Every Cloak Rolled In Blood Novels & Stories

“Right there. In the open. Where everyone can see what happens when you cross me.” The phone buzzes again on the desk, another update coming in, and my pulse jumps. I grin. “Move everyone,” I say. “Tonight.” “Rules,” Lena asks. “There are none,” I say. “Only the hunt.” I picture Eli Blackwood boxed in by noise and lights and fragile lives, and my hands curl into fists. “I am not a coward,” I say softly. “And I do not care who dies learning that.”

His cloak billowed behind him, adding an air of mystique to his agile maneuvers. I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest, as the clash of steel reverberated through the air. The sound of metal meeting metal echoed in the darkness, accompanied by the grunts and growls of those engaged in the battle. Each strike delivered by the cloaked figure was met with a forceful parry, pushing back Lord Timothee and his men.

His sword hung at his hip, gleaming wickedly even in the soft morning light. He looked every inch the king he was. Fierce. Unyielding. Yet when his eyes found me, there was nothing cold or distant in them. Only a quiet softness reserved for me alone. "I have something for you," Alexandro said, his voice a low rumble. He crossed the room, reaching into a leather satchel and pulling out a folded bundle of deep grey fabric. I watched, heart pounding, as he unfolded it carefully. It was a cloak—thick, warm, and finely crafted, dyed the deep silver-grey of the Blood Moon colors.

Not just any cloak. “Isn’t that Xareth’s?” I asked, my voice tense. Siora nodded. “Yes. He brought you back wrapped in it. You were covered in blood. After I cleaned you up, I dressed you in a gown.” Her words hit like a stone to the chest. The dungeon, the blood, the screams, the Heartstones. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to bury the memory deep, to block out the cries of the men I’d been forced to slaughter.

I shout and they both snap their heads toward me as I jump to my feet. "Katie!" Zack raises his hand. "Stay back!" I freeze in place as his attention goes back to the Watchman. "You must take another crystal," Zack says to him. And then I see it. The Watchman's cloak is ripped to shreds, completely covered in blood, a mist of steam billowing from several deep gashes on his back. The Watchman nods, glancing over at me, his eyes glowing that bizarre reddish hue as they shift back to Zack.

"And tonight, the world will see it." "They'll see exactly what you want them to see, Laredo," I said, my voice as steady as the tide. He turned me around, his thumb grazing the signet ring. He didn't recognize it. To him, it was just a piece of jewelry I’d picked out. He didn't know I was wearing our shared blood like a noose. "Let’s go down," he said, offering his arm. "Your mother is waiting to begin the performance." The grand foyer was a sea of black ties and designer silk. The air was thick with the scent of lilies and expensive gin. As we descended the sweeping marble staircase—the very marble my mother had traded my soul for—the room fell silent.

When it was done, they held her between them. Four souls twined together against the gathering storm. Veyra rose before the first light of dawn. The white cloak draped around her once more, but now the fabric was no longer pristine. It bore the imprint of a thousand touches, a thousand promises. Her skin burned with their marks. Her soul burned brighter still. She stood at the edge of the assembled armies once again, facing the fields where death waited. Jon approached first, clad in armor darker than night, a sword strapped to his back.

as the world slowed to a crawl as she watched him fall to the ground with blood pooling rapidly around him. He didn't even have the time to react. "No!" she cried, rushing to his side. She knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the blood. "Can you hear me? Carlson!. Please, stay with me." But Carlson's eyes were already closed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Luna, you have to... be strong," he managed to whisper. Tears streamed down Seraphine's face as she held his hand, wishing there was something she could do to make this better. "I will. I promise." With a final, shuddering breath, Carlson's body went still in her arms. Seraphine felt a scream build in her chest,

It felt nothing like a dream, yet she cried and begged herself to wake up, trying to absorb the pain, blood spilling out of her wounded face. The pain was more than she could bear and her stomach was hurting, which got her cuddling her stomach. She remained on the floor and watched five more vampires fly in through the window, all gazing at her in their human forms, their lava eyes still shimmering. They wore black cloaks. A kind of cloak she wouldn't see their faces in, unless they came up close. The cloak didn't stop the visibility of their lava eyes.