Chapter 507: Janice Is Dead

"I was too angry to see what I was doing. In my childish mind, my mother deserved to be punished not just for betraying my father, but for betraying me.

"So this was why she sent me away? Not because of my animals, but because she wanted to have her fun. She chose that man over me.

"Even when the room swarmed with animals—birds clawing at their faces and hair, rodents biting at their feet until they bled—I didn’t stop. I could hear my mother’s hoarse, panicked voice begging me to call them off, but I was already gone, swallowed whole by the rush of my own power.

"It’s easy to give in to the thrill when you’re emotional. In that moment, you feel untouchable, like a god, while everyone else is just an ant you could crush between your fingers. And at that moment, I wanted to crush them all."

Roman’s gaze shifted to Violet, testing her. He was searching for the flinch, the judgment, the fear anyone else would have shown. But she met his stare head-on, unshaken.

If he thought that was enough to scare her, he was in for a loss.

Violet’s steady gaze didn’t falter, and when she offered no condemnation, he finally looked away. Then Roman went on.

"Thankfully, my father arrived in time and snapped me out of it with his Alpha command. The animals scattered, and when the chaos settled, I realized the gravity of what I’d done. My mother’s lover was dead.

"I’ll never forget the sight of those empty eye sockets clawed away by birds, and the strips of flesh torn from bone. It was a grotesque sight, one I couldn’t move away from.

"My mother was lucky. Or maybe, somewhere deep down, I’d gone easier on her than on him. But that didn’t change the fact that I hadn’t meant for it to go that far. I hadn’t meant to hurt her like that.

"After that day, I shut that part of me off. The part the animals were drawn to. I told myself I’d be a normal kid again... whatever ’normal’ meant for me. So I stuck to morphing into my favorite animals instead. The one that was safe and controlled.

"Because every time I even think about using that ability again, that scene comes back. And it’s like I’m standing in that room all over again. It’s something I’ll carry for the rest of my life. So maybe you’ll think I’m weak for not developing it. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t push me." Roman’s voice was tight, tension radiating off him.

Violet shrugged. "I didn’t force you to keep an eye on Griffin through the bird, did I?"

Roman gave a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry. It’s just, most people who find out I can control animals think it’s way cooler than turning into one."

She rolled her eyes. "No one gets to tell you how to use your powers as long as you’re not hurting anyone. Besides, you did the bird thing on your own, so I believe you’ll get there someday."

Her lips curved into a sly smile. "They’re only saying that because they haven’t seen you turn into a dragon yet." She tilted her head, studying him. "You have turned into a dragon, right?"

"Not yet." Roman’s smile turned almost boyish. "Mystical creatures are harder. I’ve never seen one in real life, only in movies and books. I have to get every detail right. The only one I’ve managed is a yeti. Always been obsessed with them. Plus, it rivals the height of Griffin’s hulk form, so it drives him insane." He chuckled, clearly savoring that last part.

Violet laughed too, because if there was one constant in the world, it was the ridiculous rivalry between Roman and Griffin over who was stronger.

"A dragon’s more intricate," Roman went on, "and it would drain a lot of power..." Then his gaze softened, locking on her. "But for you, I’ll pull it off one day."

Her chest warmed at the sincerity in his voice. "Aww, that’s so sweet," she said, smiling despite herself.

Then without warning, Roman’s eyes changed, and the beautiful warm green eyes was replaced with the glassy black of a bird’s. The transformation was so abrupt that Violet instinctively tensed, her fingers twitching as though ready to stir her power. But when he didn’t move, and his breathing stayed steady, she forced herself to relax.

"They’re in," Roman said, his voice quite low as if he was speaking from somewhere far away.

Violet’s gaze lingered on him, noting how his pupils seemed to dart as though following something she couldn’t see. Roman had told her before that when he linked with an animal like this, it was like borrowing their vision, and everything the bird saw, he saw.

The only catch was in that state, he was distracted, and his focus tethered there entirely. Hence, he was extremely vulnerable to attack. Her job right now was simple: protect him, or snap him out of it if things went wrong.

"Griffin’s looking around the house... there’s sight of her," Roman murmured, his tone almost conversational but his eyes fixed on an unseen world. "There’s a shack behind the house. Looks like storage. He’s just opened it, there’s no—"

Roman stopped suddenly and the air in the room seemed to still.

Violet straightened, frowning. "What is it?"

"Oh, wait..." His voice dipped, then hardened. "What the hell?"

Her brows knitted tighter. "Roman?"

His jaw clenched. "Griffin’s found the witch, Janice, and her throat is slit."

"What?" Violet was stunned. She didn’t recall slitting the witch’s throat.

Roman’s gaze stayed distant, still seeing through the bird’s eyes. "Griffin’s reaching for her now, and he’s saying, ’This doesn’t make sense. She’s been dead for hours, long before the attack.’"

"Wait," Violet said slowly, "If Janice is dead, that means—"

"The other witch killed her and took her place," Roman cut in, his eyes snapping back to normal.