Page 70 of A Touch of Darkness

Her words sear me, sharp and unrelenting, leaving me exposed in a way I haven’t been in centuries. She doesn’t realize what she’s asking—or maybe she does, and that’s what makes it worse. I step back, the motion instinctive, as if distance might somehow dull the pull between us. It doesn’t.

Every beat of her heart feels like it’s inside me, reverberating against the brittle armor I’ve spent lifetimes forging. Her scent, her presence—it’s all-consuming. I’ve known temptation, I’ve been ruled by it before, but this is something else. This is unraveling.

I tell myself it’s to protect her, that my refusal is a mercy. But that’s a lie, isn’t it? I’m afraid—afraid of what it will mean if I give in. That I’ll never get enough of her.

But isn’t that how it’ll be anyway?

My gaze drops to her lips, parted just enough to betray the tremor in her breath. She’s waiting. Trusting. And I feel it—her faith in me, blind and unearned. It’s suffocating.

The past claws at me, unbidden and merciless. Seraphina’s face rises in my mind, her eyes wide with pain and fury as I destroyed everything she believed in. I damned her, as surely as I’ve damned myself.

“I want this, Lucian. And even more, I need this. I have a plan, but it will only work if you take my virginity. No one can know. Not a soul. Otherwise, this won’t work.”

She’s right. The Society can never know.

Not a single soul can know.

And I understand, with the clarity of centuries, what she’s asking of me. It’s not just about her blood, not anymore. It’s about control. The Society will never suspect that the only two people who could stop them are the ones who’ve already defied fate, and now they are bound by something that cannot be undone.

“Okay,” I say, the words leaving my mouth before I can second-guess them.

I cannot deny her.

The relief that washes over her face is immediate, but it's quickly replaced by something more determined. Something resolute.

Her hands find mine, her fingers curling around my wrist with a strength I never expected from her.

“I’ll go back to them,” she whispers, almost to herself. “I’ll give them my blood—willingly—but only after I’ve traded it for Lara. That’s the only way this works. They’ll never know.”

She takes a deep breath, and I feel the weight of her decision settle into her bones. “When I give them my blood, it won’t be pure anymore. It won’t matter. They won’t know what’s missing because they’re too blinded by their own rituals. But we have to get to her first. I can’t risk all of this backfiring.”

I close my eyes, trying to absorb everything she’s saying. The Society—their entire plan is based on her blood, her purity. ButSylvie’s ready to break that, to make sure her sacrifice means something more. She’s offering them a version of herself that will never be pure, and the Society will never even realize the change. She’ll walk into their lair as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

And once her blood is exchanged for Lara’s, nothing they try can stop us. Maybe they’ll try to find a new way to break the curse, but it will take them years just as it’s taken them this time. They’ll have to go back to the beginning—start all over.

"We’ll get her back," I say, my voice firm with resolve. "We’ll take her from them. Together. I will do this, but we do it together. You aren’t going in alone. We’ll come up with a plan to keep everyone involved safe."

She nods, a subtle but powerful affirmation. She’s made her choice. And in this moment, everything is aligned. The weight of it all presses in, but I know, with a certainty that’s impossible to deny, that this is the path we’ll take.

Her breath catches, but there’s no fear in it, no hesitation. Only a quiet strength I can’t ignore.

And when she looks at me, her gaze no longer just a reflection of the battle within her, but something else—something shared between us—I know that the time for waiting is over.

I’m just finishing the last bite of lunch when a sharp knock sounds at the door, loud enough to pull me from my thoughts. The meal was quiet, almost too quiet, and Lucian’s presence beside me feels heavier than usual, like he knows something I don’t. His gaze is steady on me, but there’s a distance in it, as if he’s waiting for something to happen—or for me to say something. If I didn’t know him better, I’d think he’s worried about taking my virginity. But a man of his stature, of his age…there’s no way.

The knock comes again, and Lucian stirs and places his napkin on the table, ready to rise, but before he can, the door swings open and a soft voice from outside calls, “I’ll get it, My Lord.”

The staff member, a quiet woman who’s apparently worked here for years, steps into the hallway, and the door shuts softly behind her. I still can’t get over people calling him “Lord.” The first time I heard it I laughed, thinking it was a joke.

It was very muchnota joke.

Lucian’s eyes linger on me for a second longer, then he pushes his chair back, his movements graceful and controlled. He says nothing but stands, his dark clothes blending into the shadows of the room.

“Dorian and your friends are here,” he says, and for a moment I wonder how he knows, but then I realize he’s always a step ahead.

Seconds later, the dining room door opens again, this time revealing the expected—Dorian and the girls, all arriving in quick succession, though not together. Dorian enters first, looking concerned, his eyes scanning the room before they settle on Lucian, who stands at his entry.

“I need to speak to you,” Dorian says, his voice sharp, carrying an edge of urgency. “It’s about a potential issue at Midnight Delight.”

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