Page 49 of To Vanquish Darkness

Theo nodded and took a step, pausing at the end of the counter. "That weapon was misplaced.”

“The warrior lost it?”

“It was taken from them.”

Them.Amalie’s heart picked up speed. Talking with Theo was like treading water and then suddenly being yanked below the surface.

Had he lived during that time? Had he known the warrior who found and lost the sword?

Amalie wracked her brain. What did she know about that period of human history? Not much besides turmoil and suffering. Witch hunts. A war with the King of England.

A knot tightened behind her ribs. “I know nothing of any sword, Theo.” She straightened, her stomach beginning to settle. “Do you believe someone in my family line stole it? I assure you, if my ancestors held onto such a powerful relic, they’ve kept their secret well.”

Theo shook his head, pulling a shirt from a wooden hanger. “No, I don’t believe your family has it. I believe . . . You may have a connection to it.”

Amalie stilled. “To the relic?” Theo nodded. “How would that be possible? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

He took another step toward her, a muscle in his jaw ticking. "I've spent centuries looking for a way to end my curse. You—” He cleared his throat. “Your lineage leads back to those who first discovered its power. I've traced your bloodline through generations of guardians."

Her hands began to tingle. He’d been tracing her bloodline? He was still keeping her in the dark. The realization was like straight oxygen over coals. “What else do you know, Theo?”

He regarded her a moment, then a door seemed to close behind his eyes as he strode to his writing desk. “The gods created guardians because they couldn't reverse the curse of Le Sombre. Not without risking another rift between light and shadow."

Another history lesson, it seemed.Amalie focused intently on the carved wood of Theo’s bed, ignoring the thrum in her core at the sight of him shirtless.

The Grimoire spoke of Solène and Le Sombre. How they were once bound as one god, then ripped in two when they sought to create beyond their natural order. Their rift threw the world into an eternal spiral, spinning between light and dark.

She ran a finger over a knot in the wood of Theo’s bedpost. It was split with a dark crack. "And you think this sword is like that? A work-around. A way to release you from a curse you’re supposed to be tethered to for eternity.”

Theo nodded.

Would he become what he was before or would losing the power of Le Sombre be enough to finally allow him to pass from the world?

It was silent a moment, and just as she was about to brave a glance to the side, Theo appeared in front of her, still holding the shirt in his hands. A slim cord of leather wrapped around his neck, a key dangling from it.The key to her room.

He seemed oblivious of his indecency. "That's what I want."

Theo pulled the tunic over his head, and she swallowed, forcing her eyes away from his flexing abdomen as he pulled the sleeves over his arms. Her mouth kept moving even though she willed it to be still.

She could draw her own conclusions after experiencing the rooftop, and yet she couldn’t keep the words from spilling past her lips. “It seems you have everything you want. A richly adorned home. The freedom to go wherever you wish, the ability to seduce humans to satiate your . . ." Amalie pursed her lips.

"My what?" Theo faced her, his hair disheveled and almost boyish.

Amalie's throat grew thick. She thought of their entrance through the gates. The other vampires praising him for his lasciviousness. Inspecting her like a prized hog.Ants beneath their boots.

But Theo didn't look at her that way. He scoffed and teased, but when his eyes met hers, it was as if they were trying to send a message he couldn't speak with his lips. He didn't look amused. He looked tortured.

She cleared her throat. "You know what I meant."

Theo straightened his shirt. "I'm not sure I do. I have plenty of needs, and I assure you, not all of them are sated."

Amalie's cheeks flushed. Heat flashed across her thighs, and she took a step back. "I only wondered why you wouldn't want this life."

"Because vampires are monsters. Your words." Theo blew a breath through his nose. "Or perhaps, like Ren, I'm sick of it."

Amalie watched, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't. He simply shrugged, then turned and plucked his discarded shirt from the bed post, then placed it in a basket next to the window. Amalie's fingernails dug into the soft underside of her arms.

Was he still playing a game?Pretending to be civilized so she'd let her guard down? She couldn't tell anymore. But suddenly she felt so tired, she wanted to collapse to the floor and close her eyes. She would have done it if she had any hope she'dwake from this nightmare. She'd already slept once and it hadn't changed a thing.

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