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She clasped her hands in front of her waist and stared her mother directly in the eyes.

“You stupid girl!” Disbelief soared through him when he watched as Valerie was slapped across the face, the smack radiating through the air. “How dare you!”

She slapped her other cheek.

Valerie didn’t react, but she was slapped hard enough that her face turned to the side each time. Already, redness began to swell in her cheeks.

“You accursed child!” Another smack; it sounded as though they were getting harder, louder. The woman was beginning to cry as she hit her own daughter. “You took blood from fairies! You used dark magic!” Slap. “I could not believe my ears when they told me!”

Her lips were twisted, her eyes filled with tears and pain at what she was doing.

“You were the best of us all. Your magic was so strong, and now you have poisoned it.” Another slap rang out before she hesitated momentarily.

Geryon was shocked at what he was witnessing, surprised that Valerie would allow this kind of punishment.

The child would still be in my clutches if it was not for her!He didn’t understand them, her mother, why Valerie wasn’t retaliating.

“You are a disgrace. You no longer belong here. You do not deserve to call yourself a Faerydae.”

She is not even trying to defend herself.She was allowing it, like she thought she deserved to be punished. Geryon got to his feet to intervene, but paused when he understood the significance of it.

If he revealed himself, he would have to imprison them. What if they turned on him?I made her a promise I would not attack her family.His lips curled back over his fangs.Blasted!His claws dug into the branch, resisting the urge to retaliate on Valerie’s behalf.

“I would much rather Kaeylyn not come home at all if this was the cost!”

His head reared back, and his claws lessened their bite when Valerie backhanded her own mother hard enough that she hit the ground. After delivering blow after blow, she hadn’t expected to be hit in return.

“Never say that again.” There was a dangerous glint to her usually cold eyes – which only made them appear icier. “Such words make what I did pointless. I saved her at the cost of my own soul, and I did it knowingly.” She leaned forward to tower over her. “I would do it again if I knew there was no other way.”

“You cold, unfeeling, wretched child,” she sneered back.

Carwyn came running out of the cottage to their screaming and yelling mother. She helped her to her feet and led the crazed woman inside. She sniffled and cried, so many emotions torn across her features, but Geryon no longer found pleasure or pity in her relief. He sneered at her instead.

“Please.” Carwyn held her hand out with a plea. “Stay there. Do not leave. I will return in a moment.”

Valerie gave a nod and they both went inside.

She brought her hands up so she could press the back of her fingers against her cheeks. They looked swollen and sore, but she made no face of discomfort.Such control.She didn’t even flinch when being hit.

Eventually, Carwyn came outside. She reached forward to cup Valerie’s cheeks to inspect them, but Valerie knocked her away, smacking both her wrists.

“Do not touch me with your empathetic hands.”

She withdrew them from the air. “You look terrible, Valerie.”

Her eyes must have taken in the blood and grime covering her. Valerie’s hair was a tangled mess, her skin paler than normal, which brought out the dark circles under her eyes. Her hands were caked in dirt, and there were smudges of it over her dress and exposed skin.

“Carwyn, I would like you to grant me a few things.”

“Of course, whatever it is you need.”

“Bring me a bucket with water, a rag, a dagger, a brush, and one of my dresses. I would also like my heirloom. I do not care if Mother says I cannot have it; it is mine and I wish to wear it.”

With a nod, the woman went to collect the items. Valerie waited where she stood, staring at the cottage in the centre of the clearing.What is she thinking?What was going through this woman’s mind?

Not too much later, all the items she asked for were laid out on the ground. The other female was wearing gloves now, whereas before, her hands had been bare.

“Thank you.”