Fallen Tears: A Blood Crave Novella (Blood Crave Series) Read online

  So far he’d been true to his word.

  “Yes,” Kaji replied briskly, like always.

  “So end of discussion. You’re seriously acting like my father right now. I’m happy with the way things are.” She adjusted the collar of her black dress shirt and smoothed down the white apron she was wearing. “Plus, you’re going to turn me, anyway. I really don’t see the point.”

  “I’m not going to turn you.”

  “Yes, you are.” They’ve been having this discussion for years but Rowan knew that he would budge.

  Eventually.

  “No, I’m not.”

  She paused as she glanced at his reflection in the mirror, irritation blatantly showing on her face. She caught his dark gaze and saw he was serious.

  Dead serious.

  “Kaji.” Frustrated, she turned and walked up to him, grabbing the lapel of the white shirt he was wearing. She pulled him roughly up to his feet. He was tall, so her five-foot-seven frame was still dwarfed by comparison and she stood gazing at his chest. She had been excited over the years when she finally started to grow taller.

  She was no longer afraid of him in the slightest.

  Rowan glanced up, pointing a finger roughly at his pale face. “If you don’t turn me, I’m going to grow old and die! Is that what you want?” She stood there frowning as she waited for his answer.

  “Yes.” He said it so quickly, as if he didn’t even need time to think about it.

  She looked up incredulously. “Kaji—”

  His face turned solemn as he spoke. “I want you to grow up and become something important. I want you to experience everything there is to experience about being human. Children. Growing. Loving. You deserve all of that.”

  Rowan made a face at his rant. “I don’t want any children, aging sucks, and loving is highly overrated.” She looked up into his eyes and smiled widely, wagging her eyebrows up at him. “All I need is you.”

  Kaji shook his head, giving up, and then gave her a pat on the head. It was always something he did, no matter how old Rowan got.

  She let him.

  “Even Adam said you should change me.” Adam was also lamia and almost as mysterious as Kaji was, perhaps more. He didn’t talk unless it was absolutely necessary, substituting speech with occasional grunts. At times he appeared really scary, especially with his large, dark presence and the patch that covered his left eye. That left his lone right eye the area that people tended to be drawn to, as it was an intense shade of blue.

  Rowan’s first encounter with him had been when she was fourteen and she had to admit, he seemed pretty disturbed when he saw her. She had no clue why he had that reaction but he even went so far as to totally ignore her presence. She had asked Kaji about it but he just mentioned it was something for Adam to discuss when the time was right and casually brushed it off.

  Besides the scariness, she always sensed something sad about Adam. He came and went as he pleased, visited Kaji from time to time. As she grew up, he eventually became a little less standoffish. While Kaji taught her how to fight by sparring with her—he realized at a young age that she still had a lot of aggression she needed to get out from her past—Adam taught her weaponry. He even got her a bow-and-arrow set as a gift for her sixteenth birthday and trained her how to aim at objects and use them as target practice in the woods.

  She always carried them with her.

  “Did he, really?” Kaji’s face stoned up real quick at Rowan’s comment and she kicked herself silently for saying anything. He was dead set against changing her, and Adam jumping on the bandwagon was definitely not something that would benefit him. She tried to deflect the issue.

  “Anyway, I should be off to work.”

  Kaji let her change the subject, one eyebrow raised. “Where is this job?”

  “Downtown Fallon,” she said with a shrug before continuing. “It’s called Cream n’ Coffee on Axel Road.”

  “Fine, I’ll pick you up after work.”

  Rowan walked over to her bed and picked up her jacket, sliding her arms through the sleeves at she looked up at him. “Oh, no worries. I’ll just take the bus back. I don’t know what time I’ll be off since it’s my first shift.” She flicked her hair out of the collar and walked out into the living room as she made her way into the foyer, but not before grabbing her bag that was on the couch.

  Kaji followed her silently, leaning against the wall as he watched her put on her shoes. “I’ll pick you up. Call me when you’re almost done and I’ll come. So you won’t have to wait.”

  End of discussion.

  She rolled her eyes at his protectiveness. “Whatever,” she replied, smiling wryly as she gave him a wink. “See ya. Wish me luck, Kaji.”

  “Luck.”

  As Rowan left the apartment and walked down the hallway, neither knew that luck would be the one thing she needed the most.

  CHAPTER 4

  It was the longest eight hours of her life.

  Rowan gave a huge yawn, marring her beautiful features, as she saw the last customer leave the coffee shop. She quickly rushed over to the door as she slammed it shut and locked it, turning over the sign to display the closed sign. She did not want another customer straggling in. Taking a deep breath against the door, she walked over to a table and slumped into a seat, resting her forehead on the table.

  It had been a crazy night but she had caught on quickly. It was pretty busy and there was only one other waitress besides Rowan, who was still in her training shoes. Then the waitress, Carey, got sick in the bathroom so she had to go home. Rowan overheard her talking to someone on the phone to come pick her up because she was throwing up.

  Morning sickness.

  Then the boss got called away because he had to bail his kid out of jail. The kid was apparently locked up hours away from the diner.

  So he had handed the keys over to Rowan and told her to lock up herself. Thus she was left to fend for herself. She felt weary the entire shift since the boss left. Bad things seemed to come in threes, and with both the boss and Carey absent, she was still waiting for the final blow.

  Rowan groaned as she lifted her head off the table, finding the placemat stuck to her forehead. She made a face in annoyance as she pulled it off and tossed it back on the surface. She really wanted to go home—her bed had been calling her for ages. But there was still cleaning to do, like taking out the garbage and sweeping the floor. She also had to put away the money from the cash register. Rowan made a mental note to call Kaji after she did that. It never took him that much time to arrive anyway—more like a few seconds on account of his speed. She didn’t want him waiting on her for too long while she closed up. Yawning again, she stood up and gave a huge stretch as she rubbed her tummy, walking toward the back door where the garbage was left.

  Lazily picking up two black bags, she shoved the door open with her hip as she headed for the dumpster. It was dark but as she looked up, the moon illuminated the night. She stared up at it for a moment, lost in its beauty.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  Startled by the voice, Rowan dropped both bags beside her. She turned around to see a man standing a few feet away, also gazing up at the moon. She recognized him instantly as one of the customers she had served earlier. She remembered feeling a bit put off by his presence, as there was a strange air about him.

  Standing outside in the night, he was dressed in dark clothing, but his flaming red hair seemed to blaze in the darkness. He took his eyes away from the sky and looked directly into hers. The look he gave Rowan made her feel apprehensive, the hair on her arms and back of her neck instantly standing on end.

  For the first time in seven years, she felt absolute fear.

  “Come here.”

  Rowan suddenly no longer had control of her own body. At his command, she unwillingly moved her lower limbs forward until she stood directly in front of him, his soiled breath invading her nostrils. She winced at the smell, turning her face away from his stare as her body uncontrollably shook.

  She couldn’t fight, let alone run away.

  Was he lamia? She wasn’t certain. There was something different about him compared to both Kaji and Adam. The few times Rowan saw Kaji and Adam angry, or when they shifted to their lamia form, Kaji’s eyes stayed as black as night, while Adam’s one blue eye turned just as black. But this man that stood before her?

  His brown eyes were glowing, the light seeming to radiate from within their depths.

  Kaji!

  Rowan screamed his name inside her head as tears filled her eyes, praying he would somehow hear her plea.

  The red-headed man unexpectedly grasped her by the shoulders and dropped his head down low, his foul breath whispering into her ears as he looked at her suspiciously, his voice filled with hate.

  “I smell vampire on you. Isn’t that odd in this day and age? I thought they had all been slaughtered. They all deserve to die, including the company they keep.” He smiled viciously down at her as he spoke, each word being punctuated with malice. His glowing eyes lit up even more, as if he suddenly had another cruel thought.

  “Do you fear the dark?”

  As soon as he uttered the words, Rowan instantly saw nothing before her. It was as if a blanket suddenly covered her eyes and she was left with nothing but darkness and this unexplainable sense of doom that quickly took over her body. She blinked her eyes rapidly to try to clear her vision, but still they refused to see a thing. As she struggled to speak, wanting to plead with him to stop, no words would come out.

  Instead, her mind screamed at the intense fear she felt.

  “Scream. I like it when pretty things scream,” the soiled voice spoke once more. Instantly Rowan found her voice and she let out a cry so loud and hoarse, she prayed someone would hear her.

  She yelled again but her cry was immediately cut short by a piercing pressure felt in her belly. She blinked quickly, her vision finally returning to normal. Glimpsing down, she saw her white apron slowly start to stain a bright red, a large knife also embedded in her stomach. Dazed, it took time to register what just happened as the stain continued to get bigger and bigger.

  So this is how it ends … bad things really do come in three.

  As Rowan felt the energy slowly seeping out of her, she dropped to the ground, her body roughly hitting the pavement. She gazed up at the sky, only seeing the bright, gleaming moon. It had started to rain, the water hitting her body rhythmically as she looked up, blinking, her vision slowly starting to fade. Her murderer walked toward her as he blocked her view of the dimming moon, smiling viciously down at her. The rain blended in with her tears and blood.

  I really want to close my eyes.

  As Rowan was just about to do so, her eyes slowly flicked to behind her killer as she saw a flash of movement. All of a sudden, the man’s head twisted to an unnatural position as he dropped to the ground, dead.

  Then Kaji stood before her.

  He was instantly at her side as he cradled her head in his lap. He stroked away her wet hair as he looked at her with tears in his eyes. Rowan found it strange looking at him—his tears were something she had never seen before, mixed with the rain that fell steadily.

  His tears were red.

  Blood.

  “You came.” She whispered it so low but he heard clearly.

  Kaji clenched his jaw tightly together, the water drenching his face. “Yes. I heard you call out for me.”

  “That’s good.” She closed her brown eyes briefly then opened them, staring up at his sad face streaked with red, her body trembling. “I’m scared.”

  She really wanted to be brave for him but there was no way possible. Her own tears leaked from the corner of her eyes as Kaji tried to wipe them away with a shaking hand.

  At least I wasn’t alone.

  “I know,” he said, stroking her hair.

  “Are you reading my mind?” Her voice was weakening as she gave a dry laugh that turned into a cough. “I told you not to read my mind, Kaji.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She smiled softly. “It’s okay, I forgive you. But just this once, okay?”

  His voice was thick as he spoke. “Right.”

  Rowan barely heard his voice as she closed her eyes again and felt this instant relief take over her body. Even though she could no longer see his face, or feel him as he clutched her hand, she felt at peace.

  She was no longer afraid.

  CHAPTER 5

  Shocked, Kaji stared down at her still face, refusing to belief she was really dead. She couldn’t be dead. He remembered the night they first crossed paths. Never in all of his days spent here on earth had he imagined that he would meet another soul as precious as hers.

  He wasn’t going to hand her over so easily this time. He looked up at the sky as he hollered, “You can’t have her. Not yet.” The rain seemed to pound harder around them as if answering his demand. Kaji was soaked to the bone.

  He reached around into his pocket and grabbed for his cell, Rowan’s head still cradled in his lap. Dialing a number, it rang once before it was immediately answered by an abrupt voice.

  “Kaji.”

  “Adam, I need you at Kellington and Axel—the coffee shop. Go around the back and there’s a body for you. Discard it.”

  Kaji heard the dry chuckle over the phone. “What did you get yourself into this time?”

  “Just do it. I’ll explain everything later.” Kaji slammed the phone shut before Adam could respond, then grabbed Rowan in his arms and sped home. His speed was swift so he arrived in mere minutes, placing her wet and blood-soaked body on the bed in his room. He looked down at her, knowing exactly what he had to do, but feared doing it, knowing his attempt might be futile.

  Turning someone who was already dead.

  Seeing the blade still embedded in her, Kaji pulled out the knife and angrily tossed it aside as it roughly clattered against the wall, causing a slight indent on the surface. He covered the bloody wound with his own hand, pressing firmly on her belly to stop the bleeding as bright red blood gushed from beneath his fingers. Lifting her limp body toward him, he brushed her now-wet curls away from her neck.

  As he stared down at her, he saw no pulse. Regretfully, his canines protruded, his dark eyes turning even darker as his pupils fully dilated. Then, stroking her neck softly with the pad of this thumb, he didn’t hesitate as he brought his mouth toward it. He took a bite into her neck as he fed from her. His blood-red tears, once again, rolled down his face and onto her skin as he drew in her sweet blood.

  This was not something he ever wanted to do.

  Not wanting to take too much blood, Kaji hastily withdrew his mouth from her as he bit his own wrist in return and brought it toward Rowan’s mouth. He stayed like that, holding her in his arms, hoping that she would wake up as he held her mouth open for her to receive his blood, drip by drip.

  “What happened?”

  He looked up at the sound of the voice to see Adam standing by the door. A scowl formed on his face as his uncovered eye surveyed the bloody mess before him. Kaji quickly wiped his face with the back of his hand as he looked at Adam, his eyes returning to normal as his canines retracted. It came as no surprise for him to see Adam arrive so quickly.

  He was always efficient.

  Kaji nodded at Adam. “You must have noticed that the body was a descendant of the lapsus.”

  Lapsus, meaning fallen, were in fact fallen angels. They intermingled with humans and as a result, produced offspring that remained here in Fallon ever since. The city was almost like a haven for them, magically hidden away from the outside world. Humans rarely knew about their existence, although that seemed to be changing. The lapsus weren’t hiding themselves any longer, showcasing their powers and abilities for pure amusement. Kaji, realizing the potential danger to humans, decided to reside in the very place where his adversaries lived in order to keep an eye on them. Since meeting Rowan, he had also wanted to protect her from it all, keeping her in the dark as much as possible.

  However, he seemed to have failed in his one duty.

  Again.

  Kaji squeezed his hand into a tight fist as he glanced at Rowan, his mind reliving the memory of what just happened.

  “Witch,” Adam spat as he scrunched up his face in distaste, ignoring the fact that Kaji had streaks of blood on his own. Still glaring, he fiddled with the black patch over his left eye socket, as if in pain.

  “Witch” was a term for the lapsus, one that was given to them by humans, much to the lapsus’ displeasure. As fallen angels, the lapsus always felt like they were higher beings than just lowly … witches, the word bringing up thoughts of pointy hats and brewing cauldrons. Adam had an immense displeasure for the lapsus so he always referred to them by the derogatory term.

  He even killed some in his spare time.

  Adam continued scowling as he retorted, “Those things are the bane of my existence.”

  “Well, that one attacked Rowan.” Kaji looked down at her unmoving face as his blood seeped into her mouth, slowly.

  God, it was so slow.

  “I’m trying to change her.”

  “She’s dead.” Adam came closer to the edge of the bed as he stared at Kaji with his one blue eye, expressionless. “You can only change a human when they’re alive or about to die. How are you going to change her if she’s already dead?”

  “I don’t know!” He shouted back at Adam then quieted down, disgusted by his own outburst. His emotions were getting the better of him. “But I must try. My blood might be able to bring her back. There must be some part of her that’s still alive.”

  Adam didn’t comment on Kaji’s outburst, just closed his right eye briefly and ran a hand through his short, dark hair. When he opened it back up, he looked back at Kaji, his blue eye bright. “Well, aren’t you always trying to help people.” He said it as if in accusation.

  Kaji said nothing at Adam’s comment, continuing to stare down at Rowan. Hearing a sigh of defeat from above him, he heard Adam mutter, “Well, if anything can help her, it’d be your blood. What can I do?”