Page 9 of Fated In Blood (Nocturne Vampire Clan #1)
9
EVANGELINE
“ N o.” I shook my head, fighting my rising panic. “No, you’re not…They took you, Angelique. Kidnapped you from our apartment. I read all the reports. Went over the whole place myself. People died that night.”
God, I couldn’t fucking breathe, This couldn’t be happening .
This had to be a mistake. Maybe she was brainwashed .
“That night…was a mistake on Laurent’s part.” Her voice softened and my mouth dried up at the secret smile that stole over her lips. “He loves me. Nobody was supposed to get hurt.”
Horror coursed through my veins as I gaped at Angel, noticing everything I’d missed before.
She was even more stunning than I remembered. Platinum blond hair, piercing blue eyes, her dark red dress slit to her navel, showing off more cleavage than she ever would have dared as a human. The same young, rounded face as mine, except hers was touched by the angels. More beautiful, more exotic…more everything .
I was going to vomit. Right here, right now, I was going to be sick.
My sister wasn’t lying.
Angelique possessed all the strange otherworldly qualities of a vampire, enhancing her stunning beauty, accentuating every smooth, gliding movement, and I flinched when her pale eyes raked over me, edged with hunger.
I shifted closer to the door.
“I’m going to get you out.” I clung stubbornly to my fast-disappearing plan, months of planning slipping away like they’d never existed. “Just…come with me, Angel. This can…We can be a family again. You just need some distance between you and…there’s a name for this. Stockholm Syndrome.” Oh God, what was I going to do? I had to get her out, and our window of opportunity was shrinking by the second.
“I don’t have Stockholm Syndrome, Evie.” Angelique floated closer, her gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made me shudder. “I love Laurent, and he loves me. He turned me so we could spend an eternity together.”
“Bullshit. He only turned you to control you.”
Her eyes flared wide. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve been studying them for months now. Ever since you disappeared. All they want is power. They will destroy you, Angel, and…” I shook my head and held my hand out to her. “Please listen to me. I love you. I’m your sister. I’ve taken care of you your whole life. If you’ve ever loved me, trust me now. This is not where you belong.”
My beautiful sister shook her head. “This is exactly where I belong. It’s you who shouldn’t have come.”
My bones turned to water when the truth hit me. I’d failed.
Deep in enemy territory, I didn’t know what to do next. I squared my shoulders, pulling out my secret weapon, saying the words my sister would despise me for. “Angelique Silverwood. Our mother made me promise to keep you safe before she died, so you are coming with me. Right fucking now .”
Her plump lip curled up, revealing small, pointed fangs. “I am safe, so consider your promise to our mother fulfilled. I already told you, Evie. I’m exactly where I want to be. You should have left me alone.”
When she turned her head, her eyes glinted. “And you definitely shouldn’t have killed Spencer.” Her gaze focused over my shoulder and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
“Ah, Bosch. I see you’ve met my sister, Evangeline. Shame she got away from you downstairs, but our mother taught us how to be clever, and Evie took to violence better than I. Hang on to her tight. I expect Laurent would be disappointed if you allowed her to escape again.”
Angelique’s bright smile, always the best thing about her, had become a hollow, empty thing. “Our master has tonight planned out, down to the last detail, and we don’t want to disappoint him.”