**PRISCA'S POV**
I was in the garden, picking flowers for the dining room table. Daniel really needed to brighten up the house, and these red roses would definitely do the trick! I gathered them in my arms and placed them in a glass vase, then headed inside to see how they’d look on the table.
I entered the dining room with a wide smile, only to find my dad sitting there, lost in his thoughts.
“Morning, Dad. What’s wrong?” I asked, placing the vase in the center of the dining table.
He looked at me, and for a moment, I saw something that resembled fear in his eyes. “We need to talk, Prisca. Please, sit down.”
*Oh no.* My heart dropped as I sat next to him, suddenly feeling nervous. “What do we need to talk about that’s got you looking so scared?”
He sighed deeply. “Please, try not to freak out about what I’m about to tell you.”
The only way I’d freak out is if he said he was dying of cancer. I nodded, waiting for him to continue.
“Prisca, you’re special. You are… well, we are both different, and so was your mother, your grandmother, and everyone in our family before that.”
I raised my eyebrows, unsure of where this was going. “What do you mean, Daniel?”
He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “You’re a hybrid, Prisca. A very special hybrid. You’re part witch and part werewolf. My mother was a member of the strongest coven ever known to mankind—‘The Hidden Coven.’ She was one of the last hidden witches before she died. My father was a sacred beast cursed by the moon, known as a werewolf. I inherited the werewolf gene from him, but I didn’t inherit my mother’s magic. Still, I’m the leader of the Grim Warlocks by blood.”
He paused to let that sink in, but my mind was spinning. “Wait, what?”
“When my mother died, my father couldn’t cope, but he’s still alive. I wanted to run away from all this—werewolves, witches, supernatural stuff—so I ran as far as I could. I left when I was nineteen.”
He hesitated for a moment, then continued, “I went to Asia, where I met your mother. She was working as a journalist for the *UK Times.* God, she was beautiful. I knew there was something special about her from the moment we met. She was innocent, human—exactly what I thought I needed to escape this world. We got married and moved to Canada. Three years later, you were born, Prisca. I was so damn happy. But then, the Moon Goddess decided to take it all away. I got a vision... a message from one of the last hidden witches. She’s a good friend of mine and the current Queen of the Hidden Coven. She warned me that you were in danger, Prisca. That you carried your ancestors' blood. I thought I could outrun it all, but I was wrong,” he finished, sounding frustrated.
My eyes were wide with shock. I was barely processing any of this. *What. The. Hell.* This couldn’t be real. It had to be some kind of sick joke.
“This isn’t funny, Daniel!” I snapped, balling my hands into fists. “If this is some twisted joke, stop! Now!”
I stood up to leave, but he grabbed my hand, his grip firm. “It’s not a joke, honey. Please, listen. The Hidden Witches are nearly extinct because they were hunted by the Shadow Hunters—powerful warlocks who practice dark magic. They wanted to eliminate the Hidden Witches because they saw them as a threat. To protect you, I had to hide you in Canada with your mother. I revealed everything to her, and though she was angry, she agreed it was best for your safety if I left. She didn’t abandon you, Prisca; she was trying to protect you. A few months ago, a Shadow Hunter had a vision about two hidden witches that still survive. That’s why I brought you here. You’re in danger, and I need to protect you.”
I pulled my hand away, stunned. I didn’t know how to feel. Anger, fear, and betrayal all crashed down on me. How could my parents have hidden this from me? My own life, my very existence, was a secret. And now I was being told I’m part witch, part *werewolf*—a literal beast—and that I’m being hunted by warlocks.
A part of me felt relief, though. It explained a lot about the strange things that had been happening to me over the past few weeks. But mostly, I just felt sick. The room started to spin, and before I knew it, I was reaching for the small trash can nearby, emptying the contents of my stomach. *I wish I could throw up my entire life right now.*
After rinsing my mouth, I finally gathered the courage to speak. “So I’m a witch? And a werewolf, too?” I asked sarcastically. “How come I’ve never shifted or felt any of this before? Maybe I didn’t inherit anything from you, Dad.” I was hoping this was all a mistake—that he was wrong, or worse, that he was completely delusional.
He squeezed my hand tightly but gently. “Sweetheart, I wish that were the case. I wish you were just human, like your mother. We could have lived a normal life, without all this fear. But this is our fate, and we have to live with it. My cousin, Allesia, put a blocking spell on you when you were younger. That’s why you haven’t felt any of your powers. But now that you’re eighteen, your powers have awakened. That’s probably why the Shadow Hunters were able to sense you. As for your wolf, you’ll start feeling her soon, now that the spell has been broken.”
I felt utterly defeated, like my entire world had come crashing down. *This is why I’ve been hearing things. Why strange things have been happening. It all makes sense now.*
“So... what now?” I asked, barely realizing I had spoken out loud.
“We’re moving back home. To your real home, princess—New Orleans,” he said softly, though his expression was serious.
I snatched my hand away from him. *Unbelievable!* I had just started to get used to living in Zimbabwe, and now he wanted me to leave again? *What about Bryan? What about school?* (Code for Bryan, because school was the last thing on my mind.)
“I can’t do this again! I just can’t. You can’t expect me to leave and start over! Maybe you’re wrong, or maybe you’re just crazy! Maybe this is why Mom left you, because you’re completely insane! Just... stay away from me! I can’t believe this!” I shouted, turning to storm out of the room.
But before I could even take a step, he grabbed my arm again—this time, more aggressively. He was pissed, and I could feel it.
“I’m sorry, Prisca, but we have to leave tonight. 8 p.m. sharp. I need to protect you, and the only way to do that is to get you close to family and your coven. There’s a lot you have to learn. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but if you try anything stupid, I won’t be so gentle. Understand?” His voice was cold, sending a chill down my spine.
I nodded, barely managing to hold back tears. He released my arm, but I could already feel the bruise forming.
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