Blood Claim

  BLOOD CLAIM

  HALF-BLOOD PRINCESS

  By

  Magen McMinimy

  Half-Blood Princess Book 1

  ©2011 by Magen McMinimy

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Blood Claim

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  A note from the Author.

  Resurrection Stone

  Chapter One

  CHAPTER ONE

  I waited outside the colonial mansion hidden in the cover of the cherry trees. The massive home was brick-faced and trimmed in white, with eight three-story columns and two upper balconies. The beautiful house’s façade was completed with large, arched windows and a massive, ten-foot, French style, front door.

  The Mayor’s home was tastefully placed just outside of downtown Maldera Springs. Large, centuries old, cherry trees in full bloom lined the quarter-mile driveway. It was beautiful in Georgia this time of year. Pink and white blossoms littered the town as the cherry harvest neared.

  Sarah Maldera was inside waiting for her best friend, Rachel Lawson, her boyfriend, Tavian Baikov, and his older brother, Dante.

  The Maldera’s only daughter was a beautiful, petite girl with dark, thick brown hair and green eyes. She was like royalty to the Civil War era town of Maldera Springs.

  I knew quite a bit about the Baikov brothers, much to my brother, Irad’s, disgust. He’d never liked them. However, I found them intriguing and was rather surprised to find them here with Sarah.

  I had been searching for her for months, tracing her lineage without Irad’s knowledge. She was in danger, though perhaps not as much as I had originally thought. Having the Baikov brothers with her helped her chances dramatically, but even the infamous Baikov brothers wouldn’t be strong enough to save her.

  Irad’s a harsh, cruel, and sadistic son of a bitch. I had learned that many years ago. A month after my thirteenth birthday my mother passed away. My brothers, Enoch and Irad, came and took me at my father’s request – a man I had never met. I hadn’t known Irad and Enoch either. They took me the night she died and Irad refused to let me attend her memorial.

  When I turned eighteen, Enoch convinced Irad to let me move out and helped arrange it.

  Enoch is one of the good ones but he remains with Irad; I’m fairly certain it’s so he can keep an eye on him.

  Sarah may be like royalty here as the Mayor’s daughter, but I am royalty to my father’s people – the ones who know of me – that’s what happens when you’re the only born daughter of the original vampire.

  Yep, the only one. My mother was the only woman who ever carried a half-vampire baby to term. So here I stand…or rather, crouch that is, twenty-five years later, as Sophia Daletsky.

  Twenty minutes later, Sarah ran out the front door, stopping only briefly to lock it. Once down the few steps that created the entrance to the front porch of her home, she greeted Tavian by flinging her arms around him to hold him in a short, tight embrace. She then greeted Rachel and Dante as she jumped in the black Escalade.

  From the pieces I caught of Sarah’s conversation, they were all headed to Curley’s, which was the local hang out for all the high school kids.

  The Baikov brothers hardly qualified as kids, being around two hundred and seventy years old in vampire years. Tavian looked to be about eighteen when he was changed and Dante about twenty-six. The brothers are both extraordinarily handsome, and their relation is blatantly obvious. They are both tall; although Dante has an inch or two on his younger brother, they both have light brown hair, and stunning, sapphire eyes.

  Curley’s is a bar and bistro with pool tables, live music on weekends, and an awesome bartender named Janie.

  I waited until the taillights of Dante’s Escalade were faint red pinpoints to even my heightened eyes; I have all the senses of a vampire. I got those gifts from my father and a few more interesting ones that not even he knows about. I began to sprint after them with a quick check around me. I jumped into the air and took on the form of a sleek, white cat with black-tipped ears; it’s a far cry from my five-foot-six, black haired, curvy human form, though as a cat I still have my ice blue-grey eyes.

  I raced through the fields and cherry orchards on the outskirts of town. I could have ran in my human form, but if anyone saw a girl running faster than humanly possible…that might raise some red flags, and the questions that would follow would likely tip Irad off as to my whereabouts.

  I reached Curley’s as the foursome was exiting Dante’s vehicle. I slipped into the back alley and shifted back into Sophia – the new to town human.

  I was wearing my favorite low-rise jeans, and a pink and white printed halter. Tonight was the night I would make my move to befriend the vamps and Sarah. I was hoping the brothers wouldn’t sense my differences. The brothers and I have never met and they wouldn’t have ever seen a picture of me, well not that I was aware of anyway. They likely didn’t even believe in my existence. So there was really nothing to give away my true identity. I could glamour – one of the tricks no other vamp has, and one my brother’s didn’t know about – to change my appearance, but it takes a lot of power. The brother’s may be able to sense that kind of power when it’s in use. So I crossed my fingers and entered the bar as just me.

  I headed to the bar with a smile on my face; Dante was there ordering a drink. From what I learned, Dante plays the role of the older brother whose little brother came to stay with him for his senior year of high school since their parents travel a lot – made sense he’d be getting a drink.

  Apparently, Dante frequents Curley’s quite often. I had met Janie the bartender and a friend of Dante’s a few weeks ago. She’d become a friend to me too, which made it hard for me when I had to compel her to mention me to Dante. She was supposed to introduce me to him the next time I came in and he was here. I really hate compelling people but I needed that introduction. Time was wasting and if I was able to find Sarah, by accident, Irad’s men would too…and soon probably.

  “Hey Janie!” I yelled as I slid in next to Dante at the bar.

  “Sophia!” Janie was excited to see me. She leaned across the bar to give me a quick hug. “How’s it goin’? Did you find a place yet?”

  “Not yet, but I’m still looking.”

  “Well, let me guess: whiskey and diet Pepsi?”

  “You got it! But he was here before me.” I inclined my head toward Dante.

  “Oh sorry Dante, scotch?” She smiled sheepishly at him as he nodded. “But hey, this is perfect. Dante, this is Sophia, the girl I was telling you about.”

  I cocked my head at her as if surprised she had mentioned me. Dante turned towards me; he was even more gorgeous up close, with striking, chiseled features, beautiful, cream satin skin, and an easy, confident smile that lit his sapphire eyes. He is far better looking than Kara had ever let on.

  Kara was the vampire who had sired both Dante and Tavian. Dante was in love with her and probably still is, but she left him over a hundred years ago and was a frequent visitor to my home. Irad and Enoch had essentially raised me; my father only came around once a year or so to check in. Enoch was my father’s biological son and he had turned him
later in Enoch’s life. Irad on the other hand, was father’s first childe. He sired him a few years after Enoch.

  Irad had hoped that Kara could teach me to be a vampire siren, beautiful, ruthless, and deadly. Irad had wanted to fully change me many times, but Father and Enoch wouldn’t allow it. So Irad chooses to ignore the fact that I am still half human. The only thing I ever learned from Kara was what I never wanted to be. She’s cruel, manipulative, and quite proud of it. Still, she had told me of the Baikov boys; they’re her proudest moment. She’d said the Baikov’s are a wonderful example of the power a beautiful woman can hold over a man and how easily men can be manipulated by a pretty face.

  She had gone to Saint Petersburg in 1741 and became smitten with the handsome Dante immediately and he with her. One night she revealed what she was. When Dante learned the truth about vampires: that they don’t have to kill to live, they can walk in the sun, they don’t require an invitation to enter someone’s home, their only weakness is silver to the heart or decapitation, and that crosses and running water do nothing to hinder them, he begged her to save his brother from the invading Swedish army by turning Tavian.

  She agreed to protect Tavian but only if Dante joined them. He did and she took Dante as her lover. She never would tell me why she left; boredom is my guess. She had spent a hundred and seventy years with him and I doubt she really ever loved him. He and Tavian were just toys to her.

  I took Dante’s extended hand. “Janie told me there was a woman in here cleaning out all the men who dared to challenge her at pool. She says you could probably give me a run for my money.” His voice was deep and beautiful with the slightest bit of Russian accenting it.

  I smiled at him. “Um, well I’m pretty good, but that was just a really exceptional night.”

  He smiled back with a ten-thousand watt smile. “Care to see if you might have another exceptional night in you?”

  Did I ever.

  He took the bait and the look he gave me said he really hoped I would too. “Love to. Loser buys the next round of drinks?” Janie gave us our drinks and a wide smile as we started to walk off. She also gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle when Dante wasn’t looking.

  We took up the table next to Tavian, Sarah, and Rachel. After brief introductions Dante let me break…silly move. I cleared the table before he even got one shot in; round of drinks on Dante.

  “Well, well, well, looks like someone was being a little modest.” He smirked.

  “Maybe a little.” I mimed about an eighth of an inch with my thumb and index finger. “But I didn’t want to scare you off.”

  “I don’t scare very easily,” he said with a wicked little grin. As he broke, he then continued to shoot, clearing the table. He was good. We were collecting an audience as the night went on. The games and the drinks were going by fast. Thankfully, I have a really high tolerance. By the sixth game we were tied and it was time to call it quits, I was hoping to leave him wanting more.

  “Well, I think I’ve had enough. It seems we’re pretty evenly matched,” I smiled at Dante, “until next time.”

  “And when will next time be?” he asked in a deep voice. I stared at him for a second, caught off guard by the depth of his voice and the scent of attraction coming off him. I caught the look Tavian was giving him out of the corner of my eye…of course he could smell it too.

  “I’ll be around. I like this bar,” I responded coyly and turned to leave, waving and calling out “nice to meet you” to Sarah, Tavian, and Rachel.

  CHAPTER TWO

  I spent the next week keeping an eye on Sarah. She spent most of her time at the Baikov‘s home; it was a traditional two-story stucco and stone plantation home. The front was dominated by an entry porch supported by four simple columns with vines wrapping up them. Unfortunately, with her spending so much time with the vampires, my normal stealthiness just wasn’t enough. I couldn’t risk them seeing me. So when she was visiting the boys I took on my cat form, which made it easy to get really close.

  “Hey, where’d that cat come from? I’ve seen her here the last couple of times I’ve come over. Did you and Dante get a pet?” Sarah asked Tavian.

  “No, we didn’t get a pet. She’s just a stray…shoo.” I scoffed; he just shooed me and called me a stray? Really? Well I was one pretty stray if I do say so myself . . . and I do.

  “Tavian! Don’t. If she’s a stray, she probably needs food. You guys should take care of her. It’s a true indicator of one’s character to see how they treat those smaller and weaker then themselves.”

  Tavian smiled at her and nodded in compliance. “Your right, luv, let me see if I can find something for her.”

  It was easy to see how much he loves her. I had learned over the last few days that Sarah was in fact aware that Tavian and Dante were vampires, but she loves Tavian nonetheless. They were both lucky to have someone to love so unconditionally. A relationship between a human and a vampire would never be simple, but for these two I truly believe love will see them through those hardships. And for all I know she intends to become a vampire to be with him for as long as eternity will allow.

  Fiction has set the tone for vampires to be evil, bloodlust driven, soulless murderers, but that’s just not the case. There are good vampires out there and most of them don’t kill to eat. That’s not to say there aren’t those out there who enjoy the hunt and do kill their victims. Much like the human race itself; there are always bad ones in the group, no species is perfect.

  “What are you guys doing?” Dante asked as he bounded onto the porch.

  “I’m going to feed this stray that’s been hanging around.”

  “Are you planning to keep her, little brother?”

  “You guys should! A pet would be good for you.”

  Dante walked over to me, looking at me with consideration. “She is pretty.”

  He reached out and stroked under my chin. I felt my head rise and a low purr escape me before I even realized what I was doing. When I came back to my senses, I jumped down from the porch rail where I had been sitting. It was time to get out of here. I purred, rubbed against Dante’s leg, and turned to run off, but before I could, he swooped down and picked me up.

  “Maybe we should keep her. I think she likes me.”

  I purred again as he petted my sleek coat…yes I did like him. Dante carried me in the house with Sarah and Tavian following.

  “Come on, pretty thing, let’s get you some food.”

  We stopped in the kitchen where Tavian pulled a beautiful china saucer, decorated with purple flowers, from a hutch in the corner, and filled it with some milk. He set it in front of me, once Dante had put me down. I cocked my little kitty head at him…was he serious ? There was no way I was going to drink that. I meowed in thanks and walked away from it.

  “I guess she wasn’t hungry, luv,” he told Sarah as he looked at the untouched dish. “But I’ll pick up some food for her.”

  It would be foolish not to take advantage of the free pass into the Baikov home. So I put myself to work doing a little recon. I went up the stairs and down the hall. I stopped by the door at the end of the hall where Dante’s scent was the strongest. Curiosity took me over and I couldn’t help but enter the room.

  His bedroom was large with a tall, beautiful mahogany bed as its center piece; it was made up with red silk sheets and a black satin bedspread. There was a long dresser against one wall with a beautiful matching mirror. A set of floor to ten-foot ceiling bookshelves covered one whole wall filled with books and antique trinkets. Two antique armchairs sat in front of a large picture window that looked out onto the back yard and the surrounding forest.

  Dante, Tavian, and Sarah came in only a few short moments later to find me in the windowsill, staring out at the beautiful scenery.

  “Ok, we should think of a name for her.”

  “She seems to want to be outside. Perhaps she’s more of a free spirit than a stray,” Dante commented.

  Dante sat down on the chair closest t
o me and patted his lap for me to come to him. I jumped in his lap and he scratched under my chin again. Again I was purring and being lolled to sleep.

  I woke when Dante got up and set me on the bed. I shook my head, realizing I’d made a stupid mistake, being so drawn to him and relaxed by his gentle strokes. I could have shifted back…damn it! What was I thinking? I jumped off the tall bed and shot past Dante, going down the stairs. Tavian and Sarah were in the living room. I went to the front door and yowled as loud as I could.

  “Umm…I think she wants out,” remarked Tavian.

  Sarah warned them. “If you let her out, she may not come back.”

  “Let her out; I think she’ll come back.” Dante had followed me to the door and opened it.

  I bolted from the house, disappearing into the cover of the forest. I could faintly hear Sarah comment that she still planned to come up with a name for me, I laughed to myself and wondered what that name might be.

  Later that night I made my appearance at Curley’s dressed to impress in a black, corset-style dress and black stiletto boots. I went straight to the bar, where Janie was working.

  “Wow, girl, you look gorgeous!”

  “Thanks, how have you been?”

  “Super busy actually, I haven’t seen you in few days. What’s up with that?”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been super busy too.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m glad you came in tonight. Who are you all dressed up for? Could it be a handsome, brown-haired stranger?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why? Do you think he’ll like the dress?”

  She laughed. “Most definitely. So do you want a J.D. and D.P.?” Her code for my whiskey and soda.

  I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, sounds good. Thanks.”

  I had noticed that Sarah and Tavian were here, but that no one else was with them. It must be date night. I smiled and waved but Sarah gestured for me to come over. I said thanks again and paid Janie.

  “Hi guys, what’s going on?”