Page 26 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

“I didn’t.” I cupped her chin, brushing my finger over her cheek. “Elena told me.”

She pulled away from me, tears forming in her eyes. “No, it wasn’t my father.”

“Then who?”

She wiped the tears that were now rolling down her cheeks. “Why do you care?” The pain in her statement touched me.

“Because I protect what’s mine. I promise you, whoever did this to you will never hurt you again.”

She lifted her chin in defiance. “He hurt me when I was younger, but not anymore.” Still she kept who hurt her a secret, but that wouldn’t last for much longer.

I ran the back of my hand down her wet cheek. “Maybe it’s time you let someone take care of you.”

“Someone like you? As you keep saying, I’m a prisoner here. I’m not sure that’s the same as being protected.”

She deserved honest answers on what she truly was. “Hiding from your past and your true nature won’t help you, Serenity. In fact, it could be dangerous. In these books, this one in particular, I think you will find the answers to questions you never got answered.” I brushed a lock of her hair off her face and felt her tremble beneath my touch, whether from fear or something else, I didn’t know. “Face your past, Serenity.”

“I think you’re wrong.” But I could hear the doubt in her voice. And the curiosity.

“Serenity, I want to offer you knowledge. Knowledge about who we are, about your power, about how you fit into this world that’s so new to you,” I said, hoping to bridge the gap between us with understanding and trust.

She considered my words, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “If I find out you’re wrong, then will you promise me no more secrets? No more half-truths, either.” She held my gaze, daring me to take up her challenge.

“No more secrets,” I agreed, feeling the weight of my vow more than any other oath I’d sworn before. I extended my hand, and we shook on it.

But I wasn’t ready to tell her about the Aeternum Stone. Not yet.

Chapter Twelve

Angelo

There was a discreet tap on the door. I glanced around to see Petar Dragan, Dimitri’s father, standing in the doorway. He had had a hand in introducing my sister to her husband. As usual, his hair was slicked back, and his eyes were shifty. Petar had a habit of switching allegiances to suit his changing purposes. He had sworn allegiance to Grayson Allen, who defied Dracula’s rules. Grayson had wanted to kill King Nico and had even made a deal with a demon in an attempt to seize the crown. But his plans had backfired, and Petar had been caught in the crossfire. I had found him dying in St. Louis Cathedral. He had been supplying me with blood ever since and proved useful in other ways as well.

He held out a note. “Excuse me sir, you have a message from the king.”

Serenity lifted a skeptical brow. “Just how many kings are there in New Orleans, anyway?”

I took the note from Petar and scanned it. Good. King Nico had accepted my invitation for dinner at St. John’s Tavern. The meeting was in less than an hour. “Technically, King Nico is the only real king. He’s the king of the vampires. The rest of us are kings over our Mafia families—Trystan Hunter is the Wolf King and Keir Rankin is the dark Fae King.” I slipped the note into my jacket pocket.

Jacques approached and coughed discreetly. “Sir, Serenity’s television has been installed in her room as you requested.”

“Good. I’d like you to stay and guard her while she looks through the library. She has access to anything she wishes.”

Serenity looked at me in confusion. “Where are you going?”

“I have a dinner meeting I must attend. If you get hungry, let Jacques know, and he’ll have something prepared for you. Perhaps when I return, you and I can discuss what you’ve learned.”

She crossed her arms. “How do I know I can trust you?” I could see that faith in me wouldn’t come easy for her. Unfortunately, I needed the Nephilim to have just that.

I lifted her stubborn chin and caressed her soft flesh with my finger. “That is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”

She studied me with blue eyes that reminded me of the deep sea. I released her and, without another word, left her to discover her heritage.

“Petar, come. You’ll accompany me to St. John’s.” Ididn’t completely trust him, especially around Serenity, since he had such a deep-seated hatred for the angels.

His presence at dinner would also definitely unnerve King Nico and Costin, making it easier for me to obtain information from them. Together with me and my family, he was number one on their list of enemies.

Dimitri pulled the limousine up next to St. John’s Tavern, then opened the door for Petar to get out of the car. Their relationship was a strained one. Petar held higher rank in my family because I needed his connections for human blood, despite Dimitri actually being married to my sister.

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