Eyes Of Crimson : Vampire Paranormal Romance (Transfusion Saga Book 8)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “What the Hell were you thinking!?” I snapped making each of them look at each other in confusion.

  “She's gaen bat shit crazy, mist have bin th' fall,” Vern said first before Trice folded his large arms across his chest and said,

  “I think ye will fin' we wur saving yer ass from bein' a fckin’ sex' slave fur th' rest of yer mortal life!” At this I closed my eyes, muttered a prayer and shook my head as the true shit show this had turned out to be really took shape. And well, I was the only one to blame for it all! Gods, but if I had just told Trice who Lucius was to me when I had the chance, then none of this would have happened.

  “It wasn’t like that,” I told him making him frown in annoyance.

  “Aye fur it didnae look lik' that when ye wur sat on his lap collared lik' a fckin' dog 'n' bein' drank from lik' a fckin’ meal!” He snapped sarcastically with his accent coming out thicker with his anger. This made me sigh and tell him again with more force this time,

  “And I am telling you that it wasn’t like that!”

  “Bit lassie, ah thought this wis whit ye wanted?” Gryph said, being the calmer one of the group, as Trice then snapped,

  “More lik' begged...if I recall, ye wur desperate fur us tae break ye oot of there.”

  “Well yeah, that was when I thought I was going to find my head on the end of a noose or on some demonic chopping block!” I pointed out.

  “Ah bit fckin' th' king 'n' bein' his whore is just bonnie, is it?!” He threw back at me and I ignored Vern’s,

  “Harsh that be, Brother.”

  “Trice!” Gryph also snapped, whereas I lost my shit altogether and slapped him across the face before stepping up into him and snarling,

  “I am no man’s whore!” His head had whipped to the side and before waiting around for his response I turned on a heel and started storming off.

  “Fckin’ ungrateful crazed Lass…Where dae ye think yer going?!” Trice said suddenly grabbing my arm and jerking me back to facing him.

  “To try and sort this shit out that’s what!”

  “Whit urr ye saying, lassie?” Gryph asked walking past Trice after I had yanked my arm free from his hold.

  “Aye, fur a'm lost ere,” Vern added.

  “I am sorry, but you don’t understand, I have to go back.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the only hope I have at trying to save you from Lucius.” They each frowned before giving each other another one of those silent looks. So, I rubbed my forehead as I tried to think how to put this before just coming out and blurting the truth,

  “Look, I was the one that got you into this and now it’s on me to get you all out of it again and if I don’t do something, then Lucius is going to hunt the three of you down and I won’t have any power to stop him!” I said making Trice scoff and say,

  “We are nae as weak as ye think we are!” I gritted my teeth at the stubborn response and made my point,

  “Why, do you have an army and a whole fucking kingdom on your side?”

  “She haes a point there,” Vern said rubbing the scruff of a beard on his jawline.

  “Besides, right now he may be busy facing off an army but how long do you think it will be before he discovers I am gone. If any luck and I am not too far…wait, what are you not telling me?” I asked cutting myself off as their sheepish looks said it all.

  “Thare is na army,” Trice declared sternly making me look to Gryph.

  “What does he mean?”

  “It wis a decoy tae git ye oot of' there.” I sucked back a breath, both relieved and not as Lucius would be bloody murderous.

  “A decoy?” I whispered to myself as I looked back towards the way we had come, the castle now long gone from sight.

  “Aye, that good blue haired beauty, Nero.” So, it had all been magic. There was no army and now Lucius would know it too. This was when I started walking, telling them,

  “I have to get back to him, I have to…”

  “Awright, c'moan now, ye dinnae have tae do this...you can be free,” Trice said, this time losing his anger and wrapping his arms around me from behind. I let my head hang down and told him,

  “I was already free, you just didn’t get to see it.” His arms dropped and he turned me back around to face him.

  “Ah dinnae understand,” he said.

  “And you never were supposed to,” I confessed raising a hand to cup his scarred cheek.

  “What are ye saying ere, lassie?” He asked and just as I was about to explain, I froze as this time when I heard the thundering demonic roar…I knew who it belonged to.

  “Och, shit,” Vern said the second the air cracked as Lucius landed about thirty feet in front of us. This was when Trice made his second mistake by trying to get me to stand behind him, holding me back. Lucius looked up from his landing on one knee, and in that moment he looked like some dark avenging warrior just dropped down from a Hell above not below. He raised his head and snarled low, letting his fangs lengthen, looking ready to eat out the heart of his enemies.

  But the second I tried to go to him, Trice again made the mistake of trying to stop me, which I knew my only choice here was to show Lucius where I wanted to be. I needed to pick a side and for him to calm down when he knew it was his. So, I did something that surprised the shit out of everyone. The second Trice went to grab me I yanked his hand down, stepped over the arm and took it with me in a lock that he had no choice to follow before rolling to his back and ending by me putting him on his ass. Then, before anyone could do anything to stop me, I ran as fast as I could to my Chosen One.

  “Lucius!” I shouted his name after throwing myself in his arms, meaning he had no choice but to catch me. Thankfully, his armour retracted at the same time so the impact wouldn’t hurt and left the man I loved beneath the demonic battle suit.

  I had at least managed to tame the beast back.

  I buried my head in his neck as he lifted me higher and I breathed him in deep.

  “Amelia.” He said my name, whispering it in utter relief into my hair at the same time his arms tightened around me. Then, as he lowered me, his arms unwound from me so he could frame my face as if needing to see that I was unharmed.

  “Are you alright, Sweetheart?” he asked, and I nodded, hearing Vern’s comment,

  “Och, I think we hae missed something big 'ere, brothers.”

  “Aye,” Gryph agreed whereas Trice had regained his stance and said nothing, even if his stern, hard features pretty much said it all…he was furious.

  However, these comments only managed to bring Lucius’ attention back to those responsible for taking me from him and the second he looked over my head and growled low in his throat, I knew this was ‘oh shit’ time. Especially when he didn’t even glance down at me before he was letting me go and telling me,

  “Wait here!” His hard unyielding, and scary voice told me what was coming next.

  “No! Lucius, no…” He ignored me and started walking over to the brothers, forcing me to go running after him.

  “Amelia, do as you’re told!” Lucius barked at me as I caught up.

  “Aye, Amelia, dae as yer Master commands!” Trice snapped after drawing his sword. I looked back at him over my shoulder and snapped,

  “Not helping here!”

  Lucius shot me a furious look and warned,

  “Get back!”

  “NO!” I shouted and this time, pushed his chest to get him to stop, something he didn’t do. No, instead he grabbed me by the waist and moved me to one side but then the second I was free I ran and jumped on his back. Once there I hooked my ankles around his waist and spun my body round, letting my weight fall backwards so my hold on him meant he had to come following after me. Then when we were both on the floor I quickly straddled him, tried to pin him there and shouted down at him,

  “It wasn’t their fault! They didn’t know!” Suddenly, I was flipped and the roles reversed as he shouted down at me,

  “They knew that they
were acting against their King!” Then he pushed back up from me and was suddenly producing his own sword and getting ready to strike Trice who already had raised his blade before him. I quickly scrambled to my feet and just before they could start fighting I tried one more thing.

  “If you do this…if you fight them and hurt any of them then I swear to you, Lucius, I will never fucking forgive you! NEVER!” I shouted making him finally take pause. He looked back at me over his shoulder in utter shock.

  “Please…don’t do this, don’t make me hate you for hurting them.” Lucius’ eyes narrowed on me and opened his mouth to speak but whatever he was going to say got lost. Because when he did, that was when I saw Trice trying to use this to his advantage. Suddenly fearful for a new reason my body reacted, doing so in a way like never before. Not even like the day in the Janus Temple with the witch. It was all so different.

  Rage. Panic. Pain. It all ripped through me, starting at what felt like my belly, before it suddenly exploded!

  “I SAID NO!” I screamed so loud that it felt like it rattled my spine! At the same time a red bloody stream of air rushed from my entire body and travelled like another form of me towards the four men. It was a silhouette that only got bigger and bigger until by the time it hit them, it was the size of a house.

  It slammed into all of them and knocked everyone down like they each were made up of air. It threw the three brothers back with only Lucius, who actually fought against it and remained standing. However, even this didn’t look easy.

  Then after the angry cloud of power had continued so far it started to evaporate, leaving me just standing there utterly stunned. I was panting heavier and heavier until suddenly I couldn’t seem to breathe!

  “Luc…ius I…” I tried to say as I looked down at my hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.

  “I am here!” He told me, at the same time taking my hands in his and telling me,

  “Breathe, Amelia…just breathe now…calm, calm for me,” he said wrapping his arms around me and trying to breathe with me, no doubt hoping for me to follow his rhythm.

  “That’s it…deep breaths, just in and out again,” he said soothingly, now stroking the back of my hair down to my back as he kept me cradled to his chest.

  “Whit th fck wis that?!” I heard Vern ask in a bewildered tone.

  “Silence!” Lucius growled before asking me once my breathing had evened,

  “Are you alright?” I pulled back so I could see him and nodded a little, feeling completely unsure of what was going on.

  “Ah thought she wis mortal?” Trice said making Lucius snap,

  “She is mortal.”

  “Aye and she’s also yer Chosen One,” Gryph added making Vern suck in surprised breath and Trice look pained,

  “Yes, she is and if a word of this is…”

  “We wull nae speak a word o' this, we care fur th' lassie,” Gryph quickly assured him and just as I raised my hand to cup his cheek I started to feel strange.

  “Lucius, please don’t be angry at…I…feel…”

  “Amelia?” Lucius said my name and the worry was clearly there in both his tone and in his face. But then that face started to go blurry and soon my mind was finding it difficult to focus on small details.

  “Whit's wrong wi' her?” Vern was the first one to ask and I could just make out a blurred form pushing his way through.

  “Amelia?!” Lucius shouted this time as my legs suddenly gave way beneath me.

  “Turn her around.” I could just hear Trice’s order making Lucius snap back,

  “Why?!”

  “Just dae it!” Trice demanded again and that’s when I felt myself moving. After that I felt the air hit my back and pain suddenly cut through me like a lance! It was unbelievable and of the likes I had never felt before!

  I screamed before it turned into small whimpering cries of pain. I heard Lucius trying to calm me and the hiss of air being pulled through teeth.

  “What is it?!” Lucius demanded through the fog and the very last thing I heard was from Trice, who sounded both angry and anxious…

  “The hex...tis…”

  “Tis trying tae claim her.”

  28

  Hex of a Time

  The next time I opened my eyes I had to give myself time to understand where I was and even then it didn’t help. For starters I was lying on a bed of ash and the second I focused, I could see the little paper snowflakes of grey falling down all around me. I reached up a hand and let one catch on the tips of my fingers before bringing it closer to my face so I could discover what it was.

  But it was only when I finally sat up that I knew something bad had happened here…wherever here was? Had I caused this destruction?

  It was like a wasteland of grey, with nothing but water in the distance washing even more ash up to the shore like dead skin floating on the surface. I frowned the longer I looked at the desolate place and for some reason an overwhelming sadness overtook me.

  I got up from what strangely looked like an old cart that was without any animal to pull it. Where was everyone, had everyone run from the oncoming ruin? I turned around to look behind me expecting to see the same dead land when I could just make out a line of life beyond.

  I turned back to where the destruction seemed to be centred around and felt the ash clinging to my hair, like snow that wouldn’t ever melt. But then something caught my eye as footsteps seemed to appear out of nowhere.

  “What is this?” I muttered aloud jumping a little when my own voice echoed back at me. Then, as if responding to the question, more footsteps appeared as if an invisible woman was walking in the grey sand. I decided to follow it, making sure I wasn’t stepping in the same place not trusting what might happen if I did. It started to take me closer to the water that could have been an ocean or just a lake. I just couldn’t tell due to the thick fog that obstructed my view. It clung to the water like summoned clouds that needed to keep the edges of this place from mortal means.

  Was this some kind of forbidden place?

  I left this question unanswered like all the rest and continued to follow the steps until they finally stopped at what looked like something buried in the ash. At first it looked like a dull black stone that was wet from the water lapping at it. Pieces of ash clung to it only to be washed away again with every small wave that caressed it. I didn’t know what it was about the stone, but it seemed to be drawing me in. As though what I was looking at was not just a piece of history, but something that was looking for the one single soul that it truly belonged to.

  The person with the power to change that history.

  I had no idea where these thoughts were coming from, but I knew that I had to have it. I had to take it and protect it from being used. But then the second I did this I saw the faintest ghost of another girl doing the same. I tried to snatch out quickly, intent on taking the stone before she could get it but then the second I touched it something happened. The girl became whole and cried out as she fell to her knees still clutching the orb to her chest. Then it started to glow crimson and when she opened her eyes, they held the same power in them.

  After this she said one name and it was one I knew well…

  “Janus”

  After this I looked around, now seeing the ghosts of a small army of men all dragging the shadows of screaming women behind them, trying to steal them away. It was like being shown the barest memory of history and from the looks of things, it was an ancient one. Then suddenly a blinding white light erupted and cut through everything. I watched as the rest of the memories were also swept away like an explosion of power had brought the wind of time.

  All that was left, was the woman standing next to me, looking straight at me. She had a kind young face with sadness in her eyes. She held out the red orb to me that was no bigger than an apple and told me,

  “For me love was the key to end this war…but for you hate is the only power you will find there. Hate is what made him. Hate is what failed him. Hate is what
you must defeat…” She paused to look down at the orb still in her hands and said,

  “Fate has chosen you.” Then she held it out further for me to take and the second I did, I suddenly gasped out for breath!

  I sat up still clutching at the orb to my chest only to find it wasn’t there.

  “No!” I shouted in panic and started looking for it only to find that I was no longer in the same place.

  “Hey, whoa, calm down, Honey, you’re fine…you’re fine now, just take it easy.” A voice I recognised started speaking to me and I took a deep breath to try and calm the pounding of my heart.

  “That’s it, deep breaths, yeah?” Nero said who was sat next to me giving me a warm smile. I looked around and this time it didn’t take me half as long to figure out where I was…not that I had the first time. But at least for now I was in Lucius’ bedroom in Hell and it was a far more welcoming sight.

  “Nero?”

  “Hey Chicky, here drink this.” I gave it a suspicious look and said,

  “It’s not Devil’s Rum again is it?”

  “No, it’s just water,” she said chuckling.

  “Oh good, that stuff tastes like demon piss.” She gave me another amused look and teased,

  “Had much of that have you.” I gave her wry look and said,

  “You don’t wanna know half the shit.” And then I left it at that.

  “Fair enough,” she said shrugging her shoulders in a way that she understood everyone had their personal demons…even for, well…a demon.

  “What happened, where is Lucius?” She gave me a knowing look and said,

  “Yeah, you kinda missed out the part where the King is your boyfriend, ‘cause you know that shit would have been quite helpful.” I felt the heat invade my cheeks and said,

  “I’m sorry, but I didn’t exactly know who I could trust with that one.”

  “Oh shit, yeah I get it…” she said holding up both hands and continuing,

  “If people knew, then fuck me, you would have been on everyone’s bounty list! Your fella ain’t exactly gonna win any popularity contests but then again, not a King in Hell that would…well, other than Asmodeus, he’s just yummy.” I choked on a laugh making her give me a questioning look, so I told her,