Erik could hardly believe what he had heard. At first anger wanted to boil up. But he had to make sure of what he heard.

"Forgive me, what?"

"I think my father tried to kill me." She went silent, her eyes seemed to go somewhere entirely else. Away from Erik, away from the market and its crowds and merchants. Somewhere else far more terrifying. Her hand trailed up to the scar on her throat and jaw. Something across deep shame and sadness fell over her features.

He took her hand, "Isa, who? Who was it?"

She looked down at the hand holding hers. How pale skin met her own tan skin. His hand felt cold. But not harsh, she studied how his veins slightly protruded out, it looked as if single deep cut could do him in. but the presence of other scars told otherwise. "My father works for Nadir."

"Please, I need his name." His tone was more urgent.

Isa opened her mouth. But nothing would come out. Why couldn't she just say who did it. Why? Isa began to take slow measured breaths. Her hand squeezed his for reassurance. She closed her eyes. She had to let go of that pain.

"Andrei Leos." She opened her eyes to see Erik nodding.

"Come, let's get you home." he placed his arm around her shoulders. Keeping her close. Her hand trailed back up to feel the scar that trailed maybe an inch on her jaw to her neck.

"Thank you. For telling me, Isa."

She placed her hand in his. The one on her shoulder. He did seem to take notice. His fingers tightly wrapping around hers.

The walk back was fast, almost too fast.

She was sat down on a loveseat in Nadir's office. Erik did most of the explaining. Meanwhile, fear crept around in the back of Isa's mind. And she didn't know if she could handle going through with an entire trial, for what was essentially attempted femicide. She knew sense Persia was a predominantly Muslim country they might have some law pertaining to femicide sense it was made a major sin in the Quran.

Nadir was stunned to hear it was one of his officers that did that. Especially one who had an exceptional record. Especially one who had lost one child. At first Nadir did not believe it.

"Isa, I've met the entirety of Leos' family, I knew your brother. But I never heard of you or seen you."

"That's because I'm an illegitimate child. They hid me away and said that I was a maid or some sort of ward." She looked down. "I was the daughter of a prostitute, my father impregned and left my mother when she was only fifteen, she was also later disowned by her family because of me. This forced her into the lower pits of society, and poor people have to eat and need a roof over their heads." Isa's voice broke, she took a breath in. "My father came back for me after my mother committed suicide. But I later found out he had killed her."

Nadir nodded. It made sense now, there was always a child around them that looked different from the rest of the family, not looking like the mother or the father. Or either of her siblings even. Nadir let out a sigh. Andrei needed to be put in his place.

"I can get a lawyer in contact with you really soon, Isa. Then we can move forward with a trial."

"No."

Both Erik and Nadir were taken aback. "Isa, what do you mean no?" Nadir's eyebrows stitched.

"I don't- I can't face him. Not again." She knew it sounded pathetic. She could feel the heat rushing in her face.

Erik stepped in finally, " Isa, he killed your mother and tried to kill you. What's to say he won't do it again?"

"I can not face him again. And if he knew I was alive then he would hunt me down and kill me. He would find some way to kill me. I just want to move on."

"We would make sure that you were safe the entire length of the trial. We could send you to a safe house or with Erik, or with anyone else." Nadir suggested.

"Please. I can't. I can't face him.'' In reality she couldn't see her father being put to death, and then her sister going fatherless.

Nadir sighed. "Alright. But that does not mean I won't still investigate him."

Isa nodded and excused herself to her room. Erik followed her out.

—

Severe boredom had driven them to play naughts and crosses.

They had carved about four games in total. Erik had won most of them. Isa had been given the clothes that she arrived in, back. And so she had the first few buttons open, the necklaces now fully visible on her chest. The hamsa pendant from her mother. Her coven pendant and the silver evil eye pendant that Erik had gotten her. Erik stared at the silver eye. The iris is now completely missing.

"Isa, are you still wearing the necklace I got you?"

"Oh, yes." Not seeming to pay attention to his comment.

"It's been blinded." He said flatly.

"Yes, I know, it just felt wrong to take it off." She made another naught, leading her to make a win for herself finally. Erik frowned.

"I was distracted."

"Erik, we both know I won this round." She bit back a grin. "Take the loss." she taunted.

"Hell no." He grumbled, smiling, "I want another round." He was far too proud to let anyone win.

Isa said nothing but nodded. She liked the rare moments when he did smile. In his own strange way he did have a nice smile.

That warm feeling returned after years of separation. That feeling of wholeness.

But that feeling scared her more than anything. She desperately repressed it. She wasn't nineteen anymore. And pining was never for her.

And if they both survived and did get out. They would never meet again.

And that thought hurt. More than the years of separation.

Erik seemed to take notice of her change of mood. How she would randomly withdraw into herself seemingly at random. "Are you alright?"

"Erik- I thought you should know I don't hate you or despise you."

"Ah, but I'm insufferable." He reminded her.

Isa's mouth formed into a line, "sorry, but no, you are still that arrogant ass sometimes."

His mouth curled upwards. "That's coming from the most stubborn witch I've ever met."

She laughed at that, eyebrows raised. "Really? Witch? At least I don't seclude myself under a damn opera house. Hermit."

He opened his mouth indignantly, as if he was about to speak, a flash of that man from years ago Isa once knew was there. For only a second, she saw the Erik that comforted her at her worst, that did everything in his power to get her to smile.

No don't you dare, Isa.

"And you are still that broken girl from the river. And nothing will ever change that, Isa." His voice is now sober. Authough not condescending.

"You are just as broken as I am." She quickly responded, swallowing back her emotions.

"Isa, I never wanted to kill your brother. I should have told you. But I had accepted that you had viewed me already as a monster-"

"Erik please don't say that."

"No, let me finish please. I knew your brother before he passed-"

"Erik, this is not funny-" a flash of pain made her turn her head away from him.

He reached out for Isa's hand and held it. "I'm not, it's not a joke, trust me please, he had been assigned as my guard when I was first brought to Persia."

She looked at him fully now. Gray eyes wide.

"Tell me everything. Please."