Of the Blood

by Cameo Renae

  “Give it a few minutes, love,” he said, peeling the glass from my clenched hand, his fingers brushing against mine.

  I couldn’t respond because I was riding an incredible high. I closed my eyes and laid back on his billowy pillows, letting the overwhelming buzz of the fresh blood run its course. My body felt heavy. My mind numb.

  Soft. The bed was so soft.

  My eyes snapped open. I was disoriented, wondering where the hell I was. Glancing around, I tried to get my bearings.

  “Well, well. Look who’s back from the dead,” Sebastian cooed from the side of the bed. “You’ve been asleep for nearly two days, love.” He was relaxing in a lounging chair, flipping the page of a book. He was wearing long black trousers and a white, cuffed tunic. The drapes were drawn, blocking the brilliant sun from frying me to a crisp.

  “Wait. Two days?”

  “You slept like the dead,” he replied, uncrossing his legs.

  I stretched my limbs and they felt strong and refreshed. I wasn’t nauseated for the first time. I gasped, suddenly wondering what Markus would think.

  “Your friends know you’re here,” he added casually, that dimpled grin widening. “The burly guard has been in and out. Probably making sure I’m not ravaging you.” He winked, and I laughed.

  “What about the storm?” I yawned.

  “It wasn’t very rough. You slept right through it.”

  I leaned back into the pillow and turned to him. “Thank you, Sebastian. I guess I really needed that.”

  He placed his book on the desk. “Aye. You were so exhausted you were snoring.”

  I gasped. “I was not!”

  “You were, and it was quite unpleasant.” He kept a serious expression for a few moments before bursting out in laughter.

  I growled at him. “And where did you sleep those two nights?”

  He pointed to the opposite side of the bed. “But don’t fret, love. Between cold baths and your rather large friend popping in, nothing transpired. Though, watching you sleep was rather tempting.”

  “Mmm,” I hummed.

  Sebastian chuckled, rising from his chair. “I’ll be back momentarily.”

  Minutes later he walked back in with another glass filled with crimson liquid.

  “Breakfast in bed,” he announced. “Fresh, with nothing but my exceptional, high-quality, blood.” He handed it to me, his fingers skimming over mine. This man was a master of seduction and he knew it. He knew the right words, where to touch, how to touch . . . subtly, yet effectively.

  I sat up and took the warm glass. Closing my eyes, I inhaled, savoring the smell. His blood had my body tingling. My incisors lengthened, knowing I was about to feed.

  When I opened my eyes, Sebastian’s sea-blue eyes were attentively set on my face.

  “What?” I breathed. Heat filled my cheeks.

  “It’s so gods damned sexy, watching you crave my blood.”

  “I crave all human blood.”

  “Yes, love. But right now, you want mine.” He smiled widely. “Hell, woman, I’d even let you bite me right now.”

  “No,” I said, holding a hand up.

  “Why not? I thought if it comes straight from the source, it makes you stronger.”

  “It does. But I’m still new at this. It’s difficult for me to let go.” The image of Spring made my stomach churn. “Besides, I can’t let this fine glass of your exceptional blood go to waste.” I held the glass up to my nose and inhaled again. Gods above. My body craved it. Yearned for it. I tilted the glass to my lips and drank. Consumed until every drop was gone.

  His blood was rich—sweet and savory at the same time. Much different from Sabine’s. Hers was pleasant, but Sebastian had something distinct. Maybe it was his overpowering male essence, but when I was done, it caused me to moan.

  His blood coursed through my veins, restoring my cells . . . and my libido.

  “Hell, woman. You’re not allowed to moan in my bed when I’m not in it,” Sebastian exhaled.

  I opened my eyes and licked the traces of blood off my lips. Lust filled his eyes as he watched every movement.

  “Mmm,” I hummed. “Delicious.”

  “Wicked,” he breathed. “Simply wicked.”

  I rose from the bed and walked up to Sebastian, pressing so close I could feel the warmth radiating through his flesh.

  I put the empty glass in his hand. “I should get back to the others.”

  His head dipped forward, his face inches away. “Or, you could stay.”

  “I would,” I whispered, buttoning the top of his tunic. “But you’re much too tempting, captain.”

  He groaned, a mischievous grin played on his lips.

  This game between us could go far fast, but we both knew a relationship could never happen. Yet despite knowing what I was, he’d been nothing but kind to me, helping keep me alive and strong. . . just like Sabine had. I really liked Sebastian and had come to realize why my great-grandfather trusted us in his care.

  I lay both hands on either side of his face and kissed him. Lips and tongues and teeth swirled and danced until my mind became numb. Sebastian’s arms folded around me, pushing me tight against his warm frame.

  I was losing control, but Sebastian was the first to pull away, leaning his forehead against mine, his breath ragged.

  “Thank you, Sebastian,” I murmured against his lips. “For everything.”

  “Aye, love. Anytime,” he said, giving me a handsome dimpled grin.

  I gave him one last kiss before I left his embrace and walked out of his bedroom. My legs still weak.

  “You’re going to sink me, you wicked woman,” he hollered after me.

  I smiled and turned around. He was leaning against the doorframe, a hand combing through his golden-brown hair.

  Maybe, if circumstances were different and I wasn’t running for my life, I would be open to a relationship. Or perhaps not. Not with Sebastian, anyway.

  Sebastian was a man of the sea. A pirate. And he would die a pirate. He would never settle. Not when he probably had women at every port, awaiting to satisfy him.

  Besides, I hated sailing and couldn’t wait to set my feet on solid land. I would be glad never to set foot on a ship again. And my life, at the moment, was way too complicated and still filled with too much danger.

  No. We were two passing souls who found and comforted each other in a time of need.

  Walking back to my room, I couldn’t help but smile. I felt incredible. Stronger than I had since I’d transformed. And without guilt. Sebastian had willingly given me generous amounts of blood, enough to heal me completely.

  When I opened the door to my cabin, Sabine and Markus were in the middle of a game of cards, both laughing. It was nice to see their friendly faces.

  “Calla!” Sabine squeaked. She jumped up and ran over, throwing her arms around me. When she released, she examined my face. “Wow! You look so much better.”

  “I feel amazing. Captain Salloway gave me some of his blood.” I glanced at Markus who had a scowl on his face. “Served in a glass.”

  “Sure,” he rumbled. “But you do look better. Not so . . . pasty.” I saw a slight smile play on his lips.

  “Thanks,” I chimed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  His gaze drifted to Sabine. “Are we going to finish this game?”

  “Yes!” She plopped back down across from him.

  As they wrapped up their game, I didn’t know what to do with myself. The sun was out so I couldn’t open the porthole, even though I wanted to. I wished I could feel the sunlight on my face and soak my body in its warm rays. But I was now a creature of the night. Darkness was my life. And I wasn’t sure if I could deal with that for the remainder of my new immortal life.

  “You are made of fire and magic. The light of day cannot harm you.” That voice.

  It was Leora’s, and it was so strong, as if she were speaking directly into my ear.

  Could it be true? Could I live like the pureblo
ods?

  But I saw what the sunlight could do. It turned my hand into a fiery torch.

  “The spell has been released, and you are no longer bound by darkness.” The voice spoke again.

  I had to find out.

  I walked up to the porthole. I could feel my heart racing. My heart. The heart that should have been dead . . . not beating. The heart Leora’s spell protected. So—I gripped the rag Sabine put over the porthole window and tugged it off.

  “Calla!” Sabine wailed, scrambling to her feet.

  Before she could get to me, I stuck my arm directly in the sunlight.

  Sabine froze and so did Markus, who was on his feet. Their eyes were fastened to my arm. All of us watching, waiting for it to burst into fire.

  After almost a minute, I still wasn’t burning. I realized then that my life had changed.

  I dared to step further until the sunlight touched my face. Warmth kissed my cheeks, nose, eyelids. Closing my eyes, I savored the feeling. A feeling I thought I would never experience again.

  The sun was life. I’d been a drained battery, but standing in its rays, I felt like it was recharging my cells.

  Tears poured down my face as I looked back at my friends.

  “I can’t believe it. It’s a dream come true.”

  I was standing in the sunlight, like the rest of the purebloods. Only I wasn’t like them. I was something entirely different.

  Markus’s expression was riddled with confusion. “How is this possible?”

  I shrugged my shoulders and gazed into his eyes. “I don’t know. I just thought about how amazing it would be to feel the sunlight on my face again. Then I heard a voice in my head. It told me I am made of fire and light and that the sun cannot harm me.”

  “Calla. This gives you an incredible advantage,” Sabine breathed.

  “We can’t tell anyone about this,” Markus warned. “Enemies of Incendia will be after you. And vampire clans will seek you out. There is no one like you. A merging of Vampire and Incendian Royalty.”

  He didn’t need to tell me how dangerous my powers were, especially to those who already despised the Incendians for their abilities. A power beyond all others, snuffed out because of envy and hate. And now, here I was, a half-breed.

  Because I’d been kept on the verge of starving, I still hadn’t confirmed the vampire powers. But I knew, when fed properly, I could probably be just as strong and fast as the others. I also possessed their heightened senses, so I literally had the best of both races.

  A wave of hope struck me. I had a beating heart and now I could live in the sunlight. There was one person I wanted to share this incredible news with, more than anyone. And that was Trystan.

  I wondered where he was, or what he was doing right now. I wondered if he’d met Brynna and tried to explain everything that had happened. But most of all I wondered—even if I shouldn’t have since our bond was severed—if he still thought about me.

  Between Markus and Sabine’s endless questions and theories—most that went unanswered—night fell swiftly upon us. As we were about to settle down for the night, a powerful boom rocked the ship.

  “What was that?” Sabine gasped.

  We waited in silence.

  Boom! The ship lurched again, this time to the starboard side.

  Sabine and I bellowed, desperate to gain purchase on anything to keep us from tumbling across the room.

  Something big hit us. Or maybe we’d hit it.

  When the ship evened out, we heard Captain Salloway’s voice echo down the hallway. “All hands on deck!”

  We stood by and listened as footsteps pounded down the hall toward the deck, but in the minutes that pursued, the shouting of the crewmen suddenly shifted into screams of terror.

  Markus shot up and was at the door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back,” he ordered, his face tight.

  Sabine and I nodded.

  “Do you think its other pirates?” she asked, her eyes wide with panic.

  “I don’t know.” I wasn’t sure what it was.

  Another hit, and the ship rocked again, tipping port side. Sabine wailed, sliding across the floor.

  This wasn’t pirates. This was something else.

  Maybe the sea had finally awakened, and The Damned was its prey.

  There was no way I was going to stay in this room and die. I was given a powerful gift—to call fire and manipulate water. Maybe I could help, even if I was still learning how to use those gifts.

  “Sabine, get in the hammock,” I implored. It would protect her from rolling around and getting hurt. She was coiled up on the floor, sobbing and trembling. I picked her up in my arms, rather effortlessly, and put her in the belly of the hammock. “You’ll be safe here,” I said, folding the sides around her. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Calla,” she sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I don’t want to die.”

  Burying my own fear, I clasped her hands and gave her my bravest smile, hoping I could inject the same hope she’d offered me countless times.

  “You’re not going to die, Sabine. Not while I’m on board. Even if I have to swim to Incendia with you on my back. Or,” I said, tapping my chin, “we can both ride on Markus’s back.” Her slight smile warmed my heart. “Don’t leave the hammock. It’s the safest place to be. I’ll be back. I just have to see what’s out there.”

  She nodded and settled into the hammock, gripping the rungs as if they were lifelines.

  Seeing she was secure, I made my way out the door.

  The ship rocked again, throwing me off balance, but my legs were sturdier with Sebastian’s blood in me.

  As soon as I exited the hallway, I saw chaos. Sebastian’s crew were running and hollering with horrified expressions on their faces. Then, my gaze caught sight of what they were running from.

  Fear seized every part of me.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  It was something right out of hell’s abyss. A dark nightmare brought to life. A sea serpent.

  Its head looked like a dragon, horned and vicious. Its eyes were glowing yellow. Its mouth filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  The creature didn’t roar, but let out a painful, high-pitched screech that knocked the crew to their knees, covering their ears. The monster’s muscles stretched and shifted. Thick onyx scales rippled down its long neck. A neck which seemed unending, vanishing into the murky sea. In the distance, approximately thirty feet away, a tail raised and slammed down into the water.

  Gods, it was enormous.

  The sea serpent slithered up the side of the ship, plucking men off the deck. I watched it crush a man between its jaws, then swallow him whole.

  Tortured screams echoed as the monster thrashed, tossing men into the sea. The crew tried to fight it off with swords, sticks, and torches—anything they could get their hands on. But their weapons did nothing against the monster’s thick scales.

  Strong, muscular arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me backward into the shadows and out of immediate danger.

  Markus.

  “What is that thing?” I exhaled, my body trembling.

  His eyes focused beyond me. “A sea serpent.”

  “Where’s Sebastian?” I questioned, praying he wasn’t one of those that had been tossed over the side or swallowed whole by the monster.

  The serpent thrashed, taking out a mast, tipping the boat port side. Wood and splinters rained down as men wailed, slipping across the deck, struggling to grab hold of anything to keep them from plummeting off the side. Markus held me up, steadying us both in the corridor.

  I couldn’t remain in the shadows any longer. I’d been given a gift that could help these men. I couldn’t stand by and watch them die. Because they were dying.

  My parents and ancestors would have wanted me to try.

  I could feel the magic inside answer my challenge, ready and eager to do my bidding. Markus’s arms gripped tighter around my waist, holding me back. He was trying to protect me. A vow he’d
made to the King. And I knew he would do everything in his power to keep that promise. But I had my own path to take, and I knew my great-grandfather would understand.

  “Let me go,” I demanded through gritted teeth, unable to move under his steel grip.

  “I will not,” he replied. “It’s too dangerous out there.”

  There was no reasoning with him. He would die protecting me.

  “Markus, I have to go,” I said, this time with authority.

  Markus’s grip tightened to the point I had trouble breathing. “You know I can’t let you.”

  “I know,” I panted. “And I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” My hands heated, and as they did, I touched his arms. Markus cursed, his arms recoiling from the burns I’d given him. Burns I knew would be fully healed in no time.

  Using my temporary freedom, I sprinted forward, only to be captured by the arm and dragged back down the hallway.

  “Let go of me, Markus!” I howled, tugging against him.

  “I was ordered to protect you,” he snarled, dragging me with him. “You’re going back to the room with Sabine.”

  “No, I’m not!” I shoved my palms into his back.

  The power blasted Markus down the hallway. He sailed through the air and struck the wall at the end of the corridor. Before he could recover, I dashed toward the deck.

  As I exited the hall, two of the crewmen spotted me.

  “A girl!” one shrieked. “There’s a girl on the ship!”

  I ignored him, charging forward.

  “She brought this curse!” the second yelled, but I continued advancing across the deck.

  “Calla!” It was Sebastian’s voice. I turned to catch him charging toward me with a sword grasped in his hand. Relief washed over me knowing he was alive.

  But with my attention on him, I didn’t notice the serpent’s yellow eyes fixed on me.

  In a split second . . . it struck.

  Sebastian dove forward, shoving me out of the way. I hit the deck and rolled. Turning back, I watched in sheer horror as the serpent’s jaws clamp down on Sebastian’s leg.

  “No!” I cried.

  It would’ve been me. It should have been me.