After failing as a vampire hunter, 17-year-old Cleo is sent to an academy full of vampires as a false peace treaty. Her true objective is supposed to be finding the hidden heir to the dark world while befriending the current one, but the current hei...
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"Father, I would like to talk to you about..." I stopped short, shaking my head. "Ugh. No. I can't do it."
Felix folded his arms across his chest from where he stood across from me. "Why not?"
"Saying the word father while looking at you is like some weird kind of weird juxtaposition."
"You could try calling me Daddy," he said with a wicked smirk.
I frowned. "I would never call my father that though."
Felix's smile turned wry. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised that you didn't get that."
"Get what?"
"Nothing."
"I don't think practicing is going to help, anyway," I confessed. "I can't imagine he'll be happy about what I have to say. I'll just have to say my piece and hope for the best."
"What do you plan on telling him?"
"That I'm not trying to find the—" I clamped my mouth shut, my body going still. Felix didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied with fishing around in his pockets for something. I cleared my throat. "There are a few things. Mainly I found out some things he's done that I want to ask him about."
Finally, he retrieved a hair tie and gathered up his damp hair, and put it into his usual short ponytail. He stooped down to look into the mirror on my desk, adjusting his bangs. "That doesn't sound bad."
"Maybe not... but I don't think he'll take too kindly to me befriending Claude. I plan to ask him about what happened to Claude's mother, your queen."
Felix stopped fixing his hair and turned back to me. "Why are you asking him about that? That has nothing to do with you."
"I need the truth. Even if he doesn't want me to know it. Claude, at the very least, deserves to know."
A second of silence passed and Felix's jaw set. "Perhaps it's best not to bring up anything to him. Just treat this as a normal visit."
"No, I need to get information from him. I've already decided that."
"What makes you think he'll give it to you?"
"He's my father," I said.
Felix gave me an unimpressed look. "Cleo, you didn't even know about the Sway. He could be hiding much more from you. And I don't think he would take you digging for information too lightly."
I shook my head. "I can't let things sit as they are."
"I'm just thinking of your well-being. Just tell him whatever he wants to hear."
I looked down at the floor. Felix didn't understand why I needed to talk to him. "I have to. If I want changes to happen, I need to get some idea of how to start fixing things. I need to know exactly what he's done. How he and I can make up for what he's done."
