Page 57 of The Madness Within

But she would. She’dfeelit the moment I held it up to the light.

“This,” I said softly, watching her closely, “is blood magic. A gift I don’t share often, but I think you’re ready to see it.”

Her eyes flickered to the vial, and I smiled. She was intrigued, but also scared. And I liked that. I liked how she tried to mask it, but I saw everything. Every little tremor in her pulse, the slight tightening of her throat.

“You killed someone,” she said, the words sharp, accusatory. It wasn’t a question, it was a fact. And she’s right. I did. But that’s just the beginning of the story.

I set the vial on the table, then looked at her, letting the silence build. “Not just someone,” I murmured. “You’ve seen it. You walked in on it. That man you saw me kill?” I let the words hang in the air between us. “His name was Milo. He was a predator. A monster. And I’m the one who ended him.”

Her gaze shifted, uncertain. I could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. She wanted to fight me. She wanted to challenge everything I say. But I wasn’t done yet.

“I could tell you all the things he did, how he hurt those boys, how he disposed of them like they were nothing. But you don’t need to hear the details. You can see it for yourself.”

I raised my hand, just a flick of my fingers, and the vial began to glow. The shadows in the room stirred, alive, moving toward me, pulling the blood from the vial into the air. Ember didn’t move, didn't even blink, but I saw the way her breath hitched, the way her lips trembled.

I spoke the words softly, my voice low and intimate as the images began to form in the air before us.

The blood twisted and coiled into shapes, and slowly, the scene became clear. The victims. The violence. Their faces, twisted in terror, appeared before her eyes.

I watched her face closely as the scene played out, as she saw the truth. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped.

I let her see it all. Let her feel it. The darkness. The horror.

And when it was over, when the last of the vision faded into nothingness, I stepped back. I didn’t need to say anything. I could see the fear in her eyes, the weight of what she’s just seen sinking in. She’s breathing heavier now, her body trembling slightly.

Her voice cracked when she spoke, but it was steady. “You’re a monster.”

I smiled. “You don’t know the half of it.”

I stood in front of her, letting the silence fall between us like a shroud. I was still close, so close I could feel her heat against my skin. It’s dangerous, this tension, but I couldn’t seem to help it.

“Now, tell me,” I murmured, my voice thick with desire, “do you still think you know what evil is?”

She looked at me, her chest rising and falling rapidly as if she’s just been thrown into the deep end of a pool. She couldn’t look away from me, not with the weight of everything I’d just shown her.

And that’s what I want. I wanted her to beenthralled, even if it was against her will.

Her lips trembled, and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

And that’s when I did it. I pressed closer. The air between us thickened, heavy with the weight of everything unspoken. I placed my hand on her shoulder, the contact light but electric, sending a shock through both of us.

"You're scared," I whispered, my lips brushing her ear. "But you're also curious. Aren’t you, Ember?"

She inhaled sharply, her breath hitting my skin like fire. Her eyes were wild, something primal in them, something that made the beast in me growl.

“You don’t know how much you want this,” I murmured, my voice low and tempting. “You don’t know how much you want me.”

She stiffened, but I could see the flicker of something darker in her gaze. The way she swallowed hard, the way she’s drawn to me despite herself. She hated it, but she couldn’t look away.

“You’ve been chasing something your whole life, haven’t you?” I continued, stepping closer, letting my breath mingle with hers. “You think you know what you want, but you have no idea, Ember. You don’t know what you’re really capable of until you give in.”

“I’m not like you,” she whispered, but it was uncertain. The words didn’t ring true.

I leaned in even closer, my lips grazing her ear. "You will be," I murmured. "We all are. And I'll make sure you're mine."

She shuddered, and it was all the answer I needed.

Before I did something stupid, I took her back to her room and locked her in. “Your privileges have been revoked. Goodnight.”

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