The first thing I noticed when I came to was that I was in a different room, probably the den. Cam was peering down at me in concern and Jacqueline was having an argument with her daughters. I was lying on a sofa in what appears to be the den of the house I started to sit up. I didn't need to ask what happened, I knew. Cameron smiled at me and helped me sit up fully. Jacqueline and the girls came and sat with us; while she joined us on the sofa, the twins sat together on a love seat. I could still smell the scent and now I knew why it enticed me so. I was smelling my soul mate, the bond we'd share if we let it grow.
"So are you witches too" Sherry, one of them asked "Or whatever the male equivalent is." I could tell they'd not discussed much before I came to.
"Let me explain, I'd rather they learned their nature from me" Jacqueline said
"You've had sixteen years to explain but you didn't" my soul mate said fiercely. I liked her.
"You have to understand I did what I had to" Jacqueline explained
"Save it mum" Sherry said.
Cameron and I spent the next hour lecturing them on the rich history of Odda. To their credit they rarely interrupted the tale. At a point, Jacqueline excused herself from the den, she didn't come back. We told them about Blendlings, but didn't mention that's what we were. They took it all rather well, intrigued.
"So why the weird names, couldn't they have come up with something cooler?" Belle, the one I was sure was my soul mate asked.
"Odda roughly translates to other man; Blended, to pretend man and Changeling to changing man" Cam explained patiently. "Their English equivalents are quite insulting so we just stick to those names."
"What's the difference between a wizard, a warlock and a witch?" Sherry asked
"A witch and wizard are the same thing, magic users who can draw power from nature and positive feelings. They are manipulative but mostly peaceful. A warlock can be male or female, their powers are much like those of witches and wizards, except that they are physically stronger and benefit from darker feelings." I replied
"So we're weaklings" Sherry muttered. "Figures we'll have the lamest power"
"There's nothing lame about you, witches are stronger and faster than humans." Cam defended like a man in love. I couldn't blame him, if Sherry made him feel half as good as Belle made me feel, he was hooked.
"One of a witch's strengths is stealth. They might not be perfect in defense, but they are masters of deception. Plus they don't need arms to fight when they could use their minds" I explained
"So you're saying I can sucker punch someone with my mind" Sherry said with a smile, a dreamy look came over her face.
"He's saying with proper training you can kill a man hundred paces from you" Cam said, smiling at her. They gazed at each other in their shared moment of bloodlust.
Jacqueline came back with a tray of warm cookies and milk. Cameron and I hadn't had breakfast so we stuffed our faces. Jacqueline paced and watched us from the corner of the room. I watched her frown and turned to see Sherry feed Cam a piece of cookie. Watching them, you'd think they'd been dating for long. Cam reciprocated by offering her his glass to drink from. Belle frowned into her glass and ignored us, munching delicately on a cookie. Jacqueline stormed out and I followed her.
"This is all your fault" she said in anger, whispering so they wouldn't hear us. "We we're fine until you came. They were two regular girls in high school. Now they'll want to know everything. I can't..."she suddenly started crying
"Hey" I said, taking her in my arms and let her cry for as long as she wanted. Then she shoved me away from her.
"You're a lot like Malcolm you know, kind and gentle" she whispered. My mum won't agree with her, but then again, my mum wouldn't agree with her about anything.
I followed her back to the chocolate and cream room and sat opposite he, waiting for her to compose herself.
"I loved him with all my heart. I'd have done anything to keep him, even curse your mother. I hoped he'd come back to me but he was very loyal, the perfect son. I decided the day we met that he'd be mine and even though he resisted initially, he finally gave in. We had one year of unbridled joy until his father decided to seal a match with the Deveraux family.
"As the dutiful son he was, he obeyed. In those days, the Council oversaw everything, including procreation. You couldn't do anything, not even have a child, without their permission. I petitioned to be allowed to have his child but I was denied. Instead, he was relocated to DC. I was bitter and hurt so I cursed Charlotte." She paused to look at me to see if I'd judge her.
"I don't hate you for whatever happened before. It was selfish but I understand your motivation. I really need your help. I don't want to die"
"I was really mad that day at the airport I met you. I could tell immediately who your parents were and I could see your bond with my daughter. It seemed like a twisted joke that my daughter was your soul mate when I still loved your father" she said "I saw your turbulent future and I didn't want my daughter to be a part of it.
"The relocation rules had just been abolished by the Supreme Council, Odda had increased greatly in popular and it was harder to keep track of them" she explained "So, I moved from Sacramento here. Any distance between me and Charlotte was good. I'd planned to move farther but I stayed anyway."
"Please Jacqueline, help me. If any part of you still loves my father, do it for him" I implored.
"You don't understand. It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that I can't. Two of the ingredients are extremely rare and one of the requirements is going to be impossible to procure."
"Please try..." I whisper
"Even if I could get the rare ingredients, it is still impossible" she said
"Why?" I asked close to tears.
"Son I'd need blood from one of your birth parents, one of whom is dead. We both know what happens to any Odda who comes in contact with your other parent" I'd shut out her voice after she mentioned the blood. The futility of my situation hadn't dawned on me until then. Unashamedly, I wept.