All that happens is dark clouds that swirl around me defensively, its confidence back now that it learned it can’t be siphoned.
I see the pair whisper to each other, Fynn’s glance at me less hostile than earlier, as he keeps a close eye on me. It’s the monster he befriended that worries me more. I understand that I function as the bait, in hopes of catching the Umbra, or at least its bride. I let out a frustrated cry, startling them.
“It doesn’t work, they refuse to obey,” I whisper, a tremble in my voice, as hot tears stream down my face.
It’s humiliating to admit that I have so little control over my own powers. It’s a form of vulnerability that feels like a disgrace and is bitterly humbling. I drop to my knees, long strands of flaming hair obscuring my face as I press my hands into the grass among the dead flowers. Tears fall from my face, soaking the dirt beneath.
“Just… do what you want with me… I can’t give you what you’re asking for.”
I hear the crunch of footsteps approaching, the stems of the few remaining flowers breaking without regard for the life they represent. I let my head hang, bracing myself for the blow that will follow.
“You will always have my heart, Reiner. I’ll find you in the next life,” I whisper, barely audible.
A warm hand rests on my shoulder, and with tear-stricken eyes, I glance up. Familiar, kind gray eyes gaze back at me. Iopen my mouth to speak when I feel the warmth that resonates through my body become burning hot, and I try to pull away from him, but his fingers are firmly planted on my shoulder, digging into my skin. I am seized by the stinging sensation that courses through me, as I feel blisters beginning to form and peel at my skin. My shadows try to fight him off to no avail, unable to come even close to him. His fingers burst through my skin, exposing the pink flesh and muscles underneath. A blood-curdling scream escapes my throat as I almost pass out from the scorching pain coursing through me. Faintly, I hear the dhampir’s bouldering laughter in the background, and my vision begins to blur. On the verge of losing consciousness, a frost-cloaked sensation crawls across my skin, tickling my senses and keeping me awake.
“Let’s see if this is the motivation you need to perform one simple task,” Fynn says, his voice venomous as he lets me go.
I grit my teeth, swallowing my pride and preventing myself from lashing out. I refuse to give him that satisfaction. Instead, I stay rooted to the ground, softly panting as I focus on biting through the pain in my shredded limb. Seconds pass, but nothing happens—no miraculous appearance by the Umbra and Fynn’s sister. Fynn must be spiraling into madness, unable to lay his hands on his twin and kill her in cold blood. Seconds turn into minutes, and aside from the rustling leaves and the soft drops of tears landing in the lake, everything remains eerily silent.
“Maybe we should throw her in the lake,” I hear the dhampir suggest. “Perhaps that will stress her magic enough to make her scream out to that Umbra.”
“Have you considered he might just not care?” I cry out. “Why would he save me again? What am I to him? Nothing!”
“Well, youngling, that was not a smart move,” he tuts. “Rendering yourself useless in a dangerous situation is pretty stupid, and I like to think you’re better than that.”
Strong arms hoist me up and drag me toward the ridge of the lake, the few remaining dahlias stroking against my legs. I kick my feet in defiance, knowing that the moment I hit that water, I will never resurface, doomed to drown.
“Let me go, you bastard,” I hiss and spit in the dhampir’s face. He scoffs.
He drops me, only to catch me at the last minute by my hair. Tears well in the corners of my eyes as he pulls me up, my hair taut and stinging my scalp. Then he clutches my head in a vice-like grip as he continues to yank me toward the shimmering, sparkling water, as if I’m a puppet with invisible strings. I whimper at the pressure he exerts, causing my head to throb. As we close in on the ridge, I give up, having no more energy left to fight him off. He pauses a few meters before the lake where I will meet my end.
“It seems we’ve got company,” the dhampir murmurs under his breath, and lets me go.
With force, he slams me to the floor, and my vision bursts into little stars. It takes me a few seconds of blinking before I understand why he released me so abruptly.
A low, gray haze begins to cover the ground, obscuring the flowers and softening every outline. Its density increases, a pale breath that smothers the surroundings in suffocating whiteness.Reiner. I choke back the tears that build up, and I try to see the dhampir and Fynn, but neither appears in my peripheral vision. Shrouded in mist, I take advantage of my sudden invisibility, and I crawl away from the water’s edge, not letting my eyes drift to the crystal-clear lake.
I let out a soft shriek as I bump into one of the willows surrounding the mere, its bark scraping roughly against my skin.My shoulder screams in agony, and I do my best to ignore the sharp pain. I don’t have the energy to perform my blood magic and heal the damage Fynn inflicted on me. My breathing is heavy, despite my efforts to swallow it down. I’m terrified my wheezing betrays my location, even though I don’t see a thing. Feeling the tree makes me realize how close the dhampir had dragged me to the treacherous water. If Reiner had been a few seconds later, I might have been staring at my own reflection, fighting against water that would choke me from the inside out. I do my best to catch my breath and decide the best way to escape.
Out of nowhere, a hand clamps over my mouth. My instinct tells me to shout for help, but the familiarity of his skin suppresses the need. Instead, it makes me feel at ease. The ice underneath my flesh begins to melt at Reiner’s touch, returning to him now that he has found me. I gently kiss his palm, letting Reiner know that I recognize him, and he carefully takes his hand away. Without a word, he lifts me, and we disappear into the silvery veil that Reiner conjured and drapes over us all.
“Not so fast.”
The words are loud and harsh. They make my heart race, like a hummingbird trapped in a cage, fluttering against the bars—the sound pounds in my ears. In slow motion, I watch as the shrouded blanket that has wrapped itself around us thins out. The outline of the monstrosity comes into view as the fog Reiner conjured disappears into the void that opened up in his hand. Fynn steps into vision as well.
“Unfortunately, we still need you, Caria, so we can’t say our goodbyes just yet.” The dhampir grins.
I feel Reiner's grip tighten around me; it hurts, but I don’t say a word. Not knowing what other powers the dhampir possesses makes him a dangerous opponent. Reinerconcentrates on both of them, his fog probing, seeking any weaknesses, but neither of them offers a way out.
“We’ll let you go when the Umbra appears. If he doesn’t, I don’t mind giving you love birds an ending together. Both of you can fill your lungs with water while holding each other. I’m not entirely made of stone, you know. A lover’s embrace.”
The dhampir keeps rambling nonsensical words, threatening us both with death.
Bloodlust Fray
Harlot
Chapter 15
