Page 26 of Sleeping With the Vampire

I frowned.

“A life of great power awaits you, but there will be sacrifice if you pursue it.”

I wasn’t quite sure what she meant. “It is your destiny, but you could walk away from it. Avoid the pain, the cost to you.”

“I’m not big on walking away,” I said.

She smiled. “That is what I thought.”

“Your influence with King Lucca is fortuitous. He will be required to step up now, to right the imbalance in the Council. But it will come at a cost to him too.”

I had enough of all this fortune telling. She put a hand on my arm, to restrain me and get my attention.

“One more thing. Your father was killed by the vampire Chakrat.”

I gasped. “You know this?”

She nodded. “Your father had been looking for him for some time, he had tried to take him in before but he had failed. It was Chakrat who threw the amber water at him. He has become an important figure in Tempesto’s organization and your father was a big fly in his ointment. He wanted to get rid of him. That is why he brought in other vampires to launch an attack on your home, take out the whole family. He didn’t know you weren’t there. But as soon as he finds out, he will come for you.”

“I look forward to it,” I said darkly.

Lare shook her head. “Don’t underestimate him. Chakrat is ancient, stronger than any vampire you will ever meet. He is centuries old and one of the most evil entities I have ever met.” Her voice was ominous. “If Tempesto succeeds in gaining control of the Council, he will put the Servant in my position and they will bring out the demons to help them defeat any enemies that remain. With Chakrat and the Servant to help him, Tempesto will be undefeatable.”

“You want me to kill Chakrat,” I said.

She nodded. “But you will have to be prepared for him. Your father was weakened, you will have to succeed where he failed.”

I nodded.

“You cannot let Chakrat come too close to you, he will be able to penetrate all your natural defenses and you will be vulnerable to him. He is masterful at camouflage and moves freely even during the day.”

“He must have weaknesses?”

She paused. “He does not like fire. Fire balls will not kill him, but they will slow him down enough for you to deliver the fatal blow.”

She reached into a bag and took out a heavy, glass ball.

“You rub it against your skin until it is warm enough to burn your skin and then you throw it with as much power as youcan, it will catch fire and cause maximum damage.” She slipped the ball into a magnetic pouch and gave it to me.

I thanked her and opened the door to leave.

“One more thing,” she said and I turned back to look at her.

“Your father saw the world in black and white. There was no gray. He was inflexible. But, you are not like him, even though you want to be. You see more colors, you see how they interplay and complement each other. This is your gift. Embrace it. It will help you.”

She left me then, standing alone in the street as daylight came.

Life was beginning to stir in the houses around me. I could hear televisions switch on and pipes humming with the water for showers. Children’s voices, dogs barking and cars driving off. I turned to our rooms and went inside where Costello was waiting for me.

I didn’t want to think about what she had said about me being different from my father. I didn’t like that at all.

Chapter 10

Lucca

I leave the capital right away.

From the car I call Sunil.

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