Blood War (Book 1, the Halfblood Chronicles)

36.1 | Surviving Is the Easy Part

Nothing—she'd spared Tatiana for nothing.

The heartbreaking reality settled on Lu as she stood beside the madwoman's hospital bed. She'd been so eager to see Tatiana that she'd violated her moral code regarding free will and bewitched the guards to let her inside.

I know the name of the witch who killed him, Tatiana had said before they'd broken the curse.

Lu's father had been dead for years, and while she no longer mourned, she often found herself thinking about him. About the mysterious fire that had taken him. No one had ever given a detailed explanation of what had happened, and there'd conveniently been no body to examine.

Those facts had haunted Lu since the demon-witch had made the proposal. And because Lu couldn't stand the itching curiosity, that hunger for the truth, she'd helped Tatiana get out of the cemetery alive. Despite Nika's displeasure, despite Elliot . . . 

And it had all been for nothing.

Tatiana thrashed inside the bed, rattling the belabane-infused chains that coiled around her body. Locks of red hair littered the sheets and floor—from when she'd yanked them out of her own skull.

And now, her hands, though pinned at her sides, were grasping at the air. Spittle flew from her mouth as her eyes widened into watery planets.

"I loved you," she hissed. "I wanted to free you! Why did you try to kill me? What do you want?"

Ever since waking, Tatiana's delirium had grown uncontrollable without the aid of narcotics and restraints. She'd injured several keepers in trying to escape this room, and given the unpredictable nature of her magic, it had been decided that she needed a larger escort before being transported to the Vigil prison.

Lu's heart sank into her stomach as she watched the woman writhe and seize, snarling in a language Lu didn't understand.

Who else might know? she asked herself. Where and how did Tatiana learn of my dad's murder?

Perhaps she could've inquired Emil Kovac, but he'd died in the melee, too. Markos? The thought was terrifying. If Nika's father had kept it a secret, then maybe he'd been trying to spare the Lazarov family from more grief.

Lu met Tatiana's manic gaze. "Just give me a name. That's all I need."

The demon-witch went utterly still and whispered, "Asteroth."

Closing her eyes, Lu took a deep breath. This was pointless. So she slipped out of the infirmary room, bewitching the guards to forget about her visit, and aimlessly walked down the hall.

Her father murdered.

Elliot gone.

Nika unconscious.

Before today, she'd had a mission—break the curse and return home. And now that she was back, now that she was safe again . . . 

Throat closing up, eyes burning, Lu sprinted for the nearest exit. She burst through the door, colliding with the cold air and a chorus of crickets. Her heart thundered as she focused on breathing.

Minutes passed before she let herself take in her surroundings. Konstantin Academy was quiet, having been placed on lockdown after recent events. But the night was peaceful, and on the eastern horizon, a strip of gray promised the coming of dawn.

Lu crashed into the wall of the infirmary building and slid down, tucking her knees against her chest. She knew it wasn't wise to sit out here alone. She should have been waiting at Nika's bedside, or heading to the administration building to see if her mother and sister had arrived yet. But she couldn't rally the strength to stand up again, and it felt like she never would. For that was the thing about wars—surviving was the easy part, and what came after was the true battle.