In the heavy silence that followed Diana’s apology, I felt a whirlwind of emotions swirling within me. My heart raced with anticipation, as I waited for my family’s response to Diana’s heartfelt words.
For me, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Despite the pain she had caused her parents, it was clear that she carried her own burden of guilt and remorse.
“Diana, it’s okay. We are just glad that you have seen your wrongs, and seem to have repented from it. Hopefully, you won’t keep things away from us again, or make a show of disrespect.” Peter finally spoke, breaking the silence that had permeated the room more times than I could count.
Laura only smiled. But that was enough words for Diana who stood up from her kneeling position and ran to her mother, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Thank you Mom!”
Peter smiled, and shifted on his seat, so that he could join the embrace too.
I sighed, unable to help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. It was a moment of healing and reconciliation, a chance for us to put the past behind us and move forward as a united family once more. I couldn’t have asked for more.
A smile perched on my lips before I could help it when Diana disengaged from her parents, and started toward me.
“I’m sorry, Maya. For not believing you. For calling you a liar. For not being sympathetic to your plight, even though you had confided in me. I’m really sorry.”
I waved her words away, and pulled her into a sweet sibling three-sixty-degree hug, chuckling when she pinched the flesh of my back. We will be fine.
When we disengaged, Peter and Laura were watching us, all smiles. I hoped we will be forever happy like this. But then if wishes were horses…
Tomorrow will one of the days to see if the beggars will ride.
Diana sat close to me, her hand clasping my good hand. She squeezed it gently in a silent gesture of gratitude and love. It was also an apology for burning my hand.
“Well, since everything is back to sweet and jolly, I think it’s time we retire back to bed. It’s almost a new day.” Laura stated, after a few beats of silence.
I and Diana exchanged glances, and then got to our feet.
“Good night, Peter. Good night, Laura.”
“Good night, Mom. Good night, Dad.”
We both said simultaneously, even imitating a bow, which caused the couple to laugh, before waving us off.
“Sweet Dreams to you both.”
My phone dinged then, and thinking that it was Levina, probably wanting to know the time to pick me up for school tomorrow, I reached for my phone. Apprehension washed over me when I saw a message from an unknown number. But it wasn’t the unknown number that troubled me, but the picture of the contact. Adam.
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to resist the urge to open the message, to maintain the mask of aloofness on my face, knowing that I was being watched by everyone. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get the better of me, not when we had finally found a semblance of peace within our family. If Peter finds out who just texted me, well…
***
After tucking Diana into bed and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, I retreated to my own room, the weight of exhaustion pressing down upon me. As I settled into bed, my thoughts drifted to the message from Adam, lying unopened on my phone.
With a hesitant sigh, I finally gave in to curiosity and unlocked my phone, reading his words with a mixture of surprise and apprehension.
‘So, you have the powers? Wow, forgive me for my ignorance, Senorita.’
Senorita? I huffed.
What was that for?
I re-read the message again.
From the text, it could be said that he had watched the live feed. But how? Does it mean that his brothers knew too?
I sighed, rubbing my temple tiredly. I didn’t need this. I thought, remembering that the Lycan king wanted to match me with Daniel. If he see this…
I suddenly had a headache.
Soughing, I dropped my phone on the dresser, and laid down straight on the bed, my eyes to the ceilings.
But who gave Adam my contact?
I pondered over who might have given him my contact information, settling on the possibility of Naomi. I had given her my contact before leaving the pack, unable to help it. But why would Naomi do that, knowing the undisguised hatred I have for the triplets?
I don’t need this. I muttered to myself, sitting up on the bed. I don’t want to think about Adam, or the last kiss that we had shared.
Without much ado, I retrieved the magic books I had stolen from the school’s library from my bag. I needed something that wouldn’t remind me of Adam.
With a weary sigh, I began to read, struggling to decipher the unfamiliar language that danced across the pages.
What language was this? I wondered, pausing just at the fifth page. I needed a magic dictionary, if there was anything like that. However, I continued skimming, especially as I saw the illustration of a beast on one of the pages.
But as exhaustion threatened to pull me under, I soon found myself drifting into a restless sleep, the book slipping from my grasp as dreams of arcane secrets and hidden powers filled my mind.
***
In the realm of dreams, I found myself suspended above a vast expanse of water, its surface as still as glass beneath the moonlight. A sense of unease crept over me as I surveyed my surroundings, a feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. And then, from the depths below, a shadow began to rise, growing larger and more ominous with each passing moment.
As the creature emerged from the water, my heart seized in my chest at the sight before me. It was a beast unlike any I had ever seen, its form a grotesque fusion of scales and sinew, with eyes that burned like molten fire. Its body seemed to ripple with dark energy, casting an aura of fear and dread that hung heavy in the air.
I wanted to run, to flee from this nightmare come to life, but I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to move as if held in place by some unseen force. The beast regarded me with a gaze that seemed to pierce straight through to my soul, its presence filling me with a primal sense of terror.
And then, to my astonishment, the creature spoke. Its voice was deep and resonant, echoing in the recesses of my mind like thunder rolling across the heavens. “You are known to me,” It rumbled, its words both ominous and strangely comforting. “You and your kind have long been watched by my kind.”
I struggled to comprehend the creature’s words, my mind reeling with confusion and fear. What did it mean by “my kind”? And how could it possibly know anything about me?
But before I could voice my questions, the beast continued, its voice taking on a softer, more melodic tone. “Do not be afraid, child,” It said, its eyes softening with an unexpected tenderness. “We are not enemies, you and I. We are bound by a connection that runs deeper than you can imagine.”
As the creature spoke, I felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over me, as if I had known it in another life. And despite my initial fear, I found myself drawn to its presence, captivated by the enigmatic wisdom that seemed to emanate from its very being.
“Who are you? Are you one of the Queen’s beasts?” I asked, asking the only question that seemed to have been produced by my mind at the moment.
The beast cackled; the sound was like the roaring of a thousand seas. I shuddered at the depth of that sound, feeling it encompass me.
“We have been waiting for you,”
This time, it was like another voice had joined the beast’s. “You are the key to our salvation, the bridge between worlds.”
My mind reeled with confusion and fear. What did they mean by “salvation”? And how could I possibly be the key to anything?
But before I could voice my questions, the creature continued, the voices taking on a softer, more melodic tone. “Do not be afraid, child,” They said, their words like a soothing balm to my troubled soul. “We are not here to harm you. We are here to guide you, to help you unlock the power that lies dormant within you.”
“What powers? Are you the one inside me?” I queried, even though the thought of something like that within me, caused another shudder to run all over my body.
I would prefer a wolf. This was too big.
However, silence greeted my question.
And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the beast began to fade from view, its form dissipating like smoke in the wind.
I reached out, desperate to get an answer to my question, but it was already slipping away, leaving me alone once more in the darkness of my dreams. And then I was picked out.