rp slap landed

y senses sn

y? Zoning out again? What were you staring a

n't-Dad's

ask was gone. No trace. The voice, too

ething?" My brother laughed

ds and rites. If they didn't se

red blankly into the simmering p

was happenin

claimed me by blood pact, forced himself on me

with arcane relics, came home wounded, weary, an

dbra

e body still ached, my thi

**

edge of my bed, gnawing at m

back kept flashing through my

re husband of mine appeared with

That

hadows carved into silver edges

ck... it was red, blood-red. The

t. Maybe because he'd

ed and proceeded with what he

of softening, no matter h

anted from me. I had res

didn't dul

in my lungs, and the searing burn

iscomfort irrita

ugher, like he want

in the room were those brutal collisio

face. My body couldn't

bleed again-at least the

he only did i

the lack of pleasure in my res

o

ting him with my body, may

d, I blurted, "Hey..

rp spark of restrained fury. "Wh

n't know your name, and you're the o

id, crossing his arms. "You may

e arro

being generous. To him, I

else?" I asked dryly.

with a colder tone, he said, "My

c Vex

. The name was strangely

lent, cold-blooded man

"Alaric... the mask on your

tiff

slowly lowered. His voice turne

," I whispered. "It was smiling.

t ever since he returned from dealing with some artifact,

d curled into a tight fist at his side, the v

y. "I'll look into it t

idn't di

e of my bed, back facing m

n't le

athe too loudly, too nervously

as I slipped into unconsciousness, I felt h

o much like his-wha

it on my f

**

are, uninterrupte

home to find my dad

asking, "Dad... i

k? What would be wrong with it? J

rther. I didn't w

grave line: The most dangerous spirits are the ones who wear a smile-especially the red ones.

elics, and my father was well-versed in old rites and protective spe

light and teasing. "Come here.

ound his eyes seemed deeper

ee table. "A guy came in earlier to trade something. I tho

I echoed

irely. The velvet fabric was deep blood-red, faded with age, but still vibrant in an eerie way. Black thorns and twi

ash, and something o

me to just throw myself into this vampire bo

ought... maybe one day, you coul

d had no place in

from cursed objects. Because of what happened to Mom. He

on this gown that clearly r

His smile faded. Hi

d it-a voic

vow, Clara... Now

od ran

g back. "Dad, what's wrong?

ans

looked at me with crimson-soaked e

again-the voice in m

ra Duskgrave.

move toward me, crossing the coffee table