Blood & Power [Book One of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

1.18: Reunite

We must have been expected.

That was the second thing I had thought as I stepped over the opening to the cavern; second only to the faint sound of a waterfall rippling through the room.

I could only come to that conclusion by the twins stopping dead in their tracks as soon as they'd entered the cavern; a sudden gasp leaving the male's mouth. I had wrapped around the bend to peer over his shoulder, only to be met with the kind eyes of a weary woman. There was nothing intimidating about the soul in the least; draped in a brown cardigan and simple jeans that were covered in paint splotches.

A woman who stood in front of us with an elevated composure and refined features. Her arms were folded over one another, eyes staring up at the ceiling.  She was perfectly comfortable, both in front of us and in the wide space that was the cavern. I couldn't blame her for this, having glanced around at the somewhat familiar buildings that formed around the void in the centre; they looked to be made of expensive materials that would be difficult to find on this side of the earth, that, or powerful magic and genuine belief in their ability.

Most of the buildings on this side of the cavern were a bright shade of white, accompanied by spiral columns on each side that carried perfectly kept vines that wrapped around each one. What I'd presumed to be a dirt path similar to the tunnel, was in fact a ceramic tile that covered every inch of the place, offering a delightful clicking noise with every shuffle of my feet. More lanterns were dotted around the room, offering a faintly warm glow throughout the room that illuminated the wood tones that took up the rest of the cavern across the chasm. The bridge that ran across and connected the two sides sooner than the bend along the path was illuminated by a curved stone column in the centre that was covered in platformed candles.

These candles were providing an orange glow on the woman's face; a face that was providing a bright smile towards the twins in front of me. Unfortunately for her, the twins were both looking at her a little warily, unsure of how to proceed.

"Now is that any way to look at your grandmother?" The woman had spoken; causing alarm in both myself and the male twin, who looked on in gobsmacked horror. I had to believe this was due to the appearance of the woman; at best guess she had the look of an early thirty-year-old woman at most - owed to the powers of an elder witch. Often the oldest in a bloodline tended to reduce the age of their appearance in the quest to hide their elderhood - something about generational rifts of power that I'd never inquired about.

"You look just like-" Alexander had managed to choke out before being interrupted, almost sounding like he was in the midst of choking on his own tongue.

"Your mother?" She had spoken in glee, a glow of her cheeks as she seemed to remember her daughter in fondness; not a single hint of sadness to be pulled from her expression. The warmth that flowed from this woman was almost overpowering; even I wanted to be enveloped in an embrace for just a moment,  "Well, you can certainly tell where she got her good looks from, can't you?"