Prologue
"Lucan, please, don't do this. There must be another way." Tricia's eyes welled up until tears streamed down her cheeks. She held her youngest daughter in one arm and held her elder daughter's hand in the other.
"Lyra's on her way here, thi-this is the only way." Lucan's voice broke at the end of his sentence. He turned his back on his wife and two daughters before heading to the door "I'm leaving now, don't betray our family."
"You're betraying us, we can survive, we can do this together. Lucan PLEASE!" Tricia broke down, collapsing on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Lucan had already left and deep down, she knew he was right. This was the only way.
Silence surrounded the small house now occupied by the Aylins. Tricia stared into the dim light from the fireplace with a blank expression. Her tears had dried up, probably unable to carry the burden of her grief. She sat on the floor, without moving from where Lucan left her, for what seemed like hours.
"Ugh.. mum", her daughter's groan snapped her out of her thoughts.
"It's okay baby, you're okay now. We're leaving soon." She smoothed her daughter's hair and pulled her blanket up to keep her warm. She stood up, put her youngest daughter in the play-pen and went to add more wood to the fireplace.
Sitting on the small dining table at the corner of the room, she stared at her little angels. They each had a piece of Tricia's heart. They were the reason she was still alive and she'd turn the world upside down for them. Her family was everything to her, but this was harder than anything she had to do for them. Perhaps the hardest thing she had ever done.
Her head throbbed like it was struck by an axe to split into two. Her heart ached to a point of breathlessness. Her limbs felt numb and her stomach twisted at the thought of what she was about to do. Cursing the Gods for putting her through this test, she clenched her hands into fists and pulled at her hair, trying to take deep breaths. However, her stomach soon gave in and she ran to the kitchen sink, vomiting sticky bile, coughing, like she couldn't keep anything down anymore. She turned on the tap to rinse her mouth and splash her face with cold water.
Willing herself to stand up straight, she dried her face with her sleeve and schooled her expression. She would turn Lucan in. She made up her mind. Her daughters needed to be safe. Away from all of this mess, "It's the only way." She kept repeating to convince herself.
Moments later, the door flung open. Lyra walked in followed by six men in long robes and hooded black cloaks. An ominous aura surrounded them, while they scanned the room with a grim expression.
"Where is he?!" Lyra commanded. "Where is that abomination?"
Tricia looked at Lyra with a stoic expression. Lyra was Lucan's step-sister and while they did look somewhat alike, she was nothing like him. Her black long hair glistened against her olive skin and her full lips were set into a thin line. Her almond eyes looked at Tricia and her daughters, trying to burn a hole into them.
"I knew the moment he chose you, that he would bring shame to me. You poisoned my brother's heart. You bloody witch!" Lyra scowled. Her beautiful features turned ugly, showing what she was really like on the inside.
"Enough!" One of the Soul Guardians stepped forward. "Step aside Lyra. We aren't here to fulfill your personal grudge."
"Patricia Aylin" the Guardian addressed Tricia. She snapped her head from Lyra to look at the Guardian. "We've been informed that your husband's soul is no longer pure. He sacrificed it in exchange for blood magic to heal your daughter. We've vetted this information and found it to be true. What do you have to say?"
Tricia stared back at the Guardian, trying her best to steady her heartbeat. She was tempted to save Lucan, but at what cost? Her eyes seemed to betray her, she felt tears roll down her cheeks.
"May we examine your daughter?" Asked another Guardian. Tricia's whole body stiffened. In an instant, she ran to pick up her daughter from the play pen. She then moved to her elder daughter's side, holding her protectively.
"NO! You will not come near us. We have nothing to do with Lucan anymore." Her voice trembled as she screamed, but she steadied herself.
"Let me rephrase myself. Move aside so we can examine your daughter. I wasn't requesting." The Guardian moved closer and Tricia shrunk further into the wall, tightening her hold around her daughters.
The toddler in Tricia's arms sensed her fear and started to cry. She tried to soothe her child while holding her protectively against her heart. She wanted to scream and shout at the injustice that her life had come to. Her eyes turned to Lyra, silently begging for help. Lyra simply scoffed, raising her chin to look down at her brother's family that she loathed.
Lyra had always been jealous of the happiness that surrounded Lucan and his family. He had true love and the gift of children, both of which she never had the fortune to experience. However, in truth, Lyra was too ugly for such beautiful experiences.
"Alec," he looked to his left and another man in the black robes stepped forward. "Move her away."
The guardian Alec held Tricia's free arm and pulled her away from where her eldest was lying. Tricia trashed against his arms, but she could not get away from Alec's hold.
Dimitri looked down at the little girl who was struggling to open her eyes. She lay slumped on the floor, while her chest rose and fell from her heavy breathing. He touched her forehead with his palm and closed his eyes, waiting to read her.
"She's clean." He declared. "Looks like your father gifted you with his lifespan, little one." He looked down at her with a grave expression. His voice was as cold as his face and he wasted no time to get up and walk towards Tricia.
Tricia glared at him, which Dimitri only ignored. "Where is Lucan? I will not ask again."
Her whole body shook as she tried to calm herself. She felt her head spin like never before. She held her youngest steadily in one arm while she placed the other against the wall to support herself. "H-he left for Brokengrave. That's all I know."
Dimitri nodded and turned to head to the door. The five Guardians that came with him stepped out, along with Lyra. He turned around to look at Tricia one last time, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the frail woman and the toddler in her arms. As soon as she heard the door click to close, Tricia's consciousness gave in and her vision turned black.
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