CHAPTER 38.0: Her Time Away


    The first ce I went to was the pack house. I hid in some nearby bushes and tried to convince myself


    to go in and truly apologize to Sadia. I stayed for an hour but couldn’t bring myself to do it again and for


    the same reasons as before. I stared at my phone and re read some of our old messaged. Sadia talked


    about herself a lot, but she cared about me too.


    Before I left the castle I took the portal splicer and used it to go to my mother’s house. I teleported to


    her doorstep and knocked. Mae looked happy to see me. She gave me a hug and it was the most


    comforting hug I’ve gotten in the past few weeks. “I didn’t think you’de back so soon; you father


    usually takes longer than a few weeks.” She pulled away. “You look…”


    “Terrible, I know.”


    She pulled me in. “I’m going to put on some tea and run you a bath. She walked to the kitchen. “So,


    what’s been going on with you? Work has never made Konn look that over worked. Please tell me you


    haven’t been over doing your abilities.”


    “Ding, ding, ding, a winner.” I sneezed. “I’ve been given task after task.”


    She started making the tea then rushed to the bathroom downstairs and left the door open while she


    ran the water. “You can’t keep letting them work you like that Aqua.”


    “I know, I won’t because I’m not going back.” I couldn’t go back. “I ruined everything and hurt everyone


    around me. Lynn knows about you, Sadia found out about me and Ve, Lexus was kicked out of the


    castle and might lose his throne. Things were fine in the castle before I came.”


    “That’s just your perspective. Affairs, secrets, and betrayal has been happening in the castle since


    before you got there. There’s always been hard times, this is just one. You shouldn’t go back through.”


    She walked out. “Hold on.” She walked upstairs and came down with clothes. “Your bath is ready, and I


    got some clean clothes for you.”


    I got up, left the portal splicer on the coffee table, and walked into the bathroom. I closed the door and


    took my clothes off. A few bite marks from Lexus were still on my thighs. They were faded but I liked


    them, I didn’t want them to go. I soaked in the bath for a while and used my mother’s body wash and


    shampoo. I loved the fact that I’d smell like her.


    When I got out I brushed my teeth and detangled my hair. I threw my hair into space buns. I put on the


    clothes she brought me. It was a nk oversized shirt and sweats. I walked out of the bathroom.


    “Come sit.” She smiled. She was on the couch with a nket over her. “The shirt is your fathers, and


    the sweats are mine. I thought you’d prefer to befortable.”


    I sat down on the couch and grabbed the teacup on the coffee table. I poured myself tea and started to


    drink it. “I’m exhausted.”


    She wrapped herself around me. “Then sleep.”


    I put the teacup down and cuddled with my mother and fell asleep. I woke up an hour and a halfter


    and she wasn’t there. I looked around and saw her in the kitchen. “I’m almost done with dinner.” I


    smiled. Everything felt so calm here. I walked into the kitchen with the nket still wrapped around me


    and sat at the table. I wished I had grown up here with her. “Okay tell me everything that happened but


    with detail.”


    I exined everything to her about Sadia, Lexus, Ve and Cade. I told her about how I felt and what I


    wanted. “I just don’t think I should stay here with you yet. I want to but they’d look here for me first. The


    king and queen won’t let me leave easily. I’m too valuable. I thought about finding Lexus and staying


    with him, but I doubt he’d answer. Maybe it’s not the best idea to hide out with him.”


    “It’s not Aqua, not yet.” We had both finished eating. “Come back when you’re ready okay?”


    I nodded. “Can I take this?” I referred to the nket.


    Mom smiled. “Yes, please.” She chuckled.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I left with the nket and I noticed an elderly woman tending to my mom''s garden. I wasn’t going to


    say anything, but she called out to me. “Come here.” She spoke.


    I walked to her. “Yes?”


    “This is the first time we’ve officially met. You’re Aqua right?”


    I nodded. “Are you one of the witches in my Mom’s coven?”


    She shook her head. “Not exactly, I’m Betty.”


    I smiled. “She’s talked about you, it’s an honor to meet you.”


    Betty chuckled. “I don’t know about an honor. Where are you off to?”


    “I don’t know yet… anywhere I won’t be found.”


    Betty smiled. “Come with me back to the human realm. I’ll make sure you’re untraceable.”


    I was being offered to be taken in by the same woman who took in my mother, of course I was going to


    say yes. “What are we waiting for?”


    “Perfect.”


    Our trip back to the human world was a short one. She took me to a station that opened portals to the


    outside world. They were pricey but she had more than enough for both of us. We walked through the


    portal and were in the Forest next my old town. I followed her to her cottage. “I can’t believe you’ve


    lived this close to me all my life.”


    Betty chuckled as she walked in. “I usually don’t stay in one ce for thirty years. I’m going to move


    soon. I only stayed here so long for your mother then you. When I found out Konn left you here I had to


    keep an eye on you. There’s been many times I wanted to scoop you up when you were unhappy but


    then I’d have to worry about the case of child abduction.”


    I wish she would have taken me, but not really because I love my adoptive siblings. I would have loved


    to be able toe here and stay with her a few days whenever I wanted. I looked around. “Are you


    going to tell my mother I’m here?”


    Bettyid down on one of the couches. “Not if you don’t want me to. You’re in a lot of distress aren’t


    you?”


    I sighed. “Yeah…” I closed my eyes and thought of my sister Tay. I saw her in our home. I opened my


    eyes and wiped the blood from the corners. “It''s hard to use my abilities without paintely.”


    “I can fix that.” She got up. “Your heart is broken too?”


    I chuckled sadly. “Yeah… we can’t be together and there’s nothing we can do about it.”


    “He’s not married is he?” She joked.


    “He was supposed to be… His wedding would have been in half a month, but he called it off for me. A


    lot of stuff came to light and we were separated.”


    “Oh.” She frowned. “How about I teach you some magic? Learning something new always helped your


    mother cope with a broken heart.” I never thought about learning magic, especially because I was born


    with abilities.


    During the next week Betty made sure I didn’t use my abilities at all. She gave me all kinds of magic


    infused soups and baths to help heal me inside and out. I learned a lot about the history of witches and


    their involvement in both the outside and hidden world. Witches and hybrids were the bridge between


    both worlds and helped keep peace between them. We were the representatives of the outside world to


    the hidden one. I’d beg her to tell me stories of my mother. “She would sneak the pixies into her room


    because she wanted to keep them. She even thought one of them could help her find your father since


    they could fly fast to the barrier or sense nearby portals.”


    I invited Tay over a few times. I had been in connect with her for the past three weeks beforeing


    back here with Betty. Dad was able to get my phone magically adjusted so it could receive and send


    texts to the outside world. Tay was impressed by magic and even wanted to learn a little herself.


    Betty had us go on hikes and meditate for so much longer than I would back at the castle. I finally tried


    my first spell which was a levitation spell. Betty smiled. “See, I knew you could get it. Sometimes you


    have to just for it even if it seems impossible.” That stuck with me.