Chapter 2

Fluffy white wings stretched out of my back and cast a shadow over me, covering me as though they were friends. That wasn’t the problem, though. At the bottom of my wings, there was fire that did not appear to cause me or my cloth any harm. It just burned. In the middle of my head was a crescent moon that glowed.

“They are burning,” I heard someone say.

 “How are they white if she is the demigod of Night and shadows?” Another asked.

“Perhaps it’s a demigod thing.”                                        

The murmurs died down when Medros lifted a fisted hand. “Caidyn Romero, angel of Night and shadows, please return to your home in the mortal realm.”

Despite my surprise and confusion, I bowed deeply before opening a portal to the mortal realm and going into it. The living room was where the portal led to. Mother sat there, hand under her chin as she stared into space. Jean and Dimitri sat on separate couches, both avoiding the other because of Dimitri’s discovery.

Jean’s sister, Yvonne; a feisty eighteen-year-old with her mother’s red hair and father’s gray eyes sat beside her, giving Dimitri dirty looks. He ignored all. For seconds, I stood in the center of the living room, yet no one seemed to know I was there. Was I invincible or what?

“Mother,” she lifted her head and looked around the living room.

“Honey, is that you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “It’s me. I’m here.”

“Where?” Dimitri asked, shifting to look behind the couch. “We don’t see you.”

Well, damn.

Father appeared in the living room, directly in front of me. I knew he could see me from the way his eyes shifted from my wings and to my eyes. “Caidyn, will the crescent moon in your forehead to go off. Imagine you’re putting out a fire.”

It shouldn’t be hard. I imagined putting out a fire like father advised and much to my surprise; it worked. I knew it did because everyone save for father gasped. Mother slowly rose to her feet and advanced toward me. Once she was directly in front of me, she touched my shoulders.

“Caidyn,” her hands moved to my face. “You look magnificent. Powerful.” She paused. “You look like the queen you were born to be.”

All worry and fear I felt instantly evaporated into thin air. My mother thought I looked magnificent. She saw me as a powerful queen. No opinion mattered anymore. If mother liked me as I was, then I was okay. If she called me beautiful, then it’s true. I was no freak. Just a magnificent angel no one has ever seen.

“Your wings are on fire.” Yvonne stated, brows slightly lifted. “It’s crazy.”

“You look great, Caidyn.” Dimitri said, mustering a smile. I could see sadness in his eyes. “Beautiful even.” He pointed at my wings. “They look good on you.”

“Thank you.”

Unlike how to make myself visible to my family, willing my wings to go back in was easy. It came to me naturally. Although my wings had gone back in, the crescent moon remained. I could feel it. I guess it was permanent.

Yvonne clapped gleefully. “Your brother is going to be so impressed by this when he comes home.”

“Blade is coming home?”

Mother nodded. “For your birthday. After that, he’ll return to school.”

Blade was my younger brother. A twenty-year-old with very little control over his powers. Unlike me, Blade did not come out as part vampire. He was part wolf, part snake. Not just any snake, mind you. My brother was a Reinio snake. A powerful species that could easily kill as they had little or no self-control. He was also a demigod because of our father.

Blade was schooling in a faraway kingdom. The Sky kingdom. The people of the sky had the first Reinio snake, so only they could teach my brother to suppress his snake side. My brother left home a few days after he turned fourteen. I hadn’t seen him since then. It was a good thing I didn’t get his ability. I’d hate to go to another kingdom and leave mine. I couldn’t wait to see him.

“He’ll be here tomorrow.” Father informed, looping an arm around mother’s waist. She leaned in to him. “Go on up and rest, okay? You have a long day ahead of you.”

“Pack work.” Jean and I chorused through groans.

With a smile, father shook his head. “You two hate work.”

Yvonne plopped down. “Who doesn’t?”

“We’ll leave you four here.” Mother said, “But make sure you go to bed no later than 1a.m because I expect all of you to be awake by 8a.m. okay?”

“Okay.”

“Goodnight.”

We said in unison. “Goodnight.”

After my parents went up the stairs, Yvonne left us. She said she wanted to go to bed. Jean and Dimitri stayed. I chose to sit beside Jean. She seemed to have a hard time. Not to say that Dimitri wasn’t going through a lot, but I had a feeling she needed me more.

“It’s a good thing you’re here.” Dimitri began with entwined hands. “Jean has refused to listen to what I have to say.”

“There’s nothing to listen to. You lied to me. You told me you hadn’t found her, yet I heard you tell Caidyn that you’ve found the one for you.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you. I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t think it was right.”

“Then lying to me was the right thing to do?”

Vertical wrinkles appeared between Dimitri’s eyebrows. “I don’t get it. I don’t understand why you’re upset that I’ve found my mate.”

Jean lowered her eyes. “I am not upset.”

“The stop avoiding me. Stop being mad at me. Stop acting as though you’re my girlfriend or something. It makes no sense.”

Jean’s eyes held unfounded accusations and heartbreak as she spoke. “Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me!” she shouted.

I touched her hand. “Jean, that’s enough. The others will hear you and wake up. Please sit down.”

“No.” She bit her lower lip. “I need to know.” She shifted her attention to Dimitri. “Who is she? What’s her name? Is she from this pack?”

“Jean.” Dimitri’s eyes softened when a tear rolled down Jean’s cheek. “Please don’t cry.”

She wiped furiously at the traitor tear. “Answer me. Who is she?”

I also got up. “Just tell her the truth, Dimitri. It won’t really change much. You owe Jean this much after lying to her.” A pause. “To us.”

He breathed out a sigh of defeat. “She is not from this pack, neither is she from this kingdom. My mate is a vampire and her name is Esme Von Stein.”

Jean looked like she was going to pass out. “The princess?”

“Yes. Princess Esme is my mate.”

Jean said nothing for the shortest moment. When I thought she’d speak, she stalked out of the room.

“Jean,” he called after her. “Jeannette.”

“Let her be.” I advised.

Dimitri sat back down and buried his face in his hands. I went to sit by him. For minutes, Dimitri said nothing. I felt he needed time alone until his shoulders shook. It then occurred to me he was crying. Dimitri never really cried. It only showed how much this situation was hurting him.

“Come on,” I rubbed his back. “Don’t cry. I don’t like it when people cry around me.”

He lifted his head. “She doesn’t even understand the mess I’m in.”

“Jean’s just hurt.”

“What about me? Do you think I like this? I don’t even want Esme.”

“Then?”

He faced me. “It’s Jean I love. Yes, we bicker like children, but I’ve grown to love her. She’s the one I want, not Esme. She’s cocky and thinks everyone should kiss her feet.”

“So, what will you do? Do you have anything in mind?”

He was hesitant. “Since I met Esme at the meeting Aunt Valeria held with she and her father, I haven’t stopped considering rejecting her. The thing is, I don’t know how she’ll take it. She’s a spoiled brat.”

“You want to reject your mate?”

“It’s the only way I can be with Jean.”

I knew love made people do dumb things, but this was too much. Especially since it was coming from Dimitri. Had he considered what could happen in a few months? Would he be able to handle what could happen?

“What if Jean finds her mate and decides she doesn’t want you?”

“That could never happen.” He considered the possibility. “Could it?”

“I cannot see the future, my friend, but I can assure you this is not a wise decision. You don’t know if Jean truly loves you or she’s just attracted to you.”

“So you’re saying I should reject Esme after I know Jean loves me?”

“Slow down, brother. I did not say that.”

He stood up. “Thank you, Caidyn. You’re the best.”

“I did not-”

I shook my head when he hurried up the stairs. I guess it was time to go to bed.

<<<>>> 

            The following morning, someone jumping on me woke me. With the anger of being woken early, I shoved the person off without opening my eyes. What lunatic would jump on a sleeping person?

“You’re lucky I-” A gasp escaped me when I saw my brother trying to get up from the floor. “Blade?”

He waved. “Hi, sis.”

“Blade!” I got off the bed and ran to him before jumping on his body, sending the both of us crashing to the white floor. “I’m sorry I pushed you like that. Are you okay?”

He chuckled. “I’m fine.” He stared at me for the longest time. “You haven’t changed. Still aggressive.”

I came to my feet, and he did the same. “You caused it.”

“I was just excited to see my sister after six long years.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Did I grow well?”

Yes. Blade Romero grew from an annoying teen to a handsome and hot adult who still loved his sister, even though she never came to see him. His lanky arms were now muscular and his chest—now broad and very prominent in his white shirt. His slightly long, black hair was now brown and his eyes remained as I remembered them. A beautiful black.

“You grew well, Blade. You’re now a man. An attractive one at that.”

His cheeks flushed. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Thanks,” he avoided my eyes. “You too. Your,” mischief filled his eyes when he met my eyes again. “Peas are now oranges.”

“Blade!”

He laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. What I meant to say is, you grew well, too.”

I grinned. “I know.”

“Cocky, much?”

I rolled my eyes. “Go on out. I’ll get dressed and join you downstairs.”

“Will you fight me?”

“Duh. I need to know how strong you are now.”

“I can totally put you on your ass.”

“That’s what they all say.” I went around him and began pushing him out. “Shoo, you dirty-minded spirit.” Once he was outside my room, I waved my hand in the air. “Be gone.”

“You’re weird.”

“I also know that.”

Then I closed the door.

Goodness, I was happy. Although we were step-siblings, we loved each other so much. I couldn’t imagine a life without Blade, to be honest. I quickly did my morning routine in a chirpier mood than usual before heading downstairs.

“Blade,” I heard hands coming in contact as I entered the dining room. It was Dimitri giving Blade a handshake. “It’s been a long time.”

“It has. How have you been?”

“Been good. Have you seen your parents?”

“Nah.”

“Then why did you go upstairs?”

“I had to see my sister first.”

Dimitri turned to me. “Lucky you.”

I rolled my eyes. “He jumped on me.”

“It’s an act of love, Caidyn.” He defended himself. “I show love in different forms and I showed you how much I love you by jumping on you.”

“Oh, my goodness.” We all looked at Yvonne, who stood at the entrance of the dining room with Jean beside her. “Is that Blade?”

“In the flesh.” He replied, grinning.

“You’re not supposed to look like this.” She rested both hands on her waist. “Now, I can’t tease you.”

Blade stuck his tongue out at her. He averted his eyes to Jean and opened his arms as he went to her. “There’s my buddy,” he embraced her. “She’s grown taller.”

“You didn’t expect me to be short, did you?”

“I kind of did.” He admitted, patting her head.

Jean pulled away with a smile. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I know, right?”

“Blade?”

“Mom? Dad?”

Blade and I were different in this sense. I called our parents mother and father while he called them mom and dad.

“You’ve grown so much.” She pulled him into a warm hug and father joined in. “So big and handsome.”

“I’m too hot for this world.”

Father smacked him upside the head. “Cocky.”

He pulled away from the hug and folded his arms over his chest, causing his muscles to appear bigger. “I may be a little proud of my body and I’m happy you guys love my body, but we have to talk. Seriously.”

“About us not coming to see you?” Mother asked.

“Yes.” He darted his eyes to dad. “Let the explanations begin.”