The breaths of everyone in the room was held on standby, until Emma’s voice crackled through the phone.
“He is not a vampire. He is a mage. Like you, to some extent. But he is evil. Evil. I couldn’t even get closer to his thoughts. They were too sinister. I just couldn’t stay in the environment. One thing I can say is that he is very old, despite being in a youthful body.”
‘Ask her, how old.’ Aiden communicated to Freya.
“How old do you think he is…”
A beat of silence. “More than a century. Perhaps two?”
Freya looked at everyone in the room again, aware of the sharp increase in the beating of their hearts. A mage of more than a hundred years old, in a youthful body. The ancients kept exchanging glances.
‘What is it?’ Freya couldn’t help but ask Aiden.
‘Mages like that are very rare, not like the witches of this region. They are darker. Possessed by spirits some times. Those are the ones that can perform that sort of thing you had seen the shifter do. However, I don’t know if they are connected, if Legardo could possibly know a mage like that. If he does, how had he located the mage?’
Freya sighed so audibly that Emma asked her what the problem was.
“Mages are not a good idea.”
Emma snorted. “Like I don’t know. That’s by the way though. After the call, I will see what I and Prescott can do for her. So what’s happening over there? Prescott told me you are still at the pack? How was your shift?”
Freya shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t really shift. I’m part ancient, and part mage. It was Lucille that had her shift. That went good though.”
A notable silence stayed on, after Freya’s response.
Lucille shifted on her seat, her ears attuned than ever to hear her sister’s thought on her. Yesterday, she had bonded with Freya in ways that she had never with another person, her family too. She wished the same with Emma.
“How is she?” It was more of a whisper, done so softly.
“She is great, Emma. Redhead like us, but with grey eyes.”
Emma laughed then, together with Annabel. “The gods must be getting off doing this to us. So, she shifted? To a wolf?”
“Yeah.” Freya replied with a smile that resonated on Lucille’s lips too. “She is part wolf, and part mage. What about you? Discovered your abilities yet?”
“I’m not sure. I shifted to a wolf though. Prescott says it’s multicolored-black and white patches, with a golden hues around it, and crescent moon on the forehead. I can’t even imagine that.”
But the others in the room could. Freya too. Their facial expressions was one of shock, some had their mouth hanging open.
“Apparently, he had watched me shift. He also talked about my massiveness. I refuse to believe that. He was exaggerating. But the tattoos are the most remarkable. Do you have them? Mine was like a giant pizza missing two slices. It started from my shoulders, I think it curved toward my chest region, the base landed on my waist. It’s like my whole body is covered with tattoos.”
Freya exchanged glances with Lucille. “Yeah, we had tattoos too. The two slices that were missing from you? It was pasted on our bodies, one for each.”
“So, it means something then. Mhen, I’m tired. I just want a simple life.”
Melvina smiled.
“Well, no simple life for you kiddo. Embrace the hard work.”
Emma scoffed at Maya’s words. “Why are you sounding like an old woman? Is that the handiwork of Leo? How is he doing? Is he there?”
Maya’s happiness was cut by some percent. “No. He is not around at the moment.”
“Oh, really? He went back to Curtis’ pack? Is the truce still on between the two packs?”
Maya had to force a false cheer to her voice. “Yeah. You know pack duty…”
“Yeah, whatever. I don’t trust the Alpha though, Arnold or whatever. Well, not like your uncle’s pack is any better too.”
Maya didn’t know what to say then.
“Eish, that hurt?”
Freya laughed at the naughty tone that was Emma’s.
Maya snorted. “Not at all. They deserve whatever is coming for them.”
She pleaded with her eyes to the people in the room, as she said this. But they weren’t concerned for that, as they were concerned for the weary sign that escaped Emma’s lips then.
“Freya, how is mother? I heard we got the red hair from her?? Did she give a reason why she spread us across the country of the world? Did she tell you why she didn’t just hand over our care-ship to our father? Is father still alive? Where is he? She didn’t specify that in her message to me.”
Freya darted a sharp look at Sheila. “Mom sent you a message? When was that?”
“Well, when I returned home, I found out that my foster parents had been the one in charge of keeping her alive for the past eighteen years. Can you believe that?”
No, Freya couldn’t believe that. But she understood now why the address hadn’t been written down. Emma was close enough to her mother. She could see the same realization in the faces of the others.
“So, after my parents revealed everything to me, they took me to the cabin where they kept mother alive. She wasn’t there obviously, but she left me a message. I couldn’t decipher it though.” This was said in a sad tune. “Prescott did however.” A life in the tone. “And Annabel knows the location Mom had directed me to go to. She mentioned that she will come get me from there, after the showing herself at the pack.”
“I see. But she is here now. Lucille too. Can’t you return now?”
“No, I can’t.” Emma answered, without missing a beat.
The people in the room were not entirely shocked. Partly, they had seen it coming.
“The location happens to be a training ground, overseen by Annabel’s family. Maybe, when I am done there, I can return. Or y’all can visit me, maybe, after I settle in.”