Page 29 of House of Crimson Kisses
I should never have gotten involved with any of them.
Chapter11
RED
Ispend some time in the gardens, but it isn’t the same as truly being free. The bond is like a splinter, an ever-present niggling. An irritation I can’t quite reach to scratch.
What’s worse is Octavia has sent a vampire guard to watch over me. I sense his presence. He’s kept to the shadows and given me as much space as he can, but it’s obvious enough that I raise my hand in greeting. He nods in return, but the damage is done.
I stumble upon the castle bar and find it full of people drinking. Nobles cluster in groups, and the odd hunter stands or lounges, too. Everyone’s gathering for the awarding ceremony for the amulet challenge, I suspect. I’ve no idea how this is going to go because Octavia and I haven’t claimed the win. We won’t be, either. It’s not something we’ve outwardly discussed, but that’s exactly why I’ve come to find her. We need to talk before we walk in there to an ambush.
Gabriel has his feet curled under him, a book on his lap and another open in his hand. Keir scrawls in a notebook quietly next to him. Lincoln sits opposite them chatting to Talulla; he smiles at me, but it doesn’t meet his eyes. I’m not sure when we fell out. It’s like the last couple of weeks have driven a wedge between us that neither of us asked for but nor do we know how to get rid of it.
There was a time when I’d walk into a room and he’d jump out of his seat and ruffle my hair, and we’d scheme our next joint training session or night out or prank on the Academy kids. Now he stays rigid in his seat. His eyes dart to Dahlia like he’s seeking reassurance. What’s happened to you, Lincoln?
I follow his gaze and spot Dahlia with Xavier and Octavia at the bar, laughing and drinking together. They’re such an odd family. To loathe each other with such contempt one moment and then be laughing and slapping each other on the back the next.
“Red, darling,” Xavier says, clearly a little inebriated. He opens his arms to me, and I outright frown at him.
“How much has he had?” I mouth to Dahlia.
“Too much.” She smirks.
“What happened to him?”
Octavia opens her mouth and then shrugs. “Found him like this.”
“My fault,” Dahlia says. “Consoling each other.”
“More,” Xavier says, throwing his arms up and at the barman.
“Why the hell not?” Dahlia says and slaps Xavier on the back. He pitches forward violently.
“Gods, Dah, go easy on me. You forget how strong you are.”
“Stop being a pussy and neck this,” she says and hands shots around. Octavia and I politely decline. We don’t have time for this. I need to clarify the story with Octavia before we walk in and screw everything up.
“We need to talk. Somewhere private,” I say.
She nods and leaves Xavier and Dahlia at the bar. We find a small, secluded room somewhere on the floor above the main ballroom.
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s our story? What are we saying when we go in there? They’re expecting a winner to be announced and we can’t… You’ve made that perfectly clear with your actions.”
Octavia rubs at her forehead. “Are you going to make everything an argument?”
“That depends on whether you’re going to insist on taking my memories away repeatedly.”
“It was a one-time thing.” She practically growls the words.
“Was it? So you’ve forgotten the tunnels, and the fact you told me there were other times? Like the ones you’re refusing to give back? Ironic.” I snort.
“Mother of Blood, give me patience. You have no idea what you’re talking about, Red. Why can’t you trust me that I’m doing this for both of us?”
“Trust you? TRUST YOU?”
She snaps. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We are going to sacrifice the round. We’ll still be in second place, I hope. And then everything relies on the next round. As long as we don’t fuck up the next trial, we will be fine. It’s a lot of pressure. But we’ll win the next one and pick up the points we need.”
