Page 74 of Salem's Fall
“Um, hi…” I mumble, reluctantly walking over and sliding into the oversized velvet chair. Lucky stays in the corner, far away from Lucien, studying him suspiciously as Edward gracefully places my breakfast plate down and leaves the room.
“I trust you’re enjoying your stay at Blackthorn Manor?” Lucien asks with a slight smirk, steepling his fingers underneath that perfect chiseled chin.
“Enjoying isn’t exactly the word I’d use.”
“Ah, well, in any event, it seems my brother has got you right where he wants you—and just in time for Veil Night tonight.”
My pulse speeds up.
“Wait—what day is it?”
His smile widens, devoid of any real warmth. “October 31st, of course.”
I can’t believe it. How is it already Halloween?
And if I’m still here tucked away in Blackthorn Manor, then what does that mean? Am I safe?
Or is there still plenty of time for something horrible to happen to me?
“Are you suggesting Damien has me trapped here for the ritual?” My fork shakes in my hand, but I steel my voice. Lucien is always playing games, always trying to get the upper hand. Maybe I should be afraid of whatever Damien has planned for me, but I refuse to give Lucien the satisfaction. “To be honest, I find this all incredibly confusing.” I sigh, taking a bite of my potatoes. “If your brother really wants me dead, he didn’t need to go to all these lengths to save me from a masked killer and pamper me with gourmet meals and gifts, just to kill me himself.”
Lucien leans forward, his eyes gleaming with something dark and unsettling. “Who says it’s you he’s after?”
Okay, now I reallyamconfused.
I set my fork down, my fingers tightening around the edge of my plate. “Isn’t that what you were implying? That your brother trapped me here to be the Veil Night sacrifice?” Iglance at Lucien, searching his face for any hint of a tell. “I thought… the Veil… I thought it’s supposed to be someone tied to Damien, a ‘Tether’—someone like me.”
He gives a slow sigh, swirling his glass with deliberate calm. “Of course, that’s what Damien wants you to think, so you’ll stay out of the way. He’s all too happy to let you play the fool in this little horror show,” he says, voice almost mocking. “Tell me, Miss Woodsen, how is your sister?”
His question sends a jolt through me.
“Maddie? What does she have to do with any of this?”
“Had any… trouble… reaching her lately?”
His tone is casual, but the words tighten like a vise around my chest. My mind races back to my recent attempts to reach Maddie right before the professor’s death, and I realize the last time I spoke with her was the night of the Gala. That’s been, what—six? Seven days ago?
More?
“What do you mean?” I ask, a prickling unease snaking through me. “Are you saying Damien is after my sister?”
“Damien? I don’t know.” Lucien shrugs. “The Veil, most certainly. They tend to stay consistent with their methods. Female. Innocent. Tethered.” His eyes narrow, as if doing some sort of calculation in his head. “Well, tethered enough to Damien through you, that is. You were right about that—you’re the connection.”
A tremor runs through me, and I swallow hard, a cold weight settling in my stomach, heavy and full of dread. Lucien watches me, his gaze unyielding and almost… pitying.
“You see it now, don’t you?” His voice is soft, almost gentle. “All along, you’ve been focusing on the wrong things, worrying about your own life. But the Veil… they’re always one step ahead.”
“You’re lying. Damien would have told me if something bad was happening to Maddie.”
“Why? Because hecaresfor you? Is that what he told you?” Lucien laughs, a hollow sound that fills the cavernous room. “My brother has always been a master at manipulating those around him.” He leans forward, his voice dropping as if sharing a secret. “Truthfully, I think he really may have… feelings… for you, but someone has to die for the Ascension. So he locks you in here in this beautiful cage, keeps you distracted, feeds you lies—all for your own protection, of course. All while your poor sister is out there in the Veil’s clutches, awaiting her death while Damien secures his future reign.”
“If you’re convinced your brother is so evil, why are you telling me this? Why not let him win his little game?”
Lucien’s gaze shifts, a hint of some deep emotion quickly buried. “Because this isn’t just Damien’s game. It’s mine too,” he says. “And I refuse to let my brother have everything he’s ever wanted without facing any consequence.”
“I don’t believe you…”
“You should,” he says matter-of-factly. “Because the truth is, Damien is exactly who you feared he might be.”
