To Seduce an Angel | 18+ ✔

Book 7⌇19. It's a Cold Day in Hell

I'm not sure I was following, and neither was Icarus.

Harlan let out another sigh before stating, "The wife of Theo, the father of both Enos and the more well-known son, Locaine. She was their half-sister, apparently never spoken about or her identity revealed per her own request. She left their family and never returned...for reasons still unknown even through the vast number of letters sent to her."

The vampire king who started it all...

The one who took over the world in the name of the vampires. Though he no longer rules, his lineage is still well and alive, ruling the vampires within the world of humans. She was their sister? I'd never even heard of her and apparently for good reason.

But still...why would Lilith want Icarus to create this virus?

It doesn't make sense...

"Well, that's just great..." Icarus' voice trails off, a bit of anger hinted in his words, "she used me."

"Yes, she did, but for what...I have absolutely no idea. However, she did threaten me that if I ever set foot in that place again, she'd kill me," Harlan sounded just a bit on edge and my own skin prickled with the fear of losing him.

Everything should have ended the moment my assignment ended...but no, it didn't. Things just got a lot more complicated.

Suddenly Icarus noted, "I shouldn't be angry...she's going to use it to destroy the vampire race, regardless of what her ulterior motives are, she's going to rid the world of their existence. I should be happy and out celebrating with Ayanna and Whitney...not contemplating what deeper meaning she had for me completing the VV1-I. Even if she's the only one that lives, she wouldn't make herself an enemy to the world, now would she?"

"Yo-Your guess is as good as mine," I confirmed with Icarus. Despite what Harlan had brought forward by snooping around in Lilith's office, she's still going to spread the virus...what did it matter if she was the only one to live?

At that very moment, my fingers gripped Harlan's upper arms a little harder, the pain slowly ebbing past the slight pleasure his touch brought to me. He noticed, his eyes staring down at me again, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. My heart was breaking with the decision I had to make, and it really was hurting me to drag it out as I had.

"Well then, if we're all done here," Icarus stood from the couch, moving toward the front door and stating, "I'm going out for drinks and to celebrate."

"Your life is still at-risk moron," Harlan reminded him but quickly corrected himself, "on second thought, feel free to bar hop to your heart's content."

I wanted to stop Icarus because I knew he really would still be in danger. The rest of the vampire world didn't know he'd succeeded; however, I wasn't sure if Damon would be already getting the word out to the coven he aligned with. Either way, at this very moment, I was nowhere near capable of stopping or helping him.

I remained silent while Icarus shot off another remark before heading out the door of his apartment, the sound of him slamming the door behind jolted me back to the present situation.

"Isis..." Harlan's voice trailed off once we had been left alone.

"Harlan, please, I-"

"You're in pain my dear," I felt his knuckles brush against my cheek, trailing his fingers down beneath my chin until he took a firm grip and tilted my head back. When our eyes met, I couldn't keep up whatever wall I had left after blocking everything out.

I let out a shaky breath as I said, "If I leave now and return to the Celestial Veil, I won't be any longer...at least, I won't be in any physical pain."