Chapter 10 #2
I do my best to keep my face neutral, hiding the disgust I feel upon seeing that this arouses him, his wicked side, partially controlled by the curse.
His handsome face twists into something unrecognizable.
Small ash particles stir in the wind around me, their paths as fickle as the person responsible for them.
The air is heavy with the sting of scorched earth and oil—a bitter, smoky scent.
It smells like burning leaves and frying grease, mixed with the ghost of sulfur and ruined blossoms. I watch in horror as Fynn slowly sears through the fields, flowers dying, red turning black, as he forces the magic out with his own mind.
Destroying where blood-red dahlia fields once bloomed.
I start to cough as the scent suffocates me.
Fynn’s eyes are bloodshot, the tiny vessels in his eyes broken and turning red, his expression void of life as he seems to stare through my soul.
Slowly, I begin to back up while I feverishly try to plan my escape, yet every option I think of has the same result: my body joining the ash of the ruined flowers.
I never learned to shadow walk like the Umbra; I don’t even know if I’m powerful enough to do so.
“Where do you think you’re going? I never should have trusted a blood witch. Fuck, Caria, I think I was even in love with you, and what did you do? You danced circles around me, spinning your web of lies, while I blindly followed you. I fucking loved you.”
“Fynn, please, don’t hurt me. This isn’t you. I wasn’t lying!”
Completely absorbed by whatever darkness dwells within him, he ignores my every word.
My skin starts to burn, and I bite my lower lip as I try to withstand the pain threatening to consume me.
Tiny bubbles and blisters begin to burst on my arm, while Fynn is frying me, without even touching me.
Tears run down my face, but none of it fazes him.
If anything, he seems to revel in my despair.
I apologize to Reiner, murmuring the words, for being an idiot, for leaving him like this, despite my promises. The idea of him shattering into a million pieces breaks my heart.
Out of nowhere, a large cloud of shadows forms near one of the weeping willows, and through my blurry vision, I swear I see the Umbra stepping out, and I laugh softly.
My mind is playing desperate tricks on me.
But if he is real, I pray he’s able to take out Fynn, but I have a nagging feeling that Fynn, with his newfound powers, is at the top of the food chain, and the Umbra no longer is.
How can anyone defeat such strength, a magic designed to overcome the darkness?
I’m unable to keep my eyes open any longer, and I collapse. Unconsciousness takes over as I can no longer withstand the pain surging through my body. My skin slowly peels and curls, and I don’t have the energy to weave it back together, to heal myself.
A pair of soft, cold hands caresses my cheeks, waking me up, and I open my eyes, blinking until my vision clears.
It’s Harlot’s face that looks back at me, worry marked on her soft, pretty features.
Her long, black hair is held together by a French braid that drapes over her small shoulder.
I want to get up, but she pushes me back down, her strength surprising me.
“Shh,” she soothes. “You need to rest. Your body is still healing itself, together with your magic.”
“Tell me what happened, please.”
I gaze at her through my eyelashes as she silently lets her eyes roam, pulling faces in the process. Then, she rolls her eyes. I wasn’t aware that she and the Umbra are telepathically connected until she speaks.
“The men will be here shortly, and then we’ll tell you everything you want to know. Try to rest a little until then.”
She offers me a glass of water, and as I open my mouth, she keeps my head steady, while my cracked lips touch the rim of the glass.
It doesn’t take long before the men arrive.
“CARIA!” I wince at the loud sound; Reiner drops to his knees beside me, while Harlot stands up and walks over to Emrys. Reiner takes my hand and softly kisses my knuckles. Carefully, he brushes a strand of hair away from my face.
“Why did you do that? You stupid woman,” he whispers, and it’s the first time I see Reiner cry—small salty rivers tracing his cheeks, his mismatched eyes filled with dread and sadness.
“I’m so sorry… I… You were right, I never should have done that.”
My apology sounds flat, even though I mean it. I made a colossal mistake that put me in danger—a miscalculation, underestimating Fynn’s mental state, which had the worst possible outcome.
“What happened?” I ask again.
Reiner glances at Harlot, with Emrys standing behind his soul-bonded mate, one arm around her waist. The protective layer of shadows around her skin is evident, giving her pale skin a haunting glow.
“Emrys heard your shadows cry out for help,” Harlot begins, and I feel humiliated.
My own shadows were calling for someone they respected and had more faith in than me.
“I had never experienced it before, but I could sense your pain through your shadows, so despite my better judgment, we chose to find out what was happening," Emrys says.
“We heard you plead and beg at Fynn, but it seems Fynn is losing his mind, his deterioration coming faster with each passing day,” Emrys continues, sharing a quick glance with Harlot.
“As you already know, Harlot and I were able to break her part of the curse, but it seems Fynn now bears the full burden of it. It’s not meant to be carried by one twin while the other is still alive. It seems it will slowly drive that person insane with vile and murderous thoughts.”
“His primary goal remains to kill me; that’s what he’s determined to do, but collateral damage is no longer stopping Fynn. You got caught in the crossfire,” Harlot says softly.
“Thankfully,” she continues, “the sight of me was enough to distract him from hurting you further, and Emrys managed to pull you into the shadows, bringing you here.”
Harlot continues to tell me how Fynn’s howling at the loss of me, a dark creature, and his forsaken sister had even shaken her core—a terror was instilled at hearing the loud cry. I involuntarily feel a chill run through me, and goosebumps appear on my skin.
“Thankfully, Reiner was here, and he took care of you instantly,” she concludes, and I nod, stupefied.
“It’s not his fault,” Harlot says, while she fidgets with her sleeve. “He genuinely likes you; I can tell by his eyes and how he behaves around you. It’s just… the curse. He’s lost, and he doesn’t know how to find his way back yet.”
A sad smile crosses her beautiful face. She and Fynn truly resemble each other, identical twins, both of them too pretty for their own good. She and the Umbra make a perfect pair; they look almost ethereal.
“Thank you,” I manage to choke out.
“Don’t mention it,” Emrys says.
Possessively, he pulls Harlot back into his arms, where she’s safe. They’re not much different from Reiner and me, I realize, as they too want to live their life together in peace, basking in each other's company.
Reiner repeatedly thanks the couple, and I watch in fascination as they fade into the shadows, a method of travel I hope to master as well someday.
That night, Reiner is not upset with me, or at least he isn’t showing it; instead, he tends to my wounds and showers me with love and affection.
I revel in it, knowing there will be a moment when we will discuss this event and how I ignored his numerous warnings and pleas.
Dread settles in my mind as it dawns on me how lucky I am to be alive, that, despite my hatred for my shadows to go to that damn Umbra, it’s what saved me.
I shake my head, then laugh softly.
“What’s so funny?” Reiner says, furrowing his brows.
“Out of all creatures out there, it’s the Umbra and his bride who saved me. The irony, Reiner.”
He grins at me. “You definitely left an impression, as he was willing to bring his mate into danger for you.”
My shoulders slump, and my laugh fades away. “Because he still believes we serve some sort of purpose, I can feel it in my bones. Otherwise, he would have let me perish.”