CHAPTER TWO
OLIVIA
W e headed downstairs, a somber procession led by Malik’s silent determination, Roman’s steady presence at my side, Lee’s watchful eyes scanning for unseen threats, and Mathias’ enigmatic composure. Behind us, Alina’s footsteps were a hushed whisper of deception. In contrast, my footfalls echoed loudly with my cumbersome and awkward gait, evidence of the life growing inside me. The weight of my pregnant belly slowed my steps, but I trudged on determinedly despite the ache in my back and the heaviness in my limbs.
“My whole life was upended in an instant,” I murmured, the words tumbling like shards of broken glass. “All these years, I thought she was dead. Where was she?”
Roman squeezed my hand, anchoring me to the present amidst the chaos. “Patience, Olivia.”
“Roman, I need answers! I need someone to tell me the truth. Where’s she been all along?” The desperation in my voice clawed its way up from my gut, demanding to be heard.
Alina’s calm voice floated behind us. “My dear, I can hear you perfectly well.”
I spun hastily to face her, the sudden movement causing me to wobble slightly on my unsteady feet. My pregnant belly protruded outward, throwing off my balance and adding another layer of vulnerability to my stance. The group stopped behind me, their footsteps echoing faintly in the room’s stillness. Despite my physical discomfort, I stood tall and determined, ready to face challenges.
“I’ve been on a goose chase,” I spat, the bitterness stinging my tongue. “About you, the daggers, the journals, everything. While all this time, you were alive!”
Alina’s expression remained serene in the dim light filtering through the windows, as if our world hadn’t just tilted on its axis. She approached with measured steps, her hands reaching to bridge the chasm between us.
“Olivia, please?—”
“No!” I recoiled from her touch, anger flaring hot and fierce. “Before we start unraveling your web of secrets and stories, we need to find Marcellious. You must understand that.”
“And Marcellious is Emily’s husband?” Alina asked.
“Yes, and my twin brother, who Timehunters have taken,” Roman interrupted. “The longer he’s with Timehunters, the madder, the more insane, and the more poisoned he will be. He will spill secrets— our secrets—if he survives.”
Her eyes held sorrow, but it was too late for regret or explanations. There was no room for anything else until we secured Marcellious’ safety. And so, amid the dust motes dancing in the shafts of light and the heavy silence of our entourage, we stood at an impasse, the weight of a mother’s absence and her daughter’s fury hanging thick in the air.
Mathias exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face before saying, “We should all go talk in my dining room.” His tone left little room for argument.
The oak door to the dining room groaned open, a foreboding echo to our heavy hearts as we filed in. The table, once a place of communion, now felt like an arena where secrets bared their fangs. We took our seats silently, the wood and velvet chairs providing cold comfort. I settled into my spot, unable to shake the sensation of my world unraveling.
Mathias clenched his fists as he spoke, his voice trembling with determination. “I won’t rest until we find Marcellious. My network of connections will be looking for him at once.”
Malik leaned toward Mathias.
“Maybe you know where he is,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper but laden with a venom I’d never heard from him before. “Why did you keep the truth from me that Alina was alive? You used me! You made me do all your dirty work. But you lied to me whenever I asked you about Alina’s dagger. You could have told me she was alive. I thought we were allies, Mathias!”
Mathias let a honeyed smile play on his lips as if Malik had merely commented on the weather. “You have no right to question my intentions. I had to keep Alina a secret for her protection and safety.”
Malik stood abruptly, fists clenched, his voice thunderous in the otherwise still room. “I have done everything you asked. I brought you the daggers. You could have told me why!”
All eyes snapped to Malik. Even Alina’s stoic facade cracked slightly at the edges. I flinched with each syllable.
“Now poor Marcellious is captured by those bloody ruthless Timehunters. He will become a lunatic under their influence!”
Mathias remained unflappable, his voice a calm counter to Malik’s storm. “Do not raise your voice to me. We will find him.”
Malik was panting now, chest heaving as though each breath battled the rage within. “You know everything. Like you said, you have connections. You should know where he is.”
In that charged moment, the air thick with accusations and desperation, the world seemed to pivot on the axis of Mathias’ response. Would he reveal the threads that bound us all, or would he sever them, one by one, with continued secrecy?
“You forget who you’re talking to,” Mathias said, his voice low and laced with a threat that sent shivers down my spine.
Malik’s face contorted with fury.
“I could throw you in my dungeon and force you to inhale poison with Balthazar,” Mathias said.
“Is that a threat, old man?” Malik’s shout bounced off the high ceilings, his challenge hanging between them like a gauntlet thrown. The room, filled with the weight of unsaid truths and accusations, felt smaller, suffocating.
“Malik, please,” Roman intervened. “You need to breathe.”
Malik was a force of nature. With blazing eyes, every word he spoke was like a burst of lightning.
“You swore you were the most powerful darkness of all time. How could Marcellious be taken under your watch? You should have protected him.” He jabbed a finger toward Mathias, accusation sharp as a dagger’s edge.
The shouting escalated, voices overlapping into a cacophony of betrayal and confusion. Roman’s pleas, Malik’s accusations, Mathias’ denials; it was a mad family reunion where every member threw their grievances like punches.
Alina sat back, a slight smile creasing her lips, observing it all as if she had watched a chess match unfold. I stood there, helpless, watching the fracturing of our little trust.
It was as if the long-buried secrets were clawing their way to the surface, leaving us all gasping for air amidst the debris of our shattered illusions.
The darkness spilled from Mathias like ink in water, its tendrils reaching out. His now-shadowy form rose, wrapping his hands around Malik’s neck and hauling him to his feet. Malik’s face began to turn an alarming shade of purple as the shadows coiled around his throat, squeezing tighter. I felt a surge of panic and bolted forward, Roman at my heels.
“Mathias,” I screamed, my voice raw and desperate. The chaotic scene around us was a blur. All my focus was on Mathias and the life he held in his hands.
Malik’s eyes bulged, and his face turned red as Mathias’ fingers tightened around his throat.
“Stop this!” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. “He’s just upset. Please don’t hurt him. I’m your granddaughter. If you care for me at all, let him go.”
Mathias was beyond reason, his eyes ablaze with a wrath that darkened the air around us.
“I reunited you with Roman and Olivia. I gave you Rosie. I let you live. I healed you,” he said, his voice a thunderous rumble that shook the room. “And now you question me? Do you know what I do to those who do not accept my kindness? I bring them down to their knees!”
My hands shook as I reached for the shadowy strands, trying to pull them away from Malik’s neck. They were cold and slippery, resisting my touch like living things. Beside me, Roman grappled with Mathias, trying to break his concentration to disrupt the flow of his dark power.
“Please, Mathias, if you love me!” I said, my voice breaking with fear. My mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle of secrecy and lies that had ensnared us all. “Let Malik go!”
Roman’s face was etched with confusion, mirroring my own bewilderment. What game was he playing, where we were but pawns oblivious to the rules? The questions circled in my head, a whirlwind of doubt and suspicion, but no answers came.
“Please,” I whispered again, a last-ditch effort to reach whatever humanity was left within Mathias. “I know you love me. Don’t do this.”
The tension in the room felt like a bowstring drawn taut, ready to snap at any moment. In that unbearable silence, I waited, hoping against hope that my plea had found its mark.
Mathias’ hand dropped to his side, and the darkness choking the air recoiled back into the shadows. Malik staggered backward, gasping for breath, his face flushed with rage and humiliation. He straightened, his chest heaving as he locked eyes with me, his expression raw and unforgiving.
“I don’t need your pleading or begging for him to stop,” he said, his voice hoarse but laced with defiance. His dark gaze shifted to Mathias, who stood silent, a storm still swirling in his ancient eyes. “I thought I was dark, but there’s a bigger monster at play.”
Pushing past the tension that hung between us like a heavy curtain, Malik turned on his heel. “I’m done here. I’m going to the caves to dig for the moon dagger. That is still our best lead.”
“I’ll go too,” Roman said from beside me, determination lining his words.
Malik faced Roman. “No, you need to protect your wife,” he countered, his eyes briefly softened as they met mine.
I stifled the urge to protest; I didn’t need protecting. Roman’s posture told me he was torn, so I touched his arm.
“Go with Malik and calm him down,” I said. “I’ll be here with Lee. He’ll protect me.”
Roman’s gaze bore into mine, filled with warmth and adoration. He leaned in, his lips brushing against mine as if they were made of feathers. Then he kissed me, a soft and gentle embrace that spoke volumes without a single word. I could feel the love and tenderness pouring from him, warming every inch of my body. The world stood still as we shared a sweet, tender kiss that filled my heart with joy.
As we slowly pulled apart, my hand instinctively reached up and pressed against my racing heart. Roman smiled softly. He stooped down to press a tender kiss on my swollen belly, his voice filled with anticipation as he whispered, “I can’t wait to meet you, little one.” As he rose to stand back up, our eyes met and locked in a powerful gaze that seemed to ignite the air around us with fiery passion. In that searing instant, it was as if time stood still and nothing in the world existed except for the two of us and our unborn child.
Without another word, Roman followed Malik out of the room, their footsteps a fading echo against the stone floors. The departure left a vacuum, and into it settled an awkward silence. Mathias, Lee, and Alina arranged themselves around the dining table, an uneasy truce settling among us.
“Please, forgive my outburst,” Mathias said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. As our gazes locked, his eyes scoured mine for recognition, revealing the kind man my grandfather used to be before he showed me the evil that lurked inside.
I sighed, the anger and fear ebbing away. It wasn’t easy, but family ties had a way of binding even the most frayed hearts.
“Our one weakness is family,” Mathias said quietly. “I want to be a happy family and be whole.”
The words felt heavier than I expected, laden with the hope that we could somehow move past the secrets and the darkness that seemed to shadow our every step.
Mathias settled back into his ornate chair, the ancient wood creaking. Shadows flickered across his face as the candles on the table danced and swayed.
His deep voice cut through the tense air, its low rumble resonating with authority. “You must understand, Olivia, everything I told you this morning about my life was true. But yes, Malik is right about me orchestrating this plan against Balthazar. I am the mastermind behind it all. For too long, he has been a dangerous and ruthless monster, constantly trying to kill you and those you love. I created a plan to eradicate him once and for all.
“I had Malik play his part in it. He summoned Marcellious to get close to Balthazar and retrieve his dagger and your mother’s. I couldn’t do it myself because Balthazar and I have a long and bitter history.”
Mathias’ words hung heavily in the air, punctuated by the crackling of the candles and my heart thumping as I processed everything he had just revealed.
A shiver ran down my spine as I hugged myself tightly, searching for warmth in the cozy room. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of truth that were slowly coming to light.
“Also, I didn’t want Balthazar to know I was alive,” Mathias said, his gaze steady and solemn. “I love you and Emily so much and would do anything to protect you. I would never hurt either of you. I want to have my family close. Please don’t be afraid of me.”
Afraid? The word echoed in my head. How could I not fear the unknown, the shrouded past unraveling before me?
“Balthazar is locked up and will never escape. I promise you,” Mathias said as if reading my thoughts. “And I need to share my ugly past with Balthazar with you.”
He paused, his words hanging between us like a specter.
“I once had a wife and a training school, teaching my students to correct their innate darkness. I taught them they may have been born this way, but it didn’t mean they had to live that way. Balthazar was my greatest student, closest ally, and friend, once upon a time, until one day he destroyed my school, wanting power.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“He blamed me for every bad thing that happened to him.” Mathias clenched his hands into fists. “He killed my beautiful wife Cora in vengeance. He went after my daughter, Alina, but he fell in love with her. Still, he tried to kill her. Balthazar is the most dangerous darkness, and I will protect you and Emily at all costs.”
His declaration was fierce, an oath carved from years of hidden battles.
“The truth is, Olivia,” he added, softer now, “I had no idea Alina was alive until Lee told me.”
“Lee?” The name tumbled out of me, disbelief shading my tone. My gaze snapped to him, searching for confirmation. Lee met my eyes, his expression unreadable, then he gave a slow, measured nod.
“You and Lee know each other?”
Mathias nodded, a haunted look passing over his features. “Yes, I’ve known Lee for a long time. For years, I thought Alina was dead.”
Something shifted inside me, some barrier crumbling at the realization that the webs of our lives were more intertwined than I’d ever imagined.
“I had a purpose,” Mathias murmured, almost to himself. “I want joy in my life. I want to be one big, happy family.”
He turned toward Alina, who lurked silently in the corner.
“I think it’s time your daughter knows the truth,” he said. “She only knows bits and pieces. Tell her the truth, Alina. She needs her mother back.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, the weight of years of longing and confusion pressing down on me. The truth. It was what I’d sought all along, and now it seemed closer than ever.
But with it came the realization that the path ahead was paved with revelations that would change everything. And those revelations might reveal more lies than I could stomach.