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  IMMORTAL

  SUFFERING

  SHANA J. CALDWELL

  IMMORTAL

  SUFFERING

  BOOK 2

  SHANA J. CALDWELL

  IMMORTAL SUFFERING

  Copyright © Shana J. Caldwell, 2019

  All rights reserved. Shana J. Caldwell has asserted moral rights to be identified as the author of this work. This publication may not be reproduced or partially used by any means unless prior permission by the publisher. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Art by Salome Totladze

  Cover Back Design and Wrap by Cover Design by Covers and Combs

  Prologue

  Dark clouds clustered in the sky, hiding the full moon. The two shadows walked along, moving at an inhuman pace as they searched the low valley for a specific creature. A creature that could turn the tides if a war was to come between vampires and humans. They’d been gone for weeks now, determined to bring some sort of information to their King.

  They turn into a patch of moonlight; the glow illuminates their identical features, their Asian heritage is dominant in the moonlight. One twin’s hair touches their shoulders while the other’s hair is spiked.

  Down the valley, beneath a darkened cliff face they hear a low screech. If it wasn’t for their inhuman hearing they would have missed it.

  Deep in the valley a beast awakens, unlike any other beast the world has faced. The shadows move like liquid motion as they manoeuvre to the sound; this is the break they’d been waiting for. The break they needed.

  As they approach the creature’s lair they ready themselves, for these creatures are their own sort entirely. It’s been a long time since they’d ruled by the vampire’s side, it had been so long since the twins had seen one so free in the wild.

  They enter a large cave, water droplets echo throughout the large, open space. Their steps are as soft as a feather as they go deeper, their vampire vision aiding them.

  At the end of the cave they are greeted with darkness.

  Hundreds of golden eyes open and focus on the twins. A high screech envelopes them. The twins grin at each other before facing the creatures.

  It was time for a new world.

  Chapter 1

  Allison

  Wind whistles through the cracked-open window of the sitting room as a storm begins to brew in the night sky. Lightning dances in the darkness, listening to a song my ears can’t hear as it journeys closer to the castle. Lightning flashes in the sky, while a rumble vibrates the sitting room; lighting up the city of Dafria. Between us and the city is a huge thicket of forest that protects us from lurking eyes. What I hope will protect us.

  I curl my legs beneath myself on the red Victorian sofa, pulling the black fur blanket over my legs. I’d been sitting out here in the darkness for a long time now, listening to the storm. I’d been here for less than a week and I already wanted to go home. I wanted to crawl into my own bed and forget all of this.

  Unfortunately that wasn’t how it worked. Did I even have a home anymore?

  My small town was long behind me now; my old life was now a mere memory. After the small battle, Kalabhiti had insisted I stay with him in this ridiculously huge castle until he saw fit that I was safe to be in the city.

  Which would be never. Because although I’m part vampire; I’m also part human. A lot of vampires wouldn’t take to me strolling the city streets lightly. Although Kalabhiti has a responsibility to me, he also has a responsibility to his people, his kind. I knew he would want to put their needs first; which put me on a tight leash. I didn’t like being held captive. I hadn’t seen Nardia since the river although I could vaguely sense her down our bond every now and then. The morning after the battle, all vampires I’d seen in the castle had vanished. On strict orders I assume to not go near me.

  I was an abomination. A monster. My identity wasn’t my own anymore, and I couldn’t come to terms with that. Wouldn’t.

  I get up and walk over to the window, while I was consumed by my thoughts heavy rain began to pour down, blowing wild droplets onto the cobblestone floor beneath the window. I pull the window shut and lock it. I press my hand briefly to the cold glass and a sense of longing drowns me. Freedom seems so close but so far away.

  I don’t want to be here.

  I keep my footsteps light as I make my way through the sitting room; a huge bookcase hugs either wall beside the wooden door. I lower my eyes and keep walking. I didn’t deserve books. I shut the wooden door behind me and steadily walk down the open hallway. A thin run of red carpet runs to the next opening before ending, helping keep my footsteps unheard.

  To my left are six candles hanging from the wall, a knight’s armour sits silently in the middle. A shiver racks my body as I look away, I never understood having empty armour for display; it had scared me more times than I’d like to admit.

  To my right are six, large windows looking out into the forest. Thunder booms in the sky, rumbling the ground beneath me again. The knight’s armour clangs lightly. I pick up my pace, wanting to be out of this hallway and in the safety of my temporary room.

  Lightning strikes somewhere deep in the forest; the force blows the candles out. I look out the closest window in amazement and freeze. My throat closes up as my eyes widen.

  Outside, in the middle of the thunderstorm a creature crawls.

  Its pale skin illuminated by the lightning; its bald head is focusing on something on the damp ground. I put my hand over my mouth, afraid it might hear my small intake of breath.

  Its head comes up again as it leans on its back legs, opening its black mouth in what I assume is a scream. I turn and flee from the hallway, not caring if Kal hears me. My heartbeat is loud in my ears as I round the corner left, running down a similar hallway to the last. The room I’d been staying in was at the far end of the castle; it overlooks the garden below.

  The hallway comes to an end as I open the wooden door to my right. Both sides open up to other hallways; wooden doors spot the dark walls. In front of me is a small staircase that shapes in an L, I take the steps two at a time; turning and running up the last few. I run down the hallway, at the very end on a cement post a gargoyle sits; snarling angrily at me. I come to a slow stop. It blinks.

  It blinks.

  I shake my head, it’s a cement decoration. They couldn’t come to life. I walk closer to the right wall; the end wooden door is the key to my safety. I move swiftly as I reach the door, slamming it behind me.

  I breathe heavy against its frame, taking a moment to regulate my breathing. What on earth was that thing? I’m sure Kalabhiti would have warned me if he had creatures lurking in the forest as guards. I flick on the light as I look around my small room; opposite me my window sits open. Rain has drenched the curtains and a small puddle has formed. I take slow steps towards my bed, its brown wooden frame sturdy. I lean a hand on the white doona as I glimpse under the bed. Nothing.

  I stand back and do a circle of the room. I only had the bed suite, which consisted of the bed, the two bedside tables, a chest of drawers and a small wardrobe. I owned nothing, I had no idea who owned the clothes in the wardrobe or drawers before me but they fit fairly well.

  Apart from feeling like a trapped animal I was grateful for everything, having a roof over my head was the main one. Since the dead Queen was a part of me, Kalabhiti didn’t have a choice but to treat me any less than well. After all, I had the blood of a woman he once loved running through my veins.

  I wa
lk over to the draws and I pull out a white towel from the bottom drawer; laying it over the small puddle. I shut the window tightly cutting off the cold breeze, the garden dark beneath the window. I’d have to take the curtains off tomorrow and hang them out in the sun.

  Oh that’s right; there is no sun in this place.

  I should have known. The vampires had advanced so much they’d managed to form a protection spell around their city; every day was lived in darkness. My days would be lived in darkness. I didn’t know how long I would last before going crazy.

  I turn the light off, crawling into the cool sheets. I lay back and stare at the ceiling in the darkness. My physical injuries had healed, I was functioning perfectly normal. My mind was scattered, I had never felt so isolated and lonely in my life. It was like a slap in the face knowing I had no one; the one solid friendship I’d made with Xavier had been broken.

  I’d done that willingly, and I’d never see him again. I didn’t want to know what he would think of me, after seeing what power I possessed, seeing what damage I could do. I had so many questions, but I refused to confide in Kalabhiti. I certainly didn’t trust him, I know now everyone has their own motives. I had mine, but they were simple.

  I wanted to escape, I wanted to be free of this curse I’d been given. It was no blessing in my eyes, I wanted to be normal. I’d avoided looking in the bathroom mirror, I couldn’t know how much my eyes had changed, how much my vampire part was overtaking. I’d pushed my power deep down inside myself, locked it away in a vault and thrown it into a black hole. I never wanted to use it again.

  A soft knock comes from the door; a hesitant knock. I lay still in the darkness; I don’t think the creature I’d seen would be able to knock so it ruled it down to one person who could be on the other side of the door. The knock comes again.

  “Yes?” I say, sitting up in the dark. The door opens with a creak; Kalabhiti steps into the room and shuts the door behind him. I can barely make him out but his presence seems to fill the space around me.

  “What’s up?” I ask, my hands clenching and unclenching the bed sheet. I’d tried my hardest to avoid any conversation with him with no one else around.

  “I heard you running through the castle.” his voice is soft as he stands in the darkness; I vaguely make out his shadow as he walks towards the window. He gently grabs the curtains; examining their drenched state.

  “Oh, um yeah. Got a spook I guess.” I say lightly. If I saw the creature again I would let him know, until then it wasn’t my problem.

  “A spook?” he asks, he pulling back the curtains and looking down at the garden, which is still in darkness.

  “Yeah you know? Like I got scared and spooked myself out.” I explain, lying back on my side to watch him. I curl my hands under my head.

  “I can’t say in all my years I’ve ever heard that terminology. Why were you scared?” he lets the curtain go and faces towards me, leaning against the window.

  “You’d think you would have, considering you’re a mummy. I don’t know, thought I saw something. It was just the trees though. I’m not a huge fan of these storms.” I say quietly. I nibble my lip as I watch him. My eyes are adjusting to the darkness and I’m able to see more of him, he’s wearing a loose black shirt and a pair of loose, white long pants. He must have been sleeping, if he ever sleeps.

  “I am most definitely not a mummy, the opposite if anything. But alright then, if you say so. We only have the storms once a month, just to keep the wildlife and plants flourished.”

  “Don’t they need sun?” I ask. As he crosses his muscular arms over his chest, my heart picks up its pace. I hate myself for it; the last thing I wanted was to be attracted to him.

  My heart got the better of me last time and I did not want that to happen again.

  “Not the ones here, the animals adjust easily whereas the plants are a new species we’ve created to only live in the darkness. If there was light they would all die.”

  “Well that’s morbid.” I roll onto my back, the sheet slipping down to my waist. I rest my hands on top of my belly and stare at the ceiling.

  “They’re immortal, only the sun can kill them. Everything dies eventually and turns to dust, even I will one day.” his voice is soft as he says this. I would die too and I knew this, it wasn’t what scared me.

  What scares me most is that if I fully turn into a vampire where did that leave me? I would be dead, and not just physically. I didn’t want to live for hundreds of years, that isn’t in the cards for me. It hadn’t even been a thought that’d crossed my mind.

  “That’s true. Maybe then you won’t be such a pain in my ass.” I say lightly, trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t want to think about me being vampire. I look towards him, he’s smirking at me. A small dimple on his left cheek catches my attention.

  “You really think I’m that bad?” he asks; I roll my eyes at him. Yes. No. Maybe? I didn’t know.

  “You act like it isn’t obvious.” I look back to the ceiling and twiddle my fingers together.

  “Why are you so nervous around me?” he asks. I frown at the question. My fingers stop moving.

  “I wouldn’t say I’m nervous. More like cautious.” I say slowly. Why would he think I’m nervous?

  “Why would you be cautious? Is it because I’m a vampire?”

  “Yes and no. You’re the vampire king; of course I’d be a little nervous around you. But I need to be cautious because I won’t let myself fall back into the same thing that happened last time.” I say, looking back towards him. I don’t hold the eye contact for long, I look down and focus on his lips.

  Which really do nothing to help me.

  “It’s just strange to me. Although I’m a king I also saved your life… I remember seeing you in a dream while I was in the city. You seemed comfortable around me then, so why now is the wall going up?” My cheeks burn at the mention of that…dream.

  “I don’t see how it’s strange. I’m sure there are plenty of people who are nervous around you, not just me. So why do you care?” I ask, avoiding his last question. He takes a deep breath and looks away from me, back to the door. I pick at my fingernails.

  “I just thought you would be accustomed to being around vampires, considering your bond with Nardia.” I sit up on my elbows and watch him. My hair falls over my chest and shoulders with the movement; the silver strands seem to glow in the darkness.

  “That doesn’t answer my question. What Nardia and I have is completely different. It’s a friendship and well, we’re bonded as well.” I suck my bottom lip, I didn’t think there was a way to erase the bond we had, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to. He sighs and looks at me, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “It isn’t important why I care or not, I just want you to be comfortable and feel comfortable here. Cassidar was much better at this than I ever was, but I’m trying.” his jaw tightens at the mention of his dead queen. I sit up and look away from him, studying my hands in my lap. I could see everything in the room, as if there was a dull light on behind my eyes that could show me everything.

  “How am I meant to feel comfortable here? I’ve been taken from one messed up situation and put into another. What even happened to those other vampires?” I ask, meeting his eyes. I had to know if some lived, I had to know it wasn’t all for nothing.

  “We managed to get half out.”

  “What happened to the other half?” I whisper, my stomach tightens. I think I already knew.

  “We were too late. They’d already been ashed. The survivors we have are in recovery, I’m sure they’d be more than grateful for your help.” he says softly. I look away. I’d been responsible for killing half of those vampires, and the countless humans that would have been casualties. I hope the children were okay.

  “Ali, you did better than anyone expected.” he takes a step closer and I focus on him. He stills, seeming like he wants to come closer but thinks better of it.

  “It wasn’t good enough. They all should ha
ve been saved.” my hands shake in my lap at the memory of them cramped in those small cages, fangs ripped out. I search his face, not knowing what I needed to make me feel better.

  “It gets easier. I promise. Casualties on both sides will always be something we can’t avoid. Once you’re more settled in I will take you to see the vampires we managed to rescue. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. You can’t pick and choose with war, you just have to take it in your stride and adapt.”

  Easy for him to say, he’s had hundreds of years to practice and adjust and overcome. I didn’t. I try and push the guilt down, not wanting to show it to him. I didn’t need him more worried about me.

  “Okay. Thanks.” I lie back down and shut my eyes. I was done with this conversation. It was all too much for one night. He takes the hint, his footsteps are light as he heads to the door; I feel him pause, then the door opens and shuts behind him. I quickly walk over and lock the door before collapsing back into bed.

  Tears escape and land on my pillow softly. I swipe at my eyes, only causing the tears to fall more. I roll onto my side and sob into my pillow as I look out the window. Lightning briefly lights up the room. I felt the rage of the storm inside of my heart, a never ending battle between the light and the darkness.

  What if darkness is all there is to me?

  Chapter 2

  Allison

  “Allison, it’s nearly mid-day. You can’t hide in your room forever.” Kalabhiti’s deep voice rumbles through my closed door. I stay facing the open window; I had been doing just that before he’d interrupted. Hiding in my room forever. I didn’t plan to leave anytime soon.

  “You’ve missed breakfast and you’re going to miss lunch. This has been going on for a week now.” I growl under my breath. I wanted to be left alone. I didn’t want to get out of bed or get food. I hear the door knob turn, but catch on the lock. I’d only just begun locking it; he had a tendency to sneak in and leave breakfast on the bed side table and I didn’t like intruders. I didn’t know to handle him being so nice.