Daughter of the kalyndri

Chapter 3

Aurora's POV 

The truth doesn’t wait for permission...It finds you, whether you’re ready or not.

When my eyes fluttered open, and adjusted to the sun rays illuminating the room, everything hurt.

My head throbbed like someone hit me with a stone. My body felt like it was on fire. Not fire. It was missed. It felt hot, cold, burning and numb.

I blinked and looked around, trying hard to take everything in at once. Everywhere felt so new to me.

The wooden walls caught my gaze first, and then the herbs hanging unceremoniously from the ceiling, the cloth hanging in between the window railings, the washed out wall painting.

I thought I had seen enough but the smell of dried lavender and ash filtered into my nostrils. And then it suddenly hit me, I was in my mother's room. I don't need to think about it, the scent was enough for me. 

Which means she must be closer to me. She never let me in her room for reasons best known to her. And if it happens I need to be in her room... like being sick...she'd be close to me.

I groaned and sat up slowly.

“Don’t move too fast,” a soft voice said.

I turned slowly and saw my mother, Seraphine standing near the other window, her arms crossed, her eyes wide with fear. She must have been watching me take everything in.

I remembered a time I had fallen ill, and woke up with my memories wiped off. Ever since then, she watches me with wide eyes praying silently, I don't have my memories wiped out.

“Mom?” I whispered, savoring the name on my lips. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I…” I rubbed my temples, and paused thoughtfully, trying to recall the past. “I remember.... " I trailed off as realization dawned on me. I held my lips as images came rushing in.

"What did you remember?" My mother's impatient voice snapped me out. Her eyes were fixed tight on me. 

"I don't know how I found myself in the forest. And I saw Marek. No, I first saw him as a wolf. Then I... I don’t know. Something happened... like a burst from inside me. And my eyelids closed, I think.”

She walked toward me, her eyes taking me on slowly. She was trying to determine if I was making this up. Or if I knew this was what exactly happened. “I found you. There was an explosion, a blast of magic. I felt it all the way from here. It shook the whole earth at least.”

I stared at her, perplexed. “You felt it?”

She nodded. “It wasn’t normal. I knew it was you immediately. So I got out of bed and followed the energy trail… and found you lying in the dirt. Unconscious.”

I looked down at my hands. “Why did that happen?”

Seraphine took a breath. She shook her head slowly. Anytime she does that, it is because what she is to say is very difficult. “Because the seal I placed on you… is breaking.”

I blinked. I could not help but break into laughter. What the hell is she saying? Mom was always so dramatic with something's. And then I stopped abruptly, that was after I saw the stare she was giving me. 

I cleared my throat and swallowed nothing. “Seal? Hmmm! What seal?”

Her hands trembled a little as she sat beside me. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. I wanted it to remain a secret forever but I knew a day like this would come but believe me I prayed, the day comes after I am with my ancestors. I thought I'd have more time.”

“Tell me what,” I blinked repeatedly, confused. "What are you saying mom? You're confusing me. Scaring the shit out of me." 

She hesitated. She opened her mouth and shut it back immediately. “You’re not fully human, Aurora.” She released the bombshell.

I stared at her. “What?” I covered my mouth and laughed. "Mom, you're joking right? What do you mean I am not human?" 

“You’re not just my daughter. You were born from a powerful bloodline of witches. The Kalyndri. So if I say you're not fully human, believe me.”

My heart stopped. I stared dead shot at her. And gods, she was fucking serious. 

"Aurora?" She drawled slowly, her fingers snaking round my wrist, when I refused to say a word.

“No,” I snatched my hands from her finger. “That’s not true, mom. You don't know what you are talking about.” I raised my finger and pointed at her. I didn't want to hear any of the crap coming out of her mouth.

“It is.”

I shook my head. “Mom, what are you saying?? Listen to yourself. Witches killed Dad!!"

She looked away, blinking repeatedly, her mouth trembled uncontrollably. “No, I am sorry I planted that into your head. The witches didn't kill your dad. They came for you.” another bombshell.

I felt the world spin. “No." I disagreed. "He died because...”

“Because they feared what you could become,” she said. “You are part of a prophecy.”

I stood up, my legs wobbled and my head spinned but I forced myself to stay steadfast. “Stop.”

“Listen...”

“I don’t want to hear this! I don't want to hear any of this bullshit!”

“You have to,” she said. “Your power is waking. The seal is becoming so weak that it can't stand your inner self anymore. That’s why we left the city in the first place. That’s why I raised you here after your father's death, far from them. I was trying to protect you.”

I backed away. “So all of it was a lie? Everything I knew about myself?”

“No,” she said gently. “Just not the whole truth.”

I shook. “Why now?”

“Because of him.”

My breath caught. “Because of who? Marek?”

She nodded. “He’s your mate.”

I froze. “No…” and then I laughed again. Mom was trying so effortlessly to destroy my brain. What does she mean by Marek being my mate? How does Marek have to do with the fact I am a witch?

“Yes. Aurora listen to me. The bond you felt...he felt it too. That’s why your magic lashed out. There was a connection and when he left you there, you were angry and that triggered the magic. The bond between you both is ancient. And it is real and very dangerous.”

Tears filled my eyes, as I slowly took in everything she was explaining. “You should’ve told me. Why didn't you tell me?” I shouted, it scared the birds on the branches near the window.

“I was scared.” Tears slipped down my mother's eyes but I didn't care.

I clenched my fists. “You lied to me. Mom, I believed you. I trusted you. You were my superhero. You were my protector. You were my everything." I paused and hit my hands hard on the table, startling her.

"And yet you led and made me believe I was normal. All these while you were wheeling me off to the priest, all these while I was drinking bitter concoctions, all these while I lived a secluded life, all these while I was feeling strange, I was not human. You knew what was wrong with me, you looked into my eye's mom, and lied to me.” I shook my head, the weight of everything, the lies, and pain washed over me like a tidal wave on an ocean 

“I wanted you to have peace.” she said slowly.

“You want me to have peace?" I looked up at her with teary eyes. "You know damn well how much I hate witches,” I snapped. “They destroyed our lives. They killed my father. And now I’m one of them?”

She stood, her voice breaking. “You’re not like them. You are different. But you have a choice.”

“No,” I said, stepping back whilst wiping my face. “I’m what I hate. I don't have a choice but to accept it. I either kill myself and join my father, and leave the peaceful life or I accept it.”

I stepped back, turned and bolted out of the door.

“Where are you going?” she cried out.

“To make my choice!” I shouted and slammed the door behind me.

The wind slapped my face as I ran through the trees. Branches scratched my skin but I didn't care. My lungs burned from running without stopping, but I didn’t stop.

I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to run.

Why me?

Why now?

I kicked a fallen branch and screamed out loud. The birds scattered, screeching whatever.

I collapsed against a tree and began crying. I cried until my eyes got swollen.

Everything I believed was gone.

I was a lie.

I was a danger.

I was a witch.

I wiped my eyes and stood up, heart pounding. There was nothing to be done.

Then I saw something ahead. It was a small clearing. And in it, a stone stood in the middle, covered in moss. It was old and cracked.

But I saw names.

My name.

Aurora.

And under it…

Stefan.

My breath caught.

“Who is Stefan?”

I stepped closer. The carvings were deep and faded, but clear.

I reached out, hand shaking. My fingers touched the stone and everything stopped.

The wind vanished, sound faded, the world went still.

Then a voice echoed in my head. It was cold, ancient and the tone was final.

“He will either kill us… or save the world with us.”