Rapid Pulse (Violet Memory Book 1) Read online

  I hadn’t been able to control my mind. The terror, revulsion, and anger I’d felt had been overshadowed by another emotion. One I hated myself for feeling, but the emptiness and loneliness I’d sensed in him had been so profound and consuming I hadn’t been able to help it.

  I hadn’t meant to pity him.

  I woke up in the same position as the last time, my body a crumbled heap on the icy wooden floor. I looked around for him, squinting my eyes, studying especially the dim corners.

  Relief flooded through me. I was alone.

  For a time I allowed myself to stay there, staring at the ceiling as the dam broke through. I sobbed uncontrollably. I dug into my pockets for my cell phone even though I knew it wasn’t there. I raked my bloodstained fingers through my hair, trying to regain control of myself.

  I’d survived the death of my parents. I could survive this.

  But then worry poured into me. Grandma. What about Grandma? She could barely take care of herself, and the home nurse didn’t stay with her all day. What if she forgot to eat? What if she took the wrong pills? Or what if she were herself at the moment, however brief that moment may be, and she thought I’d abandoned her?

  My heart broke at the thought of her all alone. I had to get home.

  I pushed myself up off the floor and quickly leaned against the wall as the world spun. How much blood had I lost? I touched my neck and winced. There were holes on both sides now.

  Rage tore through me so violently my heart skipped several beats. I stumbled to the heavy crimson drapes and tore them open. My stomach sank as I stared out the floor-length window. Night was here, the sky inky and foreboding, and I could see nothing out there but trees.

  Faint hope seeped into me when I registered the glass door that lead to a stone balcony. I tugged on the dark golden handle. Locked.

  I punched the glass in frustration before running to the opposite side of the room where the other door was, tripping twice. I was weak, cold. I pressed my ear to the wood and concentrated on whatever might await me on the other side.

  At first I couldn’t hear anything through the thick wood, but finally, I heard soft laughter and even softer footsteps. There were voices, quiet and indistinguishable.

  More vampires?

  I almost laughed aloud at the fact that I so easily believed what lurked on the other side were creatures of the night. But there was no denying what Gabriel was, no time to try to force logic or reason when every cell in body knew.

  I’d seen the streak of black that had been Gabriel as he’d moved, had felt his strength when he’d pinned me to the wall. I’d felt my blood being drained, had witnessed his fear of sunlight, and had even felt his mind inside my own.

  And he wasn’t alone.

  I didn’t bother checking to see if the door was unlocked; I couldn’t go out that way. I would have to break the glass windows in front of the balcony. But if legends proved true, vampires had impeccable senses and would hear the glass break. And that meant I wouldn’t have time to climb down.

  I would have to jump.

  But before that, I needed a weapon. There were so many stories about vampires and their weaknesses, and I had no idea which ones were true. Sunlight had proven already to be one, but that wasn’t an option at the moment. Maybe waiting for morning would be the smarter thing to do, but what if Gabriel came back and wanted more of my blood? I was shivering to the point of my teeth chattering and dazed enough that my eyes couldn’t focus on anything for very long. I wouldn’t survive more blood loss. What if more vampires joined him, or what if they just decided to break me into pieces for sport?

  I had to leave now.

  I racked my foggy brain for more weaknesses. Fire was promising, but it wasn’t like I could jump from a balcony while holding a burning log. I stared at the firewood as it hissed and popped amidst the flames, running my hand along the door.

  Wood. Wooden stake to the heart.

  I went to the fireplace and practically fell down to where the logs were stacked. I searched through them, scraping my fingers. Finally, I found one that was split and had a long piece halfway unattached. I pulled on it until it came loose and then held it to my chest as if it were made of diamonds. It wasn’t exactly sharp at the ends, but with enough force, I was sure I could at least harm one of them with it.

  I stood up, tucking the wood into my jacket pocket. I grabbed one of the side tables sitting next to the velvet armchairs in front of the fireplace. I dragged it slowly toward the window, wincing as it squeaked against the floor. I braced myself before lifting it, my arms feeling like noodles.

  With every ounce of strength left in me, I picked it up and threw it against the window.

  The glass shattered. I ran through the opening, gasping when a protruding glass shard deeply sliced my left shoulder open. I bit my lip to not cry out as warm blood gushed down my arm. I grabbed the railing and looked down.

  The ground was at least twenty feet away, but what else did I have to lose? Was there really even a choice for me? If I angled myself correctly, there was at least a chance for me to land in the bushes under the balcony. I put one leg over the railing, then the other.

  “Kara.”

  A second ago, he hadn’t been there. Now he was. Gabriel stood on the balcony, his emerald eyes somehow serious and emotionless at the same time.

  I let go.

  The ground rushed to meet me, the wind tore at me.

  And then a streak of black flew across my vision and materialized beneath me.

  The breath was knocked from me when I fell into his arms. He ghosted us across the grass, far from the prison I’d tried to escape. Before I could register or even wonder why he’d bothered to catch me, my hand gripped the piece of wood in my pocket and snaked out toward his heart.

  Gabriel caught my wrist, supporting my weight with only one arm. He squeezed my wrist just enough to loosen my fingers. I cried out as the wood fell to the ground, and his face moved toward mine until only an inch separated us. His glowing eyes held me, and then I saw it.

  That first flicker of emotion. Anger.

  “Do not ever try that again,” Gabriel hissed.

  I shuddered against him, the anger in his eyes searing me to my very core. I was walking beyond a fine line. I could tell he wanted to kill me. And yet, the anger in his eyes slowly turned to confusion. Was he as surprised as I was that he’d caught me?

  “I see you’ve found a new toy.”

  We both turned to the voice. A man maybe five years older than Gabriel was casually walking toward us from the surrounding trees. He had the same perfection to his features, and his eyes were molten silver. His hair was dark brown, much shorter than Gabriel’s. He wore dark clothing that stood out in stark contrast to his alabaster skin.

  I began shaking uncontrollably. It was all just too much. And as much as Gabriel scared me, there was something about this other vampire that terrified me even more. In Gabriel’s eyes, I’d seen emptiness. In this man’s eyes were things far more sinister.

  I felt rather than heard Gabriel’s small sigh before he spoke.

  “Hello, Elias.”

  Elias’s unnatural eyes found the wood on the ground before settling on my face. The world blurred, but I could still make out his cruel smile.

  “Got yourself one with more spunk than usual, Gabriel. I saw the whole thing.” He chuckled. “I must say, I don’t think any human has ever tried to escape that way before.”

  I felt Gabriel shrug. I hated how I was too weak to support my weight. My head tilted back, and through the blurriness I saw the white mansion, bigger than any house I’d ever seen.

  Elias came closer, his hungry gaze on my pulsing shoulder. “I was just about to go hunting, but the blood . . .” His smile grew wider. “What a sweet smell. And just listen to her heart!”

  “I suppose you want some?” Gabriel asked, sounding bored.

  Elias raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be honest—I didn’t think you would offer.”

&n
bsp; Gabriel seemed hesitant, at least until Elias’s face turned quizzical. He put me down. Sick from blood loss, I swayed and fell. I looked up at both of them, murder in my eyes mixing with tears.

  Even though it had been my subconscious, how had I ever had it in me to pity Gabriel? I decided then and there, no matter what happened, I would kill them both.

  “If either of you touch me,” I seethed, almost too angry to even speak.

  “Oooh,” Elias snickered. “This is such a nice change of pace from all the begging and screaming.”

  He leaned down, and I scrambled backwards, one of my hands landing on top of something sharp. The piece of wood.

  There was a patch of grass stained red from where my shoulder had dripped blood. Elias touched the blades with a finger, the liquid sticking to his ivory skin. He stuck it into his mouth, licking his lips.

  “Exquisite,” he nearly moaned.

  He moved toward me. It took all of my willpower to wait until he was close enough. When I felt his breath on my cheek, I jabbed the wood toward his heart.

  He laughed, knocking the wood from my hand. The bones in my fingers snapped. I screamed, and he took my shoulders and pinned me to the ground.

  Elias looked down at me, his face consumed with bloodlust. Two fangs popped out of his gums, sharp and gleaming. “Don’t worry, little hummingbird. This will be the last time. You won’t survive another feeding.”

  Immediately, there was the sound of someone being violently shoved, followed by a gust of wind. Gabriel crouched in front of me, one of his hands closed over my bleeding shoulder. Elias was now on the ground at least a hundred feet away.

  “Having a change of heart?” Elias shouted sarcastically. He stood up and brushed himself off, anger bleeding into his voice. “What is your problem?”

  I sat in absolute shock, my eyes glued to Gabriel as he took off his black jacket and wrapped it around my bleeding shoulder. I did not, could not, believe what I saw in Gabriel’s eyes.

  He was afraid.

  “I did not realize she was close to death,” Gabriel said softly, but somehow I knew Elias would hear him anyway.

  Elias laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. He moved like Gabriel, just a streak I couldn’t follow, and was suddenly in front of us.

  “How could you not know? Just look at her. The angel of death is the only thing in her near future. Well, you do usually drain your victims dry, so I suppose you would not know.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Why have you kept her alive, anyway? It’s rare you ever bring anyone home, and when you do, they are usually dead within hours.”

  Gabriel sat very still. He looked into my eyes, and I stared at him with all the hatred I could muster.

  Finally, Gabriel spoke, but he didn’t look away from me. “Her blood is sweet,” he said slowly.

  Elias nodded. “I agree. It’s not often you find someone with blood that intoxicating.” He smiled coldly. “Still, it is very unlike you, Gabriel.”

  Gabriel stood up, but I noticed he kept himself between Elias and me. “She means nothing to me. I am using her for her blood.”

  Elias leaned toward him, his face like a snake. “Are you sure? If you have to assure me otherwise, I cannot help but think . . .”

  Gabriel was suddenly in Elias’s face. “I said she means nothing to me.”

  They stood like that for several minutes. I fell back against the ground, unable to fight the lingering darkness any longer. I felt my life fading, hanging by a thread.

  But Elias’s next words snapped me out of my faint.

  “Take caution it stays that way. Because the moment you come to care for her, I swear to you, Gabriel, I will kill her.”

  Chapter 4 Claimed

  Gabriel waited a long time after Elias left, staring at the trees where he had disappeared.

  I lay on the ground and watched the swirling stars, too cold and weak to speak. Even my anger was flickering away like a dying ember. I could hardly feel the pain of the crushed bones in my right fingers.

  But I did feel my heart slowing. The cut from the glass must have been the final straw. My entire left arm was absolutely soaked in blood.

  “Kara, stay with me.”

  I felt something brush my face. The stars in the sky turned into green jewels.

  “He’s gone now.” There was a snapping sound. Gabriel brought his wrist to his lips before lowering it to my mouth. “Drink.”

  Red liquid dripped over my lips. I moaned and turned my face away.

  “You have to drink my blood, or you will die.”

  I attempted to shake my head, partially succeeding.

  “L-Leave me a-alone,” I choked.

  Something wet pressed hard against my lips. I fought against it, but the green jewels dominated the sky and bore into my very soul.

  “Drink.”

  I could no longer fight. I had to drink. . . . There was no other option. Tasteless liquid filled my mouth and ran down my throat.

  Images and sensations flew across my mind. I saw my parents, Grandma, Lila, and Miles. All my pets. Then there was a girl with black hair, waving and smiling. Elias’s face, his lips dripping blood, and Gabriel’s intense hatred for him. Decades of dark clouds and night skies. The bliss of music, the light of stars, the endless color red. Undying thirst.

  Apathy. Apathy so intense it was the deepest hole that couldn’t be escaped, threaded with remembered slivers of guilt, shame, and envy for countless years. Then slowly, almost painfully, a pulse of compassion. Shock. Anger. Confusion. Fear. The emotions were so strong, almost painful in their intensity.

  And now I knew. It hadn’t been curiosity that had saved me. Gabriel had shown me compassion because I’d seen my parents that night. He’d felt my relief that I wouldn’t be alone anymore, and because he’d understood. He knew what it felt like to feel that alone. He’d been shocked that after hurting me I’d felt compassion for him. Because I knew what it felt like to be that alone. My own compassion had saved me the second time.

  But he’d wanted to kill me. He still did. He didn’t understand his mercy, his hesitations. He liked killing. It was a part of him, his nature, and yet I saw myself falling from the balcony and felt his fear. He’d tried to ignore what he hadn’t understood and had offered my blood to Elias. Then hearing that I wouldn’t survive, he hadn’t been able to go through with it.

  He hadn’t just been angry because I’d tried to stake him—a part of him had been angry that I’d jumped. And when he’d said not to try that again, he hadn’t been just talking about me trying to kill him. He’d meant me putting my life at risk.

  And I saw myself again in his eyes. I had my head in his lap, my hand gripping his arm as I drank greedily from his wrist. My hazel eyes stared unblinkingly into his green ones, trance-like. My freckled face was starting to regain color.

  He pulled the jacket away from my shoulder, and I saw it was completely healed except for a scar. The bones in my fingers popped, snapping back into place.

  Warmth was surging through me. I felt whole and well. Incredible, actually. I couldn’t look away from those eyes. I couldn’t stop drinking, and I didn’t know why. I felt his fear shift to relief, then edge toward euphoria. I saw my cheeks flame red in his mind’s eye.

  It was too intense. Too intimate. His breathing sped up, his perfect mouth parted.

  “Stop,” he rasped.

  I moved away from him like he was poisonous. I sat there breathing heavily, the cool summer air hot against my pulsing skin.

  “What did you do to me?” I shouted, trembling. “Why couldn’t I stop?”

  Gabriel stood up, his body making no sound as he moved. “It’s called Control. It only works on humans, but all vampires possess the ability.”

  He walked over to me and held out a hand, but I smacked it away. Amusement and anger pooled inside his luminous eyes.

  “What does it do?” I demanded.

  Gabriel looked at me like I was stupid. “You witnessed what it did. It is mind cont
rol. You’re in a trance-like state, and you do whatever I tell you to do.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, my stomach dropping. There was blood all over me. “How many times have you Controlled me?”

  Gabriel held up a single finger.

  I shook my head, standing up. “I don’t believe you,” I spat.

  Gabriel smirked. “I do not care if you believe me or not. You were dying. I Controlled you because you were being stubborn. In case you did not notice, vampire blood heals human injuries and replenishes blood loss.”

  The world turned red. I tried to speak several times but couldn’t because I was so angry. I turned away, eyeing the piece of wood on the ground and calculated my chances of success if I went for it. My odds didn’t seem good.

  And then he was right behind me, as if he knew my thoughts, so close I could feel his breath on my neck. Without a single rational thought for my safety, I turned around and slapped him, the sound cracking like a whip that echoed throughout the trees.

  He pursed his lips and looked down at me. The anger in his eyes froze.

  I was suddenly made of stone, horrified, and it took at least five minutes for me to gather my courage to speak. But even then, words wouldn’t form.

  “I-I’m . . .”

  I took a few steps back, my pulse hammering in my ears like beats of thunder. Then I realized he wasn’t making a move toward me. He didn’t even look like he was breathing.

  “You let me do that,” I choked out.

  He nodded once.

  “But it’s your fault I needed your stupid blood in the first place!”

  “Hence the reason why I let you hit me. I wouldn’t try it again.”

  “But you’re not going to kill me,” I whispered hopefully.

  Surprise flitted across his face.

  “If you had wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. You caught me when I jumped. You didn’t let Elias drink from me. You fed me your blood. I was inside your head, I know—”