chapter thirteen,     must've been a deadly kiss

e v e l y n

     EVELYN HAWTHRONE-ORLOVA WAS, IN FACT, CHANNELING THE MAGIC FROM IGOR KRAKOV. It happened accidentally. When she was growing up, she displayed a serious talent for Dark Arts. Not everyone could perform them - her brother was an example of that, who died splitting his soul.

     She knew that a man like Igor Krakov could never love anyone, only because he never get ahold of his one true love. It wasn't her - it was her mother. Her father, Orlov, charmed her with a few potions and for that, he promised Igor to give him his first daughter.

     Igor didn't want to accept, but there was nothing else to do. Instead, he waited a few years until Evelyn was born. As an occasional guest of the house, he watched her grow, and get stronger and he was content with seeing that the red-haired girl possessed the same power her mother had.

     The magic of the body.

     Controlling someone's vitals was a rarity. The Dark Arts possessed many spells that could kill a person, but all of them worked as if a cloak is put over a person, poisonous and deadly, causing their death. Killing someone, by getting inside of their head, squeezing their heart from within - that was something, every wizard wished to do.

     Evelyn always wondered if Igor actually loved her mother or if was it the power she displayed that was so infatuating about her. Growing up with that man beside her, he always looked at her as if she was a new possibility and her looks, well, that wasn't a disadvantage for him.

     Igor Krakov was a man desperate to have an heir which would possess the magic of the body. It confused her, why was he so keen on an heir and didn't want to use it himself?

     After Igor finally got permission to have her hand from her father, the terrors began. Occasional lock-ups, assault and violence that he displayed to her made her weak. Without even realising it, her anger grew into a source of power that made her get out of there. And just like that, she realised that she took a good amount of power from him, tricking his mind into loving her.

     Evelyn didn't want to do that. She didn't need his love. She didn't need his obsession with her. Even if she showered in attention and liked her ego stroked, that man was disgusting to her to the core and she knew how to get rid of him once and for all.

     If she wouldn't be a Hawthrone - she would've killed him back at the mansion. But she is a Hawthrone and she is doing this for herself and for her mother.

     His death meant her freedom.

Standing in the Hawthrone manor hidden in the terrifying woods of Siberia, covered in a layer of marble stone, reminded her of the terrors. She hasn't spent time in here ever since she was a child since her father wished to be closer to the other wizards and away from the anonymity.

Walking around a circle, painted in white chalk, she glanced over at the symbols - it was her mother's magic. She doesn't really remember her mother as a person, always as dull background noise. She had no idea how powerful her mother was once and how easily her power was dialled down by a few amateur potions. Her mother's power and her bloodline were bled into the walls of the manor. The cold has frozen many bones beneath them. The blood was spilt on the ground her heels stepped on. It was deserted, but alive with the magic only she could understand.

"Your mother loved me, you know," his voice appeared at the end of the room, not even surprising her since she knew he will follow her.

"She would've never loved a man like you," she replied, raising her head to look at him, not feeling frightened anymore. This manor was her protection. It was her beginning and his end.

Igor chuckled, "You don't even know her."

On that, he was right. As much as it hurt to admit that he was right since all she knew was her silent, obedient mother and everything about her was found out in this manor.

"I don't. But that doesn't justify your actions."

"My actions?"

"Grooming your beloved's child - is that normal?"

Clasping his hands behind him, he smirked, looking like the sly man that he was: "Was it normal for you to steal my power?"

Oh, so he knew. "Completely."

"It took me quite some time to realise that my love for you was unlikely. I didn't even feel that for your mother."

Scoffing, she stepped into the circle of the symbols, a few candles igniting, feeling her presence. "You ruined my life, Igor. You made me feel as if I was a tool for men to have. You made me afraid of the people I was surrounded with just because you were always lurking in the shadows, watching me... I have no interest in leaving you alive."

"If you were able to mess with my mind," he stepped closer, "make me believe that I am in love with you... Evelyn, you lost your purpose. Don't think that your rebellion will take you anywhere."

     "You know how it has to end, Igor," stated she, a pointy dagger appearing in her hands that was glistering with its venomous tip of a dark poison, urging it to drip on the ground. "Either I kill you or you kill me."

"That's a bit dramatic... Even for you, maya prekrasnaya," he admitted, but nonetheless stepped into the circle, standing in front of her.

     She knew it will lead to this moment. It wasn't uncommon for other wizards to kill their enemies. It was the first time she did it for a purpose: for her own freedom, for her mother. It wasn't easy to challenge a wizard that had tricks in his sleeve, especially since his death was necessary to occur in her in order for her to possess his power. It's either him or her.

     "It's what I have to do," she replied and she swiftly moved her dagger in order to pierce his chest, but he pushed that dagger between his fingers, pushing it away from him. He sneaked his free hand behind her and pushed her to him, snapping her wrist to the other side and the dagger away from her.

     "We could've made something special, Evelyn," he whispered against her nose, his hot breath paralysing with the fear of their closed proximity.

     She couldn't move. It was as if his iron grip was bringing her down as gravity, but she knew better - he was using his magic on her. Pushing her dagger to her painted lips, he pushed the tip into the corner of her mouth, staining her lips with the poison meant for him.

     Dragging the dagger to the left, he pierced her skin, leaving her shaking and grunting in his hold. Worst of all, his eyes were shining with pure joy seeing her suffer, but the cornered tears announced that the illusion of their love was haunting him.

     Feeling the blood move down her chin, she felt the way her heart was hammering. She knew she won't die from his hand - it wasn't her end.

     Inhaling sharply, she managed to feel the ends of her fingertips, pushing her will to fight against his magic. "If you would've treated me as equal," she hissed from the pain since the dagger was pushing further into the cheek, "this wouldn't have happened."

      "Equal?" his eyebrows raised in surprise, or was it mockery? "I don't believe you."

      The surprise took his attention off her and it gave her enough strength to lean forwards and press her lips against his. Within that same horrendous pain, feeling the way the dagger pierced her side as her lips took the life out of him.

     Everything was blurring and as she pulled away, she looked down at the dagger that was stuck in her body, a crimson stain widening on her clothes. Turning her eyes on him, she saw the way his face was slowly dulling, until he let out a choked groan, falling down to his knees, a man with a smirk appeared behind him with one hand in his pocket.

     Evelyn knew Tom will find her.

     Offering him a smile, she decided not to watch the way that man will die. Raising her eyes up, she pushed her hands to the side where the wound was reminding her of her death, but it wasn't her end.

     "Idiot," Tom stated, pushing the dying man out of his path, walking closer as Evelyn pushed her hand to him, not wanting to fall down.

     Both of their attention turned to the circle and the candles that surrounded it - they all burned. The magic started to run in her veins, choking her with deep pleasure and the dark desires of a man that was dying.

     She succeeded.

     Pushing her head on Tom's shoulder, she let her body lean onto him, feeling weak. She didn't even know what was going on since the ecstasy of the magic and the pain of her death seemed to merge into a blurred canvas of nothing.

     Tom's hand ended up on her face, wrapping her with his arms that were ought to protect her, making her hear the way his heart was hammering - he did love her. His words were a blur as a small smile sat on her lips and her eyes fluttered shut.

     Would her mother be proud of her?

     She finally achieved what she wanted. She was free.

     The poisoned lips of hers, bloodied and ruined wanted to feel her beloved's. A deadly kiss. A deadly unification. Only she didn't know that Tom will not let her fade away just yet.

author's note

prepare for the next chapter:)