CATRIONA
I didn’t blink.
That burning stare of his—too ancient, too knowing—bore into me like a thousand tiny needles, sharp with secrets.
“I locked your precious guardians away,” he said, his voice a rumble, deep and cracked like old wood. “They can’t help you now. Not here. Not anywhere.”
My breath hitched. “You’re not one of them.”
A smile curved his lips. Cold. Cruel.
“You’re a sharp girl.”
I took a slow step back—but the air around me tightened like invisible ropes. I couldn’t move.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked softly. “Don’t you want to know who you really are? Why you were born? Why I’ve watched you from the moment your first breath fogged the mirror?”
I froze. My skin prickled.
“My parents—” I began.
He tilted his head, mocking. “You mean the humans who r
