Ember of Hope

Sarah took her phone off charging and called her mom to let her know they were coming home. She didn’t specify who they were. The ride over to Sarah’s house was tense but at least it was short. Too soon they were all standing at the door; hesitating to push the bell. Finally it was Nina who did it. “I guess I’m the only who isn’t in danger of decapitation, so I figured I might as well be the one to do it”. She shrugged with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“We should have just left you at the apartment”.

“Who’d have taken your severed heads back to Evreux then?” she deadpanned.

The bickering was put to a stop by the footsteps approaching. Damien retreated to the end of the line and all of them held their laughs inside. Sarah’s mom opened the door and she ran forward to give her mom a hug. Raegan was next to greet her.

“Oh I didn’t realize you’d be bringing friends over. I thought it was just you girls. Come on in”. She beckoned them inside and Valiance had to discreetly drag Damien along with him. Nina put a hand to her mouth to stop from giggling and Raegan pursed her lips to do the same. She’d never seen Damien so spooked. Not even in the presence of the scary healers.

Raegan took the lead and introduced everyone.

“Would you guys like a drink?” their host asked but Raegan got up and called Nina along, “We got it Maria. You go sit with Sarah”.

When Raegan returned with beers for all of them and a glass of red for Maria; the lounge was quiet. Not even Sarah was speaking anything. “I think you all must be really tired from your journey”. Maria deduced from their silence.

“Oh yes, a little. But it’s okay, it’s nothing a cold beer or two won’t fix” Valiance smiled warmly at Sarah’s mom. He was always such a charmer. The doorbell rang and Maria got up. “I think your dad’s home”.

“I got it. Let me surprise him”. Sarah went to the door and they all heard her father gasp in surprise as she launched herself in his arms. He chuckled, “Welcome home sweetheart. You were gone so long we missed you so much”.

They entered with Sarah tucked beneath her father’s arm and hugging him around the middle. Raegan got up to meet him as well and he hugged her just as lovingly as he had Sarah. Once again Raegan did the introductions. After kissing his wife he went in his room to freshen up and Raegan got him a drink in the meantime. It was show time.

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Raegan nudged Sarah with her elbow but she didn’t budge. Sighing, she once again took the lead. “So we need to tell you something”. She began and found every eye in the room turn towards her.

“Go ahead sweetheart”. Maria encouraged. She looked at Peter – Sarah’s dad and found his eyes narrowed and roaming at the guys. Of course he suspected where she was going with that line so she decided to just bite the bullet. But it was Sarah who spoke first, “These guys aren’t human.” She blurted it out and her eyes widen at what she had just said. Well it was one swift way to get it out there.

Maria and Peter looked at each other and then back at them. Even the room had been divided in two groups. Maria and Peter were at one side of the coffee table on the sectional, Nina had claimed a floor cushion, while the four of them were on the other side on two love seats – one was taken up by the boys and the other by the girls.

“Tell us everything.” Maria said and something about the way she’d said it felt odd to Raegan but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Well… it starts with Raegan’s accident, you know…” Sarah started.

“Yeah, what about it?” Peter urged.

“She wasn’t in Tennessee back then. She was in Evreux – it’s a place…”

“What did you say?” Maria cut her off sharply. She stood up from her seat abruptly but Peter took her hand and silently pulled her back down. “Did you say Evreux?” Maria was stuck there.

“Uh… yeah, I’m sorry I lied to you guys but I couldn’t tell you back then. It was just so…” Maria cut Raegan off as well, “How did you get there?”

Valiance sat forward, “You seem familiar with the name”. He observed and Raegan realized this was what she had found odd about Maria’s words.

“I am. What are you?” She asked him directly with narrowed eyes.

“We’re dragon kind”. He replied calmly.

“MOM” Sarah called her attention back to her. “How do you know about Evreux?” her voice was incredulous and sharp.

“I’ll tell you everything, but first I need to know how did you end up in Evreux? Humans can’t go there”. She asked again so Raegan told them about how she’d ended up there in the first place and then she continued to tell them about their plan for a second trip.

“So these are your friends from Evreux?” Maria asked.

“Yes, well about that…” Sarah trailed off; looking to Raegan for help. Raegan nodded her head at her friend to continue on. “Mom they aren’t just friends”. Maria sucked in a sharp breath. Sarah got up and took Damien’s hand to pull him up with her, “Damien is my mate and Valiance is Raegan’s and she isn’t human either” Sarah blurted out.

“What do you mean she isn’t human? We’ve known her since forever. What is she?” Peter’s eyes were wide.

“It’s a long story but I am part dragon, part witch. I got to know about it just a while back.”

“This is a lot to take in” Maria sighed. This was not at all how they’d imagined it going.

“Mom, tell me already how do you know about all this?” Sarah asked again.

“I’m from a family of healers. I believe you know all about them. We hail from Velar but it’s not as good a place as Evreux”. Maria said with bitterness and they knew what she meant.

“No, it’s not” It was Damien. It was the first time he’d spoken after their initial introduction. His eyes were pained.

Maria continued, “There was a coven of witches who reveled in tormenting healers. We had a long standing rivalry with them. One day they attacked our house when all of our family was there. They killed everyone. I was just a child back then. Your grandma grabbed my hand and ran. We hid in a chest in the attic but one of them found us. She just looked at us and closed the lid again; announcing to others that there was no one in the attic. She saved us that day more than once. She told us she’d help us escape and we had no other choice but to believe her. Later she came and took us to the portal to Evreux. She told us she didn’t practice magic but only for healing prisoners. If not for her; we would’ve been dead that day”. Tears swam in Maria’s eyes.

“What was her name?” Sarah asked softly.

“Katherine” and all of them looked to each other. Raegan’s heart pounded hard against her chest. It couldn’t be the same Katherine. But she also used to be a healer and she was centuries old.

“What did she look like?” Raegan’s voice was shaky and low.

“I was a child so I don’t remember much but she was very beautiful and I remember thinking that her eyes resembled the color of fresh firs. They were so vividly green and as a child I was mesmerized by them” she smiled at the memory.

Raegan sat still. She had Katherine’s eyes. The same eyes Maria had just described. She looked at Valiance and found him already looking at her eyes. He nodded. Maria’s voice brought them back, “My mother and I crossed Evreux’s portal and asked for help. They took us to the court and we told them everything. They helped us get here and get settled. There are many families who over time came across to settle here; hiding their true nature. And so did us. When Peter and I decided to get married after college, I told him everything.” Maria smiled at her husband, “He did not believe me at all.” She laughed and Peter joined in.

“Of course I didn’t. She was telling me she was this supernatural being from another world.” Peter rolled his eyes.

Sarah grinned, “What’d you do then?”

“I hadn’t learnt the craft because to be honest I was never interested in it and my mother never forced me to. But I did know a few tricks. I pricked his finger with a needle and healed it.” Maria grinned with mischief, “I wish you could’ve seen his face. And then he made me do it two more times just to be sure that what he was seeing was real”. They all joined in her laughter.

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