Page 66 of Blood Freed

“Mia?” Gran’s sharp voice cuts through my thoughts. “Are you alright?”

I meet her knowing gaze. She sees it – the change in me. I’m not the same witch they rescued. That Mia was broken, weakened by captivity. This version of me…this is something else. Something stronger.

Something darker.

The magic pulses under my skin like a living thing, hungry and eager. Gran’s warnings about blood magic echo in my head – how it corrupts, how it changes you. How it takes more than it gives.

I should care. The old Mia would have been horrified at even considering dark magic.

But all I can think about is saving him. Doing anything to get to him.

There’s another strange flicker of thought that doesn’t belong to me, and I grasp at it.

It’s him! It has to be him.

But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving me even more frantic

The power feels different now – raw and wild, nothing like the structured magic I grew up with. Each heartbeat sends wavesof dark energy through me, and the room’s shadows seem to deepen in response.

This new magic terrifies me. But it also feels right, like something awakening that was always meant to be there. When I reach for it, the power surges forward eagerly, making my blood sing with possibilities. I could tear down walls, shatter wards, break through any barrier between Soren and me.

Nothing can stop me, dammit. Nothing.

The rational part of my mind whispers that this is exactly what Gran warned about – the seductive pull of dark magic, how it makes you feel invincible. But with dawn approaching and Soren’s life hanging in the balance, those warnings seem distant and unimportant.

I press my palm against my chest, feeling the throb of power there.

Do something. Do something. Do something!

The family continues planning around me, their voices turning into background noise as I explore this new awareness. My blood feels charged, almost electric, and I know, without trying, that I could reach for power that would make even Gran step back in fear.

The conversation is a distant hum as my mind works frantically. I can feel Gran’s eyes on me, heavy with understanding and fear.

Dawn is coming. We’re out of options.

I close my eyes, reaching for that forbidden place inside me where blood magic lurks. The power rushes up, hungry and wild.

“Mia.” Gran’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Don’t.”

I open my eyes to meet her worried gaze.

I have to.

The magic pulses stronger, responding to my decision. It doesn’t feel wrong anymore – it feels inevitable. Like somethingawakening that was always meant to be there, just waiting for the right moment.

There’s no other way.

I don’t care about the cost anymore. Some prices are worth paying.

I reach for the darkness, and it reaches back.

23

Chapter 23

Soren

The Chamber of Dawnlooms before me, its eastern wall a chilling warning of what awaits. The air feels heavy with the weight of tradition and finality, heavy with death.

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