Merc shook out some scraps of burlap that we used to sleep on at night. I pointed at the fog, and Merc turned to look atit.
“It’s Carpe Noctem.” Merc went back to shaking out the burlap. “Keep quiet. They will not bother us. We are dead to them,River.”
“But, my father…will he be withthem?”
“Most likely. But River, keep quiet,” Mercwarned.
“Will your father be withthem?”
Merc huffed out a laugh and tightlysmiled.
“Yes, he would be with them too. Listen to me, River, do not engage with them. They want nothing to do with us. We are banished to the woods for a reason. Let us keep the peace,” Merc said just before he returned to tend to the burlappieces.
I sat still and watched the fog move forward and closer in our direction. The closer it moved, the taller the fog grew and denser it became. It grew and grew until it reached the height of people. Fog rushed forward about a foot off the ground, almost as though it had been kicked forward. I jumped when black boots became visible. The heavy fog parted, giving way to legs, then torsos, then theirheads.
There they were. My father walked in the front, leading them towards Derwin’s. I counted nine of them as Istood.
“Father!” Iyelled.
When my father stopped walking, they all stopped and turned their heads in my direction as I took off running towards them. He would be proud of me when he heard that I freed a soul and absorbed Anne McCormick’s sins. He would finally acknowledge me as hisson.
“Father!” I called out again, smiling as Iran.
“River!” Merchissed.
I came to a stop in front of my father and doubled over to catch my breath. With my hands on my knees, I brought my head up and looked my father in theeyes.
“I did it, father,” I panted and swallowed past the dry burning lump in my throat. “I did it…I ate my first sin. Anne…Anne McCormick. I freed her soul, father. Now she can go tohea—”
I frowned as I stared at the ground, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He had hit me so hard across the face that it knocked me to the ground. I could taste blood in my mouth when I looked up athim.
“I…I thought that you would be proud of me,” I murmured as best as I could with a soremouth.
He stared down at me with black eyes full of hate. My father spat on my face before he roughly grabbed the back of myhead.
“If I could, I would kill you my damn self! You are to never call me your father! You mean nothing to me!” heyelled.
My father tapped his finger on the back of my neck where my mark of Mortas stained myflesh.
“Lucian, hand me a knife,” my father asked Merc’s father. I squirmed under his grip and tried to get away. “I will cut this from your flesh so no one will ever know that you were made with my seed. Hold still, or this will getmessy.”
A few sets of hands held me still as I screamed at the top of my lungs while the knife sliced my skin. Right before I shut my eyes, I saw Merc’s feet a short distance away. He had been right, and I should have listened tohim.
“Stop!” Mercyelled.
“Lucian, it seems thatyourboy is a bit out of control too. Give him fifty lashes while I finish removing my mark from this filth,” my father barkedout.
“He is a child! Lochlann!” Merc yelled as he was collected and removed from my sight. “He is your son, Lochlaan! Leave himalone!”
“Please…do not hurt Merc. It is my…fault,” I managed to get out wearily. The pain was unbearable, and the last thing I recalled hearing were the sounds of Merc grunting a short distanceaway.
I woke up face down on the floor of Derwin’s home. My neck felt numb, and I reached up to touch it. I felt a damp cloth covering the back of myneck.
“Careful, River. Please do not touch it,” Derwincautioned.
“How bad is my neck?” I questioned. I was almost afraid to hear theanswer.
“The mark of Mortas has been temporarily removed,” Derwin quietlysaid.
