The Blood of Darkness

Chapter 69

Kye

"Your father is back."

My mind is a ruined mess, and for a moment, I don't understand what Lucine means. All I can think about are Val and Zyair and how the hell I managed to lose both of them in a matter of hours.

Lucine must recognize my lack of understanding, for she continues. "He's in the townhouse. We knew something was wrong when we noticed that all of the lights were on. I snuck in through the gate to get closer and investigate, and I saw him through the side window in the kitchen."

The information finally registers.

My father. Here. Now. Magically returned from Nieves the night of Rurik's invasion.

It can't be a coincidence.

For some reason, I don't feel much in reaction. It's just another problem. Another problem that will waste more of the time I should be spending trying to get to Nieves and find a way to save Val and Zyair before it's too late.

"I'll deal with it," I tell my friends. I turn on my heel and head briskly down the alleyway in the direction of my house. "Come on."

"Wait!" Neve says, following close behind me. "Kye! What happened back at the castle? Zyair and Val—"

I ignore her.

Quinn speaks up next. Her voice is just as full of disbelief and terror as Neve's. "We thought that Zyair was safe with you. We would never have left otherwise. Everything was so chaotic—"

"It doesn't matter anymore. What's done is fucking done. We just need to do what we have to do to fix things now, and hope that we're not too late." My voice is flat, devoid of any warmth.

"What's the plan with your father?" Lucine asks as we cross the street. "We didn't see any Rurikans with him."

"I'll see," is all I say, because I have no idea what I'm going to do but all I know is that we need to pack any necessary things and bring enough currency to be able to buy horses. Leaving before the bloodthirsty Rurikans reach this street is imperative. Getting across the border will be another story altogether.

We reach the gate and I pull it open, throwing a remark about Arden not coming in over my shoulder. Lucine can deal with him now.

I don't stop at the door either; I simply throw it open and step inside, motioning for the rest of my friends to stay where they are. They all look wary and devastated.

As soon as I close the door behind me, I hear rapid footsteps coming from the dining room. A familiar voice. "Who's there?"

And then my father appears. Tall but not taller than me, red hair lighter than mine, brown eyes. He looks just as composed and put-together as ever, wearing a dark, buttoned jacket and dress pants.

"Get out," I tell him. "You're not welcome here anymore." If he doesn't leave, I'll make him.

His eyes widen when he sees me. He fumbles inside his jacket for a pathetic-looking knife. "Who are you, and why the hell are you in my house? I don't have any money."

A harsh laugh escapes me. He doesn't recognize me. He doesn't fucking recognize me. He thinks I'm some kind of criminal.

"Your house?" My voice is sardonic and cruel. "The property was passed down to me after you were presumed dead."

It still takes him a minute to realize. Then, his brows pull together in startled confusion. He's still staring at me like he doesn't know me. "Kye?"

"Surprised I'm not dead? Thanks for giving my name up to the Dark King. You ended up indirectly killing one of my friends, but unfortunately, not me." Thanks to Val.