Read Online Crimson Dawn by Ronnie Massey - Free Book Online Page B

become attuned enough to become a Tracer. If there were anything here to begin with,
     
    In this case, between the wards and the general sterile atmosphere of a hospital, I didn't think there would be anything left to find.
     
    I confirmed the presence of the wards and began searching closer to the bed. All along the sides, I could feel the runes etched into the steel. Hell, underneath the bed, there was even a dream catcher sparkling with its maker's power.
     
    That pretty much squashed the spell theory. Dream catchers are excellent wards against nightmares, but when charged with a true shaman's energy, they offered almost fail-safe protection against dark magic. That’s a bit of information they didn't advertise. Her room seemed locked down tight against magical interference.
     
    That left the sire's link, and the only way to confirm that was to get through her shields. I braced myself and opened a small window to my consciousness, inching around her shields looking for any chink in the armor of her mind that I could exploit. Unfortunately, for me, it was solid as a rock. I cursed my luck and opened my mind farther, putting more pressure into my probe. This time I got through, but my head was pounding with the effort it took. "Amanda, Amanda Jones this is Valeria Trumaine , can you hear me ?” I waited for an answer and got nothing. I was just about to increase the force of my probe again, when something shoved me out of her head with enough strength to knock me back into the chair behind me. I had been sitting in.
     
    I was almost certain that Tristan was exploiting the link, but looking into her eyes again, erased any doubts I had. Amanda looked at me with a sinister grin on her face and with eyes that weren't her own. I don't know why I didn't see it when I first walked in the room. "Tristan is that you?" My voice was, surprisingly, stronger than I expected it to be. "I recognize your eyes, Tris. I know it's you.”
     
    Amanda/Tristan cocked her head to the side and looked at me with curious fascination without saying a word. That look made me feel as if I were on display in a cage. "Whatever you've become, whatever you're doing, give it up.” I tried to reason with him. “I’m your best chance to make it out of the mess you've gotten yourself into, Tris. Tell me where you are and let me come get you.”
     
    Focusing on getting Tristan to talk distracted me, and Amanda's skin became more and more flushed. By the time I caught it, there were already small blisters forming on her skin.
     
    "Tristan, talk to me, damn you, don't just sit there with that stupid grin!" More blisters were rapidly forming up and down both of her arms.” You know it takes a coward to pick on a woman, Tristan.” I stood up and let my anger wash over me blacking my eyes. "You wanna fight with a woman, fight me. I'm the one that left your sorry ass high and dry. I'll bet daddy wasn't too happy with you for losing me, was he?"
     
    I know you catch more flies with sugar, but I was at a loss. Whatever he was doing to her, I was helpless to stop it. My best bet was to make him mad enough to lash out at me, but he wasn't taking the bait. A small dip of Amanda's head was all the acknowledgement I got that he heard me. Amanda's eyes phased back to her own, complete with blood tears clinging to her eyelashes.
     
    She cried silently as puss-filled blisters appeared on her face. "It's too late for me," she mumbled as she brushed at her arm, her skin flaking under her fingertips.
     
    "Hold tight Amanda,” I gasped at the sight. "I'm going to get help.”. I flashed to the nurses’ station, grabbed nurse Ratchet, and was back to Amanda's room before another tear had time to hit the covers.
     
    The nurse took in the sight of Amanda's body covered in sores and turned an accusing gaze towards me and demanded, "What did you do to her? You've only been here fifteen or twenty minutes!"
     
    I choked on a cough as I tried to dispute her