Confused, I rushed downstairs while someone helped me to bring my bag downstairs. Through the halls, I had to keep a fake smile on my face as everyone stopped me to wish me happy birthday, chatting my ears off at the most inconvenient time and not taking any hints of my hurried body language.
"Ahvi!" Gordon exclaimed from the end of the hallway, ran towards me and lifted me off of the ground with a smug smile on his face, "Happy birthday to you, you stubborn, powerful, witch!" He exclaimed, twirling me in his arms as if I weighed nothing.
I found it hard to control my laughter, happiness engulfed me, and almost made me forget where I was rushing to, "Thank you Gordon, thank you," I said out of breath, "Please put me down! I'm getting rather dizzy here!" I cried out playfully.
He did as I said, dropping me back on the floor whilst holding his head, indicating he was dizzy as well, "Even at 21, you weigh nothing," he teased.
"Thank you, Gordon," I sarcastically grinned, "If you excuse me, I need to leave now," I tried to walk past him while I could catch up to them but he pulled me back. How I hated how easy it was for him to do that since he got his super strength at my age.
"Are you heading for breakfast? Let's go together then, what's the rush? It's not even all ready yet," a confused furrow formed across his forehead.
"I'm not heading for breakfast right now, Gordon, I just need to get somewhere really quick. Let's just say have a quick walk around before breakfast," I tried to excuse myself but he didn't budge, still looking rather unconvinced. I groaned in frustration, "Then it's girl stuff," I rolled my eyes.
"Funny," he said plainly, his arms folded across his chest with an unimpressed look on his face, "You could scare me with that bullshit while I was probably 10, but not anymore."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, "Gordon, please just leave the way so I can go and be back as soon as possible, please," I pleaded.
He said nothing, rolling his eyes before moving aside and made a way for me to pass. I gave him a bright smile before dashing for the front door, ignoring all the calls I was getting from the living room as I passed.
Hastily, I opened the large front door embellished with the brightest emeralds towards the front gates. Luckily enough, they were still there, standing and talking. It didn't seem so heated and I was safe because I could eavesdrop without them seeing me.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I realized Aunt Kira had cloaked their voices so I could barely hear what they were saying.
Now that the wolf had transformed back into a human, that fierce look was still there, although, he was gorgeous. One would definitely know he's one of them just by looking at him.
As he was fierce, so was he handsome. I don't think I've found anyone in this country as attractive before. At the same time, he looked cruel, and I knew he was cruel, above cruel if there was a word for it.
Could it have been that Aunt Kira sent a whole wolf to chase us out of the club last night? I doubt. She wouldn't be so irrational to do such a petty thing. She had other business with this wolf, and with the way I observed it, she didn't have a choice but to do as he was saying.
I hid behind the tree just in case Aunt Kira comes in without me knowing, and so rightfully so because she had entered a few minutes later, looking around for any sign of her members.
She looked rather frantic as she searched around, clutching her necklace with her pale face covered with terror. My heart began to race with fear because I knew she'd eventually get to this tree and see me. If she didn't see me, she'd definitely sense me through the way my heart was racing.
I began to panic as she got closer, accepting that she was most likely going to see me here and ask what I'm doing. I had to make it look natural, make myself look unknowing to all of it.
I sat at the base of the tree, pulled out my phone, and reluctantly began to read and reply to birthday messages with a gloomy look on my face, "Ahvi?" She called out perplexedly.
"My days!" I pretentiously jumped as if it was a fright, clutched my chest, and sighed deeply, "Good morning, Aunt Kira. Oh my days, you scared me," I greeted innocently, seemingly still trying to catch my breath.
She frowned, a deep, confused furrow across her brows, "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be having breakfast or letting the house wish you a happy birthday?" She questioned, her arms folded across her chest. No matter how much she pretended to be confused, I could still observe the bewilderment on her pale face.
"I just wanted to come out here for some fresh air," I shrugged, "I was feeling rather suffocated by my thoughts in the house. It's just," I paused, lowering my gaze bashfully, trying to bring the illusion of deep pain and thought, "everyone might look at me like a freak since last night. You know, what happened to the elders."
"Oh honey, that's nothing to be worried about, she joined me at the base of the try, taking me into her loving arms for a warm hug, "It was rather unusual indeed, but if I were you, I wouldn't take it to heart," she pulled me out, giving me a warm smile.
"But I am thinking about it," I sighed, averting my gaze from hers, "It has never happened for any of the other members for years, why me?" the words began to feel a lot more sincere in my heart.
"Because you're special, Ahvi," she assured me, tilting my head back up for me to look into her daring blue eyes, "You're a very special witch, you're not like the rest, and you should always keep that in mind," she assured me.
"Everyone here uses 'special' as 'dangerous'," I shook my head, "I feel I'm just dangerous and you're trying to make me feel better about myself," I scoffed with a playful shrug.
"Not in the slightest," she smiled, "You'd eventually see what I'm talking about. That only happened last night because your parents were both rejents, powerful ones at that. It's rather natural for you to be fiercely powerful after inheriting both their traits."
"Maybe," I shrugged.
"Come on, let's get some breakfast and kickstart your 21st," she smiled, helping me stand before throwing an arm over my shoulder and pulling me into her for a tender kiss on my forehead which made us both laugh.
I was smiling from ear to ear when I and Kira came in to the changing of the happy birthday song. I felt so loved and special anytime I was in the coven house, even at home, I knew I would get the same treatment from my cousins.
"Happy birthday, Ahvi!" multiple people came up to me, dropping little but heavy gifts in my hand and on my table, giving me a small hug afterwards.
"Thank you everyone, thank you so much," I greeted with a broad smile settled on my face.
I had noticed a few people giving me a horribly judgemental eye as if I did something, they weren't smiling to wish me a happy birthday either. As they caught my eyes, they also caught Aunt Kira's, "What the matter with you few?" she asked with a frown.
"With all due respect, I don't think we should be celebrating the birthday of the one who caused severe deformities to our elders from just a simple ritual," one of the men scoffed, folding his arms against his chest, "I know for a fact that that was on purpose.
I bowed my head instantly, shame and dread flooding over my thoughts as the rest of them murmured and agreed.
"You don't think we should celebrate a 21 year olds' birthday in my coven? Why? Because she turned out more powerful than we thought and it caused a painful aftermath?" Aunt Kira scoffed, "We all know that spell is the most unstable and unpredictable in the books. It's not a century old spell–"
"But it has worked everytime for thousands of witches with not so much of an effect," he interrupted, "Why is it that when it came the time to perform the ritual for her it caused such terror?"
"May I remind you young man that this immorality spell is very new compared to a lot that we know. It's still very much prone to cause a mess and be unstable," she seethed as I bowed my head in shame beside her.
"I still stand by my point; why has it never happened like this with anyone but Ahvi?" He questioned angrily, standing from his chair. That action seemed to anger Aunt Kira even more.
"I suggest you sit down!" she pulled him back down from where she sat with great force, I could feel the anger brewing from her, "Do you forget, do you all forget, the sacrifices her parents had to make for this coven? Do you forget how you all wept over their deaths when you were younger? Unlike the rest of us, a child isn't the only proof that they lived."
They went silent, shamed as they bowed their heads away from Kira but that particular man still looked ready to fight, "Aunt, just leave him be," I muttered, terrified to hold her hand but I did.
She sighed, smiling over at me before turning back at the table with a deadly look in her face, "They were regents, the greatest regents of our time. They brought this immortality spell to life if not a lot of you wouldn't be alive today!" She argued, "being birthed of two powerful regents would have its disadvantages, even the elders that got blinded and or and still recovering or unconscious know that, don't be unfortunate," she seethed.
He took to his feet and left angrily, using his shoulders to hit everything aggressively on the way after giving me a grim look over his shoulder.
Matthew added, "Shall we eat now? Let's not allow the likes of the hot-blooded ruin our perfect breakfast and our Ahvi's birthday," he exclaimed, raising a glass in my honor and we all cheered in accordance.
It was a happy breakfast, everyone was fine, right before he showed up to ruin it all.
Everyone was left distraught, all with a horrified look on their faces with their immediate defenses up with how he had entered with two others just as big as him but not nearly as daring looking.
"How did he get past the spell? How did he know this place was here?" I heard someone mutter behind me.
I was too mortified to look away, intrigued as well with the way he stared at me. His eyes gleamed, his intimidating demeanor coupled with the way his eyes shone as if he had struck gold struck a nerve in me.
His lips curled into an ominous smile, "Happy 21st birthday, mate."