Page 309 of Halfblood Deceived

She growled and tried to pry herself free but the energy bindings burned.

The priest murmured something else.

The magical bindings around Aella’s wrists, neck, and legs crackled with electric power. Aella twisted on the floor, unable to hold back a scream. The discharge lasted mere seconds, but left her breathless with pain.

The priest smiled at her, looking utterly manic with dark glee. “You sound like her, too. Like my treacherous wife, the whore who couldn’t give me a son.” He scoffed. “She gave me a daughter, but not a son, so I had to get rid of her. I thought I’d killed her, but then I found out a vampire monster had infected her. And that she’d rutted with that monster, creating an abomination. Creating you, Aella.”

Aella couldn’t breathe.

Her mind whirled and whirled, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

“I had to kill her, of course,” Israel continued, interrupting her muddled thoughts. “I had to kill her and her filthy vampire.”

Aella felt as if she were falling into a black hole and emerging into another reality.

Israel was Diana’s father.

He was the abusive husband that Aura, their mother, had escaped from.

Except that Aura had never escaped. She had never abandoned Diana.

Israel had tried to kill Aura and left her for dead.

He was the bastard who killed Aura and Aella’s father.

And Aella’s father had been a vampire. A vampire.

So that meant she was half vampire, half gargoyle. Just like Aiko.

Oh, Goddess. Diana. She would never know the truth. She would never know her mother didn’t abandon her.

Aella’s eyes burned. She blinked the tears away. “Bastard,” she growled at Israel. “You’re a fucking sick bastard.”

The priest recited the spell again, electrocuting her for a few more seconds that felt like minutes.

Aella gritted her teeth, cutting her mouth with her canines, but didn’t scream.

“And now look at you,” Israel spat, breathing hard, voice higher with maniacal fury. “I tried to keep you pure, but you went and rutted with a vampire, let him contaminate you, and turn you into the same beast as your mother!”

“You are the beast,” Aella growled. “You and every other bastard here!”

Israel took a deep breath, smiling at Aella. “It will be my pleasure to send you to Hell, Aella.”

“You’ll be joining me soon, Father,” Aella promised.

The priest called for a spell and a ball of flame formed in his hand.

Aella’s eyes widened.

Not like this. Not like this. Not like this!

A blast of red energy hit Israel right on the chest, sending him flying a few yards. He fell hard half on the stone, half on a thorny bush. Dead or unconscious. Aella wasn’t sure. Nor did she care.

Because the infernal bindings broke, and right beside her landed a familiar, massive gargoyle male. He offered her a hand and helped her stand.

Aella gaped at the male. She saw Micah gawk as well, along with a few of the other gargoyles.

The massive gargoyle with kind eyes gave Aella a small, melancholic smile. “Hello, Aella.”

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