301
Lucy
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she said. "I-If I'd know what was going to happen... If I'd known..."
She reached for me, wrapping her arms around me. Her scent enveloped me, and for a moment, I was a child again in a room I barely remembered, cuddled close to her.
Her sobs vibrated against my cheek. Her embrace felt so real, warm, and so familiar.
A flickering firelight danced on the nursery walls, painting shadows that stretched and danced. I was bundled in a fleecy blanket that smelled just like her and another scent. Her hands traced soothing circles on my back. Nearby, a low voice hummed a low tune. Was it a lullaby? I couldn't make out the words, but I knew the voice belonged to my father.
"You've had such a day, haven't you, little one?" She whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "It'll be alright."
His voice, low and warm, filled with concern, came from behind me. I felt his presence drawing closer, his warmth. I could smell him.
"She knows, doesn't she, Allison? She feels it coming?"
She shushed him, pressing her closer to her chest.
"Let her rest," she whispered, her voice cracking. "She's still too young to even think about it. Too young to worry..."
The fire crackled on. Then, the light flickered and died, plunging the nursery into darkness. The shriek that cut through the darkness made my heart lurch.
I pulled away from being dragged into the rest of the memory, but it was all a mess. I tumbled through darkness and fire. Allison was gone, but another warmth had taken her place.
Then, I heard him and felt him cradling me to his chest as he ran. His ragged breathing. My eyes burned as the pine trees rushed past. Magic rushed past and around us. I smelled blood and fire.
"It's okay," he panted. "I'll get you somewhere safe. I promise. I promise..."
He swooned to one side. A soft sob escaped him as he held me closer, panting and fighting for a little more air in his lungs.
A low growl rumbled through the air. I saw glowing, bright red eyes.
"You want my daughter?" He growled and grew tense. "You'll have to kill me first."
The snarling roar was cut off as the air picked up around us. A pained yelp cut through the air, and he was running again. I heard the howling of wolves in the distance.
Then, the ground started to shift around us. I heard his voice echoing through the air, shaking the earth and shifting it around. The air smelled sharp, and all of a sudden, the forest was replaced by the familiar streets around where the orphanage had been.
He slowed to a stop and crouched down. I saw his face then. My heart ached as light danced around me.
"You'll be safe, Lucy," he whispered and kissed my head. "Sleep, sweetheart, and I hope I'll see you again."
The memory withdrew as tears streamed down my cheeks. The man who had taken me to the orphanage had been my father.
"D-Dad?" I gasped. "H-He... He took me there?"
Allison squeezed me tight. "He had already been so drained, trying to save me."
She sniffled and nuzzled me. "You have to know that he loved you more than life, and he took great care to make sure no one found you."
"He would be so proud to know you're going to be an Enforcer..." She chuckled a little. "He always wanted to be one but couldn't make the cut."
"Why?"
"He couldn't pass one of the tests…" She shook her head. "He went on to be a great liaison, though… For as long as he could."
She drew back and smiled. Then, she looked at the second woman.
"It was pure luck that Deli' sent David to the same place during all the chaos."
I frowned. "Deli'?"
"That would be me," the second woman said with bright eyes. "Look at you... It's good to know that David's tastes haven't changed at all."
Allison and the woman laughed a little.
"I told you, Deli'. Didn't I?"
"Xavier had been certain of it," she said and smiled. I frowned at the name. It was familiar. "And here we are... I know you'll wear my armor well. If you take off a head or two while you're at it, I won't be upset."
My eyes bulged as I realized that this had to be David's mother.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I'm Delilah, though I won't be upset if you call me mom, little moonbeam."
"Oh, honey," she crooned, her voice thick with emotion. "We're so happy you and David found each other. We always joked about our families becoming one.."
She wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you for looking after him."
A blush crept up my cheeks as I awkwardly returned the hug. "I promise he does a lot more looking after me."
She laughed. "There's more to looking after someone than the physical, dear. I promise you've done more to look after him than you think…"
She pulled back. "And don't let him fool you with all of his fancy tricks in the kitchen. He still won't make a cinnamon roll."
I smiled, thinking of all the delicious food David had made aside from cinnamon rolls. Still, I was curious.
"Why?"
Her eyes turned sad. "It was... his and Xavier's thing. Xavier would practically inhale them when I made them, and it was… one of the first things that Xavier taught him to make. Never quite got the recipe down since he was so young, and I don't think he can bear to have them if they aren't made to my recipe."
She winked at me. "I'll pass it along. Be sure to use it against him as often as possible, especially when he needs a little nudge."
"A nudge?"
"Though it doesn't seem like anyone needs a nudge, but you…" She pinched my cheek, grinning at me. "No worries. He's his father's son; you'll be breathless and red-faced before you know what happened… Without a single complaint."
I ducked my head as Allison and Delilah laughed.
Delilah's warm hand clasped mine. "He's really... truly in love, dear. Head over heels and sick with it. There will be days in the future that... Well, you may not always believe it, but believe me when I say that David would destroy the world for you."
My eyes widened. "Is... Is that a good thing?"
She chuckled. "Everyone thinks they want a hero... Someone to save the day, but a hero, unfortunately, would kill you if it meant saving the world."
She turned her gaze away. There was a flicker of something in her eyes.
"What you really want, if you know what's good for you at least--"
"Deli'--"
"Is someone who would burn the world down to keep you safe," she looked back at me. "The wolves of the Blood Moon, the sons of Fenris, have always been this way."
"Don't call Xavier a villain."
"He'd like it, and if that wench gets to make him and his entire family out to be harbingers of destruction, then I get the right to call him a villain." She chuckled. "Even if he is more of a villainous hero..."
Delilah grinned. "But enough about the past and us. We'll have plenty of time to talk about you and David and all the trouble you two will cause in the future."
I frowned, not understanding how that could be possible when they were both dead.
Though, now that I thought about it, were they actually? Was I dead since I was sitting at this table with them?
Then, I set my sights on the third woman. Her eyes were misty as she looked at me. She hadn't said anything since she'd entered. I couldn't tell if the darkness in her eyes was because of grief or something else, but I could tell that she knew me.
Her eyes glossed over as our gazes met.
"I'm so sorry," she said softly. She shook her head.
"Eve…" Allison started. "That's not—"
"Don't," Eve said, squared her shoulders, and looked at me with the saddest gaze. Her jaw trembled. "I know it won't mean much in the scheme of things that what they have done is so inexcusable, but you have my apologies that you had to experience even… a fraction of what I endured."
I frowned, not understanding her. She wiped her face.
"If I had known… If I had ever imagined that me still being alive would have spared you, I would have kept searching for another way." Her jaw trembled. "I can't apologize for them, but know that if I could, they'd be getting more than an earful."
She swallowed. "Ask for proper reparations when this is all over. I swear they'll be yours."
"I don't…"
Then, I narrowed my eyes, taking in her features and her words.
"You're.."
"I'm Eve Ashgrave," She said. "Tony and Matt's mother."
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