Aria’s POV
Damon’s hand tightened on my arm. Through the bond, I felt the silent promise: We do not give her up. Ever.
Lydia’s voice was a blade. Tell them.
I drew a slow breath. The fracture in my chest still ached, but my voice came out steady.
“If I give myself up here, the power will activate, and the vampires will never harness it for themselves.” I met every pair of eyes in turn. “What happens to my daughter then?”
The eldest Council member answered without hesitation. “We will rescue her from the vampires and take care of her.”
Lydia snarled. By “take care of her,” they mean kill her.
I knew that too well. I knew exactly what they were capable of when the “greater good” demanded it. I would never let it happen.
My hands curled into fists. My mother had died because of this p
