Page 34

Chapter 33

Red Everywhere

Raiden

W alking back to my house from the dock, I was feeling good. I’d finished up the work for the day with Father and told him I’d stay behind to sell the fish we’d caught that morning. He was getting tired much easier these days, and if I could pick up any slack for him, I would in a heartbeat.

I’d been able to get a good price from the fish marketers. One of them had brought their daughter with them, Colette. She was beautiful — a tiny blonde with a smart mouth and sparkles in her green eyes when she looked up at me. Father teased me because we clearly liked each other, but I knew her father wouldn’t approve until she finished school.

That was fine, I could wait. She was a year younger than me and only had one more winter before she was finished.

Father liked to joke with her father that one day our fish empires would join together as one family — catching and selling the fish, and we’d take over the Darkmoor seaport. Colette and I just laughed at the old men, but it wasn’t a horrible idea. I could see a life with her like my father and mother had.

Simple and happy.

Shaking my head clear of such dreams, I walked the path I’d been down almost every day of my life, my home coming into view quickly. Stopping suddenly, I looked behind me, I could have sworn I saw someone next to me in my peripheral view. A shock of silver — but no one was there.

Laughing to myself, I started up the stairs, nothing else on my mind but that I was bringing home more money than I expected, when I stopped just short of the front door.

It was cracked open, which was strange. Father was meticulous about keeping the door closed firmly — especially when Mother and Ophelia were home.

I slowly pushed it open, the old wood creaking as it swung and hit the wall behind it. The house was as silent as the dead, a foreboding feeling working its way up my spine.

“Mother? Father?” I yelled as I stepped over the threshold. I walked through our living room and found no one. A sense of unease was growing in the pit of my stomach. “Ophelia?”

Nothing. No sounds.

I walked into the kitchen, and all I could see was red.

Red everywhere. Red so dark it was almost black — everywhere it shouldn’t have been. The cabinets, the countertops, the floors, the table. There in the doorway, at my feet, was my baby sister. Covered in red.

I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face, and pulled her limp body to my chest. She was so cold, her skin sticky and smelling like copper.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you, Phillie. I’ve got you,” I whispered against her dark hair.

* * *

I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to take in my surroundings, and shook off the dreams of my past that chose to haunt me. My eyelids felt extremely heavy, and I was having a hard time focusing on what was around me. Thankfully my memories didn’t seem affected by the drug Delano had put on the shadow stone blade. I knew exactly what happened, but I could feel my shadows again. Although not much. The normal writhing tendrils beneath my skin felt like a small stream at the moment. As if the ever-growing power that itched to escape me was currently taking a nap.

Taking a slow inventory of my body seemed like an easier thing to do with my eyes closed, so that’s what I chose to do instead.

My head was throbbing and my shoulder clearly still had a blade lodged into it. I pulled gently at my wrists, which were still bound behind my back. Unfortunate, truly. I normally didn’t enjoy being the one bound.

My mind flashed to Silvana being tied up in my shadows to our bed and my cock stirred at the image. At least that worked, although this was not the time. I meant what I’d told Bastian—I wasn’t worried about her. Maybe I should’ve been, but I knew she was okay. Not only was she capable of taking care of herself, but I was also confident she’d find me.

Quickly finishing my bodily inventory, I realized the rest of me felt fine. The blade from my side was gone and healed. I could feel the bond between Silvana and me, though. Like my shadows, it was somewhat muted. As if I were trying to scream down a long tunnel to speak with her, but she wasn’t looking my way.

Letting out a breath, I tried opening my eyes again. I was in a dark room lying on my side, I knew that much. I slowly lifted my head, trying to get a better view of where I was. The walls seemed to be made of a dark stone, the floor was the same. There were no windows, and the one door was made of thick wood with a small, barred window at the top.

A dungeon. How original.

I had no idea how much time had passed since Delano had taken me.

“Silvana?” I tried sending through the bond.

I felt the bond pull tight for a moment, and then nothing. I laid my head on the cold stone floor, feeling more exhausted than I had since I’d been turned. I wasn’t sure if it was the aftereffects of the sedative or if it had been that long that I’d been asleep. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel as if it was a good sign.

Closing my eyes for a few moments, I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I was suddenly lifted from the ground and slammed back down into a chair. I grunted and pulled against the bonds again. Apparently, they’d pulled them through the back of the chair—smart.

“Don’t bother trying. The dagger in your shoulder is quite potent. While the effects of the sedative have worn off, the rest of the effects aren’t even close to being over with,” the male in front of me stated. His voice jogged a memory, but I couldn’t place him. “By this point your head is foggy, your powers aren’t working, you’re probably still exhausted. Sound about right?”

“Fuck off,” I muttered.

“Mmm, maybe later. After our chat. I will say, you worked through it faster than I expected you to. So that took some extra work on my part, but not to worry.” He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me.

“What exactly is it you want?” I grumbled. My voice was coming out strained and I was having trouble focusing my eyes on him. Normally I’d be annoyed by this, but I was still too tired to give a fuck. The chair was uncomfortable, he was correct about my head, and my shoulder was killing me.

The soul-bond tattoo around my wrist started pulsing, and I smiled at the thought that my female was thinking of me.

A loud sigh sounded in front of me, bringing me back to the here and now. This damp, dark cell wasn’t exactly the paradise I’d left behind.

“Are you smiling right now? How hard did those drugs affect you?” he sneered.

“Just thinking about how fun it’s going to be when my ice queen shows up, kills you, and then we fuck beside your still warm body,” I muttered.

The male was quiet for a moment. “That’s a nice thought for you, but I wouldn’t hope too much for it. It’ll be a true Fates-given miracle if she is able to find you here. I didn’t leave her in the best of conditions, I’ll be honest.”

I jerk my eyes open to stare at the male across from me. He’s tall, probably around my height. Broad shoulders and blond hair that’s pulled back in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. His brown eyes peered across the room at me, and he looked pleased with himself. He was wearing a blue silk shirt and black pants, shiny loafers on his feet. He looked dressed for anything other than torturing me.

There wasn’t a single special thing about this male. I didn’t even feel much power coming off of him, which led me to believe he was some sort of shifter. Not that shifters weren’t powerful. Cedar, for example, was very powerful. But their power radiates differently than those of us with active magic.

“You’re giving off small rodent energy right now. Who are you?” I mumbled.

I watched as his face turned a light shade of red, and I chuckled. He stood and strolled out of the room.

“Well, that was fun. Nice talking to ya, bud,” I muttered as my head dropped back down against my chest. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate being called a rat, but if he was working with scum like Delano, I’m allowed to call it as I see it.

A moment later he came strolling back into my cell with a smirk on his face. I wanted to spit at him, just to enjoy the rage that would fill his gaze. I glanced down at his hand, realizing he was holding another shadow stone blade. How original of him.

“Oh no, the kidnapper is back and this time he’s armed,” I grumbled. He sat back down in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. “A very feminine posture. Must not have much down there to squish,” I joked.

At that point, I was doing anything I could to piss him off and keep my mind awake and occupied.

“I was asked to… hold you for an unknown amount of time. My master, well, he wants what you have.” He smiled.

His master? Why was that so prevalent in my brain lately? First my dreams about Silvana, and now him.

“And what is that? My court? You’d have to kill me for that to happen, and my inner court. Good luck with all of that,” I replied.

He laughed, loud and full. “No, you imbecile. Not your court. The female. Silvana.”

My shadows spiked, moving below my skin. Almost to full power, but not quite. I could have killed him just for the way he spoke her name, as if he had the right to. “Over my dead body will you come anywhere near her.”

He laughed, again. Which was actually starting to piss me off.

“Oh, My Lord, that is the plan. You see, we know that you being taken will—” He looked around the room for a moment, as if searching for the proper word. “—leave her a bit resentful toward my group. That’s what we’re counting on.”

“How exactly does my female being angry help you?” I asked.

“Anger can quickly turn to desperation when it’s monitored closely, and honestly, Raiden, I’ve been monitoring very closely. Everything worked out exactly the way I’d planned, and soon she’ll be back with our master and he can carry on with our plans for Kostbare.”

“And what exactly are his plans?” I questioned.

“Oh now, don’t ask too many questions. Can’t be too careful after all. All will play out in due time, so don’t fret too much. But it is important that you know she belongs to our master, not you. No matter what the Fates have deemed, she will always be his.”

The more he said it, the more rage was boiling in my veins. He suddenly rose from his chair to come closer, and I gritted my teeth, trying to bide my time.

The only thing I could come up with was that maybe he sired her, and that was why he felt such a claim was valid. However, it wasn’t. Not in our world.

“Now, I’m sure all that anger is ruining my well-thought-out venom placement, and seeing as I don’t wish to die in the midst of our questions, this is just some insurance.” He leaned in closer, but before I could rip his throat out, he slammed the second shadow stone blade into my side again.

I smashed my teeth together and hissed, trying not to give him the joy of hearing my scream. He smiled and started for the door.

“I’ll head out soon, but first I do have a few questions. From my master, of course.” He smirked. His tone oozed confidence he didn’t deserve to possess. “What do you know about born vampires?”

I could already feel the venom he stabbed me with taking effect, so maybe I didn’t hear him correctly.

“The… born vampires? What about them?” I questioned.

“Specifically how they come to be… made,” he stated, his demeanor completely sincere.

I started chuckling. I couldn’t help it. “Wow. Did your master not explain sex to you?”

He let out a sigh. “That’s fine. You clearly aren’t ready to talk yet. I’ll be back soon, Raiden. This was a lower dose, so it shouldn’t affect you much, and you’ll be more inclined to chat when I come back.”

He patted my shoulder and I tried to pull my shadows back, but I could feel them receding back into whatever slumber this venom he’d concocted was pushing them into. I let out a breath and sleep quickly overtook me.