Chapter Seven
Andi
Through misty eyes, I take in the room's décor, having never been up here before. It’s very modest, a man of few belongings.
The room consists of an old couch with a checkered blanket draped over it, and a bed in a dark corner of the room.
A small table is placed between the couch and a cosy-looking charcoal armchair—perfect for reading.
I could imagine myself snuggled in there, reading a novel or two.
I spin my head round towards Myles, allowing myself to become distracted by his freshly washed hair, still dripping, and his top clinging to his body, emphasising his muscles.
Myles leads me to the couch, grabbing a bottle of wine from the cupboard with two glasses. He pours the claret into both glasses and hands me one. I’ve barely got the glass in my hand before I down it in one, I hand it back for a refill.
Myles smirks, chuckling under his breath, but obliges, nevertheless. He sets the bottle on the side table and squeezes down beside me, taking my hand in his. I didn’t realise I was shaking until he soothed me with his touch.
“Come on, tell me what happened.”
I spill everything, starting from the witch to my revelation in the woods. I describe how the magic danced along my fingers and bloomed flowers. How it tattooed my arm in white glistening spirals and how I almost killed Wyatt, down to Mum’s reaction when I confronted her.
I break down in tears as I slump further into the seat, my muscles are weak from the lack of sleep. Pressing on the tender spot on my shoulders, I knead my muscles, tight and sore with stress.
“Andi. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.” Myles shuffles in his seat. “I think you should hear you’re mum out.” He holds his hand up before I can argue. “You might not like what you hear, but at least you’ll know the truth.”
Glowering at him, I know he’s right. “I’m gonna need a refill first,” I concede, holding out my glass.
Myles and I head out into the dark as the town slumbers.
We slip down the road until we reach the bridge.
The moon reflects beautifully onto the river, a peaceful mirror reflection.
Stars sparkle, lighting up the sky, and the breeze carries a perfume of flowers, with a hint of mowed grass.
The crisp night air cools my skin after the heat of the past few days.
A candle from the cottage is still lit. I presume Mum is waiting up, hoping I will be back for her explanation.
Opening the door, Mum jumps up and speeds towards me, stopping in her tracks as I hold up my hand. Wyatt enters the room with Elana, her eyes are red and puffy. He gives me a nod to confirm my suspicions that he has filled her in.
“I need answers,” I say, my voice tremors at the sight of Mum.
“Okay,” Mum says. “I’ll answer anything you want, but first there’s something I need to show you. Please, wait here.” Guiding me towards an armchair, she disappears down the hall. Wyatt lingers beside the dining table, with an anxious look in his eyes.
For Wyatt, this news must come as a shock to him too, learning that he is not the only non-blood member of this family.
Elana slumps into a chair at the dining table, biting her nails and bouncing her knee. Itching to ask questions, but she must re-think it as Wyatt shakes his head and she rolls her eyes.
Tapping my foot, my mind wanders, watching the world outside. Foxes flee from the woods, dashing across farms, spooked by something. Myles perches on the arm of the chair, placing his hand on my knee to calm my twitching foot.
The scuffle of footsteps draws my focus, as Mum appears holding an old brown box. She looks at me gingerly before setting it on my lap. It is beautifully carved, a warm walnut brown with delicate spirals curving around each corner, with a large letter on top: A.
“Dad started putting together letters, notes, etcetera. We wanted to tell you about who you are one day, but the timing just never felt right. Then death took him from us too soon, and he never got the chance. I was too much of a coward. The thought of losing my daughter wasn’t something I was willing to risk. ”
Mum sits on the couch opposite me. “This is all there is, I hope it’s enough to answer your questions.” She smiles at me and reaches forward to touch my knee, but pauses, deciding against it.
I stroke the box, tracing my fingers along each spiral and the letter, A. I look at Myles, and he nods for me to open it. My heart pounds, and with shaky fingers, I lift the lid.
Scrap pieces of paper fill the box, with a handwritten letter from Dad folded neatly on top. My heart skips a beat. My fingers fumble to open it, tears already welling in my eyes. I read the letter aloud:
“My dear Andi,
I planned to tell you many times, but each time the words stuck in my throat.
How do I tell you that you are not our daughter?
When in every way except one, you are. You may not share our blood, but you are and always will be our daughter.
I figured it would be best to write it down, hoping it would give me the courage to speak it out loud. ”
I draw in a sharp breath, continuing:
“Mum and I would travel, selling bits and pieces. This you know, but one time, on the outskirts of Eilia, we found a young woman, cradling a beautiful, dark-haired baby. She was scared. She was gravely injured and lost a lot of blood. We couldn’t believe it, hearing the woman was Princess Edrina.”
Lifting my head to Mum, I say, “She was dying?”
Mum nods with tears in her eyes. “Keep reading.”
“Princess Edrina knew one day, you would show signs of magic. When that happens, someone who would cause you harm would hunt you. She told me to find a witch, one who specialised in magical objects. We promised to keep the baby — you, safe, and love you like a daughter.
‘Andrina, that’s your real name, Princess Andrina.
Edrina was heartbroken to give you up. She held you in her arms until she took her final breath; only then did we take you from her.
We knew we had to get you far away from Eilia, so we came to my parents’ old cottage.
You were tiny, with a full head of black hair and amazing eyes. We fell in love instantly.
‘It took a few years, but I found the witch near Zephyr. We never wanted to remove your magic like she suggested; taking that part of you, it wasn’t for us to decide.
You were so happy when I gave you that necklace, it broke my heart having you promise to never take it off.
It breaks my heart every day seeing you wear it and being unaware of its purpose. We only wanted to keep you safe.”
My voice breaks as tears stream down my face. Composing myself, I continue:
“There it is, my darling girl. I don’t know what kind of magic you might have, or what your family had. All I can give you is what your mother, your real mother, had with her, a few illustrations of your family.
‘Please forgive us, everything we have done was in your best interest, and I hope you can understand that as you grow. Maybe one day I will find the courage to tell you all this to your face, but just in case, at least you will have this.
All my love,
Dad.”
Wiping away my tears, I pass the letter to Myles and take out the drawings of my family.
I see many similar features, hair black as night, almond eyes, high cheekbones on slender smiling faces.
How did I not see this before? The Kohan family all resemble one another.
Elana’s face mirrors Dad’s heart-shaped face and eyes, Mum’s nose, and hair colour. Yet here I am, so different.
Was I blind to the differences, or did I choose to ignore them?
Doesn’t matter now, I guess; I know the truth. My family, my real family, is dead. Butchered by the mimicry. What do I do? Remain here with a family that is not my own? Do I belong here?
Scrambling through the box, pushing aside notes about my family from over the years, I find a drawing of a young woman in a beautiful pink dress, with a handsome young man at her side. On the back, there’s an inscription: Princess Edrina and Sir Ander.
My parents.
The way they look at each other is pure love. With a gentle touch on each other’s arms, a brush of hair; I memorise every imperfection of their faces, ingraining it in my mind.
Most of the clippings focused on the murder of the royal family. Some describe attacks from mercenaries in towns all over Linorah. A few paintings of cliffsides, islands, and forests. None of that means anything to me.
“Did she tell you about the attack?” I ask Mum.
Mum shakes her head. “No, only that we had to keep you safe. Dad buried her under a large ash tree. He carved it with the Tanith marking—the four-pointed star on your back. I laid a pink and coral bouquet of dahlias on her grave. It wasn’t much, but the night had turned cold, we couldn’t stay any longer, not with you being as little as you were. ”
Myles places his hand over mine, squeezing it tightly. “Andi, I…” He starts but can’t find the words. I don’t really know what words would help, either, if any.
Nothing makes this okay.
We sit in silence for the longest time before Elana runs towards me, throwing her arms over my shoulders, her face red and blotchy from crying.
Elana sobs into me, “You’ll always be my sister, I don’t care what anyone says.”
In my grief, I never thought of how this would affect Elana, my sweet, annoying little sister. I always teased that she was adopted when she was being particularly irritating. Joke's on me.
I pull her off me, to cup her face, giving a half smile. “Oh, El, of course I’m still your sister, you can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Her eyes close, nodding. I pull her back in for a hug. Perching on the edge of my chair, she hooks her arm through mine. A heavy silence hangs in the air, matching mum’s solemn expression, but I avert my gaze.
Wyatt breaks the stillness, “Elana, come on, Andi and your mum need a minute.” He takes her hand and pulls her towards the door. Elana reluctantly goes with him.
Myles follows them outside, with a squeeze of my shoulder.
“I am so sorry. This is not how we wanted you to find out. We… wanted to tell you, but after Dad, I couldn’t find the right words. Please, say something. Yell at me. Please,” Mum begs, walking towards me but dismisses the idea when I turn away from her. She slips into a dining chair instead.
“I don’t know what to say,” I mumble. Standing, I pace across the already worn carpet.
Anger seeps through every pore in my body.
“I am trying to wrap my head around it, but it’s too much.
” My hands emit a white flame. It swirls around my arms, expanding with my anger. I hold my breath, urging it to fade.
“You both lied to me, my whole life,” my voice breaks, “and I understand why you did it, but I still wish you had told me. Trusted me with the truth. Didn’t I deserve that?”
Mum watches me but says nothing, lowering her chin as tears fall down her face.
“After finding Ed… your mother, dying, pleading for us to take you. How could we not do everything in our power to protect you? We don’t know what this thing is capable of, but the damage that has already been done to your… biological family is terrifying.”
Mum says through gritted teeth, her jaw rigid, “The thought of you being found was inconceivable; we would not let it happen.” She wipes away her tears as she attempts to walk towards me, and I flinch.
A fist squeezes my heart with a crushing tightness in my chest. The air is thin, and each breath is difficult.
Mum lets out a sigh. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, us. But please know, we did what we thought was right. Or at least what we believed to be the best thing for you.”
She steps towards me again. I don’t withdraw this time, I cradle myself, holding myself together.
“I am sorry,” Mum says, wrapping her arms around me. Her top dampens with my tears.
“Okay. But I need some time.” Turning my back on her, I use my sleeve to wipe the tears, trying to compose myself before I head out the door.
“Andi, wait.” She walks to the bookcase, from a drawer she lifts out my necklace. “It was still a present from your dad. You don’t have to wear it, I’m not going to push you, but Dad would still like you to have it.”
A feeling of trepidation swallows me up, stopping me from reaching for the necklace. Mum takes my hand and gently places it in my palm. I examine it as I retreat out of the door, turning to see Wyatt and Myles sitting on the garden wall.
I walk down the path to them; this whole day has taken every ounce of energy I have. I lean against the wall, letting out a breath, Myles rests an arm over my shoulder, kissing my forehead.
Wyatt jumps off the wall and pulls me into a hug. “So, are we going by Andi or Andrina now?” he says as he pulls away from me slightly. He breaks out into a smirk and a bow. “Or Your Highness.”