Page 76 of The Fallen Fae King

My throat is suddenly thick with tears.

I’m standing in White Lotus Village, which was under my protection before it was destroyed by the Shadow Dragons.

This can’t be real.

But by my fangs, it feels real. I can sense the spirits of my ancestors who were desecrated by the burning of their tomb on my skin and smell the lotuses.

I fucking wish that it was real.

I spin in a circle, clenching my fists.

This is a trick.

It must be a trick.

Because I know what precise night this is as well. It’s the night of my ninth birthday when Ruin and Nebet arrived in the village that I grew up in to take my brother and me away to train as apprentices.

We were torn apart from each other. Lazarus was forced to become the Void Vampire, while I was forced into becoming an assassin in the Scarlet Temple.

I never saw Lazarus again.

“Lan,” a sweet voice suddenly calls behind me. By the Shadow Devils, it can’t be. “Why are we running? Let’s go back. Mother will be here for our party. She promised. She said that if we were good this year, then she’d take us to the capital and let us meet our brothers and sisters.”

I swallow.

Please, don’t do this. I can’t bear it.

He’s not real. My family are dead.

Lazarus is missing.

But he sounds real.

I can’t make myself turn around and see my twin.

“Go away,” I whisper.

This is too cruel.

My soul feels like it is being broken in two all over again.

“Why would you say that, Lan?” A deeper but still soft voice replies, this time from the path ahead of me. Startled, I can’t stop myself from looking up. “I knelt to Ruin for you. I swore that I would kill myself, as long as you didn’t die. I said that I would do anything. Would you reject me now?”

I stare at the vampire who looks identical to me, as he strolls closer. Except, he’s plainly dressed in the silver robe with glowing pyramid hieroglyphs of the Void Cult just like a perfect sacrifice would have been.

“What…? This isn’t real.” I can’t stop myself from stepping toward the vampire, however, hungrily studying his face.

Is this Lazarus grown up?

I need to believe it.

A sudden warmth floods my chest, which I can’t squash.

“I missed you, Lan. Didn’t you miss me?” He grabs me by the shoulders and drags me to rest my head against his chest.

“Is this the afterlife?” I clutch onto his shoulders, creasing his robes.

He’s colder than I’m expecting and he has no scent.