“Winter,” a familiar voice called. “Winter.”
She woke to the feeling of cool marble touching her bare skin.
As her eyes adjusted to the room she lay in, she noticed that everything were the colors, white and grey...
Her sight was still blurry from waking, but she could still make out the shading of the room.
Winter knew this was a dream, though she didn’t understand why it seemed so real...
She pushed her hands on the cool floors, forcing herself up until she could balance her weight on her knees.
“Winter,” the voice said again, catching her attention. “Winter.”
She blinked then, eyes searching the room curiously, though her thoughts stirred when she realized the voice was feminine and slightly childish.
Like a teenager...
“Winter,” it said again, the voice echoing across the room.
She looked around the room then, noticing that the walls were covered in silver mirrors... though not the ones in a dance room... almost the ones that you put in your bedroom...
Each mirror had a black wooden frame, chipped with swirls and crescent moons.
“Winter,” it said again.
She stood then, looking around to see herself reflected in no mirror... but one...
She glanced around curiously for a moment, noting that all the mirrors reflected the grey, marble floors and the other glass in the room, seeming like each one was an entry to an endless hallway...
“Winter,” the voice called again, echoing across the room of glass.
She looked to the mirror that reflected her, seeing herself...
But it wasn’t reflecting her movements, it had her same pose and her black hair falling down to her waist, though its mouth moved when her name echoed against the room again, “Winter.”
She stepped over to it carefully, questioning what the hell was going on... If this was a nightmare or just one of those funky dreams...
She couldn’t really tell...
She stood in front of the mirror, tilting her head to the side and watching her image do the same, though it still spoke, “Winter.”
She touched her cheek, the figure followed, she moved her hand to her chest, watching it do the same.
Even though she knew her brows were drawn together in confusion, the image of her had a neutral expression... Brows raised... eyes dull as if no light reflected off them... and she said her name again, “Winter.”
“What?” she whispered. “Why do you keep on saying my name?”
Her reflection’s eyes locked on hers then, making her insides flip.
“Winter, you’re in danger,” it said. “Winter, he’s coming. Winter, you need to be careful.”
“What?” she questioned, wondering if this was Cameron’s doing. “What are you talking about?”
Her image faded, making her breath catch... and all the sudden, the mirrors scattered across the room drowned in black...
Her heart pounded against her ribcage when she looked around the room, on the verge of panicking.
Was this a warning or was this just a nightmare?
She didn’t know...
But when she looked back to the mirror where her reflection rested, she almost jumped, seeing a large pair of red eyes glowing in the darkness around the glass...
It was like staring into death itself...
“Where are you?” she questioned, looking away from the eyes to hopefully calm her panic sweats. “What are you telling me?”
There was silence for a moment, and she stared back into the mirror with the red eyes, blood turning cold.
“Who are you?” she whispered to both the person who had these eyes, and to the reflection that seemed like her.
“People are not who they seem,” the voice said again... her voice, she knew now.
“What do you mean?” Winter questioned, heart thudding against her chest.
“Watch for the red eyes, Winter,” her voice said, bouncing off the walls and entering her ears over and over again. “The truth of your existence lies in your name.”
“What?” she whispered. “I’m an angel, right? I already knew that.”
All the mirrors faded back to their original image of the room, though the one she stared at, stood herself, and she wasn’t reflecting Winter’s image anymore...
She still had a neutral expression, staring into Winter’s grey eyes with her dark ones, absorbing light but reflecting none.
“The truth of your existence lies in your name,” it said again. “There are many angels out there, though you are special.”
“How?” she wondered, stepping closer to the mirror. “What are you trying to warn me of?”
“People are not who they seem,” it repeated. “The man who took your mother is someone you know.”
“Who?”
“Watch for the red eyes, Winter,” it echoed.
And it moved to reflect her... her confused expression, her glowing gaze... and how her eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall.
She stepped up to the mirror, staring at it while her reflection did the same...
She rose her hand, the girl in the glass following, and pressed her hand to hers...
But the world drained to black, and the floor collapsed under her, making her scream as she fell into a black void.
She thought for a moment that she was waking up... that Cameron was shaking her or something...
But her back cracked against the floor, knocking the breath out of her.
She just laid there, staring up into the black abyss while her eyes blurred with tears...
When she finally got the strength to sit up, she pushed her hands to the floor, holding herself up with her arms and looking all over the room to find nothing but darkness.
The walls were black... the floors, too, and she couldn’t see anything due to some kind of dark smoke covering the floors...
“Hello?” she said, voice echoing through the darkness like she were in a cavern. “Where am I?”
All that met her ears was eerie silence...
“Hello?”
But that’s when a sudden laugh ricochet through the black void she lay in, sending chills through her.
“Are you lost, my Princess?” a man wondered, making her blood freeze.
She stood then, forcing the shakiness out from her voice. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?”
It just chuckled, and she spun around to see any figures in the darkness... and listened to see which direction his voice was coming from... but it bounced off the walls, making it impossible...
But that’s when she turned, seeing a shadow of a man stepping toward her, though she couldn’t see his hair color, skin color, or the clothes he was wearing due to the black smoke...
“Who are you?” she demanded, gripping the skirt of her dress.
“I didn’t give you permission to speak, Princess,” he said, making her breathing become strained.
“I don’t need permission to speak,” she snapped. “I’m my own person, and you don’t own me. Now answer my question, who are you?”
She saw something glow in the darkness ahead... somewhere on the man, though she couldn’t tell where yet.
“Watch your tone with me, Winter,” he said, a controlled anger to his voice. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment, my Princess, and you’re kind of ruining it with your anger.”
“I have a right to be angry,” she stated, watching him come closer. “I don’t know who you are, and you’re really pissing me off.”
“Pissing you off?” he echoed, chuckling as he got closer. “No... you’re not angry. Everyone knows it’s a mask, Winter. Even Cameron.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who are—”
She broke off when he stopped just before the smoke ended, seeing the red glowing on his form... though that was the only color on him... everything else was darkness...
“You...” she said, “you’re the man with the red eyes....”
“Yes,” he said, the shadow nodding, “and sadly that warning from the angels came before I could. They’re trying to take you away from me... and I’m not fond of that.”
“Who are you?” she questioned, noticing something emanating from his tone. “And why do you sound so….”
“Familiar?” he finished, a touch of mock in his voice. “It’s because you know me.”
“How?”
He sighed, though clearly in amusement. “You’re all ‘questions,’” he said, annoyed. “When are you going to let me speak?”
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” she said. “Are you just a nightmare?”
He chuckled. “No, my Princess... I’m more terrifying than a nightmare... Normally they don’t come true, but if you come with me, it won’t.”
“I don’t even know who you are,” she stated. “And why you want me.”
“I know,” he said. “And that’s what made it so much easier to get into that pretty little head of yours. Because your mother never mentioned me.”
“Wait...” she said, voice shaking, “you’re the one... who took my mother?”
“Mm-hm.”
“You’re the one... who killed my step-father?”
“Yep, though you forgot one more thing, Winter.”
She was silent, breath shaking.
“I killed your sister, too.”
She went cold.
“She was beautiful...” he said almost thoughtfully, “just like your mother, though she was very bad at taking punishments... I had to get rid of her at some point.”
Winter clenched her fists, ice and fire running through her veins, making sweat stick her hair to her forehead.
“Your mother, though... she was also a problem... A bad one... She left me for that stupid business man that you claimed was your father, not me.”
She froze. “Hold on...” she whispered, lungs clamping, “you’re my father...? It’s you who’s been doing all of this...?”
“Yep,” he said.
“Why?” she questioned, voice shaking. “Out of anger? Out of jealousy? You’ve killed EVERYONE I LOVE! What more do you WANT?”
“You...” he responded, voice rough.
“Why?”
“You’re the powerful one, Winter,” he said. “I tried to train Amelia to be strong and to fight for our family because she was powerful, too.”
“You TORTURED her!” Winter screamed. “We’re TWINS! I could FEEL HER PAIN MORE THAN YOU COULD AS HER FATHER!”
He was silent for a moment, but she saw his red eyes narrow. “I was teaching her lessons, Winter. That’s what fathers do.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head as anger burned her inside. “No. You’re not my father. And I’ll never consider you being one. You don’t deserve a family... You deserve to suffer... Suffer like WE did. Like AMELIA did! Like my MOM did when you killed my FATHER!”
“Step-father,” he corrected, a little annoyance catching in his tone.
“No,” she said. “Father. After what happened to Amelia, after ALL the torture you put her through, I’d never love you. NEVER.”
He was silent for a moment. “Really?” he said. “Never?”
She remained quiet, finding something dark in his tone.
“I created you, Winter,” he said, rage burning his eyes. “I made you who you are.”
“No,” she said. “You ruined me. You tortured me. And I’ll never forgive you for as long as I live.”
“You have too many emotions, Winter,” he said. “You let them get into your head and make your decisions for you.”
“And you DON’T?” she questioned sharply. “You DON’T let your emotions in the way? I’ve heard mom talk about you. Even though she thinks I’m not listening. She confided in my father, and the things I’ve heard made me realize that you do this out of rage, jealousy, and you let your anger make your decisions. Now what’s better? Rotting in jail or caring about others? Experiencing love?”
“I don’t—”
“You don’t love,” she said. “I know. It’s pretty easy to tell you’re a psychopath. You only care about yourself and act like you care until the person confides in you, then you tear them apart inside-out. Like you did to my mom for ten years. Like you did to my sister. And I’ll never forgive you, Dante.”
“Father,” he said, eyes burning brighter. “I’m your father.”
“No, you’re nothing to me,” she growled. “Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed. “Watch your mouth, Missy. I’ve been very patient with these insults, but if you keep this up—”
“What?” she said. “What will you do? Torture me? Burn me? Go ahead.”
“I need you, Winter,” he said then, ignoring her. “Come on. Come with me.”
“NO.”
“You know how much I can hurt you?” he whispered, chuckling. “You don’t know how many methods I have, do you?”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“No?” he said. “Not even a little?”
“No.”
“This anger here is a mask, Winter,” he said, laughing softly. “You’re shielding your fear with anger. Your sister did, too, you know. I eventually broke her.”
Something erupted inside her at his words, making every cold part of her burn. “I’ll NEVER love you,” she growled. “AND I’LL NEVER COME WITH YOU. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO ME. I WILL FIND YOU BEFORE YOU FIND ME AND TEACH YOU A LESSON. HOW DOES THAT SOUND?”
He was silent for a moment. “It appears I was wrong,” he admitted. “You do have a bad side to you, don’t you, Winter?”
She only narrowed her eyes.
“Come with me,” he said, “or your mother dies.”
“Kill her,” she said, “and I’ll never think of agreeing.”
His eyes widened suddenly, and he was silent then, making her heart pound at the sudden look reflecting off him…
There was no laugh... there was no smile reflecting in his gaze now... Just genuine terror.
Why was he suddenly afraid...?
Did she get through to him?
That’s when she squinted her eyes, seeing that his eyes were aimed beside her.
“I know how to treat my girl,” a voice said from behind her, making her flip around to see Cameron stepping into the darkness next to her. “And I know what she thinks. She loathes you, Dante. Oh, she does. Every time she brings you up, I can hear the rage in her tone. Even if she hides it. You’ve hurt her deeply, Dante,” he said, mouth curving into a malicious smile, “and I know why you want her, and I don’t care how many assassins you send to kidnap her... They’re all just food anyway.”
“You’re Cameron...” Dante said, voice shaking slightly, but both of them still heard it. “You’re him.”
Cameron only chuckled, his eyes cold and smile lethal.
“Him”?
Dante knew him?
“You have a reputation...” Dante continued, stepping back slightly.
Was he... scared?
And what kind of reputation was he talking about? Why was everyone so scared of Cameron?
“I do,” Cameron responded, nodding. “And I’ll give her a reputation, as well.”
“You’ve...” he whispered, “already....”
“Taught her some moves?” he finished. “Yes, and she’s getting pretty good. She’s actually brought me down once or twice.”
Winter watched Dante’s eyes move to her.
She heard him silently exhale a curse, sounding a bit panicked.
“Scared?” Cam asked, sounding curious.
Dante never responded, and Winter looked up to Cameron, seeing his expression...
So dark... so lethal... so... terrifying...
His eyes were like looking into hell... though instead of the land burning with fire... it was covered in ice...
So cold...
And his smile was edged with anger... rage...
She had never seen this look on his face before... Let alone... talk like this to people...
“You’ve hurt her,” Cam said, giving Winter a generous glance but didn’t seem to acknowledge her confused expression, and looked back to Dante, who was still in the shadows. “And that makes me very angry... But she deserves this fight, Dante... And I know she’s almost ready.”
“You’re lying,” he said.
“Sadly, I’m not.”
“What’s going on?” Winter questioned, but nobody even spared her a glance.
“The anger,” Cameron said, “the grief, the rage is growing inside her, Dante. I can feel it, and I know how much it hurts her, but I also know she can channel the anger into fighting, she was made to. Just like her mother.”
“What?” Winter said.
“The sword chose her,” Cam continued, making Dante’s eyes widen.
“No...” he said, “it didn’t... She’s too young.”
“Well,” Cam said, “she is your... what did you say... ‘ultimate creation?’”
“What?” Winter said again, the curiosity burning through how the hell Cameron was suddenly in her dream now.
“It can’t be possible,” he said again. “She’s only sixteen.”
“Yes,” Cameron stated, “and we’re going to find you, and we’re going to murder you. And kill her mother? I’ll show you how much pain you’ve caused her over the years, and I’ll show no mercy.”
And he grabbed Winter’s wrist, making her gasp when the world fell out from under her, once more.
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*****
Winter woke at a start, eyes darting around the room that glowed with the morning sunlight.
A slight rinse of relief washed through her, knowing now that she was awake...
This wasn’t another nightmare...
Hopefully...
When she looked up, her insides flipped when she saw Cameron sitting on the bed next to her, studying her curiously.
Was he actually... in her dream?
“What are you doing?” she questioned.
“You were tossing and turning,” he stated. “Whimpering.”
Yeah... because she was having a nightmare.
How would you feel if you had to stare into your abusive—no, psychopathic—father’s eyes? Not only did her blood boil at the sight of him, but staring into those blood red eyes sent chills through her... Icy cold ones.
“That doesn’t give you the right to watch me sleep,” she said, sitting up.
“But it’s fascinating,” he argued. “I haven’t slept in years... I’ve forgotten what it’s like....”
“It’s creepy.”
He was silent, tilting his head to the side curiously when she stared off in front of her, eyes locked onto the wall.
Before he could ask if she was okay, she slid off the bed and made her way over to the desk in her room, Cameron watching her.
She pulled open a drawer and shuffled through the contents, pulling out a notebook and threw some graphite and colored pencils onto the desk.
He just stared as she scribbled something onto the paper, picking up specifically red, orange, and yellow colored ones and shading whatever she was drawing.
After blowing off the excess colored led, she brought it over to Cameron, showing him the drawing.
It was a large, realistic, detailed eye that could’ve been mistaken for an actual picture. Even this close.
Despite the lines from the notebook.
But Winter watched Cameron squint his eyes, clearly noticing the dark red iris.
“What’s this?” he said. “A demon?”
“Do you recognize it?” she questioned.
He shook his head, handing it to her seconds later, though she couldn’t tell from his dark eyes if he was lying or not. “You’re a good artist, though. I should probably get you a sketch book, huh? Maybe it’ll keep you from running.”
But she ignored him. “Are you sure you don’t recognize it?”
A nod.
Was he lying?
“Although,” he added before she could leave to put the notebook away, “this specific eye-color,” he tapped the paper, “is either a fallen or a werewolf.”
She looked at it again, chills running through her when the eye pierced through her soul. “How do you know?”
“Red isn’t a common color in vampires, angels, or witches. They’re common with werewolves and fallen, though if this person’s eyes were orange, then he’s definitely a werewolf.”
“No...” she said, “it’s red.”
“Why are you showing me this?” he wondered. “Are you creating a TV show and want it to be accurate?”
She shook her head, mouth pressed into a line despite his humor. “I had a dream last night...” she said softly, “a really weird one... At first, I was staring into a mirror, and my reflection was warning me of many things. She said, ‘People are not who they seem, Watch for the red eyes,’ and ‘The truth of your existence lies in your name.’”
“Hmm...” Cam said, brows raised. “That’s an odd dream.”
“Yeah... but then the guy with red eyes showed... and I found he’s the one who kidnapped my mother and killed my family... He’s actually... my father....”
“Odd,” Cameron said again.
“And then you stepped in, and he seemed terrified of you... He said something like, ‘You’re him. You have a reputation,’ or something... And you told him something about a sword picking me, and that you’ll let me kill him.”
“Weird.”
She looked to Cameron then, brows drawing together. “You don’t seem surprised by any of this.”
He shrugged. “It’s a dream, Winter.”
Why did it not seem like one...? And why did his voice sound so plain? Was he hiding emotion or was he bored?
“Cameron...” she said then, looking toward the wall while wrapping her arms around herself.
“Hmm?”
“I need to train again.”
“Why now?” he questioned suspiciously. “It’s like nine in the morning. Do you not feel safe?”
No, she didn’t.
Something was coming... or someone...
And she wasn’t sure if she was prepared for it.
“I just need to train,” she said. “Let me change, and we’ll leave ASAP.”
He watched her walk out of the room, though didn’t move to stop her.
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*****
“Ready?” Cameron questioned while they stood in the training room, clutching a wooden stick while sweat glistened on his bare chest.
Winter stood a couple yards in front of him, holding another wood pole while staring intently at him, clearly focusing on his next move. “Round one. Let’s go.”
He launched toward her, hurling the pole at her with enough force to break her skull, but she blocked it with hers, kneeling down at light speed when he attempted to kick her gut.
But she spun around on one leg, stretching and sliding her foot in a circular motion until she kicked his feet out from under him, making him lose balance.
She stood when he hit the floor, hurling the pole at him, but he blocked it with his, the force from the wood almost making the glass cabinets shatter in the room.
But she didn’t stop, she rose her pole and brought it down on him again, and again, and again, almost breaking his weapon.
She couldn’t control her moments anymore… she was lost with the rage boiling inside her…
He looked up at her while he dodged, watching her eyes harden and burn with anger as she kept on attacking, harder, and harder.
Something was wrong.
“Winter,” he tried to reason, but she didn’t stop, throwing her weapon down on his faster, and the crack from the impact—as well as her screams every time she hit him—echoed across the room, shattering his eardrums. “Winter.”
She only hit harder, screaming louder as the veins on her arms, neck, and temples swelled, almost looking like it would burst through her skin.
“Winter!” he shouted. “Stop!”
She didn’t... her eyes were a burning rage, and she kept going at him like her life depended on it.
He saw her gaze cloud with something dark…
She wasn’t looking at him... not in her eyes...
She was staring at the person who’s been causing all this...
Her father.
Cameron knew who was up to this... he knew that dream she had was real, and when he saw her whimpering, he entered her mind, finding Dante there, antagonizing her...
He just didn’t say anything earlier because he thought if Winter thought the dream wasn’t real, she wouldn’t worry.
But she knew it was real despite his lies.
Almost instinctively.
“Winter!” he half-shouted, half-grunted, feeling his weapon give to the impact.
But it cracked in half, scattering chips along the floor while Winter brought the weapon down onto him, but he rolled out from her aim last-minute, standing up in a millisecond while she drew back in shock.
He was behind her then, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from running, but also folding his fingers around a wrist while she took gasping breaths, clearly snapping out of her trance.
“Shhh...” Cameron soothed, breath heating her neck, “put it down... It’s okay....”
He felt her start trembling against him, dropping the pole and it clattered to the ground.
“There you go...” he whispered. “Step away.”
He still held her to him while he took steps back with her, keeping the slow pace until they met the stairs.
“You okay?” he said even though he knew the answer.
She nodded despite the lie. “I’m sorry....”
He shook his head. “No, don’t be sorry. You didn’t mean it.”
“I could’ve killed you,” she whispered, voice breaking.
“You wouldn’t. I know you.”
She was silent then, but it wasn’t hard to tell that she didn’t believe him.
“Let’s take a break from training,” he said. “For a while.”
A small nod.
“I’ll take you upstairs, alright? And then you can go wash up. You’ve got some dirt on your hands from the pole.”
She nodded again, staying silent.
“Alright,” he said, slowly releasing her until he caught her hand, “come on. Let’s go.”
He guided her up the stairs, tapped the wall again and checked to make sure the lounge was empty before stepping out of the room and to the bathrooms.
He didn’t really care if anyone saw them. If there were problems, mind erasing was always an option.
He stood outside the door, leaning against the brick while he nodded to the “Ladies” room. “Go on.”
She let go of his hand and stepped into the bathroom, letting out a shaky sigh before making her way to the sink and turning on the facet.
The water splashed along the sink, reminding her of the ocean’s waves crashing up the shore.
After scrubbing the dirt off her hands, she turned off the water, pulling out some paper towels and patting her hands dry.
After tossing them in the trash, she looked up to see two large-framed men standing in the room, blocking her exit.
Winter stared, heart pounding frost into her veins when someone stepped out from behind them, smile angling to the right.
“Hello, Winter,” Kit said.
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