Bittersweet (38 page)

 

 

“You're a liar,” I stammered. “Why would you say something like that? Is this some sort of trick to keep me from killing her? Because it won't work.”

I felt a scream of frustration build inside me, shredding my lungs. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip.

Venus… my sister? No.
NO.
There
had
to be some mistake. A sick and twisted mistake. There was no way I shared anything with that monster, least of all DNA.

But even as I grappled with the nuclear bomb he'd dropped on us, a part of me knew it was true.

Breathe. Breathe
.

My hands stilled by my sides and the magic I'd been so ready to unleash seeped back into my veins.

I shook my head, my face twisted in a scowl. “Are you saying,” I spoke in halted words as things gelled in my mind, “you and
Octãhvia
…?” I cringed. There wasn't a way to ask that question without succumbing to violent nausea.

“No. Not
Octãhvia
,” he said, sharing my disgust. “Vivianne. Your mother. Venus is your twin sister.”

Like a punch to the gut, the air rushed from my lungs and my legs buckled.

“What?”

Venus said it at the same time and I gave her a scathing look.

She ignored me, focusing her wrath on the man telling us that the worst nightmare in the history of nightmares was actually real. “I don't care what you say. And I don't believe your stories.
Octãhvia
was my mother, and she's dead.” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “How
dare
you taint her memory with your hideous lies.”

My father—
our
father—sighed. “What reason do I have to lie to you about something like this? You are my daughter.” He glanced at me and I lowered my eyes. “You both are. Lorelei is your sister. You are connected. And should one of you take the other's life, the other would die in the process. I will not lose both of my children in a senseless feud.”

That was it. I turned away, my stomach pierced with a million tiny pinpricks. His
children
? Suddenly that's what we were now? And a senseless feud… is that what he thought this was? A cat fight over some guy? Arrogant, chauvinistic… Ugh. Covering my face with my hands, I waited, half-hoping this was all a nasty hallucination brought on by too many faerie cakes. But when I lowered them, everything was exactly as it was. In shambles.

I paced a few steps, then doubled back to him. “How is that even possible? She's like a thousand years old. And my sister died at birth.”

Venus rolled her eyes. “It's not possible. And it's not true. My blood line is pure. I'm not some illegitimate half-breed.”

“Call me that one more time,” I snapped, lifting my hand toward her.

“Do it,” Venus said. Her lips pulled back in a sneer. “Let them see the evil you've become.”

“Enough.” His voice sliced through ours. “You must hear me.
Both
of you. Your very lives depend upon it. Venus, you were born a few moments before your sister, Lorelei. You were born to Vivianne, and we gifted you with the names Ilyandra and Isoldra.”

I nodded, as the sickening memory floated back.
Isobel
, that was what Adrius and Zanthiel called Venus, before...

I drifted back to my father's voice.

“Later, when circumstances became unsafe, your names were changed. It was imperative that those seeking their vengeance upon your mother and I not have the power of knowing your true names. We haven't time to divulge the many details surrounding your circumstances. Just know I have done all I can to keep you both safe.” His gaze shifted to Venus, who looked like she was ready to slay him. “Venus, you will come with me. I have the power to restore much of your former self. Lorelei, you must return to your world. Your mother will be awaiting your arrival and she will worry, should you not return.”

“
That's
your concern? That Mom will
worry
because I've disappeared a few days? How about the worry you caused by disappearing for
years
?” My voice dripped with fury. “Even if Gran was responsible for you leaving, you should have told us something,
a
nything
, just to let us know you were alive.”

“It was safer for you to believe I was dead.” He looked at Venus. “Or in your case, to not know of my existence at all.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The waves of this nightmare kept pulling me under, and it felt like there was no escape. No air.

“You are angry, and while I understand your displeasure, we have no time to address it. Go. Return to your home.”

That was all he said before he took Venus, and vanished.

****

I stood in the night, alone and confused. Distant wailing from unseen creatures surrounded me. My side burned. The wound from the flaming branch Venus stabbed me with hadn't healed. I pressed my hand to it and winced. A smear of blood stained my fingers. Then, there was another sensation. The wailing stopped. Dead silence pressed around me. Everything was wrong. I felt something break apart almost as though my bones had been crushed from within. I doubled over in pain. Something bad had happened. It was Adrius. I couldn't shake the sickening sense that he was… dead. I felt the breath leave his body, though he was nowhere to be seen. My heart shattered. The blood chilled in my veins. The forest stilled.

I could feel the evil spreading, like a virus, infecting every part of me. It didn't matter. Adrius was dead. Zanthiel had killed him. I knew it was true. I
felt
it. Here amid the lush beauty of Mythlandria, my world had ended. An idyllic setting for a horrific event. The contrast sickened me. I'm not who I was before. Before I came here and became who I was destined to become. A monster.

I'd killed people. Several, if I included those who died because of my choices. The blood on my hands had stained my soul, just like they said it would.

And Adrius. He was gone. An unspeakable ache spread through my chest.

The connection between us shriveled and died and I knew he had as well. My body trembled and I couldn't make it stop. So much death. So much pain. So much loss. The enormity of it drowned me, pulled me under until I can no longer breathe. I had failed. I no longer knew who I was. Sobs wracked me, and I crumbled to the ground
. I
can't
fight anymore. I
can't
face any more death. I need it to end.

Cool arms wrapped around me and I jumped, but stayed curled on my side. It didn't matter to me whose arms they were, or what they planned to do with me. I didn't have the energy to protest or fight back.

My body cradled against a cool chest and I knew then whose arms were holding me. Zanthiel's mind connected with mine, promising everything would be fine. For just one moment I stayed there, still. Safe. Peaceful. Then my anger rose to a boil and I lashed out at him. “Put me down. Don't touch me.” I gasped the words. “I can't stand to look at you.”

He set me down on my feet.

I glared at him from under tear-dampened lashes.

From the corner of my eye I saw his sword lying on the ground.

“What did you do? You swore to me you wouldn't hurt him. He was under her
spell
,” I cried out, slamming his chest with my fists. I wanted to level him with magic. But I couldn't. It took more will than I had left. A small storm cloud rolled in, hiding the sun in its shadow. A northern wind kicked up, scattering my hair around my face. Oberon, Venus, Adrius… it all intersected into a Bermuda triangle of rage. It was my fury controlling the weather now. Lightning cracked through the sky as the temperature plummeted.

I took another swing at him and he caught both of my wrists in his hands, holding me back. His silver eyes scanned my body. “You're bleeding.”

I felt the twinge of pain in my side, but it was nothing compared to the slice in my heart. A piece of it had been removed. “You lied to me,” I spat. “I hate you for that. I will always hate you.”

He released my hand and untucked my blouse, searching for the wound. I shoved him away. “Don't touch me.”

“Lorelei,” he shouted over the howling winds. “You're hurt. And you are not healing.” He pointed to the growing blood stain. "We need to extract the poison before it's too late."

It's already too late.

He tugged me toward him but I thrashed hard against him until we fell to the ground. He straddled me, pinning me in place. "I need to see how badly you are hurt."

I writhed beneath him, snarling under my breath. "Get off me," I screamed into his face. Squirming under his weight, I struggled to get free. Free from him… from this place… from this nightmare.

His hands clamped on to my shoulders and his fingers dug into my skin, roughly holding me in place.

"Lorelei… stop."

I glared into his silver gaze and saw something I hadn't seen in a long time. Fear.

My body stilled. All strength bled away. I closed my eyes as fresh tears began to well. “I said I was fine,” I whispered. Now that I'd stopped fighting him, he released my shoulders. I took a slow breath. It barely reached my lungs.

Zanthiel sat back on his heels, his eyes locked on mine. “You know I cannot lie. Not to you or anyone. Now let me see your wound.” His voice was quieter now, calmer. Gentler. His hands moved over my wound. The pain lessened, but didn't disappear. He lowered my blouse. “Better?” he asked.

I gave a slight nod.
It's now or never.
I bucked my hips abruptly, throwing him to the side. Then I rolled away and grabbed hold of his sword. I aimed it at his throat. My hands trembled. The handle shifted in my sweat-coated palms and I tightened my grip.

He stayed on the ground, propped up on his elbows. With a look of wary surprise, he watched as I stepped closer.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. "You swore to me you wouldn't hurt him. But he's dead, isn't he? I felt him die. I know you killed him."

Zanthiel became expressionless. He just watched me silently. Not fighting back. Not defending himself. Just deathly still on the ground. “Adrius is not dead.”

“Another lie. Everyone always lies.” I leaned over him, letting the tip of his sword touch his skin. "I want to know where he is." I shook my head, fighting back the itch to press the sword deeper.

"I'm here, Lorelei."

I froze.

One heartbeat.

Then another.

My hand wilted and the sword fell to the ground. I was afraid to turn around. Afraid of what I would find if I did.

My gaze stayed on Zanthiel. His mouth twitched into something between a smile and a grimace.

The air caught in my throat, and my heart raced as I forced myself to turn around.

Adrius was there, his face partially obscured by shadows of the storm cloud. He strode toward me and I ran to close the distance between us. We collapsed into each other and he folded me in his arms. His heat thawed the deep freeze of my soul. Relief washed over me, scrubbing away the despair. I pushed back from him, looking from Adrius to Zanthiel. Moonlight pushed through the storm clouds and the icy winds subsided.

“Explain to me how this is possible.” My voice was thin and raspy.

Zanthiel shrugged. “I made you a promise,” he said. “You should have trusted me.” He retrieved his sword and sheathed it without another word.

I shook my head, searching Adrius' face. His eyes had returned to their normal hue. No trace of the malice that had lined them earlier. “I thought you were… gone. I felt the loss of you. Like something breaking.”

“Something did break.” Hawthrin's voice floated on the air before he materialized in front of us. “But it was not his soul. What you felt was the severing of the bond between Adrius and Venus.”

“He's freed?” I whispered the word, too afraid to say it aloud for fear it might not be true, or real, or possible.

Adrius tightened his arms around me. “I'm free,” he whispered against my hair. Another piece of my heart grew back.

It sounded even better hearing it again. I wanted to know more, how he was suddenly free from the curse. But the veil was still a potential threat. “We have to get to the veil before it's too late,” I said. I was beyond ready to go home.

Zanthiel shook his head and looked at Hawthrin. “She is still infected with the poison of her dark magic. If she returns to her world, there is no telling what will become of her.”

“If she remains here, things will be even worse, unless you plan to go through with the marriage.”

Zanthiel didn't reply.

“I thought as much. Then she is right, we must go,” Hawthrin said.

Zanthiel narrowed his eyes. “You are making a mistake, wizard. Another mistake,” he added.

Hawthrin stroked his beard, pensive. “I admit in my haste to keep you both safe, I did not anticipate the rapid spread of her darkness.”

Zanthiel scoffed under his breath.

I walked to him and put my hand on his chest. “Zanthiel, I'm sorry I doubted you.” Sorry wasn't enough. An apology wouldn't undo the hurt I'd inflicted. “But I have things under control. I felt the darkness tugging at me, and I withstood it. I didn't give in to its hold and I never will.”

“You can't keep her here, Zanthiel,” Adrius said. “You know that.”

His silver gaze brushed over Adrius then returned to me. “You did not see how powerful it was, the storm behind your eyes. I didn't like seeing you that way.”

“I know,” I murmured. “It won't happen again. Not once things are back as they should be.”
Fix my magic, free Adrius, stop Venus, repair the veil.

I turned to Hawthrin. “The curse is really broken. But how?” I needed to make sure it was all real.

“We haven't time to discuss the details right now. It's complicated and involved a great deal of blood magic.”

I frowned. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means we're free to be together, Lorelei. The way we've always wanted,” Adrius said. He took my hand.

It sounded so good. Too good. I was afraid to believe it, after all we'd been through. But I didn't want any more fear or doubt. I'd thought I'd lost him, that he was gone forever. We could be together and that was all that mattered. Against my better judgment, I let myself feel the spark of hope. Maybe it really was going to work out. We'd already survived so much, against all odds.

I knew that returning to my world meant a different kind of danger for both of us, but I knew we'd face it together.

Hawthrin's gaze darkened. “I fear it is not that simple. It is why I could not meet you sooner. Her forthcoming union to Zanthiel cannot so easily be undone.” His wise gaze shifted to me. “The queen's guards are coming for her, we must make haste.”