Blood Threads: The Star Seamstress Book One

by Noella Royce

  And yet Adin had set me free with his spell. I could move again.

  "Release him!" I screamed at the glass and the river slooshing beyond it. "Let him save you!"

  "It can't hear you or help you, darling. It's powerful water, true, but in the end it is just water."

  I ignored Brinneth; there were things about Maywen they didn't know, things I did.

  The moan merged into faint words. This is who we are. We must... hold them to their oaths. That is what... we do. We are... the sum of our promises.

  You'll be the sum of nothing if you don't release him!

  An exchange. Always... an exchange.

  What else did I have to give? I'd already owed it something unequivocally.

  You can have me. I am yours to do with as you like. Yes, I owe you, but this is more—you own me. Me and my power. Please, I'll do anything. But set him free, let him save you.

  Your blood for his? In this world and the next? We accept, although we also demand your silence. The voice sounded stronger already, as if invigorated by that thought. But it can't be him... it will be you. It must be you.

  Yes, I'll save you! But let him go! My dress was hot now, I was burning up, as if the garment was feeding off my will.

  Before our eyes, the lights in the river, which had been diming, flashed to life. A deal, then.

  Adin inhaled violently, a horrible sound, and sprawled out on the ground.

  "What did you do?" Brinneth walked to me and grabbed my arm, digging sharp nails into my flesh. "He's not dead, and he's not in pain. What happened?"

  SAVE US. The words were a scream in my head and suddenly I was devoid of thought, of reason, and I felt my dress moving around me, the skirt no longer of satin but of something more, something light and amorphous. Lifting my arms, I saw that there were balls of light at the end of each of them, shimmering and turning and appearing as if made up of thousands of small fireflies. There were silver points of light as well, coming off the embroidery and supporting my power, giving it the extra push it needed.

  Then the balls of light began to unravel and expand, turning outward to start pressing at the Asher's power as it flowed towards the water.

  "Stop that!" Brinneth screeched, and began to chant angrily, which ended in a startled cry as strong arms wrapped around their wrists and roughly pulled their arms back.

  "Now, now, don't interrupt her spell, Brinneth," Adin purred, his smile terrible. "No one knows better than you how rude that is." He whispered a word and his hands glowed with a dark light that spread itself to Brinneth's eyes, and she cried out.

  My former roommate struggled and shrieked, but the sound came to me as if through a fog. The whole of my mind was caught up in the song of both my dress and the voices of the river, and their music merged to become a glorious aria, a crescendo of power that was taking over the insidious red glow of the necromancers.

  I heard several of them fumble in their chanting, and then there was yelling. "The glass is breaking!" The voice sounded like Leslie's.

  The red light was fading, and I could feel the remaining power swept up in the light created by me and my creation, our power enhanced by the river's push for survival.

  With a horrific crack, the water burst from the glass and came rushing towards us, and the ritual broke completely as the mages panicked and tried to run.

  There was no time, however, and for a moment I considered the particularly unpleasant reality of drowning through a disengaged lens, as if the spell and the dress had me so divided that there was little left of Veda to care.

  I closed my eyes as it approached, prepared for the force to hit me, and felt... that my feet were wet, but nothing.

  Opening them, I saw that the water was moving around me, almost as if I was encased in a bubble. The necromancers, however, were not so lucky, judging by their startled, wet screams.

  I turned to see Adin and Brinneth were safe as well, and I met his bloody gaze. He smiled, something sharp and pleased, and I knew what he was going to do before he did.

  He let Brinneth go, their eyes still covered by his dark spell. The water knocked my roommate off their feet and they were swept away, their mouth opened in an enraged yell.

  Looking down at my hands, I saw they were no longer glowing, and the songs in my head were more external, no longer part of me. My dress was pleased but tired, and its power curled up in a tight ball, like a cat for a nap.

  And then the water did something I'd never seen done before: it started to flow in the opposite direction, backwards through the broken glass, and then there was an explosive sound, as if it was bursting through stone.

  I smiled at Adin goofily, overwhelmed by everything that had happened but damn relieved we were alive. His expression was amused, and then surprised before my eyes closed and I began to collapse.

  Strong arms caught me and I flashed back to after I was attacked by the snake and the last time he carried me. Damn, I enjoyed the sensation of being in his arms.

  Everything after that was a blur; I heard Leslie's voice, and Thalia's, and then we were moving.

  An explosive crash came behind us. "What was that?" I asked Adin blurrily, clutching his biceps.

  "I think part of the building just collapsed. They siphoned the river over time initially as to not attract too much attention, and it's refusing to go back home in an orderly manner. Some of the Ashers escaped, unfortunately, but we'll catch them." There was a grim focus in his voice that sent shivers down my spine, but I wouldn't say they were frightened ones.

  "Huh." I thought about it. "Good. Are Sun Ji and Kyle safe?"

  "We have them, and they're alive."

  I smiled and closed my eyes again. "Excellent. I can die at peace."

  "You're not going to die, Veda." His voice was so serious I had to laugh weakly to show him I'd been kidding, and in response he held me tighter, and while I figured it was because he didn't want me to fall, it made me feel all warm inside.

  I felt when we hit the outside air, and I took a deep breath and saw we were approaching the front of the police station, and dawn was breaking. "Do you think you can stand?" Adin asked me quietly.

  I touched his cheek. His brow furrowed but he didn't pull away.

  "Yes. Thank you for carrying me. You're making a habit of it."

  He smiled, and gently set me on my feet.

  There was a crowd of people outside the police station, and I caught the eye of my least favorite police officer in the world after Chief Metzger, Officer Ortell, her expression full of frustration and impotency.

  I gave her my best shit-eating grin, and the fury on her face was oh so gratifying.

  Leslie walked up to Adin, Solal and Peter next to him, and crossed his arms. "We must talk, Nieren."

  Adin nodded and I moved away, sensing this conversation was not for my ears.

  "Veda!" I turned to see Jordan running up to me, his expression panicked. Before I could respond, he grabbed me and pulled me into a big hug. I blinked, and after a moment patted him on the back. He pulled back but kept his hands on my arms. "Are you okay?" He took in my half-burned turquoise dress, my crazy hair, and his expression became a mix of worry and a flash of concern that I was insane.

  I didn't blame him. The truth was, I probably was.

  "What happened?" He looked at the police station and the rubble of its left side, and back at me. "Were you in there? Why are you wearing an evening gown?!"

  "Um, well, yes." I changed the subject. "Why are you here?"

  "I was checking on you again and saw your building was destroyed, and—"

  "My building's destroyed?"

  "You didn't know someone burned it down?" He swore. "Shit, I didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. It was on fire when I got there. Some guy was outside in a hood, muttering and giggling. It was really creepy. The fire department arrived, but it was too late." He hugged me again. "I was worried you were in there, and I thought you were dead."

  I groaned. Now where would I go? But
maybe I shouldn't be surprised; those surviving Ashers were probably pretty damn pissed off at me right about now, and maybe at Brinneth as well.

  Jordan's hug was going on for a bit too long, and I tried to pull back. He wasn't letting me go. "Sorry for missing our date," I said, finally managing to put some distance between us, "but it's been a crazy night."

  "I can tell! And we can reschedule. I'm so glad you're alright." His smile was blinding.

  A sigh almost escaped me, but I squished it. Jordan was so nice, and he was undeniably handsome. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure my affections were otherwise engaged. "I don't think that's a good idea on the date, Jordan. I'm sorry. There are some things I need to figure out, and I don't want to drag you into my mess."

  "Veda." His blue eyes met mine, and they were warm and sincere. Crap. "The weirdness of the last twelve hours has really opened my eyes to how much I want to make something happen between us. I mean, I know we barely know each other, and I'm not trying to rush things, but I—"

  He stopped, staring at something behind me, and hands landed on my shoulders. Somehow I knew who it was, maybe by the pressure, or the way my toes tingled.

  "You should go home and rest," a deep voice said. I turned to see Adin standing there in all his glory, the dawn framing him and creating an angelic effect. His wounds had healed, and he looked like a man just enjoying a crisp fall morning in nothing but a pair of pants. "You look like you're going to collapse again."

  Then his and Jordan's eyes met. Whatever the bartender saw there had his lips disappearing into a tight line, but he stepped back and a deep disappointment spread across his features. "I'll call you?" he said. There wasn't much confidence in his voice.

  "Sure," I said with an apologetic smile. We both knew it wouldn't do any good. Jordan nodded, and turned to leave, his eyes on the ground.

  A ghost of a self-satisfied smile flashed on Adin's face before it settled into the blank, watchful expression I knew so well. Damn him. I poked him in the chest angrily. "Why did you come here if you knew you were probably going to die?"

  He put two fingers beneath my jaw and lifted it, and gave me a little smile. "Because I wanted to. After how hard I tried to convince you not to go, are you really so surprised?"

  "Why?" I repeated.

  Kissing me gently on my lips, he let his hand linger around my neck and I sighed into his mouth. Why were his kisses so special, goddamn him? He then pulled back and brought his lips to my ear. "Now I owe you my life, as well as the restoration of my power and colleagues. There are many favors for you to call in."

  My face flared in heat and color, as it wasn't even the words he'd said. It was how he'd said them—low and sexy and compelling.

  Being me, I had to turn it into a joke. "Can I turn those favors in for anything? Anything at all?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at him, and he snorted.

  Clearly, danger and near-suicide made me silly. Not something I knew about myself before since I'd never put myself in such ridiculous situations before Maywen.

  His perfectly formed mouth quirked into a smile again. "We can negotiate. A question for you: how did you release me from my oath?"

  Silence... Ghostly voices whispered in the back of my brain, and I remembered part of my promise to the Agrimony. I hadn't known what it meant then, but now I did. No one was to know of our pact.

  Chewing on the inside of my lip, I looked away from those burning eyes. "I don't know. I guess it was the dress. I don't understand what happened myself."

  There was a flash of red in his eyes again. "That doesn't sound right. You're not telling me something, Veda."

  "Just like you're not telling me why you were there, getting yourself kidnapped by mages you knew you couldn't fight," I countered.

  My heart raced faster as Adin looked down at me, his hands still on my skin. His touch moved up to my chin and he ran a soft circle on my cheek. There was a pause, and then he smiled and shrugged.

  "Maybe I prefer brunettes."

  "What?!" He pulled away and turned to walk off into the soft morning light, leaving me in my destroyed dress, the cold air raising goosebumps on my skin. I wondered what the hell just happened. "That's it? That's the reason you saved me all those times? Why you risked your life for me? You like my hair color?!"

  There was a ghostly laugh from ahead of me, and I stomped my foot in frustration. "Ugh, I hate this goddamn town!"

  Amari and Kristen came over, and Amari put an arm around my shoulders. "Dating a vampire sure is an adventure, isn't it?" he said conversationally. "Never a dull moment."

  "Dating, my ass," I muttered. "I don't even know if he likes me, for fuck's sake." That was going to be a problem, because I was officially mad about Adin. And, of course, mad at him.

  "He does seem like that kind of guy," Kristen said. "But, oh, Veda, you did it! The dress did it!" She clapped in joy. "You're amazing!"

  "It wasn't just my dress," I told her. "Your embroidery was there as well. I could feel it. I'm not the only gifted one here."

  She blushed and bit her lip, eyes gleaming.

  Frank came up and gave me a huge hug. "I'm so proud of you, my dear. You were damn impressive. We were useless, and your bravery saved the day." He looked at me. "But you need rest, desperately. I've never seen you so pale."

  "I utterly agree." I could just go home and collapse in my bed, and—what Jordan had just told me came rushing back. "I don't have a place to live. My building burned down. Oh shit, I don't even have clothes." I looked down at myself. "What, I'm supposed to live in a dirty ball gown the rest of my life? Fuck me."

  "You can borrow some of my clothes," Kristen said, squeezing my hand. "And we'll steal more of my mom's shoes. She's got enough of them."

  "We'll get you everything you need, I promise you that." Frank's voice was warm and reassuring, and I found that I believed him.

  "And you can sleep at my place; I have the room," said Amari. "Come on, hero. You look like you're about to turn into a puddle. Lean on me."

  "Lead the way," I said, and stumbled down the street supported by my two friends.

  Epilogue

  I was leaning against the counter of Barnes' Arts & Crafts, scrolling through the news on my smartphone. With all the drama that had been going on in my life and in Maywen, I hadn't paid any attention to the outside world.

  It was four days since the events at the police station, and things had fallen into a new groove. I'd quit the job at the Tangerine and was now going to work at the Insane Sage on the evening shift, as well as help organize events and sponsorships. Thalia had found me worthy and had offered me the position, which I'd gratefully accepted.

  Something about the way she'd eyeballed me after the fight had me suspecting it was more than that, though—like now that I'd shown myself to be powerful she wanted to keep me close.

  My petition for a sewing machine had also been approved by Vholes, the trust lawyer, and I had a shiny new and very fancy machine sitting on Amari's kitchen table that I couldn't wait to get home to and play on. I'd also paid back Kristen's mom, who was surprisingly understanding. I didn't have my own place to live yet, and I had no idea what I was doing in regards to my power, but maybe now that things had calmed down in Maywen I'd have a chance to focus on both. Sun Ji and Kyle were healing in a hospital, and looked to make a full recovery.

  Adin, well, I'd not heard from him, although Amari had told me the vampires had been in closed-door meetings with their former leader for days, so maybe that wasn't surprising.

  But damn, did I need to talk to that guy. Or did I? What would I say? "Hey, I'm crazy about you, what the hell is going on here?" Knowing him, that wouldn't get me anywhere but teased. Maybe a kiss or a makeout session, but this certainly wasn't guaranteed.

  I chewed my lip and then sighed. One thing at a time.

  Most of the news was doom and gloom and politics, so I quickly switched to a gossip site, which I knew would give me the comforting celebrity gossip that used to surround me
in LA and that I craved.

  I winced as I spied a very familiar face on the front page, and then my eyes widened as I read the headline.

  "Fuck!" I swore, and Amari and Kristen turned to me, surprised.

  "What's wrong?" Kristen asked, voice scared. "More necromancers? Kidnappings? Thalia threaten your life again?"

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Remember how I've told you guys that I left LA due to tons of drama, both romantically and personally?"

  "Yeah, but you wouldn't tell me what it is." Amari's eyes were alight with curiosity. "What, did you just read about someone involved? They're really famous, aren't they?"

  "Just a bit."

  "I knew it!" he crowed to Kristen. "I could just tell she had some sort of steamy affair with some famous actor! You did, didn't you?" he said to me, delighted. "This is so much more exciting than dating a vampire."

  "No, it isn't, you dork, and I didn't have an affair with anyone." I sighed and put my phone on the counter. "Unfortunately, absolutely no one believes me except him, and because he was convinced he loved me he never cleared my name." That had surprised me, as I had thought we were friends, but people had an infinite capacity to be disappointing.

  "Oo, steamy. So why are you upset?"

  "You two swear on the lives of your supernatural boyfriends you won't tell anyone about this?" Not that I thought this would matter shortly, if the global news monster got ahold of it.

  "Hal is not my boyfriend!" Kristen squeaked, and Amari shushed her.

  "Yes, yes, you can personally murder Leslie if I tell anyone about this without your permission. Spill."

  "So, you know Troy Maltin?" I leaned forward again and dug my palms into my eye sockets. "The actor?"

  "The one who plays the Bolt?" Kristen sounded just as scandalized and excited as I thought she might, and I wondered if I'd regret telling them anything. "He's my favorite superhero!"

  "Also, that guy over there." Amari said.

  "No, not that guy over there; he's in LA. Him and Ashley are breaking up, and he's just threatening to come find 'the one who got away' in the tabloids, which is ridiculous." Also near impossible, since no one knew where I'd gone. "I really hope I'm not that woman."