I nodded, taking a deep breath that did little to steady my nerves.
“Good girl,” Roman said with a small, sad smile. “I promise I’ll be back swiftly.”
He leaned down, his breath warm against my skin, and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was tender and full of longing, a silent promise that he would return. His lips moved softly against mine, urging me to open, and let him in. I moaned when his tongue slid inside. As our tongues danced together, our mouths molded perfectly as if they were made for each other. Time seemed to stand still as we lost ourselves in the heat of our embrace.
When he finally pulled away, his eyes glistened with unspoken emotion. My heart fluttered with both happiness and aching desire.
“Stay safe,” he whispered.
He leaned down to kiss Luna’s tiny head before leaving the room.
I watched his retreat, feeling the threads of my family unraveling with each step he took. His footsteps echoed down the long corridor toward the stairs.
Alone in the quiet of my room, with the shadows lengthening and the sounds of departure fading into silence, I prayed for the safety of those I loved, for Roman’s swift return, and for the strength to face whatever darkness awaited us.
Night had fully settled, draping the room in darkness when the door creaked open. My mother entered without invitation, her silhouette rigid, an omen in itself.
“I don’t want you in my room,” I said, my voice steady despite the tremor of anger I fought to suppress.
“Listen,” she snapped, her tone brittle, like thin ice cracking underfoot. “I’m your mother. Show me some respect. You’ve been too harsh to me, always pushing me away.”
Her words clawed at the air between us, but I refused to flinch. How could I respect someone who felt like a coiled serpent in the shadows, waiting to strike? Every instinct in me screamed to push her away, to shield Luna from whatever poison she carried.
And yet, there was no escape. For Luna’s sake, I had to stand my ground.
The room was barely lit by the flickering glow of a candle, its wavering light casting shifting shadows along the walls.Her presence made the air thick and stifling as if her essence was a miasma poisoning the space between us.
“Wow,” I whispered, my voice hoarse but laced with disbelief and outrage. “After everything I’ve heard about you—trying to kill me—and you stand here, acting righteous? How can I show respect to a monster? A vicious, lying serpent?”
She tilted her head, feigning innocence with a practiced ease. “Why do you assume I’m a monster?”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips, a sound devoid of humor. “Cut the bullshit, Mom. We’re adults. Face me like a woman.” My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles whitening as I struggled to contain the storm within. “You’ve always wanted to get rid of me. I heard the conversation with Mathias—how you questioned him about me seeing snakes and talking with Lazarus. You want to dismember us one by one.”
I stepped closer, my gaze never wavering, even as her eyes flickered with something dark and unreadable. “You destroyed Marcellious. You poisoned Balthazar against us all. You’re a monster. A poisonous bitch.”
Every word was a dagger, each syllable laced with venom drawn from years of pent-up anger and betrayal.
“The only reason you’ve returned is that you want the blades.” My voice dropped to a whisper, sharp and cutting. “But let me tell you something—you’ll never have them. Not ever.”
The silence followed was a battlefield, tense and crackling with unspoken threats.
My mother’s posture shifted, shoulders squaring like bracing against an unseen gale. The facade of maternal concern melted away, leaving a cold, hard visage that seemed alien to our room.
“You know what? I’m done with pretenses,” she spat.
I stared at her unflinchingly, my heart hammering against my ribcage.
“Iama monster, and I’m tired of hiding it,” she said. “I know you found the blade. Lazarus told you to return to the cave and retrieve the moon dagger. You’re hiding it somewhere.”
She took a deliberate step closer, her presence casting a chilling shadow over the cradle where Luna lay.
“If you want your precious little daughter alive, you’ll give me the blade.”
Her words snapped something inside me. My hand flew out, connecting with her cheek in a resounding slap that echoed through the room.
“I swear to God, if you so much as lay a finger on my child, I will rip out your goddamn heart and feed it to you.” Veins bulged in my neck, and my eyes blazed with fury. “Get away from me before I make good on that promise.”
The door swung open with a sudden force, revealing Mathias. His dark eyes swept over the scene, his expression twisting into a mask of feigned disbelief. “How dare you harm my daughter. Where’s the respect for your mother?”
