Page 72 of Blood Freed

The tension in my chest begins to ease. The dark magic subsides, leaving me shaky but more myself. Soren’s eyes meet mine across the chamber, and I see my own relief mirrored there.

Gran’s hand finds my arm, gentle but firm. “Come, dear. We have a lot to talk about.”

From the look in her eye, I’m not going to enjoy this conversation. But right now, I’m just so grateful that Soren is safe that I’m willing to deal with anything.

I just hope I’m strong enough. A wave of weakness washes over me. My legs feel shaky, the aftermath of the magic leaving me drained and hollow. Soren moves closer, ready to catch me if I stumble.

“This is not over.” Lucien’s voice cuts through the chamber. “You think you can murder vampire elders and walk away?”

“Careful, Lucien.” Gran’s tone is pure ice. “Your own actions may bear closer scrutiny now.”

He bares his fangs, all pretense of civilization gone. “Be careful who you threaten, witch. You and your kind will have to answer for what has happened here today.”

“Enough!” Arabella’s command silences him. “The Sun Trail is complete. The judgment stands. The rest will be taken up with the witch leadership.” But I catch the tight lines around her eyes, the way she watches me. I’ve killed her Assembly members. There will be consequences.

Gran guides me toward the door, Soren close behind us. My feet move automatically, but my mind is spinning. What have I done? The dark magic may have receded, but I can still feel it simmering under my skin, waiting.

“You’ll regret this interference,” Lucien snarls. “All of you.”

I want to turn back, to finish what I started. The darkness stirs again, hungry for his blood. But Gran’s grip tightens on my arm, and Soren’s presence steadies me.

“We’re leaving,” Gran says firmly. “Now.”

26

Chapter 26

Soren

It’s odd to thinkhow recently I was surrounded by the stench of death, when now, the scent of herbs and magic permeates Evelyn Blackwood’s study. I stand by the window, watching early morning light filter through ancient oaks – light that should burn me but doesn’t. My skin still tingles where the sun touched me during the Trail.

“The prophecy spoke of this.” Evelyn’s voice comes from behind me. She sits in a high-backed chair, her platinum braid gleaming. “A vampire who would walk in daylight, marked by witch blood.”

“I never believed the old stories about blood matches.” I turn from the window. “Or that the Bloodbane might be more than just a curse.”

“Few did.” She studies me with those sharp green eyes – eyes like my woman’s. “The Blackwood bloodline has always been…different. Our connection to vampires goes back further than most realize.”

The memory of Mia’s power in the Chamber of Dawn sends a chill through me. “What happened to her…that darkness…”

“Blood magic.” Evelyn’s lips tighten. “Combined with your blood bond, it awakened something dangerous. Something that’s been dormant in our line for generations.”

I pace the room, past shelves lined with ancient texts and crystalline artifacts. “I should have stopped her. The way she killed Victor—”

“You did stop her.” Evelyn rises, her cream-colored tunic flowing. “When no one else could have. That’s the true power of your bond.”

The connection pulses between us even now – Mia’s presence in my mind, a mix of exhaustion and lingering rage. She’s resting in her grandmother’s bedroom, but I can feel her fighting sleep.

“Lucien won’t stop,” I say. “Not after what he witnessed. The Blackwood blood is too valuable to him now.”

“No.” Evelyn moves to a cabinet filled with shimmering vials. “But neither will we. The question is, Soren Daire, are you prepared for what comes next? Standing with us means turning against everything you’ve known.”

I meet her gaze. “I turned against that the moment I chose to help Mia escape.”

“Good man.” She smiles. “Now you just have to convince her father of that.”

The front door swings open, and footsteps echo on wooden floors. Lake and Georgia enter first, followed by Kara, Rowan, and Daric. Within moments, the kettle is boiling, and everyone is settling into what looks like their regular seats in the older witch’s comfortable living room.

“God, when did you all get here?” Mia slips in, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. Our bond thrums with her presence, stronger now that she’s near.

---