From one moment to the next my night vision switches on, illuminating the stranger in a deep red primal glow. It’s a man standing there. One with floppy golden hair that I’d recognize anywhere. Carden. He’s two days early, and under my window rather than at whatever tree he instructed me to run toward. Either something is terribly wrong or. . . well I don’t really know why else he’d risk his life to stand beneath my window in the middle of the night. I swing it open and stick my head out.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss, voice low in the hopes that Han won’t pick it up.
Carden smiles as soon as he sees me. “Blair! I came to the tree, but you weren’t there.”
I pull my brows together, confusing swirling in my chest. “What do you mean? We’re not supposed to meet for another day or two.”
“No, it’s today. Did you mess up the dates Blair? Is that why I had to risk my life to come here?”
He doesn’t sound mad, but I still bristle. “Hey! What if you messed up the dates, huh? And no one asked you to risk your life for me, least of all me.”
He has the audacity to laugh. “There’s no way that I would mess up the days. It’s all that I’ve thought about for the past two months.”
For some reason, his words make an uncharacteristic blush rise to my cheeks. It’s all that I’ve thought about. That’s not something a friend is supposed to say. And it’s definitely not something my supposed best friend’s boyfriend should say. I glance over my shoulder to make sure the door is still closed. It is, and when I turn back Carden is there in front of me, gripping the outside of the window. I’m about to scream when he covers my mouth with his hand, giving me a conspiratorial smile.
“Shhh, you’ll blow our cover,” he whispers against my ear.
An involuntary shiver edges along my skin as he crawls past me and into the room. Carden rushes around the space at an inhuman speed, no sound coming from his steps as he packs my bags. I just watch him with a stupid look of surprise on my face, my fingers brushing the spot on my ear where his lips had grazed. It’s still tingling. My chest tightens up with that same raging inferno of love and affection that it does all stressful situations, but this time it’s directed at Carden. He pauses briefly to lift his head in my direction, a startled look on his face. He feels it, I know he does, but instead of addressing it he just continues his mission of breaking me out of here unnoticed.
This is definitely not what a friend should be feeling, I think to myself when he drops two bags soundlessly out the window.
Before he can speed away again, I tug him closer. “Hey, why don’t we just leave? I don’t need any of this stuff, I can get new clothes.”
“If we leave anything behind, she can track you with it,” he replies, those sweet lips on my ear again. And I swear that this time I felt a little bit of tongue when he pulls back to kneel in front of me.
My eyes widen even when my hands go out to rest against his shoulders on instinct. “What are you doing?”
His answering grin is positively wicked. “Don’t be so fowl minded, Blair. I have to shorten your gown before we jump.”
Without waiting for my answer, he does just that, ripping it to the knees in one powerful movement. It’s the only thing that’s made noise in the room for the past several minutes, and I wince, eyes shooting toward the door. When seconds pass with no change, I blow out a breath and look back at Carden. He’s still grinning like a fool high on the greatest drug there is. I smack his shoulder lightly and force myself to step away, knocking into the wall in the process. He chuckles and stands, stepping up to the window and pulling me close to his side.
“Come one, Blair, we only have one chance,” he murmurs, positioning us in front of the window.
“Wait. Wait!” I nearly yelp before he covers my mouth with his warm hand.
“What?” He asks, whispering in my ear.
“The lords are here, Carden. They’re supposed to take me home tomorrow,” I reply, careful to keep my voice low and void of panic this time.
“I know that, Blair. But it’s not what you think. Alina is planning something, as she always is. She will attempt to bind them to her for all eternity using your power tomorrow, I can feel it in my bones.”
His words chill me. The thought of being forcibly attached to Alina for the rest of my immortal existence sends a dread I’ve never felt plummeting into my stomach. Even the slim chance of her doing it sends me backing Carden toward the window again, my mind made up. If I’m a danger to the lords, it’s better that they don’t know me in this life, isn’t it? Thinking that almost brings up the same amount of dread as Alina. I sigh and turn my face into Carden’s chest, wrapping my arms around his waist for comfort. He returns the hug, rocking me back and forth for comfort. It’s been a long time since anyone has made me feel so safe. In fact, I don’t remember a time in my vampire life at all that I’ve felt this. . . cherished.
He came for me.
He. . . came for me!
“Thank you, Carden. Thank you for caring enough about the human me to save the vampire me,” I murmur into his chest.
“They’re the same person, Blair,” he replies, rubbing my back.
His words resonate with me, and I step back, nearly dumbstruck. My human self is stirring in that deep place inside my chest as if his words had hit a deep cord in whoever I was before. Did I have a different opinion? Does it matter now? No, I think before walking up to the window and jumping right now. Carden gasps behind, leaning out the window to watch me fall. I’m not worried for myself as I land neatly on the balls of my feet, my training with Han kicking immediately. Everything he taught me had a specific use, and one of our lessons relied heavily on getting away undetected. And now that I’m here, standing beside my bags beneath the castle window, I think that maybe he had been giving me an out. A clue, a chance.
“Come on,” I call up to Carden, motioning for him to jump.
He’s staring at me open mouthed as if he can’t believe that I had the strength and stamina to jump by myself. I roll my eyes and start to pile the bags across my shoulders, getting ready to run quickly toward the tree line. Carden drops down beside me, just as quietly as I did. He takes the remaining bags and leads the way, running swiftly across the grounds. The full moon leads the way, shining brightly over us and energizing my skin. I’m not sure if all the books and movies that indicated vampires are stronger during the full moon are accurate, but I feel good nonetheless.
At first getting away feels easy. Like Alina’s security is only Han because no one would dare defy the unofficial vampire queen anyway. But then an uneasy feeling begins to grow once we make it into a large clearing, the massive sycamore tree Carden mentioned previously standing in the middle, limbs reaching to all edges of the soft grass. Another person is beneath the tree, and it shoots a bolt of fear through my chest until I recognize the neon green hair. Jade. She came.
Once we’re close enough, I drop my bags and pull her into a tight hug which she returns with an eagerness that tightens my chest. All these weeks being alone and circling horrible thoughts in my head led me to believe that she would never forgive me for making Carden look at me the way he did. But she came for me. That says enough. Actions are louder than words could ever be.
“Thank you, Jade, thank you so much for coming,” I sob into her shoulder, squeezing her tight.
“Yeah, yeah, now ease up on the vampire strength will you?” she coughs while struggling to get out of my hold.
“Ah! Sorry!”
We step away from each other, smiling. But even through the happiness of her being here, the unease from earlier grows inside my chest as if there’s something out there, lurking, watching. I spin in a circle, my still blood red eyes searching the brush and trees for anything out of the ordinary. Jade tenses beside me as I do so, clearly picking up on my own unease. Carden responds by edging in closer to us and back us toward the massive tree trunk so our backs will be protected.
“What’s ou
t there?” Jade whispers, a tremor in her voice.
“I don’t know,” Carden and I reply at the same time.
My hands clench and unclench repeatedly as I continue to assess our surroundings, the unease growing with every passing moment that we stand here like sitting ducks. Something is coming for us, fast, from the direction of the castle and I’m not sure we should stay here to meet it.
“We might want to move on,” I say, eyes trained on the way we came.
“We can't, I told the lords to meet us here,” Carden replies. “That might even be them.”
I shake my head. “It’s not.”
Silence falls again as we wait huddled against the tree, and Jade’s pounding heart beats in time with my own. Carden’s breathing is steady, even. He’s ready for whatever comes out of those trees, his talons already out and curled. Right at this moment I wish that I had properly learned how to use my power so it could be used as a defense for not only myself but the two dear friends standing beside me. Instead, I unsheathe my claws and a light growl slips from my throat, causing Jade to jump behind me. It doesn’t bother me, the fear. It’s her instinctual reaction to a predator and that’s what I am now. My fangs elongate and I shift my mouth to better position them for the potential tearing they’ll have to do.
“Just stay behind us at all times,” I growl, my voice sounding more animal than human.
She nods into my back, releasing me from her hold to simply rest her hands along my back instead. I know it’s to make her feel better, less alone, so I leave it be. Rustling begins a few miles off, no, not rustling, more like trees falling in the wake of whatever the hell Alina may have sent after us. Carden stiffens beside me as he watches it move closer, and I take a side step closer to him so our forearms brush at our side. The miniscule amount of comfort seems to calm him, albeit slightly.
“Get ready,” he whispers, crouching as the trees shiver in fear at the approaching beast.
Not two minutes later, the trees and brush around the clearing are knocked aside by a roaring feral creature I’ve never had the pleasure of setting my eyes on before. It’s part human, or at least it was at one point in it’s sorry life. Now, the massive creature is a mixture of vampire and human and animal. Over twenty five feet tall with sickly white skin so paper thin that I can see the black blood beating through its veins. The sight reminds me of Alina’s ebony power and how it had writhed beneath her skin. It’s eyes have a red tint like a vampire’s would, but they’re glassy and unfocused. Like the creature isn’t really present in the moment, half inside itself and half out. Either way it’s full of pain and rage. As soon as it’s eyes glimpse us on the ground it lets out an ear piercing roar, forcing all three of us to cower and cover our ears.
“What the fuck is that thing?” Jade wails, dropping to her knees in the dirt.
Carden whips around with a quickness that blurs the air, stacking all of my belongings up and around Jade’s body until she’s barely visible. After placing a reassuring kiss upon her forehead, he turns back around and begins to stride forward toward the hulking thing. I grab his arm in an iron grip, tugging him against my side as fear roars through me.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You can’t fight that thing alone,” I hiss.
“It’s only a matter of time before Alina follows it to this location, plus the lords will be here soon. If this is going to turn into an all-out brawl I’d rather it be as far away from Jade as possible,” he grunts, throwing me off and charging forward with a roar that rivals that of the beast.
Throwing up my hands, I do the same, sprinting after him, my legs pumping across the ground with mind blowing quickness. The monster watches us approach, one eye focused and the other wandering in circles as it swings an uprooted tree toward the middle of Carden’s body. I cry out, increasing my speed to hit him out of the way, but there’s no way that I’ll make it in time. All I can do is watch it come, the monster’s cry ringing through my ears.
“Carden! Watch out!” I scream over the noise, tears threatening.
The tree swings in one might whoosh, falling with expert precision despite the monster’s ill looks. And one moment Carden is about to get smashed, and the next. . . he’s gone? My eyes flit from side to side, sure that I just didn’t see his body be thrown to the side but he’s nowhere to be found. That is, until I look up when the creature roars in frustration, swatting at its own head. Carden is on top of the monster. He had teleported.
“What the fuck!” I screech, running up and stopping at the monsters feet, slashing to no avail. It doesn’t even notice. “Carden!”
The thing thrashes again, roaring, and it sends me into such a panic for Carden’s life that I do something stupid. I start climbing the thing. My long talons give me enough purchase to scale it’s side quickly and efficiently, panting with fear as I go. Each time my talons sink into its flesh, black stinking blood oozes from the wounds, sending me gagging. Whatever magic made this thing is festering in there. The monster thrashes around, throwing me off balance several times with a cry. But Carden’s still up there, I can hear him beating the thing in the head with whatever power he has.
“Carden!” I screech again once I steady myself on the opposite shoulder from him.
His eyes find mine and widen with terror, causing him to momentarily lose his momentum. He whirls his arms, striking out and embedding his talons in the beast's eye by chance. The sound that comes out of its mouth, spit flying, is so ear splitting that I see stars flash across my vision. Despite it, I lunge forward, sending my talons into its other eye, effectively blinding it. Carden calls out to me, reaching for my hand across the distance, when the creature falls to its knees, its big hands coming up to claw at its own face. In the process I’m thrown off by a careless swipe, my breath leaving me in one foul swoop.
My back hits the ground and I skid several yards, my body hitting the earth with such force that I dig up a trench of dirt with my body. My vision tunnels in and out of focus, and I struggle to get my body to obey my commands. I groan, rolling over inch by inch until I’m finally on my hands and knees. But it felt like it took minutes, hours, days to get there. My ears are still ringing, forcing any other sounds out of focus. The creature is still roaring behind me, most likely clawing its own eyeballs out, and Carden. . . is he screaming?
Before I can turn to look, a body slams into me, flipping me onto my back. My bones creak in protest, on the verge of snapping when I look up into a face that appears oddly familiar. The man on top of me is frantically running his arms all across my skin, looking for injuries but all I can focus on the man’s five o’clock shadow and those deep brown eyes. Maybe I’m in shock? Hallucinating, perhaps? Because there’s no way that a hot man like this would come to my rescue.
He says something to me, looking deeply into my face, but I can’t hear him. In truth, I can barely see his lips move, my vision is so blurry. Panic begins to replace the shock, and I buck wildly beneath the strange man, forcing him off with a move Han had taught me. Adrenaline surges through me, giving me the strength to stand that I didn’t have before. My vision spins in circles as I stagger to my feet and away from whoever had just pinned me to the ground.
He follows, hands raised and palms up, pleading with me. I try and fail to decipher the words coming from his lips over and over again. I shake my head back and forth, hitting one ear while tilting my neck like I have water in my ear at the beach. The man stops them, realization dawning on his face. The action helps a little bit, allowing the agonized screams of the beast to come into more focus and I flinch, turning. Three men are fighting it while a fourth lies on the forest floor behind them. Carden.
And the three men. . . they’re monstrous.
Just like Alina is. Dark smoke comes from every pore in their skin, nearly blackening the full moon night. Massive, ebony wings sprout from their backs made of smooth near leather like material with wicked talons on the ends. Their claws and fangs are longer than mine and drip an ac
rid looking poison from them. It sizzles where it touches the beasts pale skin. I think a scream leaves my throat at the sight of them, but I’m not sure. Everything feels so fucked right now. So I don’t focus on it. I focus on getting to Carden.
My legs wobble a bit when I begin running toward his fallen body, but soon my strides even out as I gain both adrenaline and confidence. Distantly, I think the other man is following me, but I ignore him. Jade spots me running toward the fallen body, tears streaking her own face as she looks on longingly. Thank the Gods she has enough sense to stay put, lest she get hurt too.
“Carden!” I hear myself scream in that horrible guttural tone that bleeds out past my fangs.
He doesn’t move, doesn’t appear conscious. My scream had caught the attention of the three winged monsters battling the beast, and their red gleaming eyes snap to me. The hunger there, the longing, makes a shiver course down my spine as I pick up the pace. They won’t stop me from helping him, from making sure he isn’t already dead.
Twenty seconds later I drop to my knees next to his body, running my hands frantically over his torn flesh. Sobs burst forth, the only indication is my blurred vision from the tears and my heaving chest. When I check his pulse, it’s faint, but it’s there and I loosen a breath. Maybe he will live, maybe he will be okay. The man who had pinned me drops to Carden’s other side, swiping two fingers across his brow. I slap his hand away and bare my teeth at him, staking my claim clearly. He backs off, once again showing his hands palm up.
Sobbing through my clenched teeth, I stagger up and begin dragging Carden’s body back toward the tree which is achingly far away. He will be safe with Jade while we take care of the beast. If only I can get him there with the last of my strength, the last of my sheer force of will. But halfway there my feet falter, and I trip backwards toward the hard ground. The strange man is there to catch me, hauling me back to my feet.
Blood Deception: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Royal Covens Book 2) Page 13