CHAPTER 2: FAMILY SECRETS

The morning was unseasonably cold, so Mad hugged herself until she arrived at the doorstep of her new neighbors. She had worn a simple blue dress with no sleeves, and she already regretted that choice, but hopefully the neighbors would invite her in so she would only be a few moments in the open air. Besides, there was no time to go back inside and get a more appropriate outfit for the weather because her mom could wake up at any time, and then her plan would be ruined.

She didn’t allow herself to second-guess it and just took a deep breath and knocked on the door once, twice. She was about to knock again when he opened. It was the one that must have been her age, the one with piercing blue eyes that looked like two shards of ice. He was devastatingly handsome up close, like no one she had ever seen.

“Hi, I am Skyler,” he said, giving her a warm smile, and the ice in his eyes seemed to melt a little bit.

“Hi, I am Mad.”

“Mad? That’s your full name?” He snorted, and Mad looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, “Yeah, my parents are that original, thank you very much.”

“Oh, sorry! I wasn’t mocking you or anything, it's just that it wasn’t what I was expecting,” Skyler said, and since Mad really didn’t have the time to just stand there talking nonsense, she shrugged and asked, “Are your parents home? Could I speak to them?”

“Oh, they are not my parents; they’re actually my siblings. But yes, they’re home, they’re in the kitchen talking with your mom.”

Skyler stepped aside and gestured for Mad to enter the house, but she just stood there, with her feet glued to the carpet. This time, Skyler was the one to look at her with raised eyebrows.

“Something wrong?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he did the strangest thing and took her hand, pulling her inside the house while saying, “Come on, there’s no need to be embarrassed; I will take you there.”

Mad was so baffled that she didn’t even try to stand her ground; she just allowed herself to be taken inside. When they entered the kitchen, she saw that indeed her mother was already there, holding a cup of tea and laughing with the couple.

Mad couldn't believe it; she must have been dreaming or her mind was playing a prank on her. But when her mom saw her on the doorstep, all traces of the smile vanished, and the desolate expression from last night returned. Mad simply couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care that she was in the kitchen of strangers; she didn't care that she should be pleasant. She just wanted to know what was happening. How did her mom know these people, and how could her mood have changed so suddenly? Yesterday, her mom seemed ready to walk them out of the village, and now she was having breakfast and laughing with them.

“What the hell is happening here? Who are these people, mom?” Mad exclaimed.

“Mad, language!” Her mom reprimanded her, again as if she was a child. But the couple swapped glances, and the man said:

“Hi, Madeline. I am Vougan; this is my sister, Elora, and you have already met my younger brother, Skyler. And Boyd, our little brother, is still asleep upstairs.”

Vougan's voice was like velvet, similar to Skyler’s voice, but deeper, more powerful. Before Mad could think of what to say to him, Elora said:

“Please, Mad, sit down. I know you probably have a lot of questions, and we promise we are going to answer all of them. But your father wouldn't want us to be rude to one another, would he?”

Elora said all of that without blinking, and her eyes were of a shade of black so strong it almost seemed blue. Mad had never seen eyes like hers, and it unnerved her. But what was Elora saying? These people knew her father? That made Mad sag in a chair, and she took a steady breath before saying, “I am listening.”

Vougan looked at Mad’s mom, and she nodded, so he began talking. Mad found herself gaping the entire time. She didn’t even notice Skyler sitting beside her and holding her hand through Vougan’s tale.

“Well,” he began, “You know about the Fae, of course. But what you don’t know is that although humans believe us to be nearly extinct, we have managed to survive away from prying eyes. It’s true that there aren't many pure-blooded Faes anymore, but there are a significant number of half-Fae half-humans. Most don’t have any powers or Fae attributes, but some, like you, do.”

“I lied when I told you I didn’t know who your father was, Mad. I have always known. We were married and happy, but then he was killed, and I was so young at the time and so clueless. I had no idea that he wasn't human; I only found out about his heritage after his death, and I kept it a secret because I wanted to protect you. His name was Erbe and he loved you so so much,” Mad’s mom said, tears in her eyes, but she managed to contain them.

“Elora and I were friends with your father, and when we got word about his death, we tracked your mom and you. We told her everything and helped set up your life here, alongside your grandma, and we made the villagers that had known your father forget about him. Instead, they thought your mom had gotten pregnant with you during her time working in a town nearby. We would check in with you once in a while, but it was dangerous. Your mother didn’t want anyone to know about your heritage, so we agreed to stay away. That is, until now. You’re about to turn fifteen, and your powers will begin to manifest at any time now, so it's not safe for you here anymore,” Vougan finished speaking, and Mad just sat there, incapable of saying anything. Her mom then said:

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Please, Mad, don’t be upset with me. I had always intended on telling you, but I kept telling myself you were still so young, that there would be time. So when Elora and Vougan began to push me to tell you in the last couple of months, I just stopped answering their letters. I was even looking at moving to another village. That is, until last night when they just showed up here, and I panicked. Since I hadn't answered them, they had contacted your grandma, and she hid it from me. She knew they were coming yesterday, knew they were moving here, but she didn’t say anything.”

“Well, in our defense, you would have known too if you had bothered to open our last two letters,” said Elora in a low but clear voice, turning her dark eyes to Mad’s mom.

Mad’s mom ignored her and continued speaking: “I don’t want you to be upset with me, or with your grandma, or with these people. In the end, we all just wanted your safety and happiness.” Then she looked at Mad and waited for a response.

Mad was so overwhelmed by everything that all she could say was: “I need a moment,” before standing up. Only at this moment did she realize Skyler was still holding her hand. She had totally forgotten about his presence, but he had been there holding her the entire time. She didn't have time to think about what this could mean; she just gave him the smallest of smiles and strode out of the house.

Outside, the weather was slightly warmer although still too cold for Mad’s summer dress. Nonetheless, she welcomed the brisk air, finding it made it easier to clear her mind and think. So, her parents had been happily married, and her father was Fae, which meant she was half Fae. Gods! What a gigantic mess. And her mom and her grandma had kept her in the dark her whole life, leaving her to believe she was human and that her father had never known or loved her. In seconds she had found she had a loving father and he had been dead for years.

It was just too much. There was no way a few minutes in the garden would have been enough to process how everything had changed so completely and permanently in her life. She was half Fae, and, according to Vougan, she had powers? There’s no way this was true. She would have known if she was Fae, wouldn't she? Without thinking, she began walking back to the house to tell them this. There was probably a misunderstanding or some other explanation.

When she reached the kitchen door and entered the room, Elora was saying something but paused. Everyone looked at Mad, including Boyd, who sat at a chair beside Skyler, still sleepy-eyed and wearing his nightgown.

“I can’t be Fae. I don’t have any magic, and I don’t even look like you. I don’t have your bright hair or your shining eyes. I have human features,” Mad said.

Elora laughed. It was strange, like she didn't do it often, but she waved her hand and a mirror appeared in front of Mad. In the mirror, there was a girl. She was about Mad’s height and weight, but her posture was more graceful, her skin was healthier-looking, pale like Mad’s skin but with a faint glow. And then Mad fixated her eyes on the girl’s face and gasped. Her face was the face of a goddess. She had big honey-colored eyes with specks of green, a full rose mouth, and long straight shining red hair.

Mad took a step back, and the girl in the mirror also took a step back. Mad lifted her hand and touched her face; the girl did the same. It couldn't be her, could it? Sure, they shared some similar features, but she wasn't that stunning. She was still gaping at her reflection when Elora said, “You had a spell dimming your appearance, so you would blend in more easily. We also have spells on us now, but not one as strong as the one on you. This mirror allows you to see your true self.”

And when Elora said that, Mad tucked her hair behind her ear, allowing her to see her true ear for the first time. It was longer and more slender than a human ear, and it glowed, like it was made of iridescent starlight. Mad had never seen anything like it.

When Mad finally took her eyes away from the mirror, she saw they were all staring at her with different expressions. Her mom and Vougan seemed hopeful, Skyler seemed awestruck, Boyd seemed tired, and Elora seemed to be expecting something to happen. Mad made an uncomfortable sound and sat at the table.

“I don’t even know what to say. It’s just so much information, so much change all at once. But I want to say that I don’t blame you, mom, or any of you, for keeping this from me. I just need you to promise to tell everything to me now, no more secrets.”

Her mom and Vougan sighed with relief, and Elora gave her an approving smile. Vougan made a plate of bread, cheese, and eggs appear in front of her and said, “You should eat something, because there’s a whole lot more we need to tell you.”

Mad began eating, and Vougan resumed speaking. He explained that Mad's powers would begin to manifest anytime now, and she had to learn how to manage them. Otherwise, they could manifest unexpectedly in front of humans, revealing her true identity. Some powers could even be dangerous, potentially causing harm or death. If she inherited such powers, she would require special training.

Vougan assured her that there would be time to delve into the specifics of magic and power later. Currently, all Fae and some half-Fae could perform simple tasks like making objects appear or disappear, opening doors, levitating objects, or flying. However, some individuals possessed deeper connections to magic, allowing them to control elements like water, ice, wind, lightning, and fire. This level of power could be hazardous. Vougan also explained that while some people had only a small amount of elemental magic, others possessed vast reservoirs of it. He noted that Mad's father had been the most powerful Fae of his generation.

Mad's expression tightened at this, but Vougan reassured her in a soothing tone that, being only half-Fae, she likely possessed only standard magical abilities. While her mother seemed relieved, Mad couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness. Controlling the wind or rain would have been truly remarkable, but she supposed any magic would be exciting, considering she had believed herself to be a human girl with no magical abilities at all just a minute before.

Mad wasn’t sure how much more news she could take, but she knew she had to know everything, so she let Vougan talk without interruption. He had just launched into an extensive explanation about the Fae kingdom when Elora sighed and interjected, "Vougan, you're going to drive Mad insane with all that talk. Let's skip to what really matters for now; she will have time to learn everything once she's settled at the school."

This prompted Mad to ask, "What school?" Catching her mother's guilty glance, she waited for Skyler to respond.

"The Nebulus School of Magic and Power. That's where our people go to study and learn about their magical abilities and how to control them. Since we're both turning fifteen this year, that means we're old enough to go."

At that, Mad exclaimed, "But I don't have any powers yet!"

"You don't have to worry about it," Elora reassured her. "As your father's daughter, you're bound to have magic, and the school accepts non-magical half-Fae as well. They have a place in our world too," she added, pursing her lips almost imperceptibly.

Mad didn’t have time to wonder about Elora's expression or digest the information about the school for Fae people as the adults began discussing dates, logistics, and names she had never heard before. She allowed her mind to wander until her mother announced, "It's settled then; you will leave in two days' time."