Torn Page 0,72

his blood subtly slowed my movements as I passed him. Without thinking my tongue licked my upper lip as I passed him, causing a slight smile to spread across his face.

I looked up at him, realizing what I'd done, and muttered, "You suck."

He smiled back, "Yeah, but I also saved you from yourself." He let the door close and walked across the dark room to a high wing backed chair that was facing away from us. I froze when I realized someone was sitting in it. An old man looked up at me from behind round glasses. His pale skin and slumped form made me think he'd been sitting like this for some time.

"Eric?" I questioned, but he waved a hand at me to shut up. Eyes wide, I watched him cross the room to a small closet. There was a black padlock on the outside of the door. He inserted a key and twisted. The brimstone lock opened in his hands. As he undid the lock from the latch, and I realized that someone powerful was locked in that tiny room. My heart sank into my feet. What if it was Collin? Or Al? And I'd been sitting down the hall with him for hours. Repulsion at my stupidity shot through me. Eric was a Valefar and acted like it. I had to stop thinking he was something else. He completely screwed me. My thoughts shifted back to the closet as he finished unlocking it.

The tall slender white door opened with ease. I expected someone to come charging out, but Eric reached down, and took a tiny hand in his and pulled the person out of the shadows. The tiny hand was attached to a slender arm, on the petite frame of a girl, with silky cinnamon colored hair. My fists balled in fury as I ran to rip her eyes out of her head, and shove her ass through the black mirror permanently.

"You!" she screamed, recognizing me. Shannon turned to fight, instantly contorting her face with rage. "What'd you do to him? You already did enough!" We fought like high school girls, not like warriors. I was so mad at her for turning on me. My fingers wrapped into her long silky hair and I pulled hard, thrusting her head into the beautifully plastered walls. The owner watched the outburst and ensuing chaos placidly, saying nothing. The vacant expression in his eyes was notable, but I didn't realize what it meant yet. At the same moment that Shannon landed her cat claws on my face and started to rip my skin open with her nails, the aroma hit me.

Breathing hard, I stopped and turned instantly. Shannon's movement echoed my own. Heart racing, I stood in front of Eric, wanting what he had. On each forefinger there was one drop of bright red blood. He held it in front of each of us, and used it to slowly lure us away from each other and toward him. My mind was screaming, telling me to leave, to run away, to do anything but follow that beautiful drop of blood on Eric's beautiful fingers. Burning intensity shot through me with longing I've never known. When he stopped moving, I finally looked up at him.

Eric's eyes were wide as he gazed at me. In that second, I wasn't afraid of him. There was something less feral about him, less angry, and more like the old Eric. I forgot about the blood, and stood transfixed until he asked me to sit. I complied without thought, willing to do anything Eric asked of me.

His voice was smooth and sweet, "I have a drop for each of you. All you have to do to get it is answer my questions." He turned to Shannon and my heart fell. I wanted him to talk to me. I wanted his eyes on me, his perfect face turned toward me. But, I heard him ask her, "Were you there with us in the Lorren?" She had a goofy expression on her face and nodded. Eric turned, asking me the same question.

"Yes," I answered eagerly.

I felt so strange. I didn't like Shannon, but I could no longer remember why. The hatred that seared through my veins moments ago was gone. My fixation shifted between Eric's golden eyes and the dark red drop of blood sitting on top of his index finger as he held it up careful not to spill it. I decided that if the drop rolled off