Ashley’s POV
The night outside was still, that kind of stillness that felt unnatural, almost as if the universe itself was holding its breath. Inside the cottage, however, a storm raged-a storm of truth, of revelations that shattered everything I thought I knew.
Mabel sat opposite me, her face barely illuminated by the flickering light of the lantern on the table. There was a sadness in her eyes, a weight in her voice that twisted my stomach.
“There are many supernatural beings in this world,” she started off with measured tones, but with quiet intensity, as if to drive home its point. “But among them, werewolves were the first true predators to come out into the spotlight. They were unbeatable in strength, strangely frightening with their speed, and almost invincible due to a potent natural healing factor. When they came upon humans, it wouldn’t take long before they saw us as prey, something weaker, and therefore something to dominate. And that is exactly what they did. For decades, humans lived under their rule, powerlessness in fighting back, inability to escape the tyranny of those beasts.”
I shuddered to think of what that must have been like, being little more than cattle for creatures that thought themselves above you.
“But then,” Mabel resumed, “the balance shifted. A new force was introduced into the world: The Skin and Blister.”
I frowned, the name foreign yet so peculiarly familiar. “The Skin and Blister?”
Mabel nodded. “Yes. They were just like you and me, really, but of course, nothing like the others. They’d been chosen-blessed with that gift of sorcery and such. Their goal was to serve our kind in protecting it, to ensure that humanity did not fade into an extinction under a werewolf-run world. By time, however, they remained the hidden custodians for mankind, secretly working to preserve the supernatural community. I’m one of those, and by extension, you are too-in a certain sense.”
The words slapped me like a gust of wind, leaving me breathless.
Me? A part of them?
Mabel watched my reaction closely before continuing, her voice taking on a serious edge. “The Skin and Blister had always followed a holy tradition-each generation continuing the bloodline by marrying human men and giving birth to daughters. That was the natural order of things, a rule established by the very forces that granted us our power. The magic was never meant to be passed to a son. It simply wasn’t allowed. But one day… something happened that changed everything.”
She hesitated, as if the next words were too heavy to speak.
“One of us,” she finally said, “gave birth to a son.”
A strange chill ran through me, my fingers curling into fists on my lap.
“The elders knew the dangers immediately,” Mabel continued. “A boy child born to the power of a Sibling-a creature not human, a thing too strong for any one to control, too reckless to be alive. His will would be the untamed element, capable of growth beyond that which we might ever see and, in its own time, that power consumed him, distorted him into darkness, into some sort of horror. The resolution was swift -the child would have to die before it’s too late to kill him”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.
“But his mother refused,” Mabel said, her eyes dark with the weight of the past. “She couldn’t bear it. He was a baby to her, innocent, and he didn’t deserve to die. So, the only thing that she could have done was that she ran with her son one night and became lost, so to say from everything she has ever known, and Skin and Blister looked for her even to this very day, always looking to track down the baby before the bad times come. But she is smart. Growing up in concealment, a hidden child until at last-when he did grow. He became just about what they’d feared.
I held my breath, afraid of what was to follow.
“He was powerful, much more powerful than anyone had ever imagined,” Mabel whispered. “And with that power came something else in its turndarkness. He hid who he was, waited, and then, always lurking in the shadows, until that day… found a way to slip into our world. He was able to seduce one of the most powerful Siblings in that time, charming her, lying to her until she fell into his trap.”
Mabel exhaled hard, her eyes meeting mine with something almost like pity.
“That woman was your mother, Ashley. And the child who was never meant to exist… the boy who should have been erased before he could become a threat… was your father, Ivan.”
A sharp gasp escaped me before I could catch it.
No. That couldn’t be right.
I shook my head, refusing the words, willing them to be another thing. But Mabel wasn’t through.
“When finally your mother learned who he was, she was devastated. The Skin and Blister, too, didn’t leave a stone unturned when they heard what happened. But your mother wasn’t one of them-she was one of the strongest of that time. They couldn’t punish her. So they waited. The moment she gave birth, they would kill the child-be it a boy or girl. And the child born from Ivan was something vulgar in their eyes. Something unnatural. Something which shouldn’t be allowed to exist.”
The blood drained from my face.
“But your mother refused to accept that fate,” Mabel said. “She fled before they could get to her, disappearing into the night just as Ivan’s mother had once done. And when the time came… she gave birth to you.”
I felt like my chest was caving in.
“When Ivan returned and learned what transpired, his rage was incomprehensible. In his anger, he declared war against The Skin and Blister, leaving nothing but ruin in his wake. Some were able to flee, but those that didn’t were given options-stand with him and accept his dark blessing or die. Many chose death. But some… some surrendered. And when they did, they let his magic corrupt them, twisting them into something grotesque. Those who stood with him became known as the Dark Skin and Blister, a faction forever tainted by his influence.”
It all weighed upon my shoulders, crushing the life from me, suffocating.
A horrifying realization set in.
That’s why my mother always made us move. That’s why we never stayed in one place.
Because they were hunting me.
I turned to Mabel, my voice shaking. “You’re one of them-a part of The Skin and Blister. Did they send you to find me? Were you meant to kill me?”
Mabel’s eyes softened. “Ashley, if I wanted you dead, you would have been long gone.”
Her words brought no comfort to me.
“When I first met you, I had no idea who you were,” she admitted. “Not until I saw your mother. Then, everything clicked. I should have reported you. I wanted to. But by then I already knew you. And what I saw… was an innocent girl. Not the monster my people feared. So I made a choice-I would stay by your side and watch. If you ever showed signs of becoming like your father, I would end you myself. But if you remained pure… then it meant my people were wrong.”
Tears burned in my eyes.
“So my father’s darkness is inside me,” I whispered, “does it mean I’m doomed? Shall I become exactly like him?”
Mabel shook her head. “Nay, Ashley. For alongside his darkness, you also bear something else within you.”
I looked into her, heartbeat racing. “What?”
“Light,” she whispered. “Your mother’s magic lives inside you, just as his darkness does. She is your anchor. As long as you hold on to that, you will never become him.”
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply.
Outside, the lake was still, but inside me, a storm raged.
I had finally discovered the truth about who I was.
But at what cost?