The Rogue Pureblood Vampire | 18+✔

Book 4⌇22. Dematerialize

Chapter 22 ∣  Dematerialize

-Maverick

Five Years Later

Maverick: 14 years old

Tamsin: 12 years old

"Ha-ha!" Tamsin appears behind me, punching her right fist in between my shoulder blades. Hooking my arm around, I spin on my heels, ready to slam my fist into her stomach when right before my eyes, she vanishes, hiding within the shadows and away from harm. It is amazing, her speed and agility have increased exponentially, able to disappear at a moment's notice.

Waiting for her to make her move, I see Killian out of the corner of my eye, leaning against the wall, Kenzie smirking as she too, waits to see what her daughter is planning. There is barely any sound made when Tamsin appears before me, bringing her left leg up and aiming her knee for my stomach.

Quickly sidestepping out of her reach, I grab her foot with both my hands, throwing her off balance and letting her crash onto the floor. Lunging for her, she rolls away, but not before I manage to wrap my hand around her wrist, pulling her back to me. Rolling forward and onto her arm, she wraps her legs around my arm, flipping her body over mine until she is sitting on my shoulders.

Pulling hard and turning slightly, I hear my arm snap. I yell, the pain searing through my body, my grip completely lost on her. Continuing to roll off me, she kicks me in the back with both her feet. When I try to break my fall, I roll into the ground with my good shoulder and onto my knees.

"No, Maverick," Killian warns, seeing the shift in my eyes, my black rose ones meeting his emerald ones. In a split-second decision, I let go of the anger with the way she had outmaneuvered me. Breathing in steadily and then out calmly, I focus on using my blood magic to align with my natural vampiric healing and quickly let the bones fuse together.

Kenzie lets out a sigh of relief, my anger slightly improving. It seems to just wash away when I snap my eyes back in front of me, Tamsin crouching down, her arms crossing her knees as her chin rests on her bare arms. Her blue eyes gaze into mine, kneeling just a foot away from each other, her eyelashes blinking slowly. Her beautiful hair is braided and gently falls over her right shoulder, her breathing is steady.

"You want a turn?" She asks, watching me as I glance back at Killian. Apparently, she is done using me as target practice and wants to give me the chance to home in on the power that Killian has slowly been teaching me. With my blood magic aiding me, he wasn't sure I'd be able to learn as connecting with the shadows is an inherited gift, a gene passed down through an assassin's family lineage.

I did something he hadn't expected.

I surprised him, and my training was going very well. He was much calmer, the years spent in this safe house and the way Killian had slowly begun to see who I really am, is more than I could have asked for.

Killian shrugs and states, "I don't see why not, just don't overdo it," he shoots me a warning look. Something I have grown to notice, he is far more protective of Tamsin then even my father was of Lucette. It is odd, and I am not sure why. He at least has come to trust me with 'touching' his daughter as he had so boldly threatened me before when I almost hurt Tamsin if you can call fighting, 'touching'.

Tamsin stands to her feet, relaxing when I also rise to my full height. She remains still in front of me, watching with curiosity as I attempt to do what comes so naturally to her.

Exhaling slowly, I close my eyes, trying to feel the connection that has become another part of me, taking up residence right next to my blood magic. It is a dark feeling, but at the same time, power overwhelms me, taking hold of my chest and thrusting me into the darkness of this plane of existence in between life and death. The fine line and balance between the two are so transparent, it is hard to see just how far you are crossing over until you lay eyes on the ones living, connected to the Earth.