Page 93 of Shadow Bound

Slipping into the shadows, my body melting into them, I move through the trees in search of the mother who never saw me as a child, but as a weapon. The mother who currently wants me dead for interfering in her and Sterling’s plans.

The farther I move through the woods, the quieter the raging battle sounds. The distant sound of fighting floats through the otherwise silent air. Each step I take I expect to come across one of Nessa’s stealthily placed traps, but the path is clear. There isn’t a single sign of her even being out here except for her floral and copper scent.

I’d be able to pick her scent out of a crowd anywhere, after all, it’s the scent that accompanied me during some of the worst events in my life. My first kill, the first time I was starved into submission, the first time I was locked in the crate, the times Nessa took a blade to me for standing up for Alexandre; each time it smelled of flowers and copper. It’s the scent that would haunt my nightmares if I dreamed.

My nightmares don’t live in dreams, they’re all very much real and I’m seconds away from meeting my biggest one face-to-face.

In true Nessa form, I find her standing casually between two big trees. The sun has just about set, whatever light is left in the sky shines dully through the thick tree canopy up ahead. Her face as pale as mine glows in the soft light, her dark eyes look even darker right now, like inky pools of nothing. Not a single emotion is shining in them, they’re just blank.

She’s never been able to sense me when I’m in the shadows. The only person who’s ever been able to is Ransom, it didn’t make sense then how he was able to sense me in the clinic that night, but now it’s all clear.

I stop ten feet away from Nessa, watching her from where I stand still concealed.

The sound of approaching footsteps has us both turning around to see who it is. There is not a sense of surprise for me when Noah walks up behind her. Agitated and untamed energy radiates off of him in waves. The wild look in his eyes and the way his hands shake make me wary. This man doesn’t even resemble the man he once was, the great police chief with the kind heart.

“Where is she?” Nessa asks, turning away from him again.

“I watched her leave the clearing.” Noah stuffs his hands in the pockets of his oversized jacket. “She disappeared into the shadows.”

Nessa’s dark eyes search the area and even though I know she can’t hear or see me; I hold my breath and freeze as they sweep over where I stand. “She’s already here then.” Nessa’s voice holds a spark of eagerness. “Oh Isabeau,” she calls, walking around the trees in a controlled slow pace. “Stop hiding from yourmommy. You know I don’t like games.” That’s a lie, she enjoys games as long as she’s the one winning. She also definitely enjoys games that are rigged in her favor.

She pretends to be annoyed by huffing out a breath and placing her hands on her hips. “Fine, if we are going to play games, mind if I add another player?” Something shuffles and moves in the trees.

There’s something about seeing your worst-case scenario come true. You plan for it and you think you’ve braced yourself for the possibility that itmightcome true, but when it waltzes out of the shadows to stand before you, it’s a tougher pill to swallow than you think it’ll be.

Seeing him standing there looking almost like he did ten months ago makes me lose control of my power. The shadows I concealed myself in melt away as I stand there looking at him like he’s a ghost. He’s not a ghost, it’s much worse than that.

Kaius did exactly what I thought he was going to do.

“Alexandre.” His name is a whisper on my lips.

“Hello Izzy,” he greets me, his cloudy pale blue—dead—looking eyes watching me. “Miss me?”

I don’t miss the look of irritation on Nessa’s face. She didn’t have Alexandre brought back because she missed him terribly because he’s her biological son. No, Nessa isn’t swayed by emotion like that. This was a battle strategy, a ruse to distract me. She knows of my soft spot for Alex, it was the one thing we fought over the most. But she underestimates me.

“No Alex, I didn’t. I grieved the loss of you for a long time,” I tell my brother. “By the time your heart finally stopped beating in your chest, I had already found peace. Just as you did that night.”

“This isn’t exactly the reunion I was expecting, sister.” Alex evaluates me coldly. “I thought you’d be more excited to see your big brother among the living once again.”

“Yes, well, I’ve been disappointing Nessa and you for most of my life.” I shift on my feet, planting them in the earth for the fight I can feel brewing between us. “Why should I switch things up now? Best to stick with traditions and all.”

“I had no idea just how much you wanted me dead, Izzy. We both know you could have done it yourself, why didn’t you?”

“Despite everything—despite the villain they’ve made you into—I didn’t want to be the one who killed you. There are just some things I didn’t want on my conscience.”

“But your conscience was okay with you standing back and watching the demon kill me?” Alex questions, tilting his head. His dark hair, the same color as mine, hangs on his forehead. His skin is a sickly gray color and his cheekbones are too prominent. Alexandre is alive, but still looks like death. He doesn’t know for certain that I was there that night, watching from the shadows. He’s just jumping to conclusions—albeit the right conclusions. “Don’t be a hypocrite, Izzy.” God, how I hate that nickname. A slow, menacing grin grows on Alex’s face. “You might not want my death on your conscience, but I no longer possess one of those. I don’t give a flying fuck if I spill your blood.” He pulls the long blade from where he’d been holding it behind his back. The silver glinting in the moonlight.

From the corner of my eye, I keep watch on Noah and Nessa. It’s three against one if they too decide to join the fight. Noah is jittery, bouncing on his feet expectantly, his eyes locked on Nessa like he’s waiting for something. Nessa is like an emotionless statue, watching both of her children circle each other.

Blinking blandly at Alexandre, I slip my blades into my hands and flick them around in circles in my hand. He used to be so jealous when I learned this trick before him. I don’t know why I feel like taunting him right now, but I do. Maybe it’s because I want him to strike first. I don’t want to be the one to start the fight, but I sure as hell will fucking finish it.

“I don’t have all night, Alexandre,” I taunt. “I still have our mother to deal with.”

At first, I wondered why she wasn’t just attacking me herself, but Nessa enjoys psychological warfare just as much as she likes physically hurting people. She thinks that it’ll hurt me more if my brother is the one to end my life. Meeting her eyes, I sneer at her, “You want to see just how good your creations are? Want to see what we’re capable of?”

“I already know that you’re a disgrace,” she snaps. “All those years of training and you still turned out to be an emotional weakling.”

“We’ll see about that,” is all I’m able to say because in my peripheral vision, Alexandre silently comes at me, long blade raised.

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