The Blood and Light Series (Six Books Boxed Set)

by Rue Volley

  “I think I just saw a flash of something go across the path,” she whispered. I looked and saw a black color swirl in the air.

  “It was just Josh,” I said.

  “Oh... just Josh, moving like a flash of light, okay... cool,” Sara said half halfheartedly.

  “Listen Sara, the only way that they will let you stay around, and know what we are, is if you act cool... k?” I said as I looked at her.

  “I'm cool... I am, no worries,” she said as she gave me a fake grin.

  “You can't act all nervous, I can feel it in your hand,” I said.

  “You can feel.... how I feel?” she asked me.

  “Yes, I can... you know it's just something I can do now, but they will all be able to feel it, so you need to slow your breathing down, and act normal.”

  “Normal... right, okay,” she said as she started to press her middle fingers to her thumbs.

  “You don't even know how to meditate do you?” I asked.

  “No, not really,” she said as she dropped her hands.

  “This is no big deal, just stay with me.”

  I pulled her along, as I gripped her hand in mine. I watched the air get thick with color and I knew we were close. I looked down the hill and saw Theodore kneeling by the large lake. I called out as he stood up and turned to me. He already knew that I was here, but old habits of saying hello still lingered in me. We walked up to him and Theodore looked at me, and then to Sara.

  “Oh, I see that Sara has decided to join us,” he said as he smiled.

  Sara grinned. “Yea, I thought I'd come and hang out, you know... talk and stuff,” she said it with some nervousness in her voice. I squeezed her hand and she looked down.

  “I wanted her to come,” I said.

  “Well, okay then,” he said as he knelt back down.

  “We rode the horse,” I said as I looked to Sara.

  “You and the horse...yes, curious stuff there,” he said as he waved his hand over a symbol he etched into the mud. It started to glow and Sara's eyes got wide. She took a step back.

  “Sara, you don't need to be so fearful,” he said as he stood up.

  She held her ground. “I'm cool,” she said.

  “Well, you don't feel ‘cool’,” he said with a grin.

  “Oh, I'm sorry... it's just weird. Rue said you could feel, ya know, the way I feel,” she said.

  “Yes... it's a necessary evil, I'm afraid,” Theodore said as he walked a few steps and knelt back down.

  “What are you doing?” Sara asked.

  “He is placing protection spells, it will prevent anyone... well, like us, from entering the town,” I said without hesitation.

  “Like magic?” she asked as she stepped towards Theodore, staring down at him.

  Theodore laughed. “Yes, I guess you could call it ‘magic’. More like a transfer of energy, but if the word ‘magic’ makes it simpler for you, then call it that.”

  “Okay, so why by the lake?” she asked him.

  “Well, because our Rue here has proven that water can be a portal, we don't want any surprises. There are others like us, not so friendly to humans.”

  Josh flashed up to us and Sara gasped. She put a death grip on my hand, her heart pounded in my palm. I sighed and looked at him, a little out of disgust for his dramatic entrance.

  “Hi Josh,” Sara said as she fidgeted, moving behind me.

  Josh grinned and leaned in to the two of us.

  “You brought Sara I see,” he said as he winked at me.

  “I did,” I said.

  “So, Sara.” Josh leaned past me and looked at her. She smiled, not a full smile, but the best she could muster. “Are you doing okay?” Sara nodded and he laughed. “Really...? Well I could feel you all the way out in the woods, your heart is pounding in your chest.”

  “Well.” Sara cleared her throat, “You know, it's just different... all this.”

  He stood up straight and tilted his head.

  “Different...? Okay, if that's what you want to call it,” Josh said, as a wicked grin crossed his face.

  “Stop playing with her Josh,” I said.

  “Well, it's just hard to concentrate, her fear is radiating out like a radio tower,” Josh said. “I know you feel it Rue.”

  I turned to Sara and smiled. “You are doing a great job of not freaking out,” I said.

  “Thanks,” she said back to me, more in the form of a question.

  Josh reached around me and took her hand. “Here, let me show you something Sara,” he said to her.

  Her eyes stuck on mine for a moment, and then she stepped around me, and let him lead her over to the edge of the lake. I watched as he leaned down and etched a symbol into the dirt. He took her hand and put it on top of his. He closed his eyes and the symbol started to glow under his hand. Sara, “whoo'd” and he smiled at her.

  “Did you feel that?” he asked her.

  “Yea, it felt like a vibration, kind of warm,” she said to him.

  “That was a transfer of my energy, like electricity into the symbol. Now this symbol will not allow anyone to just pop up, through the water.”

  “Oh... that's cool,” she said as she stared at him.

  He stood up and smiled at me. “See... I'm nice,” he said.

  “Okay, Josh, you were nice to show her that.”

  “Better now Sara?” he asked as he reached his hand down to her. She took his hand and stood up.

  “Yep, at least I understand what you did, can't say I know how you did it,” she said with a smile.

  “Good... can you calm down now, you think?” he leaned in close to her. “because you are making me hungry.” Her eyes got big and I could hear her heart flutter. She looked back at me.

  “Nice Josh... listen Sara, you are not food,” I said, as I walked to her.

  “Uh huh,” she said as Josh flashed away from us.

  Theodore stood back up. “Sara, my little brother is a prisoner of torturing people, he can't help himself.”

  “Torture?” she asked me.

  “Theodore means that Josh is a dick,” I said.

  Sara smiled. “Oh,” she said as she started to laugh.

  I closed my eyes as I felt a jolt behind me. I turned, and saw Johnathan walking towards us.

  Sara turned too. “Johnathan!” Sara said. He shook his head as he stopped in front of us.

  “Hi Sara... what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Rue brought me, are you doing the symbol thingy too?” she asked.

  He grinned. “Wow, okay... yeah, I'm doing the symbol thingy.”

  “Cool,” she said.

  I looked at Johnathan and he grinned. “You rode that horse,” he said to me.

  “Yea, we both did.”

  “I can feel it on you…and Sara, could you calm down ya think?” he said as his eyes shifted to her in a blur.

  “God...! I am trying!” she said.

  “Don't get all crazy,” he said. “It's just a distraction, I'm trying to help and I keep hearing your heart beating like a drum in my head.”

  Kai and Sam flashed up to us and I felt Sara's hand start to sweat in my hand. She slowed her breathing and I grinned at her.

  “Sara,” Sam said.

  Kai winked at her. Sara relaxed a little.

  Sam looked at Theodore. “How long are you going to let her run around with her memory?” she asked.

  Theodore walked to us. “It seems that Rue would like for me to leave Sara alone,” he said.

  Sam put her hands on her hips. “Really? Well I don't think we should do that.”

  I stepped up to her. “Listen, Sam... Sara will be fine, I promise.”

  Sam shifted her eyes to mine. “Well, she's out here smelling like a deer.”

  “She is calming down, we just need to let her know what we are doing, she is fine. I know it's distracting, but she is just new to all this. I kinda freaked out too,” I said, hoping I would convince her.

  “But you feel dif
ferent Rue, you didn't make me hungry,” she said as she looked at me.

  “Hello...? I am right here,” Sara said. “Listen, I think I did a good job of getting you guys past those stupid movers. I didn't freak out and run down the street screaming when I realized whatever it is that you all are... did I? Don't talk about me like I'm not here... and I am not food! If I am making you hungry, then let’s go back and eat some food... I am not a freakin hamburger!”

  I looked at Sara and smiled. She had just reminded me why I liked her so much, I guess she just needed a moment to calm down and let it settle in. Her energy had just shifted from the food category to the irritated teenage girl category... and I just love her for that.

  Sam laughed and so did Theodore.

  “Well, I think that Sara may be on to something, let’s go back to the house and I will cook up a feast. Enough work for today.”

  I squeezed her hand and she sighed.

  “You are too funny,” I whispered to her.

  She grinned and we started to walk up the hill towards the exit.

  Josh and Johnathan flashed past us, Kai and Sam followed closely.

  Theodore flashed up to us and slowed down to a walk. “Seems that they are racing. I think that I will just walk, with you two.”

  I reached over and put my arm around Theodore and he smiled.

  We walked back, no flashing. I felt like I was on strike. Well, at least temporarily. Everyone was already in the house and we walked in on the same old conversation, the one I had gotten used to.

  “I swear to god Kai, sometimes I wonder if you ever think before you talk,” Sam said as she stood in the middle of the room. Josh and Johnathan were sitting on the couch and Kai was in the kitchen.

  Theodore headed towards the kitchen and took the pan out of Kai's hand.

  “I think that you just haven't given my cooking a chance, I really can cook Sam,” Kai said as Theodore took the apron off of him.

  “No... you cannot,” Sam said.

  I smiled. She looked at me for back up. I shrugged my shoulders.

  “Oh please Rue! How you endured his concoctions this long, is a mystery,” she said as she raised her hands into the air.

  “I'm not going to comment,” I said, seeking neutral ground.

  “Oh come on Rue!” Kai said as he walked towards us. “Tell them about the chicken.”

  “See... you don't even have a name for it, it's just ‘the chicken’,” Sam said as she quoted in the air.

  “Well, when you are an artist, you don't have to call it anything, it's just chicken,” Kai said to her.

  “An ‘artist’?” Sam laughed. “More like a masochist.”

  “Hey... you don't know,” he replied.

  “Oh I do.” she walked up to him and touched his face. She stood there for a moment and smiled.

  “Well,” he said as he grinned at her.

  “Gross,” I muttered. The thought of Kai getting any girl excited just made me throw up in mouth a little.

  Sara had been quietly enjoying herself. I felt her even out, energy wise, and I knew that she had settled into the fact that we were something she could never fully understand, but she has accepted it, the best she could. She let go of my hand and walked to the couch. She sat down in between Josh and Johnathan, and Josh grinned at me, as he glanced at her. She turned to him and started to chat. He looked at her and to me.

  “Well, I would love to understand more about what you did out there,” she said.

  Josh looked at her. “Well… it was exactly what I said… give or take a few minor details.”

  “I just, well… whenever you want to hang out and talk, I'd just love to ask you questions,” she said.

  I stood there, suddenly realizing that Sara, despite the fact that Josh had said that she made him hungry, was flirting with him. I didn't know why it bothered me, but it did. I looked at Johnathan and reached out my hand. He looked up at me and grinned. He stood up and we walked out the front door and sat down on the porch swing. I rocked it as we sat down, we sat there as it moved slowly.

  “I'm sorry about earlier,” I said.

  He put his arm around me. “Why would you be sorry?” he said as he pulled me over towards him.

  “I just don't want you to think that I didn't want to stay, in the room... ya know,” I said without looking at him.

  “I didn't take it bad, I understand,” he said.

  I looked over to him, his face was so close to mine. “You do?” I said.

  “Well, yea… listen Rue, everything has moved so fast. So much has happened, I know that we all have things that we are still dealing with.”

  “I love the fact that you think about stuff,” I said as I laid my head down on his shoulder.

  “What...? Because I'm a guy, I can't think?” he said half laughing.

  “No... not that, I just don't know. I just feel a pull towards you, it's overwhelming sometimes.” I suddenly felt a little vulnerable. Like I’d said something that would haunt me.

  “So, you do too,” he replied.

  I sat up and looked at him.

  “Yea, it's like you’re a magnet... figuratively speaking. I feel pulled towards you, it's crazy.”

  “I feel the same way. It's like my blood is separating from my body,” he whispered.

  “I didn't know that you felt the same way, it's not that I don't love you, because I do Johnathan. I just feel like something else happens... especially when I know that you are in danger.”

  “Maybe it's because you drank my blood,” he said. “But you drank Josh's blood too Rue.”

  I stood up and looked out at the forest. “I did, but with you it was different.”

  “I wish that he had not fed you Rue,” he said, as he sat motionless on the swing.

  I turned around to see that he was staring at his hands. I leaned in and took his hand in mine.

  “Listen... he just fed me. What we did in the forest, that was a totally different thing.”

  “Oh, tell me about it. I think about it all the time,” he said as he looked up at me.

  I stood up straight as he rose up in front of me. I stared at his chest. I couldn't really look into his eyes. He reached out and I closed my eyes as he touched my face. I could feel the energy coming through his hand into my skin. I sucked in my breath, it was staggered and I heard his heart flutter.

  “Rue,” he whispered.

  “Johnathan, I think we should go back in,” I said.

  He stepped closer to me. “Is that really what you want?” he asked.

  “You know what I want,” I said before I thought about it.

  “We could go into the forest right now,” he whispered.

  He leaned in and I felt his mouth gently graze my chin, he pressed his cheek against mine and my heartbeat jumped. I knew if we stayed on this porch they would begin to feel us. I grabbed his hand and we flashed into the forest, I ran with him until I felt like we were a safe distance away. I stopped and let his hand go and stepped forward. I looked up through the trees and saw the clouds drifting over slowly. I thought I saw a rabbit start to form, but it floated apart and I turned back to him. He stood there with his hands in his pockets looking at me. I walked to him and placed my hand on his face. Then I pushed him down onto his back. He looked up at me, with a look of shock on his face. I pulled my shirt off and then took my jeans off in a flash.

  “Oh my god.” he whispered.

  I flashed on top of him and grabbed his hands and pressed them above his head. I pressed my lips against his hard and he squirmed under me. I sat up and tore his shirt open, breaking the buttons.

  “Wait... wait Rue.”

  I ignored him. I leaned down and kissed his chest, then I stopped and bit him. He almost rose up off the ground, but I pressed against him. He groaned as I kissed him hard on the mouth. Then I started to back up, on my knees, as I kissed his chest. I almost made it to the top of his pants and he grabbed my arms.

  “Rue… please.”

&nbs
p; I leaned down and bit him on his pelvic bone and he cried out. I rose up with blood on my lips and a flash went through my mind. I blinked in confusion. I went to lean back down and a flash rolled through my mind, it was Johnathan and Elin in his bed. I sat up and pushed myself up in a flash.

  “What was that?” I asked him.

  “What…? It looks like you are trying to violate me…” he said with a grin.

  “I felt something when I touched you, it felt different... like someone else,” I said.

  I staggered as a flash went through my mind again. Elin pressing down on him hard, Johnathan arching his back.

  “What the hell?” I yelled at him... “I just saw Elin on top of you Johnathan!”

  “Oh god Rue, I have to talk to you about what happened, while I was gone,” he said.

  I looked at him and tilted my head. “Uh huh, bet you do,” I said.

  He pushed himself up off of the ground. “I think that something happened between me and Elin,” he said.

  “What do you mean by ‘you think’, either you know, or you don't. By the way I see it… something definitely happened Johnathan!” I said.

  “Well, you have to understand, I didn't know about us. I had Josh take my memory,” he said as he looked at the ground.

  “Oh my god, are you telling me that you had… ya know, with her?” I said as I straightened up.

  “I don't know... maybe,” he said, almost in a whisper.

  I lowered my head looking at him.

  “You don't know?” I asked him.

  “Yeha, I don't know,” he said with irritation in his voice. He threw his hands up. “There were nights that I think she slept in my room, it's all fuzzy, but I think maybe it did happen… but I swear, I didn't want to,” he said as he raised his eyes to mine. I raised my eyebrows.

  “Well if you didn't want to, then you wouldn't have,” I said, as I crossed my arms.

  Another flash went through my mind. “Oh god, she is disgusting!” I yelled at him.

  He stepped towards me and I backed up.

  “Oh my god... I keep seeing her on top of you!” I yelled.

  “Please, listen to me she was… I think she had a spell on me.”

  “Oh, is that your defense...? That's just perfect Johnathan, that has to be the weakest shit that I have ever heard,” I said, as I turned to walk away from him.