Page 22 of Life Blood
His embrace was welcomed. Behind it was another wash of soothing energy that calmed me down. The comfort was there, but the feeling of how real that dream was wouldn’t leave me. I was trembling with fear, and I couldn’t explain why.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I said, a chill of fear shivering violently through my body. “Why are you so pissed about my dream?”
“Damn it,” he said in a low voice. “I know I promised I’d be the one to tell you what’s going on, but your reaction to the vision is making me second-guess whether or not I can play the hero here.”
I pulled back so I could see his face. It sucked because once I lost direct contact with him, my fear hit me like a freight train. I steadied myself and pressed an arm into Braden’s sturdy chest when he tried to hold me again.
“I need to sit down,” I said. “And youwilltell me what’s going on. If you really are a warlock, then I’m not—”
“I’m not a warlock,” he said as he sat on the cold sand across from me. He ran a hand through his hair, “In fact, I’m far from that.”
“So what the hell are you, then?” I practically growled. Thank God my frustration was taking the place of my fear. “What did you mean when you said I had avision?”
He reached for my hand, and I instinctively jerked away from him.
“Don’t touch me,” I warned him.
“All right, then,” he eyed me carefully. “You saw part of your history—ourhistory.”
“Ourhistory? Are you talking about past lives or something?”
“The witches you saw in your vision are the ones who helped create a gene that gave certain humans immortality.”
He paused, and I felt my heart hammer against my chest.
“This gene forces those born into immortality to crave human blood. They—”
“Wait…like, vampires?” I whispered in shock and disbelief.
“That’s pretty much it, yes. Walking parasites who look human.” He tilted his head to the side, waiting for a response, but like a reasonable person who had just learned that the myths of vampires were actually true, I had no response to that.
“The cloaked man,” he continued as I sat there speechless, “His name is Enzo. He is an ancient, evil, very demented vampire who has formed an underground empire to use humans who carry the Life Blood gene to give him power. His singular mission is to find these rare humans and feed off of them. The more lifeblood he has access to, the stronger he becomes. He has minions everywhere scouring the Earth for Life Blood humans because the stronger he becomes, the faster he will be able to upset the balance of nature and exert his dominance over everyone—humans and vampires alike.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “How in the hell do you expect me to wrap my head around what you just said?”
“Because if you don’t, we can’t protect you from Enzo’s collectors. You don’t have a choice except to believe me.”
“And who are thecollectors?” I held my hand up, “Let me guess, a group of werewolves? No—werewolves kill vampires, don’t they? Maybe it’s a group of leprechauns?”
“I know this sounds amusing to you, but your sarcasm is your mind’s unwillingness to process what seems like an impossible fact.”
I sensed the frustration in his voice now.
“You said the wordwe,” I exhaled a breath of disbelief. “You saidwecan’t protect you. Who arewe, and why the hell wouldIneed protection?”
Please don’t say it.
“You are one of maybe two hundred or so Life Blood humans left. If Enzo and his collectors figure out you’re a Life Blood, they’ll take you to where he has set up his lair…or whatever the fuck he calls his shitty underground kingdom. My cousins and I have been on the run from him for decades.”
I pulled my knees into my chest. “Please tell me that you and your cousins are not vampires.” I squinted, knowing the truth deep down.
“I would like to tell you we aren’t, but I’ll never lie to you. Fortunately, we are a part of the vampire population who aren’t Enzo’s followers. We—and many others—have been trying to find a way to kill the sick bastard so he can reunite with his soul in hell.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I said, feeling the bile in my throat. I wanted to laugh all of this crazy shit off, but I felt the truth of it even if I couldn’t understand half of what Braden was telling me. Scratch that,understandwas the wrong word… comprehend or accept as real were more accurate.
What. The. Fuck!?
“Here,” Braden said. I was so busy trying not to hyperventilate that I didn’t open my eyes to see him bring his hand to my forehead.
