Page 9 of House of Crimson Kisses
I sigh. It’s deep and overly dramatic, but I need to demonstrate that no matter what this little magician assassin thinks she can do, I will do it faster and harder and end her quicker than she can blink.
“Need I remind you of the vampire-magician wars? It didn’t end well for your kind,” I say, my voice deep and full of threat.
The assassin sneers, “Funny, because I had an entirely different history lesson.” She hitches the Katana sword closer to my neck, dangerously close to nicking the skin.
“Enough,” Red says, bolting to the tunnel arch. “Scarlett, stop. Please. It’s… this is complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it,” Scarlett says, not moving an inch.
“I’m getting bored with this,” I say.
Red’s eyes widen. She places a hand on Scarlett’s wrist. “Octavia will behave, won’t you?” she says, glaring at me.
“You’re required in Sangui City,” I say, ignoring the question. I’m not promising a damn thing.
“She’s required to stay right the fuck here,” a curvy girl wearing a strange baggy outfit says. The trousers are slung low on her hips, and she has lacy underwear underneath. Do magicians regularly walk around with their knickers out? What unusual attire.
“Bella. Gods. Everyone stop. It’s going to be fine,” Red says, now tugging on Scarlett’s arm.
Bella thrusts a hand on her hip. Ah, now I recognise her. This is Red’s friend. She’s spoken about her several times over the years, but for obvious reasons, I’ve never met her.
“It’s not fine,” Bella says. “You ran away to New Imperium and then collapsed unconscious in the middle of the city alone.”
That piques my interest, a quiet simmering heat sparks in my gut. “You collapsed?” I say, my jaw clenching.
“Not that you give a shit, but yes. I had chest pains and ended up collapsing, and Quinn found me.”
Another girl appears now. Her hair is shorn to the scalp on the sides, and she has an array of tight-coiled hair on the top. I like the style. She holds an awkward hand up to indicate she was the finder of Red.
“Thank you for finding her,” I say to Quinn.
She nods, presses her lips into a thin line at me. But her eyes bounce from me to Red to the rest of the group in a skittish motion.
Scarlett, still holding the swords at my neck and chest, hesitates at my gratitude. It’s enough to make my move. I speed out of her grip and disarm her, knocking both swords out of her hands.
I’ll give her credit, she’s fast. I swing out of her fist range and lunge forward, grabbing a short-handled blade out of her thigh strap.
There’s a kerfuffle, a blur of fast feet, tangled limbs, and then a hot body squeezes between us. It’s Red. Though Scarlett and I, both considerably taller than Red, are holding each other’s throats around her head.
“ENOUGH,” Bella says. “You look like a fucking sandwich all pressed together like that. Scarlett, stand down.”
“I’ll release her when she releases me,” Scarlett says.
Wise move, clever little assassin.
“Fuck me,” Red snaps. “You’re as bad as each other. Right. Release together. In three. Two. One.”
We do as she says and release each other simultaneously.
“Was that really so hard?” I sneer.
“Says the vampire in the magician’s territory. Are you trying to incite a war?” Scarlett lurches forward but Red’s hands land on her chest.
Protecting me, little hunter? How quaint.
Red kneads her forehead. “I’m taking her back. For all the bravado, Octavia is correct. I am required in this stupid competition that’s partnered me with a drainer,” Red sighs.
Drainer? I have to suppress a sigh. Alas, the compulsion has taken us back to hate. I knew it was coming and yet it doesn’t make it sting any less.
