1. Eudora

ONE

eudora

Two months have passed since meeting Marnie, the supposed daughter of Kragen, the ancient vampire who is both my maker and chief asshole, and Eudora, a powerful sea witch. The two months we've bounced between Charleston and New Orleans have been the longest I've stayed in one location for two centuries. Thorne, the ship captain responsible for carrying my family across the Atlantic three hundred years ago, has been by my side this entire time, and I'm eternally grateful. Since reuniting, our time together has been racked with heartache and pain, making our time together more stressful than it should be.

Even though I know Kragen is hiding in the swamps of New Orleans, I can't stop looking over my shoulder, expecting him to be there, ready to drag me back to the bottom of his ship at any given moment .

The distant sound of a door squeaking brings me back to the present. Sitting in an upscale office building in downtown Charleston was not how I planned on spending my day. Who am I kidding? I didn't have any plans, other than to continue the Netflix series I started last night. I keep that to myself. Thorne needs all the support he can get as he discusses his great-great-great-granddaughter's estate. Even though they didn't know each other long, he watched over her throughout her lifetime. Watching her die and not being able to do anything about it was difficult, and he needs all the strength he can get right now.

I sigh, flipping through the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine for the third time, not paying attention to anything in front of me. My mind rambles through the insanity of everything that's happened, ending with the sadness that came with Francis's death.

"Excuse me, Miss Abernathy?" the young woman behind the welcome desk calls to me.

I look up, having forgotten she's in the room. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty to look your name up in our system. It sounded…familiar."

Shit. Is there some sort of a paranormal database that lists every vampire and lycan in the city? I open my eyes wide, urging her to continue.

She clears her throat. "Are you by any chance related to Aaron Abernathy?" I stare at the young woman, not sure how to respond. "It's such an unusual name around here. I thought maybe you were related. Please forgive me for intruding."

My father was named Aaron, but he never came to America with us. I called the infant my mother refused to name, Aaron. Could he be the same?

I smile, hoping to ease the woman's mind. "I've researched my family history in the past, and there was an Aaron once. He was alive centuries ago, and I'm not sure he ever made it to America."

She taps a few buttons on her computer. "Aaron Abernathy. Born June 1710 in Crail, Scotland. It doesn't seem to list anything else about his birth or death."

June of 1710 would be my youngest sibling. I fight the tears at the thought of Mama keeping the nickname I called him and naming him after my father. "Why do you ask?"

The door to the office opens before she responds, and Thorne exits with a man wearing a three-piece suit and perfectly coiffed hair following close behind.

"I'll be in touch, Mr. Rex, should we need anything else from you." The two men shake hands.

The young woman hands me a business card with her phone number scribbled messily across the back. Is this normal protocol for a law office? Taking the card, I follow Thorne onto Broad Street, where the tourists are covering the paved road. "What happened?" I ask, once we are out of earshot.

"Francis left me everything," Thorne answers. His voice is full of sadness .

"How is that possible?"

He shrugs. "She must have made the arrangements the day we went to the Outer Banks looking for Kragen." He stops walking, turning to face me. "I don't have any need for the money, but it feels wrong to not take it. She worked her entire life for what she had."

"Aye, I understand. Maybe you can donate it to charity?"

"Maybe." He wraps a long arm around my shoulders, and we continue to the house we're borrowing after a bomb destroyed the three-hundred-year-old home he built and Francis resided in.

My phone vibrates, pulling my attention back to the present with a text from Luna.

Can you guys come to The Claw?

I sigh after reading the lycanthrope's text. Luna has quickly become the only friend I've ever had. I'm excited to see her, but now doesn't feel like a great time for us to visit. "Luna asked if we could come to the bar." I hold my phone up for Thorne to read. "If you don't feel like going, I can tell her no."

He shakes his head. "No, I could use a distraction." Luckily the bar isn't far from the law office, and it doesn't take long to get there.

Luna is working behind the counter when we walk in. Since she insists on keeping tabs on Thorne, Connor put her to work in the bar, which is the perfect job for her. Her short blonde bob is pulled up in messy pigtails, making her look even cuter than she already is. "Elsie! Thorne! Look who the bat dragged in." She laughs at her joke. "Get it? Bat dragged in? Because you're vampires?"

I return her smile. "We just came from a meeting with Francis's lawyer."

Her eyes open wide, understanding. "Connor's in his office."

The moment Thorne opens the door, the smell of sulfur hits me in the gut. I freeze, refusing to move any further. "What is it?" Thorne whispers.

"It's me," a young voice says from the chair in front of Connor's desk. The woman we haven't seen in two months stands with a smile.

"What's she doing here?" I ask the Alpha of Charleston.

"Marnie is here to help with your search for Kragen," Connor answers.

"And why would she help us?"

"Because my father is a piece of shit who no longer deserves to be allowed to breathe," she answers.

"I think we can all agree with that," Thorne answers.

"Why should we believe anything she says?" I ask the room.

"Because she's here, offering to help," Conner answers.

I move closer. "You announced you were the child of Eudora and Kragen on a crowded New Orleans street, then disappeared instantly. I don't trust you."

Marnie smiles. "I get that."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you never visited my mother."

I shift from one foot to the other. "No, we didn't. Going on a wild goose chase wasn't exactly a top priority." My tone sounds just as rude as I intended.

She stands, moving toward the door. "The Alpha has the address. I don't recommend you ignore her request a second time." She's gone in a heartbeat, taking the sulfur smell with her.

"Connor, you can't believe her. She's leading us on a wild goose chase."

The Alpha leans back in his office chair and props his long legs on the messy desk in front of him. "I do."

Thorne asks the logical question. "What if Kragen is there, waiting for us?"

"I don't believe it's a setup," Connor answers. "She was here a while before you arrived. I'm a good judge of character. She feels legit to me."

"Nothing personal, Connor, but Marnie's energy feels ancient. She's had plenty of years to perfect her ability to lie." I prop my hands on my hips.

"What has Amelia discovered about Eudora?" Connor changes the subject.

"Not much. We researched both of her libraries until there was nothing left to research. Other than a few mentions of Eudora along with a few weaker sea witches, there was nothing."

"What does Amelia think?"

Thorne sits in the chair Marnie was in moments earlier. "She thinks that the story of my men killing Eudora was a lie and that she's still alive." His words bring memories of the night Kragen took me from the ship. The night he changed my life forever. Claiming he took me in payment for Eudora's death was nothing more than a huge pile of shit. That bastard thinks of no one but himself. Sensing my energy, Thorne lays his hand on top of mine, bringing me back to the present.

Connor pulls a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. He throws the paper on the desk in front of him. An address is scribbled in messy handwriting.

"This is in Charleston," I announce, picking the paper up.

"It is. Only a few blocks from here."

"What are we waiting on?" I move toward the door.

The three of us leave Connor's office, heading into the main bar. "Where are y'all off to?" Luna asks, wiping down the rims of glasses with the cloth she has thrown over her shoulder.

"To see Eudora," I answer.

"Trace, you have the bar," she yells toward an older man seemingly doing inventory. "I'll be back when I get back." She joins our small crew and follows us outside.

The few-block walk takes longer than usual as we push our way through the barrage of tourists. The number of women who stop what they're doing and stare at the vampire and lycanthrope leading the way is comedic. I understand. Thorne and Connor are undeniably gorgeous in otherworldly ways. They draw attention everywhere they go. Luna seems oblivious to the stares as she stays by my side.

Connor stops in front of an older colonial-style home, similar to the one I rented before staying with Francis. The gate is standing open, and tourists are taking pictures of the perfectly decorated structure.

"Is that your home?" a woman asks as we pass through the entrance into the small yard.

"No, ma'am. We're here to visit a friend," Connor answers.

"I would love to look inside," she continues.

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

The woman moves closer to Thorne, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You're so strong and handsome. Especially for a vampire."

Our group stops moving. "Excuse me, ma'am?" Thorne asks, turning on his Southern charm.

"I think you understood me," she answers. I take a few minutes to explore her features. I don't feel any paranormal energy coming from her, but something definitely feels off. Beautiful blonde hair hangs halfway down her back, the color reminding me of the morning sun, reflecting off the calm water of the sea. Bright green eyes hold a hint of something I have no words for.

"What are you?" I question .

The woman smiles. "That depends on who you ask. I've been called many things over the years."

"Eudora," Thorne whispers.

"Aye," she answers, using a Scottish brogue. "'Tis I."

"You wanted to meet with us?" Connor stands tall and performs his Alpha duties well.

"You're lycan." She moves in front of the giant man, placing her hand on his thick bicep. "What a handsome specimen you are." Connor's cheeks turn a soft pink hue as she turns toward Luna. "And look at you. You're just the cutest little thing, aren't you?"

"Thanks?" Luna's tone brings a smirk to my face.

She steps closer to Thorne. "Captain." She bows her head slightly. "I can smell the sea on your skin."

"Aye," he answers. "I sailed for many years." She laces her fingers through Thorne's, pulling his hand to her nose and sniffing deeply. "One of my favorite smells."

"What do you want?" I interrupt whatever the hell she's doing.

"Please, come in." She moves to the front of our group, leading us through the courtyard. We follow her onto the first-floor piazza and through the large wooden entry door.

The foyer is furnished to match the colonial style of the home, and the familiar smell of mold fills my sinuses the moment we enter.

"You came," Marnie says, standing from a perfectly coordinated couch .

"They did," Eudora answers. "They're much more handsome than you described, dear. Shame on you for leaving that part out."

The longer this woman speaks, the more annoying she's becoming.

"Thank you for the invitation," Thorne answers, moving to a chair on the other side of the room.

"I don't normally offer two invitations to meet with me." She sits in a straight-back chair, crossing her legs at the knee. Eudora oozes class, sex appeal, and awe as she sits perfectly posed.

"That was my fault," I add. "We've been rather busy."

For the first time, her eyes turn solely on me. " He's your maker."

"Not by choice." I know without asking, who she's referring to.

Eudora smiles. "Kragen has…a way with women."

"If those ways include kidnapping, torture, abuse in every type of way possible, and starvation, then yes, he has his ways."

"Kragen believes you are dead," Thorne interrupts my tirade.

She turns her attention back to my lover. "Because that's what I wanted him to believe. There was simply no other way."

"That's the reason he took me," I interrupt again. "The reason he turned me into this…this monster. "

"I'm sorry about that," Eudora answers. Her voice is void of emotion. "It was necessary."

I stand, moving closer to the sea witch. " How was it necessary?"

"Elsbeth," Thorne's calm voice warns. He's right. This woman could kill me in the blink of an eye.

Eudora smiles at the captain. "It's quite alright. The poor dear is frustrated."

"Kragen needed to believe my mother was dead in order to save me," Marnie interrupts my pity party.

Eudora stands, moving toward her daughter. "I'm sorry for what he did to you." She turns back toward me. "I truly am." She crosses her arms across her chest. Her body language says something different than her words. "Marnie is correct. Kragen thinking I was dead was the only way."

"I apologize if this sounds rude, but why is your life more important than mine?" I turn my attention back to Marnie.

Her energy shifts. "Because there is no one else like me in the world."

"Half sea witch and half vampire?"

Eudora laughs. "Dear, child, you truly don't know, do you?"

"Please, enlighten me."

The sea witch moves to the center of the room, holding her hands to her side and whispering words in a language that feels older than time. Her skin transforms, becoming translucent and revealing movement that resembles water. Beautiful blonde hair turns dark green and becomes malleable as it floats around her head in a sea of movement.

"No, my child. I am not a sea witch. I am much more than that." A wicked smile covers her face. "I am where the sun meets the sea. I am the land and sea conjoined. I am the power behind the winds. I am Eudora, the Goddess of the Sea."

"Well, shit." Everyone in the room turns toward me with my words.

As quickly as Eudora transformed, she returns to the beautiful woman who greeted us at the gate. "Any questions," she asks, looking around the room like she's just taught a lesson on long division.

I raise my hand, like the asshole that Kragen turned me into. "I have one." She raises her eyebrows in question. "If you're the ‘Goddess of the Sea,'" I use air quotes with her title. "Why didn't you just snap your fingers and tear Kragen's head from his body centuries ago?"

The energy flowing from the men in the room reeks of anxiety as they shift nervously in their seats. "Elsie," Thorne warns through my mind. A talent he hasn't used often.

"That's a fair question," Eudora answers. She turns toward her daughter. "Would you like to clarify that, my child?"

"If she kills Kragen, I die, too," she answers simply.

I look between the two of them. "How exactly does that work? "

"You're quite spirited , aren't you?" Eudora asks. "I think it wise you remember who you are speaking with."

"She's right," Thorne says through my mind again. "Let's leave the attitude out for a minute."

I sigh deeply. "I apologize for my tone." It takes everything in me to get the words out.

"Apology accepted," the goddess answers.

"If my mother kills Kragen, I will die, too," Marnie repeats her words from earlier. "Because I carry his blood, if he dies at the hands of my mother or myself or through a direct result of my mother, my life will end with his."

"I could see how that could put a damper on things." And…the attitude is back.

"Thinking I was dead was the only way for us to escape." Eudora smirks. "I'm sure you know how persistent he can be."

"Why involve me?"

"Because you're the only one strong enough to kill him," she answers simply. "Other than us, of course."

"I tried that already. It didn't work very well." My mind flashes to Francis and her crumpled body after the explosion.

"That's because you didn't have my help," Eudora adds.

"Wouldn't that be considered a direct result when it comes to his death?" Thorne asks the question everyone in the room is thinking .

"Semantics," she answers, reminding me of Kragen's words not long ago.

"What's in it for us?" I ask, looking around the room.

The goddess crosses her arms in front of her chest and directs her attention directly toward me. "Freedom."

"I'm already free," I lie. I haven't been free from the moment Kragen took me from Thorne's ship.