The Blood Bracelets #1: Blood Bound

Chapter Twenty-One

‘Zed!’ Kael shouted, falling to his knees as Taryn’s unconscious body slumped in his arms.

There was a sudden movement downstairs and then a stampede of footsteps came from the stairs. Zed, Ace, Eljae and Seth all rushed up to the landing and Zed was the first to reach Kael, dropping down to his knee to check Taryn. She wasn’t moving and for a split second Kael had thought her heart stopped because he couldn’t feel a pulse or hear her breathing until her pulse had fluttered like a struggling butterfly under his fingers.

‘What happened?’ Zed asked.

Kael shook his head. ‘I don’t know, we were... talking, and then she started to panic. I think she saw something outside the window,’ he said.

‘I’ll go check the street,’ said Eljae, hurrying back downstairs.

Zed gestured to Kael. ‘Go and lay her down, I’ll call Cecile,’ he told him, and for once there was no sarcasm, no spite in his voice at the mention of the Seeress.

Kael lifted Taryn into his arms and carried her back to his room to lay her on the spare bed opposite his own. He sat down beside her, reaching over to gently brush back her hair. He tried not to think about their kiss, her body, the electricity between them that was entirely different to the electricity he created at his fingertips. He tried not to think about it because there was only one thing he should be thinking about; Taryn’s current state.

When Ace and Seth came in behind him, Kael quickly retracted his hand. He glanced back to them, only briefly locking eyes with Seth. He still didn’t trust him, or even like him for that matter.

‘What did she see?’ asked Ace.

Kael shrugged. ‘I don’t know. There was nothing there when I checked, but it terrified her.’

‘No way,’ Ace said. ‘If there was anything in the building Zed or Eljae would have known before the rest of us. They would have smelt it or heard it, or whatever animal demons do.’

'Well they didn't,' said Kael, more harshly than he intended. 

'She didn't say anything?' Seth asked. 

Kael tensed just at the sound of his voice. 'Nothing.' 

He didn't understand what had happened. He didn't even understand what had happened between them, but that was a thought for another time. Taryn had seemed fine, but then a second later she looked as if she had been in pain before completely panicking. Kael hadn't seen anything out the window, hadn't sensed anything either, but then again he could've blamed that on the fact that he had been more focused on what he and Taryn were doing.

'You didn't do anything?' Seth asked further. 

Kael stood up quickly, spinning around to look at Seth. 'Just what the hell are you implying, Immortal?' 

'I'm asking if you may have done something to startle her,' said Seth, not backing down. 'And that's putting it politely.'

Ace was blinking between the two. 'Okay, whoa, let's not—'

'You should probably speak to Bennett about startling someone, since he seems to like cutting off people's wrists to solve problems.' 

'Consider that a lapse in judgement,' said Seth.

'And I'll consider your question a lapse in judgement too,' Kael told him, turning back to Taryn. 'For your sake.' 

In the reflection of the window Kael saw Seth leave the room, then a moment later Ace followed, for once not having a smart remark up his sleeve.