I sat across from Dorian, the weight of the situation finally hitting me. The notebook in front of me had too many unanswered questions. I had seen enough to know that everything I thought I knew about my family was a lie.
"You've been avoiding the truth for too long," Dorian said, his voice flat as he looked at the pages in front of him.
I slammed my hand down on the table, making the pages shake. "This is insane. My family didn't betray anyone. They were supposed to protect us."
Dorian didn't flinch. He just stared at the notebook, tracing the lines with his finger. "They tried to protect you. But they failed. The curse was placed by one of your own ancestors. Someone in your bloodline made a deal with the vampires. A deal that didn't end well."
I blinked, feeling my chest tighten. "What do you mean, a deal? What kind of deal?"
Dorian looked up at me. "The kind that costs everything. Your ancestor promised the vampires power, in exchange for survival. That's why your bloodline was marked. The vampires want that power back, and they'll stop at nothing to get it."
I shook my head. "That's... that's impossible. My family was never involved with them."
"That's what they want you to believe," Dorian said, flipping a page in the notebook. "Your family erased the history, buried it. They thought it would protect you. But now, the curse is waking up, and you're the one it's targeting."
My mind was racing. Everything I thought I knew was falling apart. "So, what does this have to do with me? Why am I the one dealing with this now?"
"The bloodline is yours," Dorian said, closing the notebook with a snap. "You're the last one. You've inherited the curse."
I didn't say anything. What could I say? This couldn't be real. But the more I thought about it, the more everything made sense. The vampires had been after me since I found that book. The strange dreams, the mark on my neck, the way my life had been turned upside down—it all led back to this moment.
"I'm not prepared for this," I muttered, more to myself than to Dorian. "How do I fight back against something like this?"
"You don't fight it," Dorian said, his voice colder than before. "You survive. The curse can only be broken if you learn to control what's inside you. But the vampires won't give you that chance. They'll come after you the moment they realize what you have."
I swallowed hard. "What is it that I have? What's inside me?"
Dorian didn't answer immediately. He was staring at me, his eyes dark and calculating. "Power. The kind that can change everything. And if the wrong people get their hands on it, it could destroy everything."
My blood ran cold. "The vampires want me for my power?"
"They want you for the book, for your bloodline, and for the power that comes with it," Dorian said, standing up from the table. "They don't care who you are. They'll do anything to get what's theirs."
I stood up too, suddenly feeling like I needed to get away from this conversation. "And you? What do you want?"
Dorian met my gaze. "I'm not your enemy," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm trying to keep you alive. That's all."
I wasn't sure if I believed him, but I didn't have the luxury of doubting anyone right now. I had to figure out what to do with this mess.
I ran my fingers through my hair. "I need to think."
Dorian stepped toward the door, his back to me as he reached for the handle. "You don't have time to think. The vampires won't give you that luxury. And there are others who will use you, too."
I glanced at the notebook again. My family's history was now my problem. The mark on my neck wasn't just some random curse. It was the key to everything.
"Wait," I said, as he was about to leave. "How do I stop this? How do I break the curse?"
He turned, giving me a look that was hard to read. "You learn. You train. You prepare yourself for the fight ahead. And you make sure no one else gets to you first."
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his words. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready for any of this. But there was no running from it anymore.
Dorian paused at the door, one hand on the knob. "And don't trust anyone who tells you they can help. There are too many people with their own agendas in this world. Trust only yourself."
With that, he left, leaving me alone in the room, staring at the notebook. My entire world had been turned upside down in the span of a few days, and now I had to figure out how to survive it.
I wasn't ready. But I didn't have a choice.