Chapter Fifty-Two – The stolen child

“My parents were outcasts among their own kind, because of who they loved. They didn’t go by the norm and distanced themselves from relationship with the other kind. And because of that they had to flee, like so many others. But they found a place to call home deep in the rainforest where no one would ever find them. It was a place for those who were cast out, those who hid from their kind because of who they loved and wanted to be with. It’s where they built a new life for themselves, and where I was born. And later, also you” He started, watching her face. She didn’t move a muscle, just listened.

“This tribe of outcast, they are very wary about outsiders. They are worried about what will happen to them and their children if someone ever finds them. So, they keep hidden away, living of the nature like we all did in the older days, before modern society blossomed. But at the same time, they don’t shy away from helping people in need, including those who have to hide because of who they love”

“And that would be mostly fae’s, am I correct?” Talia asked.

“Yes. The fae blood have to be kept pure, it can’t be diluted or mixed with other species. That’s a crime against their own kind. So, hybrid fae’s are hunted down and slaughtered, treated as some kind of decease” Anthony had a forlorn look on his face.

“But your parents – they didn’t care about that”

“Correct. My mother loved my father dearly, despite being of different kinds. And my father went against his own family to be with her. So, they left everything they knew to be with one another, because their love was so strong”

“It must have been hard for them”

“I imagine so. But they have a good life, or they had. They got a new family in the tribe, they had me, and years later they had you. Their little ray of sunshine. A perfect blend of the two of them. But then you were stolen from them by an intruder who claimed she was on the run, that she had fallen pregnant with a wolf and her parents wanted them both dead. It was a lie. But they didn't find out until it was too late. And before they caught on to her she was already gone, and so were you. They searched for you high and low, but they couldn’t go too far without being exposed to the world and risking leaving me an orphan. But they never stopped looking, every chance they got, ever possible lead they tried to follow up. Until I was old enough to leave and search. No one knew about my existence, so it made sense. And I wanted to find my baby sister. To bring her home to my parents. But it was difficult. I searched and searched. But you were just a baby when you were stolen, and we couldn’t know what you looked like. And then, ten years ago I got a lead. Someone had met the woman who stole you, and they remembered her so clearly like they had just met her an hour earlier. And it led me to a vineyard, and later here. But by then you were already dead. But I couldn’t get myself to leave. So, I stayed and created a life for myself here”

Anthony finished his story and waited. Waiter for her reaction, for her to say something more. To either call him crazy, say he was lying or something. Just something, anything. The silence was deafening.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Anthony said when the silence became too much.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you” Talia answered, dragging her words. “It’s more a question of why. It’s kind of my life mission right now, why me?”

Anthony glances at the journal again. She followed his gaze and pushed it back over to him.

“It’s not fun reading” She warned. “But maybe you’ll see something we don’t”

She didn’t want to believe him, that she was his long-lost sister, stolen from his parents when she was just a baby. But how could she not believe him? Everything about her life had been a big lie, so why not her parents as well?

“She’s a hybrid?” Adam asked from the doorway. They had both forgotten about him. “What kind?”

“My father is fae, my mother a witch” Anthony answered.

“So, I’m half fairy, half witch?” Talia asked, a little surprised. At least the fae part hadn't been a lie.

“In a way yes. But we don’t automatically inherit all their powers. It’s more like a mix. Like our powers are related to one another, we can manipulate certain elements, but also use magic to amply the manipulation” Anthony answered.

“Neat” Talia didn’t know what else to say.

“It can come in handy. But I tend not to use them, trying to stay off the grid, blend in”

“A wise decision for someone who is part fae” Adam said thoughtful. From what both Anthony and Xavier’s words about the fae’s and how they treated their hybrids it sounded like the safest form of protection, beside living in a seculded area in the middle of the rain forest.

“What about you? What’s your element?” Anthony turned to Talia.

“Oh – uhm. It’s complicated” She pointed to the journal in front of him. “We’re still trying to work that little detail out”

Anthony looked around the table once more, this time taking time to count the journals. There were six of them in total.

“Who wrote these?” He asked.

“My grandmother. It’s the story of how she turned me into what I am today. And it’s not fun reading” Talia admitted. She didn’t know why, but she felt like he could be trusted with this kind of information. That he could help her figure out the what’s and the why’s.

“What do you mean turned?”

Talia pulled at her sweater, feeling the familiar rise of panic in her chest. It tightened. But Adam was there beside her in the blink of an eye, his embrace soothing. “Breath. Just breath. In through your nose, out through the mouth” He whispered in her ear. She did as he told her to, breathing in and out to the sound of his voice until the panic subsided.

“Are you okay?” Anthony asked, a worried expression on his face.

“I’ve been through a lot – this is a lot” She gestured around the table, not sure where to even begin.

“We should take a break. Have breakfast. You’re welcome to stay” Adam said to Anthony, who thanked him with a smile and a nod. He hadn’t had eaten in hours; breakfast sounded like a good idea.

“I have to check on Alehtta. And Nadine should be coming back from the clinic soon. Have you heard anything from Devan?” Talia changed the subject to create a distance between her and the truth that laid before her. A part of her story that she didn’t know if she was ready to face or not.

“He’s there now with Katlyn and Nadine. She’s still sedated, for the safety of everyone” Adam answered. He still didn’t like the idea of having Ariel in the pack, so near the people she believed to be monsters.

“That’s probably for the best. She has a long road of recovery ahead for her” Talia would know, she was walking it herself.

“Excuse me, who is sedated?” Anthony looked from the books.

“Did you get a chance to speak with Ariel yesterday?” Adam turned to Anthony.

“No – I don’t know where she is. Do you?”

“I do” Adam answered.

“Does she know?” Anthony had almost forgotten about Kieran.

“She was there” Talia answered. The pained expression on Anthony’s face pained her as well.

“How is she?” Anthony had to ask. He cared for her, despite her lack of judgement, he still cared.

“Sedated” Adam answered.

“She’s at the clinic, if you want to see her. I know the police wants to speak to her, but she’s in no shape to do so. If it hadn’t been for Katlyn, she would have been dead as well” Talia told Anthony.

“Does her father know? He’s already on the warpath, just looking for an excuse to chase you all away. Or worse”

“Not yet. I hope you won’t go tell him” Adam eyes Anthony warily.

"I won’t” Anthony responded. He liked to keep Henry Noye out of the loop for many reasons. Safety being his main concern at the moment.

“Good. We’ll take you there after breakfast” Adam turned around and walked back upstairs, leaving Anthony and Talia alone for a moment.

“Tell me the truth – how bad is it?” Anthony stopped Talia from following Adam, the pained expression on his face made her bite down on her lip.

“You should ask Katlyn, she’s the one who intervened” Talia answered before disappearing out of the library herself, Anthony following close behind her, taking one last look at the journals on the table before closing the door.