Evaleen felt her heart slamming against her chest as she got closer to her home. Nerves racked her stomach, making her fingers shake slightly. She dreaded the moment she would have to tell Sebastian everything. He would be mad, she knew that. He would want to know why she kept it hidden from him for so long. She didn't have an excuse for not letting him know. She couldn't say he was too young because he was a grown man now. She just felt the right time to tell him the whole truth had passed already or hadn't come yet. Beatrice put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her in encouragement. Evaleen couldn't bring herself to smile back because of nerves and anxiety. She didn't know how Sebastian would react. His temper was something she couldn't face. And it was always difficult for her to tame him. She dreaded how angry he would be at her for hiding the truth from him. She sighed deeply and Beatrice squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
"I don't know if I can do this Beatrice",said softly.
"You can Evaleen",Beatrice said encouragingly. "I know Sebastian will be upset. But it's the right thing. He needs to know".
Evaleen sighed again. She just hoped she had the courage to tell him. She prayed to the great gods to help and guide her on what to do.
They finally got to the house, Evaleen, Beatrice and Nicklaus. Evaleen pushed the door opened and called go her son.
"Sebastian? I'm back".
There was silence.
And then a thud sounded from the inner room followed by a loud crash.
"Sebastian?",Evaleen called again and hurried towards his room with Beatrice and Nicklaus behind her.
Sebastian was sprawled on the bed on his back when Evaleen entered his room, fully dressed. His hair was tied back from his face atop his head and he looked better that he had been this morning before she left the house. There was a tray of food that had been thrown on the ground, spilling the pancake and strawberry sauce she made that morning before leaving the house.
"Darling, are you alright?",she asked in concern and sat on the edge of the bed beside him.
"I'm fine mother",Sebastian said. "Where have you been?".
"I was at Beatrice's house",Evaleen said and caressed the fine hair the curled around his temple. She always loved to do it. "I had to tell them about what happened yesterday".
"Are you okay Sebastian? We heard a crash",Nicklaus said.
"Yeah I'm okay. I pushed the tray a little too much when I move my hand", he said and looked towards Beatrice. "Morning aunty Beatrice",he said.
"Morning to you Sebastian",Beatrice replied with a smile. "Your mother told me everything that happened. Such a shame that someone tried to act as Nicklaus and lure you out".
"Whoever it was, the person knew how close Nicklaus and I were. And he knew I would definitely come out when I got the note",Sebastian said.
"I wish you hadn't come out",Nicklaus said. "This wouldn't have happened".
"What wouldn't have happened?", Sebastian asked with a frown.
"What happened last night",Evaleen said while she observed the look in his eyes. "Don't you remember?".
"Remember what?",Sebastian asked, looking confused.
Evaleen looked towards Beatrice with a strange look. Her eyes seemed to say, he doesn't remember so there's no need telling him.
"Let's head to the living room",Beatrice said. "Your mother will explain everything to you". She gave Evaleen a serious look and them turned and headed back to the living room.
"Did something serious happen?", Sebastian asked.
"Of course not darling",Evaleen said. "Come on. I'll tell you everything".
Evaleen got up abruptly and left the room. Sebastian watched her go with a guarded expression. Everyone was acting strange that morning.
"You sure you're okay?",Nicklaus asked when it was just both of them that remained in the room.
"Yeah I'm fine",Sebastian said again. "What exactly happened yesterday? Did my mother tell aunt Beatrice?".
"Just come with me",Nicklaus said. "Aunt Evaleen will explain everything to you".
"You aren't hiding anything from me, are you Nicklaus?",Sebastian asked suddenly.
Nicklaus gulped before answering with a straight face.
"Of course not",he said. "Why would you ask such a thing?".
"Because I wouldn't be very happy if I should find out you've been hiding something from me",Sebastian said with a serious face.
Nicklaus felt a cold bead of sweat crawl down his back, raising goosebumps from his skin. He tried as hard as he could to keep his face emotionless and never took his eyes away from Sebastian.
"I promise Sebastian",he said. "I will never hide anything from you. Never".
Sebastian then smiled. He walked closer to Nicklaus and slapped him hard on the shoulder, making Nicklaus pitch forward.
"I was just teasing Nicklaus",he said and laughed at the expression on his friend's face.
"You really need to stop doing that Sebastian",Nicklaus said with a tight smile. But his heart constricted painfully because in truth, he was actually hiding something from him. And it made him feel terrible because he was sworn to secrecy. He couldn't tell Sebastian. It wasn't his position to tell him.
"You coming?",Sebastian asked over his shoulder when Nicklaus remained standing inside the room. Nicklaus turned quickly and followed him out to the living room where Evaleen had set the table and dished out the meal she prepared.
They had a very quiet breakfast, all four of them. Evaleen could hardly eat, wondering how she would tell her son the whole truth while Sebastian's mind was occupied with what had happened in the room just before his mother came.
Standing in front of the mirror and right before his astonished eyes, two pairs of strong wings emerged from his back. Massive black wings. The excruciating pain he felt when the wings tore out of the sides of his back was proof enough to tell him that it was the same thing that had occured the previous night when he was up in the oak tree. And he was sure the reason why he couldn't remember a thing was because it had been his first time transforming, and his body had been weak due to the pain and the power of the wings. Hence the reason he passed out. What baffled him was the colour of his wings. They weren't white like the Angel he saw in the forest. They were dark. Pitch black wings and so powerful that when he flapped it once, the wind it created crashed the tray of food on his bed. And when he heard his mother call, he had quickly pulled it in, his eyes closed tight and his hands fisted in pain as the wings shrunk back. When it was done, he turned and examined his back. The wounds were closed. It took him only a few seconds to pull on a shirt and sprawl on the bed before his mother arrived in the room.
"Sebastian??",Evaleen called for the third time.
Sebastian's head whipped up and found himself the centre of attraction. His mother had cleared the table already and he was the only one left with his food. For how long had he been lost in his daydream?
"I'm sorry mother",he said. "What did you say?"
"I asked if you were done eating. Are you sure you're okay honey?",she asked and took his plate away.
"I'm okay mother",he lied. "I was just trying to remember what occured last night".
"Don't try to force it",Evaleen said.
"What really happened?",he asked. "Did you still get the neighbours to go with you?".
Evaleen gulped and shot a quick look towards Beatrice. This was the dreaded moment. Nerves tied her stomach in knots and made it difficult for her to speak.
"Evaleen?",Beatrice called. "Don't you have something to tell Sebastian?".
Evaleen gulped a second time and drew in a sharp breathe. She looked up at her son who was staring at her so innocently, waiting to hear what she had to say.
No. She couldn't do it. Cyrus wouldn't take her son away from her. Sebastian didn't need to know the kind of father he had. That wasn't the life she wanted for her son. It was a good thing that he couldn't remember the events of the past night. It meant the gods were in her favour. She would forever keep the secret from Sebastian, and carry it to her grave. Sebastian would never have to know who his real father was. It didn't matter who birthed him. All that mattered was who had been a good father figure to him. And that was Carl.
"Nothing much happened yesterday honey",she said and smiled at him. "You were knocked unconscious after you took two of the men down. The last one was probably afraid and he ran away. I had to quickly carry you back home, just in case he was going to bring more men".
"And what about the wound on my back?",Sebastian asked. His eyes never left Evaleen's as he listened for what she was going to say.
Evaleen hardened her heart and forced out the lie. "You were stabbed in the back, just before you were knocked unconscious".
The silence that settled around the table was a heavy one and Sebastian looked at his mother unbelievably.