Chapter 9
NICO PINCHED THE bridge of his nose as he sat waiting impatiently for Isidore to be done being interviewed by the expert on all things fairy, Brenda, and his sister, Cheryl, the former art historian. Ever since the Royals had been unlocked, Cheryl used her ability to help Brenda map out the real history versus the myths that had been handed down generation after generation.
“We can’t tell Chaz what she saw.”
“We have to tell him. He’s still Alpha of this pack, and we’re talking about his children,” his father said with a stern voice as he crossed his legs, tapping his foot on the hardwood floor.
“I can’t imagine what he must be going through,” Nico muttered. His older brother had always been a strong, virile wolf with a mind as sharp as a tack. When Nico had been younger, he followed Chaz everywhere, wanting to be just like him. He’d been Nico’s hero as much as his father had been.
Only Nico never wanted to be responsible for the pack, but now he felt the weight of the world resting on his shoulders.
“You’ll understand someday soon,” his mother said.
“I’m in no hurry to have children and neither is Isidore,” he said. That might be the truth, but the fact remained, they could already be pregnant, which was insane. They just met. Fated mate or not, there was so much he didn’t know about her or her past.
“She’s wise beyond her years,” his mother said as she continued to put her hand on his father’s leg, trying to get him to stop rattling the floor. “My heart aches for what she’s had to endure in her young life.”
“No one will ever lay a hand on her again, not while I’m breathing,” he said with a long, dark growl.
“Spoken like a true mate,” his mother whispered. “I’m glad you found yours.”
“I’m still shocked she’s a witch.”
“Actually, I’m not.” Isidore leaned against the doorjamb, waving a piece of paper in her hand.
Nico waved his hand, patting the sofa. Being apart from her gave him a blinding headache. “How is that possible?”
“While we combed through dozens of documents, trying to figure out who these trapped fairies are and where they are being held, and if it really was a present-day vision, we found something interesting.”
“I’m adopted,” Isidore said with a frown on her pretty face as she snuggled in next to him. Amazing how quickly they’d become comfortable with each other in one day. Normally, it could take weeks to months for fated ones to even mate, much less have that coziness that came with years of love and compassion.
“What?” He glanced at the paper, then back at Isidore. “Are you sure?”
“Your brother is checking on the validity of the adoption papers and to see if my sister was as well.”
Nico took the paper between his fingers, staring at the words. “This says your mother, a human, died during childbirth and that your father is unknown. How can you be a warrior witch if you’re part human and…do we know the other half, besides being from the Royal Fairy Family?”
“Not yet. Your sister called in the witch doctor from the Coven of the Raindrops. He’ll be here in about an hour.”
“She shouldn’t have done that without going through Chaz, or myself,” his father said.
“Dad, we need to know, and we need to know now. We’ve got to get her sister out, especially if she’s a royal fairy.”
“Wait.” Isidore raised her hand. “If neither of us are really witches, and I’m going to assume someone cast a spell on us to one, help us fit in, and two, hide what we really are, that means Coral isn’t really a seer.”
“Not necessarily,” his father said, waving a finger. “There are seers in the fairy world, only they are called visionaries. They are the ones that predicted the coming of the Spring Fling, but it’s believed they were all killed in the final fight.”
“That’s what you are. A visionary of some kind,” Nico said, rubbing his throbbing temples. “If your sister is too, she won’t need a Branding Ceremony.”
“How do we find out?” his mother asked.
“While we wait for Drew to find the information the old-fashioned way, we have Isidore channel whatever it is she needs to in order to see her own past.” Nico didn’t like the way being in a vision affected Isidore, but it made the most sense.
“I wouldn’t even know how to do that.” Isidore looked at him with wide eyes.
“What were you doing when it happened?” his father asked.
“I had just finished shaking Drew’s hand.”
“Let’s get Drew’s ass over here, now,” Nico said.
***
“Are you ready?”
Isidore blinked a few times, shaking out her hands, keeping her eyes locked on Nico’s, which was about the only thing that kept her calm. “You can’t let go of me no matter what, okay?”
Nico nodded.
“Try to recreate the same emotions you had at that moment, but focus on learning about your past,” Nico said.
“Because you know this shit will work.” Her sarcastic tone caught a hearty laugh from Drew.
“I think this is crap. I mean, what the hell do I have to do with any of this?” Drew pushed out his hand. “Let’s go.”
Isidore closed her eyes, pulling up one of her favorite memories of when she was a young girl, feeding her baby sister, her mother telling her the story of a warrior female. Once upon a time, her mother called them the three musketeers. One for all, and all for one.
Drew wrapped his fingers around her hand. She released the sparks, now finally understanding how she could control them. It actually wasn’t a matter of restraining them, but allowing them to be an extension of oneself and affecting others.
Either positively, or negatively.
‘Or, in our case, sweet child, guide the future that others want to destroy,’ a male voice said.
In an instant, she found herself surrounded in a field of daisies. Tiny sparks, of all colors, dotted the sky. Warmth spread over her skin like a hot shower dousing her with water.
She spun in a circle, searching for the voice.
‘Who are you? Where are you?’
‘I’m everywhere. In everything you see. And nowhere at all.’
Wonderful, someone who spoke in riddles that meant nothing. She tried to project out to Nico, but something blocked her and that sent a chill up her spine.
‘Relax. I mean you no harm. I want to spend a few moments alone with you.’
‘Then show yourself,’ Isidore said in the vision. While she could still feel Nico’s hand in hers, holding tight, she couldn’t communicate with him, and that made her feel almost empty inside.
Except, this being, whoever it was, seemed familiar.
The sky opened up and a hologram-looking male descended from above. It was like he was translucent, and she could almost see right through him.
The same him she’d seen in her earlier vision.
‘Hello, my child.’
‘Who are you, and what can you tell me about myself, my sister, and the trapped fairies. You are the man I saw earlier, right?’
‘Yes.’ The man folded his non-existent legs just above the daisies and smiled. ‘You look so much like your mother.’
‘Excuse me?’ She tried once again to pull Nico in, but the man waved his hand, blocking the connection with a thick wall.
‘Your mate won’t ever leave your side. He’ll protect you better than I ever could.’
‘Look, not to be rude, but I need answers, and I need them now. A lot of lives are depending on me.’
‘And your mother’s hot-headed attitude,’ the man said. ‘My earthly name had been Peter Rubico. You can find everything you need to know about where in the present you came from. But the past you, that might be a little harder to trace.’
‘You’re my father?’ She inched closer, making sure the slight flesh to flesh she had with Nico remained solid. ‘My biological father?’
He nodded. ‘I’m also a member of the Royal Family, and a doctor. Without me present, the twins won’t survive. I’m the only one that can save them, but I’m trapped in this bottle, as are twenty Royal Fairies, and important ones to reestablish our world. All fairies will parish without us, and you’re the only one who can release us.’
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
‘We don’t know, but your sister does. It just needs to be unlocked, and the only way to do that, is make sure she doesn’t go through her Branding Ceremony. If she does, she’ll be a witch seer forever.’
‘I went through mine, and I’ve come into my fairy powers, what makes her different?’
‘You were born to be a warrior. A protector. Fierce and powerful. Your children will be the future leaders of our kind. However, you are a visionary as well, but your sister is only that and doesn’t have the strength you do to fight the curse the warlock cast on you both, and her fairy self will dissolve, leaving her hard and cold.’
‘Who cast the curse?’
‘A powerful warlock who hunted the royals. His direct descent is Kidar Crowe, who has been looking for the chosen four who will mate with wolves, ensuring our kind, and our powers, will never be stripped again.’
‘Why haven’t we heard of this before?’
‘You just haven’t uncovered it yet.’ The man smiled—her father—smiled. ‘Go my child. I promise, we will meet again. Get your sister, she’ll know what to do.’
‘Wait. What about my birth mother? Who was she?’
‘A wonderful human who gave her life to ensure your existence.’ The man unfolded his legs and drifted toward the sky. ‘Your mate is getting worried. Save us so I can hug my daughters and bring the Wolfairies into this world, including your babies.’
She felt the hard yank as she snapped back into reality.
“Isidore!” Nico yelled. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” she managed, her lips dry, and her mouth parched.
“What happened?”
“We’re going to have babies,” she whispered, her eyelids growing heavy.
“She’s delirious,” Nico said.
She wanted to laugh but didn’t have the energy. She needed sleep, and probably more than fifteen minutes this time.
“I don’t think so, son,” she heard his father say.
She let out a long sigh. She’d deal with the whole baby issue after she saved her sister and freed her father.
Talk about exhaustion.