Page 8 of The Eighth Isle

Wow.

“Don’t mind him—he’s practically a golem, too. Unless I awaken him, he’s as cold as these rocks.”

I jumped back, my instincts fired up,surprisedbecause Syra was right next to me, and I hadn’t heard her at all. I hadn’tfelther, either, because the magic in the air had overwhelmed all my senses, had rendered them useless.

Syra brought her hand to her chest, her eyes wide and glossy. “What’s the matter, Hansil? Are you mad at me?”

I fisted my hands, and my wings came out of me involuntarily.

“I am not Hansil Knight,” I told her, even though a voice in my head insisted that it wouldn’t matter.

“Of course you are—lookat you. You’re him, I know it.”

“No, I’m not. Hansil didn’t have wings. He was only human.”

She looked me over slowly, unbothered. “And what are you?”

“Vampire.” And my fangs were already extended as if to show her.

“There’s no such thing,” she said, bright blue eyes squinted. “Tell me the truth.”

I shook my head. “Vampire. Theymadeus, transformed the human children of Hansil Knight when they put you down.”

Her brows shot up and she paused for only a second. “Yes, Hansil told me about his bastard sons he had with human women before we met,” she said. “That was smart of my sisters, actually.”

My wings were ready. I’d been wounded and every inch of me hurt, but I had more than enough energy to fly out of here. I’d drunk Fall’s blood for days. That stuff was magical all on its own. I could hardly feel the blood loss from the fight, and I was feeling more like myself by the minute.

“Like I said, I am not Hansil.” I took a step back, closer to the window, and I wasn’t delusional enough to think I was faster, that I could escape her. No—for once, I was the weaker one in the room. For once, I knew exactly what it felt like to be completely at someone else’s mercy, and it made me fucking sick because I still had no idea where Fall was. “I’m going to leave now. I?—”

“Oh, no, you’re not going anywhere, my love,” she cut me off.

I fisted my hands tightly. “I am not Hansil. Youknowthis?—”

“What I know is that I’ve been awakened, and apparently five hundred years have passed since the last time my eyes were open, but the universe has given back what my sisters took, and all is well.” She smiled, coming closer to me. “I amnotmad. I know I should be. I’d have every right to be—but I am not.”

“You ruined an entire continent,” I said, despite my better judgment. Because I wasn’t delusional, yes—butsheabsolutely was.

“Because my sisters took everything from me.” She shrugged—actually shrugged as if to say,well, what did you expect?!

“They killed the man you loved—and in turnyoukilled thousands upon thousands of innocent people.” That she even needed me to spell that out for her was a red flag on its own.

“Because the land is rotten, I believed. Because sirens and Ennaris are the same, and if one isbad,so is the other.” Again, she came closer, and when she reached out her hand for my face, I moved back. “What is it, my love? Talk to me,” she whispered, and I shook my head, unable to believe that she was really asking me that. I looked at her,reallylooked at her, her dirty face and naked body. She was so petite, possibly five foot two, wide blue eyes and an expression that would have you thinking she wouldn’t hurt a fucking fly.

Just to think thatshehad ruined everything…

“Does my nakedness make you uncomfortable?” she then said, looking down at her body as she waved her hand toward her chest.

A blink, and her skin was clean, and her hair was clean, and a white sundress was on her, falling all the way to her feet. “Is this better?”

Again, I shook my head. “I have to leave,” I repeated, even though I didn’t expect her to agree to it in the least, but what other choice did I have? To attack her and try to flee would be stupid. I’d only anger her more, and since she was the type of person to ruin continents when she was pissed off, I didn’t want to test my luck.

Why hadn’t Storm found her yet?

“You are not going anywhere,” she reminded me, but now her smile faltered. “Have I not suffered enough?” She stepped closer. “You’remine, and this time I won’t let you out of my sight.”

She meant every word, but before I could say anything else, Storm’s roar reached my ears from far way—he’d found Fall. I couldn’t tell the exact location where he saw her, but a whiff of the salty smell of the ocean filled my nostrils, coming straight from his memories.

She was in the ocean, not on the Isle. And Storm wascalmabout it, which meant she was safe.

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