A Shade of Vampire 78 An Origin of Vampires - Bella Forrest Page 0,2

bring people closer together. Remember us, Derek, in the beginning? What was it that made us bond, if not for the darkness of The Shade and its heritage?”

“A lot has changed since then. For the better, thank God.”

Indeed, things were significantly different now than they had been during The Shade’s earlier days. We’d discovered a cure to vampirism, that blood derived from an immune combined with intense exposure to sunlight could make us human again—a practice Scarlett had engaged in, now pregnant with Patrik’s first child. Our family had grown a lot. Our friends came in greater numbers, as did our alliances.

Everything was better, bigger, and stronger. And we, the elders of GASP and The Shade, were the only constant. We’d seen the worst of days and ourselves, and we were now witnessing the best.

The Shade was a haven, always at peace and protected by its inhabitants. Nevertide was ruled by Ash and Ruby, the traces of its murkier days all but gone. Eritopia was under the Daughters’ protection, once again on a path toward regrowth. There had been an uptick in the Druid and Lamia populations. Babies were born almost every day now, giving hope and proving that all the damage that Azazel had done could still be repaired.

The same could be said for Neraka, where the Imen lived peacefully alongside the daemons, Manticores, Dhaxanians and Adlets. Strava’s Draenir population was also growing after Ta’Zan had nearly wiped them out of existence. The Faulties and the Perfects were starting families of their own. Everything was, quite literally, fine.

Sometimes, as I looked out into the distance, I thought of my beginnings. I remembered my parents and what life had been like with them. Lucas, who had been such a handful, such a terrible and hateful creature, was now fully transformed. A different person altogether, thanks to the power of love. It sounded rather cheesy, but it was true. Love had changed many people around me over the years.

In some cases, love had achieved incredible shifts overnight, as well. It was a powerful thing, a fearsome weapon we’d chosen to wield in the face of adversity. We’d come a long way since The Shade’s beginning, and it had only been thanks to love—love for one another, love for our friends and families, love for living. If there was one thing I’d learned from all our trials and tribulations, it was that love was a sharper blade than hate.

Hate consumed its bearer from the inside. Hate had driven the likes of the Elders, Azazel, Shaytan, Ta’Zan… Not to mention Brendel and, most importantly, the Spirit Bender. It wasn’t productive. It was poison. It might’ve seemed powerful and capable of great things at first, but nothing built on hate would ever last.

Love, on the other hand… well, love was about to take us across the Milky Way, in search for the cure that would make all vampires into day-walkers. Who didn’t love the sweet morning sunlight, after all? Or the crimson-orange sunsets over the horizon? It was a far more powerful motivator than hate.

“Do you think we’ll be okay out there?” Sofia asked me, her voice low. She could almost tell that I was thinking about our upcoming trip. It had been part of nearly every conversation since we’d decided to move forward with the exploratory mission.

“As long as we set a clear objective, I guess so,” I said. “We don’t know what we’re walking into, exactly, but I figure we’ve been through enough to hardly be surprised by whatever Trexus-2 might throw at us.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Here we are, ready to go on another adventure. I just hope it doesn’t turn out like Strava.”

“Heavens, no!” I replied. “I’ve had enough of these end-of-days scenarios, Sofia. For once, I’d like to simply go to a place, say hello to some new people, get some of their blood, and come back to The Shade, thankful to have what we need for the day-walking cure.”

She glanced at me, mischief flickering in her eyes. “When was anything straightforward about our endeavors, babe?”

Blowing raspberries, I shook my head, making her laugh. “You’re jinxing it, my love.”

“I’m just being realistic.”

I took her hand and brought it up to my lips. Her skin felt cold, but soft and smooth, like the finest of silks. All I could think of was Sofia in the sunlight, smiling at me. Whatever came next, it was bound to carry a certain set of risks… but, to me,