1. Violet

1

VIOLET

Time seems to slow as I stare at Nathaniel, my mind reeling. How is he here? How did he break through MistHallow's wards?

"No," I whisper, scrambling backwards on my arse.

Nathaniel's smile widens, predatory and cruel. "Yes. Did you really think you could escape me? Have you not been listening?"

Caine moves in front of me protectively, ice crackling around his hands. "Oh, I've so been looking forward to kicking your arse, vampire."

Nathaniel laughs, the sound sending chills down my spine. "I bet you have. But I've come for what's mine, and no one is stopping me."

His eyes lock onto me, and I feel the pull of the sire bond, insidious and demanding. But something's different. The overwhelming compulsion I felt before is muted, more of a suggestion than a command. Admittedly, it's a strong suggestion .

I rise and stand my ground, drawing strength from Caine's presence beside me. "I'm not yours," I snarl. "I never was, and I never will be!"

Nathaniel's eyes narrow dangerously. "We'll see about that."

He takes a step forward, but suddenly, His Iciness is behind him, looming over him, not looking too happy to have been interrupted and blasted by Nathaniel's power. Whatever the hell that is. "You've made a grave mistake coming here, Nathaniel," he says, his voice low and threatening.

Nathaniel turns around with a smirk. "Cryos, good to see you again. Have you aged a bit? You're looking a bit cracked around the edges."

"Nate!" The woman Amara snaps, standing up from under a pile of rubble and dusting herself off as Blackthorne and Glacier do the same. Whatever magick this was caught them all with their proverbial pants down.

I don't like the feel of this one bit.

Also… Nate ? Who is this woman?

"Ah, Mother," he says. "Didn't see you there under that pile of rock."

"Mother!" I blurt out. "Fucking hell! What is this? Some sick, twisted family game?"

Nathaniel's eyes flick back to me, amusement dancing in their depths. "Oh, Violet. You have no idea how twisted this family game really is."

I feel sick to my stomach. Mother? This woman who claimed to be my Guardian is actually Nathaniel's mother? My head spins as I try to make sense of it all .

"Enough of this," Cryos (apparently, that's His Iciness's name) growls. "Nathaniel, you will leave. Now. You have no power here."

Nathaniel laughs, the sound grating on my nerves. "No power? I just blasted through your precious wards like they were tissue paper. I'd say I have plenty of power."

"A fluke," Blackthorne says, finally regaining his composure. "One that won't be repeated."

But there's uncertainty in his voice, and I can see the worry etched on his face. Whatever Nathaniel did to get in here, it shouldn't have been possible.

Cryos waves his trident thing, but Nathaniel waves it off and, in a flash, is in front of me, his hand closing around my throat as he rips me away from Caine and slams me up against the wall. Flint and Thorne lunge forward, but there is a shield around us, one that even the Ice Demon King can't get around.

"You've been a very bad girl," Nathaniel whispers to me.

"Fuck off," I growl, struggling in his grip. "Everyone in this room wants to kill you, including me."

Nathaniel's grip tightens on my throat, his eyes flashing dangerously. "They can try, but you have no idea what I'm capable of."

I struggle against his hold, fear and anger warring inside me. But there's something else, too - a strange sense of power bubbling up from deep within. I focus on it, drawing strength from this new well of energy .

"Let. Me. Go," I snarl, each word punctuated with a surge of that mysterious power.

To my shock—and clearly to Nathaniel's as well—he stumbles back, his hand releasing my throat as if burned. I slump against the wall, gasping for air.

Nathaniel stares at me with disbelief.

Then, as one, Caine and Cryos move forward, ice erupting from their hands to encase Nathaniel in a frozen prison. Thorne's shadows writhe around him, further restraining the vampire.

"It's over, Nathaniel," Blackthorne says, stepping forward. "You've lost."

Nathaniel laughs, the sound muffled by the ice. "Lost? No, this is just the beginning."

With a burst of power that sends us all reeling, Nathaniel shatters his icy cage. Shards of ice explode outward, forcing us to shield ourselves. When I lower my arm, Nathaniel is gone, leaving only a swirling vortex of dark energy where he stood.

"Damn it!" Cryos roars, slamming his trident into the ground. The floor cracks beneath the impact. "What the hell was that?"

My legs are shaky, my hands trembling. Caine is at my side in an instant, his cool hands gently examining my throat. "Are you okay?" he asks, worry etched on his face.

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet. My mind is reeling from everything that just happened. How did I push Nathaniel away? What was that power I felt ?

"We need to secure the perimeter," Blackthorne says, already moving towards the door. "Cryos, come with me. Glacier, can you reinforce the wards?"

The Ice Demon King and Snow Dragon Emperor nod grimly, following him out.

"Wait!" I croak, finding my voice. "What the hell is going on? Who am I really? And who the fuck is she?" I point at Amara, who's been suspiciously quiet since Nathaniel's departure. I stare at her, her dark hair, her sharp features, and suddenly, I remember where I know her from. "The portrait," I mumble. "What is going on? What am I? No one leaves this goddamned room until I know everything!" I'm beyond pissed off now.

Amara steps forward, her expression solemn. "You're right, Violet. You deserve answers. The truth is, you're not just a vampire. You're a Morgana."

I blink, confused. "A what?"

"A Morgana," she repeats. "A descendant of Morgan le Fay, one of the most powerful sorceresses in history. Her bloodline carries immense magical potential."

I shake my head, trying to process this information. "But I'm a vampire. How can I be this Morgana thing?" My mind is reeling. I don't really know what she's saying. It's just words.

Amara sighs. "Being turned into a vampire doesn't negate your Morgana heritage. In fact, it's likely amplified your latent abilities. That's why Nathaniel was so interested in you. He sensed your power."

"Wait," Caine interrupts, his voice sharp. "You're saying Violet is some kind of vampire-witch hybrid? "

Amara nods. "Essentially, yes. Though ‘witch' doesn't quite cover it. Morganas are... more."

My head is spinning. "This is insane. If I'm so special, why didn't I know about this before? Why didn't I have any powers?"

"Your powers were bound by your parents," Amara explains. "For your protection. Your father got into trouble many years ago, owing money to a very dangerous man. Well, Nathaniel. When he couldn't pay, he was forced to offer you, his firstborn, when you came of age. Your mother is connected to the magick world in a surface-level way. She is the one who passed on this magickal line. She contacted me, and we hoped to keep you hidden from those who might exploit you. But when Nathaniel arrived at your house, killed your parents and turned you..."

"The binding broke," I finish, understanding dawning and, with it, a creeping dread that shit just hit the fan sideways. "How did he even get to me if I was protected?" The accusation flies out of my mouth with more force than I meant.

"We had hoped to keep you hidden and safe, but my son is nothing but focused when he wants something." She lets out a sigh. "He trapped me in the portrait you saw, I know you saw me that day, and it was only Glacier's magick who released me from my prison yesterday."

"Dad?" Flint asks, but Glacier shakes his head.

"It can wait, son. "

He nods and accepts that there are bigger chunks of shit flying around right now.

Overwhelmed by this flood of information, I close my eyes and try to breathe. My whole life, everything I thought I knew about myself, has been a lie.

But isn't that the way these things always go? "I should've fucking known something like this would happen to me. I can never catch a break."

"Hey," Caine says, coming to me but hovering when I hold my hand up to stop him. "This isn't bad. It's good."

I ignore him because I can't see any good right now. Only bad.

"So what now?" I ask. "What does this mean for me?"

Thorne steps forward, his expression grim. "It means you're in more danger than ever. Nathaniel knows what you are, and he'll stop at nothing to get you back." His gaze is chilling when he looks at me, but not in the scary sense. It sends a skitter of cool air over me as he stares inquisitively at me like I'm some sort of bug under a microscope.

"Stop looking at me like that," I mutter.

He blinks. "Sorry! It's just all fallen into place. I get it now."

"Get what?"

"Why my soul is connected to yours. You are Fae."

I blink back at him, pursing my lips. "Huh? Like you?"

He nods. "Yeah, like me. Dark Fae, or Unseelie. "

"Fuck," I mutter. "Fuck!" I kick out at a stone block, and it smashes into a hundred more pieces, and my toe is just fine. "This is… this is…"

"Your life," Caine states.

"Oh, thank you, Captain Obvious," I growl.

He snickers. "Never let it be said that Caine, son of Cryos, is anything but blunt."

"No, let's not, shall we."

We share a smile. Mine is shaky, his is beaming. So is Flint's. Thorne is still staring at me in that weird way, but their support, once again, is remarkable.

"About Nathaniel," Cryos starts, but I rudely interrupt him.

"What does he want with me?"

Amara and Blackthorne exchange a look that sends the scary kind of chill down my spine.

"Power," Blackthorne says simply. "With your Morgana abilities combined with vampire strength, and part of his powerful bloodline, you could potentially be one of the most powerful beings in existence. In the wrong hands, that power could be catastrophic."

"In the wrong hands?" I repeat, anger flaring. "You mean my hands? You don't trust me with this power?"

"That's not what he meant," Caine says softly, placing a calming hand on my arm. "He means Nathaniel using his sire bond to control your power."

"Oh," I mutter. I turn my gaze to Blackthorne. He is giving me interested look. "Did you know about this all along?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No. It was only when your association with three young men became apparent that I knew something wasn't being said. Glacier and I were looking into it when it became blindingly obvious. Glacier went to get Amara, and Cryos is here for…?" He holds his hands up.

"To see the creature who is causing all this fuss," Cryos says jovially, which is also a little bit creepy coming from him.

"Oh my God," I mutter. "I just can't."

"If we would be allowed leave to fix the wards?" Glacier asks.

Flint's mouth drops open in shock. I frown at him, but then realise it's because Glacier, the Snow Dragon Emperor is asking me for permission to be dismissed.

"Yeah, go," I mutter, forgetting my manners in all the upset.

As Glacier, Blackthorne and Cryos leave to reinforce the wards and rebuild the Academy, I collapse into a nearby chair that was blown across the room still upright, my mind reeling from all the revelations. Caine hovers protectively nearby while Thorne and Flint crowd around me on either side.

"So let me get this straight," I say, rubbing my temples. "I'm a vampire-witch-fae hybrid thing descended from Morgan le Fay, with potentially world-altering powers that my psycho vampire sire wants to control. Did I miss anything?"

Amara nods sympathetically. "I know it's a lot to take in, dear."

"A lot to take in?" I laugh incredulously. "That's the understatement of the century. A month ago, I was just a normal art student. Now I'm some kind of supernatural powerhouse with a target on my back."

"You were never just a normal art student, Violet," Amara says gently. "Your powers were always there, just bound."

"That makes it worse!"

"I know, and I can only ask for forgiveness. The Morgana bloodline has always been powerful, but it's rare for it to manifest so strongly. In most cases, it doesn't, like your mother. You, Violet, are special even among Morganas."

"Lucky me," I mutter sarcastically.

Thorne places a comforting hand on the back of my neck. I relax instantly and close my eyes again, trying to tap into what he is feeling about this Fae thing. I come up empty.

"This power is a part of you," he says. "It is rare and special, and you are the perfect creature to hold this much power in your hands."

I look up at Thorne, feeling a rush of gratitude and uncertainty. "How can you be so sure?"

He smiles softly. "Because I know you, Vi. I've seen your strength, your determination. You didn't let Nathaniel break you, even when you thought you were just a newly turned vampire. Now that you know what you truly are, you'll be unstoppable."

His words bolster my confidence but doubt still lingers. "I don't know the first thing about any of this." I look at Amara, hoping for more answers. Luckily, she has some.

"First, we need to fully awaken your Morgana abilities. The vampire transformation and the stress of recent events have started to break through the binding, but we need to remove it completely."

"And how do we do that?" I ask warily.

"There's a ritual," she explains. "It's not dangerous, but it can be... intense."

"What about breaking the sire bond? We were planning it. I want to do it. I don't want anything to do with Nathaniel."

Amara looks grave and clasps her hands in front of her. "I understand, Violet. But that ritual is?—"

"Wait!" Thorne exclaims, turning all eyes to him. "If Violet is actually half-Dark Fae, then this ritual is… oh fuck… I can do this! I can do this, and I know it will work!"

His excitement is infectious, even with everything else going on. I grin at him. "Really?"

"Definitely. It's Fae magick, it will want to work for you, not against you."

"That was an issue?" Caine snaps, lifting his cane, ready to do damage if Thorne has the wrong answer.

I place my hand on it, daring to touch it for the first time. It zaps my hand, and I snatch it back. Caine glares at me, but not in anger. He takes my hand and blows on it, cooling it down instantly.

"Sorry, snowdrop. That wasn't meant for you. "

"It's okay, but don't smite Thorne, either. This isn't his ritual. He's doing what he can with what he has."

Caine lowers his cane but still looks wary. "Fine. But we need to be absolutely certain this will work before we attempt anything."

Thorne nods emphatically. "I'm certain. The Fae blood in Violet changes everything. The ritual will resonate with her true nature. It won't fight against her essence but work with it."

I look between them, feeling hopeful. "So, we can break the sire bond?"

"Yes," Thorne says confidently. "I believe it will be much safer now."

Amara clears her throat, her expression serious. "While breaking the sire bond is important, we must also focus on awakening and controlling Violet's Morgana abilities. Without proper training and classes, her powers could be dangerous."

I nod, feeling overwhelmed again. "So, what's the plan? Break the bond first? Awaken my powers? Hide in a bunker until I can control all this?"

Flint chuckles. "As tempting as the bunker sounds, I don't think hiding is an option anymore. Nathaniel will be back."

"He's right," Caine says grimly. "We need to prepare you as quickly as possible. Nathaniel won't give up easily."

Amara nods in agreement. "I suggest we start with awakening your Morgana abilities. That will give you a foundation of power to work with. Then we can proceed with breaking the sire bond."

With a heavy sigh, I try to shake off the bad feeling I have about all of this. It sounds too easy, and the last few weeks have taught me that nothing is ever easy. "Sounds like a plan. Just hope everyone is right about this."