The Curse of Blood (Love Lines Book 4)

by Diana Nixon

  “It was Perriart collection, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. The magician did her best to make sure that supernatural powers would live on forever. She cast a spell that would make it to where all of the descendants of her children’s families would receive the gifts that their parents possessed. That is how our world was created. And how it was predestined to be destroyed.”

  “Why would anyone want to destroy it?”

  “Because obviously not everyone is happy to be less powerful than the others.”

  “Are you talking about the Lords of Mind?”

  “Yes. They hate their gift, and by destroying other powers, they will destroy theirs as well.”

  “But it means-” Oh, God, Will’s words about the Lords hating their powers were true.

  “Yes, Eileen. It means that we will all become humans, just humans.

  Chapter 20

  Eileen

  I couldn’t believe what Elizabeth was saying to me. Even the idea of destroying all the supernatural powers was ridiculous, not to mention the absurd ideas about the people who wanted to do it.

  “That’s impossible,” I said. “Do you really believe they can actually do that?”

  “I’m more than sure they can.”

  “What else do you know?” I asked.

  “The rumors about the two Lords who got murdered are not true.”

  I nodded. “I know. There were other women possessing the old magician’s masterminding power, right?”

  “Again, I can’t help but admit that I didn’t give enough credit to your talents, Eileen. You truly are your father’s daughter. It has always been simply impossible to fool the old man.”

  Ignoring her words, I asked, “Was William’s mother one of them too?”

  “Well, since I can see that you know so much more than I would ever imagine, I think I will tell you that part of the story too. But first… Evan.

  Humanity has always needed someone to believe in: a God, a king, a president. Our world is not much different. First, it was your father whose powers everyone wanted. Then it was you that everyone believed was capable of destroying the brotherhood. And now… Now, it’s Evan that the Lords need to complete their mission. The thing is that his father never managed to develop his masterminding talents. He was simply unable to do it. That’s why he was angry at everyone. Because there had always been one thing that he couldn’t get. The powers of a Lord of Mind. He had them in his blood, but he couldn’t use them. Only later, he realized that he himself was never supposed to be a real Lord. He was more like a messenger, or a donor whose blood was supposed to do its job with his descendant. His mission was to bring up a child capable of destroying the world of supernatural.”

  I shook my head, unable to wrap my mind around everything she was talking about. “Are you saying that this is what we all thought was Dominic’s crazy idea? To turn Evan into -?”

  “Yes, you were right. Dominic wanted Evan to become The Master of Lords, a person possessing magic and the power of masterminding. Just like the magician who created our world.”

  “Unbelievable-”

  “I know. But it’s true. It’s Evan’s destiny that I, unfortunately, never managed to change. And trust me, Eileen, I tried everything.”

  I had been watching Elizabeth for a long minute, until the realization hit me. “Oh, my God… You didn’t kill your husband just to destroy the brotherhood. You killed him, hoping to stop whatever is going on now, to save Evan, right?”

  “Yes. I hoped it would stop the curse that the magician put into her blood and shared with her children by giving them the pieces of the Perriart collection.”

  But there was still one thing that I didn’t understand. “Why would Dominic want Evan to become the Master of Lords? Did he want to get rid of his powers and become human?”

  “Of course, not. My husband would never willingly abandon them.”

  “Then why? I don’t get it.”

  “Isn’t it obvious, Eileen? Dominic never wanted our world to be destroyed. He didn’t want his son to be just the Master of Lords, he wanted him to be the Master of the Universe. With all the powers living in Evan’s blood, he can destroy planets and create monsters with the most unbelievable combination of powers ever.”

  “Oh, no-” So Vanessa’s words about her mother helping Dominic with his crazy plans were true. “We can’t let that happen,” I said. “Is that why Evan’s blood has so much silver in it?”

  “Yes, silver has always been associated with magic, powers, and moonlight of course.”

  “And we all know that the Lords’ powers become stronger in the full moon.”

  “Exactly. I can’t but admit that I never expected you to destroy the Dragons brotherhood. Because it brought Evan closer to the dark side. Closer to the powers that I had been trying to suppress in him.”

  “How can I help him? What should I do?”

  “The only thing that you can do now, is stay as far away from Dever as you possibly can.”

  “What? No! I will never do that!” I rose to my feet and ran as fast as I could to the door, realizing a little too late that all the doors and windows were gone.

  “I’m sorry, Eileen. I can’t let you go back there,” Elizabeth said.

  “Let me out, or I swear, I will kill you!” I was so desperate, I didn’t really care about anything but going back to Dever, where I left so many people I loved. And now, I knew they could all die because of me.

  “Listen to me!” Elizabeth came and grabbed me by the shoulders. “It’s not your call to make. You are almost as helpless in this situation as I am. And the only thing that you should think about now is your safety. Because no matter how ridiculous it sounds, it also means the safety of my son.”

  “How is that?” I could hear my voice trembling, and I was about to start crying, because the more time passed, the more clearly I realized that I couldn’t change anything.

  “All the bonds that you share with others, were carefully thought out by those who love you.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, Eileen, we all knew that this day would come, sooner or later. Your father, Christian’s parents, everyone knew that one day, the Lords would try to destroy the world we live in. It was only a matter of time, we had to wait until the moment we realized there was no way back.”

  “So they all knew what was going on with Evan?” It was hardly believable, considering how truly surprised they all looked every time we found a new piece of this huge puzzle.

  “Yes, they did. Even Evan’s grandfather knew the truth. One day, your father and I visited him, hoping he would be able to help save Evan from the darkness that he was predestined to inherit. But the only thing he could do, was make protective amulets for you, Evan, Christian and Amanda.

  “Was the horseshoe that he gave to my grandfather, my protective amulet?”

  “Yes. That’s why it was hidden inside your bedroom door — to protect you even in your dreams.”

  “Why wouldn’t you let me out of here?” I asked again, hoping this time the answer would be different.

  “Because your father, Christian’s parents and I agreed that we needed to hide you somewhere, away from Dever until we find a way to destroy the Lords, because they won’t stop until they get what they want. They will do anything, absolutely anything to accomplish their end goal.”

  “But it also means killing Will,” I said in a trembling voice.

  Elizabeth didn’t say a word to that.

  “You can’t do that… You can’t kill him! He has always been on our side!”

  “I’m sorry, Eileen. We don’t have a choice. If we want to save you and all of the other people living in Dever, we will have to kill all the seven Lords.”

  “How exactly are you going to do that?”

  “Evan will have to play his part.”

  “So you are just going to let him become the Master?”

  “For one day.”

  “And what if he likes his new power
s? What if he refuses to abandon them?”

  “That’s why you, Christian, and Amanda were chosen to each take a part of his powers away. That’s why you will all be separated for a while. Until the time for you to return comes.”

  “How long? How long will it take to destroy the other Lords?”

  “The actual process takes no longer than a few minutes. The only problem is to make Evan believe that darkness is not what he needs.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Only he can decide whether or not to kill the Lords. Only he can do that. But before it happens, he needs to feel the full force of his own powers. Unfortunately, my husband was too obsessed with making Evan believe that he would be able to control any new powers he received. But he’s not ready for any of what I just told you. He’s too young, too impulsive, even too brave to let the darkness go. I’m sure deep down inside him, he wants to feel what it’s like to be a dark magic user. After all, Dominic never stopped pushing him to the dark side. Even though, Evan never knew about it. ”

  “Which means there’s no guarantee that he won’t become a monster.”

  Elizabeth let go of my shoulders and I leaned against the wall, helpless.

  “Does Salazar know that you are playing for our team?” I asked.

  “No, that was the point in keeping him close. He was supposed to believe that I want the same for Evan that my husband always wanted.”

  “So you are going Dever, and then what? What are you going to do once you get there?”

  “The whole plan is about Evan finding the different places where all of our powers were buried. Using the language that only he knows, he will find them all. Then, the other Lords will join Salazar and me. Using the copies of the Perriart collection pieces, we will bring the powers together and give them all to Evan. And then, it will be up to him to decide what to do with them next.”

  “I guess it will also be the moment for me, Christian and Amanda to show up.”

  “You are a very clever girl, Eileen. I’m sure you can handle whatever comes next.”

  “And what if your plan fails?”

  “It can’t fail.”

  “But what if it does?”

  “I will have to die for real. I will give my son my life and my blood, just to help him breathe freely again.”

  “You didn’t tell me about Will’s mother’s role in this story.”

  “Her job is to bring all the Lords to Dever.”

  “But she will never be able to be with her son again. Does she realize it?”

  “She only knows what she was allowed to know.”

  I stared at Elizabeth in shock. “So you are going to use her to kill her own son?”

  She didn’t reply.

  “I can’t believe you can be so heartless. After everything you had to go through to save your own child!”

  “There’s more to that, Eileen.”

  “No, really?”

  “You are the key to one more door that we need to open. Only you know how to create the illusion of the rose field. And you will have to go there again.”

  “What for?”

  “It’s a place where everything started. It should also be the place where everything ends. It’s the Kingdom of Death. Evil dies there.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know if I understood whatever it was that Elizabeth was talking about. Was I supposed to stop thinking about killing Will and focus on saving someone else? How on earth could I do that? Then I remembered Tara’s words about the sacrifice. Could she foresee my conversation with Elizabeth? Could she possibly know about what I would have to do to save Evan?

  “Can I make a call at least?” I asked.

  “No one should know about what happened to you here.”

  “What if they think I’m dead?”

  “Actually, they will all think that you are back.”

  “My father will be furious when he finds out the truth.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “He won’t.”

  “Does he know about what you are going to do next?”

  “I told you, Eileen, he always knew about what was going on. I’m sure now he’s busy taking care of Christian and Amanda.”

  “Do they know the truth?”

  “No. They will think they were kidnapped.”

  I smirked, humorless. “Oh, I’m sure Christian would ‘love’ the idea of being kidnapped again. Where will they stay?”

  “In illusions, of course. No one will ever be able to find them there.”

  “What about me? Where are you going to send me?”

  “A place where you will always be welcomed.”

  “And that is?”

  “Rose Hellebore.”

  “Evan’s place, of course. How do I find my way back?”

  “I will bring you back, as soon as we know that it’s time for you three to come back. Now, close your eyes.”

  “I’m not ready! Elizabeth, please. I have more questions to ask!”

  “You can ask them when you open your eyes again.”

  “How will my absence help you get to Dever?”

  “I will be you for a while.”

  I didn’t get a chance to say anything else. The hurricane swept me away. I closed my eyes, blinded by a bright light, filling the entire space around me. I couldn’t move or shout. I could only feel the wind crashing every thought left in my mind. And when I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in the middle of the library in Evan’s house, illuminated by dozens of burning candles.

  “Make yourself at home,” the voice in my head said.

  “Elizabeth? How is that possible that I can hear you?”

  “We are both unreal now. You are staying in the illusion, and I’m pretending to be you. It’s another sort of bond. So yes, we can talk as much as we want.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “I’m on my way to Dever.”

  “Will my father or Patrick know that you are not the real me?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about Evan?”

  “Don’t worry. He won’t suspect anything.”

  “What about Salazar?” Now I knew for sure that Tara’s vision about me and some stranger coming back to Dever, was not about me exactly. It looked like me, but it wasn’t actually me.

  “I sent him a message and told him to meet me at the western border of Dever.”

  “Will you be able to show me whatever will be going on there?”

  “You sure you want to see it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, you will see it all through my eyes, but you won’t be able to change anything. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  “What else did you want to know?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Why did you save Will when his father wanted to get rid of him?”

  “I can’t answer that question. Not now.”

  “Will you help Evan realize what’s going on?”

  “Yes. I will give him some clues, and he will understand the rest on his own. By the way, all those dreams and memories that you, Evan and Amanda have been having, were sent by me.”

  “Oh, good to know that they were not Dominic’s job, because there was a moment I thought he could be alive too. Wait… That memory about the car accident and the medallion. What did I need it for?”

  “Well, first of all, the medallion was supposed to intensify the power of Will’s masterminding; it belonged to his mother. After all, Dominic was one of the most powerful magicians ever. It was hard to kill him, and even harder to make him believe that whatever caused the accident was real. The medallion was also supposed to be the first thing that helped Evan feel his power of masterminding. You two were on the imaginary rose field at that time, so I could see the scene through your head.”

  I remembered Marion’s visions that she showed me a few days ago. “How much does Madame Blanche know?” I asked.

  “She knows everything. She knew it from the very beginning. Saving her daughter’s lif
e was not the only reason to combine her powers with Dominic’s. It was also her way to protect Evan. She knew that one day he would need help, and she wanted to be the only person capable of helping him. After all, with the powers from my husband, she also gave Evan a part of her own power, a part of her pure magic that was supposed to balance the amount of darkness now living inside him.”

  “What will happen when Evan realizes that Amanda and Christian are missing?”

  “Someone will tell him that they have gone to help Tara with her wedding preparations.”

  “Has Tara seen anything about what is going to happen?”

  “I’m sure she has. She’ a very talented young woman.”

  I hesitated for a second before asking my next question.

  “Have you ever imagined her and Evan being together?”

  “I have. I wasn’t there when their romance began, but I always knew everything that was going on with my children. And I tried to protect them as much as possible.”

  “Were those six years of hiding worth whatever you have now?”

  There were a few moments of silence, and I didn’t rush Elizabeth with the reply.

  “I hope so,” she said finally. “Now, I’ll give you a chance to rest a little. I’m getting aboard. So I’ll talk to you in a few hours. Look around the house, I’m sure you will find many interesting things there. There’s a small mahogany table in my old bedroom. I’m sure you will find it interesting.”

  After the words were said, I knew the bond disappeared. I could think clearly again, but unlike other times I travelled into illusions, I felt awfully exhausted now. I went to the living room that I remembered so well and sat in one of the chairs near the burning fireplace. It has always been Elizabeth’s favorite place in the entire house. I was sure I still had enough time to study the table Elizabeth had mentioned, so I closed my eyes and sank into a beautiful dream that I knew was a part of her plan too.

  I wasn’t surprised to find myself standing in the middle of the rose field again. But still, something felt different. I looked around and saw three more people there with me. I came closer to where they were standing and realized what felt so different… They all were kids, and I knew them.