A Shade of Vampire 64: A Camp of Savages Read online

  A Shade of Vampire 64: A Camp of Savages

  Bella Forrest

  Contents

  Also by Bella Forrest

  Problems reading?

  New Generation List

  Family tree

  1. Draven

  2. Elonora

  3. Kailani

  4. Dmitri

  5. Elonora

  6. Rose

  7. Derek

  8. Sofia

  9. Sofia

  10. Elonora

  11. Rose

  12. Elonora

  13. Draven

  14. Draven

  15. Draven

  16. Serena

  17. Elonora

  18. Dmitri

  19. Elonora

  20. Dmitri

  21. Elonora

  22. Derek

  23. Sofia

  24. Elonora

  25. Kailani

  26. Elonora

  27. Kailani

  28. Ridan

  29. Derek

  30. Sofia

  31. Varga

  32. Draven

  33. Elonora

  34. Derek

  Read more by Bella Forrest

  Also by Bella Forrest

  HARLEY MERLIN

  (Brand new fantasy/romance/supernatural series!)

  Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)

  Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)

  THE CHILD THIEF

  (Action-adventure/romance.)

  The Child Thief (Book 1)

  Deep Shadows (Book 2)

  Thin Lines (Book 3)

  Little Lies (Book 4)

  THE GENDER GAME

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Gender Game (Book 1)

  The Gender Secret (Book 2)

  The Gender Lie (Book 3)

  The Gender War (Book 4)

  The Gender Fall (Book 5)

  The Gender Plan (Book 6)

  The Gender End (Book 7)

  THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

  (Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)

  The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)

  The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)

  The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)

  The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)

  The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)

  The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)

  The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

  HOTBLOODS

  (Supernatural romance. Completed series.)

  Hotbloods (Book 1)

  Coldbloods (Book 2)

  Renegades (Book 3)

  Venturers (Book 4)

  Traitors (Book 5)

  Allies (Book 6)

  Invaders (Book 7)

  Stargazers (Book 8)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  (Supernatural romance)

  Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

  A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

  A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

  A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

  A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

  A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

  A Gate of Night (Book 6)

  A Break of Day (Book 7)

  Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

  A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

  A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

  A Spell of Time (Book 10)

  A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

  A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

  A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

  A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

  A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

  An End of Night (Book 16)

  Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

  A Wind of Change (Book 17)

  A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

  A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

  A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

  A Vial of Life (Book 21)

  A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

  A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

  A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

  Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

  A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

  A World of New (Book 26)

  A Web of Lies (Book 27)

  A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

  An Hour of Need (Book 29)

  A Game of Risk (Book 30)

  A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

  A Day of Glory (Book 32)

  Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

  A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

  A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

  A Race of Trials (Book 35)

  A King of Shadow (Book 36)

  An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

  A Power of Old (Book 38)

  A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

  A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

  A Tide of War (Book 41)

  Series 6: A Gift of Three

  A Gift of Three (Book 42)

  A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

  A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

  A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

  A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

  A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

  A Tip of Balance (Book 48)

  A Shield of Glass (Book 49)

  A Clash of Storms (Book 50)

  Series 7: A Call of Vampires

  A Call of Vampires (Book 51)

  A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)

  A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)

  A Den of Tricks (Book 54)

  A City of Lies (Book 55)

  A League of Exiles (Book 56)

  A Charge of Allies (Book 57)

  A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)

  A Battle of Souls (Book 59)

  Series 8: A Voyage of Founders

  A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)

  A Land of Perfects (Book 61)

  A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)

  A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)

  A Camp of Savages (Book 64)

  A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

  A Shade of Dragon 1

  A Shade of Dragon 2

  A Shade of Dragon 3

  A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

  A Shade of Kiev 1

  A Shade of Kiev 2

  A Shade of Kiev 3

  THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

  (Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)

  The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

  The Breaker (Book 2)

  The Chain (Book 3)

  The Keep (Book 4)

  The Test (Book 5)

  The Spell (Book 6)

  BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

  (Supernatural romance)

  Beautiful Monster 1

  Beautiful Monster 2

  DETECTIVE ERIN BOND

  (Adult thriller/mystery)

  Lights, Camera, GONE

  Write, Edit, KILL

  For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

  Join Bella’s VIP email list and she’ll send you an email reminder as soon as her next book is out. Tap here to sign up: www.forrestbooks.com

  Copyright © 2018 by Bella Forrest

  Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  New Generation List

  Dmitri (son of Victoria and Bastien – half human and half werewolf)

  Elonora “Lenny” (daughter of Ash and Ruby – vampire-sentry)

  Varga (son of Ash and Ruby – vampire-sentry)

  Kailani “Kale” (daughter of Brock and Arwen / granddaughter of Corrine and Ibrahim – witch)

  Hunter (Sofia’s adoptive brother / adopted son of Aiden and Kailyn – werewolf)

  Vesta (daughter of Idris and Rayna – water fae)

  Family tree

  If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree

  Draven

  Whatever it takes.

  That was our mindset as the shuttle, nestled inside the glowing bubble of an interplanetary spell, descended upon Strava. Our passage through the planet’s atmosphere was bumpy, but not as intense as the thick blanket of storm clouds that we had to penetrate in order to land on Merinos.

  The spell itself kept us safe, but it wasn’t completely immune to hostile weather conditions. A powerful wind could still nudge it. A heavy rain could still pummel it, making its trajectory slightly more difficult. In many ways, it felt like riding a plane through a storm—Serena had taken me on a flight once, during one of our visits to Earth and this was eerily similar.

  Bijarki looked downright pale. He’d never fully adjusted to interplanetary spell travel. And I couldn’t really blame him; the speed with which swamp witch magic could circulate was simply mind-boggling. He gripped the armrests of his chair, beads of sweat trickling down his temples, as the light bubble pierced through the storm clouds. Thunder banged not far from us, startling Serena. I instinctively covered her hand with mine, as we both looked through the shuttle’s windshield.

  Beneath us, Strava’s thousands of islands lay scattered across the turquoise ocean. I’d been here a couple of times during the Noagh resort’s construction period. I still couldn’t get enough of this place—endless azure waves stretching all around, sprinkled with small patches of dry land, each bordered by strips of white sand that varied in width. Most of these islands had thick jungles or bamboo-like forests, depending on their geographical position.

  On our side of the planet, to the far east from the diamond coliseum clusters of Ta’Zan’s Perfects, the jungles seemed particularly rich and dark, with giant, moss-green crowns and gnarled trunks. Merinos, our destination, was smack in the middle of a meteorological anomaly. Looking at it now, I understood what Bogdana had meant by “hostile and difficult conditions.”

  I briefly glanced at the old fae as she stared at the view before us. There was a tinge of longing in her amber eyes. As if she’d missed this place. With a little potion help from Lumi, Bogdana looked like she was in her early thirties, her long blonde hair neatly braided down her back and her dark red velvet tunic hugging her hourglass figure—the complete opposite of the silver-haired and deeply wrinkled creature we’d found back on the fire star.

  She seemed happy to be here again, though she did try to hide her enthusiasm. Unfortunately for her, I’d learned to read people a little better since Serena came into my life. Her sentry abilities had challenged me to learn to see what she saw in others. While my wife identified emotions, I looked to body language for clues. And Bogdana’s was quite telling. I was intrigued, and Serena, always able to feel me, as I felt her, noticed. She followed my gaze, watching the old fae for a while.

  Avril and Heron kept an eye on the shuttle’s computers, while his nine wards were glued to their chairs, patiently waiting for us to land. They looked pale too, but then again, a Mara’s complexion was never tan, so it was difficult to tell if they were flight-sick, too. Taeral stared at the islands as they got bigger beneath us. This was all new to him, and it was obvious that he was equal parts thrilled and terrified, eager and concerned—much like the rest of us.

  With Ben and Rose’s crew still out in the Stravian wilderness, we still had a chance to turn the tide and stop Ta’Zan from taking his Perfects out into the universe and destroying everything in their path. Their genetic hierarchy called for the deaths of billions of innocent creatures, just so Ta’Zan’s creations could attain an official title of superiority, as a species. It was cruel, absurd, and evil, and we had to end it before it got out of control.

  The clock was ticking, as Ta’Zan mass-produced his ideal soldiers, shelling them out by the dozen every few hours or so. They’d taken down one of our fleets already, killing hundreds in the process. Although, at first, we didn’t know what we were dealing with, we certainly had a better idea now.

  “Was Merinos ever inhabited?” Serena asked.

  Bogdana shook her head. “No. As you can see, it’s kind of hard to live here.”

  She was right. Merinos was at the center of an extremely weird phenomenon. Air currents swirled and crashed chaotically, creating eerily isolated mini-regions of dramatic contrasts in temperature. There were elliptic and circular sections where it was hot and dry and desert-like, and there were swatches of snowy and frozen winter lands, intertwining. Their borders met and produced powerful local storms, as passage was made from hot to cold and back. Each small region covered an area of about ten to fifteen square miles.

  I was used to a hotter environment, but I had to make do with what Merinos had to offer in terms of weather and temperatures. Fortunately, we had a swamp witch with us, who would gladly help me feel more comfortable if necessary.

  “Yeah. Quite… undecided,” Taeral muttered, frowning. “How is that possible?”

  “It’s the ocean currents, clashing with barriers of cold air. It creates this weird jumble all year round,” Bogdana explained. “The Draenir said the moon’s orbit and size played a part in the issue, along with the sudden gusts coming from up north. It’s the way this whole region is set up.”

  “I suppose it’s almost impossible to develop any form of viable agriculture. Probably why the Draenir didn’t bother to try and live here,” Lumi suggested.

  Bogdana smiled. “It’s either the wild fruit and nuts you’ll find in the woods, or nothing at all,” she said. “The soil and weather conditions definitely don’t support any agricultural endeavor. I think a small pack of people might survive as hunter-gatherers, at best, but they’d have to share the land with some of the local beasts. And, last time I checked, the sand leopards alone could easily tear a Draenir in half.”

  “Sand leopards?” Bijarki asked, his silvery eyes wide.

  “And big herbivores that could crush a camp with just their hooves. Not to mention their unbreakable horns,” Bogdana added, noticing his discomfort. Despite our overall dire circumstances, I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Bijarki, the grand warrior incubus, as he squirmed in his seat at the thought of murderous beasts. He wasn’t exactly the explorer type. “Venomous serpents that hang from the branches. Jungle wolves with black fur and blue eyes. Merinos and this entire region are home to some very dangerous animals. That, along with the local climate, is more than enough to keep anyone from settling in the region.”

  Bijarki exhaled. “Yeah, not surprised.”

  “You seem excited to be here again,” Serena said, staring at Bogdana.

  Our spell bubble continued its descent, smooth and slow as we left the storm clouds above. Drops of rain came down like icy pellets, smacking the glowing orb and instantly evaporating. Beneath us, the river that cut right through the heart of Merinos island swelled, its banks covered in lush greenery, and a blanket of wild jungle stretching on both sides. The ocean waves crashed into the beach all around, forming a rippling skirt of white foam with each retreating motion.

  Bogdana let out a long and heavy sigh. “I admit, I am. Strava is still one of the most beautiful worlds I was blessed enough to visit. There’s just something about it that draws me to it.”

  “Why didn’t you stay here, then?” I asked. “If you loved it so much?”

  “I wo
uld’ve stayed, but my fae abilities aren’t as powerful here. The fire star is the source of my strength, Druid. Besides, I always got homesick, no matter where I went. There’s no place like home, after all,” she said.

  “Plus, they did have a nasty plague here, didn’t they? Since the Draenir were all wiped out?” Taeral replied. “You probably would’ve died with them, if you’d stayed.”

  She nodded slowly. “Maybe.”

  “We’re at the last hundred feet,” Avril announced. “Prepare for landing.”

  We followed protocol, as usual. We all geared up and checked our backpacks, making sure we had all the supplies we needed for the trip we were about to embark on. Merinos was merely our safest starting point. Our destination was the hot zone, the area where the Perfects had begun developing their society. The diamond coliseums.

  Serena and I looked at each other. I was extremely fortunate to be able to experience everything she felt, and vice versa, thanks to our soul union through her sentry nature. In that moment, I had a heart filled with fear and thrills. We were about to make our way through an unknown wilderness in search of Ben and Rose’s crew. We had to find and help them. We were stronger together. Plus, we had the only living swamp witch with us. Kailani was good, but she was still learning. Lumi was still our best bet against Ta’Zan and the Perfects.

  “We can do this,” Serena whispered, moving closer.

  I pressed my lips against her forehead and breathed in, letting her natural scent fill my lungs and bathe my mind in her uniqueness. Serena was my sun, my moon, and my stars. I wasn’t comfortable with her being here and putting her own life at risk, but I wouldn’t have even tried to stop her from coming. Her great-grandparents, Derek and Sofia, and her great-great-grandfather, Aiden, were among Ta’Zan’s prisoners. I had no choice but to support her decision and make sure no harm came to her. I was also compelled to look past my love for her and my desire to protect her, and remember that she, too, was a GASP fighter, a Shadian through and through.