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“Your mother promised me an heir so powerful that the realms would never see another with such magic ever again. My biggest fear back then was not having a powerful heir for the throne, so I agreed. I knew of your fire magic, but your mother had bound all your other magic inside of you when you were a child and didn’t tell me. She finally confessed when I noticed how tired and sick you seemed. I begged her to set your magic free, but she thought you would use it to kill her. You were angry that it was trapped inside of you. It was so powerful that it needed energy, and the only way it could get it was to take it from you, from your soul.”

“Bayla promised that she would take away the binding spell on the blood moon, but when the day came, she was nowhere to be found. I went to find her and stumbled upon the entire coven, slaughtered. Your mother was a blood witch.”

A blood witch.I was a witch.

Cassius’ words came back to me from when I asked him about the blood bond.A blood witch showed me once.He had been talking about me.

“Bayla killed the entire coven and herself so that your magic could never be freed. She cursed you to die young and never reach your potential. I honestly think she was jealous of your power.”

My mind mulled over his words. Did my own mother truly do such a terrible thing to me? There was a chance that what he said was true. I couldn’t be sure because I didn’t know her.

“So, I’m part blood witch?” The phrase made my mouth dry.

My father nodded.

“The last in Elloryon that we are aware of,” he sighed as he stopped to look at me.

“How did the spell break? I mean, obviously, I can use all my magic now, so I was somehow freed.”

My father’s jaw clenched for a moment.

“I hired every witch, healer, and dark magic fae I could find to free you. That is how you met Sybil. She had always been the best healer in Elloryon, but even she couldn’t free you. When Cassius killed you, Cerithian armies were moving into Crimson lands for war. I happened to be there just in case Crimson wanted to negotiate, but I stumbled upon Cassius being reprimanded by the gods. When I saw your lifeless body at his feet, I ran to you. I begged them to bring you back. They agreed, and it was then that I asked them to let your magic free, so that you would not be cursed to die young. Thankfully, they agreed to that too.”

“Why would they ever agree to bring me back? Fae die all the time. I’m sure I was not the first fae to die at the hands of someone they loved.”

“I believe that the god, Mikel, wanted to punish you for loving the wrong man. They felt disappointed that they had gifted you such power, and you almost let it go to waste—all over a manwho had betrayed you without a second thought. You have a prophecy tied to you, and it has not been fulfilled yet.”

“Why did they not just kill Cassius for what he did to me?” Something wasn’t clicking about this.

“Mikel seemed to think this was a better punishment for Cassius. Killing him would simply allow his soul to move on to his next life. That is not a punishment. They said that Exile would be an escape for you to live in until the curse was broken. Mikel said you could have one chance every year to break your curse. If you chose the wrong side to fight for, then you would die and try again until you got it right. This is the first year you’ve chosen correctly. You didn’t choose Cassius.”

My father reached over and squeezed my hand to comfort me. I wanted to rip my hand from his, but I kept my composure so that he didn’t realize his slip-up. He just admitted that the gods sent me to Exile. He accidentally let the truth slip out, and my darkness clawed to get out of me and punish him. I would destroy him and his kingdom if I found out all of this had been a lie. The thought made my darkness settle down. A sense of calm overtook me; I finally felt like I knew that Leer was not lying to me. My father was the liar, and it felt good to know that.

“I have another confession.” My father frowned. “Gwyn and the girls have never liked you, but that is completely my fault. I hope you do not think lowly of me when I admit I was already married to Gwyn when your mother approached me. Gwyn had been having difficulty conceiving an heir. Your mother knew that it was a weakness of the kingdom, and she exploited it. It was a lapse of judgment on my part, but I do not regret it because it gave me you.”

I didn’t say anything. Words escaped me as I tried to process everything that my father was saying.

As I glanced at his saddened features, I felt nothing. My darkness practically gagged at his fake love and false concernpainted on his face. I swallowed down all the nasty insults I wanted to hurl at him. My mind mulled over my father’s words and his slip-up.

“We will try better,” he promised. “I try not to blame you for falling for Cassius’ lies because I know that you didn’t mean to. I’ve let Gwyn and the girls treat you poorly for my own mistakes. I will be a better father this time, Thea. I will repair all the damage both Cassius and I have caused you.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

My father turned and looked me straight in the eyes.

“Because I’m worried that we are messing this up. I do not want to lose you again. Despite what your mother did, I loved her. You are the only piece of her I have left.” There was a real sadness that swirled in his green eyes. I didn’t say anything back to him.

He turned slowly and began walking back up the path. I watched him retreat toward the castle, but I didn’t follow right away. A heavy sigh escaped me as he disappeared from my sight, and I allowed my darkness to creep out of me.

Wisp was there suddenly. She floated around me with her black flames. Something dangerous swirled inside of me as I accepted that my father was a liar. Knowing this new information allowed my emotions to calm a bit and my heart to slow down. Wisp turned white as I started for the castle, and when I glanced at her, she flickered closer to me.

“My father made a big mistake, Wisp. He just admitted that Exile was real when, before, he was so adamant that it had never existed.” I sighed and muttered to her, “It looks like I’m going to Exile.”

Chapter 8

Iwaited in my room until an ungodly hour of the night. I did not bother attending the event my father had invited me to, and I burned the hideous dress the maid gave me for it. No one in my family came to see if I was coming. No one apologized to me. I doubted my father talked to the girls. But it wasn’t going to be my problem any longer. Anticipation coursed through me.

My father was lying, and I was going to prove it.