Page 117 of This Blood That Breaks Us

“This one, sir. Saved for you.”

A man lay with his head resting on the back of a red velvet couch. He was smiling and laughing but moving slowly like he couldn’t stand. My head was pounding from the alcohol. Somehow, I ended up on the couch.

“Drink, sir,” a voice said. I didn’t know whose.

I didn’t need to drink blood. I’d downed a few blood bags only a few days ago, but I felt empty. Like I needed and wanted to consume. I grabbed the man by the collar and sank my teeth into his neck. It was good. So good. Drinking from a vein was dangerous for him but satisfying for me. There was something else mixed with his blood. The euphoria of it laced itself into my veins, and I drank deeper.

I pulled away with no recollection of how long I’d drank, but it didn’t matter. I was full. Full of blood and alcohol and ecstasy. I’d had it wrong. I wasn’t in hell. It was heaven. The effect of it was already moving into my body. I was free. I wanted to run anywhere my body would take me, but not to escape. No, I wanted to run in the halls and outside in the rain. I wanted to feel.

I stumbled back into the crowd. This time I felt every brush of skin against mine and the surge of the crowd with the music.

The flicker of a lighter flame caught my attention in my peripheral vision.

Will glared down at me from atop the stairs with a cigarette pressed between his lips.

I pushed my way through the crowd with loud protests and arms begging me to stay, but I had to know why Will was looking at me like that.

“Enjoying yourself?”

“What if I am?”

“I give Luke a pass because he deserves a night off out of hell, but you. Not so easily.”

“Little too late to play the holier than thou card, isn’t it? Am I not allowed to have fun?”

“You were fuckin’ loving it. The attention.”

“So what? It’s better than what I normally get.”

“This is it, then? You ascend and say fuck all to everyone?”

“Please tell me what I’m supposed to do. Luke and I are blood linked, and the only way to fix it is to ascend.”

“That’s what they want you to think! This. All of this is an illusion. They’re manipulating you. They’re brainwashing you, and I thought you knew that. But now I think you do know that but ya just don’t care about anyone but yourself anymore.”

“I’m happy for the first time in months, and I’m not letting Captain Buzzkill ruin it for me. Fuck off.” Flipping him off, I hopped on the banister and slid down. I wouldn’t let Will ruin my night. Not when it was finally getting good.

“Fuck you too,” Will barked in my direction.

I was already tuning him out and blissfully falling back into the rhythm of the music and the sway of the crowd. This place was great. I let my new family take me with their hands in my hair and under my shirt. I’d let this place devour me.

I was finally home. Home sweet home.

Thirty-Six

Zach

We retreated into our room for the night. The party continued on in the foyer, but Luke was ready to turn in. I collapsed into an armchair by the fireplace and loosened my tie. All the alcoholand whatever was in that guy’s blood had worn off, and I felt empty again.

“Will’s pissed at me.”

“Is he mad because of the party?” Luke’s smile vanished.

“Nah, he’s not mad at you. Only me. Don’t worry.”

“He probably thinks we’re giving up.”

There was a pause as the fire cracked between us.