The Weight of Fire and Blood

The day after the encounter with Valtheris, Anne could hardly shake the feeling of being caught in a web of flames. The dragon's presence loomed in her mind, and every breath seemed to draw in the thick scent of smoke and betrayal. But it wasn't just his words she couldn't forget. It was the truth that had been buried so long within her—a truth she wasn't sure she was ready to face.

Lucian had stayed close by, watching her with a quiet intensity. He said little, though the tension in his eyes spoke volumes. But Anne couldn't offer him any clarity. She didn't know what to believe anymore. What to think. Her entire life had been a lie, woven with secrets and half-truths. And now, her mother's betrayal was at the heart of everything.

The castle was quiet as she made her way through the empty halls. She had to speak to her mother—confront her, even if she wasn't ready. But what would she say? Where would she even begin?

Bela sat in the dim light of her chamber, a room that always smelled of incense and old books, the scent a strange comfort. She was bent over an old leather-bound tome, her long fingers skimming the pages. Her gaze flicked up as Anne stepped into the room. There was a moment of stillness—a beat where both of them just stood, waiting.

Anne's voice was steady, though a storm raged inside her. "We need to talk."

Bela's eyes narrowed, but she didn't move from her place. "About what?" Her tone was almost dismissive, but Anne didn't let it deter her.

"I know the truth," Anne said quietly, though the words felt like they were tearing at her throat. "I know what you did. What you—what we—are."

Her mother's face went still. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a thin smile. "You think you understand, but you don't." Her voice was cold, like the edge of a blade.

Anne clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. "I know about Valtheris," she spat, feeling the fire in her blood rise. "I know about his betrayal. And I know you were the one who—who sold him out."

There was a long, taut silence before Bela set the book aside, her movements deliberate and slow. She didn't look surprised. In fact, there was an air of almost calm resignation about her.

"I didn't 'sell him out,' Anne," Bela said with a strange softness in her voice. "I saved you. I did what I had to do to protect you."

Anne felt her heart race. "By betraying him? By betraying us?" The anger in her voice was palpable. "How can you justify that?"

Bela rose from her chair, her eyes locking with Anne's. "You are too young to understand the consequences of such a choice." Her gaze softened for a fraction of a second, but then the hardness returned. "It wasn't just about Valtheris. It was about survival. I did what I had to do for our family—for you."

Anne shook her head, a rush of emotions flooding her chest. "You think this was about survival? You think throwing him to the wolves was the only way?" Her voice broke, the pain seeping through despite her best efforts to keep it under control.

Bela reached for her, her touch almost gentle. "You don't know the whole story, Anne. There were powers far darker than Valtheris at work. Forces that would have destroyed us all. I had to make a choice, and I chose you. I chose your future."

Anne stepped back, pulling away from her mother's touch. "But at what cost? How many lives did you destroy for that 'future'?" Her voice shook with the weight of the accusation.

For a moment, Bela's eyes flickered with something—regret, perhaps—but it was gone before Anne could grasp it. Bela squared her shoulders, her expression hardening. "You can't change what's been done, Anne. You can't undo the past."

Anne's eyes burned with unshed tears. "Then why did you keep me in the dark all these years? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you weren't ready." Bela's voice was firm, but there was something behind it—something Anne couldn't place. "You've never been ready."

The words hit Anne like a blow to the chest. She backed away, her mind racing. This was it. This was the truth her mother had hidden from her all her life. The truth about who they were. Who she was. And yet, the more she learned, the less it all made sense.

"I don't know who you are anymore," Anne whispered.

Bela's gaze flickered with something Anne couldn't decipher. "You don't have to understand it all now, Anne. You have to trust me. Everything I've done, I did for you. For our family. For the future I've tried to protect."

Anne turned away, her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know what to believe. I don't know who to trust."

Bela sighed, her voice softer now. "In time, you'll see that I did what was necessary. You'll come to understand."

But Anne didn't want to understand. Not like this. She didn't want to accept that her mother had traded one betrayal for another, that the people they had once considered enemies were now entangled in their lives. She didn't want to accept that the very blood coursing through her veins had been used as leverage, a weapon against Valtheris and his kin.

Anne stepped toward the door, but her mother's voice stopped her. "You can't walk away from this, Anne. You're part of it now. You can't escape what you are."

Anne's breath caught, her heart heavy with the weight of everything she had just learned. She didn't know if she could ever forgive her mother. Didn't know if she could ever see the woman she'd grown up with the same way again.

But she knew one thing: the battle was just beginning.