Crimson Flame ~ Book 1 - The Royal Blood Collection

Chapter 21

My stomach kept rolling, the man that was overseeing the document signing looked at me curiously.

"Are you alright, Emmeline?"

"I don't feel well."

He smiled slyly.

"Perhaps congratulations are in order, hmm? Downstairs, in the club."

I moved to the stairs, Alaric was watching me curiously. Reaching the bottom, I was faced with the woman and the security guard.

"Bathroom?"

"At the back of the club." She said, a little panicked.

Panicked because the club was full and I'd never make it.

"Garden bed at the side of the building?"

I nodded and turned to the door, she followed me and I wondered why until I saw the reason.

"Let her through, she's not the one you want."

The guards on the door were gone, replaced with a semi-circle of men with semi-automatic weapons pointed at the door.

My sickness was gone, replaced with fear of the future. They were waiting for Alaric and I was the only one that could stop his death. Moving quickly to the side of the building, I hid behind the plants and watched them through the gaps.

"No wonder no one came up to contest the role, they couldn't get in the damned door," I whispered.

And I could guarantee that I wouldn't be let through either.

Flicking off my shoes, I put them next to the garden bed and looked up at the building. For most, it would pose a problem but for me, it was fine.

My abilities were still in the unknown category. I struggled to know what I could or could not do, how to control what I could do and how to improve on what I could not. Climb a wall? Not an issue. Throw a knife with precision? Terrible. I was strong but I knew that I could be stronger. Speed and agility were getting there and my thought processing and quick thinking were better.

I knew that time would improve me. As to how long that would be, I guess it was dependent on what I really was. Genetically altered human or a different species. We could consider the options for a long time and never know the truth. Maybe I will never know.

The thoughts and possibilities were set aside, temporarily. If I kept thinking about it, I'd be stuck in a low mood and it would distract me from the important task. Those people up there, they were important to me. As I reached for the drain pipe, I wondered why and in an instant, I knew the answer. They were my family.

The windows were high but it wasn't a problem, I knew it wasn't. All I had to do was lock onto a beating heart and I knew which one I wanted. Climbing the wall, I reached the window and held onto the drain pipe. It was a killer on my muscles and the fact that I was already tired didn't help.

Carefully I jostled the edge to try and make it open without attracting their attention. It wouldn't move so I did the only thing that I could. I smashed it and climbed in.

"Emmeline?" Alaric said, a little confused.

His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"No, not that again."

"There is a group of men at the door with guns waiting for you."

Angrily, Alaric turned to the man who was trying to pretend he had no idea. Then his gaze swung to me and he stared.