Red Blood (Series of Blood Book 2) Emma Hamm (the beginning after the end read novel .TXT) 📖

fell. They landed on her hand and drifted to the floor. The cloying scent of rose stung her nose as it slowly died in front of her. Rotting and molded, the rose slowly crumbled to dust in her hand.

All that remained within just a few moments were the dried edges of the petals. Wolfgang leaned down and scattered them with a mere breath. The beautiful rose he had gifted her now had been reduced to nothing.

“You practice Blood Magic,” Wren said quietly from her corner in the room.

Lyra recognized that voice. It was Wren yet not. E had a very soft accent that Wren did not usually have. Although the longer she was part of E, the more Lyra recognized the accent coming through during the day.

“Indeed, I do.” Wolfgang nodded. “All of my life.”

“Blood Magic is dangerous.”

“All magic is dangerous,” he responded. “I have no time for petty tricks.”

Gaia stood up, and the rest of the Five followed suit. “I will not have a Magician on this team. Let alone one who meddles in affairs he does not understand.”

“I understand perfectly what it is I practice, Madame. Blood magic is a consuming poison that spreads throughout a person and changes who they are. I knew that the moment I opened my first spellbook.”

Nurin stiffened. He represented the element of Fire and was known to have an explosive temper. He was not someone to trifle with. His voice was angry and grating as he spoke. “All the spellbooks were destroyed along with the Magicians.”

“So you thought.”

The Five obviously did not know how to take this information. Lyra found herself wondering just how involved they had been with the process of destruction. The school books always said removing Magicians and Witches had been a unanimous choice. Now she wondered just how much truth that statement held.

“Send him back home, Pitch.”

Lyra had forgotten he was still here. Pitch had a way of seeming to disappear without anyone noticing he was still in the room.

“How do you do that?” Lyra couldn’t help but ask him.

A flash of bright teeth was her answer. He stepped forward and reached for Wolfgang along with his sticky shadows. But Wolfgang stepped out of his reach.

“I did not come here for you,” Wolfgang told the Five. “Malachi is planning on attacking my home. My people. I need you to help me stop him.”

“Like we asked you to help us fulfill a prophecy to stop him? The answer is no.”

Lyra could hear Wolfgang’s teeth gritting. “I am asking nicely.”

“And I appreciate that, but just because you said please does not mean you get what you want.”

“These are people we are talking about. I cannot do it all myself.”

“And the answer will always be no.” Gaia opened the door. “You will address this issue yourself, and my team will remain safe. We will find another to take your place in the prophecy.”

“I will do it.” Wolfgang’s frantic request made Gaia pause. “I will do whatever it is you ask of me. But I must save my people first.”

She appeared to consider his request. Gaia glanced over her shoulder to make eye contact with Nurin who gave the slightest of nods. “Very well then. I expect to see you back here with the rest of the team. We will not make it easy for you, Magician.”

“I never thought you would.”

The door slammed shut behind her and the rest of the Five. Aether reopened the door to give them all a saucy wink before slamming the door again.

Lyra swallowed hard. The dust in her hand fell like a waterfall. “I’ll help.”

“No, you won’t.” Wolfgang denied her.

“What? Do you think I can’t do it?”

“I don’t want you hurt.”

“That’s not your decision.” The words crackled with anger and indignation. “If I want to fight, I’m going to fight. That’s either with you or against you. It’s your choice.”

He glanced towards her with an amused quirk on his lips. She noticed mirth sparkling in his eyes. “Then I wish to fight with you on my side. I fear fighting against you would be a losing battle.”

“You know it would be.”

Burke crossed his arms firmly over his chest. He watched them with rapt attention until slowly he nodded. “All right. All right, we’ll help. But how do you know that Malachi is going to be attacking the Black Market?”

“A letter. He has been communicating with all the Lords of the Black Market. We have not responded as there has been no reason to.”

“You were not interested in more power?” Wren asked him skeptically.

Wolfgang made an undignified sound. “No. We are not interested in more power. That is something we do not need some upstart providing for us. We can obtain that ourselves.”

He held his hand forward, and Lyra could smell the faint scent of burning flesh. On his palm a letter appeared. The parchment unfurled and swirling letters danced before them.

“Only the person whom the letter is addressed can read the words. However, this is not the first time he has written. We have ignored him, and because of that, he has finally given up. As the strongest of the Lords, he plans to attack my people first. It is the obvious choice. If my territory should fall, the others are likely to follow or agree to work with him.”

Lyra could not imagine the horror that Malachi would bring. She remembered all too vividly the last time she had seen what he was capable of. The people who followed him were only growing in numbers.

Or so they assumed. They hadn’t had a lot of information provided to them from their spies. The unknown was a terrifying horror when it came to Malachi. He was very good at convincing people to do what he wanted. There were plenty of dark and light creatures who saw his reasoning.

None of them had believed Lyra or the rest of her team when they told them Malachi wanted to wipe the earth clean. He was adamant that he only wanted the