The Tomb of Blood

by Britney Jackson

  Kallias glared at Erik. “You can’t believe it?” he repeated incredulously. “Erik, she is insane. She has done nothing but manipulate you and hurt you since you met her, and you’re surprised that she’s done it again? You want to know what surprises me? The fact that you keep letting her do this. You went to her last night, knowing that this could happen, and you didn’t even try to kill her.”

  “She would have stopped me, if I’d tried,” Erik muttered dismissively.

  “Then, why did you go to her? Why did you lie about it?” Kallias asked.

  Pain flashed in Erik’s bright green eyes. “Because…I love her.”

  Kallias growled at that. “She makes you miserable!”

  Erik’s expression seemed to harden. “Rose makes you miserable.”

  Kallias froze. “That’s not true,” he insisted. “Rose makes me happy.”

  “She did,” Erik agreed, “before she died. But something has changed between you two. I can feel it whenever I’m around you. You’re always angry now. You’re always scared. She makes you miserable, but you still love her.”

  “I’m not scared,” Kallias muttered indignantly, “or miserable.”

  “It’s really the same, isn’t it?” Erik said, his voice sharp. “Rose and I are in love with selfish telepaths, but we feel too sorry for you to stop loving you.”

  Kallias raised an eyebrow. “Did Alana command you to insult me, too?”

  “No,” Erik snarled, his eyes flashing. “I’m doing that on my own.”

  Kallias nodded in understanding. “You think I’ll kill you if you insult me enough?” he asked bitterly. “You know me better than that. Have you forgotten all of those years that I spent teaching you how to resist blood? Have you forgotten the things you said to me? If I didn’t give up on you then, I won’t now.”

  “Damn it, Kallias,” Erik muttered as he suddenly grasped Kallias’s forearm and projected tormenting emotions once again. Kallias yelled out, and as the emotions temporarily blinded his mind, Erik wrestled the dagger out of his hand and jammed it up into Kallias’s chest. Erik stared at his own hand, his bright green eyes wide with horror, as blood poured around the blade, soaking Kallias’s black, button-down shirt. “You should have killed me,” he breathed.

  “You shouldn’t have gone to see Alana last night,” Kallias said hoarsely.

  Erik fought the command with all of his strength, but he couldn’t stop it. His mind and body were determined to kill Kallias, despite his own reluctance.

  Kallias just watched him, too injured to keep fighting, waiting to die.

  “Kallias!” Rose screamed, her voice echoing through the alley.

  And just as Erik’s hand began to shift up, slicing further into Kallias’s chest—an action that would have most likely killed him, an unseen force threw Erik across the alley, his back slamming against the brick wall of the nearby bar.

  The ground seemed to quake beneath their feet as Rose stepped into the alley with them, and Rose’s long, auburn hair swayed around her face, as if it were being blown by a strong wind. She watched Erik with those unnerving, inhuman eyes—the blood-red haze flickering and dancing, like fire, within them.

  Erik winced in pain. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am so happy you’re here. Never have I been so happy to see those creepy, red eyes of yours.”

  “Explain,” Rose said in that strange, cold voice.

  “Alana commanded me to kill him,” Erik said breathlessly.

  “Did you know,” Rose asked, “when you lied to me last night?”

  “No. I didn’t even know what I was saying,” Erik said. “I swear.”

  Rose turned toward Kallias, her eyes flashing a darker red, as she noticed the blood pouring from his chest. “Kallias, are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

  He leaned drowsily against the wall behind him. “For now,” he said hoarsely, blood trickling from the corners of his lips. “But I have to break Alana’s control over Erik, and I’m not in any shape to do it right now. I need to feed.”

  As a wave of relief rushed through her, the red fire within her eyes began to fade, her eyes returning to their usual bright blue color. She walked over to him and sank to her knees in front of him. “Of course. You can feed from me.”

  “No! Rose! Don’t!” Erik yelled. He felt his fingers twitch, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was beginning to regain mobility. “You have to kill me, Rose. I can’t fight it. As soon as I can move again, I’ll kill one of you, and you can’t let that happen. Please, don’t let that happen. I’d rather die.”

  Rose glanced back at him, frowning. “I could never kill you, Erik.”

  “Not even to save the person you love?” Erik asked. “Listen to me. As soon as he begins to feed from you, you’ll lose your concentration. I will be free.”

  “Then, we’ll just have to hurry,” Rose sighed. “I can’t kill you, Erik.”

  “If I kill Kallias, it’ll be your fault,” Erik snarled. “Do you want that?”

  Rose narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not fair.”

  “Leave her alone, Erik,” Kallias rasped, barely able to speak at all. His light brown gaze shifted back toward Rose. “I’ll take just enough to heal myself.”

  Rose nodded and shifted forward. She straddled his legs and pulled her hair to the side, exposing her neck to his gaze. She watched as his light brown eyes darkened with hunger, and then, she looped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, feeling his warm, wet blood as it soaked her clothes.

  She moaned softly as he leaned forward and pressed his face against her neck, inhaling her sweet, powerful scent, the scent that called out to the most animalistic part of him. Then, she gasped as he sank his fangs deep into her neck.

  She instantly lost focus, and the force that restrained Erik faltered.

  Erik raced toward her, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her away from Kallias. He threw her on the pavement, and then, he climbed on top of her to restrain her. He shoved her head back against the pavement. She groaned in pain as blood poured from the back of her head—its scent sweet and appealing.

  Erik felt something heavy and sharp press into his neck, and he froze, his bright green eyes widening in shock as he realized that someone had pressed a battle-axe against his throat. It wasn’t hard for him to guess whom. “Kara?”

  “Get off of Rose. Right now. Then, step back. Slowly,” Kara demanded.

  Erik sucked in his breath sharply as the cold blade pressed into his skin. “You have to kill me,” he said as he climbed off of Rose. “It’s the only way.”

  “No, it’s not, you idiot,” Kara muttered, rolling her eyes at him. “Alana would have made a provision in the command. She would never allow you to get yourself killed. So, if I keep this battle-axe against your neck and stay out of your reach, you’ll have no choice but to do exactly what I tell you to do.”

  Erik stepped back, toward Kara, listening to the sound of her boots as she also stepped back, slowly leading him away from Rose and Kallias. “Where are you leading me?” he asked curiously as she continued to force him backward.

  “Away from Rose and Kallias,” Kara said, “so that Kallias can feed.”

  Erik swallowed uneasily at the sharpness of the blade. “And then?”

  “Then,” Kara said, forcing him to take another step back, “we’ll talk.”

  “I need you to kill me, Kara,” Erik tried again. “Do it for Rose. If she gets in my way—and I know she will—I’ll kill her. I know you care about her.”

  “You don’t know anything,” Kara said irritably.

  “Of course I do,” Erik argued. “I can feel your emotions.”

  “This is not me admitting that I feel…any way about her, but,” she paused, sighing, “but I can assure you: I would never let you kill her. If I have no other choice, I will kill you. For the next few moments, at least, I have a blood bond with Rose. You’re lucky I didn’t kill you a moment ago…on pure instinct
.”

  Erik grinned. “Really? You’re bound to her? Ah, I do smell it in your blood, now that I think about it. Then, I suppose congratulations are in order?”

  Kara laughed, “I didn’t have sex with her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Of course not,” Erik teased. “Even you can’t get into Rose’s pants.”

  Kara shifted around him and shoved him against the wall, moving so swiftly and fluidly that he barely registered what she was doing until afterward. She kept the blade of the battle-axe pressed against his neck as she moved in front of him. “When Aaron told you to go to Alana, you should have said no.”

  “I know,” Erik sighed, regret burning in his bright green eyes.

  “You could’ve come to me,” Kara said. “I would’ve argued your case.”

  “I know,” Erik said again. “The thing is…I wanted to see her.”

  “I know you did,” Kara sighed, “but she used that against you.”

  He tilted his head back against the wall, his face contorting with pain. “You must think I’m so stupid,” he muttered. “You never fall for her bullshit.”

  “I never thought you were stupid, Erik,” Kara told him, “just naïve.”

  “I don’t want to kill Alana,” Erik confessed. “I want to save her.”

  “You think I haven’t tried?” Kara asked. “She doesn’t want to be saved.”

  “You understand, then,” he realized, frowning, “why I went to her?”

  “Of course,” Kara sighed. “Why do you think I tried to rescue you?”

  “I heard the fighting,” Erik said, his frown deepening as he tried to remember the events from the previous night, “but Alana told me to ignore it.”

  Kara glanced over her shoulder, her brows creasing with concern, as she noticed how weak Rose’s pulse sounded. She opened her mouth to warn Kallias that he was draining Rose, but before she could, Erik grabbed the blade of her battle-axe, allowing it to slice into the palm of his hand, as he jerked it out of her hand. She jumped out of the way as he tried to swing the heavy weapon at her, sidestepping him easily as he swung it at her again. A smug smirk tugged at her lips as she danced around him, dodging him every time he tried to attack her.

  Erik stopped and rolled his eyes. “Would you just be still for a minute?”

  Kara tossed her head back and laughed. “What? Like this?” she taunted as she stood in front of him, spreading her arms out. “Go ahead. Swing at me.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. But, unable to fight the urge to kill anyone who got in his way, he swung the battle-axe again. Just as the blade nearly crashed against the top of Kara’s head, she pivoted on her feet, causing it to narrowly miss her. As she twisted, she grabbed the handle of the battle-axe and wrenched it out of Erik’s hand. Erik staggered, and then, he tried to run toward Kallias.

  Kara pulled the battle-axe back over her shoulder and then swung it around, allowing the weight of the blade to twist her body. Erik cried out as the blade caught him between his ribs. She jerked the battle-axe out of his side, blood dripping from the blade, as he collapsed on the pavement, bleeding profusely.

  “Damn it, Kara!” Erik screamed. “You didn’t have to cut me in half!”

  Kara rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop whining. It’s practically a paper-cut.”

  Erik’s eyes widened, and he glanced down at his side, groaning as he saw the gaping split between his ribs. “Paper-cut? You call that a paper-cut?!”

  Kara shrugged. “You should never take a woman’s axe, Erik.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed at the sky, “It fucking hurts!”

  “You’re such a crybaby,” Kara teased, watching him with a smile.

  Erik opened his eyes and glared at her. “I hate you sometimes.”

  “What the hell happened?” Kallias said, suddenly standing beside Kara.

  “He stole my weapon,” Kara said defensively, “so I had to hurt him.”

  Kallias considered that for a moment. “I can understand that.”

  “I hate you both!” Erik yelled, covering his split-open side with his hand.

  “You should be able to break Alana’s command now,” Kara told Kallias. “I doubt he’ll try to kill you in this state. And if he does, he won’t succeed.”

  Kallias nodded and knelt beside Erik. He stared intensely at Erik as he used his telepathic abilities to break into Erik’s mind. “You don’t want to kill me,” he said slowly as he took control of Erik’s mind. “Alana commanded you to kill me, but that command is broken now. Alana’s control over you is broken.”

  Erik stared at him, a dazed look in his eyes. “Yes,” he mumbled.

  Kallias smiled. “I told you I could fix it without killing you.”

  Erik blinked as his mind cleared. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Thanks.”

  “Rose,” Kara said suddenly, “you shouldn’t be on your feet right now.”

  Rose staggered toward them. “I’m just trying to…” she trailed off as her eyes slid closed. She swayed dangerously. “Uh-oh,” she said as she fell backward.

  Kallias caught her as she collapsed, her body hanging limply in his arms, her eyelids fluttering, as if she were fighting to stay conscious. “Rose?” he said, startled by her sudden fainting spell. “What’s wrong? Have you been injured?”

  Kara watched them, her blood-soaked battle-axe hanging at her side. “She needs blood,” she told Kallias. “She barely has any blood left in her body.”

  Kallias glanced at Kara, his brows furrowing. “But I didn’t take much.”

  Kara sighed. “Alana fed from her. Then, I fed from her. Then, you fed from her,” she explained, a hint of remorse in her voice. “Her body hasn’t had time to replenish that much blood, especially not with that injury of hers. I offered her my blood since she gave me hers, but she didn’t want to break her bond with you. She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to find you without it.”

  Kallias just stared at Kara. “You…and…Alana…fed from her?”

  Erik pulled himself up into a more upright position, wincing as blood poured more freely from his side. He stared up at Kara with wide, green eyes. “What did we miss? Did you guys have some kind of threesome or something?”

  Kara slowly turned toward him. Her nose wrinkled as she stared blankly at him. “What the hell goes on in that head of yours?” she asked incredulously.

  Erik winced again—whether that was because of his painful injury or because of the question, Kara wasn’t sure. “I’d rather not say,” he muttered.

  “Why did she let Alana feed from her?” Kallias managed to say, finally.

  Kara glanced back at him and sighed, “She was trying to save me.”

  “By letting Alana feed from her?” Erik asked. “How does that work?”

  Kallias narrowed his eyes at her. “Then, you caused this.”

  Kara raised an eyebrow. “She needs blood,” she said between clenched teeth. “If that’s too much of a problem for you, she is welcome to take mine.”

  “It’s not a problem for me,” Kallias snarled, his light brown eyes flashing with anger and possessiveness. “I just don’t like that you put her in danger.”

  Pain flashed across Kara’s face. “I would have never done it by choice.”

  As Kallias realized how deeply his accusation affected Kara, the anger seemed to rush out of him, deflating, all at once. He looked down at Rose, his brows furrowing, as he noticed the blue tint in her skin. He adjusted her in his arms. “I don’t understand why she didn’t tell me about this before I fed from her.”

  Rose’s eyes fluttered open, just barely, enough for him to notice the dullness of her usually bright blue eyes. “If I had,” she rasped, her voice barely louder than a whisper, “you wouldn’t have fed from me. You needed the blood.”

  “Rose,” Kallias breathed. “I didn’t realize you were still conscious.”

  “Mm-hmm. Little bit,” she grunted, her eyes fluttering closed again.

  “Erik needs b
lood, too,” Kara said. “He has a little cut on his side.”

  Erik glared up at her. “Little?!” he squeaked. “My insides are falling out!”

  Kara rolled her eyes. “Stop exaggerating. You’re such a crybaby.”

  “So, give him some blood,” Kallias told Kara, waving dismissively.

  Kara grimaced. “I’m not any more attracted to men than you are.”

  “I can do it,” a familiar voice said, a French accent coloring her words.

  Kara turned and glanced toward the end of the alley, her lips curving into a surprised smile. “Elise,” she said warmly. “How did you find us?”

  Elise raised an eyebrow and swept her hand out, gesturing toward the puddles of blood on the pavement. “I smelled all of the blood,” she laughed.

  “Ah,” Kara said, nodding. “And your ankle has already healed?”

  Elise glanced down at her bloodstained jeans. “Yep, I’ve fed already.”

  “Then, we should hurry,” Kara sighed. “We’re running out of time.”

  Kallias looked up, frowning at her. “Running out of time for what?”

  Kara dragged her hand through her black-and-blue hair. “To save the Tomb of Blood,” she said anxiously. “Alana plans to attack the colony tonight.”

  “Why would she do that?” Kallias asked curiously.

  “To start a war between humans and vampires,” Kara said, “obviously.”

  “How would attacking the Tomb of Blood accomplish that?” Kallias asked curiously, his frown deepening. “That’s just vampires killing vampires.”

  “No one will know that,” Rose said hoarsely, startling him as she once again spoke so suddenly. “If Alana wins, then she can say that humans did it.”

  “She’s barely awake, and she still can’t keep her mouth shut,” Erik said.

  “You think that Alana wants to make it look like humans destroyed the Tomb of Blood?” Kallias asked Rose, his brows furrowing. “Would that work?”

  “I think it would,” Kara said. “When vampires hear that an entire colony was destroyed, they’ll immediately think of the Cathedral of the Dead massacre.”