After several days had passed, Miranda was in her room, checking on her daughter Eve, who is still in a coma but is exhibiting signs of life. She finished by buttoning Eve's shirt and standing up, her hair was caressed, and a smile appeared on her lips.
She sighed, "I can't wait for you to wake up."
She went to her walk-in closet and changed into her priestess attire because today was Sunday and she needed to be in the church listening to her people's problems and giving them advice. Once she was done changing, she went back to Eve and kissed her on the forehead before leaving her room. She teleported to the cave where Vanessa was being held captive and decided to check on her before heading to the church.
As she approached Vanessa, she was already in the cave and could hear sobbing and cries. When she arrived at the location, she heard a tremendous thud. Bela and Daniela were playing with Vanessa, whose complexion was pale and white due to the blood loss she was experiencing, as well as bruises and cuts.
Vanessa shouted out faintly, "Mother Miranda," as soon as she saw her.
"Are you two having a good time?" She inquired.
Bela and Daniela exchanged glances, and both nodded in agreement. Who'd have guessed that beneath these girls' lovely features lurks a sadistic attitude?
"I believe she's on the verge of dying," Bela grinned.
"Her blood is going stale, too," Daniela grumbled.
"Don't get her killed just yet, though. Donna requested a playmate, and I believe she is the ideal match." Miranda gave a kind smile.
Bela sighed. "Aunt Donna feels very fortunate to be present when you take your final breath."
"Allow Aunt Donna to have her; I'm sick of her. Moreover, Cassandra appears to be bored as well," Daniela shook her shoulders.
Miranda cocked her head. "Where's Cassandra? She didn't watch the two torture her today."
"She's with Irish," Bela joked. "And she seemed to like your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend; she's my ex,"
Daniela laughed, "That still doesn't change anything."
Miranda sighed and rolled her eyes. "Leave you two and clean up. Allow the girl to relax for the time being; she'll be in Donna's care tomorrow."
"Bye, grandmother!" As they moved away, Bela and Daniela said.
Miranda approached Vanessa and gently placed her palm on her head, easing her pain.
She smirked and said, "You're going to enjoy your time with Donna."
"Instead of mending me, why don't you just kill me? You're squandering your abilities on me," Vanessa sighed.
Miranda burst out laughing. "I warned you that I would torment you ten times over. I'm only following through on my pledge."
Miranda gave her a final wink before disappearing.
-
Miranda was hurriedly packing their bags, and she was perplexed. She stared at her mother, who seemed to be in a hurry for no apparent reason.
"Why are you packing our things so early, Mom? Let's get some sleep now, it's three a.m," she remarked, her arm over Miranda's.
"We can't stay here much longer, Eve. I'm going to get you out of here."
She cocked her head. "But, mom," she shrugged. "We live here and this is where you work."
Miranda gave her a sympathetic glance and cupped both of her cheeks. "Please follow my instructions; I can't let them catch you."
As she gazed at Miranda, she squeezed her lips together. Her mother's icy blue eyes soothed her a little, because Miranda's eyes were a work of magic for her, for everytime she looked at them, she feels better and safer.
"Can you tell me what I need to do?" She eventually obeyed and asked.
"Get into something comfortable and put this cloak on."
She nodded and took Miranda's cloak in her hands, changing into them. Miranda brought her through the back of the house after she was finished, and the two of them got into the car. Miranda began driving at a speed that terrified her as she sat next to her.
"Mom, please drive slowly," she pleaded as she clung to her seatbelt.
Miranda cursed as she peered in the rearview mirror. "Damn, we're being followed."
"I'm really baffled by everything that's going on- mom! You were so close to hitting the car!" She screamed.
Miranda let out a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Evie."
"Sorry? Why? What are you apologizing for?"
Miranda locked her gaze on her, and she locked her gaze on Miranda. Her eyes were cloudy and foggy as she stared into them, and she also experienced a vision of a car crashing with another automobile. Miranda shook her head and looked away from her.
"What-" the automobile they were in collided with another car before she could even complete her remark.
As a result of the effect of the catastrophe that had just occurred, she could feel the pain in her body. Her vision was blurry, but she could see a birdlike woman outside the car. She could also feel liquid dripping down on her head and it felt hot.
As she closed her eyes, the words "I'll come back Eve, I promise you that." Lingered in her mind
Clementine opened her eyes to find her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath and sweat dripping down her body. She stared at the white ceiling above her since it was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes.
"It was just a dream," she muttered, closing her eyes once more. "But that dream is mom's death."
She sat up on the bed and opened her eyes. She then stopped and looked around, realizing she was in a different place. She also noticed an IV line connected to her wrist.
"Where the heck am I?" As she rubbed her head, she wondered aloud.
She looked at herself and she was dressed in black silk pajamas. She got up from her bed and took the IV line with her as she looked around the room. When she looked out the window, all she saw was blackness; it was already night.
"Is this the afterlife?" She laughed. "No, I'm not dead. In the afterlife, there are no IV lines."
She moved her gaze around the room once more, finally noticing the subtleties. The room she was in was quite large, and it was decorated in mint green and white colors. There was also a bed with black sheets in the room which she was sleeping in, and there were three doors, one of which was a two-door, which intrigued her. Her jaw fell as she approached the two doors and opened them; inside was a walk-in closet. She shut the door and proceeded to the next door, which she discovered was a restroom; she then proceeded to the other door, which she opened to see a dimly lighted hallway.
She exited the room and shut the door behind her. She walked into the hallway and noticed gardenias in the vases she passed by, which brought a smile to her face because those were her mother's favorite flowers. She came to a halt as she came to a marble staircase, where she debated whether or not to descend, but she did so anyway, leading her into a dimly illuminated foyer.
"This house is enormous," she thought to herself.
She shifted her weight to the left and approached a wide open door. She walked into the room, which was a living room with white and baby blue interiors. The living room was a little darker than the foyer, making it difficult for her to notice some details. She continued into the living room but came to a halt when she heard a footsteps. She turned her head slightly and saw a birdlike woman in the living room.
Miranda had just returned from her village responsibilities that night, and she was still dressed in her robe as she entered the living room. She cocked her head when she noticed a woman standing just inches in front of her. She blinked to clear her vision and was taken aback to discover Eve was already awake. Eve took a step backwards as she took a step forward.
"Don't come near me!" Eve screamed.
Miranda cocked her head. "Calm down, E-"
As Eve began to put her belongings in the living room, she moved aside. She took a step closer after avoiding whatever Eve was tossing at her.
"Oh my god! What exactly do you want from me?! I knew it this was the afterlife!" She screamed. "Are you the grim reaper?"
Miranda came to a halt in front of her and smirked. Eve's expression became more horrified as she nodded her head slowly. "I'm the Grim Reaper, and I've come to take you away."
"Right now?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I must return you to your rightful place."
Eve's face was paralyzed. "Why are you a lady with feathers, are you a crow? And also, aren't grim reapers men and dressed in cloaks with a scythe? You don't look like a grim reaper to me."
Miranda had to hold back her laughter. "Grim reapers can be anyone, and I'm a raven. Stop babbling and come here so I can finally get you to your destination."
Eve smirked. "Wait, could you at least do me a favor before you take me?"
Miranda's brow furrowed. "I'm not saying yes, but tell me what favor you require first."
She grinned as she sighed. "I'm not sure if you do such things, but could you possibly keep an eye on Alcina Dimitrescu and her daughters? I'm just curious if they're safe."
Miranda took a breath and swallowed. "Why?"
"Well... Her and her girls are important to me, but I understand if you are unable to do so."
Miranda raised her hand, causing the light in the living room to brighten completely. Eve blinked, her gaze fixed on the woman standing only a few inches away. Miranda dissipated her wings and gradually removed her bird mask, revealing her face to Eve.
Eve scrutinized Miranda's features as she glanced at her. She's not sure whether she's dreaming because all she wanted to do was hug the woman in front of her with her blonde hair and those icy blue eyes she'd always wished for. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was completely unaware of it.
"Are you kidding me?" As she sobbed, she questioned herself. "Are you sure I'm not dreaming?"
Miranda addressed her softly as "Eve."
In between sobs, she added, "That voice." As she went to her knees, she murmured, "That voice."
Eve wiped her tears away, but they seemed to last forever. Miranda approached her gently, tears streaming down her face.
Miranda cooed, "Honey, it's me."
"No... this is a dream," as Miranda stood in front of her, she wailed even louder. "Stop haunting me; you're not even real!" She screamed. "Please don't show up in my dreams!"
Miranda knelt and gently stroked her cheek. "This is true, and I am true."
Eve looked her in the eyes, her blue eyes calming her down again, and she stopped crying and stared at them for a minute while Miranda stroked her face.
"Mom, is it really you?" In hushed tones, she inquired.
Miranda stroked her nose and said, "It's truly me."
Eve hugged her and sobbed once more. Miranda massaged her back in circles, calming her.
"You're real," she added gently. "I really thought you were dead."
She sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I faked my death."
Eve fixed her gaze on her. "Does it have anything to do with your coworkers?"
Miranda's pupils dilated. "You remember? But I erased some of your memories including that."
"I just woke up and remembered everything," she smiled. "Wasn't it your intention to get me out of the lab?"
Miranda began to cry, and Eve brushed away some of her tears. "Don't cry, Mom; I hate seeing you like that."
"I'm sorry for abandoning you; it was never my intention."
"I understand, Mom. It's okay."
Miranda smiled as she wiped away her tears. "After all these years, you're still the same person; the only difference is your height."
"I guess I'm taller than you now," she chuckled. "Where are we anyway?"
"In my manor,"
She cocked her head. "Manor? Wait, how did you find me in the first place?" Eve slapped her forehead. "Mom, I have this friend and-"
"Isn't her name Ingrid? She's well; she only returned to the castle last week."
"Last week? What exactly do you mean by "last week"?"
Miranda burst out laughing. "You've been unconscious for nearly two weeks."
"No way!" She leapt to her feet, startled. "Wait a minute, I'm not sure how you know Ingrid,"
Miranda rose to her feet as well. "You've come to my manor because of Ingrid. She said her friend was left in the burning house, and I was surprised that friend was you."
Her lips were squeezed together. "Mom, you said you knew Alcina, correct? You see there's this maid who-"
"Vanessa, don't worry about her," she smirked. "She's in safe hands."
Her brow was paralyzed. "How do you know so much?"
Miranda shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps you've forgotten about my abilities."
"Oh right," she rolled her eyes. "In terms of abilities, I believe my vision has returned. I've been witnessing some people's awful fates and some past events too."
Miranda ruffled her hair. "We'll get to work on that, but first, tell me how you got here."
Her chin was clenched. "So, I was in New York and I called a cab, and the next thing I know, the car wrecked, and I awoke in another location. Also, The Duke is the cab driver's name? I'm not sure if you're familiar with him."
"I'm familiar with him; he's a friend of mine."
"Oh," she said with a nod. "He was the one who brought me here."
"I should praise him and smack him at the same time. How dare he cause you to be involved in an accident?" She went up to Eve and gave her a hug. "No one has the authority to harm my beautiful daughter."
"However, you injured my sentiments when you pretended to die." She deadpanned.
Miranda sighed. "I apologize, as I have stated. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. We have all of the time in the world to get to know one other."
Emma entered the living room with wide eyes as the door opened. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone was here."
"Don't worry, Emma. Is there any more food? Eve seemed to be hungry," Miranda said this as she stroked her daughter's hair.
She chuckled and said, "Actually, I am."
"There is still left, do you like me to warm it up?" She gave a kind smile.
Emma stepped out of the living room when Miranda nodded. Miranda backed away from Eve's grip and took her hand in hers.
"Tomorrow I'll introduce you to everyone, but for now, that girl is Emma. Her parents used her to pay off their debt to me, then abandoned her, and she now works for me. She's a fantastic cook, in fact," as the two of them proceeded towards the kitchen, Miranda said.
She smiled and nodded. "She appears nice, but I believe she is too young to work."
"I told her to only cook, but she was obstinate, and she insisted on repaying my goodwill by working as a maid."
"Does she go to school?"
Miranda smiled and nodded. "She is, she is a scholar of mine."
Eve grinned. "I'm relieved to learn that."
When they walked into the kitchen, the meal was already on the island countertop. Eve took a seat in the chair, and Miranda took a seat next to her.
"Is there anything else you require?" Emma inquired, her smile returning.
"We're fine; could you tidy the living room for us? Someone messed up," Miranda remarked, her gaze falling on Eve.
She cocked her head. "If you hadn't scared me like that, I wouldn't have reacted in that manner! It's entirely your responsibility."
Miranda burst out laughing. "I didn't realize you'd believe me when I said I was the Grim Reaper."
"I despise you," she said, putting the spoon in her mouth with a pout.
Emma burst out laughing and lowered her head. "I'll take my leave."
Miranda kept an eye on Eve as she ate her food. As she glanced at her, a sigh escaped her lips; everything seemed so unreal to her, even if it was genuine.
"Mom, why aren't you eating?" She inquired.
Miranda grinned and said, "I already ate earlier."
She continued to devour the dish in front of her with a nod. Miranda's heart leaped with delight; this is exactly what she had hoped for, aside from bringing Eva back, she gets to ne with her to be with her other daughter as well. She examined the features of her face once again as she glanced at her. Eve is not only her foster daughter, but she is also her true mother, Eve carries her DNA. A slight frown tugged her lips as she remembered a secret she was keeping.
"Are you okay, mom?" She inquired.
Miranda nodded. "Yes, I had been missing you terribly. Please eat some more."
Eve nodded, and she locked her gaze on her once again. She's not going to screw it up this time.
--
This was supposed to be for tomorrow's update but I don't think I can update tomorrow. I'll be going on a trip tomorrow so, please, have fun reading! 💗