Page 48 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

“Elandria,” Isaiah snaps, a look of exasperation taking over his features. “Elandria’s treasure. Who did this to it?”

My body stiffens, my mind going blank as I gaze at the large man.

How the hell did he know my mother’s name? Did they somehow know each other from before I was born?

But why did he care so much about her keepsake and who damaged it?

Ellie ... had he been calling my mother that?

But his shop was named Ellie, wasn’t it?

My eyes widen as I meet his gaze, and all the anger seeps from his expression. A heavy sigh follows, falling from his mouth cloaked in unkempt brown facial hair. He drags a hand down through it, his eyes watching me.

“It’s time we have a talk—” he begins, but Ezra steps forward, his brows cinched together as Isaiah’s attention turns to him.

“Wait. So you knew Micai’s mom? And clearly know who Micai is if the look in your eyes means anything ...” Ezra’s eyes widen a fraction as he continues. “You even named your shop after her ... but you’re only reaching out to Micai now ?” Ezra’s gaze darkens. “Why?”

“Fuck that.” Annex steps closer to Isaiah, anger swirling in his eyes as he moves closer.

“You knew Micai this whole time ... that’s creepy as fuck.

Why the hell didn’t you say anything before?

We’ve been to your shop multiple times.” Annex points toward the necklace with his Bowie.

“What, because of that, you suddenly decide to talk?” Annex shakes his head.

“If you knew about Micai and knew her mom before, you should have?—”

“I should have what?!” bellows Isaiah, his voice thunderous and as rough as gravel. “Waltzed up to Micai—someone who’s never met me before—and tell her I knew her mom?” He glances to each of the guys. “And then what?”

“It’s still suspicious that you never said anything before,” Ezra adds, taking the space beside Annex. “How do we know that you really knew Micai’s mom? Knowing her name doesn’t mean much.”

“Yeah,” Annex adds, twirling his Bowie in his hand before flicking it in Isaiah’s direction. “You could easily be some obsessed psycho who named your shop after her?—”

Isaiah scoffs, cutting Annex’s words off.

“And how should I prove that I knew her?” He glares at each of my men.

“Believe me or not, I couldn’t give a fuck.

My business is not with any of you anyway.

” He turns my way before Ezra and Annex pipe up again, with their debate on proving himself going back and forth and only wasting more time.

I rub a weary hand down my face as they continue to argue the point.

But I can sort of understand why Isaiah didn’t come to me before now. I might not have believed him before or might have even throat-punched him for saying it. His gruff attitude makes him very punchable .

I shake my head. Depending on what he tells me, it might happen anyway.

Watching on as he continues arguing with my men, a gut feeling tells me to give him a chance, to see what he says.

The anger he displayed over my mother’s keepsake being tarnished felt too real to be a lie. Some small part of me believed him, that he may have known her in some way. And clearly cared.

Maybe they were friends before? If so, then maybe he could help us find the answers we need from that necklace and give us a lead on Seria’s scheme.

I put my hand on Annex’s shoulder, his words coming to a swift end with the contact as he quickly twists my way.

I give Ezra a small nod, his eyes softening slightly before I turn toward Isaiah.

“I don’t care about why you didn’t say anything before, it’s not as important as this.

” I gesture toward the necklace. “Maybe you had your reasons. But right now, I want to know everything you know about the necklace and what’s happened to it.

We can talk about who you are and how you knew my mother later. But this takes precedence.”

I look to Annex, Ezra, and Mallyn before finding Creed. Each of their expressions are dark and guarded against Isaiah. And I can’t blame them.

But we still need answers, and he may be able to help.

Creed meets my gaze, holding it for a brief second before turning around and gesturing for us to follow as he heads toward the double doors.

He stops before entering, and turning back toward Isaiah, he narrows a murderous glare in his direction.

“You try any suspicious shit with us or try to lie, and we’ll rip you to pieces before you can scream ‘mercy.’”

Isaiah scoffs. “Unlike you immature toddlers, I gain nothing from any of this. I only have the past to give her.”

“Whose past?” I ask as Annex and Mallyn flank my sides with Ezra keeping a watchful eye on Isaiah in front of us.

Creed leads us into the kitchen as Isaiah peers my way and continues. “Mine.”

Isaiah heads toward the table, narrowing his bushy brows in thought. “But as you’ve asked, we’ll start with this ...” He places my mother’s necklace down on the table, and my eyes instantly fall to the precious keepsake.

“Whoever had this, whoever gave this to you, placed a hexed relic into it. They melded Ellie’s treasure with it, tainting it and the heirloom.

” His lip curls up as he continues. “The gem was spelled to match her sapphire, but as you can see ... it couldn’t continue to hide its true nature.

” He points to the dark crimson jewel, looking murkier and more ominous by the minute.

“It’s an old hex too. One that would have quickly driven you mad.

It would have haunted your dreams and thoughts, making you see illusions and riddle your mind until it took it from you completely.

” A deep scowl mars his bearded face as the air in the room goes ice cold, the anger and tension palpable from the guys as Isaiah continues.

“It would have left you a dribbling mess within a matter of weeks, and the appearance of the chain and jewel would have changed like it has now. And the perpetrator could claim it’s not even theirs. ”

My gaze narrows toward the necklace. It did look different now and not just the gem.

Its metal seemed darker, and the small intricate designs seemed to have faded slightly, forming a different pattern.

The jewel was also a completely different colour, from a bright sapphire blue to a deep murky red.

A bitter scoff leaves my lips. Seria planned to poison my mind, and I wouldn’t have been able to link it back to her. She would have claimed it wasn’t hers.

Especially since all the students in the Elites’ room saw her hand me a sapphire and light-gold necklace, not this crimson gem with its new deeper gold shade that looked a lot older than before.

“Micai didn’t wear it ...” adds Ezra, his brows pinched down and fists clenched as he glares at the jewellery in question. “Thankfully, she didn’t put it on?—”

Isaiah shakes his head, cutting his words short.

“It’s an old curse. They work by the old ways .

.. by blood.” He turns my way. “You didn’t get any blood on it, did you?

Even a drop could enact its curse. And with such an old relic it would take more than we have here to undo it before it takes hold. ”

My brows pull together as I try to remember the day Seria gave it to me. But no matter how much I wrack my brain, I don’t remember having any cuts or wounds that day.

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I don’t remember any kind of wounds, not even a paper cut.”

Isaiah sighs, a brief look of relief flitting through his features before his eyes narrow at the necklace again, mumbling something about “ already being activated .” But he soon shakes it off and turns back toward me, his eyes searching my face for something before easing again.

“Thankfully, you don’t look unwell.” His gaze continues to watch me before turning toward my mother’s keepsake, his brows cinching together as wrinkles form at each corner of his eyes, making him look older.

“But who gave this to you? Who tainted Ellie’s treasure with that relic?

Something like that isn’t easy to procure.

And how the hell did they get their dirty hands on Ellie’s possession in the first place?—”

“Does it matter?” I ask, raising a brow. Even if he knew my mother and they were friends, I didn’t owe him that information. Seria was mine to deal with. And I couldn’t trust him so easily.

Isaiah’s face scrunches up, anger bleeding through his features. “Of course it matters. They wanted to make you a mindless, slobbering puppet. Or worse—” He meets my gaze and whatever he sees has him stopping his rant before it can grow any further.

“No. I meant, why does it matter to you ?” I tilt my head, looking at the large, burly man, his brown eyes boring into mine. Why does he even care? Because he knew my mother before? Because he’s angry that her possession was corrupted? But what did that have to do with me?

We didn’t have any connection or blood relation. So why does he seem to care?

My gaze narrows suspiciously as his eyes soften slightly, a strange look forming in his gaze toward me.

“You’re more like your uncle than your mother in how guarded and stubborn you are.”

My eyes widen. Uncle? Since when did I have an uncle?

Isaiah rubs a hand down his face as a beat of silence passes between us.

“I guess I have to tell you everything from the start. Elandria ... passed away before she could tell you anything.” He seems to struggle with those last words, his expression turning solemn as they leave his lips. “And that asshole never knew much to begin with.”

“What asshole?” queries Creed, pulling my gaze to where he’s standing behind me with Mallyn.

“ Greere .” Isaiah spits the name out like even saying it feels disgusting.

It brings a small smile to my lips. Most people revered my father. They never spoke an ill word about the head of the Bane Clan, always bowing their heads and complying to his every word with utmost care.