“Maxz… Maxz… Wake up, Baby!” A soft voice kept on calling Maxz.
Maxz knew who was the owner of the voice, so she slowly opened her eyes. A blurry image of a woman she loved was the first thing she saw.
She was dreaming again!
“It’s been three months since I last saw you.” Maxz hugged her in excitement, and added, “Where did you go? Why didn't you show up these past few months? I miss you, you know.”
“I am sorry. I drained my power the last time we talked, so I need to replenish it.” Sadness was evident in her voice. Maxz felt guilty because she was supposed to ask her how she was, but she was mad for not seeing her.
“I am sorry, too. I just got mad without knowing anything at first.” Maxz hugged her tighter, not letting her go.
“It’s fine. I know how you feel because we’re connected.” The woman hugged Maxz the same way she did. Maxz closed her eyes, savoring the feeling.
“My Queen, I don’t know if I have to tell you this, but I am near my dying age.” Maxz was serious.
Maxz was only half-alien because her other mother was a werewolf—a Lycan. Her parents were Cassandra, the Lycan, and Fara, the Alien. Even having only half of the alien blood, their beliefs and traditions still applied to her.
On her twenty-second birthday, if she’s not mated yet, she will die. Among all her siblings, she was the only one who was not mated and everyone hoped for her not to die.
Aliens only mate with their destined ones because they’re the only ones who can stop death from happening. This is also the reason why the people in Fraez almost went to extinction. Men were left behind until their God gave them a second chance to reproduce when intersex was born in their people.
But this chance has its price. That is, they can only reproduce with their mates, which previously it was possible for other people if they wanted. Also, it will happen every three years, no more, no less. Their children will receive their power according to their birth, whether it is fire, water, earth, wind, or mind power.
Maxz was one of those who received all of this power for being the youngest of the seven children. But she also encountered a complication because of being born a woman to a race of men and intersex.
“It means that you have to find me now. I, myself, also have a problem. I am powerless now, that's why I couldn’t contact you. This is my last chance, so please listen carefully.” Maxz’s eyes got wider and she sat up straight.
“What is it?”
“You have to find me. All I can give you is a clue.” She recited a riddle that Maxz couldn’t understand but memorized.
‘Under the water, under the land,
Where in the center, four walls stand
In the dark, glowing flowers surrounding the ground
Where I am peacefully lying down.’
“Only that? No other clue?” Maxz didn’t have any idea how to do that. “If only I could touch you, I could see where you are,” she thought. For her, with just a small touch of skin, she can see the past of that person.
“That’s all I can give you.” Maxz felt a touch on her face, so she closed her eyes to savor it. But it didn’t last long because a cold wind blew on them.
Maxz opened her eyes, and gold eyes stared back at her. Her eyes got bigger in astonishment and she felt excited. For the first time, she saw even one of the characteristics of her mate.
“Baby,” she said, then stopped. She didn’t know what to say, but the woman could see how happy she was.
“Maxz, this is the last time you will see me in your dream. I will be waiting for you there, Baby. Please, look for me.” Maxz felt soft lips on hers and then everything was covered in darkness.
Maxz woke herself up. She was in a daze for a few seconds before she blinked her eyes. She missed those lips, even just in dreams.
She already had a night with her, but it was months before she experienced it again. Just a kiss, but it already gave her courage to face it, to look for her.
She stayed lying down while thinking about what she would do next. She didn’t have any idea who and where she was. Also, she didn’t know about this riddle.
Where could she find the clue about it, she thought.
‘Knock! Knock!’
A knock on the door woke her up from her daze. She looked at the door, waiting for whoever was there to talk.
“Maxz, breakfast is ready. Mom said we should eat together,” said Laxy, Maxz’s twin. She looked like Maxz except for her eye color. Maxz has ocean blue-green on the left and violet on the right, while Laxy has it in reverse.
“Okay. I’ll follow,” Maxz softly said.
“Okay,” replied Laxy and left.
Maxz used her power to float herself to go into her wheelchair. She’s been crippled since she was born. It was the side effect of being a woman. She accepted it and it never became a hindrance for her to achieve what she wanted. She trained herself to be powerful.
She's a successful businesswoman at the age of twenty-one in the human world, while she's one of the most powerful creatures in the supernatural. Many respected her and loved her the way she was.
She rolled the wheelchair to the bathroom. There, she did her routine and when she was done, she rolled it again. She changed her clothes with just a snap of her finger. She didn’t have magic to do that, but it was because of the necklace given by her best friend, Sky.
With the help of her power, she went downstairs safely. She could already hear the noises coming from the dining area. All of her family members for sure were already there.
When she got there, a woman with green eyes stood up and pushed her in. Maxz smiled at everyone.
“Good morning!” She greeted them.
“Good morning!” They greeted her back with a smile. You couldn’t see any pity nor sadness when they looked at her, but it was all just love. They talked to her normally like they did to other people.
“How are you?” asked Sky, her best friend, and sister-in-law. Sky’s mate was her sister, Laxy.
“I'm fine.” Maxz smiled. Everyone could see that she was really happy, especially her best friend.
“Did you have a dream again?”
“Yeah,” she answered with a nod.
“That's why you’re shining so bright that it hurts my eyes. I guess someone had a night with her mate,” Sky teased her. Maxz just laughed before shaking her head.
“We didn’t do that. She just told me about something.” Her mom put food on her plate and interrupted her. “Thanks, Mom!”
“You’re welcome.” Cassandra was a really attentive and loving mother, especially to her youngest.
Fara, her other mother, was seated at the head of the table, facing Sarah on the other side. Sarah was a vampire who was married to a witch and Sky's other mother.
It was Sunday and the whole family gathered together to have family time. Not all of them came because some were busy. Only Sky’s family always joined them, sometimes Andrea and Andrew's too. They’re co-workers and best friends of Cassandra's, and Andrea was Fara’s sister-in-law.
Cassandra was an orphaned werewolf until she met Andrea and Andrew. With their help, slowly she coped up with all the touchstones that happened in her life. Along the way, she met her family too; her uncle, who was an Elder of the Werewolf, and her cousin.
She joined an organization that helped werewolves like her who were in need. In the organization, the twins meet their mates. They also got a child that made her envious. She was rejected and didn't know if she had a second chance.
But on one of her missions, she met Fara. She almost lost her too, but she became brave and took her back. Now, they have nine children, seven blood-related and two adopted.
Twins Gale and Hale, Iane, Jaco, Kali, and another twin, Laxy and Maxz. Their names were in alphabetical order because of Fara’s tradition. They have two adopted daughters, two dragons named Faith and Cecilia.
They loved their children to the bone and they would do anything to help them.
Cassandra attended to all her children’s needs while Fara trained them. Cassy’s strict but Fara was stricter. However, Fara was more fun to be with than Cassandra, who was a worrywart.
That Sunday, Iane was the only one absent of all their children. He’s still in Fraez along with his mate. He chose to stay there for a while to study about the planet and find out about his ancestors.
“Where are your twins, Sky?” asked Maxz when she didn’t see her nephews.
“They’re with Cloud. Cloud can’t travel too much now. Her stomach was too big and her pregnancy was a little difficult.” Cloud was Sky’s twin and the other mate of Laxy. She was pregnant with their third son.
“Oh, right! Only a month or two, another nephew will be born.” Maxz was happy knowing she would have another nephew to be spoiled. “Where’s Light, Big Sister Cecelia?” She looked at the woman sitting in her front.
“She’s not feeling well so we left her. She really wants to come here but it is impossible.” Maxz nodded in understanding.
Cecelia was married to a Fairy Princess and now Queen, Lily. They only have one daughter, Light, whom they really love so much. But she had a weak body, so she was always sick.
Jaco’s mate was human and had one child. While Kali’s mate was her sister Faith, they had three naughty children. Even though they're naughty, they were also afraid of Fara, so they’re well-behaved children right at the moment.
“Here, I know you like it.” A fried shrimp was put on her plate.
“Thanks, Big Brother Gale.” Maxz ate it with gusto.
Everyone was talking about everything and Maxz chose to listen to them. Sometimes she joined when she knew what they were talking about.
“Marie, did you finish your assignments?” Fara asked a child, but older than Cassandra in real age if she had just grown older.
“Yeah. I finished it before coming here.” She just looked up in a second before continuing eating or drinking. She can’t consume more human food because it can cause food poisoning to her.
“Good. You have a one-week break.”
Marie grinned and said, “Thank you, Dada.” She was happy because she could go hunting.
Fara nodded before turning her gaze to Maxz. “Maxz, you are near the age. Any news?”
Maxz stopped eating when she heard it. She was really in need now, and she planned to ask them for help. Maybe she can open it up to them.
“Yes. You are near your twenty-second birthday. We can’t turn back time, so you need to look for your mate.” Worry was visible on Cassandra’s face.
Everyone stopped moving their utensils and worriedly looked at the youngest daughter of the Knight Family. Everyone loved her, so they were also afraid that something would happen to her.
“Yeah, tell us if you need anything. We are always here to help you. You know that,” said Hale.
“Can we talk about it later? Actually, I wanted to share it with you. I know you can help me.” Maxz looked at everyone inside the dining area. Even the kids listened to her.
“Okay. We will discuss it later. Let's enjoy the food first.” Fara pointed out the food that was served on the table. Cassandra prepared all of them, so she didn’t want to waste them.
They ate it all and when they were done, they let the kids clean up the table. Everyone was independent and taught to be that way. Even though they were naughty, they were also responsible.
They all went inside the study room. Fara sat on the head with Sarah on her left and Cassandra on the right. Others sat or stood wherever they wanted and looked at Maxz, waiting for what she would say.
“She didn't say anything, just a riddle about where I could find her. Last night will be the last time I will see her in my dreams, because she has already used up all her strength. She’s weaker now as we speak,” she explained.
“What’s the riddle?” Claire, Sarah’s wife, asked.
“It goes this way…” then she told them the riddle she memorized. Everyone listened carefully and repeated it inside their heads, not finding any clue.
Everyone thought for a while before Sky said her assumption, “Maybe she’s underground.”
“Yeah. Maybe a hidden city?” Marie said too.
“What? Where did you get that idea?” Gale playfully choked Marie with his arm.
“Big Uncle!” Marie complained and forcefully removed his arm. She pouted and said, “Maybe an abandoned city. Duh!” She rolled her eyes, which made everyone laugh.
“Okay. Stop it, kids!” Fara restrained them. “Maybe Sky and Marie are right. But how do we find it?”
“Did you see anything that might help us?” Sky asked.
Maxz thought for a while before answering, “For the first time, I saw her gold eyes.” They were astonished when they heard it.
“Really?”
“Yeah. That was my first time seeing it, especially for a vampire. I have known since then that she’s a vampire, but I never saw a vampire with golden eyes.” They also never knew about that.
“Maybe I can ask Uncle Marcos or the other Elders if they know anything about that.” They all agreed with Cassandra. They're the oldest ones here, so they might know one or two.
“Wait!” They all looked at Sky when she suddenly interrupted them. “Did you say a vampire with a golden eye?”
“Yeah. Have you seen it?” Maxz was so eager to know if there was a chance Sky knew about her.
“I saw those golden eyes once—in the Abyss.” The study room became quiet when they heard the name of the place. Every creature was afraid of going there because it was the realm of all monsters.
“How?”
“When I met Mrs. S, I saw her eyes. But her other eyes were soft red with gold. After going home, I did some research about them.” She looked at her parents then continued, “But I couldn't find any record of them. But I read some papers saying that the last Pureblood Vampires Queen burned all the documents regarding them. I don’t know if it is true, but maybe.”
“Who's Mrs. S?” Sarah asked her.
“She stands as the Queen of the Abyss," Cassandra answered.
“What? Did she hurt you?” Everyone looked at Sky.
“No. Because we’re blood-related.” She was hiding it, but maybe the time was right to share it with them.
“What are you talking about?” Confusion was written on the face of Sarah.
“She’s my great-great-grandmother. She saved me when I was near death. She’s the reason why I am still alive. She also trained me when I was there.”
They couldn’t believe what they heard. But there’s also no reason for them not to believe and no reason for Sky to lie.
“Then, what is her relationship with my mate?” Maxz couldn’t wait much longer.
“According to her stories, she has one sister and one brother. Does your mate only have one golden eye?” Sky leaned on her chair and looked at her best friend.
Maxz thought for a while and remembered her eye color. “I only saw one of her eyes but in the center, if I am not mistaken, there’s a black ring on it.”
“She’s not Mrs. S, then she’s the younger sister. According to her, after their parents’ death, her sister chose to be a doctor and Mrs. S became the Queen. While the brother was greedy, he wanted to kill his sister to take the throne. The younger sister came and helped her but got killed. Mrs. S loved her sister so much that she offered herself to Satan in exchange for her sister’s life. After that, she didn’t know what happened to her sister. She was taken by Satan and just thrown into the Abyss after being used.”
Different scenarios played inside their heads. Maybe she was buried or she hid. They don’t know.
They thought for a while, maybe they could find another clue but they couldn’t think of anything. All they knew was she might be underground.
“Thank you, Sky. It’s a big help. But, do you know their names?” Others were curious too, along with Maxz.
“I know the name of Mrs. S but I can’t say it. But their last name is Alexandrinus.” She turned to Sarah. “Mom, we are also Alexandrinus. That’s why when we are in our vampire form, a spec of gold can be seen in our eyes.” Sarah was flabbergasted that she needed to digest it all first. It was the first time she knew about their origin.
“Alexandrinus…” Maxz tried speaking. She smiled because, for the first time, she knew something about her mate’s name. Even though she didn’t know where she was, at least she had gathered something.
“Okay. Now we know a little information. Please, ask your elders if they have any knowledge about it. Please, pass us the words if you heard anything.” Fara will do anything for her child. She’s not like those who always ask for help. As long as she can do it, she will do it alone. But now, she’s powerless and needs help.
“Okay. We will tell you about it,” Claire affirmed, because Sarah was still in a daze.
“I will ask the Elders later,” said Cassandra.
“I will ask everyone in our kingdom, too,” said Lily, softly.
“I will ask the Princess of the Vampire Clan if they have any information regarding this.” Maxz, Sky, and Laxy were acquainted with the Princess. They became schoolmates and they do missions together because the Princess’ mate was their friend and comrade.
“Okay. It will be a big help if you have any news. Hope, we will get some information.” Cassandra looked at her daughter.
It was the first time she felt powerless, along with her wife. Everything can’t be solved by just force. Sometimes, faith plays with it.
No one knows what will happen next. But for sure, they will help Maxz to get her destined one. For Maxz not to die and experience love everyone was experiencing at the moment.