Page 53 of Crown of Blood and Vengeance

Dracula slumped in the chains, his head tilting back in exhaustion. Sweat glistened over his body like a fever finally breaking, the sheen catching the dim light of the room.

Rose staggered back as if an invisible force hit her. Her eyes fluttered shut and her arms went slack. She dropped the amulet and bowl, but Dimitri moved with lightning speed, catching both of them before they hit the pavement.

He caught her in his arms, his hard eyes softening with concern. “Easy there, little witch. Can’t have you passing out before the real fun begins.”

Keir put his hand on Dracula’s slick forehead and closed his eyes. It looked like Dracula was healed, but it could be an illusion. Keir scowled and tilted his head back and forth as if he was having a nightmare.

I held my breath waiting for him to speak, the silence stretching like a taut wire ready to snap. Each second felt like an eternity, the weight of our failed attempt settling heavier on my shoulders. Maybe the amulet and smoke hadn’t worked. “Well?” My voice came out sharper than intended, betraying my anxiety.

Keir opened his eyes slowly, the movement deliberate and weary. He rubbed his forehead as if trying to ease away centuries of burden. “He’s no longer possessed, but he’s fallen into a deep sleep. I’ve called him back from oblivion, telling him that Julienne needs him.” He paused, uncertainty creeping into his usually confident tone. “I don’t know if he heard me. He could remain unconscious for some time.”

“Blood. He needs blood,” I said, as I bit into my wrist. The sharp crack of fang against flesh echoed in the room.

I held my wrist under Dracula’s nose, watching intently for any sign of response. His eyes opened, and relief flooded through me at the sight of familiar brown irises instead of that demonic black void. His fangs lengthened with a predatory grace then sank into my flesh, sucking hard. My power began draining like a deflating balloon, each pull of his mouth drawing away more of my strength. The corners of my vision blurred, darkness creeping in like spilled ink.

“That’s enough.” Enzo yanked me back hard, his fingers digging into shoulders with vampire strength.

Dracula’s fangs ripped my flesh as we separated, tearing a jagged path through my wrist. I grimaced at the sharp burst of pain. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I shook it, trying to force my vision to become clear. The room swayed slightly, like being on a ship in rough waters.

Chains clinked through the heavy silence, followed by someone’s weary sigh that betrayed centuries of exhaustion.

“Thank you, Angelo,” Dracula said, his voice finally, blessedly familiar—the voice that had guided me through centuries. “Keir, I’m no longer possessed. Will you please release these bindings?”

Keir stared at him with the intensity of someone reading an ancient text, searching for hidden meanings. “I don’t sense any evil within you, Vlad.”

He used Dracula’s real name—Vlad—and the significance of it shot through me like lightning. Something fundamental had shifted. My vision sharpened, the fog of blood loss finally clearing enough to really see him.

Dracula stared at me, my blood still fresh on his chin, dripping slowly like crimson tears. His eyes held a desperate urgency I’d never seen before. “Are you ready to go get your mate?”

A feral grin split my face, tasting of vengeance and promise. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Then get these damn chains off me.” His eyes widened, pupils dilating as he jerked frantically at his bonds. “I can’t feel Julienne anymore. Something’s wrong. We need to go now.”

My heart stilled in my chest, a moment of pure, crystallized dread. “What about Serenity?”

Vlad’s eyes turned glossy. “They’re both in trouble.”

Fuck. His words echoed in my mind like a death knell. I had waited too long.

Suddenly, another white light plowed into me again, picking me up off the floor and slamming me against the ceiling. Stars swam around my vision.

Angelo, hurry.

The voice pierced through the haze of pain, familiar yet distorted, as if traveling across an impossible distance. Serenity.

My fangs extended involuntarily, a response to both the threat and the visceral need to protect what was mine.

The white light pulsed again, more insistent this time. Each burst felt like holy fire against my flesh, a reminder that I straddled two worlds—the criminal empire I’d built and the divine war I’d stumbled into.

Through our connection, I witnessed Balthazar’s unbridled fury. It was the first time Serenity had sent me a vision. Before, I had only heard her words in my head.

His power slammed against her opalescent wings like waves of acid rain, each impact punctuated by guttural curses that made the very air of hell ripple. But her feathers held firm, a living shield that even a demon lord couldn’t penetrate. I could feel his frustration building to a maddening crescendo as he hurled himself against her sanctuary, his roars of rage echoing through both our minds.

The connection splintered, her last words barely a whisper:He’s losing control. Balthazar... his rage... I can’t hold him back much longer.

The vision released me and I slammed back into my body with enough force to make my fangs tear through my bottom lip. Blood filled my mouth as my hands clawed into the ceiling, leaving deep gouges in the plaster. A roar ripped from my throat—primal, savage—the sound of a predator whose mate was threatened. The scent of fear filled the room, sharp and metallic, as power cascaded from my form like a dark waterfall.

I dropped from the ceiling, landing in a predatory crouch. Everyone took a step back, even Keir and Enzo. They’d seen me kill, seen me wage war against rival families, but they’d never seen me like this. The vampire in me was fully unleashed, and it wanted blood.

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