Page 14 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

“Still sore, and I move slower than a turtle,” I sighed. I leaned my head on her shoulder, a familiar ache twinging in my chest as I thought about all the friends I’d outlived over the years. “I’m glad I’m here too. It’s not every day one of your besties turns forty.”

Louise opened the back seat passenger door for me and placed a small footstool on the ground. “We thought this would make it easier for you to climb into the SUV after the attack.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. My lips turned up into a teasing smile, but it felt fake, a mask concealing centuries of weariness and now pain and fear. “Now I really feel almost four hundred years old.”

She slid in next to me. “But you’re still beautiful, Gianna. Even with that ugly purple bruise you have.”

I rubbed my cheek. “It’s getting better.” Not exactly true.

“I can’t wait to show you around Goody Academy,” Louise said as Augustus pulled away from the hangar. “We live in faculty housing.”

“Is that where Petar and I will be staying? With you?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s a little small. But there’s an empty two-bedroom apartment across from us and that’s where you’ll be. It’s fully furnished and everything.”

The thought of staying alone in an apartment with Petarsent a chill down my spine, and the smile that had begun to form on my lips quickly faded. Unlike the unwavering faith I had in Angelo and Enzo, my feelings toward Petar were far more complex and unsettling.

As we made our way to Goody Magic, my mind raced through various scenarios, each one more disquieting than the last. I found myself hoping that the bedroom door would have a sturdy lock, a physical barrier between myself and the man who, despite his apparent loyalty to the family, never failed to set me on edge.

It wasn’t that I believed Petar would attempt anything improper, but his very presence had a way of unnerving me, as if he constantly carried with him hidden intentions and unspoken secrets. The prospect of being alone in close quarters with him, without the buffer of other family members around, was not an appealing one.

I didn’t want to think about it and changed the subject. “Is your party going to be in your apartment, or at Goody Magic Academy?”

She shook her head. “Neither. Augustus has rented a bar in Salem called the Mermaid’s Melody. It’s right on the ocean and has a nice patio, but if it rains, we can go inside. Even from there, the view is breathtaking.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Genuine excitement filled my voice, and my spirits lifted at the prospect of a night out with friends and the chance to forget about my recent ordeal, if only for a little while.

Petar gave Louise a deep scowl. “I’m not sure that would be safe for Gianna.”

I narrowed my eyes at Petar. “Why not?”

Louise gave Petar a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Augustus has warded it against any dark magic. No one will be able to come in there and harm her.”

I crossed my arms, not wanting to remember Voodoo Velvet. “Please, Petar. Let me just enjoy myself. Angelo wouldn’t have let me come if he didn’t think I’d be safe.”

Petar crossed his arms, his jaw clenching. “I take it Rose and Valentin are invited to your party.” His icy tone made my skin prickle with unease.

I wondered why my brother had chosen him to guard me, since he was really particular about knowing everything about anybody who came to work for the family. Was there some other, darker, hidden purpose behind his decision?

Augustus glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes meeting mine briefly. “Yes, we are aware of your history and animosity toward each other. That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

Petar glanced over at me, then turned around in the front seat. “As long as they don’t interfere with my assignment to protect Gianna.”

Louise turned around in her seat and glared at Petar, her eyes flashing with a protective fierceness that made my heart swell. “Why would they interfere? They don’t want anything to happen to Gianna.”

“Please. Surely you know we’re in opposite camps,” he said. “Rose and Valentin have sworn an oath to Dracula while the Santi family has broken that vow.”

I swallowed hard, thinking of the tangled web of alliancesand betrayals that shaped my family’s history, tasting the bitter tang of old resentments and new fears on my tongue. With the wolves on my tail and centuries-old grudges simmering just beneath the surface, I had a feeling that this party was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Chapter Ten

Gianna

The tension in the SUV was running high, each word and glance catching and pulling at old wounds.

Petar glanced over his shoulder at Louise, a glimmer of warmth in his eyes. “Is my son Dimitri coming?”

The way he said my son with such pride and possessiveness in his voice made my stomach clench. I bet that tone must have hurt Valentin.

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