Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(98)
Don't give up, Christian.
The slight flutter could have been her imagination but she grasped it as hope. She would do whatever it took, she vowed fiercely, whatever it took.
ANGIE? ANGIE, I hope you can hear me. You're in danger. Gabriel knows you helped Christian. Get away if you can.
Victoria hoped that Angie would be able to hear her. She wouldn't want her to come to any more pain from Gabriel's sadistic ways, and she knew without a doubt that her brother would punish her severely for what he would consider to be unforgivable disloyalty.
Despite Charla's cruelty and duplicity, Victoria couldn't believe that Gabriel had killed her so heartlessly when her only mistake had been to fall in love with him. He had used her and then abused her in the worst possible way, murdering her while she had been helping him. He was sick and twisted. Victoria knew that she would have to be the one to end him.
She looked around her small prison, looking for a weapon, anything she could use to cut through her skin. She needed to spill her blood, and a lot of it, for Victoria intended to invoke the blood craft she had been born with, something she should have done even before Christian became involved. But she'd been afraid—afraid to release the blood magic and not be able to control its terrifying power. She'd almost killed Christian the last time! Now, she had no choice.
After a frantic search, she disconnected a thin wire she'd found behind the rusty radiator in the room and inspected it critically, touching its sharp ends. With some pressure it would do. She sat in the middle of the room and pulled her energy into herself, commanding her blood into action. She could feel it surging through her body waiting for the release it would soon be granted, and she awarded it decisively, digging the thin wire across her wrist and severing the skin with barely any pressure. Brackish dark blood spurted out and she felt the magic of the blood craft suffuse her as her blood welled from the wound. It was sacrificial blood.
Murmuring a word, she healed her wound and felt the magic soaking her soul, until her eyes were black with it and her body trembled. It was almost too easy, the binding wards falling before her fingertips like they were air, and the confidence it gave her made her think for a second that maybe she could take Gabriel on her own. But she knew that would be her destruction. She was well aware of the risks that came with invoking the blood magic's devastating power—it would take advantage of any weakness, including pride. She needed to be smart and stick to her plan.
As the amulet warmed at her breast, Victoria belatedly realized that she could have used the amulet to release the blood—after all, that was the purpose of its sharp edge, she realized with dawning understanding. It made sense ... sacrifice to summon the blood magic. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Holly first.
"Transeo," she said, and the room disappeared into nothingness; the power of the word combining with the power of the blood was consummate. Victoria's mind envisioned the room two doors down where she'd seen Holly. Before she could even take a breath as her body re-materialized, she grabbed Holly and teleported again, this time to Christian's home in Canville. Holly would be safest there under Anton's care.
The third and final time she murmured, "Transeo," holding the destination clearly in her head, she emerged in Christian's Paris apartment. Victoria felt none of the normal effects of the teleportation. In fact, she felt even better than she had when she had left earlier.
Unable to teleport safely given her unfamiliarity with the building, she took the metro to La Défense and entered the looming black monolith that was the Tour Areva. She went to the top floor without hesitation, expanding her awareness, searching. She found what she was looking for in the boardroom where they'd had the Council meeting. Without knocking she walked straight in, and found herself face to face with seven furious vampires. The leader stood slowly and stared at her with incredulous surprise.
"Enhard," she said by way of greeting. She stared coolly at the other six vampires watching her with varying degrees of shock and fury. After all, she had just entered their haven without having been invited. Remembering that Christian's life hung in the balance, she moved toward Enhard and was immediately surrounded by four snarling vampires. "Wait!" she said. They ignored her, their faces feral. She was the enemy.
"Confuto," she said, waving her hand. Incredibly they all froze, unable to move. She could feel their shock and hatred burning through her as she walked toward Enhard whom she had left free of the hold charm. She knew that they were stunned that she had been able to use magic against them in their own space. Too bad it wasn't warded for blood magic. Knowing she had to be careful whom to trust, she turned to Enhard.
"I need to speak with you privately," she said urgently. Just because she had put a hold charm on the other vampires didn't mean that they couldn't hear what she was saying. Enhard stared at her and then nodded. She released the charm, and the vampires exited staring at her with caution. She waited until they were alone before beginning. Enhard stared at her, guarded but curious as to her intent.
"Enhard, I need your help," she said. His dark eyes reflected their surprise. "Christian is in great danger and I know that he is considered a royal—" She had barely finished the sentence when he jumped to his feet. She could read the alarm in his face.
"You know of Le Sang Noir? What my people call the Cruentus Curse?" she asked. At his nod, she continued. "Well, it's real." Enhard's face remained unmoved. Victoria took a deep breath and looked him full in the face. "I'm the one you've been looking for."