Page 22 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

Someone was shaking me gently. “Serenity, Serenity. Wake up,mademoiselle.”

My eyes fluttered open. Tears streamed down my face, and I couldn’t stop trembling. Not from fear, but from missing my mom. It had seemed so real…but I guess not.

Elena’s face hovered over me, her face filled with concern. “Mademoiselle, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just a bad dream,” I grumbled. I didn’t want to talk about my mom with her or anyone. The only person who really understood how I felt was Joy. But I couldn’t reach out to her, since Angelo had as good as threatened to kill her if I did.

“S’il te plaît, you must come with me immediately.” Hertone was tense and serious.

A chill ran down my spine as I noticed the wild look in her eyes. Why? Was Angelo hungry? Or did they all plan to feast on me? Here, I was nothing but prey.

I immediately put my hand over my neck and scooted away from her. “I’m…I’m not going to let anyone suck my blood.”

Including Angelo.

She cast me a startled look. “Mademoiselle, no one would dare feed on you against your will.” She put her hand on her chest. “Angelo has given strict instructions to that effect, and no one defies him. No, we have someone injured and Angelo said you might have the power to heal him.”

Like a beast with sharp teeth, doubt gnawed at my gut. I didn’t trust her or anyone else in this bloodthirsty place.

She cast me a pleading look. “Please,mademoiselle…He’s dying.”

I sat straight up in bed. “Who?” What did she mean, a vampire was dying? As in staked through the heart?

“Enzo. Please, come.” Her voice choked on those three little words.

Elena’s earlier warm and friendly demeanor had vanished, replaced by a sense of desperate urgency that sent my nerves jangling. She led me through the dimly lit hallways, her pace brisk and purposeful, as if every second counted. My mind raced with possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Who was this Enzo? How badly was he hurt? Why did Angelo think I could help him?

As we approached the bedroom door, I steeled myself, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged bird desperate for escape. Elena pushed the door open, and I heldmy breath, bracing myself for the worst—perhaps the sight of a vampire covered in blood, his life hanging by a thread.

Even so, when I entered, a gasp flew from my lips, my body reacting before my mind could fully comprehend what I was seeing. A half-naked man lay sprawled on the bed, his chest a mangled mess of torn flesh and glistening crimson. Three deep, jagged gashes ran from his collarbone to his abdomen, weeping rivulets of blood that pooled on the sheets beneath him.

But the true nightmare was the gruesome wound on his neck. Blood spurted from the gaping hole, pulsing with each weakening beat of his heart. It cascaded down the side of his throat, painting his deathly white skin a sickening shade of scarlet. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, so thick I could almost taste it on my tongue.

My mind reeled, unable to comprehend the sheer brutality of what I was seeing. This level of violence was something I had only ever witnessed on a movie screen, a fictional horror that I could distance myself from. But now, confronted with the raw, visceral reality of it, my sanity teetered on the edge of the abyss.

OhgodOhgodOhgodOhgod

A scream bubbled up in my throat, but I clamped my hands over my mouth and nose, desperately trying to hold it back. My heart pounded against my ribs, and bile rose in my throat as the coppery stench of blood assaulted my nostrils again. I wanted to run, to tear my eyes away from the nightmarish scene, but I was rooted to the spot, transfixedby the horror of it all.

Angelo’s piercing gaze locked on mine, his green eyes cold. “This is my enforcer, Enzo. You need to heal him.” The ice in his voice matched the frostiness of his stare.

As my chest heaved, I gulped the air like a fish out of water. Did he really expect me to heal these wounds? If I couldn’t, would I be lying next to Enzo in an equally bloody mess? I glanced around the room, frantically searching for any semblance of medical supplies. But all I saw was a wooden table covered in blood and various sharp objects scattered on the floor. He lay on the bed, his body battered and bruised, looking like a victim of Michael Myers. My stomach churned as I realized how serious this situation truly was.

I looked over my shoulder. The guard stood in the doorway like an immobile statue. I swallowed the terror in my throat. “How?” My meek and soft voice didn’t melt the coldness in Angelo’s eyes.

“I know of your ability,” he said simply. “You need to draw on it to heal him.” His low voice was a challenge, and I wondered again if I would end up like Enzo if I failed.

I watched in horror as the man lying on the bed struggled to breathe. He moaned, his throat making wet gurgling sounds and his body convulsing in pain. He was a vampire, stronger than any human. When I saw the panic in his eyes and the way he threatened to lose consciousness, my heart and lungs turned cold. I had only healed small aliments like when Joy bumped her head on the floor. “But he’s…he’s a vampire. Can’t he heal himself?”

Angelo arched an eyebrow. “Does itlooklike he’s healinghimself?” Angelo’s tone was surprisingly calm, but I could see the agitation in his green eyes.

My eyes burned, my throat squeezed, and a sob bubbled up from my chest. “Angelo, I can’t heal him. He needs a hospital.”

He rested his hand gently on the poor man’s shoulder. “No, Serenity. He needs you.” He lifted his cold gaze and locked onto mine. “This is why I bought you. You have a unique ability, and you’re more powerful than you probably even know.” His words spread over me like a bitter frost, freezing my heart, my lungs, and my will to move.

And there it was. The reason why I was a slave in this place. He’d bought me because he thought I was some mage or sorceress. If he only saw the marks on my lower back, he would know that wasn’t true. I couldn’t even heal my own wounds.

And yet he was Angelo Santi, the Angel of Death. If I disobeyed him and didn’t heal his enforcer, I wouldn’t be of any further use to him, and I would become one of his countless victims. Terror finally got my shaking legs to move. I stepped back like a doe ready to bolt to safety, but instead I ran into Jacques. There was no way I was getting out of here.

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