The woes of this mortal coil had changed sharply and abruptly once I'd opened that grimoire with Kilian in it— this much was true. He'd thrown all of my worries of winning soccer games and graduating high school to something more intense and brutal. This wasn't grow and learn anymore, this was to fight and die— if worst came to worst. This was a war, and my family was openly involved in it.

"Echo, the law!" Kilian thunders as she charges. Echo? Great, she has a name to match her power— like a fucking supervillain from a kids cartoon. Except this wasn't a cartoon; this was an actual supernatural being charging at me, bloodthirsty and thrilled. My ice is starting to form inside of me, and I urge it to hurry— noting that it's usually immediate. I never stagger.

"The law doesn't protect her kind, my prince." She snarls right back at him. Kilian places himself in front of me as I roll my eyes, finally feeling the chill to enter my palms. Took long enough.

"Oh stop the dramatics." I say as I side step Kilian and slam a force of ice her way. A strong line of sharp ice slices through the air as her eyes temporarily widen; caught in abrupt surprise.

She quickly takes cover behind a large oak tree as I grin maliciously.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" I call out, the thrill of finally being able to use my powers against someone taking full effect. My icicles slam against the tree bark, cutting deep. Not my target, but whatever.

"Viola," Kilian hisses as he grabs onto my arm. "You have no idea who you're dealing with." He warns as his red eyes grow alight. My teeth clench as I snatch my arm from him; eyes sharp for whenever Echo decides to leave her safe place.

"I'm getting real tired of you underestimating me, prince." I say in a sharp tone, underneath a bit of hurt. Who did he think I was? Some weak eighteen year old who can't hold her own? I can defend my physical form— but I always end up getting some of my pride chopped away.

Before he can give me a response, I see a snippet of crow black hair and then a sound wave barreling towards us. Before it reaches us my ice acts instinctively and I send glass raising from the ground to act as a shield. It shatters before our very eyes.

"You heard her prince. Don't underestimate her." Echo taunts, a flirtatious smirk gracing her berry colored lips as her champagne colored eyes glitter with malice. I frown as this weird feeling churns in my gut— did Kilian know more of her than what he was letting on? Is that why he's trying to get me not to fight back? Don't be naive, he just wants to protect you. That nasty feeling doesn't go away.

I grind my teeth and shove Kilian to the side, he stumbles in surprise as I send a crystal spike her way. She runs sideways to dodge it, but I'm far more clever. My fingertips urge black ice to coat the ground her feet runs on, causing her to slip— body force slamming her head onto the ground. I hear a sick crunch as she groans, pain coating her facial features.

"What is it you want? Is it Kilian? Or is it me? Cause I can tell you which one will kill you before you can utter another ignorant sentence." I say, my voice deathly cold and face expressionless. What was I saying? Why was I threatening her like this? This treacherous anger that was enveloping me, it was like a frost coating my veins and bones.

"Vi..." I hear Kilian warn, voice on edge.

"What?" I say calmly, not removing my eyes from her body. I feel something cold touch my nose and I immediately scrunch it up. Next— something touches my forehead, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"What—" I try to say, but Kilian is faster than me.

"Snow." His voice has a sharp edge to it, almost as if he's angry at me for losing control.

"You're making it snow again Viola."

Immediately, I'm turning to look up and see what I'm doing.

The sky is a light grey color, and frosted snowflakes are falling onto us. Each snowflake has intricate details, showing me an even more versatile part to my powers. Had I truly done this on my own? Temporarily I am soothed, peacefully looking at what I'd done and forgetting all about the situation at hand. It's beautiful.

Before I can realize what's happening, Kilian grabs me from behind and throws me onto the ground as a sound wave hits his side. I let out a faint gasp in shock and horror as blood splatters from his face. He falls onto his knees from the impact, raising his fingers to the gash that's now leaking blood from his cheek. It'll scar. His lips flicker up in anger, fangs growing into what I know as his vampiric side. His eyes go black as he faces Echo; no sense of mercy showing on his features at all.

Just a murderous look.

My palms clench the snow as I realize what he's about to do— what he's been able to do this entire time. What he's been stopping himself from doing in front of me— to try to showcase his more playful side. He's been hiding his vicious and malignant abilities; and now he's tempted.

"One can only dip their feet into the water so many times until the shark takes a bite..." I let my sentence run off as Kilian stands, broad shouldered and thunderous. He is the darkness that can cover any light— the evil that can beat any good. He is terrifying.

Stop him. I bite my lip as Echo stumbles back in terror, mouth opening and closing in shock.

"Sire—" she tries to bargain, but Kilian is already stalking towards her. A promising gleam in his eye, one I knew almost too well.

"Kilian." I whisper.

He stops in his tracks, as if trapped behind an invisible wall. He slowly turns his head to me as I take a moment to look over his features. Cauldron black eyes, sharp cheekbones and jawline, and his lips turned downward. The gash on his cheek is leading blood down to his neck, but he hasn't noticed. He seems too far in his state of fury to even have any sense— much less listen to my whispers; but yet, he's there. Waiting for my words to come out.

I let a shiver pass throughout my body as his unrelenting eyes scan me, trapping me in their gaze. Echo seems to have moved a reasonable distance from him, scared to even breathe. Why must she test him like that?

"Let's go." I say lightly. "It seems we have both lost ourselves today— and I would hate for it to happen again." I say, licking my lips and holding up my hand. A gesture showing that I needed help off of the ground.

For a moment it seems as if he won't listen to me— and he'll just turn to continue what he started. But instead, I see his eyes start to flicker; fighting between his normal red hue, to the lifeless black color I hate seeing.

I watch Echo make a run for it, but Kilian doesn't notice.

His eyes are on me. Only on me.

Black. Red. Black.

Red.

"Vi." He rasps out slowly.

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