Red Blood (Series of Blood Book 2)

by Emma Hamm

  Lyra had a feeling that Wolfgang would tell her anything if she asked. The dangerous power would need to be used wisely. She couldn’t afford to waste that on foolish questions.

  Malachi surely wasn’t that important. She wanted to know why he had started using Blood Magic. Or perhaps how he had figured out that magic was a natural talent he had. No other human could practice spells. There weren’t any left alive.

  He was still an enigma she hadn’t formed an entire opinion on yet. He was so incredibly odd. And nothing like the people she usually surrounded herself with. Beauty was high on her ratings of friendship requirements.

  So why was she still fascinated with the idea of him? His mismatched eyes haunted her dreams.

  “-which means we still need to meet with the Trinity for clarification on the prophecy… Lyra.”

  “Hm?” She looked up to see everyone staring at her again.

  “This is worse than usual. Are you alright?”

  Their stares intensified as Burke asked his question.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m listening. Give me the short version would you? You sure do love to talk.”

  “We need to contact the Graverobber, but we also need to see where Malachi’s next attack is aimed. We have a few connections within his ranks. If we use them wisely, we might be able to estimate where he plans on making his next move.”

  Now that was entertaining. The promise of fighting always made her blood rise. She propped her elbows up on the table and cocked her head to the side.

  “Who are those informants?”

  “The Sphinx and the Gryffon.”

  “Ugh, those two. One speaks only in riddles and the other thinks far too highly of herself. You’ll get nothing out of them.”

  Wren’s brows furrowed. “Really? Even if we know how to decipher the riddles?”

  “No one knows how to decipher a Sphinx’s riddles.”

  Wren’s eyes flipped backwards, and white marble replaced storm grey. E had always made Lyra uncomfortable. It was an incredibly powerful creature and the last of its kind.

  “Only another Sphinx would know that.” Wren’s voice had changed to smooth tone.

  “Right.” Lyra cleared her throat. “Well then, that’ll help.”

  “What would you like to take on?” Burke asked her. “We’ll need everyone to help, no matter how distracted they are.”

  “Oh, just put me wherever I’m useful.”

  Her words were met with silence as they all turned to stare at her once more. Lyra hated silence. She drummed her nails against the countertop before finally bursting with a loud, “What?”

  “Where you’re useful?” Jasper repeated.

  “Yes, what’s so weird about that?”

  “I don’t think you’ve ever uttered those words in your life.” Burke’s eyes were narrowed as he stared at her.

  “Well.” She slowly stood. “There’s a first time for everything. Where do you want me?”

  She didn’t like the way Wren was eyeing her. That creature inside of her saw far more than it should.

  “Put her with the Graverobber,” Wren said quietly. “I have a feeling that Lyra has more connections than any of us are aware of.”

  “Connections she shouldn’t be using,” Jasper grumbled.

  “Got it.” Lyra stood and backed towards the door. “Find the Graverobber. Fulfill the prophecy. Aye aye, Captains.”

  Her hand raised in a salute as she slipped out of the kitchen. Even she saw how strange she was acting now. When had she gotten so awkward?

  Probably right about the time she started lying to her team. The Graverobber was already found. She had already offered for him to work for the Five, and he had turned it down. At the very least, she had planted the seed of the idea in his head, and he had listened.

  Or had he?

  She paused in the middle of the hallway to remember his words. He hadn’t actually said anything about helping them. He hadn’t said no, but he certainly hadn’t say yes. Those words had never slipped out of his mouth. He had simply diverted her by asking what she had wanted and then she had forgotten.

  She was incredibly stupid. How had she forgotten to get a more concrete answer before she left?

  Then she remembered the healing process and the pain he had inflicted on himself.

  “Right about there,” she murmured.

  “Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity.”

  The voice echoed down the hall from behind her and made her jump. Pressing her hand against her chest, she tried to slow her breathing.

  “Wren,” she said. “I don’t remember you being so quiet.”

  “That’s because she’s not.”

  Lyra’s back stiffened. “E.”

  “Lyra.” Wren’s head nodded. “You are hiding something.”

  “Who is it I’m talking to now?” she asked. “A Riddle Maker? An Imp? Or just the collective hive mind?”

  “Someone not to be crossed with. What are you hiding?”

  “None of your business.” She crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

  “It is if it endangers Wren.”

  “I’m not putting your precious little girl in danger. I’m putting myself in danger.”

  “I also watch over all things that Wren holds dear.” Wren stepped closer and lifted a hand to touch Lyra’s jaw. “You are one of those things. I will not tell her, but I must know to ensure that everyone remains alive and well.”

  “And if I don’t tell you?” Lyra arched a brow.

  Wren’s hand tightened on her jaw. “Then I will walk into your room late at night, and I will pour so much Aggression into your body that you will only see in red.”

  “You’ll take care of me by using my own mind against me?”

  “Drugs are a dangerous thing. Sirens are known for indulging too much.”

  “I didn’t think you were capable of harming others.”

  “Parts of me are.” This time, it was Wren’s brow that arched.

  The standoff didn’t last very long. Lyra had no time for this treatment and certainly didn’t want to make E any angrier than it already was. She doubted that it would hurt her but supposed there wasn’t any way for her to be certain of that.

  “Fine. I’ve already met with the Graverobber.”

  She stared into the unnerving gaze of E for a few moments longer. She felt as though those eyes were trying to see into her soul.

  “And?” E asked.

  “And I screwed it up. I’m going back, alright? I’ll fix it.”

  “Okay.”

  Lyra was stunned. E didn’t want to argue with her any more? Surely there was more anger bubbling in that head.

  “That’s it? You aren’t mad at me?”

  “Frankly, I expected you to mess this up,” E replied. “But you are going to fix it. And I trust that you are capable of that.”

  “That—” she stumbled over her words, “that actually means a lot coming from you.”

  “We happen to like you, Lyra. Just make certain that this is actually fixed. I find I am anxious to meet the person I am going to have to work with to save the world.”

  Lyra scoffed. “Yeah sounds like you have a worse job than I do.”

  “Perhaps more difficult.” E winked. “But certainly not worse. If the rumors I have heard about the Graverobber are true, then I think you have quite a fight waiting for you.”

  “I’m good at fighting. How are you going to keep this from Wren?”

  “I’ve gotten better at hiding things from her.” A troubled expression caused Wren’s brows to furrow. “I assume she would not be happy to hear that.”

  Lyra mimed zipping her lips. “You keep my secret, and I’ll keep yours?”

  “Deal.”

  Wren turned around and walked away. The soft swish of her pajama pants were the only sound she made, which lead Lyra to believe that E was still in control of her body.r />
  “That’s a ticking time bomb right there,” she murmured.

  She almost wanted to be there when Burke found out that E was using Wren’s body whenever it wanted. Did that mean that E could just take over whenever it wanted to? Lyra highly doubted that. Wren wouldn’t have agreed to something like that.

  No matter how much E denied it, a large part of its strength came from Wren. She was an unusual creature herself. Any other person would have succumbed to madness when it joined with E. She had not. Somehow she had managed to pull out of the depths of her own mind and take control again.

  Lyra would always give her mad respect for that. She was still one of the few females Lyra could be around without getting snarly at.

  Lyra’s Siren had hated other females and passed that thought along to her host. Competition had to be dealt with firmly and removed from the vicinity of males. Shame that she hadn’t met anyone quite as attractive as herself.

  She flipped her hair over her shoulder and marched her way towards her room. Today was the day. If everyone wanted her to make contact with the Graverobber then she could do it right. She would go to that graveyard again. She would make certain that she spoke with him and didn’t get distracted.

  This time she wasn’t going to screw up.

  As she closed the door behind her, she could hear heavy footsteps following her.

  “Damn it,” she muttered. “Jasper go away.”

  Her bedside table held the small crystal that would teleport her to the graveyard. She had left its twin in the moss just inside the iron gates. She just had to get to the table before Jasper distracted her.

  Three sharp knocks sounded on her door. “Lyra?”

  “Shit,” she whispered. She always felt so guilty leaving him when he wanted to talk. He was like her brother; she should always be there for family.

  But the crystal was calling to her. Or perhaps it was the haunting memory of a monster underground who needed her to understand him.

  She sighed and rushed towards her cabinet.

  “Hey, listen. You were acting strange at breakfast, so I thought something might be wrong. Can I come in?” Jasper called from the other side of the door.

  There was that guilt she was expecting.

  She should stay. She should talk with him and not make him worry any more than he already did about her.

  The crystal in her hand started to heat.

  “Fine,” she muttered at it. “But I’m going to feel bad about this later.”

  She raised the purple stone to her lips and exhaled until she could see her breath on its surface. Then she felt the strange pulling sensation at her navel and disappeared from the room.

  “Mungus, I need you to hurry,” Wolfgang muttered as he held his hand out. “I only have a few moments to properly apply this bandage. Do not anger me further! I will put you back in your casket!”

  A glinting pair of scissors was settled gently into his palm.

  “Thank you.”

  He turned back towards the feathered animal on his office table. The bird was unusual in that it changed colors every few seconds. Magic had affected the natural world, and Wolfgang enjoyed investigating every change it made.

  Magic was every bit a part of him as the blood running through his veins. He was an exception to the rule and therefore was closer to its effects than most. If he concentrated, he could see the threads that connected all creatures and life.

  Even now, there were tiny strings of gold light that connected his fingers to the bird. It hopped sideways and then paused when it heard his soft murmuring.

  Wolfgang had always been good with animals. He wasn’t quite human, and they understood that. Neither was he one of the startling creatures that had changed their world. He was like them in a way. Locked on the same planet and changing to adapt to his new environment.

  A pair of magnifying glasses perched on his nose and made his eyes appear three times their true size. He peered at the small wire that was wrapped around the bird’s delicate leg.

  “A carrier pigeon of sorts?” Wolfgang asked it.

  The bird cocked its head to the side but did not reply.

  “Oh, that’s quite alright,” he murmured. “There aren’t a lot of things around here that talk that much.”

  He leaned forward to peer at the wire once more. He had never understood why people insisted upon using birds to deliver messages. Even now, when there were so many other options, there were those who refused to utilize the new tools at their fingertips.

  The scissors in his hand made a soft snicking sound as he opened them.

  “I don’t believe this will hurt.” He made certain his voice was quiet so the bird wouldn’t move.

  The wire was unfortunately much more tangled than he thought. He had to hold the traumatized bird down firmly with one hand and saw at the wire with the other. Throughout the entire ordeal, his fingernails were bleeding profusely. He wouldn’t allow the small animal to feel pain. It was already stressed enough.

  Finally, he freed the bird. It flapped its wings on his desk and stared down at the healed leg. Perhaps it was as surprised as he that it had survived with little more than a few lost feathers.

  “There now,” he said. “I told you not to fret.”

  A tingle raced down his spine. He recognized this feeling. It was as though someone had trailed a delicate touch from the back of his neck to the small of his back. Feather light, it reminded him very clearly of a young woman who haunted his dreams.

  Lyra. She was here. The Siren had tormented him since he had first discovered her existence.

  She was beautiful in a way he could not remember seeing before. The way the light reflected blue off of her dark hair made his stomach clench. The smile that spread across her face and revealed a dimple made him wonder how she had become so cold.

  Certainly she was one of the most attractive people in existence. Yet, it was hardly her beauty alone that had so enthralled him. She wasn’t frightened by him.

  It was to be expected that she not flinch away from a few scars. He had seen the way she was capable of fighting. She was no stranger to pain. But she did not fear him even when he revealed the darkness that had created the scars.

  Wolfgang had never been ashamed of his power. Choosing Blood Magic was the first step to becoming who he was. The necessary step to becoming a man capable of protecting his people and creating life out of nothing.

  “Mungus, my cloak.”

  The skeleton moved faster than Wolfgang had seen him move since he still had flesh on his bones. He had just managed to swirl the fabric in a great arc, which settled onto his shoulders when he heard her footsteps.

  A grin spread across his face. She did not hide herself from him. That was also good.

  The door banged open to reveal his beautiful Siren who did not fear him. She swept into the room like a storm, all thunder and lightning. She wore a leather jacket unzipped nearly to her belly button and little more than a bra. He was distracted by how much flesh was revealed as she stopped in front of him and crossed her arms.

  “Welcome back,” he said as he looked her up and down.

  “I wasn’t planning on returning, but the Five insisted.”

  Wolfgang cocked his head to the side and stared deeply into her eyes. “I don’t believe you told the Five.”

  “You should believe it. I did. Now I’m back to talk to you about returning with me.”

  “No.”

  “No?” Lyra raised a brow as though she couldn’t believe he had said that word.

  “I do not wish to fulfill the Five’s wishes. I will remain here where I am needed.”

  She appeared to be stumped. Her mouth gaped open for a few moments before she snapped it shut. He found he quite liked making her uncomfortable.

  “Well.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t. They’re the most powerful beings in existence. It is an honor to have them call upon you.”

  “And that makes them qualif
ied to order me to do their bidding?” Wolfgang scoffed. “No. I choose my own way.”

  He turned back towards his bench to check on the bird. She made him forget himself, which was likely to turn into a problem. Wolfgang had many things he kept track of, and he couldn’t afford to lose focus.

  The bird flapped its wings. The soft movement of air stirred the edges of his cloak, which parted to reveal a painfully thin body covered by velvet pants and a silken shirt.

  Lyra’s intake of breath made him squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He was not overly concerned with how people thought of him. His body was certainly not something pretty to look at. He was aware of this. But he didn’t want her to look at him with pity. His body no longer had to be strong.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “I—” He did not know how to explain. So he did not.

  “A bird?”

  He blinked a few times before he realized she must not have seen past his cloak. Relief made it difficult to croak his answer. “Yes.”

  “I’ve never seen a bird that looked like that before.”

  He tensed as she moved to stand next to him. The heat from her body leeched through the sturdy weight of his coat and warmed the flesh of his arm. Wolfgang had not known that such a simple feeling could be so addicting.

  “They call it a chameleon bird,” he answered her quietly.

  “I can see why. Does he ever stop changing colors?”

  “She does not.”

  Deep blue eyes turned to meet his gaze. For a moment, he heard the sound of waves.

  “It’s a girl?” Lyra asked.

  “Yes.”

  “How do you know?”

  His eyes did not want to leave the welcoming home of her ocean eyes. And yet, his gaze strayed from hers to follow the long line of hair that rested against the swanlike column of her throat.

  “The male is plain. He has no colors and is much smaller than his counterpart.”

  “Seems to go against the laws of nature if you ask me. Aren’t females usually small and ugly?”

  “The laws of nature are not the same as they were years ago.” He pulled himself away from staring at her further. He held a hand out for the bird, which hopped onto his offered perch.