I inhale sharply in surprise and I feel a pang of pain in my chest as I imagine this history playing out. I can see Sadal now, his black eyes furiously locked onto the small babe in her father’s arms.
“The mother sent the child to the mortal realm. How much do you know of Verity’s childhood?”
“Not much,” I admit. “She grew up with her mother and father outside of a city.”
“Verity has had countless lives,” the witch says. “Though she only remembers one.”
My brows lift in surprise at her words. Reincarnation is impossible, not even necromancers can fully work such a complex spell – the best they can do is reanimation. “Impossible,” I say sharply.
“She is almost a thousand years old,” the witch goes on, ignoring me. “Her memories are false, nothing more than pretty writing on the pages of her mind so she can live a normal life. A safe life.”
I shake my head disbelievingly. “How can that be? She has parents. She had a fiancé. She was a librarian. How could mortals not have noticed the woman who hasn’t changed?”
“Memories are erased, new ones are created.” The witch shrugs. “Her mother is a powerful witch with powerful friends.”
“Is,” I say flatly. “Who is she?”
The witch’s eyes bore into me, as if to tell me I already know. My eyes drift towards the oak-paneled door and I sigh heavily. I rise, striding past the witch and out the door without a backward glance. I hear Thal start after me, but he stops before the door slams shut behind me. My mind is swirling, thoughts jumbling together.
It doesn’t take much for me to believe that Verity truly is the daughter of a Bloodbane witch. It would explain why she was the only one who could break my curse. She’s different than the other Bloodbane. She was born with power, rather than gifted it by Sadal. Now, she has twice the power because of the words he forced her to say.
I stride down the steps leading to the dark, damp cells beneath the fortress. My footsteps are clipped, echoing off the walls. Her history would also make her half-Fae, which would give her an abnormally long life, though not immortality. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. With her long life, Verity and I could spend thousands of years together before either of us wasted away to time. The smile slips from my face when I remember the promise I made to Erzur. I’ve doomed Verity and myself to years of sorrow and regret. But I have to save her and my people. I do what I must.
In the back of the dungeon is a small cell with a single occupant. I crouch, eyes piercing the darkness to see Cleo stretched out like a cat in the corner. Her pale blue eyes flash when she sees me. We’re silent, looking at each other until finally Cleo speaks, “Have you come to gawk, or do you have something important to say?”
“Your daughter,” I say quietly. “Did you know it was Verity?”
Cleo’s eyes go impossibly wide for an instant before she snarls. “You lie.”
I shake my head. “It’s the only reason she was able to break my curse, and why Sadal wants her so badly.”
“You’re a liar,” she hisses, crawling towards me. “My daughter is dead.”
“Who told you that?” I ask softly.
Her eyes narrow. “Maaz.”
I’m silent, letting her consider the truth of my words. Of course, Maaz and Sadal would want Cleo to think her daughter is dead. It would give Cleo nothing to fight against them for. For all her years of loyalty, Maaz and Sadal had ripped away her child and the man she loved. In the darkness, I watch as Maaz’s fury builds. Her pale blue eyes, Verity’s eyes, are fierce, staring off into the distance. She glances at me, lips curling with anger.
“Sadal has her?” She asks and I can feel the anger in her voice.
“She’s in the ether,” I say, gut clenching. “Sadal abandoned her there after she tried to kill him.”
Cleo’s lips split into a vicious grin. “So, she has guts after all.”
“How do we get her out?” I ask, fingers wrapping around the iron bars of her cell.
“You don’t,” Cleo says simply. “Only someone with immense power can open portals in and out of the ether. Only someone like Sadal.” Her eyes slip towards me. “You say she covenanted with Sadal? Was the covenant consummated?”
I narrow my eyes, heart clenching painfully at the thought. “I don’t know. Why?”
“You would know.” She sits back. “Verity would be in immense pain if Sadal had.” I shudder. She stares at me, eyes filled with sorrow. “There’s hope for the two of you. She doesn’t fully belong to him yet. We can save her – free her.”
My lips part in surprise at her words. The clenching around my heart is tighter now, hope blooming in my chest. I douse it quickly, remembering Erzur. I duck my head. It doesn’t matter if I can never be with Verity. I can at least help release her from Sadal’s clutches.
“Will killing Sadal save her?” I ask.
“No.” Cleo chews her lip. “The covenant has to be broken in the Blood Well. I know how. The problem is convincing Sadal to do it.”
“Surely there must be something,” I mutter.
Suddenly, I hear loud footsteps on the stairs and Thal runs into the dungeons. He skids to a halt beside me, an uncertain expression on his face when he sees Cleo. “Erzur is here,” he says, dragging his eyes back to me.
I rise and rake a hand through my hair. “Shit.”
“Want me to distract her, cousin?” Thal asks, cocking a brow.
I hide a grin, knowing exactly what he means. “It’s been a few weeks since you practiced your womanizing – sure
