Bag of Blood - Vampire Mystery Romance by J.O. Osbourne Read Free Book Online Page A

this young girl."
    Clad in a thickly warm black dress, Lena lowered her head respectively as the Minister spoke at Rebekah's funeral. She felt somewhat like an imposter, but had felt restless; she couldn't miss it. She had no love for Rebekah in life, and even in death her opinion of the girl hadn't changed much, but she felt compelled to say goodbye, anyway. Trying to remain inconspicuous, she slipped into a pew near the back of the large, well-lit building.
    Noticing that others had their eyes closed, some of them with their lips moving in a silent prayer, Lena hastened to do the same. Feeling a bit awkward, she crossed herself, murmuring forehead, chest, left, and right, to make sure she did it correctly. Wanting to be sincere, she tried to compose a prayer, which felt more like a note in her mind.
    "Rebekah…" Lena spoke in her mind. "If you can hear me, I hope you find happiness." She received no response, but she hadn't expected one. However, a bit of peace settled over her.
    Having asked her sister about funeral etiquette a while back, she had carefully purchased a small bundle of white roses and baby's breath, to be tied with a green ribbon, and had it sent to the service, unsigned. She was unable to see her particular purchase, however, what with the table alongside the coffin being absolutely covered with flowers of all different sizes and colors practically causing the table to sag underneath their combined weight. Pale blues and soft pinks, vibrant oranges and yellows… it seemed as if it were a rainbow sent for Rebekah's last goodbye.
    The coffin itself was simple-looking, white with silver details. It was closed, presumably to conceal Rebekah's disfigured body, the disturbing postmortem bruises that spoke the tale of her violent death. Up front, a woman with Rebekah's fiery hair and delicate features sat next to a sobbing man in a dark suit. No tears touched the woman's face; she looked resigned, as if she knew she had to be the strong one. Rebekah's parents.
    A presence at her side caused her to look around; Elliot Franz gave her a demure smile before sitting himself down.
    "Mind if I join you?" he whispered once he was settled, in the annoying habit of his. He looked nice; a dark jacket and pants over a white button-down shirt and a black tie. For once there was no gel in his hair; it was combed down flat. "Wow, it looks like the whole school's here," he looked around idly.
    Lena shrugged, not sure it was appropriate to talk during a funeral service, especially when a minister was speaking.
    He ended with a prayer, and when he stepped aside, another man took his place.
    "Rebekah is my darling niece," the man said, dry-eyed and red-haired as his sister. "I say is, because, to me, she is not gone. She is no longer living, but her soul continues into the eternities."
    The man went on to explain experiences with Rebekah, and when he spoke of her love of riding horses, his stoic demeanor cracked, and one tear, quickly followed by several more, began to slide down his face.
    "She's my girl," his voice began to crack. "My precious niece. I loved her like she was the daughter I never had, and to me, the world will not be as bright without her in it. To me, and to the horses, she was sunshine."
    Huh, Lena mused, feeling moved for the man despite herself. I suppose everybody has somebody who loves them. She felt guilty at the thought. She's dead, you idiot! She berated herself. Try to be a bit nicer.
    A nastier voice in her mind couldn't help but argue. She was a princess brat and you know it! Her being dead didn't change the things she did or said.
    But looking at the now openly crying uncle, something in her heart tugged sharply. He sees her differently; she's wonderful to him. She was worth quite a good deal; all people are.
    The tension in the room picked up the moment the strikingly beautiful woman took the stand. Her jaw was clenched tight, eyes blazing.
    "Rebekah," she growled. "Rebekah was my only child. My