2. We Always Knew
927 Words
WE ALWAYS KNEW
Celestina
I keep my head down as we all sit quietly at the kitchen table. I am trying my best to keep my emotions under control even though my chest feels as if it will explode. I can feel my mate, Rahl, staring at me but I am not ready to meet his eyes. My sister reaches a hand out to place sympathetically over one of mine.
“We always knew this may happen…” Wren begins to speak but stops once she sees me look up at her with piercing eyes.
“You never said it would be like this or this soon. Before the Joining Ceremony? This is not good. This is not good at all Wren! Now my child is not only heading out on her own, but she’s also cut ties with everything and everyone she’s known since she was born. She’s literally by herself. By. Herself.” I whisper the last two words as my voice fails me.
Wren lowers her head and places both hands in her lap. My little sister knows it’s best to just quietly leave me to sit in my feelings until I’ve had time to process them. She is right though. Wren has had several visions of a day when Zara would leave our home and set out on a personal journey. I never considered she would do it on her 17th birthday and before the completion of the Joining Ceremony. My chest starts to tighten. I jump a little when I realize that Rahl has pulled his chair closer to me and is rubbing a soothing hand down my arm. I look over at him and although I feel upset with him and his behavior, I know that he is feeling just as bad about our daughter’s departure. I can see the regret and sorrow in his eyes. I have no desire to make him feel worse. My heart aches for both him and Zara. Their relationship has always been strained and I have always been in the middle. An awful position to be in as a mate and mother. I turn to face Rahl and he gently pulls me out of my seat and into his lap where I lay my head on his shoulder and allow him to comfort me. Right now, he’s the only one that can. I can fuss at him later but right now I need to calm down so that I can think clearly about what we need to do next.
“I’m so sorry Celestina. I didn’t mean it. None of what I said. I just..I got so upset and I never expected that she’d react that way. It’s my fault. This is on me.” Rahl whispers to me.
I nod and look into his deep, dark brown eyes.I pat his face gently. My partner. My lover. My confidant.
“There’s still a way for us to track her. She may not want to come home but we can make sure that she stays safe. Do you remember the necklace I gave to Zara on her 5th birthday?” I say out loud to both Rahl and Wren.
“Of course. The one with the sapphire pendant. Zara never takes it off. She loves that necklace.” Rahl answers.
“I placed a locator spell on it. All these years, it’s served as a tracker. Just in case someone discovered who she was and tried to take her. I wanted to make sure we had a way to find her. No matter what.”
I see Wren smile and release a sigh of relief out the corner of my eyes. I can feel Rahl relax some as well. Throughout Zara’s life I have set up various fail safes to protect her from inevitable dangers. I knew this day would come. It’s all a part of the journey Zara must go on but I thought there’d be more time to prepare her. It will be difficult for her to reach the full potential of her powers if her various parts are not joined together. They all need to be able to connect and communicate with each other in order to combine and become the tribrid, The One. If she does not figure it out there is a chance that her powers will consume her. Consume her mind, body, soul. She will be destroyed from the inside out and I’ll lose my daughter...forever. A shiver travels through my body and I stand up from Rahl's lap to make my way to my sacred space. Wren immediately leaps up and moves quickly to follow me. My dear little sister. We’re only two years apart so there isn’t a big age gap. She’s always been by my side and we are very close. She may drive me crazy sometimes but she’s the most loving, loyal and affectionate person I know. An angel. She places her hand in mine and gives it a squeeze.
“She will be ok, you know? We did a great job raising her and whether Rahl thinks so or not, she’s very prepared. We knew and we prepared her. Don’t ever doubt that Skye.” Wren calls me by my middle name. She’s the only person I allow to do so. It’s a sister thing. I squeeze her hand back and lift my chin with determination plastered on my face.
“I know. Now come along. I’ve got to figure out where my bull-headed daughter is and make sure she doesn’t get herself killed.”
- Writer
