Page 41 of Salem's Fall
“You’re going to become the high priest?”
“Me? Oh no, Miss Woodsen.” He laughs, a cold, mirthless sound that echoes throughout the large office. “I’m the bastard son,” he says, eyes darkening, and I see a flash of resentment. “I don’t get to lead.”
“Then who?” I ask, though I already suspect the answer.
“The eldest true-born son—Damien, of course.”
I swallow hard, trying to process what he’s saying. Damien Blackhollow, the leader of a dangerous secret cult? It doesn’t make sense.
“He didn’t tell me that.”
“Damien’s been keeping quite a few things from you, I imagine.” His gaze strays to my mouth for the briefest secondbefore meeting my eyes again. Then he leans forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Has he told you about your father yet?”
My blood runs cold.
“What–what about my father?”
Lucien smiles, his teeth sharp and gleaming. There’s something almost indulgent in the way he watches me react, like he’s enjoying peeling back my layers, piece by piece.
“Your father was involved with the Veil,” he says. “Your mother’s death—there’s more to the story than you’ve been told.”
The ground shifts beneath me.
“No, my dad worked in IT at Blackhollow Industries, that’s all,” I say, shaking my head. My hands drop from the keyboard, and I push the laptop away. “Dad was a nobody, just a work grunt for the company. You’re lying.”
“How… interesting. Even after everything you’ve been through, you remain loyal to your father.” Lucien tilts his head, appraising me with something that feels dangerously close to approval. “I can see why he likes you.”
I stiffen. “Who?”
“Come now, Miss Woodsen. Let’s not be coy.” His smirk deepens. “You must’ve noticed my brother’s… interest.”
I flush, suddenly needing to escape—to get away from Lucien’s poisonous presence. “I need to go,” I mutter, standing and grabbing my belongings.
“Pity. I was enjoying our time together,” Lucien says, leaning back, his eyes widening with amusement. He’s enjoying this.
I force myself to keep my voice even and professional despite how unnerved I am.
“Thank you for your time. It’s been… enlightening.”
“Oh yes. A real pleasure,” he mocks. “You run along now, but be sure to ask your father about the Veil. And while you’reat it, ask yourself why Damien hasn’t told you any of this himself.”
His words slither around me as I turn for the door, gripping my bag so tightly, my knuckles ache.
“Good luck, Miss Woodsen,” he calls after me, smirking. “Just remember—sometimes the truth is more dangerous than the lies.”
The car ride home is quiet. The air between Damien and me feels thick, like it’s pressing down on my body, making it hard to breathe. I lean back in the seat of his sleek car, my gaze fixed out the window as the towering trees of Blackthorn Manor fade into the distance. Lucien’s words echo in my head, feeling more than a bit sinister.
My conversation with Damien’s brother didn’t go at all like I’d expected. He’d been far more open about the Blackhollow family and their ties to the occult than I’d thought he’d be. I doubted Damien would be happy knowing everything Lucien had shared with me. And that last parting shot, the way Lucien’s eyes had glinted when he’d asked me about my father and alluded to Damien keeping some dark secret from me. Though Damien had warned me to be careful, that Lucien could be manipulative, something tells me Lucien didn’t just throw that out to mess with my head. It felt truthful. Real.
Lucien knows something about the Veil and my dad. I’m certain of it.
I press my forehead against the cool glass of the car window, trying to make sense of it all. How could my father be connected to this? He was only an employee at Blackhollow Industries. He wasn’t even an executive—just an IT guy.
When I glance over at Damien, he’s busy responding to emails on his phone. His jaw is set, dark eyes staring ahead, hands resting casually on his lap. He hasn’t said much since we left Blackthorn Manor. He looks completely normal, like a man who has nothing to hide.
“James?” He notices me staring. “Everything okay?”
“Just thinking,” I say.
