Page 4 of The Curse of Blood and Silenc

Gage’s lips curled into a cold smile. He looked at me as if he wanted to devour me, his gaze continuing to roam over my body in a way that made me feel dirty.

“Oh, Serenity…” he purred, taking a step closer. I pressed myself harder against the cold wall, wishing I could melt through it.

“It’s not about what I want from you. It’s about what you represent.” His eyes gleamed with anticipation. “You’re the key to bringing down the mighty Angelo Santi and the arrogant Trystan Hunter.”

The name sent a jolt through me and my breath caught in my throat. “Trystan? The wolf mafia king?” He had tried to buy me at the auction but Angelo had outbid him.

My captor’s eyes shone bright, a gleam in them that made my skin crawl. “Not for long.” His voice dripped with a dark promise.

That’s when I noticed he held a mirror in his hand, and he followed my gaze to it. “This is the Moirai Mirror. Ever heard of it?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Angelo is clearly keeping secrets from you. This mirror has the power to show you both present and future.”

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched away from his touch.

“Don’t touch me,” I spat, surprised by my own vehemence.

Gage chuckled, but it was a sound devoid of real humor. “Hmm. Fiery. I can see why Angelo is so...invested in you.” He stepped back, giving me a little more room, but his presence still dominated the space. “Get comfortable, Serenity. You’re going to be here for a while. And you’ll do as I say, or two friends of yours will die. Look.”

He thrust the mirror at me. I gasped, my heart plummeting at what I saw in it.

Joy’s brother Steve and her father Louis—my protector, and a good friend—sat motionless in a sparse bedroom. Their haunted, vacant stares chilled me to the bone.

“Is this real?” My voice quavered.

Gage’s eyes flashed with cruel delight. “Very real, I promise you.”

“You’re lying,” I spat. Even so, doubt gnawed at me.

Without a word, Gage dropped a silver Celtic cross into my trembling hands. I’d have known it anywhere. It was the one Steve’s dying grandfather had given him. The one he never took off.

My fingers clenched around it, nausea rising. Gage turned to leave, triumph radiating from him in waves.

“Angelo will come for me,” I called out, my voice stronger than I felt. “He’ll save the DuPonts, too. And when he does, you’ll beg for mercy. But you won’t receive it.”

“I don’t think so. Look again.” The mirror rippled. Angelo and Enzo were in the back of a limousine, talking softly. Angelo didn’t look at all upset.

“He doesn’t seem overly concerned to me, Serenity.”

Something wasn’t right. This guy was messing with my head. “Angelo must not realize I’m missing yet. When he does, he’ll tear New Orleans apart to find me.”

Gage paused at the door, looking back with an amused expression. “Oh, I’m counting on that. In fact, I’m looking forward to it.” With that, he was gone, the lock clicking shut ominously behind him.

I slid down the wall to the floor, my legs no longer able to support me. My brave facade crumbled, and all the tears I’d been holding back finally streamed down my face. Angelo would come for me, I knew he would. But as I sat there, alone and afraid, I now wondered: at what cost?

What twisted game was Gage playing? Challenging two mafia kings was madness...unless he had a secret weapon. What power could possibly overshadow Angelo’s?

The answer whispered through my thoughts, freezing my breath: Dracula.

Angelo’s words echoed in my mind: “Dracula wants me dead.” I trembled, terror and rage warring within me. If Dracula himself was involved, we were all in danger beyond imagination, and I was trapped here while Angelo faced this nightmare alone.

Desperation clawed at my insides. I needed out now, so I could get to Angelo and warn him. I wasn’t going to be a damsel in distress.

Angelo’s words echoed in my mind: “Your power is limitless, Serenity.”

I closed my eyes, reaching deep within myself. Remembering the Aeternum Stone, and Angelo’s unwavering belief in me.

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