Page 70 of Blood Freed

Chapter 25

Mia

“Don’t do this, Mia.”Soren’s voice is quiet, soothing…and I should be listening to him. But I don’t. I can’t.

Turning slowly to face Lucien, I feel the bile rise up my throat. This…this monster has tried to ruin everything.

The sun streams through the open wall, but I barely notice its warmth. My entire being focuses on Lucien’s face – that perfect, aristocratic mask hiding centuries of cruelty. My magic crackles around me, darker now, hungry for vengeance.

“Such dramatics,” Lucien drawls, but I catch the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“You imprisoned me for a year.” My voice comes out low, dangerous. Each step I take toward him releases another memory. “You tortured other witches. Murdered them.” Therunes in the chamber walls start to glow. “You manipulated Maxwell, forced Soren to help you, then killed his maker.”

“Mia, stop.” Soren’s voice barely registers.

Blood pounds in my ears as I advance on the vampire who thinks he’s safe behind the protective wall. “You threatened my family. Tried to steal my sister.” Dark energy pulses through my veins, a seductive whisper of power. “You sentenced an innocent man to death to cover your own crimes.”

Lucien’s composure cracks slightly. He takes a step back.

“Everything you touch turns to poison.” The magic builds inside me, a storm seeking release. “You destroy lives, manipulate people, all for your own gain.” The air grows thick with power, making it hard to breathe. “And you thought you’d get away with it all.”

“Mia, please.” Soren again, but I can’t stop now. Won’t stop.

My hatred for Lucien burns hotter than the rising sun. All the pain, fear, and rage of the past year crystalize into this moment. The dark magic reacts, coiling around me like a writhing snake, eager to strike.

“You made one mistake, Lucien.” I’m close enough now to see the fear breaking through his careful mask. “You hurt someone I love.”

I prowl through the door into the next chamber, where the remaining vampires huddle in their protected space. The floor is cold beneath my feet, each step deliberate, dangerous. My magic pulses with my heartbeat, filling the air with crackling energy.

“How dare you!” Lucien snarls, rising to his full height as he faces me.

Full height be damned. I don’t give a fuck. I’m not afraid of him.

I’m not afraid of any-fucking-thing.

“How dareyou!” I snarl back, rage consuming me in a way I’ve never felt before.

End him. That’s what I should do right now. Fucking end him.

“You are the Blackwood woman,” a tall, silver-haired vampire turns to face me. “You are not welcome here, witch.”

I pause, slowly turning my head to take in the sight of her. “I am your worst fucking nightmare. And I go where I damn well please.” My words slither around us like hissing serpents on the air.

“Leave,” she coldly. “This is a vampire matter.”

I laugh, and the sound is harsh, brittle. The dark magic pulses through my veins, whispering promises of power and vengeance. Vampire authority means nothing to me now. Nothing matters except making Lucien pay.

“A vampire matter?” My voice drips with contempt. “Like the slaughter of witches? Like the murder of Maxwell? Like forcing Soren to take the blame for your golden boy’s crimes?”

Gasps and hisses erupt around me.

Lucien’s mask slips further, showing the monster beneath. I want to rip it away completely, expose him for what he truly is.

“You may not speak to our Grand Elder this way,” a pale vampire with cropped auburn hair scowls at me, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Behind him, the other vampires’ faces contort with outrage at my audacity.

I don’t care. Let them be angry. Let them hate me. Something else has taken control now, something dark and ancient that pulses through my veins.

Blood drips from my palm, splashing onto the rough stone floor at my feet. It sizzles as it lands, dark tendrils trailing up around me. The vampires closest to me take hesitant steps backward, their nostrils flaring at the scent of witch blood.

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