Chapter 53: A Discovery and A Loss
Aira’s POV
“I’m sorry, but I’m a descendant of who?” I ask after spending a moment to process her words. But even then, they were still not processing.
Moriah did not look amused. “You heard me loud and clear. You are a descendant of the moon goddess. And you have special powers, one over life and death.”
I pull my hand away from here and take a step back. My eyes fall on Alex, and I look at him in a way that says, “This is the powerful witch you thought would help us? She is clearly delusional.”
Alex just shrugs.
“Look, ma’am. These visions just started recently. I have no powers, much less any over life and death. I am sure there is just some angry spirit that is haunting me. Actually, I think that is exactly what the problem is. My sister just died a few weeks ago, and she did not like me very much.”
I didn’t know how to feel when Moriah rolled her eyes and sighed like she was speaking to a dumb child.
“I am also aware of your sister, and trust me, her spirit is not hunting you. Believe it or not, her spirit has actually gone over to the other side. She has found peace. These powers of yours were activated when you came back to life. You have always had them, but they have just been dormant,” Moriah explains, and I place a hand over my head because I was starting to have a migraine.
“This is… Are you sure about this?” I ask her, still having a hard time taking this all in.
“I have lived for over eight decades, and I assure you, I am not wrong,” she pauses. “Have you ever wondered why you don’t have a wolf?”
“Well, I knew there are few cases where people weren’t born with wolves even though they were birthed by wolves.” Casting my gaze downwards, I say, “I always thought I was one of those cases.”
All of this reminds me of times during my childhood where I would ask my parents why I was different from other kids and didn’t have a wolf. They never gave me a straight answer. Now I know why.
Alex steps up for the first time in a while; he has been awfully quiet throughout this whole exchange. I wonder what has been going through his mind.
But his countenance and next words suggest that he doesn’t see me as a freak, which is a relief.
“So how do we stop her from sleepwalking into graveyards? And how do we know this power isn’t going to hurt her or something? She was crying blood last night,” Alex says as he comes up to my side.
“The spirits are trying to reach out to her; I suggest you reach out to them as well. It seems there is something they desperately want to tell you,” she says, and I can’t help but wonder what spirits these are.
“And how do I do that?” I ask her, and she already appears annoyed by our numerous questions.
“That is something you are going to have to figure out on your own,” she says, turning her back to leave. She proceeds to walk away but stops midway.
She meets my eyes, and it is obvious she just wants to take pity on me. “The powers can be a lot to handle, but if you want to have an easier time learning them, keep your emotions in check and reach out to a relative of yours. They will know how to guide you properly.”
My eyebrows crease, and I say, “But I have no relatives.”
Moriah chuckles a bit, but not out of humor, but because she can’t believe how dumb I can be. “Oh, you do. There are many of them.” She spins on her heel and waves her hand in the air. “That’s all I got for you. Now get out of my forest before I strike the both of you down with lightning.”
“But-” Alex takes a step forward, but I grab him by the wrist. He looks at me, and I shake my head, silently telling him to forget about it.
“Let’s just go,” I say, taking his wrist and leading him out of the forest.
When we return to the car, he starts up the engine, and the first few minutes of the drive are spent in silence.Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
Alex clears his throat. “So, what are we going to do now?”
I couldn’t help the smile that stretches on my lips as he used the term ‘we’. I always loved how he made me feel like I always had someone to rely on; he always made sure to make me feel like I wasn’t alone.
“We are going back to the city. I need to speak to Camille; she is my only living relative. The one I know of, at least,” I tell him, and he nods in response.
He drives down to the city, and on a few occasions, I would give him a glance. He appears antsy, or should I say tense?
“Are you okay?” I ask, and he shakes his head. “What’s the matter?”
“I just want to know what these damn spirits want with you. I don’t like the fact that my girl is walking around in her sleep on forbidden lands,” he says, and I place my hand on his.
“Hey, I’m going to be fine, okay?” I say it softly, and he doesn’t say anything.
At some point, I tried calling Camille because I was growing impatient for answers. She doesn’t pick up. That’s so strange.
We arrive in the city shortly after, and it all starts coming back. We drive by the hotel Ana fell from, and I pinch my eyes shut.
When we arrive at the Kingston estate, I am filled with relief when I see Camille’s car. Good. That means she is home.
I nearly jumped out of the car before heading into the mansion. Once I step in, I notice how quiet everywhere is.
It’s a little too quiet, if you ask me.
“Camille? Are you home?” I ask loudly, so much so that my voice begins to echo across the halls. But even then, there was still no answer.
I make my way up to her room and knock on the door. “Camille? Are you in there?”
Silence.
An uncomfortable chill goes up my spine, and I can’t help but get the feeling something is wrong.
Without wasting another second, I push the door open and storm in. My eyes fall on Camille, sleeping soundly on her bed, and my shoulders slouch with relief.
“Camille, you scared me. I have been yelling your name since. I guess you must be very tired,” I say, walking up to her and taking a seat beside her bed. I take her hand in mine and scowl at how cold her hands are.
That is when I realized that Camille is unusually pale.
“Camille?” I tap her shoulder, but she doesn’t make a sound. She doesn’t even move. “Camille?” I call out again, but this time my voice cracks and tears spill out of my eyes.
Goddess, please don’t let this happen. I have no one else. Please…
“Alex!” I scream at the top of my lungs, and fast-approaching footsteps fill the air. I feel his presence behind me and look up at him with tears in my eyes. “She isn’t moving; I don’t understand. Why isn’t she moving?”
Silently, Alex walks up to Camille and places two fingers on her wrist. And then on her neck.
The look he gives me says it all.
“No!” Tears stream down my eyes as I drop my head on Camille’s chest. There is no beating heart in there. Just a cold, empty abyss.
Alex tears me away from Camille and takes me into his arms.
Alex whispers into my ear, “It’s going to be okay; you are going to be okay.”
I wish I could believe that.