14. Evelyn
14
Evelyn
T he musty scent of ancient books filled my nostrils as I hunched over yet another tome, this one on demonic possession. My eyes burned from hours of reading, but I couldn’t stop. Hecate’s cryptic words echoed in my mind, playing on an endless loop.
The balance must be restored. What was split in two must become whole again.
A creak of floorboards made me look up. Lucien stood in the doorway of Alister’s library, his expression troubled.
“There you are. What are you doing here alone?” he asked, his voice softer than usual.
“Just researching anything I can find on possessions,” I replied, tapping the book before me. “In case there’s something that could help Lia.”
Lucien stepped inside, running a hand through his dark hair. “Evelyn, I…” He hesitated, then let out a breath. “I need to apologize.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “For what?”
Lucien’s jaw tightened. “For not trusting you when you asked for help with Lia. For not intervening sooner.” He shook his head, his voice heavy with regret. “I thought she wasn’t to be trusted. But if I’d listened to you and acted sooner, maybe she wouldn’t be…” He trailed off.
“A vessel for Eris?” I finished for him, my voice bitter.
He nodded, looking pained.
I sighed and closed the book. “It’s not your fault, Lucien. None of us could have foreseen that.”
“Still, I should have—”
“No.” I shook my head firmly. “Morgana was the enemy. She spelled her own daughter. What kind of monster does that?”
“I agree, Lia didn’t have it easy, but to be fair, she did turn on you,” Lucien insisted.
I shrugged. “Can you blame her? I understand why she was so angry. Her whole life was a lie, and I was at the center of it.”
Lucien’s gaze softened. “You’re a better person than most, Evelyn.”
I laughed, though there was no humor in it. “No, I’m not. I just put myself in her shoes. How could she not be angry? I’m the reason she had almost no magic. My lineage was blessed, while hers was cursed. I’m why her mom went power-crazy, meddling with dark magic and Goddesses.” My hands ran through my hair, tugging at the ends. “And knowing her kids—her whole future lineage—would be powerless because of me? Hell, I’d be furious too.”
Lucien frowned. “But you didn’t choose any of that, Evelyn. You’re not responsible for Goddess Hecate’s actions.”
“No, but it doesn’t change the facts,” I replied, my voice quieter now.
“Lia did actively steal your powers,” Lucien said, his voice edged with frustration. “She knew that book was siphoning your magic.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “But she thought I knew. She thought I was in on it. She stopped when she realized I had no idea about the blessing or the curse.”
Lucien’s brows knit together.
I nodded, a sad smile tugging at my lips. “She wasn’t cruel. Did she make my life miserable for a while? Sure. But Lia wasn’t her mother. She was just…desperate. Her mom was relentless, always tearing her down for not having powers. And the whole time, Morgana knew it wasn’t Lia’s fault—it was the curse.”
I sighed, remembering all the good times we shared together.
“I knew Lia, the real Lia—not the one pretending to be the queen bee or acting like she had her shit together because she was too afraid of her mother to look weak. Lia is kind and good but lost her way for a while. Morgana created all that pressure, and Lia was drowning in it.”
“That’s pretty messed up,” Lucien said.
I stood, grabbing another book from the shelf. “So, are you going to help me figure out how to kick a goddess out of my best friend, or are you just going to stand there looking broody?”
Lucien’s lips twitched, almost forming a smile. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, here you are,” I teased, handing him the book.
He took it, but he hesitated. His fingers brushed against mine, lingering longer than necessary.
His mouth opened—then closed. Something flickered in his eyes.
I swallowed, shifting on my feet. I’d been feeling…something more around Lucien.
Hecate had said I had five mates . But who was the fifth? If not Lucien then who?
Zade? No. I felt nothing warm or fuzzy toward him.
Viper? Hell no.
Could it have been Theo?
I studied Lucien, his eyes flickering to me every few minutes as he seemed hesitant.
Could it be—?
No.
I had asked. He had answered.
Still, a small voice whispered in my mind: What if he lied?
Before I could dwell on it further, Lucien cleared his throat. “Let’s get to work.”