ROMANCE: His Ebony Blood Jewel - A Novel (BWWM, Paranormal, Vampire, Billionaire New Adult Romance) (14 page)

Harper decided to trust whatever it was that she was feeling inside. She walked to the door and opened it slightly, sticking her head out to peer around the corner to make sure no one observed her leaving.

Pulling her skirts up slightly to avoid making any noise that the dress would make if she let it trail on the ground, she followed her heart as it guided her down the left, then down a flight of marble stairs. Rich tapestries and portraits hung on the walls, illuminated by candlelight from the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

She felt she was getting closer. But she paused momentarily as she stood in front of a iron grey door. It was intimidating. Chains were wrapped across the entire doorframe. There was no way she’d be able to get through. But that was where she was being moved to go.

“My Lord Jesus,” she prayed silently in her mind. “I know I am in a dangerous land, but please give me the strength to get through this.”

She withheld a gasp as she heard footsteps approaching.

I need to hurry, she thought to herself as she studied the lock. She was an attorney, not a locksmith. There was no way she was getting through this.

But as the footsteps got closer, she instinctively closed her eyes and put her hand on the lock.

She opened her eyes when she heard a soft click as the padlock opened up.

“Thank God.” She whispered as she discreetly opened the door and closed it tight behind her.

She stood at the top of a flight of stairs that seemed to go down endlessly. The air smelled fresh yet cool, almost as if she were outside.

Starting down the stairs, she picked up the pace.

“He must be down here.” She thought. “But why would they keep him underground?”

At the bottom of the stairs, the floor was hard-packed earth. The landing had many hallways leading from it, going in different directions.

She quickly chose one and raced down it.

“Bryce? Bryce, are you in here?” She said in a hushed voice. “If you hear me, say something. I know you’re sick. I know they did something to you.”

Everything got darker as she proceeded down the hallway. But then in front of her, about fifty feet, were flickering lights that seemed to be coming from a room.

She walked as quickly as she could and shivered as she looked in, seeing only a wooden casket on the ground.

No one, or nothing else, was there. Just a few candles in a candelabra on a makeshift wooden table off to the left.

Putting her hand on top of the casket, she suddenly felt all the emotions in her come out.

“No…” she cried. “You can’t be dead. You can’t. We barely know each other. But I know I love you. I just know it deep in my heart.”

She rested her head on the wooden surface, letting the tears flow. She had never felt so alone in all her life.

But she gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked up.

She saw that face that she had come to love. That smile. Those bewitching blue eyes.

It was Bryce.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“
Oh
my God.” She said in relief as he pulled her into her arms. Her held her tight as she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the comfort of the man she loved.

“It’s okay, Harper. It’s okay.” He said, soothing her like a baby. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“I was so worried. I knew they were up to no good, but when I saw the coffin I…thought you were gone.”

“When our people get sick, they think being in the earth is healing to us. The unmated need the sustenance that its energy can bring. But what they don’t know is that I already have a mate. She is the one who healed me.”

Harper pulled back, looking deeply into her eyes. She felt a feeling of shock in her chest. A pang of jealously. Did he have another woman? Was he saying that another woman healed him?

“It’s you, Harper. You’re the one who healed me. When we made love, it gave me all the strength I needed to rid myself of the poison.”

An immediate feeling of relief poured through her body as she once again let him take her in his strong arms. He rested his chin on top of her head, breathing deeply, enjoying the intimacy.

“Bryce, I think they’re trying to bring you down.” She said in a soft murmur. She hated to ruin the reunion they were sharing, but she had to tell him the news. “Roman wants to rule. He wants to push you from the throne.”

“That’s what I’ve been suspecting.”

“You have to fight him. You can’t let him do what he wants to do — enslave the humans. Rule over them. That’s wrong.”

“I know, my love. But I’m not strong enough yet. I would have to fight him to the death, as protocol requires.”

“To the death? Is that really necessary?”

He nodded mournfully. “Our people are ruled by ancient laws. Ones that we must uphold.”

“But this is the 21
st
century. Can’t you bend them just a little? I mean, sure Roman is a bit confused about what he wants, but is it really necessary to kill him?”

“It’s what my father would want if he knew that Roman was trying to get my side of the family off the throne.”

“There’s got to be another way.” She said, more to herself than anyone else.

“If I were to fight him now, I’d lose. I’m still recovering. The love we made was healing, but some of the toxic blood still remains in my system.”

“How can you rid yourself of it?” She asked in a breathy voice.

“I would need to feed on my life-mate.” He said as he looked down at her.

“You mean…me?”

He nodded.

She took a deep breath. Her life had changed so radically, she was surprised that she wasn’t more freaked out by the fact that he was insinuating that he’d need to drink her blood.

But she wanted him to.
Needed
him too.

She cocked her head at him, smiling at him mischievously as she angled her neck at him just so.

“I insist.” She said softly.

“Harper, once you do this, you can’t go back.”

“You mean I’ll be…converted?”

“It’s likely that you will. You’ll become one of us. A vampire.”

Her mind was a whirlwind of indecision. She didn’t know whether or not to let him do it. But if it meant that he’d be able to defeat the man who was plotting to overthrow his family.

And he had marked her. As his life-mate. And in her mind, she couldn’t see herself with anyone else.

She knew they were fated to be together. So why shouldn’t she be like him? But part of her resisted. She had to think it through. She wasn’t one to act on impulse, even though she felt like doing it right now.

“I’m afraid, Bryce.”

“I know. So I can’t let you do it.”

“But then you’ll be too weak. I can’t lose you. Not again. When you went away without telling me, it nearly ripped me apart. I didn’t fully realize how I felt about you until that moment.”

“I’m sorry. I had to come back.” He took her hand and kissed it gently.

“Roman said I have special powers. Can’t I give them to you or something so you can defeat Roman?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“How do you know?”

“We’ve studied you for a long time. We know how the powers work.”

Harper felt the adrenaline surge in her body as she felt another presence in her room.

“Maybe now’s a good time to find out how powerful she really is.” Roman said, standing there in the doorframe with a revolver pointed at Bryce.

“Roman, stop this at once.” Harper cried out. “This has gone too far. You need to resolve these issues you have.”

“My cousin wants to let them know about us. He wants us to live peacefully with the humans. We’ve tried that before and it only led to many of us dying. They hunted us, taking advantage of our weaknesses. Coming at us during the day, when we were asleep. They knew the sunlight killed most of us, only the strongest of us able to survive the damned rays of sun.”

“Things have changed.” Harper said. “We’re not like that anymore. We’re more tolerant of differences.”

“So you say.” Roman said, getting closer, the gun still trained on Bryce. “But deep inside, you’re all animals. Afraid of what’s different. Wanting to destroy what you don’t understand.”

“No.” Harper said, shaking her head. “No. That’s not how it is.”

“Roman, put the gun down.” Bryce said steadfastly.

“Please.” Harper begged.

Roman’s face contorted in anguish. “You know I don’t want to do this, but I have to. To protect our people.”

“Roman, this isn’t right. You all can’t hide forever. Someone is going to find out eventually.”

“Not if I get that algorithm. It has the ability to train the brainwaves of humans. Make them think, or
forget
, things that they wouldn’t otherwise.”

“That’s wrong. Don’t you see it? Don’t you see that it’s wrong to control how other people think?” Harper said.

“She’s right, cousin.” Bryce’s deep voice asserted. “We have to give the humans a chance to accept us. We have to show them that the myths about us are not true. We’re not out to murder them and take their blood.” He looked down at Harper. “Unless they offer it of themselves.”

“So Harper has committed to be your bride? By giving you her blood?”

Harper’s eyes shot open as she turned to look at Bryce.

“That’s why you won’t let me give it to you? Because it means we’re committed to getting married to each other?”

Roman nodded.

“It’s a pretty long commitment, actually.” Bryce said sarcastically. “Do you think you can really stand to be around that buffoon until the end of time?”

“Our people live an extraordinary long period of time.” Roman explained. “We would be locked in as mates until we perish.”

“And killing a vampire is a pretty hard thing to do, nowadays.” Bryce said with a grin.

Harper felt honored that Bryce wanted her like that. She suspected he had feelings for her - he
marked
her, after all. But she didn’t realize that it was for life.

But now she realized she wanted nothing more than that.

Bryce put his arms around her, holding her so tightly. She reached up, wrapping her fingers around his arm.

“I have an idea.” Harper said, everything flooding into her mind at once.

“And what idea is that?” Roman said with a snarl.

“Come to my city. Do a test run. Try bringing more of your vampire kin to live there. See how you feel living among us.”

“I could barely stand that town for more than the few days I was there.” Bryce said.

“It’s because you didn’t find a lady friend, cousin.” Bryce said with a smile. “It would change your perspective on everything.”

“Try it, Roman. What do you have to lose?” Harper pleaded.

Roman’s shoulders slumped as he let the gun fall to the ground. He collapsed on the ground, his hands over his eyes. Harper turned to look at Roman with a questioning look in her eyes.

“He hasn’t fed. I can tell. He has become weak.” Bryce walked over and put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “He’s afraid to commit to a woman.”

“There is no one here for me. I would never find my true love on Elder Island.” Roman said tiredly. Despite his hulking muscles, he looked like a little lost boy. Harper couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

“He’s a half-blood.” Bryce explained. “The women do not find that attractive.”

“Then come back. Come back to my city.” She said softly. “But you have to explain something first. Why did you lie to me? Why did you say that Bryce was not fully royal?”

Roman shook his head ruefully. “I was jealous, I guess. I knew the two of you together would be unstoppable. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let you two reign together over us. The fact that a human would be our queen…it was too much for me to take.”

“That’s very small-minded of you, Roman.” Harper said.

“He’s not the only one who thinks that way.” A female voice said. They turned and looked at Victoria standing there. She was dressed in a black cloak, with the hood up over her flaxen hair. “But things changed. So must we.”

“Victoria, you’re back.” Harper said. “Is my mother alright?”

“She’s fine.” Victoria said with a smile. “She’s staying at your condo. Resting.”

“I must go.” Roman said, standing up. “I apologize for my plot to take away your power. You know I was only doing what I thought was best.”

“I understand. I forgive you, cousin.” Bryce said with a sad smile. “But be forewarned - I will not tolerate that again in the future. If I ever hear of any more plots from you, it will not end well.”

Roman nodded and left the room.

“Bryce, your father wants to see her.”  Victoria said, motioning to Harper. “He wants to see the future Princess.”

“That’s a title that is going to take awhile to get used to.” Harper said with a laugh.

“Do you want to see him?” Bryce asked. He kissed her softly on her forehead as he awaited her reply.

“If you think I should, I will. But then I must get back.”

He took her hand and guided her up onto the main floor of the palace. She passed many servants who stared at her. Harper kept her eyes down at the ground, feeling a bit shy for the first time in her life.

Then they went into a huge room, where a man sat on a throne, with countless other men, probably advisors, around him, talking rapidly.

“Father, this is Harper.” Bryce said.

Harper was surprised by how young the father looked. He looked only a few years older than Bryce himself. The same chiseled cheekbones, square square, tousled hair. They looked more like brothers than father and son.