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A tear fell from my eye, a rare feeling of sadness washing over me. She had felt loss, loneliness, just like me. But she was here now.
“Where are you taking me?”
Pulling back the middle tapestry, the one with the giant tree, his skin looked so pale it glowed.
Be not afraid.
I followed in blind faith, but not for him, for The Dark Mother.
The stone hallway was nearly black, save for the candles that lined the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and I nearly jumped as a white and black snake wiggled past my feet.
Bumps rose on my arms, and my hair stood on the back of my neck. I straightened my back, remembering exactly who I was—strong, fearless, andpowerful. I walked the hallway as if I was walking toward my death. I was protected, and I would face whatever it was ahead of me without fear.
The hall gave way to a cluster of small rooms, one large one on the right and a smaller one to the left. Domenico led me into the larger room, and I recognized the sleeping girl from the house back in Wales. A small pang of sympathy hit my chest, but her pale skin and blue lips made me think she was already dead.
Instinctually, I walked over to her still body, taking her hand into mine. I was able to bring dead flowers back to life, breath life back into weeds even saving one half-dead raven after it was mauled by Lilitu. I was a healer, but I was also a killer. Two things that cohesively brought me the power I wielded so carefully.
And now there was Charity, the first person I had ever loved.
I would need to be careful, with her heart, with her love. I needed that just as much as she did.
“She sleeps, a curse placed on her because of me,” Domenico appeared beside of me in an instant, startling me. He moved quickly, quietly. It was unnerving.
“Why should I help you? What do I get in return? Only my freedom?”
He was silent for a moment, looking over the beautiful sleeping girl. There was some connection here, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it…
“You and Charity will have your freedom. And I will have my Melody back. A happy ending all around,” he smiled, his features soft. He was good at fooling people, he almost had me fooled.
“And what about the women? Will you continue to burn any powerful and unapologetic woman at your will?”
He moved to the chair next to the bed, it was dark, black wood with a faded velvet seat. A bible sat next to the bed.
“Perhaps you think wrong of me. I am still a man of God, undead or not. My reach is far, I have many poweful men of the church inside my pockets. But thosecruel actswere not done at my hands.”
I laughed, unable to contain it as he saysman of God. “Please, everything you are goes against what God asks. How can you say that?” I asked, backing up close to the bed.
“Forgiveness.”
A simple answer, and yet, it left a sour taste in my mouth. It was true, Christianity only required that you believed, it didn’t matter what sins were yours—as long as you asked to be forgiven by Him.
Proceed with caution, little Dove.
“Then who was responsible?” I already knew the answer, it was the men in black coats, but who did these men answer to if not Domenico?
He sighed, looking irritated with my questions, but also knowing that he needed to play nice with me if he was going to get what he wanted.
“I have two brothers, who I needed to keep happy…keep inside the family business…”
So, there was more like him; he was not working alone.
Ask for a name.
“What is his name?” I didn’t hesitate to do as she told me now, we were united on this mission.
“Dante.”
I felt my hackles raise again, and my fingers tingled with this new information. He was who she wanted, not Domenico.
