Singed (The White Rose Vampire Series) book 2

Chapter Eleven

Hello, Lovelies,

I hope everyone is having a beautiful Sunday!  Thank you for reading Singed.  I hope you know that you are making this author smile.  People enjoying my books mean the world to me.  

News: I am still editing Sparked.  This particular round of editing is pretty slow so thank you for your patience.  

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-XXXX Amanda 

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The wind traveled over my skin, bringing my senses alive and causing me to open my eyes. I stood near the field where the pact was made between the original coven and the vampires. My mother and father stood before me with smiles on their faces as they stepped toward me.

"Mom...Dad," I said with tears burning my eyes as the pain from their deaths engulfed me.

"Don't cry, baby," my mother whispered, stepping forward her hand rising to cup my cheek, "I'm so proud of you. You've been so strong and now, you'll live. That's all we ever wanted."

Tears fell down my face as she embraced me. Her rose scent moving around me and giving me the comfort that I had missed since her death.

My mother moved back as my father embraced me wrapping his protective warmth around me before patting my cheek, "Tell that boy, Jonathon, I'll kick his ass if he hurts my Izzie even if I'm just a spirit. I'll figure out a way."

"He won't hurt me," I said, my heart aching, "He's great, daddy. He loves me just as much as I love him."

My mother nodded, "I'm sure he won't," she said, softly, tucking her dark hair behind her ear, "Your dad is just being...Well, a dad."

I chuckled, "How are you here with me?" I asked, glancing around the field.

"You die for a bit after transition...You know that" my mother said, causing my eyes to widen, "But I'm sure you just remembered. It's nothing to panic over because you will live again but before you do, we didn't get to tell you everything we wanted to tell you about your gift before we passed."

I frowned because a selfish part of me wanted to simply enjoy being with my parents. My father raised his brow, "I know you think our time is short, Izzie girl but we'll return from time to time. Now that you've transitioned, it will be easier. However, this is important so you need to listen up."

"Okay, daddy," I said, glancing between them as I tried to engrave their images in my mind for our next time apart.

"You hate your gift, Izzie," my mother said, blue-green eyes clashing with my hazel ones. I opened my mouth to deny it, but she waved away any excuse that I had with a delicate hand, "Don't lie to me. I know you."

I shifted because she was right. I had never been able to hide things from her, "Mom, it's the very thing that killed you and almost killed me," I said, swallowing over the anger of receiving a gift that had hurt everyone I knew and loved.

"You think it's a curse," My mother said, shaking her head, "But it's not. Have you ever heard of fighting fire with fire?"

"It's just a saying, mom," I sighed but she cupped my cheek making me look at her.

"No, it's not," my mother said, her chin tilting stubbornly, "The gift of the fire element is special and is more than simply creating fire. You can extinguish it."

I shook my head, "Lanie puts out fires with her water gift."

"And you command fire and that includes whether it lives or dies," she said, causing me to blink because on some level I knew she was right, "But those other gifts you have are also from the fire element. Any magic that requires thinking and creativity is also from fire. Your ability to communicate with your mind and to see the future are because you gain magic from the flames. Your fire gifts burn away darkness even in your mind enabling you to do things others can't"

I smiled as I contemplated my mother's words. Peace moved through me and I nodded, "Thank you, mom."

Her gaze darkened, "Our time is growing short but I must tell you one other thing and you have to tell Jonathon the moment you open your eyes."

I tilted my head, studying her with worry sliding through me, "I will."

"Two of the vampires who were due at the manor have been captured by the church," she said, her brows lowering, "They know that the other vampires will come for them. They want you to leave the coven unprotected so they can take them and they don't know you are a vampire yet. Protect the girls and use the church's lack of knowledge against them."

"I'll do that," I said, raising my eyes to hers.

She gave me a smile as she leaned forward and kissed my forehead, "I love you, Izzie."

My father stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace, kissing the top of my head, "And you know I love you, Izzie girl."

A tear fell down my cheek as darkness began to surround us, "I love you too," I whispered as I took my first breath as a vampire, shattering the dream to pieces but this time death didn't bring a good-bye. It brought the promise that I would see my parents again.

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As I opened my eyes, my senses awakened. My skin broke out in goosebumps as the air brushed against each molecule waking them to become in tune with the world around them. As I glanced around the room, I could see every vibrant color, every curve in texture and feel the energy from each object.

My gaze moved to Jonathon and I gasped. His beauty was so all-consuming that I couldn't pull my eyes from him. My fingers tingled with the need to touch him, to slide my hands over him.

He moved close as if he knew and I reached for him, "My god, you're beautiful."

His smile lit over his face, dazzling me as my fingertips moved over him. I arched toward him at first contact the sensation a million times better than when I was human.

"Do you see me this way?" I asked, suddenly curious about how I appeared to him.

"As the most beautiful being in creation?" He asked a smile tugging his lips, "That's exactly how I see you."

I blinked as I tried to focus. My parent's images moving through the fog. My eyes widened as their words came to me and I fought to remember each sentence as Jonathon's lips pressed against mine, shattering everything before weaving back together.

It took everything in me to push him away. His eyes darkened as I held up a finger telling him I was trying to think, "My parents were with me when I was-"

Jonathon swallowed and I could tell it took great effort to say the word, "Dead."

I nodded as their words flooded through me and my eyes widened, "They told me the church has two vampires who were supposed to be here held captive. They know you'll come for them and expect you to leave the witches here unprotected," I said, a tremble moving through me, "I was supposed to tell you and then, Dimitri."

Jonathon's body stiffened as he cupped my cheek, "We'll finish this later. I've got to text Dimitri," he said, frowning, his eyes moving to mine before sliding over my body, "Get dressed. I'll need your help."

I stood dizziness swamping me as I swayed causing him to narrow his eyes at me.

He pointed to the bags of blood on the table, "First, drink up, Iz," he said, "You're still weak. We don't need you becoming feral."

I nodded, glancing at the bags of blood knowing I would have to drink them all before I could help anyone. I bit into the bag taking my first swallow of blood as a vampire.