Taken by Blood

by Tamara White

  “Brittany, stop!” I demand, when she just goes for the bags without another word.

  She pauses and looks up at me with a carefully blank expression. “I guess you probably want some answers, hey Mer?”

  “Of course I want answers! You went to another dimension, Britt! You met three people you called angels, but I could tell by your tone you didn’t mean angels as in the mythical creatures. And on top of that, there’s something off between you and your guys. You didn’t even object to me sleeping with your husband, for fuck’s sake! I expected you to slap me, or worse, but you just shrugged it off. In fact, you’re still acting as if it was no big deal! Well, news flash, Britt! It was a massive deal, so sit your ass down and tell me what the hell is going on, because I know you’re holding back.”

  She laughs, but then tears start to well in her eyes. I rush to sooth her. “Hey! Shit, I’m sorry. Don’t cry.”

  “No, it’s okay. I just love you so much.” She sits down on the edge of the bed and I sit down beside her, letting her lean her head on my shoulder. “Okay, so the three guys I met in that other dimension are my soul mates. And I learned that my husbands are actually meant to be with you.”

  I frown in confusion as she cries softly against my shoulder, waiting until she stops before I question, “What do you mean, Britt? Those men out there love you so goddamn much. Is that why you were arguing at Nik’s house? Do you really believe that those three guys you saw in the other dimension are meant for you, over your four husbands who are up in my room?”

  “Mer, I felt them,” she whispers, as if too scared to say the words any louder. “When they touched me, it was like my whole life changed in an instant. I could feel them within me, like they were attached to my soul. And since then, I can’t seem to enjoy the touch of my husbands. I am forcing myself to because I know the truth will hurt them, especially after seeing me kidnapped and thinking they’d lost me, but it actually hurts to have them touch me now, Mer, and I don’t know what in the hell to do about it.”

  “Do you mean it physically hurts, or just emotionally? Because if it’s physical, you need to tell them. None of them want to hurt you, and if they know you’re in pain, they will do whatever they can to limit your suffering,” I tell her, while soothingly rubbing my hand up and down her back.

  She breathes in and out slowly, and I can feel the struggle inside her as she debates whether to speak honestly. She’s almost as bad as me, keeping things buried deep until they have no choice but to surface.

  “It hurts physically, like they’re burning me.” She stands up and lifts her shirt. I gasp in shock at the sight of burns in the shape of Torie’s arms from when he had them wrapped around her waist earlier. She was smiling at the time, but how the hell did she hide that kind of pain?

  “Shit,” I breathe out, reaching out to touch the angry red burn. It hasn’t blistered, so it can’t be too bad, but it still looks painful. “You can’t keep this from them, Britt. This is some messed up shit. Does it hurt when you touch them?” I ask, thinking back to when she was running her hand through Blaine’s hair. Her hand didn’t look burnt afterward.

  “No, only when they touch me. It’s like letting someone else touch me is somehow a betrayal to the three men I met. Every time one of them touches me, those three men pop into my mind and say one word, ‘Soon.’

  “I don’t know what the hell is going on or why I feel this way. All I know is that something is coming and we won’t be able to stop it until it’s too late. I’m scared that when it happens, that I’ll die. It just feels like this is where my life has been leading me—to death.”

  I frown and get to my feet, pulling her into a hug and holding her while she cries. Everything that has happened in the past twelve hours has taken its toll on her.

  Hearing her talk about how she felt like things were leading toward her death has me wondering about just that. Her mother, one of the guardians who stands watch over the in-between, told me that Britt would die and become my guardian. Why would she be so accepting of that fate for her daughter if it wasn’t for a higher purpose?

  I have to believe there is a reason these things are happening, otherwise I’m going to kick the ass of those higher beings when I die. That’ll teach them to mess with our lives like we’re nothing more than a game.

  “Sweetie, whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out together. I promise,” I tell her solemnly, and she nods against my shoulder. “Now, let’s get these bags back to my room before those men of yours come and chase me down for hogging you.”

  She sniffles, and when she pulls away, I see a wall go back up behind her eyes to hide her fear. But before she can shut down, I urge, “You need to tell the guys about the burning before we leave, okay?” She looks hesitant and I glare at her sternly. “If you don’t, I will.”

  She sighs in defeat. “I’ll tell them before we get on the plane, I promise.”

  I nod, pleased, and follow her as she grabs three already packed bags out of the little wardrobe up against the wall. It looks as if they’ve just been living out of bags while they’ve been here, which I guess is what I was doing until recently too. But still, I thought Britt would have more than just these three.

  “Is there anything else you want to bring?” I ask, looking skeptically at the three small backpacks, wondering if she really has enough for the journey.

  She shrugs, hiking a bag up onto her shoulder and holding one out for me. She carries the third in her arms, cradling it gently like it holds precious objects. “Nah, I should be good. Besides, I can always teach you how to magic us up some clothes if we run out.”

  I nod, accepting her answer, but feeling nervous about the prospect. Magic seems to come to me naturally when I need it to, but I doubt it will work as well if I’m just trying to magic up a dress or some clothes to wear.

  We head back up to the room, and when we get inside, I see my grandmother leaning over Blaine’s shoulder, paying close attention to whatever it is he’s explaining. She looks up when she hears us enter and makes her way toward me. I straighten my back, worried she’s going to demand I stay just like my mother did.

  “Emerald, I’m coming with you.”

  My mouth opens and closes, completely unsure how to respond.

  I look around for my parents and my mother seems to appear out of thin air. “Yes, Emerald, your grandmother is coming with you. Even though I can’t, she can in an unofficial capacity, playing the doting family member while taking you on a tour of the different covens to help prepare you for royal duties. It will give you a political reason to get into the coven, one Maria can’t refute. You will have to be patient and bide your time before you can see Talon. If you go in there and just demand to see him, you’ll draw too much attention to yourself. And above all, you need to listen to your grandmother, Emerald. I mean it. She’s going to give you a crash course in how to be a vampire princess.”

  My eyes dart to Nik and Dev, desperately trying to find a reason to leave my grandmother behind, but I come up empty.

  I sigh, giving in. Then it occurs to me that it might actually be a good idea to have Joan of Arc with you when you go to rescue your vampire lover.

  Fifteen

  Paris

  Emerald

  The next few hours go by relatively quickly. We ended up taking a fleet of SUVs to the airfield, because apparently Nik didn’t like keeping his plane at any ordinary airport. We still had to be screened by customs officers, though, because we were such a big party and because of the fact we’re not just going to another state, but leaving the country altogether.

  Nik did end up using his abilities to conceal the bags of blood we had stashed in one of my suitcases, as well as the weapons. They weren’t in the same suitcase, of course, although in my rush to pack, I accidently did just that and pierced a bag of blood with a dagger.

  My mother said she’d have it cleaned for me and called for Jasper to have another suitcase brought up to us. After he left my room, I went to
pack all the blood bags inside, but then Nik stopped me, telling me they needed to be in specially made coolers to ensure the blood didn’t spoil. Something he really could have told me the first time around. But seriously, why aren’t the blood bags sturdier? And why did we need so many in the first place?

  After our bags were checked and we were given the all clear, we boarded the plane. Nik gave us a quick tour before locking himself in the cockpit with my grandmother, who apparently also knew how to fly a plane.

  The twelve hour flight went by faster than expected, but the first hour? Well, that was filled with tension. None of us seemed to like being trapped in such an enclosed space without means of escape. Linc stayed by my side, gripping my hand for comfort as his wolf fought for freedom.

  Britt ended up feeding him a potion from her bag, which she still hasn’t let go of, that knocked Linc out within seconds. When she showed me the assortment of vials, I couldn’t help but ask why she needed so many. There were close to a hundred of vials in all different shapes and sizes and the only thing she would tell me was, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  After I was sure Linc was knocked out, I had to deal with telling Britt’s husbands about what their touches were doing to her. The only reason I did so was because I knew she had chickened out. The guys were still touching her casually, which I knew they wouldn’t be doing if she had told them the truth. She may have thought she could fool me by wearing clothes that covered every inch of her skin, but I saw the flinches when one of her husbands would rest a hand on the small of her back or brush against her, as well as the way she would back up if they tried to kiss her.

  None of her guys were too happy to learn she had kept something so important from them. Blaine’s hands formed fists so tight, his knuckles turned white. While I spoke to him, I could feel he was pissed through our connection. Meron started pacing the length of the plane, unable to speak while caught up in the storming emotions that were running through him, not that I could really blame him. Kellan just seemed confused and asked a bunch of questions, none of which Britt had answers to. Then lastly, poor Torie. He lifted Britt’s shirt to see the marks his hands had left on her waist and then his eyes filled with guilt.

  Needless to say, the rest of the flight was even more tense than the first part, and we were all thankful when we landed. When we got into the cars waiting for us at the airport, my grandmother explained that she actually owned five hotels in Paris, the hotel we were staying at being one of them. Which leads me to now, where I’m staring up at this monstrosity of a hotel before me.

  Although we’re in the middle of the city, I don’t even bother taking in the sights because I just want to shower and then start looking for Talon. But since the sun is close to coming up here, we don’t really have much time. So instead, I follow my grandmother as she walks up to the receptionist, speaking fluent French. Before long, we’re all checked in and my grandmother hands Britt and I each a key, keeping one for herself.

  “Brittany, I got you a single room as you requested.”

  My gaze shoots to Britt in surprise. What about her husbands? Why the hell didn’t my grandmother get them their own room if Britt wanted to be alone?

  “Emerald, you will be sharing with all your men. I was able to get you the penthouse suite, so there should be plenty of places for all of you to sleep.”

  I bristle at the ‘all my men’ remark. Only three of them are mine. I glance over at Britt’s guys, all of whom are staring at her with looks ranging from anger to hurt. I turn to my grandmother. “Are you on the same floor as Britt?”

  She nods once. “Yes, we’re on the floor below you. You can rest assured, Emerald. I would never let harm come to someone under my protection.”

  I consider her words before giving a resigned sigh, knowing I won’t be able to change Britt’s mind on this. “Fine, but if anything happens to her, you better pray you’re immune to magic, because four angry witches will be hunting you down.”

  She stiffens at my words, but I don’t apologize, instead turning toward the elevators, carrying two of my bags with me. All of the guys, mine as well as Britt’s, follow after me. Lincoln leads them, while lugging two heavy bags under his arms. When we get up to the penthouse, I forget everything that just happened and just stare in awe of the place around me.

  The suite is swathed in reds, golds, and silvers. It’s luxurious and fit for royalty. The first thing you see when you step inside is the large picture window, with a view of the Eiffel tower in the distance. We’re about thirty floors up and a fair distance away, but it’s still a breathtaking sight.

  The guys all seem unimpressed and start moving around the room, setting their bags down. I, on the other hand, walk out onto our little balcony, eager for a better look. The sun is slowly rising and Nik and Dev have already begun closing the curtains in the room. I want to watch it rise though. I want to watch the light bounce off the Eiffel tower and pretend for one moment that life isn’t complicated.

  I don’t know how long I stand out here watching the sun slowly ascend, before arms slip around my waist, pulling me close. A chin rests on my shoulder and I smile, content being held while watching the sun comes up.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Blaine whispers in an awe-filled voice as we watch the sun. I fight against the urge wiggle out of his arms, sensing he needs this after what Britt pulled in the lobby, but I can’t help the guilt I feel for enjoying it.

  No, I’m not going to feel guilty for letting him touch me in such an innocent way when we’ve done so much worse. I know he needs this comfort, and I wouldn’t be so cruel as to withhold that from him.

  I let myself relax in his arms before answering, “It’s so breathtakingly beautiful and I don’t even know why. Is it just because we’re in another country and it feels new?”

  “No, I think it’s the moment. We always go through life in such a hurry, despite the fact we live for long spans of time. So when we stop to appreciate the little things, like a sunrise, it just hits us harder. There’s always going to be bad in the world, but moments like these remind us that the good things can pass us by in a flash. And when they’re gone, we’ll regret all the things we let slip through our fingers.”

  As he speaks, I can tell he’s not talking about the sunrise anymore. I turn in his arms and let myself see the pain in his eyes. He’s trying to hide it, but I know that whatever is going on with Britt must be killing him.

  I cup his cheek, preventing him from looking away. “I’m sorry Britt banished you guys up here, but you need to have faith that everything will work out. She’s struggling right now, but I know she loves you guys and doesn’t want to lose you.”

  “She doesn’t love us anymore.” He doesn’t say any more than that and I cock my head, trying to figure out why he would think such a thing.

  “What do you mean she doesn’t love you? Of course she does!”

  He shakes his head sadly. “No, I know she doesn’t.” When I still look at him in confusion, he sighs, relenting. “We know because Kel is an empath. That’s why he likes everyone around him to be happy. He’s good at blocking most of us now because he doesn’t want us to feel like he’s intruding on our feelings, but when Britt started acting strangely, he used his ability to see if there was some inner turmoil she was dealing with, wanting to help her if he could.

  “What he found was a crushing desire to find the three men she saw over there, and practically no feelings for us. It was like her heart was empty of feelings for us. We also think she wasn’t entirely truthful, because Kel says she already loves the men she saw in that other dimension. Which means they either visited her more than once, or she’s seen them before. Unless they cast a spell on her, but Kel would have been able to sense it if that were the case.”

  My mouth gapes open like a fish out of water as I try to make sense of everything, but what he just said is a little too much to swallow. Kellan is an empath and knows how Britt really feels about him, and that she
doesn’t love them any more? Then why would she tell me she did? Was it just out of guilt? The next time I go to the in-between—and there will be a next time even, if I have to kill myself to get there—I need to get some fucking answers.

  “Look, I know this isn’t exactly what you’re going to want to hear, but please be patient with her,” I beg him. “I promise you, that even if it kills me, I will find answers about what’s going on.”

  He sighs, resting his chin on top of my head as he hugs me fiercely. When he pulls away, I let my arms drop, thinking he’s going back inside to tell the others, but he surprises me by kissing me instead.

  I freeze for a moment, unsure whether to respond, but my body betrays me when he pushes me back a step into the railing of the balcony, and then presses against me. I find myself twining my hands behind his neck, groaning when he nips my bottom lip. When he pulls back, he looks down at me with a smile.

  “I know this is probably still weird for you, but Britt is right about one thing. I do crave your touch. I watch you touch Nik or Dev, and wish it was me,” he admits, and my breath hitches at his words, my pulse racing. “Do you feel it too?”

  Seeing such vulnerability in his eyes, I know I have to be honest with him. I sigh and look down at my feet. “Yes, I feel it. But...” I lift my eyes to meet his and bare my soul to him. “I also feel guilty. Every time I touch you or feel the urge to, it feels like I’m betraying my best friend and using you guys.

  “This craving isn’t just for you, Blaine. I find myself more and more enamored by Meron, Torie, and Kellan with each passing day, but have no clue why. We barely interact, but even so, I find myself reaching to touch you all. I have to use all my restraint not to give into those urges. I think what happened with us back at the house has made the cravings so much worse, but I haven’t even begun to think about how this is going to affect us all. Britt seems okay with what happened, but is she really? What happens if I slip and give into those urges to touch or kiss you or one of the others?