Page 65 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

Julian’s face stayed unreadable even as he answered me. It would seem not.

But what did that change? I wasn’t certain I knew.

“I’m mortified. I hid you from the world for so long. I was so afraid that Willem might find you that I never considered another vampire might. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

“Safe? Is that how you justify lying to me?” I wanted to understand, but I couldn’t. This wasn’t the woman who had raised me, who had sacrificed so much to give me cello lessons. Even when she was sick, she’d been adamant that I continue my studies and stay in school. I already knew that was a lie. That she’d pushed me toward music to siphon away any siren tendencies. But even knowing that didn’t change the years she’d spent cheering me on or the love I felt when I remembered those times.

It couldn’t all be a lie.

“I did what I had to do.” There wasn’t an ounce of remorse on her face. “Sirens hide—it’s what we do. It’s better if we are forgotten. But you were always in more danger than the rest of us. If your father had found you, he would have tried to turn you into a succubus—a weapon.”

“He did find me,” I exploded, “and I think he did succeed.”

“He could not. The divine spark inside you cannot be corrupted.”

But that didn’t make sense. “I drink blood. I have fangs.”

“An unfortunate gift from your father, it seems.” Her eyes flickered briefly to Julian before she stood and carried her cup to the sink. She dumped the remainder of her tea. She kept her back to me as she asked, “Whose blood do you drink?”

This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have with my mother. “That’s none of your business.”

She swiveled to face me, a finger whipping in Julian’s direction. “Does he demand it? Do you to drink blood to please your vampire?”

I was going to be sick. My stomach churned as the world tilted. All of this time, she had known. Looking at Julian, I saw his jaw tense. He didn’t want to answer that question. I couldn’t blame him. And while I had drank from my mate, I felt no shame. Not about sharing blood with him. Still…

“Willem forced me to consume blood,” I whispered.

Her face paled. She gripped the counter behind her like she might collapse. “I should have told you. I should have warned you about him. I thought I could protect you from that monster.”

My rage quieted as I beheld her. I’d been angry with her since she forced me to choose between her and Julian. Angrier still when I found out the truth about what I was and that she’d glamoured me. Now, “What did he do to you?”

“Some are born of the Gods. Others were made from them—purposefully or accidentally. But yes, all creatures of this world are all bound to them in some way or another. Vampires like Hades crave souls because they are cursed to live without them.”

“What do you mean by this world?” I asked suspiciously.

“There are other magics, other worlds that exist within our own. The Fae, for instance.”

The Fae? Someone, Lysander or Sabine, had mentioned them casually. I hadn’t really thought they were real. I’d never met any and none of Julian’s family or friends ever spoke of knowing any. And what hell did she mean by exists within our own?

Julian raked a hand through his hair, instantly looking more disheveled than I’d ever seen him outside the bedroom.

“So, what have these Gods been doing?” I demanded. “Just hanging out on Mount Olympus or whatever?” How could she have kept this from me?

I wasn’t an expert on vampire history, but this was rewriting everything I thought I’d figured out. I couldn’t imagine how Julian felt.

Do you think she’s crazy? I asked across the bond.

There was a barely perceptible shake of his head.

Distracted by him, my mother’s next words nearly knocked me out of my chair. “The Gods are dead.” She paused, her eyes pinching together as she studied us. “Or they were.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

My outburst earned me a withering, maternal glare. She never liked it when I cursed.

“It means that whatever happened when you took that throne changed things. Magic is awake. It grows more powerful every day. What once whispered in my veins now roars. Don’t you feel it?”

I felt numb, but I managed a single nod. I not only felt it, I’d used it today on that vampire who’d attacked us.

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