After putting Rocky away,I headed to the house. It was so big they had signs directing you to different areas,so I found the library without a problem. Mary's reading something and frowning. “Mary?”
she looks up and smiles at me,putting the book away. “hey,sis. We're just gonna do basic Hunter history today,okay?”
“sure.”
she leads me to a table with a stack of books. “listen,I know you were a little freaked out about the whole half-dragon thing, and I kinda was,too for a while. But it's really not a big deal in our world. The first hunters were actually dragons.”
“they were?”
“yes. They had to be,because they were hunting the most dangerous dragon there has ever been,and one of the first that ever was.”she opens one of the books to a marked page. The illustration shows a massive red dragon with horns curling back and baring it's teeth. “Helgoth.”
“he's terrifying.”I say honestly.
“yeah,wait until you meet him in person.”she replies seriously. I stare at her, wondering if she's joking,but her face is grim and I realize she's most definitely not. “okay. So,he's alive today?”
“yes. But,believe it or not,they succeeded in defeating him. He was dormant for thousands and thousands of years. As was his brother,Valgoth.”she turned the page and there was an illustration of a dragon the color of the sky,with golden eyes. Suddenly,Mary growled and rubbed her temples. Seeing my alarmed look, she smiled reassuringly. “sorry. just... I'll explain later.”
“okay. so...”
“we're descended from both of them. Rather closely,actually. Mom is Valgoth's granddaughter. While Dad... well,Dad never said.”she looked lost in thought for a moment,but I had something else on my mind.
“Mary?”I asked cautiously.
“hmm?”
“why wasn't I put back with you guys?”
she gave me a sad,sympathetic look. “I'm sorry. If I had known about you,I-- and Dad,if he had known you were alive,you wouldn't have been left like that. He thought you were upstairs,where the fire had already-”her voice caught and I realized it had affected her just as much. “no one ever contacted us about you.”
“oh. That's strange.”
“I guess.”
“well,normally,if a child is found,they contact the parents or closest family first.”
“yeah,okay. Look,Hope,it's probably nothing suspicious. I mean,Ryder made it so I didn't remember you or his face,so I didn't know who he was. He probably did something so that we wouldn't be found so easily.”she must see my sadness because she squeezes my shoulder. “hey,don't worry. We're a family again. This time last year,I thought all of you died in that fire.”
“at least you grew up with Dad.”
“at least you got to remember them.”Mary grumbled back. At my puzzled look, she sighed. “Dragon magic. A memory spell. I could remember experiences, but I didn't recognize Ryder as my dad. And I didn't remember you.”she looked away as if ashamed and I realized she felt guilty for not knowing me. “I wasn't accusing you of anything,Mary. And I don't blame you. I blame...everyone else.” it took me another minute to realize that I really did. I was mad at my parents. I loved them and was glad I found them,and Mary most of all,but I was still angry.
We spent the rest of the afternoon teaching me about Dragon History,including what she knew about our bloodline. The next day at training,I let my anger take over a little bit when Dad began teaching me hand-to-hand. He seemed confused by my aggression but it didn't distract him. It was only when I struck him hard in the gut and walked away, taking deep breaths,that he questioned me about it. “Hope,are you alright?”
“I'm fine,Dad.”I say on a sigh,taking a drink of water.
“are you sure? You seem--”
“I said I'm fine!”I snap. “I've been fine for the last ten years,and I'm fine now. So, I don't need any sympathy or advice from my so-called father who didn't even bother to look for me!”
he looked like he was carefully considering what to say next. When he finally did speak,it was slowly. “you have to understand. After the fire,when I thought I'd lost you and your mother,I had to take steps to ensure Mary's safety.”
I scoffed. “yeah,Dad. You did a great job of protecting Mary,alright. And,another thing,you thought you lost me,but you never even bothered to check. Did whoever set the fire plant a fake body?”I know the answer from his expression. “no. so,you just... you didn't even try,Dad. You just left me in the hands of strangers because you were so focused on protecting your precious little Mary, without sparing a second thought for the scared,lonely,and confused little girl I was. And don't think I'm blaming Mary,because I'm not. She was just as much a scared and confused little girl as I was. But at least she had you.”surprisingly,I wasn't crying,I was glaring at him,showing him every emotion I was feeling,and had ever felt,when thinking about the parents I had thought were dead. I started to cry when I thought of my mother- Mara Teller,and I have to walk away before I pummel Dad for answers,or allow my shaking knees to take me to the floor,sobbing. Before I get far,though,I remember something. Digging in my pocket,I bring out the pocketknife. I sniff deeply. “oh,by the way.” I said,turning to him and holding it out. “this is yours.”
he looks at it,and seems to recognize it. “where did you get that?”
“I've had it since the fire.”
“you kept it.”he sounded amazed.
“of course I kept it,Dad. It was all I had left.”
he took it,then quickly placed it in my palm and curled my fingers over it. “keep it.”I glared at the contact,itching to jerk my hand away,but just nodded,prompting him to let go. I shoved the knife in my pocket and left up the stairs. Once in my room,I considered throwing the knife away,but stopped and stared at it. RCT. I'd always wondered what it stood for,and I still didn't know what his middle name was. I laughed bitterly at the thought. I have to do something. If I sit in my room and stew,I'll end up doing something I regret. I open my door and step through without looking only to smack into the solid wall that is Mark.
Peachy.
I go to sidestep around him,but he mimicks me. I scowl at him. “let me by.”I say, as calmly as I can manage.
“I need to talk to you.”
“right now,unless you want to go back downstairs the hard way,you need to let me by. Now is so not the time to mess with me.”this time,when I go around him, he lets me by,but I can hear him following me. “where are you going?”
“to see Rocky.”
“Rocky?”his voice sounds strange.
“my horse.”I say in a duh tone.
“oh,right. Want some company?”
“I thought I made the answer to that pretty clear.”
“Hope--”
“just leave me alone.”I snap over my shoulder and continue towards the stable. Rocky has her head over the stall door waiting for me and I hurry over,wrapping my arms as far around her huge neck as I can manage from my diminuitive height. “come on,Girl,”I say after grabbing a hackamore from the tack room. “I want to go for a ride.”she lowers her head and lets me put the bitless bridle on. I lead her to the step stools and climb to the top of the highest one,and still have to work to get myself on her back. I feel surprisingly secure on her broad back as we set off.
After the ride,I feel better,calmer. That is,until I see Mary waiting for me,looking like she was ready to kill. As I stopped Rocky beside her,I decided I was safest on my massive horse's back. “hey,Mary.”I said nervously. “what's up?”
“what's up?”she repeats,as if she can't believe I'm acting like everything's normal. “do you resent me,Hope? Do you envy my life? Because,news flash, you've had it better.”
“i-what--”
“being a Dragon Hunter isn't at all as great as you seem to think it is. You had a normal life for ten years. You had a mother who loved you,and friends you didn't have to lie to or worry if you'd see them alive again,and you didn't have to look over your shoulder for fear of your life. And you--”
“for Valor's sake,Mary,shut up!”I scream finally,sick of her rant. “I don't resent you. I sure as hell don't envy your being a dragon hunter. I'm mad at Dad because he never looked for me. He was so focused on protecting the one daughter he thought he still had,and I get that,but after you were safe,why wouldn't he look into it,to confirm or deny my death? Why didn't Mom?”I'm starting to cry and Iook away for a minute. “but if you think I had a perfect little life,you're wrong. My mother,Mara Teller,was a nurse working double shifts seven days a week,while trying to take care of me,and going to medical school to become a doctor. She put food on the table,and she paid the bills. And she bought me presents for my birthday and Christmas when even I knew the money would be better spent on her debts. And she did all of that because she loved me,because she wanted to give me a good life. And she did,until the one I was saved from came roaring back into it,burning everything I loved to the ground and stealing her from me. So,no,Mary. I don't envy you. I pity you. And I don't look forward to becoming you.”I clucked Rocky forward and into the barn, where I dismounted. I was in shock from all that I'd said to Mary,and I wasn't sure if I'd meant it or not. I didn't hate her,or my parents. And at first I had been excited about everything. But what drove my enthusiasm? That answer I knew.
My thirst for revenge. For a moment,I paused in brushing Rocky and focused on what I felt,what I wanted.
I wanted revenge on the people or creatures who ripped me away from my family to begin with,I felt gratitude towards the woman I'd called Mom for ten years,and I wanted revenge on who or whatever took her away from me,too.