Immortals: The Ombré Series (Book 1)

Chapter Two

-------Quinn

I opened my eyes, realizing I wasn't in my bed. Last night wasn't a dream, it was real. Fuck! I sat straight up in an unfamiliar room with a killer head ache. My shoes were by the door, I flung the covers off my legs, grabbing my shoes and bolting out the door in my bare feet. I hurriedly walked through a dark hallway, my feet became frozen against the cold marble floor. I came to a staircase which rounded around a huge crystal chandelier dangled over more marble as dark red curtains hid the sun. I rounded one set of stairs, jumping off the last three steps and flung open the door. The sun hurt my eyes as it abused them, they finally adjusted to the light and I took off into the woods. I'm sure my feet were bleeding, I hit many rocks and twigs but my main goal was to run. Vampires were real, fuck! My mother was right! I felt as if I was far enough away as I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. Vampires couldn't survive in sunlight, right? I inhaled a cold breath of air, fall had descended over New York and everyone had gone home for the holidays. "There you are." I jumped out of my skin as the woman from last night appeared. She smiled at me and it surprised me how good she looked in her yellow sun dress, yellow washed me out.

"Stay away," I shook my head and she frowned.

"Seriously? Look I'm not going to hurt you." She reassured me but didn't move towards me.

"You're a fucking vampire!" I shouted in disbelief making her chuckle.

"Yes, but I'm pretty good at deciding what is food and who's not." She smiled and I felt my heart slowing to it's normal beat. I actually believed her, with that kind smile who wouldn't?

"What the hell are you doing out?" My bones grew cold as Morgana came to stand next to me. One of the princes, the one from the tree, glared at both of us. Morgana stepped in front of me, her smile never fading.

"It was getting stuffy in the house. I thought it would be good to take a small stroll, Lucian." Morgana said and he narrowed his eyes at me, never making eye contact with his sister.

"Then where are her shoes?" He scolded down at me, his voice was venomous and acidic as he spit the words out. He looked at me like I was pathetic, the scum under his shoes. I felt my heart break slightly and it made me curious. Why did I care if he liked me or not? "I could smell her blood from the house."

"She scrapped her feet as she tried putting her shoes on." Morgana insisted and he rolled his eyes at us.

"She is not to leave," he demanded, his accent thick with anger and I tried shrinking behind Morgana who I actually was starting to like. All three of them had accents but I didn't know why I didn't recognize it last night?

"Of course," she smiled as Lucian turned and stalked back to the house. "You owe me, chicka." Morgana chuckled as he looped arms with me and led me back to the house. Fifteen minutes later my feet were wrapped and I sat in the bed, a bowl of fruit in front of me. "Ask away, I know you have questions."

"Why don't you burn in sunlight?" I blurted and she chuckled.

"We do, if we aren't baring the mark that let's us walk in daylight." She lifted her dress and a spider web with what looked like a bird was branded on her hip. "It's the marking of an ancient witch. My brothers' have one too."

"It looks like it hurt," I whispered stopping myself from tracing the lines with my finger.

"It did but I'm fine." She winked as she let her dress fall.

"Wait, shouldn't it have healed?" She nodded slowly then tilted her head.

"Sort of," she sighed. "We heal like humans except when we feed. Feeding makes us stronger and helps us heal faster."