When the sun finally arose, I was one of the first people to leave my room. Izzy gave me a small wave when we both exited our rooms at the same time before she turned and headed downstairs. I took in a deep breath, an attempt to build much needed courage for what laid ahead that day. A pit grew in my stomach as I thought about facing both Andreas and Leita. This was not going to be pleasant.

My skin crawled after a short distance down the hall when I heard my name being called from a voice I’d rather not have heard. “Lana, dear,” Leita’s sing-song voice came as she fell into stride with me.

“Leita,” I replied stiffly, careful to keep my expression neutral.

She threw her arm around my shoulder like we were old friends and my whole body stiffened. “You and I should talk. Get to know each other better, don’t you think?”

I carefully pried her arm from me and put some distance between us.  “I really don’t see a reason why we should.”

Leita laughed, a sound that only served to twist my insides. “But we have so much in common. I’m sure we could even compare notes on Andreas. Now doesn’t that sound like an idea?” Her voice was sickeningly sweet, an undertone of menace to it. If she was trying to get me to dislike her, it was working.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway and faced her. “I have no interest in talking to you about anything, Leita. If this is about Andreas, well by all means, you can have him. Just leave me out of it.” Lies. Lies. LIES.

“You are no fun. I honestly can’t see why he’s so hung up on you.”

Ignoring her, I started walking again. Her laugh followed me, but she didn’t fall into step with me again. I breathed a sigh of relief as I started descending the stairs. Andreas and Casian were at the bottom, locked in what seemed like a pleasant conversation. And Andreas was smiling. He. Was. Smiling. And not the usual smirks he usually chose to wear, but an actual genuine smile. He had dimples, who would’ve known? For a moment I was both struck by the rarity of what I was seeing and just how handsome Andreas looked when he was smiling. I quickly shook myself out of my daze before either men noticed my dumbstruck exterior.

Casian was the first to turn his head, shooting me a bright grin. “Good morning, Lana. Sleep well?”

My returning smile was small and slightly forced. “Morning,” I replied, choosing not to comment on my restless night. Andreas finally noticed me, and just like that his mask was back in place. It seemed like Casian was the only person that could bring out his carefree side. I was glad for Andreas’ sake that he was here.

“There will be a meeting in the dining room in about ten minutes. There is food in the kitchen if you want to grab something before we start,” Andreas said with a half-smile, his tone detached.

I nodded and headed toward the kitchen, only vaguely hearing the two men returning to their conversation as I left. Natalia was in the kitchen in the midst of pouring tea. She saw me walk in and grinned.

“Morning little sis. Some tea?”

“That would be great, thanks.” I handed her a cup.

As she poured some tea for me, my eyes scanned over the huge selection of food that was spread out across the kitchen table. There were muffins, three different flavors: blue berry, chocolate and another I couldn’t identify by just my eyesight alone. Next to the muffins, there were four different kinds of buns, with jars of jam placed in between the baskets. Cheese and slices of meat were placed in bowls closest to me, and there were even a bunch of boiled eggs and salads. I headed toward the muffins and placed one chocolate and one blue berry on a plate.

I held up a plate to Natalia. “You have food already?”

“No, can you place one chocolate muffin and one bun on a plate for me? I’ll take out tea to the dining room.”

“Sure.”

We walked side by side as we passed by the stairs again, the rest of the people making their way down now. Casian and Andreas were no longer at the bottom of the stairs, and I assumed they had moved to the dining room already.

Natalia placed her tea and mine next to each other on the dining table, a couple of seats down from where Andreas and Casian were seated. I was grateful for not having to explain my need to sit far away from the head of the house. I placed her plate in from of her as we both sat down. Izzy was also already seated, to the left of Andreas.

I noticed Andreas looking at both my and Natalia. “Lana, I don’t believe you’ve introduced me to your friend.”

I almost choked on my tea. Natalia shot me a concerned glance and I gestured that I was okay. After coughing and clearing my throat, I answered. “This is Natalia, my sister,” I said, gesturing at her.

Andreas’ eyebrows furrowed and Natalia wore an odd expression – anger? What did she have to be angry about?

“You never told me you had a sister,” Andreas commented and took a sip of tea.

“Up until a couple of days ago I hadn’t been aware that I had one.”

The rest of the people starting trickling into the room, saving me from further conversation with Andreas. One part of me, a very big and prominent part, did want to talk to him. But the part that remember all the times he’d hurt me and who exactly it was that I was dealing with, wasn’t rather fond of interacting with him. I stuffed a piece of blue berry muffin in my mouth to try and quell my confusing thoughts.

Soon, everyone was seated. Leita had taken up space next to Casian, and Izzy shot her a death glare. I guess she really did want to see Andreas and me making up. Raphael took the seat furthest away from Andreas and Mallory pulled up a seat next to him. My forehead crinkled as I observed them. Just yesterday she was still angry with him and now suddenly she was sitting with him? Did I even want to know what happened there? Eric took a seat next to Izzy and the two smiled at each other before launching into a lively chat. Andreas was eyeing Eric suspiciously. And lastly, Kalen kissed my forehead and slid into the seat next to me. I was so grateful to see him; a smile instantly lit my face.

I might’ve imagined Andreas’ glare in our direction when he cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Now that we are all here, I was told that Raphael here had important information to share with us all and that is the only reason that he is still alive and well at this very moment. Raphael, if you would be so kind?” His voice dripped with venom, his mouth set in a sneer. There was no doubting the intensity of the hate he felt for Raphael.

The latter appeared unfazed as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin and started speaking. “After I’m finished you’ll see why it was necessary to keep me alive. The queen, Elisa, summoned me the other day, just before Eric and I met up with you. She wanted to let me know that she was taking Andreas’ request to stop persecuting sorcerers seriously, as she owed you for some reason.”

Andreas looked bored by this information. “I don’t see how that is worth me keeping you alive.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Raphael replied, his eyes narrowed. “She’s no longer going to be persecuting sorcerers, she’s now going to hunt us.”

“Come again?” Kalen said, his forehead wrinkled.

“How does she plan on doing something like that? Knights are no match for magic, she must know that,” Natalia provided.

“There are plenty of creatures out there that could very well harm you sorcerers, you are just ignorant of their existence,” Leita stated nonchalantly before taking a drink from her goblet.

“If any of you would allow me to finish, perhaps I could explain and there would be no need for speculation,” Raphael replied exasperatedly. “I once made the mistake of believing that Elisa is nothing more than a spoilt princess that has nothing between her ears, but I had been mistaken. She really had thought this through. She’s going to hunt us with dragons.”

My eyes immediately went to Casian who had stiffened at the mention of dragons.

“How is she going to use dragons to hunt sorcerers?” he inquired through clenched teeth.

“She has convinced several dragon lords to join her and rid the world of sorcerers once and for all. When I spoke with her, she already had a hand full, who knows how much her army has grown by now? And the followers of light, excluding Eric and me, have agreed to join her also to avoid persecution themselves.”

Andreas was deep in thought, his eyes focused on Raphael to determine whether or not this information was real or not.

“Why are you and Eric not with the other followers then?” Izzy piped up.

“Because we refuse to hunt our own kind. But I have met a dragon lord, and I saw his dragon. They are no force to be messed with. I’m afraid we have no real way to win this war if it comes down to it. A dragon is nearly impossible to beat or kill.” Raphael’s tone had turned grave.

“We have to do something about this,” Kalen said, rubbing his temples. “We have some of the most powerful sorcerers gathered here around this table, surely there is a way to stop the extinction of our kind?”

Casian remained quiet, keeping his eyes focused on the food in front of him.

“You want us to fight? How would we even go about that?” Natalia asked after swallowing another bite of her food.

“I don’t know. But we can figure something out. We can’t let that many innocent people die because of a vendetta of one person,” Raphael replied, his mood somewhat deflated.

Andreas raised his eyebrows. “Since when did I give anyone the impression that I was interested in saving innocent lives?”

“Since the day you saved me from the first time I was almost executed,” I replied. Andreas’ gaze shot to mine, his eyes questioning. He quickly looked away and turned to Casian.

Andreas sighed. “As I don’t fancy being the last left of my kind, I guess I will help stop Elisa’s plans from reaching fruition. Perhaps having a dragon lord on our side mind even prove useful.”

“What do you mean?” Eric asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Andreas gestured at Casian with boredom. “We have our very own newly born dragon lord right here.”

Raphael’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “How do we know he isn’t working with them?”

“Oh come on, he just found out he was a dragon lord a couple of days ago. He had been dead up until then. I highly doubt he’s part of some conspiracy,” Kalen offered exasperatedly.

Casian rolled his eyes. “If I were working with them, I would’ve killed all of you in your sleep last night. Seems to be the easiest method. Considering you’re all alive, I’d say I’m not.”

A loud banging on the front door cut off any reply Raphael might’ve had. Collectively, we all turned to the sound. Andreas, muttering a curse, got up from his chair and headed to the front door, we all followed, curious to whom else could be arriving at his manor.

The door swung open and in stumbled the last person I expected to see.

“Where the fuck issss that brat I call my ssssisssster? Sssshe and I are in need of a little talk….” Elijah said as he was barely able to keep his footing, his words slurred. He carried a bottle in one hand and gestured wildly when his eyes landed on Izzy. Andreas grabbed him by his neck, not even bothering to use magic and pinned him against the wall.

“Didn’t I tell you if I ever saw you again that I would end you pathetic excuse for a life?” Andreas demanded, the dark cloud starting to fill the empty space in the room.

Elijah chuckled. “Kill me! You’d be doing me a favor!”

Izzy choked in a horrified scream and Andreas’ gaze drifted to her. “Someone please remove her from the room. She does not have to see this.”

Casian stepped in behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, starting to push her from the room. Elijah caught sight of him and started gesturing at him with the bottle, letting out a sick laugh. “You, you aren’t dead. That’s a pity.” Casian’s eyes widened as he finally saw the man Andreas had pinned against the wall.

Recognition seemed to dawn on him. “Elijah? It can’t be….” Casian’s voice trailed off, loaded with shock I didn’t know how to explain. What was happening?

“How do you know this piece of shit?” Andreas demanded, his voice taking on that dangerous quality that was able to chill anyone down to their cores.

“He’s my cousin,” Casian replied, his voice filled with awe.

Izzy stilled in his arms, directing her gaze to him. “You’re my cousin?” she asked, gasping.

Elijah laughed as if he had been told the funniest joke that existed. “He’ssss not your coussssin,” he said between laughs. “But I guesssss you were too young to know the real truth.”

Andreas’ grip tightened and Elijah’s laughs were strangled, sounding even sicker.

“Andreas, let him go. I want to know what he’s talking about,” Casian said, his eyes still wide.

Andreas groaned, but let Elijah go, pinning him against the wall with his magic instead. “Talk, and you will be allowed to live for a few more moments,” Andreas said, his tone showing no hint of lightening anytime soon.

“That brat over there hassss never been my sssssissster,” Elijah spat. “My mother took her in when ssssshe wasss two yearssss old after her mother, my aunt committed sssssuicide assss the pain of losssssing both her hussssband and sssson had become too much. My mother raisssed you asss her own… forcccing me to call you ssssissster ssso you wouldn’t ssssupect a thing.” He laughed again, the sound more choking that actual laughter. “You’re my coussssin little ssssiss…. And now I no longer have to pretend you are my sssibling. My mother alwaysss liked you bessst… even though you aren’t even her child,” Elijah spat.

“If I’m your cousin, then that means….” Izzy said, her eyes almost as wide as the plates in the dining room.

“Cassssian isss your real brother.”