Crimson Bonds

Answers

The highway stretches out endlessly before us, winding through dark, empty roads. The world outside is nothing but shadows, each mile blending into the next. Time feels suspended, trapped in the low hum of the engine and the occasional burst of static from Nikolai's radio. In the silence, my mind churns, restless and heavy.

Everything feels so fragile—like the calm before a storm I can't outrun.

For a while, I sit in the back seat, staring out at the passing blur of trees and highway lights. But the questions bubbling beneath the surface, the ones I've been too afraid to ask, finally push me forward. I can't take the silence anymore. I need answers.

I lean forward, my eyes locking onto Dante's reflection in the rearview mirror. "I need to know what's really going on—everything." I say, my voice firmer than I feel. "No more half-answers. No more secrets."

Dante's eyes flick to mine in the mirror, his jaw tightening. "This isn't the best time—"

"It's the perfect time," I interrupt, my frustration bubbling over. "I've been running for my life, dragged into a war I don't understand, and everyone seems to want something from me. I deserve to know why."

Lila glances at me, sympathy in her eyes, but she stays quiet. Dante lets out a long breath, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. For a moment, I think he's going to ignore me, but then he speaks, his voice low and measured.

"There's more to this than you realize, Olivia," he says, his gaze still fixed on the road ahead. "You've been drawn into our world for a reason. It's not just bad luck or coincidence."

I frown, confusion tightening in my chest. "Yeah you've said that. What does that even mean?"

Lila shifts in her seat, turning slightly to face me. "You're connected to our world, Olivia. In ways that most humans aren't. That's why the rogues are after you."

I shake my head, disbelief washing over me. "Connected? How? I didn't even believe any of this existed until a few hours ago."

"There are ancient bloodlines," Dante says, his voice careful. "Humans descended from those who were once tied to our world—through magic, through ritual, or something older. These bloodlines are rare, almost forgotten. But when someone like you is born with that connection, it wakes up."

My heart pounds in my chest. "So you're saying I'm some kind of descendant of vampires?"

Lila shakes her head. "Not vampires, but something tied to the supernatural world. The rogues know that. That's why they're after you."

Dante's gaze hardens in the mirror. "And if they get you, we don't know if they will kill you or turn you. We just know they want you."

A shiver runs through me, cold and sharp. I've been running from them, terrified of being caught. But now... now I realize there's more at stake than just my life. "So what am I supposed to do?" I ask, my voice trembling. "How am I supposed to stop this?"

Nikolai chuckles from the front seat, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he turns to look at me. "It's not about what you do, sweetheart. It's about what we do with you."

"Nikolai," Lila warns, her voice sharp.

He raises his hands, feigning innocence, but his grin doesn't fade. "What?"

I stare at him, the knot of fear in my chest tightening. "You want to use me too."

Dante's gaze meets mine in the mirror, steady but firm. "No. We're protecting you."

"Protecting me," I echo, the bitterness in my voice surprising even me. "But you're still keeping things from me. You're still making decisions about my life—my fate—without telling me the whole truth."

Lila's expression softens. "We're trying to keep you safe, Olivia. But there are things even we don't fully understand. You're not just a target—you're a key. We just don't know to what."

My stomach twists. A key. It sounds so ominous, so final.

"And Selene?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "What does she want with me?"

Dante's face darkens. "Selene is dangerous. She wants you for the same reason the rogues do, I assume. To control whatever power you hold."

"Her agenda is more complicated," Lila adds softly. "She'll use the chaos the rogues create to her advantage, but she wants the same thing in the end: control."

Control. Everyone wants to control me. Everyone wants to use me for something I don't even understand.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "So what do I do?" I ask again, my voice small. "How do I fight something like this?"

Dante's eyes meet mine in the mirror, his gaze unwavering. "You don't have to fight this, Olivia. We're here to fight for you. But you have to stay out of their hands. Once we're safe, we can figure out the next steps."

But even as he says it, I can feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. I don't want to be a pawn in their war. I don't want to be someone's weapon. But what choice do I have?

I stare out the window at the darkened road, my thoughts spiraling. The idea of becoming a vampire, of giving up my humanity—it's been gnawing at me since the moment I realized what I was up against. And now, with every mile we put between us and Selene, the decision feels more real. More inevitable.

If they get their hands on me, they might intend to turn me. They might use me. But if I choose to become one of them on my own terms, maybe—just maybe—I'll have some control.

The idea makes me feel sick. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it might be the only way out.

I glance at Dante, his face set in stone, his hands gripping the wheel with practiced calm. I imagine he's been a vampire for so long, it's hard to think he was ever human. But there's something in his eyes—something weary, like the weight of centuries pressing down on him.

Lila is different. She's still warm, still compassionate, but I can see the darkness lurking beneath the surface. And Nikolai? He seems to embrace it. He revels in the chaos.

Could I live like them? Could I survive that kind of life?

The idea terrifies me. But it's becoming harder to ignore.