41. Caine

41

CAINE

Violet's mouth drops open, and she turns to face the Ice Demon King, who has appeared behind her in all his pain in the arse glory. "Dad?" she stammers and then tilts her head back and then further back so she can look at his face. She stumbles back and stands on my toe as she takes in the sheer enormity of dear old dad. "Wow," she mutters. "Fuck."

My father looms over us, all eight feet of him, his icy blue skin shimmering in the moonlight. Frost spreads across the ground at his feet, creeping outwards with each passing second. His shrewd gaze sweeps over our ragtag group before settling on me.

"Caine," he says, his voice like the cracking of glaciers. "I thought I taught you better than to run from your problems."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at the reprimand. "We're not running, Dad. We're regrouping."

Violet stifles her snicker, and I squeeze her elbow .

He raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Is that what you call this little forest excursion?"

"We're heading back to MistHallow," Violet blurts out, her voice only wavering slightly as she addresses my father. "We realised running wasn't the answer."

My father's gaze shifts to her, his expression unreadable. "And you are?"

"Violet," she says, standing straighter. "I'm the reason we're in this mess."

I start to protest, but she shoots me a look that silences me.

"Interesting," my father muses. "You're the vampire causing all the fuss, then?"

Violet nods. "Yes, sir. But I'm not what they think I am. We're going back to set things right."

"What is it you think they think?"

She freezes, still as a statue, but then looks up at me, panic in her eyes as she can't answer him. "Uhm?—"

"We know they locked Violet up because of the murders on campus, that wasn't her, by the way. Her dickhead sire was violating her mind, so we broke her out. Now, we assume, they are hunting us down to lock us all up and throw away the key."

"Humph," Dad snorts. "Over my dead body will they treat my son with such disrespect. They are lucky you dare to deign them with your presence here. Do you know how it looks to have the Ice Demon Prince gracing their halls?"

I purse my lips, not sure if that's a trick question. " No, sir," I say eventually as it becomes increasingly clear he requires an answer.

My father's eyes narrow at my response. "It looks like we're bestowing a great honour upon them. One they seem to have forgotten."

I resist the urge to sigh. My father's pride in our heritage has always been one of sheer arrogance.

"Dad, that's not why I'm here," I say, trying to keep my voice level. "I'm here because I want to be."

He scoffs. "And look where that got you. On the run in the middle of the night."

"We're not running," Violet interjects, her voice stronger now. "We're going back to face this."

My father's gaze swings back to her, curiosity and amusement in his eyes, but there is something else that I want to identify as recognition. It intrigues me, and I start to pay more attention to his actions and words.

"You have spirit, little vampire girl."

I'm about to admonish him for talking down to Violet when she beats me to it.

"Sir, with all due respect, we don't have time for this. There are feral weres hunting us, and we need to get back to MistHallow before things get even more out of hand."

For a long moment, my father just stares at her. Then, to my surprise, he laughs. It's a sound like ice breaking, sharp and startling.

"I had my doubts, dear girl, but now I know. You are who they say you are. "

"Huh?" I blurt out as Flint moves in closer.

"What does that mean?" he snaps.

Dad's gaze flicks to the Snow Dragon, and to his credit, Flint doesn't flinch. "Ah, Flint, son of Glacier. You are your father's son. Strength in droves. He will be proud."

I give him a shove when he beams, looking pleased as punch with my Dad's words. "Look, Dad. We really do need to get moving."

Dad locks gazes with me and inclines his head nobly. "Of course. I'll clear the path. There is much in this forest that wishes this girl harm. She is to be protected at all costs." To my utter shock, he bows deeply, and with a wave of his trident, we are suddenly back right where we started, on the edge of the campus of MistHallow, albeit covered head to toe in frost.

"What the hell just happened?" Violet gasps, shivering as she brushes frost from her clothes.

I stare at the spot where my father had been standing moments ago, trying to process his cryptic words and sudden departure. "I'm not entirely sure," I admit. "Dad has always had a flair for the dramatic."

Thorne shakes his head, dislodging ice crystals from his hair. "What did he mean about Violet being who they say she is?"

I shrug, frustrated by my lack of answers. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it seems important."

Flint, still looking pleased from my father's compliment, speaks up. "Well, we're back at MistHallow now. I suppose we'd better head in and find Blackthorne."

We all turn to look at the looming silhouette of the school in the distance. The campus is spookily quiet, no signs of the chaos we left behind earlier. I narrow my eyes as this is all off.

Violet takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "I'm ready." Whatever nonsense my dad was prattling on about doesn't seem to be concerning her, but I know Dad. He doesn't say things without there being a fucking good reason.

I nod, admiring her determination. "We need to be careful. We don't know what kind of reception we'll get."

As we start moving towards the main building, I can't shake the feeling that we're walking into something much bigger than we realise. My father's words echo in my mind, adding another layer of mystery to an already complex situation.

We move cautiously across the campus grounds, alert for any sign of danger or pursuit. But the eerie silence persists, broken only by the crunch of fresh snow beneath our feet.

As we approach the main building, I notice something odd. "The wards," I mutter. "They're different."

Thorne nods, his brow furrowed. "I feel it, too. They've been strengthened."

Violet looks between us, confusion evident on her face. "What does that mean? "

"It means," Flint says grimly, "that they were expecting trouble. Or us."

We pause at the foot of the steps leading up to the main entrance. The ornate doors loom before us, suddenly seeming more imposing than ever.

"Well," Violet says, her voice barely above a whisper, "here goes nothing."