Read Living in Darkness (Bloodbreeders) Online
Authors: Robin Renee Ray
“Man,
it’s
cold in here,” Bo said, rubbing his
arms for heat. “I’ll go make a fire.”
“Why don’t you stay in your blanket and let me do it,” I said before he
could get up. “I don’t seem to feel the cold as bad as I use to.”
“I don’t mind,” he said. “I do it all the time.”
“I don’t mind, either,” I told him. “I just need your matches.”
He smiled beautifully, and handed them over. “Thanks,” he said, already
curling back up with the others. Brandon and Ashley had all but fallen back
asleep, while I was talking with Bo. They all looked so innocent, lying there
covered from head to toe, using each other for warmth, almost like that of a
litter of newborn pups.
I went upstairs, and after starting the fire, went outside to gather
some more wood. When I returned, all four were huddled around the fireplace. They
looked my way, and almost simultaneously, Bo and Brandon jumped to their feet.
“Hey, you should let us do that,” Brandon said as they transferred the
wood from my arms to theirs.
“Thanks, but I’m sure I can handle a little firewood,” I said.
“No offense,” added Bo. “It’s just the way I was raised.”
“Then none
taken.
Next time, I’ll be sure and
ask for help.”
The boys dropped the wood next to the fireplace, and then sat down with
the others. No sooner than our butts had hit the floor, they started in.
“So, how are we going to do this?” asked Brandon.
“Do what?” I inquired.
“Make us like you,” Derek said matter-of-factly. “What else?”
“When you said we could ‘start up tomorrow night where we left off’,” I
shook my head and laughed. “You meant it.” They joined in the laughter, and
once it died down, I sat there quietly, thinking.
“So...?” Brandon broke the silence.
“Okay,” I sighed. “Let’s say we do this.” They all started to get
excited, so I held up my hand to stop them. “We’re just talking, alright? I’m
not saying for sure this is going to happen, but we need to think some things
through.” When they calmed down, I went on. “Let’s say we do this, and it
doesn’t work. What then?”
“Well, if the first one you try it on dies, then we’ll know,” Derek
said bluntly.
“Whoa, wait just a second,” I said, flabbergasted. “Am I the only one
that just heard what you said? You’re willing to sacrifice one, just in hopes
that it works?”
“Sure,” Ashley said. “We’ve already worked it out.”
“And we drew sticks to see who would go first,” Bo added.
I shook my head in disbelief. “So, who was the loser?” I asked.
“Loser?” Brandon said, pretending to be taken aback. “I won fair and
square.”
“Yeah, the only one that didn’t want to go first was Ashley,” Derek
said.
“Not because I’m scared,” she rushed in. “I just want to watch is all.”
“
It’s
okay, Ash. I wouldn’t want to go first
either. Trust me, it’s a man thing,” I said, giving her a little wink, which
made her giggle.
“Where do you want me, Renee?” Brandon asked.
“Now wait,” I said throwing my hands up. “There are things we need to
go over before I decide to do this.”
“You drink my blood, I drink yours.
Next time I wake
up, bingo!
Just like you. What else is left to talk about?” Brandon
stated irrefutably.
“Well, my nerves for one thing.” I snickered anxiously, stopping and
becoming more serious, “And me taking your life for another.”
“I’m ready,” he said stubbornly. “Plus, the sooner we do this, the
sooner we can help your friends.”
I looked away from him and stared into the fire.
I wished they would stop playing that card
, I thought to myself. As
I sat contemplating about what I should do, Garvin and
Tanda’s
angelic faces appeared to me, entwined with the dancing flames.
I’ll come back for you
.
I knew then that the kids were
right. If I was ever going to get
Tanda
and Garvin
out of that prison, I was going to need help. I couldn’t take them to Cuba as
normals
,
they wouldn’t stand a chance, so that left me with one option. But is it worth
the risk of losing the lives of four little one’s that I now love, to save the
two who saved me
?
I knew what I had to do, and I prayed that I wasn’t
making a grave mistake.
“Are you guys absolutely sure you want to do this?” I asked.
“Yes,” they all exclaimed at the same time.
“And none of you have any family left?”
“None worth mentioning,” Bo muttered under his breath.
“What do you mean, Bo?” I asked.
“Derek and Brandon’s folks are dead, and Ashley never knew hers,” he
said. “But my father is still alive and well.”
“Don’t you want to be able to see him again?” I broke in. “If not now,
then later?”
“Yeah, so I could kill him just like he did my mother,” Bo fumed.
“Oh, Bo, I’m sorry...”
“Doesn’t matter, Renee,” He
stopped me. “We all have each other, and that’s all I care about,” Tears
glistening in his eyes.
“Now do you get it?” Ashley asked, on the verge of tears herself. “We
need and want to be like you. You’re all we have.”
“I think it was meant to be this way,” Derek said. “That’s why we were
all at the beach that night.”
“Maybe you’re right, Derek,” I replied. “But what if Brandon doesn’t
wake up?”
“That’s just a chance I’m willing to take,” Derek responded.
“Hey,” Brandon said, pulling Derek into a headlock. “I love you too,
you little shit.”
We all started laughing, and Brandon hollered out, “Let’s do this” The
others started in too, whooping so loud that the only way to describe it was
howling. I couldn’t help but join in.
When the laughter had subsided, I looked to Brandon and asked, “Are you
sure you’re ready?”
“Never been more ready in my life,” he answered solemnly.
“Martin turned me in three days,” I said. “But he said he could have
done it all at one time. I’m telling you this because the reason he took so
long was because he said, if he’d done it all at once, it would have been
extremely painful. I just want you to be prepared.”
“Come on, what’s a little pain?” Brandon stood reaching his hand out to
me.
I took his hand, and he pulled
me to my feet. I started walking to the basement with Brandon at my side.
“Where are y’all going?” Derek called out. “Can’t we watch?”
“I think I’m nervous enough without everyone watching me, okay?” I said
apologetically.
Derek didn’t answer. He sprang to his feet, and ran to Brandon,
flinging his arms around his neck. Brandon returned his brother’s embrace.
“I love you, Derek.”
“I love you, too,” Derek whimpered. “Please don’t die.”
“I’ll be fine, I promise,” Brandon assured him. “Go back over there,
and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Damn well better,” Derek said sniffling, as he wiped his eyes dry. “Or
I’ll kick your ass.” They laughed, gave each other one last hug, and Derek
returned to the others.
When Brandon and I reached the basement, I went over to my blanket and
sat down. Brandon stood on the bottom step, watching me.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“It’s not that, I believe in you,” he said, walking closer. “I just
can’t wait to see if I wake up like you.”
“Hope you’re not disappointed,” I said.
“I won’t be,” he replied. “But I do have a question.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“What will I eat when I wake up? I don’t care for the whole ‘acid-burning’
thing.”
“Yeah, that was pretty bad,” I said. “Here’s what I was thinking. If it
works, then you can feed off of the one that’s next, then I’ll finish up and
turn that one.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he replied looking around. “So, where do you
want me?”
“Right here,” I patted the blanket in front of me. He came over and sat
down. “Now, I need you to lean back on me, okay?”
“You’re shaking, Renee,” he said as he was leaning back into my arms. “You
okay?”
“I’m scared to death,” I said shakily. “What if I do this wrong?”
“You won’t,” he responded, leaning back so he could see my eyes. “You
won’t.” With that, he closed his eyes, and relaxed in my arms.
I swept his hair away from his neck, and exposed the pulsing vein. My
heart began to race, and my face felt flush. I pulled back my lips, and sank my
fangs into his supple skin. He moaned, trying to hold back a scream, and I
continued. I let his pure, innocent blood run down my throat, and it was the
best I had tasted since that night with Johnny. My eyes flew open, and I ripped
myself back.
“No, no, no,” I cried. I pressed my hand against the wound, desperately
trying to stop the bleeding. “Johnny, no, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. I
lowered my head against the child in my lap, and my body heaved as I wept.
“Renee?” a voice said weakly, waking me from my delusion. I opened my
eyes, and saw that the boy in my lap was not Johnny.
“Brandon,” I said, snapping back to reality. “I-I can’t do this.”
But it was too late. Brandon’s face was ashen, and I could feel his
pulse slowing beneath my fingers. I had two choices. I could stop now, once
again taking the life of a child that I loved dearly. Or I could continue. The
second path would lead not only to this little one’s death, but perhaps to
something worse. I knew what I had to do, and I could only pray that my choice
was the right one.
The End
Here are the first three chapters of the next book in
the series,
Bloodbreeders
:The
Revenge, on sale now.
Bloodbreeders: The Revenge
Prologue
I once lived as those who did their biddings during the hours of
daylight. I had the love of a large family on a modest farm back in a small
town in Texas. Parents that I was so close to. I directed my thoughts away from
marriage, so I could help raise my five younger siblings. Then he came, my tall
dark
nightmare
. Was he to blame for
their deaths? Or was it those who opened their animalistic mouths and laid
their fangs to the innocent throats of my family? My maker would have to wait
his turn for me to unleash my anger upon him.
There was someone else who was guilty above all others. I would make
sure that she paid, even if it meant my own final termination or cost those who
have chosen to follow me, with their very lives. Yvette may not have gotten
their blood on her hands, but I have heard a great many things, before and
after, I escaped her dungeon of torture and perversions. Enough that I felt her
death in my palms, like gripping the stems of a rose bush and pulling my
tightly closed hand upwards.
I would have my revenge for what was done to my family. I felt the
guilt for my part in my beloved family’s demise, and I would walk the night for
eternity correcting it. The one thing that I could do was make those who have
committed crimes against all who have been unlucky enough to fall prey to the
slavers of our kind, pay and pay dearly. I had four young orphans looking up to
me as if I had hung the moon, not to mention, two that were waiting for me to
save them. I was being asked questions that I had no answers for. Yet, here I
sit.
I stared down at the young man that lay dying in my lap and was faced
with the most difficult decision that I had ever encountered. In light of
recent events, that was saying a lot. During the past few months, my life had
consisted of nothing but difficult decisions. I had chosen to accept the love
of a stranger. That decision ultimately leading to my death and subsequently,
placed me into my new life. I chose to believe that this man had never loved
me. That he was using me for some sick and twisted game. A game, in which he
would sit back amused as I killed off my family one by one, all being told to
me by those who readied a far more sinister plan for my services.
I had chosen to ignore my
maker’s warnings about the others of our kind that walked the land that I had
called my home, choosing to take their side over his. I had unknowingly
betrayed him as well as myself by going with them to Cuba, to their ‘safe-haven’,
only to be led into the depths of hell itself. A slave trading ring, where I
was caged like an animal, set loose only when it was time for another beating,
rape, or rendezvous with some prestigious ‘client’. I had chosen to risk my
life and the lives of those dear to me, by trying to escape one last time, and
succeeded. I allowed myself to befriend four young orphans, and return to my
home in that small town in Texas; regardless of how much I was afraid of what I
might find. Despite all of that, this decision, the one that lay before me now,
was proving to be the hardest one to make, of all.