Page 58 of Autumn Secrets

“A sleeping pill? Have you lost your mind? You were planning to drug me?!” I yelled.

“I know how horrible it must sound, but you are my only daughter, Aurora. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. That’s what mothers do. It was just until we had you under another protection spell.”

“So, what? I’m doomed now? Does every guardian of light have, like, a death sentence looming over their heads? Is that why you’re trying to delay this?”

Mrs Peters cleared her throat. “No. No, they don’t, no more than regular humans these days. Back in the day was another story, but not in modern times. Your grandmother was a guardian of light for over forty years. There are so many good light bearers around. It’s safe here.”

“Aurora, I just wanted you to have a normal life.” Mum continued, “I’ve seen the responsibility that comes with being a guardian, and I didn’t want you to be forced into that at such a young age. My plan was to get you under another protection spell then move back to Paris for a few more years, and maybe tell you then. It never occurred to me that you could break the spell yourself. I guess I was too naive. I didn’t realise I was running out of options.”

I thought back to the morning on the forest floor, and how happy I’d felt. I had been so connected to nature, like I’d found a missing link to myself. It was such an amazing feeling, like I’d been enlightened. This was my birthright, and these people who I’d trusted my whole life had deliberately kept me away from my destiny.

I turned to Mum. “Mum, you had no right to do this.”

“Aurora…”

“Please let me finish. I do understand that you did this out of love and that you had my best interests at heart. But I will need some time to wrap my head around this. You have lied to me my entire life. All of you. I trusted you, and right now I’m just so angry with you for hiding this from me. My destiny.You had no right.”

Mum nodded. “There’s so much that you don’t know or understand.”

“Well, that’s not my fault, is it?”

“Aurora,” Mrs Peters interrupted. “We are sorry. But please remember we did what we did because we love you and thought it was the best thing to do.”

“Well, it doesn’t feel that way right now. I feel betrayed.”

“I’m sorry you feel like that,” Mum whispered.

“So am I. Now, if I have any more questions, can I count on you to be honest with me?”

Mum nodded and wiped a tear from her face. “Of course you can, sweetheart. I will always be here for you.”

I looked at Mr and Mrs Peters. “What about the two of you?”

“We will always be here for you, love.”

I nodded and got up from my seat for the second time this evening. “Just one more thing. Is it safe here? I mean in this house?” I let my eyes wander over their faces again, before landing on my mother’s.

“Yes. Aurora, this house is our safe haven. Darkness can’t come in here unless it is invited. The whole manor has a ward around it.”

I nodded. “Good.”

Then I turned around and walked away…

Chapter 18

Mum had already left for work when I woke up on Monday morning, and I think it was intentional on her behalf. I had asked for some time to process all of this on my own, and this was her way of showing me that she respected my wish. There was a note on the kitchen table with the keys to her car. I knew she was feeling really awful about all of this, and part of me actually wanted her to. I felt so betrayed. I was hurt, but most of all, I was angry.

There were only a couple of weeks left until the autumn equinox. How on earth was I supposed to defend myself if someone, or something, decided to attack me? I mean, I didn’t really know what was out there lurking in the dark. Were there people or other creatures who wanted to hurt me? How could I possibly know, when I’d been living a lie my whole life? My only comfort was that they had told me that everything had been quiet for a very long time. I sighed loudly.

But my mind couldn’t comprehend that there were vampires and fallen angels and other beings residing among us, and above all, I couldn’t understand my own part in all of this. It was too surreal. I had been lying in bed unable to sleep for hours last night, trying to take it all in, with little success. I had tried to come to terms and accept their decision to not tell me sooner about all of this, but it was impossible to do that right now. I had trusted Mum more than anyone in this world. I always had, and Mr and Mrs Peters were like family to me. They had known all this time. How was I supposed to go on acting like my normal self, when my whole world had been completely turned upside down?

I’d decided somewhere between midnight and threea.m. that the only way to feel normal was to go to school, be around ‘normal people’ and try to pretend for a day that none of this had ever happened. I really needed it.

I arrived at school way before the bell rang, and as always, the parking lot was deserted. I was probably the only student who ever showed up early to this place. I switched the car engine off and just sat there staring out the window. The lack of sleep was starting to take its toll. I welcomed it in a way; it slowed down my chaotic mind to the point where I was basically too tired to think. I took a deep breath and pushed the car door open. I just needed to get through the day.Act normal; everything is normal.

It was like I was holding my breath the whole day. I tried to engage in conversations at lunch with the girls, and it did work to some extent. There were a few moments when I actually could let go of what I’d been told the night before, where I could pretend that I was just living a normal, happy life.

When the bell finally rang for the end of the day, I quickly left the school grounds. I hadn’t seen Adrian at all, which was good. I didn’t need anything more to think about right now. As I drove out, I decided to go to the library for a while. I still craved some ‘normal’ in my day, before I went back home where everything was…not normal. I parked my car behind the old church, and just as I’d closed the door behind me, someone called my name.