Tatijana and Branislava had turned ten. Xavier had let them out of their dragon forms as an unexpected birthday present. Xaviero and Xayvion had arrived with packages wrapped in brown paper and twine.

We both were so happy to be in our natural forms that we ran around, holding hands, just grateful for the opportunity.

They wanted their father to see them as something other than objects to feed on. He understood how they must have latched on to any kindness from him, needing to hope.

Every time he seemed to make an effort, we put blinders on and fell for it. There was a birthday cake. And presents. Xavier had us sit in the center of the room on the floor. He said he wanted to watch us open our presents.

He felt her give a mental shudder. Her body was tense, the memories affecting her physically. She was nauseated and fighting it. Still, she had the control to remain still.

First, he had a special surprise. He brought in our only friend. He was thirteen, a mage and apprentice. He was always kind to us. He sneaked food to us and would talk about the world outside.

Zev’s stomach lurched. He feared what would come next. Branislava was pale. She looked lost. Look at me, Branka. Only at me. No one is moving. That thing has no target. Just keep looking into my eyes.

Her gaze jumped to his. He felt the impact of her green eyes. Two jewels pressed into a stark white face. Her red-gold lashes stood out against her pale skin.

His name was Jules and he sat between us, right where Xavier told him to. He brought us a present as well.

There was a hitch in her voice and tears burned in her eyes. He surrounded her with warmth and love, the only thing he could do when he couldn’t physically hold her.

We opened his gift first. He gave us bracelets he’d made himself.

Don’t! He said it sharply, knowing she was about to rub her wrist where she’d first put the bracelet. He felt her involuntary movement start in her mind.

Branislava drew herself up sharply mentally. She had to keep it together. If Zev hadn’t stopped her she would have drawn the attention of the blood worm and it would have attacked. Already it had grown more, feasting on the blood of the dead man.

Tell me, Branka, but you don’t have to remember anything but the way to kill this thing.

She wanted that to be the truth. She stayed drowning in his eyes. He had beautiful eyes. Calm. Steady. There was never panic in him. She wondered how such a man had come to be. Still, she had no choice but to remember the sequence of events, because she had to see Xaviero in the background as he cast the spell upon the twine and then later, destroyed his blood worm.

Xavier gave us both a conjuring ball made of fine crystal. We tore through the other wrappings, scattering them on the floor. I remember we were laughing. We’d never had presents or cake. Xavier gave us the cake as we opened Xaviero’s present. It was a very ornate dagger. The hilt was covered in jewels and the blade actually had three diamonds going down the center of it. I thought it was fake, just because it was so beautiful.

The tension in her was explosive. Zev tried to hold her to him, using steady calm in his eyes. This memory is from long ago, Branka. You were a child then. He cannot touch you now. I’m standing between you.

His voice would always steady her. And those eyes. She took a breath and let herself fall deeper into his eyes. She could be safe there.

Tatijana lifted the dagger from the wrapping. Xaviero told her to cut her palm and to let the blood drip over the wrapping and twine. I heard the laughter in his voice—that cruel laughter that I’ll never forget—and I knew something bad would happen. Tatijana refused. She tried to drop the weapon, but Xayvion was behind her and he forced her to carve an X into her palm. She still has the scar.

Zev didn’t glance over toward Tatijana as she assumed he would. He didn’t so much as blink. He kept his gaze squarely on hers, holding her to this time and place when she could so easily have slipped back.

Branislava swallowed. They made her drip her blood all over the wrapper. Xaviero took the knife and handed it to me. I didn’t want Xayvion to touch me, so I did it myself. I didn’t cut nearly as deep as Tatijana because I did it myself. I didn’t wait for them to tell me what to do. I just allowed my blood to mingle with Tatijana’s on the wrapping paper.

You both must have been so frightened.

We knew something horrible was going to happen. The birthday, presents and cake were long forgotten at that point. At first we stared at the wrapping paper, expecting something there, but then the twine began to absorb the blood and we knew it was alive. The three of them, Xavier, Xaviero and Xayvion, were so gleeful. They rubbed their hands together in anticipation. I remember thinking they did it exactly at the same moment and that their expressions were the same.

Zev sent her another wave of reassurance and she realized deep inside panic was beginning to set in. She didn’t want to remember what happened next. She took another calming breath and tried to distance herself.

Tatijana moved when she saw the body doubling in size and the thing swung its head toward her. We could see the teeth, serrated and sharp. Xavier hissed at her to be still or it would eat her alive, starting with her feet. We froze. So did Jules. For a few minutes everyone just sat there on the floor, afraid to breathe, with that horrible creature growing in size. It consumed the blood fast.

Zev frowned at her, but he didn’t move a muscle. Could the three mages talk without drawing its attention?

And move. Somehow it seemed the creature was a part of them and wouldn’t attack them. They each moved behind one of us. Xaviero chose me. I could feel him there and knew something terrible was about to happen. He whispered to me that we were playing a game, that games were always played at birthday parties. I couldn’t move or speak. The one who did lost the game and was eaten by the blood worm.

She knew what it cost Zev not to close his eyes or look away from her. He was a man who always protected those he loved. He’d lost two, one lay on the floor in front of him. Now, he couldn’t stop this memory from consuming her once again. But he stayed with her, lived it with her. That moment she felt pain slicing through her.

“Don’t you move, Tatijana. If you do, I’ll start jumping around. I mean it. Don’t you move.” I kept calling to her, over and over while they tortured us. All three of us. She knew I would, too. I tried to keep them from ever focusing on her. I didn’t think about trying to help Jules.

Branka. Zev’s voice held pure love. You were a child fighting to survive. Trying to keep your sister alive. You did nothing wrong and your friend Jules would have been the first to say so.