---- Then she kept piling on tasks, pushing him along like a strict drill sergeant.


    My grumpy, silver-haired mate red at her with icy ---- hostility.


    But when he looked at me, I smiledand he rxed alittle.


    Tf you harm my woman, !ll do the same to you as Im about to do to that chicken.


    Dont forget it.


    His low warning made my stomach flip.


    Mérida shouted after him, cursing him for being rude, for disrespecting his elders.


    Tughed, but a pang of nostalgia hit my chest.


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood, determined to keep myself busy.


    How can I help? I asked when she reentered the house.


    Come,e, dear, help me peel the potatoes for the stew.


    I followed her into the kitchen.


    small, rustic, but tidy everything in its ce.


    I need to put that boy to work scrubbing the potsmy hands cant handle it anymore.


    Here, the potatoes are in the sack, she said, handing me a pot and a knife.


    And just like that, I spent the next while peeling potatoes, listening to her elderly ramblings.


    My real grandmother had looked almost exactly like my mother.


    But memories of my childhood came rushing backhow I''d always sneak away from Grandmother Gabrielles magic lessons to secretly spy on Zareks experiments.


    Mérida asked a few questions here and there.


    ---- Limprovised about where I came from, my rtionship with Ss but she didnt press too much, and I was grateful.


    The afternoon passed.


    And for the first time sinceing to this world, I felt peaceful.


    Like a breakbefore the storm.


    see NARRATOR Alessandre panted heavily, blood dripping from the wounds covering his body.


    His chest heaved, the thick stench of death polluting the main hall.


    His gazended on the body just a few feet awaythe man who had been his father.


    And the severed head that had rolled to rest at his boots.


    The sword in his hand still dripped crimson, pooling onto the stone floor.


    The dimly lit hall was silent.


    The Lord of n d leader of the vampire factionwas dead.


    in by his own son.


    Alessandre reached down, gripping the long ck hair of the head.


    The lifeless eyes were still frozen in shocka betrayal he never sawing.


    He stepped through the thick pool of blood, staining the gray carpet as he walked down the corridorheading toward the banquet hall.


    ---- Screams.


    Shouts.


    He could hear the panic from beyond the doors.


    They felt it.


    The disconnection from their leader.


    The guards at the entrance stood paralyzed, their eyes locked on the gruesome trophy in his hand.


    open the doors.


    No one moved.


    T SAID OPEN THE FUCKING DOORSARE YOU DEAF?!