Page 14 of House of Crimson Kisses
The man nods at me as if he knows what I’m trying to ask. He comes up to me and takes my hand in his. “Such a tragedy. Awful thing to happen. I heard it was because of warring families.”
I think I’m going to be sick. My stomach churns, rolling and frothing. What if her face has burned away and I can’t tell if she’s my Eleanor? My eyes sting and well with tears.
I tear my gaze away from him. “P-please… wh-where?” I stutter, unable to catch enough oxygen to give him a complete sentence. I just hope he knows what I’m after.
“I don’t know what happened to her. But there were some firefighters that put the blaze out. They might help you.”
“Who were they?”
“There’s a station in the next village. Easy to find once you get there.”
“Thank you!” I shout, already running back to the horse. I will not rest until I find her.
Chapter6
RED
“What did you say?” Octavia says, her crimson eyes wide as full blood moons.
“You heard me.” I’m snarling and growling, my whole body contorting under tensed muscles. But it’s not the rage consuming me. This is happening involuntarily.
The addiction.
It’s becoming completely unsustainable. I need to feed.
I mean, drink.
Fuck. What’s wrong with me?
Octavia draws a sharp breath, and it brings me back to her. Her head is shaking in slow, steady, confused movements.
“It’s… It’s not possible,” she says.
“What isn’t, Octavia? It’s not possible that you did the one thing I asked youneverto do? Not possible that you stole my memories? Or tried, I should say. Tried to control me. To take my fucking free will and compel me into obedience? That’s not possible? Because I assure you… you certainly tried.”
She’s stepped back. One foot, two. Her head still shaking, her pupils blown wide. Her bottom lip is dropped and gulping at the air like a fish.
“I don’t understand?” she breathes.
“I do. I understand that you’re a fucking traitor. You betrayed me. Broke my trust. And for what?”
That makes her snap to attention. Her face crumples into lines, and a simmering fury shivers through her expression.
“To protect you, Red. For the love of blood. Don’t you get it? You’re the fucking dhampir.”
“And you think me not knowing that is going to help us? Are you naïve? In what world does me not knowing who I am help the situation? I’d be completely helpless. Entirely at the whims of your protection.”
Something in her shatters. She shoves me back, gripping my shoulders. “Yes, and I’d give my life to protect you.”
“YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD, OCTAVIA. You were born dead, for fucks sake.”
She recoils. Her face crumpling.
Great. Now I feel bad. But as soon as I think it, I push it away. She doesn’t get to make me feel guilty. She’s the one who betrayed me.
“I did it to protect you. If you don’t know… If no one knows, then I can keep the secret. No one can torture it out of me, and I can keep you safe.” But she’s no longer looking at me. She’s examining the tunnel floor like there’s a work of art on it instead of dusty cracked concrete.
I fold my arms. “I can look after myself. That’s the point. You don’t get to choose what I…” but my words fade as I cough.
