Page 145 of Fated In Blood

“You fucking asshole,” I hissed. “I hope you fucking rot in hell, right along with the rest of these bastards.”

I’ve bought us some time,Malachi growled into my head. Where is the dagger? I assume somewhere at Crimson House?

Even with everything gone to shit, I hesitated. This situation wasn’t completely lost. Blake was still out there, he could…

A beat-to-hell Valaine dragged an unconscious Blake into the room, bleeding from pretty much everywhere with one leg turned the wrong way as Valaine hauled him across the thick, expensive rugs and dropped him in front of his master.

The dagger’s in a safe in Riordan’s office.

I nearly vomited when Valaine drew the point of that curved blade down Blake’s torso, such a look of delight on his face I saw exactly what lay ahead for all of us once that oath was no more.

I don’t know the combination. Hurry.

55

EVANGELINE

Malachi took his leave as soon as I gave him the location of the dagger, and I prayed I hadn’t just fucked everyone over.

Bad enough my sister sobbed like her last hope was gone.

Blake was barely breathing, and a kneeling Riordan was trapped on the floor in front of Tyrell, hands clasped behind his head, unable to move a muscle.

I was the only one who had any sort of physical autonomy, and I couldn’t make a goddamned move because if I did, Collum, Tyrell, or certainly Valaine—holding that curved blade—would start carving up the people I cared about.

Silas approached, his expression a mixture of permanent disappointment and elation, Alistair right behind him, who’d traded in his guns for a wickedly sharp knife. “You always were a disappointment, Evangeline.” My father shook his head, and on the other side of the room, Angel hiccuped out a sob. “But these past few days, you have really outdone yourself.”

“What can I say? I’m on a roll.”

Alistair handed the knife to my father, who weighed the blade in his hand, never taking his eyes off me.

“Despite your smart mouth, I am glad I didn’t kill you that night I took Aurora’s head. You’ve made a very handy pawn, Evangeline.” I trembled in rage at the sound of my mother’s name, at the memory of how he’d stood exactly the way he did right now, feet braced wide, eyes as cold as the grave.

“I will kill you for that. I’ll use every trick you ever taught me to carve you into pieces.” I snarled, well aware of how I looked, blood-splattered, fangs bared, eyes glowing like stars. I embodied everything my father claimed to despise.

I’d never been a slayer.Not really. Perhaps I’d only been biding my time until I discovered my true nature, until I found myself alone in the darkness with nothing but the shadows and a lover’s sharp bite.

Tonight, I was glad I was a vampire.

Glad Silas could no longer claim any part of me.

Glad I craved blood and violence and death.

My father’s pleased chuckle skated over me. “You will spend the rest of your life strapped to a table as one of Valaine’s experiments.”

Riordan bellowed out a strangled curse, but I kept my eyes on that blade dangling loosely in my father’s hand.

“Have you ever asked yourself why there are no girls in our family?” my father asked, Alistair snorting softly as if the question answered itself. “We were cursed, you see, by an ancient spell, destined to only produce boys. Not that I’m complaining. Girls are useless…until, it turns out, they are not.”

“Silverwood blood—femaleSilverwood blood—was rumored to possess special qualities, highly prized among the first of our kind,” Tyrell interrupted smoothly. “But the witches decided that made us too powerful, and thus, took away our source. For centuries we’ve searched for a way to undo their foul magic, discovering, to our dismay, the coven who cast the original spell were the only ones who could undo it.”

“Turned out vampires killed off most of the covens during the Dark Ages, including the one who cursed us.” Alistair, ever the teacher, pointed out wryly. “Kind of poetic, when you think about it. But we managed to findone.” Uncle Alistair huffed. “A single witch descended from that bloodline, but one was all we needed.”

Tyrell chuckled. “That witch gave us her daughter, Aurora. A witch with little magic, but power that wasn’t our concern.”

Horror turned my veins to sludge.Magic. This was the deep, dark secret mom had hidden away, had made me promise to never reveal.

But…everyone already knew.

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