Page 39 of Rose and Shadows
“We already cemented plans should this come to pass so that you didn’t need to delay with thinking things over.”
“Well, it’s different in reality, all right? You don’t understand. You’re childless.”
I saw Remnant flinch.
My mother didn’t notice in her panic, though.
Didn’t notice the truth—that he knew a great painful deal about it.
“Mom?” a familiar voice cried, rushing out from one of the closed doors—a little blue door with a pencil drawing of the three of us on it that I remembered as mine.
Strawberry-blonde curls filled my vision, and then I was taking in my little sister. Her purple flowy dress swung around her as she hurried through the room, before pulling up short at the sight of Remnant there with our mother.
“Sy!” she screamed. “Sy! A scary man is here!”
And then I burst out—thirteen year old me.
My hair was shaggy and without shape and I was in a pair of blue jeans and an oversized gray sweatshirt.
My past self’s eyes narrowed fiercely at Remnant. “Get away from our mother, vampire, or you’ll regret it.” I saw power spark.
“Stop, my sweetheart,” Mom called. “He’s a friend.”
“What was your intention when your magic sparked?” Remnant asked.
“To force-teleport you away, of course.”
Remnant eyed my mom. “Not to inflict harm. You see how he stands apart from Morien?”
Mom grimaced, looking from my past self to past Remnant. “I can’t… I can’t risk it.”
“You must.”
“I know you can’t take him with us because you’re concerned about his volatility.”
“A natural part of a young necromancer’s evolution, but that which could be crippling to those under my charge.”
“ A couple of tantrums could result in the destruction of your Shadow Tunnels.”
“Like I’ve stated already, he also won’t flourish there. He needs schooling. He needs to understand how to wield his power safely around those who are equipped to assist. His abilities are already beyond yours, because you denied yourself schooling, so you wield only a fraction of what you could.”
“I won’t let Morien break up my family! He’s already forced us into hiding!”
“Mom, what’s happening?” Raina asked, running over to her, while watching Remnant warily.
“He’s coming. Isn’t he?” my younger self asked. “Father?”
“Yes,” Remnant responded, before my mom could try to counter it, or likely feed us a falsity. “He comes this way as we speak intent on taking your power and your life. I’m here to get you to safety at a Coven that I’ve already made arrangementswith. And I will conceal your mother and sister in my Shadow Tunnels.”
I saw my younger self taking Remnant’s words in.
Then he walked to my mom, telling her, “We need to do this. It’s okay. The threat will calm and then we’ll be reunited. And I’d like to learn at a Coven.”
“And I told you why you can’t.”
“Those are your fears, not realities.”
“Smart boy,” Remnant spoke.
