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Elizabeta
I can’t believe this shit. I storm out of the castle, straight for the woods. I’m the one who nearly got executed, and yet I’m the one who has to pay now, too? Fucking go by and help out a human?
Tears prick my eyes. Nico knows what my deal with humans is. He knows, and he’s still forcing me. Whatever the hell happened to having each other’s backs? Or is it only with Vlad and Violeta that he cares, and not me?
Hallways blur past me, even as I blink furiously. I haven’t cried in ages, and I’m not about to now. not even if it’s my damned brother being a dick.
“Liza, he’s doing it for your own good,” Daniel says, floating a bit ahead of me.
I scowl at him, not stopping my blurring run. Annoyingly, he refuses to disappear. “I’m not in the mood, Daniel.”
Fresh, cold, biting air hits my cheeks, and still I keep running. Running, as if that alone will take me away from anything unpleasant. It worked before...why not now?
“You’re never in the mood—not for the truth, anyway,” Daniel says, harsher than before. “But Nico’s right.”
I stop in my tracks. “How can you take his side?”
“Because Nico wouldn’t have asked you to do this without a reason.”
“Yeah, to score points with his human whore!”
“That’s uncalled for, and you know it.”
The disappointment in his expression would’ve normally clawed at me. Except, I don’t give a flying fuck right now. “Get out of my way.”
“No. Liza, look at me.”
I don’t want to. But something in his tone gets to me, as it always does. “What?”
His expression is pained. “You’re angry because it’s easier. Easier than to admit you’re hurt.”
I scoff. “Why the hell would I be hurt? I’m not some soft-hearted virgin who can easily get her feelings crushed.”
He floats closer to me. “True. But you did undergo quite a trauma. And you were taught to shove it away, to not deal with it, for the sake of appearing strong. At least...that’s what you got from it.”
“How do you know what Father taught me?”
He shakes his head. “Because I was already there, in ghost form. You just hadn’t opened yourself enough to me to see me. It was only once you were grieving that your grief created this...connection.”
“Which is as much a curse to both of us as the real one.”
He sighs. “You’re doing it again. Focusing on something else so you don’t deal with your hurt.”
“There. Is. No. Hurt.”
Exasperation takes the place of his pity now. “No? Then the fact you see Silviana and Stefan so close, him willing to die for her, doesn’t hurt? That your siblings would rather send you with him, than risk her life, doesn’t hurt? Or how about the fact that you can’t talk to any of them about this, because you know they wouldn’t hear you?”
I open my mouth to reply. He’s wrong. I know he is. But why does my chest suddenly ache?
Before either of us can say anything, I sense a shift in the woods. A heavier presence.
“Liza?” Alex blurs in front of me, coming to a stop. “Thought I heard your dulcet tones. What’s going on?” He frowns, scanning me. “Were you crying?”
I wipe at my cheeks angrily. “Nico’s forcing me to go on a stupid quest with that witch’s brother.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw. Anger flares in his eyes. “You? He’s sending you with a human?”
The cold fury in his tone gives me pause. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Alex and Nico are already at odds, and have been since Tassa showed up. But he’s my only ally, or at least it feels like it now. If I don’t trust him, who can I trust?
“Don’t, Liza,” Daniel begs me, his tone near desperation.
I ignore him. Taking a deep breath, I recount the entire conversation to Alex.
*
By the time we storm back into the castle, Nico’s with Mirabela in the dining room. He’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, as she argues against something—the hand on her hip and pursed lips are a dead giveaway.
We come to a stop, and Alex wastes no time jabbing a finger in Nico’s direction. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Nico’s glance flickers to me—a hint of something, disappointment perhaps, in it—before landing back on Alex. “I see Elizabeta filled you in.”
Alex takes a step closer, his entire body taut, fists clenched. Mirabela narrows her eyes on him. “Alex, now’s not the time for a fight.”
“No? Then when is it? Because all I see here is the two of you willing to roll over and play dead for the humans. And that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It never has been.”
Nico lets out a heavy sigh. “This argument is getting old, Alex. Or did you forget we have a curse on our hands? One that affects all of us?”
“Doesn’t mean we need to give in.”
Nico throws his hands up in the air. “Then what the hell do you suggest, hmm?” He takes a step closer, and they’re nose to nose. “Tell me. You think you can lead this family so much better? Then fucking speak and give your suggestion.”
“We could hunt Zalmoxis.”
“Yeah? And where would we find the information to do so?”
Alex sneers. “You got a dragon shifter at your disposal, no?”
Mirabela shakes her head. “Tytus is only involved because of Silviana. He cares nothing for us.”
“Then make him.”
Nico snorts. “I see. So your solution is more conflict on our hands. As if the fact we’re getting shot at and hunted by hunters and Dacians alike isn’t enough. Go take a walk, Alex. Come back when you have an actual suggestion.”
I know the moment Nico turns his back that it’s the wrong move. Alex reaches for his shoulder with a rage that’s been building up. “I’m not some child you can dismiss. You will listen to me!”
Nico whirls around, but Alex’s punch finds his jaw. He staggers back, then his eyes flash red and it’s pandemonium. Forget rational—I see it in both of them, and I’m not alone. Mirabela screams for them to stop, but with a yell of abandon, Nico tackles Alex.
They go tumbling into an antique table, breaking it in half. The glasses and drinks atop it shatter on the ground—so much for crystal-strength. Alex does some maneuver that I’ve seen in our muroni hunts, and pins Nico against the wall. But my brother’s not to be underestimated. He kicks back, getting Alex in the stomach—or privates? Can’t quite tell from my angle.
Mirabela interrupts my viewing by blurring in front of me. “Help me stop them!”
Personally, I’d prefer Alex got in a few more punches before intervening. But another presence draws my attention. In a corner, Daniel’s shaking his head.
Rolling my eyes, I move with Mirabela as one. She grabs ahold of Nico, me of Alex, and we step between them.
“Enough!” Mira yells. “We don’t have time to in-fight right now, not when we’re so close to our goal.”
“He started it!” Nico yells, like the younger self he used to be.
It almost makes me laugh. Almost. Because it’s drowned out by a string of curses from Alex that make my ears bleed.
I turn to him, adding more pressure with my hand on his chest. “Breathe, Alex. Please.”
He half-listens, but his glare never moves from Nico. “Liza’s not a disposable commodity. She’s our sister, for fuck’s sake. Does that mean nothing to you?”
He might as well have slapped him, as Nico only gapes.
“What are you talking about?” Mira snaps. “Of course we know that, and we care for her as we do for each and every one of you.”
“Alex...” Nico shakes his head, his tone back to calm. “We asked Liza to go with Stefan because we know she’s the only one strong enough to protect him, and herself. Anyone else would need more, and half of us are distracted with our consorts.” He turns his gaze to me. “If you thought, for a second, that it’s because of something else—”
“I didn’t,” I quickly mutter, and look away.
Daniel mouths Liar from his corner, and I hold back from sticking my tongue at him.
I turn my attention to Alex, somewhat apologetically. “It’s settled, then. I’ll go with the human, we’ll get the information, then return. It’ll be easy.”
“I can come with you.”
“No, you’re more likely to kill him than anything else.”
He steps closer, lowering his tone to a whisper only I will hear. “Be careful, Liza. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”
“I will be.” Then add, “I’m sorry, for the fight—”
“I’ll always have your back. Always.” He pulls me into a fierce hug, then steps away just as quickly. The whole thing was barely half a breath long.
I walk away from him and stop in front of Stefan, who’s been surprisingly quiet. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.” WAS HE NOT SHOW IN PREV CH??
*
He’s surprisingly quiet, following behind me the entire way. I’m not quite sure how his senses work, but it’s almost as if my steps are a beacon directing him. At least, that’s the impression I get once he doesn’t ask for any help from me and seems to walk without bumping into anything.
It’s only once we’re in the room, and I’ve shown him around, that he turns to me. Silent for a moment, then he says, “Why do you pretend so hard you don’t care?”
Although his question takes me unaware, I try to sound unaffected. “Because I don’t?”
He stares in my general vague direction, and for some reason his words annoy me even more. How can he see so much, when he’s perfectly blind?
A wry smile twists his lips. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“I could. You forget you’re blind. I could fool you whichever way I see fit and you wouldn’t see the difference.”
“You could try.”
On a stupid impulse, I move closer to him—until I’m a mere arm’s reach away, slightly to his right. His eyes haven’t tracked my movement. But when I reach out with my hand for his throat, his arm comes up and deflects mine with surprising accuracy.
Not only that, he grabs my wrist and doesn’t let go.
I stare at the hand, my jaw slack. Then my eyes narrow on him. “Unhand me.”
“No. Not until you learn some manners—such as not killing your guests.”
I lean closer. “Fuck you.”
Before I can even register what happens, his mouth crushes mine. It’s a bruising kiss, a punishment that doesn’t last longer than a few brief seconds. A punishment that has me frozen, until he releases me just as abruptly and turns his back to me.
“You can leave now.”
I gape at him, lips tingling, even more furious than before.
“Touch me again,” I manage to hiss, “and I’ll rip your tongue out.”
Stefan
The door slams behind her as she leaves. I don’t know what possessed me to poke that particular tiger. I’d warned Silviana against these vampiri, and here I am falling prey to one’s.... What, charms? Elizabeta has none. That much is clear.
But her energy has pulled me in like a moth a flame.
“This one flame can seriously burn you,” I mutter to the empty room, before feeling my way over to the couch.
Elizabeta’s reasons for being as unfeeling as she tries to be are not my own. Her problems are not mine to solve. I have enough of those. Not least of which the Dacians who are even now probably chasing me.
My own kin. Was I a fool, for going against them? EXPLAIN THIS.
Or is there truly more to the stories they’ve been telling us, more even than what Silviana uncovered?
I drop my head in my hands, suddenly wary. This world was never kind, but at least we had each other.
Now, I’m stuck in a different world. And my sister is in danger. Just how much danger.. the zmeu’s words come back to me. Silviana’s never been shy, but the sister I’ve been around these past hours worries me.
And I’ll be damned if I let anyone, even a god, rob her of her shine.
I stand, moving to the bathroom. Set the shower running after a few moments of feeling around, then strip and get in. the hot water makes me hiss in pain, reminding me of the bullet I took for Elizabeta.
Of that voice. A voice no one can tell me who it belongs to, except for Elizabeta herself. And yet, she’s even hiding it from her siblings. What other secrets does she hide?
Eventually, I move out of the hot water, and dry myself with a towel. Go back in the room, for some clothes. “Jeez, Fane!”
I jump, hands immediately going to my junk to cover it. “Lana, what the hell?”
She tosses something at me, which falls to the ground. I crouch low, fumbling for it. A robe. And quickly don it.
“Sorry, I should’ve yelled or something,” she says.
“It’s fine. What, uh, what’s going on?”
“I need to tell you something about Liza. Since you’re going on this quest—that I hate—with her.”
“Ok...”
“There’s a man around her. Someone I don’t know, but it’s like a ghost. I saw him.”
I think back to the voice. “Did you speak to him?”
“No. but...thought you should know.”
“He could be a stafie.”
“What’s that?” she asks.
I face Nico. “Before we head to the woods, I need to reach out to the Dacians. They’ll find this odd, if I simply disappear.”
“What if we make it seem like we’re holding you captive?”
“That will buy me time, but it might incite their ire against you.”
“Leave that to us. Try to be back within 24hrs though.”
“Will do.”