Violet“He knows,” I breathed.I looked at Kylan for a long moment, just studying him the way he always studied me as I looked for signs. To be honest, I didn’t even know what I was looking for.Maybe a twitch, or a shift, or anything to tell me how bad this was going to be. Was he angry?He looked angry. But I wasn’t sure.Was this the part I had been so afraid of? Where the one person I had been leaning on the most would finally call me stupid?Kylan’s jaw flexed. He pulled in a breath through his nose, clearly trying not to snap, and then he…smiled. His lips curled into a tight smile, and his hand slowly rested on my thigh.“And when did this happen?” he asked. His tone was gentle but tense. He didn’t need to tell me that he was hurt, and he didn’t have to try and hide it either, because I could clearly tell. It had affected him.“It was the first day I got here,” I came clean, my voice small. “That morning I went to Madam Renata. I got overwhelmed, had a panic attack, and my eyes…
VioletI didn’t say anything at first.Mostly because…I didn’t know how to answer.Kylan was watching me. He looked calm, patient, but I could tell by his expression that he was trying to figure out if I even knew what was going on.And honestly? I didn’t.I didn’t know when it changed.Or how we suddenly got there.Or why Kayden started calling me by that name.I shifted a little, thinking maybe something would come to mind if I just gave it a second. But nothing did. Nothing I could explain, at least.Kylan didn’t push. He just kept looking at me until I let out a long sigh.“That’s a really good question,” I agreed.He let out a soft chuckle. “Right?”His finger moved to my chin, and he forced me to look up into those eyes that suddenly looked warm again.“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” I said, smiling.“So, do I tell him to stop calling you that, or will you?” Kylan asked. He cupped my cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. Soft, quick kisses, one after anot
VioletI counted down the seconds as Kylan got closer.Five…Four…A deep breath came from within, though I wasn’t sure what I was bracing for. His eyes were full of fury, but Kylan wasn’t seriously about to slap his own brother in a wheelchair, right? Over…a cloak?Three…Two…But then, the car door behind us opened again. First Nate stepped out, then Dylan, then… Fergus? My eyes widened in surprise. Why was he with him?Kylan froze mid-step, and his head slowly turned toward the car. He seemed ready to attack, but the moment they stepped out, something shifted. There was something that had made him decide against it.“Violet, you’re back!”Trinity?I was shocked as she walked up the path with Lian and Sora right behind her. Her eyes were locked on me, full of worry. Meanwhile, Dylan, who had just stepped out of the car, didn’t waste a second and moved to Trinity like she was the only thing that mattered.Even Kayden’s maid had suddenly appeared from wherever she had been hiding, her
VioletThere was something strange about the way it sounded in my ears—what I’m allowed to share. He made it seem like someone was watching… pulling the strings.I didn’t know if he was trying to sound cryptic on purpose, or if he really believed in something bigger than himself. Either way, it made a chill run through me.Because who would even decide something like that? Varius? That raven, Thorne?“Kian has one goal,” Kayden began. “Kian wants to make the world a better place. A world where no one’s treated less because of their blood, their species…their power, their past, or even their body.”He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath. “When Kian is in control, there will be no more fighting, no jealousy.”I frowned behind his back, trying to make sense of his words. Why was he speaking in third person anyway?Wasn’t he Kian?I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat. Kayden was somewhat bearable, but this Kian person sounded like a nightmare. I knew it was Varius or Th
Violet“Who are all these people?”My chest moved up and down as I looked around the room. My eyes stopped on a little girl lying on a bed near the end of the tent. She looked no older than ten, and her cough was much too rough for someone so small.The sight of her made something crack inside me. Something I didn’t know was still breakable.“Why are they here,” I said softly, “and not in the city where they—”“Can get the proper care they need?” Kayden finished for me. My eyes widened as they snapped to him. Kayden exhaled hard through his nose, folding his arms like he was trying to hold something in.“They are witches, Violet,” he spoke. “This is what happens to them here in Lyperia.”Yes, but why did he care?I turned my eyes to Varius, who had walked over to the girl who was coughing. He moved slowly, like he was hurting too. When he got to her, he held his hand just above her forehead. His eyes lit up white for a moment, but it only lasted a second.It didn’t last…The light van
VioletI kept my eyes on Kayden as we followed behind Varius. This time, he was the one controlling his wheelchair, and for once, he looked ahead. I couldn’t fully see his face, but his usual smirk pulled at his lips as he looked at Varius’s back.For him to do that, smile at that old man with that kind of joy, he must’ve been very important to him.Good for him. But all I could think about was how Kayden knew I was a child of blood, yet had the audacity to act like he only figured something out when he saw my eyes glow.What was that all about?I slowed my steps a little, taking in everything around us. The deeper we went into the village, the stranger it began to feel. Something was definitely off, and it wasn’t just the mist.The homes were small and made of old wood, with several tents scattered around. Everything looked so fragile, it seemed like even a bit of wind could knock them down.The villagers who had greeted us were not the only people around. Eyes peeked out of the wind