Page 84 of Halfblood Deceived

Diana huffed-sniffed. “That’s because I never told you about her.” She covered her face with her hands. “That fucking bastard the church almost married me off to told me about Aella’s existence when I was dying at his feet, after he ran me through with his sword. I didn’t feel like remembering that, and he told me Aella was dead, so I just…” A strangled sob left her chest. “She’s going to hate me for abandoning her.”

Kamilla crouched next to Diana. “Honey, look at me.”

Diana shook her head.

Kamilla gently took Diana’s hands in hers, brow furrowed and topaz eyes intense. “You did not abandon her. You can’t blame yourself for something you didn’t do. It will do you no good. Just ask me and Kerian.”

Diana swallowed hard, but sobs still shook her body.

Kamilla wrapped her up in a hug. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” The unspoken ‘I will make sure of that’ was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Diana clung to Kamilla, trying to regain control.

The vampire princess did not release the gargoyle until her breathing stabilized, ignoring the tears wetting her shoulder and dress.

Zeydan had been so lost in Diana’s storm of sorrow that he jolted when Kerian approached the table, with a tray of hot cocoa for everyone. The beverage was dairy free, and laced with sheep blood for Zeydan, Sebastian, and Kamilla. To ensure digestion.

Zeydan handed his handkerchief to Mari, who nudged it toward Diana. The gargoyle took it with a shaky nod and dabbed at her face.

Content with Diana’s calmer state, Kamilla sat in the chair at the left of the head of the table. She didn’t release Diana’s still-shaky hand.

Kerian sat next to Sebastian and took a sip of his cocoa.

Zeydan imitated him trying to get rid of the knot in his throat, but no such luck.

Diana’s shaking lessened as she sipped her beverage. Once she was half done, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “The day I found out how monstrous my kind could be, when I saw a priest and a gargoyle practically skinning a teenage vampire alive, I almost lost my mind.” She shook her head. “I knew I had to do something. If I’d been smarter, I would have crafted an escape plan. But my first instinct was to knock out the priest and the gargoyle.” She swallowed hard. “I tried to get the vampire child out of that wretched place. But all I managed to do was hide him before my fiance was on me, first trying to convince me to hand over the ‘foul demon,’ that I was being unreasonable. When he realized he couldn’t convince me, he hit me, and I fought him with all I had. But despite my genetic combat memory and shifting skills, he overpowered me. And when he had me bleeding all over the floor, he told me about my mother, Aura. He told me she had abandoned me and my father, a former priest, to run away with another man. And that she had another daughter whom she named Aella.” Diana sniffed, wiping her eyes again. “He enjoyed telling me that the Order had hunted down my mother for her alleged treason and killed her along with her new family.”

Zeydan’s stomach twisted as he remembered how close his father had come to doing the same to his mother. Fuck, if Kamilla and her father—the vampire king—hadn’t threatened Ju-long with stripping him of his title, lands, and wealth, he might have killed Zeydan’s mother and her wives a long time ago.

Aylana and Mari’s expressions reflected the same horrified, disgusted outrage.

Sebastian rubbed his temples.

Kerian drummed his fingers on the table. “I wish I could help Kam destroy that bastard fiance of yours again.”

Diana huffed ruefully. “I wish I’d been the one who got to rip his spine from his body.”

Kam sighed. “We could try to find out more about your mother and Aella through our allies who have infiltrated the Order of the Light.”

Diana sniffed. “If it doesn’t jeopardize anyone, I’d be grateful.”

“You have allies within that fucking Order?” Mari asked, echoing Zeydan’s shock.

“Not as many as we wish,” Kerian answered. “Some were found out, and their fate was a cruel one. The ones that remain are unfortunately not in the highest circles.”

Diana took a bracing breath. “How is Aella? What—what did they do to her?”

Everything inside Zeydan ached as his mind’s eye became flooded with all the horrors of the past few days. “Like you, Aella found out in the worst way possible that she’d been lied to her entire life. She almost died trying to protect a vampire child from being cut to pieces by that monster they married her off to.” Zeydan’s throat closed up with burning fury that he knew would never be extinguished. Not until that gargoyle paid for what he’d done to Aella, Aiko, Anna, Tatsuki, and the goddess knew how many others.

“She escaped the gargoyles’ clutches and came to warn us about their plans to eliminate us,” Mari interjected. “And Micah, that bastard husband of hers, almost killed her again, right in front of our fucking noses.”

Diana let out a surprised breath, her brow tight with horror.

Zeydan knew how she felt. “I owe her the lives of my oldest friend and her unborn baby.” He placed a hand on Mari’s shoulder. “Also the lives of my grumpiest friend and my niece.”

Diana blinked back tears. “She’s amazing.”

Kamilla squeezed her hand. “Just like her sister.”

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