Page 10 of Blood Bought

The question shocked me into silence for a moment, but ultimately, I didn’t know how to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe? That I’ll enjoy it and that’ll somehow make what’s happening here okay. Or that I’ll die, or I’ll fail and he’ll hurt my sister. I’m scared of a lot of things, Kellian.”

“Understood. Alaris wouldn’t touch her until she was older if that helps, but if you choose to stay here in this cell, you’re choosing to stay in fear. Something tells me you’re braver than that.”

I spread the blanket over my lap absentmindedly and played with the edges. “I was taken from my family. Doesn’t that buy me at least a little slack, or do vampires not understand emotions? Sadness, loneliness, grief?”

“We feel all of those things more profoundly than you could even comprehend. We just compartmentalize better and those compartments are below logic,” he said gently. “Younger vampires still struggle with it.”

I found myself inhaling Alaris’ scent again off that blanket and wondering what he struggled with. “Then I’m sure you can all imagine why I’m having a hard time with being here. I’m trying not to be so angry, I know Alaris saved my life. I wouldn’t be breathing if it weren’t for him, but... it was just a vial of blood. The price is too high.”

“Just a vial of his blood? No, you were too close to death. A vial would have given you a fifty/fifty chance. Drinking from the source is what saved you. He went there himself.”

For the briefest of moments, I couldseeit. My mom, tears streaming down her face and handing me over. I couldn’t see the person she handed me to because I was watching through his eyes —Alaris’eyes — looking down at the frail, weak lump of a baby in his hands. I gasped as he bit his thumb and held it to that baby’s mouth,mymouth, and watched my lips drip with Obsidian blood. I saw myself suckle weakly and cry at the taste, then latch on like even then, I knew I’d have died without it.

Suddenly, that vision ended and the cell I was in came back into view, and I was on my knees. “What the fuck?” I whispered, breathless and wide-eyed. “What was that? How?”

“I guess he wanted you to see. He didn’t save you only to kill you later, Adalind.” Like Ren, he turned his face toward the door like someone was calling to him, but his face gave nothing away. “What did you feel when he showed you?”

“I... fuck. I don’t know. Like I wanted the baby — me — to live.” I rubbed my temples and got back to my feet, shaking my head slightly. “That was him, huh? He wanted it to work.”

“Yes. Everyone believes he was ordered to go by his father, but I know the truth.” Kellian huffed. “Why?” he asked, but for some reason I knew he wasn’t talking to me anymore. “Fine. Are you enjoying the damn book, Adalind?”

The sudden switch caught me off guard. “I... the book? No,” I lied. “Didn’t even read it. Romance isn’t really my thing.”

Kellian seemed to find that amusing, and the argument that ensued after might have made more sense if I could hear both sides, but it wasn’t hard to get the gist. “It’s not bullshit, not everyone cares for cheesy romance.” He laughed. “Yeah. Looks like she’s halfway through her second read. Well, what did you expect? You haven’t even blessed her with your presence yet. Why would she tell you the truth?” He leaned in to sniff the air, then sat back again and turned his attention back on me. “Sorry about that.”

They’re insane, all of them.“Any chance he told you why he hasn’t bothered to come see me?”

“Yeah, he did. So what kind of novels do you like? My money’s on thrillers or badass heroine types. And I know I can look for myself, but I’d rather you told me.”

For the first time, I actually softened a little. “Thank you for that. You’re not wrong, though. I used to pretend it was me who was going on adventures,” I laughed, a little bitterly. “Stupid.”

“Doesn’t sound stupid to me. Have you never gone on one for yourself?” he asked curiously.

I glanced up like he was punking me. “Seriously? You know I’m a human who lives on the border of three clan territories, right? Leaving my house at all was dangerous, and I was trying to stick around until Kendall grew up. Never got the chance.” I rubbed the ache in my chest and backtracked to change the subject. “You said he told you, so why? Why hasn’t he showed?”

“How about you come ask him yourself?” Kellian stood up and started unlocking my cell, the creaking of metal filling the silence as it swung open and I was standing before a Son of Veresian.

“You’re taller than you seemed five seconds ago,” I breathed, grabbing the blanket and book since I had no intention of ever coming back to that cell no matter what. “Lead the way.”

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