Chapter 13

Mia's POV

I stayed on the sofa cowering behind it as I looked at Serena. What did she mean take us home? Where is home? Why haven't we been there all along? I was so lost in my own questions I didn't notice Michael had changed his stance from defensive to full on attack until he growled deep. The growl made the hairs on my arms stand up, sent shivers down my spine yet instead of being scared of him I was scared for Serena. She didn't even react though like she wasn't afraid of the vampire in front of her. Michael may be different from the rest of his kind but he was still a vampire and they were the most dangerous creatures on the planet.

"How did you get into my home?" Michael snarled. His hands were clenched into fists and the tattoos on his fingers were straining so much I thought they were going to pop off his skin.

Serena rolled her eyes. "I thought I answered that already but you Earthlings aren't the smartest. I'm from Oftrender do you really think a little protection spell would work on me? The children of our realm are more powerful than your eldest witch and definitely more powerful than you leech." Serena looked in disgust as she said that last part and now it was my turn to get angry.

Dalton may not like Master or other vampires but Michael was the only nice one and we werent going to let anyone insult him. I felt the power boil in my veins like white hot fire and instead of fighting it i accepted it. My muscles felt stonger, I felt taller and more powerful than i ever had yet I still remained in control. Like Dalton had given me his power but let me stay upfront. "I think you better leave before you get hurt. Michael may be considered weak to you but as you said before. The children of Oftrender are more powerful so what does that make me?" I gave off a warning growl and the windows shook a little.

Michael looked at me in fear for a second then he realised I was in control and projecting it towards Serena and not him. He stepped out the way slightly as I moved in front of the sofa. Serena looked scared now. Something about seeing her scared jolted in me and made me feel more powerful.

"You aren't in control of your powers. Had you been raised in Oftrender you would be but right now it is too dangerous to let the shade have control. You could very well hurt or even kill yourself as well as your enemies. You need to come home in order to learn control and in order for us to separate you from the shade." Serena lifted her hands and put up a white light around herself as a shield. Separate the shade? Get rid of Dalton?

Dalton didn't like that and I felt the power roar within me and I saw a ball of fire begin to form in my hand. I wanted to know more and I couldn't do that if she was dead and if she was right I didn't want to hurt Michael in the process. Serena looked terrified now as she noticed the fire ball and I took a deep breath focusing on being grounded and I closed my fist slowly reobsorbing the flames and I slowly took in the power Dalton gave me. It took a lot of focus but eventually I managed to completely stop Dalton in his tracks and when I opened my eyes I saw both Serena and Michael staring at me.

"Ive never seen someone control their shade like that without training. Even the most mature Elders had trouble doing that. Them again you aren't like anyone else." She stood to her full height and bowed. "It is truly a privilege to be in your presence after so long and a great honor to be the person to bring home the Queen."

OK now she had to kidding me. I stared at her and just started laughing. I don't even know why I was laughing but I couldn't stop it either. Even Michael looked at me strange. "Look," I finally managed to get out after laughing, "I dont know who you think I am but the Queen to some realm I have never heard about isn't it. Like Michael said no one even knows that this realm exists beyond stories and no offense but some women in a cloak talking about 'the shade' isn't proof enough so if you don't mind I'd like you to leave. I've had a hard day, I'm tired and I just want to curl up and have a proper rest that doesn't involve me being drugged, shot or passing out from exhaustion." Michael shifted on the spot a little when I said shot and I saw Serena glare at him.

"You would rather stay on this rock and believe a leeches word over mine than come and take your rightful place on the throne of Oftrender?" Serena spat and glared at Michael as if she was imagining him as a bug to squish. I found myself growling again.

"You don't get to call him that and I believe I made myself clear already. If I really am your queen then do as I've said and GO!" As I shouted the last word it rumbled around the cabin and as quick as she had appeared Serena was gone. I sighed and sat on the sofa. Michael stood staring at the spot Serena was just standing in looked gobsmacked. "Michael..." I whispered but I knew he could hear me. "will you sit with me again?" I asked gingerly.

He didn't respond with words just silently made his way over to the sofa and effortlessly lifted me up setting me back on his lap as if nothing had happened. After a few moments of silence he spoke up. "Do you think it was wise to ignore her?" He looked down at me and I felt my breath catch in my throat as I looked into his blue eyes. His blonde hair was poking through the beanie I hadn't noticed he had on earlier. He must have put it on when he went to the archives.

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "but I do know that I don't want to go with someone who is mean towards the people I care about." I looked away from his eyes and focused on the tattoos on his hand. Even though I never said it he knew I meant him which is weird because before yesterday I didn't even know him. Now I risking everything for him.

"It means fearless." Michael said and i looked up at him confused. "The runes on my fingers. each one has a different meaning but together they mean fearless. Its more of a goal than anything else. I am not fearless, there's a lot of things that scare me but the tattoo reminds me to try. No matter how bad things get I won't ever let the fear consume me I will keep pushing on." He smiled slightly. "I got them done in my late 20s. Back then everyone had tattoos and as a rebellious vampire I got a lot of them too. The humans would always compliment my tattoos or ask me what they meant and every time they did it would make me feel a bit better about myself. I would even flash my fangs now and then though of course they believed them to be fake and I played along with it that they were. The years the humans were in charge were some of the best years of my life." Michael smiled and rubbed his knuckles.

"I was far from happy when the vampires started to take over and now we've all but ruined the planet. We may have fixed global warming but we brought back the worst parts of humanity in the form of slave trade and a bigoted society. You have the opportunity to leave all this behind. You will never be a pet again, never be brought or traded. Hurt or bitten or used for pleasure. You can get out and have a better life Mia and I think you should take it." Michael continued. He didn't look at me just at his hands as they wrapped around my small frame.

"Ok." I said and I forced him to meet my gaze. "Just not without you. If I get to have a new start with a new life then I want you to come too. I don't want to have this amazing life as a queen or whatever while you are still ostracised from your own kind. Living out in the woods on your own and never being treated fairly because of your viewpoint. If I get to restart so do you. I'm not leaving unless you come with me." I said. I hadnt even noticed but at some pointbin my speech I had locked fingers with him and I was tracing his tattoo with the tip of my index finger.

"You really want me there? One of the creatures that ruined your life?" He said disgusted at himself.

"I do. Will you join me Michael?" I looked up at him and he cupped my face and left a light kiss on my lips that seemed to draw out all of my breath. My heart was beating so loud I almost missed what he said next.

"Ok."