Page 21 of Blood Illusions

When I touched one of them, my fingertip came away with a faint metallic sheen. “My God,” I whispered. “Were these symbols made with blood?”

“Yes,” Justice confirmed. “Have either of you ever seen them before?”

“No,” I whispered. “We haven’t.”

Damon stepped closer to the markings, his eyes narrowing as he took in the intricate design. “Well, that’s not something you see every day,” he muttered, his voice tinged with curiosity and caution.

I moved my flashlight over the walls and studied the bloody symbols. They were complex, almost ritualistic in design, weaving across the rock surface like a tapestry of an unknown language.

I glanced at Justice. “You really don’t know what these symbols mean?”

He shook his head and folded his arms. “Unfortunately, no. I’m as puzzled as you are.”

Damon and I slowly inspected the symbols. I got my phone out and took pictures. Maybe Tim or another hunter at the Grove would have seen these markings. They were a complex network of lines and symbols interwoven in a way that suggested both intention and ancient knowledge. They included three distinct elements. Linear geometric patterns, circled glyphs, and serpentine figures.

The geometric patterns consisted of straight lines intersecting at various angles, creating a series of triangles, diamonds, and trapezoids. These geometric shapes were arranged in a repetitive, almost hypnotic sequence, giving the impression of a woven tapestry or a labyrinthine puzzle.

Within the patterns were circled glyphs. The glyphs were a series of symbols that resembled a fusion of archaic runes and arcane sigils.

The most disturbing symbols were the serpentine figures. As I studied them, a chill ran down my spine, and I shivered. These figures were often shown with elongated, sinuous bodies coiling around the geometric patterns and glyphs. In some instances, the serpents bore small, wing-like appendages. In others, they had multiple heads or their tails bifurcated into intricate designs. Whatever form the symbol took, it always had the same haunting presence.

Damon stared at the figures. “Are these symbols supposed to be vampires?”

“Possibly,” Justice suggested. “But I haven’t seen vampires that resembled these serpents. It appears to be some kind of language. If we could decipher it, maybe we could discover what these creatures are.”

“You mean what type of vampires,” Damon corrected.

“I don’t know, Damon. This symbol looks almost like a…snake? Or a dragon?” I mused aloud, unable to pinpoint exactly why the symbol seemed so unsettling.

Damon turned his flashlight onto the vampire. “Tell me, Justice, is this what happens when a vampire and a dragon mate?”

“No.” Justice winced and held up his hand. “It’s neither a symbol of the vampires nor of any known human cult. This is something else, something I’ve never seen before.”

“So you say,” Damon muttered as he lowered his flashlight.

We stood there in morbid silence, each lost in our thoughts. The realization that these creatures were either a new species of vampires or something very old we hadn’t encountered meant we were at a loss on how to fight them.

If we didn’t figure this out soon, men, women, and families would be massacred, and we would be powerless to stop them.

A troubling thought burned in my brain. “I have a question.”

Damon moved his flashlight around. “Why did they leave?”

Justice shrugged. “I don’t know. If we can break this language, maybe we can find out.”

“Whatever the reason, it’s not going to be good, and we’re going to have a high body count,” Damon remarked.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Damon pulled out his phone and began snapping more pictures of the walls. “Did my dad see any of these symbols?”

Justice shook his head. “No, he never made it past the entrance. The creatures ambushed him like they did you.”

I held my breath. “When they attacked, did they hurt him again?”

Justice gave me a reassuring smile. “No, I got him out in time.”

I stared at him. “Dad left us a note?—”

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