Lady of the Veiled Vale

Darien

"Surely, you cannot be serious. I would have known if Mother were all those things! If she was part elf/demon/angel/fey, why don't I look like that? And where is the human in any of that? If all of them were pure-blooded angel or elf or whatever, then where does the human part come in?"

Samantha had a point; one Gwinneth missed, in the whirlwind of the past few days. Raiden, however, knew the answer to that.

"You were raised human, and your sister is half human. 'Tis not blood alone that determines what you are, My Lady." Gwinn missed hearing her name on his lips, but the return of her siblings had erected a wall that they were both unwilling to breach.

"Okay, maybe I can see that, but my other question has not been answered. Why don't I look like you?"

Gwinneth shrugged. "Most of what you see I inherited from Papa. Raiden thinks I might have looked something like this when I was too young to remember, and he taught me to shapeshift. I didn't remember what I was, so I couldn't Change back. Then the Goddess showed me my True Form." She seemed embarrassed.

"There's more," Samantha guessed. "This is a toned-down version, isn't it?" She wasn't asking to see it, but her sister missed the distinction.

They were eating outside, since Gwinn hadn't built up enough strength to fly up to her suite yet. She stood and walked a few paces away. She did not know how much room she needed, but after breaking the ribs of a demigod, she was being cautious.

:Let me guess, just remember what I saw in that mirror?: She asked him.

:Aye,: he replied. He'd noted her sister's meaning, but he didn't mind seeing the snooty girl thrown for a loop.

Gwinneth stood tall and straight, closed her eyes, and let the memory of her True Form take over. She heard the crack of feathered wings, the swish of fairy wings; felt her horns part her hair and tilt the circlet, and heard stitches pop along her lower back and tail as the spikes sharpened. Oops!

She opened her eyes, which were perfectly calm and steady. Then she smiled, showing off her new fangs. Her upper canines were at least an inch long, while the lower set was just under an inch.

Samantha swooned, but Raiden caught her. He tilted her upright, away from his lap. Kevin didn't faint again, though he looked a little pale.

"So... What would I have ended up with, if some... goddess showed me..?" Sam was green, but determined to hear the answer.

Gwinneth strode back to the table and sat delicately upon her chair. She was minding her wings, but to her siblings, it appeared regal. One resented it, while the other swelled with pride.

"As I said, most of this is from Papa. These," she said, running a finger along the edge of a fairy wing, "are from our great great grandmother. So are the ears, which I adore. These," she said, stroking one of her angelic primaries, "are from Great Grandmother. As for Grandfather, I've no idea what you'd inherit."

"You mean the demon," Sam stated dubiously.

"Aye, the demon. I know that I inherited his regenerative and transformative powers."

Raiden cleared his throat. "Minor distinction, My Lady: She did not say that you inherited these traits. Her word was 'gifted'. Perhaps they were simply dormant until She awakened them." He looked directly at Samantha. "There is no way to know what you would receive. If there was no bequeathment to you, it may be a matter of chance. You could end up with demon horns, tail, or wings. Let me tell you firsthand that they are not nearly as attractive as the dragon aspects."