When Blackbirds Fly

Chapter Sixteen

Hey guys! I'm going to be trying to update more regularly. If I don't publish a chapter one day, then I'll most likely update in the next day or two. 

Without further ado, here's chapter sixteen!

I was right all along. I had pushed it aside because I thought I was making things up, but I was just fooling myself.

"That presence that I kept feeling, the person I felt watching me...all these years it was you?" I feel my eyes starting to prick. I blink away the angry tears.

Olek nods. "Yes, it was me. I didn't want to interfere."

"But you knew I wanted to see you! You knew I wanted answers! I've been looking and watching and waiting for years! All this time I've known nothing about who I am or what I can do, when in reality, I could have just reached out to you? You were right there the whole time? I..." I swallow painfully before finishing quietly, "Why didn't you visit me?"

"If you had known before now your powers would have become too chaotic to control." He steps closer. "The second you learn about who you are, your mind automatically becomes aware of things it wasn't before. Such as how you're creating that aura with just your emotions." Olek points. I look down and gasp. Sure enough, all around me, there is a dark purple substance weaving around my body. It's almost like a cloud of gas; lighter than air and just barely visible.

"It would have been too dangerous." He continues. The ogre takes another step forward, coming to stand directly in front of me. "It's like how your parents never told you that they were morphies." Then, quieter, "It's not that I didn't want to see you."

My mind flashes back to a conversation I had with Zero.

"An emotional bond?" I had asked.

"Yeah." Zero replied. "Normally a seer's First makes an emotional connection with them, making them feel close to them. Kind of like a bond you would have with your parents."

"So, like a second mother or father?"

"I guess, yeah."

I wonder if this is why I feel so attached to Olek? Zero was right. He feels almost like a father to me. I look up at the ogre.

"Okay. I think I understand now." I'm still upset, but it makes me feel a little better to know that he had a good reason behind his actions. Before I can even process what's happening, Olek wraps me up in a giant bear hug. At first, I tense up, but then I start to relax and return the hug. It only lasts a few seconds, but I can feel the tension start to leave my body. Finally, I think. An answer. I notice that the aura surrounding me is now gone. Probably because my emotions aren't running on high anymore.

When Olek lets me go, he crouches down to my eye level. I hadn't realized just how tall he was until now.

"I'll be following you every step of the way," he says softly. "If something happens that puts you in too much danger for my liking, I won't hesitate to step in." Putting a hand softly on my head, he then stands up and walks towards Cronan.

"Time's up." The Lord of Nightmares tilts his head slightly as he's speaking. "It appears that you both have a stronger bond than I first thought. Oh well, Que sera, sera."

'What will be, will be.' French. My mind automatically translates the sentence, but I'm still not sure why I can do that. I notice that Cronan still has his eyes trained on me. I blink, not understanding why. Then it hits me. He's testing my abilities. He wants to know if I understood that.

Cronan's bleached eyes glitter. I nod before responding, "Vous avez parfaitement raison." You're quite right, if loosely translated. I cross my fingers.

"That I am." he says approvingly. "Farewell, Merle Raven. You have done nicely."

It happens so quickly that I almost don't catch it, but I swear that I see him smile at me.

"Thank you for giving me all this information. I have a feeling it will come in handy later on." He inclines his head slightly in acknowledgment. Once more, Olek steps in front of me. He puts his hand on my shoulder.

"When times get tough, remember that you have good friends that you can count on. They will stick by your side through almost everything," he tells me.

"And I have you too, right?" I ask tentatively.

"And me." Olek agrees. His voice takes on a serious tone. "But be warned. There is one who will betray and become betrayed, by friend and foe alike."

"Wha-"

"I must go now." he cuts me off. "I will see you in many days to come. Goodbye, little bird."

My eyes widen. That nickname. It's the one my parents always use. I stare at Olek in shock. He only smiles at me before turning away to stand beside Cronan. The light surrounding Cronan gathers in front of him, forming a tiny ball of light. The light grows dimmer and dimmer until nothing is left. Then the light explodes and I'm jerked back into reality. 

Word Count: 844

"There is one who will betray and become betrayed, by friend and foe alike."

Who do you think it is? Take a guess! Let me know what you think in the comment section.

-RS <3