Page 334 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

His lips quirk up. “If you are asking whether I am your father or not, the answer is no,” he adds with a chuckle.

I gulp down. He knew exactly what I was going to ask. Can he read my mind?

“Your thoughts are very loud,” he says, confirming my suspicions. “But that, too, shall pass once you learn how to shield your mind again.”

“How do you know all that?”

“Your powers are back. Your essence is once more whole.”

His head tilts to the side as if he’s listening to something. “This is my cue to leave.” With a snap of his fingers, I’m once more back in bed. He lingers for one more moment as he says, “I am happy you are back. Truly. Sol’Ren would have been, too. All he ever wanted…” He pauses and closes his eyes. “All he ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

I stare at him in confusion as he heads for the door. Just as he opens it, another man comes inside. “Thanks for looking out for him, Nyk.”

The man, Nyk, inclines his head. “Always, old friend.”

The door closes and I’m left alone with the newcomer.

He’s around my age, if not younger. He’s dressed in a pair of loose beige pants and a white shirt, with a red cardigan on top. That is some…questionable fashion choices right there.

“And you are?” I quirk a brow at him. I’ve decided to save my strength for later since every small movement causes me intense pain. Even though I need to leave here and get to Minnie as soon as possible, until I get better, I’m stuck here.

Unless these people who clearly know so much about me can help me.

Alas, there isonegood thing about this entire ordeal. It appears I am not quite human. That might be a cause of concern at one point—I did freak out initially when my blood turned black—but not anymore.

I’m not human. I have powers. That means I can save Minnie!

And if I’m just as immortal as she is, then I can be with herforever. No more dying and no more worrying that she might find someone else. That’s never going to happen now.

She’s stuck with me for eternity. How cool is that?

The newcomer doesn’t answer. He’s staring at me, almost in awe.

“It really is you, Valerìon,” he murmurs.

“Valerìon? Who’s that?”

He snaps his fingers and a mirror materializes in front of me.

“You.”

I blink slowly, then move my hand to my face, feeling for my features. The person in the mirror does the same, emulating each movement. Because itisme. Yet it’s not.

It’s familiar but foreign at the same time.

I look like myself but different. My hair is pitch black now, whereas before it was a dark brown. My irises, though still green, are more vivid, my eyes more elongated. My jaw seems more angular and pronounced.

“What the hell?” I burst out and punch the mirror. Of course the one hurting is me while the mirror disappears in thin air.

The man stops in front of my bed and regards me with a sigh.

“You are still in pain, are you not?”

“Who the hell are you and what’s happening to me? I need answers. Now!”

“Perhaps this will help allay some of your worries,” he says, and just as he finishes talking, his form changes to a familiar one.

“Giles?”

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