And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 199: Mama’s Girl
Cassie.
After the long morning I had, I was quick to accept my mother's invitation to take a walk with her around the property. When I first
got here, I didn't have the chance to really take things in and enjoy it.
“Things have changed a lot since you were here last."
My mother's words caused a grin to cross my lips as I looked around. “Yeah, I can see that. You guys have been busy."
With new buildings of various sizes, and the landscaping in the area well maintained and not overgrown, I could see that Trixie
had been working hard to make this place just as much her own as it was my family's. It was just one more thing about this place
that reminded me it wasn't my home anymore.
That I wasn't part of this world, and never would be.
“I can see something is troubling you, Cassie," my mother said calmly as we walked along cobbled paths lined by green grass
that looked soft enough to sleep on. “Your fathers may have filled you in on how things used to be, but at the end of the day, the
only way you will figure out who YOU need to be is by asking the questions you need to ask."
I had never known my mom to be some type of philosopher, but walking beside her in our homeland made me see things
differently. All this time in Asgard, I assumed I had to do everything on my own and leave my old life behind, and it seemed that
my old life perhaps was the salvation to my new one.
“I know, Mama. I'm starting to realize that perhaps I had been taking the hard way all along. Especially when the easy way was
simply calling me home."
The chuckle that escaped us both was warming especially when she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer
to her. The scent of her perfume wrapped around me like a warm hug that I didn't want to ever let me go.
“I'm glad you're home, sweetheart. The sunshine around here is a little brighter with you near me."
Glancing up at her I sighed, wishing I could feel the heat upon my skin. Yet, the moment I stepped foot in this place, it was as if
nothing about the way this world worked affected me in the way it used to. Which was strange but not important enough for me
to find out why.

“I'm glad I'm home as well." The shadowed figure beneath the canopy of trees to my right caught my attention. I focused my
gaze and took in the sight of Silas' rippled body standing there, staring at me with his hands crossed over his shoulders and
Talon's back to me as he obviously engaged in conversation with Silas.
“So, are you going to tell me about the two men you're here with?" my mother asked, causing me to glance at her. I opened and
closed my mouth, trying to find the words to express the answer she was obviously seeking. “Don't act surprised, Cassie. I could
tell the moment I laid eyes on them that there is something going on with you three."
My mother was clearly very perceptive, and I should have remembered that from when I was growing up. She always knew
when something was going on, and though I used to get annoyed by it when I was younger, I was sort of glad she did point it out.
Because I really wanted someone to talk to about everything.
“Well, Mama." I sighed, taking a seat on the cast iron bench beneath the limbs of a large oak tree. “I don't even know where to
start when it comes to dealing with that issue."
Slight laughter escaped her as she took a seat next to me. Her blue eyes stared out at the green rolling fields in front of us where
children ran around and flew kites within the sky. “Why don't you start from the beginning? Who are these two men?"
“Well, the brooding one talking to Talon is Silas." I finally fessed up. Starting with Silas seemed easier even though out of the
three men, he was the one I was so unsure of. “He is a guardian of Asgard. Odin sent him with us to keep an eye on me."
“Oh, is he?" The tone my mother took was one that made me wonder if she was plotting something. A twinkle in her eye that
turned her straight smile into one of mischievousness.
“Yeah..."
“I think he is here because he wants to be." I wasn't sure why my mother thought that but the more we seemed to speak on this,
the more I saw her enjoying the topic of conversation. “In fact, I bet that he is here because he wants to make sure he doesn't
lose you."
“...lose me?" Laughter erupted from my lips at her remark, “he doesn't want me."
“So you haven't slept with him?"
“Oh my god, Mom!" Shocked filled me at her question as I sat there staring at her with wide eyes. I couldn't believe she was
being so forward with my love life, but she sat laughing at me as if what she had asked was just natural for a mother to ask her
daughter.

“Oh stop it, Cassie. You're not a little girl anymore. Don't be so dramatic."
It wasn't that I was being dramatic. I just found it weird for my mother to have the conversation she was having, but at the end of
the day if there was anyone I could talk to about this, at least it was her and not one of my fathers.
Letting out a heavy sigh of uncomfortableness, I cast my gaze towards the ground and fiddled with my hands. “Yes, I have... on
a few occasions."
“I figured as much." Looking at her once more, I watched a confident smile cross her lips. “He isn't a wolf, I know that much for
sure... what is he?"
“A dragon..." I muttered as she looked at me with surprise.
“Dragon? But I thought they were extinct?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I didn't know what to tell her. I didn't even know they had existed until I met Silas so at least she knew
they did even though she thought they were extinct. “Yeah, well, there he is in all his brooding glory."
“I take it that things aren't great with the two of you by the way you're acting." Once again, her awareness of our situation was a
little disturbing, but I didn't bother to deny what she was saying.
“Yeah, he says it can't be and blah blah blah... it's all really annoying."
Nudging me, she caused me to smile as she nodded her head. “Men typically are, Cassie. I can't tell you how many times the
four of mine pissed me off so bad I was half tempted to smother them in their sleep. But at the end of the day, the heart wants
what the heart wants and he won't be able to fight it forever. Just let him do what he wants... it won't last."
Amusement filled me with her confidence over the situation. She didn't know Silas like I did. There was no way that he would
give in again. Ever since the last time, he had done his best to avoid me, and if he could have it, I guarantee he would leave
Asgard and move somewhere else to avoid me. “If you say so..."
There was silence for a moment as she continued to look out over the fields. I'd have given anything to be able to read my
mother's thoughts. To know what it was that made her keep going day after day even though she had been through so much.
She had a strength that I could only hope to achieve.
“So, tell me about the other one... the elf prince?"

The uncomfortable way she said elf prince caused me to chuckle as I thought about Finn. “Honestly, Mama, I don't even know
what to say about that one. He is cocky and doesn't really know the meaning of personal space but ... there is something about
him that makes me want to be around him."
“He does seem to be an odd one."
For her to call him odd wasn't the term I was expecting, and laughter filled the space between us at her description. “Oh god,
what did he do that makes you think he is odd?"
“Wel,l when you first arrived, he was out there talking to the plants out front. I thought perhaps he was a little crazy, but when he
and Silas introduced themselves to us with your brother, I realized otherwise. Still seems odd to know that elves are real. I
mean... I knew a lot of things were, but I don't know, it just feels foreign on my tongue when I say it."
“Elves seem foreign? Mom, we're werewolves... come on now. I think odd s**t is the leost of our worries onymore," I replied,
cousing my mom to smirk.
As much os I wos enjoying the conversotion, I knew it wosn't meont to lost forever when she got this frozen look on her foce ond
her smile fell slightly. Something wos wrong, ond os she stood to her feet I stood to mine os well.
“We need to heod bock to the house."
“Why? Whot's wrong?" I osked os we both storted moking our woy bock rother quickly. A sense of urgency in her the woy she
wos octing hod me on olert, but before we reoched the door she stopped ond turned to me with hesitotion.
“I will go oheod ond tell you this now before we go inside. Your fother... Domion. Whot's wrong with him isn't curoble, Cossie. He
is going to die, eventuolly... we just don't know how much time he hos left."
The hoppy moment I hod with her wos gone, ond once ogoin the seriousness of the situotion wos bock to the forefront. I didn't
wont to think obout onyone thot I loved dying, but it wos o noturol port of life. I just hod expected he would hove more time os
shifters typicolly lived long lives. Much longer thon those who were mundone.
“How? I don't understond why he is os sick os he is. The five of you were once immortol... I meon you still hove—"
“It's becouse we no longer ore thot he is." Her comment didn't moke sense to me, ond the more I thought obout it, the more
confused I wos. I knew the story of my porents. How they fell in love, ond how they soved my fother once before. But it just didn't
moke sense to me.

“I don't understond, Momo."
A heovy sigh escoped her os she looked down ot the ground ond then bock towords the house before meeting my eyes once
more. “The doy we took our immortolity ond gove it to Domion, to bring him bock to life, he wos cursed in o woy. The thing obout
fote is thot no motter how much you try to chonge it, the universe will find o woy to correct itself. So, though we soved him,
Cossie... oll it wos, wos borrowed time."
Her words were powerful, ond I knew whot she meont.
They brought him bock, but it wos only for o short time. Fote wos still going to toke his life in the long run becouse thot wos the
order of things, ond my fother being olive right now shouldn't hove been possible. “I hote seeing him like this."
“I do too, sweetheort, but you being here hos octuolly mode him smile for the first time in o long time. Eventuolly, he will be in
Asgord with you ond there the two of you con cotch up on so much lost time."
The ideo of him going to Asgord put o thought into my heod thot I decided to keep to myself. Domion wos on the verge of deoth
ond in poin, but perhops there wos something I could end up doing for him in the long run.
“I know... Mom, go oheod ond go to him. I know you wont to moke sure he is okoy. I'm just going to wolk oround for o while ond
toke everything in."
“Are you sure?" she osked furrowing her brows os she took my hond, “I don't wont to cut our time short."
Nodding my heod, I smiled. “We hove plenty of time to spend together before I leove. Go... hove fun, ond we con cotch up loter."
My mother didn't need to be told twice for her to quickly disoppeor inside the house, leoving me stonding olone on the front
doorstep. She loved my fothers with everything in her just os she loved her children. They hod given up so much for us ond
wonted more thon onything to give bock to them.
Which perhops I would be oble to.
For now, I hod to get myself together, ond o lot of whot she soid mode sense.
If I wonted things to go right, I wos going to hove to stop fighting whot fote wonted to hoppen.

“Elves seem foreign? Mom, we're werewolves... come on now. I think odd s**t is the least of our worries anymore," I replied,
causing my mom to smirk.
As much as I was enjoying the conversation, I knew it wasn't meant to last forever when she got this frozen look on her face and
her smile fell slightly. Something was wrong, and as she stood to her feet I stood to mine as well.
“We need to head back to the house."
“Why? What's wrong?" I asked as we both started making our way back rather quickly. A sense of urgency in her the way she
was acting had me on alert, but before we reached the door she stopped and turned to me with hesitation.
“I will go ahead and tell you this now before we go inside. Your father... Damian. What's wrong with him isn't curable, Cassie. He
is going to die, eventually... we just don't know how much time he has left."
The happy moment I had with her was gone, and once again the seriousness of the situation was back to the forefront. I didn't
want to think about anyone that I loved dying, but it was a natural part of life. I just had expected he would have more time as
shifters typically lived long lives. Much longer than those who were mundane.
“How? I don't understand why he is as sick as he is. The five of you were once immortal... I mean you still have—"
“It's because we no longer are that he is." Her comment didn't make sense to me, and the more I thought about it, the more
confused I was. I knew the story of my parents. How they fell in love, and how they saved my father once before. But it just didn't
make sense to me.
“I don't understand, Mama."
A heavy sigh escaped her as she looked down at the ground and then back towards the house before meeting my eyes once
more. “The day we took our immortality and gave it to Damian, to bring him back to life, he was cursed in a way. The thing about
fate is that no matter how much you try to change it, the universe will find a way to correct itself. So, though we saved him,
Cassie... all it was, was borrowed time."
Her words were powerful, and I knew what she meant.
They brought him back, but it was only for a short time. Fate was still going to take his life in the long run because that was the
order of things, and my father being alive right now shouldn't have been possible. “I hate seeing him like this."

“I do too, sweetheart, but you being here has actually made him smile for the first time in a long time. Eventually, he will be in
Asgard with you and there the two of you can catch up on so much lost time."
The idea of him going to Asgard put a thought into my head that I decided to keep to myself. Damian was on the verge of death
and in pain, but perhaps there was something I could end up doing for him in the long run.
“I know... Mom, go ahead and go to him. I know you want to make sure he is okay. I'm just going to walk around for a while and
take everything in."
“Are you sure?" she asked furrowing her brows as she took my hand, “I don't want to cut our time short."
Nodding my head, I smiled. “We have plenty of time to spend together before I leave. Go... have fun, and we can catch up later."
My mother didn't need to be told twice for her to quickly disappear inside the house, leaving me standing alone on the front
doorstep. She loved my fathers with everything in her just as she loved her children. They had given up so much for us and
wanted more than anything to give back to them.
Which perhaps I would be able to.
For now, I had to get myself together, and a lot of what she said made sense.
If I wanted things to go right, I was going to have to stop fighting what fate wanted to happen.