Fated | The Heir of the She-Wolf

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

[Eleanor]

I woke up feeling better than ever. My eyes opened I looked around trying to figure out where I was. Was yesterday just a dream? Did I really feed on Valerio?

I pulled myself up and I gasped as I realized I was indeed in Valerio’s room, his clothes from yesterday placed on the back of a chair by the window. And I was in his bed, what the f**k?!

I got up from the bed and walked over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. When I returned, I opened my luggage bag and took out a new pair of jeans and my favourite dark red pullover. Getting dressed, I looked at the clock – it was almost six in the afternoon. I must have slept like eleven, twelve hours. Valerio was nowhere to be found and I walked out of the room.

Going to the ground floor, I reached the reception and asked the same girl from this morning if she had seen Austin.

“He must have checked in around noon? Tall, dark hair, his last name is Robertson.”, I explained quickly to the girl and tried dialing Austin again but he was not picking up.

“Yes, he checked in today. He asked me to tell you to meet him in the library when you wake up.”

“And where is the library?”

……

I stepped into the chilly November day and started walking towards the library, following the directions the receptionist had given me. The settlement itself was a small coquette village with no more than a thousand members. Despite its small size and the now almost empty streets, I could see it was usually full of life.

I walked and reached the small square in the centre of the village surrounded by a park on the right and a single floor long building with all sorts of shops on the left. There was a bakery, a restaurant, clothing stores, a mechanic store, a café with tables outside overlooking the square and the park. The library I was headed to was on my front and I crossed the square making my way past several people who stared at me. My eyes were now back to their green colour so what the hell were they looking at?

I climbed the few steps leading to the library’s front and only entrance and pulled the door to walk in. I was stopped at my tracks at the sound of Valerio’s and Austin’s voices. They were talking to several other people I didn’t know and had never met.

I walked in and followed the sound of the voices to the main reading area placed in the center of the library and surrounded by shelves of books.

Valerio and Austin both looked up in my direction and Austin cut the distance between us, placing a quick kiss on my lips and turning to face the other men while his hand was on my waist.

“Here she is. Eleanor, this is Olivier, the settlement’s leader.”, Austin pointed to a man in his late thirties who nodded at me. “And this is Alejandro, Olivier’s second.” My eyes met those of another Triad who extended his hand to shake mine.

“Um… Hi. I was told you asked me to meet you here.”, I looked at Austin.

“Yes.”, Valerio said and gestured for me to come closer. He looked unhappy and stiff. Was it because we were so close and I fed on him this morning?

I walked over to him and sat on the chair in front of him he pulled out for me. Confused, I looked at him and then at Austin.

“What is going on? Why are you all so tense?”

Valerio took in a deep breath.

“This settlement was attacked yesterday evening by two powerful Magi. Everyone is safe and Olivier and Alejandro managed to injure one of the Magi, forcing them to flee before completing the attack.”

“Okay… I guess that’s good, right?”, I asked still baffled as to why I was called here in the first place.

“Two kids were injured during the fight between Olivier, Alejandro and the Magi. We will need your help as our strongest sorcerer to heal them.”, Valerio continued.

“Me? Why not a Magus? Clara Ducray can perform more powerful spells than me, I am sure of that.”, I argued.

I wanted to help, I really did, especially after hearing it was children who got hurt. But I was doubtful I was the right person to intervene, what if I messed something up?

“Clara has observed your sorcerer abilities during the past month. She is confident you are strong, maybe stronger than you know.”, Valerio explained and I remembered all the little or not so little spells I showed Vanessa and Austin in our breaks during the trainings.

“Okay… I would be happy to help any way I can.”, I replied although a feeling was settling in that the bad news were not over.

“There is more.”, Valerio said and walked over to Olivier.

“Praeterita revelare. Permitte mihi vedere quod vidi.", Valerio whispered barely audibly. Reveal the past and let me see what you saw? I had never heard of this spell before.

It was my first time seeing him perform magic and the view was both exciting and impressive.

“Eleanor, empower the spell.”, Valerio ordered me as a gush of silver energy poured from Olivier’s eyes and settled in the air between him and Valerio.

“Incrementum.”, I said and the silver strands moved and swirled in the air. They slowly started forming… faces? I had never seen anything like this before. My surprise was replaced with shock as the silver strands stopped moving and steadied in the space between us.  I gasped and could not believe it.

“But… these are my parents!”