The Curse of Blood (Love Lines Book 4)

by Diana Nixon

  “Don’t you think it sounds weird?” Eileen asked, looking at me and Melanie. “What kind of pieces could make Dominic leave you alive?”

  “Can you show us at least one of them?” I asked Peter.

  “Sure. Since you already know so much.” He rose to his feet and went to a tall cupboard, made of redwood. He opened it and took out a box, bringing it to the table.

  “Do my father’s ‘friends’ still come here for these pieces?”

  “Rarely. The last time I saw one of them was about a year ago.” Peter opened the box and turned it to us, so we could see what he was talking about.

  “Rings and pendants?” Eileen asked, surprised. She took one of them and turned it in her hands. “But they are not even silver or gold. What are they made of?”

  “Titanium.”

  “What are the properties of this metal?”

  “It has always been the symbol of family ties,” I said. I remembered reading about it in one of my textbooks.

  “I don’t understand… What did your father need them for?” Eileen asked, looking at me.

  “I have no idea. Maybe my mother could clarify this?”

  “Speaking of which, do you think she’s hiding at my son’s farm?” Peter asked.

  “You knew her?”

  “Of course I did. So did my son.”

  “So, she did know where his farm was.”

  “Yes. Jeremy raised cows and horses of a very rare breed.”

  “She adored horses,” I said thoughtfully, remembering all those days we spent riding.

  “What happed to them after your son’s death, I mean the horses?” Melanie asked.

  “They all were taken to Dever. Elizabeth paid for their transportation.”

  Eileen and I shared a glance. “Do you remember a horse named Nelly?” She asked the man.

  “Yes, a beautiful, black horse. It was Elizabeth’s favorite.”

  Something told me that it wasn’t just a coincidence. And I was sure Eileen knew that too.

  “So can you tell us where the farm or whatever was left of it is?”

  “If your mother went there, you won’t be able to find her just like that,” Peter said, looking at me. “Just as this place, the farm was protected with magic. Only those who know the password will be able to see it. I can only tell you the region where it is situated, but the real place will be seen only by the person who knows how to find it.”

  “Don’t you know the protecting password?” Eileen asked, a little disappointed.

  “It was changed the day my son died. Only Elizabeth knows it. She was there when it happened and I think she has changed it again since then. Because if you think she wants to be found, she would have changed it to something you would know.”

  Well, hell…

  “It can be anything,” Eileen said, as if reading my mind.

  “Anyway, thank you for this talk. I hope finding my mother won’t be one of our biggest mistakes.”

  “I have one more question,” Eileen said. “Those people ordering the titanium pieces… Were they always the same?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did they know each other?”

  “I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure is that all of them shared something special, like a bond.”

  “Could they be the members of some organization that we don’t know about?” Melanie asked.

  “Anything is possible. But I think their bond was more … private. Like something that not even their closest friends knew about.”

  We asked Peter a few more questions, thanked him for the conversation and went back to my car.

  Of course, Peter couldn’t answer all of our questions; I doubted we would ever be able to put all the pieces of this huge code-name-Elizabeth puzzle together. There was something that we were missing.

  “By the way, Melanie, was that scar on the man’s face your handiwork?” I asked, smiling through the rear view mirror.

  “Not exactly. A lion attacked him. It happened the same day I was about to say good-bye to my job. I went to Peter’s and the old idiot was brave enough to keep a real lion in his house. He called him his kitten. But one day, the kitten thought that Peter was his dessert. Fortunately, I was there and managed to stop the animal, before he could eat him alive.”

  “Something tells me that there was more to that.”

  “Well, I was a little pissed at Peter for sending me to that crazy blacksmith from London, so I first let his kitten play a little.”

  Eileen and I laughed. “I’ll remember that for the next time I think about pissing you off,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, Evan, I know that your ego is so much more fragile than your pretty face. So I will come up with a different punishment for you.”

  I shook my head. “If you say I have a pretty face, I doubt you will hurt me.”

  “Don’t push it, Evan. I’m dating the Lord of Mind, remember? I’m sure William will be more than happy to help me try your patience.”

  “No doubt,” I muttered, turning onto the road that led back to Dever.

  Chapter 10

  Eileen

  I couldn’t wait to talk to Will. We arrived at Dever at about midnight, but I still wanted to see him before going to my room. There was one thing I hoped he would be able to explain to me.

  The moment I saw the pendants made by Peter, another memory from Evan’s past came to my mind — the moment of the car accident that killed his father. The pendant I saw in the car was identical to one of those we saw at Peter’s, and I wondered if it was a sign that the Lords of Mind had something to do with the whole story.

  I tiptoed to Will’s bedroom door and knocked lightly. I didn’t want anyone to see or hear me. First, because I wasn’t sure if my assumptions about the Lords were correct and I didn’t want to worry anyone with my thoughts, especially if I was wrong. And second, because having a jealous boyfriend didn’t go well with sneaking into another guy’s room in the middle of the night.

  “Eileen? What happened?” Will asked sleepily, looking into the hall.

  “Are you alone?” I asked, hoping Melanie wasn’t there.

  “Yes, why?”

  “May I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  I closed the door quietly behind me and smiled apologetically at Will. “Sorry about the late visit, but I couldn’t wait for the morning to come.”

  He put on a shirt and nodded, sitting on one of the chairs.

  “That’s what I thought. So what happened?”

  No one saw me stealing one of Peter’s pendants, but since I totally sucked at drawing and wasn’t sure if I could draw a good picture of the pendant, I thought the old man wouldn’t mind me borrowing one of his pieces of work.

  “Have you ever seen this?” I asked, putting the pendant on a coffee table in front of Will.

  He shook his head. “No, what is this?”

  I sighed, disappointed. “I hoped you would be able to tell me the answer to that.” Then I told him about the meeting with Peter and the memory about the car.

  It took Will no less than forever to say a word. “You know, I think I remember something similar to this pendant,” he said, going to one of the drawers.

  “On the day of my eighteenth birthday, my father gave me this,” he said, showing me the watch. Then he gave me the loupe. “Read the inscription.”

  I put the loupe closer to the watch and read aloud, “Mind is power. Okay, and what’s so strange about it?”

  “Look again,” Will said.

  And then I saw it — letter ‘o’ that was actually a mini copy of the pendant that I had brought with me. “Wow, that’s incredible! Do you think that the pendant I have has a special meaning?”

  “I’m sure is does. I remember my father saying to be careful with this watch. He also said that the inscription was my aunt, Valentina’s idea.”

  I was speechless for a moment. “What?”

  “I’m talking about Vanessa’s mother, remember her? She used
to be one of the Dragons.”

  “Oh, my God!”

  “What is it Eileen?”

  “When Peter was younger, he was engaged to a woman named Valentina, who later became one of the brotherhood members. Do you think he was talking about her?”

  “Um… I’m not sure. Her husband, Robert was a human, and I never heard of her previous relationships.”

  “Do you know where your cousin is now?”

  “Patrick still keeps her in the dungeon. But I don’t think she would be able to tell you more. They keep giving her pills to erase the powers of compulsion that made her work for the Dragons.”

  “Do you know if her father is still alive?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Wait, I have an idea. Vanessa takes her pills every six hours, starting midnight. Which means that by the time of the next dose she becomes more sober. So we could-”

  “Wait for about five more hours and then go and try to talk to her! You are a genius, Will. Thank you!” I hugged him and rushed to the door.

  “You are always welcome,” he said quietly, closing it after me.

  I wasn’t sure if Vanessa could help me, but she was the only person who possibly knew how much her mother was involved with the brotherhood’s affairs. Something told me that Dominic’s interest in Valentina’s and Peter’s powers was not accidental.

  The moment I entered my room, I knew I was in trouble. Christian was sitting on my bed, wearing the darkest expression ever.

  “Where have you been?” He asked in a cold voice.

  “With Evan and Melanie?” I came closer, trying to understand how badly I was screwed, but Christian didn’t show his emotions, and I couldn’t feel anything about what was going on with him.

  “They were here and left about ten minutes ago.” He rose to his feet and shook his head, saying, “You will never change, will you, Eileen?”

  “Okay, I can explain.”

  “Go ahead, I’m all ears.” He crossed is arms, watching me expectantly.

  No matter how much I wanted to keep my assumptions to myself, fighting with Christian was the last thing I wanted to do. So I decided to tell him everything.

  “I went to talk to William,” I said.

  “About what?”

  “He thinks that Evan’s blood transfusion turned him into the

  Lord of Mind.”

  “What?” Now Christian looked genuinely surprised and his defense wavered a little, showing me how worried and upset he was.

  I told him about everything that had happened to Evan since the moment of his awakening, and about our meeting with Peter and Dominic’s weird friends ordering more and more titanium pieces.

  “Okay, so you think Will is correct? I mean, yes, all these coincidences are really weird, but we all know the Lords don’t posses magic.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. It’s all so complicated.”

  “But you think you know who knows all the answers, right?”

  Christian knew me too well. “Yes, I’m sure Elizabeth will explain it all.”

  “Just don’t tell me you want to find her on your own.” We were sitting on a couch, facing each other, and I could feel how much he hated the idea of letting me meet with Evan’s mother.

  “Even if I wanted to talk to her, I wouldn’t be able to do that without the password, hiding the farm.”

  Something told me that it was very simple. I thought it was something connecting me and Evan, since I was still sure that I was the only person Elizabeth wanted to see now. I should have known the password, I only needed more time to figure out what it was.

  “Eileen, listen to me please,” Christian said, taking my hands in his. “We don’t know what the woman is up to. She has been hiding for six years, plotting and only God knows what else she has been doing. What if she doesn’t wish you any good? What if it’s just another trap that she thinks you will fall into?”

  “I have already thought about it, many times. But don’t you think Elizabeth wouldn’t reveal herself, knowing that we would want nothing but her death? No one knows how far she went, pretending to be the Dragon’s leader. But I saw her face, Christian. Even before we were back from the reality that destroyed the brotherhood, she knew that Evan would die. And I’m sure as hell that she didn’t want it. If the woman still cares about her children, she won’t do anything to hurt them.”

  “But you are not her daughter.”

  “No, I’m not. But I’m sure she knows that breaking the bond that Evan and I share, she will make him suffer a lot.”

  Christian shook his head, pulling me into his embrace. “You are so naïve, Baby. Being a mother doesn’t necessarily mean that she will care about some bond, when so many other things are at stake.”

  I didn’t say anything in response. I was still sure that the woman didn’t want to kill me, or anyone else. I only needed to think about the best way to get to her and not to betray anyone’s trust.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?” I asked, moving to see Christian’s face.

  He smiled down at me. “How can I say no?”

  “Where’s Amanda?” Only now, I realized that my friend’s bed was empty.

  “She and Tara went to Gloster for a few days to take care of the wedding preparations.”

  “So she ran away,” I said, chuckling.

  “From what?”

  Christian didn’t know anything about his sister’s feelings for his best friend, and I thought it wasn’t my right to tell him about that.

  “From everything,” I said. “Now can we stop talking?” I reached for the edge of his sweater and pulled it up, enjoying the beautiful golden light radiating from Christian’s tattoo.

  It was still hard to believe that magic was an essential part of every step we took. Every touch felt magical, every kiss was breathtaking, and I wondered if the kind of love we shared was possible without any spells. But in the moments like this, I didn’t really care about anything but the man by my side.

  He was my paradise, and the best of the gifts that I could have ever received from my fate. No matter how much time we spent together, it was never enough. And even when we were apart, I could still feel how strong his love for me was. And for that one feeling, I was ready to sacrifice everything I had, because I was sure that with the love we felt for each other, we were almighty, no matter how much we could get with the help of magic.

  “You always know how to make my thinking ability turn off.” Christian giggled, leaning over me.

  “That makes two of us.”

  “Well, yes, but unlike you, I never use our bond to distract you.”

  I laughed. “Oh, really? What about all those days you made me spend in your room, saying it was best for my safety?”

  “It doesn’t count. It was all done in your best interests,” he said, sliding his palm down my side.

  “Sly Fox, I always knew you did that just to have me all for yourself.”

  “Well, I won’t deny it.” He leaned forward, brushing my lips with his. “Actually, I thought you liked being with me.”

  Of course I did. Unlike anyone else, Christian always knew what to do or say to make all my problems and worries disappear without a trace. When we were together, the rest of the world didn’t matter.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you are?” He was watching me with so much love, my breath caught. “How much I love seeing you like this: with your hair spread all over the pillows, with your eyes looking at me with so much intensity; I can’t stop admiring you.” Drawing invisible circles on my belly, he whispered, “Have I ever told you how much I enjoy every second of making love to you? Feeling your body trembling slightly under mine? Feeling your skin vibrating under my lips? Feeling your pleasure filling me through our bond? Knowing how high I can take you with my moves and touches?” His every word accompanied with the exact thing he was talking about.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck; our lips inches apart, a
nd said, “Have I ever told you how good it feels to be with you? To see your love, shining brighter than the sun? To feel your lips all over me? To feel how much you need me and to know that the need is mutual?”

  He smiled, kissing me softly. “I love the sound of that.”

  “And I love everything that you are doing to me,” I said.

  Never in my life had I thought I would fall in love so helplessly hard. I couldn’t imagine my life without Christian. Once he said that he didn’t remember the life he had before me. Now I could tell for sure that I felt the same way, because those years we spent looking for a way to each other, seemed to never exist at all. And I was more than happy to realize that nothing and no one could separate us. At that point, I preferred not to think about the number of obstacles I was sure we still had to go through to live without being afraid of losing each other forever. I hoped that the power of love we shared would help us overcome everything. After all, it was the strongest of the gifts we possessed.

  ***

  I woke up at about four in the morning, unable to fall back asleep; the thoughts about Vanessa and her mother refused to leave my head. Quietly, I got up from the bed and tiptoed to the wardrobe to get a pair of jeans and a sweater. I didn’t want to wake Christian, even though he knew I needed to go to the dungeon. I gathered my hair into a ponytail, took my cell phone, kissed Christian on the cheek and went into the hall.

  As always, there were many students awake, despite the early hour. Dawn has always been the best time for practical classes, as we all felt more powerful in the daylight, and the first rays of the sun gave us more energy than anything else.

  “Morning, Eileen!” Darcy greeted, meeting me on the way to the dungeon. “Where are you going?”

  “You will never guess. To talk to Vanessa.”

  Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “About what?” Apart from everything else, Vanessa used to be Christian’s girlfriend, so of course, there was no love lost between us.

  “I need to ask her a few questions about her mother.” I didn’t want to give away too much information, since I was sure Will wouldn’t approve of me talking to everyone about something that we were not sure about. It was enough to know that now Christian knew more than he should.