"Those people have been lying to you." Elyon gulped as a bolt of lightning crackled bright streaks through the window, reflecting the rain on Cedric Hoffman's face. She had a feeling she knew what he was saying.. But it was stupid.. How could.. Never..
"Those people?" Elyon wished her voice sounded stronger, but a squeak was all she managed to force from her mouth.
"I did some research. City records. Births.." Elyon didn't like the way Cedric's eyes moved shiftily over the hallway as he pulled out some frayed papers. "Every birth that has occured thirteen years ago.. Halloween."
Halloween. Elyon had never liked that she was born on a day for monsters. A day when all evil is released. Elyon took the papers silently and sifted through. Looking for 'E'. Her heart flipped. "I'm not on here."
Suddenly Elyon regretted every time she'd joked that she'd been adopted. That she'd told her parents she hated them. That she'd pushed herself away.. But why? She realized that they had been lying. She shouldn't feel guilty at all. It was true. It was all true. She'd never meant it, but it was true. Cedric hadn't said it, but she couldn't see any other reason for her parents to lie.. Maybe she was adopted.. Or maybe she was only one of theirs.. Maybe.. "You aren't theirs Elyon. You were stolen. From another world."
"Heh-" It had fallen out. A single syllable of a nervous laugh that echoed around the room. Another world. It had to be a joke.
"ELYON?"
Elyon automatically opened her mouth, but held her breath when she saw Cedric's finger on his lips; beconing silence. "Come with me."
"Wha-" Cedric wrapped a gentle, but urgent hand around her wrist, and Elyon followed as he tugged her down the stairs. Once they were behind her parents, Elyon knew she could be in danger, but Cedric only pushed a star into her hands and yanked her arm into the air. Lights glowed from the star and her parents.. Thin, pale skin became grey and leathery.. Green eyes became bright yellow.. They were monsters being released.. Just like Halloween..
...
"Susan Vandom," Will slouched in the hard plastic chair provided, swearing that her mother was flirting again as she smiled at 'Dean's handshake. "A pleasure."
Someone moaned, and Will smirked at the familiar voice of Uriah Dunn echoing out an apology to his mother somewhere throughout the halls. Will let her head drop back, knowing this would take forever, and closed her eyes; contemplating letting herself fall asleep. Her mother was giggling. Her very middle-aged mother was giigling like a school girl and Will sure as hell didn't want to know why. "Excuse me!"
"Will!" Will sat up too fast and her poorly-constructed chair crashed to the ground; her own bottom firmly landing on the floor as Caleb pushed into the room. He pulled her up by the elbow and Will knew her mother was watching as he whispered into her ear. "Lord Cedric is here, with Elyon."
...
"Elyon!" Cedric slunk into the shadows as the heir, Elyon pushed palms against ears. "We brought you here to save your life!"
"You must understand!" The man made a wrong move and Cedric delved into the sweetness of watching Elyon wrench her hand away from his. "You needed protection from your brother!"
"I have a brother?" The child's meager squeak was fascinating to watch as Elyon tried to slice between heavy emotions of surprise, anger and Cedric's favourite.. Disgust.
"Cedric! What have you told her?" Cedric didn't recognize the man, but it didn't matter. All would soon be irrelevant.
"Don't listen to him!" Cedric smiled as the woman lunged in to hug Elyon protectively, but Elyon ducked away, backing into the wall. "He's hurt so many!"
Elyon slid along the wall, further from the two, and Cedric felt sweet victory as tears brimmed at Elyon's eyes. It was beautiful. The girl made a run for the door, leaving her 'parents' standing shocked and rejected. A grin swept over Cedric's lips, "Prince Phobos is so looking forward to meeting you."