Page 4 of House of Crimson Kisses
“No,” I shout into the night as she disappears into the darkness. “I WOULDN’T, SADIE. THAT’S RIDICULOUS.”
But she doesn’t return. I watch her until she disappears, and then a nervous laugh bubbles up and spills out of me. I’m left cold, a reminder that Sadie has that effect on people. The occasional show of softness is not to be mistaken for anything other than the game she’s currently playing. She’s as ruthless as the rest of us, otherwise Mother wouldn’t have adopted her. The night air wraps a chill around me as the knowledge that I did, in fact, bind myself to someone weighs heavy on me.
But Red wouldn’t leave, right? We have a competition to compete in, and I’m not sure if she’ll even remember we’re bound at this point. Not after what I did.
Besides, she was asleep on the roof when I left her.
“I’d go and check if I were you,” Rumblegrit says, scaring the life out of me.
“I thought you were asleep,” I snap. “You better keep whatever you think you know to yourself or no more blood for you.”
But I don’t wait for his answer. I’m already up, shoving the door open and sprinting for the roof, my chest aching worse than ever.
She wouldn’t leave. Even if I took her memories.
She can’t.
But the sinking feeling in my gut and the pulling in my chest say something different.
I burst out onto the rooftop and slide to a halt.
Red’s gone.
Chapter2
Run little dhampir, I’ll be here watching...
Waiting...
Octavia might have hidden your identity from everyone else, but not from me.
Never from me. I saw what Octavia did. What a delightful sacrifice she made for you, losing this round on purpose. Why, it’s practically chivalrous.
I’ll be observing you...
But don’t worry that pretty little head of yours.
It’s not what you think... I don’t want you dead.
Not yet, anyway.
Chapter3
RED
It took a monumental amount of self-control, but I let Octavia believe I’d fallen asleep. I waited, listening to her every movement. She paced for a while, waiting for me to fall asleep. And then she bent to kiss my knuckles. I wanted to yank my hand away.
I wanted to ball my fist and knock her out, quite frankly. But I did none of those things. I kept my eyes shut, forced my breathing to slow and deepen and I pretended to be asleep.
When her footsteps retreated, I swore I could hear her pacing in the corridor beneath the roof. I waited another five minutes, and when I figured the coast was clear, I shot up like a bolt and got the fuck out of there.
Which is why I’m now running through the castle.
How could she?
I scurry through the hallways as fast as I can, keeping my head down. The number of vampires in the mansion and the notoriety of these fucking trials mean I need to keep a low profile. No point hiding the fact my blood is warm. I find a cap and cloak on a rack by one of the side doors. I steal them both and shove them on.
And then, I run.
