Blood Red (76 page)

Vivi Anna

mighty sword.” She raised her arm in the air, humor in the gesture. “Then I will restore the lands to its former glory and be declared its rightful ruler.”

“Yes,” Rapunzel plainly said. No humor sparkled in her eye. No laugh lifted her mouth.

Red looked around at the group. They all stared at her, reverence gleaming on their faces. All except Goldilocks. She had a look of distaste, jealousy perhaps. Red looked away, and turned her eyes on Wolf.

He walked toward her, his hand reaching out.

“Red—.”

She shook her head and backed away. “No, no, no.

Impossible. I will not believe your lies.”

“Why would we all lie to you, Red? What would be the purpose?”

“To manipulate me. To force me to do something against my will.”

Wolf stopped in his tracks. He lowered his arm.

“Do you think that of me? Do you really think I would do something like that to you?”

Red searched his face. She found the truth in it.

Something she’d always seen. “No.”

“I know this is hard to believe. But that is what you must do.”

Red squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them quickly and stared at Wolf. “I think I will sit after all.”

She stumbled sideways, her legs giving out. Wolf was next to her in a moment, cradling her in his arm.

He helped her to the vacant stool. She sat on it, and held onto the table for support.

“Anyone have a drink?”

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Blood Red

The Bears grinned. Junior handed her a bottle. She uncorked it and swigged half of it down. She set the bottle down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “All right. Why me?”

Rapunzel sat and steepled her fingers together on the table. She looked intently at Red. “Because only the heir of Germania has the power to take revenge.”

“How can I be an heir? My mother and father were not of noble blood. Their parents before them, simple peasant folk. If I had been of some descent, surely my Granny would have told me.”

She saw something flash across Wolf’s face. He lowered his eyes.

“Wolf? You have been begging me to listen to the truth, so now I want to hear it.”

“The blood of power runs through your veins. The Brothers’ blood.”

Red dug her nails into the wood. She needed to hang on to something as her vision swam before her.

Her head spun. She had drunk too much alcohol. That was it. She was hallucinating. The alcohol had not cleared her head, but fogged it. She could not be hearing Wolf’s words right. She started to shake her head.

Wolf stood next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. He held her still. “You must hear the rest.”

“No, I will not.” She shook her head harder, pain furrowing her brow.

“Your mother and father were not your real parents. They raised you out of respect for your Granny. She was your true mother.”

Red tried to struggle from Wolf’s grip. But he held 151