Scorch by Kaitlyn Davis Read Free Book Online Page A

the small droplets that sang to her senses.
    When she broke through the trees, Kira saw
it—a body resting on the ground, glowing with the sun. A halo of
gold sparks surrounded the figure and Kira sniffed, drunk on the
elixir running through those veins.
    Without thinking, she ran and dove for the
woman.
    And then she burned, screaming out in pain as
the sun assaulted her body, burning the vampire away, boiling the
ebony oil in her veins until it evaporated in wisps of shadow that
seeped out of her pores. Her every nerve was on fire. Pinpricks
that felt like knives stabbed her limbs.
    Kira curled onto her back, writhing in agony.
The smell of honey still haunted her nose, but instead of a sugary
sweetness it was a searing iron, melting her insides as the fumes
traveled downwards.
    But deeper down, the conduit praying for
escape welcomed the pain, begged it to come in faster waves. Her
flames were trapped—swirling in a sinking abyss, hoping the sun
would come release them.
    And when a burst of light finally broke
through the darkness, Kira erupted.
    The force of her conduit power returning
lifted Kira off the ground, throwing her farther into the heat of
the UV wall surrounding Sonnyville. Her hands lifted toward the
sun, shooting long waves of flames into the sky. A current of light
shot through her body, sending fire through every nerve and
lighting Kira up from the inside out. Against the onslaught, the
shadows retreated. The vampire left Kira's body in waves of
smoke.
    A minute later, Kira was on the ground,
completely still, basking in the warmth of the sun and muddling
through her returning consciousness.
    She sat up, rubbing her sore head.
    "Wha…?" Kira looked around. How did she get
out of the forest? Was there another vampire after her?
    Looking around, Kira spotted the body on the
ground.
    "Mom!"
    She crawled over. Her mother was breathing
deeply, but looked unharmed. Kira remembered healing her,
remembered sending her back with Pavia, remembered fighting a few
vampires.
    Her mom blinked and sat up on her elbows,
waking from a daze.
    "Kira? What happened?"
    "Nothing, Mom," Kira held her hand, "There
were some vampires, but we got away. We're safe. I'll be right
back."
    She tried standing, took a few slow steps and
then crossed through the barrier again.
    "Pavia?" Kira asked. Twirling around, she
scanned the forest. Her nose picked up a strand of sugar passing on
the breeze. What was that?
    She followed the smell as it reeled her in.
The mangled door was still on the ground—drawn to it, Kira stopped
a few inches from the torn metal. Why did it smell sweet?
    And then she saw the pool of blood through
the cracks in the windshield. Stumbling backwards, Kira fell to the
ground, landing painfully on her bottom as the memories flooded
back.
    She bit someone.
    She bit a vampire.
    Bit.
    Tasted blood.
    Kira started hyperventilating. Her entire
body began to shake, a slow tremble that grew to a frantic
pulse.
    She had tried to bite her mother.
    She had wanted conduit blood.
    The blood still teased her senses.
    Turning, Kira stared with wide eyes at the
gate. The barrier, it had to have been what saved her. The UV light
had burned the darkness from her skin—she vividly remembered the
pain.
    But part of the vampire was still lodged
inside of her, was still drawn to the conduit blood spotting the
ground, still pulled in by its sweet scent.
    Iron melted in her mouth, sticking to her dry
tongue, and she flip over to spit out the vomit curling in her
stomach.
    It came out red.
    Kira scrambled away, ripping her palms on the
rough concrete as she struggled to escape. Her back sank into the
UV wall and Kira collapsed, letting the sun sink into her pounding
head. Tears fell in long streams and she rolled to the side,
pulling her legs into her chest, letting the shakes wrack her
figure.
    "I bit someone, I bit someone," Kira said
over and over again, a low whisper that was too soft for even her
ears to hear.
    "Kira!"
    She didn't