Page 38 of Crown of Blood and Vengeance

“Fine.” He put his hand on Rocco’s shoulder until the prince’s bones creaked beneath his grip. “It means?—

I take the king’s blood,

I extract the vampire’s power,

Through hell’s darkness,

I consume his strength,

His jaw tightened with barely contained brutality. “Now say it or I’ll twist his pretty little head off.”

I raised my trembling hand, Angelo’s face flashing through my mind. I drew on the memory of his strength, his unwavering faith in me. Even in hell, our bond pulsed like a lifeline. I’m sorry, I thought as bile rose in my throat and I forced out the words. Each syllable felt like a betrayal, and I hated myself, hated that I wasn’t strong enough to defeat Balthazar.

Rocco’s scream pierced the air as his head snapped back. Color drained from his face like water down a drain, his skin turning ashen gray, cheeks hollowing out as his very essence was stripped away. And I could feel it—feel his power rushing into me like scorching hellfire through my veins. My heart thundered against my ribs, heat blooming across my face as his strength became mine. It felt intoxicating and horrifying all at once, and I clung to thoughts of Angelo to keep from losing myself in the dark rush of power.

The stolen power burned through me like poison, making my head spin. I fell to my knees, my hand dropping like lead. “I can’t take it… I can’t take it.”

Balthazar’s fingers stroked my hair with false tenderness. “You’ve done well. Don’t worry, the prince is still alive.”

“I’m sorry, Angelo. I didn’t mean…” The words escaped in a broken whisper, guilt crushing my chest.

Balthazar caught my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Ah, your precious vampire again. He’s alive, my sweet girl, but he’s walking into a trap.”

The world stopped.

Alive.

The word crashed through me like lightning, electric and searing. My lungs seized, breath catching on a sob I refused to let escape. Angelo was alive. The ground beneath me seemed to tilt as months of grief and despair collided with this impossible truth.

“You’re lying,” I whispered, but hope—that treacherous, dangerous thing—was already blooming in my chest, unfurling like a flower toward sunlight after endless winter.

Balthazar’s eyes glittered with amusement as he watched the shock ripple across my face. His thumb traced my jawline, a grotesque parody of tenderness. “Why would I lie about this? The vampire king survived his execution. How delightful that you didn’t know.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “The look on your face right now is... exquisite.”

I jerked away from his touch, my mind racing. Angelo was alive. The mantra repeated, each repetition sending fresh waves of dizzying relief through me. But he was walking into a trap—Balthazar’s trap. The joy crumbled as quickly as it had formed, replaced by cold dread spreading through my veins.

“What trap?” I demanded, strength returning to my voice. If Angelo was alive, I had something to fight for again.

“Angelo plans to go to the Nightshade Crypt tonight to retrieve something that could possibly cure Dracula.” His eyes glittered with malevolent triumph. “I can’t let that happen. Allmy men have been given hellish swords. One nick could bring your precious vampire down.”

“How do you know this?”

His smile curved with ancient cunning. “I can’t give you all my secrets, can I?”

My fingers curled into fists at my sides as rage and desperation warred within me. I fought to keep my expression neutral, to not give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply his words cut. I wanted to lunge at him, to tear the information from him by force, but the cold calculation in his eyes told me that’s exactly what he wanted—to see me break, to watch me lose control.

I forced my breathing to steady, drawing on every ounce of restraint I possessed. Angelo was alive. That knowledge was a flame inside me now, burning away the fog of hopelessness that had clouded my mind for so long. If Balthazar thought dangling this information would shatter me, he was wrong.

“Then I’ll find out myself,” I said, meeting his gaze with newfound resolve. “And when I do, when Angelo and I are together again, you’ll regret every moment you’ve kept us apart.”

“Oh, love. I would do anything to possess you, and my first step is killing your precious vampire king.”

“No, no, no. Please don’t kill him. Please.” The words spilled out in desperate sobs as I lurched forward, my hands reaching for him despite my revulsion. The thought of a hellish blade piercing Angelo’s heart shattered something inside me. “I’ll do anything—anything you want. Just please, don’t hurt him.”

His fingers traced my tear-stained cheek with mock tenderness, his touch burning cold against my skin. “Such devotion. It will make breaking you all the sweeter.”

I was a novice against an ancient master of manipulation. It was like playing hide and seek with the lights off—except the monster wasn’t hiding, he was right here, watching me withthose hellfire eyes. It wasn’t just Rocco’s power that was making me sick; it was the burden of my betrayal to Angelo. The stolen power writhed inside me like a living thing, and I could feel it trying to take root. Was my soul growing dark, tainted by what I’d done? Would Angelo even recognize me when he saw me, or would he see only shadows where his light once lived?

Angelo, hurry.

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