Page 66 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

Lorenzo cleared his throat, his voice hesitant. “What should we do with the body?—”

Before he could finish his question, sirens began to wail in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. Someone had alerted the authorities about Emily’s murder, and I was certain the killer had a hand in it. Word would spread like wildfire throughout the French Quarter, and while I wasn’t worried about the police, the thought of King Nico and Costin Tarus finding out sent a chill down my spine. They had made it all too clear what would happen if these murders continued, and I knew that they would stop at nothing to see me and the Santi family brought to our knees.

“You will do nothing with it. I will return momentarily.”Without waiting for a response, I grabbed Serenity’s wrist, my grip firm but gentle.

Gianna’s hand shot out, grabbing my arm. “Angelo, what are you doing?” Her voice was filled with dread.

I broke free of her grasp, my eyes locking with hers. “Saving our family,” I said simply.

I lifted Serenity into my arms, cradling her close to my chest as I carried her to my office. She clung tightly to me, her face tucked into my shoulder, and I could feel the rapid flutter of her heartbeat against my skin.

“Angelo, I’m sorry for what I did to Crescent Manor,” she whispered, her voice muffled. “I didn’t mean to. I...I lost control. I don’t know how to handle my power yet.” She pulled back, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I promise I’ll find a way to fix this place…if I can.”

I set her down gently, my hands coming up to cup her face, my thumbs gently brushing away the tears that had begun to fall. I leaned in close, my forehead nearly touching hers, our breath mingling in the space between us. “You can, I know it,” I whispered, hoping my words and my gentle touch reassured her in her moment of vulnerability.

I turned away from her, moving to the desk where the Aeternum Stone sat. The sight of it, now almost completely dark, sent a wave of dread washing through me. With its power fading, Dracula, King Nico, and Costin would easily be able to overpower me and my family. It was a fate I refused to accept, and a reality I would do anything to prevent.

I lifted the glass case, my fingersclosing around the stone. It pulsed in my hand, but it was only a faint flicker of energy that seemed to grow weaker by the second.

Serenity tilted her head, her eyes narrowing on the stone in confusion. “What is that?” she asked, her voice hesitant.

“This is the Aeternum Stone.” I held it out for her to see. “The witches enchanted it with healing powers, and for years, it has protected my family from Dracula’s wrath.”

She stared at the Stone, her expression skeptical. “Enzo told me he was still alive. I still can’t believe the guy from Bram Stoker’s book is real.”

I shook my head, a mirthless smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Stoker’s book was fiction, but Dracula himself is very real. His true name is Vlad ?epe?, and believe me, he is not someone to be trifled with.”

Serenity’s face was still etched with doubt. “Why are you telling me all this? And what do you mean, protect your family from Dracula’s wrath?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Some time ago, Vlad imposed a set of rules on all vampires, to be followed without question. He now believes humans should not be drained against their will, and has decreed that all vampires must swear an oath not to do so in a ceremony called theObliterictus.”

“And let me guess,” Serenity said, her voice tight. “The Santi family hasn’t been following these rules.”

I met her gaze, my own eyes steely. “We have merely done what we had to do to survive and protect our own. Unfortunately, in doing so, we have made an enemy of Dracula. He sees us as a threat to his power, to the order he has tried to impose on our kind.”

Serenity shook her head, confusion and disbelief on her face. “But why? What could he possibly hope to gain by controlling vampires like this?”

“Power,” I said simply. “Vlad’s laws are not about morality or compassion. Rather, they are about ensuring that all vampires are beholden to him. Those who defy him, who refuse to participate in theObliterictusCeremony and receive a Rose Unaknium Stone…which is not in fact a stone at all, but a drop of Vlad’s blood that has crystallized…are branded as his enemies and hunted down without mercy.”

I held up the Aeternum Stone, its surface pulsing weakly in the dim light of the office. “This stone is all that stands between us and Dracula’s wrath. Without it, we are vulnerable, exposed. And now, with Emily’s murder drawing fresh attention to us, I fear Vlad will not hesitate to strike.”

Serenity peered closely at me, her arms crossing defensively over her chest. “Angelo, you still haven’t told me why you’re sharing all this with me.”

I held her gaze, my expression solemn. “Because you have the power to save my family, Serenity. Your healing abilities as a Nephilim are the key to restoring the Aeternum Stone, thus protecting us from Dracula’s wrath.”

She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. “So…what? You’re just going to use me to ensure that you can go on killing people without suffering the consequences?”

I bristled at the accusation but tried to keep my tone calm. “We don’t follow Dracula’s rules, Serenity. Blood is what makes us powerful, what allows us to maintain our position as the Santi Mafia. Without it, we would bevulnerable and weak.”

Serenity’s eyes flashed with anger, her cheeks flushing with indignation. “So is that why you bought me at the auction? Because you thought I had the power to revitalize this stone, to keep your family’s murderous ways going strong?”

I flinched at the venom in her words and the raw hurt that simmered beneath the surface. I wanted to deny it all, to tell her that my feelings for her were real and I would never see her as just a means to an end, but I couldn’t lie to her. The truth was, I had been drawn to her power from the moment I first laid eyes on her, had seen in her the potential to change everything.

I stepped toward her, needing her to understand. “Serenity, please. It’s not that simple. Yes, your power was what first caught my attention, but that’s not the only reason I wanted you at my side.”

She backed away from me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “How do I know that, Angelo? How can I trust you, when you’ve been keeping so much from me? When you’ve been planning to use me for your own personal gain?”

The words hit me like a speeding train, the truth of them impossible to ignore. I had been so selfish, had put my own needs and desires above hers. And now, with my family’s very survival resting on her shoulders, I realized just how much I stood to lose.

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