The Dormant Queen of the Hybrid

Book 1, Chapter 12 Asterids

You were just a small dust in the air. Insignificant. But then you learn to have a purpose. As you struggle, you grow. You became the epitome of strength and progress to others. That’s how a leader is made. Asterids ponders as she held the microphone near her mouth, while standing behind the podium speech desk. They are expecting things from her, but the world won’t let her shine. All because she is an omega and most of all, a lowly woman. This wall has been thicken by time since the very beginning. She remembered Lilith. The first reincarnated shifter. A woman. A mother. A failure. Asterids won’t give up yet.

“I’m not ashamed of having my son, Andy. He was my happiness. My heart,” she started, as she glance at her boss, alpha Dook. It seems that he already know about it too, given his expression.

“I am a woman. And I believe that with everyone’s help, I can also be a great leader. I came here today for a few things only.. To unify everyone, so we can fight and ones and for all, stop the killings of the Madrigals—” Another voice from the crowd cut her off.

“The Sordlaks should just absorbed the Madrigals. It’s the right thing to do!”

“Stop!” Dook interjected. “And listen to yourselves!” His aura is immense covering the whole room. He is using the Haku which silenced them. Everyone bowed their heads in submission. Asterids see her boss alpha had enough. “Ever since we start today, none of you provided any solution to the actual problem. Power and politics has been blinding you from the truth! I command you ALL, to stop fueling this blindness with selfish greed. We amongst ourselves, are not the enemy. Someone is killing the clan one by one. That is the real threat that we are facing. You know why I will not agree to absorb the Madrigals under my clan? It’s because I respect the current clan leader. And she well darn deserve it, because she is capable to lead you all! What we need is partnership between the clans.” The last words sounded like a growl because Dook’s inner tiger is already trying surface out of him.

A few minutes later and the two clan leaders are already out of the darn politics room.

*** *** ***

“Sorry you had to hear the dirty details about me, Boss,” the young lady started as they walk on the sandy shores of Manila bay. They’re commuting back to the Black Church of Sabbath in the witches district. They rather go back to the murder case investigation at that point.

“It’s nothing to be sorry for. I respect everything about you, assistant,” he said while his back is facing Asterids. Hands in his pocket.

She punched his back playfully. “Hey! Why did you do that for?” Dook cried.

“Sorry, the atmosphere was too serious.”

“Weirdo.”

“Yes. I am weird.” And then they both laugh to their hearts content.

*** *** ***

“Are you hungry, child?” Aunt Imelda offer her niece a cookie.

“Yes. Yes I am Aunty!” Asterids immediately replied, while already reaching for the cookie jar, which made Dook elbow her, and raised his right eye brows as if saying; Manners please.

“They forgot to feed us at the party,” she whispered back to her boss. Well it was really not an effective whispering, since everyone in the office heard her, from the lack of effort she put to speak using her inside voice. Imelda is chuckling while waving her fingers to set dinner on the mini table near the sink. Once everyone is settled and fed, the chaos is finally appeased.

“Hey, Aunt Imelda.. The reason why we’re here.” Suddenly Asterids is all businesslike. “What we are about to tell you is a delicate secret among our clan. I trust you and we also need your help.”

“Anything, my dear.”

The two shifter then provided the details about the black ether and other evidence. “There is a possibility that Hamorabi, one of your greatest wizards in histories, was summoned as a specter. And I’m afraid he’s on a killing spree since 2007.”

“My gods.. A witch.. killing shifters.”

“Our thoughts exactly,” Dook replied.

“This is a delicate matter for us too,” Imelda explained. “We need to tread on this very carefully,” she added.

“Hamorabi might still have the lingering obsession to kill our monarch, the queen or king of shifters. It’s a good thing that the monarch aren’t around this lifetime, but I might be paranoid to think of any unknown conspiracy going on. At the end, I just want our people safe aunt Imelda.”

“Why the monarch, though? I can’t believe it’s just pure racism that drives him this mad.” The tiger alpha inquired. His face is not flinching for using the word racism in front of an arch mage witch.

“I understand your question, child. Up to now all of us still can’t settle between the power struggle rooted from the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism that has been dictated by our prideful ancestors.” The old witch’s expression is apologetic. “Hamorabi however, did not grew up a racist. During the pre-witch hunt wars, his parents were killed by a group of shifters in a gruesome way. He aims to kill the monarch as revenge.” Asterids and Dook stared at each other with a grim expression.

“I will secretly collaborate with the correct people to know more about the summoner. I promise, we’ll get to the bottom of this.” Imelda touched her niece’s hands resting on the table.

*** *** ***

“Hello, Rex.” Asterids greeted the young receptionist with her weird version of sexy voice which made Dook twitch. It’s time for bamboozling.

“Forget it Ms. Asterids. Your flirting won’t work on me anymore. I already have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. We’re through!” The receptionist raised his voice, enough for his visiting classmates sitting at the left corner table hear it. “I don’t love you anymor—”

“Ookay okay. Calm down lover boy,” Asterids babbled, as she clearly see her boss hiding a laugh, as he suddenly got busy reading a random book, while standing beside the shelve a foot away from them. “See this one?” She lay down her official black ID. “V.I.P. I have connections to the admin now boy. From now on, we’re all businesslike!”

“Okay,” the receptionist said weakly. “I don’t really have a girlfriend.”

“I know.” The blue eyed lady tap the young lad on his shoulder like she’s petting a raccoon. “Now give me all the things I need,” she whispered threateningly.

*** *** ***

“Oh hey, Sarah! How are you doing? Where are they?” Asterids arrived home at the orphanage, very tired. The receptionist kept asking for her number. She swore to never use her charm again to manipulate others. She’s not good at it.

“Aritha and the Miss are currently at the dinning area,” Sarah responded, while busy combing the hair of her doll, preparing to sleep.

“Alright, thanks!” Asterids then saunter to their humble dining area and found the two houseparent eating the left over pasta.

“Oh candle?” the young lady started, as she noticed the lights are turned off, except for the one burning candle in the middle of the cheap wood dining table.

“We’re saving electricity,” Ms. Minchin answered before scraping off the remaining pasta on her plate.

“Good for the environment too!” Aritha added.

“Alright then. I’ll be in my room.” Asterids decided to bond with them later. She’ll have to start analyzing the files that she got today first.

“Are you hungry? Want me to set you a plate?” the jolly houseparent Aritha offered.

“No I’m good, I already ate at work thank you.” The young lady started to leave the room. “Oh I forgot to ask. My mother used to live here right? Is there a way that I can view her old documents? I just need to apply for erm, government ID.”

“Uhm. Sure I guess. The third drawer at the office,” Ms. Minchin replied inattentively, as she is now busy washing the dishes.

*** *** ***

Asterids spread the files on her bed and sat down. She collected the logs of the books her mother has been borrowing from the library. Some of it are missing for years now. Maruha won’t be able to return those. She opened the folder that she got from Ms. Minchin’s office. Maruha’s recent home address is written down on a piece of paper, taped to one of the document pages. She’s been trying to find the right moment to ask for this important detail about her mother, ever since she found out that Maruha was originally from this same orphanage. She wanted to know more about her mother’s life alone after the divorce. According to aunt Imelda, her mother was able to subsidize funding for a small house in Greenhills at the edge of the witch district Makati City. Asterids can imagine it simple, made of stones and surrounded with beautiful flowers. She would’ve had the best childhood, if only Maruha allowed her to stay with her in that house. That could’ve been their paradise. Their home. Asterids couldn’t help but relive the pain of a longing daughter. Somehow her mother has been searching for Hamorabi years ago. Why him? And why does it have to be her mother? Why the obsessive effort for the research? Is she somehow connected to the summoner? Worked for the summoner? Asterids prayed hard for her hunch to be wrong. Her mother is a good person. But then she remembered her mother’s attempt to choke her to death on her seventh birthday. Back then she believed her mother was having a nervous breakdown. But what if there’s more to it? Asterids touched the cursed ring necklace to calm herself. She will have to visit her mother’s house to gather the missing books from the library. Specially that one ancient book that caught her attention in the logs of the books her mother borrowed. The book of curses by an author with the name Absul. Hamorabi’s ancestor.