Page 119 of Fratelli: Eternal Bloodlines

Sonya’s gaze was fierce, her voice unyielding. “As the Defender of Pain, I will pull Darlene from the shadows and restore her faith. Together, you two will reunite, stronger than before.”

In that moment, Dolly realized these women weren’t just friends—they were Liora and Kaida, cosmic forces bound to her by an unbreakable loyalty, guardians whose purpose was intertwined with hers. They would end this war, save her love, and bring her sister back.

“Then tell me what I don’t know,” Dolly said, her voice steady. “What’s hidden in the Vatican, and how soon can we get to Lucio?”

Chapter 49

True Love

Vatican City - Syracuse

April 20, 2018

(Day Before Death)

Darlene closed her eyes and inhaled, pulling in the darkness that now enveloped her. She exhaled with slow ease; she tried to focus. Where should she go? She’d thought of hunting Vittorio but knew that wasn’t the answer. Her inner voice, no longer Dolly’s but her own, whispered one name: Domencio. She’d left her sister for the dream of him—a love she could call her own.

But now, vulnerable in the lair of her enemies, her instincts warned her: the choice might not be hers. Whoever found her first would decide her fate. She began to climb the long, shadowed staircase.

Domencio paced,tension tripled throughout him. Every muscle, every sinew bristled with the dormant power his Draca nowrevived. His father’s home pulsed with dark synergy, making his senses hyper-alert.

Then it hit him—a spark of feminine essence, faint but unmistakable. He froze, disbelief clouded his mind. Could it be her? At first, he doubted it. Perhaps his father had escaped the coffin Domencio had locked him in.

The thought unsettled him. He closed his eyes, and reached out mentally for Lucio, Shakespeare—anyone. But before he could decide to use the phone, her presence struck again, stronger this time. Defiant. Potent. It couldn’t be.

His eyes narrowed, then opened, a dark glint in their depths.

It was her.

Her energy licked over him, sweet as thick honey with a dangerous spice that seared his senses. The taste of her power fueled his resolve, turning him into the very darkness she had dared to provoke. Jasmine and vanilla wafted through the walls—a silken trail that led him upward.

She was in his home.

Was she suicidal? Or insane?

Domencio ascended the staircase, deliberately slow. He savored her scent as it teased his every step.

Darlene stepped into his bedroom.The air was thick with his presence—his aftershave, his ego, his darkness. She shivered as her senses tuned to his pride, sorrow, and restrained pain.

Moving to the bed, she ran her hand across the black silk sheets, soft and decadent. This was where he slept—alone. No trace of another woman’s presence lingered here. A faint smile touched her lips. He was so alone.

Her fingers lingered on the fabric before she strolled around the room, her movements deliberate. At the dresser, she opened drawers, inspected their contents and searched for answers. Her hips swayed with every step; the dark lace of her gown clung to her curves. From the waist down, the fabric turned sheer, and exposed slender, shapely legs with perfect feet perched atop needle-thin stilettos. She moved with a remarkable grace in the six-inch heels, her black hair shimmered like liquid onyx in the fading candlelight.

Domencio arrived in silence, his shadowy form merged in with the room’s dimness. He watched her, captivated. Her beauty struck him—a mixture of the physical delicate allure and cunning power.

She turned suddenly, and their eyes met. Her hair framed a face both ethereal and untouchable. Her gaze was precise, sharp as volcanic glass with both curiosity and fire burning within. She stared into the darkness he had become, unflinching. Domencio could not speak.

“Aren’t you going to say hello, vampire?” she asked. “I’ve come all this way.”

Domencio stepped forward. The shadows retreated as he took on his physical form. His eyes locked onto hers, and a welcoming smile curved the corner of his lips.

“That was your first mistake,” he said.

Her red lips quirked in amusement. “And my second?”

“Thinking I’ll let you leave,” he replied.

Her smile widened. “So, you know nothing. The last thing I want to do is leave.”

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