The Sanguine Door

by Genevieve Grey

  I was going to tell Luka that it was fine, but the look he gave made me swallow my words. The fiery Magic contained in him was shining through his eyes. I could see the depth of his power and it took my breath away.

  “She’s a monster.”

  The dagger nicked the thin skin at his neck and bright red blood beaded before falling in a thin line. Before the drop could stain his white collar, the door was thrown open and his two bodyguards appeared along with five others. Everly was among them. They growled as they took in our stance.

  Everly looked puzzled for a moment before glaring at me from across the room. We used to have some sort of truce but it seemed that had ended. Luka pocketed the dagger and leaned casually against the table, like he hadn’t been holding a knife to the Alpha’s neck mere moments ago.

  “Do we have a deal, Alpha?” I smiled sweetly, tucking away the monster for now.

  He gave us a curt nod and stormed from the room, the rest of his pack following. As soon as the door shut I sagged against the chair. I had just painted a giant target on my back. I would add it to all the others.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I snapped.

  I didn’t need anyone to defend me.

  “He disrespected you.”

  “What he said was the truth. There’s no need to get your knickers in a knot.”

  “You’re not a monster Rina.” He was fervent.

  I didn’t care enough to argue. “Okay.”

  “You don’t believe me.”

  “He can call me anything he wants.”

  He poured himself a glass of whisky and took the seat opposite me. “Better than mopping blood off the floor.”

  I peeked over at him. His cheeks flushed and a small grin threatening to break into a full-fledged smile. I wanted to see him smile, his genuine smile was so rare. I slammed down another glass of whisky, enjoying the buzz.

  “Fluffy hasn’t made me clean yet.”

  He looked at me, perfect eyebrow arched. “So you’ve never lost? Explains a lot,” he mumbled.

  “I found that after I beat a few of the bigger ones up they tended to leave me alone.” I poured another large shot for me and one for Luka. He downed his immediately. “It’s embarrassing losing to someone that doesn’t look far out of puberty.”

  He shot me a look that said he disagreed.

  “You think you can beat me?” I let out a giggle—out of character. “I’m not weak like I was before.”

  “I’m aware.”

  I stood, leaning over the table. “Are you?”

  He didn’t squirm under my full attention. Instead, he met my stare, daring me to look away first. Luka wasn’t scared of me, but there was another emotion shining through the cracks in his stony eyes. I threw the whisky back and enjoyed the warmth that settled in my belly. I walked around the table and hopped up on the table, my legs swung up and I sat my boots on either side of his chair. The alcohol was making me reckless and foolish. He was looking at me as if I was a tall glass of water and he hadn’t had a drink for months. Before I could do something stupid like straddle his waist, Fluffy slammed open the door.

  I met Fluffy’s self-satisfied grin. So what if I had a type? Luka didn’t even bother to turn around.

  “Get out of my bar,” he said. The spell was broken and I hoped off the table, the anxiety returning in a rush.

  Luka went to hand over more money, but Fluffy waved him away.

  “I won’t take money from the dead,” he laughed, but as we left his look was something closer to pity.

  “I’ve already come back from the dead once, it wasn’t so hard.” I snatched another bottle of liquor off his shelf.

  We rushed back to the hotel, moving quickly between the shadows.

  “We need to leave Dunlap.” My voice was surprisingly calm, despite the ever-increasing panic rising under my sternum. I might have just declared war on the pack. They would strike back soon. When we returned to the hotel and slammed open the door, Loral sat on the bed staring up at us wide-eyed.

  “We need to go,” Luka said. He moved around the hotel room like a hurricane, throwing our belongings into bags. He didn’t seem too fussed about whose stuff went where. Loral said nothing to me, but his lips twisted down in displeasure and the silence between us was heavy with accusation.

  “You need to warn the other members of the rebellion that deal with the packs. They will come for them now.”

  “What did you do?” he demanded.

  “I did nothing. They were the ones to betray us!” I shouted more loudly than the conversation needed.

  “It wasn’t an open declaration of war.” His voice rose louder still, the terse silence from before now forgotten.

  “Did you forget the part where they nearly tore me in two? Or is selling traxxy more important to you?”

  As the words had left my mouth, I regretted them. They were cruel, selfish words, and ones I had no right to say.

  “Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good. Not that you would know anything about sacrifice.” He spat the words with venom. My vision misted red.

  Before I could retort with more words I would regret, Luka grabbed my arm. The words died on my lips.

  “Come, help me pack.” His calming voice soothed some of the ragged anger in my chest. I spun on my heel, and begun to tear through the bathroom to shove our toiletries into a bag. When Luka and I had our stuff packed away, Loral finally grabbed the keys and stormed out the door behind us.

  I wasn’t going to be the first to break. So we sat in silence until Loral handed us back the blindfolds to put on before coming to the compound. We sat in darkness for nearly an hour, much longer than any time previously. I let the twists and turns lull me to sleep.

  “Rina, we’re here,” a male voice murmured. His warm hand cupped my forearm. I jerked awake, scurrying back until the seat belt choked me. “It’s me,” Luka said. I had never thought those words would ever be comforting, but still my breathing steadied. He threaded his fingers through mine as we were led back down into the compound.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The roof of the compound seemed lower than I remembered. Our bedroom was more suffocating despite being larger than the motels we had stayed at. Luka’s boots wore shallow tracks in the floor as he paced the room. I snatched one of the rock-hard pillows from the bed and hurled it toward his head. He plucked it from the air and glared at me, like I was the annoying one. Something was bothering him but I didn’t want to know what it was. I wanted to live in my ignorant bliss a little longer.

  “Stop pacing,” I growled.

  “What are we going to tell Loral?” He threw the pillow back at me and restarted his pattern.

  “What about?” I picked up my book of runes and began to flick through the pages.

  “I know why he’s not talking to you. It’s because he heard you call me Luka.”

  I stopped. “What are you talking about?”

  “When I fell, you said my name.”

  Blood flushed my cheeks. The desperation in my voice had been too telling.

  “I’ll tell him it’s your real name, that I knew you from when I grew up in Dunlap.” I waved him away, his nervous energy had swallowed the room. I had never seen him so riled up. Unease settle in my gut. I hadn’t thought Loral could ever betray me. He held friendship as something sacred. But his words from before echoed in my mind.

  “The oath will kill us both. My sister, Rina. They’ll kill my sister.” He grabbed me by my shoulders, eyes frantic.

  I was suddenly filled with overwhelming panic. I yanked away from him and it disappeared.

  “Calm down.” He didn’t acknowledge me, instead he continued to pace. “Luka, I’ll fix it.”

  I hopped off the bed and turned to leave the room.

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No. Go… be normal. Hit the bag or something.”

  When I turned, he was standing too close. I grabbed him around his biceps, the fe
eling of panic returned. I beat back at it.

  “Luka.”

  Our eyes met, I could almost hear the thoughts racing in his mind. No wonder the Elect had so much control over him. When his sister was involved he became totally irrational It was so out of character. He was usually in such tight control of himself, but now he was spiraling in a panic. He stared at me and I watched as his face smoothed back into the mask I was so familiar with. When his nervous energy finally settled, he nodded. I left the room and made my way toward Loral’s bedroom. One more lie. Just one more lie.

  True to form, Loral was hunched over the cauldron on his small desk, muttering to himself. When he looked up at me, the hurt in his eyes was palpable. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I stood planted in the door frame. He didn’t avert his gaze, instead his green eyes locked with mine. All my words were suddenly stuck in my throat. This was the same man that had collected me, bloody and bruised, whenever I had called, the friend that had singlehandedly turned me human again. After years of fighting pits and mercenary work, I was cold and barely human. He had warmed my heart and helped me see I was more than just a killing machine. I owed my life to him and now he looked at me as if I had yanked his beating heart from his chest and held it in front of him.

  I’d come prepared to weave a story of how Luka and I met. Maybe it could have been true if our lives weren’t so fundamentally different. We would have met in one of the dingy bars in the centre of the city, where all the transactions were done under the yellow light of night. We would have commiserated over the difficulties of living in a city such as Dunlap. Anything to throw him off the scent of who he really was. The lie died on my lips.

  All the air was sucked from the room.

  “I’m sorry.” It was all I could bring myself to say. It wasn’t enough.

  Realisation hit me like a brick to the face. I was still imprisoned. The Elect had imprisoned me as soon as Luka had found me. The Elect may not have locked me in a cell, but I was stuck all the same. There was only one way to free myself. “I’m so sorry,” I choked. “I’ve lied to you. Nothing I have ever said has been the truth.” He didn’t look surprised, but the sadness in his eyes deepened. “I’m not who you think I am.” I took a steadying breath. “I was wanted by the Elect.”

  He turned back to his work. “I know that.”

  “They found me—”

  —A heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder. I spun on my heel and away from the looming figure.

  Judas stood in the doorway.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I’m so glad you’re back.” I shared a puzzled look with Loral.

  “We were just in the middle of something, Judas,” Loral hinted, but he stayed put.

  The glint of hatred in Judas’s eyes was now buried so deep that I couldn’t see it. His smile was as I had remembered it before he had discovered what I really was. It was easy and reached his eyes. There was no hint of mistrust in his features. Loral looked as shocked as I did.

  “Can I steal her from you, Loral? I promise I’ll give her back.” He wrapped his fingers around my bicep. Loral looked resigned.

  “Sure. I’ll speak to you tomorrow…Lilith.” There was a sour taste in his mouth as he spat out my pseudonym.

  Judas pulled me from the room and into the tiny corridor. We moved into an unused nook. When he faced me he wore a smile. “You’re back.” He sounded relieved.

  Did I trust him?

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t move to leave. I should have. If he started spewing hate again, I didn’t know if I could control myself.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did to you. It wasn’t fair.” If he wasn’t still holding my arm, I would have fallen back in surprise. “I want to make it up to you.”

  “You don’t have to. I was out of line as well.” I wiggled my way from his grip. His large body was blocking my exit. I couldn’t pass unless I pushed him.

  “I’m so sorry. Please let me make it up to you.” The sincerity in his clear eyes melted some of the ice in my chest, I gave him an uncertain nod. He wrapped me in a tight hug. “I missed you.”

  My body tensed in response to his sudden change in demeanour. What had changed?

  “I spoke with Stella,” he said softly and rested his chin on the top of my head. “I didn’t understand before. I was a real asshole.”

  “We were both assholes.” I laughed nervously, but relaxed into the hug nonetheless. Maybe Stella had finally made him see the light. I didn’t want to ask any questions, it felt nice to have a friend back at least for a few nights.

  He finally released me and gave me one more wide smile. “I’ll see you later.”

  He gave me a wink and disappeared into the maze of halls. When I returned to my room, Luka had continued to wear tracks into the floor. When I stopped in the threshold he paused and looked up. His brows were knitted together. I couldn’t tell him now.

  “It’s done.” When the words left my lips he released a breath.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  I shrugged but he led me to the dining hall anyway. It was busier than usual. The bustle of the group was soothing. When we entered, Sylvia turned around from her place at the stove. She smiled and wiped her hands on the front of her apron.

  “You’re back. We missed you.”

  I forced a laugh past my lips as Rosie rushed over to wrap her arms around me in a hug. “You missed Noah’s cooking.”

  “That as well.” She laughed, and the sound warmed the room.

  Luka plastered a smile on his own face and took an apron from Sylvia. Rosie led me to the end of the dining table. She was too big to be picked up now. She presented a little chatterbox to me. It was coloured and numbered. Some of the corners had worn down like she had been demanding people pick a colour all day.

  The others in the hall were murmuring and laughing amongst themselves. I looked up for a moment and just watched. I wanted to remember this, Luka and Sylvia cooking, the smell of fragrant vegetables heavy in the air. Sylvia even wrapped an arm across Luka’s wide back and gave him a squeeze. Others were talking or laughing. Even Levi and Anthony sat across from each other whispering conspiratorially. I was surprised they hadn’t begged Luka to train with them as soon as he walked in.

  Rosie shoved her paper creation toward my face, breaking the trance

  “Pick a colour,” she demanded.

  “Pink.” I pointed to the panel. I wanted to remember her too. Her pin-straight black hair was wild, it was barely controlled by the bright scrunchie at the nape of her neck.

  She moved her fingers, spelling out the word. Rosie opened the chatterbox, the inside was filled with numbers.

  “Pick a number.”

  “Seven.”

  She grinned up at me like I’ve picked the wrong one. Still, she moved the chatterbox again before pushing it back in my face.

  “Pick again.”

  “Three.”

  “Not that one.”

  I hovered my finger over another number and she shook her head over each one until I reach the nine.

  “Nine,” I said.

  She flattened the paper and pulled open the carefully folded tab. Her smile was pure mischief when she looks up at me. “Who do you love?”

  I pretended to think for a moment, putting my finger to the corner of my lips. “Hmm I love you.”

  “Who else?” she prompted.

  I realised I hadn’t ever said the words in my adult life. Rosie had asked them so casually. No doubt Sylvia spoke them to her every night. I hadn’t raised the courage needed to ask what had happened to her father, but I could imagine well enough. There were only a few scenarios which might have led a single mother into the arms of a doomed rebellion.

  “I love your mum and Loral and Davis.”

  “No.” She huffed like I was being purposefully daft. Rosie covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hide her giggle.

  Before she could push me further, Sylvia came and plac
ed a plate of vegetables and white meat in front of her. The chatterbox was forgotten and she dug into her lunch. Luka placed a plate in front of me. It seemed he was still trying to fatten me up. The others lined up to get food. I hadn’t expected Luka to be a good cook, but he was. He was almost as good as Sylvia. He sat across from me with an easy smile that I couldn’t match.

  “It’s good to see you both back in one piece.”

  “We were lucky the trip was uneventful.” The lie slid from my lips.

  The meal was lively and I found myself smiling and laughing along with the group. After lunch, I returned to our room. Luka collected a towel to escape to the gym. I fidgeted, wringing my fingers and trying to read the book Davis gave me. I tried to think of things to say to Luka, how to explain to him that he needed to take me back to Ka. When he finally returned all the nervous energy had disappeared. I jumped up as he entered the room, but he paid me no attention and retrieved a book from his large pile.

  My careful speech was forgotten and the words tumbled from my lips.

  “You need to take me back to Ka.”

  He froze. “No.”

  “You have to or I will tell everyone who you are and void the oath.”

  His eyes narrowed as he turned toward me. “What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t want to lie anymore.”

  “It’s a little while longer and then you’ll be free.”

  “I won’t betray the rebellion. You have to take me to the Elect.” The treacherous words tumbled from my lips.

  “They’ll throw you in one of the Blood Mage camps.” I shrugged. I had quickly made peace with the idea of spending the rest of my life in a cage, if only to never see the look of betrayal on Loral’s face again. “You’ll be collared.”

  Once again I lifted my shoulders. It was all I could do to not burst into tears. Luka grew frantic. He knelt in front of me and took my hands. His eyes searched mine.

  “We can escape. There’s a few people that owe me. We can disappear back to Dunlap where the Elect won’t find us.”

  “I won’t ask you to trade your sister’s life for mine.”

  “I have been planning to get her out for years. There’s a few more things to put in place.” He looked calculating for a moment. “It will take six months to a year max.”