Adrenaline raced through my veins at the thought as my mind took a darker turn. Losing my father, I could handle. But despite how shitty my mom was, I wasn’t sure I was ready to completely hate her just yet.
Or worse … Isabella.
I swallowed thickly before shoving the comforter from my body and rising on weak, shaky legs.
Just as I reached the hallway, Isabella’s cries pierced the air. My stomach dropped, but there was a hint of relief from knowing she was still alive.
I quickened my pace, practically jogging down the hallway until I reached my sister’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, my mom’s heavy breathing clouding the space in the silent moments between Isabella’s sobs.
“Mom?” I called out, unable to keep the fear from my tone as I reached for the doorknob. “Is everything okay?”
I waited for a response, but none ever came.
Blowing out a nervous breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. However, I wasn’t prepared for the scene laid bare before me.
Alistair stood next to Isabella’s bassinet, holding my swaddled sister between his arms as he gently rocked her from side to side. A few feet away from me stood my mother, a hand clasped over her mouth as she watched the demon in horror.
His lips twitched when he met my gaze, malice swimming through his blue irises. “You’re just in time for the party.”
A mixture of emotions flooded through me: desire, anger, horror, lust, intrigue, disgust, and other emotions I couldn’t quite place. There was something about this dark being that interested me. He was a cold-blooded killer who killed my father. He stole my virginity and forced me to ask my mom about Savannah. All of this was tied to that woman. He was targetingus out of loyalty for her. A flicker of jealousy spiked through me, but I quickly shoved it down.
I lifted my chin, my gaze sliding from my baby sister and back to the man holding her captive. “Release her,” I ordered with as much authority as I could muster.
He arched an eyebrow in return. “Release her?” he repeated. “Are you sure?” He tilted his head, a challenge in his gaze.
Unease snaked down my spine and coiled around my gut, pushing acid to the back of my throat. I glanced over at my mom again, who appeared to be rooted to the spot in horror. She wouldn’t be of any help. Her fight or flight instincts were kicking in, and hers were flight—always flight.
“Yes,” I hissed, returning my attention to Alistair.
His lips twisted into a sinister grin that promised nothing but pain and vengeance. Even his light blue eyes had darkened, contorting into two black voids.
“As you wish, Little Martyr.”
Before I had the chance to comprehend what was happening, he moved his hands. My sister tumbled toward the floor faster than my mind could churn. Panic sliced through my chest as I bolted forward, knowing deep down, I wouldn’t get to her in time. My dark hair flew behind my shoulders, adrenaline pulsing through my veins with every sprint.
Just as I ate away the distance between us, I threw myself forward. Desperation and fear drove me, but it wasn’t enough. I fell to the floor, a good foot away from Isabella as she hovered an inch above the hard floor. Shadows encased her delicate form, holding her in place right before she could meet her demise.
A strangled sob erupted from my throat, but there was relief there as well.
She was safe. At least … for now.
“Please,” I whispered, staring up at the monster above me.
Instead of responding, the shadows began to move around him. They carried my little sister back to her basinet and gently placed her inside.
Alistair’s smirk widened into a diabolical grin. “Your choice, Ember.” His voice came out dark and contorted, almost as if we were worlds apart. “You can save only one. Your sister or your mother. Choose wisely.”
My shoulders rolled forward, the heaviness of my situation getting to me.
“Ember,” Mom finally spoke, a shuddering breath expelling from her chest as she stared at me with glassy eyes. “I-I know we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. I know I’ve made choices you aren’t proud of, but—”
Anger filled my veins at her fucking audacity. I leveled her with a sharp glare. “Are you seriously bargaining for your life right now?” The words slipped through my gritted teeth, disgust twisting my insides.
She didn’t waste any time. What kind of mother would choose her life over her child’s? She was diabolical. This woman … thisbitchwas the same parent I used to look up to and yearn for approval from. If anything, she wasn’t worth that kind of loyalty or devotion.
I glanced back at Alistair, my entire body shaking as I slowly rose on weak legs.
He was enjoying this way too much. It was naïve to believe he’d spare me and Isabella once he killed my mom, but it would at least buy us a little more time. It wasn’t like she would ever change her ways if she was permitted to live. I saw her for who she truly was now—a vile snake.
