New Blood (The Blood Saga Book 2)

by Unknown

  “We were ambushed. They had every opportunity to kill her, but they didn’t. They tried like hell to kill me though. I took out the three that caught up to me. They knew I was with her. They separated us, and attacked me.”

  Phoenix was shaken. “They-” It was the first time I had seen a Vampire as out of breathe. “They have Faye Bloods.” His hand rubbed his eyes, holding his hand in a fist against his forehead. “I can’t see anything.” What? “Jezabell, fix this!” He was in a panic induced rage. His fist clinched tight pounded the wall once so hard it left a hole.

  Jezabell ran for Phoenix, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from us to the corner of the room. “Phoenix, I can’t promise-” her voice was shaking.

  “Do it!” He snarled through grit teeth.

  He’s blind? My God… How’d he even get us here? How did I not realize it sooner?

  Damien slid down to his knees in front of me. His hand took hold of my chin pulling my sight away from Phoenix and Jezabell. “Give them space. Just look at me,” he whispered low.

  My eyes were wide with anxiety as I fought the pain. Damien examined my bloody face gently. “You okay?” I nodded stiffly. “Did you black out?” I shook my head. His brow rose, waiting for the answer to the question he didn’t want to ask aloud. Why had I been bleeding? Tilting my head from side to side, he looked at the streaks that ran from my neck to my ears. Blood stained from my nose to my chin, too. Saying nothing, he went to work on my legs. His hands ran up my legs from my bare feet to my thighs. As he went, he pulled out thorns that were still embedded into my skin. I’d lost the shoes tearing the vines a part.

  “The human blood helped you a lot. You’re healing quickly physically. The strain of the magic will fade with time.” Damien rubbed up and down my thighs slowly, carefully massaging. It wasn’t to sooth me mentally, but to help ease the pain.

  The more he rubbed the more the feeling came back to them. I knew it seemed really needy but I couldn’t help it nor did I care. My hand reached out to his chest, just twisting his shirt in my hand to feel him near me.

  Jezabell was holding her fingers above Phoenix’s face, pinched together. Her other hand held to the side of his head.

  “Jezabell?” I asked, looking at her expectantly, horrified more like. She nodded and gave an unbearably forced smile before turning back to him. She was doing her best.

  Lara sunk down onto the floor by the cold fireplace. With her hands rubbing along her temples, her eyes closed tight. She put everything she had into focusing on what was coming. “They will not come back tonight. They have to regroup. You must have taken out some of their more important people.”

  Phoenix looked to me and closed his eyes after a curt nod. Blood dripped down his cheeks before he could wipe it away with the back of his hand. A gust of breath let out from his lips painfully as he nodded to Jezabell gratefully. “It’s better. We’re good. Thanks,” his voice was still tight with strain.

  Jezabell pulled him to her in a hug, gently kissing his chin as she lift to her toes. The gift of his relief and returned sight had cost her certainly. Jezabell was no healer by any means. Sense manipulation works more than one way apparently. He was better, that’s all that mattered.

  Damien’s brow was furrowed as he looked over everyone individually. I really didn’t want to know what he was hearing right then. His hand squeezed my thigh in response. Guess it was a good thing I couldn’t read minds.

  I had noticed the house had gone through a complete remodel, but I ignored that for now. At least Liahm’s remains were cleaned up.

  With a heavy sigh my face lay into my hands, elbows on my knees. I looked up as Jez spoke, “We’re obviously missing a very important piece of information with all of this. Why would anyone go to so much trouble?” Jezabell sat down beside Lara, their hands joining as Lara remained quietly focused.

  Ryce leaned back into the wall by the fire place, watching us all uneasily. He had no concern if we were hurt or not, all he wanted was his Neesa, and maybe to punish some pires.

  “There’s no doubt that Nekayla has given these New Bloods a lot of resources and power.” Aka her blood. “Lara, you’re not the only Vampire that can see the future. Maybe that’s how they knew Phoenix was with her,” Hendrick grumbled along as he paced the room.

  “Phoenix, did you hear anything in the meadow? Do you know what he did or said to me even?” I asked standing up slowly as I moved to stand closer to him. Damien moved with me, his arms circling me from behind. Supportive in all ways. No one had asked me about what happened yet. “Do you even know what all was in that clearing?”

  Phoenix shook his head as he leaned heavily against the wall. “No. I think he left soon as he knew I had killed three of his people off. What happened?”

  “There were fifteen creating the circle. Five Descendant Crossbreeds. Five Shifter Crossbreeds, and five full blooded Vampires. So we’re looking at sixteen with Demetrius. Melody is alive. She was with them, but not Neesa.” Sparing a moment I looked to Ryce. “That means they’re not willing to let her be killed in the crossfire, it’s a good thing I think.”

  “You think,” he repeated to make a point.

  There was nothing more I could do for him. Turning back to the others, “The Descendants ensnared me with magic, as you know. But the leader carries a very strong gift as well.” I sneered. I was done with the fear. I was pissed off now. This was my fault and I needed to fix it. Damien squeezed me gently. He hated my guilt, thought it was absurd.

  “He said I would see you all die.” I bit down on my lip as Damien leaned to kiss my cheek. My hands lay over his. To stop my own from shaking I squeezed his fingers.

  “Nekayla wants you alive for herself. The ones coming here shouldn’t be after your death or Damien’s for that matter. She wants him alive to keep as one of her pets. You on the other hand she has different plans for.” Damien sneered at Phoenix’s information. He’d rather die than be taken by them.

  “Sure that’s what she wants. But from the looks of things I would say at least two of the full Vamps are New Bloods.” No point in sharing I knew one of them. Phoenix and Damien heard this of course. The two looked at one another as if debating the importance.

  “I wouldn’t be sure of the others. They won’t have enough control to stop. They’ll fight to the death no matter who they’re up against. And the one in charge has no concern for what Nekayla wants.” They all knew I was right. Roman couldn’t wait to get his hands on me. No matter whom he had to answer to. He didn’t know any better. He’d probably never even met her.

  “I think I have an idea to help us. Something they won’t be able to stop.” His arms still around me, I turned to face Damien, my hands lay on his chest. “I need to see Neesa. I need to talk to her.” Damien shook his head, but I stared at him, determined.

  “I can will it myself now. I know that I can. I can go back to that in-between place. I know what it felt like to be connected with her. It will be easier to do it again.”

  “No. They knew your every move in those woods. You have no idea if that was Neesa or not.” Damien grumbled roughly. Phoenix looked solemn. “Besides you’ve never done it yourself from so far away.”

  “It was her! You have to trust me, Damien. She can help us. If she’s been conscious at all she may know something. A weakness in them somehow. She can help us figure out what they are planning.”

  Through the bond Damien could feel the magic’s toll it continued to take. Placing a hand on my shoulder he urged me back to the couch. He sat kneeled in front of me, hands massaging again. As I leaned forward putting my head in my hands, Damien pressed his forehead to mine. One would really figure after dying a few times they’d be immune to headaches. Not so much.

  “She’s right. Neesa’s stronger than yu guys know. She has the power ta do this,” Ryce mumbled from the corner.

  “Let’s say it is Neesa, with so many Descendants how do you know they’re not watching the link somehow? Using her to get info
rmation through the connection. What if she’s one of them, being forced to help? She could have been in that field and you never would have known if they didn’t want you to,” Phoenix’s warnings were painful because he had a point.

  “They couldn’t make her do anything! If nothing else, we’ll know if she’s…” Ryce looked down and shook his head. “Whatever Anna does, if she can connect to her it can only help.”

  Waives of anxiety rolled through the room off of everyone. They were more than a little concerned about the idea of anything else happening to me again right now.

  Hendrick and Jezabell voiced their confusion on what exactly we were all talking about. “I promise when we all get out of this, I’ll sit down and explain it.” I didn’t care to waste the time just then.

  Eventually we talked ourselves back to the possibility of me connecting to Neesa again. Damien’s argument was the last time I lost consciousness due to one of those visions it had taken quite a toll on me. After the attack and the upcoming fight I didn’t need more strain.

  “I admit it would help a lot if I could feed after.” I said with a sigh.

  Phoenix looked up to Damien on that note. He seemed decided. Phoenix eased up to stand beside me, next to the couch. “It’s best if she feed from you since we can’t get her any human blood. When’s the last time you fed, Damien?”

  Damien shook his head as he stood up. “I’m fine. It won’t hurt me for her to drink from me. You’re right. Vampire blood is the best for her now. May even help rid the remaining effects of the dark magic.” Phoenix nodded in agreement.

  So they were agreeing. Good. Even better- not just with me but with each other. Superb. Now time to ruin the moment.

  Damien was nearly as good in a fight as Phoenix. I couldn’t weaken him. We needed him. “Damien, you haven’t fed in over a week or better. I won’t do it. I don’t care what you say. I can’t hurt you like that. You need your strength. We need you strong.” I shook my head.

  Damien glared down at me intensely. I got the strange feeling he didn’t want to argue in front of anyone.

  Jezabell ran a hand down over Lara’s hair gently as she spoke, “Damien. I am going to suggest something you’re not going to like very much.” Damien’s body tensed as his eyes narrowed on Jezabell. A low grumble sound started in his chest.

  “She can feed from me. I will be fine,” Damien protested. He knew what she was thinking despite that the rest of us were left in the dark. Almost all of the rest of us that is.

  “Oh all of you just stop. It’s not that important for me to feed at all. I’ll be fine without it. Not like I haven’t drank more than everyone in this house put together the last few months. Besides I had plenty tonight before we left.”

  “It was you that said it would help.” Damien turned to me with a raised brow. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

  “Well hell. You and Phoenix have both had her blood. Why doesn’t she just feed off Phoenix?” Hendrick spoke up and regretted it as soon as he did. Damien was practically seething.

  Lara was nodding. Jezabell looked to Damien with a shrug. “Told you it was a good idea.” So that’s what she had been thinking. No wonder he was getting testy. “He’s stronger after my help and the blood healing. Plus he feeds more frequently than you do thanks to Lianna.”

  That was so not the thing to say to help matters. Jez could be a serious bitch sometimes.

  Standing abruptly my hand latched onto Damien’s. I squeezed hard enough to keep him right where he was. He looked to Phoenix, eyes narrowed but at least he stopped snarling.

  Phoenix sneered. “I didn’t say a word, Damien. Don’t give me that shit.”

  My fingers laced into his, pulling him close to me. “That’s enough. I’ll try it without the blood. And if I need it for some reason then I’ll just eat Ryce.” Ryce jumped up, his eyes bulging.

  I laughed. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I’m just teasing, Ryce, sit down. I may not need it at all. If I do, then Damien and Phoenix can argue over it then.” Ryce remained standing.

  A strange thought came to me about Damien having been an impossible child. I bet he hated sharing his toys. I couldn’t help but let out a slightly hysterical laugh.

  Everyone but Damien gave me a funny look as he narrowed his eyes at me teasingly. His arms encircled me tightly. Whispering against my ear, “Don’t you forget you were one of those toys.” His lips pressed to my cheek for a long moment.

  “Damn it’s good seeing you two back together.” He wasn’t mocking us at all. Hendrick was grinning ear to ear. Jezabell and Lara smiled to each other in agreement. I even caught the faintest of smiles from Phoenix. When our eyes caught he nodded. “So where do we begin?” Hendrick asked. He was so innocent sometimes.

  We all looked around at each other for someone else to make a suggestion. Sighing, I turned to look at the fireplace. “Damien, light the fire.”

  Damien, Phoenix an,d Ryce were all that remained downstairs with me. Ryce refused to leave. I was the first connection he’d have to Neesa since he’d lost her.

  Damien sat behind me on the floor. I sat with my back perfectly straight, head hung forward hands on my knees. Palms up for Neesa. Legs crossed into the lotus.

  Phoenix moved to sit on the floor at my right side. He wanted to be as close to me as he could be. Unable to help my emotions, I felt guilty for wanting him to be there also.

  I took a moment to reach a hand to both of them. Damien and Phoenix squeezed back firmly before letting me return to my original position. It hurt Damien that I cared for Phoenix so much. We just can’t help how we feel though.

  “Wait.” Ryce sighed, walking up slowly and knelt. “She said I would know when I needed this.”

  I felt awful for Ryce. I had never seen someone in so much anguish. His hand came up to his neck. A woven hemp necklace, with tiny stones intertwined into the thread wrapped his neck. In the center hung a small glass vile. I didn’t have to ask to know that it held her blood. I could smell it now that he was closer to me.

  Holding it precisely, Ryce snapped the silver clasp holding the vile and handed it to me. “Her blood. That should help you find her.”

  Taking the glass vile, I nodded my appreciation . Carefully, I broke the very tip off, letting the few droplets hit my tongue. Ryce moved back, but remained close to us along the wall by the fireplace, watching.

  Returning to my previous position, my mind absorbed the silence around me. With the blood I found focus easily. This time it would draw me directly to Neesa. It didn’t take near as long as it had with Damien. The blood was the perfect trigger.

  Neesa hung naked, strung to a pillar in the warehouse, tied by her wrists. Dangling to where her feet just barely touched the floor with her toes. Her eyes shot open as pain ripped through her body. She was being tortured.

  It felt as if she were looking right at me. “Anna,” I could hear the relief in her voice, though her lips never moved. “I have a gift for you, Anna. I’m going to show you what you need to see. Anna? Kill them all for me,” the words were not her own nor mine, but the voice of her magic.

  She screamed in agony. Her pain ripped through my body like a thousand flaming whips ripping into my flesh, tearing away at delicate skin. A hand hit her hard across the face. Blood oozed from her mouth.

  They’d wrapped heavy chains around her wrists and tightened them until they drew blood before hanging her from the pillar so her feet barely reached the floor. The Crossbreeds had snapped at her, tearing her flesh in their teeth. It was obvious that they’d raped her several times. Vampire bites covered her arms, breasts and legs.

  Roman grabbed her chin so hard that her jaw popped. His tongue slid out and drug over her flesh, dragging from her blood stained neck up to her mouth and kissing her deeply.

  She cried out though it was muffled from his brutal kiss as his fangs tore into her lips. Blood poured from her mouth as he pulled back. “You, I may just keep for myself, little Descendant.” Once more he licked ov
er her flesh. His eyes were glowing red hot.

  “Roman, leave her alone. We have work to do,” his voice was deeper than I remembered and a lot clearer. And bored. Demetrius spoke from behind Roman, following with a low snarl. The game of torture wasn’t entertaining to Demetrius. He had no emotion.

  Roman sighed, turning from Neesa finally to look up to Demetrius. “You’re sure you can separate them?” Demetrius asked doubtfully. “I’ve seen D’Tera with the girl before. He won’t leave her side again. Especially since you blew one chance already.”

  “I’ll take my full crew to the woods tonight a few hours before dawn. Once we get them apart, I’ll bring Lianna to her knees. D’Tera can’t take out enough of my crew to make a difference. He’s not good enough.”

  Demetrius nodded at Roman’s arrogant comment, but he looked apprehensive still. D’Tera would not be alone, he knew. And he was a hell of a lot better than Roman gave him credit for.

  I could hear their every thought. Roman kept a steady rotating thought stream, bloody sex with the New Blood Neesa, torturing me to the point of death. He was explicit in these thoughts. Bringing down Damien for himself.

  Demetrius was simpler. Get the job done, get it done right. Keep an eye on Roman, least he screw everything up. “Don’t kill either of them. Those are the only two she wants alive. Soon as you knock Lianna out, get her back here. Don’t kill her, Roman. That’s an order.”

  Roman snarled low at Demetrius’ instructions. He didn’t like playing by the rules. “Soon as you get Lianna, D’Tera will be easy to bring down. I’ve seen it before.”

  “And if D’Tera’s not with her?” Roman questioned, interrupting more orders. “He wasn’t in the woods after all.”

  Demetrius snarled low but shook his head. “The girl was trying to protect him. Still yet she wasn’t alone, and look how that turned out. You lost three of our Fayes.”

  Demetrius looked down to Roman, his black fangs extending. “If you’re too stupid to get this right, and you lose them don’t come back here. Follow them. We’ll separate them soon as we attack. One by one they’ll be easier to pick off.”