5. Who am I?

*Elentari POV*

This was so much for me to take in. “Who is Elentari?” I asked them. Their looks were almost as if I had asked the most ridiculous question ever. “What??” I had no idea why they were being so weird. 

A sing-song voice came from my mirror image, “You’ve operated as me for so long you don’t even know your own name anymore.” She scuffed her foot against the ground. “We got some work to do, girls. She needs a crash course as shit is gonna get real, real soon. Step-witch will know she’s awakened. The stupid man bringing her into the house.” 

I’m in a daze listening to all this. I couldn’t believe it. “What about Audra and Manic?” I blurted out. My fuzzed brain was trying to slowly click things into place, and they had given me the note. 

“Manic is a vamp like me.” Silk says excitedly. I swallowed hard, backing away from her a bit. “Oh, good grief you’ve read too many fantasy novels if you’re scared of your own sprite.”

“Audra is a wolf like me.” Stated Lucinda, almost a hint of scorn projected towards me. 

“Huh. So that’s why a shadow always got mad about me comparing her to a puppy. It was you.” I mused 

“We are not dogs,” snapped Lucinda, “we are wolves. We are stronger and smarter. We don’t come when called, expect belly scratches, or let humans control our every move.”

I nodded and then gasped, “Wait,” I pointed at Silk, “you said step-witch. You know why she doesn’t like it and you’re the one who gave me that idea. You also never let me get close to her. You’ve always known more than me. Who is she really? Everything changed when she came around.”

Silk nodded, “That’s a bit more complicated than you think, but simple to explain. She’s a witch that played with forbidden magic and created a fake mate bond with a human to manipulate him for her own means. Those means were to groom you so when you came of age you would choose her instead of the light.”

“She’s a witch. Alrighty then. Is everyone around me like that?” I asked.

“Most all.” Spoke up Arashi. “But you are the only quad in existence; that we are aware of anyway. There are only a handful of trios and a lot of hybrids. Normally, if two hybrids mate only half of each parent passes on. But in your case, all from both passed on. With your mother being a dragon-fairy and your father being a wolvampen.”

“Brain overload. Severe brain overload.” I whisper.

“It might be, but you need to pack everything dear to you and get it to the garage while everyone is sleeping. Your getaway will be here tomorrow and you won't have time to pack.” One of the formless shadows whispered.

“What are you guys? The mists?” I ask curiously. 

“We are the ancestors of the past. When you need us, we come. Depends on who you need and when, as to who shows up. It takes too much energy for us to materialize as we’re not tied to the soul of this body but to the soul of your Supers. So we come as mists. But you need to do as I say. After tonight your life will not be the same.”

Elsewhere - 

It was almost her birthday, we did everything we could. We had to do it. I fled and pretended to be with a human man to save her. Scott knew I was with child and he agreed to keep her safe. He knew what I had to do and why. He knew who she was to this world. Why did he have to go and get married to some woman he barely knew? Now she was in even more danger. Did she hate me for leaving? Did she think I was dead? When she sees me will she be angry? “Will she think we abandoned her?” I ask Celeste. 

“She won’t think that, Belle.” Celeste started to reason with me. “You left your journals and I’m sure she’s found them, even if she thinks it’s just a game, you’re overthinking it all.” She paced in my head and fluttered her wings. 

“Would you two shut up? What will happen will happen. I’m tired of your anxiety. You made a choice now you get to deal with it.” Avery spat out. She hated the fact that we left our offspring with someone that wasn’t our blood. She barely talked to me because of it. She was one hell of a stubborn dragon. “You did this, Belle. You went against your better judgment and you did this. Now Lyssandra may have her claws in our girl, and you’ve done nothing to step in and stop it. She already has Scott under a spell. What more has to happen before you step in?” The anger rolled off of her through my mind. 

“You’re right. I just… The oracle said I couldn’t go to her until her eighteenth birthday. If I did it would unlock memories that would put her in more danger than any being could pose to her. Until then I wasn’t supposed to go…” I trailed off, near tears. 

“Avery, why do you have to be such a bitch?” Celeste roared, “We’re all hurting and you’re taking it all out on Belle. If you were so damn against it you could have taken over the body and changed the course of actions but you didn’t. So sit down and shut the fuck up.” Celeste was never that forward before. “Though she is right Belle, you need to stop worrying. You’re making us all go crazy.” 

“I know, I know, but it was easier when I didn’t have to face her.” I sighed, pacing around to match Celeste, “I mean he knew when he married me it would be short-lived and she wasn’t his. But she’s never known that. What if she hates me, or worse hates him because we didn’t tell her the truth?” I wrung my hands nervously, “I almost lost Alaric because of his plan, because of the lengths I went to make sure she lives.”

Celeste stopped pacing. We smelled him approaching, and smiled sadly, “Our baby is finally an adult. Can we go to her yet?” I asked him, my eyes hopeful. 

“Tomorrow.” His one word spoken in a silky baritone voice was all I needed. He kissed my forehead. “We go tomorrow. Make sure he doesn’t cause a scene. He knew everything from the start.”

It was so difficult to be apart still. Every night I cried for the loss of my son, my precious Aranelda. They were my twin Starlights. One was taken at birth by Hades as he had died, and one was taken to be hidden away from the world so she would survive and fulfill her destiny. Bitter pills to swallow, heartache beyond measure. We had endured. Eighteen long years we had endured. The next few hours would feel like a lifetime. I tried to sleep some, wrapped in Alaric’s arms.