Blood Land by J.R. Lawson (famous ebook reader .TXT) 📕

Suddenly, her worried thoughts were interrupted as the door to her room began opening in front of her.  She stared at it as it slowly opened and a face appeared in the doorway.  It was, to her utmost dismay, Dagon’s face.  His chiseled features were improved by the large grin he wore on his face as he first peaked his head in and then gently took as step inside.  Nora looked him over as he casually made his way all the way into the room and stood in front of her.  His blonde hair was still slicked back across his head like the last time she had seen him and he still wore his black dress shirt and black pants, which so eloquently accentuated his pale skin and red eyes.  However, there was a difference that Nora suddenly noticed this time.  It was a bit of what looked like gauze and bandage, sticking out from the sleeve of his shirt on his left arm.  Bits of the white material even seemed to have black stains on them, indicating that he was possibly wounded.  Nora, unfortunately, didn’t get to really ponder this for too long.

“It’s nice to see you again, Nora,” Dagon charmingly greeted, his fangs gleaming at the front of his smile.  Nora, however, said nothing in response but just glared up at him.

“Listen,” he then started again, “I want you to be as comfortable here as possible.  Think of this place as your new home!  You are welcome to anything and everything!”

Again, Nora said nothing.

“Come now,” Dagon attempted again, bending down a bit so as to try to look her in the face, “I heard you didn’t eat last night.  You really should get something for breakfast.  Keep your strength up.  That’s important.”

“I’m not hungry.” Nora finally decided to speak up.

Dagon sighed at her comment and his fake grin subsided a bit into a small smirk.  He then shut his eyes for a second as he produced a small chuckle from the back of his throat.  “Alright, look,” he now began to say, in a more thoughtful tone, “I know I must seem like the bad guy here.  And I’m sure from what Rogan has told you…and maybe even Caroline…that that seems absolutely true.  But what you have to understand is…I am the law.  There are rules.  And I must enforce them, even if that makes me look like a horrible guy.  That’s just the way it is.  That’s the way things work.” He now took a few extra steps toward Nora and kneeled down in front of her, looking right into her eyes.  Nora tried to avoid looking back.  She knew the charming influence he seemed to have and she didn’t want it working on her.

“I’m not punishing you, Nora.  I see a power in you…and I want to reward that.  I want to help you become strong.”

“What makes you think I want that?” Nora now snapped.

“Well, just look at you!” Dagon chuckled as he stood up again, “Look how far you’ve already gotten!  You’re only one sip away, aren’t you?” Dagon then paused and said his next sentence softly as he looked down at her, “Or perhaps one…healing…away?  Hm?”

“Kale can give me the same thing!” Nora argued.

Dagon laughed, “If that were true…why aren’t you a full hybrid already?” When Nora didn’t answer he continued, “I can give you want you want.  I know what you want is to be strong.  To be powerful.  I can…and will…give that to you.”

“I know what you really want…from me,” Nora now found the courage to look back up into Dagon’s piercing eyes, “You don’t have to bullshit me.  I know.  I know the real reason you want me.  Why you want me to be a hybrid.”

Dagon just stared right back at Nora, not saying anything for a moment or two.  His glare was an almost annoyed one, until it suddenly softened and turned into a smug smile.  It seemed as if he was going to say something back to her, but unfortunately he didn’t get the chance as a knock on the open door behind him caused him to turn and look at Jay who was now in the doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt…but you wanted to go get….Aaron…once I came back…” Jay spoke to Dagon.

“Oh, yes, yes,” Dagon responded.  He then quickly turned back to Nora and said, “Please, Nora…you should eat some breakfast while I’m gone.  Change your clothes, make yourself at home.  I want you to enjoy your stay here.” He then flashed a fake smile, his fangs glistening again as he did so.  Nora gave him nothing but an angry stare back as he then proceeded to turn and exit the room, attempting to shut her door behind him.  However, the door didn’t latch and it was left ajar.  Nora stayed in her position sitting on the bed, listening, as Jay and Dagon’s conversation continued on the other side of her door.

“So, Rogan is gone then?” Dagon asked.

“Yes.  When I went back there he had left.  I’m assuming Caroline found him.”

“Good, good.  That’s what we wanted.  Everything’s going according to plan.  And Rogan got the information?  About where and when to meet us?”

“Yes.  I told him.”

“Good, good.  You’re a good kid, Jay.  You’ll go places around here.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now…let me get my coat and keys, and if you’ll get the bags for cleaning up the remains we’ll be all set to—” It was then that Nora heard Dagon cut off his sentence and she could hear distant sobbing in the midst of their slight pause.  She hadn’t heard it during the night she’d been here; however, she had been lost in thought practically the whole time, not much paying attention to things around her.

“God damn it, Kari, will you stop that constant sobbing!!!” Nora now heard Dagon shout.  It was then that the sobbing stopped abruptly. “For fucks sake.  You can’t hear yourself think around here with that god forsaken noise!”

“Sir…she’s upset about Aaron,” Jay interceded.

“Oh, please,” Dagon heartlessly responded, “I’ll find another hybrid to replace him soon…another one with super strength and she’ll forget all about him.”

“Sir…” Jay again pleaded, “Aaron was a person….and he died…”

“He was an idiot.” Dagon argued, “A dumbass and a fuck up.  That’s it.  He didn’t follow orders and look what happened.  Now we have to go clean it up.  Well, him up.” Dagon finished his sentence with an eerie chuckle that gave Nora chills as she heard it.

“Alright, anyway, let’s get out of here,” Dagon then instructed and it was immediately after that Nora heard the two of them walk away.

 IT WAS A few hours later that Nora had finally decided to shower and change out of her clothes.  She had found a black, wide neck sweatshirt and a pair of skinny jeans in the closet of her room that must have once been Caroline’s.  The jeans were a bit long for her, but Nora made them work by cuffing them.  She didn’t know what else she was supposed to do here in this place.  She was just going to sit back down on her bed again, when there was a knock at the door.  Nora was reluctant to answer.  She hoped it wasn’t Dagon again, wanting to talk.  Eventually she answered, summoning whoever it was to enter.

As the door opened, Jay was the one who appeared behind it, with a plate of breakfast food in his hand.  His brown hair was a mess atop his head and Nora noticed it was also a little damp.  He must have had the same idea about showering that she had earlier.  He wore a white shirt and jeans; his menacing trench coat that she always saw him in was missing.  He just stood in the doorway for a bit before he finally decided to speak, “Breakfast?” was all he managed to say.

“I’m not hungry,” Nora answered him as she took a defiant seat on her bed.

“Come on, you’ve got to eat something,” Jay tried to persuade.

“I already told Dagon no.  And I’m telling you no.  I don’t want his food.  I don’t want anything from him!” Nora angrily snapped.

Jay looked a little taken aback by her statement but he then responded, “Look, it’s just food.  It’s just breakfast.  And it’s not Dagon giving it to you, it’s me.  Just me.”

“What makes you think I want anything from you either?”

Jay looked away for a second and sighed before replying, “You have something against me too now?”

“You work for Dagon, so yes.”

“Look, I’m trying to help you.”

“By taking me away from Kale?  By bringing me here?  Yeah…you’re really helping me,” Nora answered sarcastically.

“I had to do that.  You don’t understand.  I have no choice.”

“There’s always a choice!  Look at Caroline.  She’s chosen to be with us; to fight with us.  She’s helping us.  What’s your excuse?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.  I’ve done a lot to try to help my friend.  I do what I can from in here.  But there’s only so much I can do.  I’m not like Caroline.  I can’t just leave.  I can’t.”

“You could.  You just won’t.”

“Look,” Jay now began to sound angry as he spoke.  Nora was a bit surprised as she had never really heard Jay be angry before, at least not the times she had seen him. “Caroline is brave.  Kale is brave.  You are brave.  I get that.  That’s fine for them.  They’re not afraid of Dagon.  But I am.  I’m afraid of what he’ll do to me.  I may not want to follow him but I’m too afraid not to.  I’m a coward, o.k.?  I admit it.  Not everyone can be so fearless.  And you shouldn’t expect everyone to be.” There was a small moment of silence between the two of them as Jay then relaxed a bit and sighed. “I try to help Kale as much as I can.  As much as someone who is his friend can.  And I am rooting for you.  For all of you.  I just….can’t fight alongside you.”

Nora looked away from Jay for a moment.  She almost felt a little bad for having said what she’d said to him.  It was then that she decided to stick out her hand as if to, without words, accept the offering of breakfast that Jay had brought to her.  Jay looked at her outstretched arm and seemed to understand perfectly.  He handed her the plate and Nora took it, silently placing it into her lap as she then began to eat.

“I am really sorry this had to happen,” Jay then said, breaking the momentary silence between them.

Nora waited until she had chewed a few of the bites in her mouth before then saying, “Do you know what Dagon is planning?”

Jay sighed. “All I know is he wants to meet Kale for a proper fight.  At his father’s fairground.  On the night of the new moon.  He wants to make sure he…kills Kale this time.  He doesn’t want any more mistakes.”

“Do you think Kale has a chance?” Nora sincerely asked.

Jay chuckled a bit. “Kale is pretty strong.  And when he’s fighting for a reason, he can be a tough one to mess with.  But…Dagon is very strong