I knew I was smiling stupidly as I walked with Michelle to go see the Council, but I couldn’t help myself. Luke words were on repeat in my head, “Do you think I would fall in love with someone who wasn’t any of that?” He was in love with me. I could feel myself blushing as I turned his words over and over in my head. Michelle shot me a sideways glance and silently raised her eyebrows. I kept my gaze forward and bit my lip to stop the smile. Soon we reached the door to the Chamber and we stopped outside it. Michelle pushed open the door and together we walked in.
“I have brought her.” Michelle said, before bowing and leaving the room. I looked up and saw the entire Council sitting around a long table. Mina stood as I walked forward.
“Join us Ella. We have to talk.” she said solemnly. I took the only available seat, at the head of the table. Mina sat to my right and Aterus to my left. The rest of the Council was seated on either side of the table after them.
“What do you have to say to me?” I asked, noticing I was speaking with an Angelus accent again.
“We only want to explain.” Mina said.
“Explain what? How my parents died, or how you sold them out?”
“It was not like that.”
“Then what was it? They’re dead, because of you. What more is there?”
“The truth. Yes, what Ciara told your Aunt was correct, but you have to understand the reason behind our actions. Please Ella, let us show you.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat and blinked tears from my eyes, “How are you going to show me?” I asked.
The Council joined their hands quietly, and Mina reached hers out to me. I slowly took it, completing the circle. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, just as the rest of the Council had done. Mina suddenly began chanting a strangely familiar song in the Angelus language.
“Soha hara jeika semperis titiana.”
I began to feel drowsy, a fog settling over my mind. Soon the only tangible things I could feel were the hands in my own. Suddenly an image began to form behind my closed eyelids. It was blurry at first, but grew steadily clearer until it was as if it were right in front of us. Soon voices accompanied the picture, until it was like a movie playing beneath my eyelids.
~O~O~
Two Angelus stood before the Council, their arms around each other’s waist. The woman had long blonde hair that reached to her waist. Her wings were a pale yellow, the same as her aura. She was smiling happily, her blue eyes sparkling as she spoke. The man next to her had short brown hair and warm chocolate eyes. His aura and wings were a light blue, almost grey. His face bore the same smile as the woman, full of excitement.
Those are my parents, I realized with a jolt.
“She’s due in May, a Spring baby.” said the women excitedly.
“And how do you know it’s a girl?” asked Lord Damon.
I suddenly noticed that Mina and Aterus were not anywhere to be seen. The thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind however, when Lana spoke again.
“I just do. I can feel it.” she replied.
“That is truly great news Lana. But what can we do for you. Surely you didn’t travel all the way here to inform us of your pregnancy when a simple dream would have sufficed.”
“Actually, there is more… Adrian?” Lana said, turning to her husband.
“This may sound like I am just bragging about my daughter, but there is something different here. I cannot explain it, but I know my child is special.” He answered.
“Define special Adrian.” Lady Careena said.
“This baby is not mere Angelus. I have already said. I am unable to describe it. It is a feeling, a very certain feeling.”
“So assuming this child is as ‘special’ as you say, what would you have us do?” Lord Richard asked.
“Protection. That is all I’m asking for. If my baby has even the smallest hint of any power, which I know she does, she is going to need as much protection as possible.” Adrian said.
“Adrian, Lana. I’m sure this baby is going to grow up and be a magnificent Angelus, but there is absolutely no need for us to provide any protection. We have no idea whether what you say id true or if you are like every other expectant father on Earth. And I am pretty sure it is the latter.” Lord Damon said.
“No, you don’t understand. This baby could be heria...” Lana began.
“NO! We will not hear such blasphemy in this hallowed chamber. The heria are extinct. The last was killed over 100 years ago. If another generation was to surface, don’t you think it would have happened by now? We cannot and will not provide protection for your precious heria child.”
“But…” Adrian started.
“Leave now. We have more pressing matters to deal with.” Lady Ashlyn dismissed them. The couple bowed their heads, before turning and walking out of the chamber. No matter how hard they tried though, they couldn’t hide the pure fear and anger from their faces.
~O~O~
The vision faded out before another took its place. This one was quicker to become clear, and I found myself falling into the story again.
~O~O~
Lana walked towards the white crib, picking up the bundle of blankets from inside. She held the baby close to her chest, rocking it slowly and swaying from side to side. When the little girl quieted down, Lana walked towards the bed that stood opposite the crib, and sat down. Suddenly Adrian walked through the door, a smile lighting his handsome face when he saw his wife and new daughter. He moved forward, until he stood by the bedside. Lana moved a bit to the side and he sat down next to her. He leaned down to get a better look at the little girl.
"Ella James. She’s gorgeous." He said quietly, his fingertips tracing the tiny cheek. Just as he spoke her eyelids fluttered, until twin grey orbs made their appearance for the first time. They glowed slightly, a slate grey with veins of silver running through them. The two adults gasped in shock.
"Her eyes." Adrian whispered.
"She's heria. We should have known." Lana whispered, her eyes trained on her newborn daughter.
"You know what this means?" Adrian asked, his gaze moving to his wife.
“What?” Lana replied.
“The Demonate will stop at nothing to get their hands on her. She’s the first heria to be born in over a hundred years.”
“We have to leave. Over my dead body will they touch my baby girl.” Lana said vehemently.
“I know, I know. But how can we leave? The Council would never allow it.”
“I don’t care. As long as we are surrounded by magic the Demonate will be able to reach us.”
~O~O~
The vision abruptly ended just as the words left Lana’s mouth. I blinked my eyes open and stared at the Angelus around the table.
“What just happened?” I asked.
“That’s where the vision ends. We never knew exactly how your parents left Ahina with you, but we do know that they did. They ran to your Aunt Alice, who took them in without a word.” Mina said.
“Alright, but then how did they die?” I asked quietly.
“That’s what we can see next. Close your eyes.” Mina replied.
“Wait. Before I forget, why aren’t you there with the Council?” I asked Mina.
She smiled a sad smile and replied, “I was living in the human world with my son and husband.”
I parted my lips to say something but the weird feeling reappeared and I gave in to the drowsy sensation as it settled over my mind. My vision blurred and suddenly we were back at Alice’s house.
~O~O~
Lana walked around the den, gently rocking her baby daughter to sleep. Adrian was fast asleep on the couch, his mouth open. Once the baby had fallen asleep she gently walked her to their room, where her crib sat. She placed the little girl gently down, watching the rise and fall of her small chest for a minute. Smiling she walked out of the room and back to her husband, ready to wake him up.
“I never would’ve thought this would happen.” said a voice from the kitchen doorway. Lana jumped, before turning to face her sister.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You, a mom. I was always the maternal one.” Alice teased.
“I know, but that’s the way it is.”
“I know. Ella is very beautiful though.”
“I know. She’s going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up” Lana said proudly.
“I can imagine, with you as her mother.” The sisters laughed, before Alice sobered up again, “Why exactly are you here though? I thought you would’ve kept her in Ahina with the Angelus.”
“Have you seen her eyes?” Lana asked quietly.
“So I was right then? My niece is heria.” Alice replied. Lana bit her lip and looked away, before nodding silently. Alice smiled sadly before walking forward and pulling her sister into a hug. She rubbed her back as she felt Lana exhale heavily and relax. The moment was lost however, when Ella began to cry. Lana pulled back, shaking her head fondly, before walking back to go tend to her baby. Alice walked into the den and saw Adrian had woken up, and was drowsily rubbing his eyes. Before she could say anything though, a scream shattered the perfect silence of the house.
Adrian jumped up and ran out of the room to Ella’s nursery, Alice close on his heels. He roughly pushed open the door, to see his wife on the floor beside the crib, crying her eyes out. Her quickly moved forward to wrap him arms around and comfort her. He lifted his head slightly and that’s when he saw it, the crib was empty.
“Lana what happened? Where’s Ella?” he asked urgently.
She shook her head mutely, before taking a deep breath and saying in a shaky voice, “They found her, the Demonate. She’s gone Adrian, gone.” Lana broke down into sobs again. Adrian immediately began rocking his wife gently, all the while trying to keep from falling apart himself.
~O~O~
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T!?” Lana shouted at the Council. They all flinched back slightly at the anger radiating from the Angelus.
“Lana sweetheart, calm down.” Adrian whispered to his wife.
“CALM DOWN? Our baby has been kidnapped and they won’t even try to help us find her!”
“It’s not like that Lana. You ran from Ahina, away from our protection. There was nothing we could do in the human world. Lady Careena said.
Lana bit her lip and shook her head. Adrian moved to pull her to him, an arm around her waist. She shook her head limply and said quietly, “We thought it would be better, safer. How were we to know they would leave the Shadow Realm and step into the mortal world for her?”
“We know.” Lord Douglas said.
“We have to get her back. We’ll do anything.”
“There is nothing you can do. The Demonate will not give her back now that they have her. They will only trade her with something of even more value. And the only thing more valuable than Ella is a fully grown heria.”
“That’s it.” Lana said a new sparkle in her eyes.
“What?” Adrian asked.
“A heria… If we get them a heria in exchange for Ella, we’ll be able to bring her back here and keep her safe.”
“But where are we going to find a heria? They’re extinct remember, that’s why Ella is so special.”
“Listen, you are the most powerful Angelus in Ahina. A simple transformation and I could pass of as heria.” Lana said.
“I don’t know.” said Lady Ashlyn cautiously.
“Please, I will not let my baby girl be raised by those monsters to be a weapon.” Lana pleaded.
“You realize that giving yourselves over is a death sentence?”
The young couple shared a glance, before Adrian stepped forward and said, “She’s our daughter. We’d die for her any day.”
The Council nodded and stood collectively, Lady Careena reaching out her hand to the parents.
~O~O~
Lana smoothed down her new dark hair before stepping forward into the Council chamber. With her hair now a dark brown and her eyes a pale blue, she could’ve been Ella’s older sister. Adrian walked closely behind her, playing the part of a Palace guard sent to accompany the heria. The Council stood just out in the courtyard. They had been forbidden entrance to the Chamber when the trade was to happen. They watched apprehensively as Lana and Adrian walked into the chambers to face their deaths. The doors to the Chamber closed behind them.
The Council shared glances with each other, wondering what was going on. They stood outside for close to an hour, waiting a single idea of what was happening in the Chamber. They were starting to worry, for there was nothing to suggest anything was happening. Suddenly a scream echoed throughout the Chamber and courtyard. The Council ran forward, throwing open the huge doors. They froze at the image before them.
A tiny bundle of blankets holding a sleeping baby girl sat on the floor in the middle of a pool of blood. The liquid was thick and so dark it looked almost black. It lazily spread over the floor, forming a halo around the child. The room was empty save Ella. Lana and Adrian had disappeared along with the Demonate. Lady Ashlyn slowly walked forward, not caring about the blood seeping through the hem of her dress and lifted the baby girl into her arms. She turned back to the rest of the Council who were eyeing the rest of room.
“She will live with her aunt. With our protection she’ll be safe.” She announced. Unsurprisingly the rest of the Council agreed and slowly the exited the room of bloodshed.
~O~O~
I was shaking as I slowly blinked open my eyes. I stared at the people in front of me, realizing I had been completely wrong about them. I swallowed thickly as they all smiled softly at me, except for Aterus. Tears burned in my eyes as I thought about everything they had done for me.
“I’m sorry. I just assumed you were the bad guys without thinking.” I said shakily.
“We wouldn’t have expected any less. We honestly didn’t want you to find out like that.” Mina said. The urge for me to breakdown crying was almost overwhelming now and I abruptly pushed my chair back.
“I think I’m going to need some air.” I said, and Mina nodded understandingly. I stopped just short of sprinting out of the room, before breaking into a run as I rushed to my room. I couldn’t let anyone see the turmoil within me, so I ran. Soon I reached the room and wrenched the door open, before running to the huge bay window and pulling it up. I leaned out and gasped in lungful’s of air, trying to calm down.
“Ella!” shouted a voice behind me, and I jumped and turned around. Luke stood next to the bed, running his hands through his hair as he watched me protectively. His eyes widened when he saw my expression and he rushed forward towards me.
“Are you alright? What happened?” he asked hurriedly.
“I’m fine. Luke, I’m FINE!” I said, emphasis on the last word.
“Then why do you look like your about to have a nervous breakdown?”
“My parents died saving me, ME! They sacrificed themselves to-“
“Woah, woah stop. They were your parents. They would’ve done anything for you, because they loved you. They still do.”
“But…”
“No, no buts. You are going to listen to what I say and believe every word. Got it?” he asked. I couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped when I saw the mischievous glint in his eye.
“Got it.” I whispered. He smiled happily before pulling me into a tight hug, pressing our bodies close together. I wrapped my arms around his back and nuzzled into his chest, soaking up his warmth.
“Hey, about what you said earlier.” I whispered softly, his words still running through my mind.
The door suddenly swung open and Luke and I separated and turned to the door. We always seemed to be getting interrupted. I looked up at his face, but he showed no emotion.
“Ella, it’s time for your fitting.” Mina said from the door.
“Fitting? For what?” I asked.
“For the upcoming ball silly, now come along.” She said before sweeping out of the room. My eyes widened and I looked at Luke who simply shrugged and motioned for me to go. I nodded and quickly left to follow Mina.
______________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Alright, yes I realise that it has been a REALLY long time since I last uploaded but my personal life has just been really hectic and I couldn't fully focus on writing. But as a present for all you fabulous people here is a SUPER long chapter, the longest I've ever written. Thank you so much for supporting TW, I don't know what I would do without you guys :)
I'm currently working on a story for Watty Awards 2012, but TW still takes first priority so don't worry!
I'm upping the vote challenge to 10 votes on this chapter. I KNOW you guys can do it so please, please with Luke on top vote :)
Love Micky xoxo