Chapter 510: Rose

"The threat has been eliminated," Hannah reported to Ziva.

"Good." Ziva didn’t look up, her attention fixed instead on their youngest sister, Enya.

A dead rat lay on the table before them, and Ziva was coaxing Enya to bring it back to life.

After the disaster with Bree, their father had stopped experimenting with his own kind and had turned to witches — and demons.

Enya was the last of them, at least that they knew of for now. Not even the growing crisis in the village or the looming threat of discovery could dampen Angus’s appetite for reproduction. For all they knew, he could appear tomorrow with another sister they’d be expected to raise and groom for him.

The rumors around Enya’s birth were murky. Ziva had supposedly summoned a lesser demon from hell. They had been careful not to repeat the mistake with Micah since higher demons were famously defiant and loathed being bound to mortals. Whatever bargain was struck, it ended with Angus offering his seed, and months later, a child was placed in his arms.

Enya was Hellspawn, gifted with necromancy. She could one day raise an army of the dead for him, and that alone made her invaluable, and it was no wonder Ziva cared for her especially.

Ziva had always been attracted to the powerful, although that didn’t explain the softness in her eyes and the maternal affection she showered on Enya.

Everyone knew the nature of Ziva’s relationship with their father. As a powerful witch, their dear sister believed a seed with their father would produce the all-powerful heir — even more than the rumored Fae sister. However, three of her pregnancies so far had resulted in a miscarriage. Perhaps in Enya, she saw the child she’d been denied.

First was Bree. And now three miscarriages. Couldn’t they see it? The goddess was not happy. But Hannah did not dare say it out loud. No one could be trusted here. Especially her sisters. Not even the seemingly good Lauren who would sell her out in a heartbeat and serve her as a meal to Bree if she sensed even a hint of rebellion against their father from her.

The story of their sister Rose was one every sibling should have learned from, even though few seemed capable of it. Ziva had not been the first; no, there had been one before her. Angus’s first dalliance with Ziva’s mother’s coven was not with her, but with another witch, Rose’s mother. Rose arrived before Ziva but both arrived in the same moon cycle.

Where Rose was cheerful, Ziva was the gloomy one. Everyone naturally liked her, and even their stone-hearted father could not refuse her. Of course, Ziva never liked that and was jealous of their relationship.

Rose’s fall began the moment she dared to fall in love. The boy was from the village, a mortal, kind, and utterly unsuited for their world. When she found herself pregnant, she knew Duskmoon Hollow was no place to raise a child. So she and the father of her baby escaped the village.

Ziva was the first to notice her absence. She scoured for Rose’s trail but came up empty; Rose had hidden herself well. The only one who could have found her was their mother, Sarah, with her rare bloodcraft magic that could track kin across any boundary.

But Sarah refused. She told Ziva to leave Rose be, that this was her sister’s choice. Unfortunately, Ziva did not like that answer. So she killed her mother, took the ability for herself, and found her sister, Rose.

Angus did not forgive traitors. Especially not his own blood. He had a pregnant Rose thrown into the hunting grounds alongside her lover. Rose fought well, but the game was rigged, and she did perish alongside her lover. On the other hand, Ziva was rewarded, becoming Angus’s confidant, his favored witch, and his bedmate when it suited him — a part she seem to relish the most.

As far as everyone in Duskmoon Hollow was concerned, Angus was their god and the one who would usher them into a new era where supernaturals would rule and humans would be under their feet forever.

Hannah, very much human, wondered where that left her.

"Are you even listening to what I’m saying?" Ziva said, snapping her to reality.

"W-what?" Hannah stuttered.

"Have you seen Lilian? She’s supposed to be back by now," Ziva asked, a slight frown on her face.

"No, I haven’t seen—"

Hannah was still speaking when a figure

appeared in the doorway and collapsed onto the floor, cutting her off.

"Lilian?" Hannah said, surprised to see her in that state. There was blood at the corner of her mouth, and her hair was disheveled.

"Violet..." Lilian rasped, clutching her side. "She’s... powerful..." The last word bled out with the same urgency as the red pooling beneath her.

Hannah’s eyes widened. "She’s injured."

Ziva was already on her feet. "Call my sisters. Now."

Hannah didn’t need to be told twice whom she was referring to the twins Lauren and Layla. They were the ones with the healing skill. Ziva’s ability was so corrupted she could just as well drain the life out of Lilian than heal her.

But even as Hannah rushed down the halls, one word kept echoing in her head.

"Violet... she’s powerful."

Had their eldest sister finally awakened? Would they finally have a family reunion? But most importantly, was she powerful enough to get her the fuck out of here? Unlike the others, Hannah knew she had no use in their father’s new world.

What side was Violet on? She honestly wanted to know.

But even with that excitement bursting inside of her, Hannah kept her face neutral and burst into the twins’ room without knocking. There she found Lauren and Layla sprawled out on the couch kissing. This was no sisterly peck on the lips, but a full-blown make-out session.

For a moment, Hannah just froze on the spot. She had not seen that coming at all.

They finally seemed to have noticed her presence because Layla lifted her head and barked, "What?!"

Hannah ignored the invitation to judge them and swallowed. "Lilian’s injured. Ziva needs you. Now."

That got them moving.