The door flung open by itself and Bloom led the way in while Amora clutched her bag tightly and followed close. It was like the interior of this strange house was bigger than the exterior. Amora's body began to feel weird and she felt as if the house and every object in it were alive. She felt as if she had been there before and that made her head ache as she tried to get rid of the feeling.
Still mesmerized by the sight of the house, she moved to where a jade vase sat on a table and made to touch it, the vase moved and that made her jump.
"jeez! Did that vaze just move?" she asked bloom who was laughing at her ignorance.
"of course, it did move, it's the house of one of the most powerful Mystian families. Every house here is founded deeply with various kinds of magic, get used to it" Bloom explained to her as she touched the vase that had moved earlier.
"This is not just a house, it could pass for a castle. Look at it's enormous hallway. The walls are made of really strong bricks I can see" Amora was pacing back and forth now, admiring everything in the hall. Just then, they heard a feminine voice coming from the stairs area.
"who's there?" The voice asked.
"that's Lady Sereia, she's one of the daughters-in-law of the family" Bloom whispered and Amora nodded.
"who's there?" The lady asked again.
" good day Lady Sereia, it's me Bloom, Bloom Anemone" Bloom said and the lady came out from the room she was and down the stairs. Lady Sereia Daeva, the third daughter-in-law of the Daeva household, walked down the stairs with so much grace that left Amora speechless. Lady Sereia wore a light blue gown that had loose bell hands. The blue gown matched with her pale bluish hair. She looked like she was just in her twenties, her skin spotless and her face radiating beautiful youthfulness.
"Bloom dear, what brings you here and who is your friend?" Lady Sereia asked as she walked towards them.
" uh, this here is Amora, and we are here to see Grandma Daeva" Bloom replied. Lady Sereia eyed Amora skeptically from head to toe. "your grace" Amora did a lousy courtesy to the lady who in turn gave the hooded girl a stiff smile.
"Grandma Daeva is having her usual meditation spree and wouldn't be available till later. What do you want?" She asked, speaking with an accent that had eloquence breathing on it. Bloom frowned slightly when she heard what the lady said about the matriarch of the house not being available.
" well, I found Amora and she is the long lost daughter of Lady Aura Daeva"
The lady eyed Amora again as Bloom spoke. " take off your head cover child" Lady Sereia motioned for Amora to take off her hoodie. Amora took off the hoodie, revealing her red hair and her face. The lady gasped as she saw Amora's face. "it can't be! oh goddess of the moon!" She exclaimed.
"we thought you died" She added.
" well, here she is, and we would like to sew Grandma Daeva" Bloom stated.
"Olette, come see" She called out, Another lady came down from the stairs, wearing an apron over her red flowery dress and a hat covering her still obvious purple hair.
" what now Sereia? I have to attend to the muffins for tea before Grandma gets back from her soul travel" The lady frowned a little as she spoke.
"oh! Leave the muffins dear, come see Aura's lost child" Sereia whisked the lady from where she stood.
The other Lady looked at Amora and also gasped staring at Amora and then at a huge painting of the said Aura.
"oh my! She looks like her but how sure are you that she isn't an impostor?" Olette asked scrutinizing Amora.
Amora brought out the book Louisa had given her and a bracelet, showing it to the two ladies.
"it is indeed the book of essence Olette, but her hair, she isn't an essence but a fire elemental. Could it be that the prophecy was wrong?" Sereia was going through the book Amora had handed to her.
"look uh, ma'am, I don't know what you are talking about, but something pulled me here from my home and I lost my mother, the only one I knew, abandoned my friend and and and" Amora was beginning to break into tears now. Bloom held her close, hugging and comforting her.
"Oh, poor child! Come here child" Lady Sereia and Olette joined in the hug.
"what is going on here?" a commanding voice came from the stairs, making them break their hug. The voice belonged to a stern-looking woman who had slightly grey hair. She wore a white flowing gown that flowed behind her as she walked down the stairs. "Greetings Grandma Daeva" Bloom and the two other ladies greeted the woman with a bow who was standing just a foot from them. Amora couldn't believe that she was the Grandma Daeva they had been talking about. She had expected an old frail lady, but she was standing before a lady that looked like she was just in her fifties, not just any fifties, a young looking fifty.
"Ah! Bloom, it's been a while, what brings you here? Why aren't you in the learning halls?" The lady smiled.
" I had to help my father today and I stumbled on Amora, Aura's daughter" Bloom replied pushing Amora forward.
"Aura's daughter?" The lady looked confused as she stared at Amora. Amora greeted her with a slight bow and a tight smile, not sure of what to say.
"it can't be, how is this possible? She is a fake" The lady declared still giving Amora a stern look that intimidated her.
"but she has the book of the essence and Stellan's bracelet" Sereia said as she showed Grandma Daeva the book and the bracelet. The lady took the book and the bracelet, examining it, she looked at Amora who had a sad frown now.
" look ma'am, um Grandma Daeva, I know you don't believe this, I also don't believe this and I was hoping that coming here would help explain things better but it's just pointless" Amora put her hoodie back on and was about leaving. "Bloom, please could you take me to where you found me? Perhaps I could find my way from there" she added.
Grandma Daeva got pleading looks from Olette and Sereia. "Stop! I believe you, you look exactly like Aura" She said pointing at a huge picture on the wall. Amora moved to where the picture stood, looking at it, she felt like she had seen that person before but wasn't certain of the familiarity. Aura's painting looked like it was staring deep into Amora's soul.
"who is Ulanni?" She asked still looking at the painting.
"you are Ulanni child, that was the name your parents gave you. My dear son Stellan, your father had picked the name" Grandma Daeva explained.
"Welcome home Ulanni" She added.
"uh, could we please stick to the name Amora?" Amora pleaded.
"Olette, please set the table so our dear Amora will have something to eat, she looks famished" Grandma said to Olette who was still wearing her apron.
"so, Amora, I'll go now, you enjoy your home, welcome back" Bloom wanted to leave but Grandma Daeva asked her to stay for lunch.
" Thank you Grandma, i was actually very hungry" Bloom smiled sheepishly. Amora laughed at the fact that Bloom looked like she was a huge fan of good food just like Lesley.
Olette clapped her hands twice and then a table came floating with chairs following it. Amora was very much amazed to see the table setting itself.
"wow! Is everything in this house enchanted?" She asked.
"almost everything in the land is enchanted Mora, come now, let's go feed our bellies, Lady Olette makes the best muffins in the land" Bloom dragged Amora off to the dining area that had set itself.
The plates were designed beautifully with rose and diamond patterns adorning their smooth bodies. There and then, Amora agreed that this new family of hers had some real high stash of gold somewhere to afford this kind of castle-like house with beautiful china plates or so she thought.
Olette soon arrived with plates and plates of food floating behind her. "All of these for me?" Amora asked wide eyes as the plates arranged themselves while Olette clapped for more plates to come. The food looked strange to Amora but had a really delightful aroma that made her mouth water and her belly rumble.
"ooh! Chocolate mould, melted cheese and jelly sandwiches, chocolate muffins, Murberry pudding, crown peach pie, oh goddess of the moon! This is a real treat! That was Bloom exclaiming at the sight of so much food.
"help yourselves" Olette said with a smile and waltzed away singing a song that sounded quite strange to Amora.
"you should try the chocolate mould Mora" Bloom put some of the mentioned mould to her plate and handed her a fork. Amora dug into the mushy chocolate dish, slowly putting it into her mouth. Amora thought her buds were partying the moment the chocolate mould touched her tongue. It was the tastiest thing she had ever tasted.
"Oh gosh, these are good" Amora's mouth was stuffed with food as she spoke. "do you mind sharing your recipes with me Lady Olette?" She asked Olette who was still bringing in more food.
"oh yes, of course i'd love to show you my cook book" The lady smiles at her. Grandma Daeva sat away from the table , but her scrutinizing eyes never left Amora who was laughing now with Lady Sereia.
Grandma Daeva could see the resemblance with Aura and could see the essence book and Stellan's bracelet. Her dear dear Stellan who reminded her of her husband , Lord Kenelm Daeva, the greatest healer and member of the royal court. Stellan had been the only child of her five children who had taken their father's ability, which was healing. The other four, had taken her own witching abilities. Stellan reminded her of Kenelm, there was no one to remind her of her son, now this child had come, saying she was her beloved Stellan and Aura's daughter. She felt skeptical about it, she had tried to use the silent energy tap spell to feel the energy,but she did not get anything which made her still skeptical about Amora.
"Do you think she is Aura's daughter?" Lady Olette asked the matriarch who still had her eyes on Amora who was still laughing with Bloom. "we shall soon find out Olette, we will find out" She replied.
Bloom made to leave after having a good lunch and receiving appreciation from Amora countless times.
" I'll drop by tomorrow and I'll be sure to take you around Vadina" Bloom assured her.
"Thank you so much, Bloom, you are so kind" replied Amora. They said their goodbyes and Amora watched Bloom skip her way home.
Grandma Daeva had Amora sit on y comfortable chair while they talked. She asked her a few questions about her life in the human realm.
Amora told them things she could, even up to her mother's death, but careful by leaving out the part about being followed by shifting demonic beings.
Grandma Daeva listened with rapt attention, feeling pity and skeptical at the same time. She hugged Amora who was beginning to tear up as she talked about Louisa.
"I know just the right thing to cheer you up my darling" She said with a smile as she got up and went into the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a large metal cup containing something that smelled really delicious to Amora. She handed the cup to Amora and asked her to drink. The drink was foamy and had a really nice honey aroma.
" That's honeymead, one of the best drinks in Vadina after the Burgrapes wine" Olette said.
Amora took a sip and indeed it tasted like honest and gave a nice tingling sensation to her throat when she swallowed.
"this is good " She said as she gulped the entire drink down. " Lesley would have loved this" she added.
"who is Lesley?" Grandma Daeva asked.
" oh my best friend back in San Geneva" Amora kept talking about Lesley, till she began to feel dizzy. She yawned and yawned till she fell asleep and the metal cup fell from her hand.
Grandma Daeva examined her to check if she was truly asleep. Amora made some sleepy sounds and then adjusted herself on the soft chair.
" what do you want to do Grandma?" Lady Sereia asked. "I thought you said you believed her?" she added.
"how do you believe a girl whois dressed like that claiming to be Aura's daughter huh?" That was Grandma Daeva sounding stern now. Sereia apologized and Grandma Daeva proceeded with what she was doing.
She clapped her hands three times and a table came floating to where she stood.
"now, we check if she's real or not" she said with a mischievous smile. She handed Olette a list of things to go bring from her chambers, Olette returned in no time carrying the objects.
"cauldrona" Grandma Daeva said a spell and her hands glowed as she did, a cauldron appeared on the table. She lit a small purple candle in front of the cauldron, afterwhich she poured in clean water.
"Perley tonic" She said, and then Olette handed her the tonic. She poured some of the tonic into the cauldron too. She stirred it with a wooden spoon, she asked for other materials that included blue rose and hair from herself. She asked Olette to go cut hair from the sleeping Amora. Grandma Daeva added Amora's hair into the mixture and stirred it again.
"reveliate vricantiem" she said into the cauldron. At first nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the mixture in the cauldron began to bubble. It changed from it's bluish color to light purple. The three women gasped when they saw the color change.
"she really is the one Grandma, but her hair, the prophecy" Olette whispered with panic notes in her voice.
" sometimes, prophecies don't happen" Grandma Daeva said. " she is a Daeva and must be treated as such, essence or no essence, or fire elemental, prophecy or not" She said again.
"Yes Grandma" Olette and Sereia said in unison. Grandma Daeva took one more look at Amora before putting a hex on the chair she sat which now took her to her designated room.