AIYANA
Vardam raised a finger, demanding silence for a brief second.
"Arkan was one of my brother’s most powerful disciples. A brilliant apprentice… and deeply corrupted. But he wasn’t the only one. If he made contact with the others… then there’s a legion lurking. Waiting."
He looked directly at me. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine.
"Aiyana… everything revolves around you."
A sound of scorn escaped my lips before I could stop it.
"Why is it always me?"
"Because you are impossible," he replied, and noticing my offended expression, added, "You shouldn’t exist."
AIYANAI didn’t know what to expect from a father lost and found. Maybe an awkward hug, or a dramatic apology straight out of some cheesy romance Alyssa would try to shove on me. But Vardam gave me none of that.And deep down, I’m grateful for it.He didn’t call me “daughter.” He didn’t try to fill a role that was never his. He just introduced himself as someone who knew more than he was telling, which seems to be the theme with everyone in my life, and offered what he could: answers, guidance, training.Still, when I’m near him, it feels like I’m trying to decipher an ancient riddle. As if he carries every piece of my puzzle and is testing whether I deserve to see them.
AIYANAI slipped out of Icarus’s arms and finished pulling on my shirt, fumbling to find my pants, tugging them on in a rush while his touch still burned against my thighs.I had one leg in when Maxim appeared on the second-to-last step of the staircase.And his gaze burned hotter than any touch.He froze.He didn’t say anything at first, not in the first second, maybe not even in the next. But his eyes said everything. His clenched jaw, his fists tightening, his gaze sparking with a maddening mix of rage and hurt.“I thought you were dead,” Maxim finally growled, his eyes darkening. “But no. You were just... busy.&rd
AIYANAThe attic of Vardam’s house was covered in a fine layer of dust. The slanted ceiling filtered the late-afternoon light through cracks in the roof, painting the space with orange hues and long shadows.Icarus walked to the center of the room, nudging a few objects out of the way with his foot. I followed him in silence, watching his precise, almost calculated movements, like he always knew exactly where to step without making a sound, as if the whole world were a minefield and he had memorized the map.It was only when he turned to me, arms crossed, that I noticed.“You’re... wearing gloves?”He glanced down at his gloved hands as if he had forgotten. The gloves were black, thin, looked like lightweight wool, but reached just past his wrists.“Yeah.” His answer was quiet, almost defensive. “Lethal touch, remember? Better not risk it.”My stomach tightened. It hurt, in a strange way. Not out of fear, but for him. For everything he carried and hid behind irony and silence. He spok
AIYANAVardam raised a finger, demanding silence for a brief second."Arkan was one of my brother’s most powerful disciples. A brilliant apprentice… and deeply corrupted. But he wasn’t the only one. If he made contact with the others… then there’s a legion lurking. Waiting."He looked directly at me. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine."Aiyana… everything revolves around you."A sound of scorn escaped my lips before I could stop it."Why is it always me?""Because you are impossible," he replied, and noticing my offended expression, added, "You shouldn’t exist."
AIYANAI woke with a strange warmth against my back. A slow breath at the nape of my neck and the weight of an arm across my waist. On the other side, something brushed against my leg a bare leg, I realized later, and the familiar scent of smoke wrapped around me.My eyes opened slowly, still blurred, and for a moment I thought I was dreaming.But it wasn’t a dream. It was the room where I had been staying since we ended up in Vardam’s house. And in the same bed as me… were Icarus and Maxim.Icarus to my left. Maxim to my right.And I, in the middle.Frozen.I had no idea how it had happened
AIYANAThe air was heavy, electrified by the echo of battle. The room seemed veiled in mist, though none was there."They were still there. Trapped," I whispered. "Their souls. But the darkness used them as shells. I… I can separate them. I can feel the thread of life… and the weight of the shadow. When I take away the darkness, they finally rest."I freed them all, not with violence, but with mercy. The darkness left twisted, shrieking in silence, and peace took the place where horror had reigned.Max’s scream tore through the air."Isabela!"We all turned at once. She was collapsed at the foot of the stairs. Blood pooled beneath h