Page 36 of Blood Legacy (Eternal Descent (MistHallow Academy) #1)

36

DANTE

Empathy is not a gift. It is a fucking curse.

I sprawl across my bed, trying to block out the emotional noise radiating throughout MistHallow. Another vampire’s bond has severed during the day, this time a third-year named Steven, and the ripples of fear pulsing through the academy scratch against my brain like claws on a slate.

Most people think being an empath means understanding feelings. They are wrong. Understanding implies distance, perspective. What I experience is direct immersion, drowning in other people’s emotional sewage with no filter and no way to silence it.

Except with Gaida. Ma reine , my silence. My peace.

My family taught me to hide it. So I learned to pretend, to act as though the constant barrage of foreign emotions was just background noise I could ignore.

Until Gaida Aragon.

Her emotions taste different. Sharper, more potent, potentially addictive. I’m glad I can’t sense her. I don’t want to.

Felix Davenport, on the other hand, is a whole different read. He is the dark sorcerer with too much intelligence and too little caution. I have sensed his emotional landscape shifting dramatically in recent days, his usual cold curiosity transforming into something warmer, more focused—all of it directed at Gaida.

He wants her. His want runs deeper, more vital than simple attraction and it has nothing and everything to do with that soul bond.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and move to my desk, too restless to contemplate attending class. It’s such a mundane action when the world is potentially on the verge of a catastrophe.

As much as I want to believe my dad was telling the truth yesterday, I just… don’t. I was sent here for a reason, and it was not just to study Dark Magick.

I stand and move to the window, looking out at the academy grounds bathed in early morning light. Students hurry between buildings, their emotional signatures blending into anxiety, excitement, and boredom. But beneath it runs a current of fear, growing stronger by the day.

Something is happening at MistHallow. Something beyond severed bonds and academy politics.

And somehow, Gaida is right in the middle of it.

I dress quickly, leave my room, and walk through the residence building. I sense a familiar emotional signature approaching from behind. Darkness, pain, and curiosity are all wrapped in a ball of emotion that focuses on Gaida.

“Felix,” I say without turning.

He does not ask how I knew it was him. “DuLoc,” he acknowledges, falling into step beside me. “Heading to the dining hall?”

“That was the plan.”

“I need to talk to you before we meet with Gaida.”

I glance at him, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, the intensity radiating from him in waves. “We’re meeting Gaida? You look like shit, by the way.”

“Charming as ever.” His lips quirk in what might be a smile. “Yes, I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Have you noticed anything strange about the severed bonds?”

“Besides the fact that they are happening at all?” I push open the door to the main courtyard, stepping into the crisp evening air. “What kind of strange are we discussing?”

“Patterns.” Felix keeps his voice low as we cross the courtyard. “The victims are not random. Three turned vampires so far, all with sire bonds to vampires over a certain age threshold.”

I consider this. “That isn’t necessarily strange. A lot of old vamps turn young people. They don’t want old-looking charges.”

“Wonderful,” he mutters. “Such a vain bunch. Have you ever heard of Draken Aragon?”

“Nope, but by the surname, I suspect strongly that he is Gaida’s ancestor?”

“The son of the First vampire and forefather of the Aragon line.”

“And?”

“And possibly a feral monster that wants to use Gaida for some funky ritual.”

“You know all of this, how?”

We reach the dining hall, and I grab a to-go cup of synthetic blood. We find a quiet corner table away from everyone else.

“What do you think is happening?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

“Luke gave me that book from the underground. Fascinating ramblings of a madman.”

“Who, Luke or the book?”

Felix’s mouth twitches. “The point is, I learned something concerning. According to what I could decipher, Draken Aragon is still alive.”

I pause mid-sip. “That would make him?—”

“Old as dirt,” Felix finishes. “And not just alive but actively working towards something. Something involving Gaida.”

“Define ‘something.’”

“A ritual that requires Aragon blood.”

“For?”

“That’s the part I can’t figure out yet. Reading one paragraph in that book gives me a fucking headache.”

“Luke seemed to manage just fine in the underground.”

“Luke is an ancient vampire. That gives him an advantage.”

“So have him read it to you.”

“No,” he snaps. “I need to do this myself. See with my own eyes what is going on.”

“But you don’t know what is going on,” I point out to his fury.

“Yet,” he grits out.

“You are afraid. Not just concerned. Genuinely afraid. I can feel it.”

His expression shifts, surprise followed by resignation. “Empaths. Should have known.” He sighs.

He leans forward, voice dropping even lower. “I saw Gaida in a vision. Bound with silver chains, her blood being collected by this creature. This feral vampire that may or may not be Draken Aragon.”

The synthetic blood in my cup suddenly tastes like ash. “When?”

“Who knows?”

I set my cup down, trying to process this information. “And you think this is connected to the severed bonds somehow?”

“Everything is connected,” Felix says, his grey eyes intense. “The severed bonds, Gaida’s awakening powers, this ritual. The timing can’t be coincidental.”

A hot wave of protectiveness surges through me. “What are we going to do about it?” I ask, my hands clenching around the cup. “We can’t just sit around waiting for some ancient vampire to come for her.”

“No, we can’t,” Felix agrees, his eyes scanning the room as if expecting threats from any corner. “But we need more information before we act. Rushing blindly could make things worse.”

“Worse than an ancient vampire stealing Gaida for some blood ritual?” I ask incredulously. “What could be worse than that?”

“If we fail, if we try to stop this without understanding it fully, we might end up accelerating whatever plan is in motion. Or triggering something worse.”

I lean back in my chair, studying him. His emotional signature is complex. Determination layered over fear, protectiveness over possessiveness, and beneath it, a surprising hint of vulnerability.

“You really care about her,” I say, not a question but an observation.

Felix’s eyes narrow. “Don’t read me, DuLoc.”

“Can’t help it. You’re broadcasting like a fucking lighthouse.”

He scoffs but doesn’t deny it. “We both care about her. And so does Luke.”

I think of Luke Blackthorn, of the way his power fills a room before he even enters it. The way his eyes track Gaida when he thinks no one is watching. “He can protect her if we fail.”

“We won’t fail anything,” Felix grits out.

“Have you told Gaida about your vision?” I ask, watching his face carefully.

“Not yet. I wanted to gather more information first.”

“She has a right to know.”

“And she will know,” Felix says, his tone hardening. “But I won’t scare her without having some kind of solution to offer alongside the problem.”

I consider this. It’s strangely protective coming from him. “You think she’ll be scared?”

“Wouldn’t you be? Finding out some ancient vampire ancestor wants to drain your blood in a ritual? I wouldn’t drop that on her without more context.”

I lean forward. “You don’t know Gaida as well as you think if you believe she’ll cower in fear. More likely, she’ll march straight into danger trying to confront this Draken character herself.”

A flicker of amusement crosses Felix’s face. “Fair point.”

“There she is,” I say, catching Gaida’s scent before I even see her. My body responds instantly, my pulse quickening as she enters the dining hall.

She spots us and makes her way over, and I’m struck by the subtle changes in her. There’s a new fluidity to her movements, a quiet confidence that wasn’t there before.

“You two look like you’re plotting someone’s demise,” she drawls, sitting next to me and picking up my cup to take a long sip, draining it.

Felix snorts. “We’re plotting how to keep you alive, actually.”

I watch her carefully, taking in the new strength in her aura. Something has changed in her since she spent the night with Luke. Her familiar scent is now mixed with an ancient and potent essence.

I can’t help the possessive growl that vibrates in my chest, but it has nothing to do with jealousy.

“That sounds ominous,” she says, her blue eyes flicking between us. “Care to elaborate?”

Felix and I exchange glances.

“I had a vision about you.”

Her eyebrows rise. “A vision?”

“Recent development,” Felix replies, looking uncomfortable. “It seems our connection has awakened certain abilities.”

Gaida’s expression softens. “The soul bond.”

“Yes,” he admits. “And what I saw wasn’t pleasant.”

I watch her face carefully as Felix describes his vision. She doesn’t flinch at the mention of silver chains or blood collection. Instead, her eyes narrow, her mind clearly working through it.

“Draken Aragon,” she murmurs when he finishes. “My ancestor, who I’d never heard about until yesterday, and now he’s the centre of some evil plot involving my blood. Fantastic.”

“You don’t seem surprised,” I observe.

She shrugs. “When Luke mentioned him, I knew he was part of this.”

“Too bad we don’t really know what this is,” I point out.

“True,” she replies. “But we will find out. That book has to give us some clue.”

“You aren’t worried?” I ask.

“Nah. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out and deal with it.”

She is full of bravado, but underneath, I can see the tension.

I take her hand and kiss her palm. “We will. We all will.”