Chapter

Addictive Blood

Blood Bound Book 11

Amy Blankenship, RK Melton

Copyright © 2012 Amy Blankenship

Second Edition Published by Amy Blankenship

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Toya crouched low on the roof of Kyoko’s home and let his golden eyes drift down toward the small building that housed the Maiden Statue in the back yard. It had been a number of years since the night he’d slipped through the barrier and found her in this world but he still remembered every detail like it had happened yesterday.

A soft smile appeared on his face thinking about her jumping into that freezing cold water after him… the little idiot couldn’t even swim but she hadn't cared.

His thoughts darkened as he recalled every time he’d met her in different realities. No matter what world, Kyoko never paused to think when it came to sacrificing herself in the heat of the moment to save someone she loved. Toya's lips thinned. He hoped to break her of that little habit or chain her headstrong ass to him so he could protect her this time.

Toya shifted his gaze and glared at the huge pond on the back area of the property. He really hoped she’d taken his advice and learned how to swim. She’d about given him a freakin’ heart attack that night drowning on him like that and when he found her he was sure as hell going to yell at her for it.

When he found her… Toya's features softened already knowing why she hadn't been right here waiting on her guardians when they crossed over. He and his brothers had already figured it out since Kyoko hadn't recognized him when he’d shown up the first time. She didn’t remember her guardians, which was about normal considering in every other dimension they’d found her in, she only held the memories of one lifetime and that was always the life she was living at that moment in that dimension.

Usually that dimensional amnesia affected all of the guardians too… including him. He couldn't count how many times he’d met Kyoko for the first time but this world was different. The Heart of Time had sent them here with a gift and a curse. For once, he and his brothers remembered everything about her… even the fact that they were all in love with her and had fought over her in parallel worlds.

His chest tightened at one memory he wished he didn’t have. He could still feel the horror of Kyoko dying in his arms, their bodies moving together as they were both impaled by a death blow meant only for him. She’d been trying to save him from Hyakuhei… and she had saved him. Toya blinked as a lone tear slid down his cheek and he angrily shoved the memory away.

Hell, even Hyakuhei remembered it all, which seemed to be in their favor considering he hadn't attacked them on sight. Of course… he hadn't really been sociable either. They had already decided to stay the hell out of his way and not antagonize him this time.

Hyakuhei hadn't been with them when they’d followed the demons through the rip so they had no idea where he’d come from and that worried them a bit. So far he just seemed to be collecting the peaces of crystal that Kyoko had obviously shattered… again. It wasn’t Kyoko’s fault… she couldn’t learn from her past mistakes if she wasn’t allowed to remember making them. He forgave her knowing if she hadn't shattered the crystal then her guardians wouldn’t have been drawn into this world to find her.

A frown appeared on Toya’s lips when he sensed the familiar pull of a sliver of that same shattered crystal close by. The Guardian Heart Crystal was unbelievably powerful and every tiny shard held a piece of that power. Any human or demon that managed to get their hands on a piece of it would gain one hell of a power boost and as luck would have it, the things drew demons like flies to honey.

It was because the crystal had surfaced here in LA that this place had turned into this world’s hot spot for all paranormal creatures. Everything non-human was drawn to this area, even if they didn’t have a clue why.

Looking for the crystal he was feeling, Toya slowly swept his gaze over the houses surrounding the shrine and paused when he saw someone looking out the darkened window of the house next door. He rose to his feet and glared at the silhouette staring out at him then cocked an eyebrow when the shadowed form suddenly dropped below the edge of the window.

Toya smirked. It was about time he had a little fun. He promptly vanished from sight just as the man gathered enough bravery to take another look.

Tasuki took a deep breath still holding his gun in front of him like a shield. That was the man Kyoko had been with the night she’d disappeared… he was sure of it. What was he doing lurking on Kyoko’s roof? Tasuki squared his shoulders in determination. There was only one way to find out and being a cop gave him every right to go investigate.

Making sure his Berretta had a full magazine, Tasuki clicked off the safety and headed out the front door. This wasn’t the first time he’d set foot on the property since Kyoko vanished that night ten years ago, but it was the first time he’d seen someone besides the company that had been hired to keep up the grounds.

The first time he’d seen them over there on their zero turn mowers he’d confronted them only to find out they had been hired anonymously. When he’d tried to track down that lead it had been a dead end because the money simply showed up in the company’s PO Box once a year and was always paid in cash.

Crossing the well-worn path between the two houses, Tasuki paused unable to stop the memories he had of Kyoko and her brother Tama from haunting him. If it hadn’t been for that damned so called ‘angel’ Kyoko met that last night, she wouldn’t have left… he was sure of it. Tasuki wasn’t ashamed to admit it… he hated that man for taking Kyoko away from him, but if he was back, then there was a chance Kyoko might be back as well.

Not finding anyone in the immediate area, Tasuki crept toward the back of the house where the statue was locked up tight inside the small shrine house. Moving silently, he rounded the corner of the house and jerked back when he again saw the very man he’d just been thinking about standing right there in front of the shed… and the freakin’ doors of it were wide open.

Having only seen him from afar as a child, Tasuki studied the man this time putting every detail to memory. His long dark hair had thick silver highlights running through it and he dressed just as strange as half the people he’d seen working with PIT. He didn’t look normal but he sure as hell didn’t have wings so Tasuki tossed Kyoko’s ‘angel’ idea out the window.

“FREEZE,” Tasuki yelled stepping out of the shadows and bringing his Berretta up, taking aim directly at the man’s heart.

Toya’s smirk widened and he slowly turned around to glare at the man who only thought he’d snuck up on him. His glare quickly turned into annoyance coming face to face with a blast from the past. Fucking Tasuki… he should have known that human would be lurking around here somewhere. Toya frowned at the next words out of Tasuki’s mouth.

“I thought it was you,” Tasuki exclaimed with a snarl. “I remember… you were here the night the demons came. Are you one of them? You did something to Kyoko… I saw you holding her limp body and don’t you dare deny it.”

Toya steadied his gaze on the human Kyoko was always so fond of and mentally laughed at the fact that Tasuki didn’t remember all the times they’d met… which was probably a good thing. His eyes narrowed when he sensed the power of the broken crystal coming from Tasuki and the knowledge suddenly pissed him off.

“You have a talisman,” Toya stated. “I want it.”

It was Tasuki’s turn to frown, “What?”

He didn’t have a chance to fire the Berretta when the man came at him in a blur, knocking him down and pressing his fingertips hard against the muscle of his chest. Tasuki wrapped his hands around the man’s wrist and pushed back with every ounce of strength he had.

“Angel… my… ass,” Tasuki growled and planted his foot in the man’s stomach, “you act more like a demon!” He managed to push him off with more strength than he realized he had.

Toya went flying backwards, landing on his feet and skidding across the well-manicured grass. His hand fisted at his side and he growled. So, the crystal was protecting him was it?

“What did you do to make Kyoko leave?” Tasuki demanded and he scrambled to his feet when his opponent’s eyes faded from pure gold to very scary silver. Tasuki didn’t back down as he met his gaze head on.

Toya snarled when he saw Tasuki’s eyes turn amethyst.

“Toya!”

The silver left Toya's eyes and he glared over his shoulder at his brother Shinbe, “What do you want Shinbe? Can’t you see I’m busy collecting the crystal?”

Shinbe calmly tilted his head to the side, “You do realize you’ll have to kill him in order to remove the talisman… correct?”

“I’m fine with that. Besides, we both know he can die,” Toya growled and snarled again when a gunshot rang out and he felt the bullet pierce his right shoulder. “You son of a bitch!”

Shinbe chuckled lightly, “In this instance Toya, I think you deserved that one. Now, leave Tasuki be… we must leave quickly.”

“You would take up for him,” Toya said sarcastically as one of his twin daggers came to life in his hand and he used the tip of it to dig the bullet out of his shoulder. “Why leave? The fun has just started,” he growled as the bullet flicked across the grass to land at Tasuki’s feet.

“He’s coming,” Shinbe answered cryptically.

Toya's dagger disappeared and his lips hinted at a smile as he glanced back over at Tasuki. “At least I won't be blamed for it.”

“Who’s coming?” Tasuki asked not quite sure who to aim at… though the one called Toya was still his first choice. That knowing smile of his was giving him the creeps.

Shinbe gave him a long stare, “Trust me Tasuki… you must leave now. If you do not, then at least hide until he is gone.” He recognized that stubborn look when Tasuki squared his shoulders and tightened his hold on the weapon. Shaking his head, Shinbe decided to give his wayward reincarnate a helpful little gift.

With a couple quick hand movements and a tilt of his staff, Shinbe erected a permanent barrier around the boy that would keep demons or anyone else from detecting the crystal shard that lay deep inside him. He mentally sighed knowing it was too late to hide that little fact from Toya.

Tasuki stared wide eyed when the large amethyst stone on Shinbe’s staff glowed softly and he disappeared along with the one called Toya. His gaze was drawn down to his own hands and then to the rest of his body as a soft amethyst light outlined him for a moment then faded away.

‘Perhaps this will help you stay alive this time,’ Shinbe’s voice echoed inside his head before it too was gone.

“This time?” Tasuki asked in confusion then flinched when the door of the shed slammed closed. A sudden sense of foreboding washed over him and he would swear to the fact that the sky darkened by several shades.

Tasuki couldn’t control the urgent need to hide in the shadows of the trees behind him. He crouched down, halfway hidden behind two tree trunks so he could peek through the middle and see what was going on.

A bone deep chill swept through him when he saw a man with long black hair appear out of nowhere right in the center of the back yard. The very air halted in his chest as overwhelming fear and complete calm froze him to the spot. It was him… the man from his nightmares was standing just ten feet away from his hiding place.

Hyakuhei walked toward the shed with a contemplative expression on his face. He was certain he’d just felt the presence of a talisman when it vanished. How ironic was it that a talisman would be here on the grounds of the very shrine where the Maiden resided? Stopping in front of the shed, the door once again opened as if obeying his silent command.

His dark eyes lightened to a soft brown as he gazed upon the likeness of his heart’s desire. Reaching out a hand, he touched his fingertips to hers and felt nothing but the coldness of the stone. So, even after all this time she still rejected him… refusing to allow him back into the Heart of Time. He raised his eyes to hers and was rewarded when they softly glowed for a moment. A devilish smile appeared on his perfect lips… so be it.

His eyes narrowed when he felt the fading energies of Toya and Shinbe. It was obvious they’d gotten here first to claim the crystal’s talisman. With a final glance at the statue, Hyakuhei spun on his heel and left the shrine property.

Tasuki didn’t dare move until the monster from his nightmares had left the shrine. He slid the rest of the way to the ground releasing the breath he hadn’t known he was holding and rolled over onto his back to look up at the stars. What the hell was going on? He was used to seeing the paranormal that thrived in LA but this was different… this hit too close to home.

Already knowing the answer he reached over and pinched his arm, hard. Okay… that was proof he wasn’t dreaming. Jade was right… they had been more than just dreams. Never in his life had he ever experienced anything as frightening as that. He took a number of deep breaths and waited for it to pass before he slowly pushed back to his feet and stumbled toward the edge of the property between their houses.

When he reached the edge of his front yard Tasuki sprinted to his front door and almost forced his way through the obstruction when his hand fumbled on the knob. Closing the door behind him, he slid every lock into place and quickly backed away from it. Making his way over to the sofa he sat down and wrapped the blanket around him making sure to keep his finger on the trigger of his Berretta… not that it would do him any good.

He cringed remembering the one named Toya picking the bullet out with the tip of that dangerous looking dagger. He raised his eyes to the portrait hanging above his fireplace and his lips parted in a sense of déjà vu. In the painting, Kyoko was touching the statue’s hands the same way tall, dark, and spooky had just done.