Page 218 of Owned

Lucian pulled back slightly, pale eyes studying my face. “Perhaps. The chase can be... invigorating.”

“There will be time for games later,” the entity replied, my hands moving to unfasten the first button of his shirt. “Tonight, I want to experience the power I’ve married.”

A smile spread across Lucian’s face, cruel and pleased. “And so you shall.”

I screamed into the void of my mind as I thrashed against the bonds of possession. Thiscouldn’thappen. I couldn’t bear it. Even through the muffling effect of the entity’s control, I could feel Lucian’s power pulsing against my skin, dark and hungry.

“Allow me to set the scene properly,” Lucian said as he stepped away from me. He moved around the chamber with practiced ease, lighting black candles that seemed to cast more shadows than light with a casual wave of his hand. Their flames burned an unnatural blue-green at the edges and a shiver rippled up my spine.

As he turned his back to light a particularly ornate candelabra across the room, I felt a sudden shift within me—the entity’s hold loosening, not in weakness but in deliberate retreat.

“Listen carefully,” a voice whispered in my mind, but it was different now—clearer, more defined, with a timbre that struck a chord of recognition deep within me. “We don’t have much time.”

I froze, startled by the familiarity of the voice—

I knew it from somewhere, from dreams perhaps, or distant memories...

“Who are you?” I choked out.

The entity hesitated, and in that pause, I felt a rush of emotion that wasn’t mine—regret, anger and a fiercely protective love.

“Dario,” the voice replied. “Your father.”

The world seemed to stop. My consciousness reeled, unable to process what I’d just heard.

Dario—

“No,” I whispered. “That’s impossible. My father isdead.”

“My body is dead,” the voice—Dario—confirmed. “After your mother betrayed my plans to overthrow Lucian, myconsciousness and my magic were trapped within the pages of the grimoire.”

“You kidnapped me,” I snarled. “You tried to sacrifice me—”

“So that’s the lie they’ve been telling you…” the voice said sadly. “I was trying to protect you— To take you away from all of this death… the Necromi did not begin this way. Their vile flaws are a reflection of Lucian…”

“I don’t believe you,” I mumbled.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Avril. Waiting for this opportunity.”

Memories flashed through my mind—the strange connection I’d felt to the grimoire, the way it had called to me, the blood magic that had seemed so intuitive despite my lack of training.

“No— No! This was your plan all along?” I cried incredulously. “You’ve been waiting— manipulating me. Topossessme?”

“To save you,” Dario corrected firmly. “And to finish what I started years ago. Lucian’s end. Our freedom.”

Lucian moved to another corner of the room, still focused on his elaborate preparation. Each candle he lit seemed to add to the oppressive weight of magic in the air.

“Listen to me,” Dario continued urgently. “The poison is working. Valen’s creation was more potent than even he realized. Lucian’s movements are already slowing. I can sense the fluctuations in his magic. Look at the orb! He’s trying to hide it, but I can feel it.”

I tried to process this information through my shock, but the voice was right… The orb’s throbbing light was erratic. “Valen poisoned him—” I murmured.

“Yes,” Dario confirmed. “You watched him pour it into Lucian’s wine. And we made sure he drank it. A clever boy, your stepbrother. The poison he used is designed to attack magicalchannels first, then physical functions. Lucian is weakened, but he doesn’t know how much yet... This may be our only chance.”

Our only chance.

The words echoed with grim finality.

The reality of the situation began to sink in.

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