Page 25 of Pieces of Halves

“How are you feeling?” she asks, her tone delicate.

“Okay…” I mumble.

My memories are not crushing my soul; that is a good start.

Fine Line.

Chapter Ten

JACOB

e are only a day away from the castle, but there are still a few more people I need to talk to in the city. The witches said my mother wanted to rule the vampires. I am curious how. She hates them. The most logical conclusion is that she wants to control them and make them her slaves, but having power like that requires resources that not many have access to. I need to learn where she could get such things.

The vampires should not be following us this close to Adrian’s castle. I couldn’t be too cautious, so I got the safest hotel I could. Clara, the owner of the Inn, is known for catering to those with very specific needs. Those people pay good money to keep away from curious eyes. That is why she’s strict aboutwho she allows to enter her establishment. There are also a few demon guards working there. They are sensitive to the smell of vampires, but Clara assured me that her men would not come after Izzy.

Tengu is with her as well. She will be fine.

The sun is setting, but it’s still warm when I search through the crowd of the town center for a man whom I was told looks like ‘a massive ogre with a beard’. As described, a large man with a protruding belly and a bush of hair on his face is sitting on a bench, his arm resting on the back of it.

Werewolves and their bears.I smirk, amused by the stereotype.

I sit next to him and suddenly feel very uncomfortable with his towering size. Not that I worry he can hurt me, I just don’t like how he hovers over me. It’s unnerving. Plus, with his belly, it feels like I’m too close to him. I get up and rest my knee on the edge of the bench instead. He laughs at me, his voice deep and low.

At least the wolf is good-natured.

“What do you know about the spell to control a large group of beings?” I watch the people passing by.

It is getting late, but it is still busy. The cities by the castles are all like this – packed and bustling. A few bystanders glance at him, but he only offers small nods and jolly smiles.

“Well, let’s just say that lots of hearts from werewolves are required, a few more from vampires, a feather of an angel, root of Tartus –” the wolf sighs. “Sofia is on a very dark journey.” He glances at me from the side.

“How do you know it’s Sofia?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Do you know how hard it is to get the root of Tartus?” He scoffs.

Practically impossible. The tree likes to grow by volcanoes, spreading its roots over the lava rivers. Getting it means burning to a crisp. The only ones who can go there safely are the fire fairies and they don’t like anyone.

My mother is planning on enslaving the vampires.Wonderful. I grit my teeth at the aching truth. The wolf is cooperating in hopes of avoiding his kind being butchered for their hearts. I can respect that.

Damn it!Anger and grief sear my heart. The goal was to find my mother for answers. I had no expectations, but a part of mewanted her to have a good reason to leave. Somewhere deep down, I wanted her to say that she loved me. Now, I have to stop her from this madness.

“How long have you known her?” I ask. Maybe the man knows when it all started for Sofia – why is she so mad for power?

“Too long. She’s broken and confused.” The large man shakes his head.

“How so?” My brows quickly come together.

“Her parents were killed by vampires when she was young.” He sighs and looks out at the market. “She has never been the same. I think there was always something off about her, though.”

What happened to her was unfair, but it did not give her the right to murder and abandon her family.

It hurts more than I thought it would to know that my mother is a power-hungry villain. I suspected this when the witches told me about her. Still, now it is real. Clenching my jaw, I push through the doors of the Inn and hand the guard my ticket. The bar in the next room is buzzing as I march towards the stairs. Everyone is politely chatting, and no one is throwing punches. A nice change for me.

I skip the dark wood stairs, rushing to our room. We got a few books that Izzy was eyeing at the market. That probably kept her busy for a bit, but knowing how she consumes information, she is probably done with them. It’s fascinating how quickly she learns and absorbs information.

Maybe I can take her down to the bar and we can have a peaceful drink together. The aura in there is quite romantic with the music and candles – she might like it.

Fuck, I need a drink.

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