The Blood Reader

The Blood Reader Chapter 11

This chapter is dedicated to RElizabethM ~  She has been a huge help!!! Thanks, woman! And please make sure to go check out her stories: Saving Us and Movie Star Memories!

Garreth fell into step and grabbed the back of my dress to stop me. "I wouldn't go that way if I were you."

I twisted to face him. Not like he was letting me move much otherwise. "And why is that?"

"That's why." He pointed over my shoulder at the throng of blue people; none of which parted of their own accord. A few found themselves shoved sideways. A couple fell to the floor after being pushed. Only there wasn't a source of the disturbance; just crashing ripples of air.

"I don't..." The words dripped from my twitching lips.

Garreth tugged me into his chest, holding me close. "Now look," he whispered while turning us so I could see over his left shoulder.

The moment his bare hand connected with mine, a flash of energy ignited within. This time goosebumps peppered my skin from head to toe. It took me a second to shudder and recover before that man—beast—came into view.

Hooves for feet. Protruding horns for ears. The behemoth man/thing had a wooly looking layer of hair that served as a mane, covering his entirety. But none of that scared me as much as peering into those glass eyes, witnessing for a brief moment the madness they barely contained.

My pulse raced as I couldn't break contact. Every heartbeat kept drawing me in. Fighting and killing. Blood and destruction. That was all it thrived on—death. "What is that thing?"

Garreth tilted my chin and forced my attention on him. "That is a Salsor, Astra. His name is Darius to be exact, and he is here searching for you."

"Me?" A cold shiver darted up the back of my legs till it seized my neck. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. Then the need to run and hide kicked in at full force.

"Don't! He'll see you." Garreth gripped my arm to stop me.

That Darius thing scanned the crowd as if sensing we were watching him. My heart thundered louder and louder with every stomping footfall he made in our direction. Once his reflective eyes found mine, I froze.

Something weighted my chest, stealing all of my air. An impenetrable dizziness crashed over me, I couldn't breathe. The man was only a few feet away when Garreth stepped between us.

"Astra, look at me," he commanded while locking his gaze with me. His voice held me if nothing else. But my hazy thoughts were already lost inside Darius. "Astra! Damn it!"

Once my eyes glazed over, I stumbled backward. That beast had full control of me. My vision became cloudy as tendrils of the smoke hovering near the ground, snaked and tangled around my legs. Whatever had me was robbing me of everything. My energy. My air. My thoughts. My lifeforce. Fast heartbeats slowed and faded as a damp cold took hold.

This was it; I was dying.

A strong arm wrapped around my back, pulling me close. Another hand cupped my cheek moments before something warm pressed against my lips.

It was him. It was Garreth and his lips moving against mine. It was his sweet breath mixing with the shallow remainder of mine that forced air into my lungs. It was his energy, his will, coursing throughout my veins at a thundering pace.

Stay with me, his thoughts spoke.

I gasped as my heart thudded on its own. Eyes wide and bulging, I pressed a hand to Garreth's chest. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you," he murmured against my lips. "I'm not losing you again."

A bolt of adrenaline rocketed inside and jolted me to my senses. What was that supposed to mean? "Again?"

"We don't have time for this." He paused as Darius tramped close, his engorged nostrils sniffing the air like an animal in search of its prey. Once the beast of a man turned abruptly to head toward the exit, Garreth continued, "But I guess it's a good thing you didn't finish all of that drink I gave you, or else."

I squinted at him. He wasn't making any sense. Shoot, nothing made any sense at all.

Garreth motioned with his hand, prodding me to understand. "Or else, the glamor would have dropped, and Darius would have found you first thing."

"If you say so." I rubbed my forehead to keep myself hidden in case Darius doubled back again.

Garreth jerked my hand downwards. "If you say so," he mocked. "If you would have listened to what I said so, to begin with—"

I flinched at his harsh tone as it caught the attention of a few nearby blue couples as they danced.

"What is your problem?" My heart already felt like it had plummeted into my stomach and I did not need to deal with the likes of him chastising me for—whatever.

"My problem?" he smirked, jaw locked. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you can't seem to follow simple instructions." His head whipped around, scanning the area. "Where is the drink I gave you anyhow?"

I started walking toward the table where he had left me. Only my legs wobbled and had me staggering to stay upright. Finally, I stopped at pointed at where I'd last seen it. But it was gone. "It was right there."

Garreth groaned and clenched his hands, blanching from the force, into fists. "Unbelievable!" He pulled a vial from his pocket. "Here. Drink it."

The small glass bottle with the purplish gurgling substance rested in the palm of my hand. "I don't want to ingest this." That same muck he wanted me to drink before appeared even less appetizing now in this contained state.

Garreth gripped me by the shoulders. "Fine." He shrugged. "Stay here and get captured by Darius. Stay here in this." His eyes amusingly raked in my body. "Get up. Stay here, and you'll be lucky to see another day."

I cocked an eyebrow and narrowed my eyes. "Lucky, huh?"

His lips drew my full attention as they hitched at the corners. He made sure that one dimple of his was on full display. "That's what I just said."

"And if I drink this, you'll answer all of my questions?" Was there even any use fighting him? This? Whatever? I sighed, noisily, my concession and started to pop the cork off the vial.

That amused smile of his spread to reach his eyes. "I guess you'll just have to do it and see." He winked and grabbed the vial from me. "But hold on. You need to do something first."

"What now?" I threw my hands up in disgust.

Garreth ignored my question, pocketing the vial once again.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "First you want me to drink it, then you're taking it back?"

He waggled a finger at me while his other hand busied itself with the buttons of his black dress shirt. When he finished, he shrugged off the remainder, offering it to me.

"Put it on."

I had to take several deep breaths and made sure to keep my eyes zeroed on his face. But I wasn't the only one around to take notice. "You're..." A slight blush flourished from the sight of his muscular, bare chest.

"I'm what, princess?" He stood there, arms propped at his sides, inviting me to sneak a peek.

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Ahhh, Garreth! What is he up to now????

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Plan for an update early next week!