The Blood and Light Series (Six Books Boxed Set)

by Rue Volley

  Rue reached towards him and he turned back towards the stairs. He took only three steps before he felt another sharp pain in his head. He fell to his knees and leaned forward on his hands. Rue walked up beside him and reached her hand down to him. Johnathan looked at her hand and laughed.

  “You suck,” he muttered.

  Rue leaned down and looked at him. “I do not suck Johnathan. I like you a lot.”

  Johnathan cleared his throat and leaned back. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Suddenly the wind on his face made him open his eyes. He was sitting in the grass. He looked around quickly and realized that he was in an open field.

  “What the hell?” he muttered.

  He looked up and Rue was standing at the top of the hill looking down the other side, away from him. He pushed himself up and started to walk towards her. She turned back and had a cat in her hands. Johnathan watched as she pet it, blue sparks coming from her fingers. He walked up to her and looked down the hill. He watched as a woman picked flowers. A man walked up to her and she placed her basket into the grass and he kissed her. Johnathan held his hand up to his eyes and tried to recognize them. He looked down at Rue.

  “Who are they?” Johnathan asked her.

  “It’s my Mom and Caine,” she said with no emotion.

  Johnathan stared at them as they held each other.

  “I don’t understand Rue,” he said in a whisper.

  “My mom spends a lot of time with him. She likes him I think. He comes when William sleeps.”

  Johnathan looked down at her.

  “When your Dad sleeps?” he asked her.

  “Yes, Mom has me wave my hand over William’s face and he sleeps, then she comes here, to see Caine. I didn’t know until I followed her one day,” Rue said as she watched them.

  Johnathan started to rub his neck.

  “So, let me get this straight. Your Mom has you put your Dad to sleep so she can come here and cheat on him, with Caine?”

  Rue turned to him and frowned.

  “She is not cheating,” she said with anger in her voice.

  “Well, what would you call it then?” Johnathan asked her.

  Rue threw the cat down and it disappeared into the ground. Flowers popped up where it fell. Johnathan stared at the ground and then back at her. She had a bad look on her face. Johnathan held his hand out and she looked at it, then she started to walk the other way, away from all of them. Johnathan looked back at Grace and Caine just as they started to lower themselves into the grass.

  “Geezus Christ,” he muttered. He looked at Rue as she walked away from him.

  “Wait!” he yelled to her.

  She kept walking, so he had to walk quickly to catch up with her. He looked over at her and she rubbed her thumb in her palm. He stared at her, hoping that she wouldn’t just stop talking to him altogether.

  “Rue, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, of course your Mom wouldn’t cheat on your Dad,” he said. Rue looked at him.

  “I don’t know how she would be cheating. Caine is my Dad, Johnathan.”

  Johnathan stopped walking and held his stomach. His vision blurred and he hurled into the grass at his feet. He fell to his knees and felt another sweeping pain in his stomach and he threw up again. Rue stopped and turned back to him. She walked up and held her hand out to him.

  “Get up Johnathan,” she said.

  Johnathan looked up at her and held his stomach. He grabbed her hand and a flash went through him; his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell into the grass.

  ***

  Caine woke up in the council room and Sophia was leaning over him. He lifted himself up from the floor and looked at her not knowing what to expect.

  “She has destroyed herself, Johnathan,” Sophia said, as she turned to walk away from him.

  He stood there and stared at her back. He grinned. He still looked like Johnathan and the glamour was still holding here in Valon. He stepped toward her.

  “May I ask how,” he said to her. Sophia stopped and turned her head slightly.

  “Does it matter?” she asked.

  “I ask that you tell me, call it morbid curiosity,” Johnathan said as he waited for her response.

  “She jumped into the black water. I simply took her there because she spoke of you changing and I needed to find out why,” Sophia said without emotion. Johnathan walked to her and stopped by her side.

  “Well, she was broken, her mind was chaotic,” Johnathan said without looking at her.

  Sophia turned to him and looked into his eyes.

  “She had a glamour placed on her, was this your doing?” she asked him.

  Johnathan straightened up and looked at her.

  “Yes, I did glamour her. I thought that it may ease her mind. I was mistaken,” he said without taking his eyes away from hers. Sophia turned and started to walk away.

  “There are many here that you would find suitable mates Johnathan, take your pick. You may still mate within the week if you wish.”

  Johnathan grinned. “I will make my choice in due time.”

  Sophia walked to the door and waved her hand over it, it rolled like water and she passed through it. Johnathan stood there and stared. He quickly turned and left the room, heading for Rue’s room. He reached it and looked at the guard in the hallway.

  “Retrieve Laurie Anne. I wish to feed,” he said to him. The guard turned and walked away from him. He stood at Rue’s door and turned the doorknob then stepped in and waited.

  Johnathan stood at the window and stared out at the clouds. He turned when the door opened and Laurie Anne was brought in. She stopped and looked around the room and then her eyes rested on Johnathan. He grinned at her.

  “Sit,” he said to her. She looked at the chair and walked to it quickly. He raised his hand.

  “No… on the bed,” he said to her.

  She stopped and looked at the bed and walked to it, slowly sitting down. Johnathan stood at the window and continued to look out at the clouds.

  “Rue has confided in you, correct?” he asked her.

  Laurie Anne looked at her hands and started to fidget. Johnathan looked back at her.

  “I asked you a question,” he said with a little more force. She shifted on the bed and lowered her head.

  “A little,” she whispered.

  “Tell me, what did she say to you all those times you visited her here?” Johnathan said as he turned to look at her. Laurie Anne sighed and kept her eyes lowered.

  “She is kind to me. She said that she liked me,” Laurie Anne said quietly.

  Johnathan turned and flashed to her. She flinched when she saw his feet in front of her. She refused to look up at him. Johnathan sat down next to her and she wanted to run. He pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at her.

  “She liked you?” he asked her.

  “Yes, she said it many times. She also wanted to look at the clouds out of her window. She would point out the shapes they formed,” Laurie Anne added, hoping it would suffice.

  Johnathan kept his mouth to her ear. She could feel him breathing on her. It caused a chill up her spine. Johnathan relaxed a little but Laurie Anne did not. He closed his eyes as he listened to her heart beat quicken in his ears.

  “What else did she say to you?” Johnathan asked her. She bit her lip and kept her head down. He grabbed her face and turned it to him. “What else?”

  Laurie Anne tightened up. Her stomach felt like it was in knots.

  “She said they we all have a heart that beats the same. We are no different from each other.”

  Johnathan let her face go and stood up laughing. He walked to the middle of the room and then turned to her.

  “Really?” he asked her. Laurie Anne looked up at him and he flashed to her face. He grabbed her lifting her from the floor. She gasped as he tightened his hand on her throat.

  “I assure you that there are many differences between us… strength being one of them.”

  Laurie Anne
struggled as he held her off of the floor. He dropped her and she fell with a thud. He looked down at her and smiled.

  “Would you agree?” he asked her. Laurie Anne tried to catch her breath and nodded as she stared at the floor.

  He leaned down and grabbed her hand, slicing his blade across her palm. He quickly cut his own hand. He pushed her back and put her hand up to his mouth and placed his hand over hers. She struggled under him as a light started to glow under his palm. He bit into her hand and she opened her mouth to scream. He shoved his wrist to her face and his blood filled her mouth. Her eyes started to roll in her head. He drank her blood as she started to swallow his. Her struggling ceased and she drank from him freely.

  He stood up and reached his hand down to her. She took it, stood up and he walked her to mirror sitting her down in front of it. Her skin started to shimmer and she leaned in to see her pupils swirling in color. It looked black, with specks of her blue eyes showing through. She grinned and the blood stained her teeth. Johnathan stood her up and turned her to look at him.

  “You see, a protector is strong… much more so than a human. You have just a taste of what you could be. Shed your humanity, it is weak and has a bitter end. I can offer you so much more.”

  Laurie Anne grinned up at him and leaned toward him. He kissed her hard on the mouth and picked her up and walking to the bed. He dropped her down on it and started to take his shirt off. She started to pull her dress up over her head and leaned back.

  “I want you to give me more,” she whispered.

  Johnathan smiled at her and crawled onto the bed. He grabbed her hair and bit into her shoulder, she cried out and clawed at his back.

  ***

  Josh and I were locked in the most incredible kiss when I heard someone clear their throat. To tell you the truth, I forgot that we even had any one with us at all. I could have kissed him forever. I pulled my lips from his, still he held my face in his hands. Theodore leaned in and cleared his throat again. Josh kept his eyes locked on mine.

  “What?” he asked him. I straightened up, realizing that kissing him was probably a bad idea.

  “Well, we should go back to the house now. We cannot just sit out here, who knows if anyone is coming though the water after her.”

  Josh grunted and started to rise up. He grabbed at my hand and I squeezed his back as we stood there looking at everyone. Kai was grinning and Sam had her hands on her hips, she didn’t look too happy. I grinned back and looked up at Josh. Sam stood her ground as Kai jumped at me, and hugged me.

  He leaned into my ear and whispered, “I love you Rue.”

  I looked at him as he pulled away from me. He almost looked as if he was about to cry. I grinned at him and touched his face. He quickly backed away from me and cleared his throat. I looked at Sam and waved. She grumbled as she stared a hole through Josh. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. I smiled, had to.

  Sam raised her hands and started to walk away from us. I looked at her and then at Josh.

  “Did I make her mad?” I asked. Josh looked at her and then to me.

  “No, she’s mad at me… long story,” he muttered. I crinkled my eyebrows at him and he just didn’t say anything else. He scooped me up and flashed towards the house.

  We came to a dead stop when we got there. Elin stood on the porch looking at us. I grabbed Josh’s blades in a flash and moved towards her so quickly she could not dodge me. I hit her in the mouth with the butt of my blade and she stumbled over the edge of the porch and landed on her back grabbing at her mouth. She smiled up at me and I saw the blood on her teeth. For a split second I wanted to drain her when my stomach clinched up. I pressed on it and jumped down on her and hit her in the mouth again. She rolled me over, stared at me and then to Josh, as she pinned me to the ground.

  “Want to control your pet?” she asked him.

  He flashed to us and tried to grab my hand. I reached out and grabbed her hair, dragging her up with us. I sliced the blade at her and she dodged me. I cried out, as Josh tried to hold us apart. My blade kept flashing by his face and he leaned back to avoid it. I hit him in the side and she kicked me in the stomach. I stumbled as I grabbed at my stomach. She smelled like rotting flowers and I crinkled my nose.

  “You smell like death!” I yelled at her. She crouched down and grinned at me.

  “Josh did not complain,” she said. I tilted my head at her and shot a look at Josh. He half grinned at me, as he held his side.

  I looked back at her and kicked her in the face. She flipped backward and landed on her back. I flashed on top of her and held the blade up over my head. I had every intention of sending her to hell… or wherever she would end up, I didn’t care. I felt a grab at my hands and I looked up to see that Josh had my hands in his. He held on tight and I tried to stab her, but he was stronger than me. I screamed at him.

  “What are you doing?”

  Elin grinned up at me and started to pull herself out from under me. Josh held my hands in place above my head. Theodore, Sam, and Kai came flashing up to us and Sam muttered.

  “Oh shit.”

  I looked at her, I’m sure I looked crazy. She looked at me and raised her eyebrows then she looked at Elin.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked her.

  Elin stood up and brushed herself off. She spat blood onto the ground and looked at me, then to Josh.

  “I have news,” she said. I stared at her, wondering what the hell was happening. I looked up at Josh.

  “What is going on?” I asked him. He looked at me and pulled the blade out of my hand as my fingers relaxed. I pushed myself up and crossed my arms, facing him.

  He didn’t look at me, but he stared at her.

  “What Elin,” he said calmly. I leaned in…

  “Excuse me? Why are we talking to her?” I said.

  She laughed and walked past me. I jumped at her and Josh grabbed my shoulders. She grinned and walked to the front steps and sat down. She looked at her nails with disgust then raised her eyes to me.

  “I know where Johnathan is… for sure,” she said. I looked at her with confusion.

  “You mean we need to go to Valon? You are kidding me, we will die,” I said, as I laughed at her.

  “No, he is in memory, you silly bitch,” Elin said to me.

  I flashed forward and hit her in the mouth, with as much venom as I could. Her head rocked back and she grabbed her jaw. Josh flashed up behind me and held my arms. I looked up at him.

  “What the hell is wrong with you Josh?” I yelled at him.

  He pulled me back from her and Elin spat another mouth full of blood on the steps. She rubbed her jaw and grinned at me.

  “You are stronger than I expected,” she said to me.

  I struggled for a moment and then relaxed. Josh looked at me and had a strange look on his face. I pulled my arm from him and sighed. He went to take a hold of me again and I shrugged him off of me.

  “Someone needs to start to explain why it is okay that she is here, insulting me!” I said, as I gritted my teeth. I looked at Josh. “Has everyone lost their minds?”

  Elin smiled and pushed herself up.

  “Oh, trust me I have done all the insulting that I need to, especially earlier… in your bed Rue Volley.”

  I shook my head and looked at her. She grinned as she stared at Josh. I turned to him.

  “What does that mean Josh?” I asked him.

  He rubbed his neck and avoided eye contact with me. I don’t like where this is heading one bit. I flashed past her into the house and up to my room.

  Josh looked at Elin with disgust.

  “Thank you for that Elin,” he muttered. She smiled as she walked away from the house.

  Sam calmly turned to Josh.

  “I have the mirror. Meet me in the woods in two hours. We will retrieve Johnathan then,” she said. Josh looked at the house and then at the ground.

  “This is going to suck ass,” he muttered.

  He looked at Sam a
nd she stood there with her arms crossed. She pointed at the house and he ran in.

  I stood in my room and looked around. It stunk in there, like Elin and sweat. My bed was a mess and so was the room. My mirrors had been fixed, but everything else lay on the floor. I walked to my bed and took a deep breath, before I placed my hand on my mattress. Flashes started to come into my mind. Disgusting things that made my stomach fold in on itself. Josh flashed up to my door and looked in at me. I stood there with my hand on the bed and then I removed it quickly, as I rubbed my palm. I turned to look at him. He had not stepped into my room yet and I was glad. He was not welcome there anymore. My eyes clouded, but I refused to cry. He can’t have that from me… no way. He took a step in and I held my hand up.

  “Leave,” I said. He stopped and backed up.

  “Rue… it’s not what you think,” he said.

  I looked around the room and then at him.

  “Okay… so what? You guys wrestled in here?” I said, as I scanned the room.

  Josh grinned and my eyes darted to him in a flash. He lost his smile.

  “So, I get abducted and held in Valon against my will, my memory was all messed up and instead of trying to help me, you sleep with Elin… in my bed?” I asked him, as I crossed my arms.

  “I was almost dead Rue… remember? I got stabbed in the chest, Elin poisoned the blade and she was the only one who could wake me up,” Josh said, as I bit my lip.

  My foot started to tap on the floor. He looked down at it and then back up to me.

  I looked at him. “Okay, so she wakes you up and you’re like ‘Oh thank you Elin, get on your back’.” Josh looked at me and grinned.

  “Well, she wasn’t technically on her back, not the whole time,” Josh said. My blood boiled.

  “Oh, not the whole minute?” I asked him.

  He crossed his arms. “It was longer than that,” he said, as he stared at me.

  “Oh, I’m sorry… the whole two minutes, I guess I should give you credit for lasting that long,” I said with sarcasm.

  He stepped into my room and my furniture vibrated as I lowered my hands. Light was glowing in my palms. He looked at my hands and then into my eyes.