Chapter Bonus Chapter: Kota & Pearl's Story
-2,561 years ago-
“It’s a boy.” The midwife said as she delivered the Demon’s child.
“What color are his eyes?” The child’s mother asked as she sat up on her elbows, to see her son.
“Green.” The midwife said, then looked at the Demon.
The Demon sighed with relief as she laid back down on the bed. “Thank Lucifer.”
“You called?”
The Demon sat up again and stared at her boss.
“Ah, I see you had the child.” Lucifer said with an evil grin as he looked upon the child.
The Demon smirked. “He doesn’t have black eyes.”
Lucifer turned from the babe to look at his wayward Demon. “One night on the town, Morgan Williams, and you get yourself knocked up. Who’s the father?”
Morgan pinched her lips closed, with her teeth. If she told him who the father was, he would for sure, kill her son. And her.
“I will discover who, Morgan.”
She looked at her son, who hasn’t made a peep, from the moment he was born.
Lucifer sighed. “I guess if he’s no use to me, he’s no use to you.” He said, then raised his hand to snap his fingers.
“NO!” Morgan screamed as she leaped for the Devil.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A deep voice said as a hand clamped on the Devil’s hand.
Lucifer turned to the man and grinned. “Kristoph Venstone. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I’m here to collect my son.” Kristoph said, without letting go of the Devil’s hand.
Lucifer scoffed as he sputtered, then turned and glared at his Demon. “You fucked my enemy?!”
Morgan pulled back away from the Devil, as his eyes turned a dark red.
“It meant nothing.” Kristoph said as he let go of the Devil’s hand. “I just needed something from her.”
Lucifer glared at his nemesis. “Needed something from her?! Like a good fuck?!”
Kristoph smirked. “Like a son.” He said, then moved over to the midwife, who still held the baby in her arms, as she watched the three of them, her eyes almost as big as her face.
“I will take my son now.” He said as he placed his hand on the midwife’s shoulder and smiled at her. He looked deep into her eyes, and she didn’t blink as she stared into his. “You will go home now, and remember nothing of this delivery, or the conversation you witnessed, afterward.” Kristoph said as he took his son from her arms.
The woman nodded, then turned and left the room.
“You wanted a Demon son?” Lucifer asked as he watched the only man, other than his own father and siblings, in heaven, who could ever come close to beating him in a fight of powers, let alone strength.
Kristoph looked up at the Devil and grinned. “I did.”
“For what? So, you could get into hell?”
Kristoph laughed. “I am not that eager to destroy you, Lucifer.” He said, then looked down at his son. “And I have my reasons.”
“So, you accept him?” Morgan asked, hopefully.
Kristoph looked up at her with a wide grin. “I do. Thank you, Morgan.”
Morgan nodded as she reached forward and touched her son’s forehead. “All that I ask, is that you name him after my brother, Kota.”
Kristoph grinned. He had known her brother well. As far as Demons go, he was a decent man. “It shall be done.” He said, then disappeared.
“Fuck!” Lucifer hollered, then glared at his Demon. “You’re coming home! I have plenty of work for you to do, as punishment for conspiring with my enemy!” He hollered, then snapped his fingers, and they both disappeared.
~🧹~
-Eighteen Years Later-
“Very good.” Kristoph said with a proud smile as he and his son finished their practice for the day.
“Why can’t we do this in the realm?” Kota asked as he sat on the ground, his legs crossed close to his body.
“You know why.” Kristoph said as he watched his son.
Kota shrugged. “But I have green eyes.”
Kristoph chuckled. “That will only disguise what you truly are, my son.”
Kota sighed. “Will I ever meet my mother?”
Kristoph shrugged his shoulders. “That is up to Lucifer. He has probably been keeping your mother busy, for the past eighteen years, because of what she did for me.”
“Why did she go against Lucifer?” Kota asked, honestly interested in why his mother would do what she had done, to have a son with a powerful Warlock.
“Because I showed her your life. She was thrilled to give something good to the world. When all she has ever seen, is evil.”
Kota nodded. He understood that.
“Now, let’s go see if dinner is ready.”
Kota grinned as he held his hand up to his father. Kristoph helped his son to his feet, then wrapped his arm over his shoulders, and led him to the house.
~🧹~
-1,546 Years Later-
“It’s a girl!”
“Blessed be.” Sible Owens said softly as she laid back down on the bed, with a loud sigh.
“Did I hear you say, it’s a girl?”
Both women turned to the man who hadn’t been there a moment before.
“Lucifer.” Sible said with a growl as she got to her knees and took her daughter from the midwife.
Lucifer grinned as he looked at the child in the Witch’s arms. “She will be powerful, that one.”
Sible moved away from the Devil, her daughter tight in her arms. Why had the Elders have to call her husband away, now? And how the fuck had Lucifer found them? Kota’s mother, Morgan, had come to warn them years ago, that Lucifer was looking for them. That he was after the half Witch, half Warlock, child. But there had been no child like that. Until now.
“You can’t have her.” Sible hissed at the Devil. She prayed someone would help her, before the Devil took her daughter from her, and did who knows what with her.
“But no one is here to help you.” Lucifer said with a grin. “I was told that this child, will be of some use to me, in the future. I plan to use…”
“What do you think you are doing, Lucifer.”
Lucifer spun in a circle and looked at the Goddess. “Aunt Senshire.” He said with a lopsided grin.
“Leave that child be, or you will see the wrath of the Goddesses.” Senshire commanded, then disappeared.
Lucifer snorted. “I don’t listen to my father! What makes you think I will listen to his crazy ass sisters?!”
“So, you’ve come for another of my children, have you, Lucifer?”
Lucifer turned around and growled at Kristoph. “Damn those Goddesses. Did they give me away?”
Kristoph didn’t answer, he just smirked at the Devil, then wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, and teleported away.
Lucifer cursed the whole lot of them, then vanished.
The midwife fell over, holding her chest, as she tried to catch her breath. A handsome man appeared before her and looked into her eyes.
“You won’t remember anything you saw here today.”
She nodded.
“Now go home.” He said, then watched her leave the room and smiled before snapping his fingers and disappearing.
Kota reappeared at his parent’s house and watched his father, frantically pack his stepmother’s belongings.
“Kristoph.” Sible said as she watched her husband.
Kristoph didn’t pause as he packed up everything they own.
“Kristoph!” Sible hollered.
Kristoph paused and looked up at his wife. “What?”
Sible smiled. “Slow down.” She whispered.
Kristoph shook his head. “We need to get you and Pearl to a safe location.”
Kota grinned when he heard his sister’s name. They had decided on the name, because his father’s first gift to his wife, had been a large pearl, he had found in the deepest ocean of the magic realm.
“First, maybe we should strengthen the protection wall around the house?” She asked as she moved closer to her husband. “Otherwise, you will never sleep tonight.”
He smiled as he placed his hand to her cheek. “You and Kota can do that, while I finish packing.”
She sighed heavily. “Stubborn, I hope our daughter doesn’t get that from you.”
Kristoph grinned. “I hope she does.”
She snorted, then pointed at Kota to follow her outside.
Kota followed his stepmother outside and watched as she lifted her arms to the sky and closed her eyes. He was always awed by her power; she was almost as strong as his father. Which means his sister, will be more powerful than any White Witch, ever born.
He moved to her and joined in the chant, to strengthen the walls around their home. Soon he could feel the power that vibrated off the protection wall, and they both smiled.
“That should do it.” She said with a smile as she looked at him. “Your father can be so…”
“Intense?” Kota asked with a snicker.
She smiled as she nodded. “That’s one way to put it.”
He nodded. “He loves you and Pearl, more than anything in the world.”
She moved over to him and touched his arm. “Not more than you, Kota. Never forget how much your father loves you.”
~🧹~
-Thirteen Years Later-
“Poor Pearl, she doesn’t have a papa. No one loves her.” A girl said as Pearl sat in the grass, reading her favorite story.
Pearl looked up at the girl and scowled. She has a father. She just can’t tell anyone who he is. Or something will happen, she didn’t know what. But her parents told her to let everyone believe that she only has a mother. For some reason…
She went back to reading her book and ignored the girls.
“Hey, there’s Whitney, her dad is a Wizard. Maybe he can show Pearl what a real dad does.” One of the girls said with a snicker.
Pearl looked up to watch Whitney walk up to the girls. Her hair was always so perfectly curled. Pearl loved her hair, it was orange-red like her mother’s and silky smooth. But it was straight as a board, and everyone teased her about it. Telling her if she had a father, he would tell her how stupid she looked and make her put up her hair; before she went to school and embarrassed herself.
Pearl frowned. Her father tells her every day, how much he loves her hair, just the way it is. She shook her head and went back to reading.
“Hey, what are you reading?!”
Pearl looked up at the girls when her book was yanked out of her hands. “None of your business.” She snarled as she yanked the book back from the girl.
The others laughed. “I bet she just stares at it. She can’t read, my daddy taught me to read.”
Pearl scowled. Her father had taught her to do more, than just read.
“Let’s just leave her alone. She’s a nothing and a waste of time.” Whitney said as she flung her hair behind her shoulder.
Pearl sighed. Even her dress was perfect. No wrinkles, unlike her own, which had wrinkles from her sitting on the ground all the time, reading.
A Witch’s education is nothing like a Human’s. They have had schools for hundreds of years, while the Human’s barely knew how to read properly. Her brother had told her once, that Humans will develop at some point, in the not so near future.
“I have a father.” She found herself saying before she could stop herself. Uh oh.
“Yeah, right.” One of the girls said with a snort.
Pearl picked her books up off the ground and faced them. “He’s better than any ol’ Wizard. He’s a Warlock, and he’s the most powerful Warlock in existence, and, he’s an Elder.” She said with a smirk.
“You’re lying!” One of the girls hollered as she got into Pearl’s face.
Pearl pressed her books to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Am not.”
“Okay, then prove it.” Whitney said with her nose in the air.
Pearl didn’t know how she could prove that her father is a Warlock and an Elder.
“Show us your magic. If your father is a Warlock, your powers would be stronger than ours.” Whitney said as she watched the lying, fatherless waif.
Pearl glared at her. “I am not a waif.”
Whitney took a step back from her. “How did you know I was thinking that?”
Pearl smirked. “Because I can read minds, can’t you?”
The three girls looked at each other, then shook their heads as they looked back at her.
“Let’s go.” One of the girls said as she pulled on Whitney’s sleeve.
Whitney nodded. “You’re not supposed to exist.” She said, then the girls ran away.
Pearl frowned. What had they meant by, she’s not supposed to exist?
“Looks like you did it again.”
Pearl spun around and glowered at her brother. “How long have you been listening?”
“Long enough to know that I’m going to have to track those girls down, and erase their memories of everything you had said; before they tell someone.”
Pearl frowned. “What did she mean, when she said that I’m not supposed to exist?”
Kota smiled as he pulled his sister against his chest and kissed her forehead. “Nothing for you to worry about. Now run on home, I have some mean girls to catch up to and erase their memories.”
Pearl sighed. “I’m going to figure it all out, one day.”
Kota laughed. “And when you do, we can talk.” He said, then disappeared.
It didn’t take him long to find the girls and erase everything his silly sister had said to them. Though, he was proud of his sister, for not turning them all into the toads they are.
He felt a pull, and his heart thudded in his chest. His sister was in trouble.
~🧹~
“Get your hands off of me!” Pearl screamed as she tried to escape the strong hands of a man, who had come out of nowhere, and taken hold of her, then started dragging her down an alley.
“The boss wants to see you.” The man said as he dragged her.
She looked up at the man’s face and whimpered when she saw his eyes. They were black. Which meant one thing. He’s a Demon. And he’s going to take her to his boss. Lucifer. The Devil.
“Let go of my sister.”
The stranger turned around to face her brother, and she sighed with relief. “Kota.”
“See, Sis. This is what happens when you talk too much.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.
“The boss wants her.” The Demon said as he shook her arm.
“Ouch.” She whimpered when his grip tightened on her.
“Let. My. Sister. Go.” Kota growled.
The Demon laughed. “Come and get her.”
Pearl didn’t remember anything after that. Everything went dark. All she remembered, was her brother’s green eyes, turning black, then nothing.
~🧹~
“Pearl.”
The soft voice pulled at Pearl’s conscious and she felt herself being drawn back to the world of consciousness.
“Did she see anything?” Kristoph asked as he watched his wife with their daughter.
Kota shrugged. “She may have seen my eyes. But she didn’t see what I did to the Demon, who was trying to pull her through the portal, to hell.”
Sible ran her hand through her daughter’s hair. “How did they find her?”
“She blabbed about dad.” Kota said with a roll of his eyes.
“Why the fuck would she do something stupid like that?” Kristoph demanded.
“You said a nasty word, Daddy.”
“Pearl, sweetheart.” Kristoph said as he moved to his wife and daughter’s side.
Pearl opened her eyes and smiled at her father. “Kota’s eyes changed.”
Kristoph chuckled. “He is half Demon.”
Pearl nodded as she sat up from her mother’s arms. “I’m sorry, Daddy. But they were being so mean. Saying horrible things, just because they think I don’t have a father.”
Kristoph frowned. “Is it really that bad?” He asked as he turned to his son.
Kota shrugged. “They did say some pretty nasty things to her. But kids have always been cruel. They threw rocks at me when they found out I’m half Demon.”
Pearl frowned. She never knew that.
“We need to move again.” Kristoph said as he headed for the bedroom.
Sible sighed. She’d just started making friends here.
~🧹~
-904 Years Later-
“I don’t care if she’s an adult with a mind of her own. You’re older and should have known better!” Kristoph hollered at his son.
Kota sighed. His sister has gotten them in so much trouble. And of course. He’s taking the brunt of it, being he’s the oldest, and should “know better”. But his father should also know that Pearl has a mind of her own. And is going to do what she wants, whether they approve or not.
“She did it to save a kid, Dad.” Kota protested.
“I had told you to stay away from your sister, while she’s going through this phase.” Kristoph said with a growl.
“Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done. You know how close we are, Dad. I am the only one who can calm her when she’s like that.”
Kristoph growled. “You taught her that spell!”
“Only to protect herself, when Lucifer sends one of his Demons after her!”
“And yet, she used it on a Human!” Kristoph hollered. “I forbid you to ever see your sister again!”
“No.” Kota gasped as he took a step back from his father. “Don’t do this, Father.”
Kristoph sighed. “I have no choice. She is a White Witch…”
“And I’m a half Demon bastard.” Kota breathed.
Kristoph sighed. “You are my son, Kota. No matter what. And I didn’t say you couldn’t look in on her. Just stay away from her.”
Kota cursed as his father disappeared. The old man didn’t even let him explain what had happened. All the fucking Elders care about, is that Pearl had killed a stupid ass Human, who was about to kill a boy, for being different. For being a Shifter!
“I’m sorry.”
Pearl’s whisper had Kota turning around. “It’s okay, little sister.” He said as he opened his arms to her.
Pearl ran into his arms and he held her close.
“I love you.” She cried against him.
“I know.” He said as he kissed her forehead. “I love you too.”
Their father returned and frowned at them. “Pearl. You will not be punished for killing the Human; since you were saving a cub. But the Elders are all in agreement, that you and your brother spend too much time together. He should never have taught you that spell. You could have destroyed the whole city. We forbid you from seeing your brother.”
Pearl cried against her brother.
“And Kota, your punishment for teaching your sister a Demon spell, is five months in the tower.”
“NO!” Pearl screamed.
“It is final.” Kristoph said with a growl, then took hold of his son’s arm and disappeared with him.
Pearl fell to her knees. Her brother is going to be punished for something she had done! And the horrible thing is, she would do it again.
The boy is her mate.
~🧹~
-Present time in Shifter World-
“Wait, that was you?” Dylan asked as he looked at his mate.
Pearl smiled softly. “Yes.”
“All I remember is a bright light, and the human screaming.” Dylan said as he shivered.
“I reached her before she could recite the rest of the spell. I knew you were her mate, and that was what had triggered so much anger in her, to even think about using that spell.” Kota said as he watched the group of Fated Mates, who had gathered to listen to his and his sister’s story.
“Was it the same one you almost used in the laboratory?” Sharissa asked as she watched the siblings.
Pearl nodded.
“My father knew that I was the only one who could stop her.” Kota said with a sigh. “So, he gave Dylan my number, just in case.”
“Wow.” Lyvia whispered.
“Mommy, look.”
Pearl turned when she heard her daughter’s huffy voice, and her eyes opened wide. “Ruby! What are you doing with the egg?”
Ruby grinned as she stood there, holding the large Dragon Egg in her arms.
Bridget chuckled. “It’s okay, I told her she could take him out into the sun.” She said as she got to her feet and walked over to the little Witch. “Did he enjoy the sunlight?” She asked.
Ruby nodded as Bridget took the large egg from her small arms. Luckily, the kid has Shifter strength, because this hatchling is heavy.
“Want to come with me to put him back in the nest?” Bridget asked with a soft smile.
Ruby grinned as she nodded her head enthusiastically.
Bridget looked back at Pearl and Dylan. “Is it okay?”
Pearl grinned. “Who am I, to take my daughter from her mate?” She said as she cuddled against her own mate.
Ruby jumped up and down as Bridget passed her. They headed down to the cellar, talking about what they think the hatchling will look like when he hatches.
“So, I guess the wars had started before we even knew of them.” Daryl said as he sat back in his seat and pulled his mate onto his lap.
Pearl shrugged. “I think the wars started before any of us were born, we just didn’t know it.”
“There you all are.”
They all turned to the newcomer and Pearl smiled.
“Hi, Daddy.”
“My ears were burning, were you talking about me?”
Everyone laughed because, indeed, they had been talking about him.
“We just finished telling our story.” Kota said with a smile for his father.
Kristoph chuckled. “You did, did you?” He asked as he pulled a chair out of nowhere and sat in it. “Hmmm.” He said as leaned forward.
“If you’re looking for a story, I’ve got one for you.”