Page 271 of Gift from the Source
I shadow out of Oakly’s lab in the east wing and make my way to my library. That’s what I now refer to the room Uncle Orien designed for me.
In the last one hundred and fifty years, I’ve made quite the modifications to it. I needed more space for all my books from around the realms.
We’ve ventured to them all now, except for the Valorian Veil.
Our Nexus has traveled to the portal a couple of times, but it burdens my Primary every time we do it. Something on the other side bothers her greatly, but she won’t speak about it.
It makes me worry for my little bird friend.
I think of him often.
I bet he knows the answers I seek.
Too bad the revelation of who Willow was came hours after he left.
I step out of the shadow and walk across my room to where I have a massive picture frame concealed.
The little side project I created started one hundred and twenty years ago. It was just supposed to be a fun hobby for me to pass the time when I didn’t have much else going on.
I told myself eventually it would get done and I’d surprise my little Primary with it as a gift.
Granted, I will admit, it’s become more of an obsession than a hobby. The more and more I discovered, the more I desperately needed to get these answers for her.
“Reveal.”
My fingers trace down the black trunk of the willow tree in the center of the frame. I continue to trace over the large five branches that I created and down the leaves I’ve added.
It’s all been made with my shadows.
It’s a family tree for my sweet Willow.
Or it would be if one branch didn’t sit completely bare.
I’ve been able to track down four of the original daughters’ lines, including the one she comes from.
Her line was the easiest to figure out.
She knows quite a bit on her own from everything she’s gotten from her communal knowledge. She most certainly has information on the other lines as well, but she doesn’t know who they are, only what they know.
They proved incredibly challenging to figure out.
This idea to make this for her started festering after she told us the story her mother shared with her when she was telling her about her gift. Then even more so after the conversation she had with Elementra.
It’s taken me all this time and multiple travels to various realms to gather research on ‘unnatural’ occurrences that happened.
I’ve had to slyly sneak in questions every so often to coax an answer about a portal that was opened, when it was, where it originated from, where it went and so forth. She takes it as me just being curious and wanting to know things, which is both true, but I believe I’ve done a remarkable job keeping my true intentions from her.
It honestly has been the most intriguing and exciting challenge I’ve faced.
I had to search parts of the realm I’d never even considered visiting because why would I need to see random and sometimes even abandoned towns on the outskirts of territories?
Those were my gold mines.
Broken down, falling apart cottages. Secret hideaways in caves.
You name it.
The daughters hid themselves very well.
