Page 2 of Crimson Devotion (The Sacred Seven #1)

TWO

Faith

“You’re not seriously going to Romania, are you?”

I turn around, hands on my big backpack.

Yvonne stands outside the door, wearing a silky, floor-length dress.

It accentuates her figure perfectly, and with a wide leather belt, it makes her waist look almost nonexistent.

Her jewelry is spectacular, too. Gold and emeralds all over her waist-long, pearly white hair.

She looks like a mystical creature, one from dreams and fairytales.

“Who told you about that?”

“Octavia spilled the beans as soon as you left the dining room.’’ She chuckles, stepping inside. Her heels click behind her as she walks, the flowery scent overwhelming my senses. “You know I can’t just let you leave, right?”

“Oh, really?” I zip up the backpack, then test its weight. It’s heavy, but nothing compared to the equipment I’m used to carrying with me on missions. “And how do you plan on stopping me, exactly?”

Her top lip quirks, a subtle smirk on her face. Her eyes glimmer under the bright light that’s coming through the window, her bright blue eyes almost translucent. She steps closer to me, tilting her head to the side.

“I think you’ve figured out by now that I have my ways.’’

I give her a sickly-sweet smile, lifting my chin up ever-so-slightly, a clear sign of challenge and defiance. She’s the head witch of the agency I’m working for, and although she’s in a position of power, far above me, she doesn’t control me.

“Do you, now?”

Her eyebrows crease, a flicker of displeasure passing through her gaze. “Yes, Faith, I do.’’

“I highly suggest you step aside and let me pass.’’

“Does Stephanie know?”

“What Stephanie doesn’t know can’t hurt her.’’ I shrug. “Besides, I have two weeks of paid leave. I’m taking them now.’’

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you go to Romania and get yourself fucking killed.’’

“I survived one of them, didn’t I?”

“No,’’ Yvonne draws out. “He let you live; you didn’t survive on your own. There’s a difference. And since he’s told you the location of his sister, he clearly has an agenda of his own.’’

“If you’re so worried, come with me. A hunter, and a witch, against a vampire? I like our odds.’’

“I don’t.’’ She scoffs, stepping back, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I would rather slit my throat, choke on my blood, and die like a pathetic dog than ever, ever set foot somewhere with that insane family.’’

Yvonne, to her credit, is right. No sane person would ever walk straight into a den of vampires, let alone with their family home.

But for the most part, she’s fearless and very brave.

She’s saved my ass more times than I can count, and she adores giving me her little potions to use against vampires.

Then again, this is a very different situation.

If she were to come with me, he would wake up.

“This is about him, isn’t it?”

A beat of silence passes between us. Shock, then pure confusion appears on her face. Yvonne blinks a couple of times, taking a small, involuntary step back. She shivers, then swallows thickly.

“You know.’’

“I know.’’

“How?”

I shrug. “I can’t let you see all my cards, can I?”

“If you tell anyone—’’

“I won’t,’’ I cut her off. “I won’t tell anyone. But as a thank you for keeping your dirty little secret, you’ll let me leave. And if Steph asks, you haven’t seen me since yesterday. Got it?”

With a sigh, Yvonne nods. “Fine. But if you die, I won’t bring you back from the dead.’’

I’m turning on my heel to go and grab my backpack, when her words register in my head. Slowly, I turn to face her again, my eyebrows lifting up to my hairline. “Can you do that?”

“I think we both know the answer to that.’’

Well, she’s not wrong. I chuckle, mostly to myself, then gather my most important items. I have a few sets of spare clothes in the backpack, some potions I stole from her potion room, some meds, snacks, and of course, my passport, two stakes, and a lot of hair ties. I always seem to lose those.

“Wait.’’ Yvonne’s voice stops me in my tracks, just as I’m about to leave the bedroom.

“Yes?”

Yvonne pulls out a small necklace from her pocket. She squeezes it in her hands, her eyes turning completely white. She starts chanting, her voice low. Her palm is now glowing, a pretty, golden glimmer that has my full attention.

Her eyes return to normal, and the glowing stops. It all happened within five seconds, at most, but seeing Yvonne cast spells is still one of the most enchanting things I’ve ever witnessed. Captivating, alluring, and it’s hard not to stare.

She approaches me. “Turn around.’’

Without a word, I obey her clear command, and she’s quick to put the necklace around my neck. The chain is thin, with a little crescent moon pendant that suits it perfectly.

“What’s this?” I ask, subconsciously reaching up to touch it.

“A protective spell. It won’t let a single vampire touch you. An invisible shield, if you will.’’

“Not even the Sacred Seven?”

“Especially them,’’ Yvonne mumbles. “Don’t worry.’’

I turn to look at her, remembering the time when I first found out who she truly was.

As per usual, I was snooping around her study yesterday while she was out, skimming through her thorough research.

That’s when I stole all the potions from the potion room that’s connected to her study.

She had vial upon vial of many liquids in there, and a little crystal ball.

Not knowing what the crystal ball did, I didn’t pay much attention to it until I accidentally spilled a vial of blood on it.

It was Yvonne’s blood.

And within a minute, every single part of Yvonne’s past was revealed to me.

Yvonne Von Cardell is the witch that cursed the Sacred Seven. The oldest witch alive. The immortal one. And the one that put Lucifer D’Achille to eternal slumber. No one knows who she is, or her ties to the Sacred Seven.

Yvonne has a binding past to them, and if the rest of them were to find out that she’s still alive, and immortal, they’d come for her. For her safety, and my own, I will never utter a word of what I’d seen.

“I trust you.’’ I take a deep breath, giving her a soft smile. “Thank you.’’

“Don’t thank me.’’ She scoffs and steps back, allowing me to pass. “I’m only doing this to keep you alive. You’re a fantastic hunter; it would be a shame to lose you.’’

“Yeah, yeah.’’ I wave her off. “I’ll be careful, don’t worry.’’

“And if you need help—’’

“No,’’ I cut her off with a determined expression. “I need to do this on my own. For myself, and for my parents.’’

—

Thirteen hours of a terribly turbulent plane ride later, I’m finally on Romanian soil. I probably should’ve learned a couple of phrases in the language, or at least enough to ask for instructions, but I didn’t, and now, I’m left to fend for myself.

I have a physical map that I’m struggling to understand.

From the slight research I did, there’s only one castle in Transylvania that would be fitting for someone of Ophelia’s caliber. It’s massive, and the locals are hesitant to even talk about it. However, one was kind enough to tell me that humans do not go there.

After pressing for directions, I got an answer.

One that I completely forgot approximately fifteen minutes later.

With a deep breath, I head toward the small path on the right, completely disregarding the map. I tuck it in the back pocket of my jeans, my Dr. Martens creating a squeaky noise whenever they hit some mud.

The forest is thick, and I can barely tell there’s a small path.

In one hand, I’m holding a flashlight, because it will get very dark, very soon, and in the other, a stake.

If Ophelia’s as strong as Valerio, I know it won’t do any permanent damage, especially if he’s returned the bracelet to her already.

But I can still use it to my advantage.

More than anything, I need to know why.

Why did she kill my parents?

Vampires have the ability to only feed on humans, then heal them, and go on their merry way.

However, the toxins in the vampire’s blood are highly addictive, hence why many become what hunters call “blood vessels.” They cannot function unless a vampire feeds on them, which is one more reason to get rid of them all.

They’re an abomination. A mistake of nature — or to be precise, Yvonne’s mistake.

To be fair, she cursed them with the inability to roam freely, and since it was the full moon, and she was an inexperienced witch back then, it kind of bound them to the full moon.

She wanted them to suffer for the rest of eternity, and it somehow translated into them living for the rest of eternity.

She wanted them to feel hunger forever, and because she used human blood as a vessel to create the potion that she later threw at them, it connected them to human blood forever.

It was a funny sight, really.

The Sacred Seven, five hundred years ago, were confused as to why the sun was burning them, why they craved blood, why they suddenly got strength, sharper vision, extreme speed, and why they were no longer aging.

Yvonne tried reversing the spell, but it failed.

And ever since, she’s been on the run.

With a deep breath, I shake off the thoughts of the Sacred Seven. Right now, my focus is Ophelia. I can’t help but wonder who the rest of them are. I’ve heard — and seen Lucifer in the crystal ball, had the displeasure of meeting Valerio, and am about to face Ophelia.

There’s still four of them. Who knows how brutal and ruthless they are?

I’ve heard a specific story about one of them. No name, no physical description, only that she’s the strongest of the Seven, blood-thirsty, and insanely reckless. She has a whole house of blood vessels, and she keeps killing them, then kidnapping more humans, rotating them to her liking.

I’m praying Ophelia isn’t as deranged, but if she is, then I might have a problem.

Mud splashes all over the bottom part of my jeans, and my boots, when I accidentally step into a puddle that was way deeper than I thought.

A groan comes from me, and I have no other option but to continue. I shift the weight of the backpack to one shoulder, feeling the other one getting sore. I point the flashlight toward the small path in front of me, going over the branches and bushes that are overgrown.

My heart starts fluttering when I finally spot it.

After five hours of trying to find my way through the forest, I’m finally here.

The castle is still a bit far from here, but I see it.

It’s massive. The path leading up to it is made out of cobblestone, the grass neatly trimmed all around. There’s a big fountain, and a beautiful garden filled with roses that will bloom in the spring.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins, and with a determined nod to myself, I continue walking toward the castle.

Soon, I’ll get my revenge.

The mere thought is enough to get me excited. My senses sharpen, and I lower the flashlight. My keen hearing picks up on nothing but rustling leaves, nor do my eyes spot anyone. I can feel when vampires are near, and thus far, I’m all alone.

Soon, one of the Sacred Seven will fall by my hand. She’ll die at the hands of a woman whose parents she killed in cold blood, and I’ll return the favor. Count your hours, Ophelia D’Achille, because once I’m inside the castle, it’s over for you.