Blood Torn

by Karice Bolton

“Don’t paint us all with the same brush.” I laughed, shaking my head. “Besides, I could say the same about you and your twin.”

  Ivy groaned and nodded, smiling. “Got me there.”

  “Okay, you two. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and a shower. I’ll call Fuchsia and see if we can set something up.” Christy stepped back from us. “And hopefully, we’ll hear from Violet too.”

  A bit of worry panged me when I thought about Violet. If she were hellbent on going to the edge time and again, it was only a matter of time before she wouldn’t come back. I looked at Ivy, the innocence that rolled off her, and couldn’t believe they were twins.

  “Yeah. I’m sure we will.” Ivy smiled and spun to face me. “About last night, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

  I smiled, knowing this talk was bound to happen. “Yeah? What impression is that?”

  “I don’t just sleep with people, and certainly not vampires.”

  I nodded, grinning wider. “Certainly not.”

  She pointed her finger. “And I’m not about to.”

  I chuckled, realizing this was the second time this morning I’d caused a reaction like this.

  “I believe you.”

  Ivy nodded and took a step back. “Good. Just setting the record straight. I’m sure it was the beer.”

  “I’m sure it was.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Did you tell Christy about the rose last night?”

  I shook my head. “No. That’s between you and me.”

  Ivy grinned.

  “And the rose.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No need to thank me. It’s the decent thing to do.”

  Ivy’s expression softened. “Yeah, well . . . there aren’t that many decent people in the world.”

  I nodded slowly, feeling the same way. I wasn’t even sure I was actually one of them.

  “Ivy?”

  Her gaze flicked to mine. “Yeah?”

  “Even if you didn’t mean to last night, I will never forget that kiss.”

  Ivy looked like she was about to fall over from that revelation just as screaming echoed down the hallway.

  Ivy’s eyes widened, and she spun around, knowing Violet was in trouble.

  Again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ivy

  My screams blended with Violet’s as I ran toward her. She was covered in marks and fell to the ground. Her hands left bloody prints on the carpet as she writhed before finally collapsing.

  I scooped her into my arms and brought her head up, looking for injuries.

  Her eyes weren’t staying on mine. She couldn’t focus.

  Carter knelt beside me. “She’s lost a lot of blood. We need to get her into the apartment.”

  Anger pulsed through me. Now wasn’t the time to hide what happened. She needed medical treatment. She needed blood transfusions.

  Christy dashed out of the apartment.

  “Oh, no.” She ran to us and helped me hold Violet’s head up. “Let’s get her inside.”

  “No. She needs a hospital,” I argued.

  “She wouldn’t survive the trip.” Christy looked over at Carter, and he nodded. “Carter can help.”

  He picked up my sister and carried her down the hall and into Christy’s apartment, but I couldn’t hold in my fury as he set her down. She was all I had, and it was vampires who did this to her.

  I pounded his chest. “How could you help her? Your kind did this to her.”

  Carter nodded. “And I’m sorry for that.”

  My sister let out a little gasp, and my pulse raced with worry as Christy slowly unbuttoned the top buttons on my sister’s shirt.

  “We don’t have much time,” Christy warned. “Get mad at him later.”

  I drew a deep breath and knelt next to my sister as Carter moved her sticky hair back from her face.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked, refusing to look at him.

  “Our venom . . .” His voice trailed off as he leaned over my sister.

  Carter slowly opened his mouth, and I had to turn away.

  My heartrate jumped wildly with fear as my sister stiffened.

  Within an instant, Carter was standing up, watching my sister, and my sister’s stiff fingers began to relax.

  I clutched her hand tightly and stood, noticing scars all over her body.

  Two tiny prick marks glistened, and I looked at Carter and pointed. “Is that where you . . .”

  He gave a quick nod, and I turned my attention back to my sister. She seemed less restless, not in pain. I brushed her hair back from her face and noticed a matching mark near her collarbone, but it had healed. I glanced at Carter, who was talking quietly to Christy.

  When he returned, my sister’s eyes fluttered open and she coughed. “What happened?”

  She reached for my hand.

  “I was hoping you could tell me that, Violet,” I said softly, tears prickling my eyes.

  It was like my sister had a death wish, and I didn’t understand why.

  “I—” She looked over at Carter and squinted her eyes closed. “I just got into a little bit of trouble.”

  Anger riddled my body, and I collapsed. “Violet, this is more than a little bit of trouble. You could have died. Who did this to you?”

  My sister’s jaw clenched, and she opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. “It wasn’t their fault. I asked them to do it.”

  I drew in a shaky breath. “There were multiples?”

  She nodded slowly. “They did nothing wrong.”

  “Bullshit,” I nearly screamed. “They could have killed you.”

  Carter put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it softly. I spun around and shook his hand off me.

  “And you . . .” I shook my head. “You’re part of all of this. If it weren’t for your own head on the chopping block, you would have let us all die at Lux’s hands.”

  “Ivy, that’s not true,” Christy said softly.

  I whipped my gaze to hers. “How do you know?”

  “I just do.”

  “Well, I’m glad you just know things, but that’s not how I operate. The facts speak for themselves.” I shook my head. “Besides, how do you even know he didn’t drain that woman’s blood that night? He called you afterward, right? You were his fixer.”

  Carter flinched, and Christy shook her head. “It’s not like that, Ivy. You’re just upset, and I understand.”

  “You don’t understand. Neither of you do. She’s all I have. She’s it. She’s everything. If something happens to her—” I stopped myself the moment I heard my voice crack.

  I turned my attention back to Violet, who looked almost completely back to normal other than the dried blood everywhere.

  “What is wrong with you?” I blurted out.

  “Nothing.” Violet pressed her lips together, and she sat up. “Absolutely nothing is wrong with me, Ivy. But maybe some of us aren’t born as perfect as you are.”

  “I’m not perfect, but I know enough to not let some hungry vampire gang chomp on me.”

  “You think that’s what this is?” she asked, unbuttoning her shirt more.

  I nodded. “You’re just being reckless.”

  “That’s what you want to believe, Ivy.” She shook her head. “But it’s not true. What I do is my business.”

  Carter took a step forward and shook his head. “Until you make it our business, which you just did.”

  I suddenly didn’t feel so alone in this world.

  His eyes connected with mine, and he gave me a slow nod of support.

  And I needed that more than I realized.

  Christy walked over to Violet and drew a deep breath. “I’ve got the shower going for you, and I put some clean clothes inside. They might be a little snug, but we can pick some more up for you and your sister today.”

  Violet nodded, but not before glaring at me on the way to the bathroom.

  Once I heard the bathroom door close, I coll
apsed on the chair and closed my eyes.

  I was so angry, I felt ill.

  I felt weak, but I didn’t have time to be weak.

  My job was to be the responsible one.

  “How is that my sister spins this entire thing into making it my fault?” I asked Carter. “As if I’m the one in the wrong here.”

  Carter walked over and took a seat next to me.

  “She’s in deeper than you know, Ivy.” His gaze stayed on mine. “I didn’t know how to bring it up to you, and I know it’s not my business.”

  I nodded slowly as he reached for my hand.

  “She’s going to become one of those dead women if she doesn’t stop.”

  My throat clenched, and I leaned forward. “I don’t understand why.”

  “Eternal life is appealing to some.”

  “But if she’s not even happy in this life, why would she want to live forever in the next one?”

  Carter smiled and nodded. “That’s a good question, and one I could never answer.”

  Anger burned deep inside me as I thought about the vampires who’d done this to my sister.

  “How many vampires are willing to do these things?” My gaze snapped to Carter’s.

  Carter’s lips formed into a thin line. “More than I’d care to admit.”

  “I figured.”

  “Given the chance, I’d say more than half would attempt it.” He drew a breath. “If there were no repercussions.”

  I nodded, searching Carter’s gaze for an answer to the question I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to ask.

  Would he?

  “I think we need to give your sister purpose. Somehow, give her an option that doesn’t keep her focused on wanting something she can’t have.”

  Christy took a seat next to us. “Easier said than done. I’ve known her for a long time, and that girl does what she wants.”

  I nodded in agreement. “I was always the rule follower. Her, not so much.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing that there aren’t many rules with what we’re going to have to do,” Christy said softly.

  And for a brief moment, I let myself forget about my sister’s escapades. “Do you think we have a shot at destroying Lux?”

  Carter was quiet, and Christy stared at me.

  “Because that’s what the end result is, right? We need to kill him to stop the prophecy and do it before he infects anyone.” It sounded like a statement but was definitely a question.

  “Ideally, yes.” Carter stood. “But it won’t be easy.”

  “Nothing has been since I’ve met you.” I smiled, and for the first time since my sister collapsed, Carter cracked one too.

  “Carter, I’m really sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it. I know you’re not like the others. I know you didn’t hurt that woman.”

  Carter nodded, and relief flickered through his gaze. “Thank you.”

  “You deserve the apology. You just saved my sister’s life, and I came unglued.”

  “Listen, I understand more than you know. Your relationship with your sister is complicated, but don’t give up. You’re doing the right thing by telling her not to do what she’s doing.”

  I nodded, thinking back to the glistening marks on my sister’s skin. “How did you do that? How did you not hurt her?”

  Carter looked somewhat embarrassed. “The vampires who did that to your sister were feeding on her. They were draining her blood.”

  I nodded, figuring that’s what had happened to her.

  “I didn’t feed on your sister. I used my venom. It has healing properties in small doses.”

  “What about big doses?” I asked, my stomach tightening.

  “In big doses, it can turn someone.” He glanced at Christy, who nodded. “People like your sister are hoping that the vampires will drain them and then in a sense, resurrect them, turn them into a vampire by releasing their venom. It takes a lot to turn someone into a vampire. Most new vampires don’t even have enough venom to turn someone.”

  “When you say new, you mean . . .”

  “Less than a hundred years old.” He frowned. “I’m not saying it couldn’t still be done. It’s just harder.”

  “Is it safe to say that the vampires who are willing to do this tend to be newer?”

  Carter nodded. “I’d say for the most part, at least the majority.”

  “What do they get out of it?” I asked.

  “Blood. They get all the blood they want.” Carter tapped his fingers on the table. “We’ve been able to survive on the engineered blood, but it’s not the same.”

  The thought turned my stomach. How I was having a conversation about drinking blood to satiate a living being made me want to vomit.

  But I guess that was the problem. These weren’t living beings pining after our blood. They were immortals.

  The shower turned off and Christy stood. “I’ll go help your sister.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I doubt she’d want to see me at the moment.”

  Christy nodded and made her way to the bathroom.

  I thought about everything that just happened in the last hour, and my hands began shaking.

  “Ivy, what’s wrong?” Carter asked, coming closer.

  “I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I’m not feeling well.”

  “You don’t look well. You’re going pale.” He touched the back of his hand to my forehead. “And you’re cold.”

  A shiver ran through me as I thought about my sister.

  She looked at me with such hate.

  She didn’t care if she lived or died.

  But I did. I had everything to live for, even if I didn’t know what any of it was yet.

  “Ivy, have you ever felt this way before?” he asked, kneeling next to me.

  I shook my head. “No. I—”

  My world turned black, and the rush of his voice quickly faded to silence.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carter

  Fuchsia glared at me while Christy’s hand stayed on Ivy’s forehead. “She’s getting hotter.”

  “Please, do something for her,” I pleaded. “She’s gone from freezing to a fever in less than an hour.”

  Fuchsia shrugged. “Just give her a little venom, and I’m sure she’ll be on her way.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not like that.”

  Fuchsia rolled her eyes. “It usually is.”

  “Her breathing is more ragged,” Christy informed us.

  “Please, put aside whatever disgust you have for me and help this girl.”

  “I know who she is,” Fuchsia said, moving toward her. “She’s the granddaughter of Agatha and the child of Perry and Tru. For them, I will do this. Not for you.”

  I didn’t care why she did it as long as she did it.

  “Do you recognize what’s wrong with her?” Christy asked.

  Fuchsia nodded and walked over to a wall that had shelves lined with containers from one end to the other. Small colorful jars filled with tinctures sat prominently next to large jars with dried herbs. It was a sorceress’s dream lair.

  She brought down a couple of jars, grabbed a bowl, and began mixing a tincture while humming.

  Christy and I traded glances as we watched Fuchsia calmly and slowly put together a mixture of oils and herbs. She mixed it a little more and sniffed while closing her eyes.

  Ivy’s breathing stuttered as Fuchsia poured the liquid into a glass.

  “How’s she going to drink that?” I asked.

  Fuchsia’s gaze snapped to mine. “It’s not for her.”

  Fury dug deep into my soul as I watched the woman drink the mixture and slowly make her way to Ivy.

  “Was that to help you help her?” I questioned, and Christy shook her head to calm me.

  “No. It was my morning elixir.” Fuchsia stood in front of Ivy and ran her slender fingers along Ivy’s body. “She’s unusual. She has the gift.”

  Her eyes locked on mine. “How long has she been
training?”

  I knew not to say much, but we needed help.

  “I’ve only just met her, so I really don’t know. She understands the life force around us, but I don’t think she knows her connection to it.”

  “What happened right before she went into this state?” Fuchsia asked.

  “She got angry at her sister.” I glanced at Christy. “She said she didn’t feel well and then she went unconscious.”

  Angry was probably an understatement. Ivy was a firecracker.

  Fuchsia touched Ivy’s cheek and left it there. “She didn’t go unconscious. She’s hibernating between realms.”

  “What?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.

  “Her soul is stuck between the natural world and this one.”

  I shook my head. “That’s impossible.”

  Vampire purgatory was precisely that, and she was no vampire.

  “You didn’t listen very carefully, Carter. I said she was hibernating. You would be awake,” she snapped. “It’s not the same.”

  “Why would it happen?” Christy asked.

  “She got so angry and had nowhere to turn. She had no release. She had nothing from the natural world to direct it toward.”

  I thought back to the aloe vera plant and the rose.

  “What? We should have handed her a houseplant, and all would have been better?” I asked.

  Fuchsia scowled. “Of course not.” She shook her head. “No, this girl has something special. She’s got powers.”

  “Can you wake her up? Can you make her better?” I asked, feeling my impatience turn to anger.

  “Yes. I can.” She turned her attention to Christy and then to me. “But I will need you to leave. Any living being has a chance of—”

  “Even me?” I asked.

  She nodded slowly. “Even you. Someone like her can do things your mind can’t even imagine.”

  “Please don’t let anything happen to her,” I said softly.

  “Why? You like this pet?”

  Anger flashed through my gaze. “She’s not a pet.”

  “Please, Carter. All humans are playthings to you. They always have been.”

  I drew a deep breath and gave a quick nod. “Get us when she’s awake.”

  I followed Christy out the door, and she closed it behind me.