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

by Sloane Murphy

  "Fallon, I need you to get to my dad’s. Now. Hurry." I disconnect the line, not wanting to waste precious time and call Bauer. It rings out loudspeaker as I tear my shirt to create a tourniquet on the wound on his thigh.

  "Remy, what's up?" Bauer says, the noise around him is so loud I can barely hear him.

  "It’s dad. You need to get here. quickly. There’s so much blood."

  "I'm coming, Remy. I'll call the others." "Fallon is on her way."

  "You did good, Remy. Just hold on and do your best." The line goes dead and I try to asses where the other blood is coming from.

  "I've got you, Dad," I say, for him as much as myself. I tear open his shirt and find two bullet wounds. I place my hands over them, to stop the bleeding as much as I can, and pray to every god I can think of that help arrives soon.

  Memories flash in my mind, so much death. So much blood. I try to focus on my breathing, focus on keeping my dad breathing It feels like a lifetime until I hear the screech of tires and then footsteps thundering towards me.

  "Holy shit," Fallon gasps before she kneels next to me, blood coating her knees as she does. "There's so much..."

  "Fallon, take over from Remy on that stomach wound, Remy you press as hard as you can on that shoulder wound, you hear?" Fallon's mom, Marie sweeps into the room, and I can almost feel the power rolling from her. Relief fills me, because if anyone can help my dad, it's Marie Laveau. She kneels on my dad’s other side and places a hand on my shoulder.

  "This thigh tourniquet might just have saved his life Remy. Well done." She undoes the tourniquet and blood spirts from the wound. "Whatever it was, it’s hit an artery."

  She places her hands on top of the wound, and starts speaking, the words foreign to me, muttering under her breath. Light fills the space beneath her hand, and I feel the power in the room, my neck heats in response to it, itching and heating, but I try to ignore it and keep my hands on my dad’s shoulder.

  "Remy!" Bauer’s voice calls out and two sets of footsteps race towards us, as Bauer and Archer find us, my shoulders slump. I never considered myself the damsel kind, but right now, I've never been happier to see my brother. He kneels on my other side, placing his hand on top of mine. "I've got this, you can let go. You did good."

  His voice is so soothing, and I feel someone at my shoulders peeling me away while Bauer takes my spot. I look up and find Creek behind me, Maddie and Nate stood in the doorway. Creek bundles me into his arms, and I let him as shock takes me. He leads me to the kitchen, Maddie with us and they help me clean up as best I can.

  "Do you know what happened?"

  Maddie asks softly, as Nate appears from the other room. "He's healed, but he lost a lot of blood. Marie got the bullets out, but they're not a metal I recognize." His anger coats his words, but I can see the worry lining his face.

  "What does that mean?" I ask.

  "It means, that the tides are turning. Someone found a material that Hunters aren’t resistant to. If it wasn't for Marie..." his words filter away as he shakes his head.

  "What happened?" he pins me with his gaze, and it burns into my soul.

  "I don't know," I tell him, and hang my head as Creek runs his hand up and down my back, trying to soothe me. "I came over to dive into the library, to try and learn, or encourage my memories. When I got here it was still, so deathly still and quiet, I just knew something was wrong. I rushed in, and I found him. That’s when I called Fallon and Bauer."

  "That was quick thinking, and you must have remembered something of your training because that tourniquet saved his life. Whoever did this must have left just as you got here, otherwise it would have been too late." Marie and Fallon join us in the kitchen, cleaning up their hands and then joining me and Creek at the table.

  "His wounds were grave. We have healed them as best we can, but the strain on his heart from that much blood loss, only time will tell if it was enough," Marie says solemnly.

  "You can't heal his heart?" I ask, confused.

  "We are limited with our healing, we are not healers, but we have some healing ability. A true healer may be able to help but depending on how long it takes one to get here..." her words trail off as Bauer and Archer join us in the room.

  "He's in his bed, we cleaned him up and sorted as much as we could," Bauer says, his eyes not leaving mine. "Did you see anything?"

  I shake my head, wishing my answer were different. That I could help in some way. "Do you think this was one of the factions?" I ask, the words barely a whisper.

  "Of course it was," Archer scowls.

  "But what about," I start but Archer cuts me off.

  "Those filthy, mangey animals did this, why on earth would you think otherwise?" the venom in his voice unmissable.

  "Just, that if it is a new weapon, then how would they have got their hands on it?" my words hang in the air, silence surrounds us.

  "I guess we'll have to wait for your father to wake up and tell us what happened," Nate says, calling an end to the conversation. "Thank you for your assistance, Marie. Fallon. As always, you have our gratitude."

  "It was our honor." Marie nods to him. "Our family have been long friends to the Bennett’s and Winchesters. We will always assist when we can."

  She stands, Fallon mirroring her. "We shall be on our way, but if you need anything, please just call."

  "Well will," Maddie says hugging her tightly. "Thank you."

  "I will call the elders, let them know what has happened." Nate says, and leaves the room before stepping outside.

  "Are you okay?" Creek asks me softly, drawing small circles on my back.

  "I don't know," I tell him. I want to be strong. I want to be this legendary person they all expect and want me to be, but I am not the person they think I am, at least not right now. Right now, I'm scared, scared that my dad isn't going to survive, scared that I might have been the cause of this somehow, scared that if they discover the truth, I'll lose everything.

  Eventually, everyone leaves, except for Creek, who helps me clean up the blood from the wood floors. I scrub, scrub as if each stroke could undo what happened. As if it could take back the fact my dad is upstairs, fighting for his life and there is nothing I can do to help him.

  "He's going to be okay," Creek says softly looking at me as I sit back and huff, blowing a stray piece of hair off of my face.

  "I hope so," I tell him and my voice croaks. "How do we deal with this so often? So much death?"

  "You just do, and after a while, you get used to it. Once your memories settle, you will understand."

  "And what if this wasn't one of the other factions? You and Colt both said about shady shit going on with the elders."

  "The elders would never. There are not enough Hunters in the world as it is, it’s hard enough to keep afloat above the flood of Dracul and Lycans. They would never dare give our enemies the weapons they need to win the war we have fought for a millennia.”

  "But how do you know?" I press, hoping for any hint of possibility that this could be something else.

  "I don't," he says, shaking his head. "But until your dad wakes up, we won't know the truth. I need you to not focus on the who right now. What were you looking for when you came here?"

  "I was searching for answers. About me, my past at least. I see Bauer pouring over so many books, I wanted to try and find some stuff out for myself. Did I ever keep journals?"

  His eyes go wide at my question and I shake my head. "Never mind." I sigh.

  "I'm going to head up and grab a shower, then head to bed. You don't have to stay; I can keep an eye on Dad," I tell him, as I wring out the last cloth, it finally coming out clear rather than pink.

  "Don't be stupid, Remy. I'm not going to leave you alone. Not now, not after everything. You don't have to be this strong in front of me, Remy. You can lean on me, like you always have. You can trust me," he says, the sincerity in his eyes is like a punch to the stomach, because if he knew, I’m sure he'd turn his back on me too.


  "I'm not trying to be strong, Creek. I'm just coping, the best way I know. You can stay if you want to." I sigh, standing up and stretching out after being on my knees for god only knows how long.

  He stands up and steps towards me, so close I can practically feel him on me, despite the small space between us. And I like it. "Remy, please. Don't shut me out. Even if nothing else, we have been friends our entire life. Even if you want nothing more from me, let me be your friend."

  I look up into his eyes and find nothing but compassion and understanding. My guilt overwhelms me and the tears I've been trying to hold back spill over. His arms wrap around me, holding me tight.

  "He's going to be okay, Remy. Your dad is a tough son of a bitch," his words make me cry harder. Why did past me have to screw present me so hard? Why did I have to see Kain, and why is Roman here?

  There's so much I don't understand and what happened here tonight just adds to the pile that already feels like it might topple at any moment.

  I pull back once I get the tears under control and steady my breathing.

  "Thank you," I tell him and he smiles at me, before kissing my forehead.

  "I'm always going to be here for you, Remy. Even when you don't want me to be. Even when you think no-one else has your back. I will be here."

  Why does he have to be so damn sweet? I hug him tightly again, before heading upstairs to check on my dad, who is still sleeping deeply. I jump in the shower and wash away today as much as I can, the sounds of Creek pottering around downstairs comfort me, and deep down I'm glad he didn't leave. Exhaustion so deep I can feel it in my bones sets in, and I know I wouldn't sleep if he wasn't here.

  Seventeen

  Morning comes and despite the exhaustion, I barely slept. The fear of something going wrong with my dad, or whoever was here returning and hurting him, or Creek kept me up. I yawn as I descend the stairs and jump when I crash into Creek at the bottom.

  "Sorry, half dead here," I murmur as he steadies me, his hands on my waist. That’s when I realize all I have on is a night shirt that comes to just below my ass, and my cheeks heat. "Erm... I need, coffee... yeah, coffee."

  I watch as he realizes what I'm wearing, and my words barely register with him. His grip tightens slightly, as his eyes take me in slowly inch by inch and my nipples pebble under his intense, heated stare. His sharp intake of breath tells me he noticed, and my blush deepens. Nope, no matter who we were, the thought of him, and me, like that, still seems so confusing, no matter what young teenage me dreamt of.

  "Remy," my name on his lips sounds like a plea, and despite everything he said yesterday about being my friend if that's all I want, my body tells me that I want so much more. I learn forward and brush my lips across his cheek. The gentlest of kisses, and I feel him stiffen.

  "Morning," I whisper before pulling back from him. While my body might be ready, my treacherous mind is still whirring about a million miles a minute trying to make sense of everything. I remember that I'm meant to meet with Kain tonight, and it steels my resolve to not make anything messy here, not until I understand more, no matter how much I might want to.

  "Morning," he rasps, letting go of my waist and taking a step back.

  "Thank you for staying last night," I say to him pretending nothing just happened. I make my way into the kitchen and make myself a coffee, putting some bread in the toaster, because I can't remember the last time I ate.

  "It’s fine, you guys are family, and you needed me whether you wanted to admit it or not. I checked in on him this morning, he's still asleep, and he's got a slight fever, but otherwise he's okay. Bauer called; he'll be over in a bit so you can head home for a while."

  "Thank you. I've got to head to the bar later to pick my stuff up from there after my Krav Maga class, I can come back after." I smile as I take a sip of my coffee.

  Oh, hello sweet nectar.

  "Okay, Colt is on his way home. His trip was extended and he wasn't due for another week, but with everything happening, he cut the trip short."

  "Where is that brother of mine?" Nobody has said much about it, but that makes me more suspicious.

  "No idea. But it’s got to be pretty far away if it’s taking him a few days to get home."

  "Makes sense. I wonder what on earth he's up to."

  "Who knows. The elders obviously have him chasing something down and will likely be furious if he hasn't retrieved it, even with the circumstances. He's got a knack for tracking stuff down, so that would be my best guess." He shrugs and grabs my toast as it pops up. I slather it with butter and groan as I take a bite.

  "Something about toast in the morning is just freaking orgasmic." I sigh, before demolishing the rest.

  "You need to look after yourself better." Creek eyes me with concern. "When did you eat last?"

  "Just now." I roll my eyes at him. "I'm fine. I'm going to check in on Dad and then attack the library. Are you sticking around?"

  "No, Dad wants me back at the house. I'm guessing he wants to find out who did this, sooner rather than later, and he isn't going to wait for an official investigation. He has no patience." He runs his hand through his long, dirty blonde hair, gathering it and putting it into a man bun. The look combined with his beard and his ink makes me squirm. Why, oh why, does he have to be so damn hot these days, especially when I already fight the way my body reacts to him.

  He smiles, like he can read my mind and I stifle a laugh.

  Nope. Not today.

  "I'll see you later then?" I say as I head back to the stairs.

  "Sure, let me know when you're back here and I'll swing by, keep you company again."

  "Thanks. Oh, what do you know about that Archer guy?" I ask, and he raises an eyebrow at me.

  "Not too much, why?"

  "No real reason. Guy gives off major asshole vibes, and something about him seems off. I don't trust him. Plus, he shows up out of the blue with almost no warning, and then this happens to dad... I just, I don't know, something doesn't add up to me. It feels wrong."

  "Trust your gut, Remy. It's never steered you wrong yet. If you don't trust him, I believe you. I'll speak to my dad about him later, see if I can get any details on his family."

  "You're the best." I smile as he reaches the front door.

  "I know. Catch you later, Rem." The door closes behind him and I sigh as his footsteps sound off the porch and crunch across the gravel in the front yard.

  If only life were simpler, if there weren't so many strings to unravel, it would be nice to indulge in the feelings between us.

  I make my way up the stairs and pop my head around the door to my dad’s room. He's still out cold, but he looks so pale and fragile. I check his pulse, just to settle my nerves then leave him to rest, knowing he wouldn't want me hovering and fussing, even though he nearly died. Stubborn old goat.

  I throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt, then head to the library on the third floor. I used to love this floor as a kid. The entire floor is nothing more than a library and a bathroom. I got lost in here for hours at a time when I was younger, reading about adventurers, slaying dragons, the fae courts, and people with magical powers. If only little me had known what I do now, she'd have wondered at the magic of it all.

  Me? I'm just trying to survive the process.

  I head to the back corner where Bauer is usually hidden and pull random titles from the shelves. I have no idea where to start, but any knowledge is better than no knowledge. I flip through the pages on some, scanning the contents, trying to trigger something inside of me to remember.

  Finally, I pick up an old leather-bound book, that feels soft and looks as if it’s been read more than a little bit. Untying the leather strap that keeps it closed, I open it and realize this is a journal. I scan the page, and I realize it’s one of Bauer’s.

  I close it, because reading that would be such an invasion of privacy, but at the same time, maybe it will tell me something about myself.

  No.

  I shake my head and
put the journal back where I found it. I won't do that to him, because god knows I'd lose my shit if someone did it to me. I just wish I knew where I'd kept mine. I pick up one of the other books, The Myths and Legends of Angels, the mark of the Hunter stamped on the front beneath the title, but nothing else. I open it, the pages yellowed, and the writing handwritten, but more than one style, as if many people have added to the book, to pass on the growing knowledge.

  I lose myself in the book, taking in the stories, the adventures and the battles of old, including the story of the creation of Hunters. It started with the fall of the Angel of War. A great general of the Angel legions, Leviathan. He betrayed their laws for the good of his people and was punished for it. Those who followed him, who believed in his actions fell alongside him, left to roam the earth, unable to return to Avalon, the realm of Angels.

  My heart hurts for the general, doing what he knew he must, no matter the cost, regardless of the consequences, to save the ones he loved.

  I sit back and close my eyes. I wonder what happened to the Angel, and why I now bear his mark. Did I pick up his cause, betray the laws of the faction, for a greater cause? I sigh and rub my eyes. I need to find out how to trigger more memories, yet I dare not ask the elders, with all the warnings from Colt and Creed, and what's now happened with Dad, I don't trust them, even though I'm told I should. I wish Mom were here, she would know exactly what to say. I'd like to think she wouldn't condemn me for my past choices too. She'd understand that the heart does what it wants. She always said that your heart was the greatest tool, the best guide, and the most trustworthy of deciders. That to follow your heart was the right path, no matter the obstacles you face.

  I rest my head on the table, wishing she were here with me, my heart heavy. She would have been the best at helping me acclimate to this world. Patient to a fault, she would have explained everything, answered all of my questions, and been the best guide when I needed it as well as picking me up when I faltered.