Fate of a Blood Moon (The Hades Blood Moon #2)

Chapter 4

Rachel

“ W hat the hell is—” The man stepped closer, the moonlight breaking through the clouds and allowing him to see her more clearly. His eyes widened in shock. “Valentina? Oh my God, is that you?”

Valentina slumped back on her folded legs. “You’re alive.”

The man holding the gun at her head jolted back. “Valentina, as in—”

“My maker,” Darius said, waving a hand up and down. “Lower your guns, Enzo, Charles. Unless you want to make an enemy of her. Drop them. Now.”

The guards immediately holstered their guns and stepped away from us. Valentina went to stand, but Darius rushed over to help her up, taking her hand in his. I watched his fingers delicately graze her skin, treating her like glass.

The man called Charles approached my side to help me up. I waved him off and stood, brushing the gray dust from my jeans.

Without a gun pressing against my head, I looked around. The front gate was closed now and locked with a padlock. The nerves in my stomach only added to my unease.

Valentina said this villa was safe, but something twisted against my instincts.

Were we really safe?

Turning back to Valentina and Darius, I interrupted their reunion. “So, you’re the man my mother met in the eighteen hundreds? The one who started the academy?”

Darius blinked in surprise. “Mother?” he stammered before letting out a laugh. “Dear God, of course. You have Valentina’s eyes but are a spitting image of Cyrus.”

I nodded. “I’m Rachel.”

“Your father was my closest friend, you know?” Darius’s eyes grew dark in the moonlight before he blinked again and smiled. “A genuine human being with a heart of gold.”

Valentina smiled at Darius, but it faltered as she spoke. “After we fled the attack, we ended up in Boston. I went to reclaim my ring from Maurice, but the Black Onyx found out I had returned. They followed us, ambushed us in a church, and took her from me. Cyrus didn’t make it. After that, they sealed me away in a crypt with a spell.”

She wiped away a bit of dirt from her pants and straightened her black pullover sweater. I saw the anger simmering under her calm demeanor, like the weight of what those witches had done to her still weighed heavily on her shoulders.

He reached out and retook her hand. “I heard the news about Cyrus. What spread through the supernatural world was that you had died with him.” His eyes flashed to mine briefly before returning to hers. “Come inside, and I’ll tell you everything that happened that night. What matters now, though, is that you’re here and safe. And I promise, no one on this property will harm either of you.”

As soon as Valentina nodded, Darius took her hand and escorted us inside.

The moment we entered the house, I took a deep breath. There was a distinct scent as the breeze came through the open windows, smelling like old stone and terracotta tiles. I whistled low as I looked around. “Fancy.”

The entryway was huge, way bigger than I thought it would be from looking on the outside. A giant mahogany staircase stood right at the center of the foyer. The banister was covered in several ornate designs that must have taken years to carve out.

The walls were a pale cream with subtle gold accents, and a single chandelier hung overhead, resembling tiny stars as they twinkled under the overhead lights. To my left was an antique console table with a vase full of fresh purple flowers, like the ones I saw climbing all over the outside of the house.

“Darius,” Valentina said. “Who all lives here with you?”

Darius tilted his head, motioning for us to follow him down the hall. “The night the Lemurian Quartz attacked us, we had no choice but to flee. The Daughters of Dusk didn’t survive.”

She exhaled softly, her lips parting slightly.

“The dhampirs fought to protect their mothers, but they couldn’t hold them off. If we had stayed, they would have sent more.” We stopped in front of a pair of heavy wooden double doors. “We didn’t have the resources to shelter everyone, so we sent most into hiding. A few vampires and three dhampirs rent rooms here, but it’s mostly quiet. Secluded.” He turned to Valentina, his gaze softening. “When word spread that ‘She Who Walks with the Devil’ had fallen, witches and vampires that allied with us feared the covens would increase the slaughter and target them next. We sealed the runes, abandoned the bodies, and disappeared.”

Darius turned the knob to an office with several bookshelves lining the walls and an open window toward the back.

“Come on,” he said, and we followed him inside. He flipped a light switch, and several golden sconces lit up, bathing the room in a warm ambiance against the silver blue of the night.

“And they don’t know you’re here?” I asked him. “The covens, I mean.”

“Oh,” Darius replied. “Most of Italy and the other covens think this is just a vampire lair with human staff. We’ve done well to keep the legend of dhampirs a secret.” He glanced at Valentina. “As far as we know, the new witches of Lemurian don’t know the entire story. Those who did, died when they attacked the academy. All they know now is that a registered vampire clan operates an art restoration business. If Black Onyx discovers your location, charges in here, and begins killing and torturing, Lemurian will retaliate, deeming it an ‘unsanctioned’ act. That would ruin any chance of forming an alliance against you. While the covens may have a history of working together for the same cause, they are vastly different now and won’t tolerate the nonsense Black Onyx has become.”

“Well, now that I’ve awakened and taken Rachel from them,” Valentina said, “Let’s not be fooled into thinking that won’t change.”

My stomach churned at the thought of witches out there hunting those like me.

Darius continued, “For centuries, the Lemurian Quartz and the Black Onyx have hunted vampires and werewolves, erasing their existence to keep the world from discovering them. Even after vampires became public knowledge, the slaughter never stopped. They ignored the treaty because their beliefs never changed—to them, we shouldn’t have been created. But after the attack on the academy, their priorities shifted. They realized dhampirs were stronger than us, not just because of their vampire blood but because they also possessed magic. Their mothers were witches. They’re harder to kill.” He turned to Valentina, his gaze hardening. “I made a deal with the Lemurian Coven. I agreed to cover up their crimes and keep them under the radar of the human government in exchange for their promise to leave my clan alone. So, for now, those behind these walls are safe.”

My curiosity overruled my hesitancy about this place. Others like me lived here, and though he mentioned several dhampirs had escaped in the attack, three stayed behind. “Tell me about the other dhampirs here,” I said.

“Yes. Who stayed with you?” Valentina asked.

Darius turned to look at her. “Luka, Giovanni, and Avaline,” he said, and I watched as a subtle smile painted her lips. “We had a couple of vampires join us eighty years ago. Alessandro Faretti and Tati Volkov. They’re excellent fighters, so they’ve made great use of the training room, helping the dhampirs. Like you, Rachel, the dhampirs have lived well among humans undetected. We each take part in running a business, restoring antiques so that we can stay here. All three of them inherited incredible gifts from their mothers. Gifts that protect them from being discovered by the wrong people.”

Darius paused, a strange look crossing his face. My brows furrowed as I watched him shift his posture, walk around his desk, settle into his chair, and then gesture for us to do the same.

He seemed … unsure about everything.

Is he angry that we’ve come?

He cleared his throat. “What about you two?” he asked. “Should I be worried about the Black Onyx or some other coven barging onto my property to hunt you down?”

I shrugged. “To tell you no would be a lie. The Black Onyx may not know we have come to Venice, but it’s only a matter of time. They have … resources. Valentina and I came to this city to find an academy to keep us safe. But since it’s destroyed, I have to ask you. Are we welcome here?”

My eyes narrowed on Darius’s face. I tried reading his intention, but I could only sense reluctance, anxiety, and something like ambition.

Darius smiled at the question, his fingers trailing along the smooth surface of his mahogany desk. “You want to stay here?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “What could I provide you that you wouldn’t have back in the States?”

Valentina, who seemed to have forgotten human speech at this point, gave Darius a confused, hurt expression. This man, according to her, was supposed to be her damn bestie. Well, more than besties from the look of it.

“The Black Onyx wanted to kill me because I had the power to awaken my mother, which I did. Granted, it was against my will, but that’s another story. By now, they have most likely devised a plan to hunt us down. The States aren’t safe.”

His expression changed again.

“The Black Onyx stole Rachel from me, raising her within their circle. They made her believe she was alone, an anomaly no one would accept. Those witches did it, intending to kill dhampirs. If those other dhampirs are out there, they’re not safe. Black Onyx and Lemurian Quartz will hunt them down. Peace treaty be damned. I came back here because we need to end them. They need to pay for what they’ve done.”

It all made sense. If the coven attacked the academy two centuries ago, only to be defeated, taking Valentina’s child would give them an advantage. Lemurian told Black Onyx that she was coming to their territory. So, they lay in wait until Valentina was exposed to steal me. They would learn all the weaknesses and strengths of a dhampir to kill them more easily the next time the witches attacked.

While the two talked, I scanned the office. Textbooks mixed with old spellbooks and European fairy tales lined the dark wooden bookshelves. Stacks of papers lay scattered around, but from what I could see, they were invoices for repairs and supplies—nothing out of the ordinary.

“Perhaps Rachel can tell me more about Black Onyx.” Darius’s voice broke my thoughts, and I turned to look at his now-smiling face. “Though we don’t deal with them here in Italy, I’ve heard rumors about their long history of unethical practices and how they handle those they deem a threat. We mainly deal with Lemurian; the descendants who weren’t a part of the attack on the academy. Did Black Onyx raise you as a witch?”

I shook my head. “Black Onyx runs their group the way a fanatic cult would. No one spoke about anything that went on in their meetings, and they’d brutally execute anyone who did, including humans who were unfortunate enough to witness their activities. They raised me within the coven, but not as a witch. Now it’s clear I was only a test subject, nothing more.… Well, I guess they also needed to keep an eye on the one person who could raise Valentina from the dead.”

“There’s something else,” Valentina said. “Before the Black Onyx attacked us, I managed to get Kylan’s ring back from Maurice at the church. I wore it before I gave birth, and in those final moments before the coven sealed me away, my powers passed to Rachel. Now, her magic has awakened, but she hasn’t a clue how to control it.”

Darius drummed his fingers on the table, glancing at me briefly. He seemed to weigh something in his mind, and it set my nerves on edge.

He exhaled slowly before finally speaking. “You need my help?”

“Yes,” she said. “I had hoped the academy would have provided the right training, especially since it once housed dhampirs like her. She could have trained with them and learned how to harness her magic, not what the coven tried to make her into. But …” Her words trailed off, her eyes darkening. “Now I’m finding that the academy and those who could have helped her are gone.”

The panic in her voice washed over me like a wave, bringing a deep, suffocating sense of helplessness and loss that curled inside me. Valentina Vasile wasn’t supposed to feel lost or afraid. We had traveled this far just to find the one place she depended on to protect me was no longer there.

“I see,” Darius said softly, his gaze meeting mine. “You know me, Valentina.… I never stop training. If guidance is what she needs, then she’ll still get it here.” He swallowed and sat up straight. “Anyway. The ring. Where is it now? I don’t see it with you.”

She turned and pointed to my right hand. I raised it and wiggled my index finger.

“Well, isn’t that a beautiful stone?” he said. “May I hold it?”

My eyes went wide. “You can try to pry it from my finger, but I think you may end up breaking your arm.”

“Rachel!” Valentina snapped.

Darius held up his hand. “No. She’s fine. That is exactly the correct response I’d expect from her.” He smiled and turned to Valentina. “How much does she know, aside from our history?” Darius asked, looking at her as if I weren’t even in the room.

There was a subtle shake of Valentina’s head that I’m pretty sure she thought I hadn’t noticed.

I pinched my brows together. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Rachel!”

Darius covered his mouth and let out a small laugh. “It’s alright.”

“She has a god-awful mouth,” Valentina remarked, “but you’ll get used to her sarcasm at some point. Apologies.”

“No need,” he assured. “If we are to build trust between us, Rachel should know everything.”

I shot Valentina a glare. “What is my mother dearest not telling me?”

Another strange look passed over his face as he looked at Valentina. But when he smiled, I realized Valentina held no sway with this man. He wanted me to know.

“We’ve been keeping it in the basement.”

“Darius,” Valentina chided calmly. “As much as I’d like to share with her––”

“Exploring your basement sounds like a good time,” I cut in, anxiety swirling in my ribcage. Right before I stood, we heard footsteps approaching the room from the hall outside the door.

“Of course. But first, I want you to meet someone.” There was a quiet knock at the door before it swung open. “Ah, Luka, come in.” Darius gestured as a tall, skinny guy with lightly tanned skin and curly brown hair walked in. The guy offered us a lopsided grin and had something of a nerdy charm about him. Darius stood, and so we followed suit. “Rachel, I’d like to introduce Luka Novak. He can help you both settle into a couple of the rooms on the second floor.”

“Hey, nice to meet you,” Luka said, turning to me and reaching out to shake my hand. There was a slight crackle of energy when I took it, and the hairs on my arm stood on end. The magic he emitted was so powerful that my own sparked to life. As I held his hand, my ears homed in on the sound of his heartbeat. But he had no noticeable scent, just like me.

Luka went to Valentina and only smiled. “It’s an honor to see you again.” I caught a glimpse of his slightly elongated canines when he smiled. “You may not remember, but—”

“Of course, I remember you, Luka,” she said, a touch of warmth in her voice. Luka smiled again in response and stepped to the side, his eyes sliding to me briefly before turning to Darius.

“Can I ask you something?” I said to Luka, drawing him back to me. “You’re like me, so I gotta ask. How have you survived in the same city for so long? I had to keep moving, always worried someone would notice I wasn’t aging or some idiot vampire would try to mess with me. We don’t exactly pass for vampires, so they must have suspected you were something else at some point.”

Luka paused, his gaze steady. “Now that the world knows about vampires, things are easier. But before that, we had to be careful. A dhampir like me had to blend in as human. Sure, people might have noticed I wasn’t aging, but they never asked questions. Either they feared what I was and didn’t want to risk retaliation, or they just assumed I was a witch who aged gracefully.”

“In other words,” I said, “they mind their business.”

Luka’s wide grin reached his eyes. “Exactly. I’ve had to use my abilities a few times, though. My mother was a Spirit witch before she was forced into becoming a vampire. She came from a long line of witches with powers that mess with the mind. If I wanted someone to see me differently or forget I ever existed, I could make it happen.”

I stared, my mouth hanging open. “Okay, that’s pretty badass.”

Darius leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers together. “So, while you’re here, we expect the same caution Luka and the others have made.” His eyes slid to Valentina, his lips curving into a brief, unreadable smile.

Valentina mentioned her past with Darius and how they had once been in a relationship. But when she came to the academy to help him protect the dhampirs, they had to stop it, so the line of professionalism wouldn’t become blurred with lust. But then she met Cyrus and gave her heart entirely to him—a human—and Darius had to watch it all happen despite how much he loved her.

Now, two hundred years later, it was clear he still did.

“Luka, prepare their beds in the spare room near the second-floor library. Oh, and call Alessandro. I’ll have to talk to him before sunrise. I need a moment longer with them.”

Luka gave me a quick nod before exiting the office, and the two of us followed Darius into the hallway with a staircase that led into the villa’s basement.

The room was slightly musty, with water dripping from the side walls into a small puddle by the back boiler room. It looked nothing like what was above us in the actual home. Instead, it felt more like a dungeon.

My thoughts drifted to Andrei’s creepy dungeon basement and my stomach clenched. I took a deep breath to calm myself, shaking those memories away, before walking deeper into the room. A small vault was on the right side, tucked behind some lumbar and fiberglass insulation. It was roughly six by six feet, with several cubbies and a keyhole beneath thick metal handles. Darius pulled a silver key from the keychain on his belt, unlocked the top left cubby, and pulled the box free. Inside was a small black box. When he lifted the lid, I looked down at a gemstone sitting on a velvet cushion. It was hunter green and wrapped with gilded metal cords.

“It’s still intact,” Valentina said, a faint smile on her lips.

“Is that the Amavasya’s Tear? The gem you told me about on the train that helped create me?” I asked as she carefully picked up the stone from the box.

“Oh, but it can do so much more than that,” she said, thumbing over the smooth facets. “It doesn’t just help bring dhampirs into the world.” Her voice was sharp, making me immediately unnerved.

“Okay, what else does it do?” I asked warily. My eyes focused on the beautiful stone, but I could see a gleam in Valentina’s eyes. Something made my blood run cold.

“It’s also a weapon,” she answered.

Darius stepped forward. “We planned to use it against the covens before the attack at the academy. It can destroy even the most powerful witches—the ones determined to wipe us out.”

Frustration burned in my chest. “Stop talking in circles. How exactly can it kill them?”

Valentina’s hopeful expression sent another chill through me as Darius took the gem from her and carefully placed the stone back inside. “When a vampire takes part in the ritual to become pregnant, this gem and its spell draw your essence from Purgatory, fully restoring your soul temporarily. It allows creation —true creation. But it can also do the opposite. This gem harnesses the power of Spirit, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. If unleashed, it can tear those elements apart, severing the magic that binds them together.”

I stiffened. “You’re saying it can shatter the elements?”

“We weren’t just protecting dhampirs from the covens,” Valentina said. “We were training them to launch a war against them.”

“When we thought Valentina was dead,” Darius added, “we stopped our operations. It was safer to hide instead.”

“And now?” I asked.

Darius smiled and looked at her. “Now you’re back and alive. But don’t forget—it’s not the nineteenth century, love. Reckless war will bring the Black Onyx and the human government straight to us. Don’t undo everything I’ve built in your absence. But now that you are here and have that ring, we can rebuild and create that army … strategically and in my way.”

The air was so heavy with tension now that I had to laugh to lighten the mood. “You’d strip magic from this world to kill them? Are you crazy?” I said.

She nodded unapologetically. “Wanting to survive isn’t crazy. I don’t care if magic disappears,” she said. “I’ll sacrifice my own power forever if it means those witches die at my hands. This , Rachel, is how we end them.”