Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Gianna

My eyes snapped open, my heart leaping in my chest as I took in the eerie glow of moonlight filtering into an unfamiliar room. I bolted upright, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps as a wave of panic crashed over me. Where was I? What happened?

The room swam before me, a dizzying kaleidoscope of strange shadows and unfamiliar shapes. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision, but doing so only seemed to intensify the throbbing in my head. I raised a trembling hand to my forehead, and my fingers came away slick with sweat.

Fragments of memories flashed through my mind—running, fear, pain. I shuddered, my stomach churning as I recalled the searing agony of the wolves' bites, the terrifying sensation of my blood draining away. But after that...nothing. Just a blank void where my memories should be.

I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. As the panic began to subside, I started to notice details about my surroundings. The leather couch beneath me...the faded paintings on the walls...the musty scent of old books and incense. Something about it felt...familiar.

Gradually, realization dawned. Salem. I was in Salem, at Augustus' and Louise's apartment. Relief washed over me, quickly followed by confusion. How had I gotten here? Why couldn't I remember the journey?

I closed my eyes, concentrating hard, trying to piece together the fragments of my memory. Flashes of conversations, of worried faces, of a car ride...but it was all a jumble, like trying to assemble a puzzle with half the pieces missing.

As I struggled to sit up, a movement caught my eye. A figure sat across from me on the loveseat, shrouded in shadows. I reached for a weapon, but my fingers grasped only empty air. I opened my mouth to scream, but the sound died in my throat, strangled by the icy tendrils of fear that wrapped tightly around my chest.

Then I remembered Angelo had sent a bodyguard.

"Petar?" My voice was rough from sleep.

"Hardly," came the reply. The voice was familiar and unexpected, bringing with it a rush of new memories.

The light flicked on, and I gasped, my heartbeat racing. There, sitting with that infuriatingly sexy smirk, was none other than Dimitri Dragan .

"Nope, not my dear old dad," he said curtly. "Sorry to disappoint, sleeping beauty."

I waited for the familiar ache of bruises and the sting of scratches, but to my surprise, I felt nothing. With a hesitant hand, I pulled up my sleeve, and gasped when I saw the unblemished skin beneath.

Dimitri leaned back in his seat, smirking. "Well, well, well. Look who's back from the dead," he drawled. "Guess I won't have to start shopping for a black dress after all."

He lifted an eyebrow, his piercing gaze studying me intently. "O ye of little faith," he chided, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Did you really think Augustus would give you some half-assed potion that wouldn't work? The man's a walking, talking Hogwarts potions master, for fuck's sake."

Dimitri's eyes glinted with amusement as he leaned closer, his elbows resting on his knees. "Hey, princess, I get it. Near-death experiences can really do a number on a person's trust issues. But maybe next time you can try a little less Doubting Thomas and a little more Optimistic Oprah, hmm?"

More memories of the past several days suddenly came flooding back—the attack, the excruciating pain that wouldn't go away, Augustus' mysterious potion that he and Louise promised would heal me. I had been desperate, willing to try anything to ease my suffering, but a small part of me had feared it wouldn't be enough.

I met Dimitri's gaze, the question burning in my mind. " What happened after I drank the potion? How did I end up here?"

Dimitri leaned back, his arms stretching across the back of the loveseat. "Oh, you gave Louise quite the scare. One minute you were drinking the concoction, and the next, you were out cold. Louise was losing it because Augustus forgot to mention the potion would put you into a deep sleep. I figured someone had to keep a level head and stick by you."

I stared at him, digesting the implications of his words. Dimitri, the man who had, up till now, looked at me as being the enemy or at least untrustworthy, had stayed by my side all night? It didn't make sense. I peered at him, searching his face for any sign of deceit or ulterior motives, but couldn't see any there.

I frowned. "So you stayed here—what, out of the goodness of your heart?"

He placed a hand to his chest, a look of mock offense on his face. "Wow, way to make a guy feel super appreciated. Here I am, sacrificing my beauty sleep to play guardian angel, and this is the thanks I get?"

Dimitri shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. His eyes met mine, a dangerous glint in their depths that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"You know, princess," he drawled, his voice low and husky, "if you wanted my attention, you didn't have to go to such extremes. A simple hello would have sufficed."

My breath caught in my throat. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to look away, to remember who he was and why I shouldn't trust him. But another part of me, a part I was trying desperately to ignore, wanted to lean in closer.

"Though," he added, his smirk widening, "I must admit, your damsel in distress act is quite...captivating."

I scowled, fighting the blush I could feel creeping up my neck. "I'm not acting," I snapped, hating how my voice wavered slightly.

Dimitri chuckled, the sound sending an unwelcome warmth through my body. "Of course not, sweetheart. You're just naturally charming, even to the most dangerous creatures of the night."

I wanted to say something smart, but the words died on my lips.

He sighed, fixing me with a pointed stare. "Look, princess, I get you might have trust issues bigger than the Grand Canyon, but sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Not everything has to have some deep, hidden meaning."

Dimitri sat back, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "But hey—if you want to go on believing that I'm some sort of mustache-twirling supervillain, be my guest. Just don't come crying to me when the next big bad wolf comes knocking at your door. So to speak."

I crossed my arms, a defiant tilt to my chin as I met his stare head on. "Tell me, Dimitri—why do you hate your dad so much?"

He waved his finger, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Ah-ah-ah. Family secrets. But maybe I'll tell you one of mine if you tell me one of yours."

I crossed my arms defensively and raised an eyebrow. " You obviously don't know my brother. Sharing my family secrets could get me locked away for a year."

Dimitri leaned back, smirking. "Too bad. Then I guess I'm not going to share mine, princess."

I chewed on my bottom lip, wondering if Louise knew why Dimitri hated his father so much. Although, for some reason, I wanted to hear it from his own lips. Then I would ask Louise and figure out if he was telling me the truth.

We stared at each other silently, our gazes locked. I could feel the tension crackling between us like electricity.

Finally, I sighed, my shoulders sagging in defeat. "Okay, here's one. My brother has a magic mirror that showed me dying in a warehouse in New Orleans. That's why I'm in Salem right now."

Dimitri's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned forward, his interest clearly piqued. "What's the name of this mirror?"

I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "I don't know why I'm telling you this?—"

He grinned, his smile reminiscent of the Cheshire cat. "Because I'm so irresistible?"

My jaw clenched as I fought the urge to let him break down the walls I had so carefully constructed around myself. Maybe Augustus' potion was messing with me. "Don't flatter yourself. It's called the Moirai Mirror. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No." For once, the ever-present smirk on his face faltered, a flicker of something darker passing behind his eyes as he turned his gaze to the fireplace. The muscles in his jaw tightened, and the vein in his neck pulsed with barely contained emotion.

"Okay, I shared something with you. Let's see if you're as good as your word," I said, my voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in my stomach. "Your turn."

He met my penetrating gaze, his eyes blazing with intensity. "If you saw what Petar did to my brother, you'd understand why I hate him so," he said, his voice low and bitter, tinged with a hint of barely restrained rage. "Dear old dad is all about power and playing on the winning side. He'll do whatever it takes to come out on top, no matter who gets hurt in the process. That's why he's cozying up to your brother. My turn. Does he—your brother, that is—have other magical objects?"

I squirmed in my seat, my palms growing clammy as I debated whether to share more. But my mouth engaged before my brain could tell it not to. "Yes. Why?"

Dimitri clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the glass in his hand. "Petar…uses people to get what he wants. He toys with people like a cat with a mouse. You know how cats like to torture their food before they make the kill? That's what he did to my brother before I stopped him."

I frowned, a cold sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "You're saying he might turn on my brother? He wouldn't dare."

"So you say." He took a swig of his drink, his eyes blazing with a fury so intense I could almost feel the heat on my skin. "Look, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not exactly eager to sing his praises or trust in his loyalty. I've seen firsthand what happens to the people who make that mistake."

The pit in my stomach doubled in size, pushing against my ribs. If his own son didn't trust Petar, what did that mean for my brother's alliance with him?

Dimitri pushed himself up from the loveseat, his movements fluid and predatory as he stalked closer to me. "The real question is, Gianna, what will you do when my sorry excuse for a father shows his true colors and you realize you and your brother have been played?"

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as he loomed over me, his face mere inches from mine. "What I always do," I managed, my voice coming out breathier than I intended. "I'll fight."

Dimitri's lips curved into a dangerous smile, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and something darker, more savage. "Really, Gianna?" he purred, his breath ghosting across my skin. "I look forward to seeing you in action."

With that, he turned on his heel and sauntered away, leaving me breathless and unsettled. I sank back onto the couch with even more questions and doubts. What game was Dimitri playing? And more importantly, how far was I willing to go to uncover the truth about Petar and protect my brother?

I couldn't afford to trust anyone, least of all Dimitri Dragan. He was dangerous, a wild card with his own agenda and a family history that raised more red flags than a group of bullfighters. And yet, as I sat there, acutely aware of his presence beside me, I couldn't deny the way my body responded to his proximity. It was like a magnetic pull, an animal instinct that overrode all logic and reason.

I shook my head, trying to clear the confusing thoughts from my mind. I had to focus on the task at hand, on unraveling the secrets that threatened to tear my world and my family apart. Even as I tried to harden my resolve, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Dimitri might just be the key to unlocking the truth.

My gaze drifted back to him, tracing the strong lines of his jaw, the curve of his lips that seemed permanently twisted into a smirk. He was a puzzle, a contradiction that both infuriated and intrigued me. I knew I should keep my distance, guard my heart against him, but a part of me longed to unravel the mystery that was Dimitri Dragan.

I sighed, tearing my eyes away from him and focusing once more on the dancing flames in the fireplace. One thing was certain: navigating this dangerous path of secrets and lies would be a lot more complicated if my traitorous heart decided to lead me astray.

My eyes closed and I drifted off, dreaming of a sweet talking devil…