The Lost Vampire Princess

wing faintly with blue light. Smoke curled from the incense on the altar, whispering secrets in tongues no longer spo

i

to her now wit

und her neck and murmured the binding incantation. The

ickered and nearly died out. The runes dimm

breathed, ey

magic-the one tied to Mia's protective spell-had weak

g," Amari whisp

hook with f

mean Mia's powers-her true nature-were stirring. Perhaps i

osed h

or someone has

n shadow. Two presences near the girl, both p

ttered, beginning to gather her

ying to find Mia's adoptive mother in the human realm. But

oo many forces cir

tightened arou

eady..." she whispered to the dark,

imly lit by the glow of the moon filtering through the curtains. At

th

ered along the stone walls. She stood barefoot, dressed in a flowing gown of deep crimson t

gal. Seated on them were a man and a woman, both with pale s

ice rich and melodic. "You're n

his cape billowing like

dark forest. The trees twisted like claws and howled in the wind.

n she t

e

e she hit the ground. She looked

ld, and the hand changed-now it was Kairo

choed. "Light or sh

edges of the dream. A necklace lay in the flames-he

s bur

, the sheets tangled around her legs. Her he

ched he

klace w

l was that?"

. some part of

uzzed with morning noise, but it all felt distant-like she was underwater.

e shoulder and flashing a grin. "Hey, birthday

haunted. "Tariq... have I ever told

om said they found you at the doo

baby on a doorstep in the middle of nowhere? And the necklace-I've had it

ile faded.

re like a vision. There were these two p

her, eyes narr

y were my re

I keep smelling things no one else notices. My eyes change in the mirror some

nt, looking at her like he wante

" she added quickly. "But

oice soft. "You're not c

d a little

gs I didn't want to tell you 'cau

an eyebrow.

and the lights flickered. Or when that stray dog got too cl

hudded. "You

voice was quiet, sincere. "And maybe...