Page 3 of Blood that Burns

“Butwhydo you care?” I press, sick of the non-answers that always seem to come from these Bellamy brothers.

Law is just the same. Keeping his secrets but prying mine from me with ease. It’s infuriating.

His hands fly up. “Maybe I don’t want to see you in the hands of another vampire. Maybe I’m doing this to atone for all the horrible shit I’ve done to my brothers.” He huffs. “Or maybe this is all just one big ruse to keep you here for my own demented reasons.”

I scoff. “That’s bullshit and you know it. You aren’t the bad guy, Marc, so stop trying to convince yourself otherwise.”

He doesn’t say a word to that. We’ve had this argument before, and it’s the same thing every time.

“You and your sister are important, Maggie. I don’t know how... yet, but I’m trying to figure it out.”

I bite my lip, wondering for the millionth time whether I should bring up the legend that Law told me about. I haven’t done so yet because a voice inside me continues to urge me to keep silent on the subject.

“Why can’t we at least tell Marina that I’m alive? Why can’t I see her?”

Why. Why. Why.

I hate that damn word so much.

“It’s too dangerous for her to know. She’d come barreling in like a tsunami, alerting the Council to your existence. We can’t have that.”

“Your brother,” I spit with a little too much venom, “is holding her hostage. She can’t do shit.”

His head shakes back and forth. “I don’t think she’s a prisoner, Maggie. There’s been talk from the Council that Julian might be allowing her too much freedom. They don’t like it.”

“Even more reason for us to get her the hell out of there.” My voice pitches.

“I can’t,” he snaps. “The Council has spies everywhere. They’re watching Marina closely. If I were caught, it would ruin everything.”

“Because they have to believe that you’re one of them.”

He nods.

My head shakes back and forth in resignation and disappointment.

“Can we please just stop talking about this?” Marcellus asks, eyes closed and jaw tight. “It’s going to be a long night, and I just need to have a few seconds of calm before the storm. Something to remind me that I’m not the man I’m going to have to play tonight.”

My eyes narrow. “What’s happening tonight?”

“A party.”

I smack my lips in irritation, two seconds from snapping for him to spit it out, but I don’t have to; he offers more for once.

“Law is throwing one of his parties, and rumor has it your sister will be there.”

I gulp.

“Julian wouldn’t allow that,” I say, not sounding convinced of my own words.

The truth is, I don’t know anything about Julian, other than he’s been holding my sister prisoner on his estate.

“What do you plan to do?”

He shoots me an apprehensive glance. “I think it best I don’t share the specifics of this night with you.”

My arms cross over my chest and I stare him down, waiting for him to realize I won’t back down on this. Not when Marina is involved.

“I don’t know the specifics, Magdalena. My seer saw multiple paths.”