Crimson Storm

by Amy Patrick

  My hand went to the pendant on my chest, wrapping around it as it had so many times during the past year. I’d never been able to figure out why Reece had given the token to me. And now... knowing that he’d broken his vows to do so...

  That’s when it hit me. Reece’s blood.

  Drawing the chain over my head, I studied the miniature dagger and the orb at its hilt, which contained the swirling red essence of the love of my life.

  Then I looked at Shane lying beside me. He groaned in pain. In spite of the piteous sight, hope danced in my chest.

  “Kannon... would drinking vampire blood heal a human?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “It doesn’t work for them. Even if it did, you’re too sick to give anyone your blood, much less a human. You should be drinking his to strengthen yourself.”

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  “Yeah, because Sadie Aldritch has your thinking all twisted around backward. Just rest and hang on. We’re only fifteen miles away now. Be as still as possible. The more you move, the faster that platinum will reach your heart.”

  I stopped talking and did as he said, but I could literally feel the poison creeping toward my chest like a killing frost. I wasn’t going to make it to the Bastion.

  Gripping the pendant, I considered my options. The blood inside the orb might be enough to save my life. But it was Reece’s blood. If I drank it, his life would be in danger. He’d broken the Bloodbound vows by giving it to me.

  But no one knows that. No one but me and him.

  One problem... Kannon knew how grave my wound was. If I miraculously healed, he’d be suspicious.

  I hesitated another few moments until the sensation of paralyzing cold reached my lungs and stole my breath.

  Hearing my gasp, Kannon cast another worried glance in my direction. “Hang on. Just ten more miles.”

  I nodded in return, unable to answer.

  It was now or never. I could let it all end here. I could close my eyes and let go of life, hoping the next, far better one my lifelong Amish beliefs had promised me would be waiting.

  My gaze fell to Shane’s face and the still-spreading red stain on his torso. If I died, there would be no reason for anyone at the Bastion to help him.

  As nice as he was to me, Kannon wasn’t a human-lover. He’d either leave Shane outside or let his Bloodbound brothers finish the human guy off.

  And then I saw another face—this one perfectly preserved in my mind’s eye. The strong brow bone, the intense lilac eyes shaded by thick, black hair.

  It was pointless except for as an exercise in self torture, but God help me, I wanted one more look at him.

  Raising the pendant’s glass orb to my lips, I bit down on it and cracked the surface, sucking the fluid from inside it into my mouth.

  The last time I’d tasted blood, it had been human—Josiah’s. Reece’s blood was different—and infinitely better. The moment I tasted it, the pain around my heart ceased. The cold in my lungs began to recede like a wave drawing back from the shore, leaving warmth and comfort in its wake.

  The weakness that had overcome my body began to ebb as well, and a new strength and energy filled me.

  It had worked. Steadily the eerie cold sensation drained from my torso, retreating down my hip and leg to the point of the injury and then disappearing altogether.

  Almost in disbelief, I shook my leg, flexed the thigh muscle then released it. It didn’t feel as good as new. It felt better.

  Kannon parked in the paved lot near the cavern’s entrance then bounded out of the driver’s seat and slid open the rear compartment’s door. He reached for me as if to lift me, but I protested.

  “Take him. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine. You were shot with an exploding round. You’re likely half-dead by now if not more, so don’t try to be a hero. I’ll help your human—after I help you.”

  “Kannon. I’m fine. I promise.”

  I rose to my feet, lifting each leg and moving it around to show him I was telling the truth. Then I jumped from the van to the ground, landing lightly without any sign of pain.

  “See? I’m good.”

  “How is that possible?” Kannon demanded. “You couldn’t even stand back at the checkpoint.”

  I shrugged. “I guess it was only a flesh wound. The bullet must have just grazed me instead of exploding inside me.”

  It was a lie, but a necessary one. The truth would get Reece punished if not killed. Knowing it would only put Kannon in a tough spot. To erase any doubt, I lifted the long skirt I wore and showed him the nearly healed wound on my lower thigh.

  He stared at it for a second then, apparently satisfied, moved to lift Shane. “Okay, I guess you’re right. All I can say is thank God because I’ve never seen anyone survive one of those rounds. I was really afraid you weren’t going to get the chance to ‘meet your maker’ again. And she is definitely going to want to see you.”

  He looked down at Shane, whom he carried unconscious in his arms like a sleeping baby as we walked toward the entrance to the Bastion.

  “As for you, my little human friend... you might end up wishing you’d never met her. I still don’t know about this, Abbi...”

  “You let me worry about her. Just get Shane to the medical clinic.” Remembering something Kannon had said earlier, I asked, “How did you know where we were? You said you went there to get me?”

  He nodded. “We monitor police radio. I overheard the border agent’s call about three fugitive vampires at the checkpoint. When he said they were dressed as Amish and driving a buggy, I knew something was up. Besides... your mother has a sense about these things. She’s the one who ordered us there in force.”

  “Your mother?” Shane said in a groggy voice. I’d thought he was completely out. Either he’d just come to or he’d been listening all along. “I thought your mom was Amish.”

  “Um... yeah. She is. I also have a vampire mother, the woman who turned me. She’s the one who banished me.”

  30

  Mistaken Assumption

  It was hard to say which made me more nervous, the prospect of seeing Imogen again—or seeing Reece.

  “How is he?” I asked Kannon as we descended the multi-level staircase leading to the series of connecting caverns that made up the Bastion.

  Taking a moment to observe the injured human in his arms, he responded, “He’s still breathing.”

  “No—not him,” I said. “Though, yes, that’s good.”

  I should have been asking about Shane. Instead my mind had been full of Reece.

  While I’d been away, I’d missed many of the people who lived here, but Reece was the only one I’d thought of daily—hourly if I was being completely honest.

  Though we hadn’t seen each other or spoken at all since I left, he’d been with me every single day, no matter where I was. I wasn’t sure if it was a vampire thing or something else, but he was always at the top of my mind.

  That was why I’d never managed to move on, to develop any interest in any other guy—except for perhaps my budding friendship with Shane.

  “Oh, you mean him him,” Kannon said. “Reece is Reece. As stubborn and surly as ever. He’s done well with the Bloodbound. Imogen’s very pleased with him.”

  I’ll bet she is.

  Acid curdled in my belly as unpleasant memories from my last day at the Bastion flooded my mind. Reece kneeling at Imogen’s side as she fondled his neck and shoulders and ran her fingers through his hair. The possessiveness in her touch. The subservient, defeated way he acted.

  I didn’t think I could stand to see a repeat performance. I’d have to see her, of course, but maybe it would be better to steer clear of Reece altogether during my time here, however long that might be.

  We entered the first cavern, and all heads turned in our direction. No doubt the smell of Shane’s flowing blood had gotten their attention. Several pairs of fangs emerged on the vampires closest to us. I was surprised no one
licked their lips.

  Kannon shot them intimidating glares, and they turned away. The crowd divided, stepping out of his path. I followed close behind as he led the way toward the medical clinic, holding Shane like a father protecting his toddler from vicious dogs.

  This had been a mistake. Even if Dr. Coppa managed to heal Shane’s wounds, I wasn’t sure how I’d ever get him out of this place alive. We should have dropped him off at an airport earlier in our trip instead of keeping him with us this long.

  It was my fault. I’d let myself get attached and make promises I wouldn’t be able to keep. First Josiah, then Reece, and now Shane.

  Every guy who’d gotten involved with me had ended up hurt—or worse.

  I really was like my killer bee ancestors, like the queens who’d come before me.

  Like Imogen.

  We were in the tunnel leading to the medical clinic, nearly at its door, when the silhouette of an exceptionally tall man detached itself from the other shadows and blocked the corridor. I would have known him anywhere, even from his shape alone.

  Reece.

  My heart went into an instant frenzy, pumping my body full of adrenaline and sweltering heat.

  Rather than providing fight-or-flight energy, it was paralyzing. I stopped in place, even as Kannon continued on toward him.

  It was hard to look at Reece directly. Not only was I overcome with emotion, but his handsomeness was almost disorienting—like looking into an overly bright light that blinds you and leaves you seeing stars. It took everything I had just to keep breathing.

  Had he actually gotten better looking or had I just forgotten how beautiful he was? Impossibly he seemed to have grown even larger, towering over me, his shoulders nearly spanning the corridor.

  With his black hair, black Bloodbound uniform, and dark, brooding expression, he looked like every human’s nightmare of a dangerous vampire male. But the sinful, full lips and turbulent violet eyes made him the stuff of another kind of dream—the kind I had about him almost nightly.

  Those eyes roamed over me, cataloguing my traditional Amish clothing, my hair, checking every limb as if searching for damage. They stopped and lingered on the blood staining my skirt.

  “Hello Reece,” I managed to wheeze.

  He didn’t return my greeting. Instead, he smirked. “I see reports of your demise were somewhat premature. Heather and Kelly said you’d been shot. They said it was an exploding round.”

  “Yes. I... I guess it was only a flesh wound. A close call.” Aware of Kannon’s listening ears nearby, I didn’t tell Reece his blood gift had saved my life.

  He nodded in apparent acceptance, but his attention dropped to my pendant, to its cracked and empty glass orb. Then his intense gaze lifted to bore into mine.

  He said nothing about the broken necklace. And he didn’t say he was glad I was alive. In fact, he looked—and sounded—furious.

  “What can you be thinking coming back here?”

  The snark in his tone stung, but it did wonders for my shattered nerves, sparking a defiant anger that settled them instantly.

  “Well it’s nice to see you, too. The Bastion is a refuge for vampires in trouble, is it not? I’m in trouble. I didn’t know where else to go.”

  His expression softened into something resembling reluctant concern. “What kind of trouble?”

  “My friends and I are wanted by the authorities.”

  Reece shot a disdainful glance at Shane passed out in Kannon’s arms. “Friends? All I see is a half-dead human.”

  “I meant Kelly and Heather. And yes, Shane is my friend—and yes, he’s a human—who’s hurt as you can see. He needs immediate medical attention, so if you’ll please let us pass...”

  Reece didn’t move, just stood staring down at me. “Still a human-loving do-gooder, I see. That doesn’t explain why you brought him here. If his injuries don’t kill him, which based on the smell of things they will, then some thirsty Bastion citizen will do the job. Probably the good doctor himself. Either way, I seriously doubt Shawn will make it through the night.”

  “His name is Shane—and I’m going to at least try to save him. Unlike you, I don’t give up on the people I care about.”

  Fire flashed in Reece’s eyes, and he stepped forward, gripping my shoulder and dragging me closer to him. Our eyes held intense contact as he spoke, his lips barely inches from mine.

  “If you’ve fallen in love with this weak human, you’re even more foolish than I thought you were. Whether he lives or dies, it won’t last, you know.”

  I was too angry to contradict his mistaken assumption. “My feelings for him are none of your business. You made sure of that when you took the Bloodbound vows. Now please let us by.”

  “Yeah dude—this kid’s skinny, but he’s got heavy bones or something,” Kannon added.

  Reece stared down at me a moment longer then exhaled harshly and stepped aside.

  “Get him settled and come right back out,” he ordered. “I’m supposed to take you to Imogen.”

  31

  What Other Reason

  Inside the clinic, some of the staffers said hello and expressed surprise at seeing me again.

  They were even more surprised when they got a look at whom I’d brought with me. A tech left the room and returned quickly with Dr. Coppa.

  “Abigail,” he exclaimed. “I’m delighted to see you.”

  Then he picked up the scent of human blood. His fangs emerged.

  Laughing in an embarrassed way, he covered his mouth with one hand. “Sorry. It’s been a while since I was exposed to blood fresh from the vein. What’s going on Abigail? Why have you brought him here?”

  “He was shot while helping me and my friends get here. He’s lost a lot of blood. I was hoping you could help him.”

  The doctor nodded. “Well, we have a large supply of blood bags on hand as well as the equipment to give him the infusions. But the bullet will need to be removed. It’s been a long time since I worked in a human operating room. His... blood... may be an issue for me and my assistants. If he makes it through surgery, I’ll have to isolate him here away from the general population while he recovers—for his own safety.”

  “I understand. And I know you can do it. I trust you.”

  “Who is he?”

  “My friend, Shane Eastwood. He saved my life and Kelly’s and Heather’s lives too. I owe him. Please try. And don’t let anything happen to him. He’s important to me.”

  “Very well. Kannon, follow me. We’ll put him in this first room on the right.”

  The doctor started calling out orders to the clinic staff. Once I saw Shane settled into a bed and hooked up to an IV, I headed for the clinic exit.

  “Where are you going?” Dr. Coppa asked.

  “To face the music. Imogen wants to see me.”

  The silence between us was deafening as Reece and I walked through the Bastion’s connected caverns toward the throne room.

  Though I hadn’t expected a parade upon my return, it hurt that he would treat me so coldly, acting like I was a stranger instead of someone he’d once cared about.

  Clearly he hadn’t missed me the way I’d missed him. What a fool I’d been to keep pining away for him when he’d so obviously moved on.

  “You haven’t said anything about the fact I broke the pendant and drank your blood.”

  There was a beat before he answered.

  “Your leg is covered in blood. Your blood. So I’m assuming the gunshot didn’t graze you but penetrated your leg. Which means you did what you had to do.”

  He went on in a nonchalant tone. “It was an emergency. That’s why I gave it to you—in case of emergency.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  He darted a side glance at me. “What other reason would there be?”

  Because you cared. Because you missed me. Because you wanted a part of you to go with me, just as a part of me was left here with you.

  Those were the reasons I’d been hopi
ng to hear, but clearly I’d been way off in my wild imaginings about what the gift could have meant.

  I didn’t answer his question. Instead I asked him another one.

  “Why are you angry that I’ve come back?”

  His jaw worked side to side, and his lips twisted. Finally, he spoke. “I’m not angry. I have no particular feelings about it whatsoever. I’m merely curious... as to what could have made you think this place is safer for you than the outside world. Than anywhere else in the world.”

  Oof. It was like a punch in the gut that knocked all the air from my lungs. No feelings whatsoever?

  “Believe me, I never intended to come back,” I snapped. “I’m well aware no one wants me here. What can I say? I was desperate.”

  He didn’t slow his pace. “You should know, things have changed since you left.”

  “Oh really? So you’re not Imogen’s whipping boy, indulging her every whim these days?”

  He shot me a murderous glare. “Our population has exploded since President Parker took office. More and more vampires are losing their jobs, their homes. Many are being imprisoned on false charges.”

  “Tell me about it,” I muttered.

  He gave me an alert glance. “You said you were in trouble. What happened?”

  “I’ll explain it all to your queen when we see her. No point in telling the story twice.”

  He looked annoyed but didn’t ask twice. “Most of all, Imogen has changed,” he said. “She’s less patient than she used to be.”

  I nearly did a spit take. “Less patient? Is that even possible?”

  “You’ll see. She’s no longer content to sit idly by in the safety of our stronghold while out in the world, the injustices against our species multiply.”

  “I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but I sort of agree with her. Maybe peace at any cost isn’t the answer.”

  In my case, the cost had almost been my life. How many other peaceful vampires, like Nathaniel Bradford and poor little Margaret and all the vampires who worked at the VHC, had lost their lives simply because they were the “wrong” species?