Red Blood (Series of Blood Book 2) by Emma Hamm (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

could create was infinitely more enjoyable than a magician’s greatest trick.

“Wolfgang?”

Her soft murmur was as much music to his ears as the sound of wind in a seashell. When had he become so enamored with her? Poetry suddenly filled his head on how a whispered breath from her lips was alike to the kiss of a wave upon sand.

This was not normal for him. Not when he had never once found himself so singularly attracted to one person. Not just for her body or her power but for the bright spark of life inside her that called to him.

Even now, with the smallest use of magic, he could see the filaments from his own body reaching for her. Dark blue and vibrating with power, they were a sharp contrast to the swirl of thick wavelike energy that was her lifeforce. And the so revered soul that resided deep within her breast. To his eyes, it was constantly dancing.

“You promised me a secret,” she said once more.

“Golems.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“Golems are men crafted out of mud and the lingering souls in this dimension. I combine them with magic to bring new life to what was once dirt and water.”

“They’re your guards?”

She was smart, this woman of his. Although no, she was a not his. Not entirely. Not yet.

“Yes, they are my guards.”

“You use them to protect the streets? To keep them safe?”

“They are unlike my doppelganger. I control them when I use them. There are talismans throughout my territory that alert me when someone is distressed or uncomfortable.”

“Do they alert you when someone is being lied to?” Lyra’s expression had once more hardened to stone. “Such as when a Lord is making a deal?”

“We do not lie.”

“Again, I do not believe you in the slightest.”

He sighed. “I understand you are directly referencing Bones. I have little to share with you. But know this. Bones lost all faith in humanity long ago. He sees darkness in everyone and has found no way to contain such darkness. He has decided that the best way to protect anyone is to keep them safe. Even from themselves.”

“Doesn’t he understand that’s invading their lives?”

She said the words far too vehemently. Wolfgang’s eyes narrowed as he looked her over. Thoughts that he did not enjoy bloomed in his mind. Jealousy was a dangerous emotion, especially for one such as he.

“Bones teaches them to protect themselves. He gathers them to his home to create a personal army. Armed to the teeth, they are at his beck and call. He is prepared for the worst at all times.”

“You’re making him sound like a martyr.” Lyra grit her teeth so hard he could see the muscle on her jaw twitching. “He is not a martyr.”

Wolfgang was quickly losing control over this conversation. He knew where this would end. She would become angry and leave. He would then be forced to expend even more energy to see what she was doing while she was gone.

Spying on a woman wasn’t gentlemanly. He liked to think that he could be classified as a gentleman. Therefore, such an argument was only hindering him.

“I did not bring you here to argue, Lyra.”

The words seemed to calm her down, if only for a few moments. She huffed out a breath but arched a brow. “You didn’t bring me here at all.”

“Are you so certain of that?”

She remained silent. A small smile tilted the edges of her lips upwards, and he knew he had gotten through to her. That was the reaction he wanted. A distraction and an understanding that he was trying to save this evening.

“No, I suppose I’m not. And you are capable of such amazing things, aren’t you?”

He could do something with that. Sniffing loudly, he shook out the robe, which covered his shoulders, and lifted his hands.

A low hum rumbled in his throat as he splayed his fingers wide before him. Sometimes magic could be showy, other times it could be as simple as the slightest flick of a wrist. But, now, he wanted to be showy. If she thought he was capable of great things, then he would show her how correct she was.

Moving his hands ever so slightly, electric blue light began to pour from the tips of his fingers. Magic. In its purest form it always looked like a lightning bolt. It was so full of power that raw magic was nearly uncontainable.

The spell he was muttering under his breath was finished with a flourish. Bolts of magic were given form. Suddenly, the room was filled with a cacophony of creatures. A golden stag bowed before them as its great horns touched the moss beneath their feet. Birds of paradise flew overhead and giant carp swam past with long tails of glistening fins behind it.

Lyra’s laughter merged with that of the Nixies who raised their hands towards the birds.

“You can do all of this?” she asked as a wide smile spread across her face.

“This and more.”

“Why? Why show me this?”

The answer was a simple one. He knelt before her, and his robe parted to reveal a spindly leg covered by moth bitten velvet. His skeletal hand reached out to gently touch the curve of her jaw. “To make you smile.”

She seemed to smile all the more bright at his words. Mere moments were allowed before her head turned, and his hand fell away. She watched his creations with avid attention, and he, in turn, watched her.

His hand flexed many times in the hours that passed by in that room. The imprint of her skin burned into his flesh like a brand. Like the scars and runes that decorated his body, he was infinitely aware of her.

Multiple times he wanted to raise the hood of his robe. She should not be subjected to the sight of what he had become. Yet not once did she appear bothered by him.

Instead, she focused upon finding a connection with the Nixies. He smiled for the first time in true enjoyment.