“Fynn, welcome back.” The dhampir grins, a row of sharp teeth on display. His unnatural green eyes take on an even more sinister glow in the sunlight, as if the daylight enhances it. They remind me of emerald marbles.
“Walk with me,” he says, without waiting for my response, and he strides away. I follow suit.
“I heard from a little birdy, with a name that starts with a C, that your twin sister and her mate are on the move.”
“What did you do to Caria?” I hiss, fury brewing inside me, hearing he spoke tomywitch.
“Oh, relax, she’s okay. The death witch and I get along just fine.” He grins at me, and I suppress a shudder seeing those pointy fangs. “Did you miss the part about your sister?”
“She’s still in Valorya?” I ask, and suddenly my interest is back, forgetting about Caria.
My fickle mood gives me a headache, and my priorities keep switching from consuming rage to a desperate desire to rip my sister to shreds.
“Is she—” Faas cuts me off.
“No, of course she isn’t alone, I said they were both in Valorya. I already told you, I have no quarrel with the Umbra, and you’re on your own for that part.”
“She’s at the witches' district, the youngling claimed to have no idea why your sister was there. But I do, they are there to find out more about your mother’s activities.”
I jerk my head at the dhampir. “My mother?”
Faas looks at me in surprise, narrowing his eyes. “What is it exactly that youdoknow?”
Something about the dhampir frightens me, and I reveal what Caria told me about the curse and how it affects both my sister and me. I explain how my mind is becoming more volatile and violent, and it takes all my strength to contain it.
“Come, Fynn. It’s time you and I have a serious talk,” Faas says, beckoning me.
We walk through a part of the woods that isn't magical—the hatred of the magical part toward me makes it impossible to enter—until we reach a large lake with crystal-clear water. I recognize this part. The lake is calledMirror Lake, Faas tells me. He points to the weeping willows that surround the shimmering water. Up close, I notice the constant drip of dew, like tears, sliding into the lake. I walk toward the rim of the water, curious to see the trees’ tears up close, yet the shimmering water draws my attention.
“Don’t go near the edge of the lake, you idiot,” Faas sneers, snatching me away. “How is it possible your family survived for so long when you know nothing of this world? This lake might look normal, son, but the moment you stare into that water, its reflections will lure you into it. And once you’re in, you’re done! You hear me? You’re dead.”
“How?” I ask, bewildered, glancing at the water glistening in the sunlight.
Nothing about it seems magical.
“When you get in that water, the surface closes. It seals you in, and as you drown, all you can do is stare at your own panicked reflection. It’s the cruelest way to die. Your lungs fillwith water as you breathe in, unable to ignore your natural instincts,” he growls, still irritated by my ignorance.
I tear my gaze away from the water and peer across it. On the other side, a dark red flower field appears, the one the witches brought to life, where Caria and I shared some precious moments together. I smile at the memories. Faas sits down, a few meters away from the outline of the lake, and gazes up at the blue sky. Unsure, I join him and then lie down on the barren grass, staring up at the sky as well. Lonely clouds pass by, and I wonder if there’s something magical about them, too. Perhaps they come down sometimes to suffocate you, wrapping themselves around you. I softly chuckle at the idiocy of it.
Suddenly, the dhampir opens his mouth, talking to me about Caria and that male witch of hers. The words that travel from his mouth start to unravel my world, as lie after lie is detangled. Tears well up in the corners of my eyes as it hits me that Caria is using me as a pawn in her own cruel game, but that nagging feeling remains. What if the dhampir is lying? What’s in it for him to get me to cross to his side? I know Caria has feelings for me, even if she’s with Reiner, that male witch from a different coven. Who can I trust? It seems Faas, so far, has only given me the truth, providing breadcrumbs that leave me to put the puzzle pieces together on my own. But Caria… She left information out…
It doesn’t matter.I know these foul creatures, witch and dhampir alike, can't be trusted—I should drive my fist into his mouth and scorch him from the inside, breaking off his teeth one by one. Beginning with those gnarly canines of his. And then move on to the damn witch.
I sit up straight, my eyes widen in shock at my own mind, the thoughts evaporating as fast as they arrived; they’re becoming more aggressive, more vicious and brutal, no longeraimed only at Harlot, but everyone around me, even those I do not hold dear.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, son,” Faas begins.
“How do I know if you’re telling me the truth? Why do you want Caria and me so desperately separated? Why?” I demand, my voice trembles with despair, as hopelessness clings to me.
“I don’t,” he shrugs. “I couldn't care less who you associate with Fynn. I just wanted you to know that she’s not as honest with you as you might think. That’s all. It’s up to you what you do with the information. Ignore it for all I care.”
Faas still lies in the barren grass, the sun warming his pale, nearly translucent skin, giving him the appearance of a ghost. His medium-length, light brown hair contributes to his handsome look, which he likely owes to his vampire heritage. Everything about these creatures is designed to lure humans in; their beauty is nearly impossible to resist.
“What happened to your parents?” I ask, unable to quell my curiosity, drastically changing the subject.
That catches the dhampir’s attention, as his eyes snap to mine, but it’s impossible to read any emotions on his face.
“If you must know… My mother died when I was six, Fynn. I couldn't control my vampire side, and I ended up ripping out her throat and draining her of all her blood. She didn’t survive that, obviously. And my father… Well, who knows? Vampires aren't exactly known for being loving or even monogamous. They can mate, sure, but they're mostly loners, solitary creatures, hooking up with whoever they want, regardless of gender; male or female, they don’t care. The only reason they herd together in cities like Valorya is for safety purposes. I don’t know how my mother survived being raped by a vicious creature such as a vampire, but somehow, she did, only to meet her end at the hands of her own son, a twisted andcruel joke by Mother Nature herself. I’ve been by myself ever since, until I got picked up by another dhampir, teaching me the ways to live this eternal life. He trained me, showed me how I could expand my powers. I found him cuddled up with a female vampire… I ripped both their heads off. I guess he was like a father to me to a certain extent, but I had a hard time with the betrayal I felt finding him like that."
