The meeting ground was just as Laura had described. A hall tastefully designed. Even the chairs were intricately patterned beautifully.
This community was really creative. I thought as I let my eyes wander through the entirety of the very large hall. It was even bigger than the hall back at home that had been used for my sendforth party.
Remembering that hall brought a bitter taste to my mouth and heart, such that I tuned off my admiration antenna, and let Laura lead me to one of the seats. It was then that I became aware of the glances thrown in my direction from left, right and center. Of course, everyone knew everyone here. I wasn’t inclusive.
“It’s okay, Maya. They don’t bite. They are just not used to seeing new faces.” Laura mentioned, as she pulled my hand so that I could sit my buttocks on my seat. The many stares had me petrified at the spot. I hadn’t experienced that before.
For a moment, I thought that some unseen force had kept me at attention to allow the members of the community to stare at me unabashedly.
Once I sat down, and turned to the podium, I almost let out a gasp but for the hand of Laura on mine reassuring me that it was okay, when my eyes met that of the Queen. I was sure she was the one, seeing that she was sitting on the highest throne, whilst her husband, the king, sat beside her. He was even whispering something into her ears, but her eyes never left me.
What now? She already noticed my presence? Was my newness so obvious? Or were my clothes revealing? I wondered, unconsciously touching my clothes to reaffirm their thickness.
“Maya, she is just curious to see a new face. She is just as strung up as you are, seeing that she doesn’t know you.” Peter said, from beside me. He had taken the seat next to me, but I hadn’t even been aware.
My eyes were just stuck to the queen’s, a force keeping me in place, in the line of her gaze. I couldn’t even turn if I wanted to.
My gut informed me that my plight wasn’t unknown to Laura and Peter.
I could see people still filtering into the hall, people still arriving from wherever they had been since morning. In my pack, during meeting times, the lycan king didn’t step in until everyone was seated. And anyone a minute late, was punished severely for keeping the king waiting.
So, this was a new trend for me.
“Good morning everyone!” The Queen greeted, her hand placed tenderly on her husband’s. That was when the spell was broken, that was when I could turn my head around, and actually speak.
“What happened to me, Laura?” I asked immediately, knowing that what had just happened was not normal.
“I am sorry about that, Maya. I should have warned you about that,”
Well, why didn’t you?
“It had escaped my mind. She does that to every newcomer; she scrutinizes them, reads off their energies, and decides what to do with them, whether to trust them or whether to oust them from the community.” Laura stated, and I cocked my head to the side, wondering if Laura had done the same thing, if Peter had done the same.
“So, she has magic?” I asked to confirm-it had actually been the first question in my mind; if there was magic in the community. If there was, it would explain a lot of things, like the bathroom state and other things, including the fact that I was left petrified at a spot.
“Yes. This is a magic community actually. I had thought you knew, seeing that you have a trait of that in you.” Laura responded, and I got dumb. Just like that, I lost the feel of my tongue for a second.
I had magic in me? What a joke!
I had prayed for a wolf gene, and had gotten a magic gene? Since when? Had the pack doctor seen it when searching for my wolf gene? Or was it another effect of sex with Adam?
Laura must have seen the look on my face, because the next minute she was also opening her mouth and closing it, exchanging furtive glances with Peter who has been listening to the conversation all along.
“You didn’t know you had it? But how? According to its position, you were actually born with it.” Peter mentioned, his facial expression mirroring that of his wife. They both couldn’t believe that I had no idea.
“That was why I had been skeptical about letting you stay; I didn’t know what community you had come from. I didn’t know if you were a spy.” Laura whispered this time round, probably so that others wouldn’t hear.
The queen had started talking now, and everywhere was dead silent.
Me? A spy? I almost chuckled at the irony, but for the quietness of the hall. I didn’t want any more attention. The one I already had was enough.
“Have your memories started coming back? I think in them lies the answers we are looking for.” Peter inquired, but I whispered the lie through my teeth. “No.”
“Oh my god… we will talk about this when we get home. I will get something for your memory recovery when we get to market.” Laura promised, before facing the queen.
Peter tapped me reassuringly on my palms before facing the queen too.
All around me, it was the same; people looking up to their queen, including their king.
From the power she exuded while she talked, while she gestured with her hands, I could tell that she was the one ruling the community. She was like the prime minister, whilst her husband was just a figurehead.
It reminded me of how Peter was quite subjective to Laura back at home. Were the women ruling here? I wondered, taking note of the beautiful women in the hall.
I breathed in deeply, choosing to take one hour at a time, not even a day. Anything could happen within an hour, like how all of a sudden I had a magic trait in me. So, in other words, my real parents were magic oriented, witches and wizards.
Wheew. I wished I could tell Laura that I never lost my memory, but I didn’t want to relive the past again. I knew she would surely ask about the details. And I wasn’t ready for that. Let the past remain buried, for now.