61 | EXPOSED

With all *that* sort of worked out - and an actual date set for out first date - I make my way back to the Coven. It’s a weekend, Saturday, and I have an extra day’s-worth of reports to go through to be caught up. Even though my emotions are sharp, overwhelmingly strong, and damn near difficult to ignore, I keep the freshly charged necklace on. I know it’s the only thing properly balancing my two halves.

For the first time in forever, I also make sure to eat real food for lunch aside from my usual rationing of blood. The fortification of actual solid nutrition adds a pep to my steps as I walk into my office, though a smile’s absent from my face. I’m just too sad about Mom’s current health. In fact, I have half a mind to stop working on the apocalypse shit just to spend more time with her - time that’s got to be limited. But I don’t. I know I can’t put her first - not above the weight of the world.

But I do make a mental note to visit her more often. Like once a day often. I could probably swing by before school in the mornings to check up on her. I know she’s an early bird. And now that I know she’s been getting Magic help from a witch, maybe I can try to prod Mom for information on how to contact the lady myself. If I can get that, then there’s a chance I can talk to the witch about something more permanent. She seemed worried about Mom, but not so much so to stay in the state.

I’m juggling this line of thought when I walk into my office and stop dead- seeing I’ve got a visitor. A vampire with ashen skin, dull red eyes, and sandy hair.

“Mi-Mica-” I stutter in complete shock. “What the fuck?” Is all that spurts from my mouth as I take in the bedraggled sight of my ex-shadow. His pale, cracked lips quirk at the corners as I reach him, my hands automatically reaching up to skim over the five o’clock shadow of his unshaven face. His once-neatly kept sandy brown hair is a few inches longer, and in a messier disarray than last I saw him, with a few clumps missing here and there. As if they’ve been roughly torn out.

“Easy, princess.” Mikyle gently grips my wrists to stop my searching hands from wandering into the sandy mess. “Still healing,” He explains with a dimmer expression, red eyes so dark they’re nearly black as he speaks.

“What the hell happened to you?” I breathe, still shell-shocked by his appearance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so unsorted before. Even after the fight with the Reiniers, Mikyle never had a hair out of place or looked even a little injured.

“I know I should have been sending you reports, but I was…held in contempt of Court.” Mikyle explains bitterly, his eyes going distant for a second when he says the last part. I stare at him, my hands now resting lightly over his too-pale cheeks.

“Mina told me-”

“She didn’t know.” Mikyle shakes his head, his hands coming over mine and holding me in place as he gazes into my eyes, the normal deep red hue flaring slightly and warming them to their usual ember-like glow. “Fire and ashes, I’ve missed you.” He breathes softly, a sad look pulling at his features as his eyes search mine.

“I-I…” I can’t really bring myself to repeat the sentiment - not because I haven’t missed him - or been worrying about him, but because this man’s not my mate - and it would feel wrong to lead him on. “I was worried about you. Are you…?” I look back into his softly glowing eyes, something about them seems a little off but I just can’t put my finger on it. One of his hands, gossamer-light, trace up and down my forearm like they used to, the light touch soothing some of my fresh worry.

“I’m alright now.” Mikyle assures me with a much warmer and more convincing smile than before. “Let me just look at you for a minute.” He adds, his Adams apple bobbing as some of the brightness of his eyes dims. I get the feeling he’s been through hell. More than what I can see, but I won’t ask him just yet. Even I can see the darkness that had held him is still float around in his mind.

“Yeah, sure-”

“Mikyle, step away from her.” Hale is suddenly in the room with us, eyes glowing that acidic-evergreen hue that sends chills down my spine. Mikyle swallows, eyes still trained on me, a flicker of confusion creasing and un-creasing his eyebrows as his crimson eyes dull back to that color closer to dried blood.

“I-I wasn’t…I just want to see her- make sure she was still alive-” Mikyle protests, his hand on my cheek trembling slightly now. I frown at him, the concern that my ex-shadow is more than just superficially injured stabbing at my chest.

“Then why are you holding a stake?” Hale is all but growling at Mikyle. I blink, my eyes dropping from my ex-shadows down to the space between us- A space that is indeed bridged by a pointy stick made of an orangy wood. I do a double-take, a hiss escaping my lips as the air in my lungs leaves me. There’s not just wood - but silvery threads along the shaft. The two alone may not kill me, but I don’t want to find out what both will do if they manage to puncture the organ that pumps my blood.

“I-I-” Mikyle’s looking at the silver-and-wood device in his hand like it’s another limb growing from his palm and not a weapon that could kill me. Mikyle’s hand drops from my face and he stumbles back, hands gripping the stake tightly before it clatters to the ground in a shower of wood chips and twisted metal. “I didn’t- I don’t-” Mikyle stares from the ground to Hale, a look of confusion and fear making the normally calm and composed vampire look like a scared child. “*Hale*-” His voice breaks, the sound jamming another shard of pain into my chest and bringing heat to my eyes.

“It’s alright, Mikyle. Stay calm.” Hale tells him gently, moving slowly towards Mikyle, his eyes still burning green and locked with his. There’s no Command in his voice, so I’m not surprised when Mikyle just keeps talking.

“I can’t- I don’t remember how I got here-” Mikyle takes another staggering step away from me, towards Hale. This time, his arms wrap around himself tightly, knuckles flaring white with the tight grip as his whole body starts to shake. I’ve never seen him so shaken- so broken. It takes everything in me not to go over to him and try to comfort him- but he was literally seconds from killing me a moment ago.

“It’s going to be alright, Mikyle. Ritska’s going to help you-”

“I’m right here, Mikyle.” Ms. Jin suddenly appears beside Mikyle, the bells in her hair tinkling softly as she dips her head towards Mikyle’s. He nods once, the movement jerky, but his shaking slows a bit.

“Ritska, I can’t remember-” Mikyle begins, a note of desperation in his voice but Ms. Jin just shakes her head.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Ms. Jin soothes him, gently patting his arm and guiding him towards the door. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this. Don’t you worry, my friend.” She continues as she ushers him out of the room. Hale moves to close the door softly behind them before flashing over to me.

“Are you hurt?” Hale asks me quietly, his green eyes back to their normal color, but they’re wide and wild.

“No, I’m fine-” I shake my head, completely thrown by all of this. “Hale, what happened to him?” I breathe when I can ask something coherent as my emotions bubble and boil higher and higher. Hale stares at the shards of the weapon on the ground, his normally calm and impassive face creasing.

“It would seem,” Hale begins slowly, his eyes tracing up from the ground to lock with mine. “That things at Court are not as we thought.”

“Hale, he tried to kill me. Mikyle tried to-” I stop talking as Hale’s eyes flash acidic.

“Remember how I told you about the dangers that come with being a vampire?” Hale asks me softly, his voice still low. “How interrogation is more effective because of our abilities?” I swallow as a lump rises in my throat, my stomach churning as I slowly begin to get it. “The same can also be said about other forms of torture. Including brainwashing.”

“But-but Mina wouldn’t-” I start in complete horror. Mikyle may not be one-hundred percent related to the Queen, but I just can’t see her hurting Mikyle let alone brainwashing him.

“No, Mina wouldn’t.” Hale agrees with me almost immediately. “But William would.” The King…I had almost forgotten about him. I feel my stomach heave at the mention of the King, physically flinching as I recall his dark energy and the way he acted. A shiver races up and down my spine as I close my eyes and try not to freak out. If the King was more than willing to try to get to me through his own half-brother, there’s no telling what else the mad man may do next.