Page 18 of When Day Breaks

I shift uncomfortably at his first statement. He's right. It did feel good. But I don't know if that's me or the vampirism talking. Whatever is stirring inside of me seems to be more dangerous than I imagined. I can't seem to care much to analyze it further than the feelings I have now.

"That's why you let them lock you up?" I wonder. Maybe if I can get more information out of him, I can leverage my release against whoever put me down here.

"No, I let them lock me up because I wanted to know what it would be like to actuallyfeelempty. That, and someone might have compelled me. I can’t quite be too sure about that. But I'll leave you out of that mess. You seem to have too much on your plate already." He smirks and all I want to do is punch my hand through his chest. He's giving and taking. Just like Rivian did.

"Anyway, I just wanted to pay you a little visit. Let you know that I'm proud of you even if you did take things a little too far. Let me offer you some big brotherly advice . . . never letthem catch you comin', sis." He inches closer and brushes a gloved finger over my temple. sweeping my hair out of my eyes. "However, despite my praise of you growing a backbone, I'm not too happy about what you did to our sister. Troian is innocent in this world, in all of it. And what kind of brother would I be to her if I didn't defend her honor?"

He drops back down to his haunches, and before I can make a move to swing one of the chains at him, he squeezes my cheeks with one hand to hold me still, pressing my head back toward the wall while making quick work to pull his mask over my face. I struggle against his pursuit but come up short as my eyes are now masked and my breathing becomes significantly harder.

"And what kind of brother would I be to you if I let you get away with such crude actions without consequence?"

And for the second time in one night, my neck is snapped.

"Sleep tight, sis." I hear him say before everything fades to black.

7

unveiled

Rivian

Finding my way back to the castle, I see the clouds of smoke billow into the air, not quite as loud and dark as they were before I ran off to find my wife, but still there—evidence of the fire that burned along the edges of Hollows Trace.

It's eerie. Nothing feels the same as I walk the grounds, my castle looming beyond the light layer of fog in the distance. I rub the smooth stone between my fingers as I close it tightly between my palm.

The smell of charred trees and wood fills my nostrils generously as I walk the path, the fire seemingly dies down as I approach the clearing in front of me. The grounds are silent save for the small crackle of whatever is left being tortured by flame. Otherwise, it is abnormally calm.

But as I come closer into the view, I notice a woman standing not far ahead of me and I feel my shoulders tense knowing exactly who it is I'm about to come face to face with.

Her dark purple dress swirls in the light wind, cinched at her waist and sparkling like the glisten of the ocean in the dim glow of the moon. Her flared sleeves flow freely as her hands are palm out in front of her, ethereal and surreal, her magic floats around her in a phantasmal wave of passion. I hear light serene whispers and swishes of air weave about as I carefully step up behind her. Her long dark hair cascades down her back with strands of aquamarine weaved into the intricate braids it's styled in, adorned by gold and silver beads scattered throughout. Her deep brown skin illuminates almost a gold aura in the afterglow of the dying fire as she whispers little sayings.

I don't disturb her, but I know she can sense my presence as she raises her words to a slightly more audible level so that I am able to make out some of what she's saying. That or to elude her annoyance of how close I am, eager to stay in focus.

convertere flammas

damnum infectum fieri

nullum vestigium

novam

She speaks the words in that exact order, in slow and calculated tones, making sure to pronounce every syllable as she raises her palms up to the castle before us. Winds spin around like a small tornado hovering over the flames that seem to have now diminished nearly to none, pushing the smoke down beneath the soil as if reversing the damage that's been done.

convertere flammas

damnum infectum fieri

nullum vestigium

novam

The smoke residue that was caked into the structure seems to disappear along with the charred smell that permeated the air. Everything, word by word, is being undone. All the damage that was caused, all the destruction and chaos, mended with just afew more magical prayers spilling from the mouth of the most powerful witch I've ever known.

Our Society's biggest adversary.

"Nathairia," I whisper her name in a dark tone as she finally rests her palms at her side, keeping her eyes closed as she calms her breathing.

I look around. It's as if nothing had happened at all. Hollows Trace is whole again; the erasure of any and all evidence of betrayal of the kingdom's queen and for once tonight, I can breathe.

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