Risen (Page 23)

“I guess it was written in the stars then. You are just another member in the long line of vampire descendants.”

“Vampire descendants?” Rachel asked. “What does that mean?”

“Well, what I wrote to your mother in the letter vaguely explained that we are different from everyone else. She and I have spoken at length about this since I wrote that letter, but it appears she never passed down the knowledge of our ancestry to you.”

“UM. NO!” Rachel said.

“You see, we are not like the rest of the humans out there. We are immortal people. We are vampires. Yes, we may be in different covens, but that does not matter. What matters is that we are all vampires that feed on other humans, animals and other blood carrying creatures. We need them to survive in this world.”

“But why me? What did I do to deserve this?” Rachel asked, nearly in tears.

“Rachel, my child. It was nothing that you did wrong. Please don’t think this was your fault. It was your destiny to become one of us. When you were born it was already in your genes. It took one special person to turn you into who you were always meant to be. Many of us have been turned by our one true love. Do you remember who turned you?” her grandmother asked.

“Turned me? What are you talking about?”

“So I’m assuming you don’t remember. That is common. It is a whirlwind the first few years of being a vampire and one goes through many stages of denial and acceptance of this state. You must be in your denial phase right now.”

“Denial phase? I really don’t understand you right now, Grandmother. Please help me understand.”

“I’m trying my best Dear, but you also have to believe and accept what I am telling you. Don’t think about it too hard for that will hinder your acceptance with who you really are. It might not make sense at first but I assure you once you’ve lived with the truth for a while you will begin to forget what it was like to be a mortal human being. You will begin to only understand the life of the vampire and the immortals. For you are no an immortal being. You will live on forever and ever, unless of course you are captured by the evil coven and they kill you off, but that is another story in itself.

“Evil coven?”

“Yes, these things you will learn in time, my child. But I’m sure you have done nothing to deserve to be killed off so soon. You have only recently been turned and it would be highly unlikely that you have gotten mixed up with the wrong people.”

“Wait a minute,” Rachel said. “I’m having a vision.”

“What?” her grandmother asked. “What do you see?”

“I see a dark haired girl, an evil looking girl with pale skin and ugly facial features. I see her sitting in her secret coven meeting room. They are all wearing capes with the emblem of a deer with blood dripping out of its mouth. It’s all coming back to me now. Her name is Violet and she’s after me. She’s part of the Greslin Coven.”

“Greslin Coven?” her grandmother shrieked. “Don’t tell me you already got on their bad side.”

“I know something happened, but I can’t remember exactly what it is.” Rachel admitted. “It wasn’t my fault though.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s your fault or not. If you are on the bad side of Violet and her people, you are surely to die. How could it be that a new vampire like you could make a cardinal mistake like this. There are very few ways for an immortal vampire to die, but this is the number one most life threatening way.”

“Am I going to die? Please say no. I’m not ready to die,” Rachel said, beginning to cry.

“Rachel, you have to figure out what you did and how this all happened. You need to gain clarity back.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“You have to go to the graveyard and enter the ancient mausoleum of our ancestors. They say, when you are surrounded by those of your kin you gain clarity and insight into both your past and your future. You must go now. You have no time to waste. I’m getting bad feeling about this and you are running out of time,” her grandmother said, in a worried tone.

“You mean I have to go there now? As in right now?”

“As in like five minutes ago. You should leave immediately and don’t come back until you’re crystal clear on why the Greslin’s are after you.”

“But where do I go?” Rachel asked with fear.

“You must fly there. Do you remember how to do that?”

“Yes, I think I can remember that. But where do I fly to?”

“You fly to the north west quadrant of the swamp and then circle around until you see the large statue of the eagle. Once you see the eagle you are close. Look down and you will see the mausoleum there below. It is a large stone structure with our family crest on it. You can’t miss it.”

“Ok, but what if I get lost?” Rachel asked.

“You won’t get lost. Follow your gut and it will take you to exactly where you need to be.”

“Will I see you again?” Rachel asked.

“I sure hope so. But if not, know that you are loved very much.”

Rachel gave her grandmother a hug goodbye as she was being pushed out the front door.

“Be off! Fly!” her grandmother yelled.

Rachel looked back over her shoulder at her grandmother than with a running leap she took off into the air soaring high above the farms and swamp lands below. Her eyes were peeled for the statue of the eagle and she kept praying that she wouldn’t get lost.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Matilda knew she was on to something, she could feel it in her bones. She’d never been to the Galapagos Islands before but she knew with everything she was that the Waverly Mirror was close now.

“I have a good feeling about this now!” Matilda said.

“That’s what you said last time,” Hunter said.

“Yeah!” Penelope chimed in.

“You have to trust me,” Matilda said. “Don’t you?”

“Um, I guess so!” Penelope said.

“Look at the moon, we have no time left. Don’t you see?” Hunter said. “You need to stop all the talk and find the Waverly Mirror!”

“Relax, Hunter. I know it’s here. I sense it.”

“So where are we going next?” Hunter said.

“Do you see that?” Matilda pointed towards a dark cave.

“Seriously?” Penelope said.

“Don’t chicken out now! It’s our only hope,” Matilda said.