Diedrek

My mind is completely blown with the things I have learned within the last hour. How could I be so wrong on so many things? All this time I thought my father and Tristan were two of the evilest beings I had ever met. Somehow, what we all missed is her mother Aurora was behind it all. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Not to mention the way our kind was freed from the confinements of the night. By the most powerful witches, the first bloodline, which just happens to be my mate's family.

"I wonder if uncle knew about his sister." Kyla looks at her cousin Lucas, who has been awfully quiet since we left the vampire's land. He doesn't answer her right away, instead looking ahead deep into the trees of the forest, with a solemn look on his face. "I just..." He pauses a moment, trying to gather his thoughts I imagine.

"I cannot believe all this time she was involved. She had everything to do with it. Which means..." His footsteps pause, as he turns to look at Kyla.

She gives him a sad smile as she lifts her hand to his cheek, "I know. It means she was involved with your mother's death. My aunt, the sweetest person there ever was in our lives." She puts her head down looking at the ground, Lucas placing his arms tightly around her.

How could she do that?" His voice breaks with the emotions he's feeling. I wish there was something I could do for them, but I've never loved and lost.

My mother and I weren't allowed to be around each other much. It was forbidden, only at supper time, and then she never spoke a word. I used to sit there and watch as she would lift her glass to her lips, hand shaking the entire time. My father would have a carnal smile on his face. Enjoying the fear that emanated off from her body in waves.

When I was young and she had committed suicide, I barely felt anything at all. There was sadness, but not for me. More for feeling horrible that she died so young, and with such a horrid life. Captured by a monster that became obsessed with her, forced to do unspeakable things behind closed doors. All you ever heard were her screams. At a young age, she was pregnant with me, going through the birth with no help.

Somehow, she was able to take a knife with her to her bedroom, or as we all referred to it as her prison, and she slit her own throat. Took her a while to bleed out, luckily for her, father was away on business for hours, otherwise he would have smelled her blood and found her before her heart could stop beating. A quiver runs through my body with the thought of what he would have done had he found her before she died.

The smell of her salty tears brings me back to the present. I see her standing there, her shoulders shaking with the emotions I had thought I long lost but seeing her in this state brings tears to my eyes. Wiping them away, as this is not about me, I go to her. I walk up behind her and hold her from behind. Lucas pulls away from her, covering his face with his hands.

Shaking his head, he wipes his hands all the way up to his hair, and back down to his chin. He does that a few times until pulling his hands away, clearing his throat and lifting his shoulder once more becoming the skilled warrior I have known him to be. I nod at him, telling him we won't speak of it again, as Kyla brings her face into my chest and wraps her little arms around my middle.

He nods in return with thanks, as he studies the trees once more. "Where did you tell my father to go again?" He looks at the three witches. Before we left, they sent word to his father, to go deep into the forest, and hide in one of their most trusted spots. One that is protected by their magic from long ago. Making it so they aren't noticeable to even a vampire's eyes.

"This way." The three of them lead the way through the trees and the night sky. I see Darius holding onto Satine tightly out of the corner of my eye. She has been in one of her moods of disarray since everything took place back at the old witch's house. When everything came out, all the secrets, she ran to the corner, rocking back and forth.

Darius hasn't released her since then. "How much farther?" I ask, my tone hard.

I know we need to get there as fast as we can, so we can figure things out sooner rather than later. My father, brothers, and their followers, already know what they wish to do. If we don't get behind the safety of the barrier soon, there's no telling what will happen.

All three-stop moving, holding out their hands, touching something the rest of us cannot see. "We are here." With their eyes closed they say a chant below their breath, within seconds it falls away, and we can see the Rebels beyond. They all have some sort of weapon drawn, to protect themselves if need be. Once they see the familiar faces of Kyla and Lucas, her uncle is the first to sheath his sword and barreling in our direction.

Reaching his son first, he attacks him with such force, Lucas almost topples over. His father catching him with his arms. "I was so worried." I hear him whisper to his son. If it wasn't for my vampire hearing I wouldn't have been able to hear a thing. I feel Kyla pull away from my shirt, the movement catching Broderick's attention. He holds out an arm, refusing to release his son.

She looks up at me a moment, as much as I don't want to let her go, I nod my head toward him dropping my arms at my side. She smiles up at me and runs to her family. It takes all of two seconds for his other sons to make their way through the group of people, and out in the open. Once they see their younger brother is unharmed and their cousin Kyla is in good health, they too run to them. Wrapping their arms around them. They all whisper things to one another, all talking at once. Making it difficult to hear what they are talking about.

When they finally break apart, Kyla looks at her uncle with tears held in her eyes. She's doing her best to remain strong, trying not to let them fall.

"We have a lot to discuss uncle." He gives her a solemn nod, looking up at me, I can see the sadness in his eyes. He may not know all of it, but something in my gut tells me he knows it has to do with his sister.

"Follow me, we will discuss things more privately." He turns around walking to the opening of the mountain. Kyla, turns her hand held out for me, waiting for me to take it. Once I approach her, I hear the three witches saying they will be along momentarily. They need to do a new spell, to make sure the barrier is as strong as it can be. Making sure the evil of our world cannot find us until we have a plan on how to take them down.

While we all walk to the caves, following close behind, I see the Rebels gathering food, sharpening weapons, and some even practicing their skills. There are a few gathered along the farthest side, fighting one another with wooden swords, others have bows ready and aiming at targets as they shoot, doing their best to get as close to the center as possible. Others are sitting at tables with rocks running along the weapons sharpening them as best they can.

I can hear the distinct sound of wood being placed down on the table, looking over I see why. Some are sharpening the tips, making wooden stakes, all I can think is good they'll need them for what's to come. I look at Darius; see he's thinking the same thing I am. This is all good, but it will not be enough to defeat what's coming. We need more resources and fast.

He must see what I'm saying as he nods his head at me, brings Satine over to my other side. I wrap my arm around her, holding her tightly against my body.

"Take care of them, I'll have the three sister witches send word. Believe me with all the followers she has, and how powerful they are, we can take them down." I believe him, she's been working on this, preparing for years. She wants them gone from this world possibly even more than we do.

I watch as he runs off, Satine watching after him. Holding her hand out with a whimper falling from her lips. Kyla, knowing she needs a females touch switches places with me. She stays close beside me, our shoulders touching the entire journey into the cave, as she wraps my cousin into her arms. Placing her head along her shoulder she hums a song to her.

I see a slight smile form on her lips, as her entire body surrenders to calm. It brings great pride to my heart, seeing my woman handle things like this. Being there for our people, for our family.

Once we are deep into the caves, with only us, Broderick, and his sons. Alongside his most trusted followers, he turns around and sighs as he looks at Kyla and his youngest son.

"Give me the news. Tell me everything." His tone comes out fierce, long gone is the solemn brother, and upon us now is the fierce warrior and leader of the Rebels.