Red Blood (Series of Blood Book 2)

by Emma Hamm

  “But you could?”

  He almost made it past her. She hadn’t thought he would try to escape from her presence. That wasn’t normal behavior. She usually could wrap men around her tiny little fingers.

  Lyra reached out to grab onto the edge of his shirt but missed. Somehow, her movement was enough for him to throw himself backwards. He was trapped once more, and she was now curious as to why he hadn’t wanted her to catch his sleeve.

  She arched an eyebrow at him.

  “Do you usually touch strangers?” he snapped at her.

  “Sometimes.” She shrugged in response. Touch was healthy. It connected people that wouldn’t normally and made her happy.

  “Please don’t touch me.”

  Well she couldn’t ignore that one. Putting her hands up in the air, she stepped aside. “Fine. Wow. Random stranger is giving me just as much shit as non random non strangers.”

  He was backing away from her, but the expression on his face now held a hint of curiosity. “Do you speak English?”

  “I’m speaking English right now.” She didn’t add the word dummy to the sentence. It was implied.

  “And yet I’m having difficulty understanding you.”

  He stopped moving away from her. She was once more distracted by the beauty of his eyes. They weren’t right. He wasn’t right. No one with odd eyes like that was normal. But, still, there was something compelling about the flint and steel look he was giving her.

  He didn’t like her. In fact, she thought that he might despise her as he stared down at her. Lyra didn’t like it when people didn’t like her. It was just as distracting as pretty things. A Siren should always be liked.

  “Do you want to understand me?” she asked him.

  He seemed conflicted. Did he not want to answer the question? Lyra wouldn’t be surprised if he turned around and walked away from her. Truthfully, she would be all the more intrigued by the strange man. It would seem to be true to his character to simply waltz away.

  “I don’t know,” he murmured in response.

  Now that was something she could work with.

  “Won’t know until you try.” She winked at him.

  “Again, I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

  “You live under a log, don’t you?”

  He flinched back again. Had she hit a nerve with that one? She hoped that he didn’t actually live under a log, because that would be a problem. She’d have to invite him back to Haven, and that was only bound to cause trouble.

  Jasper would likely want to grill him until the man popped. Jasper hated having any man around her. The big brother syndrome made his blood boil a little too hot when it came to Lyra.

  She tsked. “Nevermind. Didn’t know you’d be so sensitive, big boy.”

  Once more, he stepped back from her. Maybe she was going about this in an entirely wrong way. Lyra wasn’t used to having to convince men that she was worthy of their attention. And suddenly she was coming on a little too strong.

  “I mean.” She planted her hands firmly on her hips and sighed. “Look, I don’t do this. I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “I think you’ve made it fairly clear you do this often. I want nothing from you.”

  “I’m not used to men trying to get away from me. You scared of me or something? I haven’t even said I was going to fight you.”

  “Fight me?” At this he did seem slightly amused. “You’re a little small for that.”

  “Wow. That’s the thing that gets you acting like a normal person? I can assure you that I’m capable of handling myself.”

  “Taking care of yourself.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The term is ‘taking care of yourself’. Not ‘handling yourself’.”

  Lyra squinted at him. “I’m pretty sure it’s both.”

  Now she was completely confused. They were both speaking English, but they obviously weren’t capable of understanding each other. Who was this man who acted as though he was from a different time?

  “Lyra!” She could hear Jasper shouting from the shop. “You minx! Back here, now.”

  The man in front of her arched an eyebrow. “Your keeper?”

  “Something like that,” she grumbled. “Look, I think we got off to a bad start. Can I make it up to you with a coffee sometime?”

  “No.”

  He turned on his heel and started walking away from her. Lyra was shocked. It was the first time anyone had ever said “no” to her. She didn’t think she liked this feeling in the slightest.

  Jasper was still yelling behind her. Logically, Lyra knew she should just give up and go back to her own little world. But those mismatched eyes had said something very different from his words. She had seen the way he had looked her up and down. She knew when a man was interested.

  He was just refusing to see that he was interested.

  Was that a little self indulgent? Probably.

  She limped down the street after him. The heel really wasn’t comfortable when she didn’t have a shoe on the other foot. “Hey!” she shouted after him. “Wait!”

  He started walking faster.

  “What’s your name?” Lyra wasn’t going to give up this easily.

  When he didn’t pause, she yelled at him again. “You’re going to have to talk to me eventually! I will not stop following you!”

  His shoulders tensed, and he paused in the middle of the street. People were staring at them. They were staring at her because she was clearly unstable. They were staring at him because they didn’t know what he had done to merit such a punishment.

  Lyra caught up to him fairly quickly at the expense of her feet. She could already feel the blisters burning through her skin. But she hopped around him easily enough until she could look up into those burning eyes.

  “What’s your name?” She was out of breath.

  “Wolfgang.”

  The word sounded like the wind. It brushed against her ears as though she were listening to the whispers of a seashell. Wolfgang. The name suited the strange man far more than she had expected.

  “Wolfgang,” she repeated the name to taste it against her tongue. Salty and sweet, it burned its sound against her lips. “Can you give me a chance, Wolfgang?”

  “Why are you so belligerent?” he asked her. She noticed his hands were fisted at his sides.

  “It’s the only way I know how to get what I want.”

  “And you want me?”

  Did she want him? Lyra looked him over once more. Her eyes lingered on the broad strength of his shoulders, the line of muscle that ran down his throat, and the scars upon his knuckles.

  “Oh yeah,” she said.

  He swallowed hard as he stared down at her in shock. “Why?”

  She shrugged. “Do I need a reason why?”

  “With me you do.”

  “I don’t have an answer for you. I’m interested. That’s just the way it is.”

  Lyra watched the gears turn in his head. He was staring down at her as though she was a puzzle he was unable to figure out. A muscle on his jaw jumped twice before he slowly nodded.

  “Yeah,” he finally muttered.

  “Yeah?”

  He growled at her.

  “Fine.” She dug into her pocket and handed him an orb. It glowed brightly as soon as it touched his hand. Bright rays of light peeked from between his fingers until it dulled to a soft glow.

  “What is this?” he asked her.

  “Sorta like a telephone but more private. You just have to say my name, and the orb will get in touch with me.”

  “You’re an Enchanter.” The words weren’t a question. He was staring at her as though she had grown a third eye and started spouting off prophecies at him.

  Lyra snorted. “Unlikely. I’m just someone who can afford the good stuff. You remember my name?”

  A figure was moving towards them from down the street. Jasper and all his leonic presence barreled towards them with a thunderous expression mar
ring his usually handsome face. Trailing behind him was a lovely young woman who Lyra remembered was the shopkeeper.

  Oh right. The boot.

  She was going to have to face the music on that one. They were both angry at her because she had stolen the shoe on her foot. Just not the other one. Sighing, she started backing towards her angry friend while trying to wrap up her conversation.

  “Wolfgang! Do you remember my name?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is my name?” she insisted even as she leaned down to start yanking the shoe off of her foot. Hopping backwards wasn’t particularly lady-like, but she had already tossed that out the window.

  “Lyra.” It was like ripping teeth out of this man.

  “Correct! Talk to you soon then?”

  His eyes were darting for the nearest exit away from this situation. Lyra wasn’t sure if it was her or everything else around him that was causing this reaction. It didn’t matter the reasoning. She was going to peel him apart like an orange to figure out how that beautiful and strange mind worked.

  That would take time that they did not have at the moment. “Just go.” She waved her hand.

  He didn’t run, as she had expected. Instead he arched a critical eyebrow at her and slowly turned away. Lyra shouldn’t have been looking at him like he was a steak that needed to be tenderized, but damn. He sure was pretty. She wouldn’t mind hitting him with a hammer a couple times.

  “Lyra.” Jasper’s angry words were harsh compared to the other man’s. “Are you staring at that stranger’s ass?”

  “Absolutely,” she said with a happy sigh.

  “Boot.”

  Lyra finished pulling it off of her foot and handed it over to Jasper without taking her eyes off of Wolfgang’s retreating form.

  “You’re a piece of work, you know that?” Jasper grumbled.

  “I know.”

  Maybe to others. But she wasn’t a piece of work in her own world. Lyra was just Lyra. Confident, demanding, often times a little bit too much for other people around her. This was why she worked for the Five. No one else would have her.

  Jasper finished dealing with the angry shopkeeper who yanked the boot out of his hand with a disapproving sound and flounced away from them. He ran a hand through his long hair in frustration before letting out a long breath. At least Jasper knew that he had to treat Lyra with a little bit of care.

  “You good to go now? I got a message from the Five saying we’re next up in a raid,” Jasper said while handing her forgotten shoes over.

  “Sure.” She’d get the man out of her head and a little blood on her skin. She did so enjoy that. “Where to?”

  “It’ll be a surprise,” he muttered as he reached out to grab onto her hand.

  Jasper was an anomaly in this world. He was one of the few species that could teleport, although not many people knew what he was. Lyra did.

  Fairy wasn’t particularly the kindest term for them. They weren’t tiny. They didn’t fly around. And they certainly weren’t hot little women who whizzed through the air in tight dresses. But the term proceeded them with a certain stereotype that Jasper wasn’t likely to free himself from.

  This was precisely why he kept it a secret. He didn’t want anyone to look down on him for what he was. The world they lived in could be a cruel place.

  Once his warm hand was on her skin, they disappeared from the street. Nothing was left to signify that they had ever been standing in that spot. Not even their footprints remained.

  Blood splattered as Lyra whipped her dual blades around her head. They were always called to battle on the worst days. She was distracted. She was in her own head. Now was not a good time for either of those things to be happening.

  The Five were frequently sending them to protect the Red Bloods. They were the last remaining humans and the only hope for new species to evolve. Every time a child was born, a magical soul zipped inside to claim its rightful place next to the human soul.

  There were rare moments when a soul was not waiting for a human body. It only happened once or twice a year, if that. But when it did, the human had a chance to create something new. Magic would fill the empty void to create an original magical soul instead of an old soul. The Five wanted this to happen just in case there was a chance for new creations to appear.

  So far, nothing had happened. The humans that were “human” did not have any other abilities. But the Five remained hopeful that there was a chance for their dimension to continue to flourish in this new one.

  Lyra, Jasper, and the others on their team were the bodyguards for these Red Bloods. Any time someone threatened them, the Five would send in a battalion to fight on their side. Not that four people were really all that threatening, in Lyra’s opinion, but they were capable of doing more damage than an army.

  She twirled the serrated blade in her hand and backed towards the others. Right now, the Red Bloods that were in the room were likely dead. They had fought as quickly as they could, but the creatures Malachi’s supporters had conjured were far more advanced than a Red Blood could handle.

  Her back hit the strong arms of the men behind her. Jasper and Burke were back to back as they continued to swing their swords. Guns weren’t effective against creatures like this.

  They looked like balloons. Red blobs that floated above the floor and bounced upon the air currents. But they could launch red liquid that burned against the skin. If the sticky substance stayed on a person too long, it would burn a hole like acid.

  Now, they had lost the Red Bloods they were supposed to protect, and they had to clean up the mess. Today was turning out to be a little more awful minute by minute.

  “What exactly are these creatures?” Lyra asked as she reached into her pocket for more darts. They weren’t the kind of weapons she was used to using, but they had been handed to her. She was more accurate than the others.

  “Not a creature!” The answering shout came from Wren, the newest member of their team. She stuck close to Burke’s side as she was still in training. Also because the man was madly in love with her. “A creation!”

  Wren was a unique creature herself. She housed the souls of thousands inside of her. Each soul had a unique voice and a unique personality. They had been worried she would break under the pressure of so many minds. Somehow, she hadn’t broken.

  Well she had. At least a little. Burke had managed to bring her back with a little tender lovin’. That was Lyra’s story, and she was sticking to it. They weren’t very appreciative of her side of the story, but that was why it was her side. Not theirs.

  Lyra reached her hand behind her for the darts that Jasper pressed against her palm. The two of them fought together as though they were an extension of each other. They knew exactly what move the other was making and exactly how far they were from each other. Some people thought it was uncanny.

  In truth, it was practice.

  “Creation huh?” she called out as she flung a dart towards one of the creatures. She hit a bullseye, and it popped. Red goo splattered all over the floor around them. “So what exactly are they made of?”

  “Dead man’s blood.” It wasn’t exactly Wren’s voice that responded to her. So E had come out to play then. The thousands of souls had one voice that had all the knowledge of the collective.

  Lyra would be jealous if she didn’t love herself so much. “Animated blood? That’s all these sacks are?”

  Another dart hit its target. She cursed long and loud as her arm started to burn against her flesh.

  “Burning!” Lyra yelled and ducked into the protective circle the others quickly formed around her. She yanked her jacket off and started mopping the blood off of herself. Her forearm was already bright red as skin started to peel.

  She was really starting to get tired of this job. It had been fun in the beginning. Back when she was used to a different life, and this had offered a sense of adventure. Now it was just constant fighting. Constant disappointment.

  A sizzling sou
nd made her freeze. Her gaze found its way between the legs of her partners and locked onto the vacant stare of a Red Blood. The woman had died with her hand stretching out towards them. Lyra could have helped her if she had been a little bit faster. If she had tried a little bit harder.

  The “ifs” were starting to pile up in her life. If she was smarter. If she was more skilled. If she had more time. They bore down upon her shoulders as a constant reminder that she wasn’t good enough.

  Dead man’s blood had splattered all over the body, and no one was there to wipe it off of the woman. Her brown hair had turned red as pools of blood spread around her. Curls of steam rose delicately into the air as the acidic blood started to break down her body. Her cheek split open as Lyra watched. A burning sensation bloomed in Lyra’s chest. Anger had turned her blood to raging chaos.

  “Hey minx, you’re missing all the fun!” Jasper shouted at her.

  Fun? This wasn’t fun. This was hell.

  But she had to put on a brave face because she wasn’t the morbid one. She was the ridiculous one, the sassy one, all the ones that the others weren’t. It was Lyra’s job to make them laugh at her foolish behavior. So she shook herself and stood back up.

  “We all know you couldn’t do it without me. Get off my back and let me save the day, would you?” She sniffed as she took her place once more.

  There were relatively few of the blood balls left. Six hovered near the back of the room as though they were hesitant to attack. They should be.

  “I’m done with this,” Lyra growled.

  Jasper knew that look. He recognized the tone of her voice. He pressed his remaining darts into her hand and stepped backwards. The others followed him as soon as they caught wind of her mood.

  Lyra took in a deep breath and slid the darts between each of her fingers. “Go back to your bastard maker,” she muttered.

  The darts flew out of her fingers. Her arms were a blur as she tossed each deadly weapon towards the creatures with a precision that whispered of dangerous knowledge. She struck her targets as they all burst in succession. The battle ended in a matter of seconds.

  Silence made her ears ring. She didn’t have episodes such as this all the time, but when she did, Lyra was always embarrassed. Fighting was not a natural ability for one such as her. It was unnatural for a Siren to be so good at causing pain. She refused to answer questions on where she had learned these talents.