KOTLC- afterstory (new generation)

Chapter 2

"There she is!!" Onyx exclaimed, running over to give her best friend a hug as she finally made her way down the many stairs and into the main living room. The living room was beautiful-well all Elvin homes were basically mansions on human standards and covered in sparkles but the room was a big open space with lots of windows looking out on the beach and the forest of Bellmore. It had lots of crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They sparkled when the light hit them casting beautiful rainbows all over the room. The luxurious couches that were scattered around put everything together making the place feel equal parts fancy and homey.

"Sorry! How long have you guys been here?" Stella asked, finally pulling away from the hug to get a good look at all of her friends. 

"We only got here like half an hour ago." Kiara answered with a hint of a smile. Kiara was a good mix of both of her parents. She looked like her dad Tam, but she had her mom Rayni's long silky black hair and attitude. 

Did it really take her that long to get ready? Stella thought. But the rest of her thoughts were drowned out by a loud stomach growl.

its Evie, I forgot to mention all stella's thoughts are written in italic:)))

"Sounds like someone's hungry." Thaila laughed as she twirled her fingers through the tiny braids woven into her silky brown hair. She looked exactly like her mom Marella; they even had the same eyes. Except her hair which was the exact same shade as her dad Fitz's.

"Yup!" Stella answered as she walked through the living room into the kitchen, With her friends trailing behind her. The kitchen was big and bright with white cabinets and more sparkly chandeliers. It was more fancy than the living room but it still had the same homey feel.

In the kitchen she found the entire collective. Some weird people in disguises, her parents, Fitz and Marella, Tam and Rayni, Dex and Biana, Wylie and Linh, and Alden and Della, She even recognized her grandparents, Grady and Edaline but there were a lot of unfamiliar faces too. 

"Are we interrupting something?" Xander asked. Xander was Onyx's twin brother they looked almost identical except Onyx had periwinkle eyes like their dad Dex and Xander's eyes were Teal like their mom Biana, but they both shared the same strawberry blonde hair. 

"No we haven't started yet," Dex smiled at Xander. 

"But we would like to get started soon," Fitz added. 

"Do you want to eat quickly Stella?" Sophie asked walking away from the collective and nearer to Stella. 

"Yes please." Stella answered, with yet another stomach growl. Something seemed off with the collective, she knew most of the people that were in the kitchen but the unfamiliar faces worried her.

Could something be going on that they needed to include more important people?

Stella pushed the thought out of her head and made her way to sit over at the kitchen counter -where she usually ate her breakfast. Edaline conjured up breakfast in front of her that looked like a bowl of squishy pink worms. Thankfully Elvin food tasted a lot better than it looked, so when she took a bite it tasted like warm buttery pancakes. 

"Thanks." Stella mumbled although it didn't sound like that as she quickly gobbled up the rest of her breakfast. 

"You don't have to eat so fast Stell!" Thaila told her as she placed a hand on Stella's shoulder. Stella ignored her, she didn't want to keep everyone waiting. 

"After you finish eating you kids need to go play outside so the collective can talk.'' A wrinkly man with bright blue eyes who always smelled like feet said pointedly. Everyone knew him as Mr Forkle, the leader of the collective, but Stella was pretty sure that wasn't his real identity. 

All the kids nodded in agreement though Stella was slightly worried. The collective had been talking a lot more recently and when she asked her parents they told her nothing about what they were discussing.

What could they possibly be hiding that they couldn't tell her? Was that why they always made her play outside?

She was running through possible scenarios in her head when Keefe must have sensed her worry- her dad was an empath after all. He made his way over behind her and kissed her on the top of the head 

"I could feel your emotions shift all the way from the other side of the room, you know that?'' Keefe asked. "What's up baby girl?" She didn't want to worry him but could she lie to an empath? 

"I'm fine" She lied anyway. Clearly he didn't buy it but he left it alone. He hesitated for a second then squeezed her shoulders once more time and went back to join the collective. But there was something about the way her dad walked away, she'd never seen him look so scared. She was probably just imagining it, she told herself as she got up off her chair and turned to follow Avory and the rest of her friends to go outside.

"Nice save on the hair Stell" Keefe added with a smirk as she walked out the door she gave him an eye roll as everyone laughed. Maybe everything really was okay if her dad was still willing to make jokes. But something about the way he looked so scared just touching her shoulder made her feel like something was wrong that he wasn't telling her about. It felt very unsettling.