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Now, eleven years later, I am allowed to visit my family in Corfu for six weeks each year. I’m no longer allowed to bring my son, the only mar on an otherwise perfect trip.
As soon as Zach’s magic came in, Antonia made it clear I was no longer needed in his life. He’s ten now, and he’s incredible. I know he’s safe, but I only get to watch him from afar now—never getting close enough to even say hello. From what I can tell, he’s smart and caring despite his mother’s influence. Even though I’m no longer permitted to see him, I hope the lessons I tried to instill in him stick. I pray that he doesn’t end up cruel like his mother.
I was permitted to bring my daughter, who is now six, with me this time. She’s become so happy and free during the previous weeks, and she and my mother have really hit it off. If it wasn’t for Zach, I would take Amelia now and run away withher. She deserves a better life than her mother will ever offer her. Especially since she hasn’t shown any signs of magic yet.
Daily, the fear grows that she’s a shifter like me. I scoff at that thought. I’m afraid of my beautiful daughter shifting into a majestic owl instead of being gifted with magic. It’s a concern I wouldn’t have even considered eleven years ago.
I know Antonia will not stand for it. In her mind, her bloodline is the most dominant. She was well aware that I was a shifter and chose to have children with me, but having a shifter child would be considered an offense to her. If Amelia can’t do magic, she’ll be of no use to her mother.
If I knew of a safe place to send her, I would do it. It can’t be here with my family. Antonia knows about them and would hunt every single person who tried to harbor her daughter. To Antonia, her family are her possessions. Amelia, Zach, and I are not people in her mind. We’re hers to do what she pleases, whether that’s to kiss and hug or punch and kick.
Not for the first time, terror grips my chest. When Antonia doesn’t need something anymore, she throws it out. She doesn’t set things free. If Amelia doesn’t show signs of magic, there will be nothing I can do to protect her. Even I am approaching the end of my usefulness now that I cannot give her any more children.
It wasn’t so bad in the beginning, when we first got to her home in Northern Canada. The weather was drastically different from what I was used to, but it held its own beauty too. Antonia’s mother was the high priestess then and ruled everyone, including her daughter, with an iron fist…
The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and I stop to assess the feeling of being watched. I shake my head and continue walking. There’s no one in this area stupid enough to attack my village now. Not with the warriors we have, not with the protection of the Daughters of Eris.
The eerie feeling doesn’t leave me as I slip through the opening in the crack, but I brush it off. I didn’t see anyone at the beach, and my owl—though he is subdued by Antonia’s magic—would warn me of danger.
I greet the villagers as I walk by. None of them hold a grudge against me for what I did all those years ago, but they should. Instead of the warm smiles and pats on the back I receive, I should be rejected and denied entry. That’s not the way of my people though. To outsiders, we are fierce and unforgiving. To our own…
“Hey, Loukas!” Bruce, one of the village elders, waves as I walk by. His long gray hair blends in easily with his bushy beard, and his warm brown eyes tip up at the corners.
I give him a nod in greeting. My people may have forgiven me for what I did, but I never will. Still, I try to be polite and interact with them as much as possible. I can never forget how I was the sole reason for the death of their alpha and so many of their loved ones.
“Ya-Ya, watch me.” I hear my little Amelia calling to my mother. As I round the corner of my family home, I see her jump from the tallest branch of the olive tree planted in the front yard and land gracefully on her feet. A frown slips onto my face before I can stop it.
With each day she spends in the village, she shows more signs of being a shifter. Despite her being so young, I have a sneaking suspicion that she will shift soon. I will never give voice to that thought for fear of it coming true.
“That’s beautiful, my little cherry blossom. Why not try the Eucalyptus next?” My mother coos, and Amelia’s eyes light up as she rushes toward me, closer to the largest tree in the area.
I slip both lobsters into one hand and catch her by the waist as she runs past.
“Whoa, there. Not so fast, Pumpkin. I think the olive tree is high enough for now.”
“But Dadddd…”
I chuckle at how grown up she sounds with her whine.
“’But Dad’ nothing. Now, come on. Let’s help your Ya-Ya prepare brunch.”
“Don’t worry, blossom. You can climb it tomorrow before you leave,” my mother lowers her voice and brushes Amelia’s hair behind her ear.
“Hey! I heard that.”
My mother pins me with a look.
“You were meant to. Now run along, blossom, get the water from the well.”
“Yes, Ya-Ya,” Amelia says, immediately hoping to do her chore. Her long brown hair flows like feathers in the wind behind her, and her little feet bounce off the ground like she’s about to take off. She looks free, like she should.
“You know she’s going to shift soon.” My mother’s voice is matter-of-fact as she links her arm with mine.
I sigh, feeling defeated by her saying the words I have been avoiding myself.
“I know.”
“What if she stays here? Where she’s safe,” my mother offersagain.
