Chapter 38 — Her Time Away

The first place I went to was the pack house. I hid in some nearby bushes and tried to convince myself to go in and truly apologize to Sadia. I stayed for an hour but couldn’t bring myself to do it again and for the same reasons as before. I stared at my phone and re read some of our old messaged. Sadia talked about herself a lot, but she cared about me too.

Before I left the castle, I took the portal splicer and used it to go to my mother’s house. I teleported to her doorstep and knocked. Mae looked happy to see me. She gave me a hug and it was the most comforting hug I’ve gotten in the past few weeks. “I didn’t think you’d come back so soon; you father usually takes longer than a few weeks.” She pulled away. “You look…”

“Terrible, I know.”

She pulled me in. “I’m going to put on some tea and run you a bath. She walked to the kitchen. “So, what’s been going on with you? Work has never made Konn look that over worked. Please tell me you haven’t been over doing your abilities.”

“Ding, ding, ding, a winner.” I sneezed. “I’ve been given task after task.”

She started making the tea then rushed to the bathroom downstairs and left the door open while she ran the water. “You can’t keep letting them work you like that Aqua.”

“I know, I won’t because I’m not going back.” I couldn’t go back. “I ruined everything and hurt everyone around me. Lynn knows about you, Sadia found out about me and Vella, Lexus was kicked out of the castle and might lose his throne. Things were fine in the castle before I came.”

“That’s just your perspective. Affairs, secrets, and betrayal has been happening in the castle since before you got there. There’s always been hard times, this is just one. You shouldn’t go back through.” She walked out. “Hold on.” She walked upstairs and came down with clothes. “Your bath is ready, and I got some clean clothes for you.”

I got up, left the portal splicer on the coffee table, and walked into the bathroom. I closed the door and took my clothes off. A few bite marks from Lexus were still on my thighs. They were faded but I liked them, I didn’t want them to go. I soaked in the bath for a while and used my mother’s body wash and shampoo. I loved the fact that I’d smell like her. 

When I got out, I brushed my teeth and detangled my hair. I threw my hair into space buns. I put on the clothes she brought me. It was a blank oversized shirt and sweats. I walked out of the bathroom. “Come sit.” She smiled. She was on the couch with a blanket over her. “The shirt is your fathers, and the sweats are mine. I thought you’d prefer to be comfortable.” 

I sat down on the couch and grabbed the teacup on the coffee table. I poured myself tea and started to drink it. “I’m exhausted.”

She wrapped herself around me. “Then sleep.”

I put the teacup down and cuddled with my mother and fell asleep. I woke up an hour and a half later and she wasn’t there. I looked around and saw her in the kitchen. “I’m almost done with dinner.” I smiled. Everything felt so calm here. I walked into the kitchen with the blanket still wrapped around me and sat at the table. I wished I had grown up here with her. “Okay tell me everything that happened but with detail.”

I explained everything to her about Sadia, Lexus, Vella, and Cade. I told her about how I felt and what I wanted. “I just don’t think I should stay here with you yet. I want to but they’d look here for me first. The king and queen won’t let me leave easily. I’m too valuable. I thought about finding Lexus and staying with him, but I doubt he’d answer. Maybe it’s not the best idea to hide out with him.”

“It’s not Aqua, not yet.” We had both finished eating. “Come back when you’re ready okay?” 

I nodded. “Can I take this?” I referred to the blanket. 

Mom smiled. “Yes, please.” She chuckled.

I left with the blanket, and I noticed an elderly woman tending to my mom's garden. I wasn’t going to say anything, but she called out to me. “Come here.” She spoke.

I walked to her. “Yes?”

“This is the first time we’ve officially met. You’re Aqua right?”

I nodded. “Are you one of the witches in my mom’s coven?”

She shook her head. “Not exactly, I’m Betty.”

I smiled. “She’s talked about you, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Betty chuckled. “I don’t know about an honor. Where are you off to?”

“I don’t know yet… anywhere I won’t be found.”

Betty smiled. “Come with me back to the human realm. I’ll make sure you’re untraceable.”

I was being offered to be taken in by the same woman who took in my mother, of course I was going to say yes. “What are we waiting for?”

“Perfect.” 

Our trip back to the human world was a short one. She took me to a station that opened portals to the outside world. They were pricey but she had more than enough for both of us. We walked through the portal and were in the Forest next my old town. I followed her to her cottage. “I can’t believe you’ve lived this close to me all my life.”

Betty chuckled as she walked in. “I usually don’t stay in one place for thirty years. I’m going to move soon. I only stayed here so long for your mother then you. When I found out Konn left you here I had to keep an eye on you. There’s been many times I wanted to scoop you up when you were unhappy but then I’d have to worry about the case of child abduction.”

I wish she would have taken me, but not really because I love my adoptive siblings. I would have loved to be able to come here and stay with her a few days whenever I wanted. I looked around. “Are you going to tell my mother I’m here?”

Betty laid down on one of the couches. “Not if you don’t want me to. You’re in a lot of distress, aren’t you?” 

I sighed. “Yeah…” I closed my eyes and thought of my sister Tay. I saw her in our home. I opened my eyes and wiped the blood from the corners. “It's hard to use my abilities without pain lately.”

“I can fix that.” She got up. “Your heart is broken too?” 

I chuckled sadly. “Yeah… we can’t be together and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“He’s not married, is he?” She joked. 

“He was supposed to be… His wedding would have been in half a month, but he called it off for me. A lot of stuff came to light, and we were separated.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “How about I teach you some magic? Learning something new always helped your mother cope with a broken heart.” I never thought about learning magic, especially because I was born with abilities.

During the next week Betty made sure I didn’t use my abilities at all. She gave me all kinds of magic infused soups and baths to help heal me inside and out. I learned a lot about the history of witches and their involvement in both the outside and hidden world. Witches and hybrids were the bridge between both worlds and helped keep peace between them. We were the representatives of the outside world to the hidden one. I’d beg her to tell me stories of my mother. “She would sneak the pixies into her room because she wanted to keep them. She even thought one of them could help her find your father since they could fly fast to the barrier or sense nearby portals.”

I invited Tay over a few times. I had been in connect with her for the past three weeks before coming back here with Betty. Dad was able to get my phone magically adjusted so it could receive and send texts to the outside world. Tay was impressed by magic and even wanted to learn a little herself.

Betty had us go on hikes and meditate for so much longer than I would back at the castle. I finally tried my first spell which was a levitation spell. Betty smiled. “See, I knew you could get it. Sometimes you have to just for it even if it seems impossible.” That stuck with me.

“Thanks Gram.” Being with Gram made me forget about everything that troubled me.

We were hiking and it was nice until Gram teleported us to the wrong trail. “We’re going to have to figure another way down. I don’t have enough energy to teleport again.” We started walking down a trail, but it was a dead end. We were at a cliff with no other way to go. “Any ideas?”

I nodded. “One… sometimes you have to just go for it.”

She scrunched her eyebrows. “Wait what are you—”

I jumped mid-sentence, so I didn’t hear the rest of what she said. I tried shifting into my dragon form as hard I could. I was falling possibly to my death, but I kept trying. I thought of My Dad and my mom. I thought of when my dad and brothers would shift. I tried to picture myself shifting then I thought of Arma, Stewart and even Sadia. These were the people I care about from the hidden world. Lastly, I thought of Lexus and my love for him even though he broke my heart.

I opened my eyes, and I was flying, I wasn’t in my dragon form, but I was halfway. I understood what Lexus meant about it being uncomfortable. It felt incomplete. Flying wasn’t the right word to use I was frantically flapping my wings and moving kind of uncontrollably. I flew the best I could back up to Gram and picked her up. I moved her onto the right trail and landed next her. I shifted the rest of the way to my human form. “I can’t believe I just did that. I think I can shift all the way if I just tr—” I froze when I sensed Lexus’ scent. “Gram Lexus is here but I don’t want to see him, I don’t know what I would say or do. What if he tries to take me back to the castle? I’m not ready to leave yet.” Gran held onto my shoulders and chanted. I didn’t know what I’d do if he found me, a part of me wanted him to.

She stopped when I said he was gone. “The spell made it so he couldn’t hear, smell, sense, or see you.” She started walking. “No one will be able to find you Aqua. There’s a protection spell on my house, no spell will be able to track you and I’ll do whatever else I need to for you to be safe.”

Another week passed. The holder nightmares had stopped. “You can use your abilities now but don’t overdo it. Let’s see if you have any side effects this time.”

I closed my eyes and looked around the forest. There was no blood or pain. “There’s guards from the castle here Gram. Fuck my father and brother are with them. They’re coming this way.” I freaked out.

Gram walked to her chest where she keeps her most valuable enchanted items. She put a necklace around my neck. “Stay put.” She walked to the door when there was a knock and answered it.

My father was at the door by himself. “Hello, Miss, I sense a strong magical aura coming from your home.”

Gram frowned. “I’d hope so or I wouldn’t be a very good witch. Why are you calling me Miss? it should be obvious to you who I am.”

Dad chuckled nervously. “It is but I thought who I was wouldn’t be obvious to you.”

Gram shrugged. “I keep up with politics from the hidden world, you’re a political figure as an adviser. Mae didn’t have to say much for me to be able to know who you are.”

“She spoke fondly of you too but the reason why I’m here is my daughter is missing. I know this is a long shot, but have you seen her?”

Gram shook her head. “No but what do you mean missing? Was she taken by someone?”

“No, she ran away.” 

Gram laughed. “She’s an adult Konn, if she chooses to leave then you let her.”

“I don’t expect you to understand. I’m worried about her, if you end up knowing anything about her whereabouts, please let me know.”

“I might.” Gram said before closing the door. 

I waited until they were gone to take off the necklace. “Do you think he was really worried about me or that he was just looking for me because of an order like the first time?”

“The first time he knew where you were, he kept tags on you and checked up on you. Now he has no idea where you are. I think he is worried.” She shook her head when I tried to give her the necklace. “I enchanted it for you. When I have to chant a spell to keep you hidden from Lexus, I enchanted that for you the next day. You can keep it; I got the necklace from my mother, but I have tons of things of hers.”

I smiled. “I don’t know if I can hide forever.”

“Hide for as long as you need to for comfort.” She went into her room.

I got up and went into the room I was staying in. It used to be my mothers and before that it used to be Grams’s other daughter’s room. I was the fourth girl to stay in this room. It was comforting. I fell asleep quickly that night.

“Aqua I see you’re doing better.” A woman said, she was beautiful.

“Uh yeah…” I looked around and there was nothing but light. It felt like a holder dream, but I wasn’t watching the future or the past. I was me and everything was clear. “My Great Gram has been helping me.”

The woman smiled. “That’s good to here. When are you returning to the hidden world? I didn’t like to think of myself as impatient, but I want to know if I need to try something new. You’ve been the greatest chance I’ve had in centuries.”

“Chance for what?” Then I realized who she was. “You’re the moon goddess?”

She chuckled. “You can call me Diana child. Now I’m routing for you and Lexus but don’t be afraid of hurting my feelings by rejecting him.”

“Why are we the first mates in centuries?”

Diana shook her head. “You’re not. You’re like the fourth or fifth. Mates where a great thing especially in the beginning but then the rate of rejection was so high. No one wanted to be with their other half, so I started sending souls off whole, unlinked and they them choose their mates themselves. Almost every century I choose two souls and link them to be two halves of a whole soul. I do it to see if I should bring them back or not. They’re asked for all the time but people just like the idea of them.”

“Why me now? Is it because I’m the holder?”

“I made you the holder. I had the ability to choose whether the abilities were inherited by you or your brothers. I chose you because Konn had already made the decision that if Mae give him the choice to choose where you ended up that it would be in the human world. Even if he didn’t send you to the human world, you wouldn’t have been raised in the castle. It wasn’t likely at all.” She started to explain.

She paused then continued, “I wanted the next holder to not be tethered to the royal family. I can’t explain everything to you now. I chose you to have a mate as a reward to your family for all they’ve done for my species. Even though they’ve been tethered to the royal family they’ve still made me proud. Plus, it would make sure that you would at some point return to the magical world. True mates are destined to meet one way or another. My mistake was not checking who your other half would end up being. I choose my most passionate available soul, but he ended up being the prince which usually complicates things. This is all I can explain for now.”

“What do I do now? What do you want me to do now? Go back?”

“I want to know if you will go back. Not to the castle but to the hidden world to live your own life as a holder. The answer is up to you. If you go back, you should recover the stones, they’ll help you reach your true potential as a holder. If you have them the king and queen also won’t have the power to force you to do anything you don’t want. I wanted the kind of holder I originally planned for, and you can be the rest is up to you.”

When I woke up, I knew what I had to do. I had to go back.