Page 41 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

EZRA

I brush a hand down my face as Creed and I make our way toward the Roller-Room. And to where we set up the meeting between Knox and Micai.

A few days have passed since Micai, Annex, and I went to her demented sister’s party. Micai got her mother’s heirloom back, but I won’t trust anything that comes from Seria. It’s clearly part of some scheme of hers.

Annex is dropping it off to the blacksmith in Ellie’s as we speak, he and Mal opting for that instead of dealing with Knox. It’s probably for the best, as none of us have any time for the assholes who hurt Micai.

I’m not the best option either, but at least I can rein in my anger for a bit. I also have questions about Seria and that horrible energy of hers too.

I glance toward my favourite spot and its old fading paint.

The Roller-Room building sits in plain view in town but goes unnoticed by most due to its aging exterior. It’s the perfect place for a secret meeting away from unwanted eyes and ears.

I rub a hand across my forehead as pain and irritation pricks at me, a headache growing and becoming more painful.

I haven’t been sleeping well lately and have been plagued by nightmares every night.

I wake up sweating, my heart racing with fear and misery thrumming through me.

The heavy emotions hold me in their grasp until I properly wake up, and even then, they linger in my chest and mind.

Why were these nightmares becoming so frequent?

They were only fragments of images and muffled voices ... so why did the fear feel so real?

It was taking a toll on me. I’ve become wary and guarded about the people around my family, with the attacks putting me more on edge than ever before.

Maybe they were the cause of my nightmares? The worry and fear of losing one of my brothers or Mate taking its toll on my mind.

I take a deep breath, shaking away the anxiety building inside me and look to my brother.

Creed glances my way and freezes, his brows instantly pinching downward as his knowing eyes trace my expression. He can always see more than I want him to.

“You’re still having them?” he questions, worry pulling his dark brows lower.

I had told Creed about my nightmares a few days ago, wanting to make sense of them when they kept coming back every night. And after talking, we agreed that if they kept pestering me I would seek help from one of our people that we have specialised in that area.

I nod, dragging a hand down the back of my head as my brother fully turns my way.

“Then I’ll call Desmelda. She’s the best Night Seer and owes me a favour.”

“I’ll give it a few more days.” I meet Creed’s gaze, his stubbornness shining through as his lips part to argue, but I cut him off.

“Hopefully they’ll fade by themselves. It’s more than likely due to all the attacks lately anyway.”

“Fine,” Creed says before turning back around. “But if they get any worse, you’re meeting her, and we’ll get them pulled or sealed.”

I take my place beside him as we reach the Roller-Room and just in time to watch my beautiful Mate make her way toward us. Her smile widens as she notices me, her eyes lighting up as I return the look.

I wrap my arms around her as she reaches me, and all the fatigue and worries from a moment ago instantly fade away with her sweet scent and soft touch.

That is, up until he shows up. Knox.

He makes his way over toward us, his eyes flickering back and forth around the area before he reaches us.

His clothes look a little messy, his hair dishevelled, and his face seems paler and a little thinner than a few days ago, and there are darker circles sitting under his weary eyes now too. He looks ... a little broken.

I glance at Micai, giving her hand a little squeeze and pulling her gaze back toward me. By the look on her face, she seems to have been thinking the same thing.

But we have to stay level-headed. We need answers if we’re going to help each other.

Creed opens the door and gestures for us to head inside, then locks the door behind us.

Knox’s eyes widen, surprise taking over his features as he peers around the space before Creed leads us all over toward the old booths beside the rink.

We head over together and take our seats on opposite sides, with Micai and I taking one side of the booth and Creed opting to stand beside us.

Knox’s eyes glance from me to Creed and then to Micai, a look of understanding quickly taking over his gaze as he watches us.

A beat of awkward silence passes between us as Knox fidgets in his seat.

Isn’t he the one that wanted to meet to my Mate?

So shouldn’t he be talking right now?

My irritation rises again while watching him, the words falling from my lips before I can think or filter them.

“Whatever Seria did to you ... you still treated Micai like shit.” My hand fists into tight balls with the memory. “But she’s been kind enough to agree to meet and talk, so don’t waste our time or her good gesture.”

“Ezra—” Micai starts, but I stop her, turning to meet her gaze.

“They’ve all treated you horribly, Micai. You don’t have any reason to help any of them.”

“He’s right,” Knox adds, a look of shame filling his gaze as he peers toward my Mate.

“I treated you like a stranger, ignored your pain and allowed others to hurt you ... you owe me nothing. Especially not your time or help.” His eyes meet mine.

“I’m grateful that you all agreed to meet me even with all that.

And that you’re willing to even listen?—”

His words cut off, his eyes wincing as a look of pain takes over his features.

“What’s wrong?” Micai asks, leaning toward him.

He continues to rub a hand along the side of his head.

“It’s fine, I’ll be okay ... I just keep getting bad headaches. It’ll pass in a moment.”

I glance toward Creed as Micai settles back in her seat.

“Doesn’t Seria usually help heal those for you?—”

“I don’t know what she was doing to me ...” Knox cuts Micai off, a sombre expression pulling at his features. “But it certainly wasn’t helping or healing me.” The focus in his eyes reappears, a serious look taking over as he straightens himself and continues.

“I don’t trust her. She’s done something to me, to my memories. She’s distorted and twisted them in some way ...” A shaky sigh leaves his mouth. “I just don’t know how or for what reason.”

“In my opinion, she either wanted you and your group as her partners for your status or power ...” I narrow my gaze his way. “Or to take you away from Micai and make her suffer.” My eyes flicker to my Mate. “Or maybe a bit of both.”

A weary sigh leaves Knox’s lips as he nods and leans back in the booth.

My mind falls to the party and all the questions I had from that day.

Now was the time for answers.

“Why did you purposely fall into Seria during the party? And what do you know about the necklace she gave to Micai?”

Micai’s eyes widen before quickly turning toward Knox and furrowing.

“What do you mean ‘purposely’ ?”

I guess from her angle, Micai hadn’t realised the “fall” was intentional. But it was obvious for me and Annex from where we were standing. That’s why it makes all this and the necklace more suspicious.

Knox meets my gaze before nodding and flitting his eyes toward Micai, a shaky sigh leaving his lips.

“The morning of the party ... I caught a glimpse of Seria with the necklace,” he begins, hesitation in his voice.

“She was holding it in her hands, whispering something ...” His brows cinch together as his gaze falls to the table between us.

“She seemed so focused on it. And the look she had on her face when she finished whispering ...” The colour drains further from his already pale face.

“It wasn’t something I’ve ever seen before.

She looked different . Not like the Seria we normally see. ”

He shakes his head and continues. “She also wouldn’t let anyone touch it and almost threw a fit when Anders tried to take it out of the box.

He thought it was a gift for her.” He meets Micai’s eyes.

“When I saw that she handed it to you at the party ... I knew something was off. And I didn’t want you to get hurt.

” His hands fidget on the table. “I planned to grab it during the fall and try to break it in some way, but ...” His shoulders drop slightly.

“You caught it before I could ...” His eyes suddenly widen, a look of urgency in his gaze as he jumps up.

“Please tell me you got rid of it, that you didn’t wear it, Micai?

She definitely did something to it. You need to destroy?—”

“It’s my mother’s necklace, Knox.”

Micai’s words have him freezing, his words cut short as he sinks back into his chair, realisation dawning on his face.

His face then scrunches up, a look of anguish across it as he gazes at my Mate.

“I’m so sorry, Micai.” His elbows fall onto the table, his face finding their place in his hands as he shakes his head. “I didn’t know ... I didn’t know anything.” He drags his hands through his hair, pulling at his brown strands.

“This is what I mean ... How could I have been so blind to everything? How could I not see what was blatantly in front of me. Seria ... she’s not what she makes out to people, even to us.

” His eyes peer toward me and Creed. “The worst part is that you don’t even question it.

I didn’t see anything wrong with what I was doing before.

” A shaky frown coats his lips. “It was only recently that I feel like I’ve started to see the truth. ”

That’s probably because Seria’s power isn’t as strong now that Micai stopped wearing that fucked-up bracelet.

Knox shakes his head. “But I still don’t understand how any of this is possible.

I’ve never heard of magic like that, and if we were spelled, our families would have sensed something.

” He drags a hand through his hair. “Why the hell did she choose us ... why me ?” He closes his eyes, his hands tugging at his hair again before opening them.