I snorted.
Camilla sat down on the edge of the bed. “He gave me an assignment,” she said casually, glancing at the room as if to assess her surroundings. “Some bullshit about finding an artifact. I’m not even convinced it exists.”
“What kind of artifact?” I asked, curious despite myself.
She shrugged, brushing her dark hair over one shoulder. “Something old and magical. It’s mundane enough. Nobloodshed required, which is a nice change of pace. And the best part?” She shot me a grin. “It means I get to come back and check on you.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest at her words. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Viv. You’re my friend. We look out for each other in The Below.”
Her words were meant to soothe, but they didn’t erase the storm brewing inside me. I sat down beside her, staring at the book still lying on the bed. “I’m trying, Camilla. I really am. But sometimes…” I trailed off, unable to put the tangled mess of my thoughts into words.
She reached out, resting a hand on my shoulder. “You’re a badass, Vivian. Don’t let this place—orhim—make you forget that. Do what all of us girls in The Below do to survive: act like it doesn’t bother you.”
“Easier said than done.”
She cocked an eyebrow in amusement. “Yeah, well, it’s what we’ve got. And trust me, it works.”
I wanted to believe her. But with Raffaele… everything felt so much harder. More complicated. My fingers brushed against my wrist, where the invisible mark from Izo’s magic still burned in my memory. The binding with Raffaele made everything murky, blurring the lines of what I truly felt. What I truly wanted.
Camilla pulled me into another hug. “You’ve got this. You did what most wouldn’t do by jumping in, giving your life for a loved one. He may be a shitty husband, but at least you’re alive.” She gestured to my computer equipment. “It’s not like he’s keeping you in a dungeon or anything. Stay strong. Don’t let him break you.”
Her words settled over me like armor, and I nodded against her shoulder. “I won’t.”
“Good. I need to meet with him now and give him an update on this artifact nonsense. But I’ll come back soon, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “Stay safe.”
Camilla flashed me one last grin before heading to the door. “And Vivian?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget who you are.”
I didn’t answer, but her words stayed with me long after she was gone.
I couldn’t sit still.What I’d read about Raffaele’s family plagued me, and my thoughts kept circling back to one horrifying thought. What if I had a child with him? Would that child be next in line for sacrifice? Would Raffaele stand by and let it happen, bound by his cursed legacy?
The idea filled me with cold, bitter rage.
I slammed the book shut and shoved it onto the desk, rising to my feet before I could second-guess myself. My body moved on autopilot, my emotions ready to explode. I stormed out of my room, my footsteps echoing through the hallways of the estate as I made my way to Raffaele’s office.
I didn’t bother knocking. I shoved the door open, rattling it on its hinges. Raffaele was at his desk, shadows curling lazily around his hands as he sifted through a stack of papers. His head snapped up at the intrusion, his sharp eyes narrowing as they locked onto me.
“Vivian, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
I ignored his calm demeanor, the words spilling from me in a heated rush. “You should have told me about the curse before you forced me into this marriage.”
The room darkened slightly as his shadows coiled tighter around him. “What are you talking about?”
“The pact,” I spat, stepping closer. “The sacrifices. The fucking legacy that binds your family. You had no right to drag me into this without telling me the truth of how it might affect me.”
“So, you’ve still been snooping in places you shouldn’t.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me. I have every right to know what kind of monster I’ve been tied to.”
His jaw tightened, a gleam of guilt crossing his face before he masked it. “It’s true. My family made a pact generations ago. Every generation, a sacrifice is made to preserve our power.”
