Chapter 55

"Her... Daughter?" he said, voice that of disbelief.

"Yes. So all I'm asking is just to understand my mother better. I don't care if she's not a good person. I just want to understand her..." I stopped talking when I noticed the tear that slipped down his face.

Why was he crying?

The way his eyes still glowed demonically, but the tear that slipped down his face, followed by another, expressed humanity, was almost symbolic.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly as he turned to wipe his eyes. He shook his head.

"Your- Your mother wasn't a bad person", his words were choked out. Voice constricting as I noticed he wore the expression of someone who had been stabbed.

"Oh... Thank god", I answered with a gasp of relief.

But he didn't share my sentiments.

"You can see my tattoos... Can't you? And my eyes, right?" his sudden question caught my attention. Answering questions I hadn't bothered to pry about.

"Is it bad that I can?" I answered reluctantly.

I couldn't understand him.

He shook his head and continued.

"Then you must've realized something many people don't know" his words weren't accusing. They were laced with thick emotions and his eyes seemed to look at me with a strange affection.

I didn't answer.

All my speculation.

All of it was true.

"You're a sorcerer..."

"I am", he gave a dry laugh, "you must think of me as a monster of sorts".

I jerked my head up at that.

A monster? He certainly looked monstrous, but he was no monster.

"You've saved many lives. More than any mage in history. You are no monster. But I can't say what you are either", I wanted to bite my tongue. I was speaking as if I knew everything about him.

He relaxed slightly at my words.

"I'm glad you think that" he smiled.

"But I don't understand why I can see them and others can't. Do I have some... magic?" I was skeptical at the idea of living my whole life and feeling nothing magical until now. Yet, I was still disappointed when he shook his head.

"You can see them because there were... certain conditions to the spell that gave me powers" He answered vaguely.

"Spell? A witch made you a sorcerer?" I asked.

Only witches could cast spells, but it was strange because the empire had banned them thousands of years ago. All of them were either burned alive or imprisoned and starved to death. Nowadays you would have to travels far up north to one of the colder climates, where you may be lucky to even survive, to find a witch.

He flinched at my words as if he hadn't meant to reveal that.

"Yes," He answered with a bitter smile.

"But then, who are you to my mother?"

He tensed all over again.

I felt a sense of dread filling my core.

I had accepted whatever it might be, but his reaction didn't solidify my determination at all.

______________________________________________________________

I had left the gardens without a care for whether I was seen or not. I could barely breathe. The world felt like it was spinning uncontrollably. Whatever control I once thought I had slipped through my fingers like sand.

I bumped into someone who immediately grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me towards the stables. I stared at the muscled back and dark hair for a single moment of bleakness before I came to my senses.

"Justin?" I whispered, but he continued to pull me towards the stables.

Once in, he shut the door, wrapping the handle in chains quickly.

Once he did a quick survey of the stables and found nobody besides the horses he let out a breath, ragged and exhausted.

I spied new scars on his legs. His clothes were dirtier and his shoes were damaged beyond repair.

"What happened to you?" I asked, reaching towards one of his heavily scarred arms.

He looked to me sharply, almost as if he had forgotten he had dragged me there. I had prepared myself for anger and betrayal. I prepared my emotions to be battered as I had hurt him.

But...

I stared at his head which now rested on my shoulder, his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Bell... I - I'm on a wanted list" he spoke, voice ragged and broken.

"What?" I stared at the man in shock. "What do you mean... You're on a wanted list?"

I could feel my head spinning.

"My name is on the blacklisted bounty file. Someone wants me dead" He gasped, arms tightening around me.

"Who?" Just as I said the word a single person came to mind.

The blacklist bounty file was something that was only ever whispered about in society high or low. I had only caught snippets of rumors about it, but it was enough for anyone to fear it.

Only a person of power could put someone on the list. And the list could be acted on by anyone. Usually by criminals, mercenaries, murders, and the like. Nobody survived that list. And the bounty was usually an astronomical amount of money so anyone could suddenly turn on the victim. I felt a sense of terror filling me as I realized I was responsible for this.

"No..." I felt bile rising in my throat.

"It was pretty recent so I couldn't see you after our meeting. Isabelle, we need to leave this place together. You - You aren't safe here. Nobody is safe here." I could see the tiredness and exhaustion pouring from him.

"How did he find out?" I murmured with frowning brows.

"You didn't tell him?" Justin's words made me feel insulted for a moment until it sank in that it was an obvious assumption.

"No... I knew that would dangerous for you" I could feel a headache coming.

"I knew it" I looked up at Justin who grabbed my arms suddenly and gave me a tired grin, "He forced you to do all of that, didn't he?"

I stared up at him with a rueful smile and shook my head slowly.

"Justin... I was every bit doing it as much as he was"

His smile fell. I could see the way it cracked. I could feel it.

"You... Have you always...?" he couldn't say it, his eyes became moist as he looked away.

"No. It just... happened. I had nobody. I was alone. And he... made me feel okay with that"

"He's just going to play with you like you're a toy" He argued meekly.

"I don't care. I love him. Isn't that twisted?" I let out a mocking sigh and shook my head, turning back to the more serious issue on hand. "Justin. You aren't after the hero anymore, are you?" I asked, hoping to leave the last subject as it was.

"What would be the point even if I was?" He replied, face cold.

I ignored the sharp pain I felt.

"I think he can help you"

"Why would he help me? I'm sure he's noticed that I've been following him for a while now" Justin countered. It was reasonable.

"He-He owes me a favor" my words left my tongue feeling like unchurned curd.

"A favor? The great hero Kendrick owes you a favor?" He gave a concerned look.

I knew Justin well enough to understand he wouldn't believe me unless I told him the truth. So I let out a breath and licked my lips.

"He's my... father".