Page 47 of The Curse of Blood and Silenc

My jaw clenched. So Gage was still out there, still hunting my queen. The bastard had already proven he could breachmy defenses, first by killing one of my men, then stealing Serenity from what was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress. Crescent Manor’s security had failed twice now, but this wouldn’t happen again. I would turn this place into a bloodied fortress if that’s what it took to keep her safe.

Soft footsteps came down the hall and Dimitri approached us with a glass of bourbon in his hand. He eyed me up and down dubiously. “I hear birthday suits are all the rage these days.”

I gave him a sharp look, not in the mood for any of his games.

He took a swig of bourbon, unperturbed by my silent warning. “You know what’s funny? Keir just called.” He swirled the bourbon in his glass, drawing out the moment like he always did when he had particularly lethal information. “According to him, while we were all playing hide and seek with our little princess, Steve DuPont was keeping himself busy.” His lips curved. “Another girl’s gone missing. And word is, he’s the one that’s been collecting them and leaving clues to lead the police to you, boss. Isn’t that just…fascinating?”

Anger gripped me and. Steve had been setting me up, using my distraction with Serenity’s kidnapping to play his games. No one double crosses me and lives to enjoy it.

I narrowed my eyes. “Why did Keir call you and not me?”

He shrugged. “He did call you. I guess you were busy with other business and didn’t answer your phone.”

I snagged my phone off the nightstand. Damn—a missed call from Keir. He must have tried to get in touch while I was in the shower with Serenity.

Dimitri’s expression turned grimmer. “There’s something else. Balthazar’s been riding Steve’s meat suit.”

My jaw clenched as I considered this new information. Possession by a demon only ever resulted in death. Demons rode humans hard and discarded the broken remains like empty bottles. The kindest thing to do was to put them down. Butwhy was Balthazar specifically targeting the DuPont family? The demon never made a move without careful consideration. There had to be a reason he’d chosen this particular piece to play.

I put my hands on my hips. “Contact Keir and Trystan. Find out why Balthazar is targeting the DuPont family. Every demon has a weakness—if we find his connection to the DuPonts, we find his vulnerability.”

“Angelo?”

I turned around and saw Serenity sitting up in bed, her golden hair tousled, still wearing the blue silky robe. Her arms were wrapped around her waist like she was trying to hold herself together.

I frowned. “Serenity, go back to sleep. I’m sorry we woke you. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“No…I mean… I heard what you said about Steve DuPont. I saw him at the plantation.” Tears filled her tired eyes. “Dimitri is right. Balthazar is possessing Steve, forcing him to kidnap women that knew you.”

I motioned to Enzo and Dimitri. “You have your orders.”

Dimitri and Enzo nodded and left. I shut the bedroom door softly and stared down at my queen, then slid into bed next to her and slipped a hand around the back of her neck. “You’re exhausted.” I kissed her full lips. “Don’t worry about Steve or Louis.”

She put her palm to my chest. “You don’t understand. I can heal Louis and Steve, same as I did Enzo.” Her voice wavered with exhaustion. She didn’t mention how healing Enzo and Shannon had left her drained and vulnerable, but I could tell. This would be what Balthazar would want. A Nephilim’s greatest weakness was their own compassion.

I sighed, memories of similar choices flooding back. Serenity didn’t understand this dark path of possession—a path I needed to protect her from at any cost. I would do anything to keep hersafe, even if it meant killing two people she considered family, even if it broke her heart.

I looked at her gently. “Enzo was bleeding and dying. He wasn’t possessed by a demon. That’s completely different. It’s not something that can be mended like a physical wound.”

She scowled, hurt flashing in her eyes. “You’re saying I can’t heal them?”

“You really can’t, I’m sorry.” My voice turned to steel. “Neither Enzo nor Shannon was possessed. Possession is extremely dangerous, Serenity. The demon has taken hold of Louis. Balthazar commands a host of demons and these demons are powerful and very dangerous. I forbid you even to try.” The memory of finding her in that abandoned plantation was still too fresh, her bruises still too visible on her skin.

She narrowed her eyes, that familiar stubbornness rising. “Louis is like a father to me and Steve is like a brother.”

“I know, Serenity. But I’m sorry, that’s my final answer. I won’t risk losing you again, especially to a demon.” I gripped her chin, making her meet my gaze. “If you tried to heal Louis and Steve, that thing wearing their faces would rip you apart without blinking, and I’d have to make an example of the men who protected you, who gave you a father’s and a brother’s love. Don’t ask me to do that.”

She went still under my grip, her eyes filling with tears. “So you’ll kill them instead?” The words came out barely above a whisper. “The men who kept me safe, who loved me when I was alone?”

“If it meant keeping you safe, yes.”

She stared at me as if trying to decide whether I was telling the truth. The vampire king who’d slaughtered entire families without remorse, now struggling with the thought of killing two men?

Love had made me weak. Or maybe it had made me stronger.

“I thought you said you believed in me,” she said softly.

“I do. But my job is to protect you. Balthazar is targeting the DuPont family for a reason, and I don’t think it will end well.”

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