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  A Golden Heart

  A Blood War Novel | Book 2

  Alia Johnson

  ©A Golden Heart (A Blood War Novel Book 2) by Alia Johnson

  Edited by Jenny Dillion

  Cover by Christopher Coyle

  Formatted by Lyn Forester

  All rights reserved.

  This book is protected under Copyright laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright laws. For permission requests, please contact the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Author’s Note

  A Frozen Heart

  Alia’s Book List

  GLOSSARY

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Vashti was drowning in her sleep.

  The splash of cold water hitting her face caused her to wake up from the nightmare. Jerking up angrily to a sitting position, she lunged at the person trying to kill her with the offending liquid. The small person gasped at her speed, moving away from Vashti’s grabbing hands to the shadowed corner. Vashti coughed and crouched in a defensive pose, trying to figure out where she was before she was attacked again.

  The last thing she remembered was packing for the trip to Antiqua to visit her sister Odesha.

  On their way to visit Antiqua, Vashti felt the crystal around her neck. The bloodstone Odesha had given her after the battle they had endured was protected and hidden. It could call Odesha to her in a time of need until the blood ran dry. Tucking the shining stone into her dress, Vashti continued to load her belongings into the carriage with her half-sister Saphira.

  Saphira’s small frame couldn’t tote the large luggage, so Vashti assisted her, even though she never asked. She would take care of her baby sister, whether she wanted her to or not.

  They arrived together in their carriage at the port located off the coast of Romule. Autum, their brother’s best friend, was waiting to meet them on his ship he had named Rider to take them to Antiqua.

  Autum tried straightening the curls on his head when he noticed the two beautiful ladies walking toward him, but they quickly return to their normal bouncy state. He had forgotten how the two women affected him.

  Vashti walked confidently down the ramp, her golden dominance shining bright. Her long curly gold hair, swinging provocatively over rounded curves, accentuated her high cheekbones causing several crew members to turn their heads to watch her approach.

  Saphira, whose doll like face could make angels weep, walked at her side meekly. Sun-kissed skin and long pointed ears were inherited from Saphira’s mother’s fey side. Autum would marry Saphira someday, he promised himself and frantically waved for them to board the boat. Saphira shouted a greeting and waved her arm in the air to greet him. Shoving back her dark hair, she ran to embrace Autum.

  She never made it to his arms.

  Saphira was so happy to see her friend she took off running from Vashti’s side. It was the look on Autum’s face that stopped her. His usual smile was gone, his face terrified, as he stared behind her.

  Having never seen that particular look from him, Saphira stopped running, confused.

  Autum bellowed out, “Vashti behind you!” He was pumping his arms as hard as he could to run toward the two of them.

  Saphira turned to look at Vashti. Her green eyes, reflecting the person approaching Vashti’s back, widened in fear.

  Running through the past events silently, Vashti tried to see who was hidden in the shadows in front of her. Thankfully, they had stopped trying to drown her.

  Vashti muttered, “Why do you hide from me in the darkness, creature?”

  Bubbly laughter sounded out. “Is that what you call me in secret, Vashti?” There was only one voice that could sound so innocent and happy in their current situation.

  Vashti groaned in response. “Saphira. Where are we? What’s going on? Stop hiding in the corner so I can see you for Freyja’s sake.”

  Hesitating, Saphira moved to the small shaft of light so Vashti could see her better. The green gown she had been wearing on the dock was torn at the bodice, barely holding on to her small shoulders. Bruises were starting to bloom on the side of her head, showing someone with a heavy hand had struck her.

  “What in hellfire happened to you?” Vashti yelled, concerned about the swelling around her temple. Reaching up, she tried to see what damage had been done to Saphira’s face, but Saphira backed away, shaking her head.

  “Shh! You must keep quiet. They’ll hear you.” Saphira jerked her chin away, acting like Vashti would know who “they” were and continued, “We are in some type of wooden container. I’ve heard people on the outside yelling out numbers or haggling prices. I’ve started to wonder if we are in the marketplace in Romule. The last thing I remember is you falling on the boat dock and Autum yelling out to you. The last time I saw him, he was running toward us. It was chaos with dock workers around us moving so fast. Then nothing. What do you remember, Vashti?”

  Saphira moved even closer to Vashti, hoping her sister’s strength would seep into her. Vashti was the tough one of the family because of the training their father had sent Vashti to that no one ever spoke of. She had seen Vashti’s back on accident once and had felt just a small amount of the pain that Vashti had suffered while there. It was unimaginable to someone as sheltered as Saphira.

  Vashti stared, internally astonished at Saphira's attention to detail. On a typical day, Saphira was exploring the grounds, too filled with fantasy and adventure to pay attention to the real world around her. The animals were her companions, the forest her home.

  Vashti swallowed, trying not to choke on her words. “That's a good start, Saphira. I’m proud of you.”

  Saphira puffed up in pride, her small nose raised in the air sniffing, muttering, “It smells horrible in here.”

  “It’s probably us,” Vashti replied, also sniffing the air, accidentally bumping her head on the wooden ceiling. She froze. “No, that isn’t us. It’s sulfur.”

  That smell would stay with her forever. It had been part of her training, the smell suffocating in the heat of the dungeons, and reminded her of what she had been through. She shuddered at the memory, hoping Saphira hadn’t seen her. When Saphira continued to talk on about their surroundings, Vashti sighed in relief. She didn’t want to talk about what had happened, especially not with Saphira. There was no way she would tarnish her sister’s innocence.

  Vashti knew there had to be a way out of this box or a way to escape. The “who did this?” could always wait. This
was now a matter of survival.

  And Vashti was sure that they would survive.

  Vashti pressed her ear up to the side of the wood, hoping to gather more information from the voices on the outside. She could hear people in the distance, arguing about them, using a demon language native to their demon father. Saphira was right about the men shouting out numbers and arguing the price.

  But they were not in a marketplace.

  It was an auction.

  “Saphira, we need to get out of this quickly. We are about to be sold to−” Before she could finish, the wooden container shook back and forth. The top of the box sounded as if someone was prying it open from the outside.

  Saphira let out a cry, jumping into her older sister’s arms in panic. Her wild hair enveloped them both as she shook with her fear. Vashti clasped Saphira tightly to her, hoping their captors would keep them together. They would have a better chance to survive, and Vashti would be able to protect Saphira.

  Saphira whispered brokenly, “Autum will tell Brother and Father, right?” The childlike quality of her voice cut through Vashti’s heart, causing her to wince with regret that she had brought Saphira with her on the trip to see Odesha. If she could go back, she would have left her little sister at home.

  Saphira looked up when Vashti didn’t answer right away. Vashti's golden curls fell freely around them, mixing with her dark ones. Her eyes were full of her anger, spitting golden fire at the top of the box. Nodding wordlessly, she was unable to dash Saphira’s hopes by reminding her that Autum didn’t know where they were.

  Or their Father’s army would have arrived already.

  Chapter 2

  The top of the wooden crate was torn off. No wonder Saphira had been unable to pry it open by herself.

  It had been secured with crude nails.

  The shards of wood flying through the air made the sisters cover their eyes to protect them from the debris.

  They looked up to see who was on the outside holding them captive, but large, rough hands reached in to grab Saphira, shoving Vashti away. Vashti kicked at the hands holding her back, snarling at the intruders. Saphira screamed again, trying to hold onto the side of the box. A meaty hand slapped Saphira across the face to silence her. Unable to hold on after the blow, Saphira was taken away.

  Vashti screamed angrily, attacking, and scratching anything she could do to cause harm without her weapon. A familiar shock wave of pain erupted through her body, making her entire body suddenly lock up. The bolt that came from a device the second man held in his hands had meant to knock her unconscious. In her training with the Incendie, the students had been exposed to the bolts to build an immunity. It was another memory she would love to someday forget.

  Vashti knew they wouldn’t knock her out as intended but would prevent her from moving for only minutes. She could use this to her advantage against this unknown threat.

  Vashti heard Saphira's cries fade in the distance as she was taken farther away from her. More people began to shout their bids as people grappled to own Saphira, but Vashti was unable to stop them. Time passed while Vashti laid helpless, unable to move or help her sister. She was supposed to protect Saphira and was failing. Anguish over their capture ripped through her.

  The lead auctioneer repeated the number that was bid three times as if mocking her feelings.

  No, no! If I don’t get to her before they take her away, I may never find her. Vashti began to pray to the deity her family worshipped, the one mother. Dear Freyja, help me!

  But the bidding was done.

  So quickly did the auction happen, Vashti was only able to feel and move her hands and feet by the end. She could no longer hear Saphira through the shouts of congratulations to whoever won the auction. Out of the corner of her eye, Vashti noticed a shadow pass over. She tried moving her head to get a better look at the face hovering above her but couldn’t make her muscles work.

  “Blimey Jay, wha’ ya do to da lass?!” she heard the shadow yell.

  “Oi ha' to stun her, me did!”

  The shadow growled at the other man, “Now we will be havin’ to wait till dark for it to wears off!”

  Vashti had heard their accents on the pier but couldn’t place the common name of “Jay.” They must have expected the person they were selling to be moving during the auction, as it seemed a livelier person would make them more money. Her small space turned dark once more when the wooden box top was replaced and hammered on. There was no way she would be able to push the top open with the number of nails they were using, but that wouldn’t matter.

  She wasn’t going to go through the top.

  Vashti lifted the side of her mouth in a smile, finally something going my way!

  The electricity ran its course through her system, causing her limbs to twitch and her muscles to tense. While waiting for the painful shocks to pass, Vashti recalled the time her father had sent her away from Merdi that had set in motion the events that changed her future so much.

  King Desmond looked to Odesha standing beside Vashti. Odesha’s pale sullen face stared blankly back at him. Vashti vaguely heard him say he was sending her sister to Antiqua, their mother’s ancestral home. Vashti began panicking, knowing her sister wouldn’t live long without her. Vashti helped Odesha by keeping the ice from freezing her heart. Without Vashti by her side, Odesha would be gone. A frozen statue of Freyja’s ice garden for Vashti to visit. She would go with her sister to Antiqua, no matter what Father ordered, she decided.

  King Desmond’s keen eyes considered Vashti. He knew she was growing panicked at his choice for her sister. “Vashti, I have another mission for you. Leave us, Odesha.”

  Odesha wordlessly turned, softly walking back to her room. Vashti stepped up to the giant horned king, gracefully bowing. “Yes, Father?” She wouldn't cower before him. Never. Straightening her back, she held his gaze without difficulty.

  King Desmond was silent for a moment; his usual jovial self was unexpectedly serious. He stated a fact. “You worry for your sister.”

  Vashti’s hands clenched, gritting out between tight teeth, “Yes, Father.” As you should, she thought, but she held those words in. Most of the blame she placed on her mother’s shoulders for not caring for Odesha like she should have, but their mother was already gone.

  He eyed her clenched hands fleetingly, his eyes turning black. Vashti’s eyes flared a brighter golden color with heightened emotions.

  “You are a fighter, Vashti. Full of fire and strength. The strongest of my girls. Odesha is slowly turning to ice. I’ve been aware of the situation, but you can’t keep the ice at bay anymore. No one can. I must separate you two before you fall, as well.”

  “You can’t do this, Father!” Vashti lashed out angrily.

  He bared his fangs, his long mane intimidating in the throne room. “It’s for the good of you both! You will go to Romule and train to be an Incendie Tanssijja tonight. Odesha will leave for Antiqua soon, and you will promise not to interfere. Do not defy me, Vashti!”

  Vashti was so speechless at her father’s angrily worded order she didn’t try to stop him as he left the throne room.

  An Incendie Tanssijja was unheard of in a half-vampire, half-demon from Merdi. There were other names for the demon term of an “Incendie Tanssijja” that floated around Kaia. The humans in Romule called them “fire dancers.” The surviving vampires of the Blood War called them “assassins.”

  It was something Vashti could only dream of in her wildest fantasies. A half-breed princess to train with the most skilled in the entire world. It surprised her Desmond would let one of his treasured daughters travel to a former enemy kingdom, but she wouldn’t question his decision.

  Still, she felt a pang in her heart at the thought of leaving Odesha. She slowly sank to her knees on the hard floor, her thoughts battering the emotions swimming around her heart.

  How could she choose between her sister’s life and the Incendie? She would stand against her father and stay if Odesha’s l
ife hung in the balance. There was no choice. It would always be her twin sister. She would follow Odesha to the very end.

  A small voice whispered from above, “Ello’, ma cherie?”

  Curly, orange hair framing a pretty face peeked from behind a curtained alcove on the balcony overlooking the throne room. Vashti staggered to her feet. “Who... who’s there?”

  The woman above her was older than Vashti; whoever she was, sporting a red pirate feathered hat holding a large scabbard at her side. An ample bosom was held up by thin straps over a white flouncy shirt. The woman should clearly be on a ship hoisting the sails of a merchant vessel, instead of the opulent throne room of Merdi.

  “Ello’! You is sad, no? Pourquoi?” The woman leaned over the alcove, moving her covered sword around her back to peer over the side for a better view of the sad vampire princess.

  “Why am I sad? Did you not hear my father? He says I am to be an Incendie while my sister dies in Antiqua without me.” Vashti became angrier as the ramifications of leaving became apparent. Threading her hands through her curls, she began to pace as she tried to find a solution.

  “No! No! No! Esmerelda will help you!” The pirate lady Vashti assumed was Esmerelda nodded her head eagerly. Her accent was waning the more she spoke like the words she said were a muscle she hadn’t worked in a while.

  “How could you help me when I want my sister to be well, but also want to train to be a Tanssijja? How could I even trust a stranger?” asked Vashti bitterly. There were too many things that could go wrong. No. She had to find a way to stay.