Page 94 of House of Crimson Kisses
I choose to save myself this time.
I open the Academy doors and step out.
But instead of stepping into the courtyard, the mist reappears, and I’m dragged back to the beginning and the pasture I stood in before this all began.
The demonic creature with the head in the hood materialises to stand before me. This time, instead of plunging his clawed hand into my chest, he kneels on one leg and holds out a hand, palm up.
I hesitate. The fuck am I meant to do? I don’t trust it. But he lowers his head and raises his hand. I assume I’m meant to hold it.
I sigh and place the palm of my hand over his.
There’s a tingle between our skin. It itches, or maybe it tickles. I can’t quite decide which.
“Congratulations, Red. And now, your reward. The Mother of Blood has decided to bestow upon you a single piece of information. You are being deceived by a woman close to you. This is the gift we give you.”
The pasture moves, but doesn’t disappear, instead I’m dragged to a river’s edge. I’m stood across it, but on the other side is a stone arbour. Two women are inside, giggling and talking.
I can’t see enough. But there’s no way I can get closer without moving across the river and there’s no bridge or boat in sight.
As if this dream knows my predicament, I’m propelled across the river and dropped outside of the stone arbour.
There’s a cute little burner stove inside it. The women, to my shock, are making love. I avert my eyes. But as I turn away, I catch sight of the hair of the woman lying down.
It’s raven black. I move, craning my head, and freeze as I catch sight of those dark eyes.
“Cordelia,” I whisper. Even without the silver streak in her hair, I recognise her. But she’s much younger, much more… I don’t know? Human? She looks the same, only happier, content, pinker, and not just because she has a woman between her legs.
Her fingers grip the blanket beneath her, scrunching it as her mouth drops open and she cries out a name.
“Eleanor.”
I gasp, realising this is the love of her life. The woman lays between Cordelia’s legs. I can’t see her face, only a mop of brown curls.
But something gnaws in my gut. A familiarity. I scoot around, expecting to be frozen in place, but I’m not. I move freely and head around the back of the arbour to get a better view of this woman.
I press my back to the arbour wall, the cool stone seeping into my back when I remember none of this is real. They can’t see me or hear me, so I don’t need to hide.
I step off the wall and to the side, getting a full-frontal view of the woman, her wavy curls and blue eyes.
And everything stops.
My mouth hangs slack as I gawp at a woman I’ve known nearly all my life.
“Mother of Blood,” I breathe, and the vision dissolves.
Chapter26
And so, the Mother of Blood spilled secrets. Each of the St Clairs, each of the hunters now wielding a piece of information like a weapon. But who will be the first to tell? Who will determine the course of this competition now?
It’s a delight to witness the chaos. You think you’re controlling, when all along, I’m the one pulling the strings. I’m the one in control of the secrets.
But this role I’m playing… gods. How did none of you catch me?
Are you all truly so fucking self-absorbed that you’ve not noticed me? Or perhaps the deception I’ve woven is too clever.
Hidden in plain sight, isn’t that the old adage?
Well, soon enough, I won’t have to hide anymore, and then you’ll work out the real game we’re playing, and who will come out the winner.
