Descended

Ariana

The vision seized me so quickly I didn’t know what was happening. Midnight black hair plastered to a sweaty face, brown eyes like chocolate staring deep into my soul. They were searching for something. A smile appeared on that gorgeous face. I’d never seen anything like it before. It was the smile of a man who’d just found what he’d been looking for.

“Finally. I’ve found you.”

I was pulled from the vision quickly by my mother.

“What did you see?”

“Huh?”

“What did you see, Ariana?”

“I think...I think I saw my mate.”

My mother only smiled. I couldn’t tell if it was a good smile or not. She was so beautiful. I wish I looked more like her.

“No, you don’t. You take great pleasure knowing you look like your father. I do too.”

“I wish I had your hair.”

“You have your own and it’s just as beautiful. Come. It’s your turn.”

It was my day to visit father. Although he was no longer with us, it never felt that way. Mother took each of us to see him once a week or more if she can. She doesn’t want us to forget him; like we ever could. I don’t know how she goes through each day without him. I don’t think I could have ever survived without my mate for over two thousand years.

“You won’t have to.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Let’s go. Your father is waiting.”

“Don’t you miss him?”

“I do.”

“Where are we going this time?”

“We’re going back to the day you were born and to what a mess your father was. If I wasn’t trying to bring you into the world I would have laughed at how out of sorts he was.”

I chuckled. My father was always in control. He never lost his temper with us no matter what we did. I miss him.

I watched with fascination as my mother, the only witch alive with the ability to open portals to the past and future, did so with barely a flick of her wrist.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded.

She held my hand and immediately we were transported back to the day of my birth.

“Aaaah. Zane, I’m going to fucking kill you! You did this to me. I’m never having sex with you again! Aaaaaah...”

“Get out of my way! She’s in pain.”

“She requested for you to stay outside, your highness.”

“I don’t care what she requested. She’s in pain!”

“That would be childbirth.”

“Council member, I suggest you get out of my way or I’ll have to remove you from my sight.”

I giggled. He was pacing up and down the corridor, ready to attack anyone who dared to say anything.

“I should be in there. She needs me.”

“What she needs is for you to stay put so she can deliver your child. Now, if you will excuse me.”

The woman walked away and my father lowered himself to the floor with his knees drawn up to his chest. It was then that my mother removed the veil from around us and walked towards him. I felt like I was intruding on their private time. They way they looked at each other was like no one else existed. I suppose no one else did.

She sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I miss you.”

My father chuckled.

“Only you would choose a time like this to appear.”

“I try.”

I walked over to them.

“Walk with me,” he said.

I felt bad for taking my father away from my mother.

“Never feel bad for wanting to spend time with me, Ariana. We had so little. We’ll have so little.”

I smiled.

“This must be so weird for you.”

“Weird? Why do you say that? Is it because I’m talking to my daughter the exact minute she’s being born?”

I laughed. I’ve always loved my father’s sense of humor.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“You can.”

“Why did you choose to leave mother? You had that epic love that many people can only dream of. It wasn’t your time. True mates usually choose to go together because they can’t bear the pain of being apart.”

“You said it. We had that epic love. We have that epic love. We had it all. We have it all, but Elijah, your uncle, he lost it all. I was the only constant thing in his life. His life was cut short. Fate wasn’t on his side. I couldn’t let him go alone. I couldn’t let him face the afterlife alone. We’re twins. I had to go with him. I owed him that much.”

“Do you think you’ll regret it?”

“No.”

“You chose family over love.”

“No. I chose love over love. So did your mother. She could have chosen to come with me, but she chose you and your brothers and sisters. We both chose love. We just didn’t choose our own love.”

I liked visiting my father. He was really wise, and I always learned so much, but our time was limited and I couldn’t stay in the past forever. Thus, with a heavy heart, I had to say goodbye.

That night I dreamed of that midnight black hair and chocolate brown eyes again. This time he was chasing me. I ran, but couldn’t get away. He pounced. His eyes were such a deep chocolate colour. His stare was intense.

“Caught you,” he said.

I woke immediately to the voice screaming in my head.

Mate! Mate! Mate.........!