Page 37 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well, well. Look at you, playing the hero. Should I start calling you Saint Angelo?” His tone turned mockingly serious. “Or wait, is this some new strategy? ‘Save the naked girls, avoid the wars’? Because I've got to say, I like it better than our usual ‘kill first, ask questions never’ approach.”

“Listen up.” I scanned my men. “We have another visit to make. Follow me.” I leaped out the window and shifted into a bat. As I flew over the bayou and then through New Orleans’ dark streets, my blood boiled with rage and a thirst for revenge. Freddie Evans had dared to hurt Serenity, and now he would not live to see another sunrise.

Chapter Sixteen

Serenity

Still sitting frozen in the dining room chair, I stared at the door through which Angelo had disappeared with some of his men. My heart raced as I tried to process the shocking revelation. Someone was out to destroy Angelo, or at least someone in the Santi family. Was this over me, or something else? The thought of being the cause of this danger filled me with guilt and dread. First the killer had wounded Enzo, and now he…or she…had brutally killed Jacques.

I could practically feel their cold breath on the back of my neck, and I shivered, breaking out in a rash of goosebumps. A war was brewing, and I was caught square in the middle of the crossfire. I had to do something to stop it, but what could I do against such a ruthless and determined enemy?

Detective DuPont! Maybe he could help me. If I could get word to him, perhaps he could track down whoever was attacking Angelo’s men in an attempt to get to me. He could also get me out of this den of vipers.

Poor Elena had fallen asleep with her head on the table, and her soft snores filled the room.

Enzo slid into a chair next to me. He picked up my cold shaking hand. “Serenity?” His soft tone wrapped my name in a blanket of concern.

I shifted my worried gaze from the door to Enzo.

“You’ll be all right. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

My numb mind returned to the grisly scene of poor Jacques’ murder. I searched Enzo’s eyes, wondering if he would tell me the truth or only give bits and pieces of what I needed to know.

“Enzo…What’s a Nephilim?” My voice cracked with fear.

Please not a demon Please not a demon Please not a demon

Enzo’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped open in astonishment. “You didn’t discover that in any of the books that Angelo let you read?” His tone said he couldn’t believe I was so naïve.

I sighed, thinking of the information I had uncovered. Information I never wanted to know. “They talked of fallen angels…”

Enzo’s face softened. “Fallen angels are demons. They were once angels, but they were cast out of from Heaven.”

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the answer to my next question. “Is that what a Nephilim is?”

Enzo hesitated, as if struggling between telling me the truth and protecting me from it. But I needed to know, for my own safety and sanity.

Gianna’s gaze bored into mine, her words coming fast and sharp like arrows aimed directly at the heart of the truth. “Nephilim are born from the union between an angel and a human.”

The heavy dread on my chest felt heavier with every word. “But some are…?” I trailed off, needing to confirm my suspicions yet terrified to hear the answer.

“Yes,” Enzo confirmed solemnly. “Some Nephilim are born from fallen angels.”

“You mean demons,” I whispered. That meant my father could be buddies with Satan himself. It seemed likely, since he had left my mom and me high and dry. That didn’t seem like something an angel would do, but based on what I had read, demons wouldn’t think twice about abandoning their young.

Gianna flashed Enzo a frown. “Not all of them, Serenity. Your father could be an Archangel for all we know.”

“And if my father was an Archangel, he would be good?” I glanced at their faces.

Enzo grimaced. “Not necessarily.”

Gianna glared daggers at Enzo. “We don’t know what your father was, Serenity, so don’t panic. Not yet anyway.”

My heart plummeted as my mind connected the dots, hurtling toward a sinister truth. The pieces of this twistedpuzzle came together in slow motion, each one bringing me more dread and fear. I couldn’t shake off the memory of the dream where my mother had desperately tried to warn me about something. Or stop thinking about all the times she’d evaded my questions as a child. Well, of course. She didn’t want to tell me she’d slept with a fallen angel! It wasn’t exactly something to be proud of. And now, between my newfound healing powers and Jacques’ brutal murder, it all made sense.

I gasped as my vision blurred and my fingers turned numb—the blood draining from my face. I looked at Enzo then at Gianna. “That message written in blood...about the Nephilim…they were talking about me, weren’t they? I am the Nephilim.” Desperation crept into my voice.

Enzo’s expression darkened and he muttered under his breath. “Shit, Angelo’s probably going to kill me for this.” Then he met my gaze and nodded. “Yes, you’re a Nephilim. That’s why the others want you.”

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