Midnight Shades

Chapter 39

A choked sob escapes my mouth as soon as Kiara pushes my head to her chest. The tears start again and the heartbreak resurfaces as I clutch onto her shirt tightly, needing and desperate for her presence.

"Honey, don't cry," She tries to soothe me as she rubs up and down my back. "He needs some time to think, don't count those words that he said when he didn't even know what you were saying."

Kiara stands up slowly and holds me up with her as she softly murmurs, "Let's go inside, it will rain soon."

Soon, she lays me carefully on my bed and brushes my hair away from my face as she brings a wet tissue to wipe my face clean. Her gestures are so kind and humble, making me thank Lyara or whatever Gods above for such a step—mother. Honestly, how can she do all of that to a person she only met a few days ago? This only proves to me that she really does consider me as her daughter, and it mends my broken heart.

She takes off her shoes and sits down next to me on the bed, her back against the cupboard and her fingers slowly running through my hair as I lay my head on her lap. We stay here in a blissful silence for almost an hour, both of us thinking silently and in the comfort of each other until Kiara speaks.

"I know how much you love him," She says quietly. "It's clear as a day, and he would be a fool to not notice it."

"He doesn't though, especially now," I point out dryly. "He doesn't believe me."

She sighs. "He is overwhelmed, Tallulah. I myself was overwhelmed when Peter told me, can you imagine Louis' condition now?"

I move to my back and look up at her, suddenly interested. "How did you feel when Peter told you?"

"I didn't believe it," She laughs lightly, eyes wide as she shakes her head. "I thought he was hallucinating or drunk out of his mind. We only see these abnormal things in the TV shows and movies, we never witnessed it in real life, some people even believe that they never will because it's impossible, but he proved it to me."

"How?" I ask quietly.

"I met your mother," She tells me and I gasp in surprise. "Almost eight years ago, when Peter first opened up about it, he went to your village and he brought her home. It was a hard day."

I faintly remember when my mother told me that she last saw Peter eight years ago, maybe that is when she saw Kiara, too. Definitely. I stare up at Kiara in surprise, still not believing it.

"What happened that day?" I ask, sitting up.

"Peter still loved her," She smiles as she looks down at her hands. "And so did she. It was so obvious, the way they looked at each other—even though they both tried to hide it, for my sake—it was evident," She shrugs. "Then she showed me her wings, how big and shiny they are—they are black. Gorgeous. I was amazed even more when she showed me her powers."

I furrow my eyebrows. "What are her powers? She never told me."

She smiles at me sweetly as she says, "She can make people forget anything and everything."

"How did she do that in front of you?" I laugh in bewilderment. Wow, I actually wish I do have any powers.

Her smile turns into a sad one as she softly murmurs, "She made Peter forget his love for her."

My smile vanishes and I press my lips into a straight line. Did she make herself forget her love for him, too? Oh Lyara. I think there is a lot of things that I know nothing about.

"What about her?" I ask carefully.

"She refused to tell me," Kiara shrugs lightly. "She was too generous and kind."