Roseblood

by Emily Shore

  “Hate is right, Rin. I won’t deny it. The scar between us runs deep and will never heal. In respect for the day, I’d rather not discuss it.”

  “Maybe we can just take things slow.” I thought back to his mother, wondering if Skip did the same thing. If that was why he had more trouble with my blood.

  Skip turned onto the drive leading to my house. “A good suggestion. I will do my best to honor your wishes. I have a feeling slow won’t last long given everything that’s happened. Perhaps for a time. But for the rest of today, it’s time we trained more.”

  With that, Skip veered onto a service road into the woods, parking at the dead end before gesturing to my jumpsuit he’d packed in the backseat. That was when I recognized the area. We were close to our familiar training hollow. Perhaps a mile away at most. Apparently, Brian and Heath were off monitoring the area.

  Eager for more, I bit down on my bottom lip, snatched the jumpsuit, and nodded. “Yes, master. Stay here while I get out of the car to change.”

  “Yes, my queen.”

  I loved the sound of that.

  “Faster!” Skip commanded as he charged toward me during our mid-air battle, spurring me on.

  I couldn’t rely on my wings for Flight anymore. Not with a powerful vampire as Skip. And whatever…whoever was hunting me was also powerful. Escape would only go so far. So, I spun around, sensing my silver blood welling up inside me, swollen as cherubs, granting me the power to discharge my fire. Tonight, Skip was impressed. Ever since the discussion with my father, I’d practiced creating. Flaming arrow after flaming arrow targeted Skip. He either dodged each one or persuaded them to vanish. So powerful, it was infuriating. I still couldn’t comprehend the extent of his ability. Did he merely have control over emotions, feelings? Thoughts? We’d spent far more time discussing my growing abilities.

  Fire bullets were my latest attempt, except they resembled jagged gold pebbles. Skip’s hands shot upward, persuading them all to pause and drop midair. By the time they reached the ground, they’d turned into smoke, just like my arrows.

  I panted, spent from my efforts for the past hour.

  Skip hovered, smile growing just before he approached, wings sending a current of steady air in my direction just as my wings mimicked the action.

  “I see you’ve committed to your craft,” Skip complimented me. “Your fire continues to develop.”

  Winded, I managed, “Hope I gave you a run for your money.”

  “Indeed. Your skill is exemplary, especially since you can conjure the fire out of thin air instead of simply manipulating it. Truly remarkable.”

  Biting down on my lower lip, I debated whether or not to tell Skip about my father’s epiphany. He didn’t know how unlimited my abilities were. How would he react?

  For the first time, I lowered my brows and imagined entering Skip’s mind, unsure of how Heath applied his gift. When we were younger, he described it as a slow sinking. He had to research much of the brain. It mattered if he was seeking recent memories or past memories, dream sequences or subconscious thoughts, or reading conscious thoughts. I remembered how he mentioned the cerebrum more than anything. I isolated my focus to that, understanding how Skip would react if he caught me.

  As soon as I entered the cerebrum, it was like plunging into an electrical storm. The greatest sensation was the persuasion. As powerful as a tsunami overwhelming so much of his consciousness. A far more significant part of him. More than his wings. As soon as I felt that power, I knew Skip would gladly trade his wings to maintain his persuasion in the blink of an eye. It was tied to his emotions. Navigating my way into the region responsible for emotions, I discovered what I always suspected. Unlike Raoul whose emotions ran deep, Skip’s were intense, multi layered, and vibrant. Like star-hopping from desire to hatred to longing to power to honor.

  I couldn’t stay. Too overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, shifted into reasoning. This time, I heard glimmers, shimmers of his conscious voice.

  Give her a moment. Steady, Skip. Bear with her. She’s young, impetuous, passionate. Much like you. She makes it so damn difficult. Her blood...it-oh, shit.

  Suddenly, I could sense his awareness. Well, this is new. Rin.

  He knew I was inside. How did I―? I panicked, finally understanding why Heath always told me why this was so dangerous. How when he was young, he couldn’t embark too deep because the brain is so complex that even for a telepath, one could get lost. I couldn’t retrace my pathway here. Too many electrical synapses like live lasers but moving ones blocked my way.

  I could hear myself gasping, my wings quickening from my panic. Right until Skip coiled a hand around my throat, pressed his forehead to mine, and I felt persuasion stabbing me, hooking me and yanking me out. An instant later, I fell from the staggering force, but Skip was there to catch me. I closed my eyes, trying to regain my struggling breath.

  “When did your telepathy manifest?” He wondered while returning me to earth where I caged my wings. His hand lingered upon my waist. “I felt you clear as day.”

  “Just now,” I hinted, ready to reveal the full range of my abilities. “I’m a creator, Skip,” I revealed, glimpsing down at his hand.

  Skip anchored his other hand on the opposite side, thumb rubbing along my hip. “A creator…” he repeated, marveling. “No vampire has had such an ability. Not even Le Couvènte’s Founders. No vampire on earth since the Father. How do you know this?”

  “My father told me. He’s never wrong.”

  Skip rubbed the backs of his knuckles along my bare arm, causing me to shiver as they descended to my palm, to the silver lines like glowing tinsel threads. Down to my wrists where my pulse thrummed, aroused by his touch.

  “A creator,” he echoed and I wished I could read him better. “Unlimited power. Unlimited potential. Show me,” Skip demanded.

  “I…” I considered what else, but I couldn’t seem to focus, not with his fingers digging into my hip.

  Skip glowered, clearly impatient with my lack of action. “If he comes for you again, what will you do?” Skip challenged, his other hand gripping my wrist tighter, referring to the Rose Killer. “If he can freeze your fire, if he’s an eraser like your father, what will you do?”

  An eraser. I shuddered at the thought of a vampire shutting my system down with one touch. Except I could create an infinite number of abilities and even more possible combinations. I could summon a new one again and again.

  “Don’t think. React,” Skip ordered. Right then, persuasion swarmed into me, a powerful current vibrating all the way down my body. I ignited my silver blood. And my imagination soared with one powerful, invisible pulse. Within one second, Skip was on the ground. A hundred feet away if not more. This time, the power didn’t come from my hands. No, this…this was something new that manifested from somewhere deep within my core, from my heart. Even before Skip got to his feet, stunned from my action, I recognized the new talent, my desire to protect myself, to get him off my skin.

  Telekinesis.

  Skip moved for me again and I steeled myself, using my hands as a guide while the power pulsed out of me again. He combatted with his persuasion. But I was a strong opponent. Even if he didn’t soar five hundred feet, I still pushed him back by a few. He was different now. More determined. That familiar predatory gaze, rippling scarlet.

  “More!” Yelled Skip, stalking toward me again. He reminded me of the hunter from that first night. It wasn’t the first time he’d pushed me to the brink of my abilities, always trying to bend me, to shape me into the queen he knew I was.

  Closing my eyes, I tried something new. Clenching my fists, I grew my fire, expanding it and transferred my telekinesis inside the fireball. Then, I shot it forward. It moved faster, with more power and fortitude than ever before. Skip’s jaw dropped just as the fireball grazed his side and he fell to the ground.

  “Skip!” I screamed and sprinted for him.

  He clutched his side, silver blood oozing from his wound. Even fr
om far away, I could smell the blood. Purity. A spring untouched by human hands

  Skip was just making it to his knees when I reached him. I swept my hair to my side and examined the wound, though I knew there was little I could do. But Skip raised a hand. “Don’t concern yourself.”

  Before I could react, Skip hovered his hand just above the wound and I remembered the night he’d persuaded my wings to grow back. And how tonight, he persuaded the silver blood to return to his vessels and closing the gap in his flesh. His teeth clenched, a low growl hovering in his throat. My hands trembled with the desire to do something, to help him somehow, but healing or persuasion were too difficult for me.

  “Quite impressive,” he said, rising to his feet, towering over me. “Your perseverance is powerful…and persnickety,” he added, hands on his hips.

  I played along. “At least I’m not patronizing.”

  “Patronizing?” Skip rose to his full height and cornered me with his gaze, penetrating me with persuasion. “I’ll show you patroniz―”

  Raoul crashing right into Skip prevented him from finishing. Skip’s persuasion shattered. And now, Skip and Raoul battled a hundred yards away from me. Too fast for my mind to conceive everything. What on earth was Raoul thinking? I shook out my head, watching Raoul’s singular morphing gift counter Skip’s persuasion. Shifting too much for Skip to battle.

  “Stand down, Kelley,” Skip commanded with the strength of a monarch, resplendent in the darkness. A sharp contrast to Raoul’s dark countenance.

  Raoul continued shifting into unfamiliar replicas. “You first.”

  I needed to stop this. However Raoul’s actions were born out of concern from what I judged of his consciousness ― now I understood what Heath meant by loud thoughts, ― I knew I needed to stop this. And not with words. Where my brothers were, I couldn’t begin to guess. Probably eating popcorn and enjoying the show from a distance. If they were watching, I might as well give them a good show.

  No hesitation when I crashed a firestorm against both bitten and born vampire, knocking them to the ground…and hopefully, some sense into them. In that moment, Skip’s consciousness was almost deafening. You failed my father! You’ll fail her, too.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Transformation

  “Enough!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, approaching both vampires. Pride laced my heart at upending both of them. Winded by my blast, Raoul rubbed his jaw, shaking out the embers on his leather jacket while Skip stumbled to his feet, spine tighter than a spike, ready to confront the other vampire if necessary.

  I explained the situation to Raoul, how Skip had spent the past few weeks training me. Adding my visit to his family’s estate also solidified the relationship built on trust. So, Raoul quietly contemplated my presentation rather than objecting.

  Finally, he dropped his hands to his sides, his hair like short tufts of upset smoke thanks to my blast. “I apologize, Stefan. And Reina.” He nodded to me. “Please forgive me for my rash behavior.”

  “We all know why you reacted the way you did,” Skip spat out. “Your apology means shit to me.” He balled his hands into fists, silver veins standing out from his pale skin. I wondered if he could shake the Redwoods with his persuasion.

  “Stop!” I warned both, hands raised. “Not tonight.” Already, my silver blood was leeching from my hands, returning to crevasses unknown. Only to be summoned after rest or an adrenaline push. And I did not want the latter. My blood felt three degrees too hot, but how could that be when my fire was receding?

  At least both vampires obliged by my wishes. Soon enough, one or both would have to divulge their history. But right now, I spread my gaze around the high edges of the hollow, like the rims of a giant bowl, scanning the trees before yelling to my brothers, “Wherever you are, you better get your slave butts down here. NOW!”

  Brian was the first to come jogging down the downward path sloping toward us. “Heath missed all the good parts!” he announced. No wonder he hadn’t intervened. “I’ll get to hold this one over his head for months.”

  Skip wrinkled his nose at the appearance of the wolf. Not that I could blame him with what I knew of his background. Of a traumatized boy of only eight years old. Of a father slain by wolves. They put a bad taste in his mouth…and scent in his nostrils no doubt. Maybe someday, he would be able to open up more about it and his animosity toward a vampire who I trusted and counted as my friend. But not tonight.

  It wasn’t the first time Brian had given me a wolf-back ride, but it had been years. He didn’t drive, and I was too exhausted to fly. Plus, I was pretty certain I had a fever. Low grade but enough to raise my body temperature. My blood still heated. Sweat on my brow. At least there was no communication lapse. Now, I could sink into Brian’s consciousness to read his thoughts.

  So, gorgeous! Did you have fun? Brian joked, huffing just a little before dodging a mighty Redwood. I gripped his scruff tighter. Over the past few weeks, my muscles had grown, enabling me to hold on better.

  “Today was…nice.”

  Nice…Brian snorted, shaking out his head, pausing in his tracks. Very insightful. Did you get a load of his car?

  “Now, that’s what I’d call gorgeous!”

  That was a 720 S Coup. Six-figure car. 710 horsepower. Street racer in disguise. I’d chew off my leg to have a car like that! And he had the balls to go red.

  “Aww, Brian.” I rustled the fur around his neck. “Do you have a man crush?”

  Vamp-man crush! Brian didn’t deny, shaking his shoulders before progressing. Betting it could make for one damn good bromance if he let me take that car for a spin sometime.

  “Don’t hold your breath,” I mentioned, remembering the way Skip fondled that steering wheel. Or his disdain for wolves.

  Brian shrugged, crouching just before leaping over a fallen log. Guy knows how to live. I’ll give him that.

  Normally, Brian was easy. If we were driving right now, we’d probably listen to music, radio comedy…maybe he’d even tell me about some of his recent kills since I was always interested in the details of his hunt.

  But in wolf form with no buffer, things got…awkward.

  Okay, Rin. Brian paused on the border of our property near the lake. Time to spill. You got two vampires after you. Three if you include that crazy, nameless, faceless hunter. He rumbled his body just enough to knock me off before pouncing on me, one giant paw on my chest, claw retracted of course but eyes glowing and marking mine. Not just moonbeams. I was taking a bath in the moon. Before I could look away, Brian performed his wolf trick — something even worse than Heath reading my mind.

  I gritted my teeth against the compulsion, but Brian’s silver eyes dilated. “Brian!” I seethed just before confessing everything that had happened that morning: waking up naked, aching bones, scraps of my blood-splattered clothing everywhere. Then, I shoved him off me and socked him in his wolf gut.

  Brian grunted.

  “That was not fair, and you know it!”

  Not caring if he followed, I stomped off into the forest, away from the road, hearing him trudge along behind me.

  His thoughts were loud enough. Come on! You never get this mad when Heath reads your mind.

  “It’s different, and you know it!” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling my arms prickle. Tears lashed at my eyes as I rubbed my arms and explained, “It’s nothing he forces me to do. You know I hate that creepy wolf compulsion.”

  Brian approached and nudged me with his muzzle, but I shirked him off and slapped his snout. He leapt back, shocked while I vented, “Don’t you dare try to pretend like that wasn’t a big deal! It’s a big deal to me! You totally used your ability against me! Do I have pine needles under my clothes or something?” I scratched all along my arms.

  Fire roped my blood. And the itch grew until I raked my nails across my arms, my chest, up my throat and face, breaking flesh. What was going on? I opened my mouth to ask Brian for help, but I screame
d instead.

  “BRIAN!”

  At the same time my knees buckled from the pain, the sound of a bone fracturing stunned me. My body was breaking. Something inside me knew what this was, but the pain was too much. Nearby, Brian barked and yipped and even whined, but I shook my head, not understanding. My rising suspicion was confirmed when my fingernails collapsed and caved. Knuckles reorganized to pave the way for razor claws that carved my skin. I screamed again. More bones ruptured―now in my back. My body became one giant earthquake, quaking and rearranging bones, elongating some and shrinking others until I was closer to the ground. Only one word I could use to describe it: excruciating. Millions of tiny fur follicles started to bud all over my body, warming my skin, but it was the sharp canine incisors in my mouth that I was most aware of…before I felt the hunger.

  So much power! Strength in my jaws, fire in my belly, muscled flesh everywhere, sharp senses. I growled, the sound reverberating from my throat and rippling throughout my body. I wasn't used to this hunger gnawing on the empty pit in my stomach. I longed for the taste of blood, the texture of flesh, a chunk of meat.

  I pawed at the ground before throwing my head back and snarling. Brian stepped closer, head down and non-threatening, but I still viewed him as a threat…until he crouched low before me. I could smell his earthy scent, could see the fine details of his shaggy, salt and pepper fur, the way his breath snorted free of his nostrils in an airy gust. But I could care less. The hunger went too deep. Too painful. All I could fixate on. All animal instinct.

  Brian, I growled low. How do you live like this? I can't control it! I'm starving it's overwhelming!

  Focus, Rin! Hone the hunger and follow me. Run with me! Hunt with me!

  Brian said nothing else, just leapt. The hunt helped. With the wind thrashing my fur and the earth crumbling under my paws, the adrenaline distracted me. Since beggars can’t be choosers, I didn't wait. As soon as I my eyes zoned in on the first animal, a running jackrabbit, I closed in. Only then did I realized why it was running so frantic. A coyote plunged through the brush after it. Sensing the threat of two wolves, the coyote immediately stopped its pursuit, turned, and fled.