Blood Freed (Vampire-Cursed #4)

25. Chapter 25

25

Chapter 25

Mia

“ D on’t do this, Mia.” Soren’s voice is quiet, soothing…and I should be listening to him. But I don’t. I can’t.

Turning slowly to face Lucien, I feel the bile rise up my throat. This…this monster has tried to ruin everything.

The sun streams through the open wall, but I barely notice its warmth. My entire being focuses on Lucien’s face – that perfect, aristocratic mask hiding centuries of cruelty. My magic crackles around me, darker now, hungry for vengeance.

“Such dramatics,” Lucien drawls, but I catch the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“You imprisoned me for a year.” My voice comes out low, dangerous. Each step I take toward him releases another memory. “You tortured other witches. Murdered them.” The runes in the chamber walls start to glow. “You manipulated Maxwell, forced Soren to help you, then killed his maker.”

“Mia, stop.” Soren’s voice barely registers.

Blood pounds in my ears as I advance on the vampire who thinks he’s safe behind the protective wall. “You threatened my family. Tried to steal my sister.” Dark energy pulses through my veins, a seductive whisper of power. “You sentenced an innocent man to death to cover your own crimes.”

Lucien’s composure cracks slightly. He takes a step back.

“Everything you touch turns to poison.” The magic builds inside me, a storm seeking release. “You destroy lives, manipulate people, all for your own gain.” The air grows thick with power, making it hard to breathe. “And you thought you’d get away with it all.”

“Mia, please.” Soren again, but I can’t stop now. Won’t stop.

My hatred for Lucien burns hotter than the rising sun. All the pain, fear, and rage of the past year crystalize into this moment. The dark magic reacts, coiling around me like a writhing snake, eager to strike.

“You made one mistake, Lucien.” I’m close enough now to see the fear breaking through his careful mask. “You hurt someone I love.”

I prowl through the door into the next chamber, where the remaining vampires huddle in their protected space. The floor is cold beneath my feet, each step deliberate, dangerous. My magic pulses with my heartbeat, filling the air with crackling energy.

“How dare you!” Lucien snarls, rising to his full height as he faces me.

Full height be damned. I don’t give a fuck. I’m not afraid of him.

I’m not afraid of any-fucking-thing.

“How dare you !” I snarl back, rage consuming me in a way I’ve never felt before.

End him. That’s what I should do right now. Fucking end him.

“You are the Blackwood woman,” a tall, silver-haired vampire turns to face me. “You are not welcome here, witch.”

I pause, slowly turning my head to take in the sight of her. “I am your worst fucking nightmare. And I go where I damn well please.” My words slither around us like hissing serpents on the air.

“Leave,” she coldly. “This is a vampire matter.”

I laugh, and the sound is harsh, brittle. The dark magic pulses through my veins, whispering promises of power and vengeance. Vampire authority means nothing to me now. Nothing matters except making Lucien pay.

“A vampire matter?” My voice drips with contempt. “Like the slaughter of witches? Like the murder of Maxwell? Like forcing Soren to take the blame for your golden boy’s crimes?”

Gasps and hisses erupt around me.

Lucien’s mask slips further, showing the monster beneath. I want to rip it away completely, expose him for what he truly is.

“You may not speak to our Grand Elder this way,” a pale vampire with cropped auburn hair scowls at me, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Behind him, the other vampires’ faces contort with outrage at my audacity.

I don’t care. Let them be angry. Let them hate me. Something else has taken control now, something dark and ancient that pulses through my veins.

Blood drips from my palm, splashing onto the rough stone floor at my feet. It sizzles as it lands, dark tendrils trailing up around me. The vampires closest to me take hesitant steps backward, their nostrils flaring at the scent of witch blood.

“What is this?” someone demands, but their voice falters as the temperature in the chamber plummets.

Dark magic crackles around me, visible now as crimson lightning that arcs between my fingers and dances across my skin. The cut on my palm glows with an unholy light that makes several vampires shield their eyes.

I can feel the wards around the protected space weakening. They were designed to hold vampires, not an enraged witch drunk on blood magic.

A blur of motion catches my eye – the pale, red-haired vampire lunges toward me, fangs bared.

“Victor, end her now!” Lucien’s command rings through the chamber.

My hand shoots up instinctively, and the dark magic responds instantly. Victor’s eyes widen as crimson tendrils wrap around his throat. One twist of my wrist and his neck snaps with a sickening crack, and then a pop as his head comes clean off. His body crumples, skin graying as he collapses.

The other vampires recoil, but fury drives me forward. My blood-stained palm leaves scarlet trails in the air as I gesture. Two more vampires fall, their bodies withering like dead leaves. Another tries to flee – I catch him with a tendril of power that stops his heart.

Movement behind me. Without thinking, I whirl around, magic gathering for another kill.

A familiar face stops me cold.

Soren stands there, hands raised, eyes locked on mine. “Mia.”

The dark power pulses, urging me to strike, but I freeze. Horror washes over me as I realize I almost attacked him. My fingers tremble, blood magic still crackling around them.

“What am I doing?” My voice sounds strange, distant.

“Come back to me,” Soren says softly, taking a careful step closer. “This isn’t you.”

I’m shaking, fighting to find myself within the darkness.

The Grand Elder’s voice cuts through my haze of rage. “Such actions cannot go unpunished. You have murdered Assembly members in cold blood.”

I want to laugh at her words. Cold blood? After what they’ve done to witches for centuries?

“Your kind has spilled enough witch blood,” I snarl, the dark magic still singing in my veins. “Consider this payment for old debts.”

Lucien’s face contorts with fury as he stalks forward. “You dare murder Victor? The others?” His eyes burn with hatred. “I will hunt down every Blackwood witch. I will make them suffer as you have made us suffer. Starting with your precious sisters—”

The magic surges again, ready to strike, but Soren’s hand catches my wrist. “Mia, stop. Please.” His touch anchors me, pulling me back from the edge. “This isn’t the way. You’re better than this darkness.”

I’m trembling, torn between the seductive pull of vengeance and Soren’s steady presence.

Suddenly, brilliant silver light floods the chamber, so bright it makes even the morning sun seem dim. I shield my eyes, feeling the dark magic recoil from this pure radiance.

“Enough.” Gran’s voice rings with authority as she emerges from the light. Her normally gentle presence now radiates power that makes both vampires and dark magic retreat. Her eyes meet mine, filled with understanding and determination.

The silver light dims, but Gran’s power still fills the chamber. “This ends now,” she declares. Centuries of Blackwood authority give strength to her words.

Lucien’s face twists with rage. “No. The Sun Trail must be completed. He must face his sentence—”

“He already has.” Gran’s words cut through Lucien’s protest. “Look at him, Lucien. Look at what stands before you.”

My gaze shifts to Soren, his skin still glowing with that golden light. He should be ash by now, but instead he’s whole, unchanged. Beautiful.

“Impossible,” Lucien whispers, but I hear the fear beneath his denial.

Arabella steps forward. Her eyes narrow as she studies Soren. “This is true,” she acknowledges. “The Sun Trail has been walked.” Her voice carries the formal weight of judgment. “And survived. This is unprecedented, but the law is clear. He has faced his sentence and emerged. His penance is complete.”

“You cannot—” Lucien starts, but Arabella silences him with a look.

“I can, and I do. The judgment is made.” She turns to address the remaining Assembly members. “Soren Daire has walked the Sun Trail and lives. By our most ancient laws, he is cleared of all charges.”

The tension in my chest begins to ease. The dark magic subsides, leaving me shaky but more myself. Soren’s eyes meet mine across the chamber, and I see my own relief mirrored there.

Gran’s hand finds my arm, gentle but firm. “Come, dear. We have a lot to talk about.”

From the look in her eye, I’m not going to enjoy this conversation. But right now, I’m just so grateful that Soren is safe that I’m willing to deal with anything.

I just hope I’m strong enough. A wave of weakness washes over me. My legs feel shaky, the aftermath of the magic leaving me drained and hollow. Soren moves closer, ready to catch me if I stumble.

“This is not over.” Lucien’s voice cuts through the chamber. “You think you can murder vampire elders and walk away?”

“Careful, Lucien.” Gran’s tone is pure ice. “Your own actions may bear closer scrutiny now.”

He bares his fangs, all pretense of civilization gone. “Be careful who you threaten, witch. You and your kind will have to answer for what has happened here today.”

“Enough!” Arabella’s command silences him. “The Sun Trail is complete. The judgment stands. The rest will be taken up with the witch leadership.” But I catch the tight lines around her eyes, the way she watches me. I’ve killed her Assembly members. There will be consequences.

Gran guides me toward the door, Soren close behind us. My feet move automatically, but my mind is spinning. What have I done? The dark magic may have receded, but I can still feel it simmering under my skin, waiting.

“You’ll regret this interference,” Lucien snarls. “All of you.”

I want to turn back, to finish what I started. The darkness stirs again, hungry for his blood. But Gran’s grip tightens on my arm, and Soren’s presence steadies me.

“We’re leaving,” Gran says firmly. “Now.”