Ariella
I stand in the woods and wait. It’s snowing but not too heavily that I can’t see. In four minutes time, Demus will be driving along this road, but his truck will suddenly experience brake failure…
Unlike the informants at the holds that only informed because they were forced to, Demus is just a full-blown snitch that would do anything for money. I’ve seen the kinda mess he could cause in the future if allowed to live, and unfortunately for him, he’s collected his last payment.
‘Get that muthafucka, Bae.’
‘I will.’
Although everything happened the way it was supposed to, Demus still did wrong.
Aura appears beside me, but I keep my eyes on the road.
“Hey, Aura. You good?”
“I am well, Ariella, thank you. How are you?”
“I'm good.” I feel her eyes on me but Demus isn’t far now. A gust of wind blows the fresh snow up from the ground, but I use magic to clear my view again.
“You will damage his brakes?” she asks.
I nod.
“What if he survives?”
I look at Aura and frown.
“If a life must be taken, you must ensure that there is no possibility of survival.” Her eyes look away from me and towards the road. I follow her gaze and see Demus’ truck appear at the bend. “A gas tank explosion would be much more fatal.”
I smile, surprised. “Who knew you could be such a savage, Aura. I'm shocked.” I narrow my eyes as I focus on the gas tank of Demus’ truck. ‘Spark.’
It bursts into flames, swerving off the road and smashing sideways into a tree.
He disappears from the future and I nod with accomplishment before looking back to Aura. “You were right. Much more fatal.”
“Indeed.”
We begin to walk through the woods in silence.
“You did well. Very well, indeed.”
I move a fallen tree out of our path. “You know I don't like to disappoint.”
“Yes, that is true. What did you find the hardest part?”
I give her a quick glance. “Truthfully? Timing.”
“Yes, I agree. That is why I am forever rushing off.”
“I understand why, now. People have no idea what it's like.”
“They do not. However, you will see more and more for yourself now.”
“I do and I don’t look forward to it.”
I know she smiles.
“Davonyé and I ain’t affected by Mom’s howl.”
“No. In addition to what you already know, Davonyé cannot lose any of his dominance. It makes him who he is. He will always respect your parents, but he will be an incredible alpha one day.”
“I thought as much, and I’m kinda glad about that.”
She falls silent and then she stops walking, so I turn to face her. “You visited Vallessa.”
Shit… “Yeah...”
“She will soon realise what she is missing. You said just enough to provoke her thoughts. Anything more and she would have cast the spell too soon.”
I feel relieved. “So you're not mad?”
She smiles. “No. All the choices you made were perfectly fine. However, you have now learned of your brother’s future. How do you feel about that?”
“Ugh... Mom and Dad are gonna go mental...”
“Possibly. Your mother still wishes to meet Vallessa.”
“I haven't seen that yet.”
“No, you will not see everything just yet, and that is because your actions also have implications, both here in the world, and in the kratius.” She gives me an intrigued look. “I was most surprised that you saved her life, considering.”
“Are you saying I had a choice not to?”
“You always have a choice, Ariella.”
I frown. “But...”
“You could have chosen to let the princess die.”
“But my brother? I couldn't let Amarey live forever with no mate. That's not my choice to make. If he doesn't want to be with a vampire, that's his business. Not mine.”
She smiles. “Correct. The fact you have chosen to stay neutral on your own feelings and put your brother’s welfare before you own, tells me that you will have no problem doing it for those that you do not know.”
“So that was a test, too?”
She looks away and begins walking again. “Possibly.”
I catch up with her and shake my head. “Y’know, I thought you'd stop being so vague once I got my magic.”
She laughs, and I swear, she sounds so cute. “I cannot give away all my secrets, can I? Where is the fun in that?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about the fun.” I smirk.
She smiles softly.
“So what happens now?”
“You continue to learn, and I continue to give you more control over the future.”
“Fair enough. I asked Davonyé about the binding by the way. He's up for it.”
“Very well. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Yeah, when he asks me. Are you gonna tell me what abilities he'll get?”
“No. You'll have to wait and see.”
“Of course. Because where's the fun in that? Right?”
“Exactly.”
I roll my eyes but smile, too. “Just how crazy is the future gonna be?”
We look at each other for a moment. “That, Ariella, is up to you.”
“Me?”
“Who else? Your brother and his future mate will reside in different worlds. It will not be I who takes Amarey to the kratius, nor will I be the one to bring his mate here. It will be you that will make that choice.”
“And what about the baby?”
“That is up to Vallessa. That will be her decision to make.”
Everything clicks. “And that's why we become friends...”
“There, you see.”
“Yeah...” I look beside me at her but she keeps walking, keeping her gaze ahead. “Have you seen the future of you and Amour?”
I watch her smile, but she stays silent.
“Oh, is it that good, yeah?”
“She is merely a baby, Ariella. Is that not ‘wrong’, in your language?”
I laugh so hard at that. “We're talking about the future, Aura, and besides, you’re always gonna be a cradle snatcher cuz you’re thousands of years old.”
I swear she blushes. “I have no comment.”
I smirk. “Fine. I'm sure I'll be able to see for myself soon enough.”
She gives me a look and I laugh again.
“Chill, Aura. I'm just playing. I'm excited for you. Love changes your whole outlook on everything.”
“Yes. I believe you are right about that.”
“Don't be scared though, Aura. As old as you are, you definitely deserve to experience love. And talking of love... mine is missing me.”
“Yes, he is. I will let you go. I wish to visit Amour in the kratius. The woman who cares for her is not where she needs to be.”
“Of course. I’ll see you soon.”
She disappears to the kratius and I return to the house and head straight for Davonyé. Ugh, I've missed him over the last couple days. Last night was amazing, but I've missed having him in my bed, and I've missed waking up to him beside me.
He rests his knife down beside the potatoes on the chopping board and then pulls me into a hug. I feel relieved at being in these arms. I wish we didn’t have to go back to the same old day to day bullshit.
‘Same. But we won’t have to for much longer.’
‘Thank God.’
***
Everyone chills the next day. I can feel everyone’s mental and physical tiredness. I sit on Davonyé’s lap on Mom and Dad’s swing bench and remember when we fucked on ours.
That shit was sooooo hot.
‘It was.’
I look down at Davonyé but suddenly hear Clarisha talking to her Mom, again. It suddenly dawns on me that I’ll have to meet her at some point.
Davonyé suddenly gets us up and then holds my hand to walk us over to Clarisha. “What’s Mom doin’?”
Clarisha frowns but she asks her Mom. “She’s at home. Why?”
“Tell her I’m bringing Ariella to see her.”
I turn to face him. “What?”
“Oohhh, you meeting Mom,” Dad says. “It must be serious.”
Davonyé chuckles at that and so do the rest of my family.
I hear Charlotte asking how long she has until we arrive cuz she ain’t ready for company.
“Really? You wanna do this now?”
“My Mom’s amazing,” Clarisha says. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Trust me.”
Davonyé holds my shoulders. He’s smiling. “Make Mom presentable, Bae. We goin’.”
“Ugh… Baby…” I know how much Charlotte liked Carisse. And I also know I’m nothing at all like her.
‘Bae. What the fuck you thinkin’ shit like that for?’
‘Because it’s true.’
I feel him get defensive. ‘Fuck all that. I love you for you.’
Tinashe appears to hug me. “Don’t worry, Ariella. You’ll be fine. She’ll feed you good, too.”
I close my eyes briefly to find her in my mind. I make her short afro up and dress her into one of her floral skirts with a blouse. Ugh… “I may have made her look like she’s goin’ church.”
Clarisha laughs. “She says it’s fine.”
I already hate that she knows about all of us in Alaska. She just doesn’t know that Clarisha was snatched and was missing for a week. Tinashe and Clarisha couldn’t wait to start gushing about my Elder abilities in their family chat.
“Bae, you really overthinkin’ this.”
I look at Mom and she gives me a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine, Sweetheart. I know it’s nerve-racking but look at her children. Bad people don’t raise kids like these.”
I sigh. “Alright.” I look at Davonyé and dress him in his trademarked black and myself in a blue maxi dress. “Let’s go.”
“They’re coming, Mom,” I hear Clarisha, just before we leave.
We arrive at the door to Davonyé’s family home. Davonyé looks down at me and frowns. “You want me to knock?”
“I dunno. I didn’t wanna be rude and just port into her kitchen or something.”
He laughs. “Bae, she’ll be more offended if I knock.” He opens the door and I follow him inside. “Mom?”
Charlotte appears, smiling at Davonyé like she ain’t seen him in forever. They hug and I feel their emotions at seeing each other. Charlotte misses him a lot, more than she lets on to him that she does. I’ll have to make sure I bring him to visit her more often.
They release each other and Davonyé introduces me to his Mom.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Leblanc.”
She smiles. “Lottie is fine. You don’t have to be nervous around me. You’re more than welcome to be here.”
“Thanks.” I hold Davonyé’s hand tighter and he shakes it. ‘Sorry…’
“I know quite a lot about you and your family already, Ariella. My daughters are quite the fans of you James’.”
“Uh, yeah, we’ve realised, but it’s not really like that. We’re just normal people.”
She laughs at that and I relax a little.
“I guess we’re normal to an extent.”
She chuckles and then we follow her into the kitchen. “Davonyé, I need a few things from the store.”
“I can get them for you,” I offer.
“No, I wanted to have a moment with you alone, if that’s alright?”
Oh, shit…
‘You good if I leave you here?’
‘Sure.’ I can’t exactly say no. I wonder what she’s gonna say to me…
His Mom gives him a list and then he leaves us.
“Would you like a drink, Ariella?”
“Yes, please.”
“Is hot cocoa with spiced whipped cream okay?”
“Sure.”
‘What she sayin’?’
‘Nothing yet, she’s making me one of her special cocoa’s.’
‘They’re good.’
I listen to Charlotte’s thoughts and quickly block Davonyé from hearing them.
Oh no…
She sits down at the table with me and I blow into my cocoa, hoping she changes her mind about what she’s gonna ask me to do.
“Forgive me for asking you this, Ariella, but Tinashe said that you can see the past, and…” Her words drift off and I know it’s because she doesn’t know how to ask me.
“You want me to show you, don’t you?”
She nods. “I hate to ask you since I only just met you, but I need to know. I need to know what happened.”
I feel her grief. She wants closure. She still hasn’t accepted the loss even after all these years.
‘She wants me to show her, Davonyé.’
‘Show her wha— oh…’
‘Yeah. What do I do?’
‘It’s her choice, Ari.’
I filter through my memories and find the one she wants. “Are you sure you don’t want Davonyé here when I do this?”
“No. I don’t wish to upset him. He doesn’t need to see.”
“Alright.” I block Davonyé from being able to see through my thoughts and then show her the memory of her husband suffering his heart attack.
I feel her heartbreak as she watches, but then I feel something else.
Closure.
A few tears slip down her cheeks and I reach for her hand to hold it. “I know it may not seem fair, but there would’ve been nothing you could’ve done to stop it. Everything always happens for a reason.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head and gently squeezes my hand. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that has meant to me.”
I nod and then we sit and drink our cocoa in silence. I hear Davonyé return and we both look up at him when he enters the kitchen. He looks at me and then at his mom. “You okay, Ma?”
She nods and then looks at me. “I am now.”