Chapter 13

Questions, Answers, and Tracking

Tetra

Eira's mouth fell open. I was surprised myself. Lucas Nagiala? The headmaster? He must have been around seventeen at the time that Eira was born, having taken over the school in his fathers' stead only two years previous. Why hadn't he talked to her?

I was a little disappointed that Mrs. Nuransi wouldn't tell me who my mother was, but at least she knew. And if she could ask her, then she must be nearby! I had given up on finding my mother. Now, I could find her and ask why she had left me. She must be related to Teira as an aunt, but she has eleven of them. How could I get in contact with them all?

I put my hand under Eira's chin, and closed her jaw for her. She must be really shocked if she let her emotions get the best of her like that. At least her wings didn't release yet. "Are you sure that he's my father?"

"Absolutely."

"...Why didn't he talk to me at all the last ten or so years of my life that I was at the school?"

"He may have known that I was pregnant, but he didn't know your names. I never told him after he reappeared. I have kept an eye on the three of you though. I felt as if Tetra were my responsibility too, being close friends with his mother. I will ask her to tell you, Tetra. Don't you worry."

"Thanks."

"No problem. As long as you never break my baby's heart, I will never regret thinking of you as a son."

"There's no need to worry about that. I love Eira, and nothing will ever change the way that I feel about her."

"That's good to hear. I'm really sorry for all of your heartbreak. I really hope that you can forgive me after what I did. I just hope you can understand that fear."

"I forgive you, and I really can understand the fear of unwanted responsibility. I have to deal with a lot of my own, Mom." And with the last words, her wings ejected from her back, and landed gracefully by her sides. And the same look that had been on Eira's face earlier, was now mirrored on her mom.

Eira

Mom was amazed at the golden wings that I had just released. It feels kind of weird, like a tickle, and a pinch at the same time. I remember the feeling of total amazement. And since Tetra had closed my jaw a few minutes ago, I guess I looked identical to the way she does now.

"You...have wings? What happened in the last year?"

"Yep. Long story short, I became a princess, rescued Tetra, was almost killed twice, grew wings, and became queen of the angels. Sound okay to you, Tetra?"

"You switched the wings with the attempted murder and forgot became an aunt and godmother, and falling in love."

"Thank you. I did, didn't I?"

"Wow, you guys have been through a lot."

"Yep, but we're happy." Tetra squeezed my knee, and I laughed.

"I can see that. When are you going back?"

"A month, or whenever Anedal astral's me. Whichever comes first."

"Okay. Well, just make sure that you say goodbye before you leave. I have something that I want you to have, but not until you go back to Attilica."

"Thank you, and please remember to ask Tetra's mom. We would really appreciate it."

"I will."

"Goodbye, then, Mom."

"Goodbye, my child."

She walked out the door, and I shut it before all of the heat rushed out. "So, what do you think?"

"I think, our lives are so screwed up, we don't even know which way is down."

"I agree." I turned around for a minute to pour a glass of water, and when I turned around, Tetra was asleep.

I sighed. "Well, if you can't beat them, join them." I said to no one in particular, as I laid down beside the man I loved, and fell asleep pressed against his chest.

When I woke up the next morning, there were knife points surrounding our bed, and a good many men surrounding my bed. Tetra was still asleep beside me, and I shook him slowly to wake up. When he finally stirred, he swore out loud and sat up.

"Hrethen, Eira, good to see that you are finally awake." A familiar voice chilled my veins. Theia was sitting on my kitchen counter, cleaning her nails. "Make a single move, and my men will poke you and the boy with enough holes that you could be considered a pincushion."

I just sat still, and began to think. Aleiansha was running through my head but none of the words were appropriate. I nudged Tetra slowly with my knee and mouthed the word go. He understood immediately and stopped the guys in their motions. After unfreezing me, we slipped out of my bed, and behind the men. I tied up a frozen Theia, and motioned for him to unfreeze the guards. They spun on their heels and began a stabbing motion towards the small kitchen we were standing in.

"Steren, iunster olas. Dernst minst. Sirunden yiew wioma." The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. I had no idea what I had said, but knew that it was good when they dropped the daggers into a pile at my feet.

"Didn't I tell you if you attempted to take my life or any of my family's, that I would kill you?"

Her eyes widened and shot daggers of hatred out of her eyes.

"I guess I did, then. I gave you fair warning. I'm really sorry that it had to end this way, but it really was your own fault. Silly maiden, you expect me to show you mercy after three attempts on my life? No. Drietna, und fervera." Theia's head flopped to the side, and sheclosed her eyes.

"Did you kill her?" Tetra's eyes were wide open, and staring at me.

"No. She is only asleep. She has lost her wings, and she will forget she was ever a Kerya, about you, me, and the elves, and the location of the sacred mountain. I'll send her to a mental hospital, and have them take care of her. After all, she doesn't remember the last fifteen years of her life."

Tetra wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "It seems as if you are in danger of dying everyday now. I can't always protect you, but it seems like you can protect yourself well enough. That will have to do for now. And, speaking of the elves, where's Alya? I haven't seen her since we sent her into Nagiala School to find her tree."

"Neither have I. She may have gone back to Attilica."

"Well, try to astral to her. She gave me her dagger in case of an emergency."

I laid down on my bed, and held the dagger in my hands. I pictured Alya, and felt the familiar rush of transporting myself. Alya was standing next to Elesmerdia, and staring at me. "Eira, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. Is there something wrong?"

"Not at all. I just needed to come back here to switch places with Elesmerdia. It's her tree in your garden, Eira, not mine. Which means that your mother or father is elf friend, and a most important one at that. If someone found out that the princess of Herasha Luenta or Tuatara, to you humans, was connected to a huon tree in the garden of the Kerya, they would capture it and use it as a bargaining chip to get into our land. We have a great many secrets, and that tree is the center-piece in keeping them. We need to relocate the tree to the land of the elves, and we need to do it quickly. We will send a few elven warriors to move the tree, but we need your permission to do so."

"Of course, whatever it takes. Just, next time, tell us when you leave. We were attacked by Theia and wondered if you were all right."

"You were attacked? Are you and the boy safe?"

"We are fine, and Theia is no longer a problem."

"That's what you said the last time."

"I know. I know. Just be safe, okay?"

"Okay. Goodbye."

I returned to my room, and Tetra was standing over me. He was just a little too close for my comfort. Even though I liked having him near me, his face being so close to mine when I first came around was a little weird, especially with his new vampire fangs. "She's fine, and would you get off of me, please?" I shoved him playfully, and he got off. "The huon tree in my garden is Elesmerdia's and she needs to get it out of there. So, we are going to be there when the elves come and take it away. Hopefully, they'll replace it with a new tree, so there's no big hole in the ground."

"Do we have to go right now? Teira just called to say that she's out, and is bringing Jasmine over here. Javar forgot to baby-proof the place, and she needs her here until he's finished. Apparently, she thought her feet would never touch the floor due to an extremely loving set of godparents."

"Well, she thought right. Not that Jasmine will move yet. She's only two days old, for gosh sakes!"

"Yeah, well, mommy and daddy seem to think that she's going to start walking around, sticking her fingers in every socket and wedging herself behind the couch at two days old. Now, I have no doubt that she'll be a genius, but even Einstein didn't walk that early."

We both had a good laugh at this, and were watching television when Teira walked through the door, holding my darling niece. She handed her to me immediately, and flopped down on my bed like she used to do. "She has kept me awake for two days straight. Hopefully, she quiets down when she gets used to our apartment. Unless, Auntie Eira wants to spread those gorgeous wings all night to keep her in awe?"

"No way! I don't get enough sleep with this baby sucking on my neck every night! How am I supposed to get to sleep with my wings open, in a straight chair, and a baby on my lap? I'd drop her!"

"I'm sure you wouldn't. But, you're right. Hopefully, I can get some sleep while I'm here." She closed her eyes.

Tetra scoffed. "Then go back to the guest bedroom. The only people sleeping on this bed is me and the angel."

Teira's eyes widened. "Then you guys–"

I raised a hand to interrupt her. "No, and we won't until we both decide that it's the right time, and that we are ready for the possible consequences."

"Like pregnancy?" Teira looked hurt, as if I had insulted her.

"Now, would I ever regret this beautiful, little, angel child?"

"Watch how you use that word now. Even though it's a good thing, you don't want to jinx her of following in her auntie's shoes and becoming an astral maiden."

"Then, she'd be even more beautiful, as her silver wings would match her silver eyes." They had turned a light blue, almost silver.

"Let's hope so."

"Get your booty into the guest bedroom. My niece and I will be just fine. I won't let Tetra cloud her mind with perverted thoughts, I promise. Though, he shares enough of them, so that may be difficult."

"Thank you. You really don't know how much this means to me."

"I think I do."

And as I gazed down at the beautiful little girl that was my niece, I really did.