3. Where Did Nova Go? #3
Hands help sit me up and lean against the back of the sofa.
A wet washcloth is pressed against my mouth and chin, and I’m gently cleaned as I get my first glance at my father in years.
His black hair is longer than I remember, but his light gray eyes are the same, with an added spark of life as he takes me in.
“You’ve changed so much,” he notices as he exchanges the cloth for Dr. Steinbeck's drink and hands it to me.
I’m flabbergasted at his words and his presence. I haven’t seen my father since I was six, and that’s what he has to say to me?
“Where have you been?” I choke out as a slew of emotions assaults me.
Anger at being abandoned by him. Ecstatic that I’m finally reunited with him.
Apprehensive that this isn’t real or he’s going to disappear again.
I decide just to shut up and take a sip of the warm, minty liquid and let it wash away the stomach acid that’s left in my mouth and the doubt that’s resting on my heart.
“That’s a story for a different time, sweetheart. First, let’s figure out what happened to you.” He evades my question as a cold chill runs down my body.
A wave of his hand has my wakeup call mess disappearing from the floor and his pants. I’m dumbstruck as I blink owlishly at what was my mess and the man who I thought was a human my entire life.
“You can do magic?” The words slip out of me in a whisper before my brain kicks in.
Oh Shit. I just threw up all over my father!
A man whom I haven’t seen in years. I immediately want to revert to my five-year-old self and curl up into his lap so I can have those arms wrap around me like he used to.
But a bigger part of me feels betrayed, like the strongest person in my life that was meant to protect me, stabbed me in the heart, and served me right into my enemies’ hands at my lowest. Fuck it, I’m kinda glad I gave him a great welcome home present—priceless. I guess we can call that a payback.
“Yes, sweetie. I can.” He gives me a large smile.
“What the fuck?” My voice shakes as my eyes widen out of shock, and I take a few shaky breaths.
Dad’s smile quickly drops, but I don’t care. I can’t process his feelings when I can barely track, let alone process my own. Normally, I would stash away my feelings into my mental box and unpack them later, but I’m tired and, more importantly, pissed.
“Are you kidding me? All this time, you’ve been a-a-a— what?
Mage? And you were lying to me? Let me guess, you were trying to protect me, too?
” I yell, as tears burn behind my eyes. I’m sick and tired of all the lies.
So what if he’s the only parent I have left to take the brunt of my anger?
Someone has to, and it’s gonna have to be him.
“Why did you all lie to me? Did you not even think of how I would feel about this or how it would affect me?” I demand, twisting towards him and almost losing my drink in the process.
The area where Angel stabbed me pulls, and I grimace slightly, allowing everyone to mistake it as my nausea.
“Rez, take another sip, it should help,” Dad pleads with me, his eyes searching for forgiveness.
I give him a slight nod as if telling him that this conversation isn’t over, but I’ll move on for now, and the relief is immediately seen in his shoulders as he sits up straighter.
As I take another sip, a glimpse around the room tells me we’re not in the dorms, OZ, Hell, or in another place I’m familiar with.
“Where are we?” I ask as Ryker tucks a blanket around my shoulders. The small circular room isn’t holding all the Leaders of Nova; only Dean Caldron and Dr. Steinbeck are here. Besides my dad, Zeke, Knox, JP, Moni, Chester, and Ryker are here with me.
“Think of it as a safe room, Nerezza,” Dr. Steinbeck announces.
“Yes, apparently the demons that came through the portals seem to be attracted to you, Miss Taylor. Everywhere we went, they seemed to be on our tail, so we ended up going around the Administration building until we decided to portal to this safe room,” Dean Caldron explains and gives me a daunting look.
“Do you know why they would be after you, Miss Taylor?” Dr. Steinbeck asks directly.
There was an attack at the school? Where was I when this happened?
“Yes, of course I know why they would be after me: my powers are most powerful when I’m knocked the fuck out.” I roll my eyes and take another sip.
“You can’t think that Rez had a part in this attack? We just got back!” Zeke’s fangs drop at their accusations.
“Not at all,” Dean Caldron reassures him, “but we need to make sure we understand all aspects here. I had just received a message from L.A.M.B. that you were successful and the portals were open when you popped up in an unsanctioned portal area. Shortly after, demons popped out, started attacking, and seemed to be tracking you or at least your group. Do you see why I have to ask?”
Well, when he puts it that way… uhm… he might have a point.
“Nope, you pretty much summed it up,” I agree. “But I have my own question. Where’s Levi, Knots, and Lynx?”