Page 121 of Fated In Blood

But I couldn’t find the right words.

“As for the monster who hurt you, the one whodaredmark you…” His fingers dragged lightly down my back, skimming over the raised brand. “I will kill him the first chance I get. You’ll never think of him again, because I will banish him to the Underworld and lock him behind a wall of iron.” He grasped my hand again and pulled me into the humid, suffocating greenhouse.

“But until that day comes, I’ll settle for knowing Silas cannot find you, no matter how hard he searches.”

48

EVANGELINE

Iwas still dazed when Blake finally stopped in the center of the red-tiled greenhouse floor, a lush forest of orchids and ferns pressing close enough to brush my face, the dappled sunlight filtering through the mind-boggling array of vegetation crammed inside the glassed building.

Flowers of every color and shape bloomed and bees and butterflies bounced from bud to bud, sipping nectar.

In the center of the chaos a tiny woman with wild salt-and-pepper hair tipped a watering can into a lemon tree covered in fragrant white florets. She was slight, dressed in a plain dark-blue dress shot through with silver threads. “Blake Marten.” She never even looked up. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Her husky voice, layered with ancient power, wove through me like a song, searching for a way inside. Just as quickly, something cold wrapped around me and Blake gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

That’s only her magic. She won’t harm you.

“Aria. This is beautiful.” He pulled down a flower and sniffed. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Cut the shit, Blake Marten. You don’t know a geranium from a gardenia.”

She had yet to look at me, but that odd searching sensation never stopped, like she was trying to worm her way inside my head.

“It’s been warm this spring. Lots of rain,” Blake observed, as if we had all the time in the world and weren’t on the run from my murderous family. “In a few months, these gardens will be beautiful.”

She set down the watering can and wiped her hands on her skirt. “Alright. Since that’s about as much idle chitchat as I can stand, might as well tell me why you’re really here. And don’t bother telling me it’s because my gardens are beautiful, because we both know you couldn’t give two shits about plants.”

Her eyes dropped to my boots, the mud still clinging to the heels, and her lips thinned out.

Oh God, she was totally going to kill me for fucking up her lawn.

“My friend has a tracking brand on her. I was hoping you could tell us more about it.” Blake hesitated when her eyes landed fully on me. “Or maybe remove the mark, if you have the time?”

She sniffed, as if she was smelling me. “Drop your ward, you protective bastard, so I can get a better look, and I’ll see what I can do. I swear, you vampires are all the same, such greedy, over-possessive bastards.”

Given the conversation we’d just had, her comment was perfectly timed, to say the least, and the second my eyes met Blake’s, I couldn’t help but grin.

I see it’s not just me. Everyone knows you’re a pushy bastard.

“She’s my progeny, Aria.Mine,” Blake said firmly. “Just so there’s no question when I drop this ward. Riordan has acceptedher into the clan, so she also has the protection of the Nocturne King.”

Okay,thatdidn’t exactly bolster my confidence. And why did he lie about who turned me, unless he reallydidn’ttrust this witch.

Then it was too late as the icy sensation ebbed away and that probing sensation grew stronger, like greedy, sharpened claws dragging over my face, my arms, and my body.

“By the Goddess, howdareyou bring a Silverwood into my domain?” The luxurious greenery faded away until we were surrounded by the blackened husks of dead plants, gnarled vines, and broken branches. Above my head, the shattered glass of the greenhouse hung loose, and instead of butterflies and bees, three ravens perched in a line along the peak of the broken roof.

Normally, I would have saidI told you so, but I was pretty sure I was about to die, or get my eyes plucked out by those birds. The rich, humid scent of growing things had been replaced by the reek of rot…identical to that strange odor seeping up from the Vault.

Had my father used witch magic to seal the Vault?

“She ismine, Aria. The Silverwoods have no claim to her. Not anymore.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” She jerked her head toward me. “The brand on her back says otherwise. What did you do, Slayer? Steal from your own family?”

I wanted nothing more than to dematerialize and get myself somewhere far, far away from this place that smelled like death. But I couldn’t vanish on command, and Blake had brought me here for a reason.

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