4. Evelyn
4
Evelyn
A lister’s hand at the small of my back led me up the mansion’s grand staircase. His footsteps echoed with each step, the sound bouncing off the opulent walls adorned with paintings that seemed to watch me with silent scrutiny.
How dare they mock me!
I felt an urge to flip them off.
We turned into the east wing. It felt different here—more peaceful and less austere.
Alister stopped before two large double doors and turned to me. “I had this room prepared for you, in case you ever needed it.”
The doors swung open with a gentle push, revealing a room that stole the air from my lungs. It was beautiful, spacious, and bathed in warm sunlight spilling through the large windows. But it wasn’t the grandeur that caught my attention—it was the wallpaper.
Unicorns pranced along the walls amidst a backdrop of lush forests and sparkling streams—the same pattern I’d loved in my parents’ home—the one I was supposed to inherit on my eighteenth birthday. Technically, I was already eighteen, but since I had gone back in time, I had to wait another year.
“How did you—” I started, but my words faltered as emotion constricted my throat.
Alister’s expression turned wistful. “I remembered it from when I bound your magic.”
I frowned.
“I took your memories, Evelyn, from that day. Vampires have the ability to remove and alter memories.” Before I could start yelling at him again, he added, “I’ll give them back, I promise. Maybe in a few days, once things settle down?”
I laughed bitterly.
Settled down? I didn’t see that happening anytime soon.
He watched me carefully as if gauging my reaction. Then, as if to ease my tension, he flashed me his beautiful smile.
Goddess. That smile.
It was the kind of smile that could make a girl forget she was mad, forget she had wings, hell, forget her own name. It almost made me forgive him on the spot.
Almost.
It was hard being mad at him when he stood there looking like every dark hero from every book I’d ever read—handsome, mysterious, and now oddly thoughtful. It was disarming and unsettling all at once.
Even if he was a lying, memory-stealing, incredibly attractive, immortal asshole.
Get it together, Evelyn. Anger now, swoon later.
“There are some clothes in the closet for you,” he continued, gesturing toward an ornate door on one side of the room. “Take your time to settle in.”
With that, he left me alone.
I crossed the plush carpet to peek into the closet—it was stocked with garments that seemed to cater to both comfort and style. All of which still had their tags on.
They were brand new.
Of course, the rich vampire wouldn’t be shopping at a thrift store, but I, on the other hand, had always worn hand-me-downs from Lia ever since my parents died.
I gathered some comfy clothes and made my way to the bathroom attached to my room.
I stepped into the luxurious bathroom, my wings still fully on display. The marble floor felt cool beneath my bare feet, a stark contrast to the heat still emanating from my skin.
I caught my reflection in the large mirror, and a hysterical laugh bubbled out of me. Yep, I was fully naked.
How did I forget that?
My skin was flushed and glistening. And then there were the wings, shimmering, like something out of a fairy tale.
Except this was no fairy tale.
This was my new reality.
They were beautiful, really, like if Tinker Bell and a glitter bomb decided to have a baby.
Vampire venom: the gift that keeps on giving. Side effects may include wings, fire, and an overwhelming urge to murder said vampire…who, as it turns out, is also your husband!
I huffed.
Guess I’ll have to investigate my lineage and what other surprises might come my way.
I tore my gaze away from the mirror and focused on the task at hand. The shower was calling my name, promising to wash away the sweat and grime and maybe some of the confusion and turmoil swirling inside me.
I stepped under the spray, the hot water cascading over my skin, soothing my aching muscles.
“What the fuck,” I moaned.
As droplets of water poured over my wings, a strange sensation sent heat waves to my core. The feeling was almost sensual.
Well, this is unexpected.
I closed my eyes, letting the steam envelop me, careful not to let the spray touch certain parts of my wings—it was a little too intense—wishing it could wash away the memories of the past twenty-four hours.
As the water kept falling, the last hours remained burned into my mind—Theo’s lifeless body, Morgana, my parents, everyone lying to me…
A sob tore from my throat, the sound muffled by the water. I leaned my forehead against the cool marble, my shoulders shaking as the tears flowed freely.
How had everything gone so wrong so quickly?
Theo was gone, and now I had witch-fairy ancestors. The absurdity of it all felt like a cruel joke.
It all sounded like one of those paranormal romance novels Lia used to devour, the ones I’d secretly enjoyed reading too.
Lia…The thought of my former best friend sent a fresh wave of pain through my chest. She’d betrayed me too, siphoning my power for her own gain.
Was there anyone in my life who hadn’t lied to me?
Rafe’s face flashed through my mind, his beautiful eyes filled with concern and something else I couldn’t quite name. He’d been a great friend. But even he was keeping secrets. I could see it in the way he avoided my gaze, the hesitation in his voice when I asked him how he’d known where to find me.
I needed answers.
I needed the truth.
And I was going to get it, one way or another.
I wasn’t at all innocent here.
I most likely had the biggest secret of all. But it was time for me to trust them, even if that felt like walking on thin ice considering the stunt Alister had just pulled.
Why would he want me as a wife, anyway?
I finished my shower in a daze, going through the motions of washing my hair and body, but careful not to let the water touch my wings too much.
Those little devils were sensitive.
Then I got dressed in comfy jogging pants and a cardigan that I had to wear backward because my wings were not cooperating.
I looked like an idiot, but what else was new?