Page 42 of Crimson Devotion
“Enough.’’ My voice cuts through the room, and even Valerio seems shocked at the higher tone. Evie’s mouth clamp shut, but I can tell she’s itching to try to justify herself. “I told you, I don’t want to know.’’
“Are you going to kill us?” Liam asks.
I look at him, contemplating for a moment.
The only reason I even came here was to find out who killed my parents, and then kill them. However, circumstances have changed since I became a vampire. I learned at the agency, during my training, what happens to vampires who take another vampire’s life. It is not something I want to go through — nor put Ophelia through. She would feel everything through our bond, and I cannot bring pain to the one I love the most.
“No, I will not.’’
A glimmer of hope shines through, their eyes widening a fraction.
“You’ll meet a fate worse than death.’’ I pause, taking a deep breath. “I’ll starve you until you’re weak, then I’ll put you in two caskets and dump you at the bottom of the ocean. What happens afterwards is none of my business.’’
“You can’t!” Liam tries to struggle through the restraints, but Valerio’s quicker. He appears behind Liam, grabbing a fistful of his hair and holding him back without a word.
“I can, and I will. If you survive and manage to get to the surface, do as you wish. If you do not, then the rest of eternity under the sea will be the price of your crime.’’
The two start protesting, but I don’t stick around to listen. Ophelia’s right behind me as we exit the room, our footsteps the only sound I can focus on in the poorly lit corridor.
I don’t care that it seems ruthless. If I were a human, their fate would’ve been far worse, because I would’ve taken my sweet time torturing them. And if the price of sending them below the surface is meeting the Devil himself, so be it.
I never claimed to be a saint, anyway.
NINETEEN
Ophelia
EPILOGUE I
Sunshine falls over Faith’s face, making her features seem softer. Under the bright sunlight, her eyes shine, the spring breeze caressing her skin. Her hair falls down her back, the curled strands looking quite messy.
She’s sitting on the small blanket, and we’re quiet. There’s no need to speak; the silence does all the talking for us. Her eyes closed, a small, tender smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The sound of birds chirping creates a beautiful sound, yet all I can focus on is her.
The red dress I bought for her fits her curves perfectly, and for my own pleasure, I did pick one that would accentuate all the things I adore on — which is her body as a whole. If gods are real, then she’s my goddess. There’s no other way to describe her beauty; raw, ethereal, and blazing.
“Little hunter.’’ I inch closer to her, placing a soft kiss on her bare shoulder. She shivers under my lips, head slowly turning to look at me. There’s that damned smile of hers. The one she only gives me.
“Hm?”
“I was thinking…’’ I murmur against her skin before slowly pulling back to look at her. All I’ve been doing for the past year is looking at her. Whether she was aware of it or not, she was and will forever be my primary focus. “How about we go and visit Darius?”
She tilts her head to the side. “Your brother?”
“Yes.’’
“Doesn’t he live somewhere in Australia on the shore?”
I hum. “He does, yes.’’
“I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But we have two problems, though.’’
I quirk an eyebrow. “Which are?”
“If we set foot in the ocean, we’ll die.’’
“We won’t go into the ocean.’’ I chuckle. “But it’s a beautiful sight.’’
“And, of course, there’s Lucifer. Can you leave him?”
