Luke’s burnt body crumpled to the floor, and I rushed to his aid.
“Why did you do that?” I asked, my own tears joining the remnants of Isabella’s.
“Because…you did not need…his death…on your conscience,” my fiancé wheezed.
More guards and the presence of Luke’s parents caused a commotion behind us, but I ignored everybody else but my love. I cradled his head in my lap. “I would rather he burned than you.”
Luke drew in hard breaths. “I will heal in time.”
“He needs blood,” his father stated. “We should take him back to the castle.”
Damiana pushed past her husband and stood over me. “In his state, that may do more damage.”
I glanced up at her. “You have a source right here.”
“It may require a lot. Are you willing to risk your well-being for him?” she asked.
I stroked his hair and smiled down at him. “For him, I would risk everything.”
“I do not agree that he should take from a witch,” Lorenzo protested.
Luke rattled a chuckle. “It…would be best…if you don’t…underestimate…a Jewell woman.”
“That’s right,” I said, grinning. “We’re made of strong stock and tend to make our own choices in this world.”
Damiana took my left arm and positioned it in front of her son’s mouth. “We de Rossi women are much the same.” She touched the ring on my finger. “Perhaps the joining of the two families will not be such a bad thing.”
As my fiancé took what he needed from me to heal, I basked in the glow of victory until the world faded away and I could rest.
Epilogue
“I still can’t believe Cassio challenged the charges brought against him. Fia and Claudio actually witnessed his confession and actions at the tower,” I stated from inside my closet, sifting through the many outfit choices.
Luke called out from my bedroom, “He tried to claim self-defense and wanted to press countercharges against you as well. His strategy was to use the longtime prejudices against witches here as his shield.”
I popped my head out. “Fiametta’s not getting in trouble, right?”
“No, his attempts to blame her for the deadly pasta backfired.” The corner of Luke’s lips curled up. “In fact, I was going to tell you a fun detail at another time, but maybe it will help lighten your mood now.”
Placing my hand on my hip, I stomped my foot on the ground. “I’m not being moody. I just want to know what these secret plans are for tonight. How am I supposed to choose what to wear if you won’t tell me what we’re doing?”
My fiancé chuckled. “Of course, cara, but if I told you, then it would take away the element of surprise. And I would not do that for anything in the world.”
I narrowed my eyes at him in irritation. “Fine. What was it you wanted to tell me?”
“Oh, I think you will like this. Guess who was involved with the poisonous pasta?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Not Cassio?” I replied, confused as to who else it could be.
Luke shook his head. “Well, he was, but not directly. Turns out, he convinced Amara that she could have me if she helped him get rid of you.”
My mouth dropped open. “You mean, she was willing to kill me to get to you?”
“She did not know just how deadly the death cap was,” Luke said. “Cassio gave her the mushrooms to put in the dish. Amara was the fool who did as he asked.”
“Pretty please with cherries on top, tell me she’s getting punished, too,” I begged, clasping my hands together in a plea.
My fiancé laughed at my dramatic display. “Because it was only an attempt on your life and she was coerced by Cassio, my parents have banished her from this region forever.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t sound that bad.”
“Oh, but it is.” He held up a finger. “She no longer has the protection of any vampire from this region or any others. And for one hundred years, no one is allowed to assist her. She is, in essence, by herself. And Amara has never done well by herself.”
I let out a long sigh. “I guess that’s enough.”
“Cassio’s sentence…that is another thing.” Luke leaned against the edge of the dresser. “He forgot the abilities my father and I share. All of his protests were worth nothing once we both tasted of his blood.”
I had learned about my fiancé’s ability to read blood before when we’d found a dead body on my family’s property. In a few drops from a regular human, he could read the life of whoever it was in a few moments. I didn’t want to think about how much blood he and his father had to drink from Cassio in order to reach back centuries to see him murder Isabella.
“Why did your father not read his blood back then? If it were my daughter, I would have drunk from everyone,” I said, still a little uncomfortable with the vampires’ style of justice.
Luke looked down at the ground, a little guilt still eating him up. “Cassio was so close to me. Like a brother. We never suspected he could do anything like he did.”
I crossed the room to throw my arms around my man. He buried his nose into my hair and drew in a calming breath. My arms encircled him, and I rested my head against his chest.
“Enough,” I declared. “If we keep holding onto the past, it’ll drag us down like an anchor. Better we let it go.”
He brushed his lips against my forehead. “You are very wise for your age.”
“Why thank you, kind sir,” I teased. Lifting up on my tiptoes, I pressed my mouth against his, taking my time and lingering until he got a little hot under the collar.
“I know what you are trying to do,” he said, resisting my charms. “And I am not
