Chapter 39 The Betrayal
ARIA'S POV
Roslyn's unconscious body exploded with black energy that threw Dante across the church.
"What—" Morgana stumbled backward, her knife clattering to the floor.
The girl we thought was Roslyn sat up, and her face rippled like water. Her features shifted, reformed, became someone else entirely—a woman with silver hair and eyes that burned like dying stars.
"Did you really think," the woman said in a voice like breaking glass, "that I would let you steal my spell?"
"Impossible," Morgana breathed. "You're dead. I watched Sebastian kill you eight hundred years ago."
The woman laughed, and the sound made my bones ache. "You watched me let him think he killed me. I'm Valdis—the blood witch who cursed your precious Sebastian. And I've been waiting centuries for fools like you to gather everything I need."
The magical chains holding Sebastian and me shattered. We collapsed to the floor, gasping.
"The Eternal Binding spell was never meant for you, Morgana," Valdis continued, rising to her full height. Power radiated from her in waves. "It was meant for me. I needed a vampire lord cursed and bound. I needed Sanguine-blessed humans identified and gathered. And I needed someone ambitious enough to do all the work while I stayed hidden."
She smiled at Morgana. "Thank you for your service. You made an excellent pawn."
Morgana's face twisted with rage. "I am no one's pawn!"
She launched a magical attack, but Valdis waved her hand lazily. Morgana's spell dissolved like smoke.
"Where's the real Roslyn?" Sebastian demanded, struggling to his feet. Through our bond, I felt his terror for his niece.
"Oh, she's quite safe," Valdis said. "I needed her form to gain your trust. The girl is locked away where none of you will find her." Her eyes fixed on me. "But I must thank you, Aria Thornwell. Breaking Sebastian's curse was inspired. It freed up his power for me to claim completely."
"You planned this," I whispered. "All of it. The dimensional merge, Morgana's schemes, everything."
"Not everything," Valdis admitted. "Sebastian falling in love with you was unexpected. Quite touching, really. But ultimately irrelevant." She raised her hands, and the magical symbols around the church blazed brighter. "The spell is ready. I have the three dead brides' power already stored. Now I just need the four living Sanguine-blessed humans in this room."
My blood froze. "Four?"
Valdis's smile widened. "You, obviously. Your stepmother Celeste—yes, she carries diluted Sanguine blood, which is why she was so useful. Marcus over there has a trace from his grandmother. And..." She looked at Sebastian with cruel amusement. "Your dear nephew, currently locked in my holding spell, who inherited Sanguine traits from his mother's line."
"Dante isn't Sanguine-blessed," Sebastian said, but his voice wavered.
"His sister was," Valdis said. "Which means he carries the dormant gene. Perfect for my purposes."
Dante, still crumpled against the wall, looked up in horror. "You said you'd make me powerful. You promised—"
"I promised I'd make you part of something greater," Valdis corrected. "Your death will fuel the spell that gives me control over all vampire lords. Think of it as an honor."
She snapped her fingers, and invisible forces dragged Celeste, Marcus, and Dante toward the altar. They screamed and fought, but couldn't break free.
"Stop!" I shouted.
"Why?" Valdis asked pleasantly. "Your stepmother sold you for power. Marcus betrayed you for money. Dante chose ambition over loyalty. They deserve this."
"Maybe," I said, my mind racing. "But you need me alive to complete the spell, don't you? The most powerful Sanguine healer in centuries—my death has to be willing, or the spell won't work."
Valdis's eyes narrowed. "Clever girl. Yes, the final sacrifice must be willing. That's why I've been so careful."
"Then let them go," I said quickly. "Take just me. I'll cooperate."
"Aria, no—" Sebastian started.
"One life instead of four," I continued, ignoring him. "Isn't that a better trade?"
Valdis considered this. "An interesting offer. But why would you sacrifice yourself for people who hurt you?"
"Because I'm not like you," I said simply. "I don't measure lives by whether people deserve to live. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption."
For a moment, something flickered in Valdis's ancient eyes—surprise, maybe, or respect.
Then she laughed. "How noble. But I'm afraid I need all four deaths to power the spell properly. However, I'll make you a deal." She gestured, and a shimmering doorway appeared. "Your real enemy is through there. The person who started everything—who identified you as Sanguine-blessed, who sold that information to Morgana, who ensured you'd end up in the Winter Feast."
My heart pounded. "Who?"
"Go through and see," Valdis purred. "If you can defeat them and return within ten minutes, I'll let the others live and take only you. If not, everyone dies. Your choice."
Sebastian grabbed my arm. "It's a trick."
"Of course it's a trick," Valdis agreed cheerfully. "But it's also the truth. Someone in your past betrayed you long before Celeste or Marcus. Someone you trusted. And they're waiting for you through that door."
I looked at the shimmering portal, then at Sebastian. Through our bond, I felt his desperate fear.
"I have to know," I whispered.
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No," Valdis said firmly. "Only Aria. Those are the terms."
Every instinct screamed this was wrong. But if there was even a chance to save the others...
"I love you," I told Sebastian. Then I stepped through the portal.
The world twisted, reformed. I stood in a familiar room—my childhood bedroom in my father's house, exactly as I remembered it.
And sitting in my favorite chair, smiling softly, was my mother.
"Hello, darling," she said in the voice I'd mourned for ten years. "We need to talk about why I faked my death and gave you to the vampires."