Page 10 of Crimson Devotion
“Maybe,’’ I mumble.
“It’s rather funny, isn’t it?” She chuckles, the sound void of any humor. “You came here, with determination of a thousand men, yet with no real plan on how to kill me. What did you think would happen? I’d suddenly grow a guilty conscience about murdering your parents and offer my life as retribution?”
A scoff slips past my lips, and I close the book shut with more force than necessary. “I’d never expect you to have an ounce of empathy, or humanity, for that matter.’’
“Correct, because I’m not a human.’’
I don’t know why those words pull a chord inside my chest, but in a second, my calm demeanor falters, and the rage I’ve been suppressing for years starts bubbling, threatening to spill over the edge, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold it back.
“You have no remorse. How many people have you killed in cold blood, Ophelia?” I step closer, and although I’m without a weapon, as it’s in my backpack on the couch, I don’t feel any fear. Yvonne’s necklace burned Ophelia once, and that was enough of proof that it works. “How many people have you drained of blood, without looking back at their corpses?”
“A lot,’’ she responds, unbothered, without blinking. “I really didn’t keep count, though.’’
“You cunt,’’ I grit out. “No shame whatsoever.’’
“None,’’ she agrees. “Absolutely none.’’
“But why would you leave your bracelet, though?”
“Pardon?” She blinks. “What bracelet?”
I chuckle. “Playing naive, are we? Alright then, let me clarify.’’
“Go on. I’m sure this will be rather interesting.’’
“The bracelet all Sacred Seven have. The gold one.’’
“Yes, I’ve lost mine around two hundred years ago.’’
I blink, stepping back. “What?”
“What?” she repeats.
“When was the last time you were in New Orleans?” I ask, pressing for details.
“Never,’’ she responds quickly. “I haven’t set foot outside this country in a very long time, little hunter.’’
My mind starts going into overdrive. Ophelia isn’t to be trusted, but the sheer confusion on her face makes me halt. If it’strue, and she truly hasn’t left Romania in ages, that means she couldn’t have been the one who killed my parents. But why would her bracelet be there?
“How did you lose the bracelet?”
She shrugs. “It was two hundred years ago, little hunter. I genuinely have no idea when or where it happened.’’
“And you haven’t tried looking for it?”
She deadpans. “I’m confined to the moon, Faith. How exactly was I supposed to go to America?”
“The exact way you returned after losing it.’’
She winces. “I’d rather not discuss the way I returned home, but it’s impossible to use the same method to go over there again.’’
More questions start pooling in my head, but I keep my focus on the current topic. All of this is getting bizarre, and even if it somehow ends up being that she didn’t kill my parents, I won’t leave without killing her. She’s an abomination of nature, and she doesn’t deserve to live.
“You have super speed.’’
“Yes, but you forget that the continents are divided by water. Vampires cannot go in open water.’’
“Why not?”
