Chapter 4

My expression must have said it all and so much more because she suddenly looked frightened (how do I do that?).

I couldn’t control my temper at that moment. I left her on the bed and stood in front of the window, I took a deep breath. And for a few heart beats, I concentrated on controlling my breathing. It was most certainly not easy, but finally, I could inhale and exhale normally.

“I’m sorry, but how can you not know what I am?”

(Damn, I thought I was an elf like my father. Finally, I thought there was someplace I was normal, and now I may not even be that. What the hell!)

I turned around facing Justine. She didn’t look relaxed yet, so I gave her a little reassuring smile.

“Were not sure because you’re of mixed blood. There are three possibilities: One your human. You ruled that possibility out by making the physical change, and as a baby, you had all the signs of a non-human baby. So we are certain you are not human. But…”

“Why is there always a but?” I thought too loud.

She just smiled and carried on.

“Two you can be an elf or three. There is a possibility of you being a shape shifter.” I couldn’t help noticing her voice strain on the later part of her sentence.

“Well…is that bad?”

She smiled again, and this time, her smile was slightly strained. “If you are an elf, it will make life a whole lot easier, but…”

“Again with the but” (Everything probably has a but because every race has a butt-I hope…)

She just smiled again, looking a tad irritated and continued. “There is the chance you may be a shape shifter.”

“A what?”

“A shape shifter, you change form.” She said, looking irritated and now showing it.

“Sorry is that bad?”

“Seeing that the vampires and shifters declared war against each other, it may be the slightest of problems.”

“Okay, I realized you used the plural for problem. What else is bad news?” I sounded exasperated.

“Well it consists of more…much more training to control and use magic…”

“Magic, what magic?” I interrupted her again before I could stop myself. (Magic? Is that good or bad?)

She breathed out a sigh and seemed to grow older.

“Mm, are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” I asked innocently like a child expecting a scolding.

She gave me a loving look and patted next to her, moving my weapons aside. I sat next to her. While she was hugging me, she said: “No Nia you did nothing wrong. It is just hard to explain 18 years of knowledge in such a short period of time.”

“I’m sorry, you start, and I won’t interrupt till the end.” I took an imaginary key and locked my lips.

She laughed at that gesture and started talking.

“Okay where to start. First of all, when a non-human is born, the baby grows faster than a human baby. At least elves and shape shifters are mostly the same. The most prominent difference between them is the shifters change shape. There are certain boundary’s and rules to the changing of shape depending on your blood and “pride”.

Elves are much better magicians. There are also limits on wielding magic depending on the elves' age, blood, and maturity. Elves and shifters are the two races closer to nature than any other race.

“Elves and shifters can train to be as strong and as fast as vampires, but vampires are born strong and fast. Vampires can’t wield magic, but they can have special abilities. The special abilities are very limited, and it doesn’t happen often that a vampire has a special ability. The vampires’ strength lies in the ability’s they possibly have and their age. The older the stronger, the stronger how much faster. Most importantly, the older the wiser. The elder normally is the ruler.

“Vampires can not wield magic. Elves, shifters, and witches and wizards can.

“Elves and shifters have been companions for centuries while the vampires have declared war multiple times over thd centuries. The werewolves are not enemies of the elves and shifters but… it is a bit more complicated… they are the enemies of some of the vampires…

“I will have to come back to that later or you will learn that in school it is part of our history but what I can say now is their relationship is like that of dogs and cats. Some dogs and cats get a long while other dogs and cats scratch each other’s eyes out every time the opportunity presents itself.

“Now we- the elves and shifters- have tried declaring peace, but their current leader made it very clear that peace was not in their plan. The vampires at this very moment are waiting on the fit, blood born king to come home and take his rightful place. When this “blood born king” takes over, we will try again to declare peace, but until then, we will have to wait.”

She took a long breath and waited for a minute before she continued; “There are so many races; there are the vampires, elves, shape shifters, werewolves, witches, wizards, dwarves and many more magical creatures- as your world calls it- but there is also some races not even known yet.

“Elves and shifters, luckily, have the same lifeline. We are immortal, but we grow fast till the age of five. The reason for this is self-defence and training. After five years old, we grow at a human pace until seventeen. At seventeen, you undergo your physical changes. At eighteen, your mental changes start, and that is when your magical abilities show themselves and you stop aging. That is why we have to leave for Pantelleria before you turn eighteen.”

She hesitated for a while, trying to decide on how to continue.

“Your magical abilities can get out of hand if you don’t know how to handle or control it. Some have even lost their lives without the proper training, and some have killed accidently. That is why it is so very important to learn the basics before you gain that magical ability even if there is a chance you will not have the ability to wield magic.

“Witches and wizards learn from birth because it is their way of defence or even attack, they also train to gain physical strength but they mostly rely on their magic because their physical strength is parallel to that of a human’. Their magical abilities differ as well. Mostly, their magic is stronger and more prominent depending on the blood line. Some are even born without magic.” She looked a little remorseful, and I didn’t need to ask why. I could imagine what would happen to someone without any way of defending themselves. In one word - meal.

“Our history is a very long subject that is dated back century upon century. Pantelleria is called so because it means lands’ end. Nobody comes looking for it, but those that do never find it. It is better that they never find it. It is better that a human stays far away from Pantelleria and the forest leading to its entrance.”

She confirmed my suspicions.

She looked absolutely exhausted now, so I decided not to ask her to continue or bother her with my questions, at least not until tomorrow. I had so many unanswered questions, and there is so much I wanted to know. Need to know. I felt so uneducated for this new world I was supposed to inhabit and apparently rule.