Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #4) (17 page)

He exhaled and his fingers curled over my hipbones.  "Your abilities changed when we met.  Your transformation began in Bali.  You could not see Anna or Georgia.  The more blood we exchanged, the more your abilities adjusted to your vampiric nature.  You do not need the psychic ability nor do you need to feel emotions.  You have your shield to protect you."

My eyes slipped shut as his hands drifted lower to grip my denim covered thighs.  "I'm not just a vampire.  Armes told me I'm some sort of daemon.  To unlock that side I need to find the book.  Nikolaus is the same..."

Stefan cut in. "He is still human and vampire."

"Unless Anna changes him.  Then he'll be like me.  Or some version of me.  The journals..." I blew out a frustrated breath and shook my head.

The shrill ring of Stefan’s phone interrupted us.  We knew it was important if someone called us on the disposable phones.

“I need to take this,” Stefan murmured apologetically.  I untangled myself from his lap and watched him grab his phone.  When he answered, I could hear the loud chatter of Anna’s voice over the phone.  She sounded upset, and I wanted no part in that.  Period.

I got up from the couch and stopped by my bedroom long enough to retrieve a small battered case and headed towards my uncle's study. I hovered in the doorway for a split second before I took a deep, calming breath and entered the room.  I'd avoided this room on purpose because of the feelings I knew this room would unleash.  Even now, it felt as if I was intruding on hallowed ground.  If I closed my eyes, I could still smell the smell of old books and his citrus cologne.  I was expecting to see him at his desk, his shoulders hunched over, lost in a book.  Instead, the room was empty, the polished mahogany floors gleaming in the sunlight.

Walking from window to window, my fingers drifted over the wooden frames, dragging through the curtains.  I kept waiting to hear the rustle of papers, the squeak of Garrett's desk chair...but the only sound was the echo of Stefan's voice and the chatter of birds outside.

"Garrett, I'm so sorry.  If I'd known...I'd never left you and Meredith.  You died because of me...for nothing except greed,"  I whispered into the emptiness of the room.  I headed towards the mantle over the fireplace, leaving the leather glasses case on the lacquered wood.  My hands gripped the mantle tightly. "These belong here.  And I'll make him pay for the things he did to you and to Armes."

Anger churned beneath my skin and my hand clenched the wood.  "I don't believe in a heaven or hell.  But if there is a heaven, you'd be there.  You sacrificed everything for me.  I'm supposed to find your journal.  I've turned this house upside down.  I could use a little of your guidance."

Garrett always had advice for me.  But I'd been too young and too spoiled to listen, thinking I knew it all and had all the answers.  I'd do anything to hear one of his stories, listen to his sage words of advice right about now. If he was here, he'd pull a random quote from one of his beloved books that would perfectly fit the situation.

I was losing it, talking to the ghosts of my past; hoping they'd solve my problems.  Smacking my hand against the mantle, I listened to the wood shift and felt it move under my fingers.  Pushing against it, the top of the mantle opened, similar to the lid of a jewelry box.  As I propped it open, I noticed another wooden box inside.  Similar in size to a humidor, it had a tarnished brass lock on the front.  It stared back at me and with shaking fingers, I sank to the floor.  I dug the key from my pocket and sat cross-legged on the floor, simply taking turns staring at the key in my fingers and the wooden case.

"Josephine?"  Stefan's voice jolted me from my stupor.  My eyes met his, but I didn't answer him.

"What did you find?"  Stefan questioned softly.  He sat beside of me, his long legs folded awkwardly underneath him.

"I...I don't know."  My teeth chattered together.  "I'm afraid to look."

Stefan leaned closer.  His hand began a comforting path up and down my back.  "Open it.  What if this is the answer?  Our search is over, yes?"

I managed a weak nod.  Did I want it to be over?  Was it easier to look for something or have to confront it?  "Yes."

I hated that I was this frightened of a book.  We'd searched for it, and now that it was within reach, I was gun shy.

A surge of confidence surged through the bond.  My hands were still shaking, but I slid the key into the lock, turning it clockwise until I heard it release.  My eyes shot up to his and he gestured with a roll of his wrist to open it.

The lid creaked open and a thin, leather bound journal was nestled inside the red velvet interior.  I sat the box on the floor and pulled the book out gently.

Tucked underneath was a folded letter with my name written on it.

I passed the book to Stefan and reached for the letter next, opening up the yellowed paper.

Josephine,

If you have found the journal, you are with your mate by now.  Armes was never wrong.

You are so much like her, headstrong and difficult.  She made many wrong decisions in her life, yet she convinced me her destiny was complete.  You are her legacy, Josephine.  Take comfort in knowing that we are both watching over you now, guiding you on your journey.

You will be unable to translate the journal.  It is yet another safeguard in case you are not the one to stumble upon this.

Contact my trusted colleague at the university to assist you in the translation.  Liev is trustworthy.

There are things we didn't get the chance to discuss in this life.  You were as dear to me as if you were my own.  I love you and wish you only happiness in your long life.

All my love,

Garrett

I held the letter to my chest and willed myself to stay strong.  We’d searched, found the journal and we still had no idea what secrets it held.  Stefan was paging through the book, his brow wrinkled in confusion.  "This was written in some sort of runes.  My people used something similar, yet I cannot decipher this."

"You won't be able to.  Garrett said it would need to be translated."  I replied.  Folding the letter, I placed it back inside and closed the lid with a soft click.

"By whom?"  Stefan asked suspiciously.  His blue eyes narrowed above the arch of his cheekbones.

"A colleague of his at the University.  Liev Banin."  I trudged through the fuzzy memories to see if I could remember the man behind the name.  I remembered a shock of black hair and pale skin...the rest was blurry.  "Garrett said we could trust him."

Stefan squeezed his lower lip between his thumb and index finger.  He seemed skeptical.  "And how do you feel?  Can we trust him?"

Standing up, I brushed the back of my jeans off.  I rocked back on my heels and shrugged.  "I don't think we have a choice, do we?"

Stefan rose up, his tall frame towering over me.  He held on tightly to the journal, staring at it with a look of distrust.  "There is always a choice.  I trust few for a reason."

Reaching up, I smoothed his blond hair back from his face.  "I feel like this is part of a bigger plan.  There's more to this, Stefan.  I know you trust your visions.  You need to let me trust my gut."

"I cannot trust my visions.  They shift as decisions are made.  I cannot see what is not concrete." He reminded me.  He purred like a contented cat as my nails massaged his scalp.

"Then we see Liev.  What's the worst that can happen?"  I asked, placing a kiss on the cleft of his chin.

His free hand wrapped around my waist.  "Mrs. Lifsten, you know the possibilities.  We could be walking into a trap."

He was right of course.  We could be strolling into a clever ploy, shrewdly devised.  Or it could be just as innocent as it sounded. "I'm glad you're on my side," I retorted with a grin.  "We'll go tomorrow."

He sighed reluctantly, his expressive face resolute.  "There will be no convincing you otherwise.  It is a date."

“I know you don’t want to do this, Stefan.  I understand why,” I murmured.  My head found a place in the crook of his neck.  Silence filled the air and I sensed Stefan’s turmoil.  It was more than just meeting Liev.  “Stefan, what did Anna want?  Lukas is the one that always calls.”

It was then I heard his broken sigh, felt his worry flood the bond.  “Lukas is missing.  He did not come home last night.”

My mind whirred through possibilities.  Lukas was flighty, but he was predictable.  “He could be with Amir.  He’s fine, Stefan.  Would you know if…” 

I didn’t want to think it, let alone say it.

“Would I know if he had met his final death,” Stefan answered for me.  “Yes.  He is still alive.”

 I pulled away and our eyes met.  His blue eyes were wide, worry lining his face.  My hands smoothed over his face before I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“He’s fine,” I assured him softly.  “He’s taking care of a lot of things.  I’m sure he’s with Amir and we’ll hear from him in the next day or two.”

His arms crushed me tightly against his chest.  His voice was a whisper in my ear, “I hope you are right.”

Journal in hand, we set off to find Garrett's trusted friend.  I'd met Liev Banin a handful of times when I'd tagged along with Garrett to study at the University library.  I remembered him to be a brilliant man, much younger than my uncle.  His image was unclear in my mind; but then again, it had been nearly ten years since I'd seen him, not counting the funeral.  But that day had been a grief stricken blur where nothing made sense.

Stefan's hand squeezed mine softly and he pulled me to a stop under a tree on the University campus. He pushed his sunglasses aside and stared down into my eyes.  "We do not have to do this.  The memories..."

"Are our memories." I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head, enjoying the cool breeze that rustled the leaves on the giant oak we took shelter under.  I drew in a deep breath and stood on tiptoe to kiss the corner of his mouth. "I have my husband at my side; my mate.  With you, I can do anything.  I want to understand what I am, Stefan."

He took advantage of my closeness to wrap his arms around me, crushing me against the strong security of his chest.  "I can not bear to see you hurt or feel your pain."

I nestled my head against him, relishing the comfort of his embrace for a moment.  I listened to his steady intake of breath, felt his soft exhale against the top of my head.  "I know.  But I have to do this.  We need to do this.  I want our past back.  I'm greedy.  I want our past and our future, min krigare."

Laughter rumbled deep in his chest, the pleasant vibration reassuring against my cheek.  "I will never grow accustomed to hearing you speak my language, vackra.  Let us see your friend.  But I am not happy about this.  There are so many variables."

He reluctantly let me go.  Not only did I know how Stefan's inner mind worked, I knew there were things he didn't want me to know.  Not out of fear that I'd leave, but the concern of how I'd handle his long past.

"Variables, schmariables."  I reached out to link our fingers together as I led him into Ellis Hall.  Liev was a philosophy professor, but from Garett's notes and instructions, he had degrees in psychology and parapsychology from The University of Edinburgh.

He was also a powerful witch.

The discovery of this fact alone made Stefan's teeth set on edge, making him nervous about the power this man could wield, both mentally and metaphysically.  His mind was constantly at work, never resting.  He was always calculating, worrying, planning.

"C'mon.  Garrett would not steer us wrong.  I trust him." I stressed the fact that I trusted Liev.  I hoped that my voice sounded more confident than I felt.