Bloody Curse | Book Two of Blood Trilogy

Chapter 12

Violet 

My mind felt numb and my finger curled into painful positions that prevented me from extending them into full form. My heart hammered against my chest and the cold gusts flowing from the exposed night traveled in. 

My little boy's screams echoed in my thoughts and vibrated off my thick skull. I could almost reach out into the darkness and grab hold of his shaking body. I did not want to imagine what pains he must've been going through at the moment, but my mind did not listen. Terrible actions after the other. I cringed and shivered at the torture to cause him a heart-wrenching scream. 

The trees from afar wiggled in the movement of the winds. As I continued staring out, I could sense two eyes staring into my soul. Two red eyes. 

My vision went blank and I stumbled backwards along the floor. My mother's arms retracted from my sudden movement and her eyes mimicked my very much feared ones. No it was all a hallucination. I was going delirious. None of it could have been true. The same red ones started this nightmare turned dream. If it hadn't been for the same red eyes, then Ash wouldn't have been fated to meet me. I curled my knees closely against my chest and rocked in a slow motion. 

I panicked and stood suddenly. It could not be. I held a lot of fear but my stubborn self could not believe it. A second blink and the menacing eyes vanished into the dark void. I glanced down at the ground beneath. The drop had to be at least twenty feet. As tempting as it seemed to chase after the illusion I had to stay with Jilly, mother, Aidan, and especially Alexandria. 

I bit my bottom lip and lifted a leg just an inch off the floor. The answer to everything that happened to Zayden and Adriana was getting away. If I just climb over the window sill and jump then I would be free. Nothing could stand in my way of getting answers. 

I turned around to face the four and their very much worried faces. The tension of concern was high in my son's cold room and I knew that each second wasted meant that the suspect would be getting away farther. I sent a nod to Aidan in initiation to watch the two women. I smiled softly at my daughter's sleepy but tear-streaked face. I vowed to myself that nothing happen to her, or else I would not forgive myself. I released a final breath. 

I bolted out the window and leapt as far as I could from the castle walls. I closed my eyes and braced myself for a landing. Gasps were heard from behind but I could not turn around. There wasn't enough time. The ground touched the pads of my bare feet and I brushed past the garden grounds, in the direction of the red-eyed thing. 

The scent was faint and was fading by the second as the wind escalated its force. I twirled on my heels as I approached the boundary walls. Blood hit my nose and I snarled in hunger. Fresh blood. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that it was not Zayden. It couldn't be my sweet Zayden, but it was someone. And that someone was a vampire of this kingdom. 

I sprinted along the wall until I reached a corner. There laid a male body who was well built. I covered my mouth when a soft tremble escaped into the cool air, causing condensation to flow from my mouth. He was a guard. One of Caleb and Asher's men. I closed my eyes and prayed that he have a good afterlife and I silently thanked for the service that he did to protect this kingdom. 

I stood straight with an unexplainable face. Whoever this thing was. It had caused much pain and I will make sure that it will pay. It asked for hell, well it's going to get it. 

One final glance at the victim sent my stomach plummeting. More scents around the man caught my attention, but Asher's mainly. He knew about his guard. Then why did he not report anything to me? I flinched at realization. 

Because of me. He thought that I was already fragile enough to deal with the problem. I silently thanked him for his consideration and smiled warmly to send energy. He shall not know about my adventure after the Shadow. 

One exhale and I bounded onto the boundary wall. Alarms would sound as soon as I stepped off the premises but I took my chances. Maybe I was onto something and it was best to have more than one person investigating. Perhaps it was good to be the first to find something. 

My heart fell as soon as I landed on the forest floor. Crickets and bugs hummed in the middle of the night that I had not noticed their sounds earlier. It was peaceful and open away from the castle walls. 

I bolted after footsteps and the smell of something unpleasant. The winds pushed my long brown hair away from my face and I felt strong. I found momentum to continue on that same trail, but my senses told me to branch away from the trail and go deeper into the woods where nobody has ventured. 

I stopped to regain steady breathing but I noticed something peculiar. The footsteps that I had been following were older than tonight. There was no way that those prints have been there for over a week. Although the stench still stuck in the air, footprints were not in the direction that I was headed. A lump grew in my throat and I hoped that whatever we were dealing with was just something minor. Nothing unpredictable. 

Regardless of the powerful winds, the smell still clung to the air as if the woods were not moving and time was frozen. I grew worried and uncomfortable about the unfortunate situation. I did not even know what I was dealing with. Something could just leap out at me suddenly and I would be done for. I slowly backed up in hopes that I would not meet with the Shadow. I had an idea of what it was capable of, so fear climbed up the back of my throat and I stood still. No signs of living was near but that did not stop me. The creature held not footprints. 

I met with the original trail and I backtracked in a fast pace. My head was bowed and my entire self shivered. I did not know what came over me, but I had lost all of my confidence. I growled and kicked at a rock forward a few feet. I gazed up to see where it had landed. 

I struggled to breath. My heart stopped. My stomach twisted until there was an unbearable pain. I cracked my mouth to say something. Anything, but nothing came out. Not even a breath. I was suffocating. 

The Shadow stood in the middle of the trail between me and my journey home. Two fiery pearl red eyes stare deep into my soul as if plunging its fist deep inside my chest and retrieving my final breath. 

A/N: Hello kittens :D

I have made an update for all of you to either enjoy or hate. What are your thoughts on this chapter or this book in general?? What do you think would happen???

I tried to make this chapter longer for you guys because you guys are awesome and you deserve it :)) Please keep in mind that I have not edited this chapter seeing as it is already past one in the morning (0.o)

Please comment and vote!! Feedback is always appreciated (as you all know hehe). Know that I love your strong support for Bloody Kiss and Bloody Curse. Take care and until the next chapter update, be my lovely bookworms! :) 

~Jade xoxo

P.S. I'm sure you have read my notification, I did say that I would not be able to squeeze a chapter in, well...TADA!!! An update!! hehe well I hope you enjoyed it :) 

School would be starting this Thursday which means that I would be even more busy resulting in less updates. Please have patience and understanding (even though I know you all have those two qualities). Classes would be more tough this year and I just hope that I would keep myself happy by maintaining my grades as well as keeping you happy. If I haven't updated in a while (meaning months and months) then give me a poke or two. I will notice and try to write a tiny chapter for you to read in contentment. 

Anyways, take care, my beautiful Jade.