Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1), Emma Hamm [free novels txt] 📗

“You always have,” Wren responded quietly. “But can you do it in this situation? You’ve never shown me any kind of magic other than creating Juice.”

The creature inside of her was suspiciously quiet after that statement. Wren managed to pull out an old suitcase that she had used to move long ago. She stuffed fabric into it for a few moments before E began to speak.

“I am unused to you knowing what we are.”

“So am I,” she said with a chuckle.

“Have you heard of my kind before?”

“No. You would know if I had.”

“Of course.” E paused again, as though it was attempting to gather its thoughts. “I am what is known as Legion. There were a few of us born early in the years of our world. Every time a creature dies around us, they become a part of us.”

“Makes sense.” She said quietly. “So you are not one creature at all, are you?”

“No.” The word was said warmly as though it was proud of her for figuring this part out. “I am many creatures and one. We have one mind, one purpose, but many voices.”

Her fingers paused as she held a lacy pair of underwear above her suitcase. “Are you capable of using all of the powers you’ve absorbed?”

“If I was, then we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Wren laughed loudly. “What, be the answer to a prophecy? Have our lives turned upside down? What would you have our life be then, dear E?”

“Living on a island somewhere tropical. I would whisk you away until the freckles on your nose were far more prominent and you knew what it felt like to swim every single day of your life.”

“That sounds idyllic.” The smile on her face felt as though the sun had broken over a rainy day. E had a way of painting pictures with its words. Or perhaps it was showing her in memories what kind of island it had once experienced.

“I can share with you my own memories. In small parts.”

She could feel the roiling of individuals inside of her then. The massive amounts of power and memories and thoughts threatened to swallow her whole. At the very last moment, she could feel them all retreating to the back of her mind.

“Sorry,” E muttered, “I’ll try to keep the chatter to a minimum.”

“Will I ever get used to it?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a host not have the barrier in its mind. Well, never had a host without the barrier exist as long as you.”

Wren knew better than to ask for clarification on that topic. She didn’t want to know what had happened to the others that E had inhabited. She didn’t want to know what could potentially happen to her very soon. If she was going to be swallowed whole by a darkness that existed in her own mind, then she wanted it to be a surprise.

At least she would have the creature inside of her head for as long as she could.

“E?” she asked. “I don’t want you to merge with me, like Jiminy’s Dream Walker did. I want you to exist after I die.”

“It’s a sweet thought, Wren. We couldn’t merge even if you wanted to. This many minds cannot be housed inside a human body. Doing so would destroy us both.”

Somehow she had known that, but hearing it also helped her decision be more final. She curled her fist once more inside of a skirt but then let it flutter on top of the suitcase.

“Right. That’s good then.” She swallowed hard and stared down at the bundle of clothing. “Everything is going to change now, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

She wasn’t exactly frightened of change. But she wasn’t looking forward to it either. Her life had been so simple before all of this. Every day was the same, and every hour didn’t have all that many surprises.

She let out a breath. It wasn’t her choice to change, but it was going to happen whether she was on board with it or not. Wren supposed it was easier to just go along with it.

A soft scratching noise made her look up at the window. A shadow darkened the edge of it, and she squinted her eyes to peer at the person.

“Pitch?”

J iminy wiped the sweat off of his forehead. The attack had been quick and precise. There were too many wounded for him to take even a moment to breathe. Malachi had known what he was doing, or the people who worked for him had known.

The house they had fired into was a safe house for Red Bloods. They were the last few remaining humans with no creature hosts and were so very important to all of their existence. An excess of humans meant that the magical creatures had the smallest chance to reproduce. They had not seen a new soul for many years.

It was a one in a million shot to have a child that didn’t have an old creature within it. The few that managed to be remade in this dimension were those that had been created through the magic that was brought with them.

Humans were the only ones that could bring something new into this world. Each child that was born to human parents that had straight Red Blood had a chance of creating a new creature, or even a new species depending on what direction the magic leaned.

All around him were Red Bloods lying on the ground. The air was filled with the metallic scent of blood and the sound of moaning. Malachi knew exactly where to attack, which mean he also knew where the other safe houses were.

A hand on his elbow made him flinch. Lyra stood next to him, her usually bright eyes were darkened with pity as she looked around them. “I don’t know what else we could have done.”

She wasn’t looking at Burke, but then he wasn’t looking at her. They were both staring at the carnage around them. “Neither do I.”

They didn’t have healers