Alexia's nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protec...
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Twenty-Six
Altered
"You are passionate, Alexia."
Well yes, but she already knew that.
"You live life more fully than pathetic humans."
"W-what?"
Bellezza laughed. "We are going strictly rudimentary, aren't we?" Her little hand landed atop Alexia's, her tone patronizing. "You are so young."
She shuddered under the girl's touch, sweetly-bitter—as though the connection had a flavor.
"You are a child of The Passionate."
"The Passionate?" she echoed skeptically.
"That's right." Bellezza's voice brightened. "You are stronger, more beautiful, smarter, more powerful, more adept—"
"Are you," Alexia hesitated, "Passionate also?"
"Of course." The girl huffed. "And so is he," the growl returned to her voice, "and Lester."
It didn't seem a stretch to connect superiority with him. Even Bellezza—well, it seemed difficult to think of her as anything but abnormal. But herself? "What did you do to me, Bellezza, when you screamed?"
She twitched away. "They used to fear us, the humans. They would do our bidding, revering us as gods!" Her tone darkened, voice growing more distant. "Now their rich seek to collect and own us. We have to remind them which race is superior, teach them their place in this world, make them grovel like the pathetic dog-eating-vomits they are!"
Alexia cringed. "How can you do that from a cage?"
"That is why I am here, Sparrow: to prepare, to become strong. In time we will put things aright."
Chills skittered down her arms. Was that why he'd kept the girl—as a weapon against humanity?
Alexia clutched the sides of her cot. What madness had she stumbled upon, and what did that mean for her or her family?
***
A meal came. Bellezza didn't speak more, certainly at ease now that she'd set Alexia's mind to the impossible task of sorting truth from fiction.
"My food, please." Bellezza rolled her eyes.
As Lester slid the platter under her bars he sent Alexia a smirk. "Yer a good influence on her."
She took the compliment, and worried they'd never free her just for that reason.
Once again she and her prison mate were shut into darkness.
