Page 21 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

A flare of defiance rose up inside me. “Why not?” I demanded.

“Because I don’t trust him,” Angelo replied, his tone indicating that the discussion was closed. “He was aligned with Grayson Allen and Petar, then turned traitor against them.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Grayson Allen was a sadist, Angelo. He was delusional and thought he could kill King Nico and become the next vampire king.”

“Dimitri betrayed his family,” Angelo insisted, his voice hardening.

I huffed, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not calling about Dimitri. I want to know what other assignment you gave Petar besides guarding me…like maybe asking him to retrieve some magical object?”

Angelo was silent for a long moment. “Gianna, there are things at play here you don’t understand,” he said finally, his voice carefully controlled.

“Then explain them to me,” I pleaded, my grip tightening on the phone. “I’m tired of being kept in the dark, Angelo. I need to know what’s going on. Tell me, please. Is it true?”

Another pause, longer this time. When Angelo spoke again, his voice was heavy with resignation. “All right, Gianna. Yes. I asked Petar to get a magical object from the high priestess. It might be a way to reignite the energy in the Aeternum Stone.”

My breath caught in my throat at the mention of the Aeternum Stone. The magical artifact was the only thing keeping Dracula away from us.

“Why didn’t you want me to know?” I asked, my voice a whisper.

“Because I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Angelo said, his voice softening slightly. “The high priestess can be dangerous. She’s cunning, and I’m not sure she’ll be amenable to our cause. Be careful, Gianna. I don’t want you getting caught in any crossfire.”

“I will,” I promised, my heart clenching at the concern in his tone. “But, Angelo, you have to promise me something too. No more secrets, okay? We’re in this together.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “All right,” Angelo agreed, his voice heavy with resignation. “No more secrets. But Gianna, please…watch your back. There’s more at stake here than just your safety.”

After the call ended, I leaned back on the chair, my mind reeling as I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. Angelo was right. There was more going on. My family’s very lives were at stake.

Whatever lay ahead, I knew one thing for certain: I would do whatever it took to protect my family and keep theAeternum Stone safe. Even if it meant facing the high priestess head on and playing her dangerous games.

Chapter Fourteen

Gianna

Louise and I sat on wicker rocking chairs on her balcony, enjoying the warmth of the sun on our skin as we looked out over the parking lot and well-manicured lawns of Goody Magic Academy. Augustus had rushed off to his classroom to retrieve something, leaving us to enjoy a moment of peace together. The academy stood before us, looking more like a castle than a school, making me feel as though I had been transported back to medieval times. After my run-in with Dimitri and the phone call with my brother, I needed this chance to unwind. I took a sip of bourbon, savoring the spicy liquid as it warmed my throat and eased the tension in my muscles.

It would be heaven to live someplace where no one knew that I was part of the powerful Santivampire mafia family. Where I could go wherever I pleased without worrying about being jumped or tortured or murdered.

“It’s really nice here, Louise,” I sighed, sinking further into the comfortable chair.

She nodded, her eyes scanning the grounds. “I know our apartment isn’t a patch on Crescent Manor, but Augustus and I love it.”

“Crescent Manor is beautiful, but for all that, sometimes it feels like a dungeon,” I confessed, my gaze drifting to the distant horizon. “You’re lucky, Louise. You and Augustus can live here in peace. I would love to be living away from the center of New Orleans, maybe in the bayou, but Angelo would never allow that, especially not after me getting attacked.”

Louise gave me a sympathetic smile, reaching over to pat my hand. “Maybe someday he will.”

I laughed bitterly, the sound echoing in the quiet of the balcony. “It’s been nearly four hundred years since he turned me into a vampire, Louise. He’s never once loosened his protective grip on me.”

“Maybe if you got married someday, he would,” she suggested, her eyes hopeful.

Marriage definitely wasn’t on my agenda. The mere thought of it sent a cold shiver down my spine and had my stomach lurching with a sickening twist. I swallowed hard against the sudden dryness in my mouth, my tongue feeling like sandpaper against my palate.

I couldn’t imagine being married to a vampire, someone who would always have me under their thumb, controllingmy every move. The idea of being locked up by my husband, same as my brother did, made my skin crawl with revulsion. I held my glass tighter as a suffocating sense of claustrophobia washed over me.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head firmly. “Only if he was a powerful vampire strong enough to take down Dracula, a horde of wolves, and the Hulk. And even then, I’m not sure Angelo would be convinced he would protect me well enough.”

“So basically, Angelo thinks he’s the only one who can protect you?” Louise mused, her brow furrowed in thought.

“He has for almost four hundred years,” I said softly. “It’s a hard habit to break. He’s even the one who saved me from the wolf attack a couple of days ago.”

---