Blood Rose (Blood Books Book 1) (2 page)

He raised his arm as the woman behind him pulled her knife from its sheath—almost as though he predicted her temper. I met her gaze and held it, challenging her to raise her weapon. Mine had already been in hand, a move I’d learned early on. Spirit users needed a weapon to fight vampires, while theirs was always nearby and easier to pull out: fangs.

The wind picked up, blowing her blonde pixie locks from her eyes. They were blue, cold. She stared with the intensity of a killer. I promised myself I’d end her. She stood beside her leader, a good half-foot shorter than me. Her thin form showed no muscular build. I was sure I could take her easily. She gave me a knowing smile and licked her lips. Her fangs lowered, and I swallowed down the nausea.

“We don’t want any trouble,” the leader said as he lowered his arm. His English accent was strong and caught me off-guard. British? He was a long way from home.

“You don’t belong here,” I said, moving my gaze to the other two men. One bore an all-too-similar resemblance to the vampire who had just spoken, minus the perfectly messy hair. Their skin was tanned, their jaws clenched. But this vampire had his hair buzzed. I couldn’t help but compare him to soldiers in our human armies. They too held an uncomfortable, challenging stare. They too were strapped with weapons. They too were ready to fight.

The final man had short, bushy black hair, dark skin, and gray eyes. He was thinner, weaker. He stood behind the others. A newborn vampire, I determined. Probably the easiest kill. I considered leaving him for Nina since she needed the practice.

“We’re just passing through,” the vampire said.

Inside, I was trembling—not from fear but from hatred. I couldn’t believe the vampire asked for my trust, for my leniency. His kind didn’t deserve such respect. They were all killers, all liars. They lived for the kill, but luckily, so did I.

“A mistake short-lived,” I said. I twirled my katana and slashed it forward. I clipped the strap of a sheath, and his weapon fell to the ground. The air whipped around me as Nina called upon her element. It lashed out at the vampires, their feet skidding against the ground as they were pushed backward.

“Everly!” I yelled as I jumped over the wall of fire.

She lowered the flames to let me enter before building them back up again to trap us inside. The flames broke off, separating the others from their leader and me.

I moved my blade forward again, ripping through skin, before quickly pulling it back. The vampire looked down at the long slash across his chest and then growled as we locked eyes. His icy blue irises took on a neon glow, and the cut in his skin healed almost as soon as the blade slid across his chest. I had fought many vampires in my time, but none had ever healed that quickly.

My hesitation was all he needed, and within a few long strides, he was standing before me. His hand clasped mine and squeezed. I dropped my katana as he yanked my arm back and spun me around. My back to his chest, he pushed me up against him, lifting my body until his mouth reached my throat. He dug his fingers into my skin. I winced as his short nails drew blood, and I threw my head back. He dropped me as my skull smashed into his nose, and I somersaulted to safety behind the flames.

“Torch ‘em,” I said, returning to my feet, my katana at my side, and Everly strengthened the fire as Nina encircled them in a shield of air, containing the flames. The fire thickened and rose until we couldn’t see them. Blood trickled down my arms, and I ignored the overwhelming desire to tend to my wounds.

I waited. I kept my eyes on the flames, staring at the fire’s orange center until I knew there was no possible way they were still alive. I nodded once, and Everly and Nina called upon their elements. The fire quickly disappeared; the ground beneath it was black, charred, dead.

Four vampires stood in the center, unharmed. An iridescent glow surrounded them. They stood upon lush, green grass. The woman smiled knowingly, her blades now in her hands. Their leader still stood before them, but my eyes were drawn to the vampire beside him. His gray eyes took on an eerie glow, turning neon beside his dark skin. His arm was stretched out, his fingertips lightly touching the shimmery wall around them. He closed his hand and drew his arm back. The shimmer followed his command, and the wall disappeared.

I took a predatory stance.

My heart thudded against my chest, and my breathing came in quick bursts. I twirled my katana before me as I took a few steps forward. The blonde dashed from behind her leader, drew her weapon, and brought it down on me. The clank of metal on metal radiated through my arms and down my spine. She pushed her blade against mine, and I fell to my knees. Sweat dribbled down my forehead; I kept my eyes locked on hers. I briefly thought about the other vampires and my cousins.

I let out a loud groan as she took a step forward and put her entire upper body strength against our blades. Under the weight, the blade on my katana snapped, falling to the ground in pieces. I felt the tip of her weapon tease the throbbing vein in my neck. She smiled, and I called upon spirit.

My element surged through me, and as it sparked from my fingertips, I said, “
Incendia
!” The word escaped my lips in a whisper, but it was enough to call upon fire. She screamed, falling backward as she was engulfed in flames.

Spirit gave me a small affinity for each element, and it was enough to distract a vampire. But not enough to inflict real harm. In her fear, she dropped her weapon. I dug my nails into the dirt as I grabbed the handle. I quickly brought it down, digging into her neck.

Her leader flashed before my eyes in a blur, slamming into me. We fell to the ground, but I tightened my grip on the weapon. If I was going to die tonight, I was taking someone with me. I brought my arm back and sank the blade into his gut. His fangs lowered as he groaned. In a daring move, his hand left my arm, grabbed onto the knife, and pulled it out. I wiggled over, bringing my knee up in a sharp jab. He faltered, and I escaped him, somersaulting away and jumping to my feet with knife in hand.

I looked from vampire to vampire: the leader was just getting to his feet, and I knew I needed to kill him quickly. He was the strongest and the biggest threat.

I tossed the knife in the air, grabbed the tip of the blade as it came falling back down, and threw it. It spun as it flew through the air just before sinking into the vampire’s chest. His eyes widened in surprise. I ran forward and pulled the knife from his chest as he fell. The female vampire was still on the ground, rubbing her hands over her burnt arms, eyes wide with fear. I threw the knife at her; it landed in her chest but missed her heart. I cursed under my breath but left the knife behind.

The other two vampires had my cousins cornered. They were distracted by Everly and her fire. Nina stood beside her, desperately trying to control the flames so that they too weren’t taken. I skidded to a stop behind the one I believed to be the newborn vampire. His Army look-a-like friend turned as I made my move, as if he somehow knew what I was going to do before I even decided. My hands wrapped around the newborn’s neck, and with a rough twist, bones snapped. He fell to the ground. Breaking his neck would only offer me limited time before he healed and woke again, but I hoped it was enough.

Three down. One to go. I was impressed with my numbers.

The vampire bared fangs and lunged forward. I jumped to the side, and he grazed past me. In a move too fast for my human eyes, the vampire spun around, grabbed the loose strands from my bun, and yanked my head backward. I cried out.

Before I could call upon my element, before Everly could protect me with her fire, the vampire sank his fangs into my neck.

He viciously tore through skin, my screams echoing through the forest. We weren’t far from my coven’s sleeping quarters; I hoped someone had heard me. The thought gave me peace. At least someone would come for them. My cousins wouldn’t die with me today. I scratched at his hands, but it was no use. He was too strong.

“Enough!” someone yelled.

I blinked away the tears that blurred my vision. Their leader stood before us, the blonde vampire by his side. They both showed no wounds. My breath caught in my throat. How was that possible?

“We’re leaving,” he added. The vampire’s hand squeezed, pulling my hair tighter, and he dropped me. Before I was able to react, they disappeared into the forest. I stared at the trees, at the darkness.

“Stay behind the fire,” I said. My throat was coarse. It hurt to speak. It hurt to move. Somewhere in the fight, I had broken ribs, and with each inhalation, the pain stabbed at my side. I told myself I’d count to thirty before I’d believe they were really gone.

I only made it to ten.

I toppled over and landed on my side, where, thankfully, there were no broken bones. I rolled onto my back. I pressed my hand against my neck; blood gushed down my arm. I was sure it was pooling around me now. My wound was too severe. I knew we wouldn’t make it to our healer in time.

Thankfully, my cousins ignored my order, lowered their defenses, and sat by my side.

“Oh my,” Nina said. “It’s bad. It’s really bad.” Tears spilled, and I brought a hand up to wipe them away, leaving crimson lines in its wake.

“Stop. We can fix this. We need to chant,” Everly said. She grabbed a stick. “Bite down.”

I obeyed as she brought her free hand up and placed it over my wound. I closed my eyes, and she chanted, calling upon fire. Heat radiated from her palm, burning into my freshly torn skin. I clenched my jaw, digging my teeth into the wood. Searing pain rippled through me. I screamed through my teeth, sure I was going to break the stick in half.

“Avah, are you okay?” Nina asked. Her voice was soothing. She wiped away my tears and took my hand. Everly stopped chanting, and we formed a circle by linking hands. My wound felt sticky, warm. Her affinity for fire only stopped the bleeding; it alone couldn’t heal me. We needed all five elements to save my life.

“Focus. Close your eyes,” Everly ordered. I knew she spoke only to calm her own nerves. I knew she thought this was useless. The only way we could call upon all five elements was if I called upon spirit, water, and earth. I was weak—too weak. It was nearly impossible.

But we never gave up.

“
Terra. Air. Ignis. Aqua. Spiritus. Terra. Air. Ignis. Aqua. Spiritus.
”

We spoke in unison. We called upon the gods and their magic. We called to our elements. Spirit came naturally to me, just as fire came to Everly and air came to Nina. But I had to fight harder in my weakened state, and I had to fight quicker. The blood loss would soon consume me, but I was more worried about lurking vampires and their heightened sense of smell.

“
Terra
.”

“
Air
.”

“
Ignis
.”

“
Aqua
.”

“
Spiritus
.”

“
Terra
.”

“
Air
.”

“
Ignis
.”

“
Aqua
.”

“
Spiritus
.”

The elements hit me with a force I had never known. It was stronger than the grip of a vampire. It swirled within me, lingering on my wounds. My neck sizzled, the wetness drying, caking. I opened my eyes as air rushed through my lungs. I took deep breaths and silently thanked the gods for healing me once again.

I sat up, instinctively bringing my hand to my neck. I scratched off the dried blood and looked to my cousins. They smiled and shook their heads. I knew the marks were gone. I let out the breath I had been holding.

With white knuckles, I held the knife at my side until we reached our house.

“Do we tell anyone?” Nina asked, visibly shaken.

No one had come for us, so I knew no one had heard our screams. Informing them now would put too much burden on the coven. We were too close to my birth rite to let vampires interfere. Eventually, we’d have to tell them, but not until I was sure they could handle it.

It occurred to me that if she hadn’t been protected behind Everly’s wall of fire, she would have been the first to die. While air is a powerful element, it didn’t compare to fire. My cousins needed to learn to protect themselves outside of their gifts—just as I had.

I cursed under my breath. All of my training, and I was still defeated. Why didn’t I go look for them? They were long gone now. How had the vampire healed so quickly? Why did his eyes glow? What was the shimmer wall? What were they doing in the clearing if not stalking a kill? But most importantly, why didn’t they just kill me? I had never encountered vampires who didn’t enjoy the kill. I kicked the dirt at my feet as I opened the gate to our property.

“We tell no one. Not yet.”

I needed answers, and I wanted them now.

“Avah, you better not still be sleeping!” my mother yelled from downstairs.

I groaned and sat on the edge of my bed. I sank my face into the palms of my hands, resting my elbows on my thighs, running my fingers through my matted hair.

“I can do this.” My voice was soft, unsure. I had been mentally preparing myself for this day ever since I had discovered I was the next chosen one. I had made it clear to everyone (and to myself) that I would not let it kill me, that they could count on me to end this war.

With one last, quick exhalation, I rose and walked into my bathroom. My muscles were stiff from last night’s fight, and even though I had taken a shower immediately after getting home, I knew another would help to clear my mind and soften the tightness. I watched the water swirl down the shower drain, as if I could be hypnotized into a better place. A beach, perhaps? I smiled and called upon spirit. As I closed my eyes, I imagined the grains of sand beneath my feet. The air was heavy with mist and a hint of salt. Seagulls flocked in the distance. My toes burrowed as I walked farther. I kept walking until waves splashed at my heels.

“You’re
still
in the shower?” someone said, and I pulled out of my projection.

My breath caught, and I rested my palms against the wall to support my weight. Looking over, I caught a glimpse of long, red locks before the door slammed shut. Shaking my head, I watched the water pool at my feet and let my pulse settle. Pulling out of a projection too quickly left side effects that lasted for days, and today was too important. I needed to stay focused, strong. I jumped out of the shower and rushed through my morning routine. Dashing downstairs, I was greeted by the rest of my coven.

“Nice of you to join us,” Nina said.

“Nice of you to knock,” I shot back. She sat on the couch with her twin sister by her side. They took their twinness to the extreme and were often adorned in matching outfits and hairstyles. Today, they were wearing yoga pants and tank tops, and their red, curly hair was tied back in thick ponytails. I was sure their relaxed attitude was a show for our coven. We still hadn’t spoken about the night before, and had they brought it up then, we would have had to sit through a way-too-long lecture from our high priestess, my mother. But more importantly, the coven would forbid us from patrolling. Mother would argue that, as the chosen one, my safety was more important than my patrolling. She’d send others in my stead, and I couldn’t find answers while locked away. My cousins feigned interest in what my aunt was preparing at the dining table.

We often prepared large meals beforehand because rituals tended to drain our energy. It was essential to refuel immediately afterward. I had been forewarned that I wouldn’t be able to tap into The Power until I learned to truly control it, but since all chosen witches before me died, no one actually knew how to master it. When Mother received a vision that I was the next chosen one, my coven said I would be all right, that if anyone could control it, it would be me. I had learned astral projection early on, a skill that supposedly took decades to master, so I believed them. I suppressed any reservations. I had to master The Power because there was no other choice.

For today’s ritual, my birth rite, they were cooking a feast. Apparently, I needed to refuel more than ever before. Mother had said that she would practice little things with me every day until I was able to harness The Power to kill a vampire. She had explained that I would be able to use very little of The Power for the next couple weeks, since rituals already took too much of a toll on our mortal bodies. I had hoped it wouldn’t really take that long.

“Good morning, Avah!” Mother said as she walked into the kitchen from the hallway that led to our preparatory room. She planted a kiss atop my head. “I hope you slept well.”

Being chosen was supposed to be an honor, but it felt as though the family of the chosen received the highest respect. Because they would survive. They would be able to benefit from the fruits of the chosen’s labor. More importantly, they would be left behind to clean up the mess and rebuild the world. I was the first chosen from our coven. When Mother received the vision from the gods, informing her that the previous witch had failed and that I would take his place come the next full moon, I considered fighting it. Running away. Changing my name, appearance. Marrying a farmer and living my life in seclusion. But reality left me raw. I couldn’t betray my coven, even if it sometimes felt as though they were betraying me.

I smiled to reassure her that I was fine and grabbed a bagel, ripping off small chunks. I devoured it quickly, watching the remaining members of my coven scurry around like mice. Each had a job: prepare the meal, prepare the offering, prepare the prep room, prepare the ritual space, and of course, prepare the chosen one. Since our coven had never experienced a birth rite, we treated this ritual as we treated others and hoped it would suffice.

“I think I have everything set for tonight,” Mother said. She ran her fingers through my hair and gave me a small smile. A knot formed in my throat as I scanned the ingredients lining our counter. Crystals and herbs cluttered every corner. The air hung heavily between us. As our high priestess, she had to remain strong, for the sake of her coven, but as she was also my mother, I wished I could have opened up to her about my destiny without listening to a lecture on how I should be proud that the gods chose me when there were many other witches who wished for the chance to hold such power, such responsibility. Now, her confidence was gone. Her eyes were pink, puffy. Was she sad I was chosen? Or was she sad because I wasn’t ready? I didn’t want to know.

Without a word, I nodded and walked down the long hallway. I glanced outside, noticing the thin layer of frost coating the ground. My family had moved to Shasta when I was young. It wasn’t the California I was expecting, and even though at times it reminded me of home, I still really missed the snow-filled winters in Wisconsin. I missed the familiar crunch of snow beneath my feet.

At the end of the hall, I stepped into a small room, closing the door behind me. I inhaled deeply as I walked through a cloud of sage. During each Esbat, my mother was sure to cleanse our ritual room, leaving fresh sage burning all night. The smell was overwhelming to some, but I loved it. It felt empowering. It felt… like home.

My mother had dressed the room just as she did for every other Sabbat: while the air was filled with sage, rose petals and mint leaves trailed on the floor against the walls. A claw-foot bathtub sat in the center of the room. I ran my fingers through the steaming water. Peeling my clothes off, I neatly piled them atop a corner stool. Despite the room’s warmth, I shivered before climbing into the tub.

The water’s magic seeped into my skin. Lying back, I closed my eyes and began to open my chakras, one by one. Beginning with my root chakra, I rubbed the tips of my index fingers with my thumbs, concentrating on the thin layer of water flowing between them. I imagined myself being connected to Mother Earth, her power flowing through me, giving me strength to survive the coming hours.

I focused on my sacral chakra. My left hand gently caressed my right as I focused on my Sacral bone. I continued my cleansing by opening my naval chakra. Raising my arms, I placed my hands just below my solar plexus, letting my fingers intertwine. I focused on my naval opening, allowing the bath to heal my inner turmoil. I stopped for a moment, letting myself inhale deeply, but kept my eyes closed. The sage’s smoke flowed through me.

My heart chakra was by far the hardest to open when lying in a bathtub, but once I managed to cross my legs without breaking connection, I lowered my left hand to my knee and my right to just below my breast bone. I smiled when I felt the familiar inner tingling.

I quickly moved on to my throat chakra. I often had difficulties speaking what was on my mind, so I wasn’t surprised that this chakra was the most difficult to open. After imagining the constricted muscles moving freely, I was able to easily move onto my third eye.

As a spirit user, I’d always been able to open and re-close my third eye with ease. I enjoyed the momentary bliss it brought me, but leaving your third eye open too long risked
touching
spirits who might be lingering in The Beyond, the space between life and death. Although I wouldn’t mind the conversation, I didn’t have the time to take on any extra
projects
my new friends might bring with them. Visiting The Beyond was considered taboo because of its formidable addictions, so I hadn’t told anyone that I’d perfected that ability early on.

My first encounter with The Beyond was while dreaming. I learned at an early age that my affinity for spirit allowed me to possess the power to astral project, a rare and coveted gift that allowed my spiritual being to leave my physical one.

Enjoying my hazy surroundings, I began to pull back, leaving The Beyond. I compelled my third eye to close. With my chakras cleansed and closed, I soaked in the spelled water. I focused on today’s ritual, trying to ignore the fight from last night. I would soon become the most powerful witch in the world, but I still felt vulnerable. I wanted answers; I wanted to feel safe again. I needed to find the vampires from last night. I shook my head with hope that it would also shake away the desire to look into last night’s events. I needed to stay focused. I told myself that I would not think about those vampires for the rest of the night.

My mother entered the room dressed in a burgundy cloak, traditional Pagan attire for such rituals. My aunt followed, dressed to match, hands folded at her naval holding my cloak, and the door closed behind them. My mother carried the burning bundle of sage that rested on the adjacent altar and waved it back and forth, cleansing my aunt’s aura. When my mother finished smudging my aunt, she handed the bundle of sage to her sister. My aunt then mimicked my mother’s actions, cleansing her aura. Cleansing was essential to our rituals. One could never enter the circle with negative energy.

My preparation was coming to an end, but it felt as though I had just begun my cleansing. Experience had taught me that even when it felt like only minutes had passed, chances were, hours had flown by. I thanked the gods for our spelled tub, which kept the water steaming.

“Stand, my child,” Mother said. Tonight, she was no longer my mother. She was my high priestess, and I was a tool of the gods.

And with those few words, she helped me step out of the tub. My throat knotted, and bile forced its way into my mouth. I swallowed it down and ignored the goose bumps that formed as I left the warm water. She covered my naked body with my cloak. While my mother buttoned the front, my aunt stepped behind me, placing a bowl of dried rose petals in my hand. My aunt wrapped my hair in a long braid, and I handed her petal after petal as she stuck the pieces of flower in my hair. I closed my eyes and pretended I was a princess awaiting the arrival of her prince. My heart burned at the realization that I wanted that fantasy more than my magical reality.

“It’s time,” my mother said as she placed her hands on my arms and rubbed. My goose bumps began to fade. I nodded.

Turning on her heel, she led us out of the room. I looked out the window as we passed. Those in our coven without magic continued on with their evening. They knew of the importance of this day, but it played little role in their daily lives. Without magic, there was no place for them in our ritual, so only thirteen would participate: besides my mother, aunt, and me, ten others awaited our entrance, including my aunt’s daughters, Nina and Everly. They had already begun entering our circle.

We stepped onto the back porch; farther out, I could see that our circle of witches was perfectly illuminated by moonlight. The forest outlined the clearing and left just enough sky for us to admire the full moon and stars.

Leaving my side, my mother and aunt entered the circle. Slowly, I crept my way toward the members of my coven, most being members by blood. My mother stood at the head of the circle, my aunt took her place at my mother’s right side, and beside her, my twin cousins stood. Eight others, men and women, completed the circle, leaving only the center open. Watching their lips move, I couldn’t hear their chant. I looked out into the woods as I approached the circle, my goose bumps returning as the breeze increased.

“How do you enter?” Mother asked, holding the tip of an athamé to my throat.

“With perfect love and perfect trust,” I replied.

She lowered the blade and stepped aside. I entered the circle and stood directly in the crosshairs of twelve powerful witches.