Chapter 12
Suppressed Whispers
Harlot
“You and Adira, Dhampir, what’s that about?” My monster asks immediately, the moment we step out of the shadows.
Emrys and I appear out of nowhere, startling the darkling, the silver, blood-filled goblet in his hand almost falling to the floor.
His reflexes are fast enough to prevent it from happening, yet some of the dark fluid spills onto the floorboards.
Faas opens his mouth, his sharp teeth and canines prominent, then closes it, as if he’s contemplating what to tell us.
“Have you been voyeuristic, Umbra?” He smiles, trying to distract us and buy himself time to come up with a story.
“I have. Now, speak, my mate hates to wait,” Emrys says, exposing his sharp teeth as well.
Faas’s display wasn’t meant as a threat; his is, and a low growl emanates from Emrys’s throat.
The dhampir turns even paler than before, if that was possible, his skin translucent.
I glance at the tall dhampir expectantly, with a morbid curiosity to hear why he’s with my mother.
Everything he has done so far has been in his own selfish interest, and the idea that he is using my mother for his personal gain is not something I will take lightly.
She was heartbroken by my father's death, and not once in all those years has she shown interest in another man, let alone a darkling like him.
Never had she appeared to want her heart mended by someone else, as if she savored the shattered pieces of her lost love.
Part of me wonders if the curse would even allow a broken heart like that to be healed by true love, because despite it all, my father was chosen by fate for my mother as well, neither of them able to withstand the forced attraction.
When I was younger, she would tell me stories about my father, the kind soul that he was, until I pressed too much, and she stopped.
The silent treatment was a form of punishment she would often administer to me whenever she felt I was getting too curious.
It was her twisted way of keeping me safe, always telling me I am too curious for my own good.
In the blink of an eye, Emrys wraps his hand around Faas’s throat and lifts him into the air, cutting off his airway and causing the dhampir to wheeze.
Though Emrys is slightly shorter than Faas, the dhampir’s strength is no match for his; he lifts him effortlessly, his eyes turning black as he fixates his stare on Faas's bright green eyes.
“I don’t care what your reasoning is to stay here, despite the loss of half your free men, nor do I have interest in interfering.
However, the moment you touch or show interest in something or someone that puts my beloved in distress, I will intervene and disturb the balance.
I will never allow anyone, darkling or human, to cause my mate sorrow.
Is that clear?” Emrys growls once more, the sound low and dark, a deathly danger hidden underneath, and the creature at his mercy manages to nod.
He throws the dhampir on the floor with no effort, dust particles swirling around like snowflakes as he lands, and an ember flickers behind Emrys’s black eyes, hinting at his true nature.
The violence that found a turmoiled home within his heart always lingers, ready to strike when provoked.
Faas rubs his neck, red bruises forming on his otherwise white skin, creating a stark contrast that reminds me of the blood-red river flowing through The Wailing Forest. I roll back my shoulders as my monster observes the wooden floor, where the dhampir slowly gets up.
“No need for the violence, I’ll talk,” he says with a grunt, holding his hands up in defense.
It’s the first time I've seen a whisper of fear on Faas’s usually stoic face as Emrys lets out a low hum of unrest, his patience wearing thin.
The dhampir gets up and steps back a few paces, creating distance between himself and Emrys, who stands still, simply watching him.
But it’s the cold stare that sends silver chills down others’ spines.
I observe the interaction, slightly amused, not that Faas even dares to look my way. He knows better than that.
“Look, I-I was interested in Adira, your mother, because of your magic—the Aurum. I’ve been searching for it my entire life; it would make my hunter group invincible.
We could wipe out whole villages, fuck, even towns, and cities.
However, I’ve never encountered it, despite my efforts.
All I’ve gotten are scams and empty promises.
We settled at Valorya because the whispers that follow your family led me here—news about a human family that cannot be touched travels as fast as you can imagine.
You, your mother, and your brother are the only ones I’ve heard of being protected by the lost white magic.
Then I learned it was a cursed form, but still, it does its work. It was the first solid lead in years…”
“I followed you all into Sadelaer and saw the damage your brother did to that female vampire, confirming everything I had heard.”
The memory makes my stomach churn, especially the way Fynn had insinuated how easily he could do it to me as well. I feel Emrys's fury nudge against me, and I weave my fingers into his, doing my best to soothe him.
It's all in the past, my love. With you next to me, he won’t be able to come near me.
It doesn’t matter. His threat to you is enough for me to want to rip him apart. The next time, I won’t let him get away with it so easily.
“Please continue,” I spur Faas on.
Without even a glance at me, he continues, his snarky confidence nowhere to be found. My monster is on edge, and the tumultuous energy that radiates from him is enough to keep Faas talking.
“I was astounded seeing what he had done; his touch literally burned through her, made her skin melt away. All that was left was a coaled body and blackened bones. That was what I needed, what I wanted for my men. I kept tracking your party until you ended up in Valorya.”
His gaze lands on the floor, and he swallows noticeably, as if he fears speaking the words to come.
“My first idea was to seduce you, Harlot, as you seemed to have a fascination with the darklings, despite your fear. Obviously, I quickly let that idea go when you and the Umbra met! I immediately abandoned it.” He says the last sentence so fast that it almost sounds like a ramble.
I bite my lower lip to stop the laughter I feel bubbling up.
The idea of him seducing me is a foreign one, even though he has the same unnatural beauty that all vampires possess.
It's fascinating to see Faas squirm like this, his usual uninterested composure crumbling like a mirror hitting a floor and breaking into a thousand pieces.
“That’s when I crossed paths with your brother on purpose—”
I interrupt him. “I’m not interested in hearing another word about my brother. Please get to the part that we’re here for. Why are you mingling with my mother?”
“It’s your brother who led me to your mother; it was he who told me your mother holds the actual Aurum.
Somehow, she’s able to transfer its powers to her offspring, and I hoped to learn how that works.
Unfortunately, it turns out that your mother is actually a fascinating woman, and I developed a genuine interest in her.
That’s why we began seeing each other. Of course, I still hope to learn more, but I enjoy my time spent with her. ”
With loathing, I glare at him, and he slightly cowers.
“You are USING my mother! You vile creature!”
My anger simmers just beneath the surface, filling the space with dark energy.
Without realizing it, I rip off Emrys’s shadows again and direct them toward Faas, who looks at me with wide, frightened eyes as I take control of my mate’s shadows and wrap them around him like a constrictor. His gaze shifts to Emrys.
“She controls your shadows, Umbra?” He gasps in surprise.
“It seems so,” he responds, amused, folding his strong arms, his skin still holding onto the vibrating shadows, their markings latched onto him.
“We are still discovering the silver linings of our bonding,” he continues, nonchalantly.
Emrys smirks, and it’s so sexy, I almost forget about the darkling that’s trying to take advantage of my mother.
“Focus, Tempest,” he whispers, his fanning breath a caress against my skin, and I return my attention to the writhing and struggling dhampir.
“I’m giving you one more chance to speak your truth,” I spit, tightening the shadows.
“Fine!” he snarls. Then, in almost a sarcastic tone, he says: “You’re onto me, I’m using her, alright, I need that damn Aurum so I can eradicate every vampire and witch from this world. Happy?”
I can almost smell the dread coming from him, yet there’s something I can’t put my finger on, as if he’s lying to me right now. I scowl at him, allowing the shadows to return to their master.
“For now,” I say, squinting my eyes at him.
“Quite a pair you two make,” Faas says, his voice tinged with annoyance, as he pats his pants, wiping off the dirt. He coughs a few times. His confidence returns, now that he feels he has fulfilled his duty and satisfied us.
“Anything to delight my Tempest,” Emrys says.
He bids farewell to the dhampir and takes me along, his embrace tight, as we disappear into the dark, murky world of shadow.
The moment we arrive at the fortress, Emrys pulls the cords of my corset loose, and it falls to the floor, the fabric landing with a bare whisper against our soft moans that fill the bedroom.
My dress follows next, and it doesn’t take long before I’m completely naked, besides my black lace stockings, adorned with red silk ribbons.
“Those stay on.” Emrys grins.
“We should practice that, you using my shadows,” he says, as he plants kisses on my skin, starting at my neck, and working his way down.