Beastmora- The Golden Six

by Kayley Behler

  “Mom had extras,” Henrik answered, clearly happy that he knew something she didn’t.

  “I see,” She mumbled, attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes.

  “Why are you sleeping on the couch?” He questioned, looking over at Callan and Emalia who were cuddled up together, “Are you guys having a secret party?”

  “No,” Valeria responded, tugging her tangled hair into a messy bun, “We fell asleep talking last night.”

  “Why didn’t you invite me?” Henrik complained his lips forming into a pout.

  “You were sleeping with Mom and Dad.”

  “Mommy had a bad dream and woke me up,” Henrik stated, his little feet still swinging along, “Also Daddy takes all the covers.”

  “You would have hated sleeping on the couch anyway. It’s really uncomfortable to sleep on,” said Valeria, stretching to try and get the kink out of her back, “You would have ended up in their bed anyway.”

  “Still,” Henrik replied petulantly, Valeria sighed getting up and going to the kitchen to grab a cup of blood. She could hear Henrik jumping onto Callan in the other room.

  The blinder for the window was open, peering through she could see her mother sitting on the swing under the tree staring out. They had a small courtyard with tables, chairs, and neatly cared for plants outside. The gardens were flourishing, the vegetation illuminating the otherwise dark yard and Valeria remembered when it was filled with beasts during parties.

  Her mother was sitting out on one of the swings. She didn’t seem to be talking to Uncle Xander, and Valeria knew she should go out there to apologize. So she gathered her courage and walked out to her mom. Florence’s hair was loose down her back, and she was wearing one of Derik’s old shirts, Nebby was perched in her mother’s lap, watching her companion closely. She was staring seemingly at nothing, her expression blank. Valeria took one of the stone benches across from the swing and watched as her mother’s gaze slid to hers.

  “Sleep well, dear?” Florence asked, and Valeria wondered why she wasn’t bringing up last night.

  “Not really,” Valeria admitted, her mom’s eyes softened at her in the way Valeria remembered when she was a child and had run to her parent’s bed in the dead of day.

  “I’m sure the couch contributed,” Florence mused, her gaze flicking back to the illuminated multi-colored flowers climbing their way up the tree they were under, and Valeria followed her mother’s gaze as they lapsed into silence. Valeria sighed, looking back at her mom and mustering her courage.

  “I’m sorry that I let you down,” whispered Valeria, but she knew her mother heard her and they were both silent for a second.

  “When I was a fledgling, I was utterly alone. My family neglected me, used me, and tortured me. So I vowed never to allow my children to feel alone or that they could not trust me. My goal was for that you and your siblings would feel safe in coming to me with your troubles, you would know I would love and support you no matter what you’d done,” Florence responded, her voice was soft and tainted with hurt. Valeria felt a stab of guilt at each word she spoke, “Returning to your statement of letting me down, I am the one who has failed you. If I had secured your safety better or perhaps been more open with you, then you would not feel the need to lie to me. If perhaps you trusted me... Please accept my apologies. I should have been a better mother.”

  “No, Mom. You and Dad are the best. I just got sucked into peer pressure and wanting to redeem myself,” Valeria protested, “Getting rejected by the Elders made me feel like a complete and utter failure. I felt like I failed you and Dad. I, I just wanted you guys to be proud of me in the way that you’re proud of Emalia and Demetri.”

  “Oh darling,” Her mom said with a soft sigh, moving from her seat to sit by Valeria and cup her cheeks, so they were looking eye to eye, “I don’t want you to be Emalia or Demetri or Henrik or me. I want you to be Valeria, my daughter that is strong and unique in her own way. You have your own strengths, you just have to use them, but I don’t care if you save the world or make headlines, all I have ever wanted for you was to be happy. I don’t care about anything else. I’m only harder on you than your brothers because I believe that you are capable of great things, and honestly, you’re mature enough now for me to start pushing.”

  Valeria uttered out a choked, “Mom” before wrapping her arms tightly around her mom and squeezed her eyes shut, she didn’t want to cry but dammit she might. After a couple of minutes of hugging and some stray tears, Valeria pulled back to look at Florence with determination, “Alright, I’m ready to face my punishment.”

  “That’s my fledgling,” Florence said with a fond smile, wiping at Valeria’s cheeks, “but first dusk time meal and freshening up.”

  Nebby took this as a cue to jump back into Florence’s lap, crawling up to settle on her shoulder, causing them both to laugh.

  “I believe Nebby agrees,” Florence hummed, petting the small acid dragon and they both stood to make their way inside the manor. As soon as they were indoors, they parted to freshen up. By the time Valeria had returned to the sitting room, Xander, Nova, and Ivan were there with food for every non-vampire in the house.

  “Good evening, V,” Xander greeted with a smile but looking at the phoenix she could tell, he had not slept. Everyone around the table looked exhausted with the exception of Nova and Henrik. Her parents didn’t join them until halfway through the meal, Derik smiled, but he looked more stressed than anything else.

  “Meat skewers?” Florence scoffed as she poured blood into her, teacup, “That is not breakfast.”

  “I’m an adult. I can eat meat skewers for breakfast if I want to,” Emalia answered, her mouth full of meat causing Callan to bark out a laugh. Valeria could see everyone else sporting amused grins around them.

  “Maybe you should start acting like an adult then, dear,” Florence jested, allowing Nebby to crawl into her lap and Emalia just made a face at her mother which Florence raised an eyebrow at. The conversation flowed easy enough after that, no one bringing up the events of last night.

  Florence was the first to stand once the meal was completed, “Alright I bought new communicators for all of you, they are in the library. Emalia, could you hand them out, love?”

  “Of course, Mom,” Emalia answered, patting the sauce off her face with a napkin and Florence gave her withering look.

  “Emalia Claudia Grey,” Florence said with an exasperated sigh, running a hand down in face, “I raised you with better table manners than that.”

  “What? I wiped my mouth,” Emalia defended, looking up at her mother in indignation. Florence just shook her head with a pained expression and turned to look at Valeria.

  “Valeria, your father and I would like to speak with you in the study,” Florence said, and Valeria nodded in response, following both her parents to the study. Her father’s study resembled his office back at the Grey Academy except for the fact that it was a mess. There were papers strewn across the tables, books stacked in every corner of the room, and Valeria knew she was definitely in her father’s study and not her mothers. She briefly wondered how he kept his office at school so neat when this one was so messy.

  “Take a seat, Valeria,” Her father said, taking his own on the opposite couch and Florence sitting beside him, “So your mother and I had a chat yesternight and this evening.”

  “I’m not going to lie to you Valeria when I woke up tonight I was furious. I was ready to lock you in Grey Manor until you turned a century. You have not only endangered your own life but the lives of every student and faculty at Grey Academy. I spent countless cycles making a safe haven for those that were victims of true atrocities that no child should have to endure. On top of that endangerment, you lied blatantly to your mother and I. Our trust in you has been destroyed. I don’t think you ever understood that us sending you to the Grey Academy was a way for you to redeem our trust following you stealing Thoren to sneak out. Your mom may blame herself for your mistakes, but I do not. We rais
ed you better than this, and I am very disappointed in you,” Derik said his voice even and calm. With every sentence, Valeria seeped deeper into her seat ridden with guilt and self-hatred, “However, after your mother told me why you did this, I’m not as angry anymore. I can understand where you are coming from, Valeria. With that being said, you are undoubtedly being punished for your actions.”

  “Your father and I have come to a couple of conclusions on your punishments,” Florence spoke up, her hand tangled with her fathers to show the united front they always presented, “Firstly, you will no longer be attending the Grey Academy or your GSI internship.”

  “But-,” Valeria began her protest, but Derik held his hand up to silence her, and she snapped her mouth closed.

  “Secondly, you will help your father clean the basement and vault.”

  “We have a basement?” Valeria asked in shock, forgetting that she was supposed to be silent, “Sorry.”

  Florence gave her a look before continuing, “Thirdly, you will be watching Henrik without complaint while your father and I deal with this mess. Lastly, you will not leave the Manor without express permission until you regain our trust.”

  “Sounds fair,” Valeria replied, thinking it was no more than she deserved and it could’ve been far worse.

  “There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, Valeria. What matters is what we take from these mistakes and how we grow from them, what did you learn tonight?” Derik questioned looking imploringly at her.

  “I-” Valeria began but was interrupted by her father.

  “You know what, don’t tell us. I want you to write an essay about it instead,” Her father interrupted a pleased smile taking over his face, “Due by the end of the summer and you will read it to our entire family including Callan, your Uncle, his mate, and Nova.”

  “Yes, Father,” Valeria nodded, groaning internally about writing an essay but understanding that she deserved it, “Anything else?”

  Her parents exchanged a look before her mom answered, “No, I think that about covers it.”

  ◆◆◆

  They ended up back into the living room after their talk, Derik chatting with Xander, Callan complaining about how cold it was, Emalia, Nova, and Henrik were hunched over a sketch pad and Florence talking with Ivan about schooling. All the sudden Florence stood up, making a beeline for the front door and catching everyone’s attention. She opened the front door, seconds later a dazzling yellow dragon landed, and none other than Demetri was on it’s back.

  “I swear to the Creator if you don’t have permission to be here you are so dead,” Florence threatened, pointing a finger at her son and Demetri fumbled into his pockets before producing a piece of parchment, holding it defensively in front of him.

  “I do! I do!” Demetri exclaimed, sliding off the dragon, and Florence gave him a suspicious look before taking the paper and reading it, “Wow, not even a welcome home.”

  Florence seemed satisfied with what she read and pulling her son into a hug, she said, “Welcome home, darling.”

  “Why the cold reception?” Demetri questioned as he hugged his mother back, his usual smirk adorning his face, “V finally do something worse than me?”

  “Indeed,” Derik confirmed, taking his turn to hug him, “I see you’ve gotten your dragon. Congratulations, son.”

  “Yeah!” Demetri exclaimed in excitement before gesturing to the simmering dragon, “I call her Sparky because she’s a lighting dragon.”

  “Please tell me you are joking,” Florence deadpanned, raising her eyebrows at her son and he simply grinned.

  “Yeah I am,” Demetri beamed, looking so stupidly pleased with himself, “Her name is Svetlana.”

  “Can I hold her?” Henrik asked, his red eyes alight with wonder and excitement as the dragon sparkled in the moonlight. From what Valeria understood about dragons is that yellow ones were electric, they would spit lighting instead of fire or ice.

  “Of course, little dude,” Demetri responded then called his dragon over, she had shrunk and crawled up her companion’s arms. The dragon had sniffed her way over to him, her eyes were unfocused and unmoving. As Henrik gushed over the small dragon, Florence paused after stroking the creatures head.

  “How old is she?” Florence questioned, looking at her son with a quizzical eyebrow and Demetri shifted his feet.

  “Um… three weeks.”

  “Demetri Gregori Dracul!’ Florence scolded, giving her son a disapproving look, “She is far too young to be flying such distances. She could have fallen from the sky. Did you learn nothing at the Dragon Core?”

  “Svetlana said she could handle it,” Demetri protested, holding his hands up in defense, “She felt how worried I was about you guys. I was watching the planet-wide broadcast when the explosion went off, by the way, you’re a badass Mom.”

  “Thank you, but I wish you had been more careful with your new companion,” Florence responded, “She is quite beautiful though. You are very fortunate.”

  “Uh Demetri, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your dragon is blind,” Callan said as Svetlana tried licking at thin air instead of Henrik’s face.

  “I did notice actually,” Demetri said, laughing at the unimpressed look on the wolf’s face, “She doesn’t need eyes with our bond I can be her eyes. Still working on that one.”

  Valeria watched on in contentment as her family commenced their bickering. She was happier than she expected to see her twin brother. After such a long time apart, it was nice to see him again. Maybe she had missed him, just a little.

  * * *

  Chapter Fifteen

  Beginning of the End

  It turned out that Demetri had gotten permission to stay for the rest of the night but had to be back at the Dragon Core before sunrise. Before they headed inside, Demetri had grabbed Florence’s arm and asked to take a walk with him. Valeria assumed it was to have a chat but what could Demetri want to talk one on one with their mom about? Usually, he would simply ask in front of the rest of them, and Demetri hardly took the time to pull anyone aside for anything except being his partner in one of his hairbrained schemes. Although Valeria doubted, that was why he was pulling their mother aside.

  “Of course,” Florence responded, looping her arm in his and leading him to the path around the grounds. Nebby had nestled herself across Florence’s shoulders, watching Demetri’s dragon with interest.

  “What do you need to talk to Mom about?” Valeria questioned before they left and Demetri turned a smirk at her.

  “Nothing that you’d understand,” Her brother answered cockily, “only a Dragon Core graduate could understand.”

  “I went to the Dragon Core, but that’s fine,” Derik said and then proceeded to shout “Go off and talk. Behind My Back.”

  Florence rolled her eyes at her husband and pulled Demetri along with his yellow dragon trotting behind him, “Jealousy never suited you, my heart.”

  “Stone cold,” Callan chuckled as Florence and Demetri moved out of earshot, “Your son left you in the dust.”

  “Yes, well, he has always preferred his mother,” Derik responded, “but they can’t all have good taste like Emalia.”

  “True that,” Callan agreed, throwing an arm around his mate, “Can’t win them all, Pops.”

  Derik winced and turned to Callan with a pinched face, “Let’s just stick with Dad, yeah? Pops makes me feel old.”

  “But you are old, Daddy,” Henrik said tugging at Derik’s pants with a grin.

  “No, I am not. I just seem old to you because you are a fledgling,” Derik responded tickling Henrik who giggled in response, “Now, why don’t we show Valeria the basement?”

  “Right now?” Valeria groaned, picturing cleaning out a room she’d never even seen and was probably messier than her father’s office. It was his family home, after all, her mother always said that being unorganized ran in the Grey family.

  “No, but it will give you an idea of what you’re dealing with,” Derik ans
wered. They left the rest of their group in the sitting room and turned down the hallway that led to the Grey Library. Valeria looked around the hall in confusion, where was the entrance to the basement? Before she could ask, Derik pushed aside a painting that depicted the Fae War. Behind it was an iron door with a large lock on it.

  “No wonder I didn’t know about the basement,” She mumbled as he pulled out a familiar set of keys that she knew went to various rooms in the Manor that had been closed off after the other Grey’s died. Her father always carried the keys in his jacket pocket. Valeria jumped as she felt a tail wrapping around her ankle.

  “It’s just Thoren, V,” Henrik laughed from his place in their father’s arms. The white dragon was staring up at her with his icy blue eyes. She couldn’t help but smile down at her father’s companion and scooped him up in her arms.

  “He’s gained a little weight since I last saw him,” Valeria commented as Derik opened the basement door. Her father turned to look at her with a pained expression.

  “By the Creator, do not let your mom hear you say that or she’ll put everyone on a strict diet again. Emalia has been by and with her, bags of dragon treats,” Valeria laughed, nodding at her father in agreement. Although, if she could understand what creatures said like wolves could, she might do the same. It’s a lot easier to deny a pouty face when you can’t understand the words they are saying, “Now, here is your key. Do not tell anyone about this place. It not only is for storage but a shelter in case of emergencies.”

  “Why have you never told us about it before?” She asked as they made their way down the winding staircase. It was made of Vampiric steel and was chilled to the touch. Upon closer inspection, she could see that the entire staircase had dragons engraved into the sides.

  “After the wars ended, we didn’t think there was much use for it besides storage. It has been more than a couple of cycles since anyone has been down here hence the need for it to be cleaned,” Derik explained running his finger down the handrail before showing her the dust that had collected on his finger.