CHAPTER 1
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as the warm afternoon air blew. I looked up and smiled as the harsh sunrays hit my wrinkled eyes. This life is what I wanted to have as I grew older. Peaceful and beautiful. Sitting here comfortably at the patio with my coffee and my favourite romance novel feels so great.
"Grandma Talia!!" I looked back and saw my granddaughter running towards me while holding a bunch of pink roses, my favourite flower.
"Celeste." I opened my arms to hug her. She giggled as I squeezed her tightly and kissed her forehead. She's 8 years old already. Her long bouncy curly hair, cute chinky eyes, cute pointed nose and pink cute lips made her look like an angel.
"How are you grandma? Are you coming with us?" she asked so I furrowed my brows.
"I'm fine, Celeste. Where are you going? Hmmm?" I probed her and patted her head. She just giggled then covered her mouth with both of her hands.
"Celeste" her mother called her. She ran towards her then whispered something.
"Celine, where are you going?" I asked but then they just smiled at me.
"Mama, how are you?" she asked instead but I can sense that they're hiding something from me.
I looked at her in the eyes and she laughed.
"What?" she innocently asked. I sighed.
"You're hiding something?" my eyes turned into slits but she just sneered.
"Mama!" we heard a shout then there came my son- Suhail, with his family.
"Grandma!" Astrid
"Grandma!" Jacob
They rushed towards me and hugged me tightly. My heart warmed seeing them here. Their smiles and laughs fill an old woman's heart with happiness. They hugged me and kissed my cheeks. Their presence made my day complete.
"Why are you here?" I asked, not that I don't want to see them.
"Just paying the beautiful old woman a visit eh?" Suhail said then laughed.
I chuckled then shook my head. I can feel something behind their mischievous smiled. Hmmm…
"How are you mama?" Rachel asked, my daughter-in-law. She held my hand then kissed it. Such wonderful woman. I liked her ever since for my son. Responsible and loving woman.
"Rachel! I'm doing great, honey." I smiled at her.
She nodded then carried Jacob in her arms. I looked at them all with a smile. My son and my daughter had their father's eyes. Deep and blue as the ocean, luscious lashes and arched brows. Whenever I look at them, it always reminds of the past. It was unlike any other. It was magical.
**
"Talia!! Comeback here!!" my mama shouted as I ran towards the river. I giggled at her and made faces as I looked back.
"No. Don't you go there Talia." She warned and ran after me. I giggled and ran faster. We were there in our old house, surrounded by the forest where wild animals are always lurking behind the bushes every time we would go out, every time I would go out. At first, I find it creepy to be stared at, especially by animals. I wondered, why the hell they would always stare at me like I was some kind of meal for them. I was 14 that time. I would always ask my mom why we have this house inside the forest, she said it was my grandma's. She passed away before my mother gave birth to me. Mama said that grandma yearned for a place to stay in that's comfortable and with nature around her that's why they built this house 50 years ago.
"Talia!" mama shouted once more, but I didn't listen. I rested in a big rock and let my feet touched the cold water.
"Talia…" I glanced at mama panting as she sat on the ground. I laughed at her and she just shook her head.
I looked up at the blue sky as the warm gentle wind blew. Birds chirping and merrily singing on their trees and wild deer's serenely eating in the meadows. The rustling of dried leaves as small animals lives their day wandering around and the soothing sound of the gushing water made me calm.
"Mama. Is magic real?" I asked nonchalantly and I stared at her on the ground.
Her ash-gray wavy hair fell perfectly on her back and some decors on her perfect beautiful face. Almond-shaped eyes with thick lashes, thin pointed nose, high cheekbones, and thin red lips. Fair and freckled skin. She's petite and we almost looked the same.
She gazed at me for a long time before getting up and sat beside me.
"Do you believe it's true?" she asked and tucked some of the strands of my hair on my ears.
"I don't know. I haven't seen or witnessed any magical things happened before." I said and shrugged my shoulders.
"If you believe, only then it can be true" she smiled and kissed my forehead.
Confused I was, but it made me think. What if it's real? What if there really are magical creatures existing in this world? Or maybe, there really is a world of magic.
One night, something kindled me up. It was like a whisper.
"Talia"
I looked across my dark room and there was no one except for myself.
"Talia" This time, it was louder. I felt cold as my window slammed and flew open as the cold dark wind blew.
"Who's there?" my chest pounded loudly as I went off of my bed. As my feet touched the coldness of the floor I felt my heart being stabbed as an excruciating pain crept inside me.
"Ahmp!!!!" I whimpered as I struggled to breathe.
I collapsed on the cold floor as tears started to race down on my cheeks. I gasped for air but I felt like I was being strangled. Things became so blurry to me even though it was dark and only the moon's light brighten a part of my room, but before everything went completely dark, a set of deep Blue eyes gazed at me and whispered…
"Talia"
It was a man's voice.
"Talia" I flinched when I felt a slight sting on my chest.
"Thank goodness, she's awake" I heard someone heaved a deep sigh.
I opened my eyes as my vision started to become clearer. It's morning already and I'm still here on my bed. I looked around and saw my mama and grandpa talking not too far from my bed.
I looked at the old woman beside me. White hair in a bun, wrinkled face and unusual or kinda freaky shaped nose. She's holding a small basin with water and a towel and wiped my arms and neck. That's when I realized what I'm wearing. I thick pink robe and leggings. She then wiped my chest making me flinch again.
"You were found unconsciously lying on the floor last night. And this with this…" she said in a croaky voice then she looked at my chest.
"What is this?!" I got up and my eyes widened with what I saw.
It was a burnt tattoo of a blue-pink crescent moon on my left chest. I swallowed hard as I looked at it. I can feel the slight pain of it but as I stare at it, its beauty somehow eases the pain.
"And with this too…" she said and suddenly stood up. She walked to the edge of my bed and held my foot up so I can see it clearly. It was an anklet.
"That anklet is beautiful" I said but her brows furrowed as I slowly smiled at it.
She caressed my ankles making me realize that it wasn't an anklet, instead it was a tattoo with a sparkly halo kinda thing. My jaw dropped and I sat up to look at it myself. It looked so real, it's sparkling and simmering when light hits it. There are small crescent diamonds attached into the tattooed chain.
"What is this?!" I started to panic and fear crept into me.
"Talia" I looked up as mama went to my side. Grandpa sat on the other side and they all looked at me with their strange looks.
"W-what?" I stuttered and looked at mama.
I'm so puzzled and afraid at the same time.
"Talia… have you ever heard about the Dalessi?" mama asked.
I heard about the Dalessi's. Those are magical creatures that can turn into whatever they want and has the supremacy that can make almost everything happen. They can destroy and bring dead back to life, but conditions must be taken. Some of the Dalessi's were believed as the most powerful among magical creatures until the Bakunawa War happened. Anomalies were said to be the cause bringing other Dalessi's to collide with the Firenes-another magical creature who possesses the evil Veta. From there onwards, Dalessi's were divided and only the most powerful of them remained on the Light.
"You're almost 20 Talia." Grandpa stated.
"A-and?" I looked at him.
"You're one of the Dalessi's" mama said. I'm a what?! It took me seconds before I finally grasped what mama said. She's joking right? I AM A DALESSI??!
"Your father was, and that makes you one of them." Mama said and squeezed my hand. I looked at her as tears started to cascade down to my cheeks. Papa. He's a Dalessi?
"I didn't know at first until that night. I was pregnant when the Firenes attacked here. Your grandma was cursed and died and your father was taken away. They took him with them to the Reihges."
I looked at my mama as she closed her eyes. Tears welled on the sides of her eyes and her lips trembled.
"I miss him so much, Talia. And I'm sure he misses you too. So much." She opened her eyes and tears finally made their way down on her freckled cheeks.
I looked down and sobbed. I miss my papa so much. I always wanted to feel his love as I grew up but the Firenes took him away from us, from me. Mama hugged me tight as we both cried our heart out.
"We're taking you to Maijica. We must keep you safe before they could do harm to you, Talia." Mama said and wiped my tears away. She looked at me in the eyes and suddenly I can feel a warm flame blazed on my hands. My eyes widened a fraction as my hand trembled in fear.
"W-What is this?!'" I exclaimed as the flame grew bigger and brighter.
"That's your Veta, Talia." Grandpa chuckled and held my hand. He just blew the flame off of my hands and they're gone. Eyes wide open, jaw-dropped, heart pounding fast, I think I'm just dreaming. If I am, please, someone wake me up.
"You have to learn how to control your Veta, Talia. It'll protect you from any harm, as long as you know how to use and control it." Mama said and sighed.
That was the first big and dreadful reveal about who I really was. I wasn't ready for that to happen to me. It felt surreal and yet I have to face it, and live to it coz I am one of them. It never really crossed my mind. That I will be one of those magical creatures the tales used to tell. I had a hard time accepting it, I had no choice, but then I remembered my papa. Firenes took him with them, so I must save him. I must get him back to us and avenge my grandma.
"Talia..." I woke up again. It's midnight and I can feel it lurking in the dark. I got up and turn my lamp on. I'm alone here inside my room. Fear crept into me. I remembered what mama said, "Don't let them scare you or they will haunt you. Make them bleed and their blood will tell you what you need to know."
"make them bleed. Okay…make them bleed…" I breathed in and out, and repeated again. I'm trembling so bad and I admit I'm scared, but I will not let them get into me.
I slowly reached and grabbed for my knife underneath my pillow. And got off of my bed with my lamp on my left hand.
"Show yourself!" I said in a commanding yet trembling voice.
I looked across the room as a shadow caught my eyes. My heart banged loudly as I watched it lift its head. I swallowed hard as I pointed my knife towards it.
"Who are you?" I said, braver now.
When it finally lifted its head, my eyes widened and my breath hitched. Those blue eyes. It's a man. Deep-set of blue eyes, thick brows, pointed nose, strong perfect jaws, about 6 feet tall and hair disheveled. He stood there, staring at me, eye to eye and as I stood there mesmerized by him. There's something so familiar with him. I felt like everything stopped and all I can hear was the crickets outside and my heat's beat. He tilted his head and grinned. I got back to my senses and felt alarmed with his actions. I raised my knife higher and breathed. I will not let this devil get me.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked, reprimanding. I blinked twice and he's not there anymore!
I was about to look back when I felt a cold metal and a warm breath on my neck. I froze and my body went numb. He's fast! He chuckled on my ear as I trembled in fear. Fear consumed every inch of me and my mind went blank.
"Hmmm…Damiro. Firenes Prince." He said in a deep cold voice.
My eyes widened and my fear got worse. He's a prince?! I shivered at the thought that this might be my last night. He's going to kill me!
"What do you want?" I asked in fear, almost crying.
He swayed a bit and snaked his other arm on my waist. He chuckled and moved closer to me.
"I want you, Talia." He said then left me standing there. He's gone, that fast. I stood there alone again. Completely terrified.
My heart felt like I ran a thousand miles. My knees trembled so hard and I just let myself fall on the floor.
"Meet me at the river tomorrow morning. If you don't, your life will fairly pay for that." A whisper echoed in my room. Tomorrow.
I put my hands on my chest as it continued to bang so hard against my chest. Will I see him tomorrow? I don't want to die.