Julia grabbed the plant from Nemia, who watched as Julia's eyes became unfocused. Her lips moving in whispers of a language that Nemia had never heard. Not one like that of a witches though, sounding more like an ancient, forgotten fae. Suddenly, the plant started to peel itself and a flower sprouted. A bright purple with a deep indigo in the heart of it. Which quickly began to wilt and turn to a dust that blew away on a breeze Nemia couldn't feel herself.
The soil was the only thing to remain now, and even it began to shift as Julia's chanting slowed to a stop. An old, worn book laid on top of the soil in the pot. Puffed with ink and extra scraps stuffed in between its pages.
Julia tipped the pot towards Nemia and she gingerly grabbed it. Holding it in her hands, resting them in her lap as she stared down at it. This is... Was.. my mothers. She thought to herself, feeling a pull of grief from the loss of someone she'd never truly met.
Dorian's mind brushed against hers, not saying anything but she knew it was meant to let her know he was here. All she has to do was say she needed him and he'd be here in an instant. She smiled inwardly and nuzzled her mind against his, getting the strength to crack open the book.
Reading the first entry dated on August 13, 1999.
"Well, it's been twenty years since I've done one of these. Strange, I never thought I'd write another one but here goes....
WE'RE PREGNANT!
Just confirmed it this morning at the doctor's office. As if after five tests at home wasn't enough confirmation."
There was a small, drawn in face next to the sentence that has an arrow connecting it to "eye rolls." Written to the side. Nemia smiled down at it and ran her fingertips across the poorly drawn eye rolling face. She was quirky...
Nemia blinked away the tears that threatened to cloud her vision and continued reading the passage.
"The sweet lady told me I looked to be about six, six and a half weeks long.
Which tells me the little one was conceived during Xaine and my's anniversary trip to the Carpathian Mountains. We always loved it up there.
I guess the myths of blossoming fertility within those mountains are true. Be warned, my little no named bean.
Oh names!
I hope you're a girl. I'd like to have at least one. Your three brothers are already killing me. Even though their grown, they won't leave!
It's okay though, I don't know what I'd do without them. Malcolm is the oldest, and then we have the twins. Andrew and Cole.
Please don't be twins...
I'll love you if you are but please don't be..
Anyway, I attached the first ultrasounds to the back! Can't wait to meet you, little one!"
Nemia could almost hear her mother's pauses of laughter while she was writing this and could feel the tension and strain in her words. Could almost feel the warmth that she would have emitted.
She re-read the passage, picking it apart by sentence. Able to decipher most things by herself until she got towards the end.
"I have brothers aside from Malcolm? And my dad...." Nemia spoke the questions softly, hovering over the names.
Julia stayed silent for a moment, until Nemia finally looked over at her to which she sighed. "They're all gone...."
"But they were all alive when Mom found out about me... When?" She asked, though she wasn't sure she was ready for the answer.
"Malcolm betrayed them all. At the gender reveal, he lost it... Your mom and I was the only survivors that day, along with you in her womb. I'm sure it's written in there... It's when she knew the prophecy was going to come true." Julia paused, giving Nemia a moment to process. Her eyes distanced with pain in remembering the moment from all those years ago.
She cleared her throat and refocused her eyes back on Nemia. "It's also when he was exiled from the family. She wanted to destroy him then, but if it was prophecy... She couldn't. To save you from the darker fate. You... Have to be the one to kill him. To bring your family's name to justice."
"Oh..." The sharp jab in Nemia's chest kept her silent for a long moment after that. Forcing herself not to flip through the pages to find the passage Julia mentioned was possibly there. She was curious, how Julia was the only other one to survive but wanted to leave well enough alone for the time being. Nemia wasn't sure how much more she could ingest in such little time.
Dorian brushed her mind again, nudging her softly through the bond. "Look for the pictures. Focus on just learning who your family was, not what happened to them." He urged her softly and Adira rose her head in agreement.
Nemia mentally nodded her head and sighed aloud, flipping the first page over to see the first ultrasound pictures of herself. Julia perched on Nemia's shoulder, looking down at the baby photos with Nemia. Just a small blob in the womb at this moment, not looking like anything really yet. As she closed it back up, she noticed writing on the back and stretched the pictures out again.
"Even as a blob, you are everything to me. And look at how far technology has advanced! I didn't even get something like this with the twins!"
A smile flickered across her lips at the scribbles words and closed it back up gently, flipping through a few more pages. Scanning over the entries quickly until she ran across another taped portion. This time, a photo of her mom and dad.
Her dad was standing behind her mom, his hands resting gently on her belly. He had a big, white smile that reached ear to ear. He was bald and had a tribal tattoo swooping across his scalp. The sunlight from when the photo was taken caused a glare that made it impossible for her to tell what the tattoo was actually of though. He was much taller than her too, and his eyes were a golden amber.
Her mom... It was like she was looking at a picture of herself, just aged more and in the arms of a stranger to her. The red, curly mess of hair and deep emerald green eyes. The freckles that took claim over the entirety of her face and shoulders, mimicked that of Nemia's.
Her fingertips trailed over the faces for a moment and Julia exhaled softly, reaching her hand over to grip Nemia's hand over the pictures. "They were absolutely wonderful people and I am so sorry you won't ever get to meet them. They would be so very proud of you though. You are beautiful, brave... Kind. A force to be reckoned with."
She lifted her hand and brushed some of Nemia's hair out of her eyes. "They loved you so much. Every time I seen them, they were overjoyed with any news they had about you." She paused for a moment. "Even after everything with Malcolm, your mom she... She was able to continue only because of you. She poured every last ounce of love she could give, into you. I was there, every step of the way after that."
Her voice broke and Nemia shut the book, curling it to her chest as she twisted and threw her other arm around Julia. Pulling her into a tight hug that left the both of them latched to each other as tears erupted between the two of them.
After several minutes they started to calm and Nemia pulled away. "Thank you... For this." She wiggled the book clutched to her chest. "And that." She pointed, with her chin, towards the discarded pit the had fell to the floor. Her eyes settling back on Julia, they softened once again. "Thank you for everything."
She leaned over and rested her head on Julia's shoulder then with a sag in her own shoulders. Julia layed her head down on top of Nemia's for a moment, then patted Nemia's leg and lifted her head.
"Not to be conceited, but can I please have the clothes you brought back from the apartment for me? I can only repurpose this dress so many times...." Her lips disappeared into themselves as she seemed to bite both of them simultaneously as if to stop an outburst of a laugh.
Nemia glamced down at Julia's apparel, which was still the same ballgown from the formal. Though it still looked flawless, probably from Julia enchanting it, Nemia nodded with a light laygh. "Yeah, let's go."
She stood, keeping the book clutched to her chest with her left arm and reaches for Julia with her right. Leading her out of her room, making their way to Dorian's bedroom.
As they entered, Nemia stopped for a moment, gathering in the room once more during daylight. It was definitely manly, but beautiful nonetheless. Letting the castle walls speak for itself in it rough-hewn stone. Noticing now, the greenery in the rafters. Huh.
A glance down at the bed, a blush immediately emitted across her cheeks and she quickly looked away. She could feel Dorian's chest puff proudly, even though he was no where near them at the moment.
Rolling her eyes she resumed to the destination of the bag of clothes, kicked off to the side in the floor of the bedroom. Bringing it over to Julia, extending it out with her right hand. "Clothes, ma'am."
Her lips flickered into an amused smile. Though Julia was preoccupied with staring at the bed to notice Nemia's outstretched arm.
"I won't hold this all day.* Nemia warned, though she was meaning it in the most playful of ways she could manage.
Julia grabbed it, but kept her eyes glued. "That's a big ass bed."
"Yes, I know. And it's just as comfortable as it looks." Nemia mused, glancing back over to the bed herself. Wanting to stretch out across it at the mention of it being much more comfortable than it appears.
"I will come up there..." Dorian warned softly in her mind, an aroused growl filling the space in her mind. She shivered and bit her lip.
"Behave." She grumbled, pulling her eyes away from the bed and urging Julia to do the same.
"Let's get out of here, before Dorian comes up here to trap me." She raised her brows to signal what she meant and Julia's eyes widened.
"Oop..." She giggled and pranced out of the bedroom. Nemia following closely behind.