Page 6 of Dark Souls

I’ve always known I was different from the rest of my family. I’m not normal by any means of the word. But as my grandpapi likes to say, what’s so fun about being normal? Where most of my family radiated warmth and empathy for others, I came across as direct, cold and intimidating. Yes, my family’s power makes them feared by supernaturals, but they are also loved and admired.

My parents are the leaders of supernaturals in America, the King and Queen. And my grandparents each have their own reputations, which have earned them a huge amount of respect. The Romano-Black name was larger than life amongst the supernatural circles and with that came attention wherever they went. My brothers and I were no different. But while Lorcan and Leif always attracted the kind of attention that had people fawning over them like horny, star-struck groupies who felt blessed to be within their orbit even for a few minutes, everyone’s reaction to me was far more wary. Probably because I gave off ‘come too close and I fucking bite’ vibes. Which, let’s be honest, wasn’t so much a vibe but a reality. People didn’t know how to approach me and preferred to keep their distance, which suited me just fine. On first impressions, I knew people thought I was threatening, weird and unnerving but I had absolutely no desire to fit in and be like everyone else. And I didn’t let it bother me because the people who mattered loved me for the crazy, blunt goth I was.

“When your mother called to ask if I had seen you, I knew exactly where to look.”

I shut my journal when I heard the deep, soothing voice of my grandpapi as he strolled through his library towards me wearing his tight black shirt with matching trousers, crisp and pristine as if he hadn’t just spent the day in his role as Headmaster at Academy Pro Omnibus. My face lit up with a warm, genuine smile I reserved only for him. My favourite person in the whole damn world. It was no secret that we were super close and though he’d never admit it, everyone knew I was his favourite grandchild. The nickname princess was all his fault but he and my dad are the only two who I let it slide with.

Arius Romano, a vampire and warlock hybrid, was once the King of his vampire clan before his daughter, my tribrid mother Ruby, took over. Now, he is a beloved Headmaster at a supernatural academy that teaches young kids how to control their powers. But he hasn’t always been such a pillar of society. He had a dark and twisted upbringing that still haunts him to this day, and he’d be the first to admit that if it wasn’t for finding his soulmate in my Grandma Maddy, his life would have taken a very different direction. I related to him the most out of everyone in my family. He didn’t give a shit what people thought about him either and there was an impulsiveness and unpredictability to him which made him lethal and downright ruthless when he needed to be. But beneath the hard exterior was a man with a big heart who loved his family more than anything.

“Scooch over,” he ordered, handing me a steaming mug of black coffee.My crack addiction.Yes, I needed blood to survive but I was also fuelled heavily by caffeine. I lifted my legs and let him sink down onto the plush velvet sofa next to me before resting my clumpy goth boots back down on his lap. Of course, he knew where to find me. The expansive gothic library in his castle in England was my little slice of heaven. I’d spend hours here as a child, getting lost amongst the ancient books and finding sanctuary from the noisiness of the world outside. He made me this cosy reading nook when I was a teenager, right next to the fireplace and swore no one else could use it without my permission. It became my safe space– a place where I could think clearly.

“What do you have there?” he asked, his mismatched blue and brown eyes narrowing on my journal as he raised his steaming mug to his lips to take a sip.

“Nothing much. Just some research for a SIA case.”

He hummed, his eyebrows tightening and a small frown forming on his lips. He knew how badly I wanted to become an agent but he, my dad and my uncle had banded together to make the ‘Keep Ilaria Safe’ club and he was the bloody president. However, I knew I had more influence over him than most and I was slowly breaking him down. After weeks of begging, he’d finally agreed to let me be involved with the research and mind-reading, so that was progress.

“Sienna and Archer were impressed with my arrest the other night, too. They said I showed promise as an agent.” Okay, it wasn’t exactly what they said, but a little exaggeration never harmed anyone.

“Hmm,” he replied again, staring down at the surface of his coffee.

“Yep. It was such a thrill. Going undercover and arresting that asshole. And it felt so good, knowing I was the reason there was one less dickwad prowling the streets because of me.”

“Hmm.”

“And it was easy, too. I didn’t even break a sweat. Or lose control of my demon. And man did I really, really want to make him bleed. But… I showed restraint. I was given a clear mission and I followed protocol.”

“Well done,” he said in a clipped tone. He gave me a small smile and patted my knee before drinking more coffee.Well done?Damn, tough audience.

“Soooo, I definitely feel ready to start the training and-” I paused and frowned when he immediately started shaking his head. “Grandpapi! Just hear me out.”

“Princess, we both know you weren’t in any real danger the other night. He was human. Being an SIA agent means you’ll face the worst, most savage supernaturals who have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. I get why you want to do this but it’s a firm no. By all means, help them out with that clever brain of yours but there is no way in hell you are becoming a field agent.”

I folded my arms over my chest and scowled at him. He chuckled, shaking his head when he caught my expression. “You let Raiden, your own son, be an agent! How is this any different?”

“It’s different,” he muttered, avoiding my eyes.

“Why? Because I’m a girl?” I snapped, daring him to take the bait.

“No,” he replied calmly. “Since you are my little princess, any harm coming to you would unleash the darkest parts of my soul. And I’ve worked too hard to be a good man to let the devil out now.”

“So, this is about you?” I laughed in disbelief. “You want to keep me safe for your own self-preservation?”

He tilted his head slightly, looking out across the library, deep in thought. “It’s one way to look at it.”

“So unfair,” I grumbled, slouching further back into the cushions. “Well, you may think that, but all it looks like to me is that you don’t trust that I can look after myself. Which, in turn, reflects very poorly on you.”

The corners of his eyes creased with amusement. Of course, he was finding this funny. “How so?”

“Well, you trained me. You’ve taught me from the moment I could walk how to protect myself. How to fight. How to control my vampire instincts and how to use them. I was top of my classes at the Academy in everything! I’ve worked my ass off to make you proud. Why isn’t it enough?” I moved my gaze to my journal but could feel his deep sigh and how his demeanour changed to concern. Oh yes, I knew exactly what I was doing when it came to my grandpapi.

“Princess, I am so proud of you. You know that. Don’t be upset with me. You know I can’t stand it. It’s only because I love you so much and want what’s best for you. Becoming an agent will mean you have to tap into your darkness regularly and, without complete control over your demon, it can start to change you. I know how hard it is to fight that feeling and I don’t want you to have to suffer through it every day just for a job you don’t even need to do.”

“It’s not about need. I know I don’tneedto get a job but I want to! I want to do something meaningful and it makes me feel alive! You know better than anyone that unless we give our demons something to focus on, we start to go insane!”

I peered up at him from under my lashes and I knew I was winning. His face had softened as he searched mine.

“Is that the only reason you want to do this?”

---