A wicked dawn is upon Scarlett, a sinful force at play. When unprincipled people are in power, one can only imagine the chaos that follows. They took her sister, they want her crown. Will they succeed in doing so?
#2 in the Kingdom Series.
I hope you all are doing well. Here's chapter 26, have a fun read :)
Chapter XXVI
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Giovanni Ambrose
I grabbed a ceramic bowl, cutting open my palm with a knife I had tucked away in my boots. As I watched my own blood trickle down, unease settled into my bones.
It was not everyday we swore blood-oaths, even less so with a different species. They were considered very serious and solemn. It was a union of trust on a concept, or idea, sometimes a secret.
Blood-oaths worked in complicated ways and just holding your end of the promise was never enough. One slip up by any of us and we were all going to bear the consequences. It was the undertaking of loyalty. We often had to pay in ways far beyond our imagination. The way they manifested into our life was unpredictable.
I may trust Xavier with keeping his mouth shut but I couldn't say the same about the others.
Sometimes information was extracted from us despite our unwillingness to do so. Xavier had seen enough to know better, to protect his mind.
Placing my future in unpredictable situations was not how did things but I was willing to take the risk this time.
Us vampires love thrills, but we sure are selfish.
Passing the bowl to Xavier, I watched as he unsheathed his blade to slit his palm before wiping the blade and giving it to Scarlett.
She hesitated for a second before her blood dropped into the bowl as well.
Rose was the only one in the room who was unarmed.
As soon as Scarlett passed her the bowl, she walked up to me, extending her hand all the same.
My brows furrowed as I watched her.
Did she want me to slit open her palm?
"Cut it." She remedied.
Not wasting another breath, I brought my knife down on her hand, watching as it glided across her skin. I tried my best to make the cut as shallow as possible.
Watching her blood as it oozed out of her skin, I really had to get a reign on my thoughts.
They were running in every direction. Not only was it making my canines ache, it was turning me on. Knife play had been something I had enjoyed for a very long time now.
Being a vampire itself made it very hard to control myself around blood. Over the years, I had developed a sense of control. It used to make me bloodlust such a primary need earlier but now blood only seemed to make me aware of my surroundings. It made me buzz with adrenaline, a war ready to be waged. But I was no longer bound by my intrinsic thoughts.
Her blood though, it tested every limit I had set for myself. It made me want to let go of that control, wanted me to throw away all my rational thoughts. She made me archaic.
Maybe being present in a blood oath with my fated wasn't the smartest decision on my behalf.
And slitting her open myself, even less so of a sound judgement.
If I didn't know better, I'd say Rose was doing this on purpose. She was toying with me, to learn my weaknesses, use them perhaps. But I knew better and I didn't let my poker face slip up despite my internal struggle.
"Watch the fuego baby." Xavier whispered into Scarlett's ear as he kissed her wounded palm.
We watched in silence as the blood turned to fire. The flames lifted until they were close enough to lick our faces before it dissipated.
The bowl was left just as clean as we had found it but I was always extra cautious. Walking out into Lanamiya's backyard, I grabbed a handful of mud before heading inside and throwing it into the bowl to erase all traces of us.
Xavier had already done his part and was standing with a glass of water. He disposed the whole content of the glass into the bowl as well.
"What the heck are you doing?" Scarlett asked.
"If you perform magic using one element, the only way to erase it's presence is to subdue it with the remaining elements." Xavier explained.
"Oh." She nodded, "Aren't you going to blow on it?"
"That's what he said." Rose chuckled.
Scarlett's hand flew, hitting Rose on the arm, "Ow!"
She twisted the same hand that had been on her seconds ago, making Scarlett squirm.
When it her hand was in an awkward enough angle, sure enough to be hurting, Scarlett yelled, "Time out! Time out!"
The minute Rose let go of Scarlett, she was pouncing on Rose again.
I sometimes forgot how handy wolves were. Especially with family.
They had taken each other to the floor and it was only when Scarlett stopped thrashing around that Rose let go of her.
Scarlett puffed angrily, or perhaps out of breath.
I found Xavier's eyes and I could see him holding in his laughter. Well, we sure had our hands full with a bunch of two years old.
It was refreshing in an odd way though. After the years of hardship we had both endured, I had never in a million years imagined us to be here one day, sharing this moment.
He must've seen something in my body language, a slip up that made him raise his brow my way.
I lifted a shoulder, shrugging at him and offering him a small smile.
Some secrets, only we'd know.
***
Hi guys!! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a blast writing this one. It's so cold right now, I can no longer feel my hand as I type this LOL.
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It means the absolute world to me <3
As always, I missed you dearly. I know the updates have been slow lately but I'm trying to stay consistent and at least give you guys monthly updates.
