Luca Angeles
Ezra Gaignory
King Malekh Luciano
Age: 27
Rosaline Damaris
Age: 209
Cyrena Damaris
Age: 24
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Luca's POV
The balcony on the third floor of Spade Kingdom castle was the perfect place for reflection. I often found myself there, thinking of what was and what used to be. Remembering the past, thinking of the present and planning for the future.
The Nightshade Massacre had already ended more than a millennia ago but the persecution of the Origins, my people, still persisted to this day. It was time to put a stop to it. But first, I needed to find my daughter, Elizabeth. My mind would not allow for a moment's rest until she was safe with me.
I missed her so much it felt as if my heart had been carved out and my chest left open as a hollow cavity. Isabelle had done her best to protect her. If only Caden had never interfered. I could never forgive him for what he did to her.
I sighed as I paced along the balcony, my fingers drumming against the railings. There was an expansive view of the Spade Kingdom that stretched as far as the eye could see. The blustering winter winds were harsh and bitter, but they hardly bothered me. It could be the result of all the endurance I'd built up due to the many harsh circumstances that life threw my way, but dismissing it as such would be far too optimistic. As much as I wanted to deny it right now, my unique ability was returning.
That wouldn't be such a bad thing if it didn't herald the warning that the seal I'd placed on Elizabeth was weakening rapidly. It was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened and as much as the DeLorentes' claimed to have welcomed her into their family, their tolerance and hospitality would not extend to an Origin.
My lips pulled back in a scowl as I imagined how much danger she was in right now and she was blissfully unaware of all of it. Ezra leaned off the wall, his keen eyes observed me silently. He was worried about Elizabeth too. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to attempt to calm my nerves but at the same time a knock sounded against the door. It was Rosaline again.
I had no intention of trusting Malekh, or any of them for the matter. I'd made that sufficiently clear the first time we'd met, but Rosaline was unwilling to accept that. The Damaris family had been the closest aides of the Angeles for a long as anyone could remember. As a member of that family, she prided herself on being able to communicate with me and assist with my plans.
"Hello, Luca," she greeted with a smile after I told her to come out. Her eyes flitted to Ezra who watched her with growing suspicion. "And Ezra," she sighed. "I should have known you'd be here too. You're always stuck to Luca like glue."
"Is there a problem with that?" he asked, still tense.
"No, of course not," she sniffed. "I was only pointing it out. I'm sure even Luca must want some time alone."
"I don't mind Ezra being here," I informed her. "He's quite literally the only person here I trust. Besides," I turned around, gazing at the direction of the Kingdom of Crysauralia, "If I was left by myself I would be too tempted to storm into the palace and take my daughter back."
"I will go," Ezra volunteered immediately. "If it's for you and Elizabeth, I'll do anything."
"Don't be hasty," I murmured. "I appreciate that, but our planning will be all for nothing if we show up there now."
"But there isn't much time left," he protested with a sigh. "You and Elizabeth... you're both the last Angeles remaining. Everyone else-"
"I know," I reminded him. "Time is of the essence. Malekh and I have made preparations to bring her here."
"I see." He glanced at the ground, his eyes still held traces of concern.
"Elizabeth..." Rosaline hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Her mother was a human, right?"
"That's right."
"Oh." She glanced at the ground. "It's a very good thing that you came back in time. If she were to marry a DeLorentes..." She trailed off, shaking her head at the thought.
My blood boiled at the mere thought of that. How dare they force my daughter into a marriage with their son? They were all going to pay dearly for the heartaches that they caused my family.
"I wasn't aware that this balcony was such a popular spot." Malekh said as he stepped out onto the balcony. Ezra leaned off the wall now, his body fully alert for any signal of danger.
Malekh didn't pay him any mind and walked over to where Rosaline and I were. "I hate to interrupt, but I must speak with Luca alone."
Rosaline's lips pulled down in a frown but she didn't question Malekh. Instead she simply nodded and turned to leave. She was about to go through the door but turned around, irritation evident in her face. Her gaze was leveled at Ezra, who was still standing by the wall.
"Aren't you leaving too?"
"No."
She crossed her arms, clearly displeased with his answer. "Malekh says he'd like to speak with Luca."
"I heard him."
"Alone."
"I don't take orders from Malekh," Ezra answered coolly.
He looked to me and I nodded. "It will be fine, Ezra. You can use this time to interact with Rosaline. Perhaps you two might have some things in common."
Neither of them looked pleased with that suggestion, but they left the balcony to give us space to talk about whatever Malekh wanted to discuss.
"Demetri is coming back soon," he informed after they were gone. "You two have never met before but honestly it's better that way. He's not the biggest fans of Origins."
"Hmm..."
"Are you sure you're making the right choice by bringing Elizabeth here?" he questioned. "Wouldn't she be safer elsewhere, safely hidden among humans?"
"I've considered that before, but it would just be putting off the issue rather than dealing with it. The safest place for her right now is by my side. Segregating her from the world of Origins would be of no benefit for her. She's lived as a stranger to her own identity for twenty-one years. It's time for her to learn about who she really is. Besides, she's going to shift soon... I won't let her endure that pain alone."
"I suppose you can't change the mind of a doting father." He smiled. "I agree that the safest thing for her would be to come here. Although," his voice was silky, "Her soulmate will not give her up that easily."
"Her soulmate." I scoffed at the absurd irony of the situation. It was rare for an Origen to find a human soulmate. It was even rarer for their soulmates to be an Origin. Such a thing had been observed less than a handful of times throughout our recorded history and never with a member of the Angeles family. "It doesn't matter what the DeLorentes child wants. My main priority is to keep my daughter safe."
I'd promised Isabelle that I would keep them both safe no matter the cost. I'd already failed once before and the cost of that failure was Isabelle's life. I would not make the same mistake again.
"They love each other," Malekh continued. "I know that much. I doubt Elizabeth will agree with what you're doing."
"She loves him because she doesn't know the truth. Only we know just how dark the DeLorentes are."
"Your unique ability will return once the seal is broken. You'll know exactly when Elizabeth shifts. Hopefully she'll be here by then. All Origins possess a unique ability. I know about everyone else's except for yours. You still haven't made things clear."
"Until the seal is broken I can't use my unique ability, so there's really no point in revealing it now is there?" My eyes narrowed at him. "You still haven't made things clear either. You were once an Origen. I can't believe you would join forces with me unless there was something in it for you."
"My own survival is at stake," he answered simply. "Eventually I'll be targeted for being an Origin. The only reason why the OA hasn't come after me yet is because they're still in the dark about who I actually am. If Emperor Caden were to reveal my identity, he'd have to reveal what his son is as well."
I stared at him. His facial expression and body language betrayed nothing but I was anything but convinced. "You might be right about that. Naturally you'd be thinking about your own survival. It's basic instinct after all, but what about your brother's survival? There is something else you're not mentioning."
"All will be revealed in time. Our objectives are the same. Right now we need each other and I will not betray you. You have my word."
"Is that supposed to mean something to me? You've been lying since we met. It would be unwise of me to trust you, don't you agree?"
He chuckled lightly at that. "That lie was merely a joke of sorts. Don't worry, Luca. My word is my life."
"Words of comfort are merely waiting traps for those gullible enough to believe them," I told him. "To think you changed a DeLorentes into a hybrid of us... You got unfathomably lucky in acquiring Eleanor's ability to change Origens. It must have been changing you that cost her her life. I would have rather if you had not acquired it."
"Perhaps," he mused. "But what's done is done. It wasn't mere luck though. I don't believe in such a thing as coincidental as luck."
"No Origen has ever been to obtain a Villarreal's unique ability. It should be impossible, even for an Alpha like you."
"There's still so much about Origins that even Origins don't know themselves. Perhaps it was possible all along."
"That's highly unlikely." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Well, right now that doesn't matter. Time is ticking. Every second we delay puts Elizabeth in danger."
"I know." He pulled out his phone and read something for a moment before turning back to me with a cool smile. "Even as we speak, our plan to take her here is already in motion."
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Hey lovelies! Thanks for reading!
Luca's POV has finally arrived! Thoughts on it?
What could his unique ability be? What do you think will happen next?
Leave a comment and a vote ☆ if you'd like and I'll see you in the next chapter ❤