Demon, Guardian, The Fallen, Oh My mates! Esmerelda's Story

Chapter Four

Esmerelda’s POV

I don’t know how long we sat in the waiting room. Around ten minutes after the boys left to blow off steam Dad (Ethan) came back. No one spoke. The silence was anything but comfortable. I sat in a corner away from everyone. I didn’t want to be near any of them right now. I was worried about my siblings. Not just Marty and Nico. I was worried about Sierra, Ares, and Dimitri too. I know how hard this has been for me and how I feel. I can only imagine how the younger ones feel.

I can feel a set of eyes on me and I know that it is Timberlink. I feel it like a light caress on my skin. It should make my skin crawl because he is my brother, but it makes me feel things I really shouldn’t. What is wrong with me? I could feel that my fathers wanted to talk to me, but I just couldn’t do it right now. I was afraid I would say something I wouldn’t be able to take back. I close my eyes and pretend to fall asleep.

After a few minutes with my eyes closed I felt someone place a soft blanket on me. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know it was Timberlink. I could smell his unique scent of fresh rain and berries. There was a quick spark as his finger gently touched my bare arm for just a moment. My heart picked up a bit and I had to work hard to contain the gasp that wanted to escape my lips. What the hell was that!?

I steadied my heartbeat and gave a mental sigh of relief when I felt his eyes leave me and heard his footsteps as he walked away from me. I was hyper aware of his every movement even with my eyes closed. He walked over to our fathers and just stood there. I wasn’t sure if they were talking in mindlink or just being silent right now.

I really wanted to take a quick peak, but knew that if I did my cover would be blown. The silence dragged on and I was on the verge of really falling asleep when I heard them speak for the first time. “How could we let this happen Ethan?” Daddy (Alexi) said, sounding so broken and angry.

Dad (Ethan) sighed before saying, “I don’t know man. When was the last time we even spent time with our pups? I can’t remember. Can you?”

There was a minute's pause before anyone spoke. I thought it would have been Daddy, but I was surprised to hear Timberlink instead. “Two weeks, 3 days, 12 hours, and 23 minutes.” His voice was steady and had a hard edge to it that I had never heard from him before. He sounded angry.

“What was that?” Dad (Ethan) asked. He sounded just as confused as I did.

“Two weeks, 3 days, 12 hours, and 24 minutes now. That is the last time you have spent any time with your children. Do you know who has been taking care of them? Esmerelda. She is hurting just as much as you two are. We all are. The only difference between any of us and her is that Esmerelda has been holding it together for the rest of us while you two hide away and do Gods only knows what. She doesn’t break until everyone else is in bed. She doesn’t think anyone notices, but I do. I notice that she is drowning in her grief and guilt. Today was a close call. No permanent damage was done physically this time, but what about next time? We love you, but you both have let us all down. The worst part is we don’t blame you, but it hurts to know we aren’t enough to keep you guys around.”

I heard his steps fade into the distance. I know he didn’t go far. I could still scent him. He probably went to grab some coffee. He’s like mom and addicted to that stuff. Yuck! I prefer tea myself. I am taken out of my thoughts as I hear Daddy (Alexi) say, “f**k Ethan! How did we f**k it up this badly? Two f*****g weeks! What have we done?”

Dad (Ethan) said, “We wake the f**k up, is what we are going to do. As much as I miss Beth we can’t use the spell she left us anymore. Something isn’t right. Now that I am thinking about it, do you even remember being able to talk to Beth while we have done the spell?”

That caught my attention. What spell did Mom leave them? Was it in the letter they received? “No. No, I don't remember. It is like every time I wake from the spell everything is forgotten.” Daddy (Alexi) says. I am trying to think of what kind of dreamstate spell would have that kind of after effect, and I couldn’t think of one. ‘Memory Modification’ A whisper in my mind.

That jolted my eyes open and me to sit straight up. I was shocked and scared that I heard someone's voice in my mind, especially since that person has been dead for two years. I looked around wildly like I would actually see something. When I didn’t see who I was looking for I closed my eyes counting to ten. Trying to get my heartrate back to normal with my counting. I didn’t notice that I was surrounded until I opened my eyes again.

I looked up and saw five pairs of concerned eyes staring down at me. I could feel my face heat as embarrassment took hold for a moment. Dimitri crouches down in front of me holding my hands as he asks, “Izmy, what is it? You look as if you have seen a ghost. Was it another vision?”

The concern in his eyes and voice made something inside me shift a little. A sense of responsibility towards my brother’s safety feels like it has landed on my shoulders. I don’t understand the feeling, but I will embrace it. I will always protect my family with my life, just as they would do for me. I shook my head and said, “No, not another vision. At least I don’t think so. I must be going crazy. I was just waking up when I heard Daddy and Dad talking. Something about a spell Mamma left them. I heard a voice in my mind and I swear it was Grandma Sandra saying memory modification. That’s when I bolted upright. It scared me a little.” I said as my cheeks warmed again.

No one said anything for a long moment until suddenly the doors behind us opened up and the doctor walked out. Everything else was forgotten as we all rushed in front of them to see how Nico was doing. “The young prince is out of surgery and recovery. He is awake now and might be a bit groggy for about fifteen minutes or so. I would like to keep him until after he eats to ensure the medicine isn’t going to affect his system. You can go see him now, but just two at a time. With the exception of the littlest one of course.” The doctor looks at Sierra still tucked in Daddy’s (A) arms. A soft smile plays on their lips before turning around and walking away.

I didn’t care who else came with me, but I wanted to be one of the first people he sees. I needed to see for myself that he was alright. I ran straight towards where the doctor had come from and followed my brothers’ scent. I came in front of a door that was slightly open and through the crack I can see Nico sitting up in bed staring at his arm. My heart calms down when I see he is alright. I know the doctor said that he was, but I needed to see it with my own eyes.

I took a deep breath and walked into the room knowing that Timberlink had followed me. I ignored him. My only focus was my brother. I wasn’t surprised to find Marty in a bed beside Nico’s. They never were very good apart. Tried to do it one time when they were younger, but no more than five miles apart and they were both screaming as if they were in pain. We later found out that it was exactly that. They both felt extreme burning pain in their chest when they got too far apart.

“How are you doing, there slick?” I asked, trying to mask the tremor in my voice.

Nico looked up and smiled a big toothy smile as he showed me his cast. I just rolled my eyes and plopped on the chair beside the bed and nudged his good arm. “What the hell were you two thinking about playing with Sierra near the ravine? What happened that caused you guys to fall and why didn’t you tell me that Dad and Daddy weren’t doing your training?” I fired off question after question.

Nico and Marty looked at each other doing that twin thing they do where they communicate with just eye contact. I do it with my brothers as well. We can just read each other. They looked back at me and Nico sighed before he said, “We didn’t tell you because you already had enough going on. You decided to take us all on and we could see that you were on the verge of cracking, so we didn’t want to add more stress to you. We didn’t mean to end up by the ravine. I swear we were just playing hide and seek. One second I was chasing Sierra through the forest by the playground, and the next thing we know we are tumbling over the edge of the ravine. Marty wasn’t able to reach Sierra, but I could and I wrapped my body around hers protecting her as best I could.”

“When we landed I hit my head. I was dazed for a bit, but Sierra’s cries pulled me out of the haze. Nico’s arm bone was jutting out of his skin and scared Sierra. I told her to get help. You know how much of a monkey she can be. She didn’t hesitate to climb back up. Then some time later you showed up and saved the day.” Marty finished.

I thought about what they said. It is strange that if they were playing in the forest by the park there is no way they could have accidently ran into the ravine. They were on opposite ends of the grounds. Timberlink must have thought the same because he asked, “Are you sure you were in the forest by the park? You didn’t get turned around or anything by mistake?”

I watched as Nico and Marty bristled at being doubted. Nico was the first to speak and his tone was chilly, “We know where we were at. Besides, the Dads put up scent markers around the area of the forest by the ravine to ward off trespassers. We didn’t smell it at all until we were falling. Go and check it out yourself. Our scent should still be there. Faint, but still there as proof we are telling the truth. It won’t be anywhere else in the ravine’s forest. We guarantee it.” Marty nodded his head in confirmation.

I decided to stop the interrogation that seems to have started. I felt ashamed of myself that I automatically started asking questions and throwing accusations around without even asking how they felt and if they needed anything. I cleared my throat and said, “That’s not important right now. What’s important is that you boys are safe now. We’ll figure everything else out later. Do you guys need or want anything?”

Their eyes lit up when I asked if they wanted anything and both gave me a list that was five items long each, but both wanted the same things. They wanted their nintendo switch, their PS5 and their Xbox, then they wanted some sodas and finally some burgers from the diner down the road. I rolled my eyes at that. I should have known that is what they wanted. “I will get you the switches. You won’t be in the infirmary long enough to need the other systems.” I said before snapping my fingers. Everything they wanted appeared in front of them besides the PS5 and the Xbox.

A knock at the door alerted us that our time was up and others wanted to check on them too. I gave them a hug and said, “I’ll see you monsters when you get home. The rest of the family wants to see you. I’m sure the Dads are wanting to be next.” The surprise on their faces and excitement that their dads want to see them showed me just how much their absence was missed by them. I gave them one more hug each and left the room. The dads were right there at the door waiting for their turn. I could tell they heard everything that was said.

They gave me a small smile before they rushed into the room to check on the boys. I watched them for a minute before I turned around to leave. As I was walking back to the waiting room I thought over what the boys had said about the accident. Something was nagging at me and I couldn’t place my finger on it. I must not have been paying any attention to where I was going because I bumped into a wall. As I stumbled backwards two strong arms steadied me so I didn’t fall.

I looked up and saw the concerned eyes of Ares, my brother. “I’m fine.” I automatically said in response to his unanswered question. He just raised his brow at me, knowing I was full of it and telling me so. See, no need to actually talk. We just know. “Fine! I was lost in thought. Something the boys said doesn’t make sense. Then what the dads said earlier about a spell from mom. Mom’s coma. What if this is all connected?” I asked no one in particular.

“I think we should check out the boys’ story first. Then we can ask the dads about this spell and where it came from. I doubt mom would give them a spell to do when they aren’t magically adept and something serious could have gone wrong. She wouldn’t have left us kids without one of our parents.” Ares said. Dimitri and Timberlink nodded.

“Alright. We’ll split up then. Ares you are with me and Dimitri you are with Timberlink. We’ll check the ravine and you guys can check the park. Let’s meet back up in my room after we are done and go over what we found.” I said. They all nodded though Timberlink didn’t look too happy going with Dimitri. Oh well. I needed some space from him so I could think. We all left the hospital going in different directions. Hopefully we get some answers and not more questions.