Page 120 of Dark Souls

Realisation sunk in as a hand slammed across her mouth. “You killed them because of me?”

“I killed them because they were trying to get to you in your... delicate state. Yes. Let’s just say I wasn’t in a very forgiving mood.”

She dropped her hand to the bed and stared at the sheet for a long moment. I ran my hand through my hair a little awkwardly, well aware we were having this conversation while I was still completely naked.

“I take it Arius knows then?”

She swore under her breath. “He’s suspicious. He’s not stupid. By tracking their phones, he knew they were at the event. He put two and two together. How the hell am I going to explain this to him? The soldiers’ families want answers. They’re demanding he investigate; otherwise, they’ll take this to my parents, forcing them to bring you in for questioning.”

“Oh, goody. That will be a nice way to meet the family. When I’m held on trial at the high court.” I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest as she rolled her eyes with sass.

“It’s not a high court. That’s what it was called when The Council was in power. They now hold trials at the palace. And that won’t be happening.”

“No? Will I be exempt from all sinful acts for being your soulmate?” I mocked.

“I’ve got it!” she shouted, clearly ignoring me as her eyes brightened and came alive with a genius plan that made my lips twitch with amusement. “I’ll tell them you killed the vampires because you overheard what they were planning to do to me. I’ll make something up. Some sordid sex act in one of the bondage rooms. I have lots of inspiration after reading so many pervy thoughts from that night, anyway. They will buy it and be so blind with rage at the thought, they’d be patting you on the back for killing them.”

I stared at her, wondering if she had really gone quite mad.

“My grandpapi will just have to deal with the families in some other creative way. He’ll think of something. And because you swore to protect me through a blood bond, he’ll believe it. What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

I blinked twice. “You are willing to lie to your family... to cover for me?”

“It’s not a lie. It’s just a bending of the truth. You were protecting me. Now, let me protect you. I can’t have you meeting the whole family in magical handcuffs on trial for double murder now, can I?”

She smiled so sweetly that it stole the next breath from my lungs. I dropped to my knees on the bed and crawled towards her, forcing her to lie down.

She snuggled into the pillow and I slid a lock of her white hair out of her face and stared at her again, unable to believe she was mine. I’d never considered myself a lucky man in this life. In fact, my life had been a series of unfortunate events, one after another. But finding Ilaria. That wasn’t one of them.

She yawned loudly and I smirked.

“Sleep, love. It’s nearly sunrise.” I kissed her on the lips and she hummed, falling into a light sleep immediately. I envied how easily she could drift off, but at least it gave me uninterrupted time to stare at her again.

Shifting myself next to her, careful not to wake her, I let my mind wander to places it had rarely been before. Places of hope and vulnerability. After hundreds of years fighting for my freedom but only finding misery and captivity, I’d forgotten what it felt like to want more than to simply exist. The only reason I hadn’t given up was to keep my sister alive. But now… as I stared at Ilaria’s peaceful face, feeling that strange warmth in my chest that only ever came when I was in her company, another emotion was creeping beneath the surface of my skin. Fear.

Because I no longer felt alone anymore and I was terrified of losing her. What would her family do if they found out about us? How would they react? I doubted I would be their first choice for their princess, probably not even their last. But the bigger fear was how she would react when she finally learned everything there was to know about me. She says she can handle it and won’t leave, but she can’t possibly know that.

Dangerous hope and longing were dangling before me; all I had to do was reach out and take them. But that’s what scared me more than anything. Growing up, the world felt hostile, each interaction a potential threat, and I was taught from a young age to trust no one in this life. Once, I’d ignored that advice and took a chance. I put my faith in a woman, hoping for happiness and acceptance. And look how well that turned out. But Ilaria wasn’t Belladonna. I had to believe that. I knew that in my bones.

My mouth was dry as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and slipped off the bed. Lifting a trembling hand, I swept it through my hair and glanced around the dusty, damp-ridden room. She was going to stay here. In this shithole. My gut twisted with something angry and sinister as that realisation sunk in. I didn’t want her here. Not because I didn’t want her with me, as that was so far from the truth, but because I didn’t want this place to infect her with its poison. To fester within her like a virulent infection, its tendrils wrapping around her heart, never to be cured. But she was right. The answers to all her questions were hidden within these walls. Allowing her to be here and giving her access to my life was the best and quickest way to let her in.

It was time. I was ready to put my trust in her and risk it all. I just prayed that when she finally knew the ugly truth about who I was, she’d still be willing to do the same for me.

Survivor

Cripplingpainrackedmyentire body. Screams of agony echoed off the damp stone walls. Frantically, I tugged my wrists and ankles against the restraints; every movement drove the wooden spikes of the table deeper into my back. Suddenly, my fibula bone fractured under the impact of dark magic. Then each of my ribs. Sweat drenched my body. All because I’ll never give them what they want.

“Enough,” an authoritative British voice rang out through the cellar and the magic dispersed. But the pain remained, causing me to pant heavily and try to calm my jerking body to avoid adding more pressure to the bed of spikes. A man approached as I blinked rapidly against the sweat dripping into my eyes. Dark hair, high cheekbones, an air of pompous importance. Leader of the Knowlton Coven. Alatar Knowlton. He glared down at me, only pure disgust and hatred in his eyes. Leaning closer, he whispered, “We will break you. One way or another, you will break, boy.”

I lifted my head and spat. A smirk appeared on my face when my saliva hit my target. His eyeball. He flinched back, grabbing the white cotton from his pocket to wipe his eyes as he growled. When he lifted his hand, I felt an invisible magical pressure on my chest, sinking me further into the spikes. I roared through clenched teeth, squeezing my eyes and fists closed as I repeated the mantra in my mind again and again.

Never surrender. Never surrender.

“Father. Let me try speaking with him,” a female voice broke through the pain. The pressure stopped. I opened my eyes. Black ringlets piled on top of her head, large sparkling eyes that shimmered with her own magic set in an elegant face. Belladonna.

I dropped my head back as her face triggered a flurry of emotions. Rage. Hatred. Guilt. Shame. Betrayal. When her father nodded once, the rest of the coven, who had been idly watching the torture with sadistic grins, climbed the stairs of the cellar, leaving me alone with her.

Narrowing my eyes as she walked gracefully towards me with a small smile, she twiddled her star constellation necklace in her fingers, the same way I always used to find so endearing. I wanted to choke her with it.

---