Page 29 of Pieces of Halves

Pet project? Kill her?My brain scrambles to put together the pieces.

“I don’t understand,” I mumble, my voice losing its strength.

“Cassandra was your mother. Victor always wanted to experiment with angel and vampire abilities. No one believed he could do it. There is a reason Vampires can’t have children with angels. I suppose he found a way. I am curious about the price he paid for it to work,” he explains casually.

The words ring, making it impossible to hear anything else. The room is spinning, the food I ate earlier is coming up my throat, and my lungs don’t want to expand.

Why?All he has ever done was ignore and use me.

“Adrian…” Rosie scolds the king, her voice tender.

“It is the truth.” The king’s voice is distant and muffled. “Fine, I will apologize when she isn’t…” I don’t hear anything else.

My father tricked Cassandra – my mother – into loving him and then he killed her.Pet project.Experiment. Am I not as strong as he wanted me to be? Is that why he allowed for my body to be used?

My lungs burn. I feel dizzy.

Familiar arms engulf me, creating a cocoon of warmth.

“Breathe, Izzy. I got you,” Jacob whispers in my ear.

Inhaling sharply, I focus on remaining composed. I will not break down because of something my father did. The pain of losing my mother like that is overwhelming. I never knew her, yet I always felt as if she wouldn’t have left me with a monster like my father. Or maybe I convinced myself of that to help cope.

“I’m okay,” I mumble and pull away from him.

I can sense the hesitation to release me, but he does so anyway. His eyes are still on me, an arm around my waist, when he strokes my face with his thumb.

The king clears his throat to get our attention. I pull away and turn to face him, heat creeping on my cheeks. He knows a lot. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised he knew my mother.

Rosie is standing next to him, tucked under his arm. They are so different, yet they look like they fit – right puzzle pieces coming together. She looks up at Adrian with a soft nudge and his shoulders slump a little.

“My apologies for being so blunt. It could’ve been handled more appropriately.” His tone is stiff, but a little more sympathetic.

Flustered at his apology, I don’t know what to say. Jacob, on the other hand, chuckles from next to me. Adrian’s head snaps, his eyes turn dark, and his lips go into a thin line. He looks angry and terrifying, but Jacob doesn’t even flinch.

“You fucking halfling. Today is the day that I kill you,” Adrian growls.

Frowning at the sudden change of tone, my heart rate picks up.

“Do try.” Jacob laughs and stands behind me, his arms around my waist.

Adrian’s eyes drop on me and I want to shrink. His knuckles turn white when he looks at Jacob again. Confused, I steal a glance at Rosie. She is rolling her eyes. It seems like it is something Jacob and the king have done before.

Rosie, the woman I cannot believe is the queen, was giddy to place us in a lavish room. The bed can comfortably fit four people on it, and the white sheets look like they could be clouds. A gentle wind blows into the room from the open window, making the light fabric of the curtains float.

“This is so beautiful,” I breathe out as I walk toward the bed. “There are rose petals on the covers.” I gasp and turn to look at Jacob.

“That’s Rosie’s idea.” He lets out a small chuckle and places his bag on the chair in the far corner of the room.

That’s sweet. The woman is perfect in every way.

The mattress looks so plush that the urge to jump flat on my back takes over.I bet I would melt into the bed.With a giggle, I jump into the center. It is a silly and childish act, but with everything happening, I want to enjoy something simple. My body sinks into the fresh sheets, relaxing my muscles. At least for now, in Adrian’s castle, I will be protected.

“Are you okay?” Jacob lies on his side next to me, his hand supporting his head.

I turn my head to him, my eyes dropping to his chest. A few of the buttons on his shirt are loose, exposing his defined chest muscles. My cheeks burn. To avoid staring, I look away. That did not work, because under his short sleeves are his bulging biceps.

Oh, all the saints…My body warms up quickly, and I don’t know where to look, my fingers itching to undo those buttons further and untuck the clothing from under his pants.

---