Hi! As promised, here is the chapter. I really hope you can take the time to leave me a review since I'm nervous about this chapter.
From now on I'll be posting the chapters a day early on my blog so I hope to see as many of you there.
Big thanks go to InvertedMeridiam and BelleViolette who have helped out with this chappy.
Chapter 13: Secrets
SPOV
The days went by and soon we passed the one-week mark since our arrival at the Edgingtonmansion. My patience was running thin with all the training we did, all the questions I asked, and the few answers I actually received from Russell.
Despite the wait and my current animosity towards our host, I must admit that I had enjoyed our evenings together. I've had no more visions since that night, but I felt confident that I wouldn't black out again if it happened. Russell received no answer from the Pythoness, or so he said, so we had nothing more to do than wait and see what happened.
We were gathered in the yard again. While Jason and Pam practiced swordplay, now that the full moon was behind us, I was trying to learn how to control this force within me. Eric was, of course, watching us closely.
I had become more efficient at controlling the light, managing to easily keep it at skin level. Now, Russell was instructing me to picture grabbing a bit of it, making a snowball and throwing it to a tree in front of us.
I snorted audibly. I didn't think that was possible, but I had to at least try, right? It was the least I could do.
So I pictured grabbing a bit of the energy inside me, molding it into a ball and hurling it to a tree situated at the edge of the forest. I opened my eyes in time to see this thing crash into the trunk of the tree and disintegrate.
It felt like time stood still for me and everyone around me. We were all stunned, me more than the rest.
Russell was first to speak. "Wonderful, Sookie! Now try again, but picture someone you really hate instead of the tree."
I quirked an eyebrow but closed my eyes all the same. I could not believe what just happened. I shook my head and thought of the sadistic faeries that kept me prisoner so long ago. My fangs ran out in anger. I pictured the scene again and as I opened my eyes I saw the light ball hit the tree again. This time, however, it burst into flames for a few seconds. Then, the fire disappeared.
"Tell me I'm imagining things," I muttered, completely shocked.
"Did that fire just die down on its own?" Pam asked.
"Yeah. Hey, Sook, you still glowin'," Jason said and I looked down to my arms. Sure enough, my skin was alight, like it was covered with a thin sheet of warm fire.
I shrieked in panic, but Russell's voice was calm when he spoke. "It will not hurt you, Sookie. Relax. Please, one more exercise," he said with urgency in his tone.
I looked back at Eric who had a concerned look on his face. He nodded slightly and I turned back to the King, who looked like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Do the same as you did earlier, but think of someone you love, someone you have much affection for."
I did as he asked and thought of Eric before changing my mind and settling on Gran. The love I had for her was more like a quiet lake rather than the stormy river waters that resembled the passion I felt for my husband.
With her in mind, I watched the ball of energy fly towards the tree. Once it reached it, it spread up the bark and into the charred branches, making them look like new. Fresh leaves buds appeared, despite the early season.
Once again I was left speechless as the others stared at me in disbelief.
"Russell, tell me you've reached a conclusion," Eric asked, putting an arm around me as he came closer.
"I think so, yes," he said eagerly. "We must go to my office. We'll have more privacy that way," he said and we followed him. I couldn't believe I could finally find out everything there was.
When we reached his office, he went to the bookcase, pulled one of the tomes and a passage opened. We all followed him through it and entered another room. The light was dim and there was only a lamp in the middle of the table. It cast its glow on the walls around us.
"This room is sound proof, even to vampires. No one can hear us now. As I've told you, I was trying to figure out everything about Sookie and her powers.
"You must understand that I have waited centuries for this moment and I couldn't believe it was true. I had to make sure I was right, before jumping head first in this."
"And you're certain now?" Eric asked.
"I am, yes. But first, I must tell you more about the play of power going on in the supernatural world. Many centuries have passed since the last war between races, but another fight is brewing. The nature of the beast dictates that vampires want to exterminate fairies because of their blood, while fairies, in an attempt to gain power and to free themselves of the constant threat posed by the fangs, want to kill us all.
"The other races of the world have divided loyalties. While daemons usually stick with vampires, weres might tend to unite with the fairies in their hate against us. Others are too few to count in the battles that are sure to come."
"So what does this mean to us? To me?" I was getting anxious as he dragged this on.
"My dear, I was right when I said that Niall only wanted to get you on their side by deceiving you. I know this is unfortunate news for you, since you care for him in a way, but remember he is not your grandfather. Actually, you are not a fairy at all," he declared.
"What?" I gasped and I could feel Eric's hand tightening around my waist.
"I pondered over this for a while. I wondered if maybe, as I've told you before, you were of fae descent. Then, the amplification of your powers would make sense. However, ever since that night in the gym, I considered there was more about you. The fae cannot control the core of energy like you can – not even those as old as Niall."
"Russell, we've known each other for eight hundred years," Eric said and I'm sure he sensed my surprised because his hand gripped my hip for a second before letting go to signal that he'd tell me everything later. "Stop stalling and tell us what you know."
"I am. You waited this long, you can wait a few more minutes," he chastised. "As I was saying, it is unheard of for fairies to have that type of control over their energy. Also, no fairies have survived the turning process. I thought that maybe you were a fluke of nature.
"Sookie, the way you controlled your powers tonight leads me to believe you are another type of being altogether. You are a seraph," he said.
My jaw must have been on the floor. "I'm a WHAT?"
"An angel," Eric breathed. Somehow, I didn't think he was calling me nicknames.
Pam and Jason had fallen silent and slid into a pair of chairs.
"Explain," was all I said.
"Seraphim, or angels, as you called them, aren't God's servants or whatever else humans have made them into their silly books. They are extremely rare, only one being born each millennia, as far as I can tell. You're the first one I've met, if that serves as explanation. However, seraphim are extremely powerful, which is why each supernatural race wants them on their side. Niall must have suspected the human that was born right next to their portal was something more than that and that's why he lied. Even if he was wrong, the risks for him were slim. He wants you to fight alongside the fae in the upcoming war."
"Ok. Let's pretend that's real… how can you tell?" I asked. This was madness.
"Well, for starters, all angels have some sort of mental power. You were born a telepath. Then, they can fly. Now, I know you think this is something passed on from Eric, but I doubt that could be it, seeing how you stopped in mid-fall when you were on your way here. If it were just Eric's gift, you'd have crashed to the ground instead. That will never happen to seraphim.
"Next is the control over the energy inside you. As you noticed tonight, it can be used for destruction, but also for healing. That is unheard of, Sookie; it doesn't happen to the supernatural beings that populate the Earth now. It's something only seraphim can do. If my suspicions are correct, that night when you lost control over your power, you healed everyone in the room of something.
"For instance, your brother can now shift into a full panther. I have no idea what effect it had on Eric and Pam, but I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," he said.
"So why didn't all these powers make themselves known before Eric turned me?"
"Because, my dear, seraphim reach maturity at about 40 years of age. Until then, only some of their powers are available to them, while the rest remain hidden. I know you are much younger than that, but vampires possess a special magic that keeps us alive. Thus, everything accelerated for you once you were turned."
I fell silent. Really, what could I say?
"How… Russell, how do you know about this? How did you know about the energy? How did you know about seraphim being born once a millennia? How do you know all this?"
He smiled a beautiful smile and for a moment I forgot I was frustrated with him.
"I know because I was born with telekinesis… I could move things with my mind. On my 40th birthday, I met my maker and he took me away from my family, my whole world. You see, Sookie, Niall wanted a seraphim on the side of the fae because he thinks he knows the truth – that vampires already have one."
My mind was having troubles catching up with everything. Russell smiled and took a step backwards. He spread his hands, but the shadow cast on the wall behind him didn't match his. Instead of his hands, I could see the shape of huge wings that were slowly becoming visible to our naked eyes as well.
"We, my dear, are the same."
Leave me some love!
xoxo
Gaby
