“For the last time! What the heck is going on here?!”

“Zeph,” Master Alaric huffed, ignoring Lyra’s demand for answers, his gaze hyper-focused on me. “You don’t know what you’re asking by doing this. I don’t want you traumatized by what happens.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, things became clearer in that moment. “My whole life…has been trauma.” I finally realized. “I don’t have any family-”

“Zphreyah-” He seemed shocked by my revelation. “We are your family-”

“No!” I exclaimed. “You may have treated me like family for a while,” I scoffed. “But family isn’t…isn’t sold to the highest bidder.”

“Zeph, now you know that’s not fair-”

“What is she talking about?” Lyra cut in.

“I’ve serving you-most of my life. I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me-you and Lyra! I’m about to be given to a beast like I’m some sort of trinket to be traded.”

“Zphreyah, you know I didn’t want this for you.”

“Yet here we are.” I was bitter, frustrated at this point.

Deep down, I knew that Master Alaric had very little control over my fate if he wanted to keep the peace. That didn’t mean it hurt any less.

“Zeph-”

“No!” I interrupted any further attempt at reason. “I’ve never asked you for anything. But I am now. I need to know. I need to understand.”

He exhaled, his shoulder drooping in defeat. He knew there was no convincing me to not go through with this.

I wanted to know what he was talking about. I wanted to see what he was so afraid of.

“Just a glimpse,” he finally spoke, a clear warning in his words and caution in his eyes.

He took a step back and demanded that Lyra do the same. Then he watched as I undid the clasp on my necklace.

“What is she doing?” I heard Lyra ask impatiently, a tinge of concern in her tone.

When I placed it in my palm, I watched as the small, diamond-cut snowflake began to glow.

Lyra gasped. “What is that?” she whispered, her eyes wide in fascination as the glow began to pulsate-as if it knew what I was about to do.

I lowered the throbbing necklace from my hand to the ground, and immediately, I felt a change. My body suddenly felt light-as if I’d been carrying an unknown weight around for years and had finally rid myself of it.

Then I felt something else. A pull-one that I couldn’t explain. It was subtle-so subtle that I thought I was imagining it at first.

“Mm,” I heard a groan, and looked up.

Lyra’s eyes had shifted-a lost curiosity suddenly overtaking her gaze. I glanced over at Master Alaric, and noticed that he too started to move with an uneasy purpose, his eyes darkening.

He bared his teeth, the incisors elongating as he struggled to fight something off inwardly.

“You need. To put that back on,” he warned me, his voice low and rumbling-more menacing than before.

“What…is that?” Lyra’s voice was a low growl and she sounded as if she was in a hypnotic daze.

“Lyra,” Master Alaric reached out to her but she moved out of his reach with effortless grace, her feet carrying her in my direction. Though she almost seemed oblivious to the reality.

“That scent,” she purred, inhaling the air. “It’s so…familiar-so…intoxicating.” She breathed, her mouth widening as her canines began to grow.

“Lyra, stand back!” Master Alaric growled.

But she didn’t move, utterly entranced, unable to registered that her father was even talking. It was as if something in the air had completely ensnared her senses. A scent that she could not ignore.

Me.

And it was at that moment that a memory surfaced in my mind-one of me and Lyra. It was the last time we’d ever lived as sisters.

As I looked at her, I realized that I wasn’t the only one that remembered that day. A grin appeared across her lips and her now completely dilated eyes widened.

“I’ve tasted that scent before.” she smiled.

“You see what I mean now?” Master Alaric said as he attempted reign in Lyra. “Put the necklace back on, Zphreyah-before things get worse.”

That was the last thing I wanted. To hurt Lyra or her hurt me was not an intention going into this.

Though I’d have been lying had I not inwardly admitted that I wanted to see how mad she could possibly become from prolonged exposure.

I started for the necklace when Lyra lunged, blocking me from it. “I….I need to taste it…” she growled.

Master Alaric reached out to grab when Lyra darted from his grip, her speed almost blinding. She was suddenly on all fours, her eyes blankly watching me.

“Do you smell it, Zeph?” she asked me, her head cocked to the side. She was so lost at this point, that she didn’t even realize that she knew where the scent was coming from.

Or maybe she did. Maybe…she was playing with her prey before she pounced.

“Lyra, just-just let me get the necklace,” I said calmly.

My request went on deaf ears. “It’s you, isn’t it?” she sneered.

Master Alaric stepped forward to intercede, but it was suddenly too late. Lyra pounced. Thankful for quick reflexes, I backed up, my eyes wide with shock.

To avoid any combat, I turned to run, but only managed a step or two before my foot caught on the root, sending me backward into a briar patch.

I cried out as sharp thorns pierced through my pants, slicing through my skin. Lyra snarled with anticipation and then lunged.

Just as she dropped over me, I caught her, using the trying to push her from me with my feet. But Lyra was so strong. She was so desperate.

I didn’t want to go into full fledged fighting mode. It was a shock trying to fight her off without hurting her. I didn’t know what to do.

Then, in Lyra’s frenzy, it was a quick moment when she was suddenly thrown off of me. Her body hit a nearby tree, her head smacking the bark with a loud echo. She crumbled to the ground unconscious.

When I looked up, I saw Master Alaric, the last bits of his sanity on the cusp of dissipation. “Put. The. Necklace. On.” he said through struggled words. There was pure fear in his eyes as he looked down at me.

I struggled towards it, not wanting to tempt Master Alaric any further. I grabbed it and put it back on.

He walked towards Lyra, a soft relief in his exhale as he spoke again. “Imagine this, Zeph,” he finally said. “Imagine a thousand Lyras. A thousand Lycans-vampires, shifters-even witches. All driven to a frenzy by your blood.”

It was a frightening thought. Surely, I was talented enough to defend-to fight, but I couldn’t imagine facing down an army of inhumans.

“The worst part,” he then said. “Your blood-it has gotten stronger-far more potent. I-I sensed it but I…I couldn’t imagine….” his words veered off. “Let’s go,” he said, picking up Lyra. “We need to get that cut cleaned before we get back into town.”

When he turned to me, I saw that his eyes were still dark and predatory, but he was at least more calm now. There was a raw pain in his voice-in his eyes.

I followed after him, and got to the car, my heart racing and my mind a whirlwind of emotions.

We sat in silence for uncountable moments before he finally turned to me. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and soft.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

“Zeph…please. Tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” I whispered but my voice was steady, an anger seething beneath me as I took in the full implications of this news.

“I knew this would happen. I knew it. That’s why i didn’t want to do this. That’s why-”

“I just…” I interrupted in a daze. “I can’t believe you hid this from me,” I said, my voice shaky, quiet. “I can’t believe you let me go on…so ignorantly aware of the danger I was in. And now…now you’re sending me into a stranger’s home. Into a new situation-knowing this.”

“Zeph…”

“Everything will be different now,” I murmured, then fell silent.

There was nothing more to say. Nothing more to feel.

Everything was different now.