Revolution the cursed on.., p.1
Revolution: the Cursed Ones Trilogy, #1, page 1
Table of Contents
Revolution (The Cursed Ones Trilogy, #1)
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Revolution
TJ Lee
Copyright © 2022 The Weird World of TJ Lee
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
To anyone that has had to fight for their own rights.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This Trilogy, I think, took me longer than any other book. Partly because I wanted the whole thing done at once, that way there would be a perfect flow from one book to the next (I hate plot holes). My friends, family, and Beta readers have had to put up with a lot from me. My poor children have already grown accustomed to mom being down the rabbit hole. But they seem to like talking to me about it. I think. My son, as always, is probably my biggest fan. No, he doesn’t read them. Nor will I let him until he is grown, and I am not seeing him every day. But he does get very excited every time I finish a book.
I have made so many revisions, and my loved ones have had to read them over and over again. Even when this was not their favorite genre. I couldn’t do it without any of them.
Prologue
“Once upon a time, many years ago, all sorts of creatures lived free in the land. The shifters ruled over their own land. The Witches ruled theirs. But the Vampires had the most land for they ruled over the humans.”
“How come the humans didn’t have their own kingdom, mommy?” The small girl, with blonde pigtail braids, looked up at her mother curiously.
“Because vampires need to drink blood to stay strong. They kept all the humans in their kingdom so they could feed.”
“So, the vampires were like Old McDonald on his farm, but instead of animals they raised humans?”
The mother laughed at her cheeky daughter. “Something like that. Now, are you going to let me finish the story or are you ready for bed?”
The girl zipped her lips with her fingers and threw the imaginary key over her head. As her mother started telling the story again, she tucked into her mother’s side and closed her eyes, picturing the vampires and the witches.
“Each of the magical groups were gifted with what was called a fated mate, someone Mother Nature created to be their matching half. Like a soul mate. When the creatures met their mates for the first time, they felt a strong pull toward them. So strong, it was nearly impossible to ignore. Once they met, they would both start falling deeply in love with the other. As time moved on, the oddest thing happened. A few started finding their fated mates in other kingdoms. Some vampires even had a human for a mate. These mated pairings were difficult for many to accept. It was becoming common for one to reject the other. It was painful to the person rejected, but if it was early enough into their meeting, they could heal.”
The mother paused, looking down to see if the girl was asleep. Her eyes opened again, wondering why her mother stopped. Seeing this, the mother smiled softly and started again.
“One day, a male vampire was roaming the edge of his land, checking their borders. There had been small skirmishes, fights, recently. It was his job to protect the kingdom. He paused, smelling something wonderful, something that took his breath away. He crept through the woods, following the enticing scent. He came upon a small lake, with water falling from the rocks behind it. And standing under that water, was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was bathing in the water, enjoying the warm Spring day. She had beautiful black hair, and creamy skin. The vampire was entranced by her beauty. He came closer, wanting to get a better look at her. The woman sensed someone nearby and turned to look at him. When their eyes met, she felt it in her heart, that this man had been created just for her. She stayed where she was, worried he would reject her. For she was not a vampire, but a witch from the neighboring Kingdom. She need not have worried though, the vampire could not resist the pull to his mate. He moved quickly, dropping his clothes so he could swim out to her. As soon as he was close enough, he kissed her.”
The little girl giggled and said “ew.” Her mother stroked the side of her head softly, a silent reminder to settle down.
“I’ve searched high and low for you, my dear. The vampire told her. I’ve been right here, my love. Waiting for you to find me. Then bond with me that we may never be apart again. He begged her. The witch agreed and they sealed themselves to each other with both their magic. Now, they would both live, or they would both die, for their magic had forever tied their souls together. They separated, promising to meet again the next day to decide where they should live. Only, the vampire did not show the next day. Or the next. The witch grew worried. She could feel him still in her heart. She knew he was safe, but she had not yet learned to read what the other feelings were. As that is something a mate learns over time. So, the witch snuck into the vampire kingdom and followed her heart to find her mate. She was relieved to find a small home near the castle, and to feel him inside it. Wanting to surprise him, thinking this was the home he found for them, she walked inside. She loved the small cottage and decided this must have been why he had not come, because he was getting their home ready for them. She walked through the house, looking through all the rooms. In the very last one, she found her mate. Only he wasn’t alone. There was a female vampire lying with him in the bed. The witch screamed all sorts of things at her mate and ran out the door. He followed after, trying to explain. But there was no explanation for him betraying her like that. He had betrayed fate in the worst way possible.”
“When she returned to her home, the witch pulled her coven together and told them what happened. Together, they put a curse on all the Vampire Borns. They would no longer be able to give birth to female vampires, they would only have sons. Each witch cut their hand and sealed the curse with their blood. Then they cast a spell on the vampires, causing a deep sleep to fall on them. The women snuck out of their homes that night, and crept into the vampire kingdom, and cut off the head of every female vampire. The betrayed witch stood over her sleeping mate, and killed the woman in his arms, the place she was meant to be. On the dresser, she left a note.
Because of your betrayal, your kingdom will wither and die. Your females are gone, and you will have no more. The curse will be broken when the hidden vampire prince accepts his witch mate and humbles himself to her.
The only females to survive the night of slaughter were two human mates. Both had been pregnant. Both had sons, and both died in childbirth. From then on, the humans of the kingdom gave daughters to the vampires, in exchange for rewards. Sadly, most never fell pregnant, and those who did rarely survived. And only sons were born. Hundreds of years passed, the vampire’s numbers were getting lower, their kingdom getting weaker. They no longer had their mates to keep them strong. They began turning humans they deemed worthy into vampires, in order to grow their numbers again. They had hoped those females would be able to bear them a child, but they could not. Their bodies had been frozen in the state they had been in before making the change.”
“One day, the vampires had gone to a new village to collect the offerings from the people. They did this every few years and went to a different village each time. But this village did not want to give them their daughters. Many witches had found their mates inside this village and moved there to raise their families. One of the witches was even a descendant of the coven who cast the curse. The story had been passed down from generation to generation. Using their magic, the witches discovered that most of their daughters would die after the horrible treatment they would receive at the hands of the vampires. See, the vampires had told them that their daughters would be treated like royalty, spoiled, and pampered. The girls had all volunteered to go, some only because their families needed the money. But not this village, this village fought back. They killed many of the vampires. But they lost even more. Nearly the whole town had been killed. The king of the vampires had been in the village that day, his guards got him out safely, but not before the king had grabbed one of the girls off the showing stage.”
“The girl tried to kill herself many times, but then she fell pregnant. And she couldn’t help but love her baby. She was sick the whole time. Her body had not been made to carry a vampire child. Still, she knew she would live through the birth. The girl had been raised on the story of the curse. She knew the vampires would continue to use her to have more babies, a life worse than death was paved before her, if she survived the birthing process. Which she did, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, a prince. A few days later, she asked the king to walk with her in the mountains; she needed the fresh air. The king was so pleased that she survived, and that he finally had a son, that he agreed. The girl wanted to keep walking, in awe at the view below them. After the battle in the village, they had to go into hiding. All the human villages
“What happened to the vampires, mommy?” The girl asked sleepily.
“They are still out there, hiding, hunting, and waiting for their chance to take back the power. Which is why you must never walk in dark places. You must always stay in the light. Sleep now, my darling. You are safe with the blood of your ancestors running through you. You are doubly blessed as you have the pure blood from both your father and I.”
Chapter 1
Carrie
I couldn’t believe this. I rode in the back of a stinky bus for 7 hours to come see Bryce. We hadn’t seen each other in almost three months because of his new job. He promised me that if he took this job, we would find a way to do the long-distance thing.
Just a year, he said.
That was all he needed to make a name for himself in the company, and then he could transfer back to Phoenix.
And I was the idiot that believed him.
I was the idiot that thought I should use one of my very few sick days and turn a three-day weekend into a four-day weekend, with the help of Labor Day, so I could come and see him. Not that he had made the effort to see me since he left. Even though he promised to drive down every other weekend.
I rode the hot, dirty, overfilled bus all night. The creepy old man next to me drooled all over my shoulder. I cleaned myself up in the bathroom at the station, trying to not look like I rode a hot, dirty, overfilled bus all night. My long hair had been braided all night, thankfully keeping it out of the path of drool. I relished in the feeling as I took it out. The blonde waves looked pretty good, in my opinion anyway. With that done, I caught an uber straight to Bryce’s place.
I was there by seven. We could have at least had breakfast together before he headed off to work.
Bryce and I danced and flirted at a few parties together during college. It wasn’t until our last year that I finally agreed to go out with him. He sure was a persistent sucker.
Every now and then he would try to push for more than I was willing to give, but he said it was because he loved me so much that he sometimes lost control. I knew that was a lie, but I was hoping it wasn’t that much of a lie.
See, I have this weird gift, one that runs in my family, well, sort of. We all have our own unique talents. I always knew when someone was lying to me. When there was something not quite right about a person. When they were hiding something from me. I just didn’t know what it was.
As much as I loved, or at least cared about Bryce, there was still something off. So, I wanted to wait. I hoped, in time, I would either get over it or find out what it was.
Guess I knew now.
I knocked on his apartment door, at seven freaking a.m., and some hoebag answered it.
She was dressed in nothing but one of his t-shirts. One I bought him actually. It was gray, with a green saguaro cactus on it. The words across the top and bottom said, “there is no place like the desert.” I wanted him to remember where home was. Where he belonged.
Now this cheap floozie was wearing it.
“Can I help you?” She didn’t seem very happy about me being there either, but probably assumed I just had the wrong door.
If it wasn’t for that shirt, I would have been hoping for the same thing.
“Yes. You can tell me who the hell you are?” I was feeling more than a little irritable from the long night, I didn’t handle it as well as I should have.
“Who’s at the door, sweetheart?” A voice I recognized all too well, called from the back. Pretty sure steam came out of my ears.
I pushed her aside roughly, knocking her off balance. “I’ll tell you who, Sweetheart.” I answered him, my voice filled with the venom I wanted to spit at him.
Why couldn’t my ancestors have passed down the power to spit acid? That would be awesome right about now.
Bryce stuttered to a stop, walking into his larger than I expected living room. It was certainly larger than what he had in Phoenix. He was wearing nothing but boxers, with a shocked and freaked out expression.
We then had our biggest, and final, fight of our relationship.
At first he tried to come up with excuses. His Sweetheart eventually moved to stand next to him. Confused but obviously planning on standing by her man.
When he realized that wasn’t going to work, he went on the offensive. He got tired of waiting, of being celibate, which was a lie. I didn’t need my extra senses for that. He had already tried the whole “nothing happened” and the “I swear this was the first time” crap on me.
Now, those I felt were flat out lies.
Sweetheart was a co-worker, the boss’s daughter actually. They met his first week there and she was basically living with him now. He even had the nerve to say if I had put out even once this may not have happened. I ripped the necklace he had given me for Christmas last year off, the one I wore every day, and threw it at him.
I called an uber, choosing to wait on the sidewalk, and went back to the bus station. Unfortunately, the buses between LA and Phoenix only ran at night. I couldn’t say as I blamed them. People have been known to get sunburned while making that drive during the day. Through their windows. We didn’t need a bus overheating from the drive and get stuck on the side of the road either.
I booked my ticket, and then tried to get comfortable in one of the worn-out cushioned chairs. Sleep was nowhere near an option in a large room filled with strangers, so I kept my eyes on the tv hanging in one corner.
A lot of people were doing that actually. The volume was off, so it took me a few minutes to catch up based on the captions on the bottom of the screen.
50 dead overnight, Sacramento. 100 dead overnight, San Diego. 52 dead overnight, Los Angeles. 27 dead overnight, Fresno.
I jumped when the volume turned on randomly. I turned, along with most of the other waiting passengers, to see the station manager standing behind us, remote in hand. His eyes were glued to the screen, not paying any of us any attention.
“As of 7:15 this morning, every freeway and highway leading into Northern California has been destroyed. Casualty numbers are not available for release at this time. Residents in the cities are claiming to have heard a jet followed by the explosions. Officials have so far refused to answer any questions or give an official report.”
I gasped in complete shock.
“All over California, we are seeing a continued rise in what can only be assumed are gang related deaths. These attacks have been steadily growing over the last few weeks. From the beginning to now, one thing they all have in common are the two holes found in the neck of each body. Police are calling it a “calling card” by a new gang or terrorist group. This group seems to be attacking the entire state of California. Wait...hold on... reports are coming in now. Car bombs have recently been set off in front of the state capital and many other government buildings in Northern California. There is no word yet as to survivors.”
As the reporter began rehashing events I had heard nothing about - probably due to my preferring to not watch television and rarely listened to live radio - the other waiting passengers began talking amongst themselves.
I heard the word vampire thrown around multiple times.
My chest immediately tightened, and I started gasping for air. When was the last time I had a panic attack? Five years ago?
The sun was still up, making it safe, so I ran outside, bent over, and heaved.
Both my parents were strong believers in the supernatural. My mother had the talent of clairvoyance, my father could read people’s minds when he wanted too. I landed somewhere in the middle with my ability to sniff out a lie, so to speak.
I didn’t actually use my nose. That would just be ridiculous. What was I, a dog?
