The Voice of the Dead

Lea's story

*Lea POV*

"I was born in a pack that merged with sorcerers coven, my mother was… is, Alpha's direct advisor, a position that helps as much authority as Beta, maybe even a little higher. My father died when I was six. I woke up my first element early, and after a few years of intense training, my second element woke up as well. Before my 14th birthday."

"Isn't that… early? I'm sorry, I don't know much about your gift, but is it normal?" Persephone alsed Asteria and my adoptive mom sighed and shook her head.

"No, it's not. Usually kids get their element at around 10 and if their aura is strong enough, the second element may start to develop slowly and show itself later in teenagehood, like 16 or 17. I designed it that way to prevent what happened to Lea, but through excessive training and working specifically towards waking up the second one, it can happen early. Unfortunately."

"Unforgivable." Hades muttered. "Forcing children to work over their strength for what? Pleasing your ego? To show others how skilled a child you have. People like this have a special place after they die."

Alex nodded with a huf.

"I agree on that."

Asteria grabbed my hand on the table and squeezed lightly, encouraging me to continue.

"I started to hear the voices in my head around the same time I discovered my first element. I… I was really scared, I couldn't understand what that was, I had no idea it's a gift. I was also too terrified to tell my mother, she hated anything that was different. She even despised my hair color, because I didn't he's brown hair like she does, but red like my father's."

Persephone frowned, her green eyes got a little darker.

"That's not right. My gift should also develop much later. I'm not that out of touch with humans to torment small children with this gift. I know it should take time to understand it, that's why I never wished for a child to awaken it."

"Huh." Asteria also frowned, her eyes squinted. "When Lea first told us about the fact she can hear spirits, I knew right away that it was a gift from you, but I also found it weird that she already had it. Lea is a very special, pure soul so I just assumed it was because of that."

I smiled at her, happy that she thinks of me that warmly.

"On my birthday I finally had enough of not understanding what is wrong with me and I told my only friend, Penny. She is two years older than me and I thought that she may help me and that I could entrust her with my secret, but … I was quickly proved wrong. A day after my 14th birthday, a young Alpha had his and a big celebration was held." I picked up the story, my breathing starting to speed up. "He was turning 15 and he was Penny's biggest crush. She was telling me constantly how she is sure that they are mates and that she can't wait for him to realize that as well. Well, during a bonfire, as I danced with Penny, to my mother's disapproval, the young Alpha approached us. I thought he wanted to dance with my friend, but he asked me instead. I tried to politely decline but he didn't listen and he kissed me. It was just a peck and I shoved him away immediately but Penny saw that and was furious. She yelled at me that I'm trying to take her mate away from her. I tried to explain that I didn't want it but she just left, angry."

"No one should ever put their hands on you without your consent." Horatio said, looking at me with sympathy in his eyes. But I could see that he was angry.

I nodded with a smile and mouthed "I know".

"I thought that Penny will sleep it off and that we can talk the next day but I was wrong again. Early in the morning I was ambushed by the Alpha and my mother. Penny went to Alpha and accused me of baking a necromant."

A smoke started to flicker around Hades, his face angry. Persephone wasn't smiling anymore either but looked at me with shock.

"They believed her and started to question me. I caved and admitted that I hear voices of the dead but I promised them that I'm not a necromant, but they didn't believe me. Both Alpha and my mother decided to banish me, saying that my position and age saved me from being executed, as necromancy is a dead sentence." I finished hanging my head.

"What?!" Persephone stood up abruptly, the chair landed a good few meters from her. "They accused you of necromancy?! How in all hells did they get that idea?!"

Hades also stood up and started to walk around the room, smoke following him while getting thicker and darker. Horatio and Darius looked at me in shock, their own aura getting gloomier and heavier. Especially Horatio's, his eyes even turned their color to red.

"Anyone from the supernatural world, Vampyrs, shifters, witches and especially sorcerers can spot a necromant with their eyes closed. That wasn't a mistake. They knowingly and deliberately banished a child for a false claim of necromancy." Asteria said, her own eyes flickered as he held my hand with her left one and Alex's with her right one, trying to contain his shift.

Perspephone's hair started to burn, with an actual fire!

I shyly pointed towards it, my mouth opened, not knowing what to say.

She looked up and finally smiled at me, giggling a little.

"Oh, don't worry, sunshine. They do that when I'm very angry." She shook her head and the fire died down, her hair still perfect.

"You left that pack then?" She asked, sitting down as Hades brought back her chair.

He put a small kiss on her forehead and sat next to her, still without a word.

"Yes. I thought I could seek shelter in another, nearby pack or coven, but they must've contacted them so no one was willing to accept me. Then I started to hear this one particular voice. I was still in denial, not knowing what it actually is, the voices that I'm hearing. I tried to push it back, like I did for years but this person was persistent. This soul was encouraging me, not letting me give up and he was pointing me to go towards Alex's and Asteria's pack. So I tried to keep going. But it was far away, I nearly lost hope and when I got attacked by the rogue, I thought I'm not going to make it. But Asteria and Jonathan showed up and saved me. Then Alex and Selene appeared and they took me to their pack, where they took care of me." I ended with a small smile and felt a tear leaving my eye. Asteria wiped it off and kissed my temple, bringing me closer to her, hugging me.

"Lea is our daughter, we have decided to adopt her and give her our name. We want her to have a normal childhood, finally." Alex said and I felt the warmth of his words spreading through me.

"This pack, you were born in…" Hades started, looking from me to Alex. "Have they suffered the consequences? I'm not going to lie. I have every intention to wipe them off, if they weren't already."

"I never told anyone the name of the pack. I didn't want Alex to hurt them." I said.

"Oh, it wouldn't be just Alex." Asteria grinned maliciously and I had a shiver run down my spine.

Mama bear mode Asteria is scary.

"If you ever find out." Hades looked at Alex with raised eyebrow. "Let Horatio know, he will deliver the message to me and I will happily join you."

"I surely do. I don't think they ever saw a primal demon, I'll make sure they will." H said with a toothy grin.

Darius nodded and all four men were grinning to each other manically. Plotting, what seems to look like, a m*********r. Probably preceded by elaborate tortures.

Persephone was looking at me with sadness.

"I've never wanted anyone to suffer because of my gift. I always wanted it to be special. I know for a fact that hundreds of years ago, soul-speakers were treated with the utmost respect, worshipped by everyone as they were the only ones who could console the dead ones. I had no idea that it could bring suffering. I'm so sorry, Lea."

I shook my head violently.

"I admit, I was scared but it's not the gift's fault. If my mother were more approachable, I would talk to her about it and if she was different, she would probably steer me to understanding. When Asteria explained to me what your gift truly ment, I realized how important and beautiful it is. I'm proud to be chosen by you to carry it and I want to understand it better, and do what you wanted the gifted ones to do. O want to help the lost souls. I want to learn how to use it." I said sincerely.

Persephone looked at me, blinking. She finally smiled and said.

"You are way too mature for your age, Lea but okay. I will teach you, but not now. Your parents are right, you need your childhood back. I'll mute your gift for two years and after you reach sixteen, I'll teach you how to control it. How does it sound?"

I looked at Alex and then Asteria and they both were smiling, nodding slightly.

"Okay. Thank you. I will be happy to learn, but…" I stopped fiddling with my fingers. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Hades chuckled and his wife nodded with a wide smile.

"Anything you want."

"Can I at least meet the soul that kept pointing me towards my parents? I want to thank this person, whoever he is. And I want to know how to help him move on."

Hades and Persephone exchanged looks, both of them surprised.

"Of course. You have a good heart Lea, and the purest soul I've ever seen. We will bring you to him." The Queen of the underworld said and stood up, her husband followed.

"Do you know who he is?" I asked, jumping on my feet.

"I can sense the spirit that contacted you." Hades answered and motioned me to follow.

We left the palace and after a long walkę, all of us reached a river.

"That is Styx. It flows all around the afterworld, bringing people to their destined eternal home. Usually the spirits of those who can't move on, stay around its shore." The Dark Lord explained, looking around.

Out of the sea of souls, one person emerged, walking towards us.

Tall, handsome, ginger man with green eyes and tired smile.

My eyes kept getting bigger as I started to recognize him, my memories of him were blurry but I knew who he was.

I covered my mouth and felt tears falling down my eyes.

He stood in front of us and looked straight at me.

"Hi, my little Lea." He said, his voice instantly triggering all the good memories of him.

The only happy memories of my childhood.

"Father?" I simply asked and run into his arms.