"What did you do to me?" He asked clearly infuriated but I couldn't think a thing besides what just happened.
"How did that happened?" I asked towards him instead visibly shaking from it too. He charged towards me again but some one intervened. Some I recognized almost immediately, It was the same woman that was in his head; dressed in jeans and shirt with just a slight difference, her hair was back length. She jumped in at the right time coming in between me and her boyfriend
"What are you doing?" she asked towards him. She didn't even care to listen to his answer and turned towards me blocking him from my view almost completely.
"I'm sorry, he can be a bitch. Sometimes. Are you ok?" She said while I was observing my hand. I looked up at her and then him, I couldn't find words but my legs did work me away from them. I ran back towards grandma Ruby's my heart pounding in my ears faster than ever, I think there is something seriously wrong with me. Maybe it's the river I almost drowned in.
I burst through the front door panting while she was still in the kitchen sitting at the table in front of her vile of different sizes containing different kinds of powdered substances.
"I think we should have that talk now!"
After taking a glass or two or three of water handed to me by great grandma afterward bursting through the doors like a wildling chased me back.
"Just keep breathing. You are fine" she said again after taking the glass from me. I was still hanging by the door looking down at my hands trembling frantically
"I met with some guy out there and I kind of get furious and...and then I felt some kind of electric surge wrapping around me In a bizarre manner and I think I got into his head or something I saw some of his memories, I think I met him before...I just don't know" I said really fast and stammering not really making sense resting my head on the door frame. I don't think I will ever be capable of explaining it to her understanding.
"You are ok dear" she said simply
"Grandma Ruby, tell me something. I'm guessing you know why I'm here"
"Yes but you might not want to go lightening up people, one thing is must. you need not to be anymore exposed to them than you already are" she said going over to her cupboard crowded of transparent bottle of herbs.
"What?! Exposed. What is that supposed to mean. It's not like I'm some kind of threat or shiney trophy that everybody wants to keep" I said getting a little more agitated
"You might need to calm some nerves, take some of this" she said handing me a hot steaming mug of tea. I walk over to her and took the mug out of her hands. As I sat on the stool I felt her fingers in my hair parting it in two.
"That's it alright" I heard her say coming to view, the last time a family did that went nuts and pushed us into a fraught of danger. You would imagine how I felt that instant, I quickly look up to see that she wasn't freaking out but looked pretty amazed, just like Lucinda sounded.
"It all starts with the mark on your neck, come with me"
"What mark?"
"Come with. Everything will be cleared soon"
I followed after her to the room I woke to earlier, the whole while my hand was on my neck rubbing on it or maybe I might feel something different from the softness of my skin. I put my hair in a ponytail before she told me to stand in front of the mirror.
"I tried this before and it didn't work. How am I supposed to see what's on the back of my neck?"
She didn't answer but just pull out a small circular mirror embedded in a metal casing with unique carving design, she stood behind me and I could instantly see what's there on my neck
"God! Is that a tattoo?" I said almost yelling it out loud
"Not precisely but yes" The view of my tattoo vanished as she was not behind me anymore but putting away the mirror.
I would have asked how the hell it happened that I just saw what's behind me in the mirror I was facing but the shear fear of what I was getting buried into wasn't letting me.
"Your father's the reason everyone is seeking you to kill" she said making me another cup of camomile tea because her story is not making much sense without it.
"My father?! No he cannot be, he's just a simple man–a noble man fighting crime. He died on duty trying to save a street bunny.." I said the last part slowly realization hitting me, now that I'm saying it, it doesn't make much sense. I quickly look back up at her whom was closely watching me
"He also got murdered just like Mom didn't he?" I felt a sting in my heart as I remember the day he passed and what mom and I had to go through, how his corpse was mutilated .
She nodded going out the room I follow after my heart pinging with pain
"Ok, get seated dear"
She mentioned me to the living room couch like some kind of session was to commence
"Let me tell you are story, a history of our being. I'm betting you want to start with the better part of it" I nodded and she took her place across me on the sofa by the window.
"A very long time ago, humans, vampires, werewolves, witches and other creatures lived in peace or an illusion of it. Every division has it's elected leader like the Alpha in wolves, Royals in vampires, Elders in witches and the benefactors in humans" she stopped sipping on her tea cup before continuing.
"You see with time more divisions were made within the domain as the population grew but it was hard to keep that peace. Higher authority was paramount and thus we got ancient souls long before the existence of man we're said to be walking the planet but the biology of the every creatures from another was so diverse, it would almost be impossible to keep the peace. Peace did reign for billions of years and that should have been the happily ever after but there's no such thing as that, it was just a matter of time before everything broke out of control and it did"
"I'm afraid that's the good part of it all but not until about 6 and a half Millenniums ago"
I was just listening not even blinking away from her, the tea I was clutching in my hand was already running warm to cold. That was a really long time long enough to have nothing to do with my insignificant impact on the vastness of the world.
"Luther was born; one of those ancient souls and the world rejoiced ofcourse. After his father passed he took over the authority but with all that power Luther wanted more, something a little different from throwing parties and marriages to same or different clans of same or different creatures. There was something dark in him; chaotic I would say, craving violence, rumor has it he murdered his father. He wanted to be feared more than respected. He saw our unity as a weakness, so he savoured that bond and everything that's been worked for over the centuries with just a blow"
"See, vampires were just fine with animal blood and could go a while without it. Vampires never knew human blood or how different and better it taste, your father used that power of how irresistible blood was to some vampires so breaking out chaos between humans and vampires first. There were so combined families of vampires and humans, you can imagine how bad that could have been,"
"The human division broke off from the community seeing they were preyed on by vampires and occasionally wolves on a full moon. Humans were gifted with losing their memories after that, but humans are the most curious of all" She smiled like she remembered something of when we were all together
"That was Luther's first aim, vanishing the weak and making the strong stronger" She paused monitoring my unmoving body. I wasn't sure what I was hearing made much sense but it was compatible to my situation.
"It was utter devastating for all families, humans were not to remember them. The helix witches came together and form a simple but yet strong spell, that was when a mate bond was birthed. To ease ofcourse the pain of those once mated to one of the human race,"
"Slowly but surely he broke every division away to stand for it's self. The darkness inside of him grew and so was his hunger for destruction, he wanted side to build an army of fear and blood thirst but not until two Millenniums ago he achieved that"
"So the vampires" I said seeing vampires were faster and always accessible to their vampire powers unlike the werewolves.
"Yes.He would have sided with the vampires seeing the ability they posses of speed and strength but his lover wasn't one,"
"Lover?"
"Yes lover. He was already mated to a Alaric Vampire tree, the strongest pure blood at the time unlike us that are bonded to only a person by the mate bond, he could choose by will but the preferred is the former, he could grow even stronger with her. So he fall in love with a madian in the village. She was a werewolf, beautiful, strong and very committed but naive to his plans. She loved him although he was already mated to another but she was drawn to him,"
"How is that possible when he wasn't her mate?"
"No more interruptions now dear. Indeed he wasn't but it happened she didn't meet her mate at the time" she continued right after
"Luther loved Xena just as much as he loved his son;Flinn,"
I had a brother!
"A Vampire can't reproduce?" Gia once more interrupted because I can't force down the question in her mind. All she knew was the vampires are practically dead inside hence cannot give birth
"That is true in human folktales. Vampires are fertile; weak fertility and even weaker in their male. It only last to the first two centuries of their living, hence they have little birth count and in others even none but for sired vampires it's stronger, not as strong as humans' ofcourse but only lasts for the first century of their turning. For even the barren with Luther's kind becomes fruitful, this should answer enough for now" Gai nodded for Ruby to continue with no any further interruptions she did only after taking another sip from her cup
"So Luther sided with the wolves breaking in a battle, alot was lost mostly the vampires were victimized, werewolf bites are nasty and lethal and he had the power to trap them in their wolf form. You could imagine the bitterness that grew in the vampires hearts."
"It was during that raging war the product of Xena and his affair was birthed and on that same day he fallen with him his empire of evil trying to keep away his love from harm. The hunt started for his daughter. Xena died protecting her own daughter from the army her lover set and all but humans seeking her head. Xena must have used a protection spell on her daughter before she jumped off a cliff with the child in her arms, she was never found"
"What does this story has to do with me?" I asked my own breath trying to strangle me because if I'm correct the woman Xena was the one hunting my dreams and it just cannot be random that the dream has been hunting me for years. Deep down I feel connected to this story.
"You see. That mark you're wearing is one of many symbols of peace and unification to all creatures, it's a unique symbol assigned to unique people or to be precise celestial beings." she glanced up at me like she was worried I might have ran off because I haven't spoken a word for a while which I was now even in a more confusing state.
"Celestial beings like God or Angels?" I asked
"Yes Gods. Put on this planet to maintain that peace between all the divisions which was how you were bestowed with such power. It's just starting to unlock. You will get alot stronger my dear, a power that we all fear now"
"Wait. This doesn't make sense, you mean that I am connected to the lost baby somehow?"
"Yes like the story implied only that you were the baby"
No! I cannot be–this means I am the product of the affair and a daughter of an evil overlord that tried to wipe out an entire civilization to get what he wanted and that means I'm God too. I was perplexed and confused a tear slipped down my cheeks as I speak
"But this war happened so many years ago, I wasn't even born yet. It's scientifically impossible" I was still trying to not believe or atleast convince myself I wasn't the baby from her story and that she must be mistaken
"Somethings are not always what they seem.I know it's all too much to take in but this is who you are and it's a great responsibility and dangerous too" she said coming to my side placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Xena was my grand daughter, I raised her myself. The blood running in your veins is mine too" her voice cracked at the end clearly she doesn't want to show her emotional she got but it was clear on her reddened face.
"They want to get back at my birth parents by killing me,"
"Everyone does. That's why you have to be kept a secret, you cannot trust to tell anyone not until you are fully capable"
"Ready for the next big war?"
Her features softened a bit more, she was instantly washed by empathy towards my state. Her warm hand went up my check carefully
"Gianna, we always have a choice,"
"I think we better start on lunch"
Ruby added headed for the kitchen while I stayed rooted in my seat trying to digest this new part of me I never knew existed. Based on her story, it seemed I didn't have much choice in what to come, that path has already been chosen for me when Luther decided to exert his power. I looked down at my hand again feeling knots in my stomach and a million roses stuck in my throat, I didn't know tears where flowing down my cheeks.
It turned out it wasn't such a good feeling to be a foster child—a foster child that cost both parents life to keep her away from harm. Elisabeth, she looked through me in the eyes. I saw the fear for my life, pleading for their cruelty to be served to her alone not even thinking twice. She promised to keep me safe in her arms as long as she could, Elisabeth might not be my birth mother but she was my mom.
**
After setting the table for lunch I was still quiet overwhelmed by my thoughts, I used to live a normal life, a fake life that has been ever true to me but now that I was facing reality I wanted to run and never stop. I took my place on the stool not letting eye contacts as usual.
"Are you ok?" Ruby asked placing a hand over mine
"Yeah, just staggered that I'm an old lady in a child's costume and I'm not even human"
She laughed like I made some kind of mean joke
"Dear, you need your strength. Eat" she said simply taking a bite out of her steak.
I cannot understand how she thinks I will be calm after hearing all that shit about my reality. If my calculation is correct I might be about 4 centuries old.
"How am I still young. I can't understand the biology of this"
She looked up with a smile "Let's just say you were simply reserved to mention your baby form until it was safe for you to come out which was a some years back"
I simply nodded because it doesn't make much sense that I had been around for centuries
"You said I was cloaked by magic then how did you found me?"
"There is no chatter at the table. Eat silently, it fills the stomach better"
It was clear she didn't want to share everything about the night luther was vanquished. It was just the matter of time before I get to find out every little thing including the reason why Elisabeth didn't want me in shallow falls.
I took in a bit more than I usually eat at the castle maybe it's because I'm partly at ease now that I'm free-ish.
"I'm gonna be out. On the grounds" I said getting out of the house for some air. I have been having difficulty breathing properly after the story told. I looked up to the bright cloudless sky, remembering what Elisabeth told me after dad passed.
"He's up there with the stars looking down at us, protecting us and he will always love us"
Since she's also gone, I'm guessing she's up there with him too looking down at me. Heated tears trickled down my cheeks as I continue to stare up at the sky, the shine blinding my eyes.
My head snapped to the side when I heard a twig and a movement slightly disturbing the air, someone's watching me. I glanced back at the door, knowing that I have told Grandma Ruby I wasn't leaving the yard but I just cannot let that go with the amount of curiosity embedded in my chest and I have got the feeling that grandma Ruby isn't saying it all maybe I might get more information about my birth parents from the locals.
I pulled out the ribbon in my hair, she warned never to let anyone see the mark on my neck or I will be missing my head sooner than I could say "fuck yourselves". I made my way to the sound that came from the side into the thick trees, way to be hell of sneaky. I walked with the sounds of nothing but the crunching leaves and twig under my weight and the occasional singing of the birds until I couldn't sight the cabin looking over my shoulder. I was out of the safe proximity lured out to be attacked possibly. I definitely didn't think this through. Stopping I decided to be a little more civilized.
"Hello!" I said my voice echoing to the emptiness that was around me. Maybe it was just an animal, I would prefer that as an option. I was about to turn and quickly get back to the cabin before any trouble unravel when I caught a glimpse of a two legged, olive skin, dark frizzy hair and young face zooming from one tree back to another hiding from sight. It was though it was extremely slowed down so I would see him.
I didn't want to startle or give away I saw the little guy so I turned over completely. Taking three steps forward keeping track of my little friend whom was by my side hiding behind the tree. He was close enough peeking to look if I was there and then hides away completely again. Before peeking at me again I quickly hide by an adjacent tree forcing him to come out of hiding.
He was young–8 or 9yrs in shorts, brown hazel eyes filled with curiosity. He was looking around for me with no idea where I went off to. That also gave me a chance to sneak up on him tapping his shoulder from behind, he spun around quickly with wide eyes.
"Looking for something?" I said with a smile pretending to help him look, he looked so cute with his mouth almost hitting the floor.
"I can see you're quite stealth but why are you stalking a person like me, down on the beauty side" I said to the still frozen kid, his lips played in a little smile before he tried to run off but I caught his arm and pull him back towards me.
"Hey, hey stop! I'm not going to hurt you" I said keeping my grip on my shoulders before slowly lowering myself to his level on one knee. He was still looking startled and surprised
"If you would want to be my friend there wasn't the need to hide. You could just ask" I said nicely cleaning a bit of dirt from his face. He still wasn't talking I kind of thought he was mute.
"I like your hair" He said reaching to touch it a bit before taking it away.
"Thank you" he blushed at me
"What's your name?" I asked he kind of hesitated before answering
"Pheonix" he whispered like he wasn't wanting me to catch on it.
"That's an interesting name, you must be from the village" he nodded looking away starting to pick his nails shyly.
"Can you show me around, Friend?" he looked back up at me before answering yes. I then remember that grandma Ruby didn't know I was leaving the grounds and I had a meeting with the clan head plus she might freak if I take too long. I will have to get her to agree with me fitting in not to raise any kind of suspicion
"Pheonix, we are going to have to do this some other time ok. Now go home, see you around" I said getting up to my feet, I watched him run off through the woods until I couldn't see him anymore. Such a young sweet child roaming his way alone in this dangerous world but he seemed to be doing much better than I was. I walked back quitely sucking down air, I gaze upon the sky one more time although I couldn't see the stars I knew Elisabeth and James were looking down at me before I let myself back into the house.