Series: The Un Series by Izzy Sweet
Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Shiny stuff and newborn vampires don’t mix well. When we’re first turned and adjusting to our enhanced senses, we can easily get stuck staring at the things that draw our gaze.
It’s a human trait we carry over with us when we’re reborn.
Humans are attracted to shiny objects because they resemble light reflecting off of water.
“Do not become captivated by what you see, Chloe. Whatever you do, don’t fixate on any of this. Especially the knife.” I hold my arm out. “Slice down my arm against the veins and try to position the flow over her mark. I’ll start first.”
Without wasting another second, I dig into my wrist with my fangs.
And I’m not careful when tearing the flesh open.
I need to bleed freely.
Forcing Alena’s mouth open with my bloody wrist, I can feel the blood rushing through my veins.
I’ve got a shit ton of blood in me right now from gorging myself at the church. I should be able to make it through this.
Hopefully.
A searing pain shoots down my wrist when Chloe slices my arm. Cutting through the artery.
“Raphael,” Chloe whispers, “are you trying to commit suicide?”
“I’m trying to save her,” I grunt, and pull my wrist away from Alena’s mouth.
Opening a new wound on my wrist, I shove it back against Alena’s lips.
If Alena was actively drinking from me, the wound wouldn’t close so damn fast.
Chloe’s voice quivers. “Why do you want me doing this?”
“You’ll allow me to sacrifice myself for her,” I say with certainty.
“How do you know that?” she asks angrily.
“Because you know what the Order will do to her,” I answer just as angrily.
Nothing happens to Alena. She doesn’t suddenly open her eyes or show any sign of life.
There’s only my repeated agony as I attempt to bleed myself dry.
“Is it working?” Chloe huffs as she slices me again.
The bond between Alena and me still feels firm and open, but that sickly taint persists.
“Maybe… I don’t know,” I admit. “The bond is still tainted. But… I can feel the slightest of changes.”
I want to peek deeper into the bond and follow it back into her dream.
But I can’t save her there.
So I force myself to remain in this reality.
“Tell me about the bond,” Chloe says.
Ripping my wrist open again, I force more blood into Alena.
So far, I’m holding up well. Given how much blood pours out of me and into her.
But I still fear I won’t have enough.
I’m in uncharted territory.
“Imagine the bond between you and Asher,” I tell Chloe. “How beautiful and pure it is. Like a thick living cord stretched between you both.”
“Okay.” Chloe nods. “I understand that.”
“Well, the one between Alena and I is similar…” I struggle to put it in words. “Now that her wall is no longer blocking me, it’s a thick cord connecting us. But it’s covered in a tainted rot slowly growing across it. A tainted rot trying to destroy it.”
We go through another round of slicing and biting.
“Not to take away from what we’re doing,” Chloe says, “but if you asked me to do this before I was turned, I might have thrown up everywhere.”
I want to chuckle at that because I don’t doubt it.
This isn’t exactly a normal vampire practice, either.
A warm pulse hits me unexpectedly right as I’m about to respond to Chloe.
Like an electrical jolt straight through my chest.
What the fuck?
“Whoa! Shit!” Chloe exclaims.
And I’m forced to look over at her.
All the blood flowing onto the mark is being completely absorbed now. Not a drop is going to waste.
“How long has it been doing that?” I ask, and feel my wrist closing up again.
“Only a few seconds,” Chloe says.
Using the knife, she slices my arm open wider.
Quickly biting my wrist, I press it hard against Alena’s mouth.
The sickness living inside of Alena’s blood is a cancerous cell. And I can sense her body trying to repel it.
Whatever the prophet truly is, he wants Alena as his own.
I know it in my bones.
That’s the prophet’s endgame.
He wants to bond with her.
That’s too fucking bad.
She’s mine! I scream across the bond to him.
“Bleed me fucking dry,” I snarl at Chloe. “I want my blood to flood so hard, the gates of Hell won’t be able to stop the flow.”
Chloe starts severing all the tendons and arteries in my arm with her slices.
With fucking hope, she doesn’t cut my arm off completely.
“Don’t you fucking die on me, Raph. Alena needs you just like I need Asher,” Chloe begs in a panicked voice.
I’m growing more sluggish by the second. Vampires, even with our heightened regeneration, can only handle so much.
Forcing my mind to settle itself, the berserker begs to be freed, but this isn’t the time.
Tugging on the bond, I slowly pull it closer and closer to myself.
The rot is receding.
And I know it’s because of all the blood I’ve given her.