Revelations (Blood Bound Book 1)

by L. L. Wright

  “Yeah, a vein. Isn’t that why you called me down here in the middle of the night?”

  “That’s not what I meant, and I wasn’t the one that called you,” Collin said as he pulled a tray of vials out of the cooler. Leo moved closer, bending down to get a better look at the vials. All six looked identical, clear glass filled with a red liquid.

  “So, walk me through this again,” Leo said, looking from the serum to Collin.

  “I’m going to inject Emmie with this serum,” he said, nudging the tray with a finger. “When the last trace of demonic energy burns off Emmie should wake up, at least for a minute. Then I’ll start the transfusion to help her heal and replenish her blood supply,” he explained as he continued preparing a tray. “If she doesn’t die from the severe burns or blood loss before the angel blood kicks in she should be fine.”

  “That doesn't sound very encouraging,” Leo said, crossing his arms at his chest.

  “Honestly, I’d show you the stats I ran through my computer to ease your mind, but they're really awful.”

  Leo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, growling in frustration. “There's really nothing we can do to increase our odds?

  “You can pray, I guess, but I think we both know that’s about as reliable as a coin toss.”

  “Done,” Lisa said, climbing out of the chair with two bags of blood in her hand.

  “How?” Collin stared at her with a look that could only be described as disbelief and irritation.

  “My dad’s a surgeon. I know things,” she shrugged. “So, are we doing this? I really want my best friend back. Preferably during this lifetime, because we're not all immortal you know.”

  Leo rested his hand on Collin’s shoulder, “I think we found the human equivalent of you,” he whispered, chuckling as he walked over to where Emmie was. He sat down on a stool and took her hand in his own.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Leo breathed against her ear. “But I just need to say this out loud one time before everything changes. It has never mattered to me that you have demon blood, or human blood, or even angel blood. That might have been what caught my attention, but you kept it all on your own. With your laughter, and your clumsiness, and your love of coffee that doesn’t even taste like coffee,” he chuckled, remembering the way her eyes brightened whenever he brought her those ridiculously sweet lattes. “You have gotten so far under my skin that the idea of a world where you don’t exist is too painful for me to even think about. I know you said you need time to process everything, and I just want you to know that I will wait for as long as it takes,” he sighed, dropping his head. “I love you Emmie, and I’m all in. No matter what happens, I will always love you.”

  Collin cleared his throat, “Ready when you are,” he said. Leo glanced at Emmie once more before nodding his head and moving to stand beside Lisa.

  Collin worked quickly, and Leo wasn’t sure if it was a sign of his nerves or the fact that he had already run through it dozens of times in his head. He pushed his sleeves up his forearms before strapping Emmie’s wrists and ankles to the chair.

  “Is that really necessary,” Lisa asked.

  “Yep,” Collin answered without looking at her. “She’s going to feel like she’s been set on fire, so she probably won't be sitting still.”

  Leo watched as Collin inserted one IV into each of Emmie’s arms and hung Lisa’s blood on one side and Leos on the other. He connected the lines, but left them closed, “If she has too much angel blood in her body she’ll heal faster than the serum can burn away her demonic half,” Collin had explained when Leo asked why he couldn’t do the transfusion at the same time he injected the serum. Then he loaded all six vials into what he called a “multiple injection system” and leaned Emmie’s head forward. He moved her hair aside before he pressed the device against the back of her neck and pulled the trigger.

  31

  Emmeline

  Emmie jolted upright, breathing heavily and looking around in the darkness. She had been through this loop dozens of times by now, a warm and sensual dream where she and Leo were in love and content to spend hours in bed wrapped in each other’s arms. Immediately, those moments were followed by a startling awakening in the same room, but this time it was dark and cold. Leo slept by her side, but her heart and mind knew that he wasn’t real. Just an illusion meant to distract her and lull her back to sleep. And it had worked, for a while. But each time she jolted up in this bed, in her mind's version of Leo room in faction towers she knew it would only be a matter of minutes before she was pulled back into the pitch-black where her mind was heavy with confusion and full of fear. And each time she felt like it took longer to return to the dreams where at least she had the illusion of someone by her side, someone that loved her. She looked around the room and wondered what Leo’s real room looked, I wonder if I’ll ever see it. She squinted her eyes, peering into the darkness for a detail she may have missed, anything to help her figure out how she had gotten into this and how she could get out of it. I wish I knew how long I had been here, she thought, stretching her legs beneath the covers. I have no idea if it’s been hours or days or weeks, she sighed.

  “Are you ok?” Leo asked.

  Emmie shook her head, how many times have I heard him say that, she thought without bothering to look at him. A moment later he reached for her hand, rubbing it lightly before dosing back off, on schedule, as always. what if I never get to tell him that I was wrong, Emmie sighed, I don’t need time, all I need is Leo’s hand in mine, the rest we can figure out together. She looked around the room and shivered, pulling her sweater tighter. I only have a few more minutes, she reminded herself, the same way she always did. She braced herself for the fear that would consume her the moment her eyes snapped shut and the darkness turned black. Emmie rubbed her eyes as the familiar wave of exhaustion crashed over her. No, no, no. not again, she groaned as her eyes grew heavy and she fell back onto the bed. Emmie fought to keep her eyes open, but it was no use, they snapped shut the way they always did.

  “I just want you to know that I will wait for as long as it takes. I love you Emmie, and I’m all in. No matter what happens, I will always love you.”

  Emmie sat up, blinking away the haze that had begun to envelop her consciousness.

  “Leo?” She called out, looking around in the darkness. “Leo!”

  She looked down at the space where a version of him had been asleep, but the bed was now empty. What is going on? Emmie felt her heart speed up in response to the unexpected change. A chill ran along her skin and she pulled at the familiar black sweater she wore as she threw the blankets back, and for the first time found that she was able to climb out of the bed and move freely. She took slow steps, hesitating in the darkness as she walked to the wall of curtains and pulled them apart roughly, eager to see the city lights and the view of the harbor. Emmie’s heart sank as she stared into the pitch black nothingness outside the windows. A strange sound pulled her attention back to the room behind her, and when she turned she saw that the bed was gone, replaced by an enormous fireplace. The fire inside crackled and popped aggressively, and embers flew onto the outer hearth, dimming and cooling against the stones. Emmie moved to stand in the glow of the flames, absorbing their warmth and watching them dance within the grate. She watched as they grew and spread within the hearth, spitting embers out onto the carpet.

  “No, no, no,” Emmie whispered as the embers on the carpet caught, quickly erupting into flames, and moving eagerly toward the curtains. The room seemed to shrink as the fire grew. Emmie stood in the center, watching as it closed in around her.

  “Leo!” Emmie screamed. His voice was still fresh in her mind. The words that pulled her out of the dark haze replayed in her mind as she closed her eyes, unable to watch the flames as they licked at her skin. She continued to scream as the burns covered her body until they consumed her and everything went dark again.

  Emmie screamed as the world around her flashed brightly. The fire that had sc
orched every inch of her flesh traveled through her veins, burning through her insides. She jerked her arms and legs, desperate to get away from the pain that was incinerating her, inside and out, but they wouldn’t budge. Through the darkness, she saw flashes. Faces mixed with white lights, glass cabinets, colored vials and bags of blood. Emmie couldn’t think. She couldn’t process what she saw through the pain, and her ears rang with the high pitched tone of her own screams until the flashing stopped, and the pain stopped, and the darkness returned.

  32

  Leo

  Emmie opened her eyes, screaming and writhing in pain as Collin’s serum burned off the last of the demonic blood and venom that coursed through her body. Leo wrapped his arms around Lisa who stood shaking and sobbing at the sight of her best friend. After a few terrifying minutes everything went quiet. Emmie slumped in the chair, unconscious, and Collin ran over to open both IV lines, allowing the fresh blood to fill her body. Lisa hurried to her side as soon as Collin stepped away. She smoothed her damp, sweat coated hair and whispered to her for several minutes. Finally Lisa reached down, and untied the bracelet from her wrist, securing it to Emmies before kissing her forehead.

  “I’m going to need a ride home,” Lisa said, standing up and wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She walked to where she had left her bag by the door.

  “You can stay if you want. It’s almost six,” Leo said, moving to stand beside Emmie. He placed a hand on her forehand and sighed, she’s freezing.

  “Thanks, but I have to get to school,” Lisa said, pausing beside the door. Her eyes were rimmed pink and stray tears continued to slip from the corners as she stole a glance back toward Emmie. “Let me know when she wakes up,” she said, heading out the door.

  “I’ll have one of the newbies drive her home,” Collin said. “I’ll grab some heated blankets too,” he added, following Lisa into the hall.

  33

  Emmeline

  The first thing Emmie noticed was the metallic taste on her tongue. She grimaced and opened her eyes in search of water. Her skin ran cold as she sat up and looked around at the room, the same room she had seen countless times in her nightmares. The lighting was different, brighter. Instead of having to squint to make out the shapes in the room she could see everything without much effort. The room, as she had thought of it before, was obviously a studio apartment or suite. A streamlined metal room divider caught her attention. That definitely wasn’t in my nightmares. Her eyes wandered past the divider to the open kitchen in the far corner and the sitting area opposite it. Is this another dream loop? Emmie startled as a noise down the dark hallway caught her ear and she slowly climbed out of bed, moving silently toward the kitchen. She pressed her back against the cabinets breathing heavily. Calm down Emmie. It’s just another nightmare. Dreams can’t actually hurt you, she told herself. But after the realistic burns she had experienced as the last loop ended, she didn’t really want to find out what anymore deaths would feel like.

  A door clicked open down the hall and Emmie felt her heart speed up. She looked around frantically as footsteps quietly made their way toward her. Instinct kicked in and she reached for one of the knives sticking out of the block on the island in front of her. Blood pumped through her ears making the footsteps louder until a figure stepped out of the hallway into the main area. She clutched the handle of the large knife tightly in both hands, the memory of the flames and the searing pain flashed before her eyes and she raised it, defensively in front of her body. She could see the sharp blade shaking in front of her as she watched the dark figure move across the room in the darkness. When the shadow reached the end of the bed, it stopped, turning toward the kitchen. They’re looking for me, Emmie realized, wondering if her heart would explode within her chest as it sped up, racing faster than it had been. Her breaths were ragged and her hands trembled, shaking the knife she held to defend herself, Could I really do it? Could I stab someone? She thought, blinking away the terrified tears that threatened to slip from her eyes.

  “Woah,” Leo said, flicking the light switch on the wall between the kitchen and the hallway. The light flashed on and he stood on the opposite side of the island, staring at Emmie with wide eyes.

  “Emmie, what are you doing?” Leo asked quietly.

  Don’t let him get in your head, he’s not really Leo. She tightened her grip on the smooth handle of a large knife.

  “Don’t come near me,” she said, holding the knife out as far as she could. Her words trembled as they came out, barely more than a whisper.

  “Emmie, what is wrong with you,” Leo asked, his brow creased and he put his hands up in front of his body. “I would never hurt you.”

  She looked into his deep blue eyes, and her breath caught as they sparkled under the kitchen lights. She felt her pulse slow and her heartbeat steadied.

  “Leo?” Emmie asked.

  “It’s me, I’m right here,” he said. “Why don’t you put that thing down.”

  “How am I supposed to know that you’re real, that I’m really awake?”

  “I don’t know,” Leo whispered. “Does this look and feel like your dreams?”

  Emmie looked around the room. The differences were clear in the small details like the room divider and the lighting. The air here felt warm, unlike the constant chill she had felt during the dark parts of her dream loop.

  Emmie took a deep breath and nodded her head. Her hands still shook as she relaxed her grip on the handle, and she leaned forward placing the knife on the island between them. When she finally looked up Leo was staring at her.

  “I thought this was another dream,” Emmie sighed.

  Leo nodded and walked around the island. “I know.”

  “Collin was worried that if we waited too long to pull you out it would drive you insane. So we had to do something drastic,” Leo said. “We used a serum to burn away your demon half.”

  Emmie rubbed her eyes. “I felt it. It was like I was actually on fire.” Emmie said, indifferent to the loss of her powers. I should probably feel something, relief or maybe a sense of loss, but I just don’t, she thought, wondering if someday she would. Her thoughts returned to the room from her dreams, nearly identical to this one. “What happened?” she asked. “How did I get stuck there?”

  “Well, I can give you the cliff notes version. Basically whatever your mom and the demons were injecting you with was intensifying your demonic abilities, and when their chemicals mixed with our sedative your consciousness got trapped inside your subconscious mind.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emmie said, shaking her head. “I don’t remember being injected with anything, and what does my mom have to do with any of this?”

  Emmie stared, waiting for answers, but Leo just cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow in confusion. Then he took out his phone and made a call.

  “Emmie’s awake. You need to come up here.”

  “On my way,” the other voice said, ending the call.

  A moment later the door opened and a familiar face walked into the room.

  “What is he doing here?” Emmie asked.

  Leo and Collin exchanged confused looks and then Leo said, ''Do you know who this is?”

  “Sure, he’s in my creative writing class, but what is he doing here?” Emmie said as she opened a cabinet and pulled out a glass, filling it at the kitchen faucet. In all the commotion she had forgotten about her thirst and been distracted from the taste in her mouth. “Why are you two looking at me like that?” she asked when she turned around and found them staring at her like she had two heads.

  “Have you been here before?” Collin asked. Then he walked toward the island and sat down on one of the bar stools.

  “Yeah.”

  “When?” Collin asked with a shrug.

  “I,” Emmie sighed and her brow crease as she racked her brain, and came up empty. I remember being here, in a room similar to this one. I remember the big windows, and watching the people pass o
n the street below, but, when was that, and why was I here? She turned to Leo, looking for clarification or answers. Something to clear up the confusion in her mind. “I can’t remember, but I know I was here.”

  “What’s going on?” Leo asked as he moved to stand beside Collin, his eyes looked heavy with concern.

  “I would also like to know what’s going on,” Emmie chimed in.

  “I need to run some tests to be sure. Let's go down to the lab,” Collin said, sliding off the barstool.

  “Before we go anywhere I really want to take a shower,” Emmie said.

  “Sure, down the hall on the right. Some of your stuff is in the closet.”

  Emmie heard them talking in hushed voices as she walked down the hallway and she couldn’t help but feel annoyed that they were hiding something from her. I think after everything I’ve been through I deserve to know as much as Collin. What is he even doing here anyway? Woah, Emmie thought as a vision of Collin shoving food into his mouth flashed before her eyes and she heard his voice in her mind, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad my sedative didn’t kill you,” he said, and Emmie’s mind started running in circles trying to understand what was going on. She turned on the water and pulled off the clothes she felt like she had been in for far too long. I’m missing pieces of my memory, she guessed. She stepped into the shower and immediately turned the water from hot to cold when the heat reminded her of the flames that burned her body inside and out. When the ice-cold water splashed on her skin more memories flashed in front of her eyes. “It’s a crystal,” her own voice said and she saw herself pick up a translucent stone from the familiar granite countertop in her kitchen before the scene blurred, and then another memory began. “You need to rest for a while,” her mother said and she felt a sharp pinch in her arm. The memory repeated over and over, but each time it sounded slightly different. Emmie lost track of count as she looked down at her arm, but she didn’t see anything in the place she had felt the needle going in. What the hell is going on? She turned off the water and found a stack of towels folded on a shelf. While she dried her long hair and dressed the strange flashes of memories kept coming in waves. A single memory of Leo by her side as she tapped into her demon powers to put out a fire in the woods, “Emmie, don’t do anything stupid,” he whispered. I should have realized that he knew about me when he spoke those words, she thought, shaking her head at how blind she had been. “It’ll be your blood we’re injecting into the humans next,” her mother’s voice threatened as she listened from the stairs outside the kitchen.