Page 164 of Dark Souls

I shook my head. “Not nervous. Hyper-focused.”

The moment I put on this outfit, I pushed all doubts that I might fail and what the outcome of my failure would cost me to the recesses of my mind. I was Ilaria Romano Black. Stubborn, determined and fierce as fuck. If people were wary of me before, they had no idea what I was capable of when they messed with the man I love.

“Glad to hear it,” Sienna replied. She placed her hands on my shoulders and smiled. “Well, you look the part.”

Spinning me around, I faced the mirror. Fishnet tights covered the paleness of my legs and my favourite platform leather boots hugged my calves. The dress fit every curve of my body perfectly, and I had two leather cut off sleeves running up my forearms and over my elbows. They weren’t so much a fashion statement but another ingenious invention from the SIA. One sleeve masked a tracking device and the other housed the thinnest silver dagger. Leif had spelled it to ensure it wouldn’t be detected at the security check-in. Thick black eyeliner circled my pink eyes with a lashing of mascara, and I’d chosen a deep red lip in homage to my mate. I looked dangerous. Raven Darmont was a woman on a mission, in more ways than one.

“Do you want a little advice? From a girl who does this for a living?” Sienna said from behind my shoulder. I peered at her reflection in the mirror and nodded.

Sienna had grown up an assassin, killing rogue and dangerous supernaturals since she was sixteen. I’d be an idiot not to accept any wisdom she was willing to throw my way.

“Take the emotion out of every decision you make. Emotion is what drives us, yes. But it is also what can get us killed. Prepare yourself for what you are about to face. Imagine every potential outcome, so nothing takes you by surprise. If something doesn’t go according to plan, you need to stay calm and to think rationally. If you allow your emotions to impact your actions, you will not be thinking logically, and it’s a downward spiral from there.” She sighed, spinning me back to face her. “Can I be brutally honest with you?”

“Yes.” Sienna and I hadn’t always seen eye to eye but one thing we both respected a lot about each other was how we could speak frankly, without having to worry if we hurt the other one’s feelings.

“Your family thinks you are too emotional for this. It’s not that they don’t believe you have the intelligence, power or ability to succeed, it’s because of your heart that they worry. You are hot-headed, unpredictable and sensitive. You lead with your emotions. I have only known you a short time, but I’ve seen that too. When someone pisses you off, you bite back. When you feel injustice, you rage. When you care, you show it. You feel so deeply, so passionately, that it overwhelms you. Your heart takes over your head, and you act before you think. Which isn’t always a bad thing, Ilaria, but when you walk into the event tonight, you have to be all head and zero heart. Do you understand?”

“One hundred percent,” I agreed. “Thanks for saying what nobody else would.”

“Always.” She smirked just as the door to my room opened and Ronnie and my mum walked in.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made the men of this family ridiculously busy tonight so they won’t go back on their word and try to keep you here. Grandpapi is drawing up a list of any vampires he knows who have witch mates to try to narrow our search down. I’ve sent your dad and Lorcan on a very long run to burn off that Alpha energy.” Mum smiled, walking towards me with open arms. “You look incredible. Terrifying but incredible. My daughter.” She hugged me tight. When she released me, I stepped towards the bed to grab the black wig, which I hated so much.

Mum held up her hand to stop me. “Why don’t I just cast an illusion on you tonight? So everyone thinks you have black hair? If you are anything like me, you must hate having to wear that thing. And tonight, I think you need to feel like yourself.”

“Oh my fucking god! Yes, please!”

She scowled at me. “Language, Ilaria!” But then she smiled. She always said I came out of her womb with a potty mouth and had been scolding me for it ever since, with no effect whatsoever. With a wave of her hand and a mutter of Latin, a gust blew through my straight white hair, which fell back in place around my waist. “There. To everyone else, you’re a brunette.”

Ronnie cleared his throat, his red eyes meeting mine. “Prefer you blonde. But it works. Ready?”

I smiled, running my hand up the black sleeve to feel for my dagger. “Yeah. More than ready.”

“I am not going to wish you good luck because you don’t need it,” Mum said, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it. “But please, transport yourself out of there if you need to. Just promise me that.”

“I will,” I lied. There was no way I was leaving that place until I had the information I needed.

Her magenta eyes darkened slightly to a shade of purple as she held my gaze and then nodded. Deep down, she knew it too. Because I was her daughter, after all. She’d never run away from a fight, from fighting for those she loved, and neither would I.

Walking up to Ronnie, I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow, and we transported to the same club that I’d first seen Heathen at. Streams of vampires were lining the dark alley, waiting to get inside for a night of dancing, drinking and fucking in the main club, but we weren’t here for that.

We made our way towards the backstreets cloaked in darkness from the building’s structure, blocking any sliver of light from the streetlamps.

“Want to hear something weird?” Ronnie whispered as we approached the back entrance to the underground club. I leaned against the brick wall as he rummaged around in his back pocket to find the keys Luka had given him.

“Of course,” I replied, as his lips widened into a smile.

“I don’t find you remotely attractive anymore. I look at you, even wearing that, and… nothing. Not even a dick twitch.”

I scoffed, smirking. “Well, that’s something every girl wants to hear.”

“Don’t take it personally, Princess. It must be the sire effect. You’re my master’s soulmate. Therefore, the thought of fucking you now makes me want to cut my own dick off to avoid it.”

“Another perk of Luka’s genius plan, I am sure.” He laughed, his fangs peeking out from below his upper lip. I pushed off the wall when Ronnie twisted the key in the door, and it popped open.

“Well, I’m grateful. Quickest damn way to cure heartbreak, that’s for sure.”

I hit him on the shoulder. “I did not break your heart!”