Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

68: Only Three Hearts Were Beating

All three pairs of our eyes immediately grew wide as we slowly turned our heads in the direction of the bang.

How had none of us heard—

But before I could even finish that thought or even guess who it was, his familiar chestnut hair and virulent black eyes came into sight.

"Sorry to interrupt," Rüdiger sneered, a wicked and—dare I say it—almost triumphant smile stealing his face.

I immediately felt the ice running through my body as I wondered just how much he had heard... how much he knew... and where on earth Stephen and my parents were.

And, as though he were answering the very questions running through my head, he said, "The fight was so fascinating from outside and I would have loved to let you finish this, but I was getting hungry."

Let us finish...

Fight...

He heard it? But I silenced the room...

"Mind if we eat?" he went on, a knowing gleam to his eyes as he realised he struck a nerve in me. "I'm famished."

His penetrating gaze stayed locked on me—challenging me, begging me to make the first move. But my uncle was like a lion when it came to his prey. It was all about the theatrics to him.

He would first inspect us, gather as much detail as he needed to plan his attack. All the while, he'd play with us, prod us, poke us, until we were agitated enough to put up a fight, though be too consumed with emotion to win. And once we were weak and riled up enough, he'd finally strike.

So I just had to play his game... and somehow get myself a step ahead. Because, as long as I always knew his next move, we could do this. There were three of us, and one of him. And we had a Terra Fairy on our side.

Ever so slightly shifting in front of Olivia so that I could jump between them if the vampire struck, I exclaimed with as much fake enthusiasm I could muster, "Uncle Rüdy! Great to see you." Play dumb. Make him think you're the fool walking into his trap.

"Likewise, kid," he said with narrowing eyes, tone lacking conviction. "Now... dinner?"

Why do you want to hurry this along? "We were waiting for Mama and Vater and Stephen," I questioned him.

"They're... pretty tied up at the moment."

Interesting response... Was it a planned move?

"So we may as well eat otherwise it will get cold." He turned away from us, exposing his back as he faced the kitchen. "And it looks like you made quite the feast! I was so happy when your mother told me that you had insisted I come along." He slowly sauntered further into the room towards the dining table. Hand running over the wooden top, he inspecting the setting, the cutlery, the dinnerware as he spoke. "Seems like you three have quite the problematic love triangle going on though."

His eyes momentarily flickered up. And at once I saw it all. He knew everything... or at least... knew what Olivia meant to me. Whether he knew what she was yet though...

"Olivia loving Ben," he spelled out, "Lukas and Ben loving Olivia. Olivia and Ben loving Lukas."

Ollie flinched slightly, her gaze shifting momentarily to Ben in disbelief. Though he just went rigid beside her, refusing to meet her questioning gaze as his jaw clenched tightly.

"Oh to be young," Rüdiger sighed, mocking sincerity... though it didn't take long for the slimy smirk to slide back onto his face.

We all watched from our spots in the living room as my uncle pulled out a chair and took a seat at the head of the dining table. What did we do considering how much he knew? Go on with the plan? Run now while we might still get out?