Page 45 of Blood as Sweet as Roses

Crimson

I take a heavy swig of distilled blood from my glass, but it doesn’t revitalize me the way I desperately need it to.

The bartender refills it immediately without asking, or making eye contact with me.

I’m sitting at the sleek bar of the Respite’s renowned restaurant-lounge, so I suspect he’s used to serving vampires, but I’m aware that I still have a chilling affect on most living humans, regardless of their familiarity with the magical world.

Perhaps I should go down to the vampire club, hidden deep under the hotel. I’m sure there would be plenty of breathers willing to offer me their blood. It would satisfy my bloodlust and distract me until the dawn. But somehow, I can’t work up the heart.

The other option is to go back down to my suite.

But I’m concerned I would run into Paige, and I don’t know what I’ll do if I see her.

I’ve spent my entire vampiric existence in the shadow of that prophecy, telling myself that it’s nonsense, that I could never fall for a living human, and would certainly never allow myself to be undone by one.

I’ve spent so long being careful…rotating the humans I drink from, focusing on the vampire politics of my clan, keeping every human at arm’s length.

How did she get in? How could this have happened? I was so careful…

I just thought that, with Xavian gone, I could finally allow myself a respite. A moment of connection with someone. It’s been incredibly difficult these past months to settle into my new role, and I made the mistake of allowing myself to lean too much on Paige.

If she loves me, will it mean I’ll lose her?

Will it mean I’ll come undone?

“Is the blood that terrible?” asks a cool, sly voice.

Celine sidles up to me at the bar, leaning against its polished surface. The other customers and staff move even farther away than they were before.

I give the other vampire a tight smile. “It’s delicious. I’m just…considering our clan’s next move. This situation with Oana and Cedric has been taxing.”

She gives me a long, probing look that I don’t appreciate. I’m tempted to avert my gaze, but I’m afraid that would only fuel her curiosity.

“I share the same burden,” she says lightly, although her eyes have narrowed suspiciously.

Several things pass between us in quick succession. She knows that I can tell that she knows that I’m being deliberately vague, and that there’s something troubling me.

But I’m not going to reveal anything to her so easily. Slowly, I bring the glass to my lips again, and I allow my eyes to wander casually across the quiet lounge.

It’s early in the morning, and most of the witches and shifters have retired for the night. There are only vampires here, and a small handful of living humans who are used to our nocturnal schedule.

“And I thought I had the tendency to brood,” Celine teases.

“We’re vampires,” I grumble at her. “You don’t have a monopoly on being morose.”

“What was on your slip of paper?” she asks, suddenly. It’s surprisingly direct for her, and I’m taken aback, although I try not to let anything show.

“Why do you assume that’s what’s troubling me?” I reply, not meeting her eye. “I’m the most powerful vampire on the eastern coast, and my territory is being threatened. You must know as well as I the difficulty comes with ascending to a position of power.”

She shakes her head, just a subtle tilt. “I know you better than that, Crimson. You love the challenges that come with accumulating status and power. That’s what drives you, it always has. And I secretly think you enjoy that all of the other vampires covet what you have…”

On her final words, my fingers tense around the flimsy scroll clutched in my fist. Celine’s eyes flicker.

Fuck.

“It’s something else, isn’t it?” she whispers, her voice so low it crests below the tinkling piano music in the lounge, quieter than the soft sound of the bartender wiping down the whisky glasses, smoother than the hum of the radiator.

I deeply resent her for being so observant. “What does it matter to you, Celine C?té? Surely you have other business to attend to, instead of grilling me.”

“Listen,” she answers, her voice hard and firm.

Again, it’s surprising, and I find myself catching her gaze.

There’s something fierce in her eyes, something unexpected.

“Our Creators are gone. And I know you suffered under Xavian even worse than I did under Tudor. That’s a heavy burden to bear, to carry into your new role.

I know you can’t leave it behind so easily, but… ”

Her lips twitch, a quiet discomfort that she’s fighting against. This is unlike her, and I watch her curiously.

“But now we have a new opportunity. A chance to do things differently. And…I care about you, Crimson. You, and Damien, and my sisters. I’ve known you for centuries.

I know we put on a show for the others, but I need you to know that I have your back.

There are only a handful of other vampires as old as us on the continent.

There are few others who know what it’s like to be in our position. ”

I’m thrown off guard by her unexpected words. I don’t know how to respond to what she’s said. I don’t have the words to respond to her.

So instead, I uncurl my fingers, and I hand her the frail slip of paper.

She reads it, a slightly perplexed expression on her face.

“‘It’s her’?” she says. “Who’s…? Oh…”

Then realization dawns, and her eyes widen just slightly.

“The breather you brought with you? Murad told me that you haven’t been drinking from anyone else…”

“A mistake,” I hiss, bringing my glass to my lips again.

“But…surely you don’t put any stock in a witch prophecy?” Celine says, handing the paper back to me. I crush it once again between my fingers.

“I don’t know, Celine,” I answer, before I can stop myself. “I don’t want to, but…”

I place my glass back down on the bar top. I’m afraid that I may snap its stem in my fist.

“But who am I to say?” I whisper. “Perhaps…it would be too much to expect that after everything that I’ve done, I could…”

I can’t continue. I’ve gone too far already.

But it seems like I don’t need to explain further. Celine reaches out, and takes my shoulder.

It’s very rare that we touch like this, and I look up at her in surprise.

“You can claim the love that’s offered to you, Crimson,” she says. “You’ve been through enough. You deserve to write a new chapter. If someone is strong enough to do that, it’s you.”

Her hand feels heavy on my shoulder. Deep down inside me, something twists. “But what if I…”

Suddenly, there’s a loud, cracking sound as the door to the lounge slams open. Celine and I rise immediately, positioning ourselves toward the entrance, hands on our daggers.

A dozen shifters storm into the lounge, their hearts beating like war drums, the smoky scent of their blood filling the large space. At the center is Nella, the leader of the eastern shifter alliance, a sharp glint in her yellow eyes.

“Roslyn Night!” she shouts, crossing her arms as she surveys me. “I was told I’d find you here.”

“What do you want, Nella?” I demand.

The wolf shifter cocks her head, and two members of her pack enter the lounge behind her. One of them is dragging Kai by a silver chain around their wrist. Another holds their merman lover by his long hair.

“Unhand them immediately!” I command, flashing the red in my eyes. “How dare you treat my progeny in such a way?”

“We found your progeny hand-in-hand with this merman,” Nella retorts. “They were in the courtyard. Celebrating their marriage.”

My eyes flash toward Kai. Their eyes are rimmed with red. The shifter pulls the silver chain and forces their wrist forward. On their fourth finger is a shimmering turquoise wedding ring.

“When did this happen?” I hiss.

“Last…last night,” they whimper, wincing against the pain of the silver against their wrist. “Amrita Vyas married us. I meant it to be a secret…please don’t hurt him!”

“It’s too late for that,” Nella snarls at the young vampire. Then she addresses me. “I had your word that you weren’t consorting with the mermaids, bloodsucker. And now I see that my suspicions were well-founded…”

“My clan is not allied with the Crystal Cove mermaids,” I respond, feeling my fangs elongate in anger. I knew this was destined to come to a head, but I wasn’t expecting Kai to actually marry the merman.

But as my gaze falls upon the young vampire, I realize that it’s not Kai that I’m angry with. They look fearfully over at their new husband, clearly more concerned for him than with the silver chain wrapped around their wrist.

If someone was hurting Paige, she would consume my thoughts the same way. Perhaps Kai feels the same way for this merman.

I pull myself up to my full height, and I address the leader of the eastern shifter alliance.

“Let my progeny go this instant, and the merman as well,” I demand, allowing my fangs to descend fully.

The wolf shifter falters slightly, then nods to her pack members, who release Kai and the merman. They rush into each other’s arms, knocking over several chairs as they scramble away from the shifters, the merman unsteady on his magicked legs.

“Listen to me, wolf,” I hiss, deadly fury seeping into my words. “I never lied to you or betrayed you. But if you dare touch my progeny again - or their new husband - I will give you another scar to match the one across your chest.”

Nella growls, and the wolves flank closely around her. But I can smell their fear, and see the trepidation in the old shifter’s eyes. She doesn’t want to escalate this, but she’s not going to back down, either.

“I won’t forget this, Roslyn Night,” she says, barking out the last word.

“I don’t expect you to,” I reply tauntingly.

Nella scoffs angrily, then she storms out of the room, her wolves trailing behind her.

“Never a dull moment,” Celine mutters, stepping forward beside me. “Would you like me to have them escorted out of the hotel, Crimson?”