Page 1 of Blood Bond

ChapterOne

I'm in Seth's arms, locked in a death grip as we soar through the sky. The world around us blurs into a sickening haze, and the ground below has transformed into an abyss of terrifying shadows, rising to swallow us whole. My heart pounds like thunder in my chest. "We have to go back. Please…" I reach for him, as if I can actually touch Nico from way up here. He's running. "Nico …" His name rips from my throat, my voice laden with desperation. "Seth … we have to."

"We can't," Seth says as he holds me tighter.

My pleas erupt from the depths of my soul, a single, echoing plea that resonates across eternity— "Please." If Seth could just feel it, just understand.

Instead, his grip on me tightens like a vice, his determination to keep me from plummeting evident. But I can't tear my gaze away, and I can't leave him. I can't. "We have to go back. Stop, please."

Seth turns in the air, still holding me, so he can see Nico over my shoulder and I can't. We're still flying, being thrust by the force of his almighty wings, and I'm nothing but a ragdoll in his arms. His face is next to mine, his mouth so close, but I hear him in my head, his voice penetrating it. "We go back, we die."

As we roll back into position in the air, the wind steals my sob, and I hold onto Seth. Nico is a tiny figure standing against an enormous, menacing presence. It stalks him from the darkness, its fur bristling, gnarled claws glinting in the sunlight, and eyes aglow with otherworldly power. I don't even know what it is.Run, oh, God, please run.

My mind struggles to comprehend what is happening, and nothing seems to make sense. I feel Seth’s chest pressing against mine as his magnificent wings propel us through the air at an astonishing speed, faster than I ever imagined possible.

We fly through the air like a bullet, the wind pushing past us, inviting us on our journey. Gravity no longer exerts its relentless grip on us; we're not plummeting as we did when Donovan threw me from the balcony and Seth caught me. Instead, we’re… flying.

No. I'm wrong. We ARE falling.

The ground is coming too fast. We're nose-diving towards the canyon. My breath catches. "Seth?—"

Before I can fully react, Seth’s powerful arms encircle me, pulling me closer to his chest. He says the words that are like a song in my soul. “I’ve got you.” Words he's whispered so many times before. I steal one last glance in Nico’s direction, but he’s long since vanished from my sight.

I close my eyes, burying my face in Seth’s chest, placing my trust in him.

Trusting a vampire.

We fall.

ChapterTwo

The creature charges relentlessly, hot on the heels of Seth and Payton. It tears across the lush green lawn, its claws slashing through the grass, propelling it faster

A guttural scream erupts from the depths of its being, morphing into a thunderous roar that reverberates through the daylight, a profound sound that envelops them all.

Even now, even after all this time, Seth wins.

But that won't last for long.

A seething hatred festers within the creature, and if hatred could translate into power, it would be the one in control.

With the creature occupied, Nico sees his chance—the only way out. He sprints, but not in the direction he and Payton came. That path is obstructed. The creature would spot him instantly. Instead, he dashes toward the fence, aiming to scale it and make a desperate break for freedom. It's a manoeuvre he's pulled off countless times with the Hallows, vanishing without a trace, vaulting over obstacles, and grasping a fleeting taste of liberty before his mother could find him.

Nico pumps his arms and legs, panic clawing at his soul. His breath is molten lava in his throat. Run, run, run....

Payton's voice echoes in the air, calling his name, guiding him with her urgency. Run.

Payton's father, Jonathan Summers, remains passive, a useless man. He watches in silence as Nico makes the grave mistake of looking over his shoulder, locking eyes with the relentless creature.

Hatred pours from it, thick and malevolent, a darkness that seems poised to devour anyone in its path. "No?—"

But it's too late; Nico is spotted. The creature's strange eyes lock onto him. Nico inhales deeply, willing his body to push further, to extract every ounce of speed. The creature roars, rearing up.

"No…. Please—" Nico propels himself with determination, feet pounding the earth.

The creature closes in, running on all fours with thunderous power.

If only Nico could move faster….

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