Secrets

Prologue

Aurora 11 years ago

Two years ago to the day I was kidnapped. I was out getting ice cream for my birthday with my brothers. Dad was at the store getting cake and some party gear, so my brothers offered to take me out. I was turning 3 years old. We went to the mall that was just down the street and went to the ice cream shop. My brothers are known to the locals for their state championship last year in football. The girls loved them and everyone came up asking if they were going to do a repeat of last year. It was a good day.

“What flavor of ice cream do you want?” Nash asked.

I thought about it while they read off the flavors for me. “I want Cotton candy please.” I tell him with a big grin. I just lost my first tooth the day before. I was so excited for the tooth fairy to come. I got $5 under my pillow.

“Alright, Can I get a Cotton candy for the birthday girl.” He told the girl behind the counter with a big smile. She smiled at me and gave me the ice cream as Nash paid.

“Happy birthday.” She said,

I started eating in and told my brothers I was going to go make a wish at the fountain. They all nodded their heads and told me to stay where I could see them. I skipped over to the water fountain. Dad did braids in my hair this morning and I was wearing one of my favorite princess dresses. I sat down on the edge of the wishing fountain and threw my penny in. I wish that mommy will wake up.

Mommy is in a coma. After she gave birth to me she was dying. I guess when I was a baby I still had a lot of power. I ended up putting her into a magic induced coma after taking her powers. I didn’t mean to but I still did. I have been reading books to see how I can undo it. Mom was a part of a quadruplet set and I made it so none of my aunts can have a baby either. I feel terrible so hopefully my wish will come true and we can be a family again.

Dad was afraid people would try to take me for my powers, so he got his brothers together and did some sort of blocking spell on my powers. I can’t use them fully, but I still have a little bit. Most people if they were going to come in proximity to me wouldn’t know the true extent of my powers to them. My aura is the same as any kid my age.

I turn back around to go to my brothers but I can’t see them. Maybe they are behind these people. I walk around them looking for my brothers. I start to freak out. I don’t know what to do. A man I’ve never seen walks up to me and crotches down.

“Are you lost little one?” He asks.

I nod my head. I can trust an adult. He kinda creeps me out with the scar going down the side of his face but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. He takes my hand and we walk around a little bit. Looking for my brothers. I still can’t find them. After a few hours I start to wonder if maybe they went to the car thinking I went to the car to sleep.

“Can we go and see if they went to the car?” I ask the man that has been helping me look. We step into the elevator to go down to the parking garage.

“If you want I can take you home. Your dad will most likely be wanting you home soon.” He tells me. My internal alarm bells start going off. Dad and my brothers have always told me not to speak of dad. We have a secret code we say when we speak of dad. So I know who I can and can’t trust. I can’t trust this guy because he didn’t use the code. I go to pull my hand out of his as I see my brothers running towards the elevator. But the doors are already closed. I turn to the guy. I’m about to tell him to let me go but all I see is black.

The next day I woke up in this cell cold and alone. He came in telling me his master plan of throwing dad off his throne and taking over. I never understood why dad was so cautious but now I do. I kept my mouth shut for the last two years. I never screamed through the torture I have endured. If I say anything about dad the world as we know it will end. It will be full blown out chaos.

I have a plan to escape. I have been perfecting it over the last year. Today is the day I’m going to put it into motion and hope for the best. I want to see my daddy and my brothers for my birthday. I’ve been hearing that the boss man is out for the day. That’s the guy who kidnapped me. That’s why today is the perfect day to escape.

Over the years on my way to torture sessions I found this hidden door. It is hidden behind a tapestry. I don’t think that he realized how dumb or clique it is to hide a hidden door behind a tapestry but oh well. It helps me. If I open the door it will lead me to the hallway where I travel through once or twice a day. If I go a little farther down the hall way past the torture room there is a staircase that leads to the upstairs, but their is a door under the staircase. I’m pretty sure it leads outside due to the fact I can see sunlight under the door sometimes.

I have the guard shift changed down to the second. The one in front of my door and the hallways will go upstairs and let the other guys know it’s time to wake up and go for their shifts. It takes them about 20 minutes to get downstairs. So that is my window. I’ll wait 5 minutes from when they first go upstairs and make my escape. I’m hoping I don’t get caught. If I do I’ll probably be dead by tomorrow or wish I was dead. I’ve done that alot. Wishing I was dead while I have been here. The things that have happened to me most people would but I gotta stay strong for dad.

I sat in silence for a couple of hours. When I hear the chairs screech across the cement I set an internal timer for 5 minutes. I can’t believe today is the day I’m going to get out. When the timer goes off I make my way over to the tapestry. I put my ear to the door and listen for any sounds. When I don’t hear anything I open the door quietly just enough for me to slip out. I close the door and run across the hall to the door underneath the staircase. I open the door quickly and slip outside.

When I step outside my eyes burn from being in the dark for so long. When they finally adjust I take off running in what I’m hoping is the way to help. I take in my surroundings. It looks like I’m in the lower west side of the city. The run down and abandoned buildings. I hear footsteps running in the direction I’m going. I don’t dare look back. I jump behind one garbage can and rub coffee grounds all over me.

Hopefully this will confuse them enough. I know at least 5 of the guys are wolf shifter's. I remember someone telling me that coffee grounds will confuse a dog. I’m hoping the same with wolves.

“Where the fuck did she go? How did she even get out?” One of the guys yells.

“I don’t know. The boss is going to kill us once he finds out.”

“Well then let’s hope he doesn’t find out. Let’s find her. I think she went this way.” He says pointing in the opposite direction of where I am. I let out a sigh of relief and waited a few minutes to get back up from behind the garbage and take off running again. I think I have ran a few miles by the time I reach a building. I’ve never been here before but I get this feeling of safety. I walk to the door and open it.

When I open the door a few people turn and look at me. A guy turns around and I know him. I think his name is Knox. He is a friend of dads. I limp over to him and he instantly drops. “Aurora? Is that you?” I feel the tears coming and falling freely as I speak the first time in two years. “Yeah it’s me.” I whisper as I fall to the ground from the pain. “Someone call an ambulance.” He yells out. I look over and see someone getting on the phone. “Don’t worry I’ll call ND and let him know I’m taking you to the hospital.” He whispers to me. I start to ball as he gets on the phone picking me up.

I hear dad on the other side of the phone. “ND I got Aurora. She just walked into my station. I’m taking her to the hospital.” “Knox, you better not be messing with me. If you are, I will kill you.” Dad threatens. I hold my hand out for the phone. He hands it over to me. “ND it’s me. I miss you so much.” I can hear the tears coming. “Don’t worry we are on our way. I black out after I hand the phone back to Knox.

I wake up to incessant beeping and cord in my arm. I start to freak out before all my memories come back to me. I escaped and went to the police station. Knox called an ambulance and dad. I hear someone speaking softly and strain my ears to listen.

“Sir, her injuries are extensive but when she wakes up she can go home. She just needs to take it easy.”

“What is the extent of her injuries? I want to know everything.” Dad says.

“I did give the report to the police as well. Her injuries include- a broken leg, sodomized, repeatedly arm breaks and ribs, rape, repeated burns. Lacerations, and malnourishment. I don’t know if there are others. From what I can tell that was within the last couple of weeks though.”

I can feel the embarrassment from everything she just said. I hear a crash and jump up. I have to make sure dad doesn’t hurt anyone. I rip the cords from my arms and run to dad. “Daddy I’m sorry. I did the best I could, please don’t be mad.” I say as I turn the corner. When he hears me he instantly stops and turns around. “Baby girl, come here. I’m not angry at anyone but the people who took you from us. I missed you. You are so strong.” He says as he cradles me and silently cries. The nurse rushes me back to the bed and puts the cords back in my arm.

My brothers walk in with plates of food. Their eyes go wide when they see me awake. They drop their food and run towards me crying. I give each of them a hug. “Aurora, I’m so sorry. You being kidnapped is all on me. I should have had a better eye on you.” Nash says, whipping his eyes. “I am the one who walked away. I couldn’t see you guys anymore and he came up. You aren’t to blame for what happened and I hope you stop blaming yourself.” I whisper to him. I feel him shake as I give him a big kiss on the cheek and hug him. He laughs.

Knox comes in and talks about the extent of my injuries. It’s the first time my brothers are hearing it and they start to break stuff like dad. I ask them to calm down and once they do and come settle by my side Knox continues. “Do you remember anything about the guy that took you or where you were kept?” I nod my head and give him the address of where I was kept and give him the names of associates. I never did find out the boss man’s name but I gave him the description of what he looked like.

“How did you remember everything?” Knox asks. I shrug my shoulders.

To be honest I realized that I have a very big memory and remember everything. I don’t know why I just do. The nurse walks back in and gives my dad some papers to fill out. “These are the discharge papers for her to go home.” She tells us. He nods and signs it and hands it back. “Now in a couple of weeks we will need to take off the casts. But to treat the burns here is the ointment. If it causes you pain, here are some pain pills for it.” She gives all this to dad.

My big brother Phoenix comes and picks me up and starts walking out of the hospital. He loads me in the car and gives me a kiss on the forehead. “I’m glad you are back home, little fire.” He tells me. I smile and let out a big yawn. On the car ride home I fell asleep.

A few hours later I woke up in my bed. It looks the same way as when I left two years ago. I get up and stretch. I feel a little bit of pain but it’s nothing I’m not used to. I walk down stairs and find the kitchen. My brothers and dad are sitting there in silence. I observe them for a few minutes. Nothing happens.

I walk in. “Why are you guys silent?” I ask while tilting my head. They turn around and Mark comes and picks me up. “We thought you would be sleeping a little longer.” He tells me. He sets me at the table and my stomach growls. They instantly jump up and get me some food. I start to laugh at them. They are definitely going to be like momma bears.

“Here is some cereal. It’s not much. I’m sorry.” Kyler starts saying but I start scoffing it down. “I haven’t eaten in like a week and a half. Even before that it was only a roll.” I tell them. You could see the anger in their eyes. While I continue eating they tell me about how things have been while I was gone. “We kept playing football. We have gotten two more state championships. We were going to quit but then we thought you would be angry at us if you found out we quit. Plus, it kept our minds busy instead of going crazy and killing everyone.” Bryce tells me as he laughs. I laugh too.

“I would be angry if you quit because I was gone. You have too much talent to give up.” I tell him I look at dad. “What about you dad?” He looks a little guilty. “I threw myself into work and finding you.” He says not looking at me. I laugh. He can stand face to face with anyone but the moment he has my attention he looks nervous. “I’m not gonna lie. I totally thought that was what you were gonna do while I was gone. Did you still go to their games though?” He breathes out a sigh and nods his head. “I still went. I hid but I was there.” The boys look at him in shock. “You still went? I thought you stopped showing up.” “I still went. I didn’t want to draw attention so I was in the shadows.” He replies sheepishly.

We got into a schedule. We would go to school. Come home, work on homework then catch up. I got my cast removed a couple of days ago. It was the day after my brothers won the state championship again. They played amazing. We were sitting down for dinner when dad gave me a present. “This is for you. It will help you when your species feels like it is getting out of control.” He tells me as I open the present. I have seen these around school. It is a mod. It’s for vaping. I pull it out and see it is already set up. The juice is in the tank and it looks like the coil is primed.

“This will help control my magic?” He nods once. “Yes I have one. So do your uncles.” I nod and take a hit. I can taste the watermelon in the juice. I slowly breathe it out and feel my magic calming down. “Due to where your magic originates, the smoke helps calm it down.” He explains to me. That makes sense I take another hit.

“I have something I want to tell you guys.” We all stop eating and give dad our full attention. “You guys will be moving in with your aunts. You will switch between them every couple of years. I hate to have to do this but with the kidnappers still here and the threat to the throne I have asked them if it is okay. I hate to see you gone but I need to keep you safe. So please don’t fight me on this. Even though you guys will be graduating and going off to college I still want you guys living under the roof for a little bit.” We all nod our heads. It makes the most sense.

“My little death trap, this phone is for you. It has all the contact information you will need. If anyone tries to take the phone away from you forcefully it will self-destruct. That way no one has the information. It will send an alert to me if it does and I will send you a new phone.” He tells me as he hands me a new iPhone. I take it and see everyone's contact information is indeed in it already.

“Your bags are already packed and at your aunt Casey’s house.” He tells us with a sad smile. “I will be ‘adopting’ six boys. Everyone knows I have boys and adopting some seems like a good cover. Plus, their dads are going undercover in the organization that is trying to take me down.” He tells us. We all give dad a hug. I pull back and grow a Midnight Lily in my hand and give it to dad. “So that you will always remember me daddy.” I tell him with tears in my eyes.

“Always my little princess. Always.” Dad tells me as we load up in the car and drive to our new home.