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Ever since our mother died—and Dad went to prison for her murder—it’s been my job to take care of Madison.
“Blackhollow wants you back or he walks.”
I suppose it’s easy to have black-and-white morality when you’ve never had to face any adversity.
But then I think back to something my Criminal Law professor once told us. When looking for clues in a case, if you hear hooves, think of horses—not unicorns.
“He was researching the symbols found at the murder scene. Apparently, they’re connected to something called the Order of the Veil. Seems like it’s some rumored cult or shadow organization.”
“The Veil descends from an ancient secret society called the Order, which was created hundreds of years ago to address issues with supernatural entities existing in our world. At some point, the Order splintered into branches with different purposes. Some meant to protect humankind, others meant to control it.”
“The Blackhollow family was one of the founding members of the Veil, after all.”
They already know you’re here. The Veil’s reach is extensive. And your client, Damien Blackhollow? He may look pretty and respectable, but there’s a deadly monster hidden under all that gloss. He’s the worst of them. Trust me on that.”
“Your father was involved with the Veil,” he says. “Your mother’s death—there’s more to the story than you’ve been told.”
“They called it the Blood Rite. A sacrifice to fulfill my end of the bargain.”
“I was ready to die that night. I thought I was giving my life for you girls and your mom. But something went wrong. It wasn’t working.” His voice begins to shake. “The knife wouldn’t let me. It just… wouldn’t.
“And then your mother—” He grips the table, his knuckles going white. “She stepped forward. It was like she understood something I didn’t. She told them she would be the sacrifice—” A cold chill spreads through me. I feel like I’m going to be sick. “Dad, no… How could you do that?” “I didn’t do anything!” he cries, shaking his head furiously. “I wouldn’t do it, James! I wouldn’t take her life!” His breath shudders, his shoulders sagging like the weight of that moment is still crushin...
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“I recognized you the moment I saw you at the courthouse—Thomas Woodsen’s daughter, all grown up and assigned to my defense. I knew you were too close to the truth, but I thought if I kept you close, I could protect you. Control what you learned. Maybe even shield you from all of it. I felt I owed it to you, after everything your family’s been through.”
“Most likely your mother was sacrificed during a Blood Rite, but Damien’s fiancée was something different. I believe she was part of the Ascension Ritual.”
Damien is the Blackhollow heir. If he is to take over the Veil as its new leader, he must complete the far more complex Ascension Ritual—a series of four sacrifices, one per year, each on Veil Night. The killings escalate in violence, each more gruesome than the last. I suspect his fiancée was the third. The final sacrifice—the most important—will happen this year.”
“I’m falling for you, James. God help me, but I am.”
“It’s against every instinct, every damn shred of control and self-preservation I have, but I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you.”
“If things were different… if we had more time...” he says softly, his voice barely audible over the chanting. “I would’ve given you the world.”
“You know I meant what I said back there, right? That I’d die for you,” he says, stepping closer, his gaze holding mine. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I would’ve bled for you. Burned for you. Without you, I’m already dead.”
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore, James,” he whispers. “You’re mine now. And I don’t let anyone touch what’s mine.”
