Restoring Dragon's Heart

Baffling Secrets

Belle’s feet had never hurt the way they hurt now.

She ran, every inch of her muscles screaming for a break. Sweat balls gathered at the side of her temple for each effort she exerted in trying to get home. A few curious looks shot her way. It was unusual to see a girl, especially one wearing a dress, out there and running.

Not that she was worried about that.

None of this would matter. After all, Brazil was a large country. Not only large, it is one of the most populous nations in the world.

Surely, nobody would bother about one girl racing to beat her curfew. Not that the curfew was not already breached.

Belle took a staggering breath now, sighting the all too familiar Açaí do Deck Sul and its evening lightning. It was a popular diner that was just by the corner of her house. And seeing it now, she heaved out in relief.

It meant one thing.

She would be home in no time.

“Hey, watch it!” Someone yelled out to her as she breezed past a person. But she did not notice.

“Sorry!” Belle yelled out absentmindedly, digging into her side bag as she raced on, dodging people who had come for the evening walks.

And while at it, she clicked the phone, watching the locked screen as her limbs went on in a rhythmic patter all the way. She was already 10 mins late.

There was no stopping this now.

It was not like she had not been late over a curfew before. Those times were different and she had taken whatever it was that they threw her way in good faith.

Tonight was different.

It was the night she would seek permission over the prom attendance.

and now that she was late? Belle’s head spun, she was not sure if she would even be allowed to bring her words to the table. No doubt, she could imagine her mum already furiously shaking by the door. And, of course, her more understanding father some inches away. But with a furious scowl.

It'd be a disaster. She shivered as she dismissed the thought of it. No need for her to think so much about it, Belle reasoned, the event was just ahead of her.

She gritted her teeth, trying to still her rapidly pounding heart. Nothing she said to herself worked. She was scared and her muscles ached. Looking back now, she wished she had not skipped out on P.E classes.

Maybe she would have gotten some more endurance on how to sprint and not get caught sneaking back home.

What would be her excuse? If she managed to get home undetected, what would be the alibi? Her head spun once more, nausea reaching up from her guts. The vision blurred, her right foot racked against the back of her ankle.

Instantly, the ground got so close to her. Closing her eyes for the obvious impact, Belle frowned, gritting as she backed herself.

Except that, in the next second, she was back on her feet. As if nothing had happened.

She stopped a minute or two, frowning. Trying to puzzle out what had happened. However, no matter how she tried? Nothing clicked.

There was nobody in sight.

Yet, she had not fallen.

How?

The question hung on her tongue as she braced herself once more. Determination flashed through her mind as sweat dribbled down her cheeks. There would be time for worries later.

For now, she had to get to the house.

And indeed, she did.

The house was just in front.

A modernist apartment building. Belle raced through the open space in front of the mini skyscraper as she dodged through to her own apartment. Once she got to the door, she stopped, smoothing her hair and wheezing for breath.

“Now would be the time for an alibi, Belle.” She said, exhaling. “Ah! What would I say? Where can I say that I was that would not get me off the hook of the curfew?” She pondered, beating the top of her head with her right hand.

“She’s special.” A masculine voice resounded from within the door, alarming Belle.

“s**t! Dad is at home? Oh now, I’m really done for… wait… they’re talking about me. Oh God, oh god!” Belle whimpered now, leaning her back against the mahogany door while she bit her fingers, her arms shaking.

“You think I don’t know that?” The authoritarian voice of her mother boomed out. “The girl is not even home. How worse can this be? I swear, if…”

Belle shuddered now, expecting the underlying threat in her mother’s voice as her eyebrows arched in anxiety. Her fingers still bearing the brunt of it.

“Focus on the phone, Lisa. Call again.” The father said.

“But…”

“Please!”

“Don’t try to patronize me, MARK! Don’t you dare!” Lisa roared out instantly, the sound of something shattering evoking a whimper from Belle. “I’ve called how many times? The response is the same. Alectra is dead. My daughter is in trouble. A-an-and…” The bold, commanding voice of Lisa wavered until sounds of sobbing became the only thing Belle heard.

Hearing her mum sob shattered her heart. She sank to her knees, horrified at the fact that whoever Alectra was, meant a lot to her mother. Not only that, her mother thought she was in trouble.

All because she was not back yet? She quivered, taking in a whimpering gasp while her eyes moistened. She hated causing trouble for anyone. Much less, her parents.

“We are going to move to Texas,” Mark muttered. “I am sure that someone must have the ability of Alectra. M-maybe give the same protection Alectra gave? What do you think?” The man’s voice shook. It seemed he was scared of her reaction as he made the suggestion.

“I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE, BELLE.” Lisa suddenly roared out. “If you don’t get in here this instant, I swear to the…”

“Lisaaaa… No swearing…” Mark called out sharply.

Fear gripped the entire form of Belle as she shot up instantly. Her knees buckled, breaking her stand, but with a quick spread of her hands, she regained balance.

Her mother had the intuition of a witch. It was one of the reasons why her father usually joked about her being an Alpha. An Alpha mum who did not take nonsense.

It was the same reason why she never really did understand her mum. Why she preferred her father, Mark, to the never-understanding and domineering nature of her mother.

Whimpering, her hands slowly latched on the door handle, clicking. She moved her legs like a snail, her heart in her mouth. With her mother unleashed like this, she was done for.

Eyes fixated on the ground, Belle shook visibly from where she stood. Slowly, her hands shutting the door behind her, she was welcomed to the dull blue hue of the house lighting. The white light had been turned off, it was the norm around here. White lights only came on when there was something to be done. Or a visitor came around.

“Look AT ME!!” Lisa yelled, her voice jolting Belle.

With an abrupt gasp, she looked up, her eyes locking in with Lisa. Mark was behind her, his hands patting her back as he watched his wife and daughter.

“Look at the time you’re back? Look at the one we are trying to protect here.” Lisa swirled around to her husband for support, her auburn hair swaying in the attempt.

“I-I am…” Belle whimpered, squeezing her fingers, her gaze dropping to them.

“Oh! Don’t you dare patronize me, you rebel.” Lisa swirled around, rushing to Belle with a hand raised up.

Shocked by the display, Belle fell back against the door, cowering. Her hands flew out instinctively, forming a shield over her face, her heart in her mouth.

“LISA!” Mark yelled. “You’re taking this too far!”

RINGGGGGG!! RINGGGGGGGG!!!!

The phone in Lisa's hand rang, stopping her right at the tracks. She shivered, panting as she picked up the phone while staring daggers at the already sobbing Belle on the ground.

“Hello, yes?” She queried.

“I’m sorry!” Mark bent to Belle, only for her to pull away. “I’m serious. We just want to keep you safe. And maybe it got in her head too much.”

“Okay. What do you mean?” Lisa continued on the call, walking to a sofa, backing her family. “You can’t be serious. There’s a way. I have to return to the…the…? No way!. I can’t. You know why I left.” She shook her head viciously. “I SAID, I CAN'T! Ugh!”

She yelled as she disconnected the phone. Looking back now, she shook her head, using her free hand to massage her forehead.

“Mark, what you said was right. They said if we returned to Texas with her… An…And take over, we can keep her safe. Said, a fledgling needs the entire pack…I mean, group, to survive. We have to go now!”

“We?” Mark said, rising up as he pointed to himself. “Or you mean yourself?”

“W-what do you mean?” Lisa frowned.

“What I mean is that you don’t care about this family,” Mark thundered, putting his right hand out. “Not after you tried to hit our daughter.”

“What? Come on, you can’t be serious. It was the heat of the moment. I care about you.” She gesticulated. “I care about Belle. She’s my daughter too. You think if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have bailed?” Lisa frowned harder.

“Bailed? What do you mean?” It was Mark’s turn to frown quizzically.

“They are coming, Mark. And there’s nothing I can do to stop that. All of them.” Lisa replied, her eyes moistening as she declared. “And you know them, if they get Belle, they’ll kill her.” Lisa shuddered, covering her face as she began to sob.

Belle looked up now, her eyes red as she gasped. Of all that she had heard today, hearing of a potential death threat was just it. Her heart missed a beat immediately.

“I can’t bear that.” Lisa sobbed.

“It’s fine. We will go to Texas. But not with you.” Mark said, heaving deeply.

“What? What’s happening Dad? What are you people hiding from me?” Belle cried out, looking from Mark to Lisa and back.