Iniquitous (The Marked #3)(6)

And by His Descendants, he meant Lucifer. The first fallen angel, also known as the devil himself. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about the blood that was running through my veins. Even though I’d known about my blood for a while now, it still hadn’t settled well with me. And by well, I mean not at all.

“Wait a minute. How do you know all this?” I asked him, suspicion lighting me up inside. “And more importantly, why am I only hearing about it now?” If he was keeping secrets from me again, so help me God I was going to rip his arm off and beat him with it.

“I've been suspecting something was off for some time now, but it only came together when I overhead Engel discussing it the other night,” he said without any semblance of emotion.

I searched his face for any signs of deception, but couldn't find any. “Okay, so, basically what you’re saying is, the Amulet can sense my devil-blood and is purposely leaving me wide open to attacks because of it?”

“In laymen’s terms, yes.”

“And Engel knows it?” I verified.

“Yes.”

“Fucking perfect.” Open season on Jemma Blackburn has officially commenced. I dropped my head into my hands as my tired mind tried to wrap itself around the dire news. There were still so many gaps in this story, so many missing pieces that didn’t make sense. My head popped back up as one of them slapped me in the face. “Wait. Why am I still alive then?” I asked, the question nagging its way to the surface. “If the Amulet won’t protect me, why do I keep coming back?”

It was no secret that I should have been dead on more than one occasion. There had to be a reason why I wasn’t. And I prayed it was a good reason. I needed it to be a good reason. Frankly, the chances of that were slim, but my heart was running wild with it anyway.

Dominic paused as if searching for the right words, though I wasn't sure if he wanted to soften the blow or revel in it. He was sick like that.

“Just spit it out, Dominic.”

“Self-preservation.”

“Come again?”

A coy smile teased the corner of his lips. “The Amulet is protecting itself, angel. Not you. If you die while wearing it, its magic ceases to exist. It's as simple as that.”

“Wait. So, he can’t actually kill me then?”

“It appears that way.”

Finally, some good news! “And since I’ll never willingly give him the Amulet, this whole thing has to be over then, right? He has to know that.” I mean, seriously, this was a standstill if I ever did see one.

He shook his head, his dark eyes never straying from mine. “Far from it, love.”

The choking hands of panic were pressing down on my throat again, closing off my airway. The truth was right there within my reach, circling the waters like a shark out for blood.

Dread descended as I forced myself to reach out and touch it.

“He’s just going to keep me trapped in here for the rest of my miserable life, isn’t he?” My voice hitched up unnaturally as my body began to quiver. “Or at least until he comes up with some other demented plan.” I looked up at him for comfort, for reassurance that my fears were unfounded, but there was none to be found.

“Unfortunately, Engel always has a backup plan.”

My mouth opened to cry out, but no sound came. I was startled silent.

He leaned in closer, ready to drop another bomb on my life. “He’s going to try to form a bloodbond with you, angel.”

I wasn’t speaking or blinking or even breathing anymore.

“And he’s going to use it to compel the Amulet from you.”

His words circled my mind like a virus, numbing every cell that it touched. I seriously couldn’t catch a break. Every time I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they somehow always did. How long was I expected to keep fighting? How much was I expected to take before I broke? Before I shattered into a million little jagged pieces that could never be put back together again? Maybe that’s exactly what they wanted.

Maybe they wanted to break me from the inside out.

“Did you hear me?” he asked, staring at me for what felt like an eternity. “Say something.”

I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted to vanish into myself. To disappear from this cruel world and never look back at the unfortunate path I’d been set on. I wanted to be with Trace; to see those eyes and hear those perfect words in my ears and feel those warm arms around my body. I closed my eyes and searched for him in my mind.

“Angel.”

My sanctuary. My only relief from the ever-storm that kept pouring down on my life.

“Speak dammit.”

“Trace.” His name escaped my lips like a prayer. “I need Trace.”

“I’ve already thought of that,” he answered, misunderstanding my words. “I can't get to him. Engel isn’t allowing anyone in or out. He isn’t taking any chances this time. If any of us are unaccounted for, he’ll change your location.”

I needed to see Trace again. I needed him to know what happened and how I felt about him. I needed to expose the guilty and make them pay for their sins. I needed...I needed him.

And he needed me.

It couldn’t end this way. I couldn’t let it. Somewhere in the depths of my despair, a small flicker of fight ignited in me, drawing me out from within myself. I had to get out of here. I had to find my way back to him.