CHAPTER 19: TO BRING YOU THIS

Meghan was the first to walk in, the rest of us followed. It was very warm inside, the fireplace was raging with burning firewood. The fire was…beautiful. Something about it was different from the blistering flames I knew. There were orange candles on the center table in the living room, the walls just like the outside of the house were cream and the room was filled with the scent of the scented orange candles. They smelled like flowers.

'She knows we're here, so why's she making us wait?' Brachia said as she pulled her spear-shaped hairpins out from her hair. To me, she always seemed genuinely pissed. Her long black hair dropped on her shoulders. It had no curls at all.

'To bring you this my dear Brachia,' a lady in a flare yellow dress said as she walked in with a tray of tea cups.

'Brachia haven't we…' the lady turned sternly towards Brachia, but paused when she set her eyes on Meghan.

'Meghan?' she said, losing her grip of the tray.

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It had been a while since I saw Adena, so I was anxious as hell! I watched Mike as he curiously inspected everywhere as he walked in. I watched as his brown eyes swept through the room. The fire from the fireplace was reflected by his eyes. It was simply precious art, something Sadie would paint.

My thighs and palms were sweaty. Things that only happened when I was nervous. I wondered what she'd look like, what she'd sound like, if she still smelled like summer flowers, if her appearance or aura had changed in five years. My anxiety increased when I heard her voice.

'To bring you this Brachia,' she said as she arrived in a pretty yellow dress. Yellow, one of her favorite colors, even though she never admitted it saying she didn't have a favorite color or shade.

'Meghan?' She asked in shock as she dropped the tray of tea cups. Luckily, Jade was quick enough to catch it. Adena's eyes welled with tears. There was a smile on her face, so I assumed the tears on her cheeks were tears of joy.

'Is she happy to see me?' I thought as I watched the tray float towards the table.

'I knew I sensed something different when you all walked in,' she said as she walked slowly towards me.

I wasn't sure how I felt, but whatever I was feeling was…overwhelming. Did she know dad had forced me to leave without saying goodbye?

'I'm sorry I didn't…' I was saying before she gave me a tight hug.

'I know,' she said simply, as she patted my head.

I had no idea when I began crying. I went limp in her arms and soon my mouth was salty. She still smelled like flowers. She was warm, her hair covered my face as I laid my head on her shoulders.

'Does he know you're here?' She said after ending the hug minutes later.

'No, he doesn't,' I sniffed.

'Exactly, that's why we need to hurry up. Mm…nice tea by the way,' Brachia butted in, dropping her empty tea cup on the table and giving Adena a thumbs-up. How did she finish her tea so fast? It was steaming!

'Thanks, but you don't think you're being watched?' Adena said moving her gaze from Brachia to me.

'I don't think so,' Brachia replied.

'We didn't sense anyone or anything.' She added.

'Dad is the most powerful lord. You can only sense him if he wants you to,' Adena said battering her eyelashes to dry her eyes.

'You're sisters?' Mike asked surprised. I just realized I hadn't told him much about my family. There wasn't much to tell anyway. We had a controlling father and our lives were directed by elders we had no personal relationship with.

'Keep up Dike!' Brachia rolled her eyes at him.

'Who is he? I didn't sense him either.' Adena probed.

'I'm Mike,' Michael introduced.

'He's a human,' Beryl smiled.

'I see that. You're welcome, but you have to leave. You all have to.' Adena said, furrowing her brows. She looked like she had remembered something.

'It's not safe.' She added as she rubbed her palms on her dress.

'We'll see soon, I promise. We can't meet here.' She continued.

'When?' I asked. I honestly didn't want to leave.

'Soon. Beryl, Brachia, Jade, head home. Meghan and... ' she paused trying to remember Mike's name.

'Mike,' I reminded her.

'Yes, Mike and Meghan, you NEED to go back immediately,' she said and kissed my forehead. She looked troubled.

'Good bye guys, bye sister.'

'Bye,' we chorused.