My heart clenched. “Everything feels so fragile right now. Olivia is about to have a baby. Emily just birthed baby Leo, and Mathias killed Tristan. If I hadn’t ordered Roman to bring him, he wouldn’t be dead.” A pang of guilt cut through me. “I can’t bring myself to feel sorry for Balthazar, but it’s still heartbreaking. He’s lost another child.”
“Malik, you can’t shoulder the blame for this,” she said, stepping closer, her presence steady and reassuring. “We need Mathias to believe he’s in control, that we’re nothing more than pawns in his game. You must play the part—act clueless, the loyal and obedient student. Mathias and Alina aren’t acting on their own. Salvatore’s will dictates every move they make.”
Her eyes flickered to the side as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “And Salvatore...he is weak. Weakened for some time now.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “He is desperate for the blades you and I are tasked with protecting. You must stay strong, follow Lazarus’ orders, and protect Olivia and Roman.”
I couldn’t help but ask, “How is Lazarus?”
A slight tremor passed through Zara’s body. “Lazarus is also weakening with each passing day. But I have hope that once the blades are reunited, they will restore some of his strength. But they will strengthen Salvatore, too.”
A grimace formed on my face. “Let’s hope Olivia is willing to embrace her fate and everything can be restored to its former glory. Have Roman and Olivia begun to recall their past yet?”
“Roman has some fragments of memories, but Olivia’s recollection is still minimal. It seems like there needs to be a catalyst for her to remember,” Zara said. “Malik, you know that everything will change once she remembers who she is and her destiny with Roman. Even Balthazar doesn’t recall their connection together.”
“You only remembered your destiny when Lazarus allowed it,” I said. “Maybe if Olivia sees him, she will remember too.”
“Lazarus is constantly monitoring and protecting Olivia from a distance along with us,” she said. “You must pretend to be an obedient and loyal student under Mathias’ command. Let him believe he has control while Lazarus watches him and Salvatore.”
Her words were filled with longing and determination. Her eyes held mine, imploring me to understand. “Let him think he’s in charge. We are watching him.”
I nodded, feeling the mantle of my duty settle back upon me. The game was far from over, and I had a part to play. For now, I would wear the mask of ignorance, biding my time until the moment to strike presented itself. For Olivia, for Roman, for all Timebornes, I would not falter.
“It’s upsetting that Tristan is dead,” Zara said, a hint of sorrow lacing her usually unwavering tone. “But now I know why Mathias did that. Balthazar did love Tristan.”
She turned away slightly, her gaze falling on an old photograph on the mantel. “Mathias wanted to bring Balthazar to his knees by destroying the only thing Balthazar truly cares about—his children.”
Her silence was heavy, filled with unsaid truths and secrets too dangerous to voice. I could only imagine the weight of her knowledge.
“Zara,” I said, “I’m losing control. This past week has been... challenging.”
The words felt like an understatement. Every action and every decision seemed to be teetering on the brink of disaster.
“I want to put Olivia and Roman in safety, not danger. I keep putting them in harm’s way.” My throat tightened, the conflict between duty and emotion threatening to overwhelm me. “I don’t know if I can keep putting on this facade. I want to rip Mathias apart, piece by piece.”
She faced me again, her eyes steady and reassuring. “Patience, Malik. Keeping the facade is hard, especially given the past you shared with Olivia and Roman. But we are closer than you think…so close.”
The room seemed to close around us, the shadows whispering of battles yet to come and the fragile lives that hung in the balance. I found a flicker of strength in Zara’s unwavering gaze to continue the fight.
“If any harm comes to them,” I said, my voice low and laced with a threat I couldn’t quite contain, “I won’t be able to live with myself.”
“Malik.” Zara’s tone was as firm as granite. “Stay focused on your duty. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. Find the dagger. Once you have it, get everyone out of that house—no delays, no mistakes.”
Her eyes held mine, unblinking, a silent command that brooked no argument.
A heart-wrenching moan shattered the silence. My body tensed as I turned to Zara with confusion and concern.
“There’s something you should know—I have Marcellious,” she said, her tone softening but still edged with steel.
The revelation brought a tumultuous mix of relief and confusion. How had she found Marcellious? I had to see for myself.
I stood in the sparse light of Zara’s living room, the scent of dried herbs and something metallic lingering in the air. My heart was a heavy drumbeat in my chest, echoing the shock that gripped me as her words settled into my consciousness.
“He’s here,” she said, her voice steady with a gravity that pulled at my soul. “I had someone get him away from the Timehunters.”
“Marcellious is here?” My voice was a mere whisper, disbelief painting each syllable. How? The walls of this modest house felt too close, the reality of his presence pressing down on me.
Zara nodded. “He was in an abandoned home not far from here. He’s here, healing slowly.”
Images of Marcellious, broken and battered, flashed before my eyes.
