Of the Blood

by Cameo Renae

  He shrugged. “On very rare occasions.”

  There was another pause as we gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.

  Watching the golden light illuminate the masculine features of his face made something deep inside me stir. His hair was in disarray as if he hadn’t slept in days, and if it were at all possible, caused him to look even more handsome. I despised him for that. Despised that he made me question my decision, even in the slightest bit.

  But I wouldn’t let it cost me my freedom. I needed to make a decision because it was right, and not because I was under pressure. And I didn’t want him to regret his decision, either. He said he bit me because it was the only way he could think of to save me. That told me he had no other choice, or option, at the time. And I wasn’t going to hold him to that.

  I gazed back at the ascending sun, its golden warmth illuminating my skin. “The sun is out. Why aren’t we bursting into fire?”

  His laughter resounded through my chest. “For one, purebloods are able to live in the daylight. And, as for you,” he purred, “this is but a dream. The sun cannot affect you here.”

  I peered toward the horizon, taking in the entire splendor of the risen sun. To be able to see the sunrise, even in a dream, was just as wonderful as the actual thing. Maybe this was a way to have the best of both worlds. But this way also came with a catch. Trystan.

  I wasn’t going to lie. It wasn’t a bad catch, and I was physically attracted to him. But I wasn’t going to throw my life away for a handsome face. This wasn’t a decision I could make on an impulse and take back later. No, this decision would change the rest of my life. And his.

  There were still so many unanswered questions flooding my mind. The biggest of which was not knowing if any of his claims about my grandfather or the rival clan hunting to execute my family were legitimate. How could I truly trust him when I didn’t have any confirmation? I wasn’t one to blindly follow anyone without cause. To do so would be maniacal.

  “Are there really vampires hunting my parents and me?” I questioned.

  Trystan pushed off the railing and ambled toward me. My body went rigid, so he halted a few feet away, casually folding his hands behind his back. “I can show you if you wish. Show you the threat, to prove to you it is real.”

  “How?”

  “Nyx,” he replied. “My crow. She’s my eyes when I cannot be in two places at once.”

  Crow? “I—I don’t understand.”

  “She’s not a normal crow,” he noted with a glimmer in his eyes. “She’s . . . magical. I can show you the threat through her eyes. I can allow you to see what is hunting for you, even now, as you sleep.” He took another step closer, eliminating the distance between us. I could feel the cold from his body seeping through my skin, even in the dream. His head inclined slightly. “Would you like to see?”

  There was only one answer. “Yes.”

  If this were true, it would be the answer I needed to the biggest question I possessed. I had to see it. Needed to know if there was truly a threat and a reason as to why I was hiding out in a cave with four vampire assassins and a witch.

  Trystan gently caressed my face within his large calloused hands and lifted until I found those warm, azure eyes that looked even more striking up close. Sweet breath feathered across my face as he rested his forehead against mine.

  Then he whispered, “Close your eyes, Calla. And see.”

  Moments after I shut my eyes, the darkness behind my eyelids started to flicker. Images flashed before me. A forest with countless trees. A rocky hillside. A narrow creek.

  I’d become a witness, soaring high in the sky, seeing clearly through another pair of eyes. Crow’s eyes. But this view could have been anywhere in Talbrinth. There were trees and hillsides all over the continent with terrain like this.

  As if reading my thoughts, the bird banked left, and after a few moments, there was different scenery I instantly recognized. In the distance, I located the Moonlight Tavern—the reeking piss-hole Kylan had rescued me from earlier.

  The bird banked left again, circling around, and soaring back over the Whisper Woods. Leveling off, just above the trees, it headed toward a rocky monticule near the edge of the wood. Landing on the branch of a towering oak, its eyes caught movement below.

  In the dark, I located at least a dozen figures wearing black masks, attired in black, quietly weaving their way through the trees. Silver weapons glinted in their hands and at their sides.

  The bird hopped down a few branches, and I soon picked up a conversation.

  “They’ve been here,” one declared, sniffing the air. “Looks like the girl has help. We discovered two sets of prints heading in that direction.” He pointed toward the monticule where we were concealed inside . . . sleeping.

  “They couldn’t have gone far,” another growled.

  “I demand to know who is helping her. I want their head on a stake,” a deep voice roared, sending a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. He must have been their commander.

  “Do you expect they’re heading to Hale?”

  “Hale is a possibility. But they could just as well run to Baelfast. Lord Huxley has a reputation for taking in strays,” the leader replied.

  “The Prince of Carpathia has marked her,” another deep voice responded.

  “I don’t give a damn who marked her. I’ll deal with Prince Trystan in time. Right now, we need to find the girl. I want her alive and delivered to the castle. Anyone else in Nicolae’s bloodline can die.”

  Trystan pulled away, breaking the connection. I blinked and landed back in the dream.

  What the hell did that guy mean? He clearly hated Nicolae enough that he demanded to erase his entire lineage. But why keep me alive?

  Hot tears burned my eyes. “Why don’t they just execute Nicolae and leave us alone?”

  “I don’t know,” Trystan breathed. “We can’t locate any record of Nicolae, except that he was raised by a servant in Northfall. After that, he just . . . disappeared.”

  What I’d just seen made matters even more complicated. I gazed into Trystan’s glowing azure eyes, my breath ragged. “Your men and Melaina are in danger because of me.”

  “My men and the witch are more than capable of taking care of themselves. We must move you here, to Carpathia. It’s the safest place for you to be right now.”

  “What about my parents? They’re sailing to Hale . . . to Merchant Port.”

  “I’ve already dispatched some men to search for them and will let Melaina know as soon as I receive any news.” He stepped away from me, but I grabbed hold of his hand, halting him.

  “You don’t have to do this for me. I can find a means to survive.” Lies. I knew I wouldn’t last long on my own. I’d heard what the men in the forest had said. They were hunting for me and would execute anyone helping me.

  Trystan’s eyes softened. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I absolutely didn’t believe that I needed to. My conscience, instinct, even my soul won’t rest until you are safe.”

  There was no way for me to understand why he was doing this, or to know what he was thinking.

  “Thank you,” I said and meant it. Those two words sounded so unimportant, but they were truly sincere.

  “Be safe, Calla,” he said, gripping my hands.

  He stepped toward me, his scent wrapping around me. There was a current traveling between us, causing my entire body to hum. I froze, bracing for a kiss, but instead, he bent forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. That act left me breathless.

  When he leaned back, his beautiful eyes found mine.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  I woke to find Melaina sitting up and staring at me through the fire. “What were you dreaming about? You were fidgety and moaning. Please share.” Her brow lifted, and a smile spread on her lips.

  But inside, I was rattling with the knowledge I’d received. “It’s . . . there are men outside hunting for me. And they’re close,” I replied.

  Th
e color leached from her face, her smile fading. “How do you know?”

  I struggled to understand what had just happened. “Trystan showed me through his bird’s eyes.”

  “Trystan?” Her jade eyes widened.

  I needed to wake the others. “We have a partial bond which allows us to connect while I sleep.”

  “Well, that explains the moaning,” she chortled.

  “Nothing happened,” I replied. She didn’t realize the severity of the situation. Men were outside. Coming to kill us.

  “If you say so.”

  I was about to stand, but Kylan was already behind me, snapping on his armor. “You said there was a threat outside. How many?”

  How did he hear me? He was on the complete opposite side of the cave.

  “At least a dozen, from what I saw,” I answered.

  “Andrés. Feng. Brone.” As quickly as Kylan spoke their names, they bolted up and started strapping on their armor and weapons, as if they already knew something was amiss. In a few minutes, they all stood in front of Kylan, ready and awaiting orders.

  “They’re here. At least a dozen,” he reported.

  Brone yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “Those bastards woke me from a deep sleep. Let me out to unleash my fury.”

  “No,” Kylan replied, his face like stone. “We’ll do this together.”

  “Wait, you guys can’t go out there,” I exhaled. “They outnumber you, at least three to one.”

  They all shifted their attention toward me. Brone chuckled, while Feng, Andrés, and Kylan grinned.

  I wasn’t sorry for what I’d said. I was genuinely concerned.

  “You’ll soon understand why we’ve been appointed by the King of Carpathia,” Andrés said, sliding a sword into its sheath at his side. “We’re his personal cadre for a reason.”

  I bit my tongue. Yes, I’d just met them, but these guys were here to protect me, and the thought of losing any one of them, on my account, caused my chest to ache. I didn’t want anyone to die on my account, especially knowing they didn’t agree with Trystan’s order to save me in the first place.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Melaina said, running a comb through her wild, red mane. “The only way they can die is if their heads are taken off.” She placed another log on the fire, and I watched the sparks flitter upward. “It’s nearly impossible to kill Brone,” she continued. “His neck is broader than the trunk of a full-grown oak, and probably just as tough.”

  Brone let out a barking laugh. Andrés also laughed and slapped a hand on Brone’s back. “She’s got you there, brother.”

  I stood and faced them. “One of the men demanded the head of the person helping me,” I declared to no one in particular.

  A light flickered in Kylan’s eyes. “Did they now?” He angled toward the others. “Sounds like a challenge to me.”

  “A challenge I’m more than happy to return,” Brone said in his deep tone.

  “How did you obtain this information?” Andrés questioned.

  “Calla has a partial bond with Trystan,” Kylan replied. “Because of it, she saw everything through Nyx’s eyes.”

  Brone’s brow furrowed, his onyx gaze locked on me. “There must be something extra special about her. Our prince has never displayed an interest in binding with anyone, especially outside of our kingdom. And especially not a mortal.”

  I sighed. “Trust me, there isn’t anything special about me.”

  “There must be.” Andrés stepped to the side of me and laid an arm across my shoulders. He was tall and smelled like a blend of leather and sweet spice. “You’ve seized the attention of our prince, which is not a simple feat.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was being insulted. “I assure you, I did nothing to capture him. He was the one who came for me. I had no idea he existed until he showed up at my party.”

  Andrés patted his hand on my shoulder. “Well, whatever the reason, if you see Trystan again through the bond, give him a big, wet kiss for me.”

  I slid out from his touch and growled. “The next time you see him, you can do it yourself.”

  Brone barked out a laugh and slapped Andrés on the shoulder, so hard he had to take a few steps forward to regain his balance. “She’s got you there, brother.”

  “Are you guys finished?” Kylan snapped. They all stood at attention. “Feng, you and I will go left. Brone, you go right. We’ll go wide, quietly, and catch them off guard.” His eyes swung to the massive brute. “Brone, I cannot emphasize the word silently enough.”

  Brone shrugged, and it was almost comical to see him taking orders.

  “What about me?” Andrés asked, his hand clutching the hilt of his sharpened blade.

  “I need you inside, directly behind the glamour,” Kylan ordered. “If anything happens to slip through, you’ll be responsible to take care of it.”

  Andrés closed his eyes and groaned. “Gods be damned. I guess I’m sitting this one out.”

  Brone turned to me with a wink. “The odds are four-to-one now, Calla. Care to bet against us?”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  Brone let out another barking laugh. “That’s good.”

  Truth was, Brone alone could probably take out half the men I saw. I would have loved to see them in action. Being the King’s cadre, they must have had some major skills.

  Kylan, Brone, and Andrés were clad in polished black leather armor and black boots. In the center of their chests was Trystan’s crest—the shield, dragon, and sword. Their shoulders, breasts, and abdomens were protected with leather pieces riveted one over the other, the ends trimmed in silver metal. The cuffs around their thighs and forearms were also made of black leather, affixed in the same scale-like patterns.

  Brone carried a giant mace in his right hand with a spiked metal head, stained black, while Kylan and Andrés had polished, double-edged swords around their midriffs and daggers strapped to their thighs.

  Feng remained in his long leather tunic and pants, also wearing black leather vambraces around his forearms and shins. Each stamped with Trystan’s crest. Two long, narrow blades were crisscrossed behind his back, and clutched in his fist was a tall black staff with golden symbols etched into it.

  Fierce, black steel helmets were placed on their heads, concealing everything except their eyes, noses, and mouths.

  Kylan strode toward the exit. “Let’s move.”

  Melaina suddenly gasped, stumbling backward. She collapsed to her knees, her hands clutching the sides of her head. When she blinked, her jade eyes had turned completely white.

  “Kylan!” I cried, stepping away from her. She looked possessed. Her alabaster eyes snapped directly on me.

  Kylan ran back to us and dropped to his knees in front of her, grasping her arms.

  “Melaina, what is it?”

  Those ghostly-white eyes latched onto him. “Is Calla safe?” she inquired in a low tone that wasn’t hers. Goosebumps raised across my skin. It was Trystan’s voice.

  “Yes. She’s here and she’s safe,” Kylan replied.

  “I need to speak with her. I just received information from my men regarding her parents.” The tone of his voice caused acid in my stomach to rise.

  Kylan turned his attention to me, signaling me to come. As I neared Melaina, he stood and backed away.

  “I’m here,” I responded, kneeling in front of the witch.

  “Calla, my men found your parents’ vessel. It was run aground about a mile from Peddlers Pass.” He hesitated and I knew something was wrong.

  “Tell me,” I implored, preparing myself for whatever news he was about to give.

  “Everyone on board was killed, except—”

  He paused again. But I’d only heard two words. Everyone. And killed.

  “Except what?” I breathed, gripping Melaina’s shoulders tightly. The surrounding ground spiraled as her white eyes pierced mine.

  “They couldn’t locate your father’s body.”

  My chest felt
as if a hole had been punched straight through it. “My mother? What about my mother?” I shoved the words out before reality set in and I was incapable of speaking.

  “I’m so sorry, Calla,” his voice was soft, weary. “She was on board with the others.”

  No. I searched those alabaster eyes, struggling to grip the words he’d just delivered.

  Dead. My mother was dead.

  A heavy sob ripped from my chest. I dropped back onto the ground, my body folding into itself. I couldn’t breathe. The pain was greater than any other I’d experienced. Even greater than the pain I’d suffered to become this monster.

  Melaina’s warm hand settled on my shoulder. “My men are searching for your father. For now, we must believe he’s still alive.”

  My mind was numb, and the hole in my chest growing wider.

  Nicolae.

  I despised him. I hated the man who was the cause of all of this. Whatever he did, whatever crime he committed, I held him responsible. He killed my mother and possibly my father. I wanted his head on a stake, as much as the enemy did.

  My parents worked and traveled a lot for their business, but they provided me with everything I ever needed—food, shelter, an education. I knew my parents loved me, more than anything, and I hoped they knew how much I loved them too.

  I made a pledge to train hard and learn everything I could from these assassins. From this day forward, retribution would be my drive. I would avenge my mother. I would move out from the shadowy corner I’d been standing in for too long. I was ready to fight for them. Even if it meant dying.

  Chapter Seven

  I barely heard the orders Trystan gave Kylan to take me to Carpathia.

  Carpathia was at least three thousand miles from Sartha, through treacherous terrain. On top of that, we’d have to sail across the deadly Sangerian Sea to get there.

  Stories passed down through the generations said the sea was cursed. Countless ships and entire crews had vanished on the Sangerian Sea, without a trace, never to be seen or heard of again. Whispers claimed the sea was alive and hungry, lying in wait for its victims. When the seas were calm and all was quiet, and when the men least expected it, the sea would wake and devour them whole. No one knew what truly took place because no one survived.