Page 130 of House of Crimson Kisses
Watching her take his life source. Consume blood like she was a vampire, too. I could watch her do this all night. I’ve never fancied myself a voyeur. But this? I’d give the next thousand years to watch her drain a human dry.
The air in the room heats like static and molten sunshine. Goosebumps rise over her arms, over mine and finally his, too. What is going on? Is this magic? Is this part of her transition? Or perhaps this is what it would be like if she drained him.
The magic or power or whatever it is surges around the room and grazes my skin, setting my body alight, and I am now aware of how much potential she truly wields. She is power incarnate. She will change the face of this city, and I want to be at her feet when she does.
“Stop drinking now, Red.”
She doesn’t listen, she’s in a fervour, lost in the pleasure of consumption.
“Red,” I shout. This time, I grip her jaw and pull her from his throat.
She rears back, a growl or a scream or more like a little of both roars from her chest.
The man falls backwards.
“Lennox,” I shout.
He’s at the door in a millisecond. He takes one look at the man, who is pale as snow, and nods.
“Wipe his memory. I don’t want him having any recollection of this night,” I say.
He inclines his head, bowing slightly as he swings an arm around the man and carries him out of the room.
Red is still panting, her shoulders heaving up and down. I take her in, staring in awe at the sight of her smothered in fresh blood, her fangs, which I swear are a little longer, still descended. My pussy twitches.
“You don’t realise the power you have over me, Verity. In a thousand years of life, I’ve never fallen to my knees for anyone. But for you, I’d be willing to fall hard enough to bleed.”
She glances at me as I step in front of her and slowly, inch by inch, lower myself to the ground in front of her.
“You are magnificent. You are everything I have ever dreamed of, and I don’t think I can run this city without you.”
She brings her fingers to her lips, smearing the blood. Her eyes fall away from me.
“Do not carry the shame for what you have done. The man lives. And you are stronger now. You will fight tomorrow because of his sacrifice.”
She turns away from me, leaving me on my knees waiting for her.
“No one should have to die in order for me to take my power. A power I don’t even want. I don’t want to be the one who opens the door. The one that unleashes magic. Why can’t we do it together? Why does that decision have to rest in my hands? It shouldn’t be any one person.”
I sigh. “Because that is the way life works. You misunderstand power.”
“How?” she says. And then she turns to kneel with me, as my equal.
She runs her hands up my body to my shirt buttons and unhooks the first. Then the second and continues as I speak.
“Weakness and power are misnomers. There aren’t such things. Each of us is powerful beyond our comprehension,” I say.
“Then why are there so many weak people in the world? Think of all the victims and awful leaders doing awful things?”
I purse my lips. “Everyone is powerful beyond their comprehension. But here...” I press a finger to her heart. “Is where their power lies. And not everyone is strong enough to use their power or wield it like a shield. Not everyone is brave enough to wear the armour their soul already possesses.”
I let my words sink in. I can tell she’s hearing me, that my words are finally taking root. So I answer her other question.
“And then there are those who are more than brave enough. Those who choose to wield their power not as a shield but as a weapon.”
She moves forward, her fingers curling around my throat.
“You speak of power like it’s meaningless. Like me stood here with my hand around your throat isn’t a threat. As if I wield no power over you, and yet a slip of my fingers, and I could choke you.”
