“Hmmmph,” she huffed. “On top of witches trying to hunt people like me down? Oh baby…” Raven laughed with a shake of her head. “They have no idea how we’re coming… Those damn teenagers in there?” She pointed towards the house with the small blade. “They are itching to kill…Just ask em!”
“That won’t be necessary,” I concluded. “It will become dangerous as hatred and disdain grows for anyone that associates and identifies as the First Family.”
She climbed down the ladder and stepped over the broken body as she wiped her hands on a towel hanging nearby.
“Felix did say witches were starting to gather more frequently.” She muttered to herself in her own thoughts. She turned to look at me with a small pout of her lips in defiance. “My neighbor did say that there was talk amongst other mythics about something big going on. Down the road, Felix takes a stroll to see one of his friends and they talk, you know,” she muttered under her breath. “Cats are some of the chattiest beings around and baby, they talk.”
“Okay,” I said, wondering why this was of importance.
“Any who, my neighbor owns a breeding house for familiars. She breeds and sells em to the large families and most of emare witches. She and I are cordial, but she’ll tell me some things from time to time and she did say something big was going to happen.” I was already making a mental note on the direction this familiar farm could possibly be, but Raven continued talking. “One thing about me honey, unlike my parents? I am my brother’s sister, and I learned from him. I will do whatever I need to do to protect me and mine.”
“As will I.” I stated with a firm nod. We stared at one another as two protective mothers recognizing the threat and danger coming our way. What I lacked in physical strength, I made up for in knowledge and gaining information. I was mentally creating the family tree, weaving the branches and limbs of the First Family and its offspring. “Your sister Cynthia is also feeling the same given what’s happening with her mother and now her daughter has gone missing.”
“Hmmmph,” Raven huffed as she looked over at her brother with a sudden smile. Adrias was in the middle of quietly feeding off of a hanging body. His eyes bled bright red with his fangs sunken into the plump pale wrist of a woman. The blue veins struck her skin like lightning, all pointing down towards his mouth where he proceeded to drain her, and his eyes only focused on me as he ate.
“You feed from him?” Raven asked as she turned to look at me. I gave a simple nod in response. “Don’t let him do that to you. It’s not safe and that attachment ain’t healthy. You will need to learn how to hunt for yourself just in case something happens to him.” She suddenly pointed towards the house. “All them folks in there? I taught them how to safely hunt for their own and to do it without killing anybody. I’ll teach you too so that you can teach your baby.”
She began to collect the buckets to pull to the side as each body, as if on a timer, dried out as they died. The slow deathfinally got to them. She swished one of the buckets around, letting the blood thicken before dumping it into another.
“If it's a war they want, they got the right one.” She concluded with a hard sigh. Turning around, she looked at me with her hands back on her hips. “When do we need to leave for Georgia?”
Dr. Joy Vaughn
I stared at the four women covered from head to toe with beaded veils coming down their faces. Their bodies were tall, sleek and curvy like cat statues and skin as dark as paint. Their long bony fingers stretched to the tips of their sharp black polished nails, and they smelled of smokey sweet oils. There was a burnt smell that seemed to linger around them like they’ve been around flames their entire life. I knew a witch when I saw one. It’s in my blood down to my DNA and this woman in the front carried herself like the darkest of them all.
This is the first time anyone has ever seen the Solhari outside of their home. I couldn’t tell if they were a part of a royal family or if they were the royal family. Given how covered up the two women were, I wondered if they were even allowed to be here. I reached for my small pearl necklace around my neck to twist about between my fingers while crossing one leg over the other and settled into my seat. The picture frames of my cats all sat patiently waiting, staring with their tails swishing about as I forced a smile. The men looked nervous amongst one another, as if they weren’t even supposed to be here. A missing princess from a faraway land is somehow at Drew Collins University and is now missing once more… There is no panic, no screaming or threats being made. The woman leading behind the others stared directly at me while the other held her head down. We stayed like this for almost 10 minutes when they first appearedin my office, waiting for me. My assistant doesn’t know how they arrived or where they came in, they just…appeared.
“I have a student who is familiar with your daughter,” I said as I called for my assistant to find Xavier. “He always speaks so highly of her.” The woman’s brows raised. At least she understood English. “He should be on his way, and you can talk to him.”
“My daughter has always been…” Her voice, deep. Almost melodic in the way she carried each word with a faint native accent. “Independent and rebellious. I am not concerned for her safety at all. I know she is fine.”
“If you are not here for your daughter, then what are you here for?” I asked.
“Dr. Holmes is who I need to speak to. He and my husband have some sort of…agreement and bond that I was not aware of… I want to know if Dr. Holmes knows where my sister is…”
“He’s…. not here and has no intentions on returning.”
The irritation that crossed her face couldn’t be mistaken, even through the beaded veil. I could see that wasn't what she wanted to hear. What is this about? What is really going on? You’re not here for your daughter yet you’re here for something. You want something, but what?
“My husband does not know his daughter is missing but he is slowly growing suspicious,” she said.
I looked between her and the rest of the women, and I suspect there were men waiting outside on her behalf. She was more than just royalty; she was the Queen herself which meant she really is a princess.
“So who is in her place?” I questioned with a slow sleazy grin, realizing what was happening.
“My daughter,” she replied. “I give birth to two.” She motioned with her hands like she was holding a newborn to push out to the world. “I give birth to two identical souls.”
“Annnnd he doesn’t realize it yet but if he found out…You would be in trouble.”
The beads on the veil jiggled and knocked against one another as she lowered her head in agreement before raising to look at me. Before she could speak, the office door opened as Xavier Martin came walking in wearing a maroon blazer with khaki pants, and a white shirt tucked underneath. He smiled as soon as he saw me and probably assumed I called him here to continue our intimate sessions. Yet when he came closer to the desk, the four women looked at him, lowering their heads out of respect but I could see where his eyes went. The lack of bra, and obvious outline of their bodies showing against the thin material that covered them.
I instantly regretted calling him here, knowing now this was a discussion between two women.
“This is Xavier Martin,” I said, forcing another smile. “One of our most popular male students here with much promise, and a successful career above ground. He’s here to extend his education, learn more about his family history and pursue a political position in the Underground.”
“Hey, how are you ladies doing?” He greeted with his hand out. They stared at it, almost recoiled at the sight of it before he carefully pulled it back.
“These lovely women are natives of the Solhari, like our Ayira and the young woman you claim her to be, Danielle.”
