Page 155 of Wicked Magik
"When darkness fell, they hadn't returned. I paced until midnight, telling myself they just needed time. Your mother—barely showing then—had always hated the mountain chill, while Thackery never seemed to feel it at all. By dawn, fear had hollowed me out. I summoned the winds to carry me, followingtraces of them through the forest until every trail vanished at the boundary of Shadow Court lands."
He let out a breath that moved the hanging flowers in the kitchen.
"For days, then weeks, I searched until my body wasted away," he said, voice hollow. "The moonlight called to me. It restored my strength and helped me brew potions that dulled the severed edges of our bond." His eyes glistened with tears he refused to let fall. "Every day, I hunted for some trace of them, only to discover—too late—a portal to the Earth Realm. By then, it had been sealed shut, forbidden to all.
"When Veylor sent me your hair strand, I felt it instantly—like lightning striking a dead tree and finding it still had life inside. The bond I thought severed forever suddenly hummed with possibility. That night, beneath the full moon, I unraveled your essence strand by strand, and there they were…unmistakable traces of Alicia and Thackery woven into your very being. The two halves of my heart, living on in you."
Sylvaine wasn’t the only one in the room shedding tears now, they were free falling down my face.
I wiped away the tears that stubbornly clung to my cheeks, feeling a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. My whole life had been a lie, or at least a half-truth. The man standing before me, claiming to be my father, had shattered the fragile image I had.
"I know you must be overwhelmed with all of this, but please understand that I have searched for you for years. I never stopped trying to find you, to bring you back into the fold of our broken family."
His words stirred conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to push him away, to reject this newfound connection he claimed we had. But another part of me longed for the sense of belonging, of knowing where I came from and who I truly was.
However, he could have told me these things back at the estate and not here in a mountain.
“Why did you bring me here,” I cleared my throat. “Why not tell me all of this back there, with the mates I have? You of all people should know what it is like not to have a bond connected or being taken away.”
Sylvaine winced, his shoulders dropping. "I couldn't bear watching you walk the same broken path, my daughter. Every sunrise reminds me of what I've lost. Two souls bound to mine, yet worlds away. The bond between us stretches thin but never breaks, a constant ache I wouldn't wish upon you. Even now, I don't understand how you crossed between realms when they never could."
I shook my head. “It isn’t right. It is my choice. It’s normal to have fights in a relationship, misunderstandings at times, especially when there are three people. You barging into my life doesn’t mean you get to dictate it!”
Sylvaine huffed, standing his ground. “I want what is best for you. I have made potions for you to forget, I can even rearrange your life strands so you are no longer connected to them.”
I gasped. “Don’t you dare. If you ever did that I would never speak to you again!” I held up the candelabra. “I don’t care if you are the only family I have left!”
There was a pause between us. Sylvaine stared at the floor. “You do consider me, your father? Even if you are not biologically mine?”
“My mother loved you, as well as this, Thackeray. You were part of a triad, so of course I would consider you a father.” My body relaxed. “Unless you are lying to me!”
He shook his head. “No, of course not. I just… want you to be happy. Forever.”
“I will be. With them.”
He nodded but frowned. “As you wish.”
That was easier than expected.
“As far as my mother…”
Sylvaine lifted his head in hope.
“She passed away. Both of them… are gone. It’s just us now.”
Sylvaine’s lip quivered.
“She passed suddenly while I was away. I wasn’t even home to bury her.” A sob broke free and I dropped the candelabra to the ground with a clang.
In an instant, Sylvaine was by my side and picked me up from the seat and held me to his body. “Shh, it’s okay.” His voice was rough and thick with emotion. “I’m here and I’m not leaving. Not ever.”
Thoughts of Mom filtered through. Not one memory came to mind that would give away what sort of life she led in the past. She only cared about me and for me to be proud of who I was.
It was because I was my father’s daughter.
Why didn’t she tell me about Sylvaine though?
Would it have been too hard to explain?
