VIOLA
“I should have listened to everyone who warned me about you,” Matic''s voice cut through the frozen ballroom, sharp with centuries of bitterness.
Fraden touched his chest, brows furrowing. “Me?”
“No,” A hollow laugh slipped from the Vampyr, devoid of warmth. “Those were Katherine''s words, moments before she attacked me.” Wounds his wife left raw and festering as sis pale blues grew distant, lost in memory. “She also told me, ‘The shadows that dance at your command reveal what you truly are—a creature of darkness that needs to be put down.'' And now you want me to believe that Katherine reincarnated herself to free me from the prison she put me in?”
His words sliced the air, each one honed with the sharpness of betrayal. A raw ache throbbed within me, by the centuries of anger etched into every syllable. This wasn''t just about imprisonment—it was about betrayal in its purest form. The kind that reshapes you, hollows you out until all that''s left is the echo of what you once were.
This was five centuries of loving someone who''d looked at your darkness and decided you needed to be destroyed.
“Matic,” Fraden shook his head and the blueish-black veins creeping up Fraden''s neck spread further, reaching his cheek now. Sweat beaded on his forehead—subtle, but unmistakable.
“I don''t know what had transpired between the two of you that night because we had to deal with Thane. Katherine was supposed to return but when she didn''t, I came after her but I found her bleeding in the forest and the earth was seared, fresh embers. The only evidence that she had locked something or someone away.” Fraden''s tone changed as he described finding his sister, like he was reliving that moment.
“When you vanished…” Fraden''s voice faltered, the memory seeming to weigh on him. "That''s when we knew that Katherine had sealed you away—But we didn’t know why?" He shook his head. "She was one of the most powerful witches of her time. The seal she created..." He trailed off as Matic''s mask of indifference finally fractured, centuries of pain bleeding through the cracks.
“Every single one of you knew why,” Matic prowled toward his friend, and I flinched as his words were just shy of a shout. “And your fear tainted her against me.”
Fraden shook his head and countered, “Why do you think we took on Thane of all creatures, it was for you, Matic. Katherine wanted to protect you.”
He stilled near his friend, “You’re lying,”
"I am not," Fraden matched the Vampyr''s steps, "and I will tell you the same truth every damn day until your very last breath." The conviction in his voice rang through the frozen space.
I backed away, each careful step bringing me closer to the exit. The tension between them suffocated the room, centuries of pain and betrayal pressing down with a crushing force, like stone against my chest.
I was a moth caught between two flames—insignificant and bound to burn, no matter where I turned.
"Thane, what had become of him?"
“Dead,” The word fell like a stone in still water.
Matic’s laugh was hollow, filled with nothing but bitterness. "You all allowed cowardice to consume you, let it rule every choice you made."
My heartbeat stuttered.
Fraden inhaled slowly, his gaze shifting over the bodies, still frozen in place. Beyond the castle walls, the sounds of bustling Toronto filtered faintly through the silence, a reminder of the world that lay oblivious to their conflict.
“Perhaps you’re right,” he said, voice low, “Fear of the unknown drove us, made us act to protect everything we held dear. I won’t apologize for that. But don’t dismiss that you were more than a brother to me—more than my own blood—and my sister loved you deeply.”
Matic’s expression hardened, his gaze dark and unyielding. “I was the one dismissed, cast away to rot in a prison realm. For five centuries. Alone.” His voice carried a raw edge, every syllable dripping with the accumulated weight of pain and betrayal, as if the very air had thickened with the bitterness that haunted him still.
"If they need a monster, I''ll be that for them." Matic''s words echoed through my mind, taking on new meaning with every revelation.
Fraden stepped back then and winced, while little crystals formed on the curve of his ear. The blueish-black veins had spread closer to his temple. His gaze lingered on Matic, a mix of protectiveness and weary detachment.
Unable to hold back my voice any longer I said, “Sorry to interrupt, but what is happening to you?”
Was he being consumed by those crystals and the black veins? Was it granting him more powers to make himself stronger against a potential attack? Even as the thought crossed my mind, the way he winced said otherwise.
“When did you get halfway across the room?” Matic’s gruff voice eyed me and he arched a blonde eyebrow.
I shrugged and pointed between the men. "I didn''t want to get caught between whatever was brewing between you two." My voice came out steadier than I felt, despite the fact that I''d been unconsciously retreating since their conversation had taken on that razor-sharp edge that promised violence.
"A friendly conversation," He answered matter of fact.
"Clearly we have different definitions of friendly."
Before I could blink, shadows erupted from the ground, writhing like living ink. A scream caught in my throat as they came for me—cold, hungry, unforgiving.
"What are you doing?" I shrieked, stumbling backward, but I could only watch as darkness reached for me with greedy fingers.
"I see your way with women hasn''t changed," Fraden remarked dryly but he didn’t oppose his friend.
The shadows struck like venomous vipers, wrapping around my legs, cold and unyielding. They moved my feet as if I were a puppet on strings, each step forced and unnatural. Like a lamb being led to slaughter, a yelp escaped me as they dragged me back across the polished floor.
The shadow demons deposited me directly in front of Matic, their hold lingering on my legs and calves like cold chains. My breath hitched as his presence enveloped me, his scent filling my lungs, unbidden and inescapable.
Damn it. I didn’t want to be here of all places, right between two ancient forces, nothing more than a pawn in their game of centuries-old vengeance and pain.
Setting my jaw, I met the Vampyr’s stare, level with his collarbone, a reminder of just how much he towered over me. His coat brushed against my arm, and those pale blues devoured me with singular focus—a predator who’d forgotten all other prey existed.
"You are not running away," he stated, each word punctuated.
“I wasn’t running. I was hiding for shelter,” I admitted, fury building in my chest. “And you can''t just—"
"Can''t and won''t are two very different—"
"I know," I cut him off, jabbing a finger at his chest. "Choices. And you''re making the fucking wrong one."
"Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere," Fraden interrupted and I noted his tight voice.
Instinctively, I tried turning toward him but these damn shadow demons anchored me in place. On a groan, I twisted myself enough to see Fraden looking around the room.
“The magik is taking a toll on your body,” Matic pointed out and he now stepped past me.
Fradan nodded his head in agreement, "Maintaining this many frozen bodies isn''t exactly... comfortable."
Adjusting my body, to stare at the table in front of me, I snapped at Matic, “Can you release me?”
“Hence the crystals and veins,” Matic furthered, ignoring my complaint.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"Matic," I called out to him. "You can’t—" I stopped myself, already hearing his response in my head. On a frown, I pressed my lips together, hating how quickly I''d learned to anticipate his rhetoric. "I''m not going to run. If anything, I was afraid... that shouldn''t warrant punishment."
"No, but we live in an unfair world," was all he said, his voice carrying centuries of bitter truth.
Annoyed, I tried ripping my legs away from his shadow demons, but they only coiled tighter. Giving up, I surveyed the scene before me—the frozen tableau of Toronto''s elite caught in various states of horror.
Phones hung suspended mid-record, their screens still glowing, and Jamal seemed like some bizarre modern art installation. The absurdity of it all hit me again, and a hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat.
"These phones are recording," I said. The thought of this scene splashed across social media made my stomach turn. "What happens when you release everyone?"
"They''ll find nothing but black screens," Fraden replied, his voice carrying that casual confidence of someone who''d handled such situations before. "Perhaps a bit of static in the background, if they listen closely enough. Technology tends to... malfunction around certain types of magik."
Matic said from behind me, "Where are we going?" The casual acceptance startled me more than any show of force would have.
I honestly thought this would have ended worse.
“To my estate,” Fraden''s voice carried somewhere else in the hall, as he was walking. “But first I need to release everyone.”
"Wait." Instinctively, I once again tried to step out of the shadows’ clutches, but they held fast. "You can''t just… release everyone. They saw what happened. They''ll call the police." My voice hitched on the last word as footsteps sounded behind me.
I heard Matic, “From your tone, I’m assuming mortal authorities.”
“Yes, mortal authorities which will draw in the covens and that’s the last thing we need.”
"Don''t worry about that, Miss Bennett." Fraden''s voice held that same casual authority he''d probably used to build his tech empire. "I can adjust their recollections of tonight''s events. And I always shield my locations from prying eyes. No witch, warlock, or munadi will find us unless I want them to."
I processed his words, understanding the shield part—any powerful being would want privacy from other supernatural creatures. But the first part of what he''d said made my stomach twist.
"Adjust their..." I trailed off, staring at the frozen faces around us. "You mean... alter their memories? Like a Vampyr?"
"Not exactly," he said and circled around me. Fraden came to stand before me, lifting his hand with an elegant flourish. His fingers moved through the air as if plucking invisible strings, and suddenly they weren''t invisible anymore.
Up through the floor of the castle emerged lines of pure light—white threaded with ethereal blue, like veins. They stretched across the room like luminous spider silk, dipping and weaving through the air. Each thread faintly, creating a symphony I could somehow feel rather than hear.
“Ley lines,” I called out, fascinated by their ethereal beauty. The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and my feet itched to step closer to the Aetherborn, transfixed on their beauty.
Fraden exchanged a look behind me at Matic. His expression caught between shock and curiosity. “Can you see the ley lines?” He wondered.
“Of course, and they’re lovely.”
Ley lines danced between Fraden''s fingers as his lips parted slightly, the kind of smile that reminded me he was just as dangerous as Matic, if more polished.
"With my abilities, I can disrupt the mind''s natural connections, scattering the events of tonight like leaves in the wind. The memories will blur and fade until they''re nothing more than half-remembered dreams."
I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around the implications and as if sensing my confusion, he continued, “Think of ley lines as the Earth''s veins, carrying energy that connects every living thing. Memories are like threads in this energy. By tuning into the ley lines, I can blur or cut those threads, scattering details or erasing them completely. It''s like stirring still water—the memory ripples, fades, or even vanishes, leaving only a faint sense that something was once there.”
“How is that different,” I asked.
“For starters, physical symptoms like nosebleeds, dizziness and disorientation. Worse cases, mortals often sense those jagged gaps in their memory and tend to make them feel like something is wrong or missing. Ley lines gently disrupt the energetic threads that hold memories together, making them naturally fade like dreams.”
I understood the differences but it still felt wrong.
“You have grown powerful in the recent years,” Matic''s voice curled through the air, rich with appreciation. “Five centuries ago, you avoided connecting with the ley lines.”
“Situations forced me to fully embrace my heritage,” he fingers continued dancing through the ethereal blue strings.
“Before I begin, Miss Bennett, you should clean the chocolate from that guy.” He nudged his head in the direction of Jamal. “Leave no evidence of what had truly transpired.” Fraden instructed, and the ley lines disappeared as he stepped past me.
"How am I supposed to do that?" I protested, eyeing Jamal''s chocolate-covered form. “He needs to be doused with a hose.”
“Magik,” Matic answered from behind me.
“I can’t,” I retorted back.
"You freed Matic," Fraden pointed out, like I was crazy for asking.
“The little witch claimed to be weak prior to a few nights ago,” Matic interjected. “Supposedly...”
I glanced over my shoulder, unable to fully face either of the men. “Do you honestly think I made that up?” The words came out sharper than intended and I tried my hardest to twist to face him.
“I think that you believe that you were weak prior to a few nights ago." His tone carried that infuriating certainty that made me want to scream.
“And how is that any different from what I just said? It all has the same meaning.”
Matic opened his mouth to further argue, when Fraden''s voice cut through. “If you were weak prior to releasing Matic, Samhain enhanced your powers.”
I sighed and once again adjusted myself. I crossed my arms over my chest, “That was what I was told.”
“Her pre-existing powers,” Matic clarified as he prowled to my front, and examined Jamal''s frozen form. His lips curved into that knowing smirk that made my skin prickle. “The same ones that exploded champagne earlier when her boy friend was with another woman.”
“Ah, self-restricted.” Fraden diagnosed, agreeing with Matic, like they both knew me.
“I am not self-restricted,” I snapped, irritation flaring hot in my chest. How dare they discuss my abilities like I wasn''t even here? Like they understood something about me that I didn''t?
From behind, Fraden made a soft discomforting sound and he might have even winced.
Without saying anything more Matic lazily gestured toward Jamal and the shadows surged forward, hungry and alive, swallowing my ex whole. Where Jamal had stood, darkness now embraced his form, wrapping around him like liquid night.
The display of power was terrifying and mesmerizing all at once.
“What are you do-” Before I was able to finish my question, the shadows receded and Jamal was clean. Not a trace of chocolate but he was still slumped over.
Matic turned his focus to me next, and with a lazy flick of his fingers, the shadows released my legs. Yet as they withdrew, a sensation lingered—a faint hold, as though four fingers pressed into one side of my face, his thumb anchoring the other. My jaw lifted slightly, caught in a grip that was anything but gentle; it was possessive, commanding, unyielding—a ghost of an embrace, as if Matic were claiming me without ever coming close.
He was using his magik, I registered and his shadows were the only explanation.
“Thank you,” I managed, though my voice was barely above a whisper. My heart hammered, each beat a sharp reminder of his hold, his reach. His power. The son of Asmodeus.
“You’re welcome,” Matic replied, his voice low, almost a murmur, as though the words were meant solely for me. His gaze—a glacial, ruthless blue—pinned me in place, stripping away pretense, his intent as chilling and relentless as death itself.
At his reply, the shadows released me, withdrawing. My skin tingled where they’d held me, as if his touch remained, woven into the air between us.
Just then, Fraden’s voice cut through the thick silence, a sharp reminder of our surroundings. "I''ll send the images from my estate,” he said suddenly, oblivious to the tension thickening on this side of the room.
“I don’t have a phone,” I said, shaking my head slightly as I took a steadying breath. I glanced over to find Fraden turned away from us.
“You don’t need a phone,” He replied. “You’ll be immersed in sights and smells—the visions will help ground you, focus your mind, and—” His voice faltered, and he winced, pressing a hand to his temple as though to ward off a sudden surge of pain.
Matic, shifting his focus from me, moved toward his friend with quiet urgency. “You need to release the spell,” he said, his voice softened but firm.
Fraden’s fingers remained pressed to his head as he turned toward us, blue-black veins creeping along his skin, spreading faintly across his forehead. Tiny crystal formations continued their slow, steady march across his face.
“Teleport yourself and Matic to the vision I’m sending you,” he furthered, his voice tight with strain.
“Wait,” I shook my head. “You want me to use magik? Why can’t he do it?” I pointed at the Vampyr’s back.
“My powers don’t work like that,” Matic replied.
“I shall begin,” Fraden announced, his hand dropping from his temple but not to his side. Instead, he extended it before him, fingers dancing through the air as ley lines rose from the castle floor, white and translucent. They wove through the room and across his fingers like threads of luminous silk, more intricate than before, connecting to each frozen figure in delicate, shimmering webs.
The crystal formations spread further across his face, catching the ethereal light like diamonds. Fraden''s eyes drifted closed as the ley lines grew brighter, their glow intensifying until it was almost painful to watch.
Then a ley line brushed against my forehead, right between my eyes. The touch was electric, sending sparks through my mind as an image crystallized: a sprawling estate, ancient stone walls wrapped in ivy, surrounded by gardens that seemed to glow under a moonlight.
The vision lasted mere seconds, and when it was done, Fraden vanished—there one moment, gone the next.
Matic moved like a shadow himself, one moment meters away, the next pressing against my back, solid as stone. A single arm snaked around my waist, each finger spreading heat wherever it touched. The cool ethereal energy still dancing on my skin crackled where it met his darkness, like lightning seeking ground.
"Let''s go, ljubica." The words ghosted above my ear, his accent wrapping around that endearment like dark honey. He pulled me closer, eliminating even the whisper of space between us, until I could feel the steady thunder of his heartbeat against my spine.
The teleportation spell trembled on my lips as the estate''s image crystallized in my mind—night-blooming jasmine and ancient earth mingling in shadowed gardens, the air heavy with secrets and rain-soaked stone, as if the land itself held its breath, waiting.
My magik stirred and Matic’s shadows swirled at our feet. A shudder raced down my spine as everything collided—raw, primal, overwhelming.
Everything fractured in a blur, while every nerve ending sparked alive where his darkness met my power, like frost meeting flame.
We dissolved into the night.