Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series) by Bonnie Wheeler Read Free Book Online Page A

his young ears first heard a distinguishable thump outside his third floor window.
    A t first he thought it was an owl , or perhaps a bat, losing its direction and flying into his window. Then a scratching sound grated against the glass. Trying to swallow back his fear, he hurriedly reached out to shut his bed side lamp off . Fighting his instincts to run, he forced himself to stay put and pretend to sleep. Afte r a while the scraping ceased and he chastised himself for being a baby – but not for long.
    Suddenly, the window s ill rattled and squealed as it shot up . Braden froze to his bed, his small chest hammering beneath the covers.  Very slowly, he peeled back the fleece blanket tha t hi d his face . Edging up on his elbows , h e peered into the dark ness at the figure bending and twisting its way through the opening.
    His lips parted , but he couldn’t make a sound. As the shape slid forward on the floor and rose up beside him in the bed, painful ly familiar eyes burrowed from dark sockets deep into his own .
    A rapi d knock at the door startled Braden from his recollection . He tried swallowing, his throat burned with hunger. The memory of that night still unnerved him. It wasn’t the last time he had been visited by the fien d at school , but it was the only time he had actually seen him. He had been there two more times, leaving notes in his room to serve as reminders of how his life could end at any time.
    Just last spring, the night before graduating from his final year – the creature came to leave behind a number where he expected to be reached .  
    All th ree times , the sam e instructions were forced upon him . H e was to come forward after his eighteenth birthday : h e wasn’ t to wai t, he wasn’t to make excuses. If he didn’t do as instructed , then the draugr would meet him in Erris.
    Braden pulled himself into a standing position and moved carefully to the door. Through its aluminum plating, he could smell th e sickening stench of cooked mea t and tomatoes. His nose burned, t he delivery man didn’t smell much better. Counting to ten, Braden pushed back his desire to feed , before opening the door. How he could think of blood at this point was incomprehensible.
    With the smell of pizza wafting through the room, Liz emerged from the bathroom. She shook her raven tresses lo o se from the towel, f illing the room with her lo vely vanilla scent.
    Her black cargos and tank had been replaced with a koi fish tee and cotton shorts. He hadn’ t expected her to look so different without her custom eyeliner and smoky shadow, but her creamy skin was flawless . The green tint in her hazel eyes stood in contrast to the richness of her dark hair.
    “You ordered pizza. You must be a mind reader or something. It’s perfect.” As she dragged her round brush through her curls , she smiled up at him. Once again, Braden was stunned with just how truly beautiful she was .
    It was a shame he would never tell her.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    10
     
    LIZ
     
     
    Liz’s belly rumbled in response to the deliciou s scent of pizza . Opening the box, her eyes feasted on a pie covered with melted cheese, sausage and caramelized onions.  Not having eaten since the plane, she was thankful Braden thought to order something for her.
    “How did you know these were my favorite toppings?” she asked while nibbling on a round piece of meat.
    “When I used to eat cooked food, it was my favorite,” he replied with a n easy smile. “It was a guess.”
    Liz glanced around the room. I t didn’t appear Braden ordered anything for himself. She watched him closely , noticing the subtle tension behind his expression. She hoped he felt okay .
    Maybe he’s hungr y?
    For a brief second Liz questioned if he was safe to be alone with, but dismissed the thought as soon as it entered h er mind. Braden coul d be dangerous, but there was a part of her that inherently knew she was safe .
    “So, you said you don’t eat foods that