Marked by Blood: Book 2 of The Marked Series

by Ford, Rinna

  Di closed the book and handed it back to her assistant. That sounded more like a fortune cookie than my dad did. What did it all mean? Why would Di feel it necessary to tell me about it?

  “It’s a fairy tale,” Xander said through clenched teeth. “Every supe is told about it when they are young as a precautionary tale. Nothing more.”

  I searched my memories and didn’t remember hearing anything about an accursed child, whatever that meant, but that didn’t mean much considering my history. I was so confused.

  “Oh, but it isn’t!” she exclaimed. “Bearing prophecies is a rare gift for casters to possess, but there have been none that have ever been disproven. Not a single one.”

  “Yeah, but there are some that haven’t been proven either,” Xan shot back. “Hell, most of them were made and nothing ever happened because of them. The one you’re talking about? It’s almost 800 years old and nothing has ever come of it. Never.”

  “783 years to be exact.” Irna spoke quietly from her corner, then shrunk back into the shadows when she realized she had said it out loud.

  “That’s an interesting story, Di, but I’m tired.” I stood up and Xander jumped in line right beside me. “If you don’t mind, we’re heading upstairs now.”

  Two vampires I didn’t know stepped in front of us, blocking our exit.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I questioned. The two vamps crossed their arms in front of them, cementing their positions and Di just smirked as usual.

  “Prophecies are visions of the future given by magic. They are meant to come true. They’re meant to happen, but sometimes there needs to be a catalyst. I believe you are the accursed child, Emelia. And I will be the one to set us free. You are the one.”

  Di’s eyes bled red and her fangs descended in her smiling mouth.

  “What? You’re fucking crazy.”

  Xander growled and began to half-change into his dragon, but his transformation was cut off when my grandfather, who was already half-changed, dug his claws into Xan’s arm. Xander’s eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out. Amos caught him and lowered him to the floor with a look of sorrow on his face.

  “I’m sorry,” he told me. “It’s meant to be, Emelia. Don’t fight and it’ll be over soon, I promise.”

  “You’re all insane.”

  I whipped my head back around and lowered into a fighting position, my caster’s dagger forming in my right hand. I was alone, but I had every intention of getting Xan and me out of there.

  One of the vampires in front of me lunged at me, his teeth bared and caught my arm as I swung the blade toward him. I quickly passed the dagger to my other hand and sunk the blade into the vamp’s neck. He let go of me and reached for the blade, pulling it out with a sickening slurp. Dark blood spilled out of the wound as I watched the wound close up on its own.

  “You’re going to pay for that one, bitch,” he snarled and jumped at me again. Amos caught him by the neck and threw him across the room and turned to Di.

  “You said she wouldn’t be harmed,” my grandfather told her.

  I was grabbed by several hands and held in place. I tried to break free, but I wasn’t strong enough. I tried calling for my dragon, but I wasn’t able to reach her. It was as if she were asleep, I could feel her there but I couldn’t transform. I was in so much trouble and I didn’t understand why.

  “And she won’t be, if she just plays nicely,” Di responded.

  “Get off her you assholes!” Off to the side, Grayson was holding onto Camille and began dragging her from the room. She was fighting against him, but I knew she wouldn’t use any magic on him that would hurt. She loved him too much for it. “I’m sorry!” she cried. “Emelia!”

  She was dragged out of the room and I truly felt alone. Xander was knocked out and my grandfather was in the group trying to harm me, all because of an ancient prophecy I didn’t understand.

  “What do you want from me, Di?” I asked, anger and frustration seeping through my words. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

  She trailed her fingers through the air. It was if they were dancing. “An accursed child of earth and fire. That’s you,” she said, “joined with blood on the darkest of nights will rule supreme.” Her fingers stopped their dance and her eyes locked on mine.

  My mother cursed me and I was mixed, earth caster, and fire dragon.

  It was a new moon. The darkest of nights.

  But blood? She was a vampire. She thrived on blood. What did it all mean?

  Then it hit me.

  She was going to try and turn me. She wanted to make me part of all three supernatural races - caster, shifter, and vampire. That was impossible!

  “No!” I began fighting against the people holding me down. “It’ll kill me! You know it! Please! Amos! Grandpa! Don’t let her do it!”

  I screamed inward for my dragon, but she couldn’t surface. I called for my caster’s dagger, but it was still lying motionless on the floor in front of me, all while Di stalked me like a predator stalks her prey. She licked her fangs hungrily and grabbed a handful of hair at the base of my neck, wrenching my head to the side.

  “I really hope you survive, Emelia. You’ll be glorious if you do.”

  Her mouth stretched open wide and she sank her fangs into the side of my neck. I let out a piercing scream as pain unlike anything I had ever experienced shot through me. I thought those fifteen years of my mark adding to itself was bad. It was nothing. It was a cake walk compared to what it felt like to be drained by this vampire.

  The pain began to lessen as all feeling in my body went away and I knew my end was near. I had no strength, no more will to survive.

  I was lowered to the couch I sat on only moments before with hands that were much more gentle than before. My head lolled to the side and I saw Xander’s sleeping form. I hoped he’d survive it. I hoped he would wake and destroy them all for what they’ve done to me. For what they attempted to accomplish.

  I hoped he knew how much I loved him and how much I would continue loving him from the afterlife. I hoped Ronan would understand and become a better person for having found me. I hadn’t had the chance to love him, but I hoped he knew the possibility was there. I wanted the chance to love him more than anything.

  I closed my eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

  “It’s almost over, Emelia,” Amos told me and he smoothed the hair from my forehead. “Don’t fight it. Let the virus take over and it’ll all be over soon.”

  “She’ll be glorious,” Di commented, sounding proud. She dripped a liquid into my gaping mouth.

  “Fuck you,” I whispered when the liquid was taken away and the edges of my vision became blurry. Then everything in front of me became dark and my body felt heavy. Too heavy to move. “What’s, what’s happening?” I asked, my words slurred.

  “Rest, child,” Amos told me. “It’ll all be over soon. Then nothing will ever hurt you again. I swear it.”

  “Rest…”

  I allowed myself to comply with his request, not that I really had a choice.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Burning. From the tips of my toes to the top of my head, I burned. My body was consumed whole as the vampire virus tore through my veins, scorching every last bit of mortality from within me. I couldn’t scream out in pain, I couldn’t beg for help, I couldn’t even move. I was paralyzed, appearing asleep to all those around me. I knew different.

  Time seemed to go on forever as my body burned, but then eventually it began to fade away. Once I was able to focus beyond the sensations of the change, I noticed my senses were sharper. My eyes were closed so I couldn’t use sight, but my other senses were much sharper.

  Xander was pacing the floor nearby. He was agitated, and for good reason. I could tell because of the way he moved across the hardwood floor and how he kept growling under his breath.

  Camille was there too. I could smell her familiar scent of lavender and sage come and go as I lay there in my bed.
I assumed someone had moved me because it smelled like the room I shared with Xander. My caster friend would fuss over me and scold Xander for not doing the same. I wondered why he kept his distance.

  I could hear people walking around in the hallway outside the bedroom door, but the only ones who came near were Xan and Camille.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed until I finally felt the sensation of wanting to move. I started with the twitch of a finger, then I was able to move the others. My body slowly woke up, one limb at a time until I was able to move every part of me.

  My eyes popped open and the first thing I saw were the decorative white tiles on the ceiling. I could see every single detail with such amazing clarity, I almost cried from the beauty.

  Camille gasped and rose from a chair by the windows. I rolled my head to the side, reluctantly looking away from the ceiling and saw my friend approach me like she would a dangerous animal.

  I carefully propped myself up on my elbows and tilted my head to the side. Why was she afraid?

  “Emi?” Xander stopped his pacing and stood in front of the bedroom door. He was half-changed, but as he stood there watching me, his dragon slowly faded away. He took a step forward then stopped suddenly. “Honey, how do you feel?” His eyes studied me. I wondered what he saw. Did I look the same?

  I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought about his question. I felt weird. My senses were overwhelming me, making me feel things much stronger than before. Even my hunger was overpowering.

  As the thought of food, blood in particular, crossed my mind, that was all I could think about.

  “Blood,” I said aloud.

  As I began to close my mouth, I felt two long fangs hanging down from my top teeth. I reached up and touched them with my fingers, pricking my index finger on the pad. I instantly stuck the bloodied finger in my mouth and groaned with pleasure. It tasted amazing, even if it was my own blood.

  “I’ll go get you something to drink, okay?” Camille told me and walked toward Xander. She turned back around when she got to the door. “Don’t. Go. Anywhere.”

  Then she put her hand up to the door, releasing the ward on the room and walked out into the hall. I could hear her scurry down the stairs to the first floor of the house as she went in search of sustenance for me.

  My gaze traveled back to where my mate stood. He hadn’t moved a muscle, making no attempt to come to me. I didn’t like it. Not once since we had been reunited had he kept his distance from me. Even before we were fully mated, he would find random reasons to touch me, to be near me.

  Was I disgusting? Terrifying? Did I smell differently? I felt like me but… more. My love and need for him were still there too. Did he not love me now that I was a vampire? Were we still mated? Was I still a dragon shifter and a caster? I had so many questions as I sat there staring into Xander’s worried eyes.

  I reached inward for my dragon. She was still there. Annoyed, but there. She didn’t seem to mind the fact I was a vampire now too, but she was angry she was suppressed and cooped up for so long. I took a deep sigh in relief to have the answer to at least one of my questions and sent her a promise to go flying soon. That seemed to appease her.

  I slid my legs over the side of the bed and down to the floor carefully. I felt fine, but I wasn’t sure how long I’d been ‘asleep’, so the need for caution was there. I stood up, my legs feeling sturdy and walked across the room until I was right in front of him.

  I reached down and took one of his hands in mine. The need to be with him was still just as strong as it was before the change began. He was mine. My mate. Always.

  With his free hand, he held the side of my face and let out a deep breath. It was as if he was holding it this whole time. I closed my eyes and felt my fangs retract back into my mouth. His touch was everything I needed at that moment.

  “I thought I lost you for a minute there,” he told me and brought his forehead down to mine. “Don’t ever do that to me again, do you hear me?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Don’t ever leave me again. Ever. I mean it, Emi. I nearly lost it when I thought you were dead. I destroyed a lot of shit until I found out you were still alive.”

  “What?” I pulled away and looked into Xander’s eyes. I mean, I expected it, but the fact that half the house was still standing was surprising. “How did you get back under control?”

  “I talked him down,” Camille strolled in holding a large insulated cup and held it out to me. “He was all ‘Hulk smash!’ and breathing fire and shit with his big dragon ass, but I showed him you were still alive and he changed back into his human form. He snatched you out of my arms and brought you up here, only letting me in. I warded the room and I’ve only left to get food for Xander and me. That was four days ago, I think? Yeah, four days. Do you still want that?” She looked at the cup I held in my hands, bringing me back to it.

  “Oh, yeah. Thanks, Camille. Thank you for everything.”

  My eyes caught Xander’s and it looked as if he was holding his breath. I didn’t want to want what was in the cup, but heaven help me, I did. My fangs descended again as I caught a whiff of the blood waiting for me. I lowered my eyes in shame and turned away. I didn’t want him to see me do it.

  I brought the cup to my lips and gently tipped it back. As soon as the thick liquid hit my tongue, my hunger increased tenfold. I tipped the cup back further, allowing more of the blood to flow down my throat, nourishing my body. It was the most incredible thing I had ever drunk, and I wanted more.

  I reluctantly moved the cup away when there were no more drops left in it and held it in front of me. Camille was there, taking the cup from me, and handing me another one. I brought this one to my lips almost instantly, but stopped when I realized how desperate I was for it.

  I didn’t ask to be turned into a vampire. I wasn’t even given a choice. It was taken away from me in the most heinous of ways.

  Red hot anger filled my vision and I began to growl softly, menacingly. They did this to me. Why did they do it? They didn’t care what it would do to me, only that I fulfilled their precious prophecy.

  “You okay?” Camille asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.

  I whipped my head toward her and she backed away as frightened as she was before. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to clear the angry fog that had descended on my brain. Why did I do that? I was ready to rip her head clear from her body and relish in her blood. Camille was my friend and yet, I was ready to murder her for touching me. I wasn’t in my right mind. I needed to get out of there. Away from anyone I cared about.

  But then, I caught the sound of laughing from the floor down below. I turned my ear toward the door and listened, noticing it was Di who was laughing heartily. I felt my hunger increase, not for the blood in the cup I was holding, but for vengeance. My dragon was in complete agreement with my vampire and I had little control over them, not that I wanted control. I wanted to rip her apart piece by piece.

  I dropped the cup, letting the sweet contents splatter all over the pristine floor and took off out the door and down the stairs. I moved so quickly, it felt like I hadn’t even moved at all, but before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of Di’s office, right in front of the vampire herself. My teeth were bared and I had her lifted into the air by her throat.

  She dug her fingernails into my arm in an attempt to make me release her, but I wasn’t easily distracted. Not in that moment. She gurgled her plea, but I was beyond reasoning with. She pissed me off for the last time.

  “Emelia! Don’t!”

  Amos moved around carefully, standing behind Di so I could see him. He was holding his hands up in surrender and pleading with me to let her go.

  “Emelia, you don’t want to do that. She’s not the enemy. Please put her down.”

  “Why? Do you want to take her place? You helped her do this to me. You’re my grandfather, for fucks sake! If my dad were alive, he’d rip you to fucking pieces for what you’ve done!”
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  I saw someone else move out of the corner of my eye. It was Di’s assistant, Jep, and he had his teeth bared as he was ready to spring. Without thinking, I dropped Di in a heap on the floor and called for a butcher knife from the kitchen. As soon as it appeared in my hand, I threw it, lodging it into the vampire’s chest. He fell back against the desk and down to the floor, where he cried out in pain. He clutched the knife’s hilt and tried to pull it out, but it was lodged deeply into his chest cavity.

  “No! Jep!” Di, realizing what shape her assistant was in, quickly crawled over to him and tried to help him, but it was no use. “Help me, Amos!”

  I looked at my grandfather and he looked confused and in awe all at the same time. He just stood there staring at Jep and Di on the floor and made no attempt to move.

  Rolling my eyes, I stomped over to them and grabbed a hold of the knife, pulling it clear from the vampire’s chest. In the same movement, I flipped the knife around and had it under Di’s throat. She stiffened and opened her mouth in fear.

  “Please, Emelia,” she whispered.

  Xander and Camille came running in the room at that very moment and came to a complete halt within a few feet of me.

  “Oh, shit!” Camille exclaimed.

  “Get. Away from her,” Jep panted, holding his closing chest wound. He was trying to get to us.

  My other hand changed into my dragon’s claw and I pointed it at him.

  “Try me, I dare you. After what you did to me…”

  “You’re marvelous,” Di took a gulp and said. “Don’t you see? You’ve used powers from all three supernatural species in the span of a minute.”

  I narrowed my eyes and pushed the knife further into her throat, making her back up.

  “You have no idea what you’ve done, you selfish bitch. Because of you, I’m…”