Page 58 of Blood Currents
“That’s not…” Elio started but then stopped, his hands clenching into fists.“That’s not entirely accurate.”
Something cold settled in my stomach at his tone.“What do you mean?”
Keane had been silent since our return, but now he was watching Elio with growing concern.“Elio?What aren’t you telling us?”
The mask I’d learned to see through was crumbling, revealing something desperate and ashamed underneath.“My parents aren’t being manipulated,” he said quietly.“They know.They’ve always known.”
My stomach sank.“What?”
“They’re not victims of the conspiracy, Mari.They’re architects of it.”His voice cracked.“My mother didn’t develop those psychological techniques because she was tricked into it.She developed them because they needed more efficient ways to break people who wouldn’t cooperate.”
Cyrus stepped closer, heat radiating from his skin.“How long have you known this?”
“Since the dinner.Since Lord Alstone told me how impressed he was with my ‘mature understanding’ of what needed to be done.”Elio’s illusions flickered wildly around him.“And then during the time I was home, I learned more.”His expression was pained.“I’ve been trying to protect you from the truth.All of you.”
The betrayal cut deeper than I’d expected.“Protect us?Or protect yourself?”
“Both,” he admitted, and the honesty in his voice somehow made it worse.“I thought if you didn’t know how deep my family’s involvement went, if I could just… manage the situation…”
“You’ve been lying to us,” I said, my voice flat with shock.“While we’ve been risking our lives to uncover the truth, you’ve been sitting on information that could have helped us understand what we were really fighting.”
“I never lied,” Elio said desperately.“I just… didn’t tell you everything.”
“That’s the same thing!”The words exploded out of me.“Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?What Keane’s been through?And you knew the whole time that your parents were working with the people who tortured him?”
Keane was staring at Elio with something that looked like heartbreak.“You knew my uncle had allies on the council.Real allies, not just people he was manipulating.”
“Yes,” Elio whispered.
“And you didn’t think that was relevant information to share?”Cyrus’s flames were turning white-hot.“When we were planning?When we were trying to figure out who we could trust?”
“I was trying to protect Mari,” Elio said, his composure finally shattering completely.“My parents have been watching her since she arrived at the academy.They see her as a threat, as someone who could unravel everything they’ve worked for.If they knew she was actively investigating them—”
“So you decided to make that choice for me,” I interrupted.“You decided I was too fragile, too stupid, too weak to handle the truth.”
“That’s not—”
“That’s exactly what you decided.”The hurt was transforming into something harder, angrier.“You chose to protect me the same way the council chooses to protect the magical world—by controlling information, by deciding what people can and can’t handle, by lying to keep us safe.”
The comparison hit home.I could see it in the way his face went pale, the way his illusions dissolved entirely.
“Mari, please—”
“Were there other things?”I asked, my voice deadly quiet.“Other revelations you decided I couldn’t handle?Other truths you’ve been sitting on while we stumbled around in the dark?”
He looked away, and I had my answer.
“Jesus, Elio.How are we supposed to trust you now?How are we supposed to work together when you’ve proven you’ll keep vital information secret if you think it’s ‘for our own good’?”
“I don’t know,” he said quietly.“I don’t know how to undo this.”
“You start by telling us everything,” Cyrus said grimly.“Right now.Every detail you’ve been hiding.”
Elio nodded, his shoulders sagging with defeat.“My parents have been working with vampire allies for years.Not all vampires—there are factions, just like Levon said.But they’ve built relationships with specific vampire leaders who share their vision of magical control…maybe even this master vampire, though I’ve never heard him spoken of.”
“The wellspring poisoning, the experiments,” Keane said.“It’s all connected to this.To the overwhelming need to control everyone.”
“And there’s more,” Elio said weakly, his gaze trying to meet mine.“They’ve got Raven and Lucas under surveillance.I don’t think they’ve done anything yet, but you should know.”
