Chapter 27
Alone Together
“I don’t know where you’re going, but do you have room for one more troubled soul?”
~Fall Out Boy~
“You are the Flower Maiden Prodigy…!” So many feelings all at once pounded on him.
Reminiscent of his sister, Jasmine bore all the qualities Exsavior had long forgotten of a true pack. She was the Flower Maiden Prodigy; like his sister was which also meant that she was one of the Betas.
Jasmine watched Exsavior with uninviting eyes; Toushiro remained close to her after Exsavior had let him go. The boy did nothing to run off again, since now they observed Exsavior as a threat. It was what he had expected.
“What brings you to our lands, stray?” Jasmine’s voice was hurtful, but Exsavior’s composure was unaffected.
“I apologize for intruding; I am no stray, but simply a Beta who has lost his pack. Please, I’ve traveled this far for a meeting with your Alpha,” Exsavior pleaded, as he bowed again and maintained the gesture in hopes of convincing her.
“No! There’s no way a mutt like you will see my dad! He’s far too important,” Toushiro exclaimed; his arms crossed over his small chest in defiance towards Exsavior’s gesture.
Jasmine held his shoulders with her hands, and visibly squeezed them when he reacted with such audacity.
Lifting his poise, Exsavior eased and faced both siblings. “Ah, I should have known you were her younger brother. I too was the younger pup in comparison to my sister.” He smiled gently at Toushiro, recalling the picture of his sister, but the young hotheaded sandy haired boy scoffed at the gesture and looked away. However, Jasmine could not help but softened towards his words.
“Your sister, she was a Flower Maiden was she not?” Jasmine asked.
Exsavior nodded and spoke, “Yes, her name was Alexandria Lucerne Sirius. Her birth flower was the Lucerne or—”
“…the Alfalfa flower, that flower has such beautiful petals!” Jasmine’s face turned bright red, like before, when she found her emotions had gotten the better of her. Exsavior knew she’d get comfortable when relating to something she knew about.
Smiling again, Exsavior nodded. “Yes, yours must be the Jasmine.”
The girl nodded in conformation with a small smile, but her eyes then dimmed, turning stern. “I’m sorry; we mustn’t waste your time. You cannot see the Alpha; it would risk our order.” She then turned with her younger brother who smirked at Exsavior, and started on her way.
“Wait! I know that you must have realized that I am an Alpha as well, but please, I am in dire need of assistance. A fallen comrade of mine sent me here before she died.” Exsavior grabbed Jasmine’s arm and willed her attention back to him, making Toushiro growl.
Jasmine, however, looked into his pleading eyes, glistening with an intense urgency. He could see her cheeks reddening, and her own eyes contracting with small flexes of her muscles out of shock. In his head, Exsavior knew that he was getting to her.
“Please…” he worded again, closer to her this time. It made her tremble, and for a minute, he felt as if she would cry.
“I—”
“Exsavior, why the hell must you run off on me!” As fast as his eyes had captivated Jasmine, it melted away. She moved back from Exsavior to distance herself, as Isabel’s voice broke their attention.
The bothered looking witch stormed towards them as Exsavior shifted his gaze to his friend.
“Isabel!” he started, but she grabbed his ear and yanked him down to her level.
“Run off again, and I’m taking your pelt.” She seethed, her hair a mess, and the clothes on her back drenched in sweat.
Exsavior laughed nervously, and before anyone could say anything more, Isabel noticed the two strangers.
“Oh, are you from the Sierra Reserve?” she asked. Toushiro stuck his tongue out at her and Isabel scowled.
“What’s with the kid?”
“Isabel, they’re the Beta’s of the Mountain Wolf Pack, meaning son and daughter of the Alpha we want to speak to,” Exsavior stated, making Isabel assess the situation immediately.
“Are you…a witch?” Jasmine’s small voice chimed in, her grasp on her smaller brother’s shoulder never lessening.
Isabel recomposed her expression as she straightened herself. “Yes, I am, and I am also Exsavior’s emissary. It is vital for us to speak to your Alpha; we were sent on behalf of Margery Whyte, who has passed…”
After hearing the words, the young Immortals’ eyes widened. “Margery…is dead?” Toushiro said in a low whisper. It made Jasmine hug him to her body, as she spoke.
“Alright, I will attempt to arrange a hearing with him. Please, follow me,” she said, making Isabel and Exsavior nod.
“You better brace yourself; we can’t know for sure how hostile they might be once they see you,” Isabel said for Exsavior’s ears only, as Jasmine and Toushiro moved quickly away from them.
Isabel followed in tow as Exsavior replied, “I know how hostile they might be towards me. Rest assured I am completely prepared for it.”
“Alright…,” Isabel concluded, as she hovered inches up into the air to catch up to the running betas, while Exsavior’s inhuman speed kept him at a good distance behind them.
The entrance to the Sierra Reserve was enormous. It was composed of an antiquated wooden archway that aggrandized the cobble stoned path they walked on. Beautiful flower bushes showered every patch of grass they laid their eyes on, and when both Isabel and Exsavior were about to walk through the Eastern-like archway, Jasmine stopped them.
She plucked out her flower that graced her hair and handed it to Exsavior.
“Blessed be by the souls of our brethren.” Exsavior nodded and walked through; a rippling wave of invisible energy collided with his body but did nothing to harm him.
For the first time, Isabel was the one who marveled over the occurrence. It did not take her long to assess what had happened, but it was something that she had not seen before.
“A lycan barrier?” she asked, and Jasmine nodded, handing her the flower and repeating the blessing.
Once they were all inside, Exsavior felt tense. Everywhere he looked, he was greeted with hateful eyes, snarls and a few growls. The denizens of the Sierra Reserve were just how he pictured them to be. Every male of the Reserve wore grey white wool pants with patterns and marking of the constellations Exsavior knew well. Their strong chests were bare, and around their necks were necklaces of Lycan fangs, possibly from fallen comrades. Some were different, having ponchos of different shapes and colors in comparison to Jasmine’s.
As for the females, they wore similar clothing like Jasmine, but the colors were cream and white in opposition. Jasmine was of rank and her garments denoted it.
Then there were the homes; it was what Exsavior found most appealing. It reminded him of his own pack. They were simple structures made out of redwood lumber, and painted scarlet. However, it was the rooftops that he found striking; like the entrance, they had large swooping eaves that were tiled. Exsavior had never seen the décor before, but he figured it must have been some type of custom the Sierra Reserve had.
Before long, they all arrived at a large temple-like home. Unlike the ordinary houses, this one was larger in size, having golden tiles that adorned its roof in contrast to the grey ones of the denizens.
“This is Alpha Haldus’s home, our lair,” Jasmine said as she turned to face Isabel and Exsavior.
“Dad is probably going to take your hide,” Toushiro sneered.
Jasmine scolded him and Isabel scowled towards the child. Exsavior remained immutable; he knew all too well the risk he was taking.
“Well, I’m ready when you are,” Exsavior said, taking a step forward as Jasmine nodded in response. The gesture made Toushiro humph in anger at his own failure to scare him off.
“Ready? Ha, a stray like you is not worthy to see the Alpha.” Before anything could be done, Exsavior turned to face the unknown voice that interrupted.
Nevertheless, his jaw came in contact with a strong fist that punched him into the floor. A potent smell of testosterone invaded his nostrils, as he looked up to see a young lycan around his age with a long flowing black mane and angry brown eyes. His tattooed arms crossed before his bare muscular chest, daring Exsavior to try and stand.
‘Oh, this is exactly what I was expecting.’
With little care, Exsavior stood in a nimble fashion and held his ground with a feral stance as he applied all his weight to his knees. There was no avoiding it; he knew that he would have to rough up a few before seeing the Alpha.
“What a cocky mutt. Come at me!” The man growled at him, and Exsavior retaliated.
One leap, and they both braced themselves for the fight to come.
~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~******
The inside of Daisy’s home was very cluttered; it still felt cozy enough, but all of the pictures adorning the walls and end tables made Mia feel as if she was being watched.
Through the corners of her eyes, she saw Lynn turn off her cell phone once again and check her watch. It was around eight p.m. which was the time Mia had calculated that they’d arrive before leaving Oakhurst. After all, Stantonville was approximately four hours away.
“Come girls, sit down while I make you some hot tea,” she offered, making Lynn groan. Mia chuckled to herself, realizing that coffee must have sounded like a much better choice over tea given her intoxicated state.
“Alright, but be quick and stop tiptoeing over everything.” Lynn crossed her arms over chest, uncaring of how demanding she seemed.
Daisy chortled in light amusement. “Oh my, you are quite a character miss Lynn.” Her laugh was breezy; it made her face look bright and delicate even with her age.
When Daisy left to prepare the tea, Lynn plopped down on the couch that was located before a glass table, the center piece of the living room. Two large framed pictures were located on top, one of a two women smiling happily together and the other of a robust man smoking a cigarette.
Before accompanying her sister, Mia shifted her gaze from the pictures to find the rest that stared back at her on the living room walls. There were many of them, each one with different faces. Most of them were of young people in their teens, similar to her age. It was fascinating to see such an old time past. Mia could tell that the pictures were of a long time ago, and she denoted one persisting characteristics in each of the people. They all wore the same clothing—the Falls Academy uniform.
“I see you must have noticed that these pictures all have students of Falls Academy on them.” Daisy’s voice brought Mia out of her scrutiny, as she placed the tray next to the two frames Mia had noticed before. In addition, Lynn grabbed a jug and sipped the warm liquid without any hesitation.
“Yea, what does that mean exactly?” Mia asked, feeling tense around the woman.
There so much she needed to understand.
“Screw that, how are you and my mother connected?” Lynn questioned forcibly, while planting her jug back on the glass table.
Daisy’s expression fell; the lone sofa that was adjacent to Lynn mollified her next course of actions as she found its comfort. Mia mimicked the gesture, and sat herself next to Lynn.
“Your mother was a troubled child…,” Daisy started.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Mia’s voice was harsh as she scoffed at the comment.
Daisy remained unaffected, continuing her tale. “I don’t know if you know this, but Amelia was an orphan. My father Reese d’Aerie found her in an abandoned cathedral. She was just—”
“Hold it! You’re telling me that your father raised my mother the first few years of her life?” Lynn interjected not able to believe what she heard.
“Yes, because like my father, your mother was a Savant.” Mia clenched her fists tightly on her lap as she felt Lynn sit herself back on the couch. She became deathly quiet.
Every word, Mia tried to wrap with her mind, but failed. Her mother wasn’t around much throughout her childhood, so there was little she could make out of what Daisy told her.
That’s when her gaze shifted to Lynn; her eyes were wide open as they stared lost into the distance of the living room. Lynn knew more about their mother than she did, since she was eleven at the time.
“No! You’re lying!” In a sudden burst, Lynn’s angry eyes stared at Daisy.
There was silence; no one daring to speak. Mia looked down at her lap in sadness. She felt frustrated; they did not know anything about their mother, and having to rely on some stranger to tell them was beyond painful. The weird part was that it hurt more to know that Lynn was affected because of this. Mia had accepted the fact that her mother cared little for her a long time ago, but a part of her knew that Lynn had not.
In a small shy gesture, she grabbed Lynn’s hand which made her turn to Mia in surprise. Her eyes angry and lost were on the brink of tears.
“I’m sorry but this is the truth. Your mother was found abandoned at a Cathedral by my father. He and my mother raised her for a few years until they found a nice family for her.” Daisy continued to speak when she saw how Mia soothed her sister’s frustration.
“Mia, I know this must be hard to hear, but your mother left because of the powers you possessed. In any regular circumstance, one wouldn’t blame the child but the reality is that she feared your powers and her own.”
This time, Lynn squeezed Mia’s hand to reassure her, but much to their surprise she remained stoic.
“That’s not news to me,” she said with a flat tone.
‘I’ve cried tears that she’ll never see…I’m done caring.’
Daisy’s expression fell into a scowl. Her eyes were plastered on the faces of both girls, specifically Mia’s. “Child, if it hurts that is quite alright. Let out those feelings of pain, no one should ever be forsaken by their own blood.”
Mia did not say a word to her comment as her composure remained stiff.
“Forget about that, our mother being a savant must have influenced my sister’s powers right?” Lynn asked.
“No, your sister is an Angel. Nothing on this earth can produce such a being.” The word ‘angel’ shocked both girls and Mia felt Lynn stiffen in what she could only assume was suspicion.
How this woman knew about her bloodline was just another question they needed to investigate, and when Mia was about to open her mouth and word her inquiry, Daisy stopped her.
“I know what you both must be thinking, but I knew Mia was an Angel from the get-go,” she paused looking back to the framed pictures that were in the center on the table before them. “That man in the picture is my father. The very same who saved your mother. When he found her in that cathedral, she had no memory and bore the symbol of the beacon of hope on her hip. Due to this, my mother—” she stopped midsentence to pick up the other picture that held two women. “…my mother and Margery Whyte concluded that she had been chosen by the Celestial Realm to bear an angelic child, this being the appearance of the symbol.” Again, she stopped to pull out a pen from her pocket. Grabbing one of the napkins that were used for the tea, she quickly scribbled down the form of the beacon of hope.
“This is an Enochian symbol, Enochian being the language of the Angels, and it means the beacon of hope.” Both girls became stunned when they saw the drawing.
It was indeed the same figure of Mia’s necklace.
Almost as if she was programmed to do so, Mia pulled out her necklace. “My—my father gave me this…” The emotions started to get the better of her, for they made her stand with exigency coating her eyes.
“What does he have to do with all of this?”
Lynn looked up at her sister in worry. The conversation just kept escalating.
Daisy sighed in contemplation. “Mia, why you came to this world is something I don’t know. In fact, I am not even sure if there is anyone who can tell you why you’re here, this is because only you know that answer. Not even your father knew.”
It was a lot to process and as she heard the words, she understood, but did not assimilate. It was logical, but hard to believe.
‘How can I be so alone in this world?’ She wanted to break, feeling all of her insecurities weighing her down. It was as if she was drowning little by little.
‘Exsavior, I wish you were here.’
“Ho—how can you say that? How am I supposed to know something like that?” Mia managed to ask.
“Because, Angels aren’t born, they are created by the hand of God in the Celestial Realm, which means you were there before coming here. Your mother was chosen and because of this my parents kept a close watch on her after she left with her family.” In one instant, her eyes dimmed and mimicked the sadness Mia was masking. “The Black Night took from so many, your mother included. When she became of age and had her first child, we believed that there would be no Angel born into this world.”
“Why?” This time Lynn interjected, feeling that the child mentioned was her.
“Because, you are not an Angel, Lynn, this meant that there was no possible way for her to conceive one. Angels are only chosen as the first born and this is a proven fact that has left no margin of error.”
“Until now…” Mia said, refuting her tenet.
Daisy nodded, staring at Mia with a hard expression of compassion. “How you have no knowledge of your origins also eluded us, but it must be due to you being a younger sibling.” Daisy paused before continuing. “I’m so sorry that my parents did not realize what you were until we received that note.”
“You mean the letter my mother left behind before she disappeared?” Mia’s voice was spiteful and brusque.
“Yes, your mother and I were close friends, thus we wrote to each other. She made it a point to keep a series of letter entries as if a diary. Also because she didn’t know how to pronounce my name well, so it fit perfectly.” The last comment Daisy said with a small reminiscent smile.
“So, you knew about her plans?” Lynn asked.
Daisy nodded. “After we received the news, my parents went to your father’s aid but he would not allow us to take you. Margery, however, was preoccupied with other children and she never knew about your situation or your existence, Mia. If she had, maybe your father would have been persuaded by her.”
Those words pierced Mia like a bow and arrow. “Why?” she said a bit too loud. Her eyes became forceful, copying the tone of her voice.
Daisy frowned in confusion. “Because Margery was an amazing woman, she could convince anyone.”
“No! Why did he need convincing?” Mia exclaimed.
Taken aback by her query, Daisy hesitated. “Because, he loved you Mia, there was no chance that he was going to give you up to us.” She did not understand the motives behind her question.
“He should have! He should have given me up; he would have still been alive! I was nothing but a burden!” Mia said, falling to her knees as she cried onto the floor.
Holding back tears of her own, Lynn went to her side and tried to calm her.
“Mia, Mia! Get a hold of yourself, I know it hurts, but dad loved us. You can’t ever think you were a burden.”
“I’ll go get some tissues.” Daisy spoke, as she stood to leave.
It did not take long before she was back with a box of them. Mia was somewhat composed and was now sitting back down on the couch beside her sister, her expression glum and her voice nonexistent. It was like looking at a pale ghost that resembled Mia. She was not handling the mention of her father well. He was the first and only person that cared about Mia when she was little, and he was taken from her.
‘If I hadn’t been born, he wouldn’t have had it so bad…’ Her pessimistic thoughts invaded her mind.
The conversation would have continued, but a strong gust of wind rattled the house. It was the sound of a helicopter’s propeller, and it seemed to be very close to Daisy’s home.
The turmoil broke Mia’s sorrowful state, as she sat upright. “Is that the Covenant?”
Lynn became stern while standing in an abrupt manner, her eyes falling back to Daisy, but she shifted them to the ground and avoided Lynn’s gaze.
In anger, Lynn stormed outside as Mia followed behind.
“Templar Commander Lynn, Templar Defender Claire Wilde and Paladin Official Sir Wyatt Thomas have been trying to get a hold of you.” When both girls walked outside, they were hit by powerful squalls and the voice of a Covenant zealot. The man shouted against the overpowering noise, allowing them to hear him clearly.
“Why?” Lynn yelled, knowing it was an unintelligent question. It was obvious; she was being summoned to speak before the Order of the Wise.
“After the Oakhurst Wild Melody incident, you have not reported in or submitted an official status report. Your actions are being considered as negligence and are a liability for the Covenant,” the man’s voice boomed.
Seeing know other way around this, Lynn took one step before Mia grabbed her arm. “You’re not seriously leaving are you?” Her sister’s pleading tired face stared at her, as if daring to deliver the next painful blow.
Unsure of herself, Lynn’s heart pounded in her chest, her gaze shifting from Mia to the zealot.
‘Hurt her now but protect her always.’
Those words echoed in Lynn’s mind while looking at her younger sister. “I—I’m sorry Mia, it’s my duty.”
Her hand fell limp to her side, as Mia stared back at her sister with disbelief.
“I need you! Lynn, dad is gone and mom never cared. You and I are all we have in this world.”
The tears fell freely now from both girls, but Lynn stayed true to her conviction.
‘Hurt her now, protect her always.’
“I’m sorry,” and like that she left Mia’s side, and went off with the official.
The helicopter flew into the sky, blending into its clouds and taking the winds with it as well as her sister. It left a gaping hole that consumed her being, and Mia just stood there alone with no idea as to what she would do next.
“Mia…?” A small voice chimed in from behind.
She said nothing, and refused to turn. “I have something that may or may not be of interest to you, but I felt as if you should be the one to have it.”
Daisy approached the girl until she was facing her. In her hand was an old piece of paper, and Mia figured that it was related to her mother. Without any words, Daisy handed her the note, and Mia took it.
“I just want you to know that because of you, my sister has left me again,” Mia spat, making Daisy frown.
“I have a binding contract with the Covenant, if I don’t fulfill, they will kill me.”
“So you tipped them off?”
“They tracked her to me and called; I had no choice. I’m so sorry.”
“Go to hell Daisy.” Mia said as curtly as possible while walking away from the woman. She opened the door to her sister’s car and got inside.
One last look through the rearview mirror, her eyes fell on Daisy before she scoffed and drove away. The car ride was intense, as Mia cried. She held nothing back, since it was her solitude that fed her despair and enabled the emotions to flow. Like the chipping away of her soul and heart, the fleeting house and trees passed her by, taking away her sister and leaving remnants of her mother’s past.
‘Exsavior, I wish I could talk to you.’
‘Mia? What’s wrong?’
The skin on her back almost jumped right off as she fought the urge to slam on the breaks.
‘Ex—Exsavior? How are you in my head? Am I dreaming?’
Mia continued to drive but in a slower pace, while scrutinizing her surroundings. Maybe this was just another wolf thing?
‘I don’t think you’re dreaming…at least I know I’m not. That punch was very real.’
‘Is this you’re doing and what punch?’
‘Never mind that, I can only feel your pain which had me on edge, but there is no way I can make a psychic connection. Lycans don’t have that ability.’
That only left her angelic powers. On some level, Mia created a telepathic connection with the one person she wanted to see without even realizing.
‘I—I don’t know what’s going on…’
‘Mia, forget about how, what’s wrong? I can feel your pain.’
Maybe the car ride was not going to be so bad after all, for she embraced the opportunity and told him everything that had happened.
‘Mia, no matter what happens, you will never be alone. I’ll be here no matter what.’
His thoughts made her cry in happiness, a smile adorning her face when she heard him profess that.
‘Promise?’
‘I promise, even if we have to be alone together…’