Epiphany

Chapter 44 Part 1~Being

“Get under this desk,” she said in my right ear with a serious tone. Her whole aura was now switched to another solemn, perhaps darker one. Her entire aura darkened, and I doubted it was because of the amber light fading in strength.

The intensity of my headache increased as I watched her swish the coat to the side, revealing a black leather sheath strapped to her hips, and slipped a dagger out.

But that wasn’t the reason for my dread—I’d already seen a lot of daggers. It was because these people were everywhere. Wherever I go, they seemed to find us. They weren’t going to give us a break, right? I was right. It was an incident after the other with no room to breathe for air.

The small beam of light that shone in the corner of my mind was getting thinner every minute. I still had some hope, even if it was a thin streak, but if I was being honest, after everything I had been through, another hour and I knew that the flashlight in my mind would be switched off, possibly broken beyond repair. I was a bad omen after all.

After hearing the warning sign in my mother’s tone, I crept forward to hide under the desk.

“Alyssa?” A smooth voice flowed through the tunnel and spread out into the room, reaching us.

My face snapped to the side to gawp at the tunnel’s entrance.

Andre?

“Mama, it’s—”

“Alyssa, quiet down,” she hissed at me, and after a second of complete silence in which no sound could be heard from above, she turned to me and said, “Alyssa, get under the—”

My heart jumped out of place when a tall figure landed on the ground, right out of the tunnel’s opening. He landed with a thud, a puff of smoke strewn around his figure. Even with his black and white formal wear, he managed to jump a good distance and land neatly on the ground.

My mother had already whirled around, dagger held firmly and ready to attack the intruder.

But the attack never came.

“Alyssa, are y—” Lightning seemed to strike him and knock the air out of him as he stood there gaping at my mother.

My heart thudded against my chest as I stood nailed to the ground. I had no idea what to expect. He was here with my mother now. I didn’t know what to make of the situation’s outcome, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I wouldn’t mind being in Andre’s company; he’s never done me any harm. He only wanted what was best for me. But being with Andre and my mother? After the truth was revealed? No, I’d rather not. I’d rather not see them together.

His amber eyes, combined with the amber light, gave the impression that they were glowing in the dark. Two bright amber marbles flaring in the dark like cat’s orbs. He cocked his head and, though his smile wasn’t as visible as it was in his voice, he said, “You're still as beautiful as I remember.”

The reaction my mother gave wasn’t what I expected at all. I never expected her to do this in a hundred years, which forced a gasp right out of my mouth.

“Hands up!” my mother growled, hand thrusting the dagger forward in a warning. She was ready to shove the dagger right into him if he took a step towards the front.

But it didn’t seem to faze him as he knitted his brows and took a step forward. “You’re wary of me…?”

His right eye was hidden by his hair, but I noticed pain saturating his left one.

What was she doing? He wasn’t a threat!

“Stay where you are!” My mother took a step back when he took another forward, her other arm raised in front of me to prevent him from reaching me, even though he was only a few feet away.

He gave a slight nod. “You do know that I’ll never hurt you both, especially you, Alyssa.”

He brushed his hair away from his face, and his amber eyes gazed at me for a second, and I saw many emotions in them, many of which were mixed together to form this upset, glum look in them.

“Mama, what are you doing?” I muttered.

She didn’t give me a response.

He lifted his foot to take another step but my mother warned him with a snarl. “Stay back! I swear if you don’t back off I’ll hurt you!”

He dropped his leg back in place and stared back at her.

“Raise your hand so I could see them,” she ordered.

With a soft sigh, he obliged.

I tugged at my mother's cloak, blood simmering under my skin. “Mama, what are you doing?!”

He wasn’t a f*cking threat!

After my loud voice, the room fell silent; the air felt heavy around us, which only added to my heart rate.

“Where is my father?” she said in an aggressive tone, but not as aggressive as before.

I bit my lip, thinking of my father.

My eyes wouldn’t leave the collected yet pained guy in front of us. Was he really…?

He looked at me. “It took me some time, but I managed to shift his attention elsewhere.” He then fixed his gaze back on my mother. “He's in Tresor. Far away from here.”

“How did you find us?” she continued to snarl.

“I followed Alyssa’s trail.”

“I don’t believe you. I made sure to hide it. You were watching us, weren’t you?” She thrust her dagger forward.

“Since when have you not believed me?” he asked.

Is he really my…

“You’re close with my father and he wants us dead. Of course, I'll not believe you.”

His raised hands relaxed a bit, the tip of his fingers the same level as his chin. “You really think so? Alyssa, would you please tell her what I did.”

I pushed down my mother's raised arm and stepped beside her. “Mama, he helped me. He’s not like them. How could you not know that?”

This is unbelievable. She’s unbelievable.

Shouldn't she be the only one who knows what his true intention was?

He closed his lips, watching my mother's surprised reaction. Her eyebrows were lifted and her arm relaxed a bit.

“You did?”

“Yes, and I’m helping you again.” He took a cautious step towards my mother, fingers slowly inching to touch the tip of the dagger. “What happened in the past was a mistake, Zoella. But it doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past.”

When his fingers touched the tip of my mother’s weapon, he carefully lowered it down. “Now I’ll make sure Alyssa is safe…”

He nodded his head slowly. “…Like I always did—”

“So it is true!” I yelled, interrupting him, but I noticed he wasn’t annoyed with that, no, with how his wide shoulders slackened a bit, I assumed the knots in his nerves were loosened.

“He's my father, isn’t he?”