Crimson Series Vamps
By Ashley Robertson
Vampires don’t seem to be creatures of the night any
longer. Well, not all of them, but there are tons of newer vamps coming on the
scene that are far from the Dracula image. From not being effected by the sun and
getting all sparkly, to wearing rings that allow them to walk in the daylight,
this is certainly one way the vampires of the Crimson series (CS) differ.
Simply put, the sun hurts the vamps of CS, and during the day they must remain
inside or hidden in the safety of shadows.
And that actually brings me to another way the CS vamps
are different. They don’t sleep, don’t hang upside down, and they definitely
don’t turn into bats. Though, aside from the sleep thing, I really don’t see a
lot of other new age vamps doing those things either. Reflections are perfectly
visible in mirrors and crosses don’t effect them. Also, silver and wooden
stakes are a complete myth.
Now, where I see huge similarities are the advanced
strength, speed, agility, and of course, a craving for blood. But in CS, humans
actually want to be bitten—the bite
of a vampire giving them an extreme euphoric high—and there are blood donor
clubs with secret rooms where these “feedings” take place.
Unlike the other vamps of CS, Abby (the MC) isn’t just a vampire, born of a powerful
sorceress who used a great amount of magic so the vampire she loved could
father her child; Abby is the first, and only, hybrid to ever exist. Now,
everyone wants her…either to align with them to rule the vampire race, or to
remove the hybrid threat altogether by killing her. Unsure who to trust, Abby
is forced to pick sides and fight for those she loves—and everything she
believes in.
Title: Crimson Flames
Author: Ashley Robertson
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Half-vampire Abby Tate is determined to
learn more about the sorceress powers that were awakened inside her when she
was turned into a vampire—making her a whole new hybrid species. There’s a
group of rogue vamps banding together and forming a Resistance against the
vampire governing body, The Head Council, and Abby’s newly discovered powers
are the key to the Council’s victory. Now the Resistance will do anything
possible to remove the hybrid threat, and with no other options, Abby is forced
to rely on the aid of the Council, yet can she trust the very vampires that
hunt for her human lover? And even worse, can she fight the unwelcome
attraction that’s growing between her and one of those ancient vampire rulers?
Author
Bio:
Ashley Robertson resides in
sunny Orlando, Florida, and loves writing about anything paranormal. She also
composes poems and songs, though she learned long ago she doesn’t have a
singing voice. When she isn’t writing you’ll find her spending time with family
and friends, training in her home gym, traveling and exploring new places, and
drinking fine red wines and gourmet coffees from her Nespresso machine.
Ashley's Links:
Chapter One Sneak Peek
1
The Deal
MY STOMACH
CLENCHED as I sensed the vampire’s approach. He was close. So close I could
feel the thrum of his power vibrating along my skin. The hairs on the back of
my neck rose, and I knew if I was going to use my power for defense, then I
needed to bring it forth now. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe as
deeply as I could—which thankfully had gotten easier with practice. I focused
on the energy inside me, willing it to the surface, and as I felt it swelling,
building like an approaching storm, I threw out my hand, gripped Stone’s
shirtsleeve, and urged him to the floor. “Get down! He’s here!”
Stone raked me
with a look that told me he was not too pleased, but then fear swept over his
face when he realized just how little time we had.
The wooden door
to the pub suddenly burst open—bits of wood and dust raining down from the
force. Even though Stone should’ve cowered behind me—since his gift of reading
blood wasn’t something he could fight with—somehow he’d found some bravery and
boldly stood by my side. Though I appreciated it, I didn’t like it, and
desperately wished he had listened to me. But I couldn’t think about that and call
forth the fire within me at the same time. So I pushed Stone to the back of my
mind with the silent promise of dealing with him later. Then I returned my
attention to the power building inside me. One last deep breath and my heart
shuddered to life inside my chest, making a rhythmic pattern with my faux
breathing. A tingling warmth spread from head to toe, then settled on my
awaiting hands. Seconds later, there was a glowing orb of fire (about the size
of a basketball) cupped inside my palms. And just as the vampire appeared
through the settling fog, I called out, “Not another step, Tristan, or it will
be your last!”
“I think you
should reconsider your threat,” Tristan shot back. “We are on the same side.”
That I sincerely
doubted, but I knew killing a member of the Head Council would definitely put
me on the “Most Wanted” list. Which I might already be on, since I’d helped the
human this vampire was here to claim escape.
“She’s not
bluffing!” Stone said through a snarl. I wanted to glare him into silence, but
I refused to take my eyes off of the vampire standing in the broken doorway,
wearing a black Armani-looking suit—now lightly covered with dust. It was a
custom for all members of the Head Council to wear black suits, but each of
them would wear shoes and an undershirt of their own choosing. I guess it was a
way to express their individual personalities. Yet this one seemed to express
himself through his spiked, platinum blond hair, not the basic black undershirt
and matching boots—which were much more boring compared to what I’d seen a few
of the other Council members wearing. But this vampire was far from boring. He
was a tracker for the Council—one of the best hunters on earth. And he was
after my human boyfriend.
“You know why
I’m here, Abigail,” Tristan bit out. “The human was here.”
I felt my gaze
narrow as I carefully took a step forward, the ball of flames growing hotter in
my hands. “Yes, he was. It’s my fault he wasn’t captured.”
“That’s not
exactly true,” said Stone as he moved up beside me.
I stole a few
deep breaths, fighting the urge to throw my fireball at him instead of the
blond vampire in the suit.
“Please
explain!” Tristan ordered with impatience. But as Stone attempted a reply, he
was cut off. “Not you! I want to hear this directly from Abigail!”
“Abby,” I
corrected, feeling sweat forming above my brows and pooling between my breasts.
The blond
vampire smirked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
“I did not
restrain him because I do not believe he will be kept safe once in your hands,”
I went on. “And until I can prove his innocence in all of this, I feel it’s
best that he stay far away from you.”
A tinge of red
formed a ring around Tristan’s irises as he scowled. “That is not your
decision. He must pay for his involvement with those rogue vampires, including
Bronx. He cannot get away with helping them try to destroy our stronghold.”
“I made an
agreement with the other Council members,” I reminded him. “Doesn’t that count
for something? Your word is nothing if your actions do not back up what you
say.” My voice was getting louder, my patience thinning. And the angrier I got,
the more difficult it became to control the fire in my hands.
“Yes. We have a
deal,” Tristan assured. “We will not kill him or harm him—just as we told
you—but that does not mean he won’t be punished some other way.”
“I don’t believe
you,” I snapped.
Stone put his
hand on my shoulder. “Abby, maybe you should—”
In a flash of
movement, the vampire closed the distance between us and held Stone in a
headlock from behind with his fangs hovering over my friend’s neck. And since
it wasn’t to drink Stone’s blood, since Stone was also a vampire, then that
meant it was a threat to rip out my friend’s jugular. From there it would be
too easy to finish Stone by ripping off his head. And that’s when my patience
snapped. There were only two ways to kill a vampire—burning to death or
decapitation—and he was about to find out firsthand just how very dangerous I
was. Sure, he could threaten to kill my friend, but he’d be burned alive before
Stone’s head hit the ground. I placed all my focus on the orb of heat in my
hand, willing it to retract to half its size while intensifying, growing
hotter, then I thrust it at Tristan’s face. In a blur of motion, he ducked,
throwing Stone to the floor as the fireball grazed over his head, singeing the
soft tips of his hair. A snarl erupted from his throat as his fiery gaze locked
onto mine. There was a brief hesitation, burnt hair and musk filling my senses,
then something similar to curiosity flashed over his eyes and he was airborne,
plunging straight for me. My body shuddered as heat blasted out of every pore,
radiating from me like invisible steam. Throwing his arms over his face, the
vampire faltered midair and fell sideways, then jumped back once he landed and
retreated by the door from which he’d entered. Satisfied I’d made my point, I
pulled all the heat back inside me, then rushed over to Stone and helped him
up. “You okay?” I asked.
He nodded by way
of an answer, then ran his hand through his coffee-colored hair—which was
completely messed up now.
My eyes
narrowing, I fixed my gaze on Tristan across the bar by the door. “Do that
again and I’ll kill you,” I warned.
Tristan brushed
some of the dust off of his pants. “Abigail, I’d rather not have to repeat that
again. Hopefully I’ve made my point by now,” he said, his mouth curling into an
amused grin that nearly reached his eyes. The hints of crimson were gone—for
now anyway. “I would not have harmed your friend, as I’m sure Mr. Rayver here
is already aware.” He glanced at my disheveled friend, a smirk still pulling at
his lips; then his gaze slid back to me. “Your powers make you far greater than
just any other Enforcer. You are an equal with us. We should work side by side,
you making the sixth, and final member, of the Council. But you must not argue
with our protocol. If rules are broken, there are, and will always be,
consequences. There are no exceptions to this. Ever. The rules of our kind are
ageless. It’s been that way for centuries and shall remain that way
indefinitely.”
Well that was
news to me. I knew the Head Council wanted my services, but I’d thought they
just wanted me to be one of their many Enforcers. Enforcers were gifted
vampires like me. Well, kind of. A few months ago I’d been kidnapped by an evil
vampire named Bronx and turned against my will, which awakened the sorceress’s
bloodline inside me, unbeknownst to me. But Bronx knew all about it, and he’d
planned to use my powers to defeat the Head Council. Only I’d killed him before
he got the chance. Later on, I’d learned about my real mother being an
all-powerful sorceress and how she’d used her magic to impregnate her vampire
lover—my father. So I never really was just another vampire. Or even an
Enforcer. I was always more than that. A whole new species altogether, a
hybrid, and a hot commodity among the vampire world—since there was no other
like me. Yet if the Head Council really wanted my partnership, then I just
gained a whole lot of leverage. Anxiety curled through my belly. “If you want
me to work with you, and of course the others, then I will need you to be more
flexible. Rules are always in place for guidance, but we both know they are not
in stone. Especially when I believe innocence is a key component.”
“When there is
proof of one’s innocence, then we have a trial,” Tristan explained. “But there
is no proof of that with this human.”
I thought about
that for a moment. Sure, I didn’t have “proof” per se, but I had Tyler’s word.
And though he’d lied to me about his alliance with Bronx, and the fact he’d
known about my father’s death all along, for some crazy reason I believed him
now. “Allow me the time to find the proof you require and I will consider
partnering with you.”
Tristan shot me
a lasered glare. His face softened but I had absolutely no idea what his
thoughts were. Mind reading wasn’t one of my gifts—yet. Since no one could
predict what other gifts I’d inherit.
“How can you
possibly believe this human didn’t help those rogue vampires?” he asked at
last.
Keeping my eyes
on Tristan’s, I shook my head. “He was involved. I’m not saying I can prove
that differently. He’s innocent of knowing what Bronx’s intentions were, what
those rogue vampires’ intentions were.” I paused a moment to suppress some of
the heat inside me, though I didn’t completely extinguish it just in case
things got hostile again. “He thought he was helping them,” I went on. “He
thought they were in trouble. He didn’t realize he was working for the bad guys
until…until it was too late.”
Stone snorted in
disbelief, but kept his mouth shut. Smart vampire.
Tristan’s eyes
widened. “How can you possibly believe that? He must have you brainwashed!”
“That isn’t
possible,” I told him.
“What are you
speaking of?”—confusion in Tristan’s voice. “Bronx would have claimed you with
his mind control had you not killed him first.”
“No, it’s
not possible to brainwash me,” I explained. “And that is how I was able
to kill Bronx.” Saying that struck a pang inside my chest: I didn’t want to be
a murderer any more than I wanted to be a vampire, err hybrid. “I have the
ability of blocking powers.”
A wave of
surprise flashed over Tristan’s face. “There is so much to learn about you,
Abigail,” he said.
“So do we have a
deal?” I asked, taking a couple steps toward him.
Tristan raised a
brow. “How much time are you asking for?”
“As long as it
takes,” I replied instantly. “I have a feeling you and the others will delay
me, since we are all curious to learn more about my powers.”
Tristan closed
his eyes momentarily, presumably using his telepathic powers to confer with the
other members of the Council. I stole a moment to look at Stone. He was shaking
his head slowly, azure eyes with hints of red wide with shock. I shrugged my
shoulders warily, knowing fully that to keep Tyler safe, I’d break this deal
and the neck of anyone who attacked him. Obviously Stone knew that too.
“We have a
deal,” Tristan finally announced.
I smiled. Relief
flushed through me as the remnant heat within finally extinguished. Moments
later, my breathing slowed and my heartbeat completely stopped. Oh the joys of
being a vampire hybrid. “I have one more favor to ask,” I said, a whole new
confidence exuding in my voice.
Stone called
out, “Abby, what are you—”
“Silence, Mr.
Rayver,” Tristan stated. “I am very interested in what Abigail will ask for
now.”
“I want to speak
to Madelaine. Will Elliott do that for me?” My real sorceress mother,
Madelaine, had died long ago, and I’d never even had the chance to meet her. My
father and one of his female blood donors, all the while believing she was my
mother, had raised me. And though I’d love for Elliott to connect me to my
father, I simply couldn’t risk giving away the fact he was dead too. Who knew
how that little piece of info would affect the deal I’d just made, or the
innocence I wanted to prove for Tyler. Bronx killed my father. But it was
because of Tyler’s gift of premonition that Bronx was able to find my dad in
the first place. So I guess you could say Tyler did carry some of the blame.
But he’d sworn that he never thought Bronx would’ve killed him. And I believed
him, hopefully not foolishly. So far I was taking the news of my father’s death
okay. Maybe my estranged relationship with him was helping me through the
mourning process. After all, he’d left me when I was ten. Fifteen years later,
I’d finally gotten a phone call from him, warning me I was in danger. I never
had a chance to thank him for trying to help me…or see him again.
“Abigail,”
Tristan said, bringing me out of those thoughts. “You’re going to make a great
addition to our team. You’re already very good at negotiations.” He chuckled
lightly. “It will be our pleasure to call upon Madelaine for you and an honor
to introduce you to your real mother.” Holding out his hand, he moved closer,
giving me a good view of his violet eyes speckled with the deepest of cobalt,
not a trace of crimson in them, which calmed me further. “So we have a deal?”
I nodded, taking
his hand inside mine. “We have a deal.” Then I asked, “When do we leave?”
His answer was
one simple word: “Dusk.”
I felt my chest
tighten as he said it, even though I’d somewhat expected that to be his answer.
Moving to where Stone was behind me, I threw my arms around his neck and buried
my face against the softness of his tee, yet I could feel the ridged lines of
muscle just beneath. “I know I just got back here, but I promise we’ll have
more time once this is all over. I will miss you,” I told him, my voice
muffled.
He gently
grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back, just enough for him to look at my
face. “What in the hell are you talking about? Do you actually think you can
get rid of me that easy?”
“What do you
mean?” I asked, feeling confused.
“I’m coming with
you.”
“No, you’re
not!” Tristan shouted from behind me.
I shrugged as a
plan formed in my mind. “Wait a second. I think it’s a great idea for Stone to
come.”
“No,” Tristan
repeated.
“Actually, sir,”
Stone said, “I can be of help to both Abby and the Council. I can help look for
the information Abby seeks to clear her human while she is tied up with
business affairs with you. It would make her that much more available.”
I felt my eyes
widen. That was actually better than my plan. “But you hate Tyler.” And he
did—with a passion.
“Oh I still hate
him, but I think the world of you.” Stone gently gripped my chin, caressing it
between his thumb and forefinger.
A lone tear I
hadn’t felt before dripped from my eye as I smiled. Stone let go to wipe it and
I glanced over at Tristan. “Please allow Stone to come with us. He would be a
true asset. And he is my friend. Please.”
Tristan was
quiet for a short moment, face hard, eyes studying us intently. “Very well.”
“Where are we
going exactly?” I asked.
“Boston,”
Tristan replied. “We have a few stronghold locations, but we are operating out
of Boston right now. It’s good to move around. Staying in the same place for
centuries can get quite boring. And it’s not as safe.”
I nodded. I’d
never been to Boston before, but I’d heard it was an interesting place. A huge
part of me was looking forward to seeing it, checking out all the historic
monuments, buildings, and the statue of Sam Adams, if there would be any time
for sightseeing. With Stone coming, we would certainly accomplish twice as
much, twice as fast. I trusted that he would work diligently on finding a way
to prove Tyler’s innocence. Though Stone despised Tyler, I was certain that he
cared enough about me to do as he said he would. Yet Stone wouldn’t be upset in
the slightest if he was unable to find the proof we needed to clear Tyler’s
name.
There was also
the uncertainty over what kind of situation I’d be getting myself into with the
Head Council. Learning vampire politics and more about the new species I’d
become when Bronx turned me…well, that could take more time from me than I
could ever imagine. Plus meeting my mother for the first time and finding out
more about her set my emotions swirling with anxiety.
I closed my eyes
and let out a deep, long sigh. Just take one thing at a time, Abby. One
thing at a time. Quit worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. Bronx
was dead. Tyler was alive and pardoned for the moment. Lily, my closest human
friend and old blood donor, was okay. Stone was here with me now and would stay
with me at the Head Council’s stronghold. And I’d gotten pretty good control
over my amazing, awesome, and insanely strong powers. I’d say my life,
afterlife, whatever, was going pretty darn well at the moment. Yet, at the
time, I had no idea just how quickly everything was about to change.
