped when I flinched. Dammit, Gabi, I’m so sorry about all this. He shook his head, as he looked down the street.

Do you know me? I whispered and he smiled, showing perfect teeth.

Yes, I do. I was one of your mom’s best friends.

She’s… she’s… I couldn’t say it, but he nodded sadly.

She’s gone. I know – I was just at your house. I swear I didn’t know they were planning this. I looked at him again, taking in his striking beautiful and yet cold features. His blonde hair was like silk; I had definitely seen him before. He had visited us from time to time, often with years between each visit. There was a picture in the living room with him holding me when I was a baby.

Jarred? I gasped and he stared at me.

Yes, honey?

But why are you here? And then I realized something even worse, God, your one of them?! You’re a vampire like those back at the house? he nodded.

True, but now is not the time to get reacquainted, honey. We need to get you out of here – I need time to find out what is going on and why they would come after Morira… I stiffened.

Her name is Marilyn! He chuckled, as he reached for me, hauling me to my feet.

Her name was Morira before that. She was a vampire, but your dad changed her back.

WHAT?! I sounded strangled and I felt like I was going to throw up. Then Jarred looked me over, his nostrils flaring and I tensed.

You’re bleeding.

I frowned, Yes, the asshole that… killed mom… he bit me. I swallowed many times to hold the tears back.

Jarred looked suddenly very pale.

Shit… let me see it. I took a step back.

What? No, Jarred, you’re… he grabbed my injured arm, pulling my bleeding wrist to his nose, inhaling. Then he frowned, as he dipped a finger in the blood and tasted it. I froze; he was tasting my blood. There was absolutely nothing normal about this; it made me sick. And then another thought occurred within all this craziness; what if it became too much for him and he’d eat me? He had just admitted that he was a vampire and now he was tasting my blood?! I couldn’t even believe I was thinking the words ‘tasting’ and ‘blood’ in the same sentence. I was so close to losing it…

Hell… he whispered as he let go of my arm, staring at me strangely. I blinked, holding my arm to my chest.

What? Am I going to become… one of you now? I swallowed; I had read Twilight – I knew what it meant to be bitten by a vampire, although these were far from handsome and sparkly. Mom had laughed a bit too hard at those movies, though, but I’d never thought about it.

Jarred shook his head; No, it seems that you are not affected by the poison… Something behind him made him stiffen.

Time to go, hon, he suddenly lifted me into his arms and I held on to his leather jacket for dear life, as he started running. Wind blew in my eyes, making my eyes water and my hair was flung over his shoulder as he ran. He didn’t seem to get winded, though he ran faster than any car could drive. Within seconds we had reached the graveyard and it started raining. He let me down on my feet, steadying me as I swayed.

Go to the church, Gabi. They cannot touch you there. Wait for the police, but don’t tell them about vampires and angels and stuff – they’ll never understand you and you don’t need to end up in a mental institution on top of this. He turned to leave, but then stopped, looking back at me. I’ll try and check in from time to time, but I am a vampire and we are not human. We don’t have feelings. I swallowed.

That’s not true… I whispered and he knew that too. I knew that he had always loved my mom and that was the reason why he was here. Though of course I’d never known that he was a… vampire. I’d thought they’d been high school sweethearts or something like that and had stayed friends.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

Look, hon. I may be different, but most vampires are not. They will not hesitate to kill you – don’t ever trust one, okay? He looked into the sky. Go to the church. I’ll see if I can get to the bottom of this. He looked at me then and he seemed worried.

You are something different, hon. Be careful. And then he was gone.

Looking into the rain once more, I etched closer to the white church wall, the stone cold and wet against my bottom. I was freezing, but I didn’t dare move away from the church; not even to find shelter. And I couldn’t get in, the door was locked.

But here I was safe; they couldn’t touch mere here. Dad had told me to go here and even Jarred had said I’d be safe, and oddly enough, even after everything that had happened tonight, I trusted him. I trusted a vampire. Shaking my head I buried my face in my arms.

My eyes were swollen from crying. Mom was gone. And she had been a vampire once. And I didn’t know what had happened to dad or why he had been shining.

My thoughts were rambling and I didn’t know what to believe any more. Vampires weren’t real. They were in books. In movies. They did not show up in your house and… But they had. They’d killed mom. And Jarred was real.

Police sirens echoed through the graveyard just before the blue and red lights could be seen. I sighed a breath of relief, but didn’t dare go to them. What if a vampire pretended to be a policeman? If they could come here, to the church, then I could trust them to be human. And if they couldn’t, then I would run… But I had nowhere to run.

Looking down at my bleeding feet, I knew that I couldn’t outrun anyone, even if I wanted to. I was a mess, hurting and bleeding.

The crunching sound of gravel under boots made me look up through the rain. A flashlight blinded me, before the police officer lowered the light to my feet.

Miss White? his voice was gruff and he looked at me with this look of pity that made my stomach churn. This was such a small city; there was no doubt that he knew my parents personally.

Yes, I croaked, not bothering to clear my throat. He sighed and his shoulders slumped.

I’m very sorry about what happened to your parents, Miss White. My hands turned into fists and I swallowed multiple times; he’d said ‘parents’. As in plural. Did that mean that my father…

Is dad dead? I whispered, hating myself for asking, but I needed to know. The police officer sighed again, not meeting my gaze.

I’m sorry, Miss White.

I stared at him as my world fell apart. Dad was gone; he was gone too. I was all alone. Tears welled and spilled as I cried, sobbing heavily and my whole body shook once more. I wasn’t even aware of the police officer anymore or the hushed voices around me as more joined him. Someone draped a blanket over my shoulders, but I couldn’t stop shaking. I couldn’t stop crying. Not even when a complete stranger lifted me up into his arms, murmuring something about exhaustion and hospital. I couldn’t take it in. I saw only my mother on the kitchen floor, eyes staring into nothingness. And now dad was gone too.

Chapter 2

Hospitals had always seemed white and cold to me. They’d always lacked that human warmth that I felt sick people truly needed. They needed color and love, to feel at home and not caught in an unfriendly and sterile world. But as I was sitting on the hospital bed with nurses fussing around me, cleaning the cuts on my shoulders and wrapping the bite wound on my wrist, this place seemed fitting for how I felt inside. I was completely detached from everything they did to me.

The doctor looked me over, asked some questions I didn’t answer. He talked to the police who tried asking me questions I didn’t answer. I couldn’t talk. I had nothing to say that they would ever understand. Vampires had murdered both my parents in our house; what could I say to that?

After what felt like hours, the police gave up. They finally left me in peace, but deposited two officers by my door in the hall. Whether it was to keep me in or keep someone out was unclear to me. If it was the latter they could save their breath; they wouldn’t be able to protect me. And yet I wasn’t afraid; it was like I was already dead.

I was still sitting on the bed, now dressed in a clean white hospital gown that one of the nurses had helped me put on, when I noticed a man in the hall. The only reason I noticed him was because he was staring at me, while everyone else was deliberately avoiding my gaze. He was leaning against the white hospital wall, jeans low on his hips and his white t-shirt was stretched tight across his chest. Meeting his gaze, I noticed that even from this distance I could tell that his eyes were startling blue. Like dads were.

Tears welled, but I blinked them away as a nurse entered. She smiled at me, but I didn’t look away from the guy in the hall, even as she started setting up the IV. He didn’t look away either and yet he didn’t really seem interested at all; he had this strange look about him, like he too was detached from everything and like he didn’t really care about the people milling around. At first I thought he was my age, just about seventeen, but he didn’t seem young; he seemed timeless. He could pass for being twenty, thirty and perhaps even forty and yet he seemed oddly young and beautiful.

The prick in my arm from the needle made me blink, and when I looked back up, he was suddenly gone. Frowning I shook my head slightly – maybe I was seeing things.

With a final smile the nurse left me and only the sound of the dripping IV could be heard. Lying down on the hospital bed I stared at the small strip of light under the door. Each time someone passed, I held my breath, fearing that it was one of them.

Tossing and turning all night, panicking every time someone neared the door I didn’t get much sleep. When the light brightened behind the closed curtains I was staring obsessively at the door. I couldn’t believe they hadn’t come for me – that I was still alive.

When the door suddenly opened, I was sure I almost had a heart attack, as I leapt from the bed and ran clear across the room before the person even entered. Grabbing a water pitcher so I had something to throw, I turned and stared at the door.

A woman stood there, frozen as she stared at me, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock. Recognizing her I immediately put back the pitcher and ran to her, embracing her as I sobbed.

Oh, sweetie, I’m so, so sorry, she whispered against my hair as she held me close. Gently she pulled me toward the bed and pulled me into her lap like I was six years old and not seventeen. She rocked me silently until my tears stopped and my shaking lessened.

Baby, I’m really sorry about what happened, she whispered, stroking my hair. Are you okay, though? The police said you wouldn’t talk to them.

I dried off my tears as I nodded.

They wouldn’t understand anyway, Jane. I whispered.

Jane shook her head; I’m sure that’s not true… I looked at her blonde hair which was gathered in a messy knot; usually Jane had perfect hair and really nice clothes, but now she was just wearing jeans and an old t-shirt.

She smiled sadly as she followed my gaze; I came as soon as I heard, she gently removed the locks of hair from my face which was sticky with tears. Are you okay? Did… did they hurt you? I shook my head before resting against her shoulder again, inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume. Jane was the closest thing to family I had left. She and my parents had always been close after they had helped her when she was young and alone with her daughter Grace. Grace was now eighteen and she had left home for school; she wanted to be a model and unlike many parents, Jane supported her daughter’s dreams. Being only in her mid-thirties Jane was a young mother and she had handled everything herself since her parents had thrown her out and she didn’t know Grace’s father. She was the strongest woman I knew, having created a national internet chat-forum for single mothers and women who had been abused. And now she was all I had left.

I have talked to the police and they’ll let you stay with me, until they can find someone you are related to or a foster-family. I frowned as this sank in.

A foster family? I’m seventeen! She smiled, though unshed tears made her eyes shine.

And almost ten months shy of turning eighteen – you cannot live by yourself until you are legally an adult, baby. I frowned.

But you did; you were my age, when you lived alone with Grace. She nodded, her lips thin.

I did, but that is not something I wish for anyone. I didn’t have anyone, but it doesn’t have to be that way for you. You shouldn’t be alone after… all this. My hands tightened in her jacket.

But can’t I stay with you? My voice almost broke.

Oh, honey, I would love to have you, but I can’t if you have living relatives – you need a family and not just me. I felt my lower lip tremble.

Don’t you want me to live with you? I asked and she blinked, tears sneaking out under her lashes.

Of course I want to have you with me, but this is not for me to decide. But once you are eighteen you can do whatever you want and if you want to come stay with me, then you can. I promise.

Just then the door opened once more and I stiffened, glancing behind me with my heart in my throat. The policeman from yesterday walked in and I relaxed a bit; he had been able to get to the church, so he couldn’t be one of them.

He looked us over, clearly feeling a bit uncomfortable as he pulled a notebook from his back-pocket.

I hope you are feeling better today, Miss White. He said and I nodded vaguely. His lips pursed as he looked at his notebook.

I was hoping you could to talk to us today about what happened… you are, after all, the only witness. I could almost hear Jane roll her eyes.

Just get to the point, Jack.

He frowned then, as though this was the first time he saw her.

Hello, Miss Parker. I didn’t know you would be here already. Have you talked to her about the arrangements? Jane nodded, her hand combing through my hair soothingly.

Yes, of course. He nodded.

Good, he looked at me then, Miss White, Miss Parker has agreed to let you stay with her, until we can find some relatives that can take you. Unfortunately, your mother didn’t have any family left. I nodded.

I know, I whispered, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

And Uriel’s father passed away a couple of years ago, but we believe there was some family there. Can you perhaps tell me who and what their numbers are? he asked and I shook my head.

I don’t know any of them. Can’t I stay with Jane?

The police officer pursed his lips again.

Unfortunately that is not for me to decide, Miss White. You are now a child of the state and some lawyers will decide who will be your legal guardians until you turn eighteen. He turned through his papers, Now, can you tell me what happened last night?

I dropped my gaze to the floor; I didn’t want to talk about it and Jarred had warned me not to. As humans they wouldn’t understand.

It’s okay, baby, Jane whispered and I looked at her, not knowing what to do. And then it all spilled out. I told them everything, though, leaving out the whole vampire thing and I didn’t mention that Jarred had saved me. I wasn’t even sure Jane knew about him.

Looking at them both, they seemed visibly paler after I was done telling what had happened and Jane’s hands had knotted in the bed linen, her lips thin. The police officer looked rather shaken, considering this was his job and all.

After telling everything I tuned them out; reliving my parents getting murdered was next to the most awful thing I’d ever experienced. But I didn’t cry again; I guess I had no more tears.

Over my head, Jane and the police officer were making plans for me, but I really didn’t care. Apparently I had no say in my life anymore – some lawyer might send me away from my home and from Jane. I couldn’t make any decisions before I turned eighteen in ten months. I couldn’t even comprehend how much my life had changed overnight.

Gabi, dear, why don’t you go change? Then we can go home, right? Jane added to the police officer who nodded.

Her wounds are only superficial; if she gets worse she’ll have to come back, though. Jane nodded and gently helped me to my feet. I folded my arms across my chest, staring at the floor again; I had been doing that a lot.

I don’t have any clothes and I don’t want to go home. I whispered.

Jane nodded.

That’s okay – I brought you something. One of Uriel’s friends owns a cleaning company and he had one of his colleague’s empty your closet. Everything is at my place and I brought you something. Here, she handed me a bag, which I took with trembling hands.

Going to the bathroom I closed the door and leaned against it, feeling exhausted. Sighing, I looked into the bag, finding my favorite jeans and sweater inside. Feeling a little creeped out that some stranger had gone through my closet and all my clothes, I stripped off the hospital gown. Turning to the sink I washed my face and hands before looking at the mirror. I looked pale, dark rings under my grey-blue eyes and cuts and bruises covered my cheeks and forehead. My hair, which reached my back, had never really decided whether it wanted to be black or brown and was something in between. Typically the dark hair was in stark contrast to the bright color of my eyes, but not now when I was this pale. My full lips were thinned and my expression hard, my eyes too wide. God, I looked awful.

Dressings covered my shoulders as well as my hands and feet, followed by bruises at places I didn’t even remember getting hurt.

Turning away from the mirror I grabbed my clothes and pulled it on, grateful to have something of my own. I felt better the minute my favorite sweater fell into place around me.

Outside the bathroom Jane was waiting for me and she smiled encouragingly at me.

Let’s get you out of here. She said.

The car ride through town was quiet and uneventful. I stared out the window, having nothing to say, which was new for me. Usually I couldn’t shut up once I got in a car, somehow needing to talk faster than the car could eat up miles. But not today.

Jane kept glancing at me worriedly and I felt bad about that; she shouldn’t be worrying about me. I knew that my parents’ death had to be eating away at her; they had meant everything to her and Grace. We had celebrated almost every holiday together and Jane and my mom used to hang out a lot. This had to be killing her almost as much as it did me. 

Half an hour later we parked in front of Jane’s house; it was a white house with a huge garden, almost twice the size of ours. Jane loved gardening.

Shouldering the bag with my things I followed her up the stairs and inside, already heading for the room where I usually slept when staying here. The room consisted of a large bed, a desk and a closet. Some of my favorite books were stacked on the desk from my last visit.

On the bed was a huge pile of clothes, all neatly folded, including my underwear. Grimacing, I went through the things, placing them in the closet and the rest on the desk once the closet was full. At home I was used to having a huge closet. With the bed empty I laid down, pulled my knees to my chest and stared out the window at the blue sky until I finally fell asleep.

It was the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen which woke me. Blinking in the darkness I realized that I’d slept all day. Yawning, I slipped out of bed and went by the bathroom before joining Jane in the kitchen.

She smiled at me when I looked into the pots on the stove, "Don’t worry, it’s just Spaghetti