Chapter 271

The night, as long and dramatic as it was, finally came to a slow buzz and people began to gradually retire to their rooms.

I'd gone to get Xander immediately we got back and I was sitting in the common area with Kelly as we all sat to watch another address by Vlad.

He'd added ‘The Great’ to his name and it irritated me to no end how often the reporter was mentioning it but then, their lives probably depended on it so I guess it best to channel my anger to the right source.

“He is like a hungry tsunami, devouring town after town without getting satisfied,” Kelly hissed, equally irritated. “He has nearly half the world under his control and he's still conquering?”

“A creature like will have control over the entire planet and then begin searching the entire space for somewhere else to conquer,” Orion replied, “the universe will not even be enough for him.”

“We'll stop him,” I stated, “I'm sure of it.”

I heard footsteps and I looked up to see Aunt Zoey walking towards us with a bag.

“You guys won't wait till tomorrow?” I asked her.

“No, we should have been on our way long before now and we can't waste any more time. We'll keep in touch though, I've given your mother a way to contact me. She'll share it with you later.”

I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself.

“I–”

“Alright, I've had enough of this,” she cut me off, “follow me. Now!”

“Oh, okay,” I mumbled and got up. I removed my finger from Xander's fangs and gave him to Kelly before rushing after her.

People looked at us with the same confusion I had on my mind, wondering what was happening.

She turned towards the bridge that led to my Parent's wing.

“Is something wrong, Aunt Zoey?”

“You tell me,” she hissed, opening the door angrily.

“Zoey, if you wanted to watch us have sex, you could just send a formal request,” I heard my Mum's joking tone as I tentatively walked in as well. “Oh,” she gasped upon seeing me. “Did something happen?”

“I have no idea Vi, but you and your daughter hate each other and I want to know why.”

“Hate?” I scoffed, “that's quite extreme, Aunt Zoey. I don't hate her.”

“How can you even say that Zoey? You know I love my daughter so much,” My Mum said but it just felt like nails on a chalkboard.

“That's not what she's talking about Mum,” I corrected her, “love isn't something either of us can lay claim to. But saying we hate each other is wrong, that we can agree on.”

“How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? I do love you, you're my daughter for crying out loud.”

“Yes, you always say it right after proving to me that you don't. I'm just saying that the opposite of love isn't hate. Let's not mix things up.”

“Why do you think your mother hates you Elly?”

“I literally just said it,” I affirmed, “her words and her actions are in different directions. She always says them as a justification but it's only salt to a wound that she keeps digging into. But I'm sure you didn't bring me here to discuss the love between my mom and I, especially with everything happening right now.”

“In fact, I did. You both are going to sit here and repair whatever it is that is broken between you. Whatever ugliness you have allowed to grow, you will kill it. I'm not leaving until you do so,” she declared, going to lock the door.

“Come on Zoey,” my mum sighed, “there's no need for all of this. We'll figure it out later, there's no need to delay your journey.”

“There's actually nothing to figure out, you shouldn't waste your time on this. I'm sure Cousin Dahlia is worried sick about you guys coming out here when the world is dangerous.”

“And I said,” she enunciated, “if you both don't fucking talk it out like grown ass adults, I'm not going anywhere!” She snapped, her voice ringing across the room.

I opened my mouth and closed it, all protests dying in my throat.

I'm not stupid, I knew this wasn't how a mother-daughter relationship is supposed to be like. But it's been so many years and a lot has been happening, I just didn't have any good expectations from her anymore.

I was surprised by her gesture earlier and that’s the problem. At nearly fifty, I shouldn't be surprised that my parents are letting me handle responsibilities like that. I should have been touring international waters from the year I turned eighteen but instead, I was locked inside like a glorified prisoner and things just kept getting worse.

“I've apologised before, Zoey, but she's not open to understanding my thoughts and feelings so I really don't know what else to do.”

“She knows the full extent of the prophecy?”

“I don't even care about that anymore,” I cut in, “nothing justifies imprisoning my mate. That's why all of this happened by the way. The entire war, Vlad coming back, it's all their fault. He's my mate and yet he's still being treated like a virus.”

“You both are destined to destroy the world,” she whispered, looking down at her hands.

“What are you talking about?” I asked with a frown.

“The way you saw your mate being hurt, that's how we all saw it, me and your fathers. The vision was intense and overwhelming. We've just been trying to keep you both apart since birth to ensure it doesn't come to pass.”

“Wait, you knew he was going to be my mate and you sent him off to that horrible place?!”

“Zoey this is not getting anywhere,” she groaned, “just leave it.”

“Stop being a lazy bum. Talk to your daughter,” her sister insisted even though I was boiling inside.

“What do you want me to tell her? I've spent the last forty years looking for a way to make it work. I've stopped living, all I do is struggle to keep her here and away from rushing towards that prophecy and ruining everything we suffered for. You were there Zoey, you know the hell I went through. I couldn't let my own child destroy it all.”

“What on earth would make me feel the need to destroy the world? Especially if I was loved as a child and if my mate was raised alongside me in equal love? What makes you think that this path you chose, treating him like shit and making me go through hell while pregnant to rescue him won't send us down whatever dark path you were scared of?”

“I didn't know what else to do, the prophecy didn't exactly come with a manual! Your fathers and I did our best, we hoped to bring him here once the time was right and everything would be fine but then those stupid generals went and ruined things. I didn't even know a soldier from Vlad's army survived. If not, none of this would have happened.”

I laughed a humourless laugh.

“If you had kept this up for another ten years Mom,” I said, “and then brought him to me at the ‘right time,’ I would have gone away with him and you'll never see me again. You can't blame anyone else for this.”

“But I'm sorry Eleanor,” she said through muffled tears, “I was scared. The vision was so real and it was just after so many years of pain and suffering and I just wanted to sacrifice anything to make sure we don't descend into chaos again.”

“Turns out I was the sacrifice and if you were able to go through with it, putting me through all of that just to feel a semblance of control, then you definitely don't love me. So yes, you don't hate me and I definitely don't hate you but there's no love lost between us. I'm out of here.”