Page 23 of Cursed Lifeline

Viktor hears and shoots her an alarmed look. I smile because she's right. If there is one thing Mother and I agree on, it's the fact that we'd both prefer a mortal life over the one we've been forced into.

"And what of Lord Martin's daughter?" my mother asks; my heart rate speeds up. "What does she want?"

"She's becoming more and more the slayer each day," my sister Verena says. I grip the armrests of the throne I'm sitting on harder. "Alfred has increased her training schedule. She's smart. Quick. Strong. She's being trained against us, but..."

Her eyes drift to me, and my jaw ticks in warning. My sister tries to hide her slip, but her careless glance tells more than either of us wishes.

"But?" my mother asks, turning her attention my way.

I look down into my lap.

"She has a weakness," my sister continues. "I say we use it to our advantage."

"No," my mother sternly says without pause. "That is not an option."

Her last sentence holds more venom than expected, but I guess it makes sense considering her past and my father.

"Felix," my mother says, urging me to look up at her. "What do you say of Esme's weakness?"

"It's of no concern to us," I say without thinking.

"It's of every concern to us," Viktor scoffs.

My mother sternly glances his way, and he falls silent.

"It's not an issue," I lie. "It's not our weakness."

"Are you sure?" my mother questions. Concern fills her eyes as they swing back my way.

"My loyalty is to you," I say sternly. "To the coven. No secret, no weakness can change that."

Taking a deep breath, my mother says, "Mortal or immortal, loyalty lies where the heart is."

"Well then, lucky for us, I don't have a heart. Or a soul. Not anymore. When it comes down to it, I've always lived with one foot already in hell more than the rest of us since the day I was changed."

"Until one day," my mother softly says, "When something or someone comes along and makes you want to take a step back into the land of the living."

"As fate would have it, mother," I growl under my breath, "my immortality makes that impossible."

Rising from my seat, I stalk down the throne room steps and across the long corridor leading towards the exit.

Esme was born to hunt, not love our kind. But, truth be told, if Esme ever did love me one day, my heart might just wish to do the same.

Then, she really would become my weakness.

But loving me would put a target on her back and make her hunted by every coven worldwide, if only to get to me. My mother. My family.

It's best I do as originally planned.

Stay away.

If only it was that simple.

I shake my head and try to clear Esme from my thoughts as my mother, my brother, and the council let me leave the throne room in silence.

Only problem is, she's always there.

Tempting me. Haunting me. Drawing me closer.

---