Blood Judgment (Judgment Series) Read Free

nightmare.
    Indigo sauntered over and dropped to his knees. Without forewarning, he bit into his own wrist and wrenched Julian’s mouth open.
    Pain cut through the fog, jerking him to full cognizance. Indigo jammed his wrist to Julian’s mouth, cutting off his agonized cry. A horrific gush of blood poured down his throat in a hot, choking surge. Gagging, he shoved at Indigo.
    Indigo grabbed a fist-full of Julian’s hair. “Drink. Or you’ll die within the hour.” He ground his wrist into position.
    Julian pushed against Indigo, trying not to swallow. He wouldn’t die if he made it to the street. Someone would help him.
    “Drink my blood or die. Your choice.” Indigo shifted his arm, straightening it until his blood flowed faster. The coppery, nasty poison pushed down Julian’s throat in a strangling rush. Choking on the hot liquid, he swallowed.
    Long minutes passed before Indigo pulled his wrist away. Gagging, Julian rolled to his side. Indigo grabbed Julian’s jacket and yanked him onto his back. “Puke and I’ll make you do it again. Got it?”
    Julian moaned, but nodded.
    Sneering, Indigo launched to his feet.
    Julian’s fingers scraped over the asphalt in halting, clawing motions as revulsion twisted his insides. Vampire blood wouldn’t convert a human. But a cross-breed would turn.
    What if Indigo was right? What if a vampire had sired him instead of a human? He sure as hell wouldn’t know. How could he when he had no memories of his father?
    Pain lanced his stomach and he curled up again. What was going to happen to him? Why hadn’t they killed him instead? Why this? A shudder ran though him. They hadn’t slaughtered him because this was worse than death.
    “That isn’t enough. He won’t survive.” The voice sounded faint and distant, unimportant.
    Julian didn’t know which vampire spoke and he didn’t care.
    As he fought to keep panic at bay, a memory of Juilliard and a student drifted up from the flotsam of his mind. A half-breed. A kid he’d hated. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will the memory away.
    “It’s enough,” Indigo said. “It’ll start the conversion. I want him starving as soon as he changes. I want this little fuck to suffer.”
    “He’s in for a hard adjustment on his own,” Snake Tat said, his voice softening a tad. If he’d developed a conscience, it was too late now.
    “So. You think I give a flying shit?” Indigo strode back to Julian and patted him down. He plucked Julian’s wallet, took the money out, and discarded the rest. Then he sauntered across the alley and squatted by the violin case.
    Julian didn’t give a shit about the money, but the violin was part of him. “Please,” he said, not caring in the least that he’d been reduced to begging. “Please. Leave my violin alone.”
    Indigo popped open the snaps and went for the zippers.
    Julian tried to get up. He had to save the violin.
    Indigo clicked open the latch and lifted the lid.
    “Please, please don’t hurt it!” Julian’s heart twisted and he struggled to rise.
    The vampire took the violin from its velvet-lined case. “You won’t need this sissy-ass shit anymore.”
    “No!”
    Indigo hoisted the violin and slammed it down on the pavement. The antique instrument splintered and pieces skittered across the asphalt.
    Julian jerked as if kicked.
    Indigo took the bow from the case and ripped the horse hair from the stick. Not satisfied with that, he bent the wood until it snapped in half and tossed the pieces on Julian.
    Julian’s hands curled in helpless impotence. “You’ll pay for this,” he croaked. “Someday, you’re going to pay for this.”
    “Yeah? I’m scared.” Indigo motioned to his cohorts. “Come on, we’re done with this piece of shit.”
    Their laughter floated behind them, leaving Julian alone with the remnants of his life. His clawing fingers touched and closed on a piece of varnished wood. He made a fist around the fragment.
    Shuddering, he drew himself into a