Endania

I was sitting on a bench in the garden with the late Duchess. I don’t know how I knew this but I knew we were waiting for someone. “Mom, who are we waiting for?” I asked the Duchess.

She smiled. “Your father.”

I froze. “My Dad? The Duke?”

“Yes. He’ll be here soon.”

I frowned. If this was a dream, wouldn’t he already be here? “This is a dream, right?” I asked feeling stupid for even asking.

But she answered! “Yes, he found out this is the only way he could speak with you.”

“Okay.” I fell silent for a minute. “I wish Lord Flame didn’t kill you.”

“Me too. But he was jealous of Griffin so he changed sides.” She sighed. “Roland always knew how to hold a grudge.”

I blinked. “Roland?”

“My younger brother,” a male voice said.

My head snapped up and then my eyes widened. A man fitting the description of my father stood in front of us. The Duchess had described him quite well. Though I just can’t picture him with my birth mother. “D-Dad?” I said.

He smiled. “Hello, Sylvia.”

I launched myself at him and hugged him tightly. “You’re here,” I whispered.

He hugged me back. “Yes.”

After a few minutes I stepped back and looked at them both. Time to get back to business. “So Lord Flame’s real name is Roland?”

Dad sat down on the bench and motioned for me to sit too. I did. “Yes, that’s his name.”

“What’s his last name?”

“Hatch,” Dad said. “Our last name had been Hatch.”

Weird last name. “How many people know his real name?”

“I did. But now no one knows,” Mom said. “He’s killed everyone who had known.”

“Okay.” I paused the only reason they’d contact me through a dream was if they had something important to tell me. “Um, not that I don’t enjoy getting to finally meet you, Dad, but is there something you need to tell me?”

Dad nodded. “Yes, and the other reason was because I wanted to meet you.”

“Okay, what is it?” Was he delaying because what they needed to tell me was bad?

“He has several things to tell you,” Mom said.

“Right. The first is that my brother has become a Weredemon,” Dad said.

I blinked. “A Were-what?” I have never heard of such a thing.

“Weredemon. He injected himself with demon blood enough times that he now can do anything a demon can.”

“Which is?”

“His fire is hotter than normal and he can move things with his mind.”

“Oh.” That’s going to make him harder to kill. But at least I know about it. “What else do you need to tell me?”

“You have another power,” Mom said. “A few of them, actually.”

“What are they?” I asked curiously. I hope it’s something that can help me kill Lord Flame.

“Prediction and ice,” Dad said.

“So I have teleportation, fire, ice, and prediction?”

“Yes.”

“What is prediction?”

“You can predict someone’s moves in a fight.”

“You have single sight too,” Mom said. “You basically have all the powers your father had.”

I frowned. “What’s single sight?”

“You can look someone in the eye and can see their past and future. You can choose when to use it.”

“Wouldn’t prediction also be seeing someone’s future?”

“Not really. Prediction only allows you to see a move your opponent will make. Single sight allows you to see far into the future of that person. Or into their past which prediction can do at all,” Dad explained.

“Oh, is that all?” I asked. Please say it is. Please say it is, I silently begged. I didn’t need more powers.

“Yes.”

Phew. “So when I don’t want to use it but still want to look into someone’s eyes, I just do not focus on that power?”

“Exactly.”

“Okay.” I waited but when neither of them said anything I said,” Is that all you need to tell me?”

“Two more things. One, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you or save you. Two, I am so proud of you,” Dad said.

“R-really?” I stuttered.

“Yes.” We hugged again. “You will be an excellent Alpha,” Dad murmured into my hair.

I smiled. “I hope so,” I paused. “I’ll kill Lord Flame, I swear.”

They both nodded. “Just be careful,” Mom said.

“I will.”

“Promise me something,” Dad said.

“What?” I asked.

“Promise that you’ll do everything in your power to keep Endania safe.”

“I promise,” I said solemnly.

“Good.”

Mom sighed. “Griffin, it’s time for us to go.”

Unhappiness slid into my father’s expression. “I know,” he grumbled.

Panic flared through me. “Will I get to see you again?” I asked.

Dad shook his head sadly. “This was a one-time deal. It can never happen again.”

My eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want you to go.”

He hugged me tightly. “Neither do I,” he murmured gently. “One more thing before we go. In your room, there’s a present for you in the nightstand drawer. It’s a family heirloom. Promise me you’ll wear it?”

I wiped my eyes. “I will.” I turned and hugged Mom. “Thank you for taking me in and caring for me.”

She hugged me back. “You’re welcome. I leave it to Ash and Dominic now.”

I laughed. “They’ll love that.” I stepped back and looked at them both one last time. “I love you,” I said softly.

They both smiled. “We love you too,” Dad said and then they were gone.

I woke up on my bed, still in my wolf form. I lifted my head and looked around. Dominic still had his eyes closed but he had an ear tilted in my direction. I shifted and he lifted his head off his paws. “I’m okay,” I told him. I got up and pulled open the nightstand drawer. A small box was sitting there. I opened it to find a necklace. It had an emerald hanging from a golden chain. I slipped it on and put the box back. I turned to Dominic. “Did you know about the necklace?” I asked him. I was curious since he had been my Dad’s guard.

~No. I just remember your dad hiding something in here. He wouldn’t tell me what it was.~ He replied.

I nodded. “Okay.” Then the rest of what my Dad told me flooded my mind. “We need to have another meeting tomorrow at ten.”

~Why?~

“I found some things out that everyone needs to hear.” I got back on the bed.

He tilted his head to the side. ~How?~

I thought about telling him for a minute then shook my head. “You and Ash will find out at the meeting when I tell everyone else. I still had to figure some of it out and come to terms with what I learned. But I promise it will be worth the wait.”

He watched me for a minute then laid his head back onto his paws. ~If you’re sure.~

“I am,” I said firmly then shifted back into my wolf form and curled up again. I gave the room one final look around then laid my head on my paws and shit my eyes. I wish I could see my Dad again but I knew I wouldn’t. I fell into a dreamless sleep.