Page 82 of Salem's Fall
“Damien, no…”
“I have to. It’s the only way to keep you and your sister safe,” he says, his eyes locked on mine, as if we’re the only two people in this horrible place.
My heart pounds in my chest, a frantic, raw beat. I can’t believe what he’s saying. Damien is planning to die for me? To give up everything, even his very life, for mine?
Lucien laughs, low and vicious, his satisfaction barely restrained. “Well, isn’t this touching?” he drawls, his face lit with cruel delight. “The heir to the Blackhollow family, sacrificing everything for a girl. Really, Damien, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
My hands curl into fists at my sides as I stare at Lucien, horror and fury twisting inside me. “You planned this! You set him up, using us as bait so you could force him into this!”
Lucien’s eyes narrow slightly. “Let’s not pretend my brother is some tragic hero,” he says in that infuriatingly detached, uncaring voice. “Until you came along, Damien had no problem fulfilling the necessary rituals of the Veil, trust me. If he’s no longer strong enough to do what needs to be done, then that’s on him.”
“Call me weak if you want, brother, but I’ll do whatever it takes to save her,” Damien says, a silent fury emanating from him as he locks eyes with Lucien. His fists clench, voice low and steady. “And if giving up everything is what it takes, then I’ll do it.”
Lucien scoffs, shaking his head. “Always so melodramatic, aren’t you? Right until the very end.”
“Damien, you can’t…” I say, my voice trembling. “There must be another way.”
Damien’s shoulders drop, a quiet acceptance settling over him. He gently squeezes my hand—brief, fleeting, like a silent apology.
“There isn’t, I’m afraid,” he says.
I shake my head at Lucien, my body burning with anger and disbelief. “Is this really what you want? You want your brother todie—just so you can take what he has?”
“He doesn’t deserve to lead.” Lucien’s gaze flickers to Damien, his eyes loaded with disdain. “He’s too willing to throw everything away. He lacks the ruthlessness, the vision. Look at how he’d rather die for you than claim his rightful place,” he says. “Pathetic.”
“Better to die for something than to live for nothing, like you, brother,” Damien replies.
Restless murmurs ripple through the masked figures as they shift behind the brothers, exchanging impatient glances. “Finish the damn ritual,” one growls. “We’re running out of time.”
Lucien waves them off with a flick of his wrist. “Patience, patience. You’ll get your blood soon enough,” he says to them. Something dark flashes in his eyes as he glares at his brother. “Don’t pretend you’re better than me. We both know you’ve done just as much, if not worse,” he sneers. “Don’t act like your hands are clean.”
“I’veneverbetrayed those I cared about.”
“Oh, is that so?” Lucien’s tone is mocking as he gestures to me. “If you truly cared to keep her safe, she never would’ve set foot in this place. But no—you let her get drawn in, knowing exactly what was at stake.”
“That’s not true.” Damien’s face tightens. “I tried to makeher leave, and when I couldn’t, I protected her as best I could.”
“You may tell yourself that, but we both know the truth.” Lucien’s laugh is a harsh, hollow sound. “She’s here because you couldn’t stay away. And now, dear brother, you’re going to pay for all you’ve done.”
Lucien steps closer to Damien, a manic intensity radiating from him. The tension between the brothers is so thick, it nearly chokes me.
All around us, the murmurs grow louder as members of the Veil exchange wary glances, watching intently, waiting to see which brother will emerge the victor in this battle for control. I realize then that this isn’t just about Damien and Lucien; it’s a turning point for the entire Veil.
“You’re just like him, you know,” Damien says, his eyes burning as he holds Lucien’s gaze. “Father was a cold-hearted, manipulative bastard who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. One day, it’s going to be your undoing, like it was his.”
“Oh, is that why you killed him?”
Lucien’s words ripple through the underground chamber like a shockwave. A stir moves through the masked figures, uneasy and shifting as they glance at one another. A few take an instinctive step back from the circle, as if the very accusation taints the air.
Damien stiffens, eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?”
“The pool, Damien. Hedrowned!” Lucien practically spits the word. “Water always was one of your strongest elements. That death had your mark all over it. You always wanted to be in charge, always been obsessed with ruling, just like him.”
“You can’t possibly think I killed our father.” Damien’s voice is sharp, but the flash of pain across his face—genuine, raw—makes my heart lurch. “He was an evil man, and hedeserved to die, but that wasn’t me. I never wanted his life.” His jaw tightens, hands flexing at his sides. “No, if anyone was desperate enough to end his rule, it was you.”
Lucien’s expression darkens. “Don’t lie to me!” he snaps, his voice laced with bitter resentment. “I know you killed him—and Vivienne too! You killed the one person I truly cared about in your rush to the top. She may have been promised to you, but I loved her, and now she’s dead.” His breathing turns uneven. “And Elise. And Carla, who practically raised us. You sacrificed them all!”
Damien’s eyes widen.“Me?I thought you were the one who killed them.”
