"I believe you have been fine, father"

Asher froze, what the hell? Those eyes? How was it possible? If he had a twin he would have known but neither his father nor mother were blonde, so she couldn't be one.

But she had called him father, what does that mean?

Asher lifted her by her jacket and drew her closer till their faces were almost meeting as he growled, "What are you talking about?

She smirked, " The surprise was worth it "

"I asked you a question, answer it!"

"Katya, the one you killed! Was my mother!"

Asher blinked, that was impossible.

His grip tightened," Your father? Who's your father "

"Has the shock rendered you stupid?! Don't you see I have your eyes?!" She yelled at him.

His hands left her rumbled clothes, he was struck still with disbelief. No wonder, he had thought she was Katya.

The girl had her mother's features but took his eyes. That face, a reminder of the terrible mistake he had made.

His vulnerable state made him weak and his daughter took advantage of that opportunity to stake him in the heart.

Asher grunted, slowly falling to his knees while she twisted the stake inside of him causing his face to distort greatly in pain.

"This is for the many, many, years you separated her from me," She told him, anger and hatred dripping from her tone as Asher slid to his knees.

"As for her death, your mate would pay dearly for it " She promised him.

Her mouth curled into a sadistic smirk as she pulled the wooden stake forcefully out of his heart earning a groan from her father.

Asher slumped to the ground, her face the last thing he saw as his world went blank.

He woke with a startle only to discover he was back at his place - to be specific, his room. Who brought him home?

His hand went to his chest, the wound had healed and it seems his body had ejected the rest of the splinters since he couldn't feel any stabbing pain.

The girl had staked him, not to kill him but to cause him pain and probably stop him from tracing her. She had missed his heart by an inch, if she had gone any further then he would have been a dead man - no, a dead vampire.

Katya had a child for him? Why didn't she tell him? And why hide it for so long?

Asher tousled his hair out of frustration, he just complicated everything- what a mess! He wondered how his mate would react when she finds out he has a child? Not just a child but one who wants her dead?

Would Lia be courteous enough to forgive him for his past mistakes? He wondered if this would push her into choosing the werewolf? After all, who would want to settle down with a vampire whose daughter would hurt her with any chance given?

"Great job" Raphael would have complimented him sarcastically if he were here.

If only he could speak one on one with her, he could explain he never killed her mom intentionally. It was a mistake which was committed in the heat of the moment, sure she would understand.

Who was he kidding? God knows how many years or centuries she had grown with the mentality that he was her mom's killer - like it would be easy to change her mind

"You're awake?" Gideon's voice roused him from his thoughts, he was standing by the door side.

"Were you the one that brought me home? "

"Yes," He answered, stepping into the room.

"Didn't I ask you to stay back and recover fully, what if something had happened and you drained another human?"

"I wouldn't have done it anyway, so stop with the quibbling "

"Wrong answer" Asher was suddenly before him and snapped his neck.

Gideon or so fell to the ground. But his features began to alter and in a few seconds, lay Ozark on the floor.

Asher smirked, who were they trying to fool? If it was the real Gideon earlier, he would have answered, "Why bother myself when you're here to guide me "

Gideon was like a little kid and depended on him for a lot of things, which was why he couldn't trust him with his secrets - he was bound to spill it.

Since Ozark was here, that means his dear brother has finally made a move and the real Gideon has been taken out.

Though Asher had a gut feeling this would happen but he refused to believe that Raphael would shamelessly attack him when he was short of his men.

He made his way downstairs carefully and wasn't surprised to see Raphael standing in the middle of the living room.

"We always knew this day would come, didn't we brother?"

"I thought you've changed but I was wrong, attacking me when shorthanded? How lowly could you get?" Asher remarked, walking over to him till they were staring at each other in the eyes.

"All is fair in love and war "

"That's cowardice "

"Sure it was underhanded of me to fight you this way but in my language, I call it a skill"

"Deceptious skill" Asher corrected him sternly, "Once a Raven, Always a Raven, I was mistaken; you can never change"

"You're a Raven too dear brother, sadly you're just a fool who refuses to embrace who he is "

"I don't have time for childish talks, let's get down to it !" Asger ordered, putting his body in a fighting stance while glowing fire from his eyes - he was determined to end this once and for all.

But the moment he charged at Raphael, a searing pain began in his head forcing him to his knees. Asher clutched his head while screaming his lungs out, it felt like his head was on fire; he couldn't think, he couldn't concentrate. This torture continued until he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Bravo," His lips curled to the side while he applauded the witch who came into view.

"I wasn't wrong about you, you're so impressive" Raphael complimented Sabrina who had a passive expression.

"Don't get cocky, our deal is just a week and everything returns to normal" she told him straightforwardly.

"Well, let's get on with it then, " Raphael said, a glint of expectation in his eyes. Today, he was going to achieve something notable.

Ozark, who had recovered from his little slumber, carried Asher off from the ground and sat him upright on the couch.

Raphael sat beside his brother with a sinister smirk, soon this face staring back at him would be his.

"Hold his hand" Sabrina ordered Raphael which he did without hesitation.

She rubbed a strange sign on his forehead and another on the asleep Asher, then began her incantation.

"Sit fatis switched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched" She began to chant her spell causing the air around the room to change, evidence of a supernatural disturbance.

Suddenly, a light left both bodies and switched themselves in their counterpart's body.

Asher awoke with a gasp.

His hands first moved to his face and slowly to his hair, then a wide grin stretched his face.

"It was successful" He announced to both of his men - the two brothers Iark and Ozark.

Raphael's soul now officially occupied Asher's body, the soul exchange worked.

There was no smile on Sabrina's face as she watched Asher- no, Raphael celebrate his new temporal face, he kept staring at it on the hand mirror that was provided to him.

Soul exchange was forbidden magic and if the council heard she had done such a thing, she was as good as dead. Not to mention the fact, they believed she had no magic at the moment.

But this was the price she had to pay for preserving her powers, she would make it up to Asher - by making sure his brother lived up to his deal.

"Sign the document, Raphael"

She would never acknowledge him as Asher at least until this madness was over - the real Asher was now in Raphael's body.

She magically moved the scroll to him which he signed by placing his bloody thumb on the sign-in area.

"Deal" Raphael smirked.

Sabrina shivered, it was creepy seeing that weird look on Asher's face. She just prayed Lia was smart enough to spot the differences in him before he tried anything stupid with her.

They would never forgive her once they learned her part in this - Dan, would never - but her mind was prepared, she would restitute afterward.

"I'll be back a week later to switch you both back so don't try anything stupid" She warned and turned to leave when something crossed her mind.

"Where are you going to keep him- I mean your body?" She inquired.

"I'm sending him back "

"I don't understand" she shook her head.

"I'm sending him back to the Raven clan, " He announced.

"What?!" Her eyes widened, "You can't do that, it wasn't in our deal!"

"Hasn't Asher warned you never to trust a Raven "

" I would not let you do that "

But the moment she took a step forward aggressively, a painful impact knocked her out.

"Not if you're dead" A sinister smirk tugged his mouth to the side.