Page 48 of The Curse of Blood and Silenc

She swallowed hard. “Do you think he intends to kill them? Don’t lie to me, Angelo. Tell me the truth.”

“People that are possessed are never the same, Serenity. Evil taints their soul. Even if you healed them… They wouldn’t be the people you remembered.” The truth felt like ash in my mouth. “A demon’s corruption goes deeper than flesh and bone. He’ll use their love for you to destroy them from the inside out.”

“But how long have they been possessed?” she pressed. “Maybe it if it’s not that long, then I can heal them.” She was refusing to give this up. I needed to distract her and take her down a different path.

I rolled on top of her, pressing her back onto the bed. I wanted to erase this path from her mind. “No, Serenity. You can’t. This is Balthazar. No one survives a possession from him. Trust me on this. Louis and Steve are now our deadly enemies.”

“But—”

I opened her robe and placed my mouth on her breast, driving away her questions, taking her down a path of bliss and away from danger. Her protests dissolved into soft moans, her fingers threading through my hair as she arched into my touch, finally surrendering to the distraction I offered.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Serenity

Forty-eight hoursafter I’d been rescued, Angelo, Dimitri, and Enzo were hunting my captors. Gage had made the mistake of thinking he could break me, and with a demon like Balthazar backing him, the wolf shifter had gotten bold. Too bold. I knew Angelo wouldn’t rest until he made them pay—my vampire mafia king wasn’t exactly known for his mercy.

Meanwhile, I was stuck at Crescent Manor, feeling more like a prisoner than Angelo’s queen. I leaned back in my chair in the library, trying not to think about the marks Gage had left on my skin. Luigi Bruno, my newly appointed guard, stood near the doorway, his usual stoic expression on his face. He might as well have been a statue for all the conversation he offered. Angelo’s orders were clear—I wasn’t to leave the grounds. Luigi took that directive with unwavering seriousness.

If only Angelo had assigned Enzo or Dimitri instead. They would have talked to me while I pored over these endless books, searching for anything that might help. The whole situation with Louis and Steve consumed my thoughts. Everyone, from Angeloto Balthazar, claimed they were possessed, but Balthazar had also said I was powerful. Maybe, just maybe, Angelo was wrong about my inability to heal them. If there was even a chance I could…

I had been poring through the angel books, especially the ones discussing telepathy. Apparently, I had sent Angelo messages without even realizing it. If I could do that unconsciously, what might I be capable of with actual practice?

I traced my fingers over the ancient text, studying the illuminated manuscript. According to this, angels could purify corrupted areas, create shields of holy energy, banish evil entities, and enhance strength against dark creatures. They could also have visions of truth and sense dark curses. My heart beat a little faster as I read. Angelo and his men hadn’t been able to determine where Gage, Balthazar, and their men had gone, but maybe I could.

Maybe if I concentrated really hard, I’d be able to find Joy as well—the sister I’d chosen, the one person who’d always been there for me. The thought of her being possessed too, her soul trapped while something else pulled her strings, made my stomach turn.

Luigi shifted by the door, and I resisted the urge to sigh. Despite what Angelo thought, I wasn’t some delicate flower that needed constant protection. I’d survived living in the same house with my monstrous stepfather, Freddie. I’d endured being sold at auction like a piece of property. I’d even endured being kidnapped by a demon. And each time, I’d come out stronger.

My fingers tingled whenever they touched the book, as if the mere thought of these powers was awakening something inside me. I understood Angelo wanting to protect me, but I couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. Not while Steve was trapped behind those soulless black eyes, Balthazar pulling his strings like a puppet. And Joy... God, if they’d done the same thing to her, ifthat demon had taken her as well... The idea of my two closest friends suffering made my chest so tight I could barely breathe. I had to find a way to help them. I had to.

But first, I needed to figure out how to practice without alerting my ever-watchful guard. Angelo had said he didn’t want me practicing my powers unless he was here to supervise, claiming it would attract Balthazar’s attention, even with Crescent Manor’s wards protecting us. But what was the point of playing it safe when the demon already had Steve and possibly Joy, and had proven he could get to any of us?

My gaze drifted to the silver bracelets Luigi kept at his belt—magical bindings that would lock away my powers if I disobeyed. I’d seen his hand hovering near them whenever I got too quiet or still. As if he could sense my desperation building.

The smell of something spicy drifted into the library and my stomach growled. I glanced at my watch. It was nearly three o’clock and I had only had a piece of toast at breakfast.

“Excusez-moi, monsieur.” Elena’s soft voice drifted into the library.

Luigi growled, “Angelo said…”

“She needs to eat. You don’t want me to tell him that you refused to allow her to eat, do you?”

Luigi turned sideways with a grunt and allowed Elena into the library. She carried a tray with a crock of French onion soup and a loaf of French bread with some butter. There was also a small salad with goat cheese, some cut up apples, and a few olives.

“Elena, that looks wonderful.” I pushed away the book I’d been studying, trying to casually flip away from the page about angelic essence tracking. As I moved to close it, that same tingling sensation I’d been practicing with earlier sparked through my chest.

Elena gasped softly. “Mon Dieu! You’re glowing,ma petite!”

I quickly clamped the feeling down, but Luigi was already moving forward, alert. Elena, however, didn’t seem alarmed—if anything, her eyes sparkled with interest.

“No sir, nothing like this onion soup in that terrible place, I can assure you,” I said with a laugh, trying to redirect attention to the food. My heart was pounding, but Elena’s curious look made me wonder just how much she understood about what I was.

Elena smiled and headed toward the door, not before giving me a subtle wink that Luigi didn’t see.

“Is Angelo back yet?”

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