She shakes her head once, but there’s something in her stare that pins me in place. It feels... off.
“Aurelia,” she finally breathes, “I don’t think you can stay here any longer.”
My gut drops as I stare at her.
“What?” I ask, brows pinched, heart thumping.
“It’s not you, not really. But I don’t believe it’s safe for you right now.”
I fold my arms over my chest.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I found out about your past and…”
“I’m dealing with it, Madame,” I cut her off. “My foster family… there’s only one left, and Wrath…”
She shakes her head once, firm.
“I’m not talking about your foster family, Aurelia. I’m talking about your original bloodline.”
I pull my head back in confusion, my face twisting.
“My original bloodline?”
“Yes.” She steps forward once, her eyes actually showing concern for me for the first time, and it sends a weird chill through me.
“Your mother…”
She suddenly stops, her gaze flicking past my shoulder, eyes widening slightly, and I feel my heart stop completely.
Before I can do anything, something is slapped over my mouth from behind. A cloth soaked in something toxic.
I try to fight, but everything starts turning into a blur of colors.
Madame spins in front of me like she’s part of the distortion, and just before everything blacks out, I hear it, right by my ear.
A silent bullet is released, and Madame drops to the floor.
Then I fall into darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Wrath
I watch from the corner, everything blurred but clearer than any dream I’ve ever had, and I know I’m standing in Oddity Cirque. The red and white fabric is a dead giveaway.
My red eyes scan the room, and I notice it’s different. It’s not the present day—it’s cleaner, newer. The fabric isn’t torn or weathered, and the air feels untouched.
A boy with curly brown hair gets shoved through the curtain, stumbling forward, and I follow him with my red eyes. Then Valen steps in behind him with a woman who has rope tied around her wrists, slung over his shoulder like dead weight.
He storms past the boy and clears a desk with one violent sweep, everything crashing to the floor. The boy flinches when it happens, but Valen slams the woman down onto the wood like it’s routine.
I start moving closer, slow, needing to see more. The woman has long black hair, young features. Her blue eyes are sharp, laced with something darker than just fear—something broken. Tears streak her face, but she doesn't fight. I don’t recognize her.
Then I look at the boy again, and everything inside me stops.
It’s me. I know it. Even blurred by memory, I know that look in his eyes. Mine.