The Witch of Anima

Chapter 10

When I opened the door, I was shocked to see Mr. Ayra standing at the other side of the door, looking nervous. I opened my mouth to say something but didn't when he placed his hand on my shoulder and the other to his lips.

Gently, he pushed me back until he could enter and looked over my shoulder before he looked back at me. Silently, he told me that there was someone else in the room with us.

I closed my mouth and scowled before I let him fully into the house, and after that, I closed the door. Turning my head, I noticed that the mystery man was standing near the door to the dining room, and he was glaring at the hand Mr. Ayra still had on my shoulder.

Noticing the other male's glare, Mr. Ayra removed his hand from my shoulder. "Hello, Syn," he said. "How are you?"

I grimaced. "Been better," I muttered. I gestured to his coat. "Lemme take that. Take off your boots."

Mr. Ayra smirked but did what I said. He handed me his jacket, and I put it up, finally noticing all the different coats in the front closet.

Furrowing my brows and cocking my head, I silently wondered how I hadn't noticed the coats and pairs of shoes when I placed my stuff in there and if they had been there before this. Shaking my head and with a silent huff, I closed the door after Mr. Ayra put his shoes in there.

Mr. Ayra touched my shoulder, and I looked at him. 'Magic,' he mouthed, and I had a feeling he figured what made me confused.

Pursing my lips, I nodded, grateful that he told me how I hadn't seen them. "Hey, Brody?" I asked, both out loud and telepathically.

The door to his room opened. "Yes?" he asked, doing the same thing as me.

"Can you come downstairs? Please?" 'If I tell you to go back upstairs, you will listen. Ok?'

There was a pause. "Do I have to put on jeans?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "And an "actual" shirt?" 'Ok. What's going on?'

"Do you at least have a tank and shorts on?" 'I wish I know, but I don't.'

There was another pause, and the sound of him getting ready filled my ears. "Now, I do." 'Then why am I coming down?'

"Then hurry up." 'Because you have been asked to come down.'

My brother huffed and walked out of his room, closing his door. When he reached the steps, his eyes light up when he caught sight of Mr. Ayra, and a grin appeared on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he caught me shaking my head.

"Would you hurry up?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes. "Do not even think about it, Brody Thomas," I warned and narrowed my eyes at him when I caught where his thought went because he wanted to become slower than a turtle while he walked down to me.

Brody's eyes went wide, and he clambered down the steps a little faster. "Oops." He grinned sheepishly. 'I forgot that you had your block down for me.'

I rolled my eyes and scowled. 'Very funny,' I said, and he grinned innocently.

Brody made it down the steps and grabbed my hand. He noticed the other male in the room, and he frowned but didn't say a word while I lead him to the dining room, followed by my mystery man and Mr. Arya.

My father smiled at Brody but didn't move from his spot. Guilt filled his eyes, and I could tell that he felt guilty for missing almost all of his childhood. "Hello, Brody," he said.

Brody hid most of himself behind me and peeked at our father curiously. "Hi," he said, his voice soft.

My father cleared his throat. "My name is John," he said. "I am your... biological father." He glanced at me before he looked at Brody. "It's nice to meet you, Brody."

Brody didn't move from his spot by my side and looked at me with a questioning look. He wondered if what he said was true, and all I could do was set my jaw and nodded in confirmation. My brother looked at him. "Oh."

He cleared his throat again and shifted in his seat, looking nervous. "Come, sit down. Xander, I do not know why you decided to get up with her, but you need to sit as well."

"My apologies, Sire," the male, Xander, said from behind me. "However, I thought it would have been unwise to let her open the door unattended."

I bit back a scoff and rolled my eyes. I had a feeling that he wanted to talk to me, but I hadn't known that he had followed me, making it too late. I didn't say a word and sat down with Brody, stealing Xander's chair.

Mr. Arya sat down at one of the two chairs while Xander went to the one he had been sitting before and looked at my little brother.

My little brother turned until he was facing Xander and stared at him with big, blue eyes while he clutched the back of the chair. He didn't say a word to the other male and waited for him to say something, but he didn't.

Xander looked between the two of us and scowled with a lip curving up into a small smile that only the two of us caught. He made the signal for 'I am watching you,' earning a giggle from Brody before he sat down in the empty that was a couple of feet away from me, leaving my mother's chair empty.

My father cleared his throat and covered a chuckle with a cough. He studied the three of us with something that I didn't know in his eyes before he looked at the kitchen. "Elania," he called, his voice soft. "You know that you can't hide in there forever. Please, come in and sit down. You need to hear, too."

My mother sighed and opened the door. She stepped out with eyes rimmed red and tear stains going down her face. She looked disheveled and out of it, and I wondered what had happened to her and wondered why she looked so sad and afraid.

My hand twitched, and I so badly wanted to peek into her mind to see what she was thinking, but I didn't allow myself to do that. I had no idea if someone could tell that I knew my powers and wanted to keep it that way.

My father cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. Pain filled his eyes, and I had a feeling that he was worried about my mother.

The king looked at us and settled in his seat. "Now," he said, putting his hands on the table and leaning forward. He looked at me before he turned away to study those gathered around the table. "Shall we begin?"