Chapter 75

SEVEN.

Christmas has never been a big occasion for my family. Usually we just have dinner with our staff in the bigger room that can accommodate all of them. We don’t give gifts to each other, either. My dad just reserves bonuses for them and that’s it.

But tonight seems to be an entirely different affair, and the worst thing is, I can’t ask them about it because I can’t talk to either of them after the news broke out. It’s all awkward now, sitting in this huge table with them and trying to look jolly for the sake of our helpers. I don’t want them to feel bad.

“Try this one,” Mom says, giving me a cupcake. She looks like she’s about to say more, but then the doorbell rings and she stiffens up. “Hold on.”

“Who is that?” I ask. “Who’s coming?”

I look at Dad for answers too, but he’s too busy talking to the others to pay attention. Or maybe he did that on purpose. Whatever it is, it’s over anyway. Mom comes back into the dining room with three other people.

Amelie and her parents.

The whole room goes silent as though they can feel the dread solidifying in the pit of my stomach. To my horror, they don’t sit anywhere around the table. Mom doesn’t sit back down either. Instead, she gives me a nod and gestures to follow them as Dad gets to his feet.

“No need to leave, all of you,” Dad tells the helpers. “We’re just heading to the library to talk.”

I’m on autopilot, and I stay that way until I reach the library with them. Professor Venetia stares up at the painting, his eyes filled with an emotion I can’t name. Amelie is stealing glances at me, wringing her hands on her lap as we sit around the small table pushed against the window.

“We thought it would be best for us to talk about the engagement,” Professor Venetia says, and his wife smiles. “As a family now. After all, our families will be united soon.”

He looks around the place after he says this, like he’s looking for something to loot. I’m noticing that he’s staring a lot at the painting.

“Of course,” Dad says in a jovial tone, but I can tell that it’s forced. “It’s so nice for all of you to come all the way here. Especially you, Violet. I heard that you weren’t feeling well on the days leading up to this.”

Violet, Amelie’s mother, only gave him a stiff smile. She’s the only one who looks unhappy about all of this apart from me. She looks over at the painting, then at me. “I’m just going to dive straight to the point. I notice that you’re… less than enthusiastic about this arrangement. And I heard from my daughter that it’s because you were seeing a Human girl before all of this—”

“Mom.” Amelie tries to stop her.

But she bulldozes on. “Where is that girl now? What’s going to happen to her when you get married? Does she know what you are?”

The indirect mention of June is a blow straight to the chest. I find myself almost gasping for air, still trying to move on from the pain of losing her. My parents look like they just got slapped, but I’m focusing too much on not breaking down to save them from it.

“I told you, Mom,” Amelie hisses, “They’re not talking anymore. Just give it a rest—”

“I’m only looking out for you, my daughter.” Violet turns to me. “What do we do with June Hayes? What does she know? What possible harm can she bring to this union, to us? We are prepared to deal with her fully—”

“You’re not going to touch her.” I get to my feet and draw myself to my full height. I square up against her, and she backs away slowly. Her husband tries to get in between us but I don’t let him. “I dare you to try. You’ll see.”

Violet gasps and looks at my dad. “You’re just going to let him threaten us?”

“Seven,” Mom starts to say, trying to touch my arm and let me stay. “Please, just—”

“I already agreed,” I say to all of them and no one in particular at the same time. “I didn’t protest the engagement. I already accepted it. There’s no need to do anything more. I’m marrying Amelie. Now leave June alone.”

With that, I turn around and leave. I’m about to head up the stairs and into my room when I hear footsteps following me. I thought it’s going to be my dad, but when I turn around, I find Amelie staring up at me.

“I’m not going to let them do anything to June,” she says breathlessly. “I know you love her, and I know that you… I know that you marked her. I never wished to get in the way of that. I never implied to my parents that she knew something. I just told them about June to hopefully dissuade them from forcing you to marry me. I wanted them to leave it alone. I’m so sorry, Seven.”

She said that so smoothly. It seems like she practiced this a lot because she was so choked up the last time we talked. I can’t help but feel sorry for her. I know that she doesn’t want this. She never liked me, not that way and I don’t think even in other ways. All I have ever felt from her is grudging respect.

And I respect her all the same, for not telling her parents that I marked June.

“I don’t know if we have a way to stop the marriage from happening,” she continues. “But I won’t stop you from pursuing happiness outside of it when the time comes.”

My heart breaks for her. “You don’t deserve that. I will be faithful to you when the time comes. Thank you for not telling them about June.”

Amelie nods, her eyes softening with relief. She steps closer to me, though. And now her face is full of concern. “But Seven… I just need to know. My dad says that you and June and Nancy have been investigating the disappearances on your own. Did you find anything? Because we fully suspect that it’s another Dragon.”

“It is,” I say. “And it’s not just the doctor who got arrested. I get… visions.” I pause, waiting for her to look at me like I’m crazy, but she just looks deadly serious. “And in one of them, I was told that it’s not a lone Dragon, but a Dragon house.”

Her eyes go wide. “What?”

“It’s an entire bloodline,” I tell her. “Remember what you said about the poison that plagued June?”

Amelie frowns, exhaling sharply. “I do. The venom that could only be created by years and years of consuming Humans. Passed on from one generation to the next.” She swallows hard in fear. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to find out what house is responsible for all of this. And they’re going to meet their fate.”

* * *

JUNE.

My entire body has gone cold and I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to just close the window and ignore all of it, but my dad’s eyes are unwavering from below. Hazel just like mine. Imploring and wide in the dark.

I quickly go down the stairs and exit through the back door. Aunt Janet and Uncle Brian are still way too busy making sure dinner looks good in their pictures. I burst out into the night, shivering even with the flimsy layer of snow scattered on the ground. I look around and find Dad there, facing me and running up to meet me.

He’s real. Everything is real. He hugs me and I can feel his warmth, his breath brushing the top of my head. I want to close my eyes and just savor all of this, but I have to know why he’s here. He can’t settle here and pretend like nothing is wrong when his very presence is a mystery.

I break off the embrace, finally looking at him properly. He seems to have aged ten years since I’ve seen him last. It breaks my heart, but at the same time my age-old resentment bubbles up.

“What are you doing here?” I demand. “I thought you said you might not be back. I thought you were going to leave forever.”

“I didn’t say anything like that,” he says, then his face turns dark. “But I know that it’s probably implied. I know I didn’t say all the right words—”

“You didn’t say anything at all,” I point out.

“I know.” Dad puts his hands on my shoulders and looks at me intently. “But I’m back now. I’m here now. And I want you to come with me when I leave this place for good.”

I push him away from me. “No. You can’t just go back and sweep me away when I already built a life for myself here. That’s selfish of you.”

“But it’s safe for you.” His eyes are sparking with an emotion I can’t name. “It’s not safe for you here. Just like how it wasn’t safe for your mother.”

He takes my hand and tries to lead me to the car waiting on the other side of the street. But I snatch my hand away from him. “No. You’re not going to pluck me out again. You’re not going to use Mom in your arguments when you won’t even tell me what happened!”

Dad sighs, and at last, he faces me again. This time, there’s no mistaking the urgency in his actions. He tries to pull me again, but I stand my ground.

At last, he sighs. I thought for a moment that he gave up, but then he just drops a bomb on me.

“Come with me, just for a drive, and I will tell you about your mother.”