Page 55 of Cursed Lifeline

Empty.

There is no better word to describe how I feel.

Staring out the window of the study at the watcher’s council headquarters disguised as the Palace of Versailles, my heart threatens to stop beating as the bleak snow thickens, showering the aftermath of what happened earlier in a virginal blanket of desolate promises.

A new day dawns. But not for Esme.

Devastated.

Despaired.

Destroyed.

I take a deep, steadying breath, shove my hands in my pockets, and hang my head low.

If I could take my sister’s place, I would.

I felt confident in her training. With Silas and Caelum helping me, we had equipped her best we knew how to fight against the evil that lurks around every corner in this country. In the world, in fact. We trained her well against everything, everyone, except magic.

My eyes fill with tears as I lift my head and continue to stare out into the growing blizzard. Magic. That word has my fists clenching, and a frenzied adrenaline rushing through my veins as anger boils rebelliously in my soul.

Magic?

Is that what caused all this?

It would make sense. It’s the one thing we don’t have access to. Besides the smidgen of literature written so far on the topic, the council is blind to its power. Magic is the one thing that the watcher’s council still hasn’t mastered.

Without an inside source, we’ll never acquire the skills we need to harness a force mighty enough to defeat it.

Which means all future slayers are doomed to the same fate as Esme.

Closing my eyes, I release a shuddering breath.

Esme.

I choke back emotion and refuse to accept her outcome. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tolerate how everything ended, but not now.

“We did the best we could,” Caelum says from his seat across the room next to the fireplace. “We trained her day and night until she couldn’t train anymore, Alfred. What more could we have done?”

“We could not have fed her to them that night at her father’s party,” Silas growls. “I told you both it was a terrible mistake.”

“We take chances all the time, Si,” Caelum snaps back. “It’s part of the job. Her job. She knew the risks as well as us. We tried our best. What happened was...”

“What happened should have never been allowed to get as far as it did,” Silas cuts him off.

“A lot of this is due to Lord Martin,” Caelum sighs.

He’s right. If it wasn’t for my unfortunate father, it’s a very good possibility that none of this would have taken place.

“We planned for everything but an attack from the inside.”

“That was my mistake,” I finally speak up. “I knew what kind of man our father was. I knew he wanted to sell Esme in marriage to a man she didn’t love to save his estate, his cult of reason, and I didn’t do anything to stop him.”

“In your defense,” Caelum tries to console me, “You trained her to fight against all forces of evil. That includes the likes of your father.”

I sigh heavily, “All, except one.”

Turning away from the depressing view outside, I start walking towards the hearth.

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