Page 30 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

I flipped to a page filled with meticulously written longhand, each letter a work of art in itself. The words were inked in a deep, rich hue that shifted and changed depending on the angle of light. Turning each leaf, I was struck by the beauty of the stunning hand-painted illustrations adorning the margins, each piece a velvety canvas come to life that pulled me deeper into this world. I couldn’t believe someone had created this entire masterpiece by hand.

As I turned the pages, memories of Sunday school started flooding back. The words on the page were reminiscent of sermons I had heard as a child—stories of angels watching over us, delivering messages from God, and battling demons in the spiritual realm. But this book delved far beyond that and into angelic lore, revealing a complexsociety with its own hierarchy and a purpose beyond just guiding humans toward salvation or, conversely, passing judgment. My eyes were glued to the pages as I soaked up every detail.

Angelo had definitely left me breadcrumbs on who I was, and I was eager to learn.

Every once in a while, I heard Gianna turning page after page, almost as if she were speedreading.

After what might have been a couple of hours, she glanced up at me. “I’m curious…if your father was an angel, how did your mom end up with this stepfather who obviously hurt you?” Her soft voice echoed with concern, as if she’d been pondering it ever since we discussed my back.

“I don’t know.” Or I didn’t—until I had my dream in which Mom had claimed she married Freaky Freddie for stability. Freddie must have really pulled the wool over her eyes. He was nothing but a monster, and the memory of what he did to me still haunted me.

I returned to poring over the ancient text, my eyes widening in horror at the intricate drawings of winged creatures with twisted horns and sharp fangs. The hairs on my arms prickled as I read about their deceptive ways and their desire to corrupt humans. A knot formed in my stomach as the realization slowly dawned on me—these were not just mythical beings, but actual, living creatures. And some angels fell from grace and became evil demons.

Gianna gazed at me and put her finger underneath her chin. “You found something that troubles you?”

I glanced up from the book. “What?” I squirmed in my seat. “No, nothing.”

Her lips parted, revealing her fangs as she chuckled quietly. “Your face is pale, and I can hear your rapid heartbeat. Tell me. What’s wrong?”

“I’m just…excited about what I found,” I lied, and immediately returned to my book. How could I tell her that my father might possibly be a demon? That would make me twice as evil as any vampire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gianna studying me, but then she shrugged and returned to her reading.

What had Mom been keeping from me? She’d always been evasive about my real father. Did my father have horns and dance around with a pitchfork? Demons were evil, and I didn’t want to end up like my deadbeat dad in Hell, chanting ‘Satan is our pal.’

And what about Freddie, my stepfather who couldn’t keep a secret to save his life—did he know the truth about my father? Is that why Mom chose him? Because in my book, he was just as evil as any demon father. My stomach turned sick at the thought.

I heard murmured voices, but I was so engrossed and horrified by what I was reading I ignored them.

“Enzo!” Gianna snapped her book shut. “You look so much better.”

Startled, I jumped in my seat, banging my knees against the table. My heart beat a rapid rhythm in my chest as I fought to maintain a calm demeanor in the face of Enzo’s piercing gaze.

“Surviving, is more like it.” Enzo leaned against the door frame with one hand on it, as if to prop himself up for support.

Gianna got up and hugged him briefly. “I’m so glad.”

I thought I saw tears in the corners of her eyes, and her voice cracked as if she cared about him. Enzo was definitely handsome, and I wondered briefly if maybe they had a thing before she met her husband. Somehow, I didn’t think Angelo would allow that. Maybe they were more like brother and sister?

He stumbled over to a chair, his movements unsteady and uncertain.

Gianna clasped his arm to prevent him from falling.

He gritted his teeth. “I can do it.”

She glared at him as she helped him sit down. “No, let me help you, Enzo.”

He fixed me with a look. “Serenity, can we talk alone?” he asked, his voice laced with vulnerability.

“I’ll leave you be.” Gianna slid out the door.

I almost wanted to beg her to stay, but I didn’t want to get on the bad side of Angelo’s enforcer. With my luck, I’d jump straight to the top of his hit list.

Chapter Fourteen

Serenity

A sense of helplessness washed over me, knowing that I couldn’t possibly refuse Enzo. I forced a tight smile to my lips. “Of course,” I replied, trying to sound reassuring.

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