Page 14 of Blood Match

“I swear,” I continue, my voice trembling but growing stronger with each word, “I will make them pay for what they’ve done. I don’t care how I do it…but they’re going to be sorry!”

The silence in the room is deafening. I can see the shock on their faces, the concern in their eyes. But I don’t care. All I can feel is the burning hatred in my chest.

“Rowan, sweetheart,” Dad says softly, taking a step toward me. “We have to be realistic about this. We’ll never know who took her. Not really.” He reaches out, probably to comfort me, but I jerk away.

“Don’t,” I warn, my eyes blazing. “Don’t try to calm me down. Don’t say we don’t know.” I pull in a shuddering breath. “Because we do! It was them…those fucking animals. They pick us off like prey!”

“Rowan!” My grandmother’s voice is sharp.

“What, Gran? I can’t call them what they are? Sick, bloodthirsty predators.” I look around the room, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “How can you all just sit here and plan a vigil when Mia’s killers are still out there?”

My breathing is ragged, my heart thundering. I’ve never felt like this before – this combination of overwhelming grief and searing rage. It’s terrifying, but it’s also the most alive I’ve felt in months.

“I hate them,” I declare, almost growling the words. “I hate every single vampire that exists. And I don’t care how I do it…but I won’t rest until they’ve paid for what they’ve done to Mia…to our family.” As the words fade into the silence, I feel a prickle run over my skin. There’s a small sizzling sound as I rub my fingers together, and sparks crackle over them. Great. Now my magic decides to make itself known. But maybe it’s a sign.

I steady myself, trying to rein in my anger as Dad steps closer, his eyes full of understanding.

“Rowan,” he says softly, “we all hate them. Every single one of us despises what they’ve done to our family, to our kind.” His voice grows firmer. “And I promise you, we won’t let this rest. But right now, Mia deserves to be honored. She deserves our respect and our love.”

I take a shuddering breath, feeling the fight drain out of me. He’s right, of course. As much as I want to lash out, to make someone pay, Mia deserves better than my rage right now.

“You’re right,” I whisper, wiping my eyes. “I’m sorry, I just—”

“We know, sweetheart,” Mom says, her voice gentle. “We all feel it.”

I nod, trying to pull myself together. “Okay. Let’s…let’s focus on the vigil.”

And then, just as I start to turn back to the group, a deep, unfamiliar voice suddenly echoes in my head.

“The blood will flow if he has his way. It always does.”

I freeze, my eyes going wide.

What the hell?

That definitely wasn’t Poppy playing a prank. This was a man’s voice, rich and dark, with an accent I can’t place.

“Rowan?” Kara asks, frowning at me. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, trying to clear it. “I…nothing. I just thought I heard something.”

But as I try to focus back on the conversation, the rage bubbles up inside me again. That voice, whatever it was, only reinforces my determination. The vampires will pay for what they’ve done to us. To Mia. To all the witches they’ve hurt.

I may not be the most powerful witch, but I swear, I’ll find a way to make them sorry.

4

Chapter 4

Darick

Istand alone in my vast library, surrounded by towering shelves filled with leather-bound tomes and ancient scrolls. The room holds an air of timeless wisdom, with its rich mahogany paneling and the soft glow of antique lamps. Normally, this sanctuary brings me peace, but tonight, I’m oddly troubled and confused.

For the past half hour, I’ve been overwhelmed by a storm of emotions that don’t feel like my own. Grief washes over me in waves, threatening to pull me under. A sense of loss, so profound it makes my chest ache, grips me tightly. And then there’s the rage – white-hot and all-consuming – that makes me want to lash out at everything around me.

None of it makes any fucking sense.

I rub a hand over my face, pacing the length of the room. My reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows shows a man I barely recognize – disheveled, wild-eyed, and utterly bewildered. This isn’t me. I’ve never felt so…out of control.