“Then let us kill him,” my father pleads, taking another step forward, that blade shimmering. “Let us kill him, then you won’t be bound to him anymore. He won’t be able to hurt you.”
Solon grumbles into my neck. “Think they’ll take the shot if it means hitting you in the process?”
My father has the blade at the ready.
Solon might be right.
&nb
sp; “Listen to me, Lenore,” Solon says tightly, his hushed voice making my skin grow hot. “I’m going to leave you now, because this isn’t worth the risk.”
“Coward,” my father says.
Absolon growls at him, his grip growing tighter around my waist. “I’m leaving you,” he says to me gruffly, “because the risk of you getting killed isn’t worth it.”
I flinch, going inside my head. Liar, I tell him. You were about to let a bunch of vampires sample my blood and bleed me before taking me away to do who knows what with me.
No, he says sharply, the sound like knives in my skull. I never had any intention of selling you. You’re worth more to me than anything they could give me in exchange.
I have a hard time believing him. Then…then why did you do all of that?
So they know what I have. You.
I swallow hard. I thought you didn’t show off.
He laughs, a puff of cold air at my neck. I’m always adapting.
“Whatever he’s telling you is a lie, Lenore!” my mother yells at us, and I’m somewhat relieved to know that she can’t drop in on our internal conversation.
You know where to find me, he says to me. And now you know how to get there too. Through the Black Sunshine.
The what?
But then he’s letting go of me, moving fast, and my father throws the blade, trying to track him.
It’s too late.
Absolon has disappeared and the blue-tinged blade goes right into the wall.
I stare at it, mouth open.
Why did my parents really bring it downstairs? Did they know someone like Solon would show up? Or was it for me all along?
“Lenore,” my mother says in a small voice. “Please. We don’t mean you any harm. We never did. We saved you.”
“You killed my parents,” I whisper, the walls in the apartment feeling like they’re closing in on me.
“You never knew your parents,” she says.
“But they were still my parents!” I scream. “That woman gave birth to me. You never did!”
“She wasn’t a woman, Lenore.”
“Fuck you! Just fuck you. Then what am I? Huh, what am I? Not human? Just some creature now?”
She’s shaking her head, tears spilling down. “You’re part human, it’s enough humanity to take over.”
“I’m part witch,” I tell them. “Aren’t I?”