I have no idea how long I lay on that floor, the coppery scent of my own blood filling my nose. The world was a spinning, agonizing blur. The woman I used to be—the cultivator who could level mountains—was gone, ripped apart by a celestial storm and a betrayal just as deep as this one.

I was now Lyssandra. A broken, battered wife in a world of blinding lights and strange metal carriages.

My spiritual energy was sealed, the backlash from my failed tribulation leaving me as weak as a newborn. But my mind was intact. And it was screaming.

The original Lyssandra’s memories were a poisoned well. Ten years of blind devotion to Ezekiel. Giving him her entire inheritance—her mother’s inheritance—to save his failing company. A lifetime of being gaslit and bullied by her venomous snake of a sister, Callista.

They thought they had broken her. They had. They killed her.

But they woke me up.

I hauled this new, aching body to its feet. The guards were gone. Ezekiel and Callista were likely celebrating their victory. I stumbled out of that opulent prison, each step a fresh wave of agony. I had to get out. I had to heal.

I wandered the strange, bright streets, a ghost in a bloody dress, until the world finally went black.

I woke up to a steady beeping and the smell of antiseptic. A young man was sitting by the bed, his face pale with worry.

“Are you okay, Luke? Are you hurt?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

The memory, not mine, flashed: a boy falling, a desperate lunge to catch him. Wait. I did that?

“I’m fine,” the boy whispered.

“You… you saved me. You fell, too.”

A man stepped into the doorway, his presence filling the room. He was tall, with eyes that saw far too much.

“Mr. Nicholas,” the boy said, relief flooding his face.

“I’m Nicholas,” the man said, his voice a low rumble.

“Thank you for saving Luke.” He looked at the bruises coloring my face, the split lip, the exhaustion.

“We’ve… been informed about your situation. This woman, Lyssandra. She’s the He family’s unfavored eldest daughter. And Ezekiel’s wife. The injuries… our sources say Ezekiel gave her a family beating.”

He looked at me, not with pity, but with a cold anger.

“Miss Lyssandra, how are you feeling?”

“Who are you?” I rasped.

“Nicholas. You saved my nephew last night.”

Ah. Right. The kid.

“You’re welcome. It was nothing.” I tried to sit up, my hand instinctively gripping the bedrail. The metal groaned under my grip.

Nicholas’s eyes widened, just for a second. He’d seen it. This frail woman’s body shouldn’t have that power. Even weakened, I was not normal.

“You’re injured,” he said, composing himself.

“Where are you going?”

“Home,” I said. It tasted like ash.

“This is your family matter,” he said slowly, “but… he hurt you this badly. Are you sure you want to go back? Are you really not considering divorce?”

Divorce. Annulment. The original Lyssandra’s memories recoiled in horror. She’d thrown away all her dignity just to marry Ezekiel.

But I wasn’t her.

“Divorce?” I said, testing the word. “No.”

Nicholas looked disappointed, but I wasn’t finished.

“That jerk treated Lyssandra so badly. It would be too easy on him if I just… divorced him. Not without making his life a living hell first.”

I owed her that much. Killing him was as easy as squashing an ant… but this world had rules. “Jail,” they called it. Fine. I would play by their rules. I would strip him of everything he valued: his money, his pride, his precious company built on her bones.

“I owe you one,” I told Nicholas.

“If you need anything, just ask.”

I walked out of that hospital and back to the house. The locks were unchanged. They were that arrogant.

I found them in the living room. Ezekiel. Callista. And the woman who played the role of “wicked mother-in-law.”

“Lyssandra! You little bitch, you dare come back?” the old woman shrieked.

“This is my house,” I said. My voice didn’t shake.

“I don’t need to report to you.”

“You… you hit my son last night! I’ll kill you!” She lunged at me, claws out.

I didn’t flinch. I slapped her. Hard. The sound echoed in the sudden, shocked silence.

“Mom! Are you okay?” Ezekiel rushed to her side.

“Lyssandra, are you crazy? You even dare hit my mom!”

“Sister!” Callista chimed in, the picture of innocence.

“Auntie is our elder! How could you?”

“I can’t live like this!” the old woman wailed.

“Ezekiel, divorce her now!”

Ezekiel hesitated. His face was a mask of rage, but behind it, I saw the calculation.

“Mom, she’s… emotionally unstable. Don’t provoke her.” He turned to me, his voice low and threatening.

“If you make mistakes, I’ll teach you. If you don’t change, I’ll beat you until you do. As for divorce? Don’t mention it again.”

He grabbed my arm. “After all,” he whispered, so only I could hear, “our family almost went bankrupt. Lyssandra used all her assets to save the company. We can’t let others think we’re ungrateful.”

I laughed in his face. It was all about the money.

“You’re as annoying as your dead mother,” the old woman spat.

The plan was set in motion that night. I heard them whispering. Callista and her mother-in-law. Tomorrow was the Fu Group’s anniversary celebration. All the VIPs would be there. They were planning a public disgrace.

Bring it on.

The next night, I walked into the ballroom wearing Lyssandra’s best dress. It felt like armor.

“Lyssandra,” Ezekiel hissed, grabbing my arm.

“As my wife, you should watch your behavior. Look at Callista. She always knows how to act.”

“Like that one?” I nodded to where Callista was simpering at a group of old men.

“You still like her. Why are you being so unreasonable?”

“Whatever,” he snapped.

“I’ve always been this wild.”

I saw Nicholas across the room. He was a shark among minnows, the head of YS Group, Fu Group’s biggest rival. He was here. For me.

“Mr. Nicholas, what brings you here?” I heard someone whisper.

“I came to check on Miss Lyssandra’s injuries,” he said, loud enough for Ezekiel to hear. His nephew, Luke, was at his side.

“Fairy sister!” Luke beamed.

“You’re okay!”

“I’m fine, little boy.”

Ezekiel’s face turned purple.

“Lyssandra is my wife. She’s none of your business.”

“If Mr. Ezekiel could treat her well,” Nicholas replied, his voice dangerously smooth, “I wouldn’t have to worry.”

This was the moment. A waiter, hired by the old woman, stumbled and “accidentally” spilled a full tray of red wine down the front of my dress.

“Oh dear! So sorry!” The old woman, Mrs. Howard, rushed over, all fake concern.

“Let me take you to clean up.”

“Alright,” I said, playing along.

She led me to a private lounge, her eyes glittering with malice.

“Wait here a second, I’ll get you a clean dress.”

I knew she wasn’t coming back. The air in the room already felt thick, heavy. I picked up the glass of water left on the table. One sniff. A familiar, pathetic mortal aphrodisiac. They hadn’t even bothered to be creative.

It was so hot. The drug was potent, designed to make a victim “ecstatic and delirious.”

I heard them outside the door.

“The girl in the bathroom. Remember, the louder the better.”

Two burly men, reeking of cheap alcohol, opened the door. “Beauty, we’re here for you now.”

They thought I was trapped. They didn’t know they were.

I let them get close. Then I moved. It was almost too easy. A strike to the throat of the first, a precise kick to the knee of the second. They went down like sacks of grain.

I heard footsteps. Mrs. Howard, returning with a new dress, just as planned.

“It’s you, you little bitch!” she snarled, seeing me standing.

“You set me up!”

“Auntie,” I said, my voice sweet.

“You can’t just accuse me. How could I… set you up… with two men at once?”

“What?” Her eyes widened as she saw the two groaning men on the floor.

“After all that fuss,” I said, leaning in, “it turns out to be Mrs. Howard. How… horny… are you? Messing around behind Mr. Howard’s back at your own party.”

“Shut up! It’s not what it looks like! It’s this bitch, she set me up!”

Right on cue, the door burst open. Ezekiel. Callista. A crowd of reporters they’d “alerted.”

They froze.

On the floor were two half-dressed men. And standing over them, her dress torn, was not Lyssandra.

It was Ezekiel’s mother.

“Mom? What… what are you doing here?” Ezekiel stammered.

“Ezekiel! She set me up! That bitch Lyssa—”

I stepped out from behind the door, holding the drugged water glass. “Oh my. Auntie, how could you do such a thing in broad daylight? How embarrassing.”

The camera flashes were blinding.

Ezekiel’s world was collapsing. “Dad,” he pleaded with his father. “There must be some misunderstanding. My mom isn’t that kind of person!”

I slipped out in the chaos. But the drug was still burning in my veins. This mortal body was too weak. I needed… damn it. I needed to cultivate. I needed a partner, someone with strong energy to neutralize this poison.

I stumbled into the hallway, right into a solid chest.

Nicholas.

“Miss Lyssandra? Are you all right?”

I looked up at him. He was handsome. Strong. His energy, even as a mortal, was clean and powerful. It would do.

“What a handsome young man,” I slurred, the drug making me bold. “Are you going to cultivate with me?”

He blinked. “What?”

“I’m feeling so bad. Are you sure you don’t want to cultivate? I’ve been cultivating for so many years. It’s an honor others can only dream of.”

“You’re… drugged.” He scooped me up. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“Boring,” I muttered, my head spinning. But as he carried me, I saw Luke, his nephew.

“Uncle, sit in the front!” Luke insisted, climbing into the back with me. “I also want to sit with the fairy sister.”

“Mean uncle,” I mumbled, leaning against the small boy. “Your face is so beautiful… even more beautiful than my disciple.”

Nicholas’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “Please bear with it. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”

We arrived at the same hospital. And of course, just as we did, Ezekiel was there, pacing frantically.

“Lyssandra!” he yelled when he saw me, supported by Nicholas. “There you are! I called you, why didn’t you answer? Do you know Callista needs a blood transfusion? She’s dying!”

I looked at him, my head clearing slightly. “Let her die. I’ll plan her funeral.”

“Lyssandra! She’s your sister! How can you say that? Redeem yourself. Give Callista blood. I won’t hold it against you for trying to hurt her before.”

He still thought I was the one who’d set up his mother. The arrogance was suffocating.

“Mr. Ezekiel,” Nicholas cut in, his voice dangerously cold. “Miss Lyssandra is your wife. You didn’t even ask her why she’s at the hospital. You just demand she donate blood. It seems… inappropriate.”

“A life is at stake! Come with me!”

“Why not?” I shrugged, pushing away from Nicholas. “Of course I’ll go.”

Ezekiel smirked at Nicholas. “See? She loves me. Don’t think your little tricks can make her leave me.”

“Then you better watch out,” Nicholas retorted. “If you keep treating her like this, Miss Lyssandra won’t be Mrs. Ezekiel for long.”

I was led to Callista’s room. She looked pale and weak, a perfect, dying lotus.

“Oh, you finally came,” the mother-in-law, Ophelia, snapped. She’d somehow escaped the party scandal. “Hurry up and give Callista a blood transfusion.”

“In your dreams,” I said, pulling up a chair. “I’m just here to see when she’ll kick the bucket.”

“Lyssandra!” Ezekiel grabbed my arm. “My patience is wearing thin. Be a good girl. Give Callista your blood.”

“How generous of you. With someone else’s blood.” I looked at Callista’s IV. “Look at them. So used to this. Lyssandra… how many times have they taken your blood?”

The original Lyssandra’s memories supplied the answer: dozens. Her rare blood type had been Callista’s lifeline, a tool of manipulation and control, for years.

“Today,” I whispered, “I’ll help you get even.”

I stood up. “Want my blood? Fine.”

Ezekiel smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t disobey me. Go on.”

I picked up the needle. “Let me see… how much blood do I need to give to save her life?” I walked over to Callista, who was watching with wide, terrified eyes.

“Lyssandra… are you trying to kill Callista?” Ezekiel asked, his confidence wavering.

“What’s going on?” a nurse asked, entering the room.

“Let go of me!”

I ignored them all, holding the needle over Callista’s arm.

“Still not awake? Guess I’ll just have to be merciful and drain all your blood. Give you some new blood.”

“Sister!” Callista shrieked, suddenly full of life.

“What have I done to you? Why do you hate me so much?”

“Lyssaaaaaandra!” Ophelia screamed.

“You’ve gone too far!”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“She asked me to draw blood. If I hadn’t helped her and drained it all, it would only be a temporary fix. I’m doing this for you.”

I made a move toward her.

“No! No, I don’t want it!” Callista scrambled to the other side of the bed.

“I don’t want your blood! Never again!”

“You said it.” I tossed the needle onto the tray.

“If you ask me again, I might just drain every drop. Since you don’t need me, I’ll be going.”

I walked out, leaving them in stunned silence.

Nicholas and Luke were waiting. “So,” Nicholas said, a small smile playing on his lips, “this is why you’re not getting divorced?”

“Of course I’m getting divorced,” I said.

“But I’m going to make them pay for everything they did to me. Otherwise, this divorce would be a total loss.”

Luke, sensing the mood, brightened. “Fairy sister! Come to my house tonight for dinner! Please! My kitten can do backflips!”

“He rarely likes someone this much,” Nicholas added, his voice soft.

“Please.”

I found myself agreeing.

His home wasn’t a house; it was a fortress. And the president of YS Group could apparently cook.

“Fairy sister,” Luke whispered to me while Nicholas was busy, “why don’t you marry my uncle?”

“What? You little rascal. That’s a whole generation apart.”

“Why not? Do you still like that jerk?”

“I don’t like jerks,” I said firmly.

“But your uncle isn’t an option.”

After dinner, Nicholas drove me home. He handed me a small USB drive.

“I saw this by chance. Hope it helps. There’s also a video I sent to your phone.”

I went inside. Ezekiel was waiting, his arms crossed.

“You’re back. I called you. Why were you with him again? Are you using him to piss me off?”

“Piss you off?” I laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that important.”

“Lyssandra,” he said, his voice dropping to that familiar, arrogant tone.

“Stop throwing a tantrum. You’re with him to get my attention. You won’t divorce me.”

“We’ll see.”

I went to my room and plugged in the USB. It was security footage. From the night Callista claimed I’d hired men to defile her.

I watched. And I smiled.

The next day, I went to my mother’s house. The one my father, Howard, had stolen, moving in with his mistress and their daughter, Callista, after my mother died.

They were all there.

“Three days,” I announced, throwing my bag on the table.

“Pack your stuff and get lost.”

“Lyssandra!” my father roared.

“This is my house! I raised you, and now you—”

“My house,” I corrected him.

“You are nothing more than a son-in-law by marriage. You colluded with your mistress to kill my mother and steal her assets. How dare you claim this is yours?”

“You… I’m your father!”

“From the moment you brought them home, you were no longer fit to be my father.”

“Sister! How could you hit Dad?” Callista cried, rushing to his side.

“You’re out of control!” Ophelia, Ezekiel’s mother, shrieked. She was there too. A regular family meeting.

“Daring to hit us! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your mother! Hit her hard!”

The old woman grabbed a decorative whip from the wall. Lyssandra’s memories told me this wasn’t the first time.

“I’m going to beat you to death today!” she screamed, raising the whip.

I caught it mid-air.

“You usually use this to bully Lyssandra, right?” I yanked it from her grasp.

“What are you doing?”

I turned to Ezekiel, who had just walked in. “This slap,” I said, cracking the whip, though I didn’t hit him, “is for your betrayal. Lyssandra used her mother’s inheritance to save you, and you abandoned her.”

I turned to Ophelia.

“This slap is for you, being so blind to the truth.”

I turned back to Ezekiel.

“And this slap is for being blind for a scheming woman.”

“Lyssandra! You’re completely insane!” he yelled.

“Sister, I’m sorry!” Callista sobbed.

“It’s all my fault! Hit me if you want!” She paused, her eyes glittering.

“I almost forgot. You said I hired someone to molest you… yes, sister, I know you hate me, but you can’t still not admit it.”

She was bringing that up? Here?

“Good,” I said.

“I have something to show you.”

I took the video Nicholas sent me and air-played it to the large smart TV on the wall.

It was Callista. Clear as day, on a recording from her own phone she’d accidentally backed up. She was handing money to the same two men from the party.

“Wait until Ezekiel gets here,” her voice on the video said.

“Then you attack me. And just say Lyssandra hired you.”

The room went dead silent.

“No…” Callista whispered, her face draining of all color.

“This isn’t real! It’s fake! Ezekiel, you have to believe me!”

“You little bitch,” Ophelia hissed.

“Don’t think some fake video will—”

“Kneel,” I commanded. “And apologize.”

“Lyssandra,” Ezekiel started, his voice shaking.

“What… what nonsense are you talking about?”

“Let’s divorce.”

The word hit him like a physical blow.

“What? You… you want a divorce?”

“Not only a divorce,” I said, my voice dropping.

“I want you to go bankrupt. Return everything Lyssandra gave you.”

“Divorce, fine!” Ophelia shrieked.

“But you won’t get a penny! You’ll leave with nothing!”

“Leave with nothing?” I smiled.

“How about… this slap?”

I finally used the whip. Not on them. On the priceless vase next to Ophelia’s head. It exploded.

She screamed.

“I’m tired,” I said, dropping the whip. “I’ll be back in three days. If you’re still here, I’ll tear the house down with you in it.”

Nicholas had a lawyer for me by morning. Mr. Ryan.

“Miss Lyssandra,” the lawyer said grimly, “getting everything back will be difficult.

The property Lyssandra brought in will likely be classified as joint property. And without more evidence…”

“Then bankrupt the Fu Group,” Nicholas said from beside me.

“Will bankruptcy make him beg on the streets?”

“If that’s what you want,” I said, “I’m happy to help.”

We set the plan in motion. But Callista wasn’t done.

A few days later was Luke’s birthday. He insisted on a party at a hotel.

“Surprise, Fairy Sister!” he yelled, opening the door to a suite filled with balloons.

“You little rascal,” I laughed.

“Is this a birthday party or a date?”

“Uncle Nicholas! Fairy Sister! Can you two give me a little sister?”

“What nonsense!”

A knock came at the door. A waiter.

“Room service. A complimentary bottle of wine.”

Nicholas took the bottle, his eyes narrowing. He sniffed the cork.

“This is strong stuff.”

He was right. It was the same drug from the party.

The door burst open again. This time, it was Ezekiel, his mother, and Callista. Callista was pointing her phone, recording.

“Aha! Lyssandra! Sneaking around behind Ezekiel’s back again! And you even booked a couple’s suite! Let’s see how you explain this!”

Ezekiel looked shattered.

“Lyssa… how could you? I told you she wouldn’t betray me…”

“You’re here so fast,” I said, taking the wine bottle from Nicholas.

“Pity you didn’t catch us in bed.”

“Ezekiel, look at her!” Callista cried.

“Miss Lyssandra,” the waiter from before said, stepping out from behind Callista. Wait… she wasn’t a waiter.

It was Callista. She’d worn a disguise.

I looked at the wine. I looked at her.

“Lyssandra,” Callista snarled, dropping the act, “you were the one who sent up that bottle of wine, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“It’s okay,” I smiled, walking toward her.

“You’ll understand once you drink all the wine.”

“Don’t… Don’t!”

“Enough!” Ezekiel roared. “Lyssandra, you cheated on me, and now you’re blaming Callista!”

“You can’t take it already, huh?” I said, forcing the bottle to Callista’s lips.

“I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine.”

“Ezekiel! Help me!” she gurgled, the drug spilling down her chin.

“I feel terrible!”

He rushed to her, grabbing her as she collapsed, her body already flushing with fever.

“I’ll take you to the hospital! Lyssandra, I’ll settle the score with you later!”

He carried her out, his mother glaring daggers at me.

“Fairy sister,” Luke whispered.

“Did I mess up again?”

“No,” I said, patting his head.

“You just let me teach them a lesson.”

Nicholas was watching me, his expression unreadable.

“Just friends, are we?”

“What?”

He stepped closer.

“The other night. In the car. You were drugged.”

“I… I just did that to piss them off,” I said, backing away.

“Don’t take it seriously.”

“I can wait for your divorce,” he said.

“I don’t need you to wait. We’re partners. I need your help to bring down Fu Group. As for other things… absolutely not possible.”

“Why?”

“Because,” I said, the truest words I’d spoken in this world, “I’ve lived for 300 years. What kind of romance would I have with you young guys?”

His face didn’t change.

“Okay. If you can’t just be friends with me, then let’s not contact each other.” He turned and walked out, leaving me with Luke.

He thought I was joking.

But Callista had one last card to play.

A few days later, I went to Ezekiel’s office. I had the divorce papers.

The secretary tried to stop me.

“Mr. Ezekiel is in a meeting.”

“I’ll go by myself.”

I heard a sound from inside his office. A… moan.

“Ezekiel,” Callista’s voice, breathy.

“You’re so naughty…”

I didn’t knock. I just opened the door.

They were on the sofa. Tangled. Naked.

“So innocent, huh?” I said.

They froze.

“Lyssandra!” Ezekiel yelled, scrambling for his pants. “Why are you here? Let me explain!”

“Explain what?” Callista purred, wrapping a sheet around herself.

“You guys are getting divorced anyway. Get lost, Lyssandra. She drugged me!”

“Whatever,” I said, pulling out my phone. I’d been recording since I heard the moan.

“I don’t care. But my evidence is solid. Looks like I need to modify this divorce agreement.”

I smiled. “You guys continue. Come find me when you’re free to sign.”

“Lyssandra, don’t go!”

I walked out, sending the video to Nicholas. “Leak this,” I texted. “Now.”

By nightfall, it was everywhere. CEO of Fu Group Caught With Mistress—His Sister-in-Law.

The company’s stock didn’t just fall; it evaporated. Billions, gone overnight. The board was calling for Ezekiel’s head.

Nicholas’s YS Group launched a hostile takeover, buying up the debt. Fu Group was bankrupt.

Ezekiel showed up at my door, hollow-eyed.

“Lyssa… Lyssa, open the door.”

I opened it. “Did you sign the divorce papers?”

“Lyssa, that day was an accident. Callista drugged me! You’re the one I love!”

“You’re the one I love most,” I mimicked.

“Don’t you feel guilty saying that? I know I was wrong, but you and Nicholas are shady, too. Let’s call it even.”

His face went pale. He’d said those exact words to me.

“A jerk like you,” I said, “I must have been blind. Sign the papers.”

“No! I won’t divorce you! You loved me so much! How could you bear to divorce me?”

He tried to grab me. I twisted his arm behind his back and threw him off my porch.

“From now on,” I said, “I have nothing to do with you. Bother me again, and I’ll break more than your arm. Get out.”

He scrambled away, but Nicholas was there, blocking his path.

“It’s you!” Ezekiel roared.

“You tricked Lysandra into divorcing me!”

“Do I need to remind you of what you did?” Nicholas asked.

“For a scheming woman, you insulted your wife. Shouldn’t she divorce you?”

“She loves me! She’ll forgive me!” Ezekiel yelled, a frantic edge to his voice.

He was losing it.

I closed the door. It was almost over.

But Callista and her mother weren’t in jail. They were desperate.

A few days later, I was walking with Luke and Nicholas. We’d taken him to the park.

“Fairy sister,” Luke asked, “why can’t you and uncle be together?”

“I… I’m a fairy, Luke,” I lied.

“Fairies can’t fall in love.”

“Then when you can fall in love, can you choose my uncle first? Pinky promise?”

I smiled.

“Pinky promise.”

“What are you two talking about?” Nicholas asked, returning with water.

That’s when I saw it. A black van, accelerating, heading straight for the sidewalk. Straight for Luke.

I moved, shoving Luke into Nicholas. But I wasn’t fast enough to save myself.

Someone else was.

Nicholas threw himself in front of me. The van struck him, sending him flying.

“Nicholas!”

He was conscious, barely. “Are you… crazy?” I screamed, cradling his head.

“Who asked you to save me?”

“Are you… hurt?” he wheezed.

“Why did you play the hero? I didn’t need you to save me!”

“I… I saw the car… I’m fine…”

“Stubborn,” I choked out.

“You’re just causing me trouble.”

“Then next time,” he whispered, a bloody smile on his lips, “I’ll protect you… differently… try not to cause you trouble.”

He passed out.

The hospital. Again. This time, I was the one waiting. He had a broken arm and a severe concussion, but he would live.

Callista. This had her stench all over it.

I went to the old house. It was empty. Boarded up. But I knew where they’d go. Their rat’s nest.

I found Ezekiel there first, slumped outside a grimy motel room, muttering to himself.

“Lyssandra? You came… you came back for me… I knew you still loved me…”

“Where is she?”

“Don’t be mad… let’s make up…”

He was useless. Insane.

I kicked open the door to the room. Callista and her mother were inside, packing.

“Lyssandra!” Callista shrieked.

“Long time no see,” I said.

“Looks like you haven’t been taking care of yourself.”

“You bitch! If it weren’t for you, I’d be Ezekiel’s wife!”

“A bankrupt’s wife. You tried to kill that old hag, Ophelia, too, didn’t you? Pushing her down the stairs. The police are looking for you.”

“Shut up!” She pulled a knife.

“You should have died in that car crash!”

“What a shame I’m still alive,” I said.

“Now it’s your turn.”

“Callista, stop wasting time!” her mother yelled.

But I wasn’t Lyssandra anymore. I didn’t need to touch them. A tiny thread of the spiritual power I’d been slowly recovering was all it took. A simple suggestion, planted in their weak, mortal minds.

“Callista, what are you doing?” her mother suddenly screamed. “What did you do to me?”

“I don’t know!” Callista shrieked, looking at the knife in her hand, now pointed at her mother. “My hand… it’s out of control!”

“You bitch! What did you do to us?”

“You two are going crazy,” I said, stepping back.

“How would I know?”

They lunged. At each other. It was brutal. Screaming, scratching, stabbing. They were destroying each other, fueled by a lifetime of shared greed and hatred.

“Remember,” I said, my voice barely a whisper over their animalistic sounds, “how you two drowned Lyssandra? Holding her head under the water? It was winter. The ice cut her face open.”

“Monster!” Callista screamed, clutching her bleeding arm.

“You’re a monster!”

“I am Lyssandra,” I said.

“And I’m here for my revenge.”

The police, whom Nicholas had apparently already dispatched, burst in. They found me, unharmed, standing over the two bloody, insane women.

“It’s alright,” a familiar voice said. Nicholas. His arm was in a sling.

“I’ll take care of them.”

He drove me home.

“You’re not the Lyssandra I first met, are you?” he said quietly.

“Maybe they just pushed me too far.”

“That’s not important. What matters is, I like you the way you are now.” He stopped the car.

“I know you don’t allow feelings beyond friendship. I tried. Lyssandra, I can’t. I love you.”

I stared at him.

“I know you might not be ready. But I’m willing to wait. If one day you want to be in a relationship… will you consider me first?”

I got out of the car.

“This is so annoying.”

I, the grand patriarch of the QS sect, lived for 300 years… and I’ve fallen for a mere mortal.

That night, my phone rang. It was Luke. Hysterical.

“Fairy sister! You have to save my uncle! The people who killed my mom and dad… they’re giving my uncle a hard time! He’s dying! Please!”

I didn’t even change out of my pajamas. I flew. Not literally, but the burst of speed I used shattered the sound barrier in my driveway.

I found him in an alley, surrounded by three men in black suits. He’d already taken two of them down, but he was bleeding. Badly.

“Nicholas!”

He looked up, surprised.

“You came out in your pajamas. You were… really worried about me, weren’t you?”

“Shut up!” I snapped, and then I let my power, just a fraction, loose. The remaining men didn’t just fly; they disintegrated into the wall.

Nicholas just stared.

“If you say another word, I’ll leave you here,” I threatened.

“You wouldn’t.” He was smiling.

“Lyssandra… you like me, too, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

“That night you ran out… you care about me.”

“Be with me, Lyssa,” he whispered, grabbing my hand with his good arm. “Life is short. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

“What if my life is longer than yours?” I blurted out.

“What if, after 100 years, I still look the same?”

“Then,” he said, pulling me closer, “I’ll use my short life to protect you.”

“Smooth talker.”

“You agreed.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling.

“I’ll use my whole life to prove it,” he said. “I love you.”

The next day, we picked him up from the hospital. Again.

As we were leaving, we saw him. Ezekiel. He was in a hospital gown, shuffling, being led by an orderly.

“Lyssandra?” he whispered, his eyes vacant.

“Lyssandra, don’t hit me… Lyssandra is my wife… I’m the one Lyssandra loved the most… I killed Lyssandra… No, no, I didn’t kill her! It was for her own good! Lyssandra, come home with me… let’s get back together…”

He was gone. Broken.

“He lost it,” Nicholas said.

“He brought this on himself,” I replied, feeling nothing.

We walked away, Luke holding both our hands.

“Uncle,” Luke whispered, “Fairy sister was lying. She was really worried when you were hurt. While you were in surgery, she even cried secretly.”

“Really? You little brat!” I said, blushing.

“Who cried? You were the one crying!”

“Someone cried because you love me, right?” Nicholas teased, squeezing my hand.

“No way! Who loves you? Don’t flatter yourself!”

“It’s okay,” he said, pulling me in for a kiss, right there in the hospital lobby. “Even if you don’t love me, I will still love you.”

“So cheesy,” I muttered, but I kissed him back.

The original Lyssandra’s wishes were fulfilled. Her enemies were dust, her fortune returned.

And as for me? I came to this world in a storm of fire and betrayal. I found it in the arms of a mortal, a little boy, and a back-flipping kitten. I guess even a 300-year-old cultivator can find a new beginning.