Page 50 of Their Blood Rite

‘It’s a strange thing to be in the company of a blood witch who has no fucking idea who we are.’ He tosses me a dress. The same one from before. I happily put it on, relieved to cover myself. ‘We’re not typical vampires. It’s complicated and, frankly, none of your business. All you need to know is that your blood gives us access to certain powers. Dorian’s speciality is body manipulation. So if you see him playing with a doll that looks like you, be worried. Archie is a shifter. That you saw. He hasn’t been able to transform until now. One drop of your blood, and he’s back to coughing up hairballs and avoiding fleas.’ He sits and starts lacing up a pair of boots. ‘I nicked you at the puband gave a drop of blood to him so he could save you from your coven. I was a little surprised you didn’t feel it.’

‘I have a high pain threshold,’ I tell him. ‘What are you?’ I ask.

‘What do you think I am?’

‘I don’t know. My education is non-existent in any of this. I don’t even know what I am.’

‘You are a blood witch. You gain access to magic through the life force of living things. You use blood, bones and organs to access and increase your power. Just like your mud witch coven uses the force of earth to manipulate plant life and such. Or water witches use the sea to manipulate water.’

‘My magic is dark. It’s forbidden.’

‘Yep.’

‘Using it turns the soul black.’

‘It sure does.’

‘Are you going to make me use my magic?’

‘I have already answered enough of your questions today.’ He stands. ‘Try again tomorrow.’ He ties the chain to the foot of the bed and barges into my shoulder as he passes me. ‘I’ll send some food up for you. I'm pretty sure we’ve got something you can eat. We tend to live on a liquid diet here.’

‘I’m to stay here?’ I ask, looking around his room.

‘Until I can trust you, yes. You will stay here. It takes effort and energy to hold a compulsion. I have no intentions of doing it long-term, so until you prove to me that you’re not a pathetic coward who will try to kill herself again rather than seeing what you could become under our guidance, you’ll stay tethered to my bed. And change my sheets whilst I’m gone. There are spares in the wardrobe.’

‘Shaw, wait,’ I call after him.

He growls under his breath but turns to see what I want.

‘Before you go, can you take that mirror with you?’ I point to the freestanding, full-length mirror by his wardrobe.

‘Why?’

‘I don’t like mirrors.’

‘Why? You’re not that bad to look at.’

‘Please,’ I grind out, hating that I have to ask. That I have to beg. ‘Please. Take it out. I don’t like mirrors.’

‘Tell me why.’

I chew on my lip.

‘When you have a good reason, I’ll take it out. Until then, behave.’

He leaves, slamming and locking the door behind him.

I scoop up the bloody sheet and quickly toss it over the mirror, completely hiding the glass from view.

I sink into the bed and fall back with an exhausted sigh.

Shit. Fucking fucking fucking shit!

Chapter 8

When I open my eyes, I see the sparkling stone of my engagement ring still on my finger. A beam of light has caught it and attempts to blind me. Typical. Even now, Cole is trying to piss me off.

Rolling onto my back, I see the familiar underside of a bed. All beds look the same from underneath. Dark. Solid. Protective. Familiar.

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