Relentless

Ch 90: Home

I laid in my bed, starring at the dark ceiling during yet another sleepless night. It was my fourth night back in my old room but it didn't feel like home anymore. I was with my uncle when I had heard of its completion a few days ago.

It was a clear day, the sun was shining and I was optimistic about the future, about my future. It was the first time, in a long time, that I felt optimistic. I talked to my uncle who has since disappeared. I'm sure on another one of his heritage crusade.

"It was like Ashton was there with me." I told Lexington. "It might sound crazy but I could feel her presence. It was like she was inside my mind. I couldn't talk to her or see her like I can Rosalind but it was like I was still connected to her whenever I used my powers."

Lexington nodded after listening to me intently. "That's because of your connection to the Ether current."

"Ether?"

"Yes, because of your Celestial heritage, you draw your power from the Ether. If you were full Celestial you would feel connected to her all the time so when you activate your powers, you are connected to the Ether, like all Celestials. That's why you can feel her presence."

"I don't understand."

"I'm afraid there is a lot yet for you to learn. You should come with me."

"Come with you?"

"Yes, I could be your mentor. There is so much to learn about our universe and your heritage. Why not come with me?"

"Oh, um, that's a generous offer but I think my father needs me here and I'm pretty young to be traveling with you."

He smiled. "You mean you don't want to learn about your real home?"

I bristled. "My home is on Earth and I don't intend on leaving anytime soon. Thank you for the offer but I can't accept."

"I understand." He said with a bow of his head.

"Celeste!" I turned to see my father approaching us. "I have exciting news!"

Only it wasn't exciting to me. I didn't want to return home because I knew that it would never feel like our home again, not without my sister and mother. Coming home wouldn't have bothered me as much if our home was remain to look like the last one. Even the inside was finished the same.

I rolled to one side, staring into a frost-covered window. Dawn was finally approaching. The golden glow of the morning light shimmered across the ice on the edges of the widow. I scooted to the side of my bed so I was close enough to press my hand against the cold glass. The glass fogged around my handprint and cold radiated from the glass. The cold nipped at my fingertips and my palm was momentarily stuck to the glass when I tried to remove it.

I sat up, looking down at my hand. The cold lingered on my fingertips. A sad smile crept onto my face as I recalled how Ashton and I always used to compete to see who could hold their hand to the cold glass the longest. She would always win. I'm sure her powers were to thank. She never missed a trick.

Spring had finally arrived but the nights are still cold and mornings frosty. I waited until the sun was high enough to justify starting my day before getting dressed. I opened my wardrobe to find my dresses neatly lined, accompanied by a number of corsets. I'm back to dressing how I used to. What I was wearing was seen as scandalous but that just shows how different my way of life is from the life I had to live. I wore pants and leather cloaks which was hardly seen as lady-like.

It was like the past year had been a dream and now I had woken back into reality, but it was a dream that I never wanted to wake up from. Sure, many bad things happened to me but I also learned so much about my powers and how much more is out there. It makes my little life here seem so small in comparison to what a difference I made out there but I made a vow to retire to my old quiet life.