Page 44 of The Bonds of Indigo

I settle into the seat and look forward.

“Head toward Kulbolt, we can take the scenic highway straight through.” Butcher leans up between the seats, and as if on instinct, I press against the door away from him. “It’ll be dangerous to chase us, and worst case, we can ditch the car and hike.”

“Sounds good,” his friend hums. “It’ll take us through Sylverton—” I immediately look out the window, completely away from them. “But we don’t need to stop. Wouldn’t want to scare the locals.”

Biting down on my bottom lip, I press my forehead to the cool window. Even with the sun out, the time of year keeps it cold. A chill runs down my body, and I tighten my grip on the sheet wrapped around me.

“Can you hear me?” Butcher’s voice comes through as clearly as if he were speaking aloud.

I nod.

“Why can we talk like this?”

Releasing a weighted sigh, I think about how to explain without angering him. “Our names are powerful things, as is our blood. I mixed the two together and gave it to you willingly. That typically only happens with my kind when… people are very close.”

It’s like I can hear his teeth grinding. “Please tell me you aren’t seriously telling me you—we are⁠—”

“Bonded. Listen, I didn’t know I’d gotten blood on the page. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. The last thing I want is to be linked to a…” I pause, unsure how to finish that. A Vampire was the one who caught me and stopped me from escaping Sylverton that day, but I wouldn’t blame an entire race of people because of that.

Do I hold a slight grudge? Yes… yes, I do. But I wouldn’t hate Butcher because of it.

“Go ahead. Finish your sentence, little slayer.”

Gods, I fucking hate that name.

“A brute. Someone who hates me. The bond is meant for someone that means something to me. So beyond just helping you, and you helping me, I also have to break it—which I don’t know how to do yet, but I’ll figure it out. Don’t you fucking worry about that.”

He tuts and settles back into his seat, sending a soft gust of his scent right into my nose. Fresh pine and timber wood. It’s airy, sharp, and slightly sweet, with hints of earth and citrus. The deeper notes bring a rich, warm aroma—sap, aged bark, and a faint smokiness.

He smells good…

“Well, the feeling is mutual. The last thing I’d ever have wanted is to be connected to the likes of you.”

“Good.”

“Good,” he mirrors, and then I throw up my walls, blocking him from continuing this conversation.

Silence envelops us for the briefest moment, and it isn’t Atlas’s “Here we go” that breaks it. No, it’s the sudden bullets shattering the rear view mirror.

“Persistent,” the Vampire growls. “Keep going. I’ll catch up.”

The moment I jerk around to protest, the door is already open and he’s gone.

“Close the door for us, will ya? He likes to keep them open.”

I undo my seatbelt and turn over the chair, grabbing the handle and slamming it shut. Immediately reseated, I clip myself in and tighten the strap across my thighs.

Atlas hits the gas, and just as he does, the surrounding area slowly shifts from bright greens and blues to pink… to red. My breath catches, because what the fuck is going on!? On instinct, I make sure my window is completely rolled up, because the once-clear glass on my right is slowly being covered with… blood.

“Never met an Umbraen, huh?”

I turn my head toward him, a smug smile on his face. At least he’s looking ahead—this two-lane road and its curving incline already have me nervous. Now that it’s quite literally sprinkling blood, I’m even more on edge.

“I’ve heard of them…” There are different classifications of Vampires, Umbraen being one of them. I thought they were extinct.

Wait…

“Butcher?” I ask before Atlas can say anything.