Page 9 of Blood Freed

“Soren’s not like that,” I say hoarsely. Then something occurs to me. “Wait – what exactly happened with Rowan?”

“Heath tried to take her,” Darick says, his expression darkening. “Just like he helped take you. It was part of Lucien’s plan – he needed witches with specific bloodlines for his experiments.”

“The Bloodbane,” I whisper, remembering overheard conversations during my captivity. “They were trying to cure it.”

“Yes.” Darick’s eyes meet mine with understanding. “I know about the Maker’s Bond too – what Soren’s going through. I had one with my maker for centuries. The pain he must be experiencing…” He shakes his head. “Fighting against a direct order is like having molten silver poured through your veins.”

Mom gasps, but I press on. “Then you know he had no choice but to follow orders. Until he chose to save me anyway.”

“Heath’s been captured,” Rowan interjects. “He’s not talking, but I think Lucien promised him power – a leadership position once he’d taken control of both the vampire and witch communities. He’s got some crazy idea about how he’s saving us.”

“Saving us?”

“He’s nuts,” Rowan mutters. “Talked about making sacrifices for the greater good.”

“It goes deeper than that,” Darick adds. “Lucien’s been systematically weakening both sides, creating discord. The witch abductions were just part of it. He’s been secretly turning members of his own clan against each other, making them desperate enough to support his extreme measures.”

“The bodies at the Starlight Vigil,” Gran says. “Some of the vampires were killed by their own kind, weren’t they?”

Darick nods grimly. “That was my team – we heard rumors of an attack on a witch ceremony and came in to stop it. Lucien wasn’t there, but his men were. When I told the Elders, they wanted proof of his involvement, but I couldn’t find any. He’s smart enough to keep his hands clean.”

“Plausible deniability.” Kara’s expression is sour.

“Exactly. Lucien’s been eliminating anyone who might oppose him, making it look like witch attacks. He’s playing both sides against each other.”

I feel sick. All those months in captivity, I’d caught glimpses of Lucien’s schemes, but I hadn’t understood the full scope until now. And Soren – trapped in the middle of it all by a bond he couldn’t break, until he chose to save me instead.

“Lucien used Soren,” I say, my voice trembling with anger. “He forced him to help through the Maker’s Bond. You don’t understand what that means – it’s like being chained from the inside out.”

“That doesn’t excuse—” Dad starts, but Gran raises her hand.

“Lake.” Her tone has grown firm to the point of hardness. “Your daughter has been through an ordeal we can barely comprehend. Perhaps it’s time we listened instead of assuming we know everything about this situation.”

Dad’s jaw works, but he subsides. No one argues with Gran when she uses that tone – not even her own son.

Gran turns to me. “Right. I think it’s time you told us what happened, darling.” She smiles gently, encouraging me.

“It happened after a Coven meeting.” My fingers twist in the blanket as memories surface. “I was walking to my car when they grabbed me – a group of them.”

“Vampires?” Dad’s eyes narrow.

I nod. “And witches.” I glance over at Mom when she makes an alarmed, gasping sound. “I tried to fight, but they used dark magic to suppress mine.” I swallow hard. “When I woke up, I was in a facility. It looked like an old mansion from the outside, but inside…” My voice catches. Mom reaches for my hand, and I let her take it.

“Soren was there from the beginning. He barely spoke to me at first. But Heath…” Bile rises in my throat. “Heath would come by, taunting us. He enjoyed our suffering.”

“Bastard,” Rowan mutters. There’s venom in her voice.

“Lucien ordered daily blood extractions. He’d oversee them sometimes, him and his team. They were rough. The guards, too.” I touch the crook of my arm unconsciously. “I collapsed eventually. That’s when things changed. Soren took control of the facility. He gave us time to recover between extractions, improved conditions for all of us.”

“What do you mean ‘all of us’? How many others were there?” Gran’s expression darkens.

“Lots. I didn’t see all of them, but there were two I connected with – Sabine and Jemma. We planned an escape together, but we didn’t get far.” I remember how terrified we were.

“And then?” Gran’s eyes are sharp, knowing.

“They put me in Soren’s direct care after that. I…um…had to live in his quarters so I wouldn’t be out of his sight.” I feel heat rise to my cheeks, avoiding Gran’s too-perceptive gaze. Rowan shifts slightly, and I know she understands.

“When I learned they were planning to take Rowan too…” My hands clench. “I couldn’t let that happen. Soren helped me plananother escape. He contacted Dr. Chen, the one who reached out to you all.”

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