Kohl was looking at me. I raised my hand and placed it on top of his. I stared at his face blankly. My eyes caught on his wrist; he was wearing a bracelet that looked like a snake. Kohl was saying something, but I didn't understand any of it. What language was he even speaking?
Suddenly, the bracelet turned into a real snake. My eyes widened, and I tried to pull my hand back, but Kohl looked at me and said, "Wait."
Fear froze my tongue. The snake slipped from Kohl's wrist and moved toward my hand. I was sure it was looking at me, so I looked back at it. Then, out of nowhere, it bit me. I was about to scream, but Agatha must have sensed it because she had already run to my side. She held my arm and said, "Nothing will happen, Mono. Just wait."
Was this woman not realizing I had just been bitten by a snake?
The pain wasn't as bad as I expected. Even so, I looked at Kohl with worry. He was still speaking in a language I didn't know. I felt the snake on my hand move. When I looked again, there were no longer one but two snakes. My eyes grew even wider—one was black, the other green.
The green one slowly wrapped around Kohl's wrist while the black one moved toward me. A small scream slipped out inside me. It wrapped around my wrist. Trying to understand what was happening, I looked at Kohl. He raised his other hand and removed the mask-like veil from his face. His eyes were coral green—so bright they didn't look human at all.
I examined his face; he looked around thirty-five or forty, not as cold as I had imagined, with smooth pale skin, black hair, and no beard.
"Hello, Mono," he said. For the first time he said something normal, and I could hear him clearly. His voice was deep.
"Hello, brother Kohl!" I said.
He looked at me and said, "Call me however you want. I am your guardian."
I gave him a confused look. When he pulled his hand away from my wrist, the two snakes intertwined and turned into a bracelet. I pulled my hand back and stared at it.
"What do you mean, guardian?" I asked.
"Guardians are beings bound to you when you are born," Kohl said. "They protect and guide you throughout your life."
"Beings?" I thought to myself. I took a step back.
"Don't be afraid, dear. We will tell you everything," Agatha said.
Kohl continued, "I am not human, Mono."
My fear grew even stronger. I began biting my hands nervously.
I lifted my head. "Then what are you?"
"My kind is called Guardians. We are creatures who can move fast, and are strong, intelligent, and logical."
"You said 'when you were born,' brother Kohl… What does that mean?" I asked.
Agatha took a deep breath. "This is about your real family, my girl."
I froze. I didn't know how long I sat there silently, but they stayed quiet and waited beside me.
"You said you didn't know them, Agatha…" I whispered.
"I couldn't tell you. Your father made me promise to protect you and raise you," she said.
My father… What kind of person was he?
"Tell me… Agatha, I want to know everything."
Agatha began:
"Before you were even born, there was a world called Grandul. This world was very different from the one we are in now. Every kind of human group lived together. It was ruled by five pureblood families…"
She paused. I looked at her.
"Is there a problem, Agatha?"
Kohl stepped in. "I'll tell it."
"These five families were purebloods.
The first family was the Vantmoors. Noble, but most of them spiteful and violent. Their eye color is yellow. Their sacred animal is the lion, and the power they represent is might. They are skilled sorcerers, but power means something completely different to them."
I interrupted him. "Magic?"
"Yes. Every pureblood family descends from sorcerers."
"The second family is the Crowloks. They are the most devoted to magic. Some of them can perform dark magic. Their eyes are gray. Their sacred animal is the raven. This shows how good they are at communication… but remember, ravens eat carrion."
I shuddered.
"When I told you I saw a raven at home, you said Crowlok… So they were watching me?" I asked.
Agatha said, "It seems they found you before anyone else."
Kohl continued:
"The third family is the Miretharns. They love fire; their sacred animal is the dragon. Their eyes are red. They train dragons and are very advanced in potion-making. Their pride is great, but not all of them are bad."
After a short pause, he continued:
"The fourth family is the Voidharts. They are stronger than all the others. Their eyes are burgundy. One reason for their power is the creature they represent—"
I cut him off. "What is it?"
"The phoenix. Now tell me, Mono… what does a phoenix represent?"
I thought for a moment. "Doesn't a phoenix represent death?"
"No, Mono. A phoenix represents life. It dies and is reborn. The Voidharts represent immortality. They are disciplined, and their training is harsh—"
"But you said they weren't immortal," I said.
Kohl smiled slightly. "Voidharts are not immortal; they can only be killed by another Voidhart. Remember that."
Then he looked at my face carefully. "There is one more family…"
"Tell me," I said.
Agatha stepped in. "This family… is your family."
My eyes filled with tears. I had a family.
Kohl took a deep breath and continued:
"They were called the Grimvole family. They were stronger than all the others. They did not represent an animal… they represented death. They were a very old and very respected family."
"What… what do you mean?" I asked.
"They were the masters of death, Mono. But one day, the other families attacked them out of unbearable jealousy."
Tears began to fall from my eyes.
"Did they die?" I whispered.
Agatha said, "Not all of them… but we lost most."
Kohl continued:
"Remember, the only power that can kill a pureblood is another pureblood. The families tried to destroy the Grimvoles. At that time, I… I was your mother's guardian."
His words struck a painful place inside me.
"We lost her, Mono. Your mother Olivia loved you more than anything."
I couldn't hold back my sobs.
Agatha said, "Back then, I was responsible for the household duties in the Grimvole family…"
"So they attacked only for power?" I asked.
Kohl said, "No… They came to take something."
"What?"
"You."
My blood ran cold.
"Me? My family… died because of me?"
Agatha held my hand. "It all actually began with your mother. She was an incredible woman."
Kohl continued:
"Your father, Master Digori, was a pureblood. One day when he saw your mother in the forest, he told me, 'She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.' I was your mother's guardian back then. Then a guardian came to the town, your mother saw your father too, and in time they married."
Agatha added:
"But your mother had a secret. Only your father knew. Your mother was a Soul Weaver, Mono."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Kohl said, "It's very rare. And deadly. The families believed the lineage of Soul Weavers had ended."
"And what does this have to do with me?"
Agatha took a deep breath.
"You have an older brother, Mono. His name is Adam."
I stared in shock. "Really? Is he alive?"
"Of course he is," Agatha said. "He leads what remains of the family."
My heart hurt but also fluttered with excitement.
"Then why didn't he look for me?"
Agatha said, "He couldn't. It was his greatest sacrifice."
"I don't understand. Why?"
Kohl began to speak:
"When the other families learned your mother was a Soul Weaver, they wanted her. Your brother was ten at the time, and your mother was pregnant with you."
"What happened? Tell me everything!" I said.
Agatha explained:
"When they came, your mother hid your brother. She was badly wounded during the battle. Your father took him and left. Your mother was on the brink of death, and your father had to make a decision…"
Silence fell.
Kohl continued in a low voice:
"To save you, your father had to do what your mother begged him to do. She pleaded with him. And your father made the hardest decision of his life—he cut you out of her womb."
I burst into tears. Agatha hugged me.
Kohl continued:
"After your mother died, your father returned home with you. Once the families learned she was dead, their next targets were you and your brother. Because when a Soul Weaver dies, her power passes on to one of her children. When your father realized your brother was gone, he gave you to Agatha. 'Take her far enough that they can't sense her blood,' he said."
Agatha looked into my eyes.
"And so I took you and left. Kohl became your guardian."
After crying for a while longer, I asked:
"So what now? They found me, didn't they?"
Agatha said, "Yes. They waited for you to turn eighteen. When a pureblood comes of age, their power increases. That's why…"
"They're going to kill me," I said.
Kohl shook his head. "No. I won't allow that. Never again.
That's why we're going home, Mono… to your brother.
We need him to train you."