Chapter One Tresia

                                                                                 

The day of my college graduation is the day before my family’s traditional card draw. I’m excited to be finished with college, but everything about today is rehearsed and predictable.  Graduating college is the culmination of years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears. It proves that all my hard work was worth it. The card drawing is what has my emotions all over the place. It’s not rehearsed. It’s not predictable and it means everything. It’s literally the most important decision of my life and I have no control over it. It’s all left to the Veil Fates.

“Tresia are you ready yet? I really wish you’d stop locking your door. It really is rude. No one here would even think of just barging into your room without permission.”

How is it that she doesn’t see how she contradicts herself with that statement? If my door wouldn't have been locked, she would have just barged into my room. The only reason she didn’t was because I mentioned locking the door. Gaslighting at its finest.

“Mom, walk away. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Why don’t you go make sure Misha’s ready? He’s the one that’s always making us late. He was even born late, making me the oldest just so he could be the baby.”

“Tresia, be nice to your brother. He is your twin you know.”

“Really mom, I didn’t realize that. Now, please go on and check on him so we’re not late.”

I’m glad rolling my eyes doesn’t come with dramatic background music. I’d have an Orchestra following me around daily and not a moment of silence anywhere to be found. Now I wonder what song it would be mentally blaring at me.

“Tresia, your mother asked you to unlock your door, did she not?”

“She did.”

“That means that if I was to attempt to open your door...”

“You’d be met with resistance.”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t unlock your door?”

Releasing an exaggerated sigh, “That’s correct. I did not.”

“May I ask why?” Is it really that difficult to understand?

“Sure. Because asking a question means placing a request. A request is optional with two possible answers. I happen to have chosen the answer that seems to displease your wife.”

“Tricia, she is your mother, and you will address her accordingly.”

Here we go again, insert dramatic Orchestra music. I wonder if they remember that as of tomorrow, I won’t be leaving the Seat of the Crown with them? Well, if they don’t, that's totally on them. I’ll be busy meeting my mate and his family.

Walking over to my bedroom door, I open it, only to end up gazing into my father’s crystal blue eyes, family trait. Holding my hands out and swaying them in a grand, ‘see’, my dad rolls his eyes and turns his small temper onto my mom.

“Matty, her door wasn’t even locked. It was stuck. See how much you pay attention to details.”

Walking away from my parents gives me a chance to breathe. I should have known better than to think I’d be able to relax on the porch. I already see Misha’s head through the window. My brother and I have a love, hate relationship. I love hating him and he hates that I don’t love him and spoil him like mom does.

Walking out the front door, and letting it slam behind me, Misha jumps, drops his phone and pours his drink right where his phone landed. He’s cursing, I’m laughing. When he looks up at me, I can read his face as if it’s my own. Mainly because it is my face, just a manly-ish version.

“Mom!”

“You little shit. If I get yelled at one more time today and especially because of you, I’ll tell dad where your dirty magazines are.”

“Ha stupid, I don’t have any dirty magazines.”

“Oh? Are you sure about that? Well, if you don’t, I have one waiting for the right moment.”

Tilting my head, while tapping my chin with one of my fingers, I give him my evilest and with a dash of sadistic, smile. All color disappears from his face, at the same time mom walks out the door, one hand already on her hip.

“What in the world is going on out here? Misha, why did you scream like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack. Why is your phone wet? And why are you on the ground? We’ve got to leave soon, and you’ve gotten dirty. You’re almost twenty-four years old and acting like you’re ten. Stop this foolishness, go get cleaned up and be back here in fifteen minutes.”

While she’s scolding him, I slip away quietly and take a seat in the car. I’m impatient to get all the traditions started. The sooner that happens, the sooner I’m legally allowed to move out of my parents' house. Each family has their own mating tradition, but somehow all the families are included in each other’s tradition. My family draws from The Oracle’s Deck at the Seat of the Crown. Once I draw my card, its match will magically appear for my mate to see. The only tradition the families share is that it’s up to the female to select their mate.

One of the family’s blindfolds their daughter in the middle of The Mate Pond. She walks around until she feels a pull to pick up a certain stone. As she lifts it out of the water it splits in two. She then holds her hand out, palm up, one piece of stone will lift from her hand when she asks it to seek out and find her destiny.