Chapter 33

Chapter

Thirty-Three

SAGE

" I have a half sister?" I mumble under my breath.

Stunned, I don't move, just stare at Elara as she meanders alongside my father. The lights on the walls glint against the green scales on her arms and down the sides of her neck and face. She's easily a few years younger than me, maybe six-and-ten years old. Her brilliant crystal-green eyes blink in my direction, her attention locked on me.

I'm lost for words.

"We had no idea you had a half sister, Sage," Killian whispers, and I have no reason not to believe him.

My father grins, as though he's achieved the shock he intended.

Elara had to know I existed because she doesn't look surprised to see me. She's just staring at me. Wearing a simple floral dress cinched at the waist with a belt and sandals, her green hair tumbles around her face in small curls, cut short to her jaw. She's cute, and I can see parts of myself in her face.

So many questions whirl in my head. I doubt my mother even knows about Elara, but what would she say if she saw her? Would it hurt her to find out the man who abandoned her had a child with someone else?

"Elara has been by my side since she was a child," my father begins. "After her mother passed from a sickness in her blood, which is a shame. Elara carries a psychic power that will confirm if you've been truthful." His gaze drills into me, lingering, leaving me wanting to glance away, but I refuse to.

Wolfe steps forward, shoulders square, his broad chest sticking out. I'm captivated by him, proud to be at his side. "How does her power work, exactly?"

"Sage won't be harmed. Stand down," my father assures. "Elara requires a taste of her blood to see the truth of what you claim." He glances down at the girl, grinning, his hand gripping her shoulder firmly. Her brow pinches, but she doesn't brush him off. "She'll reveal the truth, as she has done many times for me in the past."

My thoughts race—a half sister with mind powers. The whole situation feels surreal. I study her again, trying to read her expression, but it's impossible.

"Hello, Elara," I say, eager to get to know her. "I'm Sage."

She tilts her head to the side, eyes blinking a few times before she steps forward, her hand rising from her side. The glint of the blade in her hand catches my attention.

Killian and Nyko throw themselves in front of me; they must've spotted the weapon as well. Wolfe pulls me farther away from her by my arm.

"I won't hurt you," she says softly in a voice that is soothing, handing over the blade, hilt first. "This will be quick. You can cut yourself or have one of them do it for you." Her gaze flicks to my three monsters.

My father is chuckling. "Look at you, my daughter, three powerful Shadowfen throwing their lives to protect you. Who would have thought?" He's mocking me. I hear it in his tone, and I hate him more for it.

Nyko steps forward, his hand reaching for the small, curved blade.

I nod, swallowing hard and closing the distance between us. "All right," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "How are we doing this?"

"Just a small cut on the fleshy part of your palm should be fine," she murmurs, her attention flicking up to meet mine.

"Quickly now," my father urges. "We don't have all day."

Nyko faces me, taking my hand gently into his. "I'll do the cut for you."

"Thanks," I say, shaking, a rush of gratitude flooding me.

"You can look away if you want," he encourages, lifting my left hand. He must be picking up on my nerves, seeing he's not making light of the situation as he normally would.

I shake my head at his offer. "I'm fine."

The room feels like it's closing in on me, everyone crowding around, leaving me overwhelmed.

Nyko swiftly swipes the blade across the meaty part of my palm. At first, I don't feel anything, then bubbles of blood appear along the line, and the sting surfaces instantly. I hiss under my breath at the sharpness.

Nyko grins at me. "I've had paper cuts deeper than this. It'll heal in no time."

I laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood, when Elara suddenly grabs my hand, bringing it to her face. Her mouth presses over the cut, and the sensation of her tongue lapping at my blood makes my skin crawl. It's strange, intimate, and deeply unsettling, leaving a strange sense of violation. My gut churns as I watch her, trying not to panic and rip my hand from her grasp.

Her eyes flutter closed as she keeps drinking from me.

Silence suffocates the room, broken only by the pounding of my heart and the throbbing pulse from the cut on my hand.

Elara's nails dig into my skin, causing me to wince. She's convulsing now. As she releases my hand, her legs give out, and she's falling.

Heart in my throat, I lunge for her, but Killian catches her, not our father. He simply stands there, staring at her with a look of almost disgust, as if her convulsions are an inconvenience.

Elara's eyes are wide and unfocused as she licks the drops of my blood from her lips. Killian helps her to her feet. She glances at me, her expression unreadable, while I'm panicking on the inside.

What did she see in my blood?

"And? Don't keep me waiting!" our father berates.

She turns to him, still teetering on her feet.

"It's true," she finally admits. "She's your blood-born, my half sister, and all three Shadowfen here are her true mates. She experienced a ritual vision with the three Shadowfen. Such a ritual can't be faked. They told you the truth."

I glance at my father, along with everyone else. He remains stoic, unmoving.

"You have your confirmation." Wolfe stands tall, his voice booming across the room.

"So, it's true," he admits, meeting my gaze, lacking any emotions. "You are my daughter and as the eldest, the potential true heir to my throne."

I nibble the corner of my lower lip as Killian, Wolfe, and Nyko press tightly near me. Why potential ?

"So then, as per the King's Oath—" Wolfe begins.

"I know the damn oath," my father growls, his gaze darkening. For a split second, his monstrous form pushes forward—a row of horns curving backward like spiky hair, black eyes, sharp teeth, and long arms tipped with black claws. His body is shadowy and covered in spikes.

Then the imagery is gone, and shivers rush down my spine. Despite having seen so many monsters on the vessel, he is terrifying. The notion leaves me wondering if my mother had seen his true monster side, and that's why she refused to speak to me about him.

"Then abide by it. You have your proof," Killian commands. "Or shall we announce it in front of the people of this city? Your daughter has the memory now in her psychic ability for anyone to see the truth, as do all the guards who heard her confirmation."

My father's nostrils flare, his chest heaving. "I will not give my kingdom to just anyone who shares my bloodline, or I would have already assigned Elara to it. Sage and you three must first deserve it."

Ouch . His insult for my half sister stings. She lowers her gaze, and my insides turn.

"What the fuck? How?" Nyko barks.

"A quest to prove you're worthy," the King states, his gaze turning to Wolfe. "Because fuck knows, your father didn't deserve his title. He squandered it, never fought to merge the Shadowfen clans from around the world because he didn't want to upset anyone. He let war rage between borders, and hundreds were killed. And look where that got him."

Wolfe's clenched, his jaw rigid. He throws himself at the King. "You fucking murdered him!"

Killian and Nyko are there, wrestling him back by his arms. The King's guards dart in front of him.

I'm frozen, terrified, unsure what to do.

"Wolfe," Killian hisses in his ear. "Tread carefully. We've come this far. Don't give him any excuse."

Wolfe's face is burning with rage, and I feel sick to my stomach at his agony. The room seems to spin as my father laughs.

"Are you falsely accusing the King, boy?" My father puffs his chest out, glaring at Wolfe with such hatred that I want to drive a blade into his chest.

I'm half startled by my rage, at my admission of wanting to kill him. Cold loathing floods my veins toward him. He's making us jump through hoops.

"What does the quest involve?" I ask in a strong voice.

My three monsters are ready to rip him to shreds, glaring at him like predators, shoulders curled forward, chests puffing. A battle could mean we all die, and my vision for Howler might become a terrifying reality.

My half sister studies me with the rise of an eyebrow, her eyes wide at the burning tension around us.

"You must perform a task to prove your loyalty." My father straightens his posture, chin high. "A mission of my choosing."

"What sort of mission?" I ask, skeptical that it will be something close to impossible to complete.

He gives me a toothy grin. "Will you commit to show your true loyalty by agreeing to the quest? Otherwise, you will be thrown out immediately, and count yourself blessed for not dying today. And you will be forbidden from ever setting foot on my land."

"We accept," Wolfe growls with anger, not even giving thought to the offer.

I huff that he never asked us about it, but it's done now. Killian and Nyko don't seem perturbed, but then again, they look up to him as their leader.

"Good, you're finally making a fucking correct decision." My father claps his hands twice as if we're his entertainment. "You will begin at the crack of dawn. The information you need will be supplied at that time. Tonight, you and your guards will spend it in the city in secured quarters. You will be supplied with food and everything you need. But let's make it clear… if you try to escape, you will be killed. If you hurt any of my guards or Shadowfen, you will die. If you are seen anywhere other than your quarters?—"

"We fucking get it… we'll be killed," Nyko blurts.

"Then we understand each other. I am a Shadowfen of my word, unlike others . But if the four of you fail the quest, Sage is mine, and you three will die. You succeed at the quest, and I'll honor the King's Oath and publicly confirm you four as my rightful successors to the kingdom."

My stomach drops as I lean on Killian's arm for support, staring at my father, who's grinning, loving every moment of this.

Wolfe clears his throat, his shoulders squared. "If we agree and we succeed, you will also supply half of your land for us and our Shadowfen to live on immediately until it's our time to claim the throne."

Meaning until he dies, we get to live on the island with everyone from the vessel.

Silence fills the room. My father's jaw clenches.

Is he fucking kidding? My monsters' lives are at stake.

Wolfe glances at me, and silence pulses between us. When Killian and Nyko nod in agreement, now they're all looking at me, and I'm feeling sick to my stomach. This is moving too fast. I'm not ready to risk their lives, but they are relentless and insistent that we're doing this, aren't they? My father is staring, smiling a toothy grin, and I hate him more with each passing second.

Swallowing hard, I feel the pressure. My skin is burning up, and I want to say no, but we've come this far, and we won't get this chance again. But…

Ah, fuck it! It's now or never…

So, reluctantly, I give my confirmation.

Wolfe faces my father. "Agreed!"

"When you're ready, my guards will wait for you outside the room and take you to your quarters." Without another word, he marches from the room with his guards.

Elara remains and approaches me. "Good luck." Then she reaches over, patting my arm. Her touch is a furnace, and her fingers feel like pins digging into my arm where she touches me. She pulls back, and my mind darkens, my vision blots out, and I'm suddenly convulsing. I hear Killian calling for me, but my vision flashes until I'm no longer in the room but somewhere else entirely.

A vibrant rose garden surrounds me, flowers in every color possible, the sun warm on my shoulders. Elara's smiling, standing by a pond, feeding large golden fish. She glances up at fluttering bugs that I swear are Shadowwings, the toxic butterflies, but she's not afraid. They leave her alone. The smile on her face is contagious. She's so happy in this world, so content. The peace in her expression tugs at my emotions.

Then, abruptly, the vision is ripped away. I'm suddenly in a mess hall, waiters rushing around and bringing platters of food to my father. His face is twisted in anger, glaring at my half sister.

"Stop wasting my fucking time, Elara. You're so useless," he snarls, shoving her from him and the table. She stares at him for a moment as though she imagined him pushing her away, tears glistening in her eyes, then she darts out of the room.

My heart breaks watching her scurry away, head down, shoulders hunched. What the hell's his problem?

Another vision slams into me.

Elara at a grand hall, everyone dressed in glittery gowns, some in human form, others monstrous, drinks flowing, music playing, and lights twinkling overhead. It's breathtaking. She's wearing a blue flowing dress adorned with wings, her smile radiant. Absolutely stunning. Our father appears at her side, grabbing her roughly by the arm, hissing.

"I told you not to show your face at these events. I guess my wish of finally having another heir, hopefully not as useless as you, is finally in Blight now."

"Father… I-I mean, King Bren, my ability is growing and ? —"

He squeezes her arm aggressively, his fingernails breaking her skin, a droplet of blood running down her arm. She winces.

"You dare challenge me in front of others? You show such little respect for your King? You're an embarrassment. You taste blood and see who someone is—that's not impressive for a King's daughter. You're weak, Elara, and that's why I've never let you taste my blood to have power over me." He drags her out of the hallway and drives a hand into her back, throwing her out, where she falls to the floor. "Guards, take her to the dungeon. Maybe a few days without food will teach her respect."

My insides are shards of glass shattering at his mistreatment of her. The vision fades fast.

T hen, I'm back in the room with my true mates, with our guards, stumbling on my feet as I see the last wisps of Elara leaving the room.

"What the hell was that?" I rub my eyes, feeling as though I've just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Are you all right?" Killian asks, his hand on my back, steadying me. Wolfe and Nyko are at my side, too.

"I-I'm…" I can't finish as tears fall. I keep picturing her agony, her being bullied, how she might not even know of the atrocities her father committed as he won't let her link to his thoughts. "I don't know how, but her touch just showed me snippets from her past. Our father's been mistreating her, torturing her… I think she's reaching out to me for help."

Wolfe stares at me, his expression serious, his gaze reflecting my own worry. "Your half sister formed a psychic link with you when she tasted your blood."

My chest constricts, making breathing harder, thinking of her stuck here with that fucking beast .

Nyko embraces me. "You think it's legit or some kind of game her father's putting her up to?"

"It felt real." I try to rub the chill out of my arms. "You saw the way he treated her earlier, his comments. He's taunting her, belittling her." It reminds me so much of those who bullied me back in Nightingale Village, where I felt helpless, as though nothing I did was good enough. They'd made up their minds and hated me. My father kept telling her she wasn't good enough, not strong enough.

Fuck him!

"I want to help her."

Killian steps closer, his hand gently squeezing my arm, standing close. "Of course we will. But we also need to survive first."

Nyko tightens his hug, his presence grounding me.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my out-of-control pulse.

"My father's going to do everything in his power to stop us."

Wolfe cups my cheek, moving in closer. "That's why we're not going to fail," he whispers. "I'm going to fucking murder him before we're done."