Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

disappearance that had led to the magic taking control of her at the castle in Romania and then it had ended in disaster.
    She had to go in feeling as calm as possible and had to remain that way if she was to get the answers she needed.
    Besides, she had no proof Elena had created the portal. She had only ever seen one. For all she knew, they could all look blue.
    She turned to face Venturi and smiled when he cocked a brow at her. It seemed as though the roles were reversed. Where she had once been the reluctant one, she was now the leader in this step into the unknown. It was now her companion who had a flicker of fear in his eyes.
    She extended her hand into the portal, feeling the cold as it disappeared but not looking at it.
    “There’s land on the other side,” she said.
    “What trickery is this?” Venturi stepped forwards, his brows knitting tight and his eyes narrowing while he reached out and pushed his hand through the invisible barrier.
    “Witchcraft. Very powerful witchcraft.”
    He stepped back and looked at her. “You believe this witch has your precious Aurorea?”
    “His name is Valentine,” she ground the words out and then relented. Every time Venturi had mentioned Valentine during their journey, he had avoided saying his name. She was growing tired of hearing her love labelled as a child, a youngling or an Aurorea. She was growing tired of correcting Venturi.
    He brought his hand down over his face, clearing it of water and then ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair, tousling it further and pushing it out of his face. Thick strands of it fell back down, the tips of them grazing his chin.
    When he finally brought his eyes back to her, she gave him a hard look and stepped through the portal.
    She didn’t wait for him to follow. He had followed her this far without her asking him to, she was certain he’d continue now. A portal to a magically cloaked world wasn’t going to stop him.
    “What?” His tone was one of disbelief and shock.
    Not looking back at him, she smiled to herself. “I forgot to mention she has a tendency to dress people a little differently.”
    Prophecy glanced down at her clothes. They were different to last time. She was wearing all black and it made her feel as though she was in mourning. Looking over her shoulder at Venturi, she couldn’t stop herself from grinning. He looked so annoyed at his new outfit of dark brown breeches with a white shirt and matching dark brown jacket. She mused that he deserved it for being so obviously amused about being disrespectful to Valentine.
    When she came out of her thoughts, she found that his expression had changed. In place of disdain there was a hint of desire in his eyes as he stared at her apparel. He moved closer to her, his eyes lingering on her chest. Her gaze fell there when he reached out towards her.
    “What is...?” he said.
    She moved the silver star she wore around her neck to one side and then ran her fingers over the black, intricate star that was drawn over her heart.
    “It’s just one of many. See,” she said and pulled the shoulder of her dress aside to reveal the star on her skin there. “I was marked all my life without knowing it. The Three of Paris brought the marks to the surface and activated them. They focus the magic within my blood and this allows me to use it.”
    He stared at the amulet on her hand when she held it out to him.
    “How?”
    “I’m not wholly vampire. It’s a long story and one that will have to wait.” She looked at the large house that loomed out of the darkness, filling her with the same sense of foreboding that it had given her when she’d first laid eyes on it. She closed her fingers around the stone in her amulet. There was no point in removing it this time. Elena knew of her power. It was time she knew where it had come from. Something told her the witch would recognise the amulet.
    Starting towards the gate of the house, Prophecy took another deep breath and sighed it out. She was strong. Valentine believed in her. She could control her feelings long enough to discover what had happened to him. She was in command of the magic, not the other way around.
    Passing the gate, she mounted the steps, keeping her eyes locked on the wooden door.
    She stopped just short of it and looked at Venturi who was standing a few steps below her.
    “She may try to test you. She’s a necromancer. Resist anything she tries. If she attempts to control you, I’ll make sure she