Page 35 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

I flashed him an evil smile. Sometimes my brother-in-law’s thirst for vengeance ran as deep as my own.

Serenity looked at me with tears glistening in her eyes. “Stakes?”

I didn’t answer her. She’d find out soon enough.

“And Dimitri, before you do that, have Gianna and Elena brought into the dining room.”

I had to get Serenity away from the ghastly scene. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, her blonde hair shielding poor Jacques from her view. I lifted her into my arms and carried her back into the dining room.

A guard brought a sobbing Elena into the room directly after us, and she collapsed into a chair. She put her head down on the table, still weeping.

Dimitri helped Gianna into a chair and kissed her on the lips. “Stay here, my love.”

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. “I can protect myself.”

“I know you can.” He brushed his finger down her wet cheek. “But let me be the one to do it.” The statement was more for me than my sister, I thought. He was still trying to prove that he was worthy of being in the family. It did win him a small appreciative nod from me.

My sister glowered at me, but I wasn’t going to get into another debate with her over Dimitri.

I stared into Enzo’s cold amber eyes as he stood by my side. “Stay here with Elena, Serenity, and Gianna,” I growled through gritted teeth.

He hesitated for only a moment, then nodded quickly. “Yes, sir. I’ll protect them with my life.”

I was sure that Enzo would be able to handle anyone who came near the three women, but as I turned to leave, Serenity reached out and touched my arm, her tearstained eyes filled with fear and confusion. “You’re leaving me?” Her voice cracked with emotion.

My heart caught in my threat. Did she care for me even though I had fed on her? Regardless, I would take whatever acceptance or encouragement I could get from her.

I took a deep breath and clasped her shoulders firmly. “I promise I will return. You’ll be safe here with Enzo. My family was attacked, Serenity. And I am the head of the family. The Angel of Death cannot let this attack on us go unpunished.”

She winced at my words, but it was important for her to know who I was and what I was truly capable of. I needed her to know how far I would go to protect what’s mine—including her. More tears fell down her cheeks, and in that moment, I realized how innocent she was and how much I had forgotten about innocence in my line of work.

It took everything I had to leave her, but I had to find out who had murdered Jacques. I went to my office and grabbed my sword, which was deadly to supernaturals, and strapped it in its sheath around my waist. Then I headed out into the courtyard where one of my men was cleaning up the blood. Jacques’ body had already been moved and would be burned in a vampire warrior’s funeral.

But not tonight. Tonight was about avenging his death.

Petar landed next to me and shifted back from his bat. “We searched the streets but didn’t find anyone suspicious.”

“Keep trying. I want answers. We’ll go to Simon’s now. Be prepared for an ambush.”

I shifted into a bat and flew high over the courtyard toward Simon’s. This time, he would pay with his life. He had to be the one behind this.

I soared through the night sky until Simon’s Ravenwood Estates came into view. Fog enveloped the sprawling property, the ethereal mist creating an otherworldly cloak of mystery. From above, I noted grimly that the fog would provide a perfect cover for any ambush that might be waiting for me. It was a thick blanket of silence and secrets, shrouding the sanctuary in an eerie atmosphere. The rolling mist, creeping in from the surrounding bayou, blurred the lines between the meticulously manicured gardens and the wild, untamed beauty of the nearby swamp. The grandiose mansion came looming out of the fog like a nightmare, its presence unsettling and foreboding. With each flapof my wings, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this fog had something almost magical about it—as if Simon’s witch had created an impenetrable veil.

Ancient oaks draped with Spanish moss came into view, their twisted forms adding to the eerie ambiance. Despite being muffled by the dense fog, I could hear the faint sounds of wildlife below, emphasizing the isolation of this place where reality and superstition blended together seamlessly. I searched for traces of wolves or dark Fae but couldn’t detect anything—perhaps magic was concealing their presence from me.

I saw that the window I had jumped through had been repaired.

Too bad.

I dove toward it and burst through the windowpane, sending glass spraying into the bedroom. A man and woman in the bed screamed in terror. I glanced at the man and grinned. I recognized him. He was Dan Jenkins, one of Simon’s enforcers.

Dan sprang out of the plush bed naked, scrambling for his gun on the dresser. I lunged forward, getting my steely grip around his throat before he could even lift his weapon. His eyes bulged in terror as I tightened my grip, his windpipe shattering beneath my inhuman power.

With a swift yank, I tore out his throat and savored the metallic taste of his warm blood as it spilled onto my lips and down my chin. It was nothing compared to Serenity’s unique essence, but it still fueled my hunger.

The woman had fled to the corner where she shrieked and thrashed against the wall, her wild screams piercingthrough the air like a siren. But I paid her no mind. She was just another meal to come later.

Just then, Simon burst into the room with some of his lackeys. I hurled Dan’s lifeless body at their feet, relishing the terror etched across Simon’s face as he took in the scene before him.

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