AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thought of that doppelganger in my own home with my family drove me mad. But I knew that Constantine wouldn’t try to harm them. At least, not yet. He would probably leave that as his last resort, when he realized that nothing else would work. But I would be ready by then. I wouldn’t be this helpless creature locked inside the confines of four walls. If he wanted to see an animal, I would show him an animal.
The guard was right. Sometimes, going to war meant defending one’s family. And there was no war I wouldn’t go to, to keep my family safe and sound.
Chapter Sixteen
Lilith
My hands were trembling. There was a storm of emotions inside of me. I wanted to find out the truth, and at the same time, I was afraid of it. However, I knew that the truth would explain everything. It would set me free from this relentless doubt that was eating me up alive.
With the rare ingredients gathered, I stood before the doorway to the library, a threshold that separated me from the knowledge and revelations that awaited within. The vial of moonlit dew, the rare herb, and the treasured crystal were now combined into a finely ground powder, the result of careful preparation and incantations.
As I held the small container filled with the magical powder, I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. With a sense of purpose, I began to slowly pour the powder onto the threshold of the library door. It cascaded like a fine, silvery mist, settling into the cracks and crevices of the wooden floor. The room seemed to respond, as if the very air were holding its breath in anticipation. As the last grains of powder fell from my hand, I stepped back, the threshold now marked with a glistening, ethereal pattern.
I didn’t want to involve Cass in this. I hated doing it, but I also knew that Adrian might not come if I asked him. In the last two days, we had barely exchanged three words. This was scaring me beyond belief. I still held onto hope that there was a flicker of love in him, or in this pretender, for a child who loved him more than life itself.
They were supposed to come any moment, both of them. I listened to the sound of oncoming steps, but all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat. It felt louder than a million cannons, all firing at the same time. I waited for what seemed to be a small eternity, counting the seconds in my mind, the explosions of the cannons, until finally, there they were.
Cass was explaining something eagerly to him as she held his hand. His hand rested limply in hers, as if he didn’t even care. As for her story, I couldn’t tell how much of it he was really paying attention to. I could see them both clearly from the library, where I told her to bring him. Still chatting to him, Cass noticed me and waved.
“Hi, mommy!” Her sweet voice filled the air around us, and my heart ached for what I might find out. But I had to do this. There was no turning back.
“Why don’t you guys come join me?” I suggested, forcing myself to swallow after each word. I had no idea speaking right now would be this difficult. “We could read something together.”
“Great idea!” Cass told me, almost as if I hadn’t instructed her on this at all.
I watched in shock as my daughter, Cass, passed through the threshold of the library door, her innocent curiosity driving her deeper into the room. But something was horribly wrong. Adrian, who I thought was my husband, had held Cass’ hand, and when he attempted to follow her, an inexplicable force seemed to hold him back.
Panic and confusion surged within me as I approached the threshold, my heart pounding with fear. I couldn’t ignore the undeniable truth. This wasn’t Adrian. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. It hung in the air, unspoken but palpable, like a shadow in the corner of my vision.
Cass stood somewhere between us, lingering within the confines of the library, expecting him to follow her. Only, he couldn’t, and I knew why, but I had to pretend that I didn’t. Because I had no idea what would have happened otherwise. It was too dangerous to see for myself. I had to pretend that everything was alright. I couldn’t risk exposing anything in front of her.
Maintaining a facade of ignorance, I turned my attention to the man who had taken Adrian’s place. The doppelganger. His eyes met mine, and I could see the unease in his gaze, a flicker of uncertainty. He must have realized that I had cast the spell and that something was amiss. I had to act quickly.
“What is it, darling?” I asked, my voice laced with feigned concern. “Why don’t you come in?”
He hesitated for a moment. He had to come up with something quick, but I was afraid that it was obvious we both knew what was happening. I could almost see his mind racing to come up with an excuse.
He took a step back as he spoke. “I just remembered that I needed to speak to the king about something… urgent.”
“Are you sure, daddy?” Cass interfered. She started towards him, but I pulled her by the hand. She looked up at me, puzzled that I did so.
I smiled reassuringly. “If daddy says he has work to take care of, it isn’t nice to bother him. Let him talk to grandpa, and when he can, he will come and join us.” Then, I lifted my gaze to meet the doppelganger’s. “Right?”
He nodded. There was a slight grin on his face, and I could see it clearly. This was not my husband. I had no idea how I could ever have thought that it was him, just because it was his spitting image.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Cass and me in the doorway of the library. My heart ached with the weight of the deception, but I couldn't risk exposing the truth just yet. Cass deserved to be shielded from the turmoil that had infiltrated our lives.
Cass lifted her gaze towards me, sounding sad. “Why didn’t daddy join us? He said he would.”
I tried to find the right words, but how could I ever explain to my child that her father wasn’t really her father? I promised myself that I would keep this from her for as long as I could.
“Well, you heard him,” I said gently, taking her by the hand and leading her towards the sofa, where she took a seat. The window opposite her sprinkled her with sunlight making her resemble a little fairy. “He just remembered that he had some urgent business to discuss with grandpa. I’m sure that he would have joined us otherwise.”
“I miss him,” she said sadly.
I sat down next to her, pulling her closer to me. “I know, baby. I miss him, too. But it’ll be alright soon. I promise.”
“Do you really?” she asked in that sweet little voice of hers that had the power to break hearts.
