The first place I went to was the pack house. I hid in some nearby bushes and tried to convince myself
to go in and truly apologize to Sadia. I stayed for an hour but couldn’t bring myself to do it again and for
the same reasons as before. I stared at my phone and re read some of our old messaged. Sadia talked
about herself a lot, but she cared about me too.
Before I left the castle I took the portal splicer and used it to go to my mother’s house. I teleported to
her doorstep and knocked. Mae looked happy to see me. She gave me a hug and it was the most
comforting hug I’ve gotten in the past few weeks. “I didn’t think you’d come back so soon; you father
usually takes longer than a few weeks.” She pulled away. “You look…”
“Terrible, I know.”
She pulled me in. “I’m going to put on some tea and run you a bath. She walked to the kitchen. “So,
what’s been going on with you? Work has never made Konn look that over worked. Please tell me you
haven’t been over doing your abilities.”
“Ding, ding, ding, a winner.” I sneezed. “I’ve been given task after task.”
She started making the tea then rushed to the bathroom downstairs and left the door open while she
ran the water. “You can’t keep letting them work you like that Aqua.”
“I know, I won’t because I’m not going back.” I couldn’t go back. “I ruined everything and hurt everyone
around me. Lynn knows about you, Sadia found out about me and Vella, Lexus was kicked out of the
castle and might lose his throne. Things were fine in the castle before I came.”
“That’s just your perspective. Affairs, secrets, and betrayal has been happening in the castle since
before you got there. There’s always been hard times, this is just one. You shouldn’t go back through.”
She walked out. “Hold on.” She walked upstairs and came down with clothes. “Your bath is ready, and I
got some clean clothes for you.”
I got up, left the portal splicer on the coffee table, and walked into the bathroom. I closed the door and
took my clothes off. A few bite marks from Lexus were still on my thighs. They were faded but I liked
them, I didn’t want them to go. I soaked in the bath for a while and used my mother’s body wash and
shampoo. I loved the fact that I’d smell like her.
When I got out I brushed my teeth and detangled my hair. I threw my hair into space buns. I put on the
clothes she brought me. It was a blank oversized shirt and sweats. I walked out of the bathroom.
“Come sit.” She smiled. She was on the couch with a blanket over her. “The shirt is your fathers, and
the sweats are mine. I thought you’d prefer to be comfortable.”
I sat down on the couch and grabbed the teacup on the coffee table. I poured myself tea and started to
drink it. “I’m exhausted.”
She wrapped herself around me. “Then sleep.”
I put the teacup down and cuddled with my mother and fell asleep. I woke up an hour and a half later
and she wasn’t there. I looked around and saw her in the kitchen. “I’m almost done with dinner.” I
smiled. Everything felt so calm here. I walked into the kitchen with the blanket still wrapped around me
and sat at the table. I wished I had grown up here with her. “Okay tell me everything that happened but
with detail.”
I explained everything to her about Sadia, Lexus, Vella and Cade. I told her about how I felt and what I
wanted. “I just don’t think I should stay here with you yet. I want to but they’d look here for me first. The
king and queen won’t let me leave easily. I’m too valuable. I thought about finding Lexus and staying
with him, but I doubt he’d answer. Maybe it’s not the best idea to hide out with him.”
“It’s not Aqua, not yet.” We had both finished eating. “Come back when you’re ready okay?”
I nodded. “Can I take this?” I referred to the blanket.
Mom smiled. “Yes, please.” She chuckled.
I left with the blanket and I noticed an elderly woman tending to my mom's garden. I wasn’t going to
say anything, but she called out to me. “Come here.” She spoke.
I walked to her. “Yes?”
“This is the first time we’ve officially met. You’re Aqua right?”
I nodded. “Are you one of the witches in my Mom’s coven?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly, I’m Betty.”
I smiled. “She’s talked about you, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Betty chuckled. “I don’t know about an honor. Where are you off to?”
“I don’t know yet… anywhere I won’t be found.”
Betty smiled. “Come with me back to the human realm. I’ll make sure you’re untraceable.”
I was being offered to be taken in by the same woman who took in my mother, of course I was going to
say yes. “What are we waiting for?”
“Perfect.”
Our trip back to the human world was a short one. She took me to a station that opened portals to the
outside world. They were pricey but she had more than enough for both of us. We walked through the
portal and were in the Forest next my old town. I followed her to her cottage. “I can’t believe you’ve
lived this close to me all my life.”
Betty chuckled as she walked in. “I usually don’t stay in one place for thirty years. I’m going to move
soon. I only stayed here so long for your mother then you. When I found out Konn left you here I had to
keep an eye on you. There’s been many times I wanted to scoop you up when you were unhappy but
then I’d have to worry about the case of child abduction.”
I wish she would have taken me, but not really because I love my adoptive siblings. I would have loved
to be able to come here and stay with her a few days whenever I wanted. I looked around. “Are you
going to tell my mother I’m here?”
Betty laid down on one of the couches. “Not if you don’t want me to. You’re in a lot of distress aren’t
you?”
I sighed. “Yeah…” I closed my eyes and thought of my sister Tay. I saw her in our home. I opened my
eyes and wiped the blood from the corners. “It's hard to use my abilities without pain lately.”
“I can fix that.” She got up. “Your heart is broken too?”
I chuckled sadly. “Yeah… we can’t be together and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“He’s not married is he?” She joked.
“He was supposed to be… His wedding would have been in half a month, but he called it off for me. A
lot of stuff came to light and we were separated.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “How about I teach you some magic? Learning something new always helped your
mother cope with a broken heart.” I never thought about learning magic, especially because I was born
with abilities.
During the next week Betty made sure I didn’t use my abilities at all. She gave me all kinds of magic
infused soups and baths to help heal me inside and out. I learned a lot about the history of witches and
their involvement in both the outside and hidden world. Witches and hybrids were the bridge between
both worlds and helped keep peace between them. We were the representatives of the outside world to
the hidden one. I’d beg her to tell me stories of my mother. “She would sneak the pixies into her room
because she wanted to keep them. She even thought one of them could help her find your father since
they could fly fast to the barrier or sense nearby portals.”
I invited Tay over a few times. I had been in connect with her for the past three weeks before coming
back here with Betty. Dad was able to get my phone magically adjusted so it could receive and send
texts to the outside world. Tay was impressed by magic and even wanted to learn a little herself.
Betty had us go on hikes and meditate for so much longer than I would back at the castle. I finally tried
my first spell which was a levitation spell. Betty smiled. “See, I knew you could get it. Sometimes you
have to just for it even if it seems impossible.” That stuck with me.
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