Drawing Bloodlines (Book #2, PREVIEW)

Chapter 1.2

Author Note:

Thank you so much for taking the time to PREVIEW Book #2 in the Legend of the Firewalker book series on Wattpad! 

Book #2, Drawing Bloodlines, is now available for purchase on Amazon.com

http://smarturl.it/drawingbloodlines

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Chapter 1.2

Swiftly, the three figures headed toward the couple and Lucas immediately sprung down the stone steps. Lauren followed close behind him and fidgeted endlessly with the long sleeves of her white dress. Once they were closer, the two figures on the outside took position in front of the figure in the middle. After Lucas had reached them, the two in front pulled back their red hoods, revealing their chiseled facial features and luminous, white-blonde hair. Both of the newcomers' cloaks were as intricately ornamented as Lucas's, and they both smiled at him contemptuously.

"Hello, brother," bowed Lucas, his blue eyes gazing up from beneath the hood of his cloak. "Why haven't you come alone?"

"You dare address me without stripping your hood!" bellowed the man in the middle.

Quickly, Lucas bowed again, pulling his hood back as Lauren cowered nervously behind him.

"You and your half-breed have failed us once again!" the man sneered. "And your failure is nothing but a pathetic comedy that should be mocked by others."

"But Lucius!" exclaimed Lucas, quickly lowering his eyes.

"Silence!" he yelled and his voice reverberated off the surrounding mausoleums, echoing across the graveyard. "I've heard enough excuses from the Shadow Guard!" Lucius's red eyes continued to burn bright from underneath his intricately decorated red hood. The two striking men standing on guard in front of him snickered and laughed. Soon, his gaze burned past his brother and to the woman behind him. He winced, and it seemed painful for him to look at her. "Lauren!"

"Y–yes, my lord," she stuttered, through clattering teeth.

Slowly, she inched from behind Lucas and then bowed graciously. Lucius swallowed hard and his mouth curled as if the mere sight of her left a bad taste in his mouth. "What is this I hear about a Firewalker?" he groaned. "And that somehow you were unaware of this human?"

"B–but, my lord," she stammered. "There was no way I could have known, if there was some way I could have detected...."

"Did I not just say that I am not in the mood for ramblings!" he yelled. He turned to look inquisitively at the two men standing in front of him. "Luke, Laban — did I not?"

Luke and Laban nodded eagerly. "Yes!" they responded cheerfully, smiling mockingly at Lucas and then at Lauren.

"Hmm," he uttered in an offhanded way. He paused to caress one of the long and silver metal-braided ropes that hung from his waist and Lauren cringed. "That's what I thought!"

Quickly, and in a red blur, he removed one of the braided ropes and whipped it into the air; wrapping it tightly around Lauren's neck. Lauren cried out in agony as an electrical current pulsated through the rope from Lucius's hand.

"No!" yelled Lucas, moving carefully forward. His ocean blue eyes met with Lucius's flaming red irises, pleading with him. "Brother!"

Lucius held on tightly to the other end of the rope and met his brother's plea with a venomous red glare. The silver rope, glowing red-hot now, continued to pulsate around Lauren's neck. "So," he scowled, through gritted teeth. "No way to detect, you say? Did I not lend you Pius?" Lauren yelped as he pulled her closer to him. "Where is Pius, anyway?"

Lauren let out a faint moan before collapsing to her knees. Slowly, her eyes began to water as she tried to speak. "H–he's gone, my lord," she whispered, almost in a choke. "Destroyed. By the Firewalker."

"Destroyed!" yelled Lucius, tightening his grip around the silver rope.

Lauren started to choke as Lucius's eyes wandered about the plaza, stopping only after he noticed the array of swords and piles of ashes that lay strewn about the brick and mortar floor. "Then it is true, he has surfaced," said Lucius in a low whisper. "But I thought the threat had been eliminated. How could this have happened?"

Violently, Lauren's body convulsed as Lucius increased the electrical current. The metal rope wrapped around her neck vibrated vigorously as the current pulsated throughout her entire body.

"Brother!" pleaded Lucas as Lauren screeched in agony. "It's only a minor setback!" He paused to look at Lauren and then spoke frantically. "And, and — there were two of them!"

There was a brief silence as Lucius's forehead slowly formed frown lines. "What?" he said, as if finally understanding the words spoken to him. "Two of them?"

Lucas's chest heaved as he stared helplessly at Lauren. "Y–yes, my lord!" he said, while trying to regain composure. "There were two Firewalkers."

Lucius's eyes grew wide as he wet his lips. "Two Firewalkers," he repeated, quietly. He loosened the metal rope around Lauren's neck. "Very interesting, indeed."

"Yes, yes, brother," nodded Lucas, eagerly. "And they've taken the medallion."

Lucius's glowing red eyes appeared as if they were going to explode. "What!" he bellowed.

"Yes," he responded eagerly. "But Lauren knows where to find them. She lived among the humans while tracking the one we seek." Lucas's ocean blue eyes pleaded again. "We were just going to bring them to you, brother, before you arrived; it was Lauren's idea." He looked desperately at Lauren again as she clawed at the metal-braided rope around her neck. "Lauren knows — she knows how to find them!"

"Ugh!" said Lucius, as Lauren's chest expanded dramatically, taking a deep breath as he released her. Slowly, Lucius shook his head and rolled his eyes while standing over her. "Is it true? You know of these humans?" he asked.

"Y–yes," choked Lauren, still gasping for air. Tenderly, she caressed her neck as the deep purple bruises quickly faded. "I–I can bring them to you." 

"Ha!" he shouted, with a look of doubt on his face. "And what makes you think you will succeed this time!" The fire in Lucius's eyes flickered hatefully as he eyed his brother. "I don't know why you keep covering for this creature!"

"B–but, my lord!" pleaded Lauren.

"Just go!" he shouted, brushing her off with a flick of his hand. "Just leave the Firewalker to me — and bring me back that medallion!" 

"Yes, my lord," she responded with a bow.

"And Lauren," he said with a cynical smile, "should you fail...."

"I won't, my lord," she responded quickly.

Lucius shook his head with disdain and then rolled his eyes. "Should you fail," he continued. "I promise you, your failure will not go without consequence."

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