Page 5

JACOB

It is tempting to load Izzie with questions. What is her connection to the witches? Why did her father take her there? Why is she running? Sadly, she is skittish about the subject. Hopefully, I have enough time to gain her trust before we part ways.

She had another dream last night. Her lips quivered, and she shook. It was painful to watch her, so I did something terribly stupid. I placed my lips against her neck. It was needed , I continue to tell myself. I had to do it, so I could whisper right into her ear without startling her awake. When I spoke and stroked her arms, she relaxed in my embrace and inhaled her scent. It was intoxicating. Now, all I can think about is her skin against my lips.

“Oh look, Cirsium muticum .” She points to a purple thistle plant.

Frowning, I watch her skip over a few rocks. It is strange how she uses scientific names for things that are commonly known as something else. She’s not showing off. It's something else; I can't quite pinpoint it.

“How pretty. Agalinis purpurea .” She points to some delicate violet petals, and I watch her face, trying to decipher why she speaks so strangely.

Distracted, she trips over a root on the ground. I wrap my arm around her waist and hold her up. She is brilliant, that much is obvious, but God, she is spacy. I am about to remind her to watch where she is going because eventually, she is going to hurt herself, but I stop myself.

“I got you,” I say, and steady her.

She looks up, and her green eyes lock on mine. I freeze, my heart stops beating, and I stare. With her lips slightly parted, she does not look away. A strand of hair falls over her face like it has been doing the whole day, and I cannot resist. I move my hand and tuck it behind her ear, lightly running my fingers along her skin.

Her cheeks turn just the slightest color of pink, but she stays rooted. If I lean in just a few inches, my lips could touch hers, and I would be in heaven.

“Um… we're almost there.” She looks down but does not make a move to pull away.

Inhaling, I force my arm to drop from her waist. There are still a few more days together. Maybe I can figure out a way to make her fall in love with me . It’s a silly thought, and I almost chuckle at it, but it makes my heart squeeze.

A stranger who caught my attention from across a room. A vampire on a run that looks like an angel. A woman who feels like she should be in my arms for eternity, smiling and laughing.

“Alright. Lead the way.” I clear my throat and take a step back. “Just watch the roots,” I tell her, and she smiles.

“What are you here for?” Her face lights up, and she turns to walk again, but her eyes don’t have that joyful shine in them.

Because she needs me to, I chuckle at her comment.

Who hurt you, Izzy?

“To catch you when you fall, of course,” I follow her.

I mean those words.

We arrive at a large mansion with clean stonework and a well-manicured front lawn. Massive willow trees surround the area, giving it privacy. It’s a very luxurious way for the witches to live, that is for sure. I was expecting an old, creepy hut, but this is something else. Someone is paying them very well, and that puts me on edge.

Izzy takes a deep breath from next to me, and I observe her. She seems anxious to be here. I make a mental note to watch the witches interact with her.

We walk up the steps, and the air around us feels like it is getting heavier, or maybe it’s the statues of angels creating an eerie aura; they seem out of place and make me uncomfortable. This is a house of witches. Why angels?

Plus, they remind me of the Watching Angels; they observe and record as the world turns and burns. The Watching Angels are not allowed to intervene, but I know one who did, Jona, and I am glad for it.

The door opens before I knock, pulling me away from the statues. A lavish foyer is revealed to us, exposing grand decorations. Paintings framed in gold hang on tall gray walls, and a few velvet chairs sit by the tall, curving stairs. Everything here screams money.

Two women in their early thirties and black hair appear in front of me, lavish dresses snuggly hugging their bodies. I cringe at the sight of them. Not because they are ugly. The opposite; they look as pretty as the next woman. The wealth disgusts me. Nothing good will come from them.

“Rosa,” one of them says, introducing herself. “Teresa.” She looks at the woman next to her. “At your service, halfling.” I want to roll my eyes at the theatrics, but I need answers, so I keep my composure. “Isabella, darling.” Rosa turns her attention to Izzy. “The vampire princess, don’t be shy. Come in.” She looks past me, an evil smirk on her face.

Vampire princess? I turn to Izzy, my brows brought together. Izzy doesn’t move or react; she blankly stares somewhere in front of her. Her skin has blanched, and sweat develops on her forehead. She wheezes and then gasps for air. Confused and worried, I get a glimpse of the witches. They watch Izzy with amused smiles.

What in the actual hell?

Izzy’s body starts shaking uncontrollably, and tears stream down her face. Her body jerks like she is about to throw up, but she turns around and runs out of the mansion. She sobs as she takes a turn to hide behind the stairs outside, and I hear retching sounds of vomiting.

Swallowing at the sight of her in such a state, I follow behind, my steps quick. I don’t understand what is happening, so I wait another minute while she shakes, throws up again, and cries hysterically, her voice low and broken. My chest hurts watching her, but I don’t know what to do.

“Izzy?” I call her, but she hugs her knees and hides her face in her arms. “Izzy.” I get down next to her. “Please tell me what is wrong,” I whisper desperately.

“I remembered. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t keep the memories away.” She looks up, her eyes wide and red, tears staining her skin, and clear snot around her nose.

“What did you remember?” I study her face.

“Last year, on my birthday, my father had a party.” She sobs. “His powerful friends were there.” Tears stream down her cheeks. “He said I can run wherever I want and that whoever catches me first can do what they want.”

My body flushes with fire, and I see red. I know where this is going, but I keep listening with my jaw clenched.

She inhales, blinks, and her face goes blank. Her stare is empty, and the sudden change in her emotion hurts more than anything I have ever felt. Keeping my breathing even, I hope that she does not shut down.

Stay with me. Keep talking to me . I want to reach and hold her face, but hold back, afraid to push her away.

“One of them caught me. He did what he wanted. My father wanted to do the same thing this year.” She continues, her voice steady, but her body shakes. Her eyes void, she looks past me. “The witches fixed me.” She looks down at herself. “So I am a virgin again.”

My hands tremble. All I can think about is death. I am not a violent man, but today I will be. Her father paid Rosa and Teresa to repair her body – they know what Izzy has been through, yet they mock her title. That is cruelty that cannot be forgiven.

“Tengu, we are killing today,” I tell him through the mind-link.

Tengu comes out from the ring into his demon form to stand next to me, his stumpy black body straightening out. Izzy looks at him but does not react. That void in her is worse than fear.

“Let’s go, Izzy.” I get up and hold out my hand. Her lips quiver, and she shakes her head. “Come. Trust me.” I compose myself, but my lungs are tight with rage.

Her hand shakes, but she moves it up and places it in mine. It is lethargic, but I grasp it and help her up. I don’t let go of her as the three of us walk up the stairs. My blood is boiling, but I keep my anger to myself. These things are more efficient when there is control of the situation.

The witches are still standing at the door, snickering and giggling. No one hurts my Izzy and gets away with it. And I mean no one. The witches look at us, their attention first to Tengu and then to Izzy.

“I bet daddy is looking for you –” Rosa starts, but I jam my hand through her chest and rip her heart out, the smooth muscle sliding against my fingers.

Warm thick fluid covers my hand and drips to the floor. The blood feels good on my skin; it belongs to someone who caused Izzy suffering. From the corner of my eye, I see the other witch try to run, but Tengu freezes her with his abilities.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Tengu sings. “You hurt a princess of mine. You don’t get to live.” I can imagine Tengu grinning from ear to ear, his teeth sharp and white.

“Tengu,” I call him and nod toward Izzy.

He knows what needs to be done. He will protect her while I deal with Teresa. He walks over to Izzy, his expression changing to a soft and silly one as his lips quirk into a smile.

“Tengu, at your service.” He bows down to her and gently takes her hand out of mine.

Izzy blinks at me silently.

“Stay with him for a moment. He will keep you safe,” I whisper and try to give her a soft smile.

She nods. My intention was to get the information about my mother peacefully, but now, I have to resort to more drastic measures. Everything would’ve been fine if they hadn’t hurt Izzy.

“Look what I can do,” Tengu says.

I eye him as I make my way to the witch who is still alive. Tengu takes the heart of the Rosa, and it explodes into thousands of black daisies. The flowers float around Izzy like black snow, creating a magical contrast against her blonde hair. She watches him as he places a few of the flowers into her loose stands.

She will be okay for a few minutes . Tengu will keep her safe and her mind preoccupied.

“This can go smoothly or painfully,” I growl at Teresa, dragging her behind a wall.

Izzy has been through enough. I don’t want her watching me torture just to get some information. I hate violence. It’s often unnecessary, but I am not afraid to resort to it. Right now, I want a reason to make her last few minutes of breathing hell.

“Sofia. What do you know of her?” I dig my fingers into her upper arm. She winces from the pain and grits her teeth but does not answer. “Do you know what Tengu is?” I ask with a heavy sigh. If she knows, she will share what she knows quickly. She nods. Lovely. “If you tell me everything you know, I will ask him to be gentle.”

It doesn’t matter if I ask or not, Tengu will make her suffer. She will die slowly and painfully.

“Sofia came ten years ago. She wanted Victor, but he was on the other continent, so she followed him there. The vampire king –Victor— is obviously still alive.” She jerks her head in Izzy's direction, her lips twisted in disgust. My jaw tight, I refrain from tearing out her throat. “Sofia is most likely nearby, scheming of a way to strike,” the witch spits out, her tone bitter. “She has always wanted the vampires dead.”

My mother left her husband and child to kill a vampire. The fact jabs at my heart, making it beat out of rhythm. Deep down, I suspected there was more to her disappearance. Never did it cross my mind that someone could leave their newborn to hunt an enemy.

Maybe she had a good reason? A hopeful voice in the back of my mind whispers, but so far, everything points to Sofia doing everything willingly.

“You spoke with her twenty-six years ago through some letters. What did she want from you?” I ask.

No matter the reason, I need to know as much as I can about her. When we meet, I need her to talk. For that, I must understand her.

“She wanted the vampire kingdom, but Victor beat her to it.” The witch laughs hysterically.

Bile rises in my throat. She left for power. My jaw twitches, and my chest hurts. There was a reason for my father’s lies. He knew why she left, and he never said a bad thing about her. My father was too good for that woman.

My body is numb. Without another word, I leave the witch where she is. I got what I wanted. Now more than ever, I want to be next to Izzy. Her simple nature grounds me. The way she smiles and laughs always brings out the sunshine. Then there are her strange antics that remind me how imperfect life is.

There are flowers scattered around the room, and blue and pink butterflies flutter behind her. Tengu did good. He may look terrifying – and he is— but for his princess, as he called her, he will become whoever she needs. Izzy needed a magician, it seems.

Tengu sees me, a knowing and wicked gleam in his eyes. My gaze moves to Izzy; her eyes are still puffy, but she seems to have relaxed a little. Her eyes land on mine as if she is reading my emotions, dissecting me with her stare. With a small curve of her lips, she attempts a smile. Whether it is for my comfort or her own, I am not sure.

“We should go,” I say, nudging her lightly out of the foyer.

Tengu walks past me in the direction of Teresa, his body morphing into a large form of himself. Izzy follows him with her eyes and asks, her voice soft, “What about Tengu?”

“He will be right behind us.” I offer her a small smile.

She does not need to know that Tengu will be eating the witches until there is nothing left of them. He will start with the dead one, Rosa, letting the living one watch. Then, he will eat Terasa, starting with her feet. She will scream and beg for mercy, but he will keep her alive. After her legs, it will be her arms. Only then will he consume her organs, finally letting her pass. It is a gruesome way to go, and it brings me satisfaction.

Vengeance for my sweet Izzy.

We found a hotel that is one day away from the ports. As promised, I still intend to help her escape. I am almost tempted to forget about my mother and follow Izzy. Unfortunately, I’m running low on time. These headaches used to happen once a year, but this last one came six months early.

My right hand burns as I pump and shake it to get rid of the sensation. Confused by the new sensation, I look down at it. There is nothing abnormal about it, but it feels as if it is on fire. With an annoyed grunt, I dismiss it and turn my attention back to Izzy.

I’m still alive. Everything is fine. The heat in my fingers won’t let me forget about it so easily.

She is curled up on the bed, her knees tucked into her chest as she stares at the wall across. I watch her from the corner chair, keeping my distance, and wonder how I can make it better for her. The only thing I can think of is holding her, but she’s been through a lot. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries that have been so cruelly violated.

“Talk to her,” Tengu says from the mind-link.

“Last time you said to let her be,” I retort.

“She is ready,” he says, and I can feel him vanish out of my mind.

Ready for what? To talk? For me to hold her? To heal? For the first time in my life, I am afraid. What if I hurt her more than help her?