Page 36 of House of Crimson Hearts
“Yes, you know that moniker your mother gave you shortly after you sprung from her loins?”
“M-Morance.”
“Well, M-Morance, why don’t you trot along now while this here hunter and I work out the issue. You can attend the club at midnight, and I’ll resolve your issue. You owe me now, and I owe her.”
“B-But…” he stammers, unable to actually look at me. But Red is already releasing him.
“Don’t try and con me now, I’ve smelt your blood. I will find you if you don’t attend the club.”
He doesn’t need telling twice, he scarpers without a backwards glance.
“You shouldn’t save trash like that,” Red says, and wipes her brow. There’s a faint tremor in her hand. She’s struggling. If she had her dose a couple of days ago and is reacting like this already, then I’d say it’s a safe bet she’s going to struggle to stay conscious.
Not that I want to feed her addiction. I genuinely don’t. Honestly, most humans don’t become addicted that quickly. This is my fault.
“I wasn’t saving him,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “If you think stopping me wiping that waste of oxygen off the face of the city is going to eradicate the fact you turned my sister, you can think again.”
“Lest you forget, Red. Your sister would have died.”
Red snarls, baring her teeth at me. “Fuck you. You gave her no choice.”
I take a deep breath, inhaling patience. I can’t believe I’m here again… doing this again with her… “And yet you’re hooked on the very thing you detest so much,” I say.
That makes her falter. She looks away, her nostrils flaring, her shoulders heaving. “It was a mistake. One stupid fucking mistake. I don’t even remember how it happened.”
I remember.
She snaps up to face me. “But now I’m paying for it anyway.”
“Quite the little contradiction, aren’t you,” I say, toying with her. Yes, this is my fault, but that doesn’t stop me enjoying the game.
“What do you want?” she says.
I shrug. “I’m just being helpful.”
“You’re never helpful, you want something.”
Yes, to give you my blood so we can withdraw you safely. But such is the problem with Red, she never, ever takes it willingly, and so we go through the same dance we always do.
One day I’ll let her remember. But then she’ll hate me even more than she already does, and I can’t have that.
It was always easier for her to hate me. Always easier for me to play her villain.
“Walk with me,” I say.
“One, no. Two, fuck no. And three, you just let my only source of blood vanish, so you need to find me a new source or you can go royally fuck yourself and your walk.”
That does make me grin. “I really do enjoy these encounters when you’re so polite. Don’t they teach you manners in the Academy?”
She opens her mouth to protest. But instead of an insult, her eyes roll shut and she sways. I lurch forward just as she collapses into my arms unconscious.
“For the love of blood.” I sigh and scoop her up, suffering the bittersweet haze of déjà vu as I run her all the way back to Castle Beaumont.
Chapter13
CORDELIA
