Chapter 3 ∣  Moonlight Escapade

-Tamsin

"Dad?" I ask, sitting cross-legged on the dark marble floor, my father taking down a short sword from the top shelf of a cabinet, the wood members holding age unknown.

My father takes hold of the weapon, turning around and asking, "Yes, Tamsin?"

"Why is Maverick in trouble?" I'm curious. It wasn't his fault, yet he's taking the brunt of Lucca's anger. Even though he's the coven leader and King of the vampire world, he is a father as well and should treat his son much better than he does.

"Maverick stood down while the rest of you risked your lives protecting Lucette," my father states, glancing over his shoulder to see my mother, walking through the open doors of the training room. Her dirty blonde hair hangs just below her shoulder blades, tied up and ready to train with my father. After what happened tonight, I'm sure the lot of us are in for more training. I didn't expect a rogue vampire to appear, especially so close to Locaine or Erebus. Erebus is the most powerful vampire by age standards, but Locaine is the most influential.

I sigh, uncrossing my legs and stretching them out, tilting my head back and forth as my feet mimic the same motion, "We're just kids..." I grumble, turning my attention to the floor, hearing my mother's footsteps approaching.

"Correction," my mother smiles, my gaze lifting to meet hers, "you are vampire children. You age differently and despite your young appearance, you are much stronger than a normal human being. You took on your father's inherited ability, so that makes you more dangerous, Tamsin. If you don't harness it at a young age, you'll likely never have control over it."

"Is that why Maverick can't control his blood magic?" I question, placing my palms against the marble floor and standing to my feet.

My father shakes his head, "No, that is an entirely different situation. I'd be careful around him. He's unstable."

"But...WHY?" Their words are on a constant loop with no real answer to my question.

My mother looks to my father before sighing, "He has twice the power of a normal blood magic user, making him very dangerous. Because of this, it is a lot harder for him to control and needs more time and practice to master his ability."

"So..." I grumble, starting to head in the direction of the doors, confused by what they mean. Maverick wouldn't hurt anyone. He loves this coven and everyone in it...he just fights with his father, which all children do. I don't understand...

"Tamsin," my father has that warning tone underneath his words.

"I know, I know..." I turn my eyes toward my parents, smiling, "...be careful and watchful."

I turn back around, walking through the doors and sighing heavily. Lately, my training has consisted of hiding within the shadows of the coven, practicing on being neither seen, nor heard. It's such a muddled mess to try and tap into someone else's mind, reading it and taking a glimpse into their past based on whatever emotion is strongest at the time of the invasion. My father said this added ability might not show itself until I'm a bit older and able to handle the thoughts of others. After all, I must be within the shadows for the ability to work, so if I can't keep my body dematerialized, there is no way I can even practice reading a mind.

I wonder what Maverick is thinking...

My thoughts run off and as I approach the marble staircase lower landing, I exhale slowly, my eyelids closing briefly.

It doesn't take much to startle me, considering everything I'm learning, but when I feel a hand clap over my mouth, I scream, my eyelids snapping wide open.

"Tamsin..." it's Maverick's voice that has me easing down, glaring as he removes his hand from over my mouth.

So, he's thinking of ways to scare me!

Jerk!

I turn around and glare at him, "Why would you do that?!"

"Oh, come on..." he's agitated.

My eyes look over him, he's wearing dark jeans and black boots, a black and red t-shirt under an onyx hoodie. He looks like he's about ready to leave...wait...why?

"Maverick?!" I half scream, but with the look on his face, I lower my voice and ask, "Why are you dressed like you are about to go outside? You're up early, only my family is ever up this early..."

"One night...just one night," his voice trails off, my eyes softening as he states, "I have one night left before my father is sending me away to train with Orion."

"Wait...what?" I'm not comprehending why he's being sent away. Can't Zak train him? Even his grandmother? "What about Annika?"

"My grandmother?" He shrugs his shoulders, "My father doesn't want me to be trained by family..."

I breathe out, "Oh..."

"Were you about to-?" Maverick's voice questions my actions.

"Yea," I reply, knowing he won't have had any contact with me if I dematerialize. Yes, I could have seen him, but he would have had no idea where to start looking for me.

Maverick turns away from me, the frustration on his face is clear. This isn't fair. He shouldn't be blamed for this, it wasn't his fault in the first place that the rogue vampire had appeared and attacked us. If it wasn't for my training and knowing I need to listen for orders from the coven leader or commander, I'd have stood in shock as he had. At the moment, the coven doesn't have a commander, but Arlynn would be filling in that spot with time, as she is being groomed and trained with precision.

Arlynn's plan would have worked if Maverick had reacted in time. Oh well, at least none of us were seriously injured and I learned I need to wait for the right opportunity to strike, not just go for any opening I see.

His footsteps are fading away, heading down the hallway to the back door. If this is to be his last night here for a while, we'll make it last. A smirk plays across my face, running as fast as I can at the vampire prince, attacking him from behind and knocking him onto the marble floor.

"Wow...your reflexes really are dull," I giggle to myself, my knees on either side of his body as I sit triumphantly on his back. My giggling turns into pain as I quickly growl, "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Maverick reached around behind him, grabbing my hair and pulling me off him. He returns my shocked expression with a smirk, "It's a good thing I don't have long hair." He teases me, letting go of the strands of hair he had entrapped and walks up to the back door.

"Tamsin?" Maverick asks, taking hold of the door handle and pulling it back, watching the red, gold, and purple hues of the sky as it slowly slips away, the sun sleeping for the moon to rise.

"Yes?" I ask, walking up next to him in my faded jeans and black sneakers, zipping up my gray hoodie over the pink and blue shirt I wear underneath. He gives me a mischievous look with his sideways glance, "What do you say we have another adventure?"

I smile, "Of course! Besides...I really do need to feed, and that candy barely sufficed yesterday!"

Maverick's look alters to one of sorrow as he whispers, "I didn't get to eat any candy."

"Your dad?" I ask, wondering when the last time my friend had actually fed.

"Yup," he pops the p at the end and looks out at the sky, the darkness slowly overtaking the beautiful sunset, "I'm sure he wanted me to wait until I wasn't his problem for a while. I don't mind going with Orion and Cristela, they are very nice, but I miss being away from my mom. She always stands up for me..."

"Yea..." my voice trails off, pushing past Maverick and stating in a matter of fact tone, "...besides, we all know who really wears the pants between the King and Queen and it sure isn't your dad."

His face lightens at my comment, laughing as he closes the door behind him.

Hmmm...where to?

I look out to the large forest area that occupies the city limits, the lights from Portland, Oregon starting to sparkle as the nightlife comes alive.

"So, you want to pull some pranks then?" I ask, knowing he won't pass up the opportunity to pull a fast one over a human. He really doesn't care for them, but his hate is reserved for the hunters, which I can see both sides. Maverick doesn't want to have someone telling him what to do and he sees the hunters as beneath vampires, understanding that his parents had to make peace, but he still dislikes Zak with a burning passion.

He nods, taking off down the street, walking at a normal speed as to not give away our identity. I can't help but smile, knowing he's having fun. It's hard...when everyone thinks you are unstable and will kill anyone without question. Maverick won't do that though...he won't purposely kill someone.

Maverick sees exactly what I do, motioning to a nearby balcony, that protrudes from a house that is vacant. Acknowledging him, I push off the ground, keeping out of sight as I climb up to the dark wooden balcony, Maverick right behind me. I giggle, taking hold of two of the wooden poles and staring in between them, watching people passing by on the streets. I know Maverick likes to scare people if he can't hurt them, so this will be the perfect way for us to have some fun.

"Her," he whispers beside me, drawing my eyes with his finger as he points to a lady walking down the cement sidewalk directly beneath us.

"Mine!" I move before he can react, scaling down the side of the building and waiting for her to approach the dark alley. I keep my back pressed against the brick wall, watching as she passes near me.

I begin to cry, sliding to the ground and clutching my ankle. My fake tears have gotten better as it appears, I'm able to create a few and draw her attention.

"Oh dear," she hastily comes toward me, kneeling and asking, "are you okay child? Where are your parents?" She looks from her left and then to her right, trying to figure out where they have gone. I just sob, grabbing my ankle and sniffling quietly.

The woman takes a cell phone from her pocket and begins to dial a number. Maverick won't let her get that far, dropping down from the balcony and creeping up behind her. The growl that comes from the back of his throat has me slightly afraid. The woman whirls around and screams, afraid of the sight she sees, his black rose eyes staring her down with intensity, his fangs visible as she continues to shriek.

Instead of running, she states, "You will not hurt this child!"

That's a first.

I can't wait any longer, taking hold of her wrist in both my hands and feeling the shift in my eyes, crimson red reflecting the blood that suddenly flows from the two puncture marks I create. My elongated fangs sink into her delicate flesh, tasting her blood and the fear that lingers in her veins. It's too tempting and tasteful, I know I must let go, and right as I do, I feel something hit me hard in the face.

I gasp and fall back, the woman, not just scared, but furious, her hand leaving behind an imprint as she yells, "Vampires!"

She retracts her hand and tries to move past Maverick, but he growls dangerously low, "You don't get to hurt Tamsin and get away with it." I can almost feel the blood boiling within his veins, seeing his demeanor shift.

"M-Mav-Maverick, I'm okay," I beg him, watching as he takes hold of the woman's wrist and throws her against the wall.

Oh no...

"Maverick, don't!" I scream, seeing the blood rising from the puncture wounds, traveling from the woman and encircling his body, floating in mid-air. The woman freezes, the fear plastered on her face as the blood circles him quicker, her body shaking in terror.

"Stop!" Is the one word uttered, Rainier's familiar form coming into view right after a chain sickle is thrown around Maverick, pinning his arms against his sides. Maverick tries to pull away, but the silver weakens him, and Rainier only tightens it as his struggles intensify.

Zak appears from the end of the alley, saying, "Run," to the woman and she doesn't wait to be told twice, scrambling to her feet and taking off down the street. Zak walks toward Maverick, the blood he had once controlled had fallen to the cement ground, Zak's medium length daggers are hanging on either side of his hips.

He sighs, coming to stop in front of Maverick as Rainier pulls back on the chain, forcing the vampire prince to fall to his knees.

"Maverick," Zak asks, "what were you thinking?"

"I-It's not his fault!" I cry out, running in front of Zak and slamming my fists against his stomach, taking him slightly off guard, "The woman hurt me...he was only protecting me."

Zak arches a brow, "Why were you out here in the first place?"

"I-I had to feed..." I know Zak won't be mad at that, but he's disappointed with Maverick's decision to attack the woman, possibly ending in her death. Zak's white irises gaze down at me, searching my face before glancing up to see Maverick glaring back at him. I turn around, still blocking Zak's pathway. I can see it in his eyes, Maverick holds no remorse for the decision he had made.

"Rainier," Zak lets out another heavy sigh, moving from behind me and walking to stand in front of Maverick.

Rainier just shakes his head and asks, "How close are we supposed to let him come to killing someone before something has to happen? Evicka sh-"

"It's not Evicka's fault her son turned out to be like this..." I hate hearing how Zak is talking about my friend.

I growl lowly, stepping beside Zak and punching him in the thigh. He winces just enough for me to know my little vampiric strength had hurt him a little.

"Tamsin, you need to stay out of this," Rainier still holds the chain tightly. When Zak turns to me, kneeling I back away, but he reaches out his right arm and catches my upper arm, holding me near him.

"One day, you'll understand just how dangerous he is," Zak motions to Maverick, "and when that day comes, I hope you aren't just guided blindly by your emotions."

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The Rogue Pureblood Vampire by K. A. Young.

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