Page 33 of Crimson Devotion
“That means that someone found out Juliana wasn’t born a D’Achille. I don’t know if there’s a deeper reason behind their hatred, but knowing our sister, she probably pissed off the wrong person.’’
“Where the hell was Cassius during all this?” I ask, exasperated already. “The whole point of following her across the globe was to keep her reckless ass safe. And it was his idea!”
“I know.’’ Aurelia sighs. “The good thing is, for now, Juliana is safe. From the clan. From Cassius? She’ll need all the luck in the world. Valerio and I left them in the States and came back.’’
For a few minutes, it’s eerily silent. I’m trying to process the information, and it’s annoying me to no end. I now have Juliana’s stupid ass to think about, and no matter how much Cassius is ableto keep her in check, it doesn’t ease the worry that’s been building in my chest.
If something goes amiss, I’ll lose two of my siblings.
“They’ll be fine.’’ Aurelia’s voice softens, breaking the silence. “I spoke to Cassius. He’ll try to find out more, and then they’ll come home so we can deal with this together, as a family.’’
“That must be nice,’’ Faith mumbles under her breath, yet it’s crystal clear in my mind. She lifts her head, feeling Aurelia and myself staring at her. She offers a sheepish smile, awkwardly laughing. “I mean, I have no family. My parents were killed, and I never had any contact with my maternal side. Paternal side’s long dead, too. So it’s nice to see a family sticking together.’’
“You’re one of us now, too,’’ I say without missing a beat. “You’re my mate, and by default, that makes you one of us. Aurelia’s already accepted you, given that your head is still attached to your shoulders, and Valerio sent you here for a reason. If he disliked you, he never would’ve done that.’’
“What about the rest of your siblings?”
“Lucifer, when he wakes up, won’t like you. But don’t worry, half the time, we wonder if he even likes us, too.’’ Aurelia speaks before I can, offering a smile of comfort to Faith.
“Darius is too preoccupied to even give you a second glance. Cassius isn’t going to say a word against me; he wouldn’t dare to. And if Juliana even looks at you wrongly, you have my full permission to knock her teeth out. Don’t worry, they’ll grow back.’’
Something between a laugh and a snort comes from Faith, and she shakes her head. “Do you think I’d have the strength to actually knock teeth out of the mouth of the oldest vampire?”
I shrug. “I mean, your training as a hunter was pretty good. Now, as a vampire, you have ten hundred times the strength. You just have to learn how to control it.’’
She tilts her head to the side. “What makes you think Ican’t control it already?”
A small smirk tugs on the corner of my lips, eyes moving to the spot on the head post that she’s been gripping tightly. There’s a crack in the wood, and she doesn’t even seem to notice, until her eyes follow my line of vision.
“Oh,’’ she mumbles, removing her hand. “Sorry.’’
“It’s alright.’’
Aurelia clears her throat, a simple reminder that she’s here. Standing up from the floor, she dusts off her ass, stretching her limbs. A small yawn slips her mouth, and my eyes soften at the sight. She’s been traveling a lot, and dealing with Juliana must’ve been difficult on her.
“Go rest,’’ I instruct, and she nods. “We’ll speak tomorrow. Where’s Valerio?”
“Down visiting Lucifer.’’ She sighs. “He won’t admit it, but he misses him more and more with each passing day. I just hope he wakes up soon. It feels terrible being without him for so long.’’
“He’ll wake up,’’ I say, my voice lacking the usual confidence. If she notices it, she doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she offers one last smile toward Faith and me, then silently leaves the bedroom.
“Are you worried?”
Faith’s voice breaks my trance, the sincerity causing my heart to flutter. I force a smile and decide against opening up. Worrying her won’t bring anything good, so with a small sigh and a soft kiss to her head, I lie.
“I’m fine.’’
FOURTEEN
Faith
Ophelia’s sitting behind her vanity, her long dark hair falling down her back in loose, soft waves. She’s humming a song that I’ve never heard before, but the gentle tone is enough to have me hypnotized. Her eyes are glued to the jewelry as she’s cleaning the gold, then putting them back in their original spots.
Over the past four weeks since I’ve been here, I’ve learned a lot about Ophelia. She was parentified, alongside Lucifer, when she was too young to be anyone’s parent, and she took on the role with her whole heart. She loves all of her siblings, and she worries about them non-stop.
However, she’s still the matriarch of the family. I’ve seen how she interacts with Valerio and Aurelia. Although Aurelia loves to joke around, a single glance from Ophelia is enough to stop any attempts of further button-pushing. Valerio never speaks over her, and even if he doesn’t like what she’s saying, he never denies her. He doesn’t dare to.
Both of them — and I’m assuming the rest of the siblings —show their utmost respect for all the sacrifices the oldest two D’Achille siblings have made over the centuries spent together. Even if they don’t like her leadership, they suck it up and keep their mouths shut.
