Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) Read Free

porcelain hands. His hand was bleeding from the sharp thorns that protected the beautiful flower. He studied my expression for a moment in silence.
    “For starters, vampires aren’t supposed to faint at the sight of blood.”
    “I didn’t faint at the blood. You petrified me. You…you murdered an innocent woman. It had nothing to do with the blood,” I said, casting a glance toward the bloodied rose in his hand.
    “I wouldn’t call her innocent . Her intentions were worse than you think. ”
    “How would you know?” I spat, insulted.
    “Listen, I’ve been around long enough to know when Hell’s about to break loose. I stopped that from happening. I did you a favor .”
    “You still murdered a woman.”
    “She brought that upon herself. Besides, she’ll come back in another life,” he said with contempt.
                  My hands flew to my head that pulsed with discomfort, causing a groan to escape my lips.
      “I have something at my house that can help with the pain.” Fitzray offered suddenly as he rose to his feet.
    “Can I come with you?” The words slipped off my tongue so slickly, but if I could harness them and take them back, I would have. I was in no condition to travel.
    “If you must, I won’t stop you.”
                  He helped me to my feet and I tightly gripped his hand for balance. I should have sat back down, but instead I fought to stay on my feet. Something in my head told me to appear strong before this potentially dangerous vampire. Here, on Catastrophe, it was survival of the fittest and I was not taking any chances. I could not have the appearance of prey. I could not appear weak.
                  While he guided me outdoors, I tried desperately to masquerade my lingering mortal-like qualities. It was cold and I could not help but shiver. The fact that I was clutching Fitzray’s hand like a child did not make it any better. Fortunately for me, he did not appear to be paying much attention.
                  He snaked me through the woods as a cold drizzle began to fall. It became foggy and I strained my eyes to find him. We had not walked very long, but I was tired and I wanted to go home already. Fitzray shouted something and I turned around.
                  With the fog rolling in thicker still, the path before me was barely visible. The dense fog prevented me from seeing a large tree root in my way, which, when I stumbled over it, forced me into cold water.
                  Cold water, ice-cold water, encased my being. All of my senses were completely gone, and despite my attempts, I just could not break the water’s surface. My head was spinning while water went up my nose. I swam upward, stretching my arms at full length, hoping to grab onto anything at all, but there was nothing. I thought I was going to break the surface when a force pushed me back down. My body was numb as I fell into the dark depths of my subconscious.
                  The cold water submerged my thoughts for a long while until something warm touched my face, forcing my eyes open. Fitzray was bent over me. His raven, shoulder-length hair hung down, his head inclined toward me. My hands clutched a soft carpet. Fitzray’s back was to an ignited fireplace that illuminated the room and cast warmth around us.
    “Are you okay?” He asked, placing his other hand on my face, his wet hair tickling me.
                  In an instant, he was gone and a few seconds later, he sat on a large red velvet chair in front of me. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth. He silently handed me a large mug. The liquid that filled the mug was bitter and I quickly handed it back to him.
    “It’s for your headache. It will help relieve the pain, trust me.”
                  My head still hurt, but the pain no longer clouded my thoughts as it once did. I took another sip of the drink and made a face of disapproval, swallowing