The Blood and Light Series (Six Books Boxed Set)

by Rue Volley

  Jonah stood up and looked around the room. “And what if the consensus ends up not in your favor?”

  Caine looked at him and flashed to the girl. He took his blade and ran it straight through her. He swung her over his head and slammed her down in the middle of the table, knocking everything off. The rouge protectors scattered to the walls and Caine jumped onto the table over her and held his hand up to her mouth. The light started to seep out of her into his palm and he hissed. She arched her back and her skin blackened. Jonah stood there looking as if he was in shock. Caine stood up on the table, jerked his blade out of her chest and kicked her body off of the table. He pointed his blade at Jonah.

  “It would be in your best interest to make sure that all here understand that I am Lord and master to all, and rightfully the new owner of this camp.”

  Jonah stepped up to him, understanding that he could either kneel or be destroyed. He looked at everyone in the room and took his hat off. He knelt down to one knee and lowered his head.

  “Lord Caine,” he muttered. Everyone else knelt down and muttered the same thing.

  Caine stood there and wondered why Lily had been gone so long. She stepped in at that moment and looked around the room. Caine turned to her and looked at Sara. She had been dressed in a gold sheer dress, it hung to the floor. She swayed, with her eyes looking as if they would roll back into her head at any moment. He stepped down as everyone rose up, including Jonah. Lily glanced at Jonah and he tilted his head at her. She stood there holding onto Sarah who looked around and giggled. She was oblivious to what had happened just a few short minutes ago.

  Caine grabbed Sara’s arm and looked at the multiple bites on her. He glanced at Lily and she pinched her own nipple, making a low noise in her throat.

  “Did I not say that she was to be spared your appetite?” he said to Lily.

  She grinned, blood still on her teeth. Caine looked to Jonah.

  “Everyone can go back to their business now. I would like you and your sister to come with me.”

  Jonah nodded at everyone in the room and they filed out.

  Caine looked at Sara and held her face in his hand.

  “Do you realize that it will take me twice as long to temporally turn her now that you have tainted her with your blood?”

  He glanced at Lily and she let Sara’s arm go. Caine grabbed Sara around the waist. Sara half-heartedly hit him in the chest and laughed out loud.

  “You know, I have never had wine before… it’s really messed me up.”

  Caine grinned at her and leaned into her face.

  “Not half as much as you will be under me,” he whispered. Sara giggled and swayed in his grip.

  “I don’t know about that,” she said as she laughed at him. “You know you remind me of a friend that I have. He is so cute... just like you are.” Caine looked at Jonah and Lily.

  “I think that tonight it will be just the two of us… go and play,” he said to them.

  Lily stepped up to Jonah and Jonah whispered into her ear. Lily looked back and bowed to Caine. Caine grinned at her.

  “Don’t go too far Lily… my appetite knows no bounds.”

  Jonah grabbed Lily’s arm and dragged her from the tent. Jonah stood there and Lily pressed her face up against the tent. She listened as she heard the plates fall from the table. Sara cried out and Caine moaned. Jonah pressed up against her from behind and slid his hands under her dress. She pushed back on him and started to walk away.

  Jonah stood there for a moment longer and then decided that it was time to entertain some unsuspecting young girls. He headed for the stage and took a breath, before he ran up the steps and onto the stage. He looked out into the crowd and spotted a little black haired girl, probably fifteen, and started his speech once again. He winked at her and she grinned. Jonah grinned back and tipped his hat to her.

  ***

  I slept, but not in peace. I had horrific nightmares about Lily’s teeth grinding into my skin and Jonah tipping his hat to me. My dream bounced around from that to Josh lit up with a lightning strike and blood dripping from fangs in his mouth. Fangs… ha. I must have swung at something in my sleep and I woke up as I hit the floor. I lay there catching my breath then pushed myself up on my elbows flinching as I heard a voice in my room. I looked over to see Johnathan sitting on the chair at my vanity. I rolled over and sat up, rubbing my elbow… it had taken the blunt of my fall.

  “You okay?” he asked me. I sighed and pushed myself up.

  “Well, no actually… how are you?” I asked him as I sat on the edge of my bed.

  He smiled at me.

  “Why are you in my room Johnathan?” Legitimate question, I believe.

  He stood up and walked towards me. I scooted over and he sat down next to me. He touched his hair… a prelude to any of his conversations, as of late… and sighed. I waited to hear his brilliant answer, but he turned to me and grinned.

  “Okay… are you high?” I asked him. He laughed.

  “No… I am not.” I tilted my head and grabbed a pillow, strategically placing it in between us.

  I know he noticed, because he glanced at it and then back up at me.

  “I wanted to talk to you,” he said. I held the pillow close to me and looked at him.

  “So… you come in here, while I am sleeping and what? Stare me awake?” I asked him.

  He laughed again and turned sideways, letting his leg drape over the side of my bed.

  “No… I just hoped that you would wake up. You did, so now we can talk,” he said as he looked at my hair.

  “Okay… weird as that is… go ahead, what do you want?” I asked him.

  He rubbed his leg and I watched his hand move up and down, until it stopped. I looked back up at him and he was staring at me… not in a good way.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. I tilted my head at him.

  “For what?” I asked him.

  “For saying that I didn’t want to be with you anymore,” he said.

  Oh crap… I should not have kissed him, even if it pissed Josh off.

  I looked at him and sighed. “Listen… that kiss was, well it was nothing,” I said, hoping that my bluntness would put an immediate end to his feelings. He smiled at me.

  “Oh it was something,” he said back to me.

  I stood up and walked to my window. Him breaking up with me was the best thing that had happened. He can’t just do a take back. I turned around and looked at him.

  “Johnathan… you and me, we are just not a good thing,” I said, once again hoping that he would just go to bed. He grinned instead. Awesome, just fantastic.

  “Why are you grinning?” I asked him, feeling a little aggravated.

  He flashed to me and touched my face. I turned my head from him and his fingers stayed with me.

  “Rue… I love you,” he whispered. I stepped around him and walked to the edge of my bed.

  I didn’t want to look at him at that point; he was really starting to piss me off.

  “You need to go to bed… I am sorry if you thought that the kiss from earlier was something that it wasn’t,” I said.

  He stepped up behind me and I heard his heart beat loud in my ears. I didn’t turn around to face him that would have been an immediate invitation for him to grab me. I stood there hoping like hell that he would just leave my room. He was silent for a moment and then grabbed my arm. He turned me around to him and stared at me.

  “Are you in love with him now?” he asked me.

  I pulled my arm from him, feeling a little deja vu from my stay with Caine in Valon.

  “I don’t think that it’s any of your business really, Johnathan. I don’t think that I really love anyone right now,” I said.

  I stepped back from him and his face softened. I looked at him and remembered how charming he was at one time. I didn’t really feel that way anymore. He rubbed his hair and walked to my door. He stopped and looked back at me.

  “I should have never come in here, I knew bett
er,” he said.

  I placed my hands on my hips and stared him down.

  “Doesn’t help kill the creeper jokes.” I said.

  “That was a low blow Rue,” he said as he stood there. I didn’t want to hurt him, I was just trying to make him smile, or maybe I was being a bitch, I don’t know really.

  “I was just kidding Johnathan,” I said as I sat down on my bed.

  I held my hand out to him and he walked back to me. He sat down on the bed and I looked at his face. He looked older now and I guess he was. I really had not noticed until this moment.

  “Listen, I don’t hate you, I really don’t. It’s just not like it was for me… you know, before all the crazy,” I said.

  “I know. I don’t know what I am doing in here,” he said.

  “Well, I think you were trying to get laid,” I said and laughed.

  He smiled, that Johnathan wicked smile that I love to see on his face.

  “Listen, we just need to be friends. I love you, I always will Johnathan,” I said to him.

  He leaned toward me and I leaned back.

  “Not friends with benefits,” I said.

  He laughed again, louder this time. We both heard a door open up in the hallway and my door opened. Josh stood there and crossed his arms on his chest.

  “And you are in here… why?” he asked Johnathan. Johnathan stood up and touched my face.

  “I love you too,” he said to me, loud enough for Josh to hear. Awesome.

  Johnathan stepped up to Josh and Josh blocked his way for a moment. Johnathan looked at him.

  “Really?” he asked him. Josh waved his arm at him.

  “Go to bed,” he muttered to him as Johnathan left the room and went into his own, closing the door behind him.

  I crawled under my blanket and leaned against my headboard. Josh looked at me.

  “What was that?” he asked me. I raised my hands and shook my head.

  He stepped in and closed my door behind him. He turned around and stood there, obviously wanting an explanation of some kind. I tried to relax but my heartbeat sped up. I know he heard it… the ass. He stepped up to my bed and placed his hand on it. It glowed under his fingers and he took it off. I stared at him.

  “Did you just check and see if I did him in my bed?” I asked him. He grinned and sat down.

  Having a protector, like him… one who knows all the tricks, is a pain in the ass.

  “So,” he said.

  I crossed my arms and looked out the window.

  “Oh come on Rue… I know that nothing happened,” Josh said as he leaned forward.

  I looked back at him.

  “So why all the flashy stuff?” I asked him as he lay on his back and put his hands to his forehead.

  “Okay, I did check the bed… Sorry.”

  I sighed. “You are a dick,” I said to him. He rolled onto his side and put his hand under his head, to hold it up.

  “I know,” he said.

  I hate it when he agrees with me. How do I fight with him if he does that?

  “Okay… you can go to bed now.” I said. He scooted towards me and I could feel his body humming against my leg.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked me.

  I looked at him, big mistake. The moonlight made him look even prettier than he was. I bit my lip, being careful not to draw any blood. Nope… blood not good, with him in the room. I took a breath and he flashed up to my face.

  “You didn’t answer me Rue,” he said. I slid down and rolled over, away from him. He slid up behind me and pressed against me from behind.

  “Oh,” I said, not meaning to say it out loud.

  “What?” he asked me, as he leaned into my ear.

  I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something disgusting. Everyone is asleep in the house, I have this hot boy pressing his… well anyway, I need to get him out of here fast.

  “You need to go to your own bed,” I said.

  “So, what did he want anyway?” Josh said as he continued to press against me from behind. Thank god for the umbrella comforter… being a barrier between us.

  “I woke up on the floor and he was in the chair. I asked him the same thing… He said… Oh!” I said as he brushed his teeth on the back of my neck. I clinched up and Josh laughed.

  “And he said ‘oh’,” Josh repeated to me.

  “NO… no. He said he loved me… he was confused. I should not have kissed him today, wasn’t a… Oh my god!” I said.

  Josh had bit into my shoulder, he didn’t break my skin, but it shot a vibration through me.

  “Not many things are an ‘oh my god’ Rue,” Josh whispered.

  “I need for you to go to bed now, take your teeth with you,” I said as I pulled the comforter up around my neck. He laughed.

  “So, you told him what?” he asked me. I rolled my eyes.

  “I said that I loved him, just not that way anymore. I said… Geezus God Josh! Seriously!” I said to him.

  Josh had placed his hands under the comforter and scratched my back lightly with his fingernails. I rolled out of the bed and hit the floor, banging my knees hard. He looked over the side at me and smiled down, as I rubbed them.

  “Sorry,” he said, as I frowned at him.

  I pushed myself up and with one tug, rolled him off my bed, and he hit the floor on the other side. He laid there and laughed, as he held his stomach.

  “Okay, I will go to bed! Sorry, I am just wound up from the kill,” he said.

  I walked around to him and stared down at him.

  “You get this way when you kill?” I asked him.

  “Oh god… you should have seen me in the early 1800’s, Rue, a lot of assholes running around then,” he said as he laid there and laughed.

  “Get up and go to bed Josh,” I said, as he started to push himself up. He walked to my door and I followed him. He stopped in the hallway and turned back to me.

  “Could I just touch your boob?” he asked me, as he grinned.

  I slammed the door in his face. I could hear him laughing back into his room. I jumped on my bed and buried my head in my pillow.

  “Ahhh!” I yelled out, muffling its sound. I rolled over and stared at my ceiling.

  “I hate you so much,” I muttered.

  Chapter Nine

  Earth to Sara

  Sophia stood in the garden in Valon and stared at the blackened flowers, as they were pulled up by a few hosts. She walked to a bench, sitting down. A guard approached her and bowed his head to her. She nodded, as he lifted his eyes to her and waited for her to speak first.

  “And what news do you bring of Erik?” she asked him.

  He looked over to a young girl pulling up flowers and throwing them into a basket. She knew he was watching her, but she kept her eyes lowered.

  “He has still not returned,” the guard said to Sophia, as he looked back to her.

  Sophia looked towards the sky and then back at him.

  “Perhaps he will not, some leave and do not return,” she said.

  “May I speak freely to you?” The guard asked her.

  She patted the bench and he sat down and relaxed a little.

  “There are rumors circulating that we had a traitor within Valon,” he said as he continued to watch the young girl work.

  Sophia looked at her and then set her gaze on him.

  “Rumors are a vicious poison to our people,” she said. The guard looked at her.

  “Is it true?” he asked.

  Sophia stood up and the guard stood up, instinctively following her. She started to walk along the path leading to the tower. She stopped and leaned down, grabbing a blackened flower, and pressed it in her hand. She smiled at him.

  “No,” she said. “I believe that some just become restless. It is unsettling to think that one among us would choose to take her own life.” The guard stepped up to her.

  “They say that Rue Valon was seen in the forest.”

  Sophia raised her hand and
a spark emerged from her palm; she touched the guard’s face and he blinked at her. She smiled at him, knowing that she had just erased his memory.

  “What news do you bring?” she asked him.

  “Erik has not returned; it seems that he has abandoned his post,” the guard said as he looked at the girl pulling up the blackened flowers.

  “Yes… it does seem to be true,” Sophia said as she touched his arm.

  “Would you mind accompanying me to the tower here in the garden?” she asked him.

  The guard nodded and held her hand as she walked towards it. They climbed to the top and she walked to the edge and saw the full damage done by Rue as she ran through the garden. The guard stood behind her.

  “You know… I have been on the earth for thousands of years, it never ceases to amaze me that I still find it charming,” she said. The guard stood silently behind her. Sophia turned to him.

  “I will ask a favor of you… one in which I could never repay,” she said. The guard stepped forward and bowed to her.

  “I am always at your service Sophia,” he said.

  She looked at him and pulled her blade. He looked at it and into her eyes.

  “What do you wish of me?” he asked her.

  Sophia flashed to him and stabbed her blade into his heart. She pulled the blade out slowly as she whispered into his ear, “I will not see the end of what we have here in Valon. I love her more than any of its inhabitants.”

  She lowered with the guard. He leaned back and grabbed at his chest. Sophia looked down at him and grinned as she touched his face.

  “I need to use your light to glamour Valon. Understand that your sacrifice will be forever remembered by me as a necessary evil to save her from destruction.”

  Sophia stood up over him and held her hands out in front of her. She closed her eyes and yellow started to flow from her hands. It rolled off of her and down onto the guard. He arched his back and she sucked in her breath. Color started to roll from him and mix with the yellow floating in the air. Sophia opened her mouth and the colors entered her quickly. She stepped back, took a breath and opened her eyes. She looked down at him and tilted her head.