Master of Illusions [SAMPLE]

Chapter 1

"I wish you didn't have to go back," Violet complains, packing up her cot.

Trust me, I don't want to go back either, I think to myself.

"You know I don't have a choice," I sigh. "The Mating Gathering is tomorrow night. Pack Laws are a real hassle."

"Too bad you're not permanently with the Viatoribus," Violet teases. The Viatoribus follow their own code, and don't abide by Pack Laws, and therefore don't have to go to the Mating Gathering if they don't want to.

Not that I don't want to go to the Mating Gathering. I actually hope I find my mate, as this is the first year I'll be able to attend.

I just don't want to go back to Crimson Shadow.

"And it sucks that this will be the last summer you'll spend with us," Violet continues. "Guess I'll have to get used to calling you Alpha Maeve."

I cringe, continuing to pack up my stuff. It doesn't take long, because when I stay with the Viatoribus, I only own what I can carry on my back.

"Are you ready?" Akoni says, stepping into the tent. "Your father will be here soon."

"All ready," I say with a fake smile, reaching into my pocket and popping a Skittle into my mouth.

Akoni stares at me for a moment. "Congratulations on the raid. It's the largest coven we've ever taken down."

"Ah, well, kicking names and taking ass, that's the motto," I tell him, and Violet snorts, making me chuck a Skittle at her.

"We couldn't have done it without Mae," Violet tells him. "Her plan worked flawlessly."

I make a throat cutting gesture with my hand from behind Akoni, signaling for her to stop talking.

"Plan?" Akoni says in confusion.

Violet looks at me questioningly. "Yeah, her plan. She got imprisoned by their coven leader to distract him while we wiped out the rest of the coven, and then she took him by surprise and killed him."

Akoni turns to look at me, and I smile innocently.

"You allowed yourself to get imprisoned by the leader of a vampire coven?" he asks in disbelief. "Do you realize how dangerous that is? Any number of things could have gone wrong."

"In my defense," I begin, popping another Skittle into my mouth. "It was more of a fun kind of danger instead of a dangerous danger. Does anyone have more food? I'm starving."

Akoni glares at me. "You know you're supposed to run your insane plans by me first. Your mother would kill me if she knew that you did that."

"If you mean insanely brilliant, then yes, the plan was insane." I grin.

Akoni frowns, but Violet laughs. "Don't worry, Akoni, I approved the plan," she tells him.

He sighs, rubbing his temples. "I wonder how many less stress-induced migraines I'll have once you leave."

"Yes, but think of how much less fun you'll have." I laugh.

"You nearly burnt down our entire campsite last month."

"I was testing an invention!"

"You tried making a blow torch using hairspray and a lighter."

"Tried, and succeeded," I clarify. "Let the record reflect that it did indeed work. Maybe a little better than I expected, but it worked!"

Akoni sighs, but pulls me in for a hug. "Promise me when you go back to Crimson Shadow you'll keep the insane plans to a minimum, okay?"

I mumble incoherently.