Sophia stuck out her tongue, before turning to clip-clop out of the room, and ran right into her mother.
Kate shook her head in exasperation, as the willful child with red curls was once again breaking the rules. “Hold on, missy. Where exactly do you think you’re going?”
Sophia put her hands on her hips. “Are you going to take my crown?”
“Indeed I am, and the necklace. Now, hand them over.”
The child stomped her foot as she shouted. “But I’m a princess!”
Kate knelt down in front of the girl and locked eyes with her. “And I’m a queen. Hand them over now.”
With a sigh that could be heard the length of the hallway, the child reluctantly removed the crown and the necklace, returning them to her mother.
“Thank you. Now the shoes.”
“Mommy!”
“The shoes, Sophia.”
Sophia stepped out of the designer heels, her chubby bare feet dancing on the cold marble floor. Kate summoned Emma who arrived quickly to take the jewels back to the vault.
Kate issued the last request to the child. “Could you please be quiet until your father and sister wake from their slumber? They will be up shortly.”
Sophia shrugged. “I don’t know why they can’t sleep at night like we do. This is very inconvenient.”
Kate laughed. “Inconvenient is it? Did Enzo teach you that word? And you know perfectly well why they sleep during the day. Your father and Natalia weren’t born with the gift of day-walking.”
“Will Natalia have the gift of Animalism like us?”
Kate shook her head. “We haven’t seen her gifts yet, Sophia. We only know she’s not a day-walker. We’ll see her gifts emerge as she gets older, just as we saw yours. Now head back to your room, and put on your socks and shoes. These floors are too cold.”
Sophia turned and started to skip down the hall toward her room, singing at the top of her lungs.
Kate called out. “Quietly, please.”
Sophia looked over her shoulder and giggled. “I forgot.”
Kate muttered under her breath, “I doubt it,” and heard Sophia giggle even louder. She stood in the hallway until she saw her daughter enter her bedroom, then turned and tapped at Lorenzo’s open door. He’d watched quietly as the drama played out between mother and daughter, a scene he’d gotten quite used to in the last six years.
“Hey, Mom.”
Kate entered the room and sat on his bed. Looking at this miniature version of Shade, a boy on the threshold of moving out of childhood, she swallowed hard. He’d been brave about this move to Florence, but she knew his apprehension around all the change. She’d not add to it by making him carry the burden of her own sadness. She couldn’t believe ten years had passed so quickly, and now, the next phase of his life he’d live apart from her. “Are you okay?” she asked.
The boy nodded yes, his black curls bobbing, just as they did when he was such an impish toddler. “I’ll be fine. Alfie is here, and Uncle Marco. Besides, you’ll come visit, and I’ll come home from time to time. I want this. I want to train. I have a warrior’s blood, and people will depend on me.”
Kate smiled at her son who’d been raised with the understanding of his responsibility, the burden he must bear for the coven, and the legacy of Medici. “True, many will depend on you, and you’re born to greatness. You’ll be a warrior to equal your father, but foremost, you’ll always be my son.”
Lorenzo felt a wave of emotion and quickly turned back toward the window, the sky now dark, as the sun slid below the horizon. “You’ll keep my room for me at Bel Rosso, right?”
Kate stepped up behind him, kissing the top of his head. “Always.”
End of Sample
About the Author
Emily Bex is an avid life-long reader, and a first-time writer of the epic six book Medici Warrior Series. As she says, “Why start small?” She worked for over twenty years in marketing, developing ad campaigns, catalogs, product launches and promotional literature. She figured if she could write creatively about products, then surely she could write something about these characters that were rattling around inside her brain. She currently lives in Virginia, but has used her extensive love of travel, both foreign and domestic, to create the backdrop for her characters to play out their story.
More from This Author
"Blood Covenant combines the hedonistic jet-setting pleasures of BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE and the dirty little secret thrills of a DEAD SEXY VAMPIRE!" - Katalina Leon, USA Today Bestselling Author
"This series is going to HIT THE CHARTS... what an epic tale. Thank you Emily from a NEW FAN!" - Cheryl, Amazon Reviewer
When he met her, he knew how it would end.
Shade Medici, a warrior king and sole male heir to the dynasty, is expected to mate and produce an heir to secure the continuation of the Medici coven. He's waited over 500 years for the right mate, and when he meets Kate Reese, his attraction is more than primal - it's merciless.
She's also mortal.
Kate is fresh off a broken engagement and reluctant to open her heart, but her hesitations are no match for the unrelenting pursuits of the vampire King. Their passion for each other is searing... and not everyone is happy about it. Namely the ruling Council.
As they fight against deceit, treachery, and those who aim to see their love fail, Shade also struggles to control his impulses as Kate is immersed into his dark and dangerous world, but it's imperative he prepare her for the changes that will be demanded of her should she choose to bind herself to him through the blood covenant. All that scorches and glitters isn't gold, and she quickly learns that falling in love with a vampire King comes at a hefty price:
It may just cost her everything.
"Riveting", "electric", and hailed as "the NEXT BIG THING", The Medici Warrior Series follows the exploits of a vampire dynasty that spans four generations in a multi-genre novel with elements of paranormal, smoldering slow-burn romance, and historical fiction. Get your copy today! Your vampire king is waiting...
JR Ward and Christine Feehan fans will become enchanted with this deliciously dark and scandalous tale by International Bestselling Author Emily Bex. It's everything vampire romances should be made of!
The DANGEROUS ELEGANCE of these worldly, wine and blood loving Medici warrior vampires and their mates is TOTALLY ADDICTIVE. I cannot wait for more." - Katalina Leon, USA Today Bestselling Author
Unable to escape crushing grief, Kate needs an outlet to channel her anguish. Turning to Luca, she pleads to be trained to fight like a warrior, but such a thing is in direct violation of Shade's commands.
If she can get Luca to agree, her training must be done in secret.
Unfortunately, any training is too little too late. Intent on crushing Shade, the Aries coven is pressing in on him from all sides. Shade's only weakness is Kate, who becomes their perfect bait.