Blood Freed (Vampire-Cursed #4)

29. Chapter 29

29

Chapter 29

Mia

I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling as shadows dance across it. Magic pulses through me, whispering promises of power and vengeance. It’s not the magic I know. Not the magic I understand. This feels like something that wants to consume me.

You brought it on yourself.

But what choice did I have? Without it, I would have lost him.

I roll onto my side and squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to see the shadows snaking up the walls and over me. Shadows connected to nothing apart from the darkness inside my own head.

I have to do something…

Everyone else is busy being responsible – Soren and Marcus are holed up in the study discussing vampire politics, while my family works diplomatic channels with the Conclave.

But I know better. I can feel Lucien’s presence in the city like an oil slick across my consciousness, a new ability the dark magic has gifted me. He’s out there, plotting, moving his pieces into position. I can hear him.

Mia…Mia…Mia…

It’s like he’s calling to me. But that’s not what has my attention.

The magic shows me visions – flashes of what he plans. I see Kara screaming as shadows consume her. Rowan, trapped in a cage of silver and blood. Gran’s lifeless body on the marble floor of the Conclave chamber. Mom and Dad…

I press my palms against my eyes, trying to block out the images, but they keep coming. The magic grows stronger, feeding off my fear and rage. The air in the room crackles with an otherworldly energy.

I need to do something, but there’s no sense in pursuing the useless avenues of bureaucracy that will lead to nowhere.

They don’t understand. All their careful planning and diplomatic solutions won’t stop Lucien. He’s too powerful, too entrenched in both vampire and witch hierarchies. By the time they realize this, it’ll be too late.

You know what to do, Mia…

Something stirs in my blood as ideas come to me, a recognition of what needs to be done. I know the others would try to stop me if they knew. Soren especially would never let me attempt it.

But I’ve made my decision. I won’t watch my family die. Not when I have the power to protect them.

I slide from the bed, my bare feet silent on the wooden floor as I head to my closet to pull on jeans, a dark T-shirt, and my favorite sneakers.

Soren’s voice drifts from the study, deep in discussion with Marcus about Council politics. The sound warms me from within, but I resist the urge to go to him. He’ll only try to stop me.

They won’t notice my absence – not right away. As long as he thinks I’m sleeping, he won’t be paying attention to the pull of our bond.

As I ghost down the hallway, each heartbeat sends a fresh wave of power coursing through me.

I step out into the night, and the city transforms before my eyes. Neon signs blur into arcane symbols. Street lamps cast pools of light that seem to shy away from my presence. Above, storm clouds gather, drawn to my magic like moths to flame.

You’re changing , a voice whispers in my mind. Not my conscience – something older, darker.

I let my blood guide me, feeling for Lucien’s presence. The trail of his corruption stands out like black ink spilled across my consciousness. Each step draws me closer, the magic growing stronger.

A man hurries past, then stops and stares. I catch my reflection in a store window – my eyes are completely black, veins of darkness spreading across my skin like cracked porcelain. I should be horrified, but the power feels too good. When he keeps staring, I bare my teeth and hiss.

“Freak!” he spits at me before scurrying away like his ass is on fire.

“Good. Run, little man,” I call after him, laughing.

Thunder rolls overhead as I track Lucien’s essence through downtown. Shadows writhe along building walls, reaching toward me. Cars swerve to avoid patches of darkness that weren’t there moments before. The city itself seems to pulse with my magic.

More , the darkness urges. Take more .

I pause when the trail becomes vague and difficult to trace.

Which way, you bastard?

When the answer doesn’t come immediately, I glance down at my palm, watching as the flesh parts beneath my eyes, blood pulsing from the wound. I twist my wrist and let the drops fall. They hover in the air, spinning like a compass before pointing the way. Each use of blood magic sends electricity through my nerves, a high better than any drug.

The storm intensifies, my power calling to ancient forces. Lightning flashes, illuminating empty streets. Even the rats are hiding, sensing a predator in their midst.

But I’m not just the hunter. Something else moves through the shadows, watching. Waiting. I can feel its attention like ice on my skin.

Where are you? Where the fuck are you?

I feel where he is before I see any sign of him. And then the vision comes to me. I pause midstride as I realize where he is.

Really, Lucien? Is this a joke?

Of all the places I’d expected to find him, this was not one of them. Maybe it should have been.

The church looms before me, a gothic monstrosity of crumbling stone and broken stained glass. My magic reacts to something inside, pulling me forward like a fish on a hook. Lightning illuminates the rose window, casting twisted shadows through its fractured patterns.

I push open the heavy wooden doors. They creak on ancient hinges as I step into the nave. Moonlight filters through holes in the roof, creating pools of silver on the dusty floor. Lucien stands at the altar, a dark figure against the remnants of a crucifix.

“Welcome, Mia.” His voice echoes off stone walls. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“Of course you have,” I scoff. “You’ve been calling me.” I look around us. “I thought your kind couldn’t come into places like this.”

He chuckles. “You shouldn’t believe all you read, Mia. I can’t go wherever I please.”

“You know why I’ve come, right?” I narrow my eyes on him.

“Because this is where I want you.” He smiles, all predator. “The dark magic made you so easy to manipulate. Simple as that—” He snaps his fingers.

My power surges, shadows writhing around my feet. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“Oh, but I do.” He steps down from the altar, moving with liquid grace. “I’ve been planning this since the beginning. Your capture, your meeting with Soren, your descent into darkness.” His eyes gleam with satisfaction.

Understanding hits me. “You wanted me to turn to dark magic.”

“Smart girl.” He walks to me slowly. “The Blackwood bloodline is special. Powerful. But too pure, too…controlled. I needed you broken, desperate enough to embrace the darkness. And now look at you – you’re magnificent.”

“You’re insane.” I stare at him.

“Oh, but you played your part beautifully.” He spreads his arms wide. “Look at what you’ve become. The darkness flows through your veins now, tainting your family’s precious legacy.”

“You…you twisted fuck!” I yell, finally succumbing to the building fury. My magic responds to my rage, crackling through the air. Windows shatter, raining glass around us. But Lucien doesn’t flinch. Instead, his smile widens as ancient symbols suddenly flare to life beneath my feet, forming a circle of burning light.

I try to step back, but my feet won’t move. The trap holds me fast as Lucien approaches, triumph written across his face.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be prepared for you?” he asks softly. “That I wouldn’t have a cage ready for my perfect weapon?”

The magic burns under my skin as I strain against the binding circle. Ancient runes pulse with sickly light, responding to my struggles. Lucien pulls an object from his coat – a gleaming sphere wrapped in tarnished silver. My stomach lurches as I recognize the corruption emanating from it.

“You’ve been studying,” I spit through clenched teeth.

“For centuries.” He holds up the sphere, and darkness writhes within it. “Your kind isn’t the only one who can harness blood magic. Though I must admit, watching you embrace it was…inspiring.”

I lash out with my power, shadows whipping through the air like razor blades. The stained-glass windows explode inward, shards spinning in a deadly tornado around us. But Lucien merely laughs, raising the object. My magic twists, turning back on me. Pain rips through my chest as my own power tears into me.

“More,” he commands. “Show me everything you can do.”

The darkness inside me responds to his words, surging up despite my attempts to control it. My vision blurs as power pours out of me in waves. The church’s stone walls crack. Pews splinter and fly apart. The air seems to burn.

I scream as the magic consumes me completely, turning my blood to fire. Black veins spread across my skin like an unholy map.

Through the haze of power, I see Lucien watching with satisfaction, and horrible understanding dawns.

This was his plan all along. He wanted me to lose control. Every burst of power, every use of dark magic, has been drawing me deeper into his trap. The binding circle isn’t containing my magic – it’s channeling it, feeding it into that corrupted sphere.

“That’s it,” he purrs. “Let it all out. You’re miraculous, Mia. Everything I hoped you’d become.”

I try to pull back the magic, but it’s too late. The darkness has me in its grip, and it won’t let go.

Through the haze of agony, a familiar presence touches my mind. Soren. He must have sensed my distress through our bond. His concern washes over me, followed quickly by alarm as he realizes where I am and what’s happening.

No! I try to push him back. Stay away. This is what Lucien wants.

But the connection between us is too strong to deny. I feel Soren’s determination, his absolute refusal to let me face this alone. The force of his emotion gives me strength, helping me push back against the darkness trying to consume me.

Lucien’s eyes narrow as he notices the change. “Ah, your blood match has sensed you. Good. I was hoping he’d join us.”

“Leave him out of this,” I snarl, fighting against the binding circle. The runes pulse brighter, sending fresh waves of pain through me.

“But he’s such an important part of this.” Lucien holds up the corrupted sphere. “Your connection to him makes your power even stronger. The darkness feeds on it.”

He’s right. Every time I reach for Soren through our bond, the magic surges, growing more volatile. More black veins spread further across my skin as the sphere pulls at my essence, trying to drain me completely.

Mia, hold on. I’m coming. Soren’s voice in my mind is desperate, determined. But all I can think about is Lucien’s obvious satisfaction. This is exactly what he wanted – both of us trapped in his web.

I grit my teeth against another wave of pain. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”

“It already has.” Lucien’s smile is triumphant. “You’ve given me everything I needed from you. And now that I know that it works, I can go to the source. The only question now is whether Soren will arrive in time to watch you burn.”