Page 41 of Blood as Sweet as Roses
They huff. “You don’t take our relationship seriously! We’re inlove, Crimson. But of course you can’t understand that. You’re as cold as ice. You wouldn’t know real love if it staked you in the heart!”
Now they’re really invoking my ire. I hiss at them, flashing the red in my eyes. The merman hurries unsteadily to his feet, and takes them by the shoulder.
“Kai, it’s all right,” he says softly. “I can go, I don’t want to cause any trouble…”
But Kai is glaring at me fiercely, their pointed canines peeking through their teeth. “Just becauseyou’recursed by that stupid prophecy, doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t find our true love!”
Now they’ve crossed the line. I step toward them, rising to my full height, making my intentions clear. Both of them quiver under my gaze, the merman clutching Kai’s shoulder tightly.
“I willnotbe disrespected, Kai,” I growl. “If you mention any prophecy again, I will rip that ridiculous gem from your merman’s throat and the donors will be eating calamari for dinner tomorrow night.Is my meaning clear?”
“You’re an evilbitch, Crimson!” Kai shrieks, bloody tears rolling down their cheeks.
“Am I clear?”
“Yes, yes, you’re clear!” Neptune squeaks, taking Kai’s hand and pulling them back toward the mansion. They scramble, hand-in-hand, across the cobbled paths and into the looming building. I watch them go, bitter in my small victory.
If you had told me that it would be this frustrating to lead a vampire clan…
Well, I probably still would have taken the throne.
What can I say? I love power, money, and blood. I’m a vampire. And if that means occasionally terrifying and threatening the other vampires to keep them in line, I suppose it’s a small price to pay.
But I don’t like how Kai invoked the prophecy. Not that I take that sort of nonsense seriously, but I don’t want them spreading rumours among the other vampires in the Night clan. Every magical person in the eastern region is aware of my power and ruthlessness, but my reign is still new, and any perceived weakness is a concern.
I’ll have to tread carefully.
And perhaps…I should be thoughtful about which breathers I drink from. Spread out my attention more. I’ve allowed myself to become infatuated with that new one, and I can’t allow that to happen.
No matter how beautiful she is, or how exquisite her blood, it’s not worth the risk.
To me…or to her.
CHAPTER 14: AS BAD AS THEY COME
Paige
“Paige? Are you there?”
The soft voice snaps me out of my daydreaming. My thoughts had wandered back to Crimson, to the night we shared together. I’d been thinking of the chill kiss of her fingers against my skin, the way our bodies moved as one, the way she’d coaxed orgasms out of me, like she was playing an instrument…and I was designed perfectly forher…
“Yes, yes, sorry,” I say quickly, fidgeting with my hands in my lap.
The therapist looks at me gently. They have rust-coloured, ringlet curls and a pair of gold-framed glasses sit on their pink cheeks. “No need to apologize,” they tell me. “I know that talking about these things can bring up a lot of feelings. It’s all right to take some time to ease into the process.”
Miles reaches over and squeezes my hand. It’s only been a week, but already, he’s looking so much more like himself. His face is rounder, more full, even though his eyes still have a slightly hungry, haunted expression. I know withdrawal can’t be easy for him. But he’s been doing such a good job, attending all of his group and individual therapy sessions, and trying his best to get back on his feet. I can’t imagine how difficult that must be for him. Joining him for this family therapy session is the least that I can do. I squeeze his hand back.
“I’m just so proud of Miles,” I say, both to him and to the therapist. “Anything I can do, I’m here for.”
“That’s wonderful,” the therapist replies. “Often, we think ofaddiction as something individual, a relationship between the person and the substance they’re struggling with. But really, it involves the entire family, and the community at large. The more that we can identify and name the dynamics happening in the wider social sphere, the more we can support Miles through navigating his relationship with substance use.” They lower their tone slightly, becoming a bit more somber. “I know that for the both of you, this is especially complicated.”
Miles and I exchange a glance. I’m sure that the pained expression in his eyes is mirrored in my own.
But to my relief, the therapist’s eyes flicker toward the clock on the wall. “Perhaps we can discuss it further in our session next week.”
“Great,” Miles and I say in unison. Miles gets up from his chair, and I take my purse from the side table.
“Miles,” says the therapist. “Would it be all right if I have a word with your sister in private?”
