Page 82
2 injections of the Lobofebris draft (black liquid) into a large muscle (thigh or ass).
1 dose of lycan repel (vial with blue powder) applied to the gum or beneath the tongue once I’m fully sedated — Very important to stop possible shifting. There’s wolfsbane in it, so apply with gloves as needed. Do not omit. Yes, it will cause burns. But it’s better than me eating your heart right out of your chest.
I added another couple of notes, musings of my mind really, and a note for Sylvan. I added one last quick message that was more rambling than anything, shifting from theories about my blood that had always shown at one hundred percent vampire to the discrepancies in the constitution of blood and venom. But the shivers were starting to set in, and every sound in the room was amplified—Nidhogg slithering in his tank, the clock on the wall, the breeze outside. I wanted to scream at the entire world to shut up.
I placed each of the vials and injections into a small box with the notes inside, sealed the box with an alchemized imbuement I needed to add a drop of Magdalena and Sylvan’s blood samples to in the morning, and slipped it into my bag. I just had to make it through the night.
43
FRAGMENTED
AURA
Luckily, I didn’t need the workshop to complete the lock on my box. My office had a few potions and formulas, and I very quickly inscribed the metal lid of the box so that Sylvan and Magdalena’s blood would easily open it. All it took was a sample of each of their blood. I left it right on my desk along with a note that read: Desperation cuts deeper than any blade. Just a drop should do.
After leaving the box on my desk, I headed to the workshop. There was a strange feeling from the moment I approached the door. Gingerly, I pushed it open and stepped inside.
An overbearing pressure flooded my head, and I pressed my hands over my temples, gritting back the pain as my eyes tried to take in my surroundings. What seemed like thousands of candles filled the space. On the floor were large glyphs—seemingly in blood—and a black candle at the center of a circle divided into different symbols.
My gaze flicked up to Shan standing just beyond the circle. Tears poured down his face, and he was shaking from head to toe. “I’m sorry, Aurelia,” he said.
My brows furrowed. “What’s going on?”
A familiar scent reached my nose. A familiar presence. My gaze flicked to the back of the room where a woman leaned with nonchalance against the back counter. Her white hair was pulled back into a severe bun, the disgust in her eyes offsetting the grin gracing her painted lips. “Hello, Daughter,” she said.
There was no stopping the shudder that rolled through me at the coldness behind that sweet voice.
“Care to tell me where you’ve been?”
I looked from Shan and the markings on the floor to Bellatrix.
“I asked you a question, darling. Don’t make me repeat myself.” She strode toward us, stepping around the workbench as more tears rolled from Shan’s eyes. My muscles tensed. The only reason Bellatrix would need a spellcaster is to sever my immortality and end my life. Shit.
“I—”
“Were you with that lycan?”
“No,” I said.
“Liar.” Her gaze snapped to Shan. She didn’t speak a word, but his body went rigid as if physically restrained.
“I’m so sorry, Aurelia,” he repeated. “I can’t stop. She did something to me.” He reached out toward me, and my body was tugged against my will. This power, I knew it too well. I knew there was no point in fighting it, because it was bolstered by runic magic and was more than mind manipulation, but I did anyway.
“Shan!” I shouted as I was pulled toward the circle. The itch grew unbearable, stinging and burning. My claws broke through my skin, and my vision began to change.
I fought my body to maintain control while Shan continued to apologize, and Bellatrix spoke over him. “I tried to train you in the way of Primal Borns, just like I tried to talk sense into your human-loving Aunt Mallory. But she insisted on Turning that man, then producing a supposed heir who wasn’t even a pureblood. Then your damn uncle—another human sympathizer—never produced an heir. Useless for preserving our powerful bloodline. He couldn’t fight against the compulsion. I invaded every crevice of his mind until there was nothing left of him. I absorbed all there was to him.”
My heart plummeted. Were her powers evolving?
“Mallory tried to fight, but in the end her mind wasn’t strong against mine. Still, she somehow kept the location of that little bitch Dahlia protected. I’ll find her eventually, though.” She grinned. “With each expiration of the Nygaards, and with each new fledgling I Turn, I feel myself grow stronger. I will make a new family committed to me. Their wills bend to me. But then there’s you … There’s no purifying tainted blood. There’s only one solution.” She stepped toward the circle, her hand held in midair, and I felt the phantom grip of her sharp nails.
“Since you refuse to act the way a Primal Born should, let them see you for the monster you are. I’ll be sure to convolute their memories, ensuring they’ll never remember you were connected to me. Just another disposable, dangerous bloodwolf.”
A single tear coursed down my cheek as I looked upon her hateful face, taking in the gleeful spark in her eyes and the curve of her lips.
“Sweet dreams, darling,” she said.
The heat of anger rose in me, quick and strong as my toes drew closer and closer to the edge of the circle. Eyes darting around wildly, I tried to read the glyphs, to figure out their purpose, but it was hard to register everything with my inner wolf trying to break free.
