The Dormant: The 5 Goddesses

Episode 2: The Fairy Godmothers

~Selene~

"A f*****g vampire!" Aine's voice pierced the air. "Shhh," I mustered, gently rocking the little treasure in my arms. Aine's anger escalated like pot begging to blow up its top the moment I told her what Bastet had done and how I had helped her do it. "You should have stopped Bastet before she did this. Why wouldn't you? Why would you let her? There could be other ways..." Her voice trailed off, small and defeated, knowing that if our sister didn't come out of this it would mean the end for all of us.

Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I replied, "It was already done. If I didn't go through with it, Bastet would have done it anyway, and now she would be gone." Memories of past tragedies resurfaced, and I couldn't contain my anger. "Do you remember when he died? The disasters, the plagues, so many children lost, including yours, mine, and humans. There was a disbalance, darkness. It took you, Morrigan, Triton, Sung, and me to reestablish order, but it came at a great cost. If we don't fix this imbalance now, the cost we already paid will look small for what's to come." The weight of those events on my family haunted me and made my blood boil in anger.

"Look at us now, immortals!¨ I seethed, turning away the child still cocooned in my arms. I closed my eyes and sighed. ¨Morrigan has gone to live in solitude, rejecting Triton. Triton just went up and disappeared into the ocean, and your children are so scared of other creatures that you have to create their own realm. The Eagle isn't even trying to connect with us and, finally, Sung is nowhere to be found," I continued, my voice growing louder with each word.

Aine put her hand up, stopping me mid-sentence. "Don't lecture me, Selene. What about your wolves thinking they are the strongest? They don't respect other magical beings, and they don't even respect you or your laws," she argued.

Sadly, I admitted, pursing my lips at the harshness of her words. "Yes, and my children don't respect me anymore." The child in my arms began to stir and pout, just starting to cry. "Shhh, baby girl. Shhh, my goddess," I cooed, trying to comfort her.

Aine's eyes widened as she remembered why she was there in the first place. She walked to my side and looked down at the baby. "Her eyes," she gasped, looking up at me. "I know," I quickly replied while stroking the baby's soft cheek.

"We can't let anything hurt her," Aine said with a worried expression, her blue eyes round, knowing now what was at stake, what we all had at stake the moment Bastet took this final step.

"Yes, we can't let anything happen to this gemstone," I said, shifting the baby in my arms. "And when her time comes, I'll present her to her true mate, making her the strongest feline ever to be born. Her mate's spirit will help her learn, grow, and rule her people," I said, adopting an almost infantilizing tone, as if singing to the bundle in my arms.

Aine c****d an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "What are you going to do?"

¨Well, she can't live among my werewolves, just one of them being disobedient and she's dead. I am placing her in a human home inside the borders of a pack, in the new world. That way, she gets protected by the werewolves without them knowing the precious little feline living beneath their own noses. At the right time, everything will be revealed, but for now, she needs a better childhood than the one Lilith just stole.¨ She was going to be protected. That was the foremost crucial part. I reviewed my plan inside my head feeling it was the right step it had to be, there was no other way. My sister just stared at me as if I had become demented.

"You're telling me she could be killed by your wolves if they find out about her? You're placing her in the weakest race there is, humans? Tell me what happens when her scent is picked up for being too close to the pack? She definitely smells magical to me. To add insult to injury, you're stating her true mate-bond is with one of your children—the same magicals who won't hesitate to kill her if they find her living in their area. Tell me, Selene, in this grandiose scheme of yours, what happens when he finds out what she is? How do you know he is not going to reject their bond?" Aine's snapped back at my words. Yes, my plan had big holes, very big holes, but I was sure, I had to keep having faith in my children and in the child I was holding.

¨Well remember, felines are dormant and almost gone. My children would not know what kind of magic they are scenting. Already her true mate-bond has been foreseen and the wolf that was chosen for it. This would be his destiny. He would become my enforcer, my king Alpha.¨ I have repeated this same thing numerous times since I decided to help Bastet.

Aine rolled her eyes, expressing her skepticism. "I knew you would need me, Selene, I would have made a better plan," she said.

She gestured for me to pass the child to her and asked, "What's her name?" "Catalina," I said, handing the bundle to the Fae queen. Aine shrugged while placing one hand behind the baby's head, "Well, she is a cat, so it makes sense, but we do need something a bit less exotic if you're sending her north." She lifted the child and began dancing with her. "Catalina, let's give you another name, shall we?" she said, gently holding the golden-haired child a few feet above the ground while dancing. "You shall be... Charlotte. Yes, Charlotte soothes you, my sweet, beautiful goddaughter."

Aine continued to speak with a mix of affection and sadness, ¨Charlotte, last descendent of the pure felines, the fire carrier, and the vessel of Bastet, mother of felines, the blood of royals, you should bring balance to the magic realm. You've been given the gift of a powerful essence and unimaginable knowledge by your mother, Bastet. The gift of a typical boring childhood followed by being unable to find your own love by your aunt Selene.¨ She grinned at me as I rolled my eyes at her.

¨I, Aine the Fae God, give you the gift of protection, from now on and until you turn 18, you will smell human.¨ I cut in as I heard Aine's blessing. ¨Don't mess with her eyes, please.¨

She gave me a condescending look and continued. ¨As I was saying before, I was rudely interrupted by your aunt Selene. You will no longer smell like any kind of magic. Until your eighteen birthday, you could lose yourself in any crowd, and only a pure feline would be attracted to you. They would only need to look into your eyes. As a bonus, without sounding cliché, my little beauty. I give you the gift of grace, so you can catch any fellow your heart desires, must it be your betrothal or any other one you choose.¨

¨Really!¨ I shot up, giving her a disagreeing glance. ¨I know what you are trying to do, sister.¨ Aine smiled a mischievous smile at me and blew on the child's face, making little Charlotte sneeze.

¨As for my second gift... Brigit, please come out.¨ She motioned to the woods, and a nymph stepped out from behind a tree. She was blue-haired with a Greek nose and yellow eyes. Her features reminded me of an owl. Brigit gracefully bowed to us. Aine nodded at her and spoke.

¨She would be your shadow and follow you everywhere. Her blood would give you extra cloaking and protection, making sure no one can find you, not a vampire or wolf, until the time is right. Now go and live my little one.¨ She finished and passed the little bundle into my hands.

The child was settling back down, and I could feel her purr. ¨Yes, you are happy, aren't you, Bastet?¨ I said while looking at Charlotte. I rushed back to look at Aine. Neither my sister nor Brigit were longer there.

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I closed my eyes, and finally, I heard a prayer from a human who believed in me. After hearing her plea, I knew she was the perfect choice. Apparating outside a beautiful home, I was greeted by the comforting smell of chestnut wood burning in a chimney. I explored the peaceful settings, taking in the marble kitchen, the living room, and the mahogany wood floor. My attention was drawn to a blue door on the second floor. Behind it, a man held a woman who was crying while clutching a stuffed teddy bear. The room was a nursery, prepared for a child who never came.

"Death in the womb," I heard the woman sob holding a teddy bear. "Like the others, he was gone before he could live." She wept while collapsing into the man's arms. "I can't have your children, John. My body is not meant to carry a baby. Would you leave me now?" Her voice was filled with desperation as she cried endless tears for the children that she lost. "No, Sara, never. I am here for you, in sickness and health, through whatever struggles there may be, I love you and nothing will ever make me leave." he reassured her, gently making soothing circles on her back with his palm.

The doorbell rang, and he reluctantly stood up. He helped her up and gave her a kiss on her lips, then whispered,"You deserve happiness, sweetie," he grabbed her hand and, with a final kiss, left the room. The human male made his way downstairs, and the sound of his footsteps grew heavier as he opened the front door. "Sara!" he called out from the entrance. "Come downstairs now!"

Sara slowly composed herself, looking into a side mirror. She fixed a strand of hair that fell across her eyes. With a determined spirit, she brushed the tears away from her face and joined her mate at the front door.

As the door closed behind the man, he gently held Charlotte, who was crying relentlessly. "Probably the baby of a meth addict. Who in their right mind would leave a baby naked in the middle of the night? Some people are just... I am calling the police," he said in frustration as he handed the kitten to Sara.

"Oh my god, you little thing, you're freezing to death," she said with concern, rushing to the fireplace to grab a quilt so she could wrap the baby in it, as the baby's wails picked up in volume. "There, there, isn't this better," she cooed, rocking Catalina in an attempt to soothe her. Sara began to sing a lullaby.

"Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even though it's breaking." Catalina opened her eyes and started to hiccup and mewl. Sara gasped at the sight of the child's eyes and continued her song. "When there's a cloud in the sky, you'll get by..." Catalina began to yawn and doze off.

I knelt down and gently touched the woman's hand, whispering, "Charlotte." She continued singing. "... If you smile through your fears and sorrows..." A tear trickled down her cheek as she gave a soft smile to the child in her arms. I murmured while placing a hand on her belly, passing a small amount of my essence to her, "Your dreams will come true, Sara." "... Smile and maybe tomorrow..."

Catalina closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. " The sun will come in shining through if you just smile. ¨Sara whispered, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, her face a mixture of awe and fierceness. The look told me there was no better place for the child to be, but with her, the moment she held her, Charlotte became hers, and she became Charlotte's. "Sleep, Baby Charlotte." She whispered, kissing her on the forehead.

The man entered the room and saw his mate lovingly rocking the baby. "They say there's a massive pile-up on Route 10," he said. She looked tenderly up at him and at that moment, the gravity of the situation, the emotion of seeing his mate and now his baby in her arms, made him kneel beside his family. He was now a protector, and she was a mother. With that, I turned around and disappeared, knowing that Charlotte was in the right hands, we had done the right thing.