Page 31 of A Touch of Darkness

“What does that make me?” I manage to choke out.

“It makes you both,” he says, his voice quiet but firm. “A hunter with the blood of the original witches. A bridge between two legacies that were never meant to coexist. But here you are. You and Lara are hunters by lineage. But you are also witches, too.”

My hands tremble. My mind races, trying to make sense of it all.

“This is too much,” I whisper, shaking my head. “It’s too fucking much.”

A tear slips free, trailing slowly down my chapped cheek. It feels hot against my skin, a small betrayal from a body thatshould have nothing left to give. I can’t cry anymore, and yet, I am.

Professor Draedon moves closer, his presence overwhelming, but strangely grounding. When he reaches out and brushes a tear from my cheek, I flinch. His touch is gentle, and it lingers just a moment too long. His thumb rests at the edge of my cheekbone, his touch hovering just shy of intimate, and I’m too tired to resist the pull of the moment.

“I want to reiterate this. I did not harm your sister. I cannot speak for all of my vampire counterparts, but this area isn’t like it used to be. Most vampires aren’t out killing innocent humans. We’re much more humane than even a decade ago.” He pauses. “You’re not alone in this,” he murmurs, his voice low, almost a whisper.

I don’t know why those words unravel something in me, but they do. My breath shudders, catching in my throat, and for a second, I want to believe him. That I don’t have to carry all of this by myself.

His thumb shifts slightly, his hand cupping the curve of my jaw for a breath too long, and then it’s gone. The absence leaves a hollow ache I can’t explain, and I hate how much I notice it.

“It’s just a tear,” I say, my voice breaking, but the moment has already marked me, sinking deeper than it should.

His eyes, darker than I’ve ever seen them, hold mine for a beat longer than necessary, like he’s searching for something in me he doesn’t quite understand—or maybe something he already does.

“It’s never just a tear,” he says softly, his gaze dropping to my lips for the briefest second before he pulls back, the space between us growing wide again.

And just like that, the moment slips away, leaving me breathless in its wake.

I swallow, the lump in my throat growing as I try to regain some semblance of control.

“What you’re saying is Lara and I were always meant for something… something bigger.” The words taste foreign on my tongue. “But what now, Professor? What am I supposed to do with this?”

He takes a step back, his face unreadable. “The truth is, we don’t know everything yet. But this, Sylvie? This is just the beginning. What’s happening now, hearing Lara in your mind… it’s the start of something much bigger than either of us understands, despite the studying I’ve done.” His eyes harden slightly. “And there are others out there, watching, waiting to see what you’ll do with your power.”

It all crashes down on me, and I struggle to keep my breathing steady. But I can’t help the panic that rises up inside me. "But… Lara. I can still hear her. And she told me not to trust Isabel. She said I’m being lied to. But I don’t even know who to trust anymore. If I can hear her, how is she dead?” My hands shake as I clutch at my chest, trying to steady the unease inside me. “What if I can’t do this? What if I’m?—”

He steps closer, his expression softening. “You don’t have to face this in isolation. You never were meant to. But I need you to understand one thing. Whatever Isabel is telling you, whatever she’s showing you, it’s not the whole truth. There’s more to this than either of us know. She’s made it clear the Society wants you. They could be lying to pull you in.” He takes another deep breath, and I follow suite, instinctively. “You truly have no reason to believe me, I am well aware of this. But if you give me time, I will continue to tell you why you should.”

I shake my head, tears threatening at the edges of my vision. “I don't know what’s real anymore. I just want it to stop. I want to wake up from this nightmare.”

Lucian looks at me, his expression unreadable but his voice firm. “You’re just beginning to understand what’s at play here. And there’s a lot more at stake than just your sister’s death.”

I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around everything he’s just said. My chest tightens, and the air around me feels stifling, like I’m drowning in it. “But… what am I supposed to do? You’re telling me I’m part of a prophecy, but I still don’t understand what it means for me moving forward. For Lara. For all of this.” I gesture wildly around the room, my hands trembling. “How do I stop it? How do I fix it?”

His gaze never wavers. His eyes hold something I can’t quite place—concern, yes, but also something darker, like he’s bracing himself for something that’s coming. “You don’t fix it, Sylvie. You embrace it. You accept what you are, what you’ve always been. It’s time. This is your destiny. Your fate. Whether you want it to be or not.”

I stare at him, feeling the ground shift beneath me. “You think I’m ready for this? I don’t even know who I am anymore. All of this, everything… it’s too much. I didn’t ask for this.” My breath hitches in my throat, and I can feel my pulse throbbing in my temples. “I just want Lara back. I just want to know why this is happening. Why her? Why me?”

He steps closer again, his hand resting gently on my arm, and the coolness of his touch sends a shiver through me. “I know you didn’t ask for this. No one would. But it’s your fate, Sylvie. It’s written in blood. Inyourblood.” His voice lowers, almost a whisper now. “You and Lara… you’re connected to something older than both of you. Something powerful that you must see through.”

I swallow hard, trying to keep my composure. My throat feels tight, and the room seems to close in on me. “So that’s it? I just… accept it? Accept that I’m part of thisprophecy,and that Lara is dead, and that now I’m supposed to… what?” I feel a wave ofanger wash over me, hot and overwhelming. “I don’t even know how to handle any of this.”

His expression softens, his eyes sad but understanding. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. But you do need to trust that you have the strength to get through this. You always have.” He moves a step back, his gaze steady. “You’re not just a hunter, Sylvie. You are a witch. You’rethehunter born of twins—you hold the power to change things. To tip the scales of fate. But you need to understand that your actions, your decisions, they will have consequences. This path you’re walking… it’s going to test you. It’s going to push you in ways you never thought possible.”

I look at him, feeling his words settle over me like a heavy cloak. “Consequences?” My voice is barely a whisper. “I couldn’t even save my sister. I couldn’t protect her. And now I’m supposed to be part of something bigger. It’s laughable.”

He nods solemnly, his gaze never leaving mine. “You couldn’t save Lara because you weren’t mean to save her, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stop whatever is coming next. You can still change things, Sylvie. But only if you accept the power that’s inside you. Don’t run from it.”

I turn away from him, my fingers gripping the edge of a nearby table. My mind is spinning with everything he’s said. How am I supposed to accept this? How do I just… be something I don’t even understand? A sense of helplessness rises within me.

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with this power,” I mutter, half to myself, half to him. “How do I use it? What if I can’t control it?”

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