A Crown of Blood and Bone: Paranormal Romance (The Shadow Walkers Saga Book 1)

by Sloane Murphy

  Fifteen

  I pad into the main room, my pajama shorts and tank barely enough to protect me from the chill, but coffee calls my name like a mean mistress, so I don’t mind. It’s still early, early enough that the sun has barely risen in the sky to heat us to unbearable temperatures, but my mind has so many thoughts running through it, that sleep isn’t my friend.

  I move to the kitchen and find the coffee pot full and a note leaned against it.

  Remy,

  Dad called, so I headed home. Nothing to worry about. I wanted to talk, but it will have to wait. Don’t overthink it.

  I’ll wait for you forever.

  Creek

  Well shit.

  I let out a sigh and pour myself a cup of coffee, because after yesterday, and Kain, and my dream last night, I don’t even know what to do with myself. I’ve never felt more conflicted, not only because of Creek and Kain and the more than obvious way I respond to them both. The memories of loving them both. But the fact that Kain is meant to be one of my greatest enemies? Yeah, I’m not ready to process that properly yet I guess my thoughts the other week about love being love, are ones I’ve always had.

  I falter at the thought. If Kain is that different than what we’re told, are all of the Dracul that way? Have I, have we all been killing innocent people? I sit on my couch and wallow in the possibilities.

  How is it possible, that all of this could be happening to me? The mess I find myself facing in this life, is the culmination of my actions in my past lives, but I must have known how I felt about Kain when I loved Creek before. Was I as conflicted then as I am now?

  A low throb resounds in my head, the pain making me close my eyes.

  This is all so much.

  I just wish I could remember. Remember everything. To have everything make sense to me.

  I sigh and rest my head on the back of the sofa as Sushi jumps into my lap, purring as he circles and lies down.

  “Things used to be so simple, Sush. Why can’t things still be simple?” I mutter.

  The peace in the room is interrupted by a knock at the door. I lift Sushi from my lap, his hiss at me a sign of his displeasure, grumpy cat, and move to the door. I look through the peephole and see no one but open the door anyway cautiously.

  There is no one, and I look down the hall, again finding no one. I go to close the door, when I notice the box at my feet. I bend down and lift the dark box wrapped in violet ribbon. I close the door quickly, hurrying back to the sofa, placing the box on the coffee table to stare at it in wonder.

  Who the hell would be leaving me gifts at my door?

  My mind flickers to Jack. This is something he would do, but if it is him, whatever is in this box isn’t something I want to see.

  Curiosity gets the better of me, and I pull the black envelope from the top of the box, the back sealed with wax, the symbol matching that of the hilt on my sword.

  Kain.

  My darling Remy,

  I am sorry our reunion was cut short last night.

  Our time always feels too short. Meet me in three days at dusk. I will be where you found me.

  The others are gone.

  Yours Always,

  K

  I sigh at his words, my heart clenches at the thought of seeing him again. Especially after my dreams of him. Will seeing him trigger more memories?

  I pull the ribbon on the box, and find a black dagger, the hilt topped with a violet gemstone. Shaking my head, I lift it to inspect it. The blade looks as if it is made from the same material as the alter I had my ritual on. His house crest engraved on the blade, just under the hilt.

  It’s beautiful.

  I look back into the box to find Fallon’s talisman and smile. He returned it, just as he promised.

  Making my decision to meet him, I know I’ll have to find an excuse to not be around in three days’ time, but first I need to speak to Fallon.

  "Wait, wait, wait." Fallon practically squeals from her perch on my sofa. "You mean to tell me Creek kissed you? Like twice... and you had memories about him telling you he loves you, and you haven't mentioned that to him yet? Mind blown, Remy. Mind. Blown. I need more details!"

  I shrug at her outburst, because, well I kind of expected it, but at the same time, I haven't told her about Kain yet, and I don't know if I even can.

  "Can I ask you a really, out of this world, question?" "Out of this world is pretty much my specialty, shoot." she grins at me, and I know she has no idea what's coming.

  "Are all of the monsters really as bad as my family makes out? Or are there exceptions? Dracul who actually feel? Lycans who don't just want to dominate the world?" I wrap my arms around myself, preparing for the worst. Readying myself for the fact that in my past lives I must have taken one too many hits to the head.

  "No, they're not all that bad," she sighs. "Just don't tell your dad I said so. Hunters are... well usually they're pretty biased. Once upon a time, all of our factions lived in relative peace. Hunters were created, essentially, to police the factions, to keep the rebels in line. At least that's what I garner from my ancestor’s journals."

  "Woah." I lean back against the arm of the sofa, facing her. "Why don't I know this?"

  "Well, I mean, you might, you just don't remember knowing, but probably because it’s some closely guarded secret in the Hunter world, and if the Dracul or Lycans were to say something, no Hunter would believe them. Witches, we always ride the lines, but still, it would be thought of as some myth or some lie. I'm only telling you because you asked, otherwise I'd keep my mouth shut. God knows what sort of trouble I could get into for telling you this." she sighs and shakes her head.

  "Have you... ever, you know..." I say awkwardly and she laughs.

  "Have I ever what? Fucked a monster? Yes, yes, I have. Like I say, they're not all bad. There’s a reason you hunt rogues when you first start out. So that you see the worst their kinds have to offer, so that if you later come across someone different, you think it’s just another lie, a deception to draw you in and get you killed. What makes you ask anyway?"

  She watches me closely, and I try to keep my face straight, and not squirm under that gaze.

  "What happened?" she asks, and I shift in my seat. I don't know about old me, but this me has never been any good at lying.

  I reach around the sofa to lift the box holding her talisman, and hand it over to her. "Open it."

  She unties the bow I put back in place and lifts the lid.

  Her eyes go wide as she sees her talisman.

  "You got it back?" she asks. "But I don't understand... why the box? And why so big?"

  "I didn't exactly get it back." I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

  "Girl, why are you so nervous. Your eye is practically twitching." she watches me closely, taking in everything. "Tell me what happened."

  "Well, I took Creek to the address you gave me, to get your talisman. And there were definitely Dracul, but it was not some rogue nest. It was a home... a Vampire clan lived there. There were children, families, but they discovered we were there."

  "Oh shit." Her eyes go wide at my words.

  "Something like that, but then... then someone helped us escape. He delivered that, or had it delivered here this morning."

  "What the ever-loving fuck! A Dracul helping a Hunter..." she looks like I just dropped a nuclear warhead on her world and guilt ravages me. I should have kept this to myself, I knew it, I just... it was selfish of me to want some help navigating the craziness I find myself in the center of.

  "I know. I mean, I have no fucking idea, but I know," I say with a small shrug.

  "Who was it? Did you know him?" she eyes me, like she can sense I'm holding back details, important details.

  "Do you really want to know?" I sigh, knowing that once she knows, she can't not know, and I don't want her to put herself in a shitty situation because of me.

  "Oh, shut your face. I'm your best friend, if you're in a pile of shit, of course I'm goi
ng to wade in and be in it with you. God only knows how your family would react, but me, I'm Switzerland baby. I'm not going to judge." She pats her black curls, and I wonder if she has any idea, but I know she doesn't. She can't.

  "Does the name Kain mean anything to you?" I ask her and she stares at me, mouth opening and then closing, eyes wide. She looks like a Japanese Koi at feeding time and I almost laugh at the sight, almost. This shit’s too serious to actually laugh right now.

  "I... Kain... Surely... Holy shit," she mumbles and then starts pacing the floor in front of the windows of my apartment.

  I sit silently and let her process. Apparently, she knows more than I do about who he is, and I just dropped another bombshell on her. The guilt gnaws at my stomach, but I swallow down the sick feeling that floods me, as a small weight is lifted from my shoulders knowing I'm not alone, and that Fallon will never betray me.

  She slides down the wall, sitting on the floor and Sushi jumps into her lap, purring as she strokes him.

  "What did he look like? Because it can't be..."

  "He was... beautiful, in a strange way. He had dark hair, longer on top, so it kind of fell in his eyes, which were the brightest blue I've ever seen, even with the amber ring. He was tall, definitely well over six foot and broad, though not like Creek, but definitely lean beneath the black shirt and pants he wore. There was just something about him. Like a confidence in every word, in every action." I look back at her and she's practically gawking at me.

  "Did he have a ring? A silver ring with a black stone? Did you see any markings on his skin?" she asks, and I shake my head.

  "I didn't have time, it was so quick." I contemplate telling her about my sword, about the dagger, but I hold it back, something telling me that she's not really ready to know the whole story yet.

  "Okay, well holy shit. I think that was Kain Michaels." she says, and I nod, recognizing the name from my dream.

  "Who is he?" I ask and her gaze snaps back to mine. "Wow, your memories really aren't back yet. I'msurprised your brothers haven't given you the low down yet, you should really ask them for a history lesson, because holy shit man." She runs her hands through her hair, and I notice the slight tremor. Her words barely more than whisper. "Kain Michaels is the last known living Dracul of the old times. Back when the factions were at peace, the Dracul were ruled by three royal families. Rumor has it the rest have been killed or are in hiding, but Kain, he is a man of legend. He fought in wars that are but myths now. He has destroyed entire empires and brought down kings and dictators. He is a force. The King of the Dracul is what they call him now. The last hope of the Dracul to bring peace back to their kind. To bring back the old ways, and supposedly let the other royals out of hiding. The story goes that he was always the general of the Dracul, his father was a great mind, but no-one would plan, strategize and execute like Kain, and so he became the protector of the Dracul. The other royals looked after politics, keeping the relationships up with the other factions, keeping their people fed, keeping them in line. Kain was the one who went to wars with our factions, up against humans, alongside humans, to make the world a better place."

  "Sounds like you like yourself a bit of Kain," I wink at her, tamping down the jealousy that flickers in my heart and she barks out a laugh.

  "The things I've read about him... It’s hard to see him as the monster everyone wants to make him out to be, but then, I've never met the guy. I only have secondhand stories. But knowing what I do about the Dracul and the Lycans, compared to the stories the Hunters give, I kind of admire him a little. Giving up everything for his kind. Rumor has it that he had a love once, and she was killed by the Hunters. That’s what sparked the war between the two factions, and what spiraled down to the world as we know it today, but there's no firsthand stories of it in the journals, so it could just be nothing more than a story. But the romantic in me likes to believe it’s true." She shrugs, a bit more relaxed.

  "If it is him though, Remy. You have to be careful. I have no idea why he would help you. Less idea why he would help you help me."

  "I will. It’s not like I'm going to go out hunting for him. Well, I mean, you know what I mean." I laugh, hating that I'm not going to tell her about his note, about my dream, but something inside me tells me to guard those secrets with my life, and I'm going to trust that instinct.

  "Well, that is a relief! Now then, enough talk about magic and monsters. You need to dish about Creek! But first, I need something stronger than this soda." She stands and shakes her head.

  "Help yourself." I wave to the kitchen and she puts her hands on her hips.

  "I know you are not going to make me drink alone, Remington Bennett." She eyes me, her eyebrow raised, and I can't help but laugh.

  "Fine, but I'm only having one. I'm training with Bauer again tomorrow, apparently getting my ass handed to me this week means I need to step up my training."

  "And so it should! Now then, whiskey or tequila?" she asks as she opens the door to my freezer.

  "Dealers choice." I smile at her as she moves around my kitchen like it’s her own, and I feel lighter, even if a little disturbed at the new knowledge about the man in my dreams. What I still don't understand is who the other man in my dream was all those weeks ago. His voice... I can still hear it as if it were yesterday, and that voice doesn't belong to anyone I know.

  I shake off the thought, because god knows I have enough to deal with right now as it is, and Fallon hands me a glass before sitting opposite me on the sofa again.

  "Spill..." she says with a wide grin and I sigh, ready to spill my guts about the one thing I know I can tell her everything about.

  "So, we started off as we always have been, except for me still being pissed at him for leaving. I know, I know he had a good reason, but you tell that to my stupid girl hormones. Anyway, things started to get better, and then there was this moment, and I thought he was going to kiss me, but Colt happened."

  "Fucking Colt," she grumbles.

  "Right, and don't think I'm not going to ask more about that by the way." She waves me off.

  "Don't change the subject!" I laugh at her impatience and continue to tell her everything again, from the beginning, enjoying the down time with my best friend, pretending we're nothing more than two human women, and that men trouble is the biggest worry we have in the world.

  I pull up to Bauer’s house, ready to enter his hellish basement again for a day of getting my ass handed to me and sigh. I wish I had more of my memories back, wish that there was a way for me to get them back faster, to trigger a waterfall of knowledge, so I understood more. So, I understood what led me to fall in love with the king of the Dracul. Because from the memories that I have got, that's what they're telling me. Could it have been a ploy? A trick. Could I have been sent to infiltrate enemy lines, to get on the inside to bring them down that way?

  Or was I a traitor to my faction?

  I can't imagine being a traitor, to betraying my family in such a way that would cause them such devastation, but I can't ask, because if I did betray them, if it wasn't a ploy, then the fall out would be catastrophic, and if I'm being honest with myself, it didn't feel like a ploy. Not in my dreams, or when Kain kissed me.

  And yet, the memories I have with Creek, they make everything so much more confusing. The lines are so blurry, and I want to go back in time and kick past me, because that bitch is causing me some serious headaches in this god damn life.

  I rest my head on the steering wheel and try to gather my thoughts, so that Bauer doesn't suspect something is wrong. That is the last thing I need. Him prying, trying to work out what's wrong with me.

  I push it all down, so far down into a box that I visualize chaining up and putting at the very back of my mind. It probably doesn't do a damn thing, but it makes me feel better. I gather myself and climb out of my car and find Bauer opening his front door. I wonder why he has this place, considering he still lives with Dad, but I guess everyone needs their own space sometimes. />
  "You okay?" Bauer asks as I approach, looking concerned as he leans against the door frame, arms crossed.

  "I'm fine, just tired. I guess nearly dying will do that to a girl." I shrug, but immediately regret my words at the look on his face.

  "Well, that isn't going to happen again, and I'm going to see to it. We'll be training hard, and a friend of mine from the other side of the world happens to be on his way here for business, so he's going to help us out too." he moves back, letting me in the house and then shuts the door, before joining me in his kitchen.

  "Who is he?" I ask, curious, because Bauer and friends isn't really something I expected. He's always been a bit of a loner.

  "He's someone I trust with my life, and yours. I met him when I first became a Hunter. We trained together, went hunting together. Traveled a lot. You thought I was off at college, but I was just off seeing the world, killing the filth." I hold in the wince at his tone, his words, and smile at him.

  "Oh, wow, yeah I totally didn't link you being at college with this crazy, I've been so wrapped up in my own stuff, it hadn't even crossed my mind. Sorry. So, who is this friend?"

  A car pulls up outside, and Bauer smiles, heading back to the front door.

  "Bauer, man it is good to see your ugly mug." The laughing voice reaches me as I watch out the window as the man who looks the same age as Bauer walks up to the house.

  "It's been a while, Archer. Come on in." I hear the smile in Bauer’s voice and lean on the counter as their footsteps move down the hall.

  "Archer, meet my pain in the ass little sister, Remy. Remy, this is Archer Doturo," Bauer says as he walks in, Archer in tow, who studies me from across the room. He's as tall as Bauer, so around six' four, not quite as broad, but it suits him. The main difference is the air he carries. My hackles rise, and my internal warning bells go off. This guy is bad news. How does Bauer not see that? I smile through my panic and wave.