Page 74 of Blood Freed

Mia shakes her head. “No, I wasn’t. I just…I wanted to hurt them. All of them.” Her voice breaks. “I don’t know why. I didn’t want to stop.”

I stroke her hair as if soothing a startled animal. The fierce creature who tore through the Chamber of Dawn seems impossibly far from this shaken young woman.

“Let’s think this through,” Evelyn says, her tone gentle but firm. “I have connections in both communities that may help smooth this over.” She moves to her desk, pulling out a leather-bound journal. “Arabella Ravenscroft has always been a fair leader. I’m surprised she’s allowed herself to be swayed this much by that man. I will request an audience to see if we can resolve things somehow. And Lysandra Starfire witnessed enough of his manipulation to question the Council’s judgment. I’ll reach out to her, too.”

“What about the others?” Georgia asks. “The guards Mia…the ones who died trying to stop her?”

Mia makes a small, broken sound. I feel her pain spike sharply.

“Lower-ranking vampires,” I explain. “Their deaths won’t carry the same weight as Victor’s, but there will still be consequences.”

“Then we’ll face them together,” Evelyn says. “I spoke with Seraphina after our meeting yesterday. She’s already contacted several members of the Advisory Committee. They’re willing to hear our case about Lucien’s corruption. The deaths, while regrettable, happened during an official function – the guards died in the line of duty.”

“It wasn’t just self-defense, though,” Mia whispers. “I wanted to destroy them. The magic felt so good, so right. What kind of person does that make me?”

I kneel beside her chair, taking her cold hands in mine. “It makes you someone who was pushed too far. The magic may have amplified your anger, but the love that drove you to save me – that was all you.”

Even as I say the words, I wonder how true they are. I saw what she did back there. I know Evelyn did, too.

I watch Evelyn’s expression carefully as she shuffles through papers on her desk. Despite her calm demeanor, tension radiates from her. She’s not just worried about the political fallout from Victor’s death – there’s something else gnawing at her.

I feel Mia’s hands tremble in mine, feeling the dark energy still coursing through her veins. The others continue discussing political ramifications, but my focus narrows to the shadows dancing beneath her skin. I’ve seen this before, centuries ago – witches who tapped into powers they couldn’t control.

“You need to sleep,” I murmur, but she shakes her head.

“I can’t. Every time I close my eyes, I see…” She swallows hard. “I feel it calling to me, Soren. The magic. It wants more.”

My gaze meets Evelyn’s across the room. The ancient witch’s concern mirrors my own. She knows what I know – blood magic leaves traces, changes things. And Mia has used it multiple times now: during our dream encounter, when trying to reach methrough the wards, and most devastatingly in the Chamber of Dawn.

Now, I sense the darkness writhing inside her, like ink spreading through clear water. It’s different from vampire darkness – more visceral, more hungry. The magic has taken root, feeding on her fierce need to protect, her rage, her love.

I brush my thumb across her wrist, feeling her pulse race erratically. Her skin burns feverishly, yet she shivers. The power that let her tear through vampire guards like paper still hums beneath the surface, waiting.

God, Mia…what are we going to do about this?

I’m afraid. I’ve just found her again…we’ve found each other, and already, there’s a new threat facing us.

This dark magic. It’s not just within her.

It’s becoming her.

27

Chapter 27

Mia

My apartment feels likea time capsule of someone else’s life. Someone who didn’t know the taste of dark magic or the weight of vampire blood on her tongue. The sunlight filtering through my gauzy curtains casts everything in a dreamlike glow, making the familiar space feel surreal.

Soren hesitates at the threshold, centuries of habit making him pause. A small smile tugs at my lips despite my exhaustion.

“Come in,” I say softly. “You’re officially invited.”

He steps inside, his eyes taking in every detail. The crystals hanging in my windows cast rainbow patterns across his face – a face that should be burning in this light but instead seems to glow with an inner radiance.

“So this is where you live.” His voice is gentle, curious. I watch him examine my collection of spell books, the herbs drying on their racks, the organized chaos of my workspace.

“Not much has changed since…” I trail off, unable to finish. Since he helped Lucien keep me captive? Since I fell in love with my jailer? Since I discovered powers that terrify me?

---