My mum started choking and then laughing so hard she was holding onto her ribs, while I stood there feeling like I had missed the joke.
“Oh Sweetie! It’s quite the opposite,” Mum giggles whilst wiping laughter tears from her eyes.
I had no idea what she meant and so I started huffing like a typical teenager.
“What the hell does that mean?” I screeched. Now I know I sound whiney but don’t judge me as I am going through a lot!
“It means that I want to show your dad what he has been missing all these years. I loved him and he broke my heart. I know he left you, but he left me too. The only difference is that he has come back for you.” Her voice cracks on the last sentence and I could see tears building in her eyes and my heart breaks for my mum. I rushed towards her and pulled her into my arms, like she has done to me a million times. All this time I had been so worried about how this meeting would affect me that I, selfishly, never even considered mum.
I feel horrible now that I never even considered how she would feel about seeing him again after so long. I am about to tell her how sorry I am for this when she hands me my morning cup of coffee that she, instinctively, knows I am desperate for. Before I can say anything, I’m interrupted by a loud knock on the door that seems to echo around our now silent house.
Both our heads shoot up to look at the door, at the same time. Mum starts fiddling with her hands and I straighten out my hair by running my fingers through it. Mum looks at me but I feel almost frozen to the kitchen chair, like my legs aren’t capable of carrying me to the door. In a low whisper and a sweet smile, Mum acknowledges my feelings.
“It’s ok Jelly Baby, I’ll get the door.”
Then it’s like a switch flicks and Mum’s whole body changes. She stands tall with her shoulders back, looking confident and she almost glides with ease to the door. I don’t know how my Dad felt after things ended but I do know that when he gets one look at her now he will regret leaving her, because her hard bitch face (as my Auntie Sandy calls it), is most definitely on today. He should be very afraid of a woman who never forgave or forgot!
Mum pulls the door open and at first, I can’t see anything because my mum blocks the whole doorway, which I’m sure is deliberate. Then I hear this deep, smooth voice that almost drifts into the room and over you like butter.
“Hello Lil, It’s been a long time and you are still as beautiful as always.” He states in a strong, powerful voice.
Knowing that my mum has dressed up for this man, for whatever reason, I am expecting this gorgeous voice to turn her legs to jelly and melt her heart, but then I remembered what stood in front of him was the take-no-shit version of my mum. One I am more than familiar with and let me tell you now, he stands no chance of winning her over that easily!
“It has been a long time. Eighteen years to be precise. So don’t you dare give me any of that beautiful shit, you lost the right to say that. I am a single mother, raising a teenager daughter. I am trying to successfully run my online marketing business by working any hours I can, all just to keep us afloat over the years. So I know that my body and how I look has changed but I produced the most beautiful daughter and I have spent her whole life trying to make up for her feeling abandoned by her father. So if you are ready to stop bullshitting with me, then Ella’s through there.” The conviction was clear to hear and she came off completely confident. But anyone who knew my mum, like me, could hear the pain in her voice when it wobbled. Her hands were gripped into tight fists and she was just too straight. I could tell she was on edge but to everyone else, she was a strong woman defending her child!
I hear him sigh and walk through the front door and into the open plan kitchen/dining room. My arse was still firmly imprinted on the dining room chair and my anxiety was rising. But mum being mum knows when I am bordering on a panic attack and she can see I’m starting to hyperventilate, frozen to the spot. She breezes straight past him, into the kitchen and stands behind me. She places her hands on my shoulders and squeezes as if it’s her way of giving me her strength.
He sits down in the chair opposite me when it becomes obvious I’m not getting up and mum realises that the introductions must fall to her:
“Ella Storm, this is your father Maximus Theodore Greyford.” She says with an almost regal like announcement voice.
I am shocked at the way Mum says his name because it was almost like she felt she was introducing royalty. But most bizarre was the zings of sizzling electricity that I was sure I could feel around me, maybe even in my veins, when his full name was spoken.
“Hello, Ella. It really is a pleasure to finally meet you. I can’t get over how much you look like your mum. I know that was quite a formal introduction that your mum just gave. You can call me whatever makes you feel the most comfortable.”
The way he spoke with such ease and familiarity was so infuriating because he made this seem like the most normal scenario in the world. I was chewing myself up inside about meeting my father for the first time and he looked completely unfazed. It just makes me realise how inconsequential I must be in his important life. Still, I don’t want him to see the overwhelming sadness that is enveloping me at that realisation, so I lash out instead.
“OK, Asshole it is then!” I spit out with as much venom as possible.
My mum gasps. “Ella!” she shouts while giving me a very disapproving look. But he just chuckles like I genuinely amuse him. Nevertheless, mum was still not pleased.
“Ella Storm. I raised you better than that. Now what do you say?”
Even though I was no longer a child, I still had a healthy mix of respect and fear towards my mum when she used my full name and that tone of authority in her voice. I dipped my head in shame, prepared to offer up an apology but before I could, he cut in.
“Not to worry Lil. I dare say after all this time being called an asshole is the least that I deserve.”
Mum and I both look up shocked and I know we both saw it. For a split second, he allowed his cool façade to drop. His face and voice were overcome with emotions including guilt, regret, shame, sadness but mostly pain. His emerald eyes shadowed darker and appeared to be saying that his time away from us had caused him physical pain. But I must be seeing what I want to see because I know that’s a lie.
As quick as a flash, his easy-going mask is back on and his closed-off face returns making me certain I must have misread him. If he wanted to be with us then he would have been. People do it every day, they make difficult decisions but they choose their children over everything. But before I can consider what to say next, he beats me to it.
“However, Asshole isn’t the greatest name to say in public. I appreciate that it is too soon for anything like father or dad. But I do prefer Max, if you want to start there?” he asks tentatively. I am about to rebut his Dad remark with a very sarcastic comeback that I know my mum will want to kill me for, but before I can, he continues.
“But obviously when we get to the Draiochta Academy you will have to call me Sir or Master Greyford.”
Now I’m really confused and out of the corner of my eye, I see mum’s shoulders drop as she lets out an exhale of breathe and I realise that she’s not as confused as I am. She has been keeping something from me!
“I’m sorry, but what the hell are you talking about?” I splutter showing my confusion which causes Max to look at me with a matching perplexed expression.
“The Draiochta Academy” he announces proudly, like I should automatically know what that means, when realistically, I’m trying to decide if he’s now speaking to me in a foreign language.
“Did your mum not tell you that I am the Principal there? I know you probably think that it will not be fun attending a school where your Dad is the Principal, but I can assure you it will be fine.” He exclaims reassuringly, but the more he talks, the more confused I am getting. From the guilty look on my Mum’s face she knows a lot more than she has told me. So with an angry glare at her, I let them both know that whate
ver they are planning to try to keep me close to home is not going to work. I know Mum didn’t want me to move all the way down to London for school, but our small, sleepy town in Yorkshire offers no prospects.
“Ok, let me stop you right there. Firstly, you are not my Dad. So don’t ever say that you are. You can maybe get away with Father but only because sperm donor doesn’t sound like something you say in public.” I grid out with as much acidity in my voice as I can possibly manage, which is not difficult considering my body is shuddering with rage.
Instead of taking my clearly agitated state seriously he instead starts to chuckle, which of course makes me madder and my teeth start to grind. Mum, however, did not find my outburst amusing and is glaring at me with indignation at my behaviour. But I don’t care because I am on a roll, so I move onto my next point!
“Secondly, I have never even heard of the Draiochta Academy, but there is no way I am going to school where you work. And finally you can both stop with whatever stupid plan you have got going on here to stop me from leaving because it is not going to work. Nice try Mum, but a bit of a low blow dragging him back into our lives just for this. Besides, it’s all irrelevant because I got accepted into Oxford University and I have already told them that I will take the place.” I admit with my chin raised and a smug expression on my face that only a teenager who thinks they are in the right can possibly pull off.
Both my parents are wearing matching pissed off expressions now, but I’m so angry with them that I don’t even care.
“You did what?!” my Mother yells, in a pitch that I’m sure is better used on dogs.
“I thought I told you to wait until after your birthday and we would talk about school,” she adds more calmly.
“You did, but I was sick of you putting it off. Plus they offered me a pre-med place in their summer programme. It’s a fantastic opportunity but they had to know fairly soon or my place would be offered to someone else. Just because you don’t want me to move too far away doesn’t mean I’m going to ruin my future.”
Exasperated, she looks at me with hurt etched across her tired looking face.
“Sweetie, you know I am so incredibly proud of everything that you have achieved. Of course Oxford would want you, but there’s a reason that I told you that you had to wait until after your birthday.”
“Why? I just don’t understand.”
Just then Max clears his throat and drags me and mum out of our heated discussion that had made us almost forget he was even in the room. I expect Max to address me but instead, he turns towards Mum. He leans across the table and takes her small hand into his and at first, I’m shocked that she is letting him. But it’s painfully obvious that even after all these years, Max’s touch still affects her and he is trying to soothe her. When he talks it’s clear he is trying not to cause her any pain.
“I’m so sorry Lil, but you know her birthday makes no difference. It is a destiny that you cannot outrun with my bloodline. When she turns eighteen, she will officially become a Greyford and must attend the Draiochta Academy when the term starts two weeks later, since she has already finished her normal schooling.” He says tenderly whilst rubbing his thumb casually across the back of her hand, almost like a subconscious reaction.
My mum’s head sinks lower, but I just sit there open-mouthed, not knowing what they are talking about.
“What are you talking about? What destiny? And I will never be a Greyford! You and your whole fucking family have abandoned me for my entire life and now you want to control me. Well, I can tell you that is not going to happen.” I shout.
I was fuming mad. What gives him the right after all this time to start making demands and why’s Mum just sitting there looking dejected and letting him. Mum let my swearing go, so I know she is struggling but I am too pissed to care.
“Look Ella, I know that’s how it seems and I will explain the past to you if you give me that chance, but the main issue right now is that when you turn eighteen and inherit your blood-rite you have to present at the Academy. It is the law.” He explains sternly, his emerald eyes latched onto mine almost in a pleading way.
“Ok, Ok. Now I really do not have any idea what you are talking about. You lost me at blood-rite.”
His dark green eyes go wide like saucers and he drops mums hand like he has been electrocuted. Running his hands through his shaggy brown hair he turns to look at Mum with displeasure on his face as she shrinks down in her chair under his gaze, and it appears as though she is wishing she was anywhere but here right now.
“You didn’t tell her?” Max snaps at Mum.
“Tell me what?” I ask before Mum gets the chance to answer, yet somehow it is like she never heard me. Her head snaps back, she rises back up to her full height in the chair and her blue eyes darken to glare at Max with a venom I have not seen before.
“No, I didn’t! You told me that because she is of mixed blood there was a chance that she would not inherit your birth-rite. You made a choice to walk away and you left me! I had to raise Ella all by myself with only Sandy for support. I had to make the tough decisions and right or wrong I made them. You were not part of her life and let’s be honest if she hadn’t inherited the blood-rite then you wouldn’t even be here now. I chose not to tell Ella in case she didn’t inherit because she would have lost you all over again. You can disagree with my decisions if you want but you have no right to. In order to have a say in her life, you need to actually be in it. It may have been the wrong call but it was mine to make. You weren’t there!” says mum with a confidence that I know is all for show. At the end, her voice starts to break and the fragile version my Mum rarely shows breaks free and tears begin to flow down her cheeks. I know she has found it tough over the years raising me as a single parent, but I suspect this outburst is more to do with the unresolved feelings she has over Max leaving than anything else.
I can see that he is affected by her pain too. His rich green eyes are glassy and he looks broken seeing her tears. Max reaches out to take her hand again but she pulls away this time and getting up from the kitchen table she walks towards the sink to grab a tissue. With her back to the table, she starts to wipe her eyes and her voice sounds so very small. I can’t help but feel heartbroken for my mum and all she has been through.
“I’m sorry Ella,” she whispers towards me, then she turns to Max and continues “Max, you have a lot to tell her as she knows nothing at all of your world, so I would start at the beginning. It will be better coming from you.” Then she walks out of the room leaving me alone with my Dad and a lot more questions than I had before he arrived.
Chapter Three
Max and I just sat there staring at each other, the silence stifling with mum not here. For the first time since he got here, he looks uncomfortable. Given my Mum’s behaviour and his facial expression, I have an overwhelming feeling that this conversation is going to change my life forever.
“I don’t really know where to start, Ella. When I was planning what to say today, I never thought that you would be completely in the dark and for that, I am so sorry.” He explains nervously and I notice him fiddling with his hands that are placed on the table. It makes me smile because I realise I am doing the exact same thing. I don’t know why but this small gesture hits me like a freight train because it shows me we have something in common. In that moment my anger seems to fade and for a reason, I cannot explain, I feel the need to reassure Max.
“It’s not completely your fault. Why don’t you do like mum said and start at the beginning?” I mumble and there is a part of me that hates letting him off even in the slightest but then there is another part of me that cannot help but show him some compassion.
He takes a big deep breath and looks over at me with a heart-warming smile. I guess he is just as surprised as me at my unexpected gesture and display of kindness.
“Ok. So I guess the first place to start is to tell you that you are a Warlock.” He states tentatively, letting out a big exhale of breath, cl
early unsure how exactly I will take this deceleration. I have no idea whether I should laugh or not. Surely he must be joking but this just does not feel like an appropriate time for him to be pissing about and that annoys me.
“There are no such thing as Warlocks,” I reply and it seems like such an obvious statement but I didn’t know what else to say.
“There are and so much more. There’s a whole underground supernatural world that you have no idea about. We stay hidden from humans to make life easier. Everything you have ever read about in stories is true. There are angels and demons. Nephilim are half human and half angels. Then there are Cambions. This is the name for anybody who is half-demon and half-human. This includes us Warlocks, as well as Vampires, Werewolves, and Faes. They are all real and we all have supernatural abilities that come from our demon blood. Warlocks are the most senior of the Cambion as our blood is the purest and therefore our powers are stronger. When a Warlock turns eighteen they come into their powers. It is at that point that they have to present themselves to the Draiochta Academy, along with all other new Cambions, at the next academic term. It is the same for Faes who inherit their powers, but Vampires and Werewolves must attend as soon as they are turned. There are strict laws about siring new Werewolves or Vampires and they must be over eighteen before they can be turned. The Academy will teach you all about Cambions and your powers. Every species has a leader in the UK and it is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that every fledgling presents to the Academy. I am the leader of the UK coven as well as the leader of the Cambion Council. The Council is made up of all the leaders of the species in this area and we make united decisions about the Cambion world. I know that this is a lot to take in and is only the tip of the iceberg but Draiochta will help you with that.” Says Max with a strong sense of pride across his face as he talks about his world.
I have no idea what my face looks like at this moment in time because I feel like the rug has just been pulled from under my feet and the world turned upside down. Max is looking at me with concern, but I just don’t really know what to say.
Draiochta Academy: All Genres Academy Anthology Page 27