Book 8⌇37. A Daughter's Loss

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Chapter 37 ∣  A Daughter's Loss

*Crossover*

The Omen's Key

(The Blood Magic Series)

The Omen's Key can be found on the account: @DarkR0se5

-Tamsin

It had been the longest hour of my life. Evie and my dad had immediately helped move Micah to the parlor, away from all the devastation that was now being cleaned up after the fight between Eris and him.

It was incredibly quiet between us all. Micah's head rested in my lap, while Evie and my father sat respectively across from us, my dad in a chair while Evie rested her back against the black leather couch. They said nothing, my worry continuing to grow as each time I brought up my mom, both of them would divert the topic to something else...more so toward Micah and what just happened.

Micah was slipping in and out of consciousness, kind of like his body was here, but his mind was much further away. If he really is awake and I don't know it, then he's exhausted beyond all recognition and I'm not the only one is who's waiting for answers.

Each time I spoke to my dad, he wouldn't respond to me and that feeling of dread I had earlier began to slowly set in. Finally, I spoke calmly and directed my question to Evie, "Where is my mom?"

She wasn't as hard set as my dad with her response, but my muscles tensed the moment she stated, "I think it best we wait until your beloved has regained consciousness."

Before she could get the last word out of her sentence, I questioned quite quickly, "Why?"

My dad was the one to cut in when Evie parted her lips to speak and said with a hint of pain to his voice, "Just be patient..." my eyes lifted from Micah's face and I caught my father's emerald eyes, wanting him to just be open and honest with me. There was an agonized look that was hard for him to hide from me, but he turned away the moment our gaze locked.

Absentmindedly, I ran my fingers through Micah's thick black hair, my eyes slowly falling away from my dad and landing on his features. I don't want to assume anything...because after being away so long from my family and this coven, I'm disconnected. Even though my father is but a few feet away from me, I don't feel our blood tie connection any longer. If I remained here, I knew it would slowly slip back as blood is thicker than water, time and space can only alter it for so long before it's rejuvenated.

Lost in my thoughts, Micah's eyelids blinked open and I was hardly prepared to see what lay beneath of them. The entirety of his eyes was a solid black; however, the irises remained his strikingly beautiful gray reflecting in the center of the abyssal darkness.

Evie, my dad, and I were completely unsure if he really were awake this time as he'd been drifting in and out for the better part of the hour. I held my breath in, my hand having halted guiding my fingers through the strands of his hair as I asked cautiously, "Micah?"

My dad asked with the same curiosity, "What's wrong with him?"

My heart clenched tightly in my chest, my limbs feeling like they weighed much heavier than they should. Micah parted his lips but then quickly clenched his jaw. It was like he was frozen, remaining that way for a few seconds before his eyelids shut tight together. For a few moments, it felt like breathing would disturb him, but a wave of relief washed over me the second his eyelids opened once again and with that, they had returned to normal.

My breathing evened out, Micah's heartbeat returning to a normal pace. He continued to lay still, my eyes not lifting from him as I replied to my dad, "I...to be honest I don't know for sure..." with his eyes having returned to normal, I asked him, "Micah? Are you okay?" I was praying that everything would be okay, that nothing was terribly wrong with him.

I think his sight was slightly off or blurry, because his gazed shifted momentarily, but once he had gained his focus, that's when I noticed his body return to a completely conscious state. He sighed, the warmth of his body leaving me as he sat up and planted his feet on the ground. Micah bowed his head slightly, appearing to be off still.

It was Evie who reiterated my own question once she noticed him conscious, "Are you alright?"

I gazed at him with concern, my hands rubbing the tops of my thighs as I nervously picked at the fabric of my pants. Evie's eyes met with mine briefly, as it appeared that we were both unsure of the aftermath of what happened. I furrowed my brows when Micah continued to remain distance and part of me wondered that if his sight might have been lost for a moment, maybe his hearing was off as well.

Micah breathed in deeply and when he exhaled it must have returned the rest of his sense completely. He took a moment to himself, recomposing his demeanor before he then turned to look at me. The gaze he held felt distant for a second, but that all changed when he reached for my hand, touching the back of my skin, and asking, "Are you alright?"

My heart fluttered at his response and I felt relief, but I quickly stated, "I'm alright...but are you?"

He eyed me for a moment, glancing at my dad and then to Evie before he turned back to me and said rather short, "I'm fine."

My heart skipped a beat, wanting to question him further because I knew that couldn't be the case, not after what I saw. However, I didn't want to push it any further, wondering if he'd answer me truthfully in front of Evie and my dad. Instead, I immediately set my sights back on Evie and for the last time I said, "Micah is conscious," I eyed him for a moment and then returned my gaze back to her and finished, "Now tell me...where is my mom?"

At first, Evie glanced at Micah, my curiosity rising as she held his gaze for far longer than she normally would have. I could hear her inhale deeply and avert her gaze until it locked with my own. Slowly, she uncurled the fingers of her right hand, letting the palm of it face up while I continued to stare at her with confusion. With a quick sideways glance to my father, Evie took her index finger and let it rest against the skin of her palm before she moved it closer to the base of her palm. In the next second, her nail pierced the soft flesh of her palm, immediately drawing her own blood.

I furrowed my brows in confusion...why would she cut herself?

I was trying to stop myself from the millions of questions racing through my mind when she next manipulated the blood that had been drawn from the cut while I gasped, "Wait...your blood magic was stolen," it was only a moment later I realized how rude that sound and I corrected myself, "I mean given to Maverick."

I saw him out of the corner of my eye, Micah's attention completely on Evie for a moment and what she was doing. There was a slightly confused look that crossed his face, but he didn't bother to ask her anything...but I had so many questions. Instead...he moved closer to me on the couch and the touch that lingered on the back of my hand was no longer present when he took my entire hand in his, holding it firmly, but gently at the same time.

Evie stated, "No," this drew my attention right back to her, my gaze leaving Micah and landing on her, "apparently it was just lying dormant," she took a second to glance at my father with a very pained look in her eyes before she continued, "Zak had something similar happen to him, as you know, with Janie's death, it unlocked his gene..." her voice trailed off, my head wrapping around her words.

I was thoroughly confused. Why would she bother to show or explain all this to me? Trying to understand what the underlying meaning was...the gears in my mind came to a screeching halt. A chill ran down my spine, my grip tightening on Micah's hand as I asked, "How...?" the feeling of dread had returned and it wouldn't leave, settling in the center of my chest while my heartbeat increased with each passing second.

Micah was silent, his gaze shifting between Evie and my dad while his own muscles tensed and his words shook me from the state I'd fallen into as he asked, "Tamsin?"

"What?" I turned to him, shifting on the couch with irritation that he was taking Evie's time while she was trying to explain everything. My emotions were already escalated, but with the pregnancy...they were heightened that much further and had me on edge. I just want an answer, and no one will just straight out give it to me...

Evie interjected and I believe her question was more directed to Micah, "Might it be best if we leave the two of you alone for a moment then?"

What the hell?!

Does Micah know?

Why the hell won't he tell me then?

With more confusion then I've felt in my entire life I asked, "Wait? Leave?"

It was clear that I was getting upset and nobody wanted to say anything further. My eyes darted from Evie and then to Micah, watching as the two of them were transfixed with one another, possibly deciding who should damn well tell me what the hell is going on...but their voices were mute.

Finally, my dad was the one to break the stunned silence as he stated with his own irritation, "If one of you doesn't tell her in the next minute, I will."

Micah's gaze broke away from Evie, his eyes moving to my dad where he just simply nodded without another word. Had everyone finally decided?

Apparently so...because my dad stood from the chair he was seated in and came to sit just across from me. His eyes are still filled with sadness and I hear it in his voice as he picked right up where Evie had left off, "No one wanted her to, but being who she is, Evie went out to deliver the message to the leaders of the covens across the states to kill any werewolves on sight due to Eris having murdered Hendrix. We no longer had a lead, so it was decided to kill and draw out their Alpha King. However," he pauses a moment, his own chest tightening and then continues, "your mom wouldn't allow Evie to go alone. They left and when they were within the range of the next coven, they had been hunted down on the forest path. Your mom wanted Evie to run, but she wouldn't abandon her friend...the wolves managed to separate Evie and your mom..."

My heart was already beating fast before...but now it was hard to hear anything but the drumming in my ears as blood rushed through them. My voice was uneven and watery as I asked, needing to know, "Mom?"

My dad shook his head, "Your mom was killed by the werewolves...that's what triggered..." his voice trailed off as that's when my eyes finally filled with uncontrollable tears and immediately fell down my cheeks. A warm heat spread through my body, numbing everything in its wake while I remained frozen in place, processing everything...it couldn't be true though, it just couldn't. My mom's alive...she's just not here, she's just hiding and protecting herself. This isn't right...none of this is right...

While I tried to sort through the chaos exploding within my mind, Micah sighed gently, wrapping his arm around my back, and pulling me to him as he said, "I'm sorry..."

I remained completely still, not moving in the slightest when I blankly stated, "No...she's not dead. She's not."

My dad's eyes weren't red with blood lust, the tears have been painful to hide from me until now he no longer had to. The tears fell, his own grieving still not being laid to rest as he said, "Sweetheart, I'm sorry...but your mom is gone."

The sadness that always worked its way into my heart turned for the worse and anger flooded me quicker than I could prepare for it. I angrily lashed out and cried, "No!"

"Tamsin..." Evie's soothing voice held no reprieve for me, not this time. I just saw red the moment I looked at her, knowing how powerful she is and that she could have done something to protect my mother. She was her best friend and she let her die.

I snapped at Evie, "You let her die! It's your fault!"

Just outside of my own heated anger, I could hear Micah growling at me...really...

"What?" I shifted my angry glare at him when I heard that growl emitting from the back of his throat, "it's her fault!"

My dad edged cautiously, "That's unfair sweetheart. Your mom wanted Evie to leave...Evie stayed behind to fight with your mom."

It all but sounded like I was crazy right now, lost in my own anger and hurt I didn't care about anyone else's. Hot tears continued to cascade down my red cheeks, my breathing uneven as I tried to speak evenly, but it didn't come out right the first time. She was my mom, she was the one person who I could rely on for anything and everything...I never got the chance to tell her I love her, I left in anger without a second thought and now she'd never get to know her grandchild. Everything...everything is just falling apart...

"Something...she could have done something!" I was fully crying now, my heart skipping every other beat while I was practically gasping between words as I added, "she's a pureblood! She's the Queen, she could have done something!"

Evie's own tears blurred her whitish-blue eyes, falling down her cheeks in silent trails as without another word, she stood to her feet and immediately left the parlor, closing the door behind her. It was silent, the drumming of my heart the only thing I could hear once again, my limbs shaking at how distraught I was.

Micah's touch left me, releasing his hold of my hand while I turned to lock my eyes with his own. He'd never done that before, the way his voice raised at me as he said, "Listen, I'm sorry, but it isn't fair to Evicka. If your mother agreed to go that is her fault and her fault alone. I understand that you're upset but you had no right to lash out at her. She is still your Queen regardless of whether you like it or not and I'm sorry, but I will not stand here and allow you to disrespect someone who does not deserve it."

My heart stopped in my chest for a moment, finding no kindness in his eyes as I let my own slowly fall away from his. I thought he was supposed to support and be on my side...but here he was defending her...

My vision was blurry as I'm left speechless and after having nothing left to say, I just shifted away from Micah altogether. I drew my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs as my cheek rested against the top of my knees, turned away from both Micah and my dad. I didn't want to see anyone, I wanted to just curl up and disappear. All three of us were left in complete silence, all but for the small sniffles that escaped me every so often.

Micah suddenly broke that silence when he sighed and asked my dad, "Will you give us a moment?"

Apparently, my dad must have agreed to it because I heard him stand to his feet and exit the parlor, the sound of the doors shutting reverberating the room.

There was another deep sigh that surpassed his lips, his silence held for a moment longer before he said, "You owe her an apology...I hope you understand that."

The hurt and anger within me just continued to fester, especially each time he stood up for her. I didn't even acknowledge him, my face pressed against my knee harder as I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent a wave of new tears from falling.

I heard and felt him move closer to me, his hand touching my shoulder as he said, "Tamsin..."

Without a single thought, I merely shrugged him off and just replied, my words watery, "I can't...I just-Micah...I can't think."

He moved his hand away and went silent for a while. My chest heaved up and down, the tears falling down my already tear-stained cheeks as I wasn't strong enough to keep them at bay. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn't. I wanted to pretend that everything was going to be okay, but I couldn't.

It was the guilt that drove me to blame Evie for everything...

The guilt of leaving the way things were left...it was all my fault for not reconciling with my parents for the way they had kept me in the dark about my origins.

After a few seconds, Micah asked, "Can I hold you?"

That's all I want and need right now...

I shifted on the couch, pulling my knees down and to the side as I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face into his chest as I just continued to cry softly. His intoxicating spearmint mixed tarragon scent filled my senses as I breathed in deeply, wanting everything to just go away. I wanted to run away from all of this, to not let the pain hurt me as it had a hold of my heart and was squeezing it slowly.

Micah's arms wrapped around me and pulled me so that I was sitting on his lap. His warm lips touched the top of my head in a gentle kiss, his hand gently running up and down my back as he attempted to calm me. Just seconds late, he said softly, "I can make it go away. Just for a little while...if you want me to."

My words were muffled as I spoke into his chest, "Wh-What?"

"Lucifer..." he mumbled, the simple suggestion that he'd allow me to sleep and escape this reality for the time being. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing to pretend that I can handle this...because I can't, not in the slightest with my mind slowly deteriorating as the constant guilt and blame surfaces over and over again.

I quietly said, "Please..." my heart was still beating erratically and the fact that I couldn't calm myself down, nor Micah could...and at this point, it might be best to rest as I don't even have the slightest clue if my emotional state is taking a toll on the baby.

Micah gently placed his hand on the back of my head, his lips moving closer to my ear as he whispered, "Sleep."

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To Seduce a Mortal by K. A. Young and Laisha C. Gardner

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