Drawing Bloodlines (Book #2, PREVIEW)

Chapter 1.3

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 1.3

Luke and Laban chuckled heartily as Lauren staggered to her feet. Abruptly she paused, after her eyes connected longingly to a watchful Lucas. "Go, Lauren!" Lucas prodded, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Go!"

Lucius rolled his eyes again and sighed heavily as he shifted his weight to one side. "You are on borrowed time, Lauren," he sneered, as Luke and Laban laughed heartily again. "You two think this is funny?" Angrily, Lucius pushed them both toward her. "Go make yourselves useful and go with her!" 

In unison, both Luke and Laban looked at each other and sighed. Without warning, Luke plunged forward and seized Lauren boisterously by the arm. She looked back at him with contempt, but acquiesced to his lead after noticing the fire burning in his eyes. With a frown, Luke raised up the sleeve of his red cloak, revealing his muscular arm as he reached into his pocket. In the palm of his over-sized hand lay a sparkling blue vial that he quickly put to his lips and drained. For a brief second, his raging-red eyes flashed a bright blue, and the left side of his mouth curled into a sly grin as a streak of blue light leapt from his hand. Wraithlike, the blue light hovered, and a bright blue door formed in front of them. Luke towered over Lauren like a giant and grunted contemptuously, before dragging her through the blue door.

Slowly, Laban followed suit, but not before stopping to shove Lucas with his shoulder. "I don't appreciate having to clean up your messes," he seethed, his amethyst-colored eyes scrutinizing. "Let's just say I don't have any problem coming back empty-handed — and I'm not talking about the medallion."

Lucas gave him a curt smile, followed by a derisive chuckle. "Be careful Laban," he whispered, angrily. "This isn't the first time you've attempted to cross me — and this just might be your last."

"Laban!" shouted Lucius, and Laban reluctantly headed toward the blue door.

Laban drew a deep breath and then carefully ran his fingers through his already perfectly coiffed, long, whitish-blonde hair. "This isn't over Lucas," he mumbled, eyeing the dissipating blue door.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Lucas, sarcastically. "I know this takes away from your constant primping schedule."

Laban gawked at him through his long dark eyelashes and then quickly walked through the nearly vanished door. There was a brief silence and then Lucius loudly cleared his throat. "I tire of you, brother," he said in a drawn out huff, "and of your wench."

Lucas's ocean blue eyes pleaded with his brothers. "B–but, brother," he stammered.

"I also grow weary of your constant bickering with your brethren — not to mention your constant failures!" his voice boomed, drowning out Lucas. "And, at least for now, the latter will not go without punishment!"

Quickly, and without warning, Lucius snapped the metal-braided rope in his hand, sending a cascading bow of energy down upon Lucas. The growing red bow hit Lucas square in the face. A loud boom followed the blow.

Lucas lay crumbled on the ground in agony as he held his bleeding face. "Brother," he pleaded as his face quickly healed; leaving behind only the blood in his hand. "Y–you said it yourself that he is only human ... so someone else has to be behind this!"

Lucius proceeded to close in on him and frantically, while still on the ground, Lucas tried to scoot away. "Surely Pius would have detected them," Lucas explained. "Someone who knows our ways must be helping them; protecting them. They had one up on us, brother. The prophecy only talks about the one, but there were two of them!"

Abruptly, Lucius stopped in front of him and his ruby-red cloak swayed at his feet. "Who are you alluding to?" he groaned. "The Order?"

"Y–yes," he explained, frantically. "Who else could be protecting them?" Lucas's voice trembled as he eyed the metal rope in Lucius's hand. "Who else has the most to gain if the prophecy comes to fruition? The Order may experience a loss of power, but with us out of the way, it still would be a win for them."

There was a brief silence and Lucius's eyes burned a deep crimson color.

Lucas's hands trembled and he could barely hold himself up from the ground as he warily watched his brother. "And — and we were figuring this all out for you...."

"Your conjectures about the Order may have validity," he said, abruptly. "But you and your wench have failed me brother; you have failed all of us."

Lucas's head and limbs began to shake uncontrollably. "No, no," he stammered, staggering as he backed away.

"I'll take care of the Order," Lucius fumed, tightening his grip around the long, metal rope. "And don't you worry about the prophecy — I know the prophecy all too well."

Lucius leaned over his brother and removed his hood; revealing a faint crescent-shaped scar beneath his right eye. Softly, he wiped away the remaining speck of blood that lay on Lucas's face, the same spot that had bled moments earlier. "Concentrate on helping your half-breed succeed in bringing me back that medallion," he explained in an angry whisper. "And when she fails again...."

Suddenly, Lucius's face snarled and Lucas cried out, "Brother, no!"

Blood-curdling screams rang throughout Grimm Cemetery as the long, metal-braided rope repeatedly lashed down upon Lucas.

"Maybe after this you'll stop insisting on covering for your flawed half-breed!" Lucius yelled, as Lucas's wounds quickly healed, and were savagely reopened.

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