Shadow Bloodlines (Shadow Bloodlines #1) (5 page)

“Bethany.” The deep sound of his voice saying my name made me shiver. Not in the way Mom yelled at me to pick up my dirty clothes, but in the way a boy who made your brain liquefy said it. “I’ve told you, the Blood Spirits know who you are. They will wait at your mother’s home and any of your friends’ homes until they track you down.”

I raised an eyebrow at that last remark. “Didn’t they scream just before you caught me out of the sky?” I had never wished anyone dead before, but Hooknose and Tattoo guy I’d make an exception for. Truthfully, I just wanted this nightmare to end. Leave me in peace.

“I didn’t have time with you plunging through the air to fight them for but a moment. Even though I was encased in stone, I heard and saw everything that happened before you touched me. Your friend was the golden-haired girl in the crimson dress, yes?”

I didn’t like how he described Jacqui. Jealousy paced inside my chest like a wild animal. “Is she in danger too?”

“Perhaps. If you try to contact her, she will be. They will use her as bait when your mother doesn’t work.”

“What do you mean?” Dread clung to my gut at the thought of something happening to my mom or best friend because of me. “What will they do to them?”

“Most likely, when they know you cannot be tempted, they will leave your mother and friend alone… or give them a quick death. It’s better than the alternative.”

My breath hitched. “What could be worse than death? Torture?”

“The Blood Spirits can drain someone’s life away, leaving an empty shell. One that they control. The person looks and sounds like they always have, but there is an emptiness in their eyes.”

I flopped down on the ground. Was this guy for real? Or was I still tripping on that drug Ms. Moor had shot me with? I brushed off the tattered edge of the black dress, which was covered in blood and dirt. “So what do we do now? I have to know my mom and Jacqueline are okay. I can’t just disappear without a word.”

He rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Did your father leave you?”

“That’s not any of your business.” I crossed my arms over my chest. How I hated this topic. Once, I forgot it was ‘bring your dad to school day’ for some career show-and-tell thing in eighth grade. I feigned a fever, even scrounged up a penny to put under my tongue like Jacqui said always worked for her when the nurse took her temperature. All I got was a lecture on skipping. I was in eighth grade and when my teacher asked where Dad was; I’d mumbled an excuse while everyone had turned and stared. She’d asked what he did for a living. The lies flowed easily then; they stuck in my throat now.

“Your father must have left to protect you both.” Amar nodded.

I shot to my feet. “You don’t know a thing about him or us. He left when he found out my mom was pregnant. It was nothing to do with protecting us. It was cowardly and selfish.” Then after no word, nothing, he’d sent that cryptic text. Thanks, Dad.

“And yet, you have survived this long without the Blood Spirits knowing anything about you. Shifters have been hunted and their offspring destroyed. If your father had stayed too long, they would have killed your mother if they’d known she was pregnant. Many weren’t as fortunate as you.”

“What about you?” I remember being little and looking at the few photos my mom had of my dad. One was both of them together at a carnival. They looked happy. He had a nice smile and mischievous eyes. I used to believe he would burst through our door any moment and announce that he’d been kidnapped by terrorists. Except he wasn’t. And he never came back, or called, or even wrote—until the text message. “Are you a shifter? How did you get into that gargoyle?”

He gestured me to sit, but I shook my head.

“Can’t you tell me as we fly? I won’t rest until I know everyone I care about is safe. And you talking will help me not freak out about flying without a plane or parachute. Maybe.”

Instead of answering, he stepped towards me, slow and measured, as though I were an injured deer about to bolt. My heart hammered against my ribcage as his breath tickled my forehead.

He scooped me into his arms. He was warm against my bare skin and our faces, our lips, were inches from each other. I fought the flirting memory of my first kiss against his pouting mouth.

He carried me outside of the cave and we swooped into the air, feeling like the big dipper on a roller coaster. As the ground and sky began to totter, I squeezed my eyes shut and took deep breaths. I was sure I sounded to Amar like I was hyperventilating. I needed to focus on something else. Anything.

“Tell me about your history.” I rested my head against his chest and heard the beating of his heart and his wings. Wind gushed past and I snuggled against him for warmth.

“I was born eons ago. Back in ancient times, when shifters were worshiped. Humans depicted us as gods and carved our natures on their temples.” His deep voice made my toes curl, so maybe his words would stop me from screaming like I had on the few roller coasters I’d ridden.

“Wait.” I looked at him. “Are you saying like the ancient Egyptians or something? The hieroglyphs?”

“Yes. The Egyptians revered our dual or triple nature. Isis was worshiped for her kite; a type of bird, cow, and sometimes scorpion forms. Anubis for the jackal, and so on.” His voice was hypnotic and calmed my nerves. “Then Seth and others came. He mutilated his own brother and killed so many that the Nile ran red with blood. We became feared and the old religion faded. The Blood Sprits hunted us. I volunteered to be cast into stone, one day to be resurrected by the blood of a shifter in need.”

I shivered. “Why would you do that? How long were you a gargoyle?”

“I lost count of the centuries. Originally, I was in France but then was purchased along with a twin statue. It broke when they were installing us on the building where you found me.”

“OMG! Was the other gargoyle a shifter too? If you shattered in that form, would you have died?”

“Thankfully, the other statue was just a decoy. It would seem odd to have one gargoyle rather than a pair.” He moved as though to look at me and bumped his chin on my head instead. “If I had been the one that fell while trapped in the granite form, I would have died.”

I was glad he wasn’t dead. Or I wouldn’t be alive without his help. “I know you have wings like a bird. Is that what you shift into? I thought you said shifters can’t transform into their animal.”

His wings beat a few times, then we glided on the air current. “We used to have our animal’s full body and gifts. Our blood has been diluted by intermarrying with humans; it will never go away completely. I used to transform into a hawk as my hereditary animal, but when I accepted the curse, it only allowed my wings to stay. I can turn back into the gargoyle or this form at will. Maybe with time, I can shift the wings away.”

“I guess I’m glad I won’t turn into an octopus. Having eight arms and my klutziness would be disastrous.” Also slimy, so gross. “I have to at least see that my mom and my best friend are safe.” I dreaded not being able to touch the ground. Even flying on a plane made me nervous. I guess I could rule an air creature out of my potential spirit totem animals. Wasn’t that what he had called it?

“It is unwise, but I will do as you wish.” We swerved toward the west.

Despite my brave words, I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my head into his chest as my stomach tickled the back of my throat. I inhaled his scent of musk, stone, and a spice I identified as cinnamon, swirling through me. God, what must I smell like? Stinky sweat probably.

Being this close to him made my throat tighten with nervousness. I wanted him to kiss me, yet I wanted to go back to my normal life. This was just a hot guy I’d kissed, and not boyfriend material. Especially not with wings. The wind threw my hair in every direction. Over his shoulder, mountains faded into the distance as we flew.

I tightened my hold around his neck.

“I won’t let you fall.” His voice made me feel warm all over.

Of course not
. ‘
Cause I’m taking you with me if I do.

I gave him directions to Jacqui’s once familiar landmarks began to come into view. I saw the corner gas station that Jacqueline and I strolled to nearly every day in the summer, and the skateboard ramp at the end of the dead-end street. The ramp was where I’d twisted my ankle the same week Jacqui had got her first kiss.

My mom would be at work. Hopefully. First, I would make sure Jacqui was safe since she had helped me escape the bar. They’d probably be after her for helping me. Maybe she’d fly to meet her folks on their vacation—that would go over wonderfully. But I wouldn’t have to worry about her being alone with those lunatics after me. Then we’d get my mom. Take her with us until all of this died down. Both of them had to be safe. They were my family… my pillars.

With the grace of a male ballet dancer, he landed. My feet touched the ground and I let out a sigh, but my hands still wound around his neck. Maybe it was feeling his heartbeat next to mine, or that I had survived a flight with a birdman.

He moved my hands away and whispered for me to be quiet.

“What is it?” My legs felt as though someone replaced my bones with sticks that wobbled when I moved.

“This place reeks of Blood Spirits.”

The only thing I smelled was cut grass and BBQ, and my rumbling stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten anything besides bar peanuts since last night.

“Jacqueline?” I ran to the door and pounded on it.

After a few minutes, she opened the door, still dressed in her red strapless. Her mascara was smudged and her hair tangled. “Beth! Where have you been?” She grabbed my hand and yanked me inside. “I found your purse in the alley beside the bar. Your lipstick was smashed to pieces and your cell has a huge crack down the screen, but it still works.

“You better call your mom. She’s been making both our cellphones hot all night. I finally had to turn them both off.”

I released a breath. She wasn’t changed like Amar said, despite what he sensed. I would know if my best friend had been taken over by some Blood Spirit creeps. And Mom calling, that meant she was safe… didn’t it? “You might want to sit down.”

She went to the fridge and pulled out a wine cooler. I bit my lip as Amar came inside and shut the front door. Before I could explain, Amar entered the kitchen.

Jacqui screamed and grabbed the broom propped against the kitchen door. “Get out of my house!”

“He saved me!” She didn’t turn at my words. “Jacqui, he saved my life. I know this is freaking you out, but he won’t hurt us.” Hopefully, the neighbors would just think his wings were an extravagant costume like I had thought.

“There are worse things than I.” His voice sent shivers through me and I was glad he was on my side. The edge of his black wings folded, giving him more room as he glared at her.

Did he think she was possessed by the blood things?

“Why does he talk like that? Is he an actor or something? He’s cute enough.” She kept one hand on the broom but tossed her golden hair over her shoulder with the other. “Are those robotic wings? We need to get those for our costume party this year. I could have white ones and go as an angel opposite your…” She waved a hand. “Whatever it is you’re supposed to be.”

“Are you flirting?” I was livid. My life was in danger and she was beaming as if she’d lost half her IQ points. “This is no joke. I-I…” Where did I start? At the point where I’d been thrown off a building? When my finger was chopped off and grew back?

“He’s a shifter. His wings are the real thing.” I motioned for Amar and he glided closer.

“No freaking way!” Her eyes widened. “Where did he come from?” She backed up as though to run.

A thump hit her roof and my pulse quickened. “What was that?”

Jacqui grabbed the broom with both hands, she must have heard the terror in my voice. When Amar moved to the door, we followed. Neither of us wanted to be alone, I guessed. My friend didn’t even know the whole story. The doorknob rattled. When Amar reached for the door, the windows in the living room shattered.

I screamed and hauled Jacqui down to the ground with me. Five huge men crashed through the dining and living room windows. They shoved aside the kitchen and coffee tables, chairs, and whatever else was in their way until they surrounded us.

The hatred in their eyes made me break into a sweat.

Too many of them.

Even with Amar’s knife, he couldn’t take all of them. At least I didn’t think he could. I’d never seen him fight, so I had no idea. The front door opened and Ms. Moor sauntered in. “We knew you’d visit her or your mother. Guess we see who you favor.”

“Leave me alone!” I rose with my fists clenched. I’d come to Jacqueline first because she had been the last to see me, and had been up close with Ms. Moor’s freaks.
Mom.
Had they already gotten to her? Or only set up surveillance, as they had with Jacqui? Maybe there was time to save them both.

“After you die, then we’ll leave you alone.” Hooknose guy smirked.

Amar drew his obsidian knife, and it looked like it sucked light into it, yet remained just as black. He leapt in front of us and slashed at the man nearest to him. Then again, and made contact. The man, instead of bleeding, fell into a cloud of grey smoke. Amar spun and brought up his blade into another’s stomach and he too became a pillar of smoke.