Leonora

“I’ve created the serum. I cannot be for certain, but if you are sure that you wish to do this we can go ahead.” I had fears of killing vampires. In truth, I figured that it would work. After all, I trusted Vigo and his years of experimenting before I came around.

“I am certain. If this doesn’t work, then I get to be with my dearest Alessio and no one has to take the chance of death.”

“Very well.” I prepared her arm and inserted our industrial strength needles into her vein. Her skin changed for a moment, glowing slightly.  

“Let’s do this,” she said, anxious to test it.

“Give it about five minutes to hit all over your body. We don’t want to try it and it’s not taken over all your cells,” Vigo added.

“Try the window first.” She opened the sample door we used to test the earlier samples, then slipped her arm in. She smiled at us. Then screamed out. No, I pulled her from the window. And she started laughing. Her hand was still there and very much normal.

“You fucking bitch. That was mean.” Nora smacked her arm then hugged her.

Our laughter and cheers woke up Speranza and made her cry. “I’ll take her to the library and calm her down,” William offered.

“Thank you. I keep waking her.”

“Don’t blame yourself. There’s so much excitement going on and well, she’s still new. Soon she’ll be the one making all the noise and you’ll miss these quiet days,” Olga remarked.

“That’s for sure,” Mary agreed, laughing softly. It was electrifying to see the light in her eyes.

“Call me if you need any help with her,” Falcon told William who nodded then left the room. William cared for her so much. I wondered if they were fated to mate later. It constantly sat in the back of my mind.

“Let’s take this outside,” Mary cheered. Falcon, Draco, Charlotte, and I followed Mary outside while everyone else watched from the security room. She stepped out into the sun and lifted her head to the sky, absorbing the sun. My heart burst with hope and love. We had the cure in our hands. We could save so many. I rushed up to her, hugging her to me. Squeezing her with so much excitement she grunted. “Sorry. Can’t help myself. Congratulations, Mary.”

“It’s all you, Nora. You’re the one. Thank you. I will stay out here all day for test purposes.” I felt so overwhelmed that I held the key. I still had no idea why I was the key, but all that mattered was the fact that I am the light.

“I agree. It’s a good test,” Gideon remarked. “I will stay with Mary.” Gideon had been fortunate to have been born in from vampires who weren’t forced into the darkness. He showed understanding for Mary and those like her.

“Very well. That will work. We shall watch from the security room. Should you need anything we’ll be right there, holler,” Falcon said.

“I wish to run some more tests and discover the best way to develop a substitute for my blood. I don’t think I have enough to replenish all our people.”

“You and Vigo can work on that. We can treat our army first. One at a time and see. They may have to wait. Your health and well-being mean everything to me,” Falcon said, hauling me to him. I closed my eyes and let the sun absorb into my skin. I couldn’t imagine never experiencing this again. A lot of work was ahead of me. I stared up into my mate’s eyes, then kissed his lips.

“Actually, it seems it means a lot to everyone. She’s their key to sunlight,” Charlotte said, grabbing my hands and smiling brightly. “We mustn’t give it to the enemy. Once the war is over they will be given a chance to earn the cure,” she suggested to Falcon.

“I agree. If we wish to maintain our integrity, we’ll have to share the cure with those who deserve it.”  

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back in.”

I left them all there, well except Falcon. He teleported me straight into the security room. “Yay!” Vigo and his son cheered, while his wife sobbed.

“Thank you, your highness. Thank you.” She threw her arms around me. “I’ve waited forever for this moment.”

“Nora, you have done it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without either of you. Remember if you hadn’t sent Jack to me, who knows how long it would have taken to figure it out.”

“You managed to make it happen. Now we need to figure out how to deliver it to all of our forces and their families. You are only one vampire, and your blood is limited. We cannot take more than three pints of blood from you every two days or so. We regenerate fast, but we can’t drain you too much.”

“I used fifty ccs for Mary.”

“I think that’s a sufficient amount to make the transition and reverse the curse.” Which means that for every pint of blood, we can get roughly nine doses. It’s not a lot, but our people have waited long enough. I’d say our inner circle should be first then move out to the soldiers. We need them to have their abilities and their families next. As lousy as it is, they will have to wait. If you can sustain it, every month about four hundred vampires can be cured.”

“Yes, which means we need a viable substitute. My body will not even manage that. I have a feeling that I will need more raw meat in my meals. I need to get the iron and protein to regenerate my blood cells.”

“Well, then we’re looking like three hundred a month.”

“That will be a challenge. The more the people learn of it, the more eager they will be.”

“At least my fears for your safety will be gone. No one will want to harm you.”

“At least until they get what they want,” I told him. Stavros would selfishly kill me after he got the dose. He would do anything to spite Falcon. It was a jealousy that went beyond common sense. The man frankly was nuts.

“I won’t let that asshole get a hold of you. He’ll be looking for us very soon,” William remarked furiously, earning a jealous glare from Falcon.

“Well, let’s prepare the next doses. I want to get as many of the ones we can before I rest and eat. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can be prepared to take on his forces.”

“And we’re going to need to do that soon,” Charlotte said. She and Draco teleported into the room.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, looking at my long-time friend in complete dismay. I hadn’t expected her to be so down after we had this major win. The air went out of my sails.

She gave me a dejected stare, before she told us, “We’re going to be attacked in the next twenty-four hours and this time. They’re on to us and have learned that an armada will be the best way.”

“How many in their fleet?” Falcon asked, grasping my waist tightly and brushing his thumb along my ribs. It soothed me for a second. It had grown increasingly difficult to be happy around here. I wanted Stavros to die because I knew that nothing less would stop this madness.

“Ten ships and two aircraft.” Fuck. That was more than we had ever had to compete with. Stavros doubled down on us. We knew his army, even with the help of some humans wasn’t as large as ours. And after the threat at the club, many probably defected. If they were smart they would have.

“We’ll need a battle plan,” Draco added, grasping onto Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded but bit her lip. “Yes, we definitely will. Also…we can’t be here when they come. The likelihood that one of us will be killed is hard to see. It looks as if we’re in great danger.”

“Are you sure it’s not that fucker in your head again?” Falcon challenged. With everything going on, we hadn’t talked about the guy in her head. I felt like a jerk because that was a big deal and I left her to just deal with it, forgetting anything but the bloodwork.

“No, I’ve found a way from blocking him,” she said with great pride. That was the smile I hoped to see.

“Great. How?” Falcon questioned.

“I found a special book last night.” She paused, and I knew there was more. “Your mother left it for me.”

“My mother left you a book?”

“Well, for the future seer. She had no idea it would be me. I can’t let you read it, but I can show you the note inside of it that she left for me to read.

 

“Please do. I miss both of them more than I can explain,” he admitted. She pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to him. I saw the emotion of love and happiness cross over his face as he held the paper his mother touched.