Blood Ties Bundle: Blood Ties Book One: The Turning / Blood Ties Book Two: Possession / Blood Ties Book Three: Ashes to Ashes / Blood Ties Book Four: All Souls' Night. Jennifer Armintrout

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      He turned then, as if he was going to leave, and I called his name. The sound was desperate, almost pathetic as it passed my lips. I wanted to tell him why I stood on this side of the fence. I wanted him to know that the only reason he lived was because of the choice I’d made.

      Instead, I just stared, my mouth frozen open in shock at my sudden exclamation. He stared back, his expression hard as some indiscernible war raged behind his eyes.

      “Keep him safe, Carrie,” he said. Then he turned and walked quickly away.

      I went back to the house, numb from the temperature outside and the mood of our chilly encounter. Telling him what I’d done wouldn’t have accomplished anything. Nathan would have rushed into battle as if I were some princess trapped in a tower by an evil magician. Then I’d be in the awkward position of explaining that this damsel hadn’t exactly decided to be rescued.

      As for the evil magician, he stormed past the princess without a word when they crossed paths in the hallway outside their chambers.

      “Good morning, sunshine,” I called after him, greeted only by the sound of his slamming door.

      Ziggy was already awake when I entered my quarters. Clothed in the pants he arrived in the night before, he leaned greedily over a bowl of cereal as Clarence looked on.

      “Hey. Did you see Nate?” Ziggy’s voice was light, though I could sense the desperate hope there.

      I cast a wary glance at Clarence. It seemed awfully imprudent of Ziggy to speak so freely in front of a guy we barely knew. “Y-yes.”

      With a frown, Ziggy jerked his thumb toward Clarence. “Don’t worry about him. He knows how to keep a secret, don’t you, Clarence?”

      “Like a dead man,” Clarence confirmed, but I still felt a little uneasy about what he knew.

      “What did he say?” Ziggy lifted the bowl from the marble-topped end table, and Clarence used the opportunity to wipe a condensation ring from the spot where it had rested.

      I chose my words carefully. “He wants you to go home.”

      Ziggy slurped the milk from his spoon and glared at the coaster Clarence had placed on the table. “Is he still pissed at me?”

      “He never was pissed.” I dropped beside him on the sofa. “Nathan loves you.”

      As unobtrusive as a ghost passing by, Clarence decanted a glass of blood and pressed it into my hand. I thanked him, but my attention was still on Ziggy. “Do you want to go home?”

      “Hmm…stay here with the crazy, sadistic vampire, or go home?” He paused. “To the cold, emotionally shut-off vampire who’ll freak out if I ever bring another guy home.”

      “I don’t think he will. He was just surprised. And I get the distinct impression he’s not so pleased that you’ve grown up. He would have acted the same if he’d caught you with a girl.” At least, I hoped he would have. Different generation or not, times changed and Nathan should have adapted. And he shouldn’t have cared in the first place.

      Ziggy mustered enough false enthusiasm to say, “Great. When do I leave?”

      Clarence coughed softly. “It’s not as simple as that.” Ziggy and I stared at the butler in silence. How could he possibly know the details of my conversation with Nathan? Were there spies?

      As if sensing my distrust, Clarence shook his head. “But maybe you don’t want an old man’s help.”

      He moved to collect the dishes, but Ziggy stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. “What do you know?”

      Clarence gave me a frigid glare.

      “What? Do you want me to leave?” I folded my arms across my chest stubbornly. “This is my room, you know.”

      “I don’t want you to leave,” Clarence explained, a little condescendingly. “I want you to stop acting as if I’m going to turn sides all of a sudden.”

      “I’m sorry, but how am I supposed to trust someone who’s worked for Cyrus all this time? You are on his payroll,” I pointed out.

      Clarence seemed to roll this around in his mind for a moment. “I trust you a little bit, and you’re a vampire.”

      Considering his stance on vampires, that was a pretty bold statement. Pulling Nathan’s plans from my pocket, I motioned for Clarence to come closer. “Apparently, there’s going to be some kind of attack here on January thirtieth.”

      I realized I’d been so caught up in my new vampirehood that I hadn’t noticed Christmas had come and gone. I supposed it had saved me from a particularly miserable holiday. I couldn’t imagine snuggling up in front of the tree and listening to Bing Crosby records with Cyrus of all people.

      I swallowed the knot of loneliness that formed in my throat and forced a stoic expression. “Do you know anything about this, Clarence?”

      “I don’t know about any attack, but January thirtieth is the Vampire New Year.”

      “Vampire New Year?” Ziggy’s question echoed my own.

      Clarence nodded, his face growing more serious, a feat I’d thought impossible. “Every damn year. And they always throw a big, disgusting party.”

      “What happens at the party?”

      “A lot of people die.” Clarence removed Ziggy’s empty cereal bowl and placed it on the rolling service cart. “All except two of the pets will go on the ingredients list. The two Cyrus leaves off are the guests of honor.”

      “That doesn’t sound too bad,” Ziggy interjected, his voice hoarse.

      “Unless you’ve been his guest of honor before,” I pointed out, and his expression grew dark. “Clarence, how does Cyrus pick these guests?”

      “I don’t know. He just gives me the list. I’m not invited to the party. But I do know that only one of them comes back. He turns them. Sometimes his daddy does it if he’s feeling up to it. I’m not sure what happens to the other one. If I were you, I’d get your young man out of here before then.”

      I had plenty of questions, but Clarence had apparently reached his talking quota for the day. I’d have to get my answers from Cyrus.

      

      Cyrus had either forgotten to lock the door or hadn’t expected anyone to interrupt him, but when I burst into his study, the look on his face was murderous.

      “You weren’t invited into this room,” he snarled, glancing sharply up from the book in his lap.

      I took in his uncharacteristically casual appearance, noting that he wore a black eye patch. “Where was that yesterday when you needed it?”

      With an annoyed sigh, he closed the book. “For your information, I’m wearing this because I didn’t take an eye from your friend, and I simply don’t have the energy to seek a replacement tonight.”

      “Too tired СКАЧАТЬ