Page 32 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

My head snapped up when I heard Gianna’s voice.

I blurted. “Yes, I’m just hungry.”

Enzo’s face had previously still been drained of color,but now it had regained its natural hue, and his once lifeless eyes now sparkled with renewed vitality. The decanter on the table was empty, and I couldn’t help but gaze at it.

“To answer your unspoken question, yes, the blood healed him,” Gianna said gently.

My heart raced as I silently processed this information, taking an uncharacteristically large gulp of wine in an attempt to steady my nerves.

Enzo’s smile grew, a hint of dark amusement playing across his features. “Do you have any questions about vampires?”

“I’ve already told her about the difference between made and born vampires,” Gianna piped up as she pushed her plate away from her.

Enzo tipped his head from side to side. “I think she still has more questions.”

Did I ever! I was dying to ask a hundred questions about vampires, angels, and demons. The need to understand my enemy drove me to speak up. I figured if I understood them and discovered any weaknesses, maybe I could find a way to escape. “Does blood always heal you?” I asked hesitantly.

His expression turned guarded, clearly considering how much to reveal. “Most of the time,” he finally answered.

My curiosity piqued. “What do you mean by most of the time?”

He fiddled with the stem of his wine glass, avoiding eye contact. “This recent attack on me was particularly brutal, and I needed more than just blood to recover. That’s where you came in.”

I glanced at Gianna, who nodded.

“It’s true,” she said. “Whoever did this was determined to kill him, even though he’s an ancient vampire.”

Since he’d opened the door to satisfy my curiosity, I blurted a question that had been burning in me for a while. “How long have you been a vampire?”

“Since the plague,” he replied calmly.

I looked at Gianna. “And you?”

“The same.” She poured herself a glass of wine.

A jolt of shock coursed through me as the realization of just how old they were hit me like a ton of bricks. “But that’s hundreds of years ago! That’s…incomprehensible to me.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Yes, it can be quite overwhelming to think about.”

Suddenly, a thought struck me like lightning. “Was it Angelo who turned you into a vampire?”

Gianna’s bitter words sliced through the air. “He turned us both.”

Enzo remained silent for a moment. Finally, he gave a small nod. “We were both dying from the plague when he offered us a choice.” His simple answer froze my blood.

Gianna’s eyes darkened. “You mean he offered you a choice.”

“He loved you, Gianna. He couldn’t watch his sister die.”

A chill rolled down my spine. If he hadn’t given Gianna a choice, where did that leave me? I didn’t want to become one of the children of the night. Would Angelo take this choice away from me like he had from his sister?

“If you’ll excuse me…” Gianna got up from the table and stormed out of the room.

My throat tightened, and I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the rapid beating of my heart. “What did she mean, you had a choice?”

He merely shrugged. “Just as it sounds. I would have died if I hadn’t drunk his blood. And whether Gianna wants to admit it or not, she would have too.”

Maybe so, but I had a feeling she would have rather died than become a creature of the night.

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