Page 22 of Blood Bond

Seth’s attention is drawn to a box lying on the polished floor. He approaches and crouches down. Another book, open and displayed, lies within it. One page bears a savage knife wound, as if someone had plunged the blade deep into it with force. Seth's reaction is subtle yet intense, his fists clenching.

My stomach churns, my breath catching. I recognise that book. I've seen it before, in a dream, a vision of Donovan and a woman they fought over—a life from centuries past. That was her book, and I am certain there is more to this tale than I know.

Seth rises, his head bowed, then furrows his brow, his gaze locking onto me. “Where is Tasha?” he suddenly asks, as if he’s just realised her absence.

I freeze at his unexpected question. My throat tightens as I recall Tasha leaving me to the thirsty, possibly intending to let them kill me to save herself. Despite wanting to think the best of people, I know the painful truth. “She went to find you, to get help,” I mutter, avoiding Seth’s gaze.

The colour drains from Seth's face as he stares at me. His silence is unnerving, his gaze piercing as if reading my very thoughts. Hesitating, I brace myself for his reaction, but he simply nods solemnly. “We’ll find her, get Layla, and leave this place.”

Gathering my courage, I ask, “Aren't there others here?” In my mind, Seth, being a king, must have subjects, followers. His domain shouldn't be empty.

Seth's response leaves a heavy silence in its wake. “There is no one here now, save for the dead.”

I find myself staring at him, thinking back to when I was first with him, when he took me from the auction. My mind drifts to the auctions, where we met Amelia. There was hostility, anger in her demeanour toward Seth, and he was dismissive of it. I wonder about the dynamics of their relationship, even though it’s not my place to delve into such matters. Yet, I can't help but ponder.

“Lucius and Arabella will have taken everyone to safety,” Killian explains, as if I should know who they are.

“Lucius and Arabella?” The names are unfamiliar to me, but then, why would they be? I'm just a former slave, and this world is far beyond what I knew.

“They are …”Killian pauses, glancing at Seth for permission. When Seth doesn’t object, he continues. “Arabella is Seth’s firstborn, and Lucius is her protector, a wolf, not a vampire.”

“They will have taken everyone to safety when my brother attacked,” Seth adds. “The dead here are mostly patrons of Skin Trade, unfortunate souls caught here on the night Donovan threw you from the balcony.”

“They fled?” I blurt out, my tone unintentionally accusatory. I'm ready to fall to my knees, asking for forgiveness.

Seth answers without taking offence. “None of them would be a match for my brother if he decided to harm them, especially not if he has the book.”

“They have been slaughtered,” Killian interjects somberly.

“My blood flows through their veins, and my blood is of his blood. That alone affords him some semblance of control over them. And that is my mistake,” Seth admits with a heavy heart. “One I hope they have not paid for with their lives.”

ChapterSixteen

The climb back up the steps is arduous, each step steeped in silence and sorrow. It reminds me of the times I was taken out of the basement in Craven's place, the dread and fear thick in the air, feelings that tended to fade as we became accustomed to the routine.

Seth, Killian, and Naneve keep their thoughts to themselves, shrouded in their own contemplations. Their silence is a stark contrast to the usual dynamics of our group.

The protective formation around me is unmistakable, even though Seth never explicitly requested their protection. It’s a tacit acknowledgment of the danger that still lurks around us.

Eventually, we emerge onto the main floor, a scene of carnage that, despite having witnessed it before, still takes my breath away. The overwhelming loss of life leaves an ache in my chest. This place, once alive with music and crowds, is now a tomb to countless lives wasted in a war whose purpose seems increasingly unclear. What are we fighting for? Each other? The world itself? I wonder if anyone truly knows.

In the elevator, the sight of a half-eaten body on the floor, a victim of the thirsty, is a gruesome reminder of the night's horrors. We enter the room where Layla lies behind the glass, still in whatever state Seth has put her in.

“Tasha isn't here,” Naneve notes, looking around the room. We thought she might return here after failing to find Seth, but she's nowhere to be seen. I never believed she would be, but I hadn't voiced my doubts.

“Find her,” Seth instructs Killian and Naneve. His gaze lingers on me as he continues, “Assure her she is not in any trouble.”

I stop breathing. Any doubt I had about him not knowing I lied, evaporates But, strangely, I don’t want Tasha to suffer. Despite her leaving me, I hold no anger towards her.

Killian and Naneve leave to find Tasha, and Seth’s attention returns to Layla. “Is she asleep?” I ask, though ‘sleep’ seems an inadequate term.

“She is in her death-sleep,” Seth replies, working the control panel to unlock the door. We both wait, and I can’t help but wonder what would happen if Layla suddenly sprang up, attacking as she had tried before. But she remains still.

I stay on the other side of the glass, moving closer to observe Seth and Layla. He tenderly brushes her hair away from her face and whispers something in her ear. The way he looks at her, with a paternal affection, makes me wonder about the others he’s turned, like Arabella. Did they choose this life, or were they forced into it?

Knowing the woman on the stairs hadn't gone willingly to her fate weighs heavily on my mind. The complexities of Seth's world, its rules and customs, are still a puzzle to me. When I think of Seth, it's almost easy to forget his status among them – a king. But what does that truly mean?

Seth’s gaze locks onto mine, and I feel the electricity between us. His power envelops me, dark yet gentle, drawing me in despite my urge to step back. The realisation that only the strongest vampire could be king sends a shiver through me as I ponder the true extent of Seth's power.

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