I studied him. He said the words so smoothly, like a master of deceit, and I felt a coldness settle in my stomach.
A golden glow spilled across the room, offering no comfort against the chill seeping into my bones. My mother, Alina, fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth, her face etched with lines of hardship and secrets.
“Every time I had a lead on a blade, I found nothing,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “and I was tortured and beaten by Salvatore. Master manipulator. Liar. When I escaped, I was excited to see you all grown up. I watched you from afar.”
“Cut the bullshit,” I snapped, unable to contain the roiling emotions inside me. “You tried to kill me many times, according to the journal.”
The words felt heavy, accusatory, and raw.
Alina’s posture stiffened. “I was trying to protect you. I know how crazy it sounds. I want to defeat Balthazar and these Timehunters once and for all.”
Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to digest her words. Could she be telling the truth? My gut twisted with uncertainty, the journal’s accusations echoing in my skull.
“Mom…” I hesitated, my throat tight. I circled to the beginning of this conversation. So many things weren’t adding up. “I saw you get killed. I attended the funeral.”
Lee rose to his feet, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “She had a closed casket. Your father didn’t want you to be scarred for life. We wanted you to have a better memory.”
His voice trembled as he spoke, his eyes never leaving mine. “The Timehunters and Salvatore... they’re ruthless. They’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on the sun dagger, which you possess, and soon the moon dagger. They’ll hunt you down relentlessly.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “They’ll do anything to possess such powerful artifacts.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words, the burden of a destiny I hadn’t chosen. The opulent dining room suddenly felt like a cage, trapping me with revelations I couldn’t escape, truths I wasn’t sure I could face. None of this made sense. My mother had died. Lee had witnessed it, too. She’d had a funeral. Did they put pillows in the casket? Was it all some ginormous plot? Oh, my head hurt with all the missing pieces of the story.
The tension in the room was so thick I could hardly breathe.
Mathias pushed himself up from his chair and moved toward the grand fireplace, his eyes reflecting flames that seemed to be devouring more than just the aged logs within.
“I just want to protect my family,” he said again, vulnerability seeping through his stoic demeanor. “Balthazar is locked up. You don’t need to worry about him. Our next simple step is to find the moon dagger and destroy the evil.”
“Roman, Malik, and their team of workers will start digging in the caves to find it,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “We will eventually find the dagger, but right now, we must find Marcellious and get him home safely.”
Marcellious was key, yet he was out of reach.
“Like I said, we will find Marcellious, I promise you. But now it’s late, and you should get some rest. You’ve had a long day, and we’re all tired,” Mathias said, but there was an unmistakable command underneath the gentleness. His authority had always been absolute, but now, everything felt different.
Before I could respond, Alina moved toward me with arms open wide, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. But I couldn’t do it—I couldn’t step into the warmth she offered. Not yet.
“So much has happened,” I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. “Emily gave birth. I found out that Mathias is my grandfather. And you...after all these years of believing you were dead, here you stand in front of me.”
A wave of conflicting emotions washed over me—relief, confusion, anger. Above all, I felt a deep need for time to process everything.
“And now this Shadow Lord named Salvatore is after me. Marcellious is missing, and I don’t know where to start looking.” My words came out in a rush. “Please give me some space to figure things out.”
She froze, arms still suspended midair. Her eyes dimmed, and she slowly lowered her arms, nodding in silenced pain.
“I’m in a room full of monsters,” I muttered.
Turning away from my mother’s and Mathias’ gazes, I ascended the staircase, which creaked under the burden of my heavy steps. With each rise, echoes of the earlier revelations rang louder in my ears.
A part of me didn’t believe Mom’s story. How could one survive someone so powerful and ruthless as Salvatore? Points in the story don’t make sense, or I was too tired.
“Salvatore created the Timebornes?” The words slipped from my lips, a question meant for the shadows that danced along the halls. My mind couldn’t wrap around that Salvatore created Timebornes—it didn’t make sense.
I longed for a simpler life where Roman and I could hide away deep in the woods, safe from anyone who might come after us.
But my dreams of peace were shattered when I first traveled through time. A calm existence was no longer an option. Who was this Salvatore man? And when would I have to confront him face-to-face? The thought made my stomach turn, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that our paths would inevitably cross one day.
CHAPTER FOUR
ROMAN
