Losing The Light Of The Moon

The Heart Of A Pint-Sized Pixie

Chapter 37: The Heart Of A Pint-Sized Pixie, Part I

JACE

As Lorenzo seemed to become uncharacteristically emotional as he began the story of Mother’s return, leading Soren to speak up, the deeply creased lids around his blue eyes narrowing as he soberly stated, “We evacuated the field while each of The Council members took a group of our warriors towards the forest, becoming mere spectators ourselves when we arrived.”

Aunt Persephone frighteningly relayed, “The Chosen five had destroyed the trees we were using as shields. The green explosion was Tati’s protection shield that she threw out to protect Reina and I from the falling timber and the immediate deadly force of power barreling towards us...it all happened so fast, I’m still amazed she managed to accomplish it.”

“But accomplish it, our extraordinary littlest sister did,” Aunt Reina breathed out in wonder, “and with such perfection that their strikes ricocheted off it, hitting The Chosen five with their own attack, sending them all flying into the trees behind them. Persephone and I were left stunned, frantically trying to find our protector, but saw nothing until they appeared...the first time we experienced the beauty of those snakes.”

“The cobras slithered out from our shield before plunging forward towards Frieda and the others,” Aunt Persephone exhaled out in amazement, “They immediately hit their mark with Frieda and Nimue, wrapping around them tight, leaving them stunned and raving mad, unable to move—but the triplets had eagle-eyes. I saw their fatal gazes when they finally spotted her, disappearing just before the snakes reached them.”

Even now, Aunt Reina’s fear at that moment was reflected in her voice, “Persephone and I turned just as the triplets reappeared in front of a dark thicket and although she was covered head to toe in her long, tiny black cloak, we knew it was her—we knew it was our Tati.”  

“We, however, could not see her,” Soren dauntingly reflected, “all we saw at that moment were Desmona, Medea, and Oratia infuriatingly throwing their strikes into the thicket only to have them deflected into the air before three shimmering snakes appeared out of nowhere. They were swallowed whole by the cobras, rendering the sisters immobile as each of the snakes twisted into a coil, suffocating them before spitting them back out in a cloud of green venom, slamming them into large oak trees—dead when they hit the ground.”

“It was a dominating battle that only lasted mere minutes, but took our breath away,” Lorenzo reverently stated, “But before we could fully react to what we witnessed, The Council shockingly found ourselves sitting in our chairs at court with Frieda, Nimue, Persephone, and Reina standing before us and Soren and my Father standing behind us.”

“Reina and I were beside ourselves,” Aunt Persephone desperately stated, “We were so anxious to see Tati. But before she appeared, Tati warned us to not move and remain silent until she could explain everything first. Just her tone alone was enough for us not to question it, she sounded exactly like our mother—”  Her brown eyes and tone full of shame, she murmured, “but we also knew why we were there—we had full knowledge of the planned attack.”

Soren looked over at me, gruffly stating, “Frieda and Nimue were in shackles and gagged, while Tati had Persephone and Reina remain free of any restraints.”

After a slight pause, Soren’s tension seemed to ease slightly as he half-smiled, “We were all looking around at one another dumbfounded—and then this diminutive figure appeared before us in the middle of the room, hidden underneath a hooded black cloak, leaving us even more confused.”

Lorenzo laughed under his breath before humorously continuing, “Father was standing behind me—overwhelmingly astounded as we all were. He called out to Tati, who pulled back her hood straightaway, revealing herself to us, beaming up at my father with her brilliant white smile.”

Shaking his head slightly from side to side, Lorenzo amusingly continued, “Father always handled his business with Mago privately, so I had never seen Tati before that day. I immediately blurted out that there was no way she was responsible for what happened in the forest, only to be proven wrong directly after when Tati extended her hands out and covered the entire floor with her cobras, two of which lifted her up until she was eye level with us, dropping every one of our jaws in the process.”

Soren’s eyes grew wide as he looked at me again, unevenly breathing out, “Please don’t take offense to this Jace, but even with that sweet smile of hers, that pint-sized pixie that you call Mother was intimidating as HELL! She still is, truthfully...in fact, as I think about it now, I’m a little concerned that by sending Nicholas and Beast, we may have provoked her—it’s typically in one’s best interest not to do that with your mother!”

After our laughter died down, Lorenzo smiled warmly, “The power she had at her young age was indeed as unforgettable as her size—Tati was the tiniest thing I had ever seen—even at ten—with big sparkling brown and hazel eyes and a head full of blonde ringlets. She got rid of the other snakes except for those two, sweetly greeting Father and Nigel before apologizing profusely for what she had to do in the forest, saying she had no choice, too many lives were at stake, especially Nigel and Soren’s.”

The Council asked Mother to explain what happened in the forest and she did—with poise and confidence, Mother calmly and intelligently articulated The Chosen five’s plan for the demonstration and everything that happened in the forest. They were all outraged when she finished—as were Frieda and Nimue, while my aunts were anxious and distraught. Soloman kindly asked Mother to allow Frieda and Nimue to speak, which she immediately complied with, removing their gags. 

Frieda and Nimue furiously defended themselves, telling The Council that Mother was lying, wickedly setting them up because of lies told to her by Vesta.  They stated Mother was the one who found out about the demonstration and contacted her sisters, telling them she was ready to talk about returning home. According to them, she insisted that the meeting take place in the forest for a reason—so she could utilize it as a back-up in her plan should Mother fail in her true mission—to kill The Chosen five after shielding her sisters—claiming they were the victims. 

They declared that the plan Mother described was fabricated. The Council would find no proof of any wrongdoing on their part, but they feared that as desperate as Persephone and Reina had been to find their sister for two years, they would lie to save her. Stating they realized it was their words against Mother’s, who was a child, Frieda and Nimue reiterated their innocence, but pointed out that Mother, while misguided, was a murderer, and The Council had seen her crime with their own eyes.  

My aunts immediately began disputing the claims, only to have Mother hold her hand up to silence them before tranquilly asking The Council if they would like to hear the actual truth and finally have their suspicions about The Chosen confirmed. Of course, they said yes, then found themselves humored once more when Mother politely asked if she could use her snakes, stating that if they bothered them, she could figure out something else.

After being told she could proceed in whatever way she chose, Mother sent two cobras towards Frieda and Nimue, who loudly protested in response. As The Council watched with great anticipation, the snakes spewed venom at their faces, immediately sending the two Chosen leaders into a wide-eyed daze. Mother told the Council members they could ask anything they wished, and the truth would be told—and they did—confirming their suspicions, as Frieda and Nimue gave detailed confessions of every crime The Council had suspected their involvement in...and then some.  

While The Council sat in stunned disbelief at what Mother had accomplished, she courteously requested that she have her turn with Frieda so that her sisters’ actions with regards to the planned attack could be better understood. Her wish was granted and soon, the full story of Frieda’s destruction of their family, reasons, and intentions were made known. Once they were released from her spell and realized what she had done, Frieda and Nimue solidified their guilt—threatening my mother’s life—only to be silenced as Mother gagged them again.

Following that, it was Mother who was asking for mercy—for my aunts.  She earnestly stated that she understood her sisters had committed a crime with their involvement in the plans to kill Nigel and Soren, but that Frieda’s lies had driven their dark choices. And as The Council heard, they had no intention of taking part and were going to be killed by The Chosen five for that choice. 

Mother then diplomatically requested that her role in Frieda and Nimue’s capture be taken into consideration—she knew there would be bounties paid for her service, but she didn’t want it—all she wanted...was her sisters.  Mother gave her word to them, saying they had all paid a price for Frieda’s lies and she would make sure my aunts stayed on the right road if The Council would allow it. She also gave her word that if she was wrong, Mother would immediately turn them back over to The Council and they could do as they wished with her sisters—because she would want no part of them if that was the case. She amazed and impressed every Council member with how she carried herself in their courtroom that day, especially knowing that she was only ten years old...

“The last part was harsh and very hard for us to hear,” Aunt Persephone slowly drawled out, “Afterwards, Reina and I begged for mercy as well, taking responsibility for our actions and asking for atonement for our foolish choices.”

“Especially to Nigel and Soren,” Aunt Reina devastatingly added, “and after some discussion, we were granted immunity for our part and sternly told what we already knew—it was all thanks to our littlest sister.” 

“Father wanted Tati to come home with us,” Lorenzo thoughtfully stated, “He didn’t trust Persephone and Reina to care for her properly and still wanted to be her guardian. But Tati emphatically told him that they needed one another and, as she knew her sisters wouldn’t be accepted at Spirit Walker, she would remain with them to make sure they stayed out of trouble. Instead, Tati made him a promise—she would continue to bring Father his favorite cookies, visiting him three times a week for tea.”

Large tears fell from Aunt Persephone’s eyes as she dolefully said, “Tati took us back to the cottage after that. We immediately went to hug her, but she backed away from us—showing us how deeply we had fractured our relationship with her. She told Reina and I that she wasn’t ready to discuss everything just yet but had fixed up rooms for us and placed a spell on the cottage, not allowing us to leave. Tati said she had given her word to The Council and she was going to keep it, then she went to her room and locked the door.”

“It was two weeks before she came out, giving Persephone and I plenty of time to reflect on our actions, none of which we were proud of,” Aunt Reina grievously said, her own tears streaking down her face, “You all know Tati’s hugs—there is nothing like them in the world—but that’s not what we received that day. While the love was still there and she saved our lives, Tati was still incredibly hurt and it was quite some time before the trust returned and we were connected again as we are now. Even today, we don’t know much about the two years she spent alone there or how she managed to survive the way she did.”

Aunt Persephone looked down at her lap, nervously wringing her fingers as she despairingly said, “We’ve asked Tati about it many times over the years, but it seems to distress her so—even more than it distresses Reina and I to think about it—so we’ve never pressed too hard. We caused Tati enough pain and heartache...”  

Her words trailed off as my aunt’s dark eyes went distant for a moment—brought back by Artem, who hugged her close to him and lovingly kissed the side of her head. She looked up at him adoringly, silently nodding in return.

Ronan pulled Aunt Reina closer as she anxiously said, “Your aunt and I are both ashamed for failing Tati miserably for so long, but having her back in our lives gave us a purpose and helped us remember who we were and, most importantly, who we wanted to be inside. The power of three set us free thanks to Tati and Persephone and I were going to make sure we became whole again as sisters—no matter how long that took and what we had to do to prove to Tati that our hearts and our intent with our magic were good and true.”

“And it took a great deal of time,” Aunt Persephone uncomfortably breathed out, before a smile slowly crossed her face as she admiringly told us, “But eventually we did convince her and became closely connected once more—and that was when Tati revealed what she really meant by that little message of hers. The day she showed us how truly gifted and breathtakingly powerful my exquisite sister is—how powerful we all are—together.”

Aunt Reina smiled brightly, dreamily breathing out, “Tati shocked both Persephone and I by revealing what she had seen in one of her visions and had been working on in secret—the ability to harness all of our powers within her, bringing us together as one—the Power of Three—to protect ourselves and others when the need would arise—the sole purpose always being for the greater good of all.”

Looking over at Soren and Lorenzo, who grinned and nodded as she appreciatively added, “And fortunately, after several years and more private apologies, we were forgiven by all involved and able to build friendships that Persephone and I both cherish and treasure.”   

Her blue eyes nervously moving over to Altalune and Priscilla, her tone faltered slightly, “Though some have been a bit more difficult than others at times.”

“Any use of Tati’s powers or The Power of Three’s has to have that purpose, the main reason they stayed hidden,” Lorenzo respectfully stated, attempting to divert the instant tension, “An agreement Tati made with Soren and I—an agreement made with Aldric as well when they joined the Crescent Moons—but before they came here, from time to time, Soren and I would privately seek Tati’s assistance with more difficult matters.”

“Yes, they would, only neither of them wanted to say the incantation to bring her forth, so I would recite it,” Priscilla humorously drawled out, “Though I’m grateful for it now as it allowed us to build our own close connection.”  

Her expression changed to one of reverence as Priscilla looked up at Lorenzo, who warmly smiled at her before she turned to gaze at Alastor, quietly revealing, “In fact, Tati eventually helped me achieve the impossible—something that should have been impossible to do as I was of older age then—carry a child.” 

As we all did, Alastor’s face fell into one of stupefied disbelief as he inaudibly mumbled out, “S-She what?”

Before any other questions could be asked, however, our Luna breathlessly exclaimed in shock, “Priscilla! Why didn’t you tell me that the potion you gave me came from Tatiana?”

All our mouths were gaped open as we looked over to see Luna staring at her with tear-filled eyes as Priscilla soothingly replied, “Tati asked me not to when I asked if it was safe to give you, Aruna. She didn’t feel it was necessary. But now that you know, I will confess that what I gave you wasn’t a left over potion. Tati specifically designed it for you.”

The moisture fell from their confinement, tears streaming down Luna’s face as she emotionally choked out, “She—I—I can’t BELIEVE that I’ve never known! Tati is the reason Aldric and I were able to have our Nicholas!”

“Well, the pressure is off us now,” Soren humorously chuckled, “Priscilla may have just out-provoked us all with that little revelation!”

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise she kept it secret, Aruna,” Aunt Reina comforted her with an assuring soft smile, “You know how Tati is—she doesn’t like a big show made of things.”

“One of the many reasons Father loved her so much,” Lorenzo fondly murmured, before earnestly continuing, “While she kept in touch with him and shared a deep friendship with Nigel, Tati and Father were incredibly close. In fact, he is the one who initially told Tati about Priscilla’s condition during one of their visits, though we wouldn’t have Alastor until a few years later. At the time, Father’s health was beginning to deteriorate, so Tati began visiting him daily.”

Perhaps due to the overflow of emotions at the table, a floodgate of Lorenzo’s memories spilled out afterwards, sharing with us another reason I had to admire my mother—not that I wasn’t already overwhelmed with love and adoration for her with the knowledge already revealed—in particular regarding Nicholas and Alastor—but even still, like the others, I found myself captivated by another story...a story of the love and adoration between Mother and her intended guardian...

Lorenzo backtracked slightly, explaining his mother had passed unexpectedly after a short illness leaving them all devasted by her loss, while Soloman continued to be plagued with lung ailments following his initial illness prior to passing his Alpha legacy on to their son. My mother would assist him during her visits, utilizing a spell she called ‘hand over heart’ expelling her healing powers through her hand that was placed over the left side of Soloman’s chest, delaying the progression of his illness—enabling him to live seven years longer than his doctors had anticipated. 

His father called her his ‘winged angel’ and though it was decided best to keep her visits and her spell private, Lorenzo found himself both grateful and in awe of both her and the relationship between Mother and Soloman. In his mind, she was one of only two witches he would ever fully trust—the only other being Mystic Fire’s Firebird Phoenix witch.

Like his father, Lorenzo came to care a great deal for Mother, their close friendship growing over the years during her many visits to Spirit Walker—leading Lorenzo to be as protective over their ‘winged-angel’ as Soloman, something that is still true to this day.

During one of their long conversations, Soloman told Mother of his concerns about the continuation of their lineage, informing her that Priscilla had suffered a horrible miscarriage that left her unable to have another child—devastating them all. Mother immediately went to work on creating a potion to enable Lorenzo and Priscilla to have the child they all so deeply desired, but Priscilla’s condition was so severe, it took years to finally fulfill their dream. And unfortunately, by the time Alastor was born, Soloman wasn’t there to hold him. 

However, towards the end of his life, Mother assured a bedridden Soloman that his lineage would continue. She had seen it in a vision and during her daily visits—when her magic could only ease his pain, keeping him comfortable—Mother would regale Soloman with stories about his grandson—something Lorenzo wouldn’t find out about until the day Soloman passed...

Pausing for a long moment, Lorenzo’s jaw ticked, fighting back his emotions as he devotedly continued in the gentlest tone I have ever heard from him, “He always loved his Winged Angel, but your mother gave Father so much happiness and peace in his last days with those stories, Jace. What Tatiana did—the extra time she gave us, the love she gave to Father so freely all those years—it has always meant a great deal to me, though still probably not as much as it meant to him. Father shared some of the stories with me during our last moments together, smiling the whole time. It thrilled him that his grandson would not only look like him, but have his sense of humor, keen planning skills, drive and heart...all of which is true. He even suggested his name, Alastor, which, of course, Priscilla and I bestowed upon him.”

All the women at the table had tears streaming down their faces then, while Alastor’s face reflected every ounce of his own overwhelming emotions of tenderness and love. Even my eyes were glazed over, especially after Lorenzo relayed that he learned Mother told Soloman that she would love and adore his grandson as much as she loved and adored him—promising him that, along with Lorenzo and Priscilla, she would protect him always—a promise Mother was unaware at the time that one day, she would fulfill to the utmost degree...