I slump against the countertop. “Oh . . .”
Demi hands me a steaming mug and my eyes glance at her fingers, all ten of them tattooed with intricate geometric shapes. “Knowing my brothers, I doubt that they’ve told you much. Come with me. You blow on that tea, and I'll start from the beginning."
Demi and Chris's living room is just as tasteful as the rest of their little farmhouse. Mustard drapes and hanging plants flank two sets of windows, a cozy black and white tribal rug centering the space which also includes a leather sofa piled with funky decorative pillows. Axe's sister takes a seat there, wrapping her cashmere cardigan around her stomach. She then reaches for a ball of pale blue yarn and her crochet tools, finding her place on an ongoing project: a blanket for her new son.
“The attack came the night my parents celebrated their anniversary. Mother was weeks away from having another baby, so there were lots of presents and decorations strung all over the house. We had joined our parents, along with several other couples for dinner that night. Things were winding down when my mother sensed something was off.
“While Father summoned warriors, she insisted that Daphne, Nell’s mother, take all the children downstairs. They argued for a minute—she didn't understand the panic until Mother whispered something in her ear. What got her to finally comply, I’m not sure. The two of them led us down to our father’s chambers, the only sector where we were not allowed. We found the hidden door to the torture chambers and climbed down those dark steps, one by one.
“Daphne agreed to stay with us. Mother put a key in my palm and told me to lock and seal the latch above me. As the future Alpha, I was responsible for keeping all of us kids safe. I remember a horrific scream from upstairs, which made Dom start to fuss. Mother held him one last time and kissed each ofus on our forehead, whispering that she loved us more than life itself.
“Somehow, Axe managed to slip past Daphne to go after her, but my mother caught him at the last second and pushed him back down. Once the iron door was secured, no one else could get in or out, except for the person with the key—me.”
Demi’s silver hook snags on the next loop. “WhenViggo—sorry—Axe, retreated, I thought he was having a panic attack. But when I knelt to try and calm him, the little shit slugged me and snatched the key. Before I could cry out, Daphne clamped a hand over my mouth. It nearly killed her, letting him go. But she had to. We had no choice but to remain behind the barricade.
“As you know, there are no windows in the lowest level of the manor. We couldn't see what was happening, but for those children in the room who were older—me, Tesni, and Kiersten—our developed hearing picked up everything we needed to know. Outside of these walls, a vampire invasion was unfolding. And we were vastly unprepared.
“Even now, there are no words to describe the carnage they brought into our home. Our kitchen was strewn with broken glass and blood splattering every surface. Vampires, the newest hybrids, were hunting around the premises, eviscerating everything in their path.
“In the kitchen, Axe faced one. Quick on his feet, he plucked a knife off the floor before ramming it under the monster’s chin. Around the corner, he collided with Father, who was slugging towards the basement door, along with a steady trail of blood. Panicked, he urged Axe to hide so he wouldn't be snuffed out. So, he darted into the family room and wiggled his way up the chimney, covering himself in soot to mask his scent. Just in time for the other vampires to burst inside and haul Father into the foyer.
“Crouched at the heels of their leader was Tesni’s father. Witnesses from that night had said he looked possessed by him. One thing was distinct about the demon: he was a first-generation vampire, with a helmet that depicted the face of a morbid insect. The Master of Somnium’s henchman, if not the demon himself. Powerful enough to compel our Sentinel to hold a butcher knife to Mother's belly while our father watched, subdued by four of his minions.”
Morbid insect? Master of Somnium?Fuck.There’s no one else that could be . . .
‘‘‘Where is it?’the vampire repeated over and over. To his fury, Father wouldn't give him anything, not even a whimper as they raked silver knives down his body, spilling his entrails.
“Mother remained brave until the very end. Knowing her time was near, she begged that he extend mercy to her unborn child. But the undead never do. Instead, he motioned for Tesni’s father to plunge the knife into her womb. Then, he summoned the monsters to feed on her. Father was forced to watch until his heart gave out.
“The vampire gave one last order before executing the Sentinel along with them: ‘Burn it all.’
“That was the last thing Axe heard before he felt heat spreading along the hardwood floor, igniting the fireplace. Had he not been small enough to wiggle out of the chimney, he would've burned alive. By the time he reached the roof, the pack was still fighting monsters on their rampage. Axe ran to the end of the property, to an empty cabin, and phoned the mayor. Along with the fire department, the Tilaak came by the dozens, their sirens scattering the vampires to the forest. It was the last time humans have ever stepped foot on my family's land. Until you.”
A profound heaviness settles in my heart.
I’m not sure if the words will help, but I say them anyway. "It’s unimaginable. All of you so young, yet forced to be impossibly brave."
She sniffles. "Dom was so small. He barely remembers our parents before it happened. It took an entire village to raise the three of us. He grew up with so much confusion, never really attaching to anyone. I worry that's why he would rather live among humans. I’m sure he would rather be one of them, too.”
I gape at her. "Doesn’t it bother you that I am?"
Setting the yarn aside, she slings an arm over my shoulder. "I do not question the Great Mother's choices. While tragedies do befall us, the goddess makes no mistakes."
Steeling myself, I sit up straight. “When we return, I want to train. I want to go after the monster who did this. For my own reasons.”
Axe's sister gently dabs a stray tear. She leans back against the cushions, telling of how she and Tesni were trained together as girls by her late mother. Though a great distance separates them, she remains her oldest friend and the welder of the most menacing warriors Immaren has ever seen. If I earn her respect, she’ll mold me into something to be feared.
"Maybe I misheard you a minute ago . . . did you call your brother by a different name?"
Demi inhales sharply. "I did," she says. "Viggo is his birth name. After the invasion, he refused to let any of us call him that. Goddess only knows why, but I suggest that you don't either."
An hour later,I am rapping on the door of the guest room where Axe and I have been put up for the night. When he opensit, a deluge of steam pours out, water droplets from the shower clinging to him in its wake.
"Had to borrow a few things from Chris," he says dryly. "They're a bit . . . snug."
My mouth parts at the image of his damp skin beneath a tight-stretched grey shirt and sweatpants. I force myself to tear my eyes away from his absurdly chiseled pectorals and enter the room. When I see the size of the quilted bed, my stomach bottoms out. There’s no way?—
"No need to panic, Moonshine. I’ll be taking the couch.”
