Page 15 of Blood Match

Suddenly, a disembodied voice shatters the silence: “Those bloodsucking monsters took her from us!”

The words hit me like a steam train. I stop in my tracks, fighting to steady myself. The voice is female, filled with pain and fury. And for reasons I can’t begin to fathom, it makes me feel even angrier and more grief-stricken than before.

What the hell is happening to me?

Am I going mad? Is this some kind of psychic attack?

I can’t explain it, but for a moment, it feels as if I’m tapping into someone else’s raw, unfiltered thoughts.

Which is pure bullshit. It must be hunger affecting my brain.

Unexpected rage bubbles up inside me again, and I want to put my fist through the nearest bookshelf. Bloodsucking monsters, the voice had said. That could only mean one thing. Vampires. The irony isn’t lost on me. I am one of those monsters, aren’t I? So why do I feel this overwhelming need to hunt down whoever “took her” and tear them limb from limb?

I close my eyes, trying to make sense of the storm in my head. There’s something there, just out of reach. I just can’t put my finger on it.

“Fuck,” I mutter, slamming my palm against the nearby desk. The wood creaks in protest, and I force myself to ease up. The last thing I need is to explain to my staff why I’ve demolished another piece of antique furniture.

I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. This has to be connected to the blood allergy somehow. First, my body betrays me, and now my mind? Is this how it ends for me? Driven mad by the Bloodbane?

Can’t be. The Bloodbane takes time.

The door to the library swings open, and I whirl around, fangs bared on instinct. Marcus stands in the doorway, his eyebrows raised in surprise at my defensive posture.

“Darick?” he says cautiously, taking a step into the room. “Is everything alright?”

I force myself to relax, retracting my fangs with effort. “No,” I admit, my voice rough. “No, it’s not.”

Marcus closes the door behind him, his dark eyes scanning me with concern. “What’s going on? You look like hell.”

I laugh bitterly. “Feel like it, too.” I hesitate, unsure how to explain something I don’t understand myself. “I think… I think I’m hearing things. Feeling things that aren’t mine.”

Marcus frowns, moving closer. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m drowning in grief and rage that have no fucking reason to exist,” I huff. “It’s…it’s intense. Like someone else’s emotions are being pumped directly into my brain.”

“Could it be related to the Bloodbane?” Marcus asks, tilting his head.

I run a hand over my face, suddenly feeling every one of my thousand years. “I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. But this…this is different. I heard a voice, Marcus. A woman’s voice. She said something about ‘bloodsucking monsters’ taking someone.”

Marcus’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s pretty specific. Was it someone you know?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It has to be some sort of hallucination. But it felt…real. And now I can’t shake this feeling of loss. Like I’m mourning someone I’ve never even met.”

I look up at Marcus, hating the vulnerability in my voice. “What’s happening to me?” I stiffen my stance, trying to make myself feel like less of a pussy.

“It’s hunger,” Marcus says firmly. “That’s all it is. I know you’re ancient, that you can go for long periods without feeding, but still, it’s going to affect you, right?”

I stare at him for a moment. “Perhaps.” I don’t convince myself. I’m sure Marcus isn’t either, but I don’t want to dwell on it. “Why are you here?” I change the subject.

Marcus’s expression darkens. “I came to discuss the Assembly meeting. Lucien’s proposal…”

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Fuck. I’d almost managed to forget about that clusterfuck.”

“We can’t afford to forget it, Darick. Lucien’s gaining support. His plan to forcibly take the witches’ blood…it’s barbaric, but some of the others are starting to see it as a viable solution.”

The rage I’d been feeling earlier resurfaces, but this time it’s my own. I clench my fists. My temper’s been getting out of control lately. I need to watch it. “It’s not a solution. It’s a declaration of war.”

Marcus nods grimly. “I agree. But you know Lucien. He’s always been a ‘means to an end’ kind of vampire.”

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