The Irish Fire (2019)

Chapter 19

Ariel Hayes' POV

I never thought that I would meet my cousin again after all those years. I was happy of course, eccentric really, but if my mother got the hang of this news, she would hang her in public just because she could. And I cannot let her know about this no matter what I must do to prevent my cousin's execution and set this reincarnation into motion again.

"Ariel, are you alright, my darling?" My husband, Colm Walsh, the ruler of Monster Realm, asked me as he was looking at me, concerned that I was unwell. He just came inside the bedroom where I was staring off at the mirror after that night, meeting with my cousin and my long-forgotten crush.

I turned to look at Colm as I smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm fine, dearest. No need to fuss about," I said as I took his hand into mine. He was looking concerned at me when he noticed that my smile was not as radiant as usual. Colm shook his head, not believing any word that I just said to him.

"But you don't seem fine. Please, tell me, my darling, what is bothering you? Perhaps I can be of assistance for you," he asked, looking at my face as I was smiling at him. I bit my lips before I chuckled softly.

I don't think you can be any help at all, Colm, if you have maximized your use to my mother, I thought sadly.

I sighed. "Well, it's Mama," I said, giving in finally after I felt like I have to tell the truth about my mother. I don't think I can live like this anymore. Not when I don't even love my own husband. Colm sat straighter when I confined him.

"Right... What about your mother?" he asked as he was arching his eyebrow at me. I sighed. I knew that he was under my mother's enchantment but looking at his clear eyes, I would say he was safe from her clutches right now.

"Well... You see, I have this one cousin—" I said before Colm cut me off, knowing the untruth version of the story. The story that I helped create when I was under my mother's clutches and forgot to think for myself.

Then, I realized that it was all too late to turn the time back before my cousin was dead to the world.

"Right... The one that had been dead for 500 years ago and suddenly she showed up in her blue dragon form? That cousin you are talking about, isn't it?" he asked me. I nodded as he already heard about Abigail. My mother, her Aunt Aishling, told everything about our family after I married Colm and we have been living in the Royal Palace for centuries.

"She's... Well, she's not dangerous like my mother told you, dearest," I finally said the truth to my husband. My mother specifically asked me not to talk about Abigail with Colm for she told me that it would deactivate the Word of Power to control him. I know I might be selfish but what the heck, it was my cousin, after all. The only cousin I have from my deceased Aunt Alice and Uncle Leonard. My other family member that I neglected centuries ago.

Colm furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that, my darling? Of course, she is dangerous. She drew her powers from the Underworld. And we all know what happened to those people. She's impure, tainted by dark auras," he said as he was getting up from his seat. I sighed before I stood up as well. I was fed up with people that perceived people that got their powers from the Underworld as tainted and unfit within Monster Realm. Heck, the Underworld was our first establishment here!

"Okay then! News flash, I am one of those people too," I finally said my darkest secret that I have been keeping for a very long time. My mother was afraid that people would judge me whenever I said of my heritage. Clearly, Mama was holding some dark secrets as well.

Colm stared at me before he shook his head. "What do you mean you're one of those people? My darling, don't be ridiculous. You're not one of them. Your mother said so," He chuckled as he just ignored the fact that I just said our family's darkest secret. Sometimes, I just wish you're not my husband at all, I mused as I remained firm on spilling the tea to him.