A Shade of Vampire 30: A Game of Risk Read Online Free PDF Page A

one another just as much, no matter how far apart we were in our bloodline.
    I found myself turning back the past in my mind—to before Grace had been bitten, to before she had gotten the brave, yet idiotic idea to venture into the IBSI’s headquarters in Hawaii by herself. Her fate hung on that one decision, and yet… I supposed I could not blame her for it. She had been brought up to look fear in the eye, to not cower away from danger, but face it. As much as I couldn’t help but think that all this had been a completely unnecessary danger, deep down, I knew that it was only my selfishness letting me entertain such a thought.
    If Grace had not embarked on that mission to uncover Georgina’s secret, we never would have discovered that a cure even existed. If her curious mind had not led her down the path that it had, millions of lives—both Bloodless’ and the affected families’, and those who were to be affected in the future if the pandemic continued to spread—would never even have a chance of hope.
    I was sure that Grace didn’t realize it, but she had altered the future of Earth.
    That was certainly something to be proud of my daughter for. I was sure that the oracles would be proud of her too… Though, of course, they would’ve seen it coming, wouldn’t they, before they took their lives?
    As crazy as Hortencia’s methods of “preparing” me had seemed at the time, she had molded me into a person capable of not only coping with, but changing, this new world… and apparently raising a daughter who would do the same.
    As I mulled all this over in my head, I realized to my disturbance that, subconsciously, I was already preparing myself for the eventuality that Lawrence might indeed be too late. That we would be forced to watch Grace turn before our very eyes into one of those abominations. I was assuring myself that whatever suffering she was going through now, and was about to go through, was noble and for a cause far greater than her, myself, or any of us.
    But it didn’t make it hurt any less.
    I snapped out of my daze as Killian arrived with the rest of the army of Hawks and declared that they were ready to leave.
    At least now, I would no longer be standing still. We would be on the move again, and I would be forced to think of other things.
    I gazed briefly around the army Killian and Tidor had assembled while my father climbed onto Killian’s back. Killian and Tidor were to accompany us, along with the fifty other soldiers—soldiers who had undeniable fear in their eyes, but also surprising determination. My father’s address had done its job. They had taken the leap, jumped in with both feet, and placed their trust in us.
    They took off into the air while Lucas, Kailyn, Horatio and I soared behind them. Traveling back across the sprawling, Jurassic land that was Aviary, Lucas and I dipped down into the trees when we passed over old Aviary City. We searched the IBSI’s temporary box residences and discovered that indeed, the hunters had left by now. As we continued traveling and passed over the large clearing several miles away from the portal, much of the machinery remained. Though that was in theory defunct anyway, thanks to Horatio’s tinkering.
    We stopped when we reached the trees above the portal. Up until now, the Hawks along with my father had remained above the jungle in order to avoid the fumes that still hung in the area. But in order to reach the portal, they would have no choice but to brave them. They took in a deep gulp of clean air before holding their breath and zooming down all at once. They went darting into the clearing and piled through the portal in a rush. Kailyn, Lucas, Horatio and I were the last to enter the vacuum, joining them in the race to the other side.
    We went rocketing out into the clearing, which was thankfully devoid of IBSI members. We couldn’t afford to start getting into a fracas with them here. There would be time for that later.
    Before we took